BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

deepdarkblu

You can always use a loaner helmet--great way of contracting head lice. For autocrossing, I prefer the open-face. It feels less restrictive and not nearly as hot as the full face helmet. Plus, you can look like Speed Racer if you get a nice white one with a red M on the top!

kominsky

dave330i - I personally prefer full-face helmets. The choice was made based on motorcycling, but now I feel uncomfortable with anything less. I would think, barring a catastrophic accident, an open-face would be as safe, cooler, and give a sense of better vision ( I say 'a sense' since full-face helmets, to be dot/snell rated, must offer full peripheral vision). As long as there's no chance of smacking your face on the steering wheel, you should be fine with an open face design. Plus, as deepdarkblu pointed out, you can do the Speed Racer thing. :-)

kominsky

I found out playing around with the dsc that there are indeed two levels of DSC. If you push the button, the DSC light on the dash comes on. If you push and hold it, the light changes colors. It SEEMS TO ME that the first level probably turns off the DSC and the second level turns off traction control. I get the same lag if DSC is only turned off to the first level. When turned completely off, the rear tends to step out a little, but acceleration is much improved (as long as you don't get too heavy on the throttle, in which case the back of the car may become the front).

deepdarkblu

I did just what you said. I went out to the car and held the DSC button down. In my 325Ci, the light doesn't change colors, but a yellow "brake" light appears (usually red when parking brake is engaged). I haven't tested both DSC and Traction off in a harsh turn w/ near full throttle, but I'm assuming that only having the first level off is what caused the torque decrease when I went autocrossing. Now, I'm anxious to try it under these conditions. Thanks!

kominsky

Doh! My car does the same thing (brake light comes on)... I don't know where the changes colors thing came from... this allergy medication must be doing strange and wonderful things to my brain.

dave330i

Thanks for the advice. Only reason I was thinking about getting a closed face is on the outside chance I might get a bike.

kominsky

Don't get the bike!!! It'll make your car feel too slow. 0 - 60 in half the time it takes in your 330 will ruin everything. ;-)

dave330i

considering the bikes I like cost almost as much as cars, it'll be a long time before I get one. Plus, considering how most people drive, it's a death trap as well.

kominsky

"considering how most people drive, it's a death trap as well."

Not to start a motorcycle safety debate here, but... For the most part, it's not too bad as long as you use your head when you're riding. You actually learn to 'read' drivers much better when your hide's at stake. I usually have a pretty good idea what other drivers are going to do, often before they even know they're gonna do it.

I contend that everyone should be forced to ride a motorcycle for a month. I think it would make them all safer drivers. Things like looking at the other drivers eyes (in his mirror or yours depending on who's in front), watching the tires/wheels of cars at intersections, and doing a head turn glance next to you before changing lanes on the highway are all good ideas in a car, but necessary for survival on a motorcycle.

bingusa

Jerry, I assume you live in Orange County by your email. Which dealer/salesman did you use if you do not mind sharing. The best deal I got so far is $1500 over ED invoice for 330i ED. Within the $490 in combined ad coop and dealer prep fees, 1% for MACO ad coop (=$300) does not apply to ED in my case. I do not know if $190 for dealer prep is high or not. Thanks.

brave1heart

The DSC is a no-brainer but see what the manual says about switching off the ADB - I think you should be able to do that. I think ADB stands for Active/Dynamic Braking or something like that and I'm guessing that some elctronic watchdog keeps applying brakes if you slide. As far as cornering technique, I think unless you have a very powerful engine like the M3 or at least the 330, it would be better to drive clean through the turns, i.e. avoid sliding. As far as downshifting, NEVER downshift into first. The only time I'd put it in first is off-the-start. If the corner requires you to slow down too much and your RPM's drop below 3,500, you should try heel-and-toeing. I personally do not like braking with my left foot because the weight of the pedal feels very different - it's like trying to write with your left hand (if you're right-handed). Heel-and-toeing would allow you to keep the RPM's sufficiently high for a quick exit off the turn. Again, the key thing is NOT to slide with the 325 - you should never have a lag above 3K RPM's unless you're sliding and the ADB kicks in. Hey, what kind of a helmet brand did you get for autoxing - I am planning on doing it next year with BMWCCA.

shap1

This morning when I started my car it came on with a very weird and strong virbating thing coming from the engine. The whole car was shaking -- like sitting on a Harley when idling. At the same time, the check engine light came on. It seemed like the car was idling very low. Drove like this to my first destination. Started up to leave - same thing happened. But, by end of day when I started up to go home, it was fine. The check engine light is still on, however.

