BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

jasonkureejii

Just wondering how long anyone has gone on their first set of brake pads and will they be covered during the scheduled maintenance intervals? Actually, I still don't quite understand the Full Maintenance plan about circumstances such as that or say realignments and such.

The post I saw some time ago about work being done on the tranny for a lost detent position must be a rare one, no? I think everyone has had to miss shifts in their lifetime, meaning not having it completely switched before engaging the clutch but not meaning going to a wrong gear or having it slip on you...

I guess the wipers are not really speed sensitive...they just slow to maybe half-speed when at a complete standstill in the second position....or maybe allano is right, they become intermittent.

Is an auto-off option for the headlamps an option on any BMWs? Not that it is a really big deal, but I was just wondering.

I read some time ago also that someone's aux fan switch failed at around 1950-2000 miles. How long before it's happened to everyone else? I'm approaching 2k soon. Actually, I've been pretty much pampered by this thrill-on-wheels....thought about what I'd be driving after this, and I'm not so sure I'd be head-over-heels for a 5-series just yet. This baby gives me just the right amount of driving pleasure with the practicality of a 4-door sedan, and I don't miss driving a mid-size as I thought I would.

allano

Not sure what you mean by auto-off. With my wagon, headlights turn off automatically when I turn the key to the off (0) position. Then the chime begins and makes me wonder what I have done wrong since I don't see any lights on.

bcr117

I haven't posted a message yet but have been reading the chat since about msg 5000. I have undertaken an exhaustive search for my ideal car and have finally arrived at the 325. I want to order my 325 at the end of the week. However I am still debating i vs. xi. I am attracted to the confidence inspired by the xi in winter, but I am wary of performance (ie. handling)tradeoffs. I have driven both cars but I am still wavering. I live in the Philadelphia area, and wanted comparitive opinions if anyone has them. Thanks.

j330i

What is the red blinking light next to the radio????

dave330i

Thanks everyone for answering this question. It was a curiosity question, and I was getting conflicting info from other places.

div2

BMWs have always required brake fluid changes. It was an annual service until the mid 90s when the interval was extended to two years. In fact, many BMW CCA driving schools require that the fluid be changed within six months of the event. I follow the BMW schedule using either Castrol LMA or ATE Gold/Blue; DOT 4 spec is mandatory.

allano

It is an indicator to potential thieves that the radio (& CD player/tape) will be disabled if they remove (power) it from the dash. Once disabled, BMW techs need to enter a radio code to get it to work again when power is (re-)applied.
This disabling holds true if you were to remove your battery without some type of backup (i.e. a battery attached to the jumper locations in the engine compartment?).

dinanger1

Hey, BCR117. I live in Minnesota and ordered a 325xi. I was unable to drive an xi...the dealers haven't had any in stock...but I feel confident that handling will be all BMW. (I'm sure you've read they give most power to the rear wheels.)The people I've talked with and the reviews I've read say the handling is not compromised. Friends who have 325s w/o all-wheel drive all say I made a wise choice. Good luck!

derprofi

Very interesting info about the relative weights of diesel, gas & water. Who would ever expect there such measurable differences? Now I need to check to see what the weight of a gallon of milk actually is since that's my mental paradigm for both the size and weight of "a gallon of liquid"

dbfair

Well, my 325i has been sitting in the NJ VPC for over a week being repaired from some type of damage in transit. The dealer says it's a new bumper and airbag activation light. How concerned should I be? I've seen recommendations to ask the dealer whether or not a new car was damaged in transit - but now that he's said "yes", what do I do? I think I recall seeing some posts a while back here (I've lurked for a while and learned quite a bit - thanks!) saying work at the VPC is almost as good as the factory. I'm most concerned about things I might not be able to see. If it rolled down a ramp, I can see how well a replaced bumper matches, but how would I know if the frame inside is slightly bent? And if the airbag activation light won't go off, does that mean the damage was severe enough to trigger the airbag?

burrsr

Gallons (and cc, m^3, liters, etc., etc.) are all units of VOLUME. To convert to weight, you must know the density (mass per unit volume) of the material and the accelerative force due to gravity (to convert mass to force or "weight"; earth's is constant). A gallon of lead buckshot will weigh MUCH more than a gallon of cotton balls. Differences between liquids are much more subtle, but very real.

On a side note, both the 330i and the Z3 have been absolutely, perfectly, 100% reliable (about 9,000 and 2,000 miles, respectively). I am perhaps overly anal (as some of my posts may indicate!), and both cars have far exceeded my expectations thus far. Better knock on myrtle wood; if this keeps up throughout my time with these cars, I'm on my way being a BMW-lifer.

errickson

I think if you tell Valentine you returned your V1 detector BECAUSE you received a ticket, they may reimburse you for it....I am not certain on it, but heck, it's worth a try!

uge123

thanks for the info.

