EYE PROTECTION!!! YES! You did mention it. It is so very underrated. Get some comfortable safety glasses and just always use them while working on your car. Imagine being blind always vs wearing safety glasses while you do repairs. Cheers!
This! I used to work as an apprentice in a local garage as a teenager & the first thing they told me was to get some eye protection. I felt kind of stupid in them, but that immediately changed when I was draining my coolant & it splashed everywhere. My safety glasses definitely saved me from going blind
"Budget some money for that. " SO TRUE!!! so many different parts that you need many different tools for. I work on different vehicles and it pisses me off that they use so many different bolts and screws and stuff. Love this video btw
My 2 cent: if you need to get under your car (oil change, exhaust work, etc) so the wheels don’t need to come off - use ramps instead of jacking the car up. It’ll be safer and save you the trouble of jacking/ supporting the car. You can get a pair of plastic ramps for 40 bucks.
Great points! Heavy emphasize on using the internet. My E46 has been my introduction into car maintenance and cars in general and I would have been completely lost if it weren't for the great community surrounding E46s. The forums have a wealth of information that are often untapped.
You think you can do it better than the experts? Money goes around and comes around. You use your time developing your career skills, so you can have more money to give the mechanics. That is my take on this matter. I will not repair my own car.
@@univuniveral9713 That's such a shitty analogy. There are lots of "mechanics" who think they know what they're doing when they don't. That goes for any trade.
@@univuniveral9713 Dude, you are totally right and I totally agree with you, but he's talking about shady mechanics, not proper ones. Plus if the money isn't coming back to you, you are not able to give it, so you do your own maintenance, or try to do it.
Great video man. I am buying my 1999 bmw 328i and will be doing alot of maintenance myself and was a little apprehensive because I just really was not sure what I was going to need etc. This helped alot.
nice to see another e46 channel. I got a 330 6 speed myself. learning to work on your car is very rewarding. and honestly the e46 m54 engine isn't very hard to work on, if anything the hardest part is that it may seem cramped because the engine is not truly vertical. I did my own clutch, coilovers and bushings, all the fluids, cooling system. this car isn't very complicated when it comes to basic maintenance as some would say
I rarely comment on videos but seriously mate what a concise and empowering intro for people like myself looking to get started. Thank you for doing this 🙏
8:25 Hahaha, so true! I've done oil changes, brake changes, suspension changes, and now a little bit of custom wiring, so I will be performing a manual swap!
Excellent advice! I bought my e36 last year and had never turned a wrench before, but am learning slowly. RUclips and forums have taught me everything I know so far. I started out by installing my own coilovers, now I am in the process of taking the diff out, plan on taking subframe out and doing all new poly bushings soon. I have found that working on suspension is a little less intimidating than starting on motor related things. Eye protection is a must, I learned that the first time I was under my e36 lol. I would add a little bottle torch alongside the pb blaster, that has helped get a lot of bolts unstuck for me. Also I would add on to what you are saying, if you think the job is going to take 2 hours to do, you might as well make it 4 hours. In my case especially when working on suspension, these bolts haven't been touched since the car came off the line, it's going to take a bit of effort.
Excellent, Excellent. ALL points you noted are spot on!! Patience ;) As the owner of 2 older BMW's I (we) know all too well. I read once and I am amazed that it does ring true many times. You estimate the time to do a job, double it and add an hour. That's how much time one should allow. If you are done quicker that's great. Enjoy a cold beverage, marvel at your success and think of the money you just saved. Also, Anti-Seize and Blue Thread Locker are a BMW Owners best friend!!!!!!!
I've been working on Cars before I could even legally drive them, and I never go to a Mechanic...especially Dealerships! I take my time and make sure it is done correctly, and I save Thousand$ of Dollar$. I enjoy doing it too!
Nice Video. Can I add, always buy good quality tools, The best you can afford. I started off with cheap tools and got nowhere fast, sockets would round off, spanners would flex and even bend! Extention bars would shear etc. Since junking all of that and going only with the best quality tools I can afford I find working so much easier. It costs a lot more but the tools I need for each job is cheaper than the garage labour to do the same things and if/when I give up then I have a stack of valuable tools I can sell on and get some return on. Case in point, I am currently replacing the timing belt on my V6 Alfa. Trying to undo the camshaft pullies with a cheap 19mm "Workzone" ring spanner, when I applied even a reasonable amount of torque the spanner would bend and the ring would slip off the bolt damaging the bolt in the process. I went out and bought a Draper Expert 19mm ring spanner and tried again. With a 2nd draper expert spanner attached to the end of the 1st spanner I was able to push my whole bodyweight into the spanners and loosen the bolt without a single slip and no flex in either spanner.
