Gavsadler's 130i M-Sport (E87)

[gavsadler]

What’s the mileage on this now?

Mileage now on 152100kms

hi do you have a part no. for that air filter?

Part number = 1371 0445 636

Any update on the Thule Box?
I was thinking it would amazing if the colour matched that of the car?

Honestly, I'm not too phased about the roofbox.  It's not something I would leave permanently affixed to the car.  It's actually been hanging in the garage since that day.


Moving along, also in May I wanted to use the car for a trip.  Start the car in the garage and it's complaining about low washer fluid.  This is strange as I topped it up about 2 weeks prior.  Anyways, reversing out the garage, I see a big stain on the paint under the car, obviously where the fluid has leaked out.  So either a pipe is off, or something else has failed, maybe a pump or the washer bottle itself.


So, time to strip off a bunch of stuff, to get to the washer bottle which sits directly behind the RHS fender.

Wheel off and fender liner removed:

View attachment 4

View attachment 5

View attachment 6


Excuse the crappy lighting, but you'll be able to make out the washer bottle and lines:

View attachment 7


Space is non-existent, so after removing the securing bolt, it required some careful wiggling to get it out part of the way:

View attachment 8


There are 3 pumps: 1 for the windscreen, 1 for the headlight washers, and 1 for the rear window.

View attachment 9


And after some more wiggling, the bottle was removed:




And again, the cavity where the washer bottle lives:

View attachment 1

---

Also, in order to make more space to get the bottle out, I had to remove the front portion of the fender liner as well:

View attachment 2


Gave the parts a good clean before evaluating further:

View attachment 3


After everything was cleaned, I filled up the bottle to check for leaks.  Thankfully nothing from the bottle, but the pump for the rear window was the culprit.  It was dripping from a join on the plastic pump housing (black pump on LHS:

View attachment 4


During lockdown, it was a mission to get anything, but I ended up getting a replacement from Goldwagen.  Installed into the bottle and reconnected everything:

View attachment 5


After connecting up the bottle, I gave it a few tests. The pump was working fine, but there was still nothing happening on the back window.  So this led to a new problem which required some troubleshooting. I first tested the line where it goes to the boot lid, and that was fine, no blockages.  This meant that the issue was in the line in the bootlid itself, or in the nozzle / wiper mechanism.

Stripping out everything in the boot lid:

View attachment 7


Loong story short, after much battling, it turned out the nozzle was a bit blocked with some rust, I cleaned that out and refitted, and was able to get spray onto the back window again.


Here is my test rig to clean out the nozzle:

View attachment 6


But then another issue popped up. After repeated sprays, water was leaking from the wiper mechanism and into the bootlid. Further investigations revealed some rust and corrosion on the metal pipe, which press fits into a plastic housing (to which the hose attaches).  The constant pressure from repeated tests caused it to leak out here.  So I've ended up bypassing this plastic fitting with a piece of silicone hose. Problem solved.

View attachment 8


A while later, everything was reinstalled and the car was sorted again.


Lastly to end off, I decided to use one of these to circulate through the ventillation system to freshen it up a bit. I must say I am pleased with the outcome, the car smells good inside.

View attachment 9


That's all for now on this thread.

 

[golfer23]

[quote pid='1428476' dateline='1586251568']

hi do you have a part no. for that air filter?

Part number = 1371 0445 636



Lastly to end off, I decided to use one of these to circulate through the ventillation system to freshen it up a bit. I must say I am pleased with the outcome, the car smells good inside.
That's all for now on this thread.
[/quote]

awesome work regarding water bottle, i always thought the fender would have to come off?
My kms at 146kkm, getting close to you.
thanks for the PN - whats the cost of that filter?
whats the cost of the can for the AC? had mine re-gassed and i think i need that can, slight sock smell when ac goes on. but gone right after.