I am admittedly a bit heavy on the gas, but to average 23mpg is still a bit surprising. It's certainly not bad, but I expected better. Also, I have the SP, which can lower milage thanks to the wider stickier tires. However, given that your car has the AWD system, our milages should be comprable.

As for the wipers, they slow to the next slower notch when you come to a stop. When set on intermittent, they seem to come to the slowest possible setting for intermittent.

denright

About 3 weeks ago (but not a whole lot nof driving ago, actually, because I have been out of town so much) I shifted into second gear and gave it the gas and the shifter popped out of gear rather violently and suddenly, and with no apparent cause.

I chalked it up to having not been fully set into 2nd gear when I revved up, but after reading some other recent posts, I am not so sure anymore.

I am going to watch for a repeat of this odd phenomenon. If it happens agin, it's going straight to the shop.

dave330i

How old is your car? Initally I was only getting 23mpg, but it's slowly creeping up past 24 now.

shipo

After missing a few shifts over the years, I have come up with a working theory that ya'll can help validate. The theory is that given the various costumes that most of us wear from time to time, we actually change our sitting position based upon what we are wearing. In my case, I set my memory seat the Saturday that I picked up my car, wearing a thick winter jacket and thick-soled running shoes. We had a warm spell in April that year and I was wearing a linen shirt (linen before Memorial Day, how gauche) and thin-soled loafers. As a result I was essentially sitting further away from the clutch pedal by a combined inch or better. When I casually pulled out of my driveway and lazily switched to second, KRUUUNCHHH!!! How positively embarrassing. After a few missed shifts that afternoon, I moved the seat an inch forward, problem solved. I know have two memory settings for my seat, one for winter, and one for summer.

I too have noticed my mileage gradually increasing to the point where I now am getting just a little over 25 in mixed driving.

Best Regards,
Shipo

unboringuy

Guru, I know you don't want to hear anything more about the titanium trim on 330 sedans. Please see message number 8902 and 8905. And, for the "official" response from BMWNA:

Some of the cars have them and some of them don't, at the discretion of the plant at the time of production. However, BMW views these as accessory items, and they are available at your dealer's parts department.

I asked the customer service rep how she managed to control her laughter when her supervisors gave her that response in answer to the question.

Shipo....I'm getting about 21 mpg with a 330xi. I sure would love to see 25!

gearman

Congrats on your new 3 series. Just try and keep it below 3k until the first oil change (contrary to advice from bmw-nj).

If the VPC has indicated to you that the tranport collision was of sufficient force to activate the airbag,further investigation on your part is warranted.

As you will note in the technical specs section of your sales brochure, bmws now have a sophisticated airbag activation system that adjusts the level of airbag deployment to the severity of the collision, and (importantly from your perspective) prevents deployment from fairly minor collisions, particularly on the passenger side if the seat was unoccupied.

Therefore: find out if the airbags were deployed. If so, the exterior dash cover will be replaced along with the airbags. While those steps are expensive, they will not affect the vehicle as much as if the energy absorbing safety structure at the front of the car was deformed (as it was nicely designed to do) by the collision. Deformation repair of a unitized structure has a number of complicated facets, such as correct panel realignment, suspension realignment, and repair of any damage to the corrosion prevention surface treatments.

As you may recall, BMW has suffered from poor press coverage and tort litigation in the past over the issue of the company's practice of incomplete disclosure of transit damage to buyers.

If the airbags were not deployed, you're probably ok. If they deployed, insist on another vehicle.

dave330i

"Just try and keep it below 3k until the first oil change"

Just don't see how anyone can do that with just about any car.

shipo

Gearman,

Drive 15,000 miles and never exceed 3000 RPMs? Hmmmm, that seems a little extreme don't you think?

Dbfair,

I think that the best advice is to follow the recommendations in your owners' manual; the engineers in Munich seem to know what they are doing.

Best Regards,
Shipo

midtowneast

I had the same experience on the Taconic near albany, I got tagged by a trooper and The Valentine did not make a peep. I chalked it up to age my valentine was of 1994 vintage. I recommend you fight the ticket especially if it was not in NYC. I got mine reduced to a safety violation 2pts. I have since purchased a Escort 8500 it seem to be ok but every once in a while it scrolls service required in the display.

PS. I got the ticket in the Acura TL-S but I drove the German to court.

