BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

tootsie1

Hi all. I have an '05 325i and I remember when the dealer showd me the details of the car, he said I never have to turn off the climate control..so I pretty much ;leave it on 72 auto and after a day's driving turn off the car with the a/c still running, then turn it back on with the a/c already on. I am wondering if all BMW drivers do this, and does anyone think there would be any long term harm in not turning it off completely first..I just love this car and want to treat it as nicely as possible.. please share you climate control habits with me.

Thanks!

gordonwd

There's no reason to ever turn it off, and in fact it's not really that easy to do. I think that you have to manually turn the fan all the way off in order to make the entire system go "off" -- or are you just referring to the A/C function? Also, just because the A/C is enabled and the light is on does not mean that the compressor is engaged all the time.

The only thing that I usually have to do is to adjust the temperature setting depending on the season. In the winter, since I'm usually wearing heavier clothing if not a coat, I find that 64-66 is plenty warm. In the summer, I usually leave it at 74 or a little higher.

You will also find that you have to play around with the temp control on the center dash outlet to get the right temperature for the air that is blowing more or less directly on you. I'm not sure why BMW's system requires this exactly; my Audi had no such control, and in general I think that my A4's climate control worked better than on my 325i.

paule

1.) The TPS system will work in one of two ways. Either there is a sensor mounted to the rim itself or it uses the ABS sensor to determine a "relative" flat tire.
Neither system should have any effect on tire selection.

2.) Detroit gets some snow so if it was me I'd invest in winter tires.

kdshapiro

BMWs compressors dynamically adjust the amount of compression based on a number of factors. In theory you never have to turn it off as when minimal cooling is required there is little sapping of engine power.

One of the great things about BMW climate control systems, is that it can satisfy your practical side. I have a big practical side, and I turn the snowflake on and off and usually shut down the climate system before I turn the car off.

kdshapiro

"I've driven Hondas that don't cutoff at the redline and still last for more than 150k miles"

You are lucky. I've know people in the past who have abused their Hondas and they lasted to 150K. Only thing is these people had to add oil every 500 miles.

3catmom

Hi. I'm driving a 2003 330i. The car is my baby - barely over 20,000 miles, always at the car wash, never on snowy, salty roads, etc...

I am having a problem with the chrome trim around my windows. It's all gray and speckled (no rust or pitting) and the chrome cleaner/polish I bought at the auto store isn't doing anything. Any ideas? Can it be saved (I would love product recommendations0? Is it ruined? If so, since the car is barely over two years old, should I complain to my dealer?

brislance1

I have an 03 330i too. Chrome around the windows is perfect on mine! Did you buy the car new or used? If you bought it used you really don't know what the previous owner might have done to cause the problem. I would take it to the dealer. They may replace the chrome for you. If not, go to a auto detailer. They might have an answer for you. Really hard to answer your question without seeing the problem. I am fussy about my car too, so I know how perplexed you feel looking at the imperfection. Your dealer should be your first stop if the car is under warranty. Replacing the chrome around that area is not a difficult task.

Good luck.

3catmom

Thanks for the info - I bought it brand new so a previous owner isn't an issue. It's looks pretty bad - even other people have commented about it. Not what I want to hear after spending that kind of money on what is supposed to be, and otherwise is, such a quality car. That's why I'm so curious to know if anyone else has this problem or knows what causes it.

Guess I'll try the dealer. Somehow, I don't think they'll be replacing it for free!!

kdshapiro

Just a thought. Is the car perhaps near a lawn sprinkler that may be getting the car wet. It could be hard water spots.

3catmom

Sometimes, yes. Can hard water spots be cleaned???

kdshapiro

If it is that - I would think they can be cleaned. Have you tried good ol' carnuba car wax?

brislance1

Since the car is under warranty I think the dealer will not give you a hard time on replacement unless you have subjected the chrome to some kind of harsh treatment. The chrome plate is very thin and it is possible that using a corrosive cleaner or polish might have damaged it and ,hence ,caused the fading . Keep the board informed on how you fare with the dealer.

Good luck.

3catmom

No - tried Turtle Wax Chrome Cleaner and Polish. It was recommended on a Caddy site (ok - i admit, i've been searching the other boards!)

3catmom

Ok - so say I get the trim clean or the dealer replaces it. How do I maintain it? As I said earlier, I keep the car very clean and don't take it out in the snow, salt, and sand - but it's not garaged. Most of my neighbors have luxury autos, all have sprinklers, and most park in the driveway - not the garage. Nevertheless, I do not see them out there cleaning and polishing thier trim every weekend. Is there some trick I don't know about??

