BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

brave1heart · July 2002

My new Sumi's have zero tramlining. Tramlining is more common with wider low profile high performance tires but a lot depends on the tire itself. Keep in mind that there is much more to the sport package than tires.

As far as rattles and squeaks, I've had 3-4 different types that have all been resolved by the dealer. My 325i has a solid feel that I think will last for many miles and years. If luxury is more important than performance, though, you will be happier with a 5-series.

Happy 4-th, gang! It's right smack in the middle of 3- and 5-...a nice compromise for those who can't decide between the two cars ;o)

ccotenj · July 2002

and soon to be a reality, judging from the latest roundel...

as far as the "overly picky" person... uhhh... yea, you might be a little overly picky... the suggestion above of a lexus probably is correct for you... my old man's es is completely soundless... of course, that equates to characterless in my book, but that's just me...

-Chriss

schumacher2 · July 2002

Well, I can't wipe the grin off my face. Just took possession of my 325Ci yesterday, just in time for the holiday. She's a beaut, titanium silver, black leather, PP & HK. Production was completed on 6/8, shipped on 6/19, hit port of Charleston on 6/28, and I was driving her on 7/3. So far, everything has gone without a hitch and everything seems to be working perfectly. Interestingly enough she came with Pirelli all season tires (205/55R 16 91H). Was curious as to the general consensous with regard to the Pirellis? Also, I am having trouble interpreting the tire pressure chart on the inside frame of the driver's door. If I am reading it correctly, I think for two passengers I should have the rears at 35psi and the fronts at 30psi. Does this seem correct? Currently it looks like they have 35psi all around. Anyway just stopped home for a bite to eat. Time to hit the road and work on that break in period! Thanks for all the great info.

petrarch · July 2002

NH is such a beautiful state, and I'm a bit homesick. Guess I was getting excited for you. :-) Thanks for the info.

Oh, btw, is the company you'll be working for hiring? Sorry for the shameless networking, but Silicon Valley isn't looking too promising. Although gainfully employed now, it's only a matter of time...

May I at least send you my resume? ;-)

shipo · July 2002

Ummm, well the company I will be working with is still quite small (like $3.5 million per year) with only a few dozen employees in the U.S., three or four in Europe and they have a small semi-captive prototyping/tool and die/manufacturing outfit in Taipei. So, at this point, it may be a little early for them to be doing any hiring, that said, give us a year or two and things may change. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

bmw323is · July 2002

I'm on your side about the rattles and such, although I'm a bit more relaxed about them. I've had my car in to the dealer 3 times now for the seat belt rattles. The first time for the TSB "click" in which they broke a trim peice that necessitated two more trips to fix (one to order and one to install). The second time they just said they couldn't hear anyting so I told them to forget it. The last time (I had to try again cause being two inches from my ear, it drives me crazy), they just sprayed silicon everywhere. I took me 90 minutes to clean the car. I'm done trying, and living with it. Even though I'm 6'3", if I move the height adjuster down to the lowest level, the current "creaking" noise is better. The seat belt now goes around my shoulder instead of over it.

I also have occassional "popping" noises coming from the parcel shelf, but I'm not even going to try to get that fixed.

Like you, I still love the car for it's driving feel and handling (don't want a Lexus). I'd be surprised if you could only spend $6,000 for the upgrade even with ED. I've had the same thoughts about moving to the 5, but for me, I would want the 530, and without ED, I would be talking nearly $20,000 (including taxes) - that is crazier than living with a few rattles!

brave1heart · July 2002

The latest Automobile magazine had the new Z4 on its cover and some pretty good spy shots to boot. The rear looks totally like an S2000 to me and I have mixed feelings about the front (the Mercury Cougar does come to mind) but overall, its styling looks fresh.

I read the article on long-term boots in Roundel last night. I thought you'd love that "2% science and 98% marketing" comment they made on all-season tires. Also, I think that although they try to sound upbeat about all the tires they reviewed, I could detect some irony when they were talking about those bionic Contis. They must have had a few chuckles writing that part ;o)

mschukar · July 2002

Here's an article on the new Z4: http://www.BMWnation.com/articles/z4_arrives.html

I kind of like the new look.

