Finally a 3.0L Si Coupe Owner!!

[zacwheelton]

Hello, spent so much time reading these forums over the last few months researching and now I'm a very proud owner of a black 2006 3.0L Si coupe! couldn't be happier!

It's been around the block a few times with 103K miles on the clock but I have a list of preventative maintenance I plan to do...

- replace the 2 vanos solenoid valves
- replace the large disa valve
- replace all 6 spark plugs and ignition coils

and a few cosmetic things like refirbing the alloys etc..

if there's any other common/ major things anyone thinks is worth replacing for preventative purposes, please do let me know!!

would appreciate any help
Zac.

 

[Special Kay]

Welcome to the forum Zac. Lovely looking coupe you've acquired

 

[Mr Tidy]

Welcome to the forum and Coupe ownership Zac. Yours looks very smart.

The electric water pumps always die at some point so some people replace them as a preventative measure - I just kept my RAC card handy! My first Coupe needed a new one after just 60K miles but my 2nd seemed to be on the original pump at 91K, so it's a bit of a lottery. Of course on 103K it's possible your car has already had a new one. If you do decide to replace it don't buy from BMW as they charge over £500 - you can get the same Pierburg part for about half that elsewhere!

 

[Secondtothird]

Hello Zac, welcome to the forum, it's a really valuable resource, and the vast majority of folk here are friendly and knowledgeable.

Great looking car!

Owen

 

[zacwheelton]

Welcome to the forum and Coupe ownership Zac. Yours looks very smart.

The electric water pumps always die at some point so some people replace them as a preventative measure - I just kept my RAC card handy! My first Coupe needed a new one after just 60K miles but my 2nd seemed to be on the original pump at 91K, so it's a bit of a lottery. Of course on 103K it's possible your car has already had a new one. If you do decide to replace it don't buy from BMW as they charge over £500 - you can get the same Pierburg part for about half that elsewhere!
Coupes because stunning!

Thank you for the heads up mate! I wasn't aware of that common fault. Will deffo check to see if it has been replaced.

Cheers,
Zac.

 

[Zedebee]

Well done mate, great car choice. I wouldn’t rush straight in replacing the DISA and solenoids, they may both be fine. The DISA is very easy to check and clean if necessary, the solenoids are a little more difficult to get to, but you can generally tell if they’re failing.

If you’re still on any of the original suspension, refreshing that is definitely worth doing. Water pump is good PM, as failure is sudden and unexpected. Other than that it’s about making sure your exterior rubber/plastics and panels/paint are in good shape so that your coupe looks its best.

 

[grannyknot]

Congrats, very nice looking paint. Good to see someone who isn't afraid of the 100,000mi mark.
Any pics of the interior?

 

[lucasxdiniz]

- replace the large disa valve

IMG_3674.jpgIMG_3673.jpg

On the M54 engines that makes perfect sense. On the N52, not so much. Remove it and operate the flap manually through its range of motion, you should be able to see if there's anything wrong. Ask someone to turn the engine on and watch if the flap closes, if it does, it is fully functional. Or if you have INPA, just activate it with your laptop. That's ~£200 you won't spend unnecessarily.

 

[MikeyH]

Welcome to the forum, you have a beautiful looking car.

 

[N4LLY]

Most excellent ! Congrat's.

 

[TOMGREEN413]

Nice looking Coupe, congratulations

 

[zacwheelton]

On the M54 engines that makes perfect sense. On the N52, not so much. Remove it and operate the flap manually through its range of motion, you should be able to see if there's anything wrong. Ask someone to turn the engine on and watch if the flap closes, if it does, it is fully functional. Or if you have INPA, just activate it with your laptop. That's ~£200 you won't spend unnecessarily.

I did exactly this for the DISA valves and they were both fine!

Thank you for the advice, as you said - £200 saved

 

[zacwheelton]

Well done mate, great car choice. I wouldn’t rush straight in replacing the DISA and solenoids, they may both be fine. The DISA is very easy to check and clean if necessary, the solenoids are a little more difficult to get to, but you can generally tell if they’re failing.

If you’re still on any of the original suspension, refreshing that is definitely worth doing. Water pump is good PM, as failure is sudden and unexpected. Other than that it’s about making sure your exterior rubber/plastics and panels/paint are in good shape so that your coupe looks its best.

I checked the DISA valves by exposing them and turning the car on one at a time, they both moved fully. I also check them for any wobble, none at all.

The Vanos solenoids I replaced both as was having a bit of a rough idle. Replacing them along with the spark plugs and ignition coils, and taking the fuel injectors off, cleaning them, and putting them back has fixed the rough idle.

Next on the list is the suspension coils, arms and bushes as it all looks quite corroded - the steering also creaks... hoping doing this will solve that issue!

Water pump is still on the list too.

I've kept her in the garage over the winter to try and preserve the paint work and keep her warm

 

[Zedebee]

I've kept her in the garage over the winter to try and preserve the paint work and keep her warm

Without being funny, that’s a good idea for the coupe. Rainwater tends to pool at the bottom of the rear windscreen and gets through the rubber seal over time, rotting the underside of the hatch. It’s known as the birdbath.

 

[Mr Tidy]

Good to know you managed to resolve your rough idle, and good luck with the next phase.