Just to add to the Titanium trim debate my 330Xi w Sport pkg May Build came with the trim.

bmw323is

Today I took my 2000 323i to the dealer because I saw oil drips on the garage floor last weekend (7,000 miles on the car). I was happy to learn it was not oil, but power steering fluid. They replaced my "power steering pump" and the work order also said "plastic inlet broke." My copy of the work order said no charge, but before they would give me my keys they wanted me to sign the warranty work order. They had it covered up with other paperwork, lifted up the top sheet and told me to sign the bottom of the form. I'm not a lawyer (worse yet, an accountant) but I'm not ashamed to grab the paperwork out of his hands and look at what I'm signing - $712! So what, it's under warranty, right? Well what if it wasn't? I'm not sure I'm prepared to pay over $700 for a broken plastic part in a couple of years when there is no warranty. A few things ran across my mind - is the dealer gouging BMW somehow? I really like my dealer, so I hope not. My second thought is, I have to sell this car before 4 years. So I say to the guy at the counter - "Wow, over $700." And he says, "You may want to think about an extended warranty."

Maybe there is something here that I don't know. But I can't get it out of my mind. I LOVE my car. And all cars cost a lot to repair now days, but $700? Does the old joke apply? BMW stands for Break My Wallet. My friend just had his 525 in for a regular inspection at 45,000 miles and it cost him $1,100 (which included new front brakes).

Please understand that I'm not trying to damper anyone's enthusiasm for these wonderful cars, but can anyone help ease my mind? Or is it just something you have to live with. I have never really believed in extended warranties. Thanks.

jrct9454

Well, welcome to the real world...yes, you bet these can be VERY expensive cars to repair, and the longer you keep it, the more likely you will need a good repair reserve in your bank account. Anyone who buys a car like this, or MB, or Audi, needs to understand that you will pay through the nose if something goes wrong out of warranty.

My "enthusiasm for these wonderful cars" has always been tempered by this reality - between the German manufacturers, I've owned 22 of them over the last 40 years. None of them can compare to the Japanese for long-term ownership costs...it is assumed you are willing to pay for the perceived dynamic differences. You will, if you keep the car long enough.

Finally, nobody can "gouge" the manufacturer on warranty work; there are approved levels for each kind of repair, and any claimed expense from the dealer level that is out of line is simply rejected. Every dealer knows the guidelines, and generally doesn't risk sending in a claim that won't be upheld.

Your reactions are understandable, but no surprise to the veterans here...everyone else should take note and prepare their wallets in the event you plan to keep your car a long time. This is just the nature of the beast...

unboringuy

I concur with what has been written about the ownership costs of cars. This is my first German car, but I have know others that have owned BMWs. I personally have owned several Japanese cars, and have always felt that the cost of ownership has been very low. In fact, my Mazda Miata is 11.5 years old, and other than routine maitenance (oil changes, tune ups, one set of brakes finally at 80,000 miles, and tires--third set) I only have had one repair job, and that was a $25 replacement of a plastic clip in the door that hold the window cable. Believe it or not, I'm still on the original battery!

So, I guess there are trade offs in everything you do. It remains to be seen how reliable the BMW will be. I'm fairly certain, however, it will not rival in the reliability department the Japanese cars I've owned.

reubencahn

I'm not so sure that dealers don't ever gouge BMW. I don't mean that they charge more than the standard amount for a repair but rather that they charactarize problems in ways that allow for expensive work that is covered by warranty. One example: My window regulators required replacement. Afterward, I found my passenger side carpet soaked when it rained. Obviously, in replacing the regulator, the techs had misinstalled or damaged the door seals. However, when they repaired it, it was written up as a door seal failure for which BMW rather than the dealer paid--and seals on both front doors were replaced though only one leaked. I'm also somewhat skeptical about the "front end clunk" found during my Inspection I--this required replacement, under warranty, of control arm brackets and bushings on my car. I'm fairly attentive and I never heard or felt anything. Perhaps I'm overly cynical.

mmcbride1

Which dealer was it? Do you live in Denver?

jrct9454

...it's hard to get away with fudging warranty claims for long. Loose lips around the typical dealership will eventually bring the wrath of god down on you...this is one of the very few ways to get a franchise pulled, in a country where pulling a franchise is next to impossible.

