BMW 3-Series Maintenance and Repair

capriracer · January 2004

Probably not.

Low aspect ratio tires are fairly susceptible to impact damage - pot holes, curbs, etc. What happens next is that the air gets let out and the tire runs some distance without air pressure to hold it up, rapidly destroying the tire in the process. Ultimately you wind up with 2 sidewalls and a tread.

It's also possible that a simple puncture could do the same thing.

When you get the tire replaced, have them look at it to confirm.

Hope this helps.

gcole1717 · January 2004

I owned a 1988 325 until a few weeks ago (bought a 330i) and had the same problem with the LCD. There is a little bulb which my local mechanic said is easy to install (maybe not so easy to find the part though?) It's a wonderful car-- I miss it even though the 330 is great! Hope you can find the (tiny) part.

3catmom · January 2004

Thanks, Capriracer - I went to a Goodyear dealer today and they said that it was typical damage for a low profile tire. Just out of curiousity, I did a Google search (after I bought a new tire) for "BMW defective tires" and found a posting on another forum that a 2001 330i owner reported the same exact experience and damage to his right, rear tire (he had Dunlops). Anyway, a responder to his post stated that these type of incidents were caused by manufacturer defects - bubbles that form when the rubber is poured into the mold. Now I'm wondering if I just blew $200+ on a new tire. I kept the old tire - debating on whether I should show BMW dealer.

capriracer · January 2004

I read the thread per the Google search and I think the guy with the military vehicle is talking about something else. However, the guy with the Dunlops sounds similar to your situation.

By all means, show it to the BMW dealer. However, be aware that many vehicle dealers are not tire experts (many tire dealers aren't experts either!) Hopefully, he will have enough experience to know what he is looking at or at least know enough to admit he doesn't know enough.

You might also take the tire to another shop and get a second opinion.

Hope this helps.

drsanti · January 2004

Does anyone have any advice/solutions to these problems? I have an '02 330i w/Sport Package and Steptronic transmission. The most annoying problem is a high-pitch whining coming from the transmission at speeds of 80 mph and above, specifically at lift-off of throttle. Around LA there isn't much chance to open it up past 80, but on a recent trip to Las Vegas (where it seems everyone is doing 90mph minimum) it was very apparent and loud--even my wife noticed it. I had a dealer look at it, but they "couldn't duplicate" the sound, especially since ironically the freeways near them are perpetually gridlocked. It's disheartening at the very least to know you paid $40K for a car which should be "bulletproof" at high speeds but instead whines and rattles. The transmission also makes a dull winding roar at deceleration low speeds--I know it's the tranny because I can make it roar louder if I intentionally downshift upon deceleration. My other problem is various rattles, the latest coming near the front passenger's sun visor/headliner of the front side window. My dealer was kind enough to fix a rattle coming from the right rear speaker decklid, but these other problems remain. None of these problems threaten performance, which I love, but in symphony they are driving me crazy. The irony is that there isn't any other car I would want, yet these problems vex me. Is this a simple case of "you can't have it all", or has anyone been able to solve these problems. Any direction that I can give my service advisor would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

kdshapiro · January 2004

trany problem - you can't duplicate this problem when you lift off at more normal speeds?

mayerofrf · January 2004

Thanks Geoffrey....I'll see if the shop down the road carries that bulb and figure out how to replace it.

drsanti · January 2004

kdshapiro,
It's much less noisy at low speeds--almost imperceptible. But at 80+ it's very apparent. The only good thing is that it seems to take higher and higher speeds for it to come back--today I was at 85 and couldn't hear it as much. The key seems to be sustained high speed (I could only briefly maintain 85 today due to traffic). Anyway, is this normal? Is the transmission breaking in?

kdshapiro · January 2004

I cannot hear anything at high speeds, I have 22K+ miles on the car. Is it possible it is not the drivetrain?