-murray

orkwis · July 2002

I want to comment on the professionalism of my salesman here in the States, Ed Besl, The BMW Store in Cincinnati. I took my ED about 5 weeks ago and got a very quick run through in Munich. The guy was very young and appeared to be just getting comfortable with fluent English. His briefing was sufficient for safety but not entirely thorough. To be fair, I had 2 hours of sleep on the plane and was anxious to get 5 hours of driving in that day, that should also be coupled with the fact that it was the day before a holiday and very busy at the Friemann delivery center. That said, I've got to say that Ed at the BMW Store really did a thorough job of explaining EVERYTHING before I took it out on the road again, even though it was the very end of his day. I now really understand what I was tinkering with on the Autobahn while driving 95!

FWIW, try to avoid taking delivery before a holiday in Germany. I'd also have gotten in a day earlier or scheduled an immediate stop in Munich if I'd had a little more control over my schedule. Places to go, people to meet and all. Of course, sleep is overated..anyone with young kids will understand. Lastly, keep in mind that they give you a 50 Euro coupon for food at the cafe in the delivery center. Had I been thinking I'd have taken something with me!

Final word: Just took delivery yesterday and now the wife wants to replace her SUV as well. X5 is a possibility but doesn't have the 3rd row seat (an absolute must with 3 boys). It is interesting to see, without exception, the reaction to my new 325 from the salesman at the other dealerships. It's like their cars don't exist anymore!

ddblue · July 2002

The future of BMW design has me worried. I took a look at the link for the Z4, and I can't say I'm too happy about it.

- The use of too many lines take away from any fluidity that the Z3 had. I wasn't a huge fan of that design, but at least it was classy and elegant. What is with the Roundel behind the front wheel arches and the line that bisects it? Who's the MENSA reject who came up with that one? Bring back the Z3 vent!
- I have nothing good to say about the posterior of the Z4. Clearly a case of trying too hard or the answer to a question no one asked. What's with the brake lights? The whole end just looks like a pregnant S2000 .
- The headlights are too busy, esp w/ the parking lights that wrap around the bottom.
- The kidney bean grill is too far below the headlights. This is consistent with the new 7, breaking up the line along the front. Looks like someone with their facial parts in the wrong location.
- Other than the crisp and clearly roomier interior, there's not much I can say that's positive about this car.

I'm sure it will look better in person than in photos (like the new 7 does), but I'm still not a fan. The new trend in BMW design has me stumped. What are they thinking over there? I want to hold onto my E46 for as long as I can. Wonder how they're going to bludgeon the 3 when the redesign comes around?

ccotenj · July 2002

in all likelihood, the e46 might be the last of the 3-series...

i like the way the z4 looks... but as someone pointed out to me on another board, that might be because i tend to like all things bmw...

yea, brave, i got a kick out of that line...

-Chris

cotmc · July 2002

I've been giving some consideration to the 5-series, also. I test drove an '02 525i manual with PP and SP. I was greatly..., no, stupendously impressed with everything on this 525i except for one important factor: It did not have the low- and mid-level torque that I wanted in an automobile. The acceleration was just a little too slow for my style of driving. I, too, expected a 525i to accelerate similar to a 325i. Unfortunately, I noticed the difference, and I'm now ruling out the 525i.

Instead, I'm going to keep an eye on a good deal for a used and/or CPO 528i or 530i. More likely, I'll be ordering a 2003 3-series. '99 528i CPO models seem to run between $33k-35k, and '00 models are a few thousand more. It's hard for me to pay as much for an '00 528i as I would pay for an '03 330i.

bmw323is · July 2002

Like all BMW's the designs seem to grow on folks over time. Like it or not, it seems that Mr. Bo-Bangle and company know how to design cars that sell. Everyone is entitled to their personal subjective opinion (ain't life grand?), but the sales numbers keep going up for newly designed BMW's. That is simple objective fact.

dl7265 · July 2002

WOW i never expected all those issues. it seems the early E46 ala mine and Shipos former were the best.... i did fail to mention i had a headlight bulb go out and stopped in the nearest dealer who replaced it in 2 minutes and did not even hold me up to write it up.I consider myself pretty picky and i dont have any of those noise/squeak issues you describe.