The guidelines are reasonably loose, and allow a dealer to take care of customers without losing their shirts. They are measured at various levels, including ratios of warranty costs to total service volume, total sales, etc., in addition to the sniff test on each individual claim. But beware the dealer who thinks he can stiff the car maker for very long...first, it won't happen, and second, he may be of a mind to stiff you, too.

motorcity3

Hello everyone,

My Service Engine Soon indicator went on today and I had a question about that. I know that it could possibly be that my gas cap is not screwed on tight enough so I made sure that it was, but the light has not gone off. Is there a way to reset the warning light or do I have to bring it in?

dave330i

the light doesn't reset unless you take the car in. If you believe it's due to gas cap, don't worry about it until your next service.

motorcity3

I read in the manual that if a loose gas cap causes the Service Engine Soon light to go on and when the cap is re-tightened, the light will go out "after a short period of time". That's why i was wondering if the light will go out, but I guess I will find out. Thanks!

div2

I've pointed this out in numerous topics, but here it is one more time: The vast majority of the "experts" on BMW maintenance and repair costs haven't even sat in a BMW. Their authoritative source is usually a cousin's sister-in-law's boss who knew someone who had a friend who owned a BMW. Me? My experience is limited to owning BMWs since 1983. Back in the early 90's I had a 1988 M6 as well as a 1984 T-Bird Turbo work beater. The Ford parts I replaced were almost always more expensive than the BMW equivalent.

That said, it sounds like they replaced the P/S pump on your car, not merely a "broken plastic part" Price any new pump for a modern car; I doubt you will find many that cost less than $500.

As for the $1100 Inspection II/brake job, well, I had a BMW independent shop perform an Inspection I + R&R of the front pads on the Club Sport for a total cost of @$150- using OEM parts and BMW synthetic oil. 525 dude could have found an independent who would have done the job just as well for at least 50 percent less. The previous owner of my CPO E39 paid the dealer $1200 for a four wheel brake job. My shop said they would have charged $600 max- using OEM parts.

Join BMW CCA and find a good BMW independent shop. Or, if you REALLY want to learn what makes your Bimmer tick, AND save $$$ in the bargain- get your hands dirty! I recently bought a Pela Oil extractor for $79(you can find it for less) and now do my own changes. The cost breaks down as follows:

$21-7qts BMW synthetic

$8 -BMW filter

So I'm out 30 minutes and thirty bucks- every 9000 miles. I also picked up a Peake R5-FCX reset/code scan tool. The E46 Bentley manual- http://www.bentleypublishers.com/product.htm?code=b301 - comes out in November.

Bottom line: The maximum you should have to pay to maintain your 3er is $500-$1000 per year. Tops. And the DIY gang can count on spending half that.

dave330i

when I picked up by BMW, they told me the only way to get the check engine light to go off is to bring the car in. If it does go off automatically, great.

silverprincess

Not sure if this is a fair comparison, but just to give you an idea of repair costs these days by the dealer: The service department at my local Bay Area Lexus dealer estimates to RESEAL (NOT replace) my 93 LS400 leaky power steering pump was $485!

Bottom line: I concur with div2...find an independent repair shop and you'll save big $$$.

shipo

Here in New Jersey, it is illegal to pump your own gas, as a result, my gas cap had not been tightened enough several times. On each occasion, the Service Engine light has extinguished itself after no more that two tanks of gas following the "Loose Cap" event.

Best Regards,
Shipo

kominsky

ditto shipo's post. I posted early last week that my light had come on. It came on well after filling the tank (I was actually on my way for gas when it came on). It just went off on Tuesday... figures since I had a service appointment for today to check it out. If the car is running okay and the temp guage isn't rising, I'd wait it out at least a tank of gas or two before worrying about it.

dave330i

I must have misheard the sales lady. Not surprising, since I was more or less drooling over my car.

ddm3

I, too, recently had my "Service Engine Soon" light come on in my 2001 325CiC (3,500 mi.) and knew it was not a loose gas cap since I pump my own gas and am very careful to tighten it 'til it clicks on each fill-up. I called the dealer right away and they said if it goes out and stays out don't worry about but if it comes back on, bring it in. It did go out later that day but reappeared the next. When I brought it in for service on Monday morning, they hooked it up to the big computer in the service bay (as opposed to the small hand-held modic) and diagnosed it immediately (less than 5 min.) as a bad "camshaft sensor (intake)" which would result in decreased gas mileage and some emissions problems but nothing dangerous. It seems that the car's computer holds the "fault codes" in its memory so that troubleshooting is quick and accurate. Once diagnosed, they replaced the part and I was on my way in about an hour. The light has not re-appeared and my gas mileage is improving slightly under the same driving conditions. Unfortunately, that single light serves as warning for a large number of faults within the car and there's no sure way of telling what it is without a checkup.

