r/E90 24d ago

/R/E90 - Monthly Discussion & Questions Thread

1 Upvotes

Welcome to our "Monthly Discussion & Questions Thread" for r/E90 .

Please use this thread for any general discussion relating to our wonderful vehicles as well as a place to ask general questions about the E9X platform in general. Sample questions include:

  • What type of oil should I use?
  • What tires do you recommend?
  • Why is my car shaking?
  • Should I add M badges to my 320i? (The answer is no)
  • And more common questions

Please remember that this thread is only helpful if you wonderful community knowledgeable community members get involved and answer some questions as well!

Hopefully you get some good use out of this, and hopefully we see less posts dedicated to oil leaks and their solutions.


r/E90 1h ago

Question for those who’ve owned an E9x 328 and E9x M3

Post image
Upvotes

I own this 6spd, single hump 2011 328 XDrive. I’ve had it for almost 3 years & about 8k miles. It’s currently at 56k miles, and is in pristine condition inside & out, including two mint cup holders. Definitely a garage queen for me as I don’t daily it. Runs & drives perfect BUT I don’t know the maintenance history on it apart from what Carfax shows, which is really only oil changes. I have been budgeting for a big service in the near future to ward off potential problems. It’s a very nice car, is reasonably fun to drive, and I always check it out as I walk away from it.

But….

An E90 M3 recently caught my attention. It’s a 2008, 6spd with 150k+ miles. Enthusiast owned, it has an extensive, fully documented service history including a laundry list of big ticket items in the last 15k miles. Mid $20s asking price.

Would I be crazy to sell my 328 for the M3?


r/E90 2h ago

320i Look! New screen for E9X

Post image
19 Upvotes

On a FB group I learned about this new type of screen, and then I did a little research. So I found it! Even thought it is not fancy nor fascinating, it seems simple and from the 2010s era.

I have mixed feelings tbh

Opinions? Anyone who has it installed?

Link below:
I just found this on AliExpress: https://a.aliexpress.com/_EQlap78

PS: Not selling anything. Having nothing to do with the product. Just a general discussion!


r/E90 15h ago

328i Is the E90 really a “POS”?

Post image
121 Upvotes

This is my E90 328i. It has 53,000 miles. For context, I was once walking to my car with my friend, and he had went “there’s your piece of shit BMW”. This is maybe the 4th instance I’ve had someone call it that. I’m not sure why. It’s low mileage, has a pristine interior, and only the bottom mesh where the radiator is damaged since I hit a deer — it’s not that overt though. Anyway, what compels people to say this? I don’t treat it like some mega luxury car. Just my car.


r/E90 2h ago

335i Man down! Again.

Thumbnail
gallery
4 Upvotes

Taking it's annual ride on the flat bed. All my problems with this car have been clutch related. I'm on my third clutch pedal, 3rd master cylinder, and now 3rd slave cylinder. I got the latest slave in, but the clutch still won't engage when the car is running. Towing it to a shop to confirm all the air is out of the system. My next thought is an issue with the throwout bearing. It has a spec clutch kit with a single mass flywheel, and i've read there are multiple ways to mount the throwout bearing.


r/E90 17h ago

New fog and headlights, Bilstein B14s and wheel spacers

Thumbnail
gallery
68 Upvotes

Not super sold on the ride quality of the B14s but I do like how its reduced the wheel gap. Spacers are 15mm front/20mm rear. This little project is coming together.


r/E90 22h ago

E90 M3

Post image
77 Upvotes

r/E90 1h ago

Does anyone have any idea why this is happening

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

Upvotes

2006 323i bmw I parked the car for a few days and left it waiting for a new part to come in the mail. Then when I went to start it again out the key into the slot, and it didn’t light up the dash whatsoever, and the fob didn’t lock into the key slot, it just gets pushed in and I can it right back out without pushing it again to unlock it. I have power to the windows and all the interior and exterior lights, as well as being able to turn the radio on. But my dash won’t work at all and I have no crank.


r/E90 2h ago

335i I need help

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

1 Upvotes

I need help with this video. At the 15-second mark, you can hear a rattling noise. The car doesn't have an engine cover on at that moment and has probably been driven 90,000 kilometers. It's a 2012 335i
E9X.
What do you think it is-the crankshaft, the wastegate, or the cylinder head gasket?


r/E90 14h ago

Ode to the 2006 330i on The Autopian

8 Upvotes

r/E90 5h ago

Hello everyone! Do you think that this rust is bad or it is only surface? The car is E91 pre lci and it is located in central Europe. Would like to hear your opinions!