Great vid! I've also noticed that a lot of people are afraid to ask friends for help that are into cars. For example, I'm the car guru out of all my friends and I find that a lot of people are hesitant to ask me for help. If any of my friends were to ask me for help I'd honestly be happy to. Some people think they're bugging that person but that's not the case, at least for me. The worst someone can say is no... Although, one thing that does annoy me is someone constantly asking me to use my tools. :\
hey th, love watching your videos I recently got a 03 325ci thumbs up on your videos I gave up a 98 240sx for my e46. Now I know why bmw's are expensive you get what you pay for they are smooth and performance oriented I love how the car handles I've been messing around with Hondas and nissans for a long time but now I think a bmw fan now. Thanks again for your videos doing my brakes first then get the cooling system overhaul then suspension
I am just starting to learn how to work on my own truck and I absolutely loved your video man I’m so glad that I have friends that are also interested in how to fix cars because I found myself stuck in a situation that I didn’t know how to overcome by myself and those extra pair of hands are a big help
Great vids! And you came onto the scene with perfect timing. I've just begun trying to maintain my 01' e46 with my own labor. I'll be following your moves closely (already have been).
There are always going to be things that you can't do. Like your own alignment. Most people (me included) will not do a transmission repair, or an engine rebuild. But as you work on your car and do jobs on it you will gain understanding that will make things faster in the future.
wow man your videos are awesome, I show this to people to explain to them the benefits of self maintenance. your other videos rock right on man keep it up!
Brilliant video mate, thankyou for giving me the confidence to take on my own car service. It will be the first time I've ever touched a car other than driving it 😁
Well, this does not go for everyone, but I always think it like this: How long will it take for me to do. If it's a short and easy thing to do, then yes. If it's hard, long and tedious, I'll run the math on how much the shop would want for it, and then balance it out with how long would I have to work in my own job to get it paid. If working on the car would take longer/same than working on the clock to get it paid, I generally just take the car to a shop and put in some extra hours at work. But yeah, my job is more a project natured, so after minimum hours are met, I can do extra as much as I want. And this is not the case for most people.
Nice presentation style you have. Good pace and points that are very relevant for DIYers. I am a member of a DIY car repair shop to do the maintenance and repairs there. Always someone around that can help me out. But I still prefer to do it in my own style with careful planning. Another tip is to obtain the electronic parts catalog of your car; the one that the car dealer is using also. This way you can look what parts are involved and be able to order the right stuff as not every car part store guy is the brightest of mind.
this is the channel I've been looking for lately! I'm 17 and I have a e46 330i and I want to start really get into my car (her name is Becky). Keep up the great videos man.
Really great video with loads of kick-ass tips. Been doing my own maintenance for last ten years. I've saved thousands plus have some nice tools (I do need to get a proper jack and stop mucking about with the scissor one) I'm planning on keeping my 2006 Toyota for another 10 years.
You took everything out of my mouth with those frustrating stripped and rusted screws, I have once wanted to throw the car off a cliff. You are such a cool guy, I feel gay lol! E46 are a great car if you just invest your extra time and money in getting tools and be a man enough to get under the hood or under the car to do those dirty work. I wish I knew earlier. It took me 8 years and thousands of $ before I started doing my own maintenance. I don't regret any bit since I got my first toolbox, then jacks and wrenches. Now, my garage looks like a mech workshop. There is literally no part visible to human eye that I don't know how to locate in that car 6 months after. Of course there are jobs I wouldn't try doing by myself because it's just impossible alone and in a tight garage like mine. Thanks and keep the good work up.
I have a love hate relationship with my E46. On one hand, I can't think of driving another car, I just like the way it looks, and how it feels, and the way its put together. So when its working well I love it. But as expected problems just keep popping up and makes me think if I would have been better with an old accord. Like random oil leaks, or the fact that the AC system stinks (literally, there's a smell), or that I just had to replace my fuel pump. The way I look at it, I might as well stick with it for the long haul, I've dealt with all the random problems that arose (nothing surprising, all common problems notes on the e46 wiki ((you can google e46 wiki)), but it still runs well. I first liked the idea of learning how to fix my own car, and it taught me a lot of lessons, but I realized it gets tiring if you're not into cars to keep looking up problems in forums, its easier to just bring it to a mechanic, but that costs money haha. I think I average about 3-4 problems a year. But like it said, when it runs well, I love my car.