Just from light reading it appeared the E46 , being the newer has been more reliable the the former and current E39 ? 5er. That said i drove a 528i for about a month and only issue was reaching in the center console for the window lifts that were not there ! habits hard to break ... lol

Good luck in your choiceDL

dl7265 · July 2002

Bo Bangle lol thats funny...

Happy 4th

DL

rascal8 · July 2002

Congrats on your delivery! I bet someone is going to need pry you out of the drivers seat sometime this weekend

Just running to the QuickyMart for a loaf of bread will now be a small adventure.
Your car is configured very similar to mine. I have a 2001 325ci, silver/black leather(the best combo out there), PP, SP, HK, 5-speed. The only modifications I have made include installing clear lenses (it does make the car look much cleaner and sportier), a lite window tint job, and a UUC clutch stop (it does make a big difference). Again congrats, and what are you doing reading this you should be out driving!

brave1heart · July 2002

<<<the sales numbers keep going up for newly designed BMW's>>>

If the new 7 is any indication, the above statement would be incorrect - see link below -

http://bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/forums/e46/forum.php?postid=818322&page=3

kyyuan · July 2002

I hope everyone had, or are still having, a good Fourth celebration.

Quick question/survey: What is everyone's thought on fold-down rear seats? I've heard that the rigidity of 330i sedan may suffer a bit from it. Practically speaking, is this "reduced" rigidity something that I would notice?

JingleJill:
Thanks. I'll definitely ask for items such as tinting, floor mats, and cargo net. Hey, I just got a quote from Autobahn--pretty darn good.

Thanks,

Ken

idletask · July 2002

Hi kyyuan,

Dismiss that myth. The whole rigidity of a car is dictated by its chassis, seats have nothing to do with that. The chassis simply has to be large enough to accomodate the seats within, that's pretty much all

brave1heart · July 2002

If there is a slight difference, you won't notice it. That said, I had folding rear seats in my old car and I probably used that option twice over the 4 years that I owned it.

nyccarguy · July 2002

Maybe I'm showing my (young) age here, but I like what I see in the photos of the new Z4. The front looks aggressive and (looking at the glass as half full) the rear to me resembles the back end of a Ferrari 550 Maranello (before the flaming starts, I said resembles:) IMHO. The car is going to look great when we see it in person. When is it coming stateside? Is this new Z4 going to be built on the E46 platform?

As far as BMW designs growing on me, I have to say that when the E36 came out in (1992?) I didn't like it. Granted I was 16 and wanted a 5.0 Mustang GT, but I was still a fan of the old E30. E36s still manage to turn my head to this day. I like many of you was not a fan of the new 7 when it was released, especially in the photos (The interior is still funky looking to me). I really likt the looks of the 7 series with the optional 19" wheels. It is a long, wide, & tall car that (to me) has the presence of the previous generation (1992-1999) Mercedes-Benz S-Class. I'm a HUGE fan of the old 740i SP and put one of those next to a new 7 and it looks out dated already.

zer2 · July 2002

Hate to beat a dead horse, but what I was once told, and have found it works very well to get rid of blind spots: Adjust your mirrors so that when a car leaves your rearview mirror it begins to enter your side mirror. If your mirrors are set up this way there will usually be very little if any blind spots and cars will be beside you as they leave your side mirror. The easiest way to do this is to get in the center lane of a three lane street and drive just a little slower than traffic so that cars come up from behind, then pass, very slowly. As the cars pass in the lanes to your left or right, adjust your mirrors so that the front bumper of the passing car is entering your side mirror as it is leaving your rearview mirror. This gives you a sort of panoramic view toward the rear of your car (from left side, to rear, to right side). I've found this works really well and eliminates all but maybe a quarter of a car length of blind spots. Needless to say, but I'll say it, is your side mirrors will be adjusted way farther out than most people are used to, but this way you can see what is to your side/back rather than three views, from the three mirrors, of the same thing behind you. You don't need to see the side of your own car. Hope this helps, it worked for me.

