[eljay]

OK, it's time to interrupt the stream of happy updates with another dose of reality of owning a 14-year old German car...

The Touring has been sitting in the garage for 6 weeks as I was travelling over the holidays. I went to start it today and... got dimmed lights, various lights on the cluster and wipers going crazy. I stopped trying to bring the N52 beast to life as I realized the car is complaining that it has no juice to turn those 6 cups of fury and fire up the orchestra.
After this "no show", the battery voltage read 5V. The worse though is that my charger refused to bring the battery back to life. 😞

It sounds like the battery is done, but it was replaced only 3.5 years ago and less than 25k kms. I'm puzzled what killed it to the point of no return. It was running happily before being parked. Meanwhile, my Audi with older battery was sitting outside in the cold this whole time too and fired up at the first asking.

I guess I'll have to buy a new battery tomorrow. 😕

[bshambam]

This happens to me every so often since I don't drive the car all the time. Boost the car w/ another car and get the voltage over 4-5 & then she'll charge right up.

[eljay]

Originally Posted by bshambam

This happens to me every so often since I don't drive the car all the time. Boost the car w/ another car and get the voltage over 4-5 & then she'll charge right up.

Thanks!
I'll give it a try. I usually put it on a trickle charger when it'll be sitting, but I rushed away and forgot.

[oVeRdOsE.]

Originally Posted by bshambam

This happens to me every so often since I don't drive the car all the time. Boost the car w/ another car and get the voltage over 4-5 & then she'll charge right up.

same because -24°C and I dont use it often, can be parked for a week.

Im using Ctek charger with the 'recond' mode. Don't know if it really does something for reconditioning, but at least it charges it back.

[eljay]

Boosted it today and it started fine and ran for a bit. Now, it's sitting in the garage on a charger and it seems to be working. Let's see if it gets to 100% tomorrow.

Thanks again!

[eljay]

OK, let's do a happy update from my "catch-up archives".

At first, I was going to run with pre-LCI mirrors and gloss black M3-style caps and bought both. But after searching for a loooong time, I finally managed to piece together an E90 M3 mirror pair!! Yay!

So, I put them on. First, the passenger side, which came with a gold cap and even though I got a pair of gloss black caps, I thought it would be interesting to see what this looks like. haha





OK, OK... I fixed it


Here's a comparison of the mirrors:


I then installed the driver's side



and admired the new look. I really love how it all came together!



For exterior, my next desire is to install flush style roof rails, which I already have ready. But that will wait when I drop the headliner to paint it unless I find one from M Sport E91.
Oh and I would also like a high gloss black door trim to finish the look.

[Tambohamilton]

I don't understand the allure of the M3 mirrors...they just don't look right. The pre-LCI non-M mirrors do look neater than the LCI, but then they're useless as mirrors by comparison.

You had it good to begin with!

[eljay]

Originally Posted by Tambohamilton

I don't understand the allure of the M3 mirrors...they just don't look right. The pre-LCI non-M mirrors do look neater than the LCI, but then they're useless as mirrors by comparison.

You had it good to begin with!

Haha, yeah not everyone's thing, but I love them.
I actually like the pre-LCI mirrors, but as you point out, the viewing area is small. What drove me nuts about my LCI mirrors besides their shape/look is that the auto-dimming glass has this rim around it. So, looking at it while driving, there are too many "lines" for me. I know later LCI year (2011-2012, I believe), they made the auto-dimming glass without the rim/border and it looks much cleaner, but the overall shape is still off for me.
I then thought of going with pre-LCI + M3 style caps, but they once again introduce more busy lines over the existing housing. And, therefore, the M3 style is just perfect to me.
I also think this is the last nice M3 mirror before the new ugly squarish ones that don't seem to fit the cars. I'm glad that even Chris Harris pointed that out while everyone is focusing on the new grille (which is still ugly to me as well).

There. So much fuss about the mirrors. And they were $$$.

[oVeRdOsE.]

Originally Posted by Tambohamilton

I don't understand the allure of the M3 mirrors...they just don't look right. The pre-LCI non-M mirrors do look neater than the LCI, but then they're useless as mirrors by comparison.

You had it good to begin with!

I kind of agree for a enthusiast point of view, but if I take a step back, pretending I dont know shit about bmw, it's not that bad.

[Tambohamilton]

Originally Posted by eljay

Haha, yeah not everyone's thing, but I love them.
I actually like the pre-LCI mirrors, but as you point out, the viewing area is small. What drove me nuts about my LCI mirrors besides their shape/look is that the auto-dimming glass has this rim around it. So, looking at it while driving, there are too many "lines" for me. I know later LCI year (2011-2012, I believe), they made the auto-dimming glass without the rim/border and it looks much cleaner, but the overall shape is still off for me.
I then thought of going with pre-LCI + M3 style caps, but they once again introduce more busy lines over the existing housing. And, therefore, the M3 style is just perfect to me.
I also think this is the last nice M3 mirror before the new ugly squarish ones that don't seem to fit the cars. I'm glad that even Chris Harris pointed that out while everyone is focusing on the new grille (which is still ugly to me as well).

There. So much fuss about the mirrors. And they were $$$.

well done for getting it how you want!

I'd love to have auto dimming mirrors on mine, but can't justify the cost/time. Also don't know if I'd elect to keep the pre-LCI, or go with LCI for better visibility...

