BMW 3-Series Maintenance and Repair

div2

Glad to help. I like Borbets; they are tough wheels and reasonably light. BBS/Moda wheels are nice but pricey. The Milles are pretty decent as well.

davidd3

I am considering leasing a 2006 325i within the next few months. Until now, I have been partial to Japanese cars for their value and reliabiity. I am coming off-lease on a 2003 Infiniti G35. I got it when it first came out and have enjoyed it greatly. Almost needless to say, I experienced no mechanical problems. Anyway, the G35 whet my appetite to have as my next car the new generation of the ultimate sports sedan. While I am confident that BMW performance and feel are second to none, the same cannot be said for BMW reliability. I am aware that free service/maintenance is included for 4 years or 50,000 miles, but I do not want to be inconvenienced for too many extra weekday visits to the service department. Also, over a 3-year period, I will put on about 55,000. So I would be out of warranty for a short period at the tail end of the lease. I'd rather not pay extra for an extended warranty (Infiniti's warranty covers 60,000 miles). I would appreciate some frank comments from 3-Series owners about 3-Series reliability. Other than for routine maintenance, how many times over a 3 year period (or 55,000 miles) should I expect to have to take my 3-Series to the dealer to have something repaired? Would it be too much of a risk to be out of warranty for the last 5,000 miles of at the tail end of 3-Series lease?

shipo

Other than a few problem components from suppliers (ie. the ignition coils and the aux cooling fans, both of which have been cleared up), the only other problem that I'm aware of is with the automatic transmissions. Having said that, I think that the automatic transmission for the new E90 is a completely different design from what was available on the former E46 3-Series.

As for my own experience, I've spent the last six years in the driver's seat of a BMW (one 3-Series and one 5-Series), and have yet to have a single unscheduled visit to the Service department. Then again, both of my cars had a manual transmission.

Best Regards,
Shipo

armand

I have about 725 miles on my 325XiT and had to replace the "air mass meter" and now am having radio problems (too much static on both AM and FM) - BMW acknowledged the radio problem and is to fix it (I hope) next week. Too soon for any conclusions but these 2 problems are disappointing.

davidd3

Thanks for your encouraging reply.

I

davidd3

What exactly is the "air mass meter?"
Is your radio the standard one or the optional one?

shipo

Regardless of which version of audio system armand has in his E46, it is not the same as either audio system available on the E90.

Best Regards,
Shipo

davidd3

Thanks for pointing that out.

kyfdx

AKA.. mass airflow sensor.. Mine has been replaced as well...

Sensors and meters are known weak spots on the E46.. Of course, a minor problem if you are under warranty..

Not known if that will apply to the E90s.... We'll just have to wait and see...

davidd3

Thanks for clearing that up.

I must accept that a certain risk of unreliability is inherent in the first year of a new model run. Not only have they not had time to work out the kinks, this car is so new that they have not yet even had time to identify the kinks. Given Infiniti's strong reputation for reliability, I felt that this was a risk worth taking on the first G35. I feel much less confident about the reliability of the first E90, but my desire to have the latest and greatest sports sedan will likely overcome my reluctance to buy a brand that is not among the most reliable.

armand

As best I can tell the air mass meter has something to do with contolling the mixing of air and gas before it goes to the engine.

armand

The radio is the standard one.

jimbres

BMW Roadside Assistance jump-started the car this morning without difficulty. I then drove my car to the dealer to have the electrical system checked out. Tech could find nothing wrong & suggested that I simply haven't driven the car enough to keep the battery charged. He's probably right. I don't think I've clocked 300 miles since Thanksgiving.

Given that I don't use the car much during the winter months, the service advisor suggested that I invest in a trickle charger. Not surprisingly, she recommended one sold through their parts department for $150. For that price, I figure that it has to be gold-plated, & I'm sure that I could buy one elsewhere for much less moolah that would get the job done. Any suggestions?

Then again, the most satisfying solution might be to invest in wheels & snow tires so that I can drive the car during the winter.

