BMW 3-Series Maintenance and Repair

roadburner · August 2010

You are most welcome; I'm always happy to help a fellow BMW owner!!!

bmw_gss · August 2010

I just bought my 2010 328 Xi and damm excited abt it. I need some pointers to make sure I maintain it well. My qns are basic and could be silly so pls bear with me folks!

1. The dealer said I should be fine using mid grade gas instead of premium. I found my previous car (Passat) gave me better mileage when I used BP as compared to Shell or Chevron. Thoughts?
2. How often will I go to the dealer for service as part of the free 4 yr/50000 maintenance and warranty program?
3. What does a typical service/maintenance trip to the dealer involve - meaning what things are inspected and changed?
4. The warranty covers the vehicle - any specific part or parts that will require replacement and inspection before the 4 yr/50k is up? If yes, how would I know?
5. Lastly, I plan to keep the car for a long time - so idea is to buy extended warranty when my 4 yrs are up. Which one should I absolutely get - the service/maintenance plan or the warranty the gold/platinum packages? I think the first one covers the oil changes while the later covers vehicle parts...

Thanks for your time!

nyccarguy · August 2010

You just got a great deal on your BMW. Use some of the money you saved to pump Super as is recommended by BMW (91 or higher).

BMW covers scheduled maintenance for the 4years or 50,000 miles. Within the warranty period, your car will go in the shop during the approximate service intervals:

15,000 miles - Oil Change

30,000 miles - Inspection I service including oil change and a very thorough going over of the car

45,000 miles - oil change

Depending on how you drive, you'll also get a set of brake pads & rotors (definitely fronts, maybe rears) and a brake fluid flush.

Now you say you want to keep the car for a long time. How long is long? 150K, 200K? There are many who believe (and these people know a lot) that BMWs recomended service intervals got a lot longer since they started paying for maintenance. They advise an oil change every 7500 miles, brake fluid every 2 years, and transmission fluid every 3 years in addition to what BMW says.

upstatedoc · August 2010

You're in the big leagues now, don't cheap out on the gas! I run 93 oct and squeeze out an extra 20 horsepower!

rfl · August 2010

Your BMW will run on Panther Urine...but not up to performance design. Run it on the best swill you can buy...93 octane(or more if you can find it). A 328 is a 335 on High octane fuel... similarly, a 335 is a 328 on the cheap stuff.

bmw_gss · August 2010

oh ya...I was intending to do premium only, but my my dealer who sold me the car suggested mid grade wud do fine as she uses the same on her 328 too. So thought I wud check what folks here felt - so premium it is then. Any suggestions on BP or Shell?

bmw_gss · August 2010

Yep thanks - plan to do the premium only, wanted to confirm from folks here. I only asked coz the dealer said so that too w/o my asking!

As to how long I want to keep it - I am thinking 100K miles. Warranty expires 2013 end and I guess I will get to 40K by then. So contemplating if I should get the service/maintenance ext warranty? How much does a service trip typically cost if one does not have a service/maintenance warranty? Also what abt the other warranty on parts such as platinum/gold etc. Is that something people get normally?

shipo · August 2010

Ask yourself this, "Do I trust some sales wank that doesn't know squat about the internals of the engine, or do I trust the engineers that designed and built my car?"

I'm thinking the answer is a tad obvious.

roadburner · August 2010

So contemplating if I should get the service/maintenance ext warranty? How much does a service trip typically cost if one does not have a service/maintenance warranty?

Prices vary depending on the dealer and where you live. My dealer charges @$100 for an Oil Service, @$300 for an Inspection I and @$400 for an Inspection II. I wouldn't pay for an extended warranty or service contract. Take the money you'd spend on a warranty or contract and stick it in a Money Market account.

kyfdx · August 2010

stick it in a Money Market account.

Put it anywhere but there.... Money market accounts are paying .01%.. one-hundreth of one percent.. $10K was earning $0.09 per month.... That's right.... 9 CENTS!!

