(Part 2) Best products from r/BMW

My experience, after owning a Jet Black painted car. Others have said black cars are like having another full time job, and I agree.

I've been a huge fan of P21S paste wax. It's easy to apply, and doesn't matter how long you leave on, it's easy to remove. Starts to fade after 3 washes. But the best I've found a few years ago. This is the same wax that Harley uses. Overall a fan. This one is quite fun to apply to a freshly clay-bared car, by hand. No mitt, towel, or applicator pad. You can wax until your hand sticks, then rub hands together to get it to go further. And you have more control. Highly recommend to try this once. Used to swear by P21s wax, until I tried others.

Chem Guys - Butter Wet wax is a liquid, has the BEST wet look, deep tones for black/dark cars, but does not last long. At. All. Attracts the most dust, and creates the most dust while buffing. Looks the best right away, but quickly digresses to failure. Sadness.

Chem Guys - Black Light Hybrid wax. I use this with my Griots orbital and it's sealant & wax. Then I'll use P21S over it the next morning for the ultimate shine/protection. Overall, very satisfied with this. But the only wax I've applied with my buffer thus far. And was easy to remove. Lasted a tad longer than the P21s Wax, assuming it was the sealant properties causing this.

Recently read about Collinite waxes and they have them for boats, auto, and planes. I used their paste wax on my car, and it worked better than my P21S wax. It's been 6 washes in, and the water still beads in the same pattern as when I put it on. After driving for a week, with a few rain days, you can barely tell it's been rained on. It doesn't attract much dust in the garage, nor pollen. you don't notice that lower body water spray after driving, and still feels great to wash with wash-mit.

Griots - Was really disappointed in their Best of Show wax. Went on as a liquid. But did NOT come off easily. Yes I used the least amount possible, but I didn't like this one bit. Only used it once. Bottle is just sitting on the shelf. Didn't hold up very well either. The only way to remove it was with a detailing spray or spray wax. Sucked IMO.

May sound snooty of me, but I stay away from the over-the-counter waxes. I feel most of them have colors added to them, don't have the best protectant. I'd say not to buy the same wax twice. And only use clearer pastes rather than yellowish tinted waxes. Use the kinds that forgive if you get on plastics or that you get in between cracks. But:

NuFinish/Zymol Liquids - I use these after a quick microfiber wipe down, when it's still slightly wet. And then wax/dry it up at the same time. I'd rather use the liquids as they are easier for me to apply when slightly wet, rather than drying fully, than applying carnauba by hand afterwards.

I would like to try waxes by Swissvax, Zymol and more. But over $60 then you are starting to get into dangerous territory and eventually led to something like this. But I have a feeling, for that price, it better last a lifetime, better have 2 coats of clearcoat, and ad at least 50hp to your car. But makes you wonder if it's any different compared to the ones we use.

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I always, use a spray wax when drying my car. I don't notice much of a difference in these, as long as you have ample of it.

Here's a good link on how to properly wash your car.

Haven't tried Zaino but have heard good things. Not a huge fan of the sealants, but starting to come around to them.

Tl;DR - all wax is great after using it for the first time. But the true test is how it holds up over time and how easy it is to apply/buff. The best looking results are the ones where you wax, let it cure overnight, and then that first wash afterwords is where it usually aesthetically "pops" the most.

In addition to the aforementioned advice, which is dead-on, I'd also add the M3forum.net coding forum. I think it's not quite as good as the e90 forum, but there's some unique content there.

For tools, modern cordless tools are incredible. There's really no need to buy anything corded or any air-powered tools. I say that as someone who has a full complement of both corded and air tools. I never touch 'em anymore. Buy into a good cordless brand and stick with that one. Personally, I went Milwaukee 18v. I feel like they have the broadest range of tools I wanted, including some landscaping stuff that has come in handy. I don't generally like buying the full kits, but I'd say right off the bat, get a charger, a couple batteries, a good light, an angle grinder, a 1/2" drill, and an impact wrench. Get flap discs for the angle grinder. They're better than stone-based wheels for smoothing/grinding.


I have a few other fairly obvious tools that I end up using on nearly every job.

1. 4-in-1 screwdriver
   
   
2. Stubby screwdriver set
   
   
3. Vise grips
   
   
4. mini (3-4lb) sledgehammer
   
   
5. BIG crescent wrench. I'm talkin' like 18" long. This one isn't immediately necessary, but I end up using it more often than I would've thought. It opens up to something like 1-5/16", which has saved me a lot of money on enormous sockets.
   
