[VXEric]

In about 6 weeks I'm driving my 335 from Philadelphia to Vancouver. It will end up a little over 3,000 miles in 2 weeks.

I'm starting to prep for the trip and looking for some advice on maintenance I should do beforehand. For starters I'm going to do an oil change, intake and cabin filters, new wipers and general fluid check/ top off.

I'm thinking about taking it over to the dealer to get an alignment done, it doesn't pull or wander but seems like cheap insurance for my tires (which are good) and BMW can tell me if anything is worn.

What else would you do before that trip?

2011 E90 335 xDrive, 128k miles
JB4, MHD BEF and Dinan exhaust
Water pump and thermostat were replaced at 75k
Serpentine belt and pulleys were done at 95k

[mecheng77]

Scan for codes, bring one coil pack and check your coolant hoses and enjoy! Sounds like a fun trip!

[Hoody007]

Originally Posted by VXEric

In about 6 weeks I'm driving my 335 from Philadelphia to Vancouver. It will end up a little over 3,000 miles in 2 weeks.

I'm starting to prep for the trip and looking for some advice on maintenance I should do beforehand. For starters I'm going to do an oil change, intake and cabin filters, new wipers and general fluid check/ top off.

I'm thinking about taking it over to the dealer to get an alignment done, it doesn't pull or wander but seems like cheap insurance for my tires (which are good) and BMW can tell me if anything is worn.

What else would you do before that trip?

2011 E90 335 xDrive, 128k miles
JB4, MHD BEF and Dinan exhaust
Water pump and thermostat were replaced at 75k
Serpentine belt and pulleys were done at 95k

When was the last time you did spark plugs? I believe for tuned cars its every 30K or so...

[VXEric]

Thanks for the input guys. I think it's been about 30k since I did my plugs, so probably a good idea. I did replace the upper rad hose and overflow hose last year, that would have been a pain in the middle of Montana!

[marvinstockman]

Regarding alignment, if your tires are wearing evenly, and you haven't hit anything recently, your alignment should be fine. Remember, unless you know and trust the people doing it, there's just as much of a chance they will screw it up as fix it up. Now if you must, ask them to check your alignment.

Also, and except for the fact that you are far from home, long road trips are easier on vehicles than short local driving. Think cross country trucks and how long they last.

[mecheng77]

Originally Posted by VXEric

Thanks for the input guys. I think it's been about 30k since I did my plugs, so probably a good idea. I did replace the upper rad hose and overflow hose last year, that would have been a pain in the middle of Montana!

Originally Posted by VXEric

Thanks for the input guys. I think it's been about 30k since I did my plugs, so probably a good idea. I did replace the upper rad hose and overflow hose last year, that would have been a pain in the middle of Montana!

30k on plugs is nothing.
I have 130,000km on original plugs although it is n52, runs smooth as silk

[Hoody007]

Originally Posted by mecheng77

30k on plugs is nothing.
I have 130,000km on original plugs although it is n52, runs smooth as silk

All well and good, but he has an N54, and a tuned one at that. Factory spec is 45K miles, or 72K km. For your N52 the interval is 100K miles or 160K km.

[smallseafishie]

Originally Posted by VXEric

In about 6 weeks I'm driving my 335 from Philadelphia to Vancouver. It will end up a little over 3,000 miles in 2 weeks.

I'm starting to prep for the trip and looking for some advice on maintenance I should do beforehand. For starters I'm going to do an oil change, intake and cabin filters, new wipers and general fluid check/ top off.

I'm thinking about taking it over to the dealer to get an alignment done, it doesn't pull or wander but seems like cheap insurance for my tires (which are good) and BMW can tell me if anything is worn.

What else would you do before that trip?

2011 E90 335 xDrive, 128k miles
JB4, MHD BEF and Dinan exhaust
Water pump and thermostat were replaced at 75k
Serpentine belt and pulleys were done at 95k

The only thing I'd recommend is doing the mickey mouse coolant fitting as i t's at the age where it'd crumble. I wouldn't worry about alignment if it tracks fine and you haven't had uneven wear.

[2one3E90]

HAVE FUN! I always go track days and i drive it hard in 100 degree weather

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

Check alignment, balance tires, set tire pressure, check tire wear, check coolant level, check brake fluid level, check power steering reservoir level, and check brake pad wear (if you haven't hit the sensor then it's good), test your batter and replace if needed, and charge your battery regardless.

Bring a tire patch kit, tire pump, breaker bar, space saver jack, 17mm socket, 1L of oil, 1L of coolant, first aid kit, really good snacks, and as 2one3E90 said, have fun!!

Oh, and wash it. Always feels good to drive a clean car!

[mainbearing]

And brake fluid flush in the past two years? Plenty of brake friction? Struts and shocks in good condition?

[mousefarmer]

Power steering fluid change and automatic transmission filter and fluid change.

[fazm]

Originally Posted by Welcome to NBA Jam

Check alignment, balance tires, set tire pressure, check tire wear, check coolant level, check brake fluid level, check power steering reservoir level, and check brake pad wear (if you haven't hit the sensor then it's good), test your batter and replace if needed, and charge your battery regardless.

Bring a tire patch kit, tire pump, breaker bar, space saver jack, 17mm socket, 1L of oil, 1L of coolant, first aid kit, really good snacks, and as 2one3E90 said, have fun!!

Oh, and wash it. Always feels good to drive a clean car!

