Chadillac2000's 2008 135i Road Warrior Daily Driver Build Thread

chadillac2000

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Oct 26, 2017
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2008 BMW 135i
My 1er hit a big milestone this week as the odometer passed 150,000 miles with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. It was also time to switch spark plugs after running the NGK 5992 for around 15,000 miles. Since those were on national backorder, I decided to try the NGK 97506 2-step colder plugs that I probably should have been running anyways. The old plugs that came out still looked great and hadn’t given me any misfires while they were installed.

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I gapped the new plugs to 0.020 using the BMS gap tool and installed then with ease using the BMS spark plug socket. Once the coils were back in and everything was buttoned up, I fired the car up to ensure smooth idle. Sure enough, buttery smooth at the 950RPM idle mark I have set through MHD.

Also got back my latest Blackstone analysis and it looks like the N54 power plant is still looking great:

FQ2rHMH.jpg
 

doublespaces

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Oct 18, 2016
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5992... Isn't that just the old name for the 95770? I have a hard time believing there are no N55/S55 plugs:


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chadillac2000

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Oct 26, 2017
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2008 BMW 135i
5992... Isn't that just the old name for the 95770? I have a hard time believing there are no N55/S55 plugs

Correct, these are the 95770 plugs. I usually order my plugs directly through BMS to avoid the NGK counterfeit problem a lot of those ordering off eBay/Amazon are seeing, but since the Amazon page you posted are offered directly through NGK it's probably safe to order from that link. I've been meaning to move up to the 97506 plugs anyways though, so went ahead and made the switch.
 
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noorj

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Jul 12, 2017
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'07 E90 335i
Gotta say it's hard to beat FCP for spark plugs. I get both 95770 and 97506 plugs from them (switch in winter time back to 93 octane/95770 plug), paid for one set of each and have gotten every single set free for the past couple years
 
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chadillac2000

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Oct 26, 2017
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2008 BMW 135i
Gotta say it's hard to beat FCP for spark plugs. I get both 95770 and 97506 plugs from them (switch in winter time back to 93 octane/95770 plug), paid for one set of each and have gotten every single set free for the past couple years

Good point, I probably should do this next time. I've already switched almost exclusively over to FCP from ECS for this exact reason.
 

BOosted 335i

Sergeant
Jun 1, 2017
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New Jersey
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E90 BMW 335i
Gotta say it's hard to beat FCP for spark plugs. I get both 95770 and 97506 plugs from them (switch in winter time back to 93 octane/95770 plug), paid for one set of each and have gotten every single set free for the past couple years
I gotta say,this cracks me up.how do you explain for exchanging them?just want new ones no questions asked?still dont get how they stay in business with this lifetime warranty.so how many times can you do this with plugs lol
 

BOosted 335i

Sergeant
Jun 1, 2017
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E90 BMW 335i
The one thing that's got me worried is theres literally perfect counterfeit ngk plugs out there at a fraction of the cost and hope that's not the case here
 

noorj

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Jul 12, 2017
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Detroit, MI
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'07 E90 335i
I gotta say,this cracks me up.how do you explain for exchanging them?just want new ones no questions asked?still dont get how they stay in business with this lifetime warranty.so how many times can you do this with plugs lol

It is literally meant for doing this, they advertise this and when you fill out the return form you tell them this. The whole business model is to attract customers and hope that the majority of them are too lazy to return items, or move on from the platform before needing new ones. They've been in business long enough to have established this is still a profitable business model, and definitely secures long-term customers like myself. If I added up all the money I've spent at FCP I'm sure they still come out on top :)

Sorry to threadjack @chadillac2000
 

doublespaces

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Oct 18, 2016
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Youd think it would be better if you paid the return shipping fee to FCP and instead shipped them to your trash can.
 

Torgus

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Nov 6, 2016
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Boston
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ACF 6466 E92 + METH
It is literally meant for doing this, they advertise this and when you fill out the return form you tell them this. The whole business model is to attract customers and hope that the majority of them are too lazy to return items, or move on from the platform before needing new ones. They've been in business long enough to have established this is still a profitable business model, and definitely secures long-term customers like myself. If I added up all the money I've spent at FCP I'm sure they still come out on top :)

Sorry to threadjack @chadillac2000

I agree most parts will last longer than the owner of the car in most cases. I like them as my e92 will be in my possession longer than most. Granted it gets driven less so I may never use it much. They are not ECS which is also a plus.
 

ShocknAwe

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Jan 24, 2018
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N54/3 1er ///Mutt
Bro. My daughter is almost 10 months and she spent the first 6 mos riding in the back seat of my 1er before we picked up our 958 GTS.

1er is a great family car! We regularly ride baby plus dog and trunk full of gear.

Here's the tip the makes a baby and 1series back seat work:

Cybex Aton Q infant carrier. Works well with Uppababy strollers using the maxi Cosi adapter.

We recently imported a Cybex Pallas M-fix SL from the UK now that she's too big and that fits too.

Good luck selling the car, but if you want to keep it... You can ride with the tiny daughter!
 
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langsbr

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Apr 5, 2017
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07 335i 6MT e90
Good luck finding a manual F10 M5. There were only 577 made, lol. Might just consider a DCT. I hate autos but I think I'd settle on it for the F10. I bet a lot of N54 guys will jump to F10s since they are getting so affordable. Hell, I probably wouldn't even mod one much. GLWS!
 
