My SuperEta. About to get a lil more Super!

[camshaftgsxr]

hate to be that guy, but this will yellow in about 6 months... i went through two last year, which sucks cause while they are nice they look badass

[e30shmobberr]

Nice build! Im in the area as well

[88SuperETABD]

So, my cars in the middle of getting a new csb, drive shaft is out, exhaust is out, I am going to be installing the headers, and decided my giant 525i exhaust isnt going to cut it with the headers, so I ordered a Scorpion Muffler! It's going to look GREAT i think, hope its not too loud tho. Also ordered new exhaust stud/bolts for that 7/12 of the nuts were rusted to the stud and the whole stud came out of the head.
Here's a pic of the said muffler.

[88SuperETABD]

CEL and Cold Idle Problems:
So I tested the MAF and its getting proper readings and voltage, so I know it is not the problem, the car runs excellent (better than ever) when warm, during cold idle tho, it wants to idle at 5-600 rpm's poorly. When warm, idles perfectly around 750-800. CEL is on and throwing the 1215 Code...

"Code 1215 - Indicates problem relating to Air / Mass Flow Meter - AFM or MAF depending on your e30 model. Causes could be cable wire damage, short circuit in the unit, or air / vacuum leak (check air intake hose - big L-shaped one)"

Funny thing was last night I drove my car HARD on Hwy 9, and the CEL shut off. The car was running awesome, before and after the CEL was on (once warmed up). But today when i started my car CEL popped back on and poor cold idle remained until the O2 sensor kicked in.

Brody @ Miller was helping me diagnose what's going on, and we haven't ruled out the TPS completely, and he told me the ICV should be pretty loose. He says you should be able to hear it open/close by shaking the ICV as you would a doorknob, and I think mines a little sticky because I have to give it kind of a harder shake to hear it. So I blasted the hell out of the ICV with some carb cleaner for a second time, It looks spic n span in there, but it still doesn't shake as loose as I think it should. Can someone confirm this?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Although my car runs better than ever other than the cold idle (2-3 mins) and throws the 1215 CEL code, I want these 2 problems gone.

P.S.
The Miller MAF/WAR is a must for m20's I think...and I have a feeling this problem has nothing to do with the MAF install, but may be just a little more evident than before, because before the Miller MAF/WAR, my idle was crap as well, but always. Now its at least great when its warm, only only crap when the engines cold.

[88SuperETABD]

Cleaned the ICV, Flipped the maf over, still having the same idling problem when engine is cold, once warmed up runs great. Still have the CEL for code 1215, going to test to make sure I'm getting correct voltages. Guess the next thing to do would be check the TPS, also, when a paycheck comes, going to order a new thermostat and temperature sensor because my car never goes out of the blue and I think my Tstat is stuck open, which would make my ECU to always run rich correct because I'm not up to proper temps right???
Heres a pic of my engine bay with the 3" Miller MAF/K&N Cone Filter.

And a Carbon Fiber hood emblem I found at a local motorsports store. Looks pretty damn real, although its not. Only 20$, beats the old crappy ebay ones.

[88SuperETABD]

Update: Installed my Miller MAF/WAR Chip saturday, also got my headers in the mail!
Ran into some installation issues due to my stupidity, had to switch ecu's cuz I thought I had a 173 but switched to a 524, but luckily found my old 173 in the garage, swapped it, still wouldn't work, then realized I had the plug on the MAF backwards. But regardless, after I got it stitched up, it ran wonderfully, sounds like a whole need engine, the intake sound is SO SICK, and it just comes on HARD at like 3k, haven't driven it much and only went hard a couple times, but it felt great. Although, tonight I decided to take it for a drive and oddly my car didn't wanna hold idle when it was cold...so don't know what that is, but I'll contact Miller tomorrow and I'm sure they'll sort it out. I'm thinking it may be the ICV or maybe a cold start valve, so cleaning the icv out tomorrow. It may have to do with thermostat as well, because I've been wanting to change it out considering I feel like my car never gets warm, atleast according to the gauge...every once in a while it will be at the 1/3 mark but most the time its in the blue or just above the blue still, even in hot weather and beating on it.
The TopSpeed Long Tube headers

Pretty decent welds.

Didn't clean inside tho, so gonna get a drill with a sander or something and clean up inside.