 

[gavsadler]

Update Nov-2020:

Going back to June, shortly after completing the repairs to the washer bottle and pump, the car headed off to my parents to spend the rest of the lockdown locked away in their garage.  It was started every 1-2 weeks, but didn't really move.

Towards the end of September, I went to collect the car again, and the battery had finally decided to give up. It didn't want to hold a charge, and even after jump starting, and driving for 45mins, switching off was terminal, the car would not do anything again.  So it was time to replace the battery.

After shopping around (this was prior to me starting up G Shift), I decided to get an OEM battery from ABM. Thanks again to JP for assisting with this.  I also went with the exact same replacement, as the one that came out of the car has lasted 9 years!  Granted, the car isn't used much, but the battery was last replaced in 2011, while the car was still under plan.

Old vs new below:

View attachment 1

View attachment 2




After this, all has been good again.  No issues. I've done about 350kms in the car this year so far  :smilebounce:


Oh and to end off, also during lockdown, I installed one of my birthday presents, and a Father's Day present:

View attachment 9


That's all for now.  Still enjoy the car, there is nothing like a BMW Inline 6 to get the goosebumps going (even if it's only been 350kms worth this year).

 

[gavsadler]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]I clean forgot about this update. I’m going to combine this update for across the 4 cars in the fleet.[/font]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]In July, following a refund from SARS, I decided to treat myself to a device to satisfy my nerdy tendencies.  So after some chats with Firi, a day later my Dragy arrived.[/font]
[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]First impressions: it’s really small, maybe the size of 2 BIC lighters held together.  I gave it a charge, and after downloading the app to my phone, I was ready to test it out.  I decided to keep things simple and stick it on top of the dash with 2 blobs of Prestik.  This worked just fine, and for the first couple of days, I experimented with the settings and how it all works. It is very simple to use.[/font]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Thereafter, I decided on a private test track to use for some runs.  It’s straight and long enough to get a 1/4mile in and have sufficient stopping distance too. Unfortunately it’s not 100% flat, but over the 400m, the gradient changes cancel each other out, which the app then regards as a valid run.[/font]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]For  the runs that you see below, I also didn’t apply too much rocket science. The intention was to mash the throttle / do a brisk pull off, as you would in a normal, day-to-day scenario. No activating of launch control, no warming up tyres, traction control activated (where applicable) etc.  So yes, there is probably room for improvement on some of the cars (or they could fare worse) – who knows. This is purely for comparison, same road, similar conditions, same driving style.[/font]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]I’ve added an image below, of the runs from each car, and the data generated. 1st place goes to the M3, 2nd the X3, 3rd for the Ute and 4th the 130i. Some data which peaked my nerdy interest:[/font]

View attachment 6

• Note the gear shift delays (orange line) on the 2 manual cars vs the 2 auto cars.  Again I was shifting normally, no race-style shifting or flat shifting or looking for the elusive money shift.  I have mechanical sympathy.
  
• Looking at the acceleration curve (blue line), the M3 and Ute have quite steep gradients most of the run, whereas the X3 has a strong showing initially, but then a much lazier curve (don’t get me wrong, the car is still rapid). The 130i is also not as strong as the turbo cars up at the reef.
  
• Interestingly, the 60ft time of the 130i is the best of the lot, I attribute this to less torque and less interference from the DSC.  Next up is the X3 which also hopped off the line nicely – due to the x-drive. Thereafter is the M3, and lighting up the tyres at the back of the pack is the Ute.
  
• The terminal speed of the Ute over 400m is higher than the X3 – probably due to aerodynamics and also being able to put down more power once the front wheels have grip in the higher gears. Lighter weight may also help matters somewhat.

