BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

kdshapiro · May 2004

"but then we all know of recent problems with the Steptronics"

Yes and we all know of recent problems with Honda trannies also.

memphis10 · May 2004

Are the paddle shifters on the 3/5 series different from the M3 setup. I drove a 530 SMG during a test drive and I was told that you could use any one paddle to upshift or downshift depending on whether you are pushing it or pulling it. I tried it but couldn't get it right and used the lever instead. I thought on the M3 one paddle was to downshift and the other to upshift and the only action was a push.

eman6628 · May 2004

On my 330ci, the paddles that stick out on the steering wheel, when push away from you (using the thumb) is for down shifting (I think, as I mostly use the stick) and the part of the paddle that is hidden behind the steering wheel, when pull (push using the index or middle finger) toward you is for upshifting.

Kirstie_H · May 2004

Don't forget tonight's member-to-member chat - it's open mic night, so come and discuss whatever's on your mind.

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6-7pm PT/9-10pm ET. Drop by for live chat with other members. Hope you can join us!

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muzzy325i · May 2004

The driver experience, act of shifting, with a SMG is not much differnet than a Step, but the SMG is "attached" the same manual transmission that a regular stick BMW has (it still rolls backwards on a hill). No power robbing torque converter with a SMG. I do agree, have concerns, with the long term reliability of the SMG and I do pefere a regular stick but that was not an option for me. BTW, The SMG can be shifted up or down by either of the steering wheel paddles or the cetner stick. I have also heard on other boards that you can get the SMG wheel and replace the wheel that comes with a STEP and shift with the paddles, very easily, DIY.

brave1heart · May 2004

I have not seen the ad but I do NOT believe it is possible. I'd stay away from it. The most ANYONE could get out of a CAI for the E46 was 11 lb/ft torque or so...

brave1heart · May 2004

I rode with one of my instructor's E46 M3 with SMG on the track last year. It is pretty impressive how fast it shifts and how well it blips the RPMs under downshifting. Even riding, though, I felt somewhat detached from the road. I trust that SMG will outperform a manual for the vast majority of drivers out there but an experienced driver will do better with a manual. None of us is probably experienced enough but unless we keep trying with a manual, we will not progress as fast. Same goes for ABS and any other electronics - most drivers will stop better using ABS but a moderately advanced driver will stop faster using threshold braking.

nyccarguy · May 2004

Just a quick question, are the majority of you here still swearing by your V1s (in you 3ers) as you did a few years ago? Does anybody have experience with the Passport 8500 X50 (new one w/ blue display)?

Thanks!

brave1heart · May 2004

They are both very good. I've been pretty happy with the V1 and one of my friends has the Passport and he swears by it. Go with whatever's cheaper and you like better. Just keep in mind that R/Ds are a supplement to your vision, not a foolproof tool that will bail you out each time.

budmantom · May 2004

I test drove a 97 328i and the car was impressive, the gas pedal was a bit different than what I am use to it's almost like a two stage pedal.

  When I was driving the car the owner told me to floor it to see what it had when I did at 35mph the car broke traction(the tires spun) when it up shifted at about 50mph, to me it was no big thing until the owner asked me what I did wrong, so I did it again. The car did shift @ 6500 rpm and the owner said that I took it past the red-line.

  He also said that the "brake booster" might need to be replaced at about $1000, the bakes did feel soft.

  Does this sound normal for this vehicle?

Any and all comments would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Tom

shipo · May 2004

One assumes that you were driving a 328i with an automatic transmission. Yes, no?

If that is the case, I cannot comment as I had a 5-Speed in my 328i (1999), and the pedal was nicely linear in response.

Best Regards,
Shipo

budmantom · May 2004

Yeah it's an automatic.

Tom

nyccarguy · May 2004

I know the RD is a supplement for good awareness and cop perception. It is actually for my Dad who at 58 just bought his 1st BMW, an '04 X5 3.0iA SP a few months ago. He loves it and actually finds himself driving it faster than he usually would in his previous vehicle(an '01 QX4). He's looking for some extra protection, that's all. Thanks for your post. He likes the cordless Passport. The V1 has been around for 12 years and hasn't changed much (while I'm sure radar technology has).

BTW if there are any neysayers out there who speak ill about BMWs reliability or the fact that the X5 isn't built well because it is built here in the US instead of Germany, my Dad's X5 fit and finish is nothing short of superb and in the 3 months and 5600 miles he's had it, not one hiccup.

blueguydotcom · May 2004

The V1 has been around for 12 years and hasn't changed much (while I'm sure radar technology has).

Um, that's totally wrong. The look of the V1 hasn't changed but what it does has. They're always upgrading the V1 and unlike anyone else, you can send your unit back to be flashed with the latest software and/or upgraded when internal changes merit for a low price.