I still own it. I'd recommend it if you either (1) actually enjoy doing your own maintenance - knowing for sure you like doing your own maintenance, not "I could see myself enjoying doing maintenance" or (2) You plan on owning this car for a very long time like 10+ years, and you invest the money (to paying a mechanic to keeping it maintained) and you put in the effort to keeping it clean.
I start college this fall and I want to know as much as I can about cars since I’m gonna buy a cheap used one as my first car. Also cuz my college is like a 30-40 min drive away from my place and I wanna know what to do if I start having problems with it. Hopefully it’s a Ferrari. Jk. I don’t really care what my first car will be. But I’d prefer it be a Toyota, Mazda, or Subaru.
If you don't have space to work on your car, consider going to a public, long term parking garage. I did a full brake job in a train station parking garage on a Mustang because his apartment complex wouldn't let him do maintenance. Obviously don't leave a mess and you don't want to bother other people.
Just replaced a starter in my 3 series BMW with just $35 and 3hrs. of work, the same job would've been $1,200 easy at BMW. It also doesn't hurt to check your local junk or salvage yard for parts and accessories before buying brand new.
Great video. I'm Really surprised you said what you did about the 9-3 being difficult to find information online. I have a 9-5 and every time I search something to do with my 9-5 I end up in a 9-3 thread!
good man! I dream of an LS Swap.. do you think you have the skills to do one ? If yes, how long did it take for u to grow that kind of confidence ? If not, how long before u acquire that kind of skill ?
What brand and size is that ratchet breaker bar? I've looked around but there's different sizes, what size do you recommend? Do you find yourself yours was longer or shorter?
Overall, on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the easiest, how easy is working on your E46? I'm looking now to buy one because I know dealerships will kill me with labor costs, so I'll have to learn to do more than fluids and filters.
E46s aren't the easiest. It will take time and mistakes to learn to do the hard stuff. Often you need special tools. I would give them an 7 out of ten. Ten being like an old Mercedes's or rolls where EVERYTHING is hydraulically operated.
I don't get where this statement comes from. Special tools? God I hate when I hear that from people. The most "special" thing I've had to use on my e46 so far is maybe a long flathead. Not trying to be rude, just trying to understand what you mean?
There are special tools, such as a puller for a rear trailing arm bushing: www.bimmerworld.com/RTAB_Tool_WM.jpg There are several spots in the car where you need such stuff, or you will need to mcguyver the shit out of it.
I'm a student and my BMW broke down the other day. Took it to the mechanic and cost me 800 euro. I need to replace the valves because they hit the piston. lmao im gonna ruin it
I'm having an issue on my e46 330i. I'm getting a thud noise when I press the clutch to the floor, seems to lessen if I release it slow and smooth. also appear shifting into first to 2 and second to 3rd. I don't think if the clutch and fly wheel as the car drives ok and they have been replaced recently. do you have any ideas? I've done some reading into it and found loads of different things it could be and I'm resultant to go ahead with a quote I've had for new clutch and fly for £700 which might not work. any ideas? do I wait until it brakes?
To everyone who watches a youtube channel and believes they are now skilled up to start to do repair and maitainence on there vehicles or the vehicles of friends and family i will say this. DONT DO IT. If you feel the need to go ahead anyways i will give you some advice from someone who has 25 years in the trade. Enrole in a trade corse. Educate yourself properly learn from highly trained technitions who are qualified to teach people the basic fundermentals of the automotive repair trade. We have all heard the dodgy mechanic storey. Fact is there are dodgy Drs. Dodgy lawers Dodgey plumbers Dodgy electricians. It happens. Educating yourself properly give you a better chance of recognizing a poor technition. Educating yourself and having somekind of basic understanding about how your vehicle functions and what needs to do so also why parts wear or fail will help you avoid being ripped off. If you cant get you mechainc to show ir explain in fine detail the hows and whys, You should find another mechainc. Fact is most people will go for tbe cheapest price. Usually a reason why things are cheap. Now car matainence is expensive for a reason. Overheads Ever changing tooling and equipment cost. My OBD2vscan tool that i recently puchaced to scan multiple vehicles was at a.cost of over $12500. So to charge a $50 fee to scan a car is warrented. Buying a cheap bluetooth scanner from amazon is a waste of time and money as the many of the functions are simply not available on those devices. Ir mearly clears a fault code to turn a light off. Many modern cars require specialized scaning eqipment to carry out correct servicing or repair procedures. The tooling in my workshop have upward of $500,000 and im still underequip for many of the vehicles on todays market. Professional work from any trade is always at a high cost. It is the reality of owning a car. Imagine if the