Silly jobs now mounting up...

So having had the car for over five years now, the list of jobs to do won't reduce unless I get on with them of course.

The main one causing minor inconvenience with the car was a broken door mirror, caused about a long time ago by a courier driver opening his door about ten feet away and even with the best avoiding skill I could, still clipped him slightly. Managed to tape and glue it together, as I thought I'll just replace it without going through the insurance.

Yeah ok then, £1k plus..... hmm maybe not. Anyway it took three years (honestly) to find a non-Msport folding mirror on eBay, (needed a matt, not gloss black surround) so snapped it up at £188 inc postage. Amazingly in the same colour too, but not important as my cover was undamaged, least I have a spare anyway now (and a glass)

With help from YouTube to find the two hidden screws, I had the door card off and had a go last weekend, unbelievably nothing broke and it went back together ok using my trim kit set.


BMWs are so well built, look at the paint quality where you can't even see normally, no silly plastic sheets either.

Anyway did it work, well of course it did, folds and tilts perfectly. So pleased, it just looks so much better without the gaffer tape on the old one, at least it held together all that time.

Now I can use the key to close a forgotten window again without issues, or worry about my o/h slamming the door and needing to re-tape it up lol.

Left to do :

1) Replace/unsieze the headlight levelling sensor on the rear axle, verbally mentioned at last two MOTs, but not logged.
2) Repair gear selector, it gives a message saying it isn't in park when it is, just a small spring apparently to swap... hmm.
3) Swap the heater valve, sometimes get only warm air one side, also fairly common.

Three areas of bodywork to fix,

1) Small dent in osf wing, garage door.
2) Small dent osr door, wooden gatepost.
3) Minor crack in rear bumper, metal post.

Yes it has sensors and a rear camera, but I am human after all. Oddly have never dented a car as much as this in my life !

 

Good work on the mirror, looks spot on!

The spring in the gear selector sounds fun.......
On my last Alfa the heater selector had failed, really common issue with a plastic gear snapping. It was such a ball ache to repair that I decided to live with it, my son has the car now and it is just the same, no heating at all on the passenger side. He is young so isn't bothered.

 

It really doesn't .... you need the selector out on a bench and to take a lot of care replacing al the bits and bobs or you are snookered. There are a couple of people who advertise they do it for you, about £150 to £200 but I doubt they'd take enough care dismantling the console etc. Plus do I want to leave some unknown mobile person alone with my car and key ?

Second hand assemblies are rare too and any that come up are scruffy as heck. BMW changed the design to the one (like in the 'company' X5) with the P button after a short time with the traditional selector like mine very soon in the models life cycle.

The heater problem is a diverter valve in the engine bay that opens and shuts to either side of the matrix to provide the separate temperature zones, it seems to be the same part no from the i8 to 116i and is another common failure. Mine randomly seems to get stuck on cold to driver's side which is less than optimum. They aren't too expensive though but no idea how much engine bay dismantling is required.

 

It is very satisfying, fixing something like that for a fraction of mechanic/dealer price. Going from "where the hell is that clip!" to "ah, it's all off" to "how the hells that go back on!" to "Well I'm quite chuffed with that."

Its even better at the end when it's all back together you don't have "Where's this screw go?"

With regards to reversing dents, it amazes me the amount of times the car slams the brakes on when I'm reversing (I am looking at the camera). I think I have loads of room, then get out to see a lot closer than it looks on camera. Yet, the car without even parking sensors I can reverse like I'm auditioning for the Sweeney

 

Really satisfying when the job goes well and, as a bonus, you've avoided exorbitant dealer charges.