It’s been relatively quiet on the M car front lately. I purchased new summer tires for my M3, and I had to redo a front sway bar link that blew out shortly after install. I added a far superior, aftermarket drink holder solution to the M5. And unfortunately, I ran into my first DIY fail when I was unable to replace the CPV on the M3.
When you are an enthusiast car owner purchasing tires involve a lot of enjoyable research. TireRack is my go-to resource, with many customer rankings, head-to-head competitions and overall customer education. I’ve written on how confusing all the various categories can be. The main decision point for where I live is whether to get an all-season tire or a summer tire. When I purchased the M3 in 2014 it came with a brand new set of quality all-season tires, the Continental DWS 06. So I hadn’t really thought about new tires until recently.
Maybe it was COVID time loss or just being busy, but I suddenly realized this summer the tires were eight years old. They still looked great and didn’t have that many miles on them but that’s a long time for tires. So I decided to replace them, and since my M5 has all-season tires I decided to put summer tires on the M3. Why not get the most out of a sports car? I also decided to upsize the tires slightly, from a staggered 225 front/255 rear to a 235 front/265 rear.
Among the M3 cognoscenti the choice of summer tire is usually easy. Whatever the latest version of the Michelin Pilot Sport Max Performance summer tire is what most owners buy. Michelin usually wins the TireRack performance competitions and has strong brand recognition. Of course, that translates into a very expensive set of tires.
I didn’t want to follow the herd on this one. I found the Firehawk Indy 500 summer tire, which is ranked #1 in the Ultra High Performance category and has hundreds of positive customer reviews. It’s a rebranded BridgeStone Potenza tire formerly sold only in Europe. I think the word is out and the price has increased over the past couple of years. But I saved about $300 compared to the Michelins and I’m happy with how the car handles. Time will tell regarding tread life.
The broken end link was a surprise and disappointment. I just replaced both front links in June. While the car was on a lift and I was trying to replace the CPV, I noticed the passenger side link had totally broken off on one side. The replacements were made by Lemforder, an OE supplier to BMW. I hadn’t had any issues with the brand before now.
I bought Meyle replacement links and replaced the blown out one in my driveway. Since that’s a lot harder job without a lift, I’m waiting until the next DIY to replace the driver side link, which looks fine.
The cupholder for the M5 is another aftermarket invention. The cupholders in the E39 model were roundly derided as being flimsy afterthoughts designed by Germans who don’t want Americans drinking anything while driving. I had deleted the holders when I updated the M5 interior in 2018. So I was interested when I heard about a new solution from an Australian company called Trick Bits.
Their cupholder looks very stock. It replaces a small, screened cubby hole in the center console that is not good for much. The previous owner of my car had run an iPod extension through this cubby, which was useful back in the day but now totally obsolete. A few minutes following the instructions and no more water bottles rolling around on the floor.
Finally, the first DIY fail I’ve encountered. When the techs at Craftman’s Auto Care Alexandria location mounted the new tires, they also performed an impressively thorough courtesy inspection. Everything checked out except for a small oil link from the engine, which they deemed “non-urgent.” I searched afterward and determined it was the constant pressure valve or CPV, a known issue with the S54 engine in the E46 M3.
The leak occurs over time because the rubber o-ring dries out over time. The aftermarket again has a solution, selling a special bit tool and Viton rubber o-rings that don’t dry out. I bought the kit and planned to replace it at a DIY event last month hosted by Craftsman Auto at its Merrifield location.
But I could not get the darn thing loose. There is very little room to work because the CPV is blocked by the exhaust headers. Fellow owners had posted videos like here and here showing how to do it but mine wouldn’t budge. It wasn’t just me being an amateur; the techs tried to lend a hand but couldn’t get it either. They told me they typically drop the exhaust for CPV replacements, which makes it a 3-4 hour job.
I’m going to try again at the next DIY event. If that doesn’t work I probably take the car to Craftsman and have them do it. That would be a bummer but at least I’ll know I tried.
Some solace came via my annual Fairfax County property tax notices. According to the county my 2002 M5 is worth exactly $85, and after tax relief is applied the fee is nothing! Just $38 for registration. Apparently the 20-year mark is the magic number for car tax valuations.
Enjoy your Labor Day!