BMW 3-Series Maintenance and Repair

dave330i · October 2005

"Dave, you definitely are not in Texas. I don't even plan for a trip to see my folks - 325 miles. 200 miles is a little trip around the Fort Worth/Dallas metroplex. 500 miles is the minimum for a "long" trip."

I believe the original poster lives on the East coast hence 200 miles being long. I also think 200 miles is minimum HWY driving to get a decent read on your HWY mileage.

michael37 · October 2005

YOU are "UNDOUBTEDLY" the most helpful person I have had the pleasure of communicating with thru the Web. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!!!!!!!!

abfisch · October 2005

Forum:

Just purchase an 04 325ci sports package from another soldier. Two questions I have about the car.

1. Can the alarm system program be programmed for the horn to sound also when the lights flash and clown nose blinks???

2. What replacement tires, 245/45 W 17" would any of you recommend, that are not extremely steep in price and provide good traction in wet as well. The Dunlop SP 2000 have marginal wet weather , excellent dry weather, and not all that great wear.

any suggestions would be appreciated.

thanks.

abfisch

dave330i · October 2005

"1. Can the alarm system program be programmed for the horn to sound also when the lights flash and clown nose blinks???"

Should be the same as my old 330i, so yes.

"2. What replacement tires, 245/45 W 17" would any of you recommend, that are not extremely steep in price and provide good traction in wet as well. The Dunlop SP 2000 have marginal wet weather , excellent dry weather, and not all that great wear."

Kumhos are considered best bang for the buck. If you're planning on just replacing the rears, then you should get what the fronts have or replace all 4.

kyfdx · October 2005

Check your tire size...

They should be 225/45-17..

div2 · October 2005

Thanks for the kind words. Let me know if you have any more questions!

hellerup · October 2005

I'm about to purchase a 1994 316 ia but I have my doubts as it looks in great condition but I've heard of problems with the coolant system on older BMWs... Would greatly appreciate any advice or known problems with this model...

abfisch · October 2005

Thanks. You are correct.

car_idiot · October 2005

2002 325i; 56,000 miles.

For the past three weeks, my car fails to start on the first crank of the day (note that the weather has been cooling recently). After two or three attempts (immediately after the first attempt), it starts with a shimmy. The problem does not reoccur for the rest of the day.

Yesterday, after my routine of failing to start and then shimmies in the garage, the automatic car stalled when switching from reverse to drive.

I will take it to a dealer when I have a chance, but the dealer is over 100 miles away.

1. Will waiting hurt the car or put me in danger?
2. So that I am not taken advantage of, what are the most likely problems and solutions?

Thanks for your help.

catlady44 · October 2005

I am considering purchasing a 2005 BMW 3 series. What can anyone tell me about these cars. I have owned several Mercedes (E320) and am considering a BMW. I recently bought a r 2004 VW Convertible Beetle Turbo GLS with 6600 miles on it from my bosses friend. However,I am totally disappointed in the cart The gas mileage sucks. I am barely getting 16 miles per gallon. I have had a Fuel Consumption Test done by the dealer and they say the computer shows that there are no fault readings so basically, there is nothing they can do. Most of my driving is City driving but I only have a 6 mile roundtrip commute. I am getting ready to sell it as I am thorougly disgusted.

I understand BMW gives an incredible warranty on their cars and that they get pretty good gas mileage. I don't want a manual transmission however; does the car come with an automatic transmission and what kind of gas mileage do they get? Does anyone have any answers and give me all the pros and cons of owning a BMW.

Thank you

Catlady44

bdr127 · October 2005

The listed mpg for 05 3-Series (both 325i and 330i are the same) is 19 city / 27 highway.

All new BMWs come with 4yr/50k warranty and 4yr/50k free maintenance (all oil changes, scheduled interval maintenance, brakes & rotors, wiper blades, etc are all free). Any used BMW will get whatever is remaining on those.... If the vehicle is BMW Certified by the dealer, then it gets an extension of 2 years and 50k miles, which brings it to 6yr/100k..... (When the the 4 years is up, the 2 years kicks in OR when the first 50k is up, another 50k kicks in.)

If it is Certified and still in the Free Maintenance period, then you also have the opportunity to purchase the full maintenance upgrade to that same 6yr/100k for about $1000-$1100, which is a pretty good deal considering the most expensive maintenance will happen between 50k and 100k.