   
   Don't forget safety items. I found a pair of decent safety glasses at Home Depot that I like and went back to buy a few more pairs. Seems like the designs change every year or so, so if you find one you like, stock up before they disappear. Also, grab a bag of those foam ear inserts, a good face shield, and an organic ventilator with replaceable cartridges. Skip those little cheapie disposable facemasks - most of what you need to capture is particulate, which is what those are designed for, but they have a terrible seal against your face. The nicer ones will seal much better and your nose and throat will thank you for it the first time you have a task that requires a lot of grinding. Also, get some good latex gloves for things like brake bleeding, oil changes, etc. The ones at the grocery store are garbage. Get the Diamond brand gloves from your local auto supply store. Lastly, I keep a bottle of super glue around. For cuts that are still in harms way (i.e. they're gonna get dirt in 'em if you go back to work), put some super glue in/on it. It's what emergency rooms do for cuts that are just shy of needing stitches.
   
   Lastly, I have a few creature comfort items. I have a bluetooth speaker setup so I can play some tunes from my phone, and I have steel toe slip-on shoes that are for garage work only. Slip-on is nice so I can kick 'em off and put 'em on without putting grubby hands on clean socks if I need to run inside for a bathroom break. Steel toe is more than just a safety measure - having a steel toe is almost like having a less valuable third hand. For moving heavy items, I rest it right on the shoe and sorta walk it over. Finally, as an old man with bad knees, one of those cheap foam pads for kneeling has been a godsend. I think they're often described as garden kneeling mats. I keep one in the garage and one in the race trailer. I don't ever want to swap tires without one.
   

Yeah, 87,000 is close enough that it wouldn't hurt to do the spark plugs now. With that bad vibration/check engine light it's hard to say what might have caused it.

Over the years I've had a few occasions where I've had something similar, but it's been so few and far between that it's usually easiest to chalk up to a computer glitch that's resolved by the restart and not something with a mechanical cause. If it happens again try to read the code. An inexpensive code reading solution is any cheap ELM327 bluetooth OBD II adapter from Amazon (around $10) and the Torque app for an Android phone. A more powerful solution that can give you BMW specific codes and also lets you do lots of coding to customize features in your car is to buy the Carly adapter (Android adapter, iOS adapter) and their app.

They're all DIYable, some with a higher skill level than others of course. If you have a place to do it and can read and follow instructions you can do any job and save lots of money even if you need to buy the tools first. Lots of people are intimidated by it but with just a bit of care it's something anyone can handle. One of the big things I follow that solves the biggest problems new DIYers face is using a torque wrench when tightening fasteners. If you do that you won't need to worry about overtightening anything and breaking off a bolt, or undertightening and having it come out. If you aren't comfortable with it or you can't afford to take the time to do it yourself, a good independent shop will be a much better bet than the dealership.

Here are DIYs for the ones I mentioned:

Spark Plugs (Easy)

Ignition coil removal - Part of spark plug DIY.

Valve cover gasket (Challenging)

Motor Mount (Moderate challenge, but more in the getting to bolts way than complexity) Couldn't find a Youtube video I liked, this has lots of pictures and good step-by-step though. The only thing I would change from their DIY is to use this or similar engine support bar rather than supporting the engine from below.

I'd say the spark plugs and coils are absolutely something you can do yourself but read and watch the DIYs on the motor mounts and VCG carefully before deciding to tackle that. If you see no oil down in the spark plug you likely don't need the VCG anyway, and the motor mounts would just cause you to feel the misfires more and you can actually see it on the tach.

I have an 86 325e, I've had it for 8 years now, they're awesome cars and will definitely take care of you if you take care of it.


Firstly:
Maintenance. Timing belt every 5yrs or 40k miles. Valve adjustment every 15k miles. Spark plugs, distributor cap, and rotor every 25k miles. Oil changes every 3k. Get some "Hilton's Hyper-Lube" to go in with your oil changes, its great for high mileage M20 motors. You can do most of the work yourself if you pick up a Bentley manual from Amazon.. Get some basic craftsman tools and you'll be set.


