New 135i coupe owner. Any advice on initial maintenance/mods?

[Sanchez14]

Just picked up a 2010 135i 6mt/m-sport/coupe with 53k miles and am loving it so far. Got a great deal and the car is nearly new inside and out. I’ve owned an e90 335i in the past and am coming from a MK7 GTI most recently. The 1er is feeling like the best of both. RWD and more power of the 335i while keeping the tossability and agility of the GTI. All while being more fun than both.

After a week or so, I’m already starting to think about some minor changes to improve handling and grip.
Here’s what I’m thinking so far. I tend to like to do 1-2 things at a time to feel what each change impacts.

• Replace the awful run flats - I’d forgotten how terrible these are. Anyone have tires they love other than the obvious PS4S? Probably not going to go square setup for now, but open to considering it. Not going to change wheels right now for sure.
• Front sway bar - hoping to reduce body roll on turn in and hopefully add a little feel, without changing the ride. Looks like the e92 M3 bars or the H&R are the way to go. Opinions on one over the other.

I’m thinking these two are a good place to start and are where the most bang for the buck will be. The car will be mostly used for street, with regular canyon runs and occasional track days.

Anything else I should consider beyond the above?

Took here up to the mountains once already and am loving it.

[BMWWorld]

Welcome to the e82 fam. The car looks great man. I would recommend you do any preventative maintenance before you start to mod the car, but since it's a low mileage car, it may not need a whole lot.

Get rid of the run flats ASAP & would go with the H&R since a think .5 thicker than the M3 sway bar.

Enjoy your ride man

[Sanchez14]

Thanks. I’m excited to dive in with the car. Thankfully, it has great records. Plugs at 45k miles, recent brake flush and oil change. What other preventative do you recommend? There no wastegate rattle, ignition issues, leaks anywhere, etc.

Originally Posted by BMWWorld

Welcome to the e82 fam. The car looks great man. I would recommend you do any preventative maintenance before you start to mod the car, but since it's a low mileage car, it may not need a whole lot.

Get rid of the run flats ASAP & would go with the H&R since a think .5 thicker than the M3 sway bar.

Enjoy your ride man

[Esteban]

Congrats on the 1er!

1ADDICTS is a great group of people and this will be a wonderful resource for you.

Enjoy your new (to you) 135i!

[Afam28]

From my experience(with my N54) these are the things that require preventative maintenance:
- OFHG
- Waterpump/thermostats(can go without warning)
- Valve cover gasket
- Oil pan gasket
- Spark plugs
- Coil Plugs
- Charge pipe

I think if you get a handle on those things...
You should be fine...
I even went so far as to change out tensioner pulleys, my battery, vanos solenoids and turbo solenoids...
Would focus on that first so reliability once you start modding isn't an issue...
Welcome!

[ethan82]

As for tires, I can not recommend Nitto nt555 g2 enough!

A bit cheaper than the pilots, ride a lot better, and handle as well. Definitely a summer/southern tire though!

[BMWWorld]

Originally Posted by Sanchez14

Thanks. I’m excited to dive in with the car. Thankfully, it has great records. Plugs at 45k miles, recent brake flush and oil change. What other preventative do you recommend? There no wastegate rattle, ignition issues, leaks anywhere, etc.

Nice, that's a plus. But keep an eye on any leaks with blown gaskets, watergate rattling shouldn't be an issue yet, but it's a matter of time, etc.

When you get to the running part keep in mind that to be safe you should buy new coils & plugs, just to prevent any misfires. Things like that will save you headaches.

[Sanchez14]

@esteban - Thanks. Looking forward to it.

@Afam28 - thanks for the great list. I’ll start looking into some of these things. On the gaskets you listed, are there any reasons to replace before seeing leaks. I tend to inspect my engine bay every month or so.

@Ethan32 - I’ll check out the Nittos. I put some General GMax’s on my GTI a couple months before I sold it and felt they had similar advantages over the Pilot Sports I’ve had on other cars. A bit less maximum traction on the track though, but was a good trade off for a daily driver.

@bmwworld - I think I’ll pick up some coils based on what you’re saying.

Anyone have experience with any of the aftermarket coils like the Performance Raceworks or BimmerLife ones. I’m not planning to do major engine modifications beyond maybe a stage 1 tune, since power In the car isn’t a weak point to me, so they seem like they’re probably overkill. For roughly same amount of money, it looks like I could do the normal Bosch coils and m3 front control arms.

After reading the Mike Miller maintenance PDF again, I’m also leaning towards changing out the gear oil, coolant, rear diff oil, and maybe power steering fluid. Thoughts on these items?