Airlines started to use substanded tools and got their skill sets from a random guy on youtube. It wouldnt happen. It costs money to maintain the machines. Properly trained technitions are constantly going back to school to keep ahead of everchanging tech. Or refresh on past tech systems that are no longer used. Basically if you are ignorant to you vehicles servce and maitainence needs or havent got the correct tooling you will it will cause issues later on. Being from Poor performance of your vehicle to catastrophic failure. Which could cause serious injury or death to yourself or your family or someone else's family Being properly educated and trained to recognised potential component failure and what systems of you vehicle warrent closer attention is why to avoid costly unexpected repair is something that is worth investing your hard earned money in. And takes years of experience with many hours of frustration. Even then there are times when there is unexpected component failure even if every requirment of your vehicles matainence and repair procedure has been tended to. Faults in the manufacture prossess can cause instant failure years into the vehicles service. I have over 25 years across many differnt manufactures and im still learning new things everyday... I will paint you a picture. You do your own work on your vehicle. You have had the mag 20 in wheels off your vehicle. When you put the wheels back on you have failed to notice that the CBL ring has fallen from the rim. You fit your rim. You even use a calibrated torque wrench and proper tightening toque and sequence. All went well You saved some $$$ You can use that for other things. But say 2 months later you on the road. You got your wife and kids in the car. You feel that satisfaction that you do your own mechanical work. You know that you havnt been ripped off. Suddenly your front wheel comes off your car. Now you get the car stopped and your family.is safe. But the loose wheel travelling at speed hits and kills a child. or someones mother. Because of a small piece of alloy or plastic was missed when you did your own work. The lack of knowledge or having only basic knowlege seen on youtube is so dangerous. Is saving a few $$$ or stroking your ego really worth the risk... If you do your own work. It is so important that you do it to the standand of a professional technition. To many people have lost their lives because if DIY vehicle repair. Thats free advice. Thanks for reading
![Chino Pacas - Modo Capone (with Drake & Fuerza Regida) [Video Oficial]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zjv8TQ0gBkg/mqdefault.jpg)
EYE PROTECTION!!! YES! You did mention it. It is so very underrated. Get some comfortable safety glasses and just always use them while working on your car. Imagine being blind always vs wearing safety glasses while you do repairs. Cheers!
This! I used to work as an apprentice in a local garage as a teenager & the first thing they told me was to get some eye protection. I felt kind of stupid in them, but that immediately changed when I was draining my coolant & it splashed everywhere. My safety glasses definitely saved me from going blind
Yeah I got rusty debris in my eye once when changing my mother's oil, and ever since I understood the importance of eyewear
Carlos Ramirez u don’t go blind
thank you for emphasizing it. you prob saved a few people
Very rewarding....Between car wash, oil and filter changes, tools are paid off easily by the end of the year...
This is the man we fell in love with. Thank you BMW for inspiring and giving us throttle house
"Budget some money for that. " SO TRUE!!! so many different parts that you need many different tools for. I work on different vehicles and it pisses me off that they use so many different bolts and screws and stuff.
Love this video btw
My 2 cent: if you need to get under your car (oil change, exhaust work, etc) so the wheels don’t need to come off - use ramps instead of jacking the car up. It’ll be safer and save you the trouble of jacking/ supporting the car. You can get a pair of plastic ramps for 40 bucks.
Great points! Heavy emphasize on using the internet. My E46 has been my introduction into car maintenance and cars in general and I would have been completely lost if it weren't for the great community surrounding E46s. The forums have a wealth of information that are often untapped.
Just ripped off twice by shady mechanics. I’m done with them.
Mike J Womack bro i feel you lolz this one dumbass did some dumbass shit to my civic i was pretty upset lol
You think you can do it better than the experts? Money goes around and comes around. You use your time developing your career skills, so you can have more money to give the mechanics. That is my take on this matter. I will not repair my own car.
@@univuniveral9713 That's such a shitty analogy. There are lots of "mechanics" who think they know what they're doing when they don't. That goes for any trade.
@@univuniveral9713 Dude, you are totally right and I totally agree with you, but he's talking about shady mechanics, not proper ones.
Plus if the money isn't coming back to you, you are not able to give it, so you do your own maintenance, or try to do it.
Univ Univeral I’m learning to do my own maintenance fuck that, there are too many shady mechanics
Great video, some really good points. I've been wanting to start doing my own car maintenance for a while just never known where to start.