drsanti · January 2004

Anything's possible. I'll just have to find a day when the roads are clear and take my service advisor with me. Either it's getting better or more intermittent or I'm not driving fast enough. I'm going in next week for my 30K service...thanks for the concern/insight.

glhendr1 · January 2004

I has just given a dealer quote of invoice + 500 for a 03, mystic blue, 325i. Any advise, comments, or suggestion on this price? Please respond ASAP as I am interested in purchasing soon. Should I go with this quote for the o3 or should I just pay the regular MSRP for the 04 version?

kyfdx · January 2004

Up through 11/30, the 2003 325i had a manufacturer to dealer incentive of $2000. I'm sure this dealer "punched" the car and got that incentive. So, $500 over invoice is actually $2500 over his cost. I was shopping at the end of November, and was offered a 2003 325i for $1300 under invoice.. $700 over cost.. and this was without me committing or making an offer.. That was their opening offer.
For example.. a typically equipped 2003 325i that stickers for $34,895 has an invoice price of $32,025 minus the $2000 incentive, results in dealer cost of $30,025.. So, you should be shooting for about $500 over that, or around $4500 under sticker, depending on how well optioned the car is.. If it stickers for less than that, figure a little less off sticker.

regards,
kyfdx

glhendr1 · January 2004

Thanks for the info. I'll keep dealing.

dgp2 · January 2004

Have an '03 325 with an auto transmission and when the car is cold in the morning and is placed in drive, there is very significant slippage in the transmission for maybe 2 seconds (but it seems longer). It only happens one time each morning on the initial take off. The dealer tells me they can reprogram the transmission and it will probably help but that BMW engineers have had a lot of complaints about this problem and they can't figure it out! I'm thinking WOW! You gotta be kidding. Anyone else had this problem?

bak9860 · January 2004

My convertible runs great but I need to know if it will continue to do so.

There is large black plastic cowling that fits beneath the engine. I banged it up on some speed breakers and it started dragging on the pavement. I simply reached under the car and pulled it out. (It now sits in my garage.)

Does this cowling really do anything in normal driving? I imagine that it helps to keep ice, snow, and salt away from the engine in cold climates, but I live in Georgia and don't even take the car out in cold weather.

Do I need to replace it?

Thanks

nhlarry · January 2004

Having a debate with my wife. Frigid temperatures here in CT, hovering around 0. Is it bad to run the car through a car wash?

kdshapiro · January 2004

Not if you don't mind ice in every nook and cranny.

ted49 · January 2004

I just bought a 2003 330xi and must let the car warm up for 5 minutes or forward gear(D) will not engage. Apparently, this is a 2003/2004 3-Series problem that BWM is aware of and fixable by replacing the forward-gear drum. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

kdshapiro · January 2004

What is the forward-gear drum?

bocatrip · January 2004

My Girlfriend has a 2002 325 with 25,000 miles on it. Almost from new, I noticed a smell of antifreeze from the engine compartment and after 12,000 miles the low coolant light came on. I added approximately a quart of fluid. We took it to the dealer, had it pressurized and found nothing. After 25,000 miles the light came on again and the coolant was low. Again the dealership found nothing and actually said it was normal for the water to evaporate. I called customer relations and they told me this is not normal. I filed a complaint and am setting up an appointment for a technical support person to look at it. Anyone else out there with any similar issues? By the way, the power steering resevoir is wet all around and the dealership told me the power steering seepage is normal for a BMW. What is up with that? Can you imagine all the 7 series owners swallowing that bull?

kdshapiro · January 2004

bocatrip - if it's not a lose hose, it's the water pump. From what I understand there have been some quality control problems with the water pump. Depending on the specific pump, a pressure test may or may not show any issues.

bocatrip · January 2004

kdshapiro, Thanks for the info. By the way. This lousey dealer (Lauderdale Imports)in Ft Lauderdale Florida, told me that seepage is normal from the waterpump! I'm going to try another dealership as well as do some more research on this matter.