2004_325ci

Your concern is valid. I bought a 325Ci an year ago and have spent many weekday visits to the dealer due to problems with my car. The clutch went out in less than 9000 miles, they charged me 1200$ for a replacement and it is still slipping. I am just too frustrated to deal with them and have pretty much given up. The radio was replaced due to a lot of static and there have been issues with interior rattling, which remain unresolved to date. I am thinking of switching to a G 35 instead

davidd3

I can personally attest that the G35 is a problem free car and an excellent choice in the sports sedan segment. I have more than 50k miles on mine. The only reason that I am not getting another one is that the car still looks the same as my 2003. One of the advantages of leasing is to change cars every 3 years. I like to change over to whatever is new and fresh. This time around it will likely be the new 3-Series sedan. A new Lexus IS is coming out in the fall. Looks like a terrific car, a much more serious effort by Lexus at making a sports sedan. 300+hp with the 3.5 liter engine. I saw it last month at the NY Auto Show and loved it. But my G35 lease will terminate before it comes out.

gordonwd

I've never been quite clear that everybody means the same thing when they talk about a brand's "reliability". To me, reliability relates more to problems that make a vehicle hard to drive, or it fails to start, or it has a problem that requires you to take it back to the dealer ASAP. So if you find a loose piece of trim in the interior, that's a defect for sure, but would you call your car "unreliable" because of it? I personally would not.

I used to own a particular BMW motorcycle that had an electrical problem that would sometimes drain the battery overnight. Now that's what I call unreliable . But as far as my 325i goes, I have yet to see anything that I would rate as unreliability (or even a minor defect, for that matter). Of course, this attitude might be due to the fact that I go back to the days when it was a routine thing to buy a new car and then be back at the dealer a week later with a whole laundry list of things that needed fixing .

davidd3

That's what I'm talking about - things that need fixing, whether major or minor, that necessitate unscheduled visits to the service department. I had absolutely none of that in 3 years with my G35. No mechanical failures of any kind. Not even an annoying rattle.

I assume that whatever problems occur would be covered under warranty. So for me as a short-term lessee it is really an issue of inconvenience rather than expense. Having owned nothing but Japanese cars so far, I'm not accustomed to bringing my new car back to the dealer with a whole laundry list of things that need fixing.

I'm encouraged by your feedback on your personal experience with a 325i.

potemkin

"One of the advantages of leasing is to change cars every 3 years... But my G35 lease will terminate before it comes out."

Hmmm. Sounds like you've spelled out a disadvantage of leasing.

davidd3

Good point. I am limited to whatever models are available at the time my lease expires. I do not have the flexibility to wait for new models that have not yet hit the showrooms.

But I still always manage to get whatever is new and fresh at the time my leases are up. Last time I got the G35 when it first came out. The new 3-Series that just hit showrooms this month nicely fits the bill for me this time around.

I must confess, however, that I cannot get that yet to be introduced Lexus IS 350 out of my mind. Oh well.

potemkin

Yeah, the new IS is a fine looking piece of machinery, and Toyota's reliability is considered second to none. I almost bought an '05 IS300, but it came down to transmission options.

Me: "I'd like to test drive an IS300 with a manual transmission."
Dealer: "Manual transmission? What's that?"

Oh well, I guess you'll just have to settle for a new 3.

davidd3

No tears.

lenunbiased

Hi, I bought a 2005 325i (e46 I guess) a couple of months ago. What a great little car! I have had one problem that I've not yet taken it in for, and wanted to see if anyone here had similar experience.

If I close the driver's door w/ the window down, it makes the most horrible crashing sound, as if the window (inside the door) is hitting metal. It's such a disconcerting sound that I've never closed the door with the window down after doing it a second time on the 3rd day I owned it, for fear that the window was off the track and was in fact hitting the inside of the door. Anyone ever experience that?

potemkin

I bought my '05 325i back in January and just went outside and checked the doors myself. No disconcerting noise from closing any of the doors.

lenunbiased

Thx for checking your doors.

The other problem I've got is that if I shut the A/C off, the air from the vents smells absolutely putrid for about 15 minutes. That I'm confident is a problem and it's on my list for whenever I get a chance to take it in.

clawd13

I am the unhappy owner of a :lemon: '03 325i. I purchased my car because of the BMW reputation as well as the luck my husband and in-laws have had with their cars (M3, 525 and 325) only to be extremely disappointed. The engine coils (on more that 1 occasion), oxygen sensors, battery (2x) and alternator have all been replaced. This doesn't include the numerous times that my head and tail lights or turn signals have had to be replaced because they burn out. While the dealer is kind enough to give me a loaner or rent me a car I don't feel I should be paying BMW to drive someone else's car.

Good luck

davidd3

Thanks for sharing, and I am sorry that you have had so much aggravation with your car.

What I would like to get a better feel for is whether your experience is the exception or the norm so far as the 3-Series goes. Do you or other readers out there have a sense of that?

gordonwd

I would definitely say the exception. The E46 is a very solid product. Even the original poster says that everyone else in her family with a BMW is apparently quite happy with it. I have not heard on any board of anyone else having this many problems.

davidd3

Thanks. That's what I was hoping to hear!

dhanley

It sounds as if there's something fundamentally wrong with the electrical system. Did you buy it new? Is it lemon-law-able?

