I thought I'd start a thread where we can post recommendations for 3rd party spares which we view as excellent alternatives to the BMW original part and save money on the BMW price.
I say save money because a lot of the time the original BMW part is the real deal either quality and frequently cost wise for smaller parts.
And of course we have to be careful of quality as there is a lot of junk out there, especially sensors.
So I'll start the ball rolling with a couple.
Don't throw your top and bottom hoses away during a cooling system overhaul. If the hose itself is serviceable the rubber o-ring on the engine side connector can be changed easily and cheaply and effectively refurbishes the hose for a new lease of life.
The internal diameter of this o-ring is 38mm and the cross-section is 4mm. Well it is for a 2.2 M54 and I suspect at least all M54s and M52s. Not yet tried on a 4-cylinder.
O-rings come in many different materials but the one I have used successfully is Viton 75 from seller Sealforce on ebay.
Price £3.20 each. £1.55 each for 5. £1.28 each for £10.
Approx price for a new top or bottom hose from BMW £40 each.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/METRIC-VI...5MM-ID-67MM-ID-/371520868459?var=640554882896
Next one front drop links. Okay no one but a complete perfectionist is going to buy from BMW at £40 a side when there are so many alternatives out there. But which ones are actually any good?
Meyle have a very good reputation and I've had a pair on my 2.2 for a year now. These should fit all cars except the Ms. And this one is worth putting up because the seller is tried and trusted (how many people have sold 71k items and have a 100% rating?) and sells them for £19.49 a pair which is cheap as chips!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FOR-BMW-Z...IROLL-BAR-STABILISER-DROP-LINKS-/152583193477
I say save money because a lot of the time the original BMW part is the real deal either quality and frequently cost wise for smaller parts.
And of course we have to be careful of quality as there is a lot of junk out there, especially sensors.
So I'll start the ball rolling with a couple.
Don't throw your top and bottom hoses away during a cooling system overhaul. If the hose itself is serviceable the rubber o-ring on the engine side connector can be changed easily and cheaply and effectively refurbishes the hose for a new lease of life.
The internal diameter of this o-ring is 38mm and the cross-section is 4mm. Well it is for a 2.2 M54 and I suspect at least all M54s and M52s. Not yet tried on a 4-cylinder.
O-rings come in many different materials but the one I have used successfully is Viton 75 from seller Sealforce on ebay.
Price £3.20 each. £1.55 each for 5. £1.28 each for £10.
Approx price for a new top or bottom hose from BMW £40 each.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/METRIC-VI...5MM-ID-67MM-ID-/371520868459?var=640554882896
Next one front drop links. Okay no one but a complete perfectionist is going to buy from BMW at £40 a side when there are so many alternatives out there. But which ones are actually any good?
Meyle have a very good reputation and I've had a pair on my 2.2 for a year now. These should fit all cars except the Ms. And this one is worth putting up because the seller is tried and trusted (how many people have sold 71k items and have a 100% rating?) and sells them for £19.49 a pair which is cheap as chips!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FOR-BMW-Z...IROLL-BAR-STABILISER-DROP-LINKS-/152583193477
