I am taking a break after replacing my cabin vent filter and I have to say, no wonder the labor component seems higher then you think when you take it to the dealer or any mechanic. It is a PITA to replace, but once you replace it, you have a greater appreciation for the mechanics who actually do the hard work for you. For starters, there are two different ways to replace the cabin air filter, one requires the removal of the glove box and another that just requires you to remove the lower kick panel.

As I was replacing the Onboard computer (OBC), I had to remove the glove box anyway since 1) I was replacing some glove box panels since it was broken and 2) I needed to get to the wiring behind the glove box for the OBC upgrade.

I have to tell you though, it is much easier to replace the filter with the glove box remove…furthermore, it is also much easier to remove the electrical wiring harness to allow yourself some room to get the old filter out and the new filter in….

Removing the old filter was a little dirty….leaves, etc fell out. I had to quickly vacuum the passenger area up from all the leaves that was stuck there.

After all is said and done, and given that I know what I am doing now, I think I could replace the vent filter in about 45 minutes (tops) the next time around. The first time always takes the longest….

Once my batteries are charged in my camera, I will update you all with some pictures of what I did and area I had to access. It definitely helps being a little limber as half your body is outside the car and the other half is under the passenger foot well.

More to come soon. Next challenge is to complete the OBC upgrade of course. One piece is left, which is the connection from the OBC to the black/green wire in the glove area. I have identified the wire, just have to pull a wire into that location and solder up the connection, and test it and heat-shrink tubing around all the soldered connections.

Paul

Spring was a long time coming, but the E36 (1998 BMW 328is) project car is out of storage in sitting in my garage as we speak.

There are a few things that I have to start working on pretty quickly to get it back on the road. For starters, I have to finish up the 18-button Onboard computer upgrade that I started over the Christmas time-frame. Ottawa winter is not the best time for DIY work (cold garage, cold fingers, just doesn’t work), so I hope to get that done by Sunday. Put the dash back together and hopefully get the vent filter replaced before putting the glove back in as well.

I should also have the CD43 OEM BMW radio head unit in place since I am removing the
aftermarket radio that is in the car. I will be selling that unit soon.

Once I am satisfied with my work, it is goin’ to Autovation to have the Hartge Short-shifter installed, possibly the interior replaced, oil change, fluids checked, etc and the end-goal is to have the exhaust system upgrade to a custom-made exhaust and the rims re-finished. Right now, a couple of the rims have a bit of road-rash.

Anyways, I will be updating my blog with pics as I go from DIY to DIY on this car and will be posting them here, along with my experiences and short-comings.

I am on a 2-year plan with this car….where year 2, will likely see me upgrade the engine with a super or turbo-charger kit. It all depends on my tracking experience.

Please stay tuned.

Paul

I knew one day that I would soon part with my Saab and that day has come sooner than I had expected. Many factors were involved replacing my Saab. The V6 turbo-charged variant that I had owned for a little over a year seemed too hungry on fuel for my tastes. Yes, turbo-charged cars do drink a little more, but I was not expecting it to be the equivalent of an SUV. Second, I felt the top model 9-3ss which I had owned was not up to par in fit/finish when compared to its competitors in the same price range. I should also add the Saab’s unknown future was critical in my parting with the brand as well.

Having thought this through for a long time, I had decided on moving to BMW. For those that know, I have an E36 (1998 328iS) in my garage and now have a 2006 (E90) 325i as my dependable all-year around daily driver. I first looked at to Otto’s to see if there was anything in their certified pre-owned line-up that would be of interest. There was one vehicle (’06 325i w/ no package) that I was interested in, but it didn’t have the premium package I was looking for. Nevertheless, I did place a deposit to hold it. While attending the auto-show, I dropped by Budds BMW Oakville (i.e., see Matt Salvian) before checking into my hotel as I had a X3 w/ manual transmission on hold. I wanted to test drive it to see if it was something I would like. The X3 was not exactly what I was looking for, and that day, they had a 325i (black on black interior) with premium pkg. It was returned on lease that day….I took it for a spin and liked it, even before they performed all the steps necessary to make it a pre-owned certified series. I can not say anything bad about the dealership and Matt’s help made it a smooth transaction, so I would recommend their dealership and will likely return to them one day.

So….without further ado, here are some pic’s of my new ride. The car is dirty as I had to go through one day of freezing rain, but clean car pics to come soon:

Well…the winter months have come, the car is stored and now I have to wait for the spring to come.

I definitely have some exciting plans in store for the Bimmer come Spring time, so please stay tuned. I may end up doing the occasional mod during the winter season if I get my hands on a space heater for the garage which may prove to be an invaluable investment along with a pretty damn good light too.

Some things that are being considered for the spring:

- new carbon-fibre hood
- M3 front bumper w/ new depo headlights and fog lights (glass variant)
- complete paint-job…..
- short-shifter

The plans are huge, but plan on getting the parts throughout the winter so it is less shocking on the VISA bill.

Stay tuned…

Paul

One of the first projects for the Bimmer was the replacement of the steering wheel, the wiper arms and wiper assembly cover. I looked up some of the DIY information related to both and from the information that is available, it seems like both jobs are very easy to do. Since the wiper arm job is not yet complete (I need a wiper arm removal tool), I will just write about the steering wheel replacement.

Steering Wheel Replacement (I will update w/ pictures when I replace the instrument
cluster as I failed to take pictures during this DIY):

1) Make sure the wheels are straight. Disconnect the battery and wait 5 minutes. You
may want to prop the windows down to ensure you can continue to open and close
the doors.

2) Remove the screw and bottom cover to the steering shaft. The top and bottom
pieces snap together, so you will have to carefully dry them apart. It does not
take to much effort.

3) Once removed, unplug the horn and SRS connectors. There will be two side-by-side

4) Take a T30 torx screw driver (has to be short), or a adapt yourself one from a
socket wrench (like I did). Insert it behind the steering wheel into the
locations shown on both sides. You will have to put the turning indicator and
windshield wiper stalk to the top most position.

5) Using the screw driver, unscrew the airbag module. Not the screws will not only
release the airbag module, they can’t be removed.

6) Include the connectors from the air-bag module and place aside.

7) Take a 5/8″ socket and remove the bolt in the center

once removed, you can easily slide the steering wheel off the central hub.
Keep note of the position of the wheel at time of removal.

9) lubricate if necessary and insert new steering wheel on the hub, making sure the
wheel is centered.

10) Using the 5/8″ socket, re-install the bolt that keeps the wheel secure

11) Reconnect the airbag connectors and place the module in the steering wheel
assembly.

12) Using the T30 torx screw driver, secure the airbag module and tighten to insure
proper fit

13) Reconnect SRS and horn connectors behind the steering wheel

14) Reinstall the lower steering column cover.

15) Reconnect the battery to allow the car to charge and allow it to power up

Again, pictures will come once I replace the instrument cluster in the not to distant future.

Thanks
Paul

This will be the future home for all things related to my Project Car, a 1998 BMW 328iS. For those familiar with this BMW, it is an E36 platform. As time moves on, I will be posting all my DIY experiences and anything related to the ongoing of this specific car.

A little history….found the car on Craigslist and purchased it on October 23rd. Details:

- Avus Blue
- lowered suspension (H/R springs)
- Genie Sports Exhaust
- M-package

This is a good enough intro as any….stay tuned for more.

Paul