Secondly:
Fun! Get a chip. GET A CHIP. The 325e motor comes to life with a chip, its so worth it, huge gains in horsepower and torque. Huge! Short shift kit, UUC makes a decent one for E30s, although I'm not a big fan of their other stuff. When you put on the short shift kit, upgrade ALL shifter bushings, and that includes (most importantly) the joint/knuckle that goes in between the transmission and the selector rod. I have a modest suspension on my E30. If you can get ahold of E30 M3 factory original springs, they're a great upgrade, that and some bilstein shocks, with new shock mounts, and you'll be in great shape. Its not too low and its a huge upgrade in handling. This can all come later though, maintenance first. Oh. and for a differential, just get a 2.93 limited slip, don't get anything more than about a 3.23 differential, you'll run out of gearing pretty quickly higher than that. Definitely not a 3.73 from the 325is.


Thirdly:
Brakes and tires. When it comes time for tires, get some 15s or 16s, you can't find any decent tires in 14" anymore. I like Kumho Ecsta ASX for all seasons, you can get something grippier if you want, but they're a good all around tire (and cheap to boot). For brakes, Axxis Ultimates are great pads, get some brembo blank rotors, and flush the brake fluid. Brakes will be great at that point.


Then you're done, enjoy the car, I love mine.

Well, that era of BMW is a good era to learn on. There's some computerized stuff to deal with, but for your major maintenance, it's pretty straight forward. You can definitely learn how to spin the spanners on this car. Doing your typical oil/fluids service is pretty easy, as are brakes and suspension for the most part. Cooling system is pretty straightforward as well. For all this stuff, you'll just need some basic tools - nothing terribly special or hard to find.

I'd say the #1 repair resource (aside from the the internet) is to pick up a Bentley manual. It's basically the maintenance bible for your car. It will also give you a good idea if a particular job is above your skill level before you dive into it. Try and find a used copy because they can be pricey. Well worth the investment, however.

Everyone should absolutely carry some bare essentials in their car like jumper cables, bottled water, cold weather gear, road flares, and a good flashlight, at a minimum. Check out /r/VEDC if you are interested in what people carry in their cars!

I carry the following in my F31:

General Automotive

• 2.5 lb Fire Extinguisher
  
  
• 2 1/2 Ton Floor Jack
  
  
• 6x6 Wood block for shimming when jacking taller vehicles
  
  
• 4-way tire iron
  
  
• Tire plug kit
  
  
• Very nice dual cylinder air compressor
  
  
• 16ft 8 gauge jumper cables
  
  
• Quart of BMW 10W30
  
  
• 4x 1L SmartWater bottles
  
  
• Safety Glasses
  
  
• N95 respirator
  
  
• 6x 15 minute road flares
  
  
• 3x 30 minute road flares
  
  
• 700 Lumen O-Light M30 Triton Flashlight
  
  
• Two microfiber cloths
  
  
• Microfiber diamond-weave drying towel
  
  
• Griot's Garage Interior Detail Spray
  
  Trauma Kit Contents
  
  
• Seatbelt Cutter
  
  
• Glass Punch
  
  
• Bag Valve Mask
  
  
• Range of various sized NPAs
  
  
• Hemorrhage control (tourniquets, trauma dressing, clotting sponges, gauze, chest seals)
  
  
• XCollar cervical splint
  
  
• Saline rinse
  
  
• Epinephrine auto-injector
  
  
• Trauma shears
  
  
• CPR mask
  
  
• Non-latex gloves
  
  
• Rite in the Rain notepad with Pen
  
  
• Yellow and red glow sticks
  
  In addition, I carry a full compliment of 72-hour survival gear organized into my Get Home Bag: Gallery Here.
  
  GHB Contents
  
  On-Person EDC
  
  
• Springfield XD-S 9mm
  
  
• Leather SHTF Holster
  
  
• Nitecore P12 Tactical Light 2015 Model (1x18650, 1000 OTF Lumens, many useful modes, gorgeous interface)
  
  
• Leatherman Charge TTi
  
  
• Waterman Hemisphere Fountain Pen
  
  
• Autum Dualist Wallet (Powder-coated aluminum wrapped in Horween leather, handmade in the US)
  
  
• VOID V02 Wristwatch
  
  
• 64GB Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge in Sapphire Black
  
  
• Nite-Ize S-Biner with keys
  
  
• 32GB LaCie Flash Drive
  
  
• Exotac Ferrocerium Rod and Striker
  
  
• Fob for 2011 BMW 335i M-Sport Sedan
  
  
• Portland Bee Balm
  
  
• Ray Ban RB8313 Carbon Fiber Aviators
  
  
• BMW M Belt in Anthracite (Very decent $50ish leather belt made in Italy, marked up to over $100 because BMW knows enthusiasts/douchebags will pay the premium for that tiny embossed ///M logo).
  