div2 · January 2004

Losing coolant is not normal, but power steering fluid seepage is. The reservoir cap is fitted with an O-ring that is supposed to seal the reservoir.You can replace the cap or the O-ring but the seepage will likely return. I wouldn't worry about the seepage-I would want to know where the coolant is going. kdshapiro is dead on about the hoses and water pump; a friend was losing coolant on his 1998 E39 and it turned out to be a loose hose clamp on one of the hoses connected to the throttle body. Often a loose hose will leak when the engine is dead cold and then seal itself as the motor warms up. If the dealer is only pressure testing a warm engine then they may never find the leak...

lilly2001 · January 2004

guys, i have a problem with my 93 318is with 206425 miles. when i come to a full stop. i have too waited 2 seconds for the transmission to shift back to firs gear. if not and i step on the gas the car jumps. just like if you have it on neutral at high rpm and pop it to Drive. HELP

topdownbadboy · January 2004

I have a 2004 330cic with a malfunctioning Steptronic in cold weather. My issue has about the same description as the 2003 325 owner on this forum. BMW has issued a technical bulletin for this issue and will replace the transmission in the 2004 E46 upon customer complaint. I have a copy of the bulletin and it indicates that the transmission has to be ordered by your service representative through a regional BMW representative. The bulletin indicates that the cause is that there is not enough pressure in into the torque converter when the transmission is cold. The issue on my vehicle has been identified, however, I have yet to have the transmission replaced. I'll probably have this service in the early spring time and hope for the best.

rayamit · January 2004

I am in the UK. Recently bought a 1996 BMW 318iSE, well maintained, all services done at BMW dealership, has 71k miles. It drove well for the first few hundred miles. Now it's developed a strange problem. On idling, the engine revs from 1k to 2.5k. It's as if I am racing the engine, even i do not have my foot on the gas pedal. It looks awkward when I'm stuck in the traffic or at a signal. When the car's running, it suddenly accelerates - could be pretty dangerous in slow traffic. The local mechanic said that the "Idle Control Valve" needs replacing which is gonna cost me GBP110. Anyone else had the same problem before with their car? What fix was made? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

ksoman · January 2004

if they lifted the car and spun it at 80 and couldn't recreate that sound, then the problem could be in one of the hub bearings... i remember when one of my front hub bearings on a car long ago had died and it would whine... the problem was my ears were trained to hear the car and so i could hear the whine over my cheap car's engine noise but the mechanics could not (ugh!), some trial and error fixed the issue and then i sold the car...

ksso

ted49 · January 2004

ted49 · January 2004

KD: It looks like a flywheel with a cylinder attached, made of heavy stainless steel(at least that is what it looks like). The problem is that it leaks fluid when cold but is fine when warm. I am not a mechanic and am only repeating what the mechanic told me. He also showed me what the part looks like. I have e-mailed BMW to find out what has been done to enhanced the part.

stacyandbrian · January 2004

I can't believe everything that is happening to my car. I too have the cold morning start problem where the car does not engage in drive for two or three seconds (i back out of my garage and my driveway is sloped down, so the car starts drifting to the street while i am flooring it in drive!!!). Is BMW actually replacing transmissions because of this???

I still want to know if anyone else's car has the high pitch whine mine does while the car is at idle or low rpm? I can hear my car "whistling" from inside my house while it warms up outside, it's that loud and annoying!!! The dealer says the high pitch is normal because of the all wheel drive, my audi a4 advant does not make that noise! Please someone else tell me they have this noise.

manngc · January 2004

I have a 2001 330Ci and a year after I had purchased the car I noted a relatively loud noise coming from the rear of the car. The car had to be going above 80 and the accelerator has to be only slightly depressed (otherwise it doesn't happen). I took it to the dealer 2 times, and they had my car for almost 2 weeks until they returned it the second time (having changed the differential). I thought that I had fixed it, but no, it was still there. I also noticed the noise (although significantly more faint) at 40mph. I basically just gave up on it since it was either very faint or too fast to fix.