[M-technik-3]

Only problem I have with Pre-LCI is lack of blind spot wide angle and stupid objects in mirror magnification on passenger side.

If you like the look that's your thing. I like the look but doubt I'd put them on as right now I'm searching for a set of #36 M3 Coupe mirrors that are OEM. One of mine is damaged somehow while in garage that it lives in. Thinking maybe GF or grand daughter or maybe myself banged into at some point.

[M3_Legend]

Nice touch on the M3 mirrors.

[eljay]

Originally Posted by M-technik-3

Only problem I have with Pre-LCI is lack of blind spot wide angle and stupid objects in mirror magnification on passenger side.

If you like the look that's your thing. I like the look but doubt I'd put them on as right now I'm searching for a set of #36 M3 Coupe mirrors that are OEM. One of mine is damaged somehow while in garage that it lives in. Thinking maybe GF or grand daughter or maybe myself banged into at some point.

Yes, the warning phrase on all NA mirrors drives me crazy!
One solution is to get Euro glass with blind spot angle. Those are great and make a huge difference. I can't believe the regulators here haven't discovered that as being safer, but who know what politics are at play there.

Originally Posted by Tambohamilton

well done for getting it how you want!

I'd love to have auto dimming mirrors on mine, but can't justify the cost/time. Also don't know if I'd elect to keep the pre-LCI, or go with LCI for better visibility...

The retrofit would take some work, but they do make a difference for having behind you those drivers with high beams on all the time. And they don't understand what it means when I tap the brake lights and turn rear lights on/off a few times to alert them. They just think there's a crazy guy in front of them.
I think I will install a programmable display in the rear window and just text them what I think.

Originally Posted by M3_Legend

Nice touch on the M3 mirrors.

Thank you! 👍

[Tambohamilton]

Originally Posted by eljay

The retrofit would take some work, but they do make a difference for having behind you those drivers with high beams on all the time. And they don't understand what it means when I tap the brake lights and turn rear lights on/off a few times to alert them. They just think there's a crazy guy in front of them.
I think I will install a programmable display in the rear window and just text them what I think.

I turn the rear fogs on. Or wait for them to pass then sit behind them with my high beams on. Would love to have a display in the rear windscreen, but it would get me into heaps of trouble. It really is a good safety feature that other road users can't hear what I say in my car

[eljay]

Originally Posted by Tambohamilton

I turn the rear fogs on. Or wait for them to pass then sit behind them with my high beams on. Would love to have a display in the rear windscreen, but it would get me into heaps of trouble. It really is a good safety feature that other road users can't hear what I say in my car

Very true!

[Tambohamilton]

Also, have you ever been driving behind someone with their reverse lights stuck on? Even at 70mph it's disconcerting - I'd like a switch to turn them on when someone is tailgating

[eljay]

Originally Posted by Tambohamilton

Also, have you ever been driving behind someone with their reverse lights stuck on? Even at 70mph it's disconcerting - I'd like a switch to turn them on when someone is tailgating

Oh, I like where this is going!
I smell a DIY for a switch that will turn on rear fogs, reverse lights and the emergency braking brake light intensity all at once!!
Sounds much cheaper than fitting rocket launchers. 😄

[oVeRdOsE.]

Originally Posted by eljay

Oh, I like where this is going!
I smell a DIY for a switch that will turn on rear fogs, reverse lights and the emergency braking brake light intensity all at once!!
Sounds much cheaper than fitting rocket launchers. ��

It's been a while Im thinkin about a reverse light manual switch.

like a jerk on your ass, you accelerate, then brake and flash the light . He will trip.

However, this was a 'good' idea when a was 21.
Now later, especially with people with dash-cam, it can be only a bad idea and can cause accident.


back in the day, I did it often with a mazda 626 V6 autotragic. On the highway you can put it in reverse get and the safety feature won't shift the transmission in R, but it will light up the reverse light.
I had fun with this to scare dumb ass back in 2005-2009

[eljay]

Originally Posted by oVeRdOsE.

It's been a while Im thinkin about a reverse light manual switch.

like a jerk on your ass, you accelerate, then brake and flash the light . He will trip.

However, this was a 'good' idea when a was 21.
Now later, especially with people with dash-cam, it can be only a bad idea and can cause accident.


back in the day, I did it often with a mazda 626 V6 autotragic. On the highway you can put it in reverse get and the safety feature won't shift the transmission in R, but it will light up the reverse light.
I had fun with this to scare dumb ass back in 2005-2009

Agreed.
Distracting an already distracted and insecure driver can only lead to an accident, so I just suffer through it.

[Mike K]

Actually with my e91 I have great fun with tailgating idiots by just running the rear window washers. With all the auto wiper equipped cars out there I just sit back and watch the fun as their wipers come on. Then it dawns on them; “gee I must be too close!”

[Tambohamilton]

My friend used to have an old VW Polo with the spray cap taken off the rear washer - it just streamed screenwash straight out the back

[eljay]

Originally Posted by Tambohamilton

My friend used to have an old VW Polo with the spray cap taken off the rear washer - it just streamed screenwash straight out the back

When I had a regular rear bumper, I would do that as any light damage to it from a pissed off tailgater would pay for an M Sport upgrade.
Now, that I have that M Sport bumper, I want to get away from them as far as I can.