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]I’ve embedded the videos of each of the car’s runs as well, but please excuse the shaky footage (I have yet to finalise a stable mount for the phone).[/font]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]M3:[/font]
[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][video=youtube]

[size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]X3:[/font]
[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][video=youtube]

[size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Corsa Ute:[/font]
[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][video=youtube]

[size=small][font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]As mentioned earlier, there are probably more ideal conditions, a better private test track, and better driver skills to be realised, which will result in lower times, but that was not the point of this exercise. It was to do some real-world “one take” runs of each vehicle.[/font]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]All-in-all, a great little product, accuracy seems good and like I’ve said, I geek out on analysing the numbers and the graphs.  I look forward to using it more in future and maybe trying for quicker runs in better conditions and on a better private test track.[/font]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Thanks for reading.[/font]

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[video=youtube]

 

[gumpertapolloss]

I absolutely love this 130i of yours!! I've been looking at these recently and to find one in good condition, M-Sport and Manual has proven to be quite the task.

Sent from my VOG-L09 using Tapatalk

 

[gavsadler]

Just a small update which had me smiling this week.

In the 1st week of January, 14 years ago, I went with my brother to pickup this car from Sandton Auto.  The first brand new car he ever purchased.

It was a fond farewell to the E46 330D which he traded in on this car, but I still remember the day clearly.

After ogling the car and completing all the paperwork, we set off on the first drive.  First impressions were that the brakes were very responsive, as we both lurched forward at the first stop street, lol.

2nd impressions, pull off requires some skill to execute smoothly, otherwise you end up bunny-hopping thanks to the CDV.

Good times!  :smilebounce:


Back to the present time though, and there is not much else to report on this car for now.  It's been sleeping in the garage for a bit, but I'll be pulling it out for a clean and a blast fairly soon again.

 

[gavsadler]

Update: Mar-21

No major news to report on this car. Have used it a little bit more in recent weeks compared to last year, still a great car to drive IMO.

I thought I would share some randoms, more specific to the detailing side.

In Feb, after the car was standing for quite some time (since November), it was long overdue for a proper clean. It doesn't help that our neighbour is busy with a full-on house renovation, so there is sand, dust, cement and who knows what else billowing over the walls and so on.

Anyway, some before pics, prior to the clean:





I also decided to try out the Chenille Wash Mitt from The Rag Company:



And posing with the relative after they were both cleaned:



Then this weekend, it was time for another clean, so pulled it out and gave it a wash, followed by a wax using one of my favourite products: Meguiar's Gold Class Carnauba Liquid Wax. (I'm quite enjoying the reflective pics these days, so you will be seeing a lot more of them):











Oh and to end off, in the last tax year I covered a whopping 568kms in this car

 

[Captain_Stealth]

Nice, love this car wish my colour was also white

 

[///M Individual]

This car is stunning. Well done on keeping it in tip top shape!

 

[gavsadler]

Update, Sep-2021:

No significant updates on this car. Sadly we had a tragedy in the family, and this necessitated by brother flying in from Australia. A 3 week trip turned into a 3 month trip (thanks COVID), but during this time, we spent a lot of time together, and rotating the cars on a regular basis.

He still enjoys driving this car, purely due to it being an inspirational drive, the analogue feeling of everything, no extravagant electrics, and a great sounding engine note. Nothing has changed here. The only real noticeable difference that he pointed out is that a 3-series is probably a better family vehicle, given that it has more space (well, especially for a family with 2 kids knocking on their teenager years. If circumstances were different and he had to choose a 1 or a 3, the 3 would get the nod.

So over the past 3 months or so, the car has put on a good few thousand kms more than usual. But as is the norm, no mess, no fuss, no faults, just pure driving pleasure.

In the coming months, it will be service time again, and I'll also be changing the front discs and pads.

Thanks for reading...

 

[GoCart]

This is truly a stunning hatch, you don't see many of these around anymore these days, certainly not in this condition.

 

[gavsadler]

I actually forgot, I do have some pics I can upload following a recent mini- detail:

 

[gavsadler]

Update Oct-21 to Mar-22:

Life has been happening, a lot. As such, I've not spent much time on the forum, or on the cars for that matter. Nevertheless, I'm going to bring all my threads up to date.