Anyone have a clue what this might be? Car has only 1600 miles.

davidlj3

I too believed that I could ride a motorcycle safely if I was extremely aware of my surroundings. That all ended when I was run over by a backhoe. Going down a street with a backhoe coming toward me- he decided to turn into my lane. Cars parked on the side of the road-nowhere to go. The bucket hit me in the chest and knocked me and my bike down and under a parked car. 2 broken ribs,punctured lung,cardiac contusion. I was VERY lucky. A month after the accident I sold my bike. I now want as many airbags as I can get around me. I was about as careful as a motorcyclist could be and still was almost killed. Think about it before you buy one!!

shipo

My little brother did not think about it. I planted him 6 weeks later. I have not even been on so much as a moped since.

Best Regards,
Shipo

kominsky

Sounds like a bummer of an accident and I'm glad you're okay. But in all honesty, that was a freak thing. I apologize if I made it sound like you wouldn't get hurt if you were careful, but it drastically reduces the chances. For what it's worth, the majority of motorcycle fatalities are single vehicle, many with alcohol involved. I've probably put about 100K miles on motorcycles since I turned 16 (not counting dirtbikes) and I've had my share of close calls and one accident in which I t-boned a car that made a left turn in front of me (several broken bones, but fortunately no internal injuries) so I know the risk is there, I just take steps to minimize it (I've got two beautiful children I want to get home to). For what it's worth, in that same time frame, I've had several accidents in cars and have sustained injuries equal to or worse than on the bike. I will, however, state the obvious... there is a greater risk on a motorcycle!

kominsky

shipo - I lost a cousin to a motorcycle injury - I can't even imagine the pain of losing a sibling. In my case, he was wearing a non-DOT half-helmet which left his head upon impact with the ground. He then slid head first into a curb.

Again, I apologize to all. I truely had no intention of turning this into a motorcycle safety debate. I guess I ride in spite of my accident, the loss of my cousin, and the inherent risk because I love to ride. It is NOT for everyone.

kominsky

Driving into work this morning, my 'service engine soon' light came on. I was on my way to a gas station so I had driven a few hundred miles since the last fill-up which I believe eliminates the improperly closed gas cap problem. I called my service dept. and they told me it was probably something with the emissions and as long as the car was running okay, there should be no problem with driving it until they can get me in (next week). Has anyone else experienced this? What was the cause?

TIA

fjm1

I think as cars integrate more computers into their operations we begin to see more "blue screen of death" type failures. My 323 had to go into the shop 6 times for the airbag idiot light. They replaced everything in that particular system EXCEPT the airbags. Works now, go figure?

Anyone ever "reboot" their car in hopes of getting rid of a gremlin?

shipo

Thank you for the sentiment. At this point, 22 years have passed since my brother took his last ride; as a result, I am able to discuss it without too much undue pain. In his case, his head and helmet never got a scratch, however, the same cannot be said about the rest of him.

As far as your "Service Engine Soon" light, here in New Jersey, we are not allowed to pump our own gas; hence, we are at the mercy of the attendants to put the cap on correctly. Over the last couple of years, I have had my light come on three times due to an incorrectly tightened cap. Each time I had driven at least 150 miles before the light came on, one time I was almost ready to fill up again. This is a long way of saying that you may very well have had a loose cap.

Each time this situation has occurred, my light has gone off again after no more than two tanks of fuel.

Best Regards,
Shipo

j330i

Can someone tell me how to set the radio so that the volume does not fluctuate with speed.

shipo

I do not think that you can do that. It is a feature of the system to vary the volume so that you (in theory) do not have to mess with the controls when driving in traffic that does not allow steady driving, or in conditions such as transitioning from 80 on the interstate to 25 on local roads.