Great video man. I am buying my 1999 bmw 328i and will be doing alot of maintenance myself and was a little apprehensive because I just really was not sure what I was going to need etc. This helped alot.
nice to see another e46 channel. I got a 330 6 speed myself. learning to work on your car is very rewarding. and honestly the e46 m54 engine isn't very hard to work on, if anything the hardest part is that it may seem cramped because the engine is not truly vertical. I did my own clutch, coilovers and bushings, all the fluids, cooling system. this car isn't very complicated when it comes to basic maintenance as some would say
I rarely comment on videos but seriously mate what a concise and empowering intro for people like myself looking to get started. Thank you for doing this 🙏
8:25 Hahaha, so true! I've done oil changes, brake changes, suspension changes, and now a little bit of custom wiring, so I will be performing a manual swap!
Excellent advice! I bought my e36 last year and had never turned a wrench before, but am learning slowly. RUclips and forums have taught me everything I know so far. I started out by installing my own coilovers, now I am in the process of taking the diff out, plan on taking subframe out and doing all new poly bushings soon. I have found that working on suspension is a little less intimidating than starting on motor related things. Eye protection is a must, I learned that the first time I was under my e36 lol. I would add a little bottle torch alongside the pb blaster, that has helped get a lot of bolts unstuck for me. Also I would add on to what you are saying, if you think the job is going to take 2 hours to do, you might as well make it 4 hours. In my case especially when working on suspension, these bolts haven't been touched since the car came off the line, it's going to take a bit of effort.
Excellent, Excellent. ALL points you noted are spot on!! Patience ;) As the owner of 2 older BMW's I (we) know all too well. I read once and I am amazed that it does ring true many times. You estimate the time to do a job, double it and add an hour. That's how much time one should allow. If you are done quicker that's great. Enjoy a cold beverage, marvel at your success and think of the money you just saved. Also, Anti-Seize and Blue Thread Locker are a BMW Owners best friend!!!!!!!
Thank you, I've been working on my new vehicle and I'm in over my head. I appreciate you making a video motivating me to not give up.
I've been working on Cars before I could even legally drive them, and I never go to a Mechanic...especially Dealerships!
I take my time and make sure it is done correctly, and I save Thousand$ of Dollar$.
I enjoy doing it too!
But how did you learn?
How’d u learn
@@gomolemoz his daddy
@@modelotime2456 his daddy taught him
Nice Video. Can I add, always buy good quality tools, The best you can afford. I started off with cheap tools and got nowhere fast, sockets would round off, spanners would flex and even bend! Extention bars would shear etc. Since junking all of that and going only with the best quality tools I can afford I find working so much easier. It costs a lot more but the tools I need for each job is cheaper than the garage labour to do the same things and if/when I give up then I have a stack of valuable tools I can sell on and get some return on.
Case in point, I am currently replacing the timing belt on my V6 Alfa. Trying to undo the camshaft pullies with a cheap 19mm "Workzone" ring spanner, when I applied even a reasonable amount of torque the spanner would bend and the ring would slip off the bolt damaging the bolt in the process. I went out and bought a Draper Expert 19mm ring spanner and tried again. With a 2nd draper expert spanner attached to the end of the 1st spanner I was able to push my whole bodyweight into the spanners and loosen the bolt without a single slip and no flex in either spanner.
+REALransoman you are very right. It's worth waiting for the high quality stuff to go on sale.
Great vid! I've also noticed that a lot of people are afraid to ask friends for help that are into cars. For example, I'm the car guru out of all my friends and I find that a lot of people are hesitant to ask me for help. If any of my friends were to ask me for help I'd honestly be happy to. Some people think they're bugging that person but that's not the case, at least for me. The worst someone can say is no...
Although, one thing that does annoy me is someone constantly asking me to use my tools. :\
hey th, love watching your videos I recently got a 03 325ci thumbs up on your videos I gave up a 98 240sx for my e46. Now I know why bmw's are expensive you get what you pay for they are smooth and performance oriented I love how the car handles I've been messing around with Hondas and nissans for a long time but now I think a bmw fan now. Thanks again for your videos doing my brakes first then get the cooling system overhaul then suspension
I am just starting to learn how to work on my own truck and I absolutely loved your video man I’m so glad that I have friends that are also interested in how to fix cars because I found myself stuck in a situation that I didn’t know how to overcome by myself and those extra pair of hands are a big help
Great advice to take breaks and not work fatigued. That's usually when you break important bolts or snap fragile parts.
Great vids! And you came onto the scene with perfect timing. I've just begun trying to maintain my 01' e46 with my own labor. I'll be following your moves closely (already have been).