Relatively speaking, over the past few months, I have spent quite a bit of time on this car. One of the main areas of focus was on replacing the front discs and pads. With the increase in use last year, the end of life of the discs and pads was fast-tracked somewhat, and the dreaded rumble when coming to a stop from highway speeds was starting to make itself known.

So one Saturday early, the front of the car was jacked up and work began. I also took the opportunity to give the arches a clean. I was not too worried about every nook and cranny, as it was scheduled to rain a few days later and I would be using the car.

Those who have followed my thread will recall that I had these discs slotted and heat-treated about 5 years ago, and they have been sitting on my shelf waiting to be installed since then. I also had Textar pads ready as well, so they would also be used, along with a replacement wear sensor.

Pics below:
































Fast-forward to Feb-22, and some new Menzerna stock arrived. I was keen to try out their 3-in-1 polish (medium and fine cut polish and wax). It's very clever how it has been engineered, that one product, combined with various pads can achieve an end-to-end result. I had a fair bit of swirls in the paint, and I used a medium cut pad, followed by a finishing pad for the "wax" leg of the process. I'm happy with the results, the vast majority of the swirls were removed, and only deep scratches (from when a neighbour's cat decided to live on top of the car a few days) remaining.

Given that wax protection is only for a few months, while the car was clean I decided to add the polymer sealant on top. Man-o-man, the paint is now sooooo smooth. It's really such a pleasure to get to the end-result after a few days of work.

I should also add that I tried out the Ultra Clay Towel from The Rag Company (available at G Shift). I've always traditionally used clay bars, so this was something new to me. First impressions are that it does what it is supposed to, and I've subsequently clay'd 2 other cars with the same towel. I'll post a more detailed review on this another time).














The following weekend, we moved into detailing the engine bay, and also replacing the under-bonnet insulation, as my original one was perished. At the time of taking pics, there were still a few areas to be sorted out.







We've also detailed the door jambs, and will probably tackle sections as the weather permits. As we've also come to learn, it's been an exceptionally rainy season, so not too much fun happening outdoors.

That's all for now on this one....

 

[Saida]

130i is a rare car approaching classic status. To me its a classic already based on two things that inline 6 engine and Rwd setup.

 

[gavsadler]

Update Nov-2022 to Mar-2023:

I can't believe it's been a year since I last updated this thread. Time waits for noone as they say.

That being said, there aren't too many updates to share. From May-22 through to around Oct-22, the car was mostly parked off, used occasionally to keep fluids circulating and the tyres round.

Fast forward to Nov-22, and I decided to register this car in the final round of the BMW CCG Skidpan Autocross. I managed to convince my wife to come through as well, and also convinced her to use the M3 because it's auto and so on. So we ended up making a family fun day of things. We started off doing the X-Drive course in the X3s courtesy of BMW, and following that, we spent the second half of the day on the skidpan.

My wife didn't enjoy the M3 too much, for various reasons. Also it was clearly evident she is more cautious now than 10-15years ago when we last participated (in the 130i actually). That, coupled with caution about being in a relatively unfamiliar car (driven aggressively) meant that her event was fairly mild.

I, on the other hand, have immense fun at these events. And it was actually such a pleasure to participate in a small car again. It's small, light and the N/A power allows for instant response. Compared to the M3 which has the LSD, it was a little more effort to get the tail out, but the challenge was on and there was much squealing of tyres and looking out the side windows, haha.

At the end of the day, we all climbed in the 130i for some family hooning:

Moving along, the rest of 2022 was uneventful. 2023 started with a bang, and a psssssssssssss. The M3 got a puncture in a stupid place, which I was not comfortable to drive. With that car being parked off while I sulked, the 130i began more daily duties such as the school run, family trips and so forth. I probably sound like a stale record, but it is still such a pleasure to drive.

