BMW 3-Series Maintenance and Repair

circlew · January 2007

Shipo,

Now I know where you stopped in Montvale on your way home from your recent trip when the puppy had an accident...my former company was next door to Mercedes on Mercedes Drive and I lived about 3 miles from you in River Vale.

Small world.

Regards,
OW

shipo · January 2007

Yupper. ;-)

Oddly enough, and unfortunately for me, my several year contract with MB-USA (down the hill next to the farm) ended just six months before we built the house on Glen Road. Go figure.

Best Regards,
Shipo

socalsabo · January 2007

Thanks much. I'll write them. (BMW NA Customer Service will not give me a phone number.) The NTSB bulliten may take up to two weeks, per NTSB... but I'll share if and when I receive. Thanks much and good luck to us both!

socalsabo · January 2007

Did you ever have any luck? I have same make and model, and yes, same problem!!! Just happened to me... what was your outcome? DId you receive the service bulliten from NTSA? I don't have it yet and would appreciate you sharing if you have it. I, too, have contacted BMWNA (no luck), consumer affairs and nhtsa... this is wrong, wrong, wrong!

mmancini65 · January 2007

Sorry for the absence; I am somewhat relieved to hear that someone else out there is hearing the same tapping that I am. I've had my 325xi back to the dealer, but of course, the sound was not reproducible. I later found that my oil sensor seemed faulty, as I was getting fluctuating oil level reads. the sensor was replaced, but the tapping/clicking has recurred despite this. When I've opened the hood, the tapping is coming from the low left side of the engine. It's certainly connected with the drivetrain given its association with engine speed. It was particularly cold here in RI today, and the noise was immediately evident. The dealer tells me that no one else has reported the problem, but that they'd put out a "bulletin" regarding this problem and track it. My plan is that the next time it occurs, I'm going to drive it to the dealer and let them hear it for themselves. I'm concerned about the long term wear and tear on the engine. It's surely shaken my faith in BMW - not sure I'd buy another.

circlew · January 2007

I really am concerned regarding these types of problems in this level of cars. That is why I decided to lease to align with the warranty coverage. Engine problems occur in every nameplate from a statistical view but when you get over $35K - $40K price, the stakes are higher.

When the entire wiring harness to the steering wheel needed to be changed to correct the airbag sensor failure about 3K miles into my lease on this'06 330xi, I felt spot on that i had made a good decision to lease. Also, major repairs after the warranty expires are much higher for the nameplates in this forum.

The current technology is giving dealers problems with repair, IMO. So, even though an engine is mechanically fine in build quality , the systems that affect it can sometimes be a detriment and that is the price that is paid. Garbage in, Garbage out. Mrs. OW's '03 Yukon had a MAP sensor failure in 2005 that the dealer could not fix until the third try and imminent lemon law procedure was presented to them (NJ is a lemon law state). The engine was/is flawless otherwise (Mobile 1 since inception).

Regards,
OW

cao · January 2007

2005 325i 13K-miles bought new

In the last 4 months or so, I have been visiting BMW dealers 5 times to fix various problems.

During those trips, I had my fuel pump, fuel filter and fuel tank itself replaced, respectively.

Still I had problems with filling fuel.

Today, it happened again:
1) after the fuel pump popped at ~14 gallon (about a full tank), and I pull out the fuel pump nozzle, I saw there was about several ounce of overflowed outside;

2) then, about 10 seconds after I drove the car, there were two moments of "engine shake", each lasted about 1~2 seconds and their were about 5 seconds apart.

All these may sounds subtle, but after considering the history in the last a couple month you won't think they are subtle:
1) 3 months ago I first found it was impossible to pump more than 9 gallons of fuel into this 16-gallon tank;
2) Then I took it to the dealer(s). After a couple of "denials" from the dealer(s), one dealer finally got a magic error code. So, the fuel pump and filter can were replaced;
3) a few hundred miles later, the tank couldn't take more than 9 gallons again;
4) took to a dealer, and another magic error code was found, so the whole fuel tank was replaced;
5) a few hundred miles later, the tank couldn't take more than 9 gallons again;
6) took to the dealer, and that time there was no magic error code. So, "no error code means no problem", and the dealer somehow managed to pump a full tank in by themselves.
7) Today, now is the first time I try to fill the tank full again by myself, after the dealer did it last time.

*by the way, the fuel pumping problem have been reproduced by myself in 3 different gas stations, in various occasions.*

Depressed

I regret didn't buy a lexus, mainly because that lexus salesman was rediculously arrogant for nothing.

circlew · January 2007

Very interesting because I have had occasions in my '06 330xi where the gas pump handle shuts off almost immediately after beginning to refuel. Once it happens, I needed to manually operate the handle with less flow so the pressure does not trip the automatic shut off in the pump handle.

I assume there is a pressure problem that develops but not every time or the problem could be a combination of pressure and really sensitive gas pump check valves. It did happen at several different gas stations also but I was able to make sure the tank was full.

I had this problem before on a 1994 Suburban. In some cases I needed to rotate the handle 180 degrees to allow the flow not to trip the switch.

Change your gas cap. See if this helps.

Regards,
OW

shipo · January 2007

I've had the occasional early/premature auto-shutoff thing happen on any number of cars, my two BMWs included. Like you said, normally a rotation of the filler neck or a lower flow setting will solve the problem. Regarding cao's problem, I'm really having a difficult time understanding what could be causing the issue as described.

Best Regards,
Shipo

dhanley · January 2007

Actually--yes. I've had the shut-off-early problem on quite a few cars, including my bmw. The vapor recovery systems on pumps have very tight tolerances.

What i do is to set the dispenser to one or two clicks ( ie not, pumping gas out a max speed ). Then i can go inside and grab a coffee, or clean the windshield.

fcao · January 2007

Thanks for all the comments above.

I guess pumping at a lower flow-rate might avoid this problem in short-term, as suggested above.

But my question is:
will this kind of problem develop further overtime? I don't want this problem to be a time-bomb to explode after the warrantee expires (two years from now). I have this concern mainly because the fact that the idle engine speed did "fluctuated" significantly (the car was shaking like my old 1990 toyota camry) for two moments after yesterday's refuel. This could be an indication that the fuel system (including the tank) problem may be hurting the engine in long term.

By the way, one thing BMW did really lower-than-standard is the fact that this same below-standard fuel tank happened on TWO consecutive tanks. What is the odd for that?

vballoon · January 2007

Last week I purchased the new 2007 328i sedan and found that the steering is very loose not stiff (a lot of play in the steering), the BMW handling is almost non existent not to mention the lack of control. Small bumps or defects in the road grade causes this car to slightly sway. To make sure this is not a defect in the 2007 models, I test drove the exact same model, the control was in fact that of the BMW. This validated that my vehicle has a defect. I've spoken with the service technician and the salesman and they seem to blow it off. I love BMWs driving them for years, the steering and handling have prevented me on numerous occasions. Now, I have a vehicle that I am afraid of driving what can I do?

shipo · January 2007

have you taken the service manager out for a back to back drive?

Have you tried a different dealership?

cao · January 2007

I bet the BMW "service advisor" will tell you :"if there is no fault code in the on-board computer, then there is no problem with that car."

It's sad, but it's the truth for today's BMW service. It funny that a car missing its hood and steering wheel would be considered as "no problem", because "there is no fault code".

edrn · January 2007

Ready to purchase my 2003 300XI at lease end. Should I get the extended warranty for 2500.00? What about the maintenance warranty for 1500.00? I've read that it can be bought cheaper. If so, where? From BMW or outside source? Does the maintenance warranty cover little things, like dash light indivcators (tire pressure) and tail/headlamps?
Thanks

cotmc · January 2007

For my '05 325, the BMW dealers in my area charge between $1195 and $1495 for the extended maintenance plan. I believe it can only be purchased from a BMW dealer. It must be purchased before the car arrives at 4yr/50K.

If you have more than one BMW dealer in your area, I recommend you contact the Service Center or Finance Office of the other BMW dealers and ask what they charge. This plan may be purchased from any BMW dealer. Although BMW offers a suggested price of $1195, I've been told this price provides little margin for the dealer. The dealer has the option to set the actual price he charges.

I haven't purchased mine or enquired yet, and so I do not know all the details of its coverage.

kyfdx · January 2007

I've seen the extended maintenance plan for a 3-series go for as low as $945... Get on the net and shop around.. You may have to FedEx your spare key to the dealer, but you can buy it from any dealer in the country..

cotmc · January 2007

Kyfdx: Thanks for the heads-up on the pricing. I'm all for saving a couple hundred dollars!

Follow-up Question: How would you recommend we search the net for pricing info on the extended maintenance plan? I've attempted several Google searches on the web, but it seems as if this price info isn't readily available on the net. I also searched a popular BMW-enthusiast forum, but all I found there was the original MSRP of $995 when this plan was first introduced a few years ago. :confuse:

Were you implying we should cold-contact several different dealers directly, via contact info from the web? Or, can you suggest any hints of how/where we might be able to search for this info more efficiently -- assuming you have some knowledge/experience in this area?

TIA!

kyfdx · January 2007

The dealer in Utica, NY used to have discount pricing on the plan for 'Fest members.... but, that CA got promoted to their Honda dealership, I think...

The dealer that I hear about most often is Nalley BMW in Decatur, GA.. I'm sure there are others..

Worst case, you should at least be able to get the list price of $995...

Disclaimer: I've never personally dealt with either of these dealers, but they get rave reviews, mostly.... and seem like good guys.

regards,
kyfdx
(not the host here)

cotmc · January 2007

Thanks, kyfdx!!

By the way, I think your price might no longer be valid.

I was told by two different local dealers that the list price increased late last year from $995 to $1195. One of the sources of this info was from the dealer who tries to charge $1495 now. (He stated the list price of $1195 doesn't provide enough margin.) The other source was from a dealer that typically charges $1195.

Hence, I'm wondering if your info might be slightly out of date? Please speak up (or type up!) if you are convinced the list price is still $995.

In the meantime, I'll follow up on the leads you provided.

Thanks!!

kyfdx · January 2007

That is entirely possible.. I haven't shopped it since we sold the last car back in November, '05..

Those dealers I mentioned have a pretty good reputation.. If they say it's gone up, that is likely the truth..

Good luck,
kyfdx

cotmc · January 2007

kyfdx: I think there is a strong possibility we are both correct! I still have strong reason to believe the list (BMW suggested) price is $1195, but thanks to you (as well as another user, geek-girl), I was able to confirm $949 is still a valid promotional price at certain dealers. Thanks for your recommendation for Nalley BMW!!

kyfdx · January 2007

I'm glad it worked out for you... but, you did all the work...

pkal · January 2007

I got a price of $985 for the extended maintenance plan from my local dealer in NJ (330xi/32k miles).

I am actually considering going in for the original owner protection program - will extend my bumper-to-bumper to 2011 and 100k miles.
For this one - I am being quoted $2575 - if I buy it along with the $985 extended maintenance plan above.

Was wondering (1) whether this is a good plan, and (2) whether there is a 3rd party that offers a comparable plan.

idoc2 · February 2007

I need some advice from some of you BMW afficianados. I recently purchased a 2007 328xi (Xenons, Premium and Cold Weather packages). I have noticed that the speedometer reads about 3mph high at 30mph and 5mph high at 60 etc... when compared to either of two portable Garmin GPS (models i2 and 530) units. My other two cars, my wife's 2005 Honda Odyssey and my old 1998 Maxima have speedometers which read essentially exactly the same as either GPS. My conclusion is that the BMW speedometer is not calibrated correctly and reads higher than actual speed.

The service manager at my dealer was doubtful about this issue. When I pointed out that this might effect the accuracy of the odometer and consequently the life of the warranty he was simply dismisive. As some of you may know this issue has been posted on other discussion groups. Some respondents have said that the speedometer may read high but the odometer is accurate. This seems unlikely as these two must be coupled in some way. In addition a class action law suit has been settled against Honda for an identical issue. As a result miles for warranties and leases were extended.

Any thoughts on this issue?

shipo · February 2007

I don't remember the specifics, however, it has long been known that virtually every BMW sold in the U.S. registers a slightly higher MPH than is actual. That said, as a rule the odometers are spot on, and as such, there is no basis for a class action suit.

Your error vis-à-vis your GPS unit sounds just about dead on with the typical speedo error. Have you checked the registered miles on the odometer? I'd be interested to hear what you find.

Best Regards,
Shipo

dhanley · February 2007

1) It's well-known that BMW speedos read high. Have for a long long time. People speculate about the reason, perhaps it's to cut down on tickets and therefore BMW insurance rates?

2) It doesn't affect the odometer( they work via a different mechanism ). If you want, you can cruise at a fixed speed and reset the "average speed" on your trip computer, then see your spot-on speed. This is what's used to determine "arrival time", "miles to empty" and your odometer readings.

idoc2 · February 2007

Shipo,

What do you mean when you refer to checking the "registered miles on the odometer."

Idoc2

shipo · February 2007

Many GPS units have what amounts to a "Trip Odometer" feature whereby the GPS will tell you the exact distance you've actually traveled. What I'm suggesting is to compare that against your odometer and see if there is any difference. FWIW, I compared both of my BMWs against highway mileage posts and they were dead on balls accurate.

Best Regards,
Shipo

rhmass · February 2007

I took my 2002 325 xiT Wagon in for annual service today and got a call from the service advisor informing that the left rear coil spring was broken and that they had to replaced both. While the car is now out of warranty at almost five year, but the mileage is certainly low enough for such a problem. The advisor explained, upon my questioning, that the suspension is very tight and it could break because of the bumpy icy roads in New England. Do you think the coil springs can break so easily? We don't carry heavy stuff and the primary use of the wagon has been to bring trash to the town dump. I do have extended maintenance till 08, so that was the reason I took the car in to the dealer for maintenance service. The coil springs replacement set me back for $575, a totally unexpected expense for this problem.

Mr_Shiftright · February 2007

Common problem on the E46 chassis, which is what I think yours is. You wouldn't be the first BMW owner to experience this. I bet it broke about 1/2" from the top.

kabrams · February 2007

Having the same problem, with a 2006 325 with Navi. Same exact issue - about 6 seconds or so, doesn't matter if car is moving. Doesn't happen while playing CDs though. If anyone can help, it'd be appreciated.

idoc2 · February 2007

Shipo,

Here is the answer to your question about about the accuracy of the odometer on my 2007 328xi when compared to the "trip odometer" on my Garmin C530 GPS navigation unit. Over a relatively straight stretch of Interstate, while the car's speedometer was consistently 7% higher than the Garmin's indicated speed, the car's odometer measured only 0.66% greater. Car's odometer = 61.0 miles vs. Garmin 60.6 miles.

Frankly, I am surprised and puzzled that this discrepancy exists.

shipo · February 2007

Okay, so your car is operating exactly as most other BMWs here in North America. That's good news item #1. Good news item #2 is that the mileage you are accruing on your car is within allowable norms and as such, you aren't going to rack up way more miles than you actually drove.

As for your speedometer, I've never heard a satisfactory explanation as to why our BMWs register high. I will say this though; the ONLY two cars I've ever owned where I didn't get even a single speeding ticket were my two BMWs. Hmmm.

Best Regards,
Shipo

dhanley · February 2007

"Frankly, I am surprised and puzzled that this discrepancy exists."

I don't understand why you would be surprised? What reason do you have for thinking that the speedometer needle is directly correlated to the omodeter reading, once you know the speedo is inaccurate?

idoc2 · February 2007

"I don't understand why you would be surprised? What reason do you have for thinking that the speedometer needle is directly correlated to the odometer reading, once you know the speedo is inaccurate? "

Speed = miles/hour. Odometer=miles. If miles/hour is wrong its because either distance or time unit is wrong. It seems reasonable to assume that the speedometer is somehow coupled to the odometer and that if it reads erroneously high that the odometer may be doing the same.

shipo · February 2007

"Speed = miles/hour. Odometer=miles. If miles/hour is wrong its because either distance or time unit is wrong. It seems reasonable to assume that the speedometer is somehow coupled to the odometer and that if it reads erroneously high that the odometer may be doing the same."

Regarding a car built in 1975 I would absolutely agree with you. That said, there is no reason what-so-ever for a car in this day and age to have the Speedometer and the Odometer register results that are consistent.

Best Regards,
Shipo

circlew · February 2007

I remember that wheel size also reflects accuracy of odometer. For example, if the diameter of the wheel/tire combination is smaller/larger than factory recommendation, it will make a difference +/- true odometer reading (and speed) because either less or more rotations of the tire/wheels transmitted to the transmission will then result in the change in measurement of/in the gauges.

Is this still true?

Regards,
OW

shipo · February 2007

"Is this still true?"

Yes, but...

Given that modern cars have a speed sensor (or two) that determines the rotational speed of the wheels, they are easily reprogrammed. If you take the factory rubber off your BMW and replace them with rubber with a different Outer Diameter (OD), then you will see a net change in both the Speedo and the Odo in inverse proportion to the net change in OD size. Said another way, the greater the relative OD, the lower the relative indicated speed and distance.

That said, in theory at least, simply taking your car to your dealership for a quick programming change will recalibrate your instrumentation to factory norms.

Best Regards,
Shipo

idoc2 · February 2007

The accelerator pedal on my 2007 328xi seems to be very nonlinear. When first depressed there is a significant amount of travel before any throttle response. From that point on the throttle response is quite normal. The service manager at my dealer told me that this was the nature of a drive-by-wire system and that the response would change as the electronics learned my driving patterns. There has been no discernable change from day one. Does anyone else have a similar experience?

ncsd_bmw · February 2007

Not sure if any of you remember my posts. But I'm still dealing with getting my car repaired!! All I want is my BMW back! BRECHT BMW in Escondido likes to hold you hostage in their various departments. So I created a myspace page dedicated to my story, with the actual facts and events that occurred. In no way am I bashing BMW (I love my car) but rather I want to steer anyone clear that might be doing online research....and are considering buying, or taking their BMW to BRECHT BMW in Escondido, CA. Hopefully it's all over soon!

www.myspace.com/brechtbmwsucks

wilder1234 · February 2007

I have had my 2001 325 XI since 2001 and have 98005 miles on it, and now I have one problem after another with it. I have to take it into the shop every 5 weeks --- and have had to do this for the last 2 years. Is this normal. The service person at Sonnan BMW in San Rafael, CA, tells me this is normal wear and tear. Come on. That can't be. BMW is supposed to be a great car. What do I do? Any advice would be appreciated.

Scott

fedlawman · February 2007

It would help if you told us what "problems" you've had.

Cars are complex machines, and there are a lot of items that require service/replacement over 100,000 miles of use. Tires, brakes (pads, rotor, and fluid), transmission fluid, differential fluid, axles, flex disk, clutch, control arms, tie-rods, shock absorbers, bushings, belts, O2 sensors, catalytic converter(s), and more.

It depends on how the car was driven and maintained, what environments it was exposed to, and a host of other internal and external factors.

wilder1234 · February 2007

Thanks for reaching out to me. Well, just about everything has gone wrong, but the most consistent issue is the wiring. In other words, ever few weeks the oil light goes on -- as if i need new oil. also, never been able to get the steering wheels alignment taken care of. those are probably the two most consistent issues. when the battery died yesterday, i got a jump for my car, but then the clock never worked again, the odometer was off, etc.
its like that Gilda Radner used to say on Saturday Night Live "if it is not one thing, it is another thing.'

fedlawman · February 2007

How low is the oil level when the light comes on? What kind of oil do you use and how often do you change it?

Steering wheel alignment is a very touchy thing - there is very much an "art" to getting it right, and very few shops can. I have found only a couple of private shops in my area that can do a proper alignment, they they are specialty shops that cater to high-end sports cars and race cars. A very reputable body shop would be a good place to start if you don't know of any "race shops" in your area.

How old is/was your battery? Have you replaced it recently? What condition is your charging system (alternator) in?

That's a start anyways. I'll do a little more research for you.

idoc2 · February 2007

I recently discovered a minor quirk in the operation of my Xenon Adaptive Headlights. When I initially purchased my 328xi I was not keen to get this fairly expensive option. I have no problems diving at night with standard halogens but more importantly was warned by a friend about the high cost of maintenance. Instead of your standard $15 dollar bulbs these reportedly can cost almost a $1000 if the bulbs and the ignitors need to be replaced on both sides. The owner's manual warns you that premature replacement can occur if the lights are turned on/off more frequently than normal. As a frugal guy I elected to not use the automatic setting as it would always turn the lights on when the car was brought into my garage and then again when the car was started in the garage every morning. Instead I would turn on the headlights by rotating the knob clockwise to the manual on position. What I did not realize was that in this position the adaptive feature was disabled and that the lights would no longer pan with steering wheel motion. It took me some time before I noticed this deficiency which of course triggered muttering about the poor reliability of German cars and how I'd been pushed into this feature. I was, of course, relieved when I realized that it was my deficiency not the car's. In any case now when I manually turn on/off the lights I do so by turning the knob counterclockwise to the auto setting.

P.S. I am surprised that no one has responded to or perhaps experienced the same nonlinearity of their accelerator that I mentioned in my recent post #3225.

Idoc2

mmancini65 · March 2007

Anyone else out there owning a new 3 series who has heard an intermittant tapping noise from their engine that accelerates an decelerates with engine speed? I've posted this before and had one positive response. It's intermittant, and not necessarily related to engine temp (of course, how can one be really sure since there's no temp gauge). Dealer not able to reproduce the sound. I do a fair amount of in town driving. Hard to tell if it effects performance since I tend to drive car easier when the sound is present. It sounds like a lifter or valve lash adjustment problem. Not burning any oil, which has been changed once at 5000mi.

klinkerklu · March 2007

Yes, we have experienced the exact same thing for the past 3 months now. We are going in for our 3rd service for this issue next week & they plan on replacing all lifters in the engine. Not happy about this problem.
See the following for audio/video of our problem:
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187584
There is an extensive list on e90post's forum (12 pages so far)
GL
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13504

vinnyny · March 2007

About two months ago, I lambasted my local BMW dealers for poor service, so I thought it only fair to post my good experience as well.

I took my car into Casey BMW in Newport News, VA for some minor service items: wiper blades and trunk lock. They took care of both issues quickly and returned my car neatly washed. However, they put that grease on the tires and my three year old found it in a flash--result: one brand new dress ruined. (My wife is ready to kill me). Why don't they use Armor All like everyone else on the planet?

With the exception noted above, I've got to give kudos to Casey for getting the job done quickly and effectively.

demey · March 2007

What did you do to fix the problem or did BMW correct it as a defect? Please advice dlr9133@lausd.k12.ca.us

BMW 3-Series Maintenance and Repair

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