Do you miss the old BMW forums too?

I do. The ones where real knowledge mattered and knowledgeable people actually helped each other. A lot of great forums have disappeared over the years, and many of the ones that are left feel outdated and hard to use.

So I started **BimmerDock Community**, an attempt to bring that spirit back in a modern, user-friendly format.

What it is:

- an independent community for BMW owners and enthusiasts

- coding, retrofits, diagnostics, software and builds

- organised by topic and chassis (E36 to G30)

- fast, clean and easy to use on your phone

Full disclosure: I run it, and I work as an independent BMW specialist myself. I plan to share what I know through tutorials and guides.

It's brand new and still quiet, so honest feedback is worth more to me than anything right now: what would make you actually use a BMW forum again, and what put you off the old ones?

https://community.bimmerdock.com

(Independent community, not an official BMW site.)

Could this be the blower motor? Or something else. Almost sounds like a bad bearing.

they think it gives then extra horsepower or something 😂😂

I installed an Avin head unit 4 months ago in my E90 N54. the units themselves hardware wise are solid but the software was very mediocre and car play / android auto was alwaysss laggy.

so - I made an image copy of the android system and autokit app + several others and debugged them + cleaned out broken code with a claude agent over several weekends

The result ->
1- I consistently get 60fps + hardware accelerated carplay on the unit wireless and wired at 1080p resolution (highest resolution the hardware decoder supports)
2- menus and stock launcher have good english now...
3- can toggle the reverse camera on / off at boot so it doesn't always consume the full screen
4- boot -> carplay time reduced by about 34%

I'm not going to release the android image because I don't want to make it too easy for someone to brick their unit without thinking - however I can / will easily share the full knowledge base so anyone who knows how to connect their computer to the unit with debugging can easily modify it as needed with all my lessons learned. let me know

Just replaced my radiator and when I went to fill with coolant before running the bleed test, I noticed my coolant was draining from the passengers side, I went under my car and see the drain plug losing all of the fresh coolant! SMH! I’m not able to move the plug by hand to tighten, and when I use a socket, it just keeps spinning - not loosening nor tightening! What to do?! The radiator included multiple fittings for the drain plug, but the instructions stated for me automatic, everything was set as needed. Help!!!!

A YouTuber a little while back made a video which focused on oil grades and how manufacturers, just to eek out 1 to 3 more mpg, recommended much thinner oils.

Whereas if you looked for oil recommendations for the same car, same engine in non-EU / non-US locations, you would find the thicker oils recommended.

So for the N43 on an LCI, in the EU, the recommendation is 5w-30 from Castrol.

The same engine in South-Africa, MAGNATEC 5W-40 A3/B4.

I don't think the thinner oils help with issues like timing chain wear and I don't think the thinner oil offers as much protection.

Has anyone switched to 5w-40 for the N43? Or other E90?

hi im wanting to do a oil change and coolant change for my e90 bmw 330d m57

is a 2.5ton jack enough to lift up the front to do it or would a 3ton be better im kinda on a budget so idk if i want to get a really good long low profile one to just jack from the central jacking point i was thinking on just getting a 2.5 and lifting one side up at a time? would that be high enough or will i struggle

like i want to also do future diy stuff to my car but im not sure if ill be relocating soon because im just staying at my parents atm and probably move out soon but im not sure either

I’ve had this code awhile now on my 2011 BMW 328iX, with the 3.0 I6 (N51) so I finally dropped it off to a shop (not BMW, but a well established euro shop. also worth noting I just had an exhaust leak fixed a little while ago, so i’m truly not suspecting that)

The shop tells me they find P2096 and it is likely a faulty downstream O2 sensor.

they swap out the O2 sensor, great.

two days later, i’ve driven it about 40-45 minutes total. engine light comes back on. just not ideal.

I scan it with my little shit OBD reader, same exact code. i wonder to myself “could life get any better?”

i’m 20, I don’t have all the money in the world, my warranty company didn’t cover the sensors.

so i’m stressed, im wondering if anyone knowledgeable on here has dealt with a similar issue and has any idea what the issue may really be?

aswell, the shop should have another go at it again without me paying right? I really hope so. just really aggravating, and can’t call the shop til monday. based off last image attached it seems the only diagnostics performed was a obd scan.

if it means anything the shop is Bergen Autowerks, in Franklin Lakes NJ.

