[mpegripper]

Originally Posted by Obioban

Looks like a good list to me! I don't see any overboard

i did at least double this so far and i'm not done yet:

full cooling system
front control arms
fcabs
rtabs
warranty on tck shocks
new gc endlinks
clutch and bearing
motor mounts
CPV
injector cleaning
alternator
spark plugs
pulleys
re tranny mounts were still good

gonna do all ball joints and bushings in the rear & subframe reinforcement soon

there's probably more i'm missing

[Obioban]

Yep. In the last 20,000 miles I have replaced every single piece of rubber and balljoint on the car

[anti-roll]

I still think it's overboard. Maintenance doesn't necessarily imply replace even if it's still good. Many of those items and parts can be periodically inspected and you can actually assess - albeit not always, I'll give you that - whether a replacement is needed.

The example of radiator, radiator hoses, and drive belts was a bad one. All three can be easily inspected and assessed for damage and/or wear. Your drive belt doesn't simply snap off over night without exhibiting some signs of wear like noise, etc.

You can't simply put a mileage on some parts. Driving habits and environment play a huge role. For example, I've been driving manual transmission cars for the last 15 years. I know that this is going to come as a shocker to many of you, but I never burned a clutch, going back to my 1991 Accord days with over 200k miles on the original clutch.

I know people who needed clutch replacements in the M3 after 30k miles of ownership.

[Obioban]

A clutch geting worn out by noob driving has no bearing on the life of components like the alternator, water pump, etc.

[kyle46]

I have a warranty which is why i may think this is "overboard" i do simple maintenance such as spark plugs, RTABS FCABs oil change, but nothing serious.

If something decides to die, this is why i paid money for the warranty. Not trying to have my car run my life or be constantly on my mind. As nice as the M may be, it is just a tool.

Either way, good job on taking good care of your car. Thumbs up!

[anti-roll]

Originally Posted by Obioban

A clutch geting worn out by noob driving has no bearing on the life of components like the alternator, water pump, etc.

Nobody implied that it does. It was a mere example of how the wear of certain items can be accelerated via driving habits and environment.

Your water pump and other cooling components can be greatly affected by the environment. On many cars the pump's internal seals and impellers can deteriorate faster in cold climates and where there is salt/corrosion, ultimately leading to premature water pump failure. But environmental factors can also be controlled. For instance, garaging your car in winter vs letting it sit outside.

[Obioban]

My water pump (car) is garaged every night and blew up at 97,000-- 3000 miles before I was going to replace it. Resulting in me being driven 300 miles home to get the truck/trailer, 300 miles back to pick up the car, then 300 miles back home again. 900 extra miles of driving, 600 of which were in a truck with a trailer.

... which was the single time my car has broken down on me.

I'm not even going to wait 100,000 for my next cooling system swap.

[anti-roll]

Originally Posted by Obioban

My water pump (car) is garaged every night and blew up at 97,000-- 3000 miles before I was going to replace it. Resulting in me being driven 300 miles home to get the truck/trailer, 300 miles back to pick up the car, then 300 miles back home again. 900 extra miles of driving, 600 of which were in a truck with a trailer.

... which was the single time my car has broken down on me.

I'm not even going to wait 100,000 for my next cooling system swap.

Which is in line with what I said. You still live in a cold climate and with salt on the roads. People's experiences with water pumps (and cooling systems in general) in warm climates may vary entirely.

[mpegripper]

FWIW, i'm in cali and my water pump looked brand new when i changed it out at 102k

[Obioban]

That's true, but I think you're expected service life range is off. People lose their water pumps at 70k on this car fairly regularly. I think 100k is a pretty full life, beyond which anyone is really pushing their luck.

Could be worse, could be the e36, where 75k is pushing your luck