Thanks, everyone, for your help. I've become obsessed with this!!

sunilb

so, I'm coming close to 60K and the Inspection II... from the owner's manual, this is just an oil change + microfilter change + air filter change + checking of lots stuff underneath.

Is it worth it, or should I just buy a mityvac, and change the oil (and other two filters) myself??

Then, I'm thinking I could bring the car in (to a private shop) and just get the tranny and differential fluid change and get a 30minute inspection.

Thoughts?

jamesspot

is to use an independent garage that specializes in BMW work. The 3 series is a relatively low maintenance car with several "lifetime" fluids: differential, coolant, etc. I am someone who wants a car to go to 200k, vice a 100k "lifetime", so I will have the shop add coolant and differential fluid changes to BMW's inspection II's.
I like the idea of giving the car the once over every 4-5 years. It's a maintenance investment rather than getting a new one. I also want to keep this car for 10 years and hand it in relatively good maintenance shape at 100-120k miles to a now teen age son when he GRADUATES from college and starts his career.

gordonwd

I have a big practical side, and I turn the snowflake on and off and usually shut down the climate system before I turn the car off.

What is practical about turning the climate system off before you turn the car off and then, presumably, turning it back on the next time you start the car? Seems like it's more practical to set it and leave it. Maybe instead of "practical" you meant "control freak".

brave1heart

I do all these myself. It's easy. Whatever you decide, make sure to replace the diff and tranny fluids with Red Line (Insp. II does not include those)...

sunilb

Thanks for the responses... so, regarding the diff and tranny fluids-- is Red Line preferable to the OEM fluids? (which is what I was going to have the guy put in)

Anything else I should look out for / think of?
What about spark plugs-- can these go 100K miles or should I look to swap them out?

I'm assuming that the water pump and hoses can wait until 100K miles (I live in northern California, so the weather is not extreme).

kyfdx

Nice car...

I'm going to my room now...

fedlawman

I had my car dyno tested over the weekend...





Even though it was 88 degrees outside, the car still managed a max 148 SAE HP/ 149 SAE TQ. That equals about 175 hp / 176 tq at the crank. Also notice the midrange HP/TQ increase (blue line vs. red line) after I installed the Eurosport (Conforti) chip - approximately 14 HP and TQ max at the crank.

It was a fun morning, I recommend it to any enthusiast.

fedlawman

Yeah, I forgot that Edmunds uses different text for embedding photos. That should do it now.

blueguydotcom

That's a darn nice car, fed.

brave1heart

Mike MIller from Roundel (and everyone else) recommends Red Line.

The spark plugs might last till 100,000K miles but it's a stretch. I replaced them at 60K miles. An added benefit is that you'll get a good idea for the health of the engine.

I replaced the water pump at 76K miles. I am glad I did it - it had 1/4 inch of corrosion built up on it. This may depend on the climate that you live in (I am in Boston).

sunilb

Thanks for the feedback.

You also mentioned that you've done most, if not all, of this yourself... do you think a novice can do it as well? (air filter and microfilter-- no problem, oil change w/ mityvac should be easy enough; but the other fluid changes and visual inspections may be beyond me...?).

ddas

Hi:
I have a 03, 325i with 20K and miles on it that i bought a couple weeks ago. I noticed in the last few days that there is a very mild vibration at the steering wheel when I cruise at high speeds (read +75mph). This does not happen always though, and sometimes even at speeds in excess of 85mph, it seems to be fine.

Also, I notice that there is a mild vibration of the steering when I brake while driving at high speeds.

Is this something that people have encountered and if so, is it something serious? Should I get the car checked at the dealership since it is covered under warranty?

Thanks a lot in advance,
ddas

brave1heart

Here are the DIYs - www.bmw325i.net/index.shtml

I have far less than average skills and was able to do it by myself. It's a dirty job, though; less so if someone is helping you.

brave1heart

The vibration under braking is probably due to uneven pad deposits on the rotors. These should go away over time, although rebedding the pads to the rotors will help. The steering wheel vibration under cruising speed, though, is probably related to tires and/or misalignment.

paule

It's probably worth the effort to get your tires rotated and rebalanced.

sunilb

brilliant... thank you!