+Keith Wallace thanks for watching and good luck with your e46. Remember to be patient!
1:00 good thing my dad knows he’s always teaching me it’s so cool to have dad that know about cars alot
The part when he talks about patience hits home.
There are always going to be things that you can't do. Like your own alignment. Most people (me included) will not do a transmission repair, or an engine rebuild. But as you work on your car and do jobs on it you will gain understanding that will make things faster in the future.
Tregeta well said.
wow man your videos are awesome, I show this to people to explain to them the benefits of self maintenance. your other videos rock right on man keep it up!
"OUCH,ouch,OuCh" yep I subscribed 🤣
Brilliant video mate, thankyou for giving me the confidence to take on my own car service. It will be the first time I've ever touched a car other than driving it 😁
Well, this does not go for everyone, but I always think it like this: How long will it take for me to do. If it's a short and easy thing to do, then yes. If it's hard, long and tedious, I'll run the math on how much the shop would want for it, and then balance it out with how long would I have to work in my own job to get it paid. If working on the car would take longer/same than working on the clock to get it paid, I generally just take the car to a shop and put in some extra hours at work.
But yeah, my job is more a project natured, so after minimum hours are met, I can do extra as much as I want. And this is not the case for most people.
Nice presentation style you have. Good pace and points that are very relevant for DIYers. I am a member of a DIY car repair shop to do the maintenance and repairs there. Always someone around that can help me out. But I still prefer to do it in my own style with careful planning. Another tip is to obtain the electronic parts catalog of your car; the one that the car dealer is using also. This way you can look what parts are involved and be able to order the right stuff as not every car part store guy is the brightest of mind.
this is the channel I've been looking for lately! I'm 17 and I have a e46 330i and I want to start really get into my car (her name is Becky). Keep up the great videos man.
Really appreciate this video sir, learning to work on my e90 320d.
Really great video with loads of kick-ass tips. Been doing my own maintenance for last ten years. I've saved thousands plus have some nice tools (I do need to get a proper jack and stop mucking about with the scissor one) I'm planning on keeping my 2006 Toyota for another 10 years.
You took everything out of my mouth with those frustrating stripped and rusted screws, I have once wanted to throw the car off a cliff. You are such a cool guy, I feel gay lol!
E46 are a great car if you just invest your extra time and money in getting tools and be a man enough to get under the hood or under the car to do those dirty work. I wish I knew earlier. It took me 8 years and thousands of $ before I started doing my own maintenance. I don't regret any bit since I got my first toolbox, then jacks and wrenches. Now, my garage looks like a mech workshop. There is literally no part visible to human eye that I don't know how to locate in that car 6 months after. Of course there are jobs I wouldn't try doing by myself because it's just impossible alone and in a tight garage like mine. Thanks and keep the good work up.
Such an amazing video. I love to watch all your video. They are super amazing and informative at the same time. Keep more posting!
Wish I got this advice back when I had my nissan 300zx.😭
ive been doing mechanic work since i was a little kid kind of family i grew up in where we all do our own things
Wish I watched this video 2 years ago when i just bought my e46
how do you like the E46? I'm car shopping rn for one of those. mind telling me your experience ?
I have a love hate relationship with my E46. On one hand, I can't think of driving another car, I just like the way it looks, and how it feels, and the way its put together. So when its working well I love it. But as expected problems just keep popping up and makes me think if I would have been better with an old accord. Like random oil leaks, or the fact that the AC system stinks (literally, there's a smell), or that I just had to replace my fuel pump. The way I look at it, I might as well stick with it for the long haul, I've dealt with all the random problems that arose (nothing surprising, all common problems notes on the e46 wiki ((you can google e46 wiki)), but it still runs well. I first liked the idea of learning how to fix my own car, and it taught me a lot of lessons, but I realized it gets tiring if you're not into cars to keep looking up problems in forums, its easier to just bring it to a mechanic, but that costs money haha. I think I average about 3-4 problems a year. But like it said, when it runs well, I love my car.
Thanks! do you still own it? would you recommend?
I still own it. I'd recommend it if you either (1) actually enjoy doing your own maintenance - knowing for sure you like doing your own maintenance, not "I could see myself enjoying doing maintenance" or (2) You plan on owning this car for a very long time like 10+ years, and you invest the money (to paying a mechanic to keeping it maintained) and you put in the effort to keeping it clean.
Oh okay cool thanks man. really appreciate it!