That was my recent experience but I'm sure there are many other possible solutions. Good luck with it!

bmw323is

Thanks to all who responded to my concerns about repair costs. After the warranty has expired I will find a good BMW repair shop that I trust, and live with the necessary costs. I had no idea that a P/S pump could cost $500. I used to do all my own oil changes, tire rotations, etc. I no longer want, or have time, to do those things and have no problem paying someone that does good work for those services (they don't cost very much). I am not handy, or knowledgable, enough to do the bigger tasks anyway.

roc50mg

I am definitely going to fight the ticket, but I highly doubt Valentine will give me any money for the ticket as someone else on this board suggeted they might. Like you I have just gotten the Passport 8500. I will test it out this weekend and let you know what happens. Thanks for your input.

P.S. I've only gotten around 21 mpg/tank on my 330xi w/2400 miles on it so far.

brave1heart

K40 does but for the amount of money they charge ($700-2,000 for complete built-in setup), they can afford it. My advice would be, take the loss and move on. V1 is still the best radar detector out there (definitley better than any Passport) but again, it should only be used as a supplement to your own judgement.

motorcity3

Thank you all for your replies. I called the dealership and they asked me if the car is acting any different than usual. It doesn't so I made an appointment for two weeks from now (the earliest I could get a loaner). Who knows, maybe in that time period it will go off.

Thanks

killer99

What kind of law is that?

Doesn't that make gas more expensive (to cover the cost of labor)?

Is there a law against getting out of the car and verifying that the cap is tight after the attendant pumps the gas, or are you disallowed from getting out of the car all together?

j330i

Hey! Any of you guys live in the New Orleans area or can you recommend a good BMW repair shop in New Orleans? Go Saints! Beat Buffalo!

reubencahn

This is off topic but I thought somebody here might help. This weekend an errant football collided with the sideview mirror of my wife's A4. The mirror broke and fluid that has something to do with the self-dimming feature ended up on the paint. Anyone know what this fluid is or how to safely remove it from the paint?

I think Oregon has the same law as N.J. on pumping gas, no self service stations there either. I think the idea is similar to that in Japan, i.e., maintain low wage, low skill jobs.

gurumike

Wash the car?

Of course, if it's really gooey, you could use Klasse after washing!

Alternatively, you could try Zaino. I believe, in the Zaino encyclopedia on application, there is (no doubt) a mini-epic on "removal of the stuff from self-dimming mirrors". Here's my condensed version:

1. Wash car with house hold dish washing liquid, regardless of what any painting company or manufacture warns against it.

2. Pre-treat with Z1, Z11, M32, B443 and dust with E131 (except on sunny Sundays when the sun is in the forth quadrant in which case substitute E131 for D322 and D344)

3. Polish vigorously with Z2, then Z5 and then dance an Apache rain-dance whilst whistling the Australian favorite "Waltzy Mahtilda".

4. Clay bar, sand-blast, jog 5 miles, 2 hail Mary's.

5. Z7, Z9, Z33, Z222, ZZZZZ, Z to the square root of Z and (almost done!) ZZZ111ZZZZ11222.

6. Remember - if it's a light color, you might need to B332, Z233, M444 and D44. Plus I believe it specifically stated that an Audi of 98 and 99 model years requires Z88 and Z55 on the brake calipers for saftey, else the whole process should be repeated a few hundred times.

Simple, huh?!

dunde

Read a few discussions on warranty and now I m wondering :

1. is it worth to buy the extended warranty / extended maintenance (if it exists). How many additional miles will it cover ?

2. how many free routine services are covered in the 3 yr / 36000 free maintenance. i know there is one at 15000. when is the next.

div2

You forgot! Gotta use %100 virgin cotton towels.

shipo

Oddly enough, New Jersey has one of the lowest gas prices in the U.S.A. (lowest full-serve anywhere), self-serve or otherwise. I just recently took the family to North Carolina, and on that trip, we saw self-serve about $.05 per gallon cheaper than our full-serve.

When I first moved here, I thought it was a ripoff until I realized that the price here was actually pretty good. After over 25 years of pumping my own gas, I have come to like having somebody else do it for me. Given that I live less than a mile from BMW's NA headquarters (and 2.5 miles from MB & Volvo), we have HUGH numbers of cars around here that require the gas cap to "Click" to ensure proper tank sealing. That and many domestic vehicles have the same requirement (our Caravan does) as well; as a result, most of the gas station attendants around here are pretty good about turning until they hear the "Click".

Best Regards,
Shipo

shipo

Who is going to get that elusive 9000? Maybe me?

Best Regards,
Shipo

orientblue330i

Could you see if there's anything new on my orient blue 330i SP/PP/Xenon/ CD/ HS going to Life Quality BMW of brooklyn NY? OC shows the car still in transit to the VPC, even though it got to the port on the 4th. TIA!