BMW M3 Maintenance and Repair

Mr_Shiftright · January 2009

Here's a checklist for you:

3 Series Bugaboos

However, with those low miles I wouldn't think too many items on the list would apply, so you may be okay. What I'd do if i were you is download this list of areas of concern and show them to the shop that checks out the car for you, and let them inspect these items.

Some are minor, like valve cover leaks, and some don't apply to the M3, like the oil separator. Others might apply to low mileage, like the BMW power steering hoses, which tend to leak and which cost an outrageous amount of money for some reason.

Anyway, I'm not sure Consumer Reports has much of a handle on BMWs.

Olds13 · February 2009

I have 49000 miles on my M-coupe. I have worn out my rear tires twice (byproduct of my right foot) but my front tires are just now coming to the wear bars. I want to get an alignment, but fear not getting the M numbers right. Does anyone know the correct specs for an M-Coupe? Also, I've called the 2 tire shops that I typically send my customers to, and they both told me to see the dealer because of special tools etc. needed to perform the alignment correctly. Is that right?!?!

Mr_Shiftright · February 2009

That doesn't make sense---well I mean indeed there may be special tools, but my experience has been that many many dealers farm out their alignments to specialists anyway. I don't see why a really talented alignment shop can't align just about any vehicle. My tire shop (who specializes in alignment) does Ferraris, Porsches, Bentleys, etc, as well as Hyundais.

A good alignment shop is not necessarily just a tire shop.

roadburner · February 2009

BMW's alignment specs assume a certain weight in the passenger seat and the trunk. Some shops won't align them because they don't have any way to put the specified weights in the car. My indie tech uses a little Mom & Pop shop located in the back of an old industrial park. They don't charge much and they do absolutely first rate work.

Mr_Shiftright · February 2009

Oh that is SO German. :P

phud · March 2009

Hi M3 owners,
I found a set of M6 wheel & tire that i'm going to take a look in this weekend & intended to buy it for my 04-M3. The bolt pattern is the same so it will fit. But does anyone know is there anything wrong to use M6 wheel on a M3, because the wheel offset may be different from one another?
Any insight from your past experience or comment is most welcome

The M6 wheels look very sporty & the tires are still in great condition. The price is very reasonable & i really like to have them

Thanks

gmonkies · March 2009

Hi,

I thought I have a main seal leak but luckily it was only the rubber 0-ring on oil pressure regulator on the side of the block. Does anyone know how often does that happen?

Also, the bentley manual said that the bolt holding the metal plate for structure support under the engine area must be replaced every time, after removal. I order new bolts from BMW but using the old one until I get it. I torqued the old bolt back to spec and the car seems to be driving okay. Should I still change it when I get the new bolt or just save it till the next time I have to remove the metal plate again?

One last thing is I replaced my window regulator and adjust the window alignment to be the same as the other side. Everything works fine except if the window goes up automatically, it will will comes down 1/3 of the way after getting to the top. I thought it was cause by the window going up too high. But when I adjust the window alignment so it does not reach the very top, it still does the same thing. Is there anything that I am suppose to rest to solve this minor problem?

Thanks!

roadburner · March 2009

I order new bolts from BMW but using the old one until I get it. I torqued the old bolt back to spec and the car seems to be driving okay. Should I still change it when I get the new bolt or just save it till the next time I have to remove the metal plate again?

I'd change it.

. But when I adjust the window alignment so it does not reach the very top, it still does the same thing. Is there anything that I am suppose to rest to solve this minor problem?

Try this:

Press the window down button. When the window is down - hold it down for 20 seconds. Then press the window up button (with the door closed) - and hold it up for 20 seconds once it's all the way up.