I agree with this. Also, I added an ebay e46 spare with a new tire. Suggest you up the oil to 3 quarts.

We did Dallas->Navarre and back and Dallas->Pagosa Springs and back this summer and I'm glad I had all of the above. Never needed my spare, but I did need a quart and a half of oil!

Post some cool pics for us.

[Fritzer]

Get your alignment done specifically for highway driving, there are a lot of standard alignment specs that dealers/alignment shops use for the best combined driving situation. Considering you are going to be driving 3,000 miles+, if you want the current set of tires to last it may be worth having it setup for highway driving for the trip, then having it realigned afterwards. Then, go to a quality tire shop and have ALL the wheels assemblies balanced as well, request that they set tire pressure to +4psi what the OEM suggestion is. (If the door sill tells you 35psi, go 39psi, etc, etc) Not only will that be beneficial for driving through a colder climate, but you will also want more pressure for better highway driving performance and improved fuel mileage.

When was your last cooling system service? Might be worth a flush and fill at the very least. You run with runflats? Either yes or no, maybe a full-size spare with tools if you have space - floor jack makes things extra easy on the side of the road. Bring extra oil and coolant just in case, and a AAA membership! Good luck on the drive, and take pics! Also there is a Poutine place called 'Fritz' in downtown-ish Vancouver. I never got to go across the border(thanks COVID) when I was staying in Washington last year, but apparently it's the best poutine on the west coast.

[2one3E90]

Originally Posted by mousefarmer

Power steering fluid change and automatic transmission filter and fluid change.

Road trio is usually good for the car. City driving is needed for auto trans fluid. But yeah. Sucks to only have couple gears go out. Coolant is number one and usually if the car says max already its fine. One quart if 5w40 if hot.

[Fritzer]

Originally Posted by mecheng77

I have 130,000km on original plugs although it is n52, runs smooth as silk

Change them! It's like under $100 for high quality NGK ones, takes the better part of half an hour too. 130km those plugs have got to be toasty. It will make your cylinder ignition crispier for sure at that mileage.

[eljay]

OP, your list is good.
I would take the car to a known good BMW specialist for a thorough inspection. Kind of like pre-purchase inspection.
They will tell you if something is on its last legs and can leave you stranded.

[VXEric]

Really appreciate all the advice! Got a host of parts ready to get installed this weekend. Also ran my codes and looks like there might be an issue with my upstream O2 sensor, so added that to the list.

I ended up picking up the Mickey Mouse fitting and a set of new plugs and coils.

Struts are ok. B4s front and rear, somewhere around 40k on them.

Mapped out the trip today, should be a blast. 49 hours, 3050 miles over 10 days. Also checked in with a friend I used to work with in Milwaukee. He's doing a BMW event on 9/11 so I'm going to work my schedule to try to do that with his BMW club.

One more idea I'm toying with is hitting the front end with clear plasti-dip to protect the bumper and hood. Anyone ever tried doing that? I hate how it will look (and if I'm being honest don't want to see it in my photo-ops) but if it helps be avoid rock chips it may be worth it.

[eljay]

Originally Posted by VXEric

Really appreciate all the advice! Got a host of parts ready to get installed this weekend. Also ran my codes and looks like there might be an issue with my upstream O2 sensor, so added that to the list.

I ended up picking up the Mickey Mouse fitting and a set of new plugs and coils.

Struts are ok. B4s front and rear, somewhere around 40k on them.

Mapped out the trip today, should be a blast. 49 hours, 3050 miles over 10 days. Also checked in with a friend I used to work with in Milwaukee. He's doing a BMW event on 9/11 so I'm going to work my schedule to try to do that with his BMW club.

One more idea I'm toying with is hitting the front end with clear plasti-dip to protect the bumper and hood. Anyone ever tried doing that? I hate how it will look (and if I'm being honest don't want to see it in my photo-ops) but if it helps be avoid rock chips it may be worth it.

If you are looking to really protect the front end just for this trip, get one of those ugly looking car bras.
But I hate those.
IMO, the best bug repellent is very good detailing with several layers of wax on the bumper/fender/hood. It won't stop rock chips, but you'd get those anytime. Don't uglify the car just to preserve it for the next owner. It's not a Barrett-Jackson candidate, so just protect as much as you can and enjoy it including the looks.

[VXEric]

Got started today. Went pretty well except for the O2 sensor. That thing will not budge. Not enough room to put a torch on it either. Looks like I'm going to have to pull the exhaust to replace it.

[VXEric]

Did an undercarriage inspection last week while I was trying to get the O2 sensor out and noticed the back of my rear rotors didn't look very good. Also found a missing bolt on the downpipe to midpipe connection. Got that cleaned up today, oil change and new pads and rotors, PO did not grease the caliper pins or pad slide areas at all. Then rotated the tire, and flushed all 4 calipers plus the clutch slave cylinder for good measure.

Tomorrow is dash cam install and adding a couple of USB charging ports

[VXEric]

Day 1 under my belt. First part of the trip is pretty short easy legs because there's a lot I want to see. Car has felt great.

It gave me a little bit of a scare on Sunday, the day before we left I started getting engine malfunction, reduced power warnings. I had driven through quite a bit of water a few days before because of the flooding from Ida. After a little digging I found the boost pressure sensor connection to my JB4 had gotten water into it and was starting to corrode. Got it all cleaned up and added some dielectric grease for good measure. After that the car felt great and pulls harder than it has in months. I'm guessing this happened before and the water exasperated it.