Inspection I Annual Maintenance Kit - E46 M3 (S54)

The BimmerWorld View: While cars have gotten more complex and require more specialized tools and knowledge there's still a number of items that most owners can do themselves. These small DIY projects not only save you money but help you learn about your car and get involved in its maintenance and long-term care. As enthusiastic owners ourselves, we encourage our customers to get more involved in the mechanicals of their car to make your investment more enjoyable.

We put this small package together as a Spring-time annual maintenance kit. BMW used to call them Inspection I services (Inspection II was the much more thorough full service). Buy this kit in the early Spring and get it ready for another year's worth of driving. This is a basic kit of easy DIY jobs that should also be done as part of a more thorough inspection and repair service. But this kit will get you under the hood, replacing annual maintenance items, and get you access to other areas for inspection.

Included with this kit:
Intake air filter for factory airbox (it's easier if you remove the whole airbox - this allows more access to inspect the engine)
Cabin microfilter (no tools required - three spring-loaded pins to remove the cover!)
Coolant top-off (should be mixed 50/50 with distilled water)
Fuel System Cleaner (add to a fresh tank of gas)
Wiper blades (set for driver and passenger)

Sold separately but recommended for an annual service are:
Engine oil & filter change
Complete brake fluid replacement (especially if the car sat all winter)
Power steering fluid top-off
Coolant concentration test
Set tire pressures

An Inspection I is considered a mild service to replace all of the above and give the car a close examination. Most of the work is checking the condition of common service items and looking for potential trouble spots. Some examples of what to look for: check and clear fault codes, valve cover and oil filter housing leaks, engine belts, cooling system hoses, water pump and thermostat, battery physical condition and cold voltage, confirm the cooling fan kicks on after a long idle, and check the expiration date of your M Mobility tire sealant. Note the levels of all fluids before adding any more - you might be able to spot signs of a leak or failure by noting a low fluid level.

These are all things you can without having the car in the air or needing to crawl underneath. By replacing the short list of annual maintenance items you get full access to the engine bay to re-acquaint yourself with your car's running condition and plan for future maintenance and service work.

See our Related Items below for more packages, service, and maintenance items.
 

BMW Fitments:

3 Series
E46 (01-06) > M3