kandg

actually that vibration can be a bit more serious i'm afraid. The control arms and bushings sound like they are failing (known as the querlenker and stabilisator) It is a common failure prone part on BMW 3 series cars since E36 models and through E46 models. Depending on your build date, BWM did change suppliers but i hear it still is a problem. A way to check is to have the car elevated with the front wheels free and parking brake off. Grab hold of the wheel and wiggle it side to side. If there is movement then the bushings need to be replaced. I know because this has happened to two of my BMW's. Replacement is cheap if you buy your parts off of eBay and get a mechanic to replace (around 200$) cheaper if you DIY, expensive if you go to the dealership (around $700 each side here in Europe)

I know that's probably not what you wanted to hear..sorry

kandg

btw..it should be covered under warranty..BMW does not "officially" acknowledge the problem and will not go out of their way to help you (even though all their service people know of the problem) but any bimmerphile or website has this problem listed..print it out and bring it to your mechanic and that will persuade them to help with the problem. My vibration started around 70mph but disappeared above 95mph. (querlenker, stabilisator, gummis..control arms, tie rods and bushings)

try E46fanatics or google it. Hope that helps..good luck

maxcat2

I have a 2005 330i ZHP with 9,500 miles and have not yet changed the oil. I am waiting for the 15,000 mile service. The amber oil light came on this morning after I shut off the car. I called the local BMW service department who said this will happen when the car is about 1 quart of oil low. With past cars (this is my first BMW) I always changed the oil 3,000 to 5,000 miles and never once had a car burn through a quart of oil. Is this a typical amount of oil for this car to burn through every 9,000 miles or is the sign of a potential problem? Thanks for any replies. All I got was condescending attitude from the service advisor.

potemkin

Had the same thing happen to me. My 2005 325i ran a quart low at the 8000 miles mark. I took it in and the dealer just added a quart and thanked me for coming by.

Well, I suspect that this is common. If you think about it: changing the oil every 3000 to 5000 miles would prevent you from burning through a quart if it takes the engine 9500 miles to do it.

In other words, I wouldn't worry about it. Just take it in and have them top it off at no cost to you. Hope this helps.

P.S.: While you're there, tell the service manager that your service advisor is a pr*ck.

kominsky

This is a fairly common thing on BMW's, especially during break-in. In fact, making it to 9000 miles is pretty good. I added my first quart at ~4500 miles (as have many others on the BMW boards). Since that time, I can usually go the whole 7500 miles between oil changes without topping off, or at most, adding 1/2 quart between changes. FWIW, my car has ~84K miles on it.

alibajalajaula

Relax my friend. My 2004 330i ZHP has got 22K in the clock and has been burning a quart of oil about every 3000 miles so far. Incidentally, your Inspection I may not occur at the 15,000 mile mark, but probably sooner, whenever the service indicator gets to zero miles to service. I was advised that it computes the severity under which the engine has operated (how often you redline it aka enthusiast driving), so its not exactly linear. Maybe for a granny style driving it could be. My Inspection I came at 13,500 miles give or take. So if it helps a little, misery loves company, I got the same reply from my advisor (..you know..high performance engines slurp oil...comes with the territory..go figure...). This is my 2nd BMW, and I still recall my 1st one, a 325i manual also had similar habit, although not as thirsty as the ZHP.

blueguydotcom

Anybody out there outfit your bmw with sirius sat radio post-purchase?

I realize BMW has a kit for doing this but I'd rather not put $300 worth of materials into a car I will be gladly giving back to BMW in less than 10 months.

I'm thinking of getting a unit I can swap to my next car (assuming it doesn't come pre-configured with satellite radio - at this time the 06 miata doesn't have sat listed for example).

Any suggestions...thanks

giovanni3

erasure213, please inform postoak... Tnx
The models that have tilt reverse functionality only come with an additional package denomitated: "Primium Package", it includes more gizmos too.
Email me and I'll direct you to a good site.

giovanni3

giovanni3

I figure this is gonna cost me a good batch of $$$. Any sites that I can get BMW OEM parts? Desperately needing the A/C Condenser. It's summer and got no AC at all. How can I still get good parts at reasonable prices and avoid spending the extra cash with the dealer? I have an ex-BMW technician (my friend) that would do it for me already.

ddas

Thanks a lot... I will check with the local dealer. Hopefully, it is covered under warranty.....

brave1heart

FWIW, the lower control arms on my '02 325i had to be replaced ~ 45K miles. They were creaking while cornering but I'd never experienced vibrations at any speed...

brave1heart

It is common to add a quart at 7-8K miles as the engine is fully broken in. My car took a quart at 7-8K miles and then 1/2 qrt ~ 55K miles when I raised the rev limiter to 7,000 RPMs (Shark Injector). Other than that, I have very very rarely had to add any oil. This is with plenty of track driving, autocrossing, driving in the 5,000-7,000 RPM range for a few minutes at a time almost every day for 85K miles.