Best Regards,
Shipo

deepdarkblu

Your advice is well-heeded. I think downshifting would be a bad idea. I did stay in 2nd the entire time after the first 20/30 yards. As far as sliding through turns is concerned, I think it's the best way to get around the track in certain turns. The fact that I was able to get the 4th fastest time in the stock/unmodified class with my traction control on is testament to that.

I picked up an Arai classic helmet for $200.00. Works just fine for me.

twoof1

My "serivce engine soon" light also came on the other day. I called my service rep. he said as long as it's running OK, not to worry. It's just an emission fault. I have had the same thing happen on my '01 Volvo wagon as well. I am scheduled to bring it in Friday morning and get a loaner for the day. I have filled up once since it came on. I will probably need to fill up again today. Does anybody know if it was a loose cap, will it eventually cancel itself out?

kominsky

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that there is a way to turn off the speed-sensitive volume. Let me look around and see if I can find it.

dave330i

I don't remember radio volume changing in my car. Is it part of the upgraded audio system? I know in MB, you can have the technicians change the setting to minimal change to maximum change. You might want to call your dealer and ask.

reubencahn

Kominsky: With about 15k miles this happened to me. Turned out to be a rather common thermostat problem. The thermostat was replaced and "remapped" whatever that means and the problem disappeared.

j330i: You can diminish or eliminate the speed sensitive volume control. Try this link:

http://e46fanatics.com/faq/faq.html

Scroll half or 3/4 way down the FAQ. You'll find directions there.

kominsky

http://www.e46fanatics.com/faq/

If you go to the "Misc. What is? Where is? How do I?" section it tells how to change the settings.

j330i

Thanks for radio volume solution. Since you guys are so good at getting answers, I figured I would hit you up with another one. In the owner's manual, they talk about a method of setting the tire pressure so that a light comes on if you lose pressure in one of your tires. However, I don't see the button you are supposed to use to set this feature. Has this feature been discontinued like the aluminum trim around the headlights?

hippo168

There has been no problems, touch wood, except the freak tire accident, and I'd have to say that's more a Conti problem than BMW's...

I've already noticed the difference in the engine sound. It has become a more solid roar, esp during accelerations. I haven't had a chance to push the car too much during these 3 weeks though, mostly rush hour highway and some back roads to/from work. Last time I filled up, the gas mileage was a respectable 24.6, midway between the 20-29 from BMW's data.

Many of my co-workers can't wait to take a look at my baby, and they all like the color. The only thing is that the steel gray really shows the dirt spots. I guess I have to clean it more often, which I dont mind at all. : )

ocjerry

Bingusa:
I might have gotten lucky. But it seems you might have the same deal. The BB here and Edmunds has one invoice, which does not include the $305 ad fee or the $185 dealer prep. So $1500 over Edmunds invoice is the same as $1000 over dealer invoice, which includes thoses fees. BEWARE of Sleazo dealers with other mark ups.
I had terrible luck dealing with McKenna and Long Beach BMW centers. They were very "old school" in how they dealt with customers. Then I went with the Rizzo method and dealt with Crevier and Shelly. That also brought McKenna into the ballpark, but still a bit on the high side. I bought from Shelly. I have not even been to the dealership. Did it all from home and they delivered the car. Deal only with marketing or sales managers or higher. Otherwise you will waste time.

jasonkureejii

I saw the tire pressure low option in the manual, but it is not on my model 325i. I thought it would be included in the 330s then...if not, maybe they have discontinued it. It would've been a nice option to have for cars of these caliber (that is, performance driven and meatier tires)...

hippo,

I too have noticed a change in the engine sound. I have 1536 miles over a span of 26 days, and have not had any problems whatsoever....well, the only minor one may be some infrequent "chatter" from the clutch 300-400 miles or so ago. Otherwise, it's been perfectly enjoyable. It has simply brought excitement EVERYTIME I get behind the wheel. It's starting to cool down a tad here, and I've started to open up the sun roof. I've also gotten compliments on the steel gray. With the SP, it looks tight! My MPG is averaging 22 after 4 tanks...mostly stop-n-go commute...take it out on the tollways and highways every now and then for some variation.