[NorthernDancer]

Yes, yes, yes to fluids as per Mike Miller
For tires, talk with the experts at The Tire Rack
Gaskets-just keep an eye on them, nothing more
sway bar, H&R-cannot comment but recommend Whiteline RSFB inserts
Join BMWCCA-maybe you already have. Mike Miller will give you the best advice always within 24 hrs, often within 3-4 hrs.
Congrats at getting the maint records-hugely important
Enjoy the car; consider a driving school
Buy a cheap torque wrench for wheel nuts

[MightyMouseTech]

Welcome to the club!

If you want to improve handling, first thing on the list is increasing front camber. Our cars are severely lacking from the factory. Dinan camber plates are an easy help. Can also install 1M/M3 front arms (get the TRW version) will also add a bit of camber and replace the lower arm inner bushing with a bearing.

Once you have the extra camber, you can go up to a 245 in the front (APEX wheels recommended here) and 265 out back without fender rolls or other mods. Then the car will actually turn. No point considering anything other than MP4S unless you do a fair bit of track time. Nothing else compares.

Next up I would say is replacing the rear subframe bushings with the 1M/M3 version.

[Afam28]

Originally Posted by Sanchez14

@esteban - Thanks. Looking forward to it.

@Afam28 - thanks for the great list. I’ll start looking into some of these things. On the gaskets you listed, are there any reasons to replace before seeing leaks. I tend to inspect my engine bay every month or so.

@Ethan32 - I’ll check out the Nittos. I put some General GMax’s on my GTI a couple months before I sold it and felt they had similar advantages over the Pilot Sports I’ve had on other cars. A bit less maximum traction on the track though, but was a good trade off for a daily driver.

@bmwworld - I think I’ll pick up some coils based on what you’re saying.

Anyone have experience with any of the aftermarket coils like the Performance Raceworks or BimmerLife ones. I’m not planning to do major engine modifications beyond maybe a stage 1 tune, since power In the car isn’t a weak point to me, so they seem like they’re probably overkill. For roughly same amount of money, it looks like I could do the normal Bosch coils and m3 front control arms.

After reading the Mike Miller maintenance PDF again, I’m also leaning towards changing out the gear oil, coolant, rear diff oil, and maybe power steering fluid. Thoughts on these items?

The gaskets I listed are some items to bring to your attention that's all...
I had to replace my ofhg(preventative)and oil pan gasket(leaking) already(70000 miles)...
I presume my valve cover gasket will be my next preventative item(I'm at 98000 miles)...

My list is just the basic things to look out for and to pay attention to from my experience and from what I've read here on the forum.

[Sanchez14]

Thank you everyone for the advice. I really appreciate the ideas and validation of where my head’s at. After listening, here’s where I think I’m going to start.

- Rejoin BMWCCA - I let it lapse when I sold my 335i five years ago
- oil change - redline or OEM
- gear oil change - redline
- Good tires - TBD
- front sway bar - M3 OEM most likely. Just wanting to tame body roll and understeer a bit to start.
- coolant flush
- rear diff oil change
- power steering fluid
- keep hoping for the world to settle down a bit (but without us all forgetting why the world is unsettled), so that track days can come back in California soon

From there, I’ll see how I’m liking things and then dive into suspension.
- address camber issues
- M3/1M control arms
- address various other outstanding bushings, mounts, etc. in areas where I want improvement
- maybe coil overs or just some struts with a bit better damping. I don’t want this to be too harsh and don’t want to lower it much at all.
- wheels and likely new tires. Maybe a square set up.

One last thing I forgot to mention is that the car came with PPK and PE, so I’m really just leaning towards leaving the engine and exhaust as-is. The sound and power is great for my preferences.

As an aside, the seller didn’t mention the PPK or PE. It was a pleasant surprise when I showed up to get the car.

[NorthernDancer]

Maintenance records (so very important for a 135), PPK, PE, boy did you ever strike a home run.

[Sanchez14]

Ya, I’m feeling very lucky. Only paid $13.5k for it too. Was actually looking more at 911 997.1s, but wasn’t dead set on a 911 and have always liked these. When it popped up on Car Gurus, I felt like I couldn’t pass it up. PPK and PE were just the cherry on top. Former owner just hadn’t been driving it much for the last couple years and wasn’t the type of enthusiast to be on forums. She was just a European who liked BMW’s, manuals, and smaller cars.

[WeryPert1]

Sounds just about PERFECT! Congrats

[Petro135]

If I had to do it all over again I'd get rsfb, m3 front control arms, a stepped fmic and a stg1 mhd tune and some nice tires. I'd then just drive it and be done until parts started breaking

[Sanchez14]

Updating after 6 weeks with what I’ve been sorting out to hopefully help out others.

Here’s what I’ve done so far and the differences I’m seeing with each.

Done-New Tires
As with most cars (especially with stock RFT’s), this is the single best bang for the buck. Since I’m not sure where I’m going to go with wheels in the future, I went for the used/friends route. A buddy sold me some two-year old Michelin PSS’s with around 60% tread for $180. They’re 225s, so a little wider. Found a near new pair of General GMax RS’s (245 width) for $200 on CL (actually bought 4, so if anyone wants a pair in SoCal, hit me up) and picked those up. Total cost was $420 with mounting.