  
• Keen Flint shoes (good work boot/hiking boot hybrid, steel toe, low ESD.)
  
  Sleep System/Shelter
  
  
• SOL 5x7ft Utility Tarp (Orange for signaling, reflective inside for heat retention, ripstop, grommetted, actually surprisingly sturdy)
  
  
• SOL Escape Bivy (Breathable, durable, warm to about 50F, I use this in the summer as my backpacking sleep system.)
  
  
• Klymit Static-V Inflatable Pad (Whether crashing a friend’s house or sleeping outside, I consider the insulation and comfort of a pad requisite.)
  
  Mess Kit/Foodstuffs/Hydration
  
  
  
• 27oz Widemouth Kleen Kanteen (Single-walled canteens are multifunctional, and can also be easily used for cooking and boiling water, or warming your sleeping bag). 2x1L water bottles are stored in my trunk, so if I needed to, I could always grab spare water before setting out on foot somewhere.
  
  
• The ever-popular Sawyer Mini Water Filter (There is really no reason you shouldn't have one, or five)
  
  
• (3) ProBars (Calorie and protein dense, lightweight, easily packable)
  
  
• (2) Paleo Jerky bars (the only grass fed/grass finished jerky I've found that tastes decent)
  
  
• (2) Trail Butters
  
  
• (1) Lara Bar
  
  
• Blend of Teas, Electrolyte Tabs, Coffee, Spices
  
  
• MSR Titanium Fork and Spoon
  
  Cold Weather Gear
  
  
• REI Windstill Rainjacket/Wind-breaker (with integral hood)
  
  
• Wigwam Merino Wool Socks
  
  
• Marker Thinsulate Vest
  
  
• PIG Gloves (Lots of dexterity at the sacrifice of warmth, great for protecting your hands when working on things)
  
  
• Fleece Beanie
  
  Electronics
  
  
• Adam Industries Pitbull Monocular Night Vision Device (MNVD), built using the Gen 3+ Omni VI MX-10160C autogated intensifier from an AN/AVS-9. This was an incremental upgrade from my Gen 3 Omni IV PVS-14, and it produces an image that is less grainy and a tad bit more detailed/better contrasted.
  
  
• Yaesu FT-60 Dual Band HAM Radio (Emergency communications, police/fire traffic, NOAA weather broadcasts)
  
  
• Verizon Mobile Hotspot
  
  
• PNY 5000MAh rechargeable USB charger (2.1A compatible)
  
  
• UMX Android Burner Phone (disposable phone, prepaid card info and emergency contact numbers under the battery, charged up, and preloaded with useful survival manuals and Backcountry Navigator Pro with cached 1:24k topographical maps of my area)
  
  
• ACR PLB-375 Rescue Beacon
  
  
• Petzl Tactikka-XP Headlamp with red/blue lenses (replaced my Quark QP2L-X, as the hands-free functionality is very useful for setting up camp, working on a broken down car in the dark, etc).
  
  
• Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Tablet (Core i7/256GB SSD/8GB DDR3/Win 8.1 Enterprise), soon to be replaced a Surface Pro 4 once they ship.
  
  
• USB Micro Cable
  
  
• Surprisingly decent bundled earbuds from my S6
  
  
• 1ft Ethernet cable
  
  
• USB-to-Ethernet adapter for the tablet
  
  
• 256GB External USB SSD (in Ineo housing, with encrypted copies of critical documents/identification, as well as a bunch of my usual tech tools, for those impromptu "my computer has a virus" conversations at friends' houses, as well as our enterprise software and system images.)
  
  
• Micro SD Card in SD Card Adapter
  
  Tools
  
  
• (4) MSR Groundhog Mini Stakes
  
  
• 100ft Blaze Orange Paracord and Spare Carabiner (mostly for guy wires and a center line to make an A-frame tent
  out of the tarp)
  
  
• Spare Nitecore 18650 2600mAH Battery (for my EDC light)
  
  
• Small Roll of Duct Tape
  
  
• Roll of Electrical Tape
  
  
• 6 sq. ft. of Tin Foil
  
  
• Zip Ties
  
  
• Bit Kit for my Leatherman Charge TTi
  
  
• Spare Dog Poop Bags
  
  
• Zebra F-301 Pen
  
  
• Rite in the Rain Pad
  
  
• Cold Steel SRK Fixed-Blade Knife with Kydex Sheath (Such a great, sturdy knife)
  