reubencahn

My understanding is that this option was not available in North America (except for the M3). For MY2002, BMW is offering a runflat tire option which will necessarily come with a wireless tire pressure monitor (called RDC I think).

dunde

i have a question regarding relation between hp and rpm. the 325xi specification is
184 hp @6000 rpm

Now what does this mean ? what would be the effect if its 184hp @5000 rpm or 184 @7000 rpm. which is better and why ? and similarly, say 200hp @5500 rpm (Accord EX V6). the hp is higher but rpm is lower than the 325xi. So technically which one is more powerful ? Does powerful mean definately faster pick up or is pick up more related to torque or do i have to read books on physics to get these right ... :-). But i know there are very knowledgeable people on this board who would explain it.

lbennett

I have a 330 Ci with the premium sound package - it's great except that very low bass causes the rear speaker to rattle. My dealer says BMW knows about it and is working on a fix. Anyone else have this problem and able to fix it?
Thanks in advance.

kominsky

I've had my 330Ci in for this problem. It was diagnosed as a blown sub-woofer in the H-K system. The car went back last week for the new speaker, but the problem hasn't gone away (initially I had thought it did, but I wasn't listening to the right music). I have an appointment next week to give them another shot at fixing it. They never mentioned it being a known problem without a solution. I'll let you know what happens and I'd appreciate it if you keep me up to date in your pursuit of rattle free music also.

burrsr

Rather than go into a lengthy, rambling, technical explanation that may or may not be 100% correct, I direct you to the following link here on Edmund's:

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/techcenter/articles/43844/article.html

It explains the relationship of hp and torque (related by RPM and a factor) and what influence each has on acceleration, gearing, etc.

reubencahn

Check this:

http://www.vettenet.org/torquehp.html

smarties139

ocjerry, is the $1000 over 2001's invoice or 2002? Did they lock the price for you?

j330i

I just noticed this same problem on my 330i once. I have only had the car for a week now. I switched stations and it seemed to go away. If the problem persists, I will have to bring it in. Thanks for the updates.

denright

Lots of folks have remarked on changing performance and/or engine sound of their cars as the break-in period falls behind them and the car settles in.

I have not noticed too much in the way of a change in engine sound (as I am generally listening to music anyway) but I definitly feel like my car has picked up half a step in acceleration over the past few weeks.

In any event, I love the car, and I love the way it drives.

ross66

could you help me with a status?

02 330i silver blk leather 5spd SP roof

Fields - Orlando, Florida

Thanks!

merckx

Just as a very quick note,the lower the peak horsepower RPM,the more torque the motor makes. This gives more "grunt" for low-speed acceleration,such as leaving a red light. These type of low-speed demand for power typically found in America.
Higher Rpms imply more ability to produce high top speeds,which you more often come across in Europe. The ability to reach higher RPMs also can lend a car a very pleasant "sewing machine" quality to acceleration,even if not actually as fierce as a torquier engine.

gurumike

Incredibly (I say that as I had thought that they didn't start production until next week) your car is in 152 status, which means (should mean) fully in production. You could have it in around 5 weeks!

Now people, if you click my name (in blue/purple above) you can get my email address and this is the way we should handle this question - not my idea, rather an idea from the boards other participants. If anyone would like to relax this 'rule', say so. I think it would be good to help us keep our 'new' post rating up and keep the 300M board second to E46!

al330i

I put two coats of Zaino Z2 on my black 330i. This stuff is great. Goes on and off super easy. The only PIA is the drying time before you can take it off.

ross66

thanks! i'm all for relaxing the rule. traffic seems pretty light now anyway.

twoof1

Respectfully, I'm not concerned with being the #1 forum topic over and above the 300m. I would gladly take quality over quantity. That in part is why I bought a BMW. Please don't get me wrong, I appreciate your post's and I think they are very valuable. In addition you provide a perspective that none of us can provide (that being from the dealer side as well as an owner). I just think the order status thing gets a little old particularly when the buyers dealer can give them the exact same info and THEY are getting PAID for it. Don't you get tired of checking? Anyone else want to chime in with an opinion?

unboringuy

I would agree with you that the results are very good. I, too, have a jet black 330. I found that the biggest pain with the product was the preparation. My car was only about 6 weeks old when I applied Zaino. I used the "Dawn wash" technique (I found it to be a waste of time that did not really accomplish anything), along with the clay bar. I HIGHLY recommend the clay bar, particularly on black. I was amazed at the amount of junk that the clay bar removed from the surface.