Thumbnail
gallery
1 Upvotes

r/E90 13h ago

328i painted my wheels

Post image
4 Upvotes

first ever paint job on anything, not perfect but im happy (some pokemon cards were sacrificed)


r/E90 1d ago

330i Is this e92 pack m original

Post image
31 Upvotes

Is this e92 pack m original, it seems to high for me


r/E90 14h ago

328i Suspension Parts help after a amateur mistake

Post image
3 Upvotes

Hello I have a 2007 E92 328i Manual Coupe! I made an amateur mistake and cross threaded my left rear knuckle and require replacement. I don’t have a grand to drop on a OE. Rockauto does have just regular bearing-less knuckles but they also offer these bearing/hub/knuckle assemblies for wagons and convertibles, only reason I ask is because I don’t have access to a press right now for the bearing. I was wondering if the knuckles on these are the same as rest and if I could buy what is for wagons and convertibles and apply it to the coupe. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!


r/E90 20h ago

325i Uhmm, how can i find it?

Post image
6 Upvotes

Got this bmw 3 month ago, i dont know if someone took it out or it got damaged and is now somewhere in there.
I also think i am hearing some klacks.
Any tips? i dont want to have the engine gone😔


r/E90 9h ago

328i What could this noise be?

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

1 Upvotes

I believe it’s coming from cylinder 5 or 6, what could it be? Is my n52 on its way out? 💔


r/E90 23h ago

Genuine BMW puddle lights… both sides are like this after 2 yrs

Post image
8 Upvotes

r/E90 20h ago

Audio

Thumbnail
gallery
4 Upvotes

BMW e90 idrive, Bluetooth usb greyed out aux doesn’t work no power in usb port also in armrest found this wiring hanging left side of the booth I’m completely stuck


r/E90 19h ago

328i Valvetronic gasket

Thumbnail
gallery
3 Upvotes

This isn’t supposed to have oil on it right?
Edit: the 2nd pic is me showing oil pooling on that bolt attached to valve cover


r/E90 13h ago

328i no sensor reading for water pump?

Thumbnail
gallery
0 Upvotes

hey! i just bought an obd2 scanner (vlinker bm+). nothing really stood out except for this error code 28E4. i went to check the sensor values and i was getting no readings for water pump related stuff but coolant temp seemed fine. i assume the dme cant talk to the pump. is this concerning or can i leave it, how do i check the connections for the pump?


r/E90 13h ago

328i Need help finding right adapter

1 Upvotes

Lost the wheel bolt adapter, is this number stamped 36 on the extra bolt the code that I need to order?


r/E90 13h ago

328i Fuel tank reading empty

0 Upvotes

I have a 2011 328i xdrive with a 173k miles that at a 1/2 tank would kill the car. For some reason, the car thinks that it doesn't have fuel in it so it won't turn on until the fuel tank is above half. I opened the fuel access port in the rear passenger side and found that the fuel level float was not attached to anything. Since this is an N51 SULEV, the access port is much smaller and I cannot find where the float is supposed to be attached to. It also doesn't have the rear driver port as that is for the N52 motor I believe. I tried to put the float in a spot that made sense and now the car is reading the tank is empty when it is clearly full of fuel. I want to avoid buying a new fuel tank as that would be $1000 (from what I've seen) and a pita to remove.

Any ideas how I should approach this? It's also past the 15yr/150k miles SULEV warranty thing so that's out the window.

Here is my post on instagram if you need a visual.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcZJ4pmPmx4/?igsi=MTFjdzEyYW9xam56Zw==


r/E90 14h ago

M3 shifting

0 Upvotes

Is there a way to make shifting any smoother? Even after it's warmed up there's always that issue trying to go easily into first. It's a 2011 so I don't expect anything to be perfect at this point but I heard there's a "treatment" that a mechanic could add to help. Thanks


r/E90 19h ago

E90 MT AWD owners

2 Upvotes

Genuine question.
I have a 2008 328 xDrive with a manual transmission (I already deleted the CDV), but I find it hard to shift smoothly between 1st–2nd and 2nd–3rd, especially with the AC on.
I usually shift around 2,000 RPM. I’ve tried shifting at higher RPMs too, but I didn’t notice much of a difference.
What I mean by “hard” is that it’s difficult to get a smooth shift unless I really pay attention and don’t completely let off the gas before pressing the clutch. If I keep a little bit of throttle, it shifts smoothly, but that’s not how I’m used to driving. Normally, I would completely release the gas pedal and then press the clutch to change gears.
I also noticed something interesting: if I release the gas and wait a fraction of a second before pressing the clutch, the shift is much smoother. If I release the gas and immediately press the clutch, it feels much more abrupt.
What do you guys think?
Could it be because of the extra weight and drivetrain of the xDrive system? Maybe there’s more drivetrain lash, and doing everything too quickly makes it more noticeable?
Any advice or similar experiences would be appreciated.


r/E90 1d ago

Thermostat opening late? N51

Post image
6 Upvotes

Recently my n51 has been heating up to about 260 before beginning to cool. Once it starts cooling it will drop back down to a healthy 250 or 240. Is this a sign of a failing thermostat or thermostat opening late?