These two steps teach the window the normal down and up positions. They're needed for auto-down/up and to keep the window from going too far up into the channel. There is a magnetic switch in the motor assembly that is adjusted by doing this.

david112 · March 2009

I'm considering an M3 Convertible and it will be my all-year round car. I drive about 23 miles each way from the suburbs to the city. Assuming I get good winter tires (and feel free to recommend any 18 inchers you feel are good), will this work or will I be white-knuckled all winter?
I appreciate your thoughts - David

kyfdx · March 2009

I don't know why an M3 would be any different on winter tires than any other 3-series, other than a slightly lower ground clearance. Is this a new M3 with the folding hardtop?

Winter tires are the key, and, if they fit, I'd recommend 17" winters on dedicated wheels.. My wife drove an '05 330i with soft-top through three Cincinnati winters with no problem, and she really isn't much of a winter driver... and, we have a lot hillier terrain here, than in Chicago... We've used Goodyear Eagle Ultra-Grip and Dunlop WinterSports... both in 17" get-flats....

Don't really know much about run-flats, though, if you are going that direction.

regards,
kyfdx

lostit3 · March 2009

I have an 2005 M3 Convertible without winter tires and I don't bother taking it out when there is snow on the ground. 19 inch performance tires with that much power and rear wheel drive is not ideal for snow. I'm not sure how much snow tires will work but if you are counting on this car to be your everyday commuter during the winter in Chicago...I'd be a bit concerned. And I'd say I'm a pretty decent driver in snowy conditions since I grew up in Boston.

gmonkies · March 2009

Thanks for the advice but I tried what you said with the window and it still did not work. Any other suggestions? :confuse:

roadburner · March 2009

Check out this page- starting at post #19.

gmonkies · March 2009

Thanks. I have the bentley manual and saw that section before and adjust the window according to the direction. I will try to repeat the steps over again from beginning to end and see what happens.

gregory11 · April 2009

Hello!
I have a 2002 BMW M3 with SMG that I just bought from a friend. It has over
100k on it. I love this car. But here is the problem. In a manual transmission
when you don't depress the clutch far enough and you press down on the gas
pedal the car will race some before it goes into gear. This is what the SMG
appears to be doing. I am hoping that maybe it just needs and adjustment or
some lubrication or something small. Is this a common problem? Is it a big
problem? Can you help?

roadburner · April 2009

You really need to take the car to a good BMW dealer or indie BMW tech. It could be something simple and it could be something pricey- but you need to have it diagnosed by someone who knows what they are doing. I hope you haven't been using just the throttle to hold the car on hills; that will kill an SMG clutch in no time...

sal4ever · May 2009

Hi,
I have the same problem on my m3 2003. Would you please tell me what is the part that you have changed ( dealer's part#? or the rubber O-ring). I have seen the slotted screw or plug on the side of the engine block (passenger side) where the oil leaking from. I called the BMW dealer in my area and they cannot see any part in this location!!!. Thanks for your time.

gmonkies · May 2009

That is the oil pressure regulator on the passenger side of the block. It requires a flat short head to remove. It's kinda tight so you will need a flex wrench with a flat head socket. Becarefull not to strip the grove on the regulator. If you can't get it off then you will have no choice but to take the exhaust manifold off for more room.

In any case, my friend just gave me another rubber O-ring from his O-ring box, no BMW parts required unless you want to pay the dealer extra $ for the same O-ring that you can get from the parts store. Feel free to let me know if you need anymore help.

gmonkies · June 2009

I was driving on Cruise Control and suddenly the motor choked for a sec. 15 minutes later, check engine light came on and when I got off the highway, the motor was running rough like a miss fire. Shut the car off and the check engine went away but still runs rougher than normal and lost of power.

It has 84K on it right now, not sure if the spark plug was changed before I bought it. Hopefully it just needs a new plug.

In any case, the bentley manual does not show the m3 set up for changing spark plug. It does not have a bolt that holds down the individual ignition coil like the other 3 series.
After I separate the ignition wire harness wire from the ignition coil, does the coil just pull up/out? The coil is pretty tight in there, not sure if there's anything else I need to do or just man handle it. Hopefully once I fix replace the plugs, it will stop miss firing and running rough :-(

If it was my honda, I'll just yank it out but always more fearful when it comes to working on the bimmer.