Schwab has an Investor Checking account that pays 0.5%.. Doesn't sound like much, but it's 50 times what the MM pays... :P

Kirstie_H · August 2010

Or do what I'm doing - take it to Vegas

(and I'd trust Shipo AND the BMW engineers... both of them know what they're talking about)

rfl · August 2010

Doesn't make much of a difference anymore regarding brand...in most major markets it's "Guess who's refinery this came from" brand. The Shell station near us pumps gas that arrives in trucks with no marking...I asked the driver where he gets the gas...seems it comes from a Valero refinery. What you see ain't always what you get (and I personally don't think it makes any difference). On the other hand...octane rating seems to be (probably) state (or locally) regulated so if it says 91, it's probably pretty close to 91. The fact that it wasn't refined by the same guys who's name appears on the sign is irrevelant. In fact, I doubt if 10% of the gas you buy comes from the refinery you think it comes from.

upstatedoc · August 2010

"Do I trust some sales wank that doesn't know squat about the internals of the engine, or do I trust the engineers that designed and built my car?"

lol shipo, we need to go out for a beer.

shipo · August 2010

Sounds good, I'll buy the first round.

bmw_gss · August 2010

oh ya, point taken..premium it will be....precisely y i wanted folks opinion here...thnx a bunch!

jimbres · September 2010

Schwab has an Investor Checking account that pays 0.5%.. Doesn't sound like much, but it's 50 times what the MM pays...

My credit union (Addison Avenue FCU) currently pays 2.57% on checking account balances up to $25K if you satisfy 2 requirements: (1) use their Visa debit card at least 12X/month (no minimum purchase - I meet this with my 7-Eleven coffee purchases) & (2) initiate at least 1 ACH deposit into the account from their web site.

This is where I'd deposit the money that I would otherwise spend on an extended warranty. Not that I'd ever buy one - I was burned back in the 70s when an EW company took my money & then folded. Never again.

ponytrekker · September 2010

I'd just buy VZ stock.

mac1958 · September 2010

I think I have a fuse problem -- my radio/CD player cuts out for a couple of seconds every few minutes and my cigarette lighter doesn't work (I can't charge my cell phone!). Two part question:

Does this sound like a fuse problem?

I can't find information on which fuse I should be looking for. Any ideas?

Thanks for your help.

.

mac1958 · September 2010

bmw_gss · September 2010

With winter round the corner, looking at getting all weather floor mats for my 2010 328 Xi. Can anyone recommend a good place to shop for these at reasonable prices?

bmw_gss · September 2010

In addition to my above qn, wanted to confirm one more thing, do the new Xi's come with carpeted floor mats or rubber all weather mats? Mine has the carpeted ones..

rfl · September 2010

I bought a pair of genuine OEM one's at my BMW dealer for $45. Don't get suckered into paying more... they discount them!

seekingaudia4 · September 2010

I pump 91 at Costco. Is there noticeable difference between 93 and 91?

Not that I am complaining about my 328i in DS/manual mode with DTC light on, but don't mind paying for extra 20 horses

rfl · September 2010

since there is no "meter" that tells you the actual horsepower you are getting, I can't say for sure. But when I find 93 octane (Sunoco sells it here in Pa.) I do feel a noticable impact especially in DS mode.

ego29iste · September 2010

I used to own a BMW328i (MY 2000) and loved that car. Thinking about coming back into the BMW fold. I was looking at buying the 335i Convertible. Ideally, I wanted a car with an AWD system since I live in the Northeast. But, I am willing to give that up since I live in Boston and not in the North Pole.

The convertible when kitted out with the sports package only seems to have the option of performance tires and not all season tires. I live in a high rise condo in the middle of the city and won't have the space to store a separate set of winter tires. I definitely want the sports package. Made the mistake of not getting it on my 328i and had to go the aftermarket route (Dinan) to get the handling where I wanted it to be.

Has anyone run them with the 18 inch performance tires in the snow? Or were you able to get your dealer to swap them out for some all seasons 18 inch?

For some reason you are able to spec out the 335x coupe with the sports package and retain the all season tires but that does not seem to be an option on the convertible.

Any thoughts?

Thank,
Tom

rfl · September 2010

Bag the sports package or stay home in the snow...or change to all season tires aftermarket.