I start college this fall and I want to know as much as I can about cars since I’m gonna buy a cheap used one as my first car. Also cuz my college is like a 30-40 min drive away from my place and I wanna know what to do if I start having problems with it. Hopefully it’s a Ferrari. Jk. I don’t really care what my first car will be. But I’d prefer it be a Toyota, Mazda, or Subaru.
If you don't have space to work on your car, consider going to a public, long term parking garage. I did a full brake job in a train station parking garage on a Mustang because his apartment complex wouldn't let him do maintenance. Obviously don't leave a mess and you don't want to bother other people.
Can you do more tutorials about mastering stick? You explain it very clear
this has me excited to get started!
Just replaced a starter in my 3 series BMW with just $35 and 3hrs. of work, the same job would've been $1,200 easy at BMW. It also doesn't hurt to check your local junk or salvage yard for parts and accessories before buying brand new.
I’m working on fixing a small engine. It’s pretty fun.
Tip if you are working on a car always keep a fire extinguisher near you and disconnect the battery
This was truly inforvative. Get a garage and tools you are all set
Nice to talk people about. Fixing there cars by themselves because most mechanic they need more money to fix your car thank you
very good advice. a practical approach. thanks.
you just earned a sub i liked the saab review because i have one and you can really tell the turbo is in their
Super helpful. Thank you
Great video
I keep thinking your shirt has a thread loose in all of your videos, but then I see it's just your mic cord lol
Great video. I'm Really surprised you said what you did about the 9-3 being difficult to find information online. I have a 9-5 and every time I search something to do with my 9-5 I end up in a 9-3 thread!
Yes I have set like that
Dude. All so true! Cant wait till i get my e46 m
Alan wrench set I went to change my engine air filter and had to remove a clip that was alaned in there 😆
this goes hard
Good video. Thx
And I'm James....???? This is a throwback
good man! I dream of an LS Swap.. do you think you have the skills to do one ? If yes, how long did it take for u to grow that kind of confidence ? If not, how long before u acquire that kind of skill ?
Where could you wear these materials
Great video!
a few minor scrapes and cuts big deal im a man, but eye protection a must, i cry like a baby when i get dirt in my eye 👁️. 😂
My fear is setting off the anti theft system, is it best to unplug the battery when working under the dash of your car?
Great video. Really well done.
Good advice
What brand and size is that ratchet breaker bar? I've looked around but there's different sizes, what size do you recommend? Do you find yourself yours was longer or shorter?
Man mechanic shops would be out of service if people did their own maintenance lol
Will you ever do an oil pan gasket replacement DIY?
Nice video Thanks
I will be performing a manual swap :)
Wow. Glasses Thomas looks different.
Great tips
My cv Alex cover came off but bar stuck in transmission how can I get it out still ?
You get to the point
If you want to find patience, it's not as far to reach as you think.
Only problem is if I go off to college and there is no where to do my own work
Thank you
Overall, on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the easiest, how easy is working on your E46? I'm looking now to buy one because I know dealerships will kill me with labor costs, so I'll have to learn to do more than fluids and filters.
E46s aren't the easiest. It will take time and mistakes to learn to do the hard stuff. Often you need special tools. I would give them an 7 out of ten. Ten being like an old Mercedes's or rolls where EVERYTHING is hydraulically operated.
Sorry got your scale backwards. I made 10 the hardest haha.
I don't get where this statement comes from. Special tools? God I hate when I hear that from people. The most "special" thing I've had to use on my e46 so far is maybe a long flathead. Not trying to be rude, just trying to understand what you mean?
There are special tools, such as a puller for a rear trailing arm bushing: www.bimmerworld.com/RTAB_Tool_WM.jpg
There are several spots in the car where you need such stuff, or you will need to mcguyver the shit out of it.
I guess you are doing serious stuff. I haven't ran into any scenario like that.
I'm a student and my BMW broke down the other day. Took it to the mechanic and cost me 800 euro. I need to replace the valves because they hit the piston. lmao im gonna ruin it
I'm having an issue on my e46 330i. I'm getting a thud noise when I press the clutch to the floor, seems to lessen if I release it slow and smooth. also appear shifting into first to 2 and second to 3rd. I don't think if the clutch and fly wheel as the car drives ok and they have been replaced recently. do you have any ideas? I've done some reading into it and found loads of different things it could be and I'm resultant to go ahead with a quote I've had for new clutch and fly for £700 which might not work. any ideas? do I wait until it brakes?
Try bleeding the slave cylinder, or replacing it entirely. Have the whole clutch hydraulic system checked out.
