The value of this board is second to none. I was able to finish several DIY maintenance projects without any problems by following the FAQ sticky threads.
1. Changed rear diff fluid. Used Redline form bimmerzone. The fill and drain plugs were really easy to get out. This is probably because the car was in Cali all of its life. I popped a 14mm allen out of its socket (from Autozone) and used the 14mm wrench to turn it. Refill took 1.5 bottles.
2. Put a new fuel filter in. Great DIY pics and description helped immensely in two areas: getting the panel off (plastic push pins) and disconnecting the rear of the filter. I would HIGHLY recommend this to anyone who suspects they have the original filter on their car. When draining mine, it was clear at first but then turned black near the end. Lots of grime in there.
3. Air/cabin filters--- no big deal.
4. Spark plugs-- not that difficult. The only part I found to be nerve-wrecking was having to spin the 10mm nuts off some of the coils without dropping them. Good idea to have a long magnet just in case. Below is the photos of the old plugs. I am not sure if they were original or at what point they were replaced. I suspect the were about 30k old based on the PO having an Insp II done at that time. Any thoughts on the plugs? They are 1-8 from left to right.
1. Changed rear diff fluid. Used Redline form bimmerzone. The fill and drain plugs were really easy to get out. This is probably because the car was in Cali all of its life. I popped a 14mm allen out of its socket (from Autozone) and used the 14mm wrench to turn it. Refill took 1.5 bottles.
2. Put a new fuel filter in. Great DIY pics and description helped immensely in two areas: getting the panel off (plastic push pins) and disconnecting the rear of the filter. I would HIGHLY recommend this to anyone who suspects they have the original filter on their car. When draining mine, it was clear at first but then turned black near the end. Lots of grime in there.
3. Air/cabin filters--- no big deal.
4. Spark plugs-- not that difficult. The only part I found to be nerve-wrecking was having to spin the 10mm nuts off some of the coils without dropping them. Good idea to have a long magnet just in case. Below is the photos of the old plugs. I am not sure if they were original or at what point they were replaced. I suspect the were about 30k old based on the PO having an Insp II done at that time. Any thoughts on the plugs? They are 1-8 from left to right.
