BMWs are well designed and rather robust being put together of quality components – the E46 M3 is no exception. This is of course a great advantage and reduces the need for repairs. However the need to repair or modify still comes up now and then. Unfortunately it’s often rather expensive to let the authorized BMW dealer handle the operation. This paired with the M3-owners tendency to be DIY-oriented (and capable) presents the need to know how to take care of matters her/himself.
There are tons of videos and directions on the Internet about DIY issues concerning the M3, however it can be difficult to find exactly what you need here and now – and sort out which are qualified and which are not. Further, rather often, it’s difficult to find out how to take apart the relevant parts, since BMW has a talent for “hiding” the way components are put together. This is especially the case for most of the trim.
This section aims to help the DIY people amongst the M3 community.
Please note, that some of the procedures/repairs linked to in this section are not necessarily ones I would use myself. I prefer to keep my car strictly original and use exclusively original BMW parts. I know that not all have this attitude and that some either will not or cannot sacrifice the money it takes to go strictly original. Therefore, to make the site as useful as possible there will be links to procedures/repairs, which are not “top shelf” – however the “bottom shelf” stuff will not be included.
Some of the references / links are to typical DIY videos – some performed not even in a workshop, but in the private drive way. Do not discard these. Most of the guys really know what they are doing. Admittedly some are a bit “too DIY” but the videos explain nevertheless how things are put together – which is an important knowledge to have when working on your own car.
Links to good sites/ videos/ descriptions etc. will be used extensively – hopefully categorized intuitively transparent and easy to find. When specifically needed there will be some comments, but normally the link is self-explanatory.
Please remember to “like” (or subscribe to) the sites you appreciate. The people behind these sites have put a lot of energy into helping the rest of us and we should appreciate their efforts.
This section is generally organized as I have found most logic (alternatively see BMW Grouping)
Since it sometimes can be difficult to classify the subject of your actual interest, it will be attempted to provide cross links where needed.
01 Engine
02 Fuel system
03 Cooling system
05 Transmission / driveline
06 Gear shift
07 Body
09 Front axle
10 Rear axle
11 Suspension
12 Steering
13 Brakes
14 Cabin
16 Lighting
17 Instruments
18 Wheels
19 Head Unit (sound, nav etc)
20 Sundry
Alternatively You can use the below structure which is the structure of the BMW spare parts catalogue. This may not always be the optimal so where needed there will be cross references. Click on the relevant sub-section to get started.
