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Comments
BMW made so many changes in technology and software that had previously never had experience in real-world driving. BMW openly admitted their mistakes and even gave all 02 and 03 7's a full 6yr/100k warranty (which is a nice gesture, btw, IMO).
Since then, however, the 7's have been great. No across-the-board issues and nothing out of the ordinary. It took them a year or two, but BMW has really done a nice job with the 7. If you're able to buy that great $120k (new) 760Li from your brother-in-law at lease end, I'd jump all over it. It is extremely unlikely you'd run into anything even close to your 2002.
I'm going to call the mechanic and repair the cost of: A- a new valve body or B-a totally new/rebuilt transmission, because if I can do the entire transmission for a similar price, it would help me to sell the car more easily/for more money when the time comes.
According to the E38 owners manual, "A" stands for Adaptive and "M" stands for manual with regards to that switch.
There are actually 3 driving modes, the third of which is "S" (Sport). When you are using "A" and put the gear in "4", it'll be in Sport mode... Basically it's just not using the 5th overdrive gear, so the rpms are revving up higher.
After reading your post, I can't determine if you are utilizing A/M correctly, so I'll quote their functions from an E38 owners manual:
"A - Adaptive Program: This is the initial position that transmission selects at every start. In the forward ranges, Adaptive Transmission Control automatically selects the most suitable control program from the available range........."
"M - Manual Program: This program is for driving in a single gear (4th or 5th with the selector lever in Drive). The transmission then remains in the selected gear both when underway and when starting off. For instance, when you make a steep ascent with the selector lever in Position 2, then transmission refrains from executing undesired upshifts. The same principle applies during operation on ice-covered roads: By placing the selector lever in Position 3 you can move off gradually, and the transmission wil also suppress subsequent shifts into higher gears."
So, to understand what you are saying, when you start the car you are putting it in "M" mode and "Drive" until it hits 40 mph? If that's the case, then you're probably trying to accelerate from a standstill in 4th or 5th gear... and that's not good for the engine. Could you please clarify?
Is the car safe to drive? I believe the air bags are inoperative while the light on the dash is lit.
Help...
Or better still, point me in the right direction for solving my problem. It looks like the radio (and cd) are working fine but there is zero sound from the speakers. All fuses are OK, I have not yet checked the powewr into the booster amp (rear lhs of trunk)as I do not have the plug layout.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE RADIO CODE before you remove the radio!!!!!
r.zorrilla
Any ideas or suggestions of what to do about it? Your guidance will be very much appreciated.
Thanks
Mike
do they knock on idle, I always thought they came in at higher rpms, or got louder with rpm increase.
I tried taking off each plug wire one at a time and starting it but it was still present. I used a drumstick to my ear to locate it and it seemed a little less at the crackcase area and a louder around the intake area. Anyone that could help me I would greatly appreciate it.
http://www.edmunds.com/used/index.html
Just got an 03 CPO 745 Li with abt 22k miles. Have had the vehicle for abt 3 weeks now. All is fine except the following.
When the car has been running (driving around for 20 min or so), I hear a slight knock coming from somewhere under the hood when the car is in park or idle. I also note the rpm drops from the normal 0.5 to abt 0.25 momentarily (maybe a 1/2 second or so but its corrected on its own). The knock and drop in rpm happen at the same time. Any ideas what this can be? When the car is in motion, all is fine - very smooth.
Also, I recently hit a pretty nasty bump in the road, causing some wheel alignment issues. I'm thinking of having some reputable tire center correct that, not the dealer. But friends have been telling me to go the dealer to get this corrected. Any input?
Thanks.
Thanks
Thanks for the reply. I will relay this information to my dealer. The car has been with the dealer since last Saturday and the dealer is working with BMW b/c they cant seem to figure it out.
Also, does your rpm slightly jump up when the AC is on? When my AC is off, at rest my rpm is sitting at .5. Once the AC is enabled, the RPM jumps to about 0.7 (and stays there till the AC is disabled). Just wanted to know is this was normal or not. My wife has an 01 X5 and this behavior doesnt occur on her vehicle.
Thanks!
My rpm does increase to a little above 700 rpm when the AC is on, and once it is off, the rpm goes down to around 600 rpm. I believe this to be normal due to increased load on engine when the A/C is turned on.
At least the dealer gave me an 06 530i (as a loaner) with the sport package which handles great. Now I regret (and only regret so far) not having the sport package on the 745. Vehicle still handles great, but Im sure the 7 woulda been a lot more nimble and not feel like the boat it is w/o the sport package. Next 7 series I purchase will definitely have the sport package.
