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Cookie's 2003 M3



Cookie

Cookie

ClioSport Club Member
Sir_Dave said:
So, pretty much all standard 10 year old M3 things then?
I wouldnt worry about any of it tbh, mostly DIY, apart from the subframe, which will be £1000 or so from that lot everyone uses on M3cutters now - not Reddish.
Click to expand...
Since when have Reddish not been flavour of the month?
@gally - something dirty with more than 300bhp
 
Darren S

Darren S

ClioSport Club Member
Cookie said:
Long overdue update. Done just under 8,000 miles and had it's first service since I've owned it.
I think most things are currently broken. Had a slight oil leak which was discovered to be coming from the timing chain tensioner. Bolt was finger tight, so bullet dodged there.

Stuff done today:
- MOT (needed 2 new indicator bulbs and new number plate bulbs)
- Oil service
- Fix oil leak/tighten bolt

Service and MOT threw up the following stuff still needing to be done:
- Rear tyres need replacing soon (3mm left on both)
- Very small (apparently) oil leak from engine rocker cover gasket. Think this is an insp. 2 job, but it's a way off so I'll probably see about sorting this sooner.
- Slight play in both inner tie rods (MOT advisory)
- Offside rear driveshaft weeping grease (think it's got a boot over it, need to have a look at this - MOT advisory)
- M Mobility canister out of date (2006) - I honestly don't know why that's still in the boot, will remove to save some weight. I have RAC membership, they can tow me if I breakdown.
- Both engine aux belts cracked
- Rear exhaust box clamps corroded (it's a 12 year old car)
- Oh and the rear floor pan possibly cracked. I couldn't face having this inspected today, I go on holiday in a month and I don't want a 1500 quid bill right now. The tech said he doesn't think it's anything to worry about quite yet, just wants to take a closer look (for 50 quid inc scraping off the wax underproofing)

So yeah, I love the car, but f**k me I wanted to set it on fire when he started reading out the advisories over the phone.
Click to expand...

s**t :(

Hope you manage to get stuff sorted - and that rear isn't as bad as feared....
 
Cookie

Cookie

ClioSport Club Member
Don't buy an M3, they break, lots.
It's broken again (although it's probably the same issue that was only temporarily fixed by changing a battery). Going to fix and then p/ex it to some unsuspecting garage and they can deal with what was supposedly a 'mint' car
 
Cookie

Cookie

ClioSport Club Member
sj2112 said:
Sure its not the alternator?
Click to expand...
Either that or the starter (signs point to starter currently)
I have no time to fix it though, since I'm going on holiday Friday, so it couldn't have happened at a worse time. f**king piece of s**t car (don't buy one)
 
Sir_Dave

Sir_Dave

ClioSport Trader
As the aux belts are cracked, & there is no history of the alternator being changed, id suspect that. Have you plugged it into INPA? What are the symptoms anyway? Also, when you are 5 mins away from setting fire to it/trading it in for a Prius, pm me a "best cash price" lol
 
Cookie

Cookie

ClioSport Club Member
Sir_Dave said:
As the aux belts are cracked, & there is no history of the alternator being changed, id suspect that. Have you plugged it into INPA? What are the symptoms anyway?
Click to expand...
Can't! ODB port is fucked, at some point someone has smashed it into the dash, so you now can't use it.. every time you try to plug it in, it disappears into the dash. At some point I'm going to have to take the thing apart and fix the mounting point (I need to buy more sockets)
 
-Rob

-Rob

ClioSport Club Member
Sounds like you're having a rotten time with this, I've just spent north of £1,500 on parts/tyres and have Inspection 2 in 7,500 miles.

Still worth it IMO.
 
Cookie

Cookie

ClioSport Club Member
Car is actually the devil.
With the assistance of @Scrooge @TheEvilGiraffe Fat Dave, and my mate Steve, they (I did f**k all) eventually replaced my starter motor yesterday, after many many hours of swearing. Although there were a few mishaps (there is at least a few bolts and one ratchet spanner on my undertray, or maybe not anymore) and hammers but that bit was done.
Tried to start car, wouldn't idle. Took MAF off, idled fine. Got annoyed. Then Steve remembered he hadn't put a breather hose back on at the front of the intake manifold. Put that back in, fires up and idles happily.
Then realise SMG fluid (CHF11S hydraulic fluid) is too low in reservoir (stupid tiny tank built into the f**king intake manifold) as it'd mostly pissed out of the self sealing tank (lies). So went with TEG today to get some of that.
Spiffing. Took it for a 3 mile or so test drive with TEG, all looking good, SMG fluid still fine.
Wash car.
Go for a drive to my parents, get 4 miles away, disco lights (EML, DSC and a yellow handbrake icon). Turn car off, back on, drive home.
Leave car a while, then go out to kill it to death. Do 30 odd miles, no problems.
Come out to check fluid levels a few hours after last test drive, SMG fine, oil fine, brake fluid fine, see what I think is a pool of oil.. is in actual fact power steering reservoir... with no cap
12033221_10153664700221917_5709724816364391952_n.jpg