The V1 has something no other system offers - arrows. knowing where the radar is coming from helps tremendously. If it's behind me, I know a cop is approaching. If it's ahead and approaching at a super fast rate (the signal grows in intensity) I know the cop is on the other side of the road. A slower rate indicates he's on my side waiting in the weeds.

Check the reviews of detectors and most show the V1 and Escort neck and neck on many things. but the V1 has the upgrade and arrows...

I have one and just used it on a trip to Vegas. I averaged over 95 mph on my drive once I got passed the traffic out of San Diego. 306 miles, 3.5 hours - that's including 15 minutes of bumper to bumper to go 8 miles to the I-15. At one stretch I was doing close to 130. It spotted about 50% of the cops for me - the rest were cops who pace which is common in CA.

I considered the escort but the lack of arrows and the inability to upgrade it made me decide to move on.

cabbatan1 · May 2004

I just had a set of 17 inch BMW wheels and Michelin Pilot
sport A/S tires installed on my 325 wagon. The wheels are the 7 spoke style 45. They look fantastic and have greatly improved the handling on the vehicle. That part I'm very happy with.
There is one disturbing thing that I have noticed though and I would like to know if anyone else has seen this.
The edge of the wheel and the edge of the tire are flush with each other. In fact,I would say that the edge of the wheel sticks out past the tire edge. In other words when you accidently rub up against a curb there is absolutely no buffer.. The wheel immediately gets scratched as there is no rubber to protect the wheel.. In fact, both my passenger side wheels already look like they have been beat up and this is only after one month.. I hate to see what they will look like in a year..The low profile of the tire does not help of course. I'm really careful when pulling next to a curb but sometimes you get too close. I'm really quite disturbed by this and am thinking of going back to the dealership.. I see many other cars including BMW's that do not have this design flaw. Is it possible that the tires were installed incorrectly? I can't imagine that this would be an intentional design feature of the wheel. I need to look at other cars with this wheel setup to see if in fact this is the case. Maybe this is what I'll have to live with. Any info would be appreciated.

nyccarguy · May 2004

thanks for your insight, it is very much appreciated!

blueguydotcom · May 2004

I forgot about the bogey counter too - which comes in very handy. You can tell if a cop is hiding amongst other radar as it will tell you how many signals it's getting.

flyf1sh · May 2004

what dealer did this for you. I live in the bay area too and am having no luck finding any assistance on this. would it be asking too much to send me an email at douglas.galloway@safeway.com?

thx in advance

shipo · May 2004

"I just had a set of 17 inch BMW wheels and Michelin Pilot sport A/S tires installed on my 325 wagon. The wheels are the 7 spoke style 45."

Hmmm, I wasn't aware that the Style 45 wheels were available in 17" size. Aside from that, there are two issues that can lead to scuffing of the wheels:

1) Tire width: if you have 205 section width tires mounted on those rims, they will barely be wider than the rims themselves. Tires with a 225 section width are the recommended size and will protect the wheels much better.

2) Sidewall design: many of the higher performance tires on the market these days have a thick sidewall that should overlap the outside of the rim. The good news is that your Michelin Pilot Sport A/S do have such a sidewall.

I hope this helps.

Best Regards,
Shipo

budmantom · May 2004

Does your car break traction when your hard on the gas and the car upshifts? (auto)

Please help.

Tom

kyfdx · May 2004

I agree with Shipo.. If you have the 17", they are likely style 44, which have the same basic look of the 45s.

I would also wonder if your tires are correctly sized. I have Michelin Pilots (not A/S) and they have the "rim protector" ridge on them. Not that I think that would offer much protection.. maybe just a little.

regards,
kyfdx

kyfdx · May 2004

If you have an E36 with automatic and you break traction on upshifts, the it is either one of two things.

1) You have an incredibly strong engine.

2) Your rear tires are worn out.

I'm betting on number 2.

regards,
kyfdx

pat · May 2004

flyf1sh, posting your email address like that is an invitation to be flooded with spam. If I were you, I would delete message #26603 and repost. Your email address is public in your profile, so it is available to anyone who is logged in, yet it is not available to spam harvesters or the like.

blueguydotcom · May 2004

I break traction while turning and accelerating hard but that's mostly because I replaced my RE40 Potenzas with cruddy Potenza S-03s.

budmantom · May 2004

Thanks for the response kyfdx and blueguydotcom.

So under hard acceleration you can't "chirp" your tires?

The tires have good tread depth and the engine doesn't seem overly powerful, but this is the first time I have driven a BMW 328i.

BTW I did "chirp" the tires (driving in a straight line) 4-5 times, just to see if this was normal for this car or if it was just a fluke.