Please Advice!!!

jjohnjohn · October 2009

Issue:

Every morning steering right to back out or steering sharp right moving forward, there is a grinding metal noise coming from the rear. An example of the noise would be as if one was to move a very heavy couch with four wooden legs a very short distance over concrete floors. Weird example but that is the first thing that pops in my mind. Or another example would be as if the wheel was about to fall off the axle and the titled wheel is grinding against the axle.

It only happens with SHARP right turns. But once the car is warmed up, the noise does not happen again.

Any ideas why the noise? solutions?

I thought it was a lack of oil for the slip differential, but the dealer changed it out and still makes the noise, only in the morning.

Thanks for any feedback

-john

fedlawman · November 2009

I would say it is the gear oil - but not a lack of oil. In the morning, the oil has settled to the bottom of the case and it's cold/thick. Once it's stirred up into the gears and warm, your noise goes away.

I wouldn't expect the noise to be that severe sounding though....

roadburner · November 2009

LSDs are sometimes noisy when cold; it's the nature of the beast.

gmonkies · December 2009

A friend told me the whinning noise coming from the back when I'm cruising at ~ 80 MPH on the cruise control is my rear diff and it shouldn't do that. The sound is normally not there when I drive on the street or when I punch it.

He suggested I change the fluid and see if the noise goes away, otherwise, I might have a lose pinion. Anyone else has or had this problem. I always thought that it was a normal common sound.

My M3 now is 01 Manual with 88K. Any thoughts?

Mr_Shiftright · December 2009

If it were a loose pinion you'd be on the side of the road calling for a tow truck. But, if it were worn teeth on the ring and pinion interface, you could test that by letting off the gas---the noise should dissipate considerably on let-off. If the noise remains the same whether you let off or press on the gas, I'd suspect the tires. Look for "feathering"---that typically causes a high pitch whine.

gmonkies · December 2009

From what I remembered, the noise does go away if I let off on the gas as the mph goes down. If it is worn teeth, is it something that will need immediate attention or can I still drive it reliably for miles to come as long as I don't track it? Will putting new gear oil make any difference to help maintain it a little longer?

I will double check the noise the next time I drive it on the highway since is my occasional weekend car.

Thanks

Have a happy holiday to you and everyone on this site.

Mr_Shiftright · December 2009

If it's only rough gear-surfaces, that can last forever. And yes, putting in new gear oil, or perhaps a synthetic that is compatible with BMW specs, would help. A gear oil change would also allow you to inspect the fluid for excessive amounts of mettalic debris. That would be a bad sign.

VISITING HOST

madmarks · December 2009

I'm looking to purchase an 04 M3 convertible with 77,495 miles for $18k and since I'm new to the high performance side of the automotive industry can anyone share a few pointers about the maintenance costs for it? Is there a warranty program available for pre owned BMW's that are not purchased from a BMW dealer but from a standard used car dealer. Also if there are other things that I must know because my mom wouldn't let me drive her X5 at all

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
M.DeMarco

kperess · December 2009

Mad,

I purchased a 2000 M Roadster and learned a few things -- enumerated below:

1) Do a thorough search in the forums to find out the idiosyncracies of the model
2) Get all the records -- that sort of car should be in the BMW records for service
3) You'll probably need shocks (I didn't realize that until I hit 88K (bought it with 79 K)) so do a check on likely repairs needed for that mileage vehicle -- a BMW service department should be able to tell you what is typically replaced/repaired and when.
4) Find a way to check to see if the vehicle has been tracked (usually if you can check weld to see if they are sound is one way -- ask on the forums (including Bimmerfest)
5) You probably cannot get a OEM warranty -- either too old or too many miles
6) eye ball the vehicle with a trusted mechanic or knowledgeable friend -- after you've done your homework.
7) It's a convertible -- check the top carefully -- need to make sure that both the fabric and the mechanism is in good shape.