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chadillac2000

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Oct 26, 2017
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2008 BMW 135i
Good luck finding a manual F10 M5. There were only 577 made, lol. Might just consider a DCT. I hate autos but I think I'd settle on it for the F10. I bet a lot of N54 guys will jump to F10s since they are getting so affordable. Hell, I probably wouldn't even mod one much. GLWS!

They are proving hard to find with the 6MT, but there are a few currently available out there. Definitely not on the lower end of the market though. Like you, part of me wants to try out the DCT and for me, the ability to let my wife drive it on occasion. And you’re right, the only car I’ve considered selling my E82 for. You can get a 2013-2014 with less than 75,000 miles for 30K right now. In a dream scenario, I’d keep the 135i 6-speed and get the F10 M5 in DCT with a white exterior and red interior. Thanks langsbr for the reply.
 

langsbr

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Apr 5, 2017
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Ha, we may have to fight over a white one. That's the color I was looking for, but I'd settle on any really. I just want a white one so I could call it Great White!

I'm probably a year out in getting one, hoping prices don't creep up next year.

I told my wife I was done buying and selling cars and would stick with the 335 until I got a 997, but I think I might be happier with an F10 since it's got 4 doors and much more room. I know it's heavier, but it's easier to get to 800whp+ than a 997 I think.
 

chadillac2000

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Oct 26, 2017
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Christmas 2019 was a good one. After entertaining a few offers on this car over the past month, and feeling very uneasy about letting it go, I’ve found a way to keep the 135i and upgrade to a newer, performance sedan sometime in 2020 without getting rid of something I’ve invested so much time and effort into. I knew I’d regret it big time eventually.

The 1er also got a present -- a set of brand new Berk midpipes. For the past 100,000 miles I’ve been running a hacked up N54 midpipe with Vibrant 1790 resonators installed in place of the secondary cats and it’s been great, but I’ve always eyeballed this purpose-built two-piece midpipe setup from Berk for some time now. Build quality looks top notch and came with new hardware and gaskets. It should sound great in between the ACF 3” downpipe and the MadDad Whisper. Should be installing these sometime in January.

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ShocknAwe

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Jan 24, 2018
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Christmas 2019 was a good one. After entertaining a few offers on this car over the past month, and feeling very uneasy about letting it go, I’ve found a way to keep the 135i and upgrade to a newer, performance sedan sometime in 2020 without getting rid of something I’ve invested so much time and effort into. I knew I’d regret it big time eventually.

The 1er also got a present -- a set of brand new Berk midpipes. For the past 100,000 miles I’ve been running a hacked up N54 midpipe with Vibrant 1790 resonators installed in place of the secondary cats and it’s been great, but I’ve always eyeballed this purpose-built two-piece midpipe setup from Berk for some time now. Build quality looks top notch and came with new hardware and gaskets. It should sound great in between the ACF 3” downpipe and the MadDad Whisper. Should be installing these sometime in January.

View attachment 34055

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Will be eager to hear how this sounds paired with the whisper. For obvious reasons.
 

chadillac2000

Corporal
Oct 26, 2017
233
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2008 BMW 135i
I had the chance to spend some time with the 1er over this past weekend in order to install the new Berk midpipes I’d gotten recently, as well as take care of a few other maintenance items. I’d been getting some intermittent o2 sensor codes, which is common with single turbo setups, and since the downpipe has to be removed to access them, this would be a good time to swap those out with a new set of NTKs. The last set lasted almost 60,000 miles before they started triggering codes occasionally, so I stayed with the same brand. I also had some Redline D4 ATF and 75W90 gear oils on hand to flush out the fluids in the manual transmission and rear differential while the midpipe was out -- they were both due. Here’s a comparison pictures of my old midpipe and its shinier replacement.

rLGJnfH.jpg


After replacing the o2 sensors, which is a most unpleasant job given the extremely small amount of space to work with, I noticed how worn all of my top mount heat protection gear had become. I’d only had the turbo blanket on and off a handful of times over the nearly 60,000 miles I’d had this top mount setup, but the extreme heat had gotten the best of it. The v-band clamp attaching the downpipe to the hot side of the turbo was also destroyed during removal. The heat wrap on my downpipe was tattered and had come off in spots.

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The next time I have my car torn down completely, I’ll probably take the time to have the hot parts ceramic coated and get rid of the exhaust wrap all together. Here’s a shot of the engine bay after the o2 sensors were replaced, the downpipe was reattached with a new 3 inch v-band clamp and a new Amazon turbo blanket. From what I’ve read, all the turbo blankets break down eventually, so might as well consider this something I’ll have to replace every few years. I prefer the darker color of this one, but it didn’t fit quite as snug as the one included with the ACF kit.

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Installation of the Berk midpipes was pretty straightforward, but even with swivel sockets and extensions, getting all of the nuts and bolts tightens took patience. Berk included new hardware and gaskets, along with another exhaust hanger. Initially I did not install the exhaust hanger because I wasn’t sure what it was for, and experienced some rubbing. After some more research I discovered that the shorter exhaust hanger is actually for the axleback portion of the exhaust and it pulls the entire midpipe enough to avoid any vibrations from hitting the v-brace below it. Once that was corrected, everything fit nicely and wasn’t rubbing on anything. These pipes look great underneath the car mated up to the ACF downpipe and MadDad Whisper axleback.

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First impressions are that volume is increased probably 20%, but still not too loud. Just perfect. The modified OEM midpipe I had been running had mellowed out some of the aggressiveness of this engine/turbo setup, but the elimination of the stock resonator and larger diameter piping from the Berk really gives the car a sinister snarl. Sound clips to come.
 
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