These are better in every way. Quieter, better grip, more feedback, etc. Not sure whether the wider front tire is making a difference since the car was on RFT’s before and every improvement could just be attributed to ditching those.

Done-e93 sway bar
This was my first thought for quick improvement when I bought the car, but the great forum here helped me rethink that. However, found a used one in good condition on eBay, so it turned into an opportunistic priority. Glad I did it. The e93 bar flattens everything out just enough to change body roll from annoying to acceptable. I think this with new struts/shocks and rear subframe bushings will be a great foundation. Total cost $120 off eBay. Installed myself.

Done - CDV delete
Best free mod on any manual BMW. Better uptake feel, smoother shifts, etc. I didn’t bother getting the BMS one. I just removed the stock one. Took 15 minutes while I had the car on jack stands.

Maintenance done so far.
Power Steering Fluid Flush - at 55k miles, it was noticeably dirty. Did it myself in 40 minutes. Total cost $20 for a container of Pentosin chf 11.
Coolant drain and replace - I might not have done this after seeing the condition after draining. Condition still looked great. Peace of mind is worth it though. Total cost was the redline conditioner and a gallon of oem coolant. Around $35 total cost.

Done - DCI and BMS cowl filters
Picked up an SSR DCI since they’re local. Not totally sure I like the cowl filters option. The noise with both may be a little more than I want everyday. We’ll see. For now, the novelty whooshes are great.

Maintenance to do
All the stuff listed in above posts I haven’t listed here. I’m knocking off 1-2 things per weekend.

Not installed yet - Bilstein B14s
This was a bit of a whim, but Extreme Power House has them on sale and had a 4th of July coupon, so was able to pick them up for $740 shipped. This was too good to pass up. They’re still not shipped yet, so they may not have them in stock, but I don’t mind waiting.

Not installed yet - Dinan Camber Plates
Figured as long as I was doing coilovers, I’d add these too.

Still deciding which option - rear subframe bushings
Not sure if I just want to just pop in the O34 or whiteline inserts or go with one of the easier to install bushings that don’t seem to require dropping the entire subframe out of the car to remove or press in new bushings, such as the powerflex or whiteline two piece ones. There are tools on eBay for $70, so thinking about just going all the way. After driving the car for a while and noticing the sometimes squirrelly rear end, one of these is definitely on my near term list.

Window/door frame seals
The seals are a bit dried out. Have tried reconditioner, but no luck yet, so leaning towards just buying a new pair. The wind noise at highway speeds is annoying.

M3 Control arms
I’m going to hold off on these until I get through everything else above.

Wheels
Going to hold off on these for a while. Current plan is to get everything else sorted and see where I’m at.

[Gangplank]

If you are upgrading the struts do the M3 control arms. Get the TRW brand b/c they are BMW spec but with the label ground off. They come with new bushings and add some camber. In my case since I don't track the car currently they added enough camber to improve the ride and I don't feel the need for camber plates.

Tires I am driving the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500's and really like them. For about $500-$600 a set they are really great tires. I had the run craps then went to the MPSS and then these. They are very comparable to the MPSS for a good value.

[desertman123]

The M3 arms help soooo much, my turn-in response is crazy now.

For a 135i I'd recommend the full rear subframe bushing replacement. You got a lotta torque out back.

[bobowar135]

Originally Posted by desertman123

The M3 arms help soooo much, my turn-in response is crazy now.

For a 135i I'd recommend the full rear subframe bushing replacement. You got a lotta torque out back.

Haha, when I first got my 135 I would always get that back end wiggle coming out of corners with some lock on. I used to think that my car was broken.

[Gangplank]

Originally Posted by desertman123

The M3 arms help soooo much, my turn-in response is crazy now.

For a 135i I'd recommend the full rear subframe bushing replacement. You got a lotta torque out back.

^^ this.

Best mods I've done:
1) New struts,
2) M3 control arms,
3) Rear subframe bushing (RSFB) insets (if I did it again I'd do the two piece type),
4) Rear differential brace
5) PPK

3,& 4 locks the rear end in place & stops the wheel hop, quits down the one tire fire. Best money I've spent.

[Mr Gasser]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Reason run-flats are on there is because the rear subframe bushing were designed to wobble as to add comfort..............BIG ENGINEERING MISTAKE. The run-flats stiffened the ride...not sure what the Germans were thinking....good idea? Not really...

So if you are going to do away with the run-flats you need to replace the rear subframe bushings with either M3 or aftermarket bushings to take out the slope from the rear subframe....BIG IMPROVEMENT...if you don't you will notice a lot of play as you go around corners, not good.

Check your coils and see if you have Eldors (labeled) they are very good and are a dealer upgrade from the bosch which were problematic, if you have them they are good for another 25k or so.