  
• Spare 14rd Glock Magazine w/ 14rds Horandy Critical Defense +P Hollow Points
  
  Firestarting
  
  
• SOLO Butane Torch Extendible Lighter (Good for getting under tinder, burns fucking hot, and also great for cigars)
  
  
• Waterproof Matches in Sealed Container with Striker Paper
  
  
• Film Canister of Wax Soaked Cotton balls
  
  
• Tea Light
  
  Toiletries
  
  
• Toothpaste
  
  
• Compact Toothbrush
  
  
• Tampon
  
  
• Ass Wipes
  
  
• Nail Clippers
  
  Medical
  
  
• Tactical Tailor IFAK
  
  
• Epinephrine Auto-Injector
  
  
• CPR Mask and Gloves
  
  
• Quik-Clot Combat Gauze
  
  
• Bitch Stickers (Band aids, gauze wrap and pads, etc.)
  
  
• Benadryl
  
  
• Mixed Aspirin, Zyrtec, Anti-Diahrreals (in the Advil tube)
  
  
• Oral Rehydration Salts
  
  
• Portland Bee Balm
  
  
• Superglue
  
  
• Bug Spray (100% DEET)
  
  
• Sunscreen
  
  
• Shears
  
  
• ACE bandage
  
  
• TUMS
  

Nice! These are super bright and well worth the cost. No light on the dash like cheap knockoff bulbs. I got mine from amazon. Cheapest I could find them. Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06XDRVCG2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510451821&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=lux+v7&dpPl=1&dpID=41IOpT24HzL&ref=plSrch

These are my most used tools for working on cars.


Trim tool - For molding and trim and windows, this is a must

http://www.amazon.com/No-Scratch-Tools-Removing-Fastener-Molding/dp/B000LNBLTK/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1395692539&sr=8-4&keywords=bmw+tools


Tool Set - Here is your best bet for general tools. Start with this basic tool kit.

http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-96-011-170-piece-Mechanics-Tool/dp/B002VXN6TG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1395692665&sr=8-4&keywords=automotive+tool+kit

Code reader - then this so you can read check engine codes and properly fix the issue. This is a tool that will save you so much money.

http://www.amazon.com/Autel-MaxiScan-MS300-Diagnostic-Vehicles/dp/B001LHVOVK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395692484&sr=8-1&keywords=obd+2+scanner

Jacks stands - Not so important but pick up some cheap jack stands

http://www.amazon.com/Torin-T43002A-Double-Locking-Jack/dp/B00026Z3E0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395692837&sr=8-1&keywords=jack+stands

Light - And a very helpful thing is a good light

http://www.amazon.com/Bayco-SL-1002-Halogen-Project-Light/dp/B000FW7UH4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1395692872&sr=8-2&keywords=work+lights

MD requires a front plate n i don't want to drill any holes in the bumper so i got this. sure there are other ones that don't require holes but are all $55+.

thanks, recently put the lip on n i love it. do not love the scrapping though.

I highly recommend grabbing a cheap OBD2 reader off amazon like this one. It can help you fix certain minor issues yourself or at least give you a heads up when you have to take it in for service.

Got this HIMBOX for $30 and I can't really complain for the price. It's discrete and let's me pause/play/next on Pandora. It connects automatically and the sound quality is really good most of the time. Gripes: I find that in very cold weather the sound quality diminishes, which sounds weird but it happens. Also you do often have to open the app on your phone so it's not always 100% hands free, but usually you can open an app while you're walking to your car, pocket the phone and just hit play once you're seated

Congrats on the new purchase. Iron block, woo! It’s a little more resilient than the aluminum block in your touring (and all my E39’s), and has a slightly deeper sound :)

I’ll just leave this here 😉 I bought one each for both my manual E39’s and it’s a joy!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B3K2X4M/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_AtkFub0NPCXN4

This is the one I have. It's prime-able, there are also ones not. There are a bunch of other ones too. But I have been happy with this one. The app I use is called Torque, there is a free version and a paid version.

https://www.amazon.com/ieGeek-Wireless-Diagnostic-Scanner-Adapter/dp/B00B3K2X4M/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1467249895&sr=8-5&keywords=obd+2+wifi

It will work with any obd2 device, but not guaranteed. I was able to get everything but security and another module to code with mine. I'm able to diagnose and clear codes so I'm happy with it.

invest in an odbii scanner. Like one of these: http://www.amazon.com/BAFX-Products-Bluetooth-diagnostics-Android/dp/B005NLQAHS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412013499&sr=8-1&keywords=odb2+bluetooth

sure, takes the thrill out of guessing what the dealer is going to find.