I had to put some $$$ into mine but I love it -- that M roadster model is only one of about 15 K world wide

I have a friend with a performance car (Porsche 911) and he said his friends (with similar vehicles) say that you need to be prepared to put in about $1,000 a year into the beast (that is besides normal care and maintenance.

Hope this helps

Ken

madmarks · December 2009

Thanks for the info. Do you know if the clutch is smooth on the m3s. I haven't been behind the wheel of a standard in 8 months and I'm a little rusty. My friend is a pro at it and is willing to give me a refresher course but I've never driven a BMW that wasn't auto. I'm hoping its not too rough on me :P

kperess · December 2009

Clutch and shifter on mine is great -- I think much of it has to do with your getting the feel of the clutch, the gripping point and how the clutch engages. I do my best to make my shifts accurate -- still haven't hit 0- 60 in 5.2 secs -- have come close though

frednwilma · May 2010

I own an '01 5 series and I'm considering making the jump to a car that has more than one purpose. This '04 M3 Convertible has about 60k in mileage, SMG, Nav, 19" rims etc., lots of bells & whistles but no HK sound system...go figure!

After reading a number of posts, I know what the upside and fun part is, it's the downside I'm concerned about. With the car being 7 yrs old, what kind of repairs and bills can I come to expect from this vehicle? I'd be the 3rd owner and no records from the auto store. SMG -- is it a good thing or a bad thing? In 2004, was this BMW's first edition of the SMG?

Another concern is how hot black interior will get? My car now is black w/ tan interior and the black exterior can't be touched w/o burning your skin on hot days, does the same hold true for blk interior?

On a vehicle that I have no history with, a warranty sure would be nice. Does anyone know where I can buy one on this 7 yr. exclusive vehicle?

Lastly, any other thread or blog that would have pertinant info would be gr8!

Thanks for any advise and guidance...the more the better.

frednwilma · May 2010

I own an '01 5 series and I'm considering making the jump to a car that has more than one purpose. This '04 M3 Convertible has about 60k in mileage, SMG, Nav, 19" rims etc., lots of bells & whistles but no HK sound system...go figure!

After reading a number of posts, I know what the upside and fun part is, it's the downside I'm concerned about. With the car being 7 yrs old, what kind of repairs and bills can I come to expect from this vehicle? I'd be the 3rd owner and no records from the auto store. SMG -- is it a good thing or a bad thing? In 2004, was this BMW's first edition of the SMG?

Another concern is how hot black interior will get? My car now is black w/ tan interior and the black exterior can't be touched w/o burning your skin on hot days, does the same hold true for blk interior?

On a vehicle that I have no history with, a warranty sure would be nice. Does anyone know where I can buy one on this 7 yr. exclusive vehicle?

Lastly, any other thread or blog that would have pertinant info would be gr8!

Thanks for any advise and guidance...the more the better.

cnk79 · May 2010

Just purchased a 1997 M3. Can you answer a few questions.

I do not have an owners manual, what is the ASC button?

How do I know what type of M3 I have? I have seen things like E36 and 46, what do I have? It is a 4 door.

Is there anything I need to know about this car like what problems they might have, what oil do I need to use, ect........?

Thank you in advance for your answers. By the way....I LOVE THIS CAR!!!

roadburner · May 2010

what is the ASC button?

Traction/stability control

what do I have? It is a 4 door.

The 1995-1999 M3 is built on the E36 platform.

Is there anything I need to know about this car like what problems they might have, what oil do I need to use, etc........?