No idea if that's what caused the lights, but it wasn't like it earlier. No idea how it worked loose. May have just been gradual if it got accidentally whacked when we were putting the intake manifold back in.
ODB port is too far in (no idea how that happened) so can't even plug it into something to see what faults lie in memory, may have to get someone to dismantle the dash to fix that.

I have about zero faith in the cars ability to complete a journey at the moment, so it's staying with my wife for the week whilst I traipse to Heathrow for training for the week. See if she has more luck with the piece of s**t.

I am honestly looking forward to her Nissan Juke arriving, as it means I can push the M3 to the garage and leave it alone (and probably sell it)

Don't buy an M3

Edit: Remembered something else. Need to get the correct clips for the TB hoses, currently using jubilee clips (although it already had 1 jubilee and 5 of the weird locking ones) as we broke all the others getting it off the car. Doesn't *seem* to be fouling the throttle with the slightly larger clips, but who knows if it's causing chaos or not.
Can tell someone has tried to "fix" the starter in the past as it had clearly been clouted
 
Last edited:
Cookie

Cookie

ClioSport Club Member
Addicted said:
Jokes aside I actually feel bad, it's just been no end of trouble! Going to keep it for a while longer or move onto something else (or another M3?)
Click to expand...
As much as I want to burn it, I can't afford to pour money into another car/lose a couple of grand on a part ex at the mo. So I'll just have to keep throwing money at the problems until they are fixed
 
Cookie

Cookie

ClioSport Club Member
I realised today after kicking it's in that:
a) I enjoy driving it and b) I don't think in nearly 10 months of ownership I've ever just gone for a drive in it for the afternoon. Probably because I'm always working. It was fun though, even at legal speeds in the countryside
 
Scrooge

Scrooge

ClioSport Moderator
  E55 AMG
To add all I did was undo the two awkward bolts holding the starter on and do them back up again.

f**k doing the whole lot with the migraine I had. I was in no mood.
 
Cookie

Cookie

ClioSport Club Member
Scrooge said:
To add all I did was undo the two awkward bolts holding the starter on and do them back up again.

f**k doing the whole lot with the migraine I had. I was in no mood.
Click to expand...
Tbf that was the vital bit and the whole point of taking the stupid intake off
 
Cookie

Cookie

ClioSport Club Member
Addicted said:
I think the avatar is how it'll be in a few month mores :smiley:

Tbh, if you keep having to replace everything, give it a year and you'll have a new M3!
Click to expand...
Aside from oil service I've only actually replaced the battery and starter. Just need the alternator to go now (though that is marginally more accessible than the starter)
 
Cookie

Cookie

ClioSport Club Member
So since the starter was replaced (and then the power steering cap fell off, but lodged nicely next to the reservoir) nothing major has died.
The amp has killed half it's channels (one of those wonderful known design faults) so it'll need an upgrade/repair soon, but it's just confusing listening to music in mono rather than stereo currently. Think its 100 quid to get it repaired, or 150 quid to get it upgraded from Carphonics (http://www.carphonics.co.uk/). The guy is on M3 Cutters and appears to get rave reviews, so that'll be sent off when I can be bothered to take it out the car.
Since then it's done 800-900 miles or so and not skipped a beat (aside from the amp)
Two new rear tyres have been ordered, as they were just below 3mm and it's going to get cold soon.
2x Conti Sport Contact 5P's have been ordered (159 quid each fitted) and will be on the car on Monday hopefully

Once the tyres are on, and amp is sorted, will look at inner tie end rods. Tbf I imagine most of the suspension will need refreshing soon to tighten everything back up again. Also boot floor will probably need looking at too.

As much as it annoyed me greatly having it broken, it's an awesome car when it works (this is highlighted further with the arrival of the Juke)

Also now that it's the actual second car, if it breaks, it can just sit on the driveway until I fix it. Hopefully it won't ruin any more holidays/special occasions.
 
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