And that's a Philadelphia thought...net even as far north as Boston!

Without the AWD BMWs (each and every one of them) STINK in the snow. And with the sport's package...heaven help you!

shipo · September 2010

Hey Tom,

I live just north of you in Cow Hamster (but work in Boston), and for a while (a very short while) I had a 530i SP with summer rubber on it. The first 1/8" snow event that we had saw my BMW barely able to make it up my driveway. I ordered a set of winter rubber the very next day. Said another way, summer rubber and snow do NOT mix, even a little.

As for where to stash your off-season set of wheels, I know that Tulley in Nashua does (or at least used to) offer a service that included the storage of the off-season set of rubber and the twice per year swap of the wheels for a reasonable price. You might want to call around.

Best regards,
Shipo

ego29iste · September 2010

Thank you for your responses.

I will look into Tulley and even ask some of the other BMW dealers in the area if they have a similar service. I also looked into TireRack and they seemed to suggest a few 18" ultra high performance all season tires for the 335 convertible w/ sport package. If they are sufficient then that is the alternate option but based on rfl's input I am thinking this will still be inadequate.

I will be traveling this week and the next. Once I am back it is test drive time just to finalize my choice and see what the competition is offering these days. Planning on checking out the 335 convertible, 335 awd coupe, G37 awd coupe and perhaps the Audi S4, E350/E550 (coupes). Can't wait to get started!!

Thanks again both for your responses. If you have any thoughts on the choices I have outlined above I would be curious to hear your thoughts.

Tom

kyfdx · September 2010

I wouldn't recommend trying to get by on all-seasons... :surprise:

Just find a dealer that will store your winter tires/wheels.. You'll be happy when the winter tires are on, and even happier in the summer, with those sticky performance tires.. Plus, every mile on the winter tires is one less mile on the summer tires, so it's almost as if they were free!

upstatedoc · September 2010

I was just kidding about 20 extra HP with 93 octane. Although it might get you a handful more ponies? Anyone know for sure?

rfl · September 2010

haven't got any hard evidence that the 93 REALLY increases HP...but I can tell you this: if you use the cheap stuff you WILL notice a definite decline in 0-60 performance. It's like dragging an anvil behind you,

roadburner · September 2010

Without the AWD BMWs (each and every one of them) STINK in the snow. And with the sport's[sic] package...heaven help you!

Really? My RWD 3 Series and 5 Series had no trouble handling snow covered roads when fitted with winter tires. No car -FWD, RWD, or AWD- is going to perform well on summer performance tires.

luv2sail2 · September 2010

I have a 07' 328is with 67k miles on it. As i begin to turn the corner out of the local shopping center, the car shut-off & a light on the dash flashed (it looked as if the car was sitting on a 'car lift'). I put the car in park, hit the start button and the car came back on.hmmmmmm... Has anyone experienced this before, if not can anyone suggest what the problem could be. The car drove normally right afterwards. Car has 100k warranty, however, dealer wanted to charge me $160 for a diagnosis. My 1st thought was, "why are you charging me for a diagnosis, when I have a 100k warranty + you told me it was a 'service light' that came on. Needless to say, I didn't get the diagnosis! ANY suggestions on how I can solve this mystery, will be greatly appreciated;-)

seekingaudia4 · September 2010

Speaking of 0-60, is it just my imagination or the published time is too slow? When I get the chances to do 0-60 launches, I always felt my 328i with auto (DS/Manual, DTC on) was faster than 6.4 or so

Do people actually clock their cars? If so how to do it accurately?

shipo · September 2010

BMW has always been very conservative when it comes to publishing both power numbers (i.e. HP and Torque) as well as acceleration statistics. If I'm not mistaken, BMW has published a 0-60 time of 6.9 seconds for automatic 328i sedans and 6.3 seconds for manual transmission variants.

Can both cars beat those numbers on a dry surface? Probably.

Best regards,
Shipo

Mr_Shiftright · September 2010

6.4 is pretty quick actually for a solidly built 6 cylinder passenger car with all the amenities and gadgets---that's faster than most legendary American "muscle cars" from the 60s.

seekingaudia4 · September 2010

6.4 is Edmunds number for a 328i 6M sedan I think. No one seems to care about the 6A. Is there a link on how the 0-60 is usually clocked?