Keep an eye on the cooling system; you'll need to replace the radiator/t-stat/water pump in the 60K-100K mileage range. Use ONLY BMW coolant; change it every 2-3 years.
Oil: BMW Synthetic 5W-30, Castrol Syntec 0W-30, Mobil 1 0W-40.
Change the brake fluid every 1-2 years with a DOT 4 fluid.
DON'T over rev the engine! It's extremely easy to bend a valve or two.
Window regulators can fail; a cheap and easy DIY fix.
Join the BMW Car Club of America; you'll get discounts on parts and labor from many dealers and independent shops.

mphillipsm3 · December 2010

My 99 M3 has Hamann badging including the steering wheel. What does this mean for this model? I understand about Hamann Motorsports but what is significant and was it a special order?
Thanks,]
Mik

mphillipsm3 · December 2010

What is the differences between the E36 and E 46 platform and why did BMW do a midyear model change so there are two 99 models?
Thanks!

Mr_Shiftright · December 2010

You can buy Hamann badging on eBay. I would think you'd know if you had a real Hamann M3 as you would have 350HP and be able to go 170 mph. So you tell us!

fedlawman · December 2010

The sedan always gets updated first, then the coupe, vert, and M follow the next year.

yelnats7 · April 2011

jjohnjohn · October 2011

roadbunner, just read your email.
Thanks so much for your feedback. I never checked back because I figure no one would write back, but thanks again.
I hardly drive the car, it's a shame. It's a 2008 M3 with only 15,000 miles.
But in regards to your comment, why would it happen only with sharp RIGHT turns in the morning or when cold?
To be honest, I am not sure what is the function of LSD.
The warranty will expire soon, so I am worried if I have a problem I want to resolve soon.
Well, if you have a moment to spare, I would appreciate your insight again. Thanks again.

roadburner · October 2011

I'm always glad to help a fellow BMW owner!

A limited-slip or locking differential will supply power to the wheel(s) that have the best traction. A diff without a limited slip or locking mechanism will feed all the power to the wheel that has no traction. Your car has a very sophisticated LSD called the M differential lock.

The best way to find out what is going on is to leave it at the dealer overnight so that a tech can replicate the problem- although note that the M diff is inherently noisy even when it is working properly. Sometimes changing the differential oil will cure or at least minimize the symptoms.

gmonkies · October 2011

Hi,

My M3 now has about 92,000 miles. I am starting to have some power train issue that I'm not sure if it is a major concern.

1) Since last year, my oil light on the cluster will come on once in awhile even though the oil and filter is not due for a change and the oil level is normal. When I turn the car off, and back on again, the light disappear. Is is a bad oil pressure sensor or is it something more serious like a bad oil pick up or oil pump?

2) When I cold start the car, I can hear a slight tapping and disappear pretty quickly. But if the engine is warm, i don't hear a tapping noise. Do I need a valve adjustment or something more serious.

3) My transmission is manual. Every so often, I cannot shift into gear 1 to 4 and it feels like is only in half way. Once awhile, I would mistakenly think that it was in gear and the shifter bounce back to neutral when I step on the gas. Then I would realize that it was not in all the way. But it does not happen too frequently and once it is in gear, then it does not pop back out. Do I need to bleed the clutch or change tranny oil. Or is it something major like needing a new set of clutch even though it is not slipping or need to replace the synchro on the tranny?

Any advice will be appreciated.

Thanks

Mr_Shiftright · October 2011

yes! your valves ARE adjustable!

As for the transmission, I'd drain the oil and use a synthetic oil and how how it behaves.

sabian_knight · June 2013

I also have had this same problem. Fob originally didn't work (purchased used).
I only got one key/fob. When I opened the fob to replace the battery I found the bracket/contact that holds the battery was broken away from the circuit board. I heated the existing solder points back up and reattached the bracket/contact. Voila! fixed... but then found it had the same problem as yours, so I guess I just assumed that maybe the re-solder wasn't so great or was getting weak power/signal problems. Is the problem in the fob or the alarm system? I know they have some other common electrical problems like the connection with the capacitor on the climate control circuit board.

BMW M3 Maintenance and Repair

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