div2

My 98000 mile 1995 Club Sport goes through a quart of Mobil 1 15W-50 every 2000-4000 miles-depending on how hard I'm flogging it. The wife's 124000 mile 528i uses the same Mobil 1 grade, but at the rate of one quart every 8500 miles. Your oil consumption is well within BMW guidelines. That said, I strongly suggest that you learn how to check the oil level yourself and not rely on the idiot light alone; the oil level senders have been known to fail.

div2

Funny thing; my ti uses oil driving around the suburbs, but I can cruise on the interstate all day at 4000+ rpm and it won't use a drop. In contrast, my 1988 M6 never used oil around town but it guzzled the stuff at the track or at cruise rpms greater than @3500. There's nothing like having the oil level idiot light illuminate as you're coming off turn two at NHIS...

akv25

This article is from Csaba Csere's "The Steering Column" in the C&D December 2004 issue.

http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=27&article_id=8794&page_number=1

"The best solution to the sludge problem seems to be the oil sensors that have been used for years on all BMWs, along with more than 90 percent of GM vehicles. These devices are not really "sensors" that somehow analyze oil quality; they are software programs that record cold starts, oil temperature, and a count of cylinder firings. The systems then infer the oil's condition based on its measured "experience." They can call for oil changes in fewer than 5000 miles and more than 10,000 miles, depending on driving conditions."

div2

I don't know about the GM system, but Csere's information about the BMW system is over a decade old. The early SI system did take multiple factors into account when computing service intervals. However, BMW engineers determined that fuel usage alone provided an equally accurate method of determining service intervals. The fuel usage SI method was implemented in the mid nineties. Csere also states that the service intervals can vary by 5,000 miles, but I almost never see a variance of more than 1,500 miles on modern BMWs.

shipo

The first year or so in my 530i was a combination of European AutoBahn driving and driving in and around NYC and Boston. Not too surprisingly, the OBC called out for the first oil change at 13,500 miles. After my broken leg healed well enough to allow me to start driving it again, I put it to use on my frequent New Hampshire to NYC trips. Given that when I wasn't in NYC I was working from home, the vast majority of miles that I drove were mostly done somewhere north of 70 MPH, and as such, my fuel consumption per mile dropped fairly substantially from what I had seen during the first OCI period. When I turned the car in last March, it had 29,500 miles on the clock (16,000 since the previous call out) and had only just recently ticked into the last green segment of the service indicator. My guess is that it would easily have gone a good 18,000 miles before hitting amber. Not too shabby.

Best Regards,
Shipo

nyccarguy

Does anybody subscribe to Autoweek? The last 2 or 3 weeks there has been an ad for a '95 E36 M3 with only 2,000 miles on it. Estoril Blue w/ Grey Leather. The guy was asking $25K for it. Did anybody else see that? What a waste of a car!

Not that I'm looking to buy one, but I see (in general) that asking prices for used M3s are on the high side. The only ones that are under $20K have tons of miles or an automatic.

kyfdx

We had one advertised locally... '97 or '98.. forget which.. 50K miles for $14K

Another one at a local used import dealer.. same year.. 89K miles for the same price...

If it is a decent... fairly low mile coupe with manual.... and it is $17K or less, it will sell very fast... They are out there, you just have to jump on them..

Not a very cheap or reliable car to own, IMO... But, very desirable...

regards,
kyfdx

ximbri

Hello all!
I have a 01 330i SP/PP. I purchased this vehicle used about two months ago and since then have been trying to pinpoint a location in the backseat of the vehicle where a rattle is coming from. I had thought it might have been the back seats or cushions, so I’ve taken the back seat apart and found everything secure and sound (as well as $4.00!). Now I am wondering if it might be the ‘third-eye’ taillight in the rear window. The trim is secure, however when I tap the trim with my fingers it makes a rattle sound. I took the trim down and did not see anything loose. The pilar trim pieces (with the reading lamps) make the same sound, however I don't know how to remove them.

Anyone have any suggestions of other locations in the rear of the vehicle I might be able to check for rattles? I can’t seam to find this one and it’s riving me nuts! :confuse:

The rattle only sounds when I go over a ‘rippled' or a very bad bumpy road. “We have bad roads here in Seattle”.

The rattle sounds rather like as if you rapidly tap your finger nail to your desktop. Thanks to all in advance for any suggestions!
Ximloe