If they can't fix it, just don't get stuck with it out of warranty. Maybe they'll be nice due to your troubles and give you a good trade on it.

clawd13

I purchased my car new. I am actually working with the dealer and BMW NA regarding trading in my car. Like I said before my family has been very happy with their cars I just think I got a lemon.

vlm

My 2001 BMW 330i is about to run out it's warranty. BMW offeres a bumper-to-bumper extension to the warranty that covers 3 years or up to 75000 miles. I currently have 47000. It costs $2300. My question is, does this make sense to do? Can I expect incurring $2300 worth of repairs in the next 3 years?

The substantial repairs that I have had are to do with the window mechanism, seatbelt retraction, a battery, and a the alternator.

Did/would you buy the extension?

FWIW, I love this car even more than the IS300 that I had previously.

thanks.

kyfdx

That isn't a BMW extended warranty..

If you are the original owner of your car, you can buy a BMW extended warranty, that basically mirrors the CPO warranty.. two more years and up to 100K total miles..

I don't really have an opinion on the warranty you were offered, other than to say that I never consider third-party warranties..

Chance are, you probably will have more than $2300 in repairs over the next three years... The questions that need to be asked: What portion of those repairs will your warranty actually cover? How difficult will it be to get your warranty company to actually pay for the repairs? Will your warranty company still be in business when you have a claim?

regards,
kyfdx

kominsky

FWIW, my '01 330Ci has about 83K miles and, with the exception of wear and maintenance items, hasn't cost me a dime in repairs yet. It did, however, have several items repaired/replaced while still under warranty. My milage is mostly farm roads, mountain roads and highways, so your experiences may be different if you do a lot of stop-and-go city driving.

BTW, last I heard, BMW didn't offer first party extended warranties, although I haven't looked into it lately.

323ic

The casing on my differential is slowly starting to leak. Two questions:
1. What level should the fluid in my differential be at ?
2. What could cause the slow leak and what are possible fixes for this without breaking the bank?

Thanks

devenj

:confuse: uhhhh........div2.....thanks for the relpy.......???? I actually thought that I would get a 'semi-useful' response from some of the folks here, since BMW's 3-series are so full of problems, but I will take your advise...........only my next car will not be an import!! **...."do try to stay awake while driving......" are you kidding?? In my :lemon: or anyother BMW for that matter, your always expecting 'something' to go wrong so 'sleep' is not an option............'Now, off you go too!!

grega53

I'm looking to buy an absolutely beautiful 1992 325i Convertible as a third car to supplement the family when my daughter starts work. This car has 95,000 miles on it, but runs great. A friend, who is a big BMW fan, drove it and says it's great, but too expensive ($9,000). That aside, when I went to drive it for the second time,the dealer told me the Check Engine light was on and would have to be reset. He stated that "this happens when they sit for a while", and not to worry. The car started and ran great, but this Check Engine Light is a new one on me? Is he totally full of baloney?

Thanks.

kyfdx

Find another car... Your friend was right.. $9K is way too much for an E30 convertible..

If you really want a BMW convertible, move on up to an E36 '95-'96 vert.. For somewhere between $9500-$12K, you should be able to find a decent one.. Or at least in better shape than that '93.

While I love the E30 coupes, the verts were not so good... You'll be much better off in the next model up...

regards,
kyfdx

div2

I've never been a big fan of drop-tops, since I can't take 'em on the track. That said, just letting the car sit won't cause the CEL to illuminate. The dealer sounds like a practiced liar and since-as kyfdx correctly noted-$9k is way too much coin for a cab of that vintage. Keep looking; ther are much better cars and deals out there.

div2

"BMW's 3-series are so full of problems"
You can say that again; my 1995 E36 has 96000 miles on it and sees the track or an auto-x course 2-3 times per year. Unscheduled maintenance has consisted of one set of front pads, a timing chain tensioner, and new serpentine belts and idler pulleys(the tensioner and belts were replaced as a precaution and the cost was under $125). Maintenance and repair costs(including three sets of 225/50-ZR16 tires) averages about $35/month. I just don't know why I've driven BMWs for 22 years; they're just so unreliable. Case in point-my wife's 121000 mile 1997 528iA. It still uses no oil and returns 27 mpg at an average speed of 80 mph. In the past three years all it has needed is regular maintenance, a windshield washer pump($31), a fuel filler door hinge($13), @$20 worth of bulbs and a new set of pads($150). BTW, today we took it on a 220 mile interstate jaunt. It's still tight and rattle free; probably more so than many domestic sedans with 1200 miles.

barneyea

My daughter just purchased a 3 series convertible and the power top does not work. The previous owner said they were expensive to fix and he just opened it manually.