Not only will you get better gas mileage and great warranty & maintenance, but you'll really enjoy driving a 3-series.... Have you gotten a chance to drive one yet?

sheepdg · October 2005

I also have a 2002 330i. Oil changes @ 7,500 miles with no oil burned between oil changes. Haven't heard of this (oil consumption) being a prevalent issue. May indicate a serious issue. 1qt of oil every 750 miles for a 330i being within "BMW Guidelines" is pure BS. Houston, we have a problem. Was the car CPO'd (hopefully)?

Performance Package on a 2002 330i? The Performance Package (i.e., w/235HP) was not offered until the 2003 model 330i IIRC. Do you mean Sports Package?

sheepdg · October 2005

Lamps 2 and 3 are halogen bulbs and only serve as the high beam "flasher" function.

Lamps 1 and 4 are Bi-Xenon (from 2001 or 2002 on) and serve as your regular driving lights, whether low or high beam. Bi-Xenon lights have extremely long life under normal circumstances. One of the circumcumstances that will cause problems for Bi-Xenon's is a rapid cycling of the lights (low beam-high beam-low beam) hence the high beam halogens are there to serve this specific function.

sheepdg · October 2005

Just a thought, I'm not sure if the alarm system is standard in 2004. The lights flashing (to signify the car is locked) and clown nose blinking can be done regardless of whether or not you have the factory alarm system installed (call it a "pseudo-alarm"). The "Horn" is a part of the alarm system, not the car horn. If the alarm option is not installed, no Horn.

As an aside, why in hell anyone would want those annoying and terribly effective horns sounding is beyond me personally.

gordonwd · October 2005

I have a 2004 325i and an 8-mile roundtrip commute, and get 24 mpg when just driving around town like that. I will get a bit over 31 mpg on a long highway trip. Mine is a manual, so expect the automatic to get a mile or two less.

davidd3 · October 2005

I don't think it's the Bug. I think it's the type of driving that you do - mostly city driving with a 6-mile roundtrip commute. In my opinion, that's the reason for your terrible gas mileage - 16mpg. Before the car even warms up, you've reached your destination and you're turning it off. Bad for the car. Bad for your gas mileage.

I encourage you to try a BMW 3-Series, but don't get one for the gas mileage. Given your own personal driving circumstances, I'd be surprised if you got much better than the 16mpg you are getting now in your Bug.

odessit · October 2005

2006 325i non-SP, AT, no active steering.
Steering wheel is turned to the left a few degrees when I drive my car straight. If I position steering wheel straight – the car bears a bit to the right.
Mechanics at the dealership obviously said that they “did not notice it”.
Anyone had similar problem? Is it even a problem? My tire pressure is 29 front 35 rear.
mike

bdr127 · October 2005

Your alignment may be off.... If the service department can't identify it, then offer to ride with a technician and show them what you are talking about.

odessit · October 2005

I suspected the alignment, but the car is only four months old. And I do try to drive carefully with respect to tires. Can the alignment go bad so quickly?

kyfdx · October 2005

Your alignment may be fine... It is possible it is just the steering wheel that is out of alignment.. An easy fix for the service tech..

regards,
kyfdx
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dave330i · October 2005

"I suspected the alignment, but the car is only four months old. And I do try to drive carefully with respect to tires. Can the alignment go bad so quickly?"

I had the same problem, and it was the alignment. Roads in CA are horrible.

odessit · October 2005

Is it fixed now on your car? How much did they charge for alignment? It is not covered by the warranty, right?

sirdarby1 · October 2005

Re: my 1998 328ica

When I back up sometimes, I hear a mild grinding and a pulling, as if the gearshift is between gears when it's not. But the gear shift is positioned correctly.

any advice

odessit · October 2005

2006 325i non-SP, AT, no active steering.
I was wondering if any of you had similar experience.
When I turn the steering wheel I feel a cracking noise for a second, like it stumbled on something. I said “feel” noise because with the car running the passenger next to me would not be able to actually hear it unless he physically puts his arm on the wheel and try to rotate it. So I mostly feel it through my arms rather then hear it. It does not happen always. It is really a strange feeling that is hard to describe, like it touches something metal there and then goes past it. It does not stop the wheel from turning and does not make it any difficult to turn the wheel. But at the same time I hear it I feel it when I turn the wheel.
Anyone experienced the same thing?