In Feb-2023, the BMW CCG held their first skidpan / autocross event for the year. As usual, I registered, and went and had a whole lot more fun in this car. The course also changed slightly for this year, with a couple of extra cones, twists and turns. Ironically, I also happened to go up against Benji in the E34 M5 last year and this year again. A special nod must go to Benji for getting the route correct this year, and putting on some spectacular sideways antics. I managed to record some more videos, below is a different perspective compared to what has been shared previously.

I've mentioned previously that I'll be trying out some new Detailing and Auto Care products (I still need to prepare posts for these). On the 130i, I noted that the steering wheel was getting shiny and in need of some TLC. So with my microfiber and brushware on hand, I set about cleaning it up. The product of choice I used here was P&S Double Black Leather Treatment, Conditioner and Protectant.

In summary, it doesn't have the nicest smell, but it seems to perform well. Initial application is quite slick, but it's best to leave it to stand and soak in / cure. In the pics below:
1) pre-cleaning
2) after cleaning and removing the shine
3) after applying P&S Leather Treatment
4) 24hrs after applying P&S Leather Treatment









It is an oily product, so if you feel the leather after application, you can feel the residual oils which haven't fully penetrated the leather. I gave this a bit of a wipe before using the car again. What I can say though, is that after 3-4 days the steering wheel felt great. It didn't have the glossy shine and no product residue left, and it is supple and has the matt look, similar to picture 2. Overall I am happy with this product. I'll see how it works on leather seats and other trim next time.

Plans for the 130i in the coming months: I need to do an oil change, and other than that, just enjoy it as I have been. It will probably do less mileage now as the M3 is back in service again.

Thanks for reading.

 

[MR_Y]

This car is destined for modern classic status

 

[Benji]

Update Nov-2022 to Mar-2023:

I can't believe it's been a year since I last updated this thread. Time waits for noone as they say.

That being said, there aren't too many updates to share. From May-22 through to around Oct-22, the car was mostly parked off, used occasionally to keep fluids circulating and the tyres round.

Fast forward to Nov-22, and I decided to register this car in the final round of the BMW CCG Skidpan Autocross. I managed to convince my wife to come through as well, and also convinced her to use the M3 because it's auto and so on. So we ended up making a family fun day of things. We started off doing the X-Drive course in the X3s courtesy of BMW, and following that, we spent the second half of the day on the skidpan.

My wife didn't enjoy the M3 too much, for various reasons. Also it was clearly evident she is more cautious now than 10-15years ago when we last participated (in the 130i actually). That, coupled with caution about being in a relatively unfamiliar car (driven aggressively) meant that her event was fairly mild.

I, on the other hand, have immense fun at these events. And it was actually such a pleasure to participate in a small car again. It's small, light and the N/A power allows for instant response. Compared to the M3 which has the LSD, it was a little more effort to get the tail out, but the challenge was on and there was much squealing of tyres and looking out the side windows, haha.

At the end of the day, we all climbed in the 130i for some family hooning:

Moving along, the rest of 2022 was uneventful. 2023 started with a bang, and a psssssssssssss. The M3 got a puncture in a stupid place, which I was not comfortable to drive. With that car being parked off while I sulked, the 130i began more daily duties such as the school run, family trips and so forth. I probably sound like a stale record, but it is still such a pleasure to drive.

In Feb-2023, the BMW CCG held their first skidpan / autocross event for the year. As usual, I registered, and went and had a whole lot more fun in this car. The course also changed slightly for this year, with a couple of extra cones, twists and turns. Ironically, I also happened to go up against Benji in the E34 M5 last year and this year again. A special nod must go to Benji for getting the route correct this year, and putting on some spectacular sideways antics. I managed to record some more videos, below is a different perspective compared to what has been shared previously.

I've mentioned previously that I'll be trying out some new Detailing and Auto Care products (I still need to prepare posts for these). On the 130i, I noted that the steering wheel was getting shiny and in need of some TLC. So with my microfiber and brushware on hand, I set about cleaning it up. The product of choice I used here was P&S Double Black Leather Treatment, Conditioner and Protectant.