The sports package on the BMW's are the best - firm, yet comfortable ride, and with the 19" wheels for the 7 Series, the look really catches the eye, especially chrome 19's!!
How was the 745 a better driving exp compared to your Lexus? Did your 745 come equipped with the sport package? I'm really picky when it comes to wind noise etc, and I think my buddies lexus has a quieter cabin than my 03 745Li (but barely). And when my car is idle, it is definitely not as quiet when compared to the Lexus. Of course when I drive my car, the driving exp is a lot more enjoyable
Ive had my 745 for abt a month now (but its been with the dealer for 2 weeks of the one month ive owned it). I took the vehicle for regular service and a few minor issues. turns out one issue isnt so minor (an rpm issue). dealer cant seem to figure it out and is working with bmw on the matter. aside from that, its been fine. but i wouldnt be a good example considering ive only had the vehicle for such a short period of time. two of my buddies also has 7 series. one has an 02 745Li and the other an 03 760Li. both are happy with their vehicles but they do mention the glitches of idrive, etc all the time. my wife has an 01 X5 and its been great. only time will tell if my 7 will be good to me.
I went back to Leith BMW today to test drive a 02 and 03 745. I asked for the Vehicle History Report on both autos, which my salesman provided. The 02 had a history of 18 service issues. In the comment section of the report there was an entry that read: “Bmw trade assist vehicle, ineligible for intial enrollment in bmw cpo program in CA or states with similar restrictions”. I’m not sure what that meant, but it wasn't something I wanted to see.
The 03 745 had a much better history and drove much better. There were only 6 service dates which looked like normal service dates; for the most part the car was in and out of service in two days or less. Just what I wanted to see. However, we could not meet on the price. The car was on the lot for $49,999, dealer came down to $47,500, I offered $45,000. Maybe I'm asking too much, not sure, but I think that is a fair price for a cpo 7 (?)
I hope you can enlighten me as to how often brakes need to be replaced on our 740Il. We had them done 20K miles ago (7 months) and now the brake lining lights message is coming on? I need help! Thanks!
bmrwife :sick:
I got my car back finally. The dealer recalibrated thirteen modules (not sure what that means) and so far, the issue hasnt surfaced. Im gonna give it a few weeks or so to ensure the issue has disappeared.
I would stay away from the 02 you drove. From reading the comments, I think the vehicle wont qualify as having a clean title.
The 03 you drove has a similiar service history as mine. I would also look for any paint work (from previous accidents, etc), misaligned chrome trim (if this is not the sports package) on the bumpers, etc. What options did the 03 have? How many miles? I think your offer is reasonable - the 7s dont exactly have a waiting list I paid $45,500 (dealer had it listed for $52k) for an 03 Sterling Gray/Black leather combo that had 22k miles. Options on my vehicle were:
* Convenience Package
* Luxury Seating Package
* Premium Sound Package
* Tire pressure monitor
* 19" wheels w/performance tires
* Park Distance Control
I bought it from a VW/MB dealer b/c I couldnt find black leather with low miles for the life of me from a BMW dealer! So technically, my vehicle isnt a CPO BMW. I wasnt to concerned with the CPO stamp as I was with the additional 2yr, 50k mile warranty (which applies to most 02s and 03s). I emailed BMWNA prior to purchasing the car to be certain the vehicle qualified for the additional warranty - and it did I also had to sacrifice the promotional financing that BMW was offering (maybe they still are) on the CPO 03s. They were offering 3.9% for 5 years. I ended up paying 5% thru my credit union.
Good to hear about your car. The 03 I drove had comparable options; lux seating, logic 7, park distance control. Very nice when backing up I might add! The list was $49,999 with 40,100 miles. I went in knowing I wanted to spend $45k. The dealer came down to $47.5k, which was close but not close enough. I thought he could come down a little more to tell you the truth. The financing had just went up to 4.9%, which still wasn’t bad, keeping in mind the Fed had just raised the rates and I knew it would trickle down. But like you mentioned, it was 3.9%. Pretty good in this interest rate environment.
I must say the service history on the vehicle was great, in comparison to the 02. Someone told me the 02 was probably a buy-back by BMW and I should avoid it at all costs. Going by the service history of the vehicle, I certainly will.
As it stands now, I’m going to wait and see what happens. He has several 2003 745s on the lot so I can afford to wait a bit. The saleman told me “well, these might be sold next week” but for two weeks in a row when I have driven past they are there. Every once in a while I might see one missing (out for a test drive maybe?) but for the most part they get them in regularly on trades. I also check the Leith BMW website and look at the inventory. When I see one I like I will definitely check it out.
What could be the problem? Taking it to the dealer tomorrow to see whether they can fix it. I hope so.