A reasonably priced tool kit for N54 and e90 servicing ?

cstavaru · 08-19-2010, 12:01 PM

Hi,

My car is exiting the warranty in 2 months and I am looking for a tool kit to help me service the car like changing HPFP, sparkplugs, brakes, rotors, oil, etc. Right now when I have to do something on the car I always need to go to the store and buy some tools, it seems I never have what is needed.

I was looking at Craftsman tool sets because they are cheaper than top brands like Snap-On but also good quality. The problem is, there are sets with 100 to 500 parts and I don't know which one would contain all that it is needed for the e90/N54.

So, from your experience, what would you recommend ?

PS: I wonder if BMW has something like a list of all the tools required to take the whole car apart ?

DJKhan85 · 08-19-2010, 12:06 PM

I have the cman 154 piece set. I think it's 154 pieces.....It has been the single greatest purchase I have made in auto repair. If I could go back and re-buy a kit it would be one in the 200 range. I've filled in the missing tools from the kit now but it would be much cheaper to get a bigger kit at the time. The blow molded kit holds everything well enough and isn't hard to lug around(I don't have a garage).

That being said, a vast majority of the bolts on a BMW are torx(both internal and external). The cman sets don't come with a decent set of those and that is an extra cost.

Overall the bigger the kit you can buy the better you will be in the long run. Thats only taking into account you doing your own maintenance and if you plan on doing all your own mod installations too. Having more than 1 auto to repair helps make the decision easier.

cstavaru · 08-19-2010, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJKhan85

That being said, a vast majority of the bolts on a BMW are torx(both internal and external). The cman sets don't come with a decent set of those and that is an extra cost.

Thanks for this info

vasillalov · 08-19-2010, 01:06 PM

Correct me if am wrong, but all the bolts and nuts on our cars are in metric. I REALLY hated my former Jetta for having both metric and standard bolts. It pissed me off quite badly because on several occasions I would be mid disassembly and the car is almost in two pieces, only to find out that I am missing a stupid standard bit...

fisherbln · 08-19-2010, 01:22 PM

I also use a 150+ piece craftsman toolkit. It works great and I would definitely buy it again if necessary, but I would get an even bigger set from the start. Torx set is a definite buy too.

08-19-2010, 12:01 PM	#1
cstavaru Brigadier General 330 Rep 3,262 Posts Drives: 2009 335i M Sport Sedan 6MT Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bucharest, Romania iTrader: (0)	A reasonably priced tool kit for N54 and e90 servicing ? Hi, My car is exiting the warranty in 2 months and I am looking for a tool kit to help me service the car like changing HPFP, sparkplugs, brakes, rotors, oil, etc. Right now when I have to do something on the car I always need to go to the store and buy some tools, it seems I never have what is needed. I was looking at Craftsman tool sets because they are cheaper than top brands like Snap-On but also good quality. The problem is, there are sets with 100 to 500 parts and I don't know which one would contain all that it is needed for the e90/N54. So, from your experience, what would you recommend ? PS: I wonder if BMW has something like a list of all the tools required to take the whole car apart ? __________________ Mods(click): Cobb + RB Turbos \| Aquamist HFS-4 Meth \| Drexler LSD \| Bilstein B12 Pro-Kit \| Custom K&N Apollo Intake \| Wagner Intercooler \| Macht Schnell Downpipes \| BMW Performance Power Kit \| BMW Performance Exhaust \| BMW Performance Short Shifter \| M3 Subframe Bushings \|
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08-19-2010, 12:06 PM	#2
DJKhan85 Major 24 Rep 1,190 Posts Drives: 2011 4dr 6mt Golf GTI Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Boston Massachusetts iTrader: (1)	I have the cman 154 piece set. I think it's 154 pieces.....It has been the single greatest purchase I have made in auto repair. If I could go back and re-buy a kit it would be one in the 200 range. I've filled in the missing tools from the kit now but it would be much cheaper to get a bigger kit at the time. The blow molded kit holds everything well enough and isn't hard to lug around(I don't have a garage). That being said, a vast majority of the bolts on a BMW are torx(both internal and external). The cman sets don't come with a decent set of those and that is an extra cost. Overall the bigger the kit you can buy the better you will be in the long run. Thats only taking into account you doing your own maintenance and if you plan on doing all your own mod installations too. Having more than 1 auto to repair helps make the decision easier. __________________ 2011 VW GTI 4dr-6mt-Sunroof-Nav-Xenons OLD: 08 335i AW/CR/Poplar 6mt-ZSP-ZPP-ZCW-iPod-iDrive-PDC-Style 230s w/FK 452-Dinan LSD
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08-19-2010, 01:06 PM	#4
vasillalov Mad Linux Guru On The Loose 1204 Rep 5,455 Posts Drives: 2008 335i Sedan, 2023 M3 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Chicago, IL iTrader: (5) Garage List 2023 BMW M3 [0.00] 2008 335i E90 [8.00]	Correct me if am wrong, but all the bolts and nuts on our cars are in metric. I REALLY hated my former Jetta for having both metric and standard bolts. It pissed me off quite badly because on several occasions I would be mid disassembly and the car is almost in two pieces, only to find out that I am missing a stupid standard bit... __________________
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08-19-2010, 01:22 PM	#5
fisherbln Captain 12 Rep 859 Posts Drives: 2007 335i Coupe Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: USA iTrader: (2)	I also use a 150+ piece craftsman toolkit. It works great and I would definitely buy it again if necessary, but I would get an even bigger set from the start. Torx set is a definite buy too. __________________ 2007 335i SG Coupe 2009 128i AW
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