DIY Oil Change

An excellent step-by-step oil change on a BMW 335i is available at the Team BHP website. Full photos of the DIY oil change is available on the site with complete write up. I highly recommend this site for those of you who like changing oil instead of having to hassle with the dealership. more.

BMW Announces Pricing for US 2011 3-Series Models

U.S. pricing information for the 2011 BMW 3-Series models was just announced late last night. You can view all of the pricing details at BimmerPost's blog by clicking here.

Here are the main details about the changes for the 2011 BMW 3-series Convertibles (E93):

328i - $45,875 MSRP (includes $875 destination and handling)
335i - $52,075 MSRP (includes $875 destination and handling)
335is - $59,075 MSRP (includes $875 destination and handling)

Changes from 2010 to 2011:
New headlights, tail lights, hood, kidney grill, sideskirts, wheels, front and rear fascias.
335i coupe gets new N55 twin scroll turbocharged inline-6 engine
New colors: Vermillion Red, Deep Sea Blue, Mineral White Metallic (Mineral White is available starting June 2010).
Optional Harmon Kardon Surround Sound System replaces BMW's HiFi professional system.
Bamboo Anthracite Wood trim now available
Double Clutch Transmission (DCT) will be available on the 335is as a $1,575 option.

The big change of course is the addition of the all-new 335is. Car & Driver reviewed the newly enhanced N54 engine that is in the 335is.

More Details Leak About 2011 3 Series Coupe/Convertible

BMW Blog is reporting that several assumed changes are coming for the new 3 series coupe and convertible. Most reports have thought some front fascia and rear light treatments were bound to occur based on where mules where covered when photographed in early testing.

Here is a link to some details around the LED Angel Eyes treatment coming from spyshots: BMW Blog Article

Performance changes include power numbers for the N54 engine to increase in line with the new Z4 sDrive35is: "335 horsepower (340hp in Europe) at 5,900 rpm and 332 lb-ft in “regular mode”; an electronically-controlled overboost function can briefly increase torque under full load by another 37 lb-ft bringing the torque peak to 369 lb-ft."

The Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT), which was currently only available on the current M3, will now be available on 335is models. I believe the new "s" added to 335i means "sport" package models. more.

Interior Trim Tool Kit for Christmas

I'm getting a few things for my car this Christmas and one thing I wanted to add to my toolbox is a decent set of interior trim removal tools. After some searching, I found a great set of 10 nylon pry tools from Eastwood. The kit is $39.99 plus tax and shipping is currently free. Looks like a good kit and I saw it mentioned on Bimmerpost from someone doing a full trim replacement on a 1-series.

To order the kit, go to Eastwood's site. It's a nice set for our cars and any future automotive projects. more.

LeatherZ Complete Gauge Kit

LeatherZ has released a relatively affordable gauge cluster kit for the E9x 3-series cars, including the E93 convertibles. The kit allows for 3 gauges to fit in place of where the ashtray currently is in the center console. Pricing is about 10-20% lower than other custom solutions I've seen and the cluster kit is configurable running from $305-$550 depending on which VDO gauges you choose.

There are a few recommendations from the supplier dependent on what kind of car you have:

E9x 328i - Oil Pressure, Oil Temperature and Voltmeter

E9x 335i (Stock) - 0-15PSI Boost, Oil Pressure and Water Temperature

E9x 335i (Modified) - 0-30 PSI Boost (Or Vacuum/Boost), Oil Pressure and Water Temperature

E9x 335i (Track Setup) - Pyrometer, Oil Pressure and Water Temperature

Installation takes from 4-6 hours and instructions come with the kit when ordered. I was disappointed the instructions are not available online. This would really help those of us considering buying the set who are DIY types to see what is involved.

This is definitely something I plan to do with my car in the next year or so. Hopefully someone on the boards will beat me to the task and post some instructions with photos. more.

BMWCCA Going Social

The BMW Car Club of America is extending their social reach with a new Facebook Fan Page and a more active Twitter account @BMWCCA. If you are not a BMWCCA Member, I highly recommend joining. The Roundel publication alone is reason enough to join as it has the best BMW owner, history and enthusiast content available. I've been a member for over 10 years and have loved every minute of it.

The Club also holds several driving performance and safety events. I wish my car was able to join the track events, but Club rules force me to have a roll cage which is a real shame as the requirement is quite extreme as compared to most track policies which only require rollbars and 5-point belts for convertibles. Oh well, it's still a great club and worth joining so do so today and at minimum join the Facebook and Twitter accounts to stay engaged.

2010 Facelift Images Show Minor Changes Coming

Car Magazine (UK) is reporting some coming changes for the next BMW E93 convertible. Several images hint at areas that may get some modification in what looks to be a minor-facelift.

Some changes appear to be modifications around LED usage on the front and rear lights, expect tiny LED bulbs galore like the Audi A5. LED lighting abuse is the new trend in automotive design.