Btw, what would you guys say a fair price to install these headers? One shop said 4 hours @ 135$/hr (540$). that sounds rediculous to me, dunno, I hardly pay for work to get done, I would assume less than 200 to install headers tho. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Here's one pic of the Miller MAF Setup/K&N Cone Filter.
I will make a heat shield sooner or later and will get better daytime pics tomorrow

[88SuperETABD]

Agreed, I like the euro trim, and would get it, but its 200$ and I dont have a plastic rear bumper yet, I kinda like the clear turn signals as well tho.

Small Update:
-Fixed my OBC light bar by soldering in LED's and a resistor, very easy to do, if you guys have no lights for your obc. Never sautered before and it worked. 6$ from radioshack, got me 4 leds and like 20 resistors (smallest pack). and 4$ soldering iron from Harbor Freight.
-Had my rear tires flipped (Dismounted and remounted and balanced), I have like 2" of straight bald tire. (-3.7° camber wear).
-New carbon fiber Hood Emblem. (better quality than the stupid stickers. Looks like real CF, but I doubt it is, inside the emblem you can see its raised. Will get pics.

[2mAn]

cool car. i just went through the whole thread. car has come along nicely. i think some euro trim will make the car look that much better, other than that you're doing it right

[88SuperETABD]

Pay Day! So I ordered these Headers, http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-E30-325i...r#ht_996wt_955

Can't wait, will also being ordering some RTABs and Rear Subframe Bushings. (Lemfoarder), and thinking about getting the rear camber/toe adjusters as well.

[88SuperETABD]

The 450/650 rates are fine, I daily it, doesn't bother me much at all, nOr my gf doesn't complain other than its hard to get in/out of my car cuz its low and the recaros.

And I spoke to IE and he set me straight on the drop links, turns out I did install them correctly.

My car is now all tightened up up front and aligned, next will be to tackle the rear.

[ZenkiOwns]

Car looks great! I have a SETA as well and I love it so much more than when it was a 2.5

How how are the 460/550 rates?

I had a set that sat forever, but I ending up getting rid of them before install.

[88SuperETABD]

Also, did I install them upside down? Theres no difference to me in which side should be up. Theres a silver rod end and a bronze rod end, which is up. Kinda annoyed that IE would provide NO instruction of install or adjusting along with their product, Theres no marking or anything that says top or bottom,

[88SuperETABD]

So, I've been trying to get an alignment for like 3 weeks, been so busy, and dealing with firestone's bullshit. Then when I find a place that said I wasn't too low for an alignment, they can't do it because my tie rod adjuster was siezed up. So today I put in new tie rods (lemfoerder, thanks blunt), installed my m3 adjustable drop links from IE, and monday I will be pressing in my new M3 Offset CAB's, then finally tuesday getting my alignment :).

Question: Whats the proper way to adjust these drop links...I want the sway bar parallel to the ground right? Isn't the most effective geometry a 90° angle? The way the drop link mounts the m3 way, its not 90° with the ground, if you know what im saying, I've adjusted the swaybar drop link to be 90° with its mounting point, but not the ground, its at about a 10° angle with the ground, seems like its working better than before, but then again my old drop links were torn up.
Whats the proper way to adjust it so I avoid "preloading" etc.
I felt like if I was to adjust it longer i'd eventually just unthread the rod end, so i stopped where its 90°*with its upper pick up point.

Someone please chime in, heres some pics to help clarify i hope.


Heres the old way to the control arm.

All my parts :)

Also got rid of the stupid LED's that I tried in the dash, didn't light of for crap, so got the brightest bulbs i could from kragen. Looks great :)

And fixed the one HID, i had out, and snapped a couple pics, Visibility is awesome,
DDM Slim Ballast Raptor Kits, 3000k Fogs, 5000k Low beams.




Once again, please inform me of the proper way to adjust drop links. I will call IE monday, but don't wanna damage anything driving this way.

[MR 325]

Fitment looks good with the 20's on there!

[88SuperETABD]

So, I'm kinda sick, so only a small update. Installed rear studs, went from 10 to 20 mm spacers, I like how they fit, no rubbing still, but more flush :P. Im happy. And the wheel studs look waaaaay better than my old nasty lug bolts.




Now whats left is:
Wideband, m50 injectors, Miller MAF/War Chip, and adjustable cam gear and learn how to use the miller tuning.