E46 Reviews with T.H. thanks for replying, I will do thanks for your help. Btw love your videos man can see this channel taking of in a big way
Patience? I'll show you patience #$%&@*!!!! Great video mate! Really gave me the courage to work on my own car. Thanks
autozone never have sales like that
Try harbor freight if you’re on a budget
You can save a massive amount of money or mess up and end up having to spend a massive amount of money
How do I fix a FREE car that Cranks but won't Start?
Subbed at the second ouch...
Which car is the easiest to learn on ? What year and model ?
jw2par how would he know unless he’s worked on them ALL? 🤷🏼♂️🤦🏻♂️
That's why I am going to own luxury one or German 😊
Likee
i guess your students like you
Buy reputable quality tools, mine was broken.. 😭
My pop is a mechanic
Hi love
Looking through the comments I noticed mechanics steal all around the globe not only in my country...shame...
To everyone who watches a youtube channel and believes they are now skilled up to start to do repair and maitainence on there vehicles or the vehicles of friends and family i will say this. DONT DO IT. If you feel the need to go ahead anyways i will give you some advice from someone who has 25 years in the trade. Enrole in a trade corse.
Educate yourself properly learn from
highly trained technitions who are qualified to teach people the basic fundermentals of the automotive repair trade.
We have all heard the dodgy mechanic storey. Fact is there are dodgy Drs.
Dodgy lawers Dodgey plumbers Dodgy electricians. It happens. Educating yourself properly give you a better chance of recognizing a poor technition.
Educating yourself and having somekind of basic understanding about how your vehicle functions and what needs to do so also why parts wear or fail will help you avoid being ripped off. If you cant get you mechainc to show ir explain in fine detail the hows and whys, You should find another mechainc.
Fact is most people will go for tbe cheapest price.
Usually a reason why things are cheap.
Now car matainence is expensive for a reason. Overheads Ever changing tooling and equipment cost. My OBD2vscan tool that i recently puchaced to scan multiple vehicles was at a.cost of over $12500. So to charge a $50 fee to scan a car is warrented. Buying a cheap bluetooth scanner from amazon is a waste of time and money as the many of the functions are simply not available on those devices. Ir mearly clears a fault code to turn a light off. Many modern cars require specialized scaning eqipment to carry out correct servicing or repair procedures.
The tooling in my workshop have upward of $500,000 and im still underequip for many of the vehicles on todays market.
Professional work from any trade is always at a high cost. It is the reality of owning a car.
Imagine if the Airlines started to use substanded tools and got their skill sets from a random guy on youtube. It wouldnt happen. It costs money to maintain the machines.
Properly trained technitions are constantly going back to school to keep ahead of everchanging tech. Or refresh on past tech systems that are no longer used.
Basically if you are ignorant to you vehicles servce and maitainence needs
or havent got the correct tooling you will
it will cause issues later on. Being from
Poor performance of your vehicle to catastrophic failure. Which could cause serious injury or death to yourself or your family or someone else's family
Being properly educated and trained to recognised potential component failure
and what systems of you vehicle warrent closer attention is why to avoid costly unexpected repair is something that is worth investing your hard earned money in. And takes years of experience with many hours of frustration.
Even then there are times when there is unexpected component failure even if every requirment of your vehicles matainence and repair procedure has been tended to. Faults in the manufacture prossess can cause instant failure years into the vehicles service.
I have over 25 years across many differnt manufactures and im still learning new things everyday...
I will paint you a picture.
You do your own work on your vehicle.
You have had the mag 20 in wheels off your vehicle. When you put the wheels back on you have failed to notice that the CBL ring has fallen from the rim.
You fit your rim. You even use a calibrated torque wrench and proper tightening toque and sequence. All went well You saved some $$$ You can use that for other things.
But say 2 months later you on the road. You got your wife and kids in the car.
You feel that satisfaction that you do your own mechanical work. You know that you havnt been ripped off.
Suddenly your front wheel comes off your car. Now you get the car stopped and your family.is safe. But the loose wheel travelling at speed hits and kills a child. or someones mother.
Because of a small piece of alloy or plastic was missed when you did your own work. The lack of knowledge or having only basic knowlege seen on youtube is so dangerous.
Is saving a few $$$ or stroking your ego really worth the risk...
If you do your own work. It is so important that you do it to the standand of a professional technition.
To many people have lost their lives because if DIY vehicle repair.
Thats free advice.
Thanks for reading
All thanks to #Kevinhacks12
He's a genius and a car saver
Lol I see a lot of broken down cars!
I'm not liable. How long have you been practicing medicine?
The outfit doesn't match the video lol but shoutout to you
Oppsie