Sonax is my go-to. But if you want to go all-out, give them a deep clean and decon, and ceramic coat them. I've used Gyeon with good results. Ceramic coating makes them a breeze during regular cleanings. A blast with my power washer gets 95% of the brake dust off.

and Coding is super simple on those cars if you have an iPhone/iPad/Android device! Just download (and pay for) bmwhat Android or iOS. Then order This from amazon or eBay. You can seriously code your car in 20min by pressing buttons. Only module I can't seem to use is the Alarm one with that adapter (i'm sure if you buy bmwhat's adapter it'll allow you to use it)

Get a California Car Duster and try to give her a brushing every other day, daily if you can. If you keep up with it, it will stay pretty clean for a long time.

Thanks! Just to make sure, is this the one you meant? https://www.amazon.com/BMW-25-11-896-031/dp/B005MW1XA2

This one works great with my e60 install. Tried with two units, 2gb and 4gb ram.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07S1M8C34/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For anyone wondering, the material he used called 3M DI-NOC and it's pretty cheap and holds up well from what I've heard.

I used these brackets instead of drilling holes into my bumper.

This is what it should end up looking like.

Here you go courtesy of /u/hyperoglyphe

http://www.amazon.com/Black-3M-DI-NOC-Carbon-CA-421/dp/B0062A7M2G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410301913&sr=8-1&keywords=di+noc

Get one of these ASAP. Works like magic and lasts forever. https://amzn.com/B00008RW9U

I have a generic ELM327 bluetooth reader like this BAFX one that I use with an app called torque on my android tablet. I paid $25 for the reader and $5 for the app (there is a free version that can pull codes, the paid version does so much more). It's been amazingly useful but it's not K+CAN so any extended bmw specific stuff (like extended engine check codes) doesn't show up and you can't do coding with it.

On newer-ish BMWs you can pull the code using the BC stalk in control check, but only if the code has already been thrown, where the ODB reader will catch "pending codes."

I got a P0015 code, however if I had a K+CAN cable I probably could have pulled the (what I call) sub-code saying if it was a stuck or non-responding solenoid.

Or do what I did, buy this little guy for $30 and get the same deal. Seriously, this thing is even faster to connect than the bluetooth in that 328i I had today and has just as good sound quality as connecting my phone with an aux cable.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GJFGE0K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I had gotten one that was adjustable, so I put the holes from underneath. This was the one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013HP98C figured I'd share if you can't find anything else.

For reference, they aren't terribly expensive:
https://www.amazon.com/LUX-E90-BMW-Angel-Eyes/dp/B06XDRVCG2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518106118&sr=8-1&keywords=lux+angel+eyes+e90

I just ordered this one through Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005MW1XA2/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Including tax and shipping it came to $73 which is cheaper than I've seen many places sell the knob by itself.

You don't need to know anything! That's what the service manual is for.

Get this. Works perfect for pollen and dust

Here's the link, it's only $16

Autel MaxiScan MS300 CAN Diagnostic Scan Tool for OBDII Vehicles https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001LHVOVK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_-y7lzb8ETFZ5Y

This + torque app


BAFX Products Bluetooth Diagnostic OBDII Reader / Scanner for Android Devices: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005NLQAHS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ZSY6AbS5BV37C


https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.prowl.torquefree

The price went up, but this is the one that I bought. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B3K2X4M/ref=sr_ph?ie=UTF8&qid=1425909327&sr=1&keywords=wifi+adapter

iPhone's use wifi-adapters, while androids use Bluetooth.

Like you said, I would check for vacuum leaks and if your exhaust is loud maybe you have an exhaust manifold leak. Also test fuel pressure and make sure your pump or regulator isn't starting to give out. I had a similar problem on my e90 and it took forever to figure out the problem.

As for the shifting, sounds like a clutch issue.

Edit: invest in one of these, it links directly to my phone or tablet. I use the BMWhat software, but if you have an Android device you need to use the Bluetooth version of the adapter not the wifi version.

ieGeek® WIFI Wireless OBD2 Auto Scanner Adapter Scan Tool for iPhone iPad iPod

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B3K2X4M/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_.ajtub1NSX5J2

Edit 2: Shit just realized you have a 94. The above device won't work for you. Sorry about that.