Mr_Shiftright · September 2010

I don't think so. Some of the auto mags do some rather radical launching techniques.

Personally I find 0-60 a pretty useless bit of information, given that most cars today can easily do this under 9 seconds and that most cars today in the same price and weight class are just splitting hairs in terms of their competitive 0-60 scores.

I mean, it's really "how" you get to 0-60 as much as how fast you get there. Some cars put up such a fuss with engine noise and balky shifting that the 1/2 second you gain is hardly worth the trouble.

seekingaudia4 · September 2010

Which was why I picked the 328i over the A4 and the G37. I like power but also a more refined driving experience especially in aggressive driving mode.

Although I think there is a huge difference between 9 and under 5, separates fun driving from just driving.

I did find a BMW M Meter iPhone app. Don't Know how good those apps are at spelling out the performance numbers.

28firefighter · September 2010

I have a 2004 330xi that I bought about a month ago. Recently it started making a groaning sound when in reverse. It almost sounds like the parking brake is not disengaging completely when in reverse.

I took it in and had the dealer I bought it from, and they made an adjustment to the emergency brake and that helped initially. Now it is not as constant, but it does appear intermittently. Interestingly enough, if I am moving slowly in reverse and yank up the park brake to stop the car, and then reverse - the noise stops for a period of time.

I would take it back to the purchasing dealer, but I am about to drive the car cross state back with me to Pittsburgh (car is in Philadelphia right now) and cannot get back to the dealership.

Any ideas what this might be specifically? I'm guessing it has to do with something rubbing from the park brake, but I'm not sure why. The front and rear brakes were done within the last 5k miles and the car makes no noises whatsoever going forward or when stopping.

roadburner · September 2010

BMW emergency brakes use a set of mechanically actuated brake shoes located inside of the rear rotor hats. You need to adjust the shoes AND the cables. A good how-to can be found here.

rhmass · September 2010

Recently my 2002 325 battery light came on during driving and the car stalled with practically all lights came on. Upon towing to the technician who found out that the alternator was bad, so it was replaced. We have 56,000 miles on the car. We have had six BMWs over the years without ever having the alternator requiring replacement even at the mileage well over 100,000. The question I had about this problem related to the fact I have been using a trickle battery charge for this car since a year ago, as we don't drive this one as much, thus I put the charger on it once a week or so to keep the battery fully charged. With this recent alternator problem, I wonder if putting on the battery charger, even a trickle type, may do damage to the alternator, particularly now I had a new battery put in also.

I have been trying to find information on this matter. The only piece of information on the potential damage to the alternator is to have a practically dead battery using driving (alternator) to fully charge it, then the alternator might be damaged. Even this theory was not definitive. Does anyone know if using a trickle charger frequently would potentially damage the alternator? Hope to hear from some of you mechanically inclined to advise me to this question. Thanks.

jaj · September 2010

My '09 328 xdrive with 17K miles makes a high pitched chirping/squealing noise audible only at very slow speeds. Applying the brakes causes sound to stop. Dealer said the brakes have plenty left to them, that it's probably a "hard spot" on the pad(s) causing the noise, and it should go away on its own. Two months later there's no sign of the sound abating. Any suggestions of what is the cause and how to get rid of it would be appreciated.

r34 · September 2010

I have a 2007 335xi and I think I got the same problem (I have more mileage though).
It usually happened on a hot day. I brought the car in couple times but they couldn't duplicate the problem. At that time I got ~40K but they took me all the brakes were ok.
I ended up drove the car in when it happened and force the guy to do the test drive with me to hear it.
On the day of the appointment, they couldn't duplicate the problem but the guy who heard it test drove the car with another service guy.
They took the rear brake pads out, cleaned them, and put them back. The noise was still there. They ended up replacing the rear brakes and the noise was gone.

srs_49 · September 2010

I do not think using a battery charger on trickle, even for an extended period of time, would cause any damage to the alternator.

