As far as where to get the starter, [link|https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-starter-motor-kit-12412354693kt1|FCP Euro sells one for the E46]. If you have an E46 M3, I'd make sure it doesn't use a special "M" starter as a lot of the time with the BMW M cars, they use special components in places like the starter; that said, I don't think that will be an E46 issue as this was before that became a notorious problem with the E9X and F "M cars". ***It's not cheap, but that's what you get with anything German like BMW; Mercedes and Audi are just as bad.***
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As far as where to get the starter, [link|https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-starter-motor-kit-12412354693kt1|FCP Euro sells one for the E46]. If you have an E46 M3, I'd make sure it doesn't use a special "M" starter as a lot of the time with the BMW M cars, they use special components in places like the starter; that said, I don't think that will be an E46 issue as this was before that became a notorious problem with the E9X and F "M cars", and the E6X to an extent (Notably the V10 M5 with the F1 engine). ***It's not cheap, but that's what you get with anything German like BMW; Mercedes and Audi are just as bad.***
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As far as installation, I'll need to find a service manual. [link|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQsiynAXSbo|You have to take the manifold off, but once you do that you can access it on the E46]. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-bpIALNWSg|Here is the video instructions on the intake manifold|new_window=true]. It looks like BMW did a partial early 2000s Cadillac (GM's FWD V8 Northstar from that era placed the starter under the top head of the engine, so you need to take the heads off and replace not only the starter but also the head gasket) so it's not easily accessed, but at least you don't need to take the engine apart to get to it.
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As far as installation, I'll need to find a service manual. [link|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQsiynAXSbo|You have to take the manifold off, but once you do that you can access it on the E46]. [link|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-bpIALNWSg|Here is the video instructions on the intake manifold]. It looks like BMW did a partial early 2000s Cadillac (GM's FWD V8 Northstar from that era placed the starter under the top head of the engine, so you need to take the heads off and replace not only the starter but also the head gasket) so it's not easily accessed, but at least you don't need to take the engine apart to get to it.
As far as where to get the starter, [link|https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-starter-motor-kit-12412354693kt1|FCP Euro sells one for the E46]. If you have an E46 M3, I'd make sure it doesn't use a special "M" starter as a lot of the time with the BMW M cars, they use special components in places like the starter; that said, I don't think that will be an E46 issue as this was before that became a notorious problem with the E9X and F "M cars". ***It's not cheap, but that's what you get with anything German like BMW; Mercedes and Audi are just as bad.***
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As far as installation, I'll need to find a service manual. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQsiynAXSbo|You have to take the manifold off, but once you do that you can access it on the E46|new_window=true]. It looks like BMW did a partial early 2000s Cadillac (GM's FWD V8 Northstar from that era placed the starter under the top head of the engine, so you need to take the heads off and replace not only the starter but also the head gasket) so it's not easily accessed, but at least you don't need to take the engine apart to get to it.
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As far as installation, I'll need to find a service manual. [link|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQsiynAXSbo|You have to take the manifold off, but once you do that you can access it on the E46]. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-bpIALNWSg|Here is the video instructions on the intake manifold|new_window=true]. It looks like BMW did a partial early 2000s Cadillac (GM's FWD V8 Northstar from that era placed the starter under the top head of the engine, so you need to take the heads off and replace not only the starter but also the head gasket) so it's not easily accessed, but at least you don't need to take the engine apart to get to it.
As far as where to get the starter, [link|https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-starter-motor-kit-12412354693kt1|FCP Euro sells one for the E46]. If you have an E46 M3, I'd make sure it doesn't use a special "M" starter as a lot of the time with the BMW M cars, they use special components in places like the starter; that said, I don't think that will be an E46 issue as this was before that became a notorious problem with the E9X and F "M cars". ***It's not cheap, but that's what you get with anything German like BMW; Mercedes and Audi are just as bad.***
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As far as installation, I'll need to find a service manual. But unless BMW did an early 2000s Cadillac (GM's FWD V8 Northstar from that era placed the starter under the top head of the engine, so you need to take the heads off and replace not only the starter but also the head gasket), you should be able to access it from the bottom and put the car on jacks to get enough clearance to swap the starter.
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As far as installation, I'll need to find a service manual. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQsiynAXSbo|You have to take the manifold off, but once you do that you can access it on the E46|new_window=true]. It looks like BMW did a partial early 2000s Cadillac (GM's FWD V8 Northstar from that era placed the starter under the top head of the engine, so you need to take the heads off and replace not only the starter but also the head gasket) so it's not easily accessed, but at least you don't need to take the engine apart to get to it.
As far as where to get the starter, [https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-starter-motor-kit-12412354693kt1|FCP Euro sells one for the E46|new_window=true]. If you have an E46 M3, I'd make sure it doesn't use a special "M" starter as a lot of the time with the BMW M cars, they use special components in places like the starter; that said, I don't think that will be an E46 issue as this was before that became a notorious problem with the E9X and F "M cars". ***It's not cheap, but that's what you get with anything German like BMW; Mercedes and Audi are just as bad.***
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As far as where to get the starter, [link|https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-starter-motor-kit-12412354693kt1|FCP Euro sells one for the E46]. If you have an E46 M3, I'd make sure it doesn't use a special "M" starter as a lot of the time with the BMW M cars, they use special components in places like the starter; that said, I don't think that will be an E46 issue as this was before that became a notorious problem with the E9X and F "M cars". ***It's not cheap, but that's what you get with anything German like BMW; Mercedes and Audi are just as bad.***
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As far as installation, I'll need to find a service manual, but unless BMW did a GM with the V8 Northstar starter, you should be able to access it from the bottom and put the car on jacks to get enough clearance to swap the starter.
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As far as installation, I'll need to find a service manual. But unless BMW did an early 2000s Cadillac (GM's FWD V8 Northstar from that era placed the starter under the top head of the engine, so you need to take the heads off and replace not only the starter but also the head gasket), you should be able to access it from the bottom and put the car on jacks to get enough clearance to swap the starter.
As far as where to get the starter, [https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-starter-motor-kit-12412354693kt1|FCP Euro sells one for the E46|new_window=true]. If you have an E46 M3, I'd make sure it doesn't use a special "M" starter as a lot of the time with the BMW M cars, they use special components in places like the starter; that said, I don't think that will be an E46 issue as this was before that became a notorious problem with the E9X and F "M cars". ***It's not cheap, but that's what you get with anything German like BMW; Mercedes and Audi are just as bad.***
As far as installation, I'll need to find a service manual, but unless BMW did a GM with the V8 Northstar starter, you should be able to access it from the bottom and put the car on jacks to get enough clearance to swap the starter.