riez · July 2002

They might not get used much, but when they do you really needed them and are glad you have them. (My 540i6 has 'em but my wife's 323iA doesn't. I've only used a couple times, but was glad. Also have 'em in my beater car. Use 'em there for things like taking yard waste to dump and taking kids bicycles to gas station when their tires are flat.)

idletask · July 2002

kyyuan,

If ever your assertion came from someone who 1. has fold down seats and 2. feels they squeak, then it's very good indication that there is a problem with the chassis itself. In this case I'd urge this guy to go visit his local dealer. Altered chassis rigidity is many the worst thing that can happen to a car.

rascal8 · July 2002

Last year I puchased a product called an Autobahn Mirror. It is real small mirror that adheres to the lower left corner of your windshield. It completely eliminates blind spots and is especially usefull for high speed highway driving. I don't even turn my head anymore to execute safe lane changes. I highly recommend it. Several on-line sites sell it (GriotsGarage.com, ProperAutoCar.com, etc.) or do a Google search on "Autobahn Mirror".

hgeyer · July 2002

I have a MY2002 (post 9/01 build) 330i with 4,000 miles on it. I enjoy the growl that comes with this model, but over the past 2 weeks I've begun to notice a very loud noise coming from under the hood.

The noise resembles that of a very loud fan and it occurs when I accelerate from a stop and only after the car has warmed up. I've noticed this only on super-hot (100+) days - it began on the first hot day of this summer.

I recall there being an issue with auxiliary fans on the E46, but thought that this had been resolved prior to MY2002.

I haven't noticed a drop in performance, yet I wonder if this noise may be the engine trying to increase airflow, given the hotter climate. Is this noise common or should I have it looked at by the dealer?

Thanks

mschukar · July 2002

The easiest way to do this is to get in the center lane of a three lane street and drive just a little slower than traffic so that cars come up from behind, then pass, very slowly. As the cars pass in the lanes to your left or right, adjust your mirrors

Why not just park in your driveway and adjust to the details in the mirrors? ie find a detail (tree, neighbors garage, etc.) at the edge of the rearview mirror and adjust the side mirrors to that detail.

Sounds a lot safer and easier than doing it on a highway.

-murray

p.s. Ever wonder why we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?

seivwrig · July 2002

I hear the same noise or sound. It sounds like the intake. It does not bother me. I guess I would probably have to drive someone elses car or one with a CAI. But that is my conclusion, got to be related to the intake. Does sound like the car trying to inhale air.

joes230 · July 2002

I'm thinking about getting a 330i SP. I like the look and handling of the SP. However I do lots of interstate driving. During a test drive, it's hard to evaluate noise and fatigue factors that might only appear after several hours.

Can 3-series SP owners comment on the long distance comfort (including seats and noise level) of their cars?

- joe

cnorthrup · July 2002

Here are two sites to glance at:

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/useyourmirfo.html

http://www.ibiblio.org/rdu/rearview.html

CNorthrup

claywaterfill · July 2002

That is very good advice. I can't get my wife to use it, she always adjusts them way too far in. The way I adjust them is to do it at a stop light. I adjust the mirrors so that the car behind the car next to me is square in the mirror. It works for me. It takes A LOT of getting used to; but, the first time you think there is no car off your rear quarter panel and then you glance your mirror and see that there is, you know it's the only way to go.