So I guess you guys are saying that this isn't normal, perhaps a transmission problem?

Thanks,

Tom

kyfdx · May 2004

From 1st gear to 2nd gear, possibly.. but from 2nd to 3rd also?

Neither blueguy or I have an E36 328i, though.

regards,
kyfdx

m4d_cow · May 2004

Her car comes w/ 17" style 44, im not sure whether its 8" or 7" but from the picture she sent me thats all i could tell.

and is it just me or I find the 325i more comfortable than 330i? I noticed someone here said 330i is also noisier, is it because of the sport suspension? im still in the market for one and all this noise and comfort thing kinda bothers me. i mean sure I like how the 3.0 performs but if i have to sacrifice a lot of comfort i'll have to think about it again. its not like im a hardcore driver anyway

but id still pick a 17" wheel for 2 reasons: 1. they have better grip on the road and 2. i dont like the 16"s design

m4d_cow · May 2004

and btw what do u guys think of 17" wheels w/o sport suspension? I dont know much about this so id really appreciate your comments

kyfdx · May 2004

Style 44s are all 17 X 8.

budmantom · May 2004

Thanks for the response kyfdx and blueguydotcom.

So under hard acceleration you can't "chirp" your tires?

The tires have good tread depth and the engine doesn't seem overly powerful, but this is the first time I have driven a BMW 328i.

BTW I did "chirp" the tires (driving in a straight line) 4-5 times, just to see if this was normal for this car or if it was just a fluke.

So I guess you guys are saying that this isn't normal, perhaps a transmission problem?

Thanks,

Tom

brave1heart · May 2004

The 330's rear tires are wider and thus may be a little louder than the 325's. Also, the exhaust note has a bit more growl than a 325 and you do hear it more in the cabin.

erickpl · May 2004

I have 17's on my 325xi and it only has the xi Sport Package, which does NOT include the sport suspension.

Looks nice and has a great ride (just a little soft in the corners).

-Paul

kyfdx · May 2004

It will improve your handling somewhat, at the expense of winter weather traction. Your wheel arch won't sit quite as close to the tire as a sports package equipped car, but it will still look better than stock. I think it is worth doing.

regards,
kyfdx

creakid1 · May 2004

"I have 17's on my 325xi and it only has the xi Sport Package, which does NOT include the sport suspension."

BMW had to justify the name "Sport Package" by looking sporty, but they barely allowed 17" 'cause it's still the narrow 7".

Frankly, my bro's '02 325xi "sport" package's 20-spoke 17x7" style 73 is rather grandpa-ish-looking. But he finds the 16x7" style 45 boring looking.

I believe the 330i convertible w/ mandatory 17" due to the large brake discs also has the non-sport suspension to avoid body flexing. It's also 7" width.

creakid1 · May 2004

"...and 2. i dont like the 16"s design

"

Me, too, I'd rather get some used '99 323i sport's 16x7" "V Spoke".

"and is it just me or I find the 325i more comfortable than 330i? I noticed someone here said 330i is also noisier, is it because of the sport suspension? im still in the market for one and all this noise and comfort thing kinda bothers me. i mean sure I like how the 3.0 performs but if i have to sacrifice a lot of comfort i'll have to think about it again. its not like im a hardcore driver anyway

"

330i's mandatory 17"'s shorter sidewall isolates the tread/road noise & especially road bumps less well, & especially if the tread/sidewall design is also the noisier/sportier type. Run-flat tires got firm sidewall, too. But the main difference in ride comfort is due to the 330i's std lowered sport suspension.

3.0's taller gearing can't compensate for the louder exhaust, since these 6-cyl engines rev quietly anyway.

victord1 · May 2004

I test-drove the 325i and 330i both w/ sport package (and steptronic) one the same day, same roads, from the same dealer. And the 325i w/sp did feel a bit more comfortable (softer?) than the 330i w/sp. Tire noise and exhaust note were more pronounce in the 330i. Both cars were '03 CPO's with relatively low miles(~7000 miles). The 330i pulled a bit more stronger, as expected. IMO the low end torque of both cars still falls short of my '03 Maxi SE. However, I'm sure you can rev the heck out of them without feeling any strains due to the smoothness of the I6.

creakid1 · May 2004

while the front rim is 1/2" narrower at 7.5", the rear is 1/2" wider at 8.5" w/ wider tires, which nibbles more on road irregularities.