mike

gordonwd · October 2005

I just took my '04 325i in for scheduled service and the rep told me that they would be applying a recall for the ignition coils. He said it's a recent recall and that's why I haven't received a letter yet. What he didn't seem to know was if this is a generic recall for all E46's, only a particular year, or if it was just due to a bad batch of coils that affects just a few cars. But you might want to watch your mailboxes or ask your service rep if you're in for something else.

veekay1 · October 2005

Hi Folks:

I have a new problem with my 2001 325xi: when it rains, water leaks into the car from somewhere onto the front footwells!! Soaking wet!

I have searched this forum, found a couple of similar issues reported but did not find any solutions....could anyone help please?

Also have a new problem with a flickering Xenon lamp, this too when its raining.

Any ideas would be appreciated so I can go to the dealer armed with some info.

The car is otherwise in fine condition.

Thanks.

dave330i · October 2005

"Is it fixed now on your car? How much did they charge for alignment? It is not covered by the warranty, right?"

It was 5 years ago during the steering retrofit for '01 models. After the retrofit, I noticed my steering wheel was off center, so I took it back and they fixed it. I didn't have to pay for it, since it was related to work they did. You'll probably have to pay for yours.

gordonwd · October 2005

False alarm, apparently. When I went to pick my car up, the service rep told me that they didn't need to apply the "recall" since my car already had the correct Bosch coils. Since this was my first service other than a previous oil change, I have to believe that the car was built with the correct parts in the first place.

jaj · October 2005

I had the same issue on my '04 325xi when it was new. The dealer was cooperative, test driving with me and attempting to correct by resetting the wheel a "notch" in the other direction. This overcompensated so they switched it back to the original position and ultimately did an alignment. No charge for any of this. It is better than it was at first but still not perfect; I'm living with it. Apparently it doesn't happen often. You shouldn't have to pay for any efforts to correct. Good luck.

330xi2005 · October 2005

Does anyone have any suggestions for winter tires for the 330 xi. And if anyone has used them on the 330xi, does it make a huge difference?

thanks.

writtenart17 · October 2005

:shades: Great points, I have been researching the vehicle I want. I couldnt decide between the great looks and prestige of a Mercedes or the durability and luxury of a BMW. I had no idea that the Mercedes quality had dropped so low. After looking at this forum I found many prev. BMW owners got Mercedes much to their dismay. After researching J.D. power and NCAP and forums I discovered that Mercedes is not a great choice at all and BMW would be the way to go. Thank you for putting it in to perspective with your blunt and to the point response.
Bye

rhmass · October 2005

I can assure you winter tires will make a huge difference regardless the drive system of your car in places where there is snow. I have always driven rwd BMWs with winter tires and had never got stuck ever in snow. I just ordered a set of winter tire/rim for our 325xiT. I was initially going to try winging it with our AWD but decided otherwise. The hustle of seasonal tire/wheel chang-over will be outweighted by the savings of original tire/wheels wear, not counting the safety factors in winter driving.

330xi2005 · October 2005

Thanks rhmass,
I have never used snow tires before so I have not actually experienced the benefits. But I wanted to find out if you had any suggestions for what type of snow tires to use on your 325xi.

rhmass · October 2005

If you are a performance-oriented driver, I'll suggest ordering a set of alloy wheels with Dunlop Wintersport 03 which come either H or V rated. Tirerack actually have these tires on special and you'll also get $50 rebate from Dunlop with a set of four. It cost me (my 325ixT uses 16 inches wheel, yours may be 17) a total of $807 for four tire/rim set without counting the $50 rebate. These winter tires have been consistently rated among the top. A set of winter tires should easily last for three to four winters, so is money well spent. Talk to Tirerack peple. They are very helpful and know BMWs well.

marius · October 2005

I had a similar problem, but the water came into the rear right passenger foot well. I traced the problem to the sunroof gasket. After the rain you may want to open the sunroof and, standing outside the car, check if you see any wet spots on the lower metal surface inside the sunroof housing.