brave1heart · July 2002

Most people (including me) love the sports seats but some owners have complained about them. I think the bolsters are spaced a tad too far and ideally, they should have been closer at the rear for a more snug fit. A lot of it depends on how your body is shaped. The longest I've driven my 325i SP without getting out of the seat is about 4 hours. I felt no fatigue whatsoever and I felt that I could go on for at least another 3-4 hours. If you like to slouch in the seat, though, they would not be very comfortable. The seats are firm and contoured in a way that forces you to sit straight. The bolsters could have had a bit more padding but they do get the job done fine under aggressive driving. At cruising speed, there is a slight wind noise which I don't typically notice. Overall, the car is very comfortable for long trips - designed to cover a lot of ground fast without tiring the driver.

seivwrig · July 2002

Brave:Don't you still think that sport seats and sports cars in general are created for a certain size and height. I used to subscribe to Automobile Magazine, Motor Trend and Autoweek, and seem as though when Italian and British cars are tested by people over 6 ft, there tends to be complaints of room. Now given the Sport seats don't fit you like a Sparco seat, but I have developed a middle age spread at 33 years old. At 27 years old, I might have said I need more padding but I think body shape dictates the comfort of the seats. The sports seats in the 3er are quite good and if I were the only driver that would be fine.

I have had dreams of owning a Lotus Elise Exige (177 BHP, 124 lb-ft, 0-60 in 4.7 mph and more than 30 mpg). I would not buy a U.S. specs if it ever happened and I know that most of the people that I know would not fit well in it. So, who are these European sports cars made for anyway? I'm 5'8", 190 lbs to 200 ibs and can fit in just about anything as long as my soccer leg does not give (Corvettes are out because I have a problem crawling out.) But really who are these cars for. I could never make sense of the 6'8" basketball player that is forced to buy a targa top Ferrari that he cannot drive on a rainy day.

bmw323is · July 2002

Brave, you don't believe everything you read on roadfly do you? The site below (I hope I copied the link right, if not it's autosite.com) shows the the 7 series sold 8,888 vehicles thru May of 2002 versus 5,801 for the prior year - a 53% increase! In fact, I thought you were the person that originally turned me on to the autosite web site.

http://www.autosite.com/editoria/asmr/svolfc.asp

dl7265 · July 2002

Just wondered if they matched or beat the Temple dealer ?

Sportseats: i agree with brave on this, i just had 2 different 2001 325i Non sport loaners and i tell you my bum was killing me , i was so thankful to get my Sport back!!! The only negative i mentioned before is a little wear on side bolster entering and exiting..

DL

purchasingsoon · July 2002

I love my sport seats. They are very comfortable, and one of my favorite features on the car. Agree w/brave1heart, slight wind noise is audible if you turn the radio down but who drives with the radio off?
it should be noted that i have the smaller 2.5L engine.

brave1heart · July 2002

You are right that YTD sales would be a better indicator than monthly sales. Based on YTD sales, the 7-series is selling vey well. I'd have to wonder if the June sales slump was a fluke or the beginning of a trend, though. And to be fair, the economic slowdown should somehow be factored into this too...

Autosite's numbers seem to be behind by a month or so. They just published the May numbers at the end of June. As far as the other board, there is a lot of junk there but there are a few posters that are very knowledgeable and the poster from the link is one of them.

kyyuan · July 2002

DL,

I never did initiate contact with the dealer in Temple; however, I did talk to Dave at Mike Pile's BMW in Tyler. (I may have mis-typed in my earlier posting) Are you ready? The deal I got was ED invoice plus $1,250. For my specs, a loaded 330i, the price comes out to about $36,000. I think I got a little bit of a special treatment from the salesperson in that he forgot to return my drivers license and insurance card after my test drive; I was already half way back to Dallas.

Well, as soon as my career situation settles down a bit, I'll pull the trigger on that 330i, with orient blue and natural brown interior.

Ken

kyyuan · July 2002

Thanks for your inputs. I think all of you are right in that if there were any rigidity difference, I probably won't appreciably notice it. As idletask mentioned, it has to be the chasis.

I thought about not ordering fold-down rears; however, as a single guy with one car, the additional cargo room from the fold-downs might come handy.

