Mike's Cosmos Black 1998 M3 Sedan (M3/4/5) - Project Concord

[mike.bmw]

When project threads collide...

I took a day off from work to unwind, which involved taking my M3 and 318is out for some photos. With a single driver (me) it involved driving to the location, walking home to get the other car, and so on. Let's just say it's just what I needed and I definitely got my steps in!

Inspired, I wrote something for BimmerLife about classic BMWs and classic BBS wheels https://bimmerlife.com/2025/02/11/classic-fitment/

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[mike.bmw]

I got the cluster back from Brett / M Sport Parts today! Naturally I installed it right away.

I did manage to break the retainer/lock arm on the black instrument cluster plug (on the wiring harness, not on the cluster). It broke into 3 pieces as I was gently pushing it back into place. As a short-term fix, I zip tied the black plug to the cluster with the retaining arms in the locked position, which should keep it secure until I find a replacement.

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With the steering wheel installed, I was able to start the car for the first time in weeks and pull it out of the garage for some photos with the new factory chrome grilles installed.

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[mike.bmw]

A few updates!

I sent my instrument cluster to M Sport Parts (@Braymond141) to be fixed! Currently waiting for him to work his magic and send it back.

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I took some photos:

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My son washed my car:

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I removed the gloss black grilles and installed factory chrome:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEzi14zRNP_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

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[2mAn]

Need some JPS stickers on the E36 now

[mike.bmw]

I should really update this thread more often.

BMW Classic showed some more love in November, featuring my three BMWs that I photographed in my driveway...

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Found a cool tree...

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Found another one...

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When on a few hiking excursions with my kids...

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Lots of long, fun drives...

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Some with friends...

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Made a silly video about changing the oil...

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DC2f3_-xs7N/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Bought some wheels (BBS LM089s), which my kids loved...

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Got some tires mounted...

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Installed them on the car, all matchy-matchy with my E30 on gold BBS RS001s...

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Took some silly photos with my tripod...

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[mike.bmw]

It's that time or year again... Virginia State Inspection! They gave it a thorough inspection and we passed. I had no doubts. 😅

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A five-hour round trip in our E36 M3 for a travel soccer game last weekend! It was great spending some one-on-one time with Avery.

Random cell phone shots from the day...

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BMW Group Classic showing some love on Instagram! I took this set a few weeks ago, just down the street from my house.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DB9K0aRq...RlODBiNWFlZA==


Screenshot 2024-11-04 at 11.52.47 AM by mike.bevels, on Flickr

[moatilliatta]

Lookin tidy Mike!

[mike.bmw]

A little something in last week's BimmerLife feature story: https://bimmerlife.com/2024/09/03/a-...s-spec-e36-m3/

20240704-DSC_8019-2 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

[mike.bmw]

I did a little work in the 100-degree heat today. My detached garage isn't air conditioned, but I do have a giant floor fan that helps.

I've been periodically getting ASC faults at startup over the past few months. This was due to the ASC throttle cable being in a poor state, with all of the plastic clips on the adjustment sleeve being broken. During startup, the ASC actuator sweeps the ASC throttle body, and if the ASC throttle position sensor doesn't give correct readings (in this case because the cable isn't secured to its mounting point), a fault is thrown and the ASC light illuminates.

I could've simply removed the ASC system as many do, but I like to spend as much money and waste as much time as possible when repairing cars. So, I typically replace everything first and then decide to rip the system out later. During my ASC system inspection, I noticed the intake boot and ICV vacuum hose were in a sorry state with small and large cracks present, so I ordered replacements for those as well.

I was in here last August during the head gasket replacement, so there weren't any surprises. Everything came apart easily. The ICV vacuum hose can be reached with the throttle bodies off and pushed to the side. Silicon spray helped get the new hoses in place. New hose clamps all around, just because.

The ASC actuator can be extracted by removing the two 10mm mounting bolts, and unclipping the wiring harness mounted to the side of the fuse box. That gives just enough room to wiggle it out. There's a small door on the back of the actuator that gives access to remove the cable and install the new one.


End to end, it took about an hour and it's nice to have fully functioning fresh factory parts.

20240717-DSC_8784 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

Old broken ASC throttle cable mounting adjustment:
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New hotness:
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More new parts:
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Old and busted:
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Apart:
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Together:
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Fin.
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[mike.bmw]

Let's talk batteries! The E36 left me stranded on Wednesday, which was a first. Thankfully it was less than a mile from home. I should have seen this coming with a very slow start earlier in the morning. When I tried to start it a second time to take the kids home from swim practice, no dice. Thankfully I got a quick jump start and drove home to diagnose the issue.

I got my multimeter to take some measurements. With the car running, I was seeing 14 volts at the battery, which is in spec for a working alternator. Also, the previous owner installed a new factory alternator just a few years ago, so I figured it was still good. When I turned the car off, the voltage dropped below 11. I had the battery tested at a local auto parts store and they confirmed it was dead. Even the trickle charger wouldn't revive it.

After a bit of research and price comparison, I opted for an H6 AGM Interstate battery from Costco. A few sizes will fit the E36's adjustable battery tray. The H6 is a bit smaller and lighter than the H7/T7 and still provides superior specs over what the car originally came with. It's about $100 cheaper at Costco than everywhere else and it comes with a three year warranty.

The new battery works great, it holds peak charge overnight (12.9 volts), and starts have been strong. 💪 I'm glad this was simple to diagnose and easy to fix, allowing my family to take a trip to Skyline Drive on the 4th.

When I installed the new battery I noticed the vent tube was missing. I ordered a Dorman kit and everything is good to go.

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[mike.bmw]

E36 keyless entry update! My original remote had failed and I re-soldered the board. It worked for a bit, then failed again. Twice. So, I ordered a new remote from M Sport Parts which arrived in the mail yesterday.

Programming a new E36 remote is a comical, nearly 20-step process that involves opening and closing the trunk, opening and closing the driver door, and cycling the ignition to put the keyless system into learning mode and pair a new remote.

I had one hiccup, so I contacted @msportparts via text (per their recommendation on their website) and had a response in less than 10 minutes. It's as if they had been watching me as they said "you probably missed steps 8 and 9" which consisted of opening and closing the driver door one additional time. Sure enough, that was it.

I now have a fully functional remote! Big props to M Sport Parts for the remote and tech support. Check out the video at the end for some sweet lock and unlock action. 💪

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[Northern]

Have you observed this failure personally? Just curious if it's a big concern.

My purple E36 coupe cracked there pretty aggressively.

[mike.bmw]

I spent the last couple of days detailing my cars. On Friday I focused on my 1998 M3.

After a thorough wash for the M3, I cleaned all the door jambs, doors, trunk, and under the hood. Then I took things a step further and broke out the wet sanding supplies to correct a few large scratches. Photos 2 through 5 show one in the hood. It's not perfect, but hardly noticeable now. I addressed a few other areas using a similar process.

After polishing the wet sanded areas with my orbital, I switched pads and waxed the majority of the car.

Time to clean some microfiber towels!

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[mike.bmw]

That garage looks like a wonderful place to turn a wrench. Project Concord is cleaning up fast

After many years of wrenching in an apartment garage, and having to lug tools up and down 2 flights of stairs anytime I wanted to work on my car, I truly appreciate having garage space of my own. It's not the best garage, but it's mine and I make the most of it.

Yes, this E36 M3 was pretty clean to begin with, but I am enjoying dialing it in even further. I broke out the wet sanding supplies today to address some large scratches. More on that in a future post!

[zwill23]

That garage looks like a wonderful place to turn a wrench. Project Concord is cleaning up fast