Le us know if this was of any help.

alibajalajaula · October 2005

Actually, I want to spread the word out to bimmer lovers who own 330i's or zhps. I confirmed with my service advisor that indeed, there is a "hidden" recall that calls for the ignition coils replacement. I say hidden because only BMW knows which cars were equipped with the defective coils (thought about you blue) and which ones not. There is no public notice. So as they complete my Inspection I, they will proceed to replace'm , sparing me the aggravation of an unscheduled visit to the shop. In other words, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of suffering.

abfisch · November 2005

I don't want to sound like an idiot so bare with me. I bought a 04 325ci recently. While my daily driver Toyota does not have collapsable side view mirrors, I see that this car does. I tried to gently collapse the mirrors while the car is in the garage, but they did not move. I don't want to bust anything.

Can someone gently tell me, can these mirrors be collapsed by pressure while in storage, or they are not meant for that. They are only meant to give under impact.

Thanks.

abfisch

tayl0rd · November 2005

Put some muscle into it when you're trying to fold them. They aren't meant to be flimsy. Otherwise, they would fold in every time you drove down the freeway. You are trying to fold them inward toward the window and not down or up aren't you?

bdr127 · November 2005

Is there a gap in between the "base" of the part that extends out, or does it look like one solid piece? If there is no crease where it should bend, then it probably doesn't.... But like tayl0rd said, put a little muscle into it.

abfisch · November 2005

Thanks for the reply, really. Yes, I am folding them toward the rear or window. They just would not move too easily, and I just wanted to make sure that it was OK to do so and not get a bill from BMW for a $400 fix out of stupidity on my part.

Thanks again. I will put some body weight into it and see what happens.

abfisch

sunilb · November 2005

I could be wrong as I have a sedan, but I think the coupe mirrors fold diagonally up (instead of straight-back).

abfisch · November 2005

Anybody know for sure, before I bust something??? Could not find it in the owner's manual nor service manual(Bentleys).

abfisch

dave330i · November 2005

"Anybody know for sure, before I bust something??? Could not find it in the owner's manual nor service manual(Bentleys)."

Why would you want to fold them? They aren't automated, so I'd think it's more hassle than worth.

abfisch · November 2005

Dave:

Thanks. I wanted to fold them in because I am always brushing up against them in the garage as the space is tight.

While I have your attention, do you have that cargo net in your car. Where does the cargo net attach at the trunk end of the car??? REalize, I just got this time last week. I cannot locate the metal posts near the trunk opening but see them near the back seat/front part of the trunk. A little help would be appreciated.

abfisch

dave330i · November 2005

"Thanks. I wanted to fold them in because I am always brushing up against them in the garage as the space is tight."

Park it so you have more room on driver side, and less room on passanger side. That's what I tell my wife to do, since she parks in the garage.

I'm not sure if you can fold them. Something like that would be listed on your owners manual.

"While I have your attention, do you have that cargo net in your car. Where does the cargo net attach at the trunk end of the car"

I never got the cargo for my old 330i. I used to put stuff in the passanger side to keep it from flying around in the trunk. Still do it with the new car.

needaride1 · November 2005

Any suggestions for tires... I have a 2003 325i. I need some new ones...

dbthomas · November 2005

i recently purchased an 85 325e for my son's first car. he has liked working on it, and it has all been fine until now. apparently he was looking around underneath the steering column and dash, and when he finished he tryed to start the car.... but as he turned the key, the engine wouldn't turn over and suddenly a very loud alarm sounding noise began to emit from the front left side of the car. the noise seemed to be coming from an area next to the fuse box, under the hood. this noise continued for about 10 to 12 seconds and then quit.

what excactly happend and what can be done about the situation??????

div2 · November 2005

Does the car have the on-board computer with keypad? If so, it sounds like your son activated the built in alarm function. Check the owners manual; it should tell you how to rectify the problem.

chile96 · November 2005

Michellin Pilot Sports All-Season. No brainer

jamesspot · November 2005

Winter: Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2 or Dunlop Winter Sport M3
Summer: Goodyear F1 or Michelin PS's

if you see snow rarely and DON'T want two sets of tires, the Michelin Pilot Sport All-Seasons or Pirelli P Zero Nero M+S are top choices in all-season tires.

If it was me and my 325, I would have snow tires put on my 16" stock rims and look for some 17" rims for summer tires on ebay.

I run 18" Pilot Sports and 17" Dunlop M3's (Thanksgiving to tax day) in DC area on my 330i.

BMW 3-Series Maintenance and Repair

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