Where can I get a schemation for the top and other information?

Where would you start looking?

armand

I have a new '05 325 XiT with under 1000 miles on it and so far the gas mileage has been very poor even recognizing it is still breaking in. Mixed suburban and open road (about 40/60) is giving me about 17 mpg. I assume it will get better but how much? My '04 Acura TL that weighs about the same gets (and did even when breaking in) about 5 mpg better.

jimm718

I have a silver 1999 323i. There is about a 6"x 9" patch on the left rear quarter, behind the wheel, where the clearcoat has peeled away. The underlying paint is fine, it's just the clearcoat.

Anyone else experience this problem?

Also, I have about 93,000 miles on the car. I love it but I'm worried about future maintenance. What kind of things should I be worrying about, other than the usual - brakes and tires?

kasperghost

Mold- When you turn off the A/C, the temp. difference w/ the outside causes condensation in the ventilation system kindof like a soda (beer- sorry) on a hot day. Cure might be as easy as spraying disinfectant (mold killer) in the vents- slim chance. I have seen it work though. Long term cure is turning off AC 2-3 minutes before you get to point b. You will feel a rush of humid air that is condensing after a minute or two that would of been the air freshener you currently enjoy.

bmwphd

Hi Jaj,

I have also experienced problems with the 5-speed on a 325i; the worst thump occurs if I disengage the clutch slowly when shifting out of 1st gear. From the messages posted on this forum we are not the only ones. Apparently BMW of NA has issued a service bulletin; I am trying to find it. I think the service shop has to install a rubber dampener somewhere on the driveline. I'll take my car to the dealership to have them look at it.

Let me know if you find anything in the meantime.

Iulian

r_l_edison

Did you ask the dealership about it? I was awaiting a response from the Service Manager and never got one. I've continued to fidget with the adjustments on mine since then with the hopes that the seat will eventually "break-in" to a comfortable position with time...it's gotten slightly better, but a simple move over to the passenger seat makes it very obvious that the driver's seat cushion just doesn't tilt down as much at the front edge, and isn't centered squarely behind the steering wheel...very disappointing since this severely limits the enjoyment of what is suppose to be a "driver's" car Instead of looking forward to driving my 330xi, I instead look for any excuse to take my Boxster instead, which has a fantastic driving position and ergonomics.

jaj

I took mine into the dealership and they said they updated some software. I thought I noticed some improvement immediately thereafter but I'm not at all certain about that now. In any case I'm still not very satisfied with the shifting action. I never would have guessed this was any kind of software issue. Please update with any info re service bulletin or any other suggestions. Thanks.

-JAJ

navyguy1990

I'm looking at a 2001 325i with sports package, leather, karman-harmon stereo, with 33,000 for $18,500. Having researched this site, I realize this is a good price, but I'm interested in reliability and performance inputs from a current owner or previous owner. I've previously owned 2000 Mercedes ML320, and I swore off all German automobile. I absolutely fell in love with the tight drive.
Appreciate any input.
Navyguy

ponytrekker

The German cars handle better. The Japanese are more reliable. I am 2 years into a 3 year lease of a 325. The car has been to the dealer roughly a dozen times, mostly for minor issues, including state inspections and scheduled maintenance (brakes, oil changes), but for at least one major one (ignition coils). Other issues I have had are transmission software update, brake light harness, thermostat. But the total cost has been $74 for two state inspections. Everything else: free.

Driving a leased car out of warranty totally defeats the purpose, especially where one out-of-warranty problem can be a fortune. My suggestion is to either buy a BMW with an extended warranty or to lease the Infiniti.

davidd3

I appreciate your information and advice.

On a 36 month lease, I might be able to hold my mileage down to 50,000 i/o 55,500, so as to never go out of warranty. So the BMW lease is still an option for me.

dl7265

I hate to even go here, because you may not even notice, but i think its fair to mention. For 2001 MY BMW decided to "lighten up the steering". Under extreme protest the next MY was returned. What Im not so sure about is that there were several owners that had retro fixes done. Your preowned might have allready. Im also not sure here at 05/2005 what they would or wouldn't do.

Good Luck,
DL