Other changes could happen around the side skirts, lower rear bumper and front lower lip. All areas are hidden on the "mule" pictured by Car Magazine. I'm personally hoping for some new side skirts as I would love to see something a bit more sporty than the current M-Sport side skirts and not as aggressive as the M3 sides.

In-car Internet access and the improved iDrive changes are all part of the technology changes. BMW Blog is reporting that there is a lot of speculation about the new N55 engine replacing the current 335i N54 engine. more.

Service Manual Released Covering E93

Bentley Publishers has finally released a service manual for the 2006-2009 BMW 3-series models that covers the 335i and 328i convertibles. If you are not familiar with these books, you should be. Bentley makes some great books for the do it yourself mechanic.

If you are not so daring as taking on the projects yourself, the books are great for understanding what is being done to your car if you hire the work out. Also, I find these books to be a great resource to help diagnose problems and use for routine maintenance.

The price is a bit steep at $81.87 right now on Amazon.com, but at over 1,200 pages it sounds very comprehensive. more.

One Owner Shares His Waterfall of Angst

Sometimes the ownership experience can be ruined by a engineering failure or design flaw or you happen to get the "lemon" of the bunch. Such is the case with one owner who is suffering a down pouring of dislike on his E93. He started a blog - called BimmerIssues - with one post to get the word out about his car's flooding issue that happens in heavy downpour or car wash.

I personally haven't had this issue. I will on occasion get a small amount of water coming through the corner where the top connects with the front windshield and the driver's window, but I've owned a couple convertibles and have always had some minor drips, but it's nothing like the video above.

It's always good understanding what issues can happen to best understand the car. So, I decided to post this person's experience if you want to know the other side of ownership that isn't all roses and balloons, like mine has been. more.

Garage419 Reviews the 335i Convertible in Paradise

Loaded with great driving shots of the 2009 BMW 335i convertible driving along California’s ultra scenic driver’s road The Pacific Coast Highway, the team at Garage419 takes out the E93. “Wide open stretches, tight corners” is some of what makes the PCH such a great road to enjoy the dynamics of the 335i convertible.

There are some great sounds from the exhaust note too. Nothing is really new here but some great video shots make the video a joy to watch and personally makes me weep thinking how my car gets beat to hell on Michigan’s pothole infested roads; instead of living in the paradise that is driving through the windy roads of Northern California.

Euro Split Armrest for Added Comfort

There are a few features we don't get in our 3-series BMWs in the States, well at least we don't get them stock. Of course you probably are used to the game of being able to buy OEM parts after your purchase, even if they are parts that could've come on your car from the factory like they are made available across the Atlantic. After owning several BMWs, this has become old hat in my experience.

I fell for it again and decided to order a $265 part (price included shipping) from Tischer BMW, the OEM BMW E90 Sedan Split Armrest (the E90 part fits the E92/E93.) I had put this modification off because it seemed kind of dumb to me, but a couple of good friends did the install and really liked the improvement of the upgrade.

There is also a lot of talk on the boards in a DIY thread concerning the hassle of a small gear you have to install to get the full effect of the upgrade (gives a more natural not so springy pop of the armrest when it is released. Stock just shoots right up.) Anyway the gear was a bit of hassle but two posts really helped: Putting in the spring and the other tip is "So here's a tip so this doesn't happen to anyone else. Once the gear is inserted properly and you're attempting to place the armrest in, HOLD the gear in place firmly with your finger. Trust me, you'll avoid a lot of aggravation."

Another helpful post, involved how to remove the armrest from an E92/E93 as opposed to the E90 model the DIY was originally done for.

Also, before installing the new armrest you'll want to remove your iPod holder from the stock armrest and install it on the new armrest. Details can be found on this post. I removed the iPod holder and used a small piece of card paper for a magazine subscription and made a template from that for drilling the new holes. Be careful not to drill too far in. Don't worry if it pokes right through quickly, as there is just a thin piece of plastic to drill through. Make sure your drill bit isn't long so you continue to the other side, tough to do but just be careful and don't worry when the drill pokes through the thin layer of plastic since you did not go through any leather.

The install took me about 20 minutes including the time to remove and reattach the iPod leather holder.

BMW Performance Automatic Shift Knob

You gotta love an installation that involves pulling up with a little force and snapping out a small leather boot, taking a mere two minutes. That's all that's involved in installing the new BMW Performance Auto Shift Knob. The new knob is the first and only automatic shifter replacement for the E90/E92/E93 BMWs with Steptronic transmissions.

It looks good with some Alcantara trim and smooth black leather. The shifter also is a bit bulkier than stock and has a very nice, sturdy, sporty feel to it. The boot that can be ordered continues the Alcantara and leather theme.

I took some photos comparing the new knob to stock to help everyone see how the two differ. Hope you like what you see. I've had some great compliments about it from the E90Post board and even Tischer BMW asked to use one of my photos for their online product catalog.

Price for the item is $115 ($185 with the boot) from Tischer. Details are on this group buy thread.

Next up, a leather split armrest...