As I just said in #26620, "...& especially if the tread/sidewall design is also the noisier/sportier type."

blueguydotcom · May 2004

if you think the loudness of the 330i is pretty pronounced compared to the 325i, ride in a 330i performance package. my bro-in-law's 325i sounds like a buick to me now.

webby1 · May 2004

I test drove both 325I ( friend purchased 325i 8 weeks ago ) and 330I and I purchased the 330I for the following reasons:
Little firmer suspension which was just right for me, 17 inch wheels and tires, engine HP and torque which I found to be significantly more powerfull and smoother, did not notice any noise difference...
and the car looks completely different to me anyway....chrome trim, wheels and tires size, and the car was built in Munich Germany.

cabbatan1 · May 2004

Thankyou for all those who responded.. The 17" wheels that I installed are in fact style 44(17' x 8") and not 45(16"x7") as I had initially stated. The tires are the pilot sport A/S 225/45/R17 and do have the outer sidewall protectors but as I mentioned,it is pretty much flush with the edge of the rim and therefore offers little to no protection whatsoever.
Today I had the opportunity to drive by my BMW dealership and was able to compare my wheel/tire installation to other cars on the lot with the same configuration and this was the case with all the ones that had this particular setup.
I then called the service rep that I deal with to get his feedback on this issue and he indicated that this was the way the rim was designed which apparently gives it a "handsome look". I agree they are handsome.. His recommendation... Be careful when parking.. End of story! I can't argue with that..

shipo · May 2004

In an effort to protect your wheels a little more, you could opt for a "Plus 1" tire size. According to TireRack, you could bump your current tires from their 225/45 R17 size to a 245/40 R17 and still fit them on your 17x8 Style 44 rims, just barely. The difference in rolling diameter is only 0.2" (25.1 for the 225's versus 24.9 for the 245's). If you decide to make the switch, the 245s will be about 0.78" wider than your current tires, thus giving you a little extra cushion before the rims get dinged. Needless to say, you will need to deal with all of the good (better dry road traction and handling) and the bad of wider tires (worse wet and winter traction, and possibly more tire noise as they wear).

Best Regards,
Shipo

kyfdx · May 2004

Not sure that those 245/40-17s wouldn't rub on the front. I think on the 3-series, they recommend no larger than 235. They would be okay on the back. I think the advice to "be careful" is the best. Heck, until I bought winter tires this year, I didn't even know they came with the "rim protector".

regards,
kyfdx

kyfdx · May 2004

If you drove a 330i with sport package, the tires used are much more aggressive than what come on the 325i sport. Bridgestone Turanza Grand Touring tires on the 325i, with Michelin Pilots on the 330i. I'm not surprised they were noisier.

regards,
kyfdx

victord1 · May 2004

Yeah, I hear ya. Incidently, there was also a '03 CPO milano red 330iw/performance package with an asking price even lower than the '03 CPO 330i w/sp of the same milage ($34000 vs $37000). It was tempting, but I heeded your warning and steered clear of the performance package.

The strange thing was that I was not as much bothered by the "noise" on this test drive (3 days ago) as I was a year ago with a 330i w/o sp. Has BMW added more insulation or retuned the muffler??? Or had my hearing gone south lately???

At any rate, it was a pleasurable test drive. The ride was nicely firm without the harshness, unlike my Maxi. It resemble the ride in the Acura TL-S, but more nimble and tossable. And those sport seats, well, the ones in the TL-S fit me better with minimum adjustments.

creakid1 · May 2004

I still have to re-contour my posture somewhat driving the 3-series sedan, a little better in the coupe. Ditto the E36. Cars like the C-class, new S40 & even Jag S-Type fit my driving position the best.

phauol · May 2004

"the rest were cops who pace which is common in CA"

Just interest to know, can they use it in the court? Or does it mean that estimation of speed outside CA is not accepted in court.

hgeyer · May 2004

may wonder what ever happened to all of those BMWs that sank in the English Channel in 2002:

http://popularmechanics.com/science/extreme_machines/2004/4/large- st_saw/print.phtml

blueguydotcom · May 2004

Just interest to know, can they use it in the court? Or does it mean that estimation of speed outside CA is not accepted in court.

In CA it's totally legal for a cop to pace you or even to estimate your speed. The CHP are taught (supposedly) how to gauge a vehicle's speed by sight. They're given a rating as to how far off they are from the actual mark - usually 3-5 mph.

IMHO, this is lame. But that also explains why many people here get tickets that say "in excess of 75 mph". The cop's not citing actual speed only that you were surely breaking the law.

m4d_cow · May 2004

so do you guys think 330is not that much noisier than 325is? Im not expecting the quietness of a Lexus but it does bother on daily basis

And getting a harsh ride like what i experienced in a 330i w/ performance package isnt what im expecting either, and whats up w/ that suede/ alcantara seats....not my taste for sure

m4d_cow · May 2004

what about 330i w/o SP?

creakid1: IMO bimmers seats r nicer than those of merc c-class, they lack support and it hurts my back on longer rides. Havent tried jags seat tho. so far i find audi a4s seats most comfortable and supportive for me.

BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

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