Ken

rjg96 · July 2002

on the 3 vs 5 issue. I'm still undecided as to whether I want to spend atleast $6k to upgrade to a slower car. I'm not looking for Lexus levels of noiselessness- I like engine noise, road noise, and don't mind tire noise and wind noise too much. In fact, the reason I notice all of these sounds is that I like to drive w/ the radio off just to listen to engine. Its just clicks, rattles and squeaks that I have a problem with. Although, if Lexus cold get their act together and produce a less cheesy version of the IS, I'd strongly consider it.

I also don't think you need to buy a Lexus or even a luxury car to achieve these things. A friend of mine has a diesel VW beetle-- and i was riding w/ him the other night over rough roads (the kind that turn my car into a rattle symphony). The only noise I heard in his car was a solid "thump" as we went over bumps. I noticed that I couldn't actually make any of the interior trim squeak by pressing on it and everything actually seemed more tightly constructed than on my car. His car had 60k miles on it btw.

Unfortunately, I hate nearly everthing else about the car, so I guess its not a real option. But if VW can mass-produce a 17k diesel car that feels solid-- I don't know why BMW can't do this for 30k+. I guess this also confirmed to me that my standards aren't unrealistic in the automotive world. I think if I decide to replace my car, I'm going to get a car with cloth (not leather or vinyl). I think this goes go a long way to quieting down any interior.

Shipo-- thanks for the offer to let me drive your 530-- that's very generous of you. I'll think about it. If I do decide to move forward w/ a 5- i'll probably just ask my dealer to loan me one over a weekend to see if it is as rattle-free as I hope.

Brave-

I think there really might be something to your comment that the 99 and 00 3 series were better constructed. I had a 99 323 loaner a while ago and it made less noises than my 01. This could've also been due to lack of the tighter sp suspension though.

I had another "pleasant" experience w/ my friendly neighborhood BMW dealer on Friday. I took it in to have a the shop foreman try and diagnose the loose on-center feel (its been like this since they did the retrofit a few months ago). He couldn't feel anything (of course) , but said that he'd take a look to see if "everything was tight". Then, the service write told me that she'd have to charge me $88 for the tech's time to look at it! Needless to say I walked out. This reminded me of how much I hate all of the BMW dealers I've been to, and why I should really try and like another brand/model. Unfortunately, I can't really warm up to anything else-- except maybe a Passat or an A4. But, I really don't like the driving experience too much in Audi/VW products. Oh well. Alhough, the hopeless, angry and frustrated feeling I get when I drive my car doesn't do much for the driving experience either.

mschukar · July 2002

But if VW can mass-produce a 17k diesel car that feels solid-- I don't know why BMW can't do this for 30k+

My '02 325i from South Africa feels very solid, more so than our 5 year old Volvo. Granted, it only has 4k miles on it, but I can't seem to find any of your concerns on my car. Perhaps I just have lower standards :-)

-murray

brave1heart · July 2002

The latest Roundel published data from JD Power & Associates' Initial Quality Survey, which measures problems reported per 100 units sold in the first 90 days of ownership. Key points:
- BMW is ranked third overall manufacturing conglomerate behind Toyota/Lexus and Honda/Acura. Volvo (part of GM) is also ahead of it, which puts BMW in 5-th spot in the ranking for best brand in terms of initial quality.
- The 3-series is ahead of the 5-series
- the Rosslyn factory in South Africa and the Munich plant are the second and third best IN THE WORLD behind only a Toyota plant in Japan. So if your 3-series was made in one of these two factories, it's likely to have some of the best qualilty.
- The Rosslyn factory in South Africa is slightly ahead of the factory in Munich with 85 problems reported vs. 87 for the Munich plant. Anyone concerned about S.A. build quality, take note.
- BMW ranked highest of any European brand. It was ahead of Porsche, Mercedes, Audi, and Jaguar (in the same order). Interestingly enough, Jaguar fell from 2-nd spot to 19-th with a little help from Ford.

mschukar · July 2002

Here is a link to some of the data Brave mentioned: http://www.jdpa.com/presspass/pr/pressrelease.asp?ID=2002040

As I've said before, I'm not as concerned about initial quality as long term reliablility. To that note, how many 30 year old Japanese (vs. European & American) sedans do you see on the road?