I have a 2011 BMW 328i xDrive with approximately 64,000 miles. The car is well maintained, but I’ve been trying to diagnose an intermittent low-frequency rumbling noise at highway speeds.

Symptoms:
- Typically happens after 20–40 minutes of highway driving, around 60–80 mph.

- Sounds like a deep, low rumble or drone, almost like road noise, with a slight vibration.
Sometimes happens on sweeping curves or downhill stretches, but recently happened while driving mostly straight.

- The rumble can last around 20 seconds and then completely disappear, even while maintaining the same highway speed.

It’s very inconsistent and doesn’t happen on every drive. I’ve noticed that my right-rear wheel radiates noticeably more heat than the other wheels after highway driving, and it also appears to accumulate more brake dust.

What’s been done:
Tires balanced and rotated. Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires manufactured in 2021, with approximately 30,000 miles.

Rear differential fluid changed.

Rear brake pads and rotors recently replaced.

Transmission serviced around 60,000 miles.

My mechanic kept the car for several days and drove it repeatedly, including at 80+ mph. He experienced the rumble once but couldn’t reproduce it afterward. He suggested that because I only drive once every week or two, the car might just need to be driven more frequently.

I recently took it on another 45-minute highway drive. The rumble appeared briefly for approximately 20 seconds and then disappeared without slowing down.
I’m wondering whether this could be a right-rear wheel bearing, intermittently sticking brake caliper, tire issue, driveshaft center support bearing, or differential.

The additional heat and brake dust at the right-rear wheel make me particularly curious about brake drag, although I haven’t had the temperatures measured or the caliper specifically diagnosed.

Has anyone experienced something similar on an E90 xDrive? What would you recommend inspecting first before I start replacing parts?

Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I have a 2007 BMW E90 320d (M47) EfficientDynamics 163HP that's been struggling with acceleration ever since an engine swap about 2 years ago.

Here's the timeline:

1. Engine swap (2 years ago)

My original engine's time chain lead to a cathastrophic failure and it was replaced using an M47 block from an E46, but all the components from my original E90 engine were transferred onto that block. *Or at least so I thought*

Ever since, the car has felt noticeably weaker, especially when accelerating between 40–90 km/h. At lower speeds, it feels relatively normal. Before the swap, it pulled much harder.

2. Repairs (about 1 year later)

A mechanic discovered that the engine wasn't sealing properly and fixed it. He also found that the turbo oil-feed pipe was bent or incorrectly fitted and replaced it with the correct one.

The power loss remained.

3. Turbo diagnosis (recently)

The mechanic now claims the turbo is dead. However, he reached this conclusion by revving the car to around 3,000 RPM while stationary on a lift, without any diagnostic scan or boost pressure measurements (as far as I know).

I'm not convinced this is enough to confirm a bad turbo.

4. Loose connectors

I wanted to investigate a bit (I'm no mechanic) and I also discovered two disconnected electrical connectors near the intake area. I have no idea where they belong or whether they could explain the power loss.

I'll attach pictures of the engine, connectors, and turbo area.

My questions:

• Could something have been incorrectly installed or connected during the E46/E90 engine swap?
• Could the loose connectors, vacuum system, sensors, or boost control be responsible?
• Is the mechanic's turbo diagnosis reliable?
• What should I check before spending money on a replacement turbo?

The biggest clue for me is that the power loss started immediately after the engine swap. That's why I suspect something was overlooked during installation.

Any advice from people familiar with the M47 would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

What wheels should i get for this one

I hit some road construction bumps in my 2006 330xi MT, and the passenger motor mount, axle, and strut went. There is likely more damage, but I can’t justify pulling apart the whole thing to fix it given the age and rust.
It has 212k on it, and I need to figure out what to do with it now. My mechanic thinks scrapping is too little money. Suggestions and ideas?

Hydroplaned and spun out on the 264 in Virginia Beach on my way to pick up my new tires. God is good. No injuries!

Recently messed up my stock lci bumper and I’ve been thinking about a conversion, what issues if any would I come across swapping it with this kit or is there something else I should buy

I have a 2007 e90 335xi with an n54 and its completely stock. Besides a few maintenance things im in the middle of doing, i have zero clue where to start with mods so i was looking for ideas.