topdownbadboy · January 2004

For message number 963 - rear end noise at high speed - don't give up on getting satisfaction, especially if you own the car. If you're leasing the car and plan on turning it over I'd agree with your approach. If you decide to further pursue this issue, try contacting BMW USA and expressing your concerns directly to them. They have a broader perspective on technical issues because they get to see all of the tough cases in North America from dissatisfied BMW drivers. They also have direct contact with the engineering support staff to help research the issue. Good luck and I hope you get satisfaction.

jwbcox · January 2004

Glad to hear your good luck with the marque- you have had more of them than I with one . My one has been a nightmare/ A 2000 with 12 trips to service in 3 yrs and 3 mos and not for oil chmges - if you want to be depressed, mail me back and I'll fill you in Jim

stacyandbrian · January 2004

This is driving me crazy and no one replied to my last post. Please, if you own a 2004 or 03 325xi with auto trans, tell me if your car makes a high pitched whine while in idle. My 323i purred like a cat when in idle, my new 325xi makes a high pitched noise from the engine when at idle, i can hear it in my house while it's warming up in the driveway. I took it to the dealer and they said it's normail. Today at the street corner a 325xi pulled up next to me and it was just as quiet as my old 323i!!!! Please, let me know if your 325xi is quiet or makes that noise!! What should I do!!!

shipo · January 2004

I might suggest that you post this question over in the 3-Series area as you are not getting any traction here.

FWIW, the noise does not sound normal, however, I haven't owned a 325xi, just a 328i and a 530i. To help your dealer, I might also suggest that you try to isolate the sound.

Is it coming from the front (engine and accessories) or the rear (electric fuel pump) of the car?
Is it coming from the transmission (do you have a manual or an automatic)?
Is the sound louder above or below the car?
Is the sound louder of the hood is opened?
Is it coming from the actual engine?
Is it coming from the accessory area (ie. power steering pump, A/C compressor...)?

Good Luck.

Best Regards,
Shipo

rhmass · January 2004

Sorry to hear you have had lots of problems with your '00 BMW. Of course my experience with the BMW is on very limited bases (four over 12 years), so it is not representative of others' experience necessarily.
Since BMW tends to retain good resale value, you may want to trade it in while it is still "young".

shipo · January 2004

Oops, I just read the 3-Series messages and saw that you actually posted there before here. Good call. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

haldol · January 2004

I also have a 2004 BMW 325i. Every morning the transmission will not engage when I put it in drive. Topdownbadboy posted in 957 that you had a copy of the bulletin about replacing the transmission. Where can I get a copy?

topdownbadboy · January 2004

For haldol, I obtained a copy of the bulletin from my service manager at BMW. Perhaps he shouldn't have given it to me, but he had two printed copies and I simply asked him for one. By the way, my 330cic was in for service with only 600mi on the clock and it took service two days to figure out all of the issues and locate this bulletin. Also, they first could not recreate the problem with the cold Steptronic and they brushed off my inquiry. Then after a cold overnight (they had the car for two full days) they experienced the problem and then decided to look into it further! Good luck.

loubct · January 2004

Topdown. When was your 330CIC built. There is a TSB on March-July 03 builds. Some software issues with the climate control. If you change settings on the unit and let the car sit for a few days, it will drain the battery completely. If its going to be in the shop, you may want them to reprogram your car.

topdownbadboy · February 2004

My cic has sat for a four or five days at a time without issue. However, I will check it out. Thank you.

330iii · February 2004

Can anyone recommend a dealer in the NYC/NJ metro area that will provide a service loaner even if you did not purchase from them? Thanks!

buffagm · February 2004

None in NY metro area that I know of, plenty in New Jersey. Prestige BMW in NJ has excellent service from first hand experience. I am taking my car to Park Ave. BMW next week which is closer to the NY metro area and also offers loaners.