Thanks for the news Brave. Makes me feel better about my SA 325

-murray

riez · July 2002

mschukar... AS regards 30 years ago, keep in mind how few Japanese-marque dealers there were ack then and how few Japanese-built cars were sold in USA, esp. outside West and East coasts, back then.

The European marques were seemingly firmly entrenched back then. Is amazing how many VWs were sold annually in USA pre-1975. Not to mention fact there were tons of established European marques now long gone from our shores: Fiat, Peugoet (can't remember how to spell this marque), Triumph, MG, British Leyland, Rover, Lancia, Alfa, Austin, Jensen, Healey, and more.

But notice that all the then bigger Japanese marques--Toyota, Datsun, and Honda--survived and pretty much prospered. And we added new ones like Suzuki and Mitsubishi. Thinking Daihatsu is the only marque that ended up failing in USA.

And keep in mind that a ton of American cars were sold back then but most weren't worth putting on the road when they came new from factory. Very few 30-yr-old American cars still on road really worth keeping on road. I see beaten up Novas spewing clouds of smoke. Old Mavericks and Pintos rusted badly and losing parts. Lowly Valiants, Gremlins, and Hornets in poor shape. The odd LTD, Impala, or Monaco. Some Monte Carlos, Grand Prixs, Cutlasses, and Cordobas. Few worth a darn then and not many worth anything today. The only American cars back then worth keeping on road today are a few muscle cars and convertibles.

ultrarunner · July 2002

I don't think you can fault all of the American Cars. The early Japanese models in the 60's and 70's were Very prone to rust.

I still have the plymouth valiant I bought used 25 years ago for $800. All I do is change the oil every 2500 miles and I replaced a $40 timing chain and $45 water pump once. It has room for 6 and can tow my trailer without any trouble. The only thing I can fault it for is the amount of gas it uses. For that matter I still have my 1931 Ford Pick up for the last 30 years. I guess it is all how you look at things and what your expectations are.

dl7265 · July 2002

Thats awsome you got a great deal. I was about to give up hope on our local dealers opps BMW Centers. If theres someone your working with that ud like to refer maybe you can get a finders fee lol, you can Email me direct if you prefer at
Silvert323@aol.com

take care,
DL

butmywife · July 2002

Had a Pioneer 12 cd changer installed yesterday. I have no idea how to get to cds 7-12 as the display buttons stop at number six! The audio manual has no information on this problem so I was wondering if anyone has a suggestion?

Thanks, ButMyWife

seivwrig · July 2002

I don't believe the BMW head unit is set up for a six disc changer. You will probably have to buy a remote. You might want to pose this question on Bimmer.org or Bimmerfest.com

kbhockey · July 2002

I stopped by 3 rivers BMV today to peruse their inventory of 3s-not much, but they do have a preponderance of xi's-mostly 330s. Question is do you think they will deal since it is mid/late 02 and these look to be ordered in winter-or for a forecast of a bad winter, one that never happened, BTW.

-KR,
kbhockey

lokki · July 2002

I had this come up with my car regarding a B-pillar rattle that they were having trouble hearing.

I agreed to the examination charge; they found a piece that was broken and I was not charged anything at all -everything was then covered under warranty.

I think that you would have gotten the same deal.. If they'd found any problem that was covered under warranty, you would not have been charged. You might want to ask your service rep if that's the situation with your car . I have to say that I've been pretty pleased with my BMWs - there have been a few small things that I've had done under warranty, but there's also been a determination (for lack of a better word) from BMW to make me a happy customer.

At this point, however, I don't think that you'd be happy with another BMW - you'd always have some hard feelings or suspicions in the back of your mind. The point of driving a BMW is the pleasure it gives you to drive one. You don't have that anymore, for whatever reason. I suggest that you consider another make.

BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles