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Comments
I certainly didn't mind not paying it, but it seemed an odd law to me. :-)
Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board
Within the last two weeks, I have experienced a much longer engine warm-up time and occasional engine drop-out (almost die but recover) just after releasing the key from the start position. The "Service Engine Light" went on when driving home last night (filled gas on Saturday) and I'm going to the dealer over the noon hour to have them interrogate the diagnostic system. I will also request they start the fan recall process since I still have not received my notice.
From the combination of symptoms, I suspect the "Service Engine" problem has to do with a faulty thermostat as other people on the board have experienced. I'll post the cause after its repair.
gen. specs as follows - silver, grey leather, 5 speed, sport pak, xenons, heated seats, h/k stereo upgrade w/ in dash cd - 24,000 mi - asking $29,900 - thoughts?
If it is the car you like with the stuff you want on it, and the records and mechanicals check out, I say go for it.
I would have a BMW mechanic look it over and I would review all service records, but it looks good from here.
however (there's always a "however")...
you can't have it both ways... if you claim "real enthusiast" and then say "i didn't get a manual because i didn't want to shift in traffic", seems a little weak to me... part of being a "real enthusiast", whether it be cars, wine (or whine!), or shoes, is being willing to sacrifice a little bit...
bottom line... you wanna play, you gotta pay...
fwiw, i can't think of one person who has died (or even suffered grievous injury) from having to shift in traffic...
-Chris
> How many miles do you have on your 325?
6880 miles (built 14th week, delivered May 10th)
> how much longer warming it up currently?
I normally let the car run about 30 seconds until the idle drops to normal and then start to move. Before the malfunction, the temperature gauge would be over the thermometer symbol (vertical) by the top of the street (~1/8th mile). When it began to malfunction about two weeks ago, it took about 5 miles.
> Do you know of the updated fan recall list?
Yes, I have the link at home, will find it tonight and post tomorrow morning.
I've just returned from my dealer (Tulley, Nashua NH) after asking them this morning to look at the car. Indeed, the cause of the malfunction indicated by "Service Engine Soon" was the thermostat -- they replaced it on the spot. Took about 1 1/2 hours for diagnostic, replacement and a wash. They also ordered a replacement fan (took 3 wks with my daughter's car). A first-class dealer in sales and now service.
Found the link faster than I expected: http://www.bimmer.org/3series/messages/archive/msgsy2001w31/2734.html
Other piece of info about the fan recall is that it applies only to cars with manual transmissions.
fowler3
Your posted link is the last list I have seen anywhere. Yes, my car is on the list but I have not received any notice yet. My daughter (330xi, built Wk 14 also) received notice in late July with the fan replaced in August. I was very pleased that I did not have to convince the dealer (i.e. show him your posted list) that my fan should be replaced w/o the recall notice.
After the thermostat was replaced yesterday, I looked again at the distance it took to have the temperature gauge needle reach vertical. This morning it was between 1/4 to 1/2 mile after the idle dropped. I would hate to be the cause of a run on thermostat replacement for cars that don't warm up within the original estimate.
I also contacted Amsoil to ask about filters and they said to use the Hastings LF-482 filter on the 325i. Anyone have any experience with this filter? I intend to go with changes between 7500 and 10,000 miles instead of the recommended 15,000.
By the way, in reference to recent posts, my "Service Engine Soon" light is on also. It has been on for about a week. I am bringing in my car in about a week so I can get a loaner because I am also having the scheduled maintenance done on the car. I have not noticed any change in the car's behavior or its thermostat so I figure it is safe to wait until my scheduled maintenance.
By the way, how does the scheduled maintenance program work? Do you take it in only when the inspection mileage indicator tells you so and/or when the Service Engine Soon light comes on? Barring any unique problems that causes the Service Engine Soon light to come on, is there a maximum number of times that you can take it in for service without being charged?
H-K; I mostly listen to metal (metallica, maiden, disturbed, dio, etc) and consider the H-K system to be adequate. The subs tend to bottom out a little early and there is a shortage of mid-range, but overall the sound isn't bad and it seems to improve the faster you drive (speed sensitive)... just one more reason to drive too fast ;-)
On a different note, thanks for the recommendation (twoof?). Although I no longer sell BMWs I'd be more than happy to assist anyone with their purchase with some guidance. This must be done by way of emailing me. Oh, and my middle name is Graeme, not my last name! I had put my full name on the Edmunds profiler when I'd signed up and it only shows your 'first' name.
And just one other note - has anyone seen or heard from Brave1Heart recently? Seems like I've not read a post from him in forever. Hope he's okay.
I changed my oil at 1200,and recently at 7500.I did it at the dealer and I am planning to continue to do it every 7500.The first 2 were on me , the next one on them...
I still have problems with the seal of the driver's door.(3 times to the dealer). Manager advised that BMW is aware and looking for a solution. Anybody else?
Yes I also had the thermostat problem...
Nevertheless, I love the car..
http://www.bmw.com/e46_3/e/downloads.html
Not sure if anyone has seen this link yet, but I thought I'd post it just in case...
BTW, up here in Canada, the 330 prices were raised C$600 (whereas for you in the States, they remained unchanged). And not only that, but I was told by two different dealers that "BMW Canada has decided to take a new approach to pricing ie. to limit the discounting on all 2002 models to only C$1000 off the MSRP." Maybