BMW 3-Series Maintenance and Repair

fatigati · August 2007

I have a 325ci. When I drive, there is a thumping noise which appears to come from the left rear tire area. It occurs about every 5-10 seconds while driving straight.
The tires are fine..no high spots, balanced and inflated properly. I have had several people look at it, but they can't determine what the cause is. Any suggestions where I should begin looking? (one person told me the rear axle seemed to have too much play..could that be it?)

roadburner · August 2007

I have a 325ci. When I drive, there is a thumping noise which appears to come from the left rear tire area. It occurs about every 5-10 seconds while driving straight.

Sounds like the left rear shock mount. It's no big deal; just replace them with these HD items.

(one person told me the rear axle seemed to have too much play... could that be it?)

This is why you shouldn't let a moron inspect your BMW. Your car doesn't have a rear axle. It has a differential(also called a final drive) as well as two half shafts. I hope you didn't pay that idiot anything.

fatigati · August 2007

Thank you for your reply. I am going to check into that tomorrow.
(I did not pay anyone for their advice....good thing!)

eddg · September 2007

HELLO EVERYONE ED HERE, LAST SEPT I BOUGHT A 2002 325I I WANT TO INCREASE H/P INSTANTLY! WHATS THE MOST RELIABLE,EASIEST,AND FRUGAL WAY TO DO IT???

I AM CONSIDERING A TURBO/SUPERCHARGER... WHATS A RELIABLE BRAND TO BUY.WITHOUT CHARGING MY LIL' CREDIT CARD TO 10.K

I WANT A SYSTEM THAT COMES COMPLETE. ALSO, I LIVE IN SOUTH TEXAS SO ITS PRETTY DARN HOT IN THE SUMMER BUT WINTERS ARENT THAT BAD HOW WILLL THE WEATHER EFFECT THE PERFORMANCE?

SOMEONE LET ME KNOW PLEASE! :shades:

Mr_Shiftright · September 2007

No easy cheap way to get HP out of a BMW 325i. The engineers didn't leave too much on the table that you could easily scoop up.

A turbo is probably the best way to go but it's not cheap and it has its problems; otherwise, I'd say you'd get more fun out of better tires and struts and at least more noise out of a nice cat-back exhaust (but not much HP). So for maybe $1,500 bucks you can go around turns faster and make more noise doing it---that's fun.

You'll see all sorts of silly claims for cheap horsepower but they don't seem to pan out on the dyno, so I'd suggest handling and a nice sound is the very best way to spend your money. If you want a turbo, that'll give you real HP but it's going to cost a lot of money.

shipo · September 2007

Piece of cake, sell your 325i and buy a 330i.

Mr_Shiftright · September 2007

tur--BO! tur---BO!

shipo may be of the school (if I may speak for him) that says "If you want a faster BMW, go buy a faster BMW".

shipo · September 2007

Yupper! ;-)

roadburner · September 2007

Yep, sell the 325i and buy an E46 330i with the Performance Package(AKA: ZHP).
If that's too rich for your blood find a nice E36 M3 and fit a Conforti Cold Air Intake and Shark injector.
Either of the above options will be less expensive -and probably quicker- than bolting a supercharger or turbocharger to your 325i. If you still want to pump up your 325i, I'd go with the Active Autowerke supercharger. It costs $4400, plus labor if you can't do it yourself. That assumes your engine is in good condition; if it's a bit tired, the added stress of forced induction will almost certainly hasten its demise. You also need to understand that it's not simply a matter of pumping an additional 90 RWHP into your 325i; you will need to upgrade the brakes and suspension to cope with the additional horsepower, so add another $2500-$5000 for that. And when all is said and done, I can almost guarantee that you won't get your money back when you eventually go to sell it.

Mr_Shiftright · September 2007

Well said! OEM turbo engines are generally internally strengthened. If you have ANY weakness in your 325i engine, a bolt-on turbocharger will find it for you immediately. But with boost control, bigger injectors, intercooler and sensible driving (you don't want long periods of boost applied on a stock engine), you'd probably only decrease engine life maybe 10%.

dhanley · September 2007

>>"shipo may be of the school (if I may speak for him) that says "If you want a faster BMW, go buy a faster BMW".

Totally. A friend of mine had a 525i. He sent the car to korman, and for a mere $25K had the suspension tuned, and the engine punched out to 2.7L, cammed, balanced, and turboed. Shade under 300hp.

'twas a neat car, but fussy after all that modification. I resisted the urge to point out he could have upgraded to a 540i sport for quite a bit less money, and had a much less fussy vehicle.

Don't even get me started on the guy who put 20K into upgrading his saturn sc1.

Mr_Shiftright · September 2007

I guess if your car is totally bought and paid for, and in great shape, one might justify sinking $20K into it for upgrades, but you'll never see the money back, that's for sure. And it must be very annoying to spend all that money and then have the factory produce a newer version of your model that performs better than your modified car.

raphaelhom · September 2007

Has anyone else had the common problem of the radio going off for no reason and service guys saying there is nothing they can do cuz it isn't happening during their test drives?

gloryhis · September 2007

I bought a 323i 1998 convertible second hand. My wife won't drive it until I give her evidence it has a roll bar. I can't get in touch with the former owner, and BMW couldn't tell me, even with the VIN#. Any suggestions?

kyfdx · September 2007

Check the tops of the back head rests... The newer models have metal hoops that pop up in case of a roll-over, and the windshield is reinforced...This, in effect, gives you the same protection as a roll bar.. Not sure if the E36 models had this, or not... If they do, you'll be able to see the top of the metal hoop, even though it is flush with the top of the head rest.

Have you or your wife ever flipped a car? It's pretty hard to do..

roadburner · September 2007

I bought a 323i 1998 convertible second hand. My wife won't drive it until I give her evidence it has a roll bar. I can't get in touch with the former owner, and BMW couldn't tell me, even with the VIN#. Any suggestions?

Find a new wife? :P That will possibly be less trouble in the long run. Does she still ride a bike with training wheels? Wear flame retardent jammies? :surprise: Like kyfdx said, it's extremely difficult to flip a BMW convertible unless you do something really boneheaded.

russ10 · September 2007

after the shifter bound-up I have tried but can't get 2nd gear.All the other gears work as before.Is it possible the linkage was bent or a shift fork? Maybe I need a new trans?

gloryhis · September 2007

Thanks for the advice! I know what you're talking about in the newer models-once I get more dinero I think I'll buy one of those for her!

gloryhis · September 2007

LOL!!!

roadburner · September 2007

All kidding aside, it really is hard to flip a 3er convertible as long as it stays on the pavement. The A-pillers are reinforced so if the car DID turn turtle there would still be a fair amount of protection.

russ10 · September 2007

Iown a 94 325i manual trans never had a problem when I let a friend drive it and in ten minutes he managed to get the shifter to bind up when I got it back to normal 2nd gear was not available you can just feel it a little bit if you hold the shifter against it.Anybody know whether there is linkage that could have bent or maybe a shift fork? Or maybe I start looking for a used trans?!!

tayl0rd · September 2007

Might be a bad second gear synchro. Have you tried double-clutching it?

Mr_Shiftright · September 2007

Check first for a leaking clutch slave cylinder. Other causes could be a clutch that is not releasing properly.

russ10 · September 2007

Its not that it wont go in to the hole It goes in as before just as far IE it bottoms out without engaging the gear Can you tell me is there linkage on the outside of the trans?

russ10 · September 2007

The clutch works just fine all the other gears work as before Someone told me that there is a shift fork clip that may have come off where the shifter connects inside the trans for 2nd gear

abfisch · September 2007

eddg:

I am not sure exactly how to say this, but after reading your post and the replies, let me see if I can help. You did not say if you have a MT, so it is hard to say exactly.

If you don't have a MT, not sure why it matters. After 90MPH, on public roads, most people are asking to lose their privileges for awhile.

If you do have a MT, then it is very very easy. An actually very cheap. There is a CDV(clutch delay valve) that is a valve placed in between the hard steel line and the rubber line to the clutch. It is plainly visible from underneath the vehicle. It slows the release of the clutch dramatically. BMW does this for many reasons, most of which is because a high percentage of their vehicles are leased.

Go to www.zeckhausen.com or do a search for zeckhausen racing. If you bought the vehicle, this is the SINGLE MOST and EASIEST and CHEAPEST upgrade you can perform. It is under $50, and instantly,(if done correctly) gives the vehicle spirit like an old 2002tii. It is almost amazing the difference in "engagement". And below 60MPH, that is what it is all about, not really horsepower.

abfisch

roadburner · September 2007

I would love to hear your story!!

Fair enough; I've had a BMW in my garage ever since 1983- eight in all. To be specific, 2 E3s, 1 E28, 1 E24, 2 E36/5s, 1 E39, and 1 E83. I still have one E36/5 and the E83. I sold most of the other cars to friends who still own them. To the best of my knowledge, all of the cars still have a functioning reverse gear. I have at least a 30 friends in the North Central Kentucky area who own BMWs. None have reported a reverse gear failure. So there you have it...

shipo · September 2007

"None have reported a reverse gear failure. So there you have it..."

Ahhh but you see my friend, like me, you have a tendency to buy REAL BMWs with a REAL transmission (the E39 being a notable exception). The punny little GM automatic that the E46 323i model had as an option seems to be (anecdotally) a bit fragile in reverse.

noreversedotor, next time buy a REAL BMW with a proper transmission. :P

Best Regards,
Shipo

roadburner · September 2007

Ahhh but you see my friend, like me, you have a tendency to buy REAL BMWs with a REAL transmission

True enough, but my wife's E36 and her E833 also had/have GM slushboxes. And AFAIK the GM autobox in our departed E39 is still working fine for its third owner at over 150K. The only service it received was the 100K drain/fill BMW calls for. Having said all that, I still think that you are right; the best advice is to ALWAYS buy a BMW with three pedals...

bosshoss2 · October 2007

I have a 1986 BMW 325ES. If the car sits for 4 or 5 days without being run, the battery goes dead. When I remove the positive cable from the battery, with nothing on, there is a spark, so something is drawing voltage. I've pulled all the fuses and the condition remains. Does anyone know if there is something in the car that is un-fused? I've even disconnected the alternator (not running of course,) and the spark from the battery still remains. Something is drawing voltage, but I can't seem to find it! Anyone here ever have this problem? Thanks!!

Mr_Shiftright · October 2007

Might be good to measure how much amperage is being drained off. It could be insignificant and not the source of your problem. A bad battery can behave this way on its own.

bosshoss2 · October 2007

I'm reading a 14.5 amp draw.

Mr_Shiftright · October 2007

That's a drain all right!

I think just about everything on a car is fused these days. Maybe you need to disconnect some of the branch wires off the positive battery cable?

Have you ever checked at night to see if they brake lights are glowing or there's something on in the car?

bosshoss2 · October 2007

Nothing is on or glowing at night. Today, I checked the amp draw again and it was only 3. Then I took off the ground cable at the battery, reconnected it and the amp reading went to 13. Maybe I need an Exorcist!

Mr_Shiftright · October 2007

Does this car have an alarm?

bosshoss2 · October 2007

I believe it does, but I never set it. In fact I bought the car used and it didn't have an alarm remote, so I don't even know how to arm the alarm if indeed there is one. Do you know if there was a factory alarm availavle from BMW in 1986? The car is over 20 years old, and not in the best condition, so I've never seen the need to have an alarm, or at least set it.
If there is a factory alarm in the car, how would I know, and how do I arm it? Thanks!!

mlifxs · October 2007

Hi I have a 07 328i with prem pack and there are remote control buttons that can be programmed to open garage doors, gates etc. THe remote feature does not work when the car engine is off, first car I have owned where this is the case. Called dealer, they told me my comfort access key must be in the slot and at least the accessories are on. Tried this, didn't work. Anyone else run into this functionality issue?

gs1227 · October 2007

My Passenger side airbag deployed for no reason while driving (40 mph). Sounded like a double gage shotgun went off in the car. Dealer has had it for 2 days and won't tell me a thing! Has this happened to others 2001 3 series

gs1227 · October 2007

I know its been a few years since your airbag issue but this just happened in my 2001. The passenger side airbag totally deployed while driving. The car didn't stop running. Obviously scared the ..out of me and once I could hear again I called the dealership. They've had the car for days and won't tell me a thing ?? What did they tell you?

gs1227 · October 2007

Happened to me too this week! Scared the .. out of me. I couldn't hear for a few hours after the blast. The dealer has the car and told me the engineers have to look at it...but the car hasn't moved from the spot where the tow truck dropped it off??? Day 3 and I'm still getting the run around. I'm afraid to get back into the car. Will the drive side bag go off next? What was your outcome?

Mr_Shiftright · October 2007

I don't know that. Many German cars did have an alarm in the 1980s, and they screwed up regularly. I dis-armed my Porsche alarm by completely ripping it out. That did it.

bosshoss2 · October 2007

OK....thanks for your input. I'll find it ..........sooner or later!

canman1971 · October 2007

I've done some reading on this forum about the extended maintenance program BMW offers. My 04 325i is currently at 42000 miles and I'm considering buying the extended maintenance. So, my question is, is it worth it? If it is 6 years, 100k, I'm looking at 2 additional years of coverage, because I won't get to 100k before 2010.

My other option I'm thinking about is getting a 3rd party extended warranty. I've seen warranty direct quotes at about 25000 bumper to bumper. My last one I had on my 2000 323i paid for itself, but I know the 04s are made a bit better. Any advice/opinions are greatly appreciated.

roadburner · October 2007

Check the glovebox and trunk lights.

bosshoss2 · October 2007

Did that. Not the problem, but thanks!
Taking a few days off, before I pull what's left of my hair out! Ha Ha!

trapedo · October 2007

hi i just wandered if any one could tell me if they knew why my steering keeps going really stiff and i hear a grinding sounds and then the next day its fine.I am also having problems as my car keeps getting air locks and overheating hope someone can give me some advice on what could be the faults thanks

roadburner · October 2007

hi i just wandered if any one could tell me if they knew why my steering keeps going really stiff and i hear a grinding sounds and then the next day its fine.

Check the condition and level of the power steering fluid. The reservoir has a built-in filter which can reduce the flow of fluid, it's fairly simple to replace.

.I am also having problems as my car keeps getting air locks and overheating hope someone can give me some advice on what could be the faults thanks

BMW cooling systems have specific procedures which must be followed exactly in order to purge all the air from the system. Either find a shop that knows how to do this or buy the E36 Bentley Manual and do it yourself.

socalsabo · October 2007

ftroha: any news with the "mediation/conference" with judge in September with regards to faulty transmission? Hope you were successful!

ftroha · October 2007

Prior to the conference, I was told by the court that I needed to go after the local BMW dealership or go to a NJ small claims court to go after BMW corporate. Consequently, I chose to go after the local dealership. The local dealer failed to even show up for court two weeks ago. Normally one wins automatically in small claims court when that happens, but not here. The other party gets a second chance to appear. So this coming Monday I'm back in court for the same thing. I'll let you know how it turns out. By the way, the faulty transmission in the 2000 323i is so common the judge told me his son experienced the same thing -- sudden loss of reverse gear in the same make/model/year his son bought over the Internet recently. He said good thing his son has a sloping driveway. That way he doesn't need reverse gear when he leaves his home in the morning. Needless to say, BMW's failure to stand behind its product is hurting a lot of people.

ftroha · October 2007

This morning a judge in small claims court awarded me 100% reimbursement for the cost incurred to fix my 2000 BMW 323i transmission. For those of you who have been ignored by BMW Corporate (as I was), you might try going after the dealership that sold you the car. Copies of postings on this website, noreverse.org, consumeraffairs.com and others can be used to help make your case that the defect is real and very common.

BMW 3-Series Maintenance and Repair

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