330iii · February 2004

So Park Ave BMW will give me a service loaner even if i bought the car from Bayside BMW in Queens?
Did you purchase your BMW at Park Ave? If you don't mind me asking!

newbmw · February 2004

Just bought 330i; I noticed that its engine runs quite hot; I can feel the heat over the hood after engine stops. My Japanese car, I can hear the engine fan starts running after engine stops to cool off. Is this normal in BMW cars? Should I have it check out? No alarm signal anyway...

thx,
Richard

ted49 · February 2004

BMW is aware of the problem of forward gear not engaging when the car is cold. I have a 2003 330xi with that problem and BMW is going to replace the 'forward-gear drum'. They said the problem is a fluid leak caused by the cold. They do not need to replace the entire transmission.

bmw323is · February 2004

If the temperature gauge reads mid point, you should be fine. If it is higher, or if it warns of overheating, contact your service department immediately. If your car is brand new, you may notice some unusual smell (or heat) in the first few miles of driving.

rayamit · February 2004

This is following my message #958. The mechanic at the local garage changed the Idle Control Valve (costed me GBP113 from the BMW Spares Store). Even after changing the part, there was no improvement.

I then took the car to a BMW dealership thinking that local garages might not be able to find out the cause of the problem. The dealership kept my car for more than two days. They also suspected the idle valve because the computer was logging that as the problem unit. When I told them that it already has a new valve, they pulled out one from a 'good' car, put that on my car and tested. Still the same problem.

They checked loads of other things that can go wrong. Finally said it looks like the control unit is faulty. Will need replacing and is coded for the VIN, so has to come from BMW directly. Will cost me GBP600. Now that is a lot of money. Anyway, I took the car from them 'coz they said if I disconnect the wire from the Idle Valve, it runs fine. So I did. But then later on, I reconnected the wire on it. And the car has been running fine after that... for about 100 miles.

Then the problem happened again - Just once. Hasn't happened since, I've driven about 20 miles after that. (I drive short distances to work).

I am very confused. Don't even know if the dealership is right in saying that the control unit is faulty, 'coz it runs fine most of the time. But obviously there's a problem. It's specially risky driving in slow traffic when suddenly there's more gas burning and the car jumps ahead. Thinking of contacting BMW directly now. Has anyone had similar problem before and what fix was made? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

stacyandbrian · February 2004

Our 2004 "whistling" 325xi has this problem also. 4 out of 5 mornings when I back the car out of the garage and onto driveway, when I put the car in drive, there is no response to my pressing the gas. This happens for about 2 to 3 seconds. Our driveway is on a downslope and it's scary because the car keeps rolling backwards until it engages. I am so frustrated with this car, there is a clunking sound comimg from the rear passenger side strut everytime we make a right turn or hit a bump, the car "whistles" so loud it's embarrasing and the transmission slips. I really feel cheated by bmw. I have sent 4 emails via my account in bmw's owner circle bmwna, and no response yet. My dealer calls the "whistling" normal, see for yourself and tell me what you think, i posted a mpeg of it in action, here is the link:
http://bmwwhistle.tripod.com/index.htm
It's a tripod account, so sometimes it runs over it's limit, but it restores within the hour. We would appreciate anyone's help on this situation!!!! Ahhhhhh!

shipo · February 2004

1) It ain't normal.
2) It sounds like one of the devices driven by the belt (A/C compressor, hydraulic pump, radiator fan, one of the three idler/tension wheels or the alternator*)
3) Your service adviser is deaf

* Alternator!?! I just checked my 530i and found that it had a belt driven alternator! Whats so strange about that? Well, I thought I read back in 1998 that BMW had combined the starter and the alternator into a single unit and mounted it near the flywheel. So, why does my 530i have a belt driven alternator? I cannot remember if my 1999 328i had one or not. Could one of you kind souls check your E46 3-Series and see if you have one as well.

Best Regards,
Shipo

P.S.

After thinking about it for a moment, it occurs to me that both the alternator and the hydraulic pump are on the left side of the engine where it seemed your noise was concentrated. I would suspect either of those two first.

BMW 3-Series Maintenance and Repair

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