Recent content by Matt.rowley.1990

Honestly, its probably fine if outright sound quality isn't your top priority. When I got my E89 it had one of these units and it worked just fine. I switched to the Mr12volt interface as I wanted the best sound quality possible. All interfaces use the idrive controller unless you go for an...

Do it! From an insurance perspective, it has cost me a grand sum of £1.46 to add to my policy.

Nope, not for insurance purposes at all; just for my own curiosity. I have seen the SIM based units before but always questioned the reliability of any app that’s required. I’ve used a Chinese dash cam before which had its app disappear from the App Store.

When you say function identically, what do you mean? The whole benefit of the AirTag is that it is inherently integrated with the Apple ecosystem, so anyone with an iPhone nearby will contribute to the service. What do your alternatives use?

Hello all, I guess this is broader than the E89 but it looks like the centralised forum pages are a little quiet, so came here! Just wondering if anyone here is running some form of vehicle tracker and if so, which one? In my head I know the E89 is probably not that desirable to thieves, nor...

Thanks! Just to complete this. Both sides now done and been out for a quick spin. Naturally they’ll take a few drives to bed in but it is already feeling more progressive. For £390 all in, it is a superb value for money upgrade.

One side done! Incredibly easy upgrade, made easier by the fact that you can remove the old caliper and carrier in one piece, without having to mess with slide pins. Gravity bled remarkably easily too, taking no time at all to be bubble free. Only done one side so far (whilst my son napped) but...

What was needed to get her through in the end? I know you mentioned it was emissions holding you up.

Update: I thought “to hell with it” and decided to give lacquering a go. Thankfully it didn’t react in any extreme ways and I managed to get a covering across both calipers. Much happier now there’s a layer of protection applied to them!

Speaking of the brakes, any tips or nuances when it comes to bleeding the new 340mm calipers on the E89? I know it’s a case of inner bleed nipple, then outer but if there’s anything else to be aware of, I’d appreciate knowing.

I haven’t and I keep considering it. The paint I’ve bought is designed for brakes and is high temperature rated. I’m just worried that the solvents in the lacquer could soften the paint and cause the fisheyes to return. A tough choice!

Indeed. No amount of panel wipe, brake cleaner or degreaser would help. As you say, I came to the conclusion it was leeching from the casting. Either way, they’re uniformly covered now and I’m happy with the result. I’ll see about fitting them over the weekend.

Caliper painting has taken place! Despite cleaning, sanding and cleaning, I found painting these to be an absolute PITA. I kept getting contamination in the same spots, with fisheyes appearing. I ended up using a brush to “force” the application of paint in these areas, speckling the finish to...

Hello! You can’t go wrong with an N52. Even at 100k miles, they’re very reliable engines. That being said, you do have items that I’d consider consumables. VANOS solenoids like to play up for fun at any mileage and I’ve had them start failing at under 2 years old. Water pumps are another...

Bought my E89 at 33 and I’m now 35. Im probably one of the youngest on here and it’s a pattern I’m seeing with car ownership in general. A lot of the younger generations aren’t interested in driving and those that do happen to want a licence often want something cheap, economical and green...