I have applied 2 coats of Z5 so far. Although I don't have any swirls, there are some fine scratched on the finish. So far the scratches still show. I'm hoping that the Z5 will do the trick so that I can move on to the Z2.

Oh, and by the way, the Z6 is the greatest!

brave1heart

Yes, you do have to read a lot to figure that out. Generally, the higher the peak HP RPM level, the faster the car is, all other things equal. Example, the Acura Integra Type R has the same torque as the base model but its expanded RPM range allows it to reach a higher RPM level and thus better acceleration overall. So generally speaking, 184 @7000 rpm. would be better than 184 @6000 rpm because you can hold the gears longer to take advantage of gearing at high RPM's. Yes, 200 HP is definitely a higher rate of work and power (HP) but what's more important is the shape of the HP/torque curve and especially the pwer-to-weight ratio. There is also stuff like driveshaft efficiency and BMW's seem to lose very little HP from the engine to the drive wheels.

Also, look into this formula:

HP = (torque * RPM)/5252

Clearly, if torques stays constant, as the RPM's increase, so will the HP and the acceleration of the car. If you achieve the peak torque early (say, 1,500 RPM's) and then the torque starts dropping off, you can clearly see from the HP formula above that the HP will not be able to achieve a high level. You would get good relative acceleration off the start and then very little at speed (think typical SUV's). If you get the peak torque level very high (say something like 6,000 RPM's), the car would be slow off the start but it would achieve relatively higher HP because the RPM's and the torque will both be increasing for a while. In the real world, a compromise is good and that's what BMW does with the 3-series by reaching its peak torque at 3,500 RPM's - not too low, not too high. Reasonably good off-the-start, and great at speed.

P.S. BTW, high engine speed is good not just for top speed. It's just as good for acceleration.

parump

Although the posts for status requests may seem overwhelming, Gurumike could always remind people to check with BMWNA or their client advisors. Actually, I appreciate Gurumike's enthusiasm and support of the board's participants - so much so that I complemented him during the telephone customer survey! I bet someone at BMW was surprised when I didn't even purchase our vehicle at his dealership.

He is a tremendous asset to this board, and I look forward to reading his future posts!

brave1heart

Yes, you do have to read a lot to figure that out. Generally, the higher the peak HP RPM level, the faster the car is, all other things equal. Example, the Acura Integra Type R has the same torque as the base model but its expanded RPM range allows it to reach a higher RPM level and thus better acceleration overall. So generally speaking, 184 @7000 rpm. would be better than 184 @6000 rpm because you can hold the gears longer to take advantage of gearing at high RPM's. Yes, 200 HP is definitely a higher rate of work and power (HP) but what's more important is the shape of the HP/torque curve and especially the pwer-to-weight ratio. There is also stuff like driveshaft efficiency and BMW's seem to lose very little HP from the engine to the drive wheels.

Also, look into this formula:

HP = (torque * RPM)/5252

Clearly, if torques stays constant, as the RPM's increase, so will the HP and the acceleration of the car. If you achieve the peak torque early (say, 1,500 RPM's) and then the torque starts dropping off, you can clearly see from the HP formula above that the HP will not be able to achieve a high level. You would get good relative acceleration off the start and then very little at speed (think typical SUV's). If you get the peak torque level very high (say something like 6,000 RPM's), the car would be slow off the start but it would achieve relatively higher HP because the RPM's and the torque will both be increasing for a while. In the real world, a compromise is good and that's what BMW does with the 3-series by reaching its peak torque at 3,500 RPM's - not too low, not too high. Reasonably good off-the-start, and great at speed.

P.S. BTW, high engine speed is good not just for top speed. It's just as good for acceleration.