Tuning my E46 M3 part 1 – Getting there

[johann]

Soon after I bought got my M3 in September I realized that I wanted some more power in it and also that the exhaust was too quiet for my taste. Many people dislike the rasping, dry stock sound but I think it sounds very race-car like and like it but it is just to quiet.

Since my car was hit by a taxi the first day, see Taxi crash, and had I had to replace the exhaust system anyway and was considering getting Kelleners’ rear exhaust and race catalysers as well as Sport module to remove the VMAX limiter. Engine tuning could wait till spring since I most likely wouldn’t be able to take advantage of this before spring anyway.

I was discussing this with Ralf Kelleners and it seemed like a plan until Volker Stark at Kelleners Sport called me and made an offer I couldn’t refuse.

I got a really good offer on a kit containing new camshafts, K&N air filters, race catalysers, rear exhaust, lowering springs and harder anti-roll bars.

The engine kit is supposed to give at least 30hp and some more torque. For anyone used to the M5 this is very welcome. Normally this kit would around 15 000 DM or 7500 euro. A kit with camshafts, air filter, ECU tuning and catalysers costs 12 500 DM and the exhaust costs 2500 DM.

I was planning to wait with suspension changes until spring but since the deal was so good I thought, what the heck! I’ve tracked the car twice and if something would need improvement it was some harder anti-roll bars.

The 2cm lowering would look good too.

Since the camshafts were still in development we set a preliminary date in mid November, which was postpone. Instead we decided on me leaving the car at Kelleners Sport around noon Saturday December 1st.

In order to get there in time without driving all night I decided to leave on Friday morning and after checking with B8 Guru, it was decided that I should visit him in Flensburg on the way down to Kelleners. The drive there usually takes 8-9 hours.
I was ready to leave for Kelleners when the RDC (Tire Pressure Control) gives a warning! I went to a gas station to check the tire pressures and the rear right tire had clearly lower pressure so I went to my tire shop. They checked the tire and it was a screw in it. Only way to solve the problem and still be able to get to Kelleners in time was by plugging it. The tire guy guaranteed that high speed wouldn’t be a problem with the plug. So I had them repair the tire. I never had a flat tire before in my life and it happened now. Isn’t that typical?

Anyway got away around 12 and was speeding a little when I spot a police car parked in the emergency lane some km ahead. I slow down and pass him in the “recommended” speed. After some more kilometres I set the cruise control to speed where I would keep my license even if I were stopped. After another km or so a truck flashes with his headlights but I don’t realize why until I see the police car a km behind.
I slow down but he stops me any way. Like I needed more delays. He stays in his car and wave me over. I leave my car and open the door to his car and realize that it is the same guy that gave me a ticket when I was on my way home from M5 trip II!

I say hello and tell him that we have met before. He has clocked med for doing a scary 126.7km/h. He starts lecturing me about speeding even when I see police cars, . I excuse myself with being late because of the flat tire and having a long drive down to Germany and ask him to be kind this time. He asks me how fast I was going and when the last time he stopped me and if it was the same car. He tells me that I’ll get away with it this time and that I should wait with the speeding until I have left Sweden. I thank him and is about to leave his car when he says: “But you were going much faster than I clocked you for when you came up on me, right?” I don’t want to incriminate so I say something like “I don’t know” and he says “YES, you did, admit it” and I just have to confess. I wonder how one would stand a real police interrogation?

Now I leave with the police car behind and set the speed limiter to exactly 110km/h. I keep that speed for an hour or so and even old ladies pass me looking at me wondering what’s wrong. After a while I just can’t stand it so I pace up a little.

Just before the bridge to Denmark I stop at a McDonalds to get some coffee and a burger. They have a drive on a new burger with ciabatta bread and béarnaise sauce, which I order with a large coffee. They don’t have any espresso or lattes so I have to settle with plain coffee. The new burger tastes like crap so I threw it away and buy good old Big Mac which also taste like crap (as usual).

I call B8 Guru and tell him that I have 355km left and that it will take me 2½ or 3 hours, perhaps more depending on traffic to get there. It takes me less than 2 hours (1h50min) including a stop to fill up gas! Traffic wasn’t that bad. B8 was very impressed, right?

Since B8 Guru hadn’t tested my car before and the Autobahn outside provide excellent testing ground with little traffic, LONG straights and god road conditions , we just have to go for a spin. With the VMAX limiter in place we can’t go faster than 270km/h on the Speedo but getting there is also fun. The car pulls good at high revs but feels a bit restrained above 7500rpm. It is also clear that the M5 pulls clearly better at those speeds and so does a B8.