In summary, it doesn't have the nicest smell, but it seems to perform well. Initial application is quite slick, but it's best to leave it to stand and soak in / cure. In the pics below:
1) pre-cleaning
2) after cleaning and removing the shine
3) after applying P&S Leather Treatment
4) 24hrs after applying P&S Leather Treatment

View attachment 15885

View attachment 15886

View attachment 15887

View attachment 15888

It is an oily product, so if you feel the leather after application, you can feel the residual oils which haven't fully penetrated the leather. I gave this a bit of a wipe before using the car again. What I can say though, is that after 3-4 days the steering wheel felt great. It didn't have the glossy shine and no product residue left, and it is supple and has the matt look, similar to picture 2. Overall I am happy with this product. I'll see how it works on leather seats and other trim next time.

Plans for the 130i in the coming months: I need to do an oil change, and other than that, just enjoy it as I have been. It will probably do less mileage now as the M3 is back in service again.

Thanks for reading.

lol thanks bud the skid pan event really is un-missable

 

[gavsadler]

Update Apr-23 to Aug-23:
Even less updates here than with my Ute. The car was hibernating in the garage for 3 months while things were a big mess at home. Subsequently it's been out for a handful of short drives.

I still enjoy whipping out the iK Foam Pro 12, for the pre-wash to get all the dust off the paint, before proceeding with the usual maintenance wash.

The only real picture worthy event with this car the past 5 months, haha




Things have been extremely busy the past few months, but looking forward to next updates with this car. I need to do a service, oh and as mentioned: on on one of the short drives I did the last few months, I somehow managed to kerb the left rear wheel. I did a proper job of it too. Needless to say, I need to get that fixed. Currently the eye-sore is hidden behind a pile of boxes in the garage, but that is something to sort out sooner rather than later.

<heads off to plan the wheel refurb....>

 

[gavsadler]

Update Sep-23 to Mar-24:

In October, the BMW CCG held their last skidpan for the year for club members. Ended up going in this car, and my brother-in-law came through with his Corsa Sport.

The grand-daddy of the BMW hot hatch, with the grandson @Salt:




It was a good day out as always, lots of fun was had by all. One thing that was noticeable is how heavy this hydraulic power steering setup is compared to the newer cars. It requires proper effort to turn, as compared to the Corsa for example where you can literally do the track with one hand / 2 finger steering inputs.





Towards year-end and the beginning of this year, the car was hardly used at all. Probably more to do with the eye-sore wheel rim that I curbed (still to be fixed).

In March, I set about servicing the car. It’s more time-based service as opposed to mileage covered. I’ve done about 4000kms over the last 4 years or so. This past tax year has been the ‘best’ in terms of mileage, only 479kms (half of that is probably up and down to Waterfall for the skidpan events, haha).

New oil and oil filter, I blew out the air filter and vacuumed the cabin air filter which accumulated 2 feathers and about 10 blades of dry grass.








I never get tired of this engine bay:



While the car was out, I also decided to bleed the brakes.



All good things must come to an end though. Closer inspection with the wheels off revealed that the bump stops at each corner are completely perished. The right rear shock is also leaking.







So I’m in for a set of shocks and bump stops in the coming months. I did start exploring other options like a full revised suspension setup, but that is honestly overkill for me and how much I use the car. I will probably just get replacement bump stops, and Koni shocks.

I also contacted Hi Tech Mag Repairs, and the curbed wheel is currently with them for repairs and to be repainted. More updates on that soon.

 

[Benji]

That brake fluid looks almost good enough to go back into the reservoir!

I recall from a previous post that you found your intake to be a bit "boomy"...I recently installed one albeit missing the small duct that goes behind the firewall. The intake made almost no difference in noise, maybe try blocking that off or removing it entirely? Looking at its design, Im pretty sure that duct is only there to channel more noise into the cabin.