But, I would not use the charger at all for a couple of weeks and see what the state-of-charge of the battery is.

Were you having problems with the car not starting after sitting for a while, or were your just being proactive?

qbrozen · September 2010

definitely wouldn't harm the alternator. The alternator is doing nothing when the car is off and not running, so charger can't do anything to it.

Sometimes things just fail. The brushes in the alternator wore down/got dirty, that's all. I wouldn't worry about it.

rhmass · September 2010

Thanks to both srs_49 and qkrozen for answering my questions.

Knowing the trickle charger won't harm the alternator has relieved my concerns. The cost of the alternator (OEM) was quick costly at $499, so I want to make sure I do the right thing with the charger. The car has never failed to start. The reason i got the trickle charger a year ago was because the battery which came with the car was getting pretty old, so I though to make it fully charged may help to prolong its life. I had the battery replaced as well even though the technician thought this old battery is still taking charge and works. After almost 8 years, I thought I might as well replaced it. Thanks again for the reply.

ego29iste · September 2010

Thanks. I found a local shop that can keep the winter tires and wheels on site. They will change it for the seasons for free if you buy it through them. So hopefully that headache is over now.

Started test driving this weekend finally to narrow down the choices. I did drive the 2011 E550 coupe and Audi S5 (highway and city). Both are excellent cars.

E550 - Excellent HK audio system, V8 is excellent. More of a luxury cruiser than a true performance car. Definitely can be pushed a bit though. You can bomb down the highway and have no inkling as to how fast you are going. I really like the quality of the navigation system as well. The screen was super vibrant and beautifully detailed. It looks classy with a tinge of aggression if it has the appearance package. Some bits were slightly a little too plasticky. Wish it came with the 4matic system as the sedans did. I liked it more than I thought I would. Very professional sales staff.

Audi S5 - Great seats. Just as good if not better than the E550 seats. Good audio system though I felt perhaps the MB had a slight advantage here. Though I was listening to Sirius on the Audi and a CD on the MB. Loved the look of the car - very sexy. It has the AWD system which is a plus for me. The interior at first glance looks excellent. Even better than the MB but some of the buttons when you press them feels a bit too plasticky and clicky in their response. The car does drive amazingly well though. It feels more secure and well planted throughout the turns. Definitely liked the way it drove and handled compared to the MB E550 coupe. The navigation system is good but to me it was a bit cartoony and perhaps not as elegant in execution compared to the MB E550. Sales experience was a bit sub par compared to the MB dealer.

Came across the Infiniti FX50S - didn't drive it. A dealer had a fully loaded one sitting on the lot. The interior sure looked like a nice place to be at first glance. Focus focus.... I need to stay focused or I will never buy a car.

BMW - hoping to schedule a test drive later today for the 335i convertible and perhaps the Z4 with the same engine as well. Saving the best for the last

Both are indulgences w/ the 3 conv having a bit more practicality. The Z4 does speak to me from an emotional level and I have always loved the classic roadster look. The time in my life when I owned a Mazda MX5 was one of the best in terms of driving fun.

Once the top choice is finalized, next phase is pricing and poring over these forums to see how much these cars are being discounted from MSRP. Car shopping is fun!!!

Sorry for the brain dump in here. The Mrs. things I am nuts staying up late poring over these details. Had to get these thoughts out of my system.

Have a good one folks.
-T

phenomal · September 2010

Hope it is not your rear differential mount. My brother broke his in his 02 330 manual. He said it was loud as hell when it broke and clunked every time he shifted after. He welded it back together himself because fixing it with a new part meant dropping the suspension. ">

michele16 · September 2010

I have never had any problems with my car remote however, this evening I suddenly discovered I am unable to unlock the driver side door of my 2005 325ci with it's remote. The car locks with the remote but I have to open the driver side door manually with the key. The locks on the remaining doors, i.e., the passenger side door and trunk door are working fine and they open and close with the remote Any ideas as to what is going? Is this some type of an electrical malfunction or did some part of the door lock break? Is this something worth getting repaired and approximately what cost am I looking at for the repair?
Thank you!

BMW 3-Series Maintenance and Repair

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