We get back to B8’s place and have some beers and spend the night talking about stuff (read: cars). The beer, Tuborg Julbrygd (Christmas beer), tasted excellent and I decide to buy some when I drive the car back to Sweden.

When I wake up the next morning I realize I have overslept and have to get away immediately to avoid traffic jams around Elbe tunnel in Hamburg. I skip breakfast but compensate that with two cans of Red bull and a big bottle of Evian. Bon appetite, eh?

I pass Hamburg without any traffic jams and the traffic is light all the way to Wesel where I will meet Volker Stark at the Böhm & Kelleners BMW dealer, a part of the concern Kelleners Sport belong to.

I have some easy kills with some Audi A8 and S8 and have a really nice race with a Porsche 996 C4. I catch up with the 996 and when he realizes it’s an M3 behind him he floors it and so do I. I easily keep up with him, so easy that after some accelerations after when traffic clears up, I decide to put an end to his suffering. I turn on my left blinker he changes to the middle lane and I leave him in the dust! Perfect, I really needed a snack.

Comparing to the race I had in October (E45 M3 vs 996 Carrera) this was much easier and also I was the winner this time. J I guess this car was an automatic and/or the Porsche I raced in October was face lifted 996 with 320hp or maybe tuned. Anyway this was the last race I had before arriving at Kelleners in Wesel.

Volker meet up with me and we have some coffee, fix some paper work and discuss about the expected results as well as about some minor problems that they can fix as warranty jobs and a Radio Navigation from Becker they offer me. The car is supposed to go on the dyno early the following week and then get new camshafts, filters and ECU tuning late that week and finally new exhaust and catalysers and perhaps some more ECU tuning the following week. I am supposed to fly back December 13th and get the car back latest the 16th.

After that Volker drives me to Düsseldorf airport and drop me off. It’s 3½ hours before my flight departures so what to do know. I get the latest issue of Sport Auto and goes to an airport restaurant to get some food. I have lamb filet and a beer. The food is really good, actually the best meal I’ve had at an airport. Maybe the fact that this was my first meal this day, except the Porsche, had something to do with it.

I finish the Sport Auto, have two additional beers and a double espresso, call several friends on my cellular just to kill time. After what feels like an eternity the flight finally leaves and I sleep for an hour and wake up while the wheels hit ground in Copenhagen where I have a connecting flight to Stockholm.

My flight leaves within an hour but I have one Tuborg Julbrygd in the bar while practising my Danish talking with nice blond girl-bartender. I have a Gin & Tonic on my flight and sleep half an hour before we hit Swedish ground.

Now begins a very long wait until I hear the first result. Fortunately I have my M5.

Part 2 follows at http://www.bmwm5.com/vbulletin/showt...threadid=12432

Cheers,
/Johan

[teezm3]

Great post Johan!! I really like all the details you give

I'm waiting to hear part II and see the results!!

You're luck you've got an M5, till baby beast returns.

[mil]

Nice post! Thanks for sharing - enjoyed reading it.

Just amazes me that you managed to catch the same policeman second time.

[Gustav]

Nice report and good to see that you humiliated those 911!

[Adam]

I cant wait for the next report!Nice porsche kill!Oh could you maybe snap soe pics in part II?
all the best
Adam

[JamE55]

Nice story!!

[MAVERICK]

Very good story, Johan. All that food and beer you had is making me very hungry. I better go and eat something now. I'm glad the cop let you off the hook.

[luxobarge]

Really great story. Maybe you should give up the computer stuff and become a writer instead. I think you might have real talent. Looking forward to part II.

Regards/Robert

[johann]

Thanks guys!

Part 2 is now posted. Read it at http://www.bmwm5.com/vbulletin/showt...threadid=12432

Adam, I don't have any pictures accept dyno graphs but I'll take some so you can get to see the new exhaust and the lowering.

Robert, I'll keep my day job for a while.

Cheers,
/Johan

[johann]

Originally posted by mil
Just amazes me that you managed to catch the same policeman second time.

Strange isn't it?
It turned out to be a godd thing, so one may say I was lucky.

Cheers,
/Johan

[johann]

Originally posted by MAVERICK
I'm glad the cop let you off the hook.

I hope I have the same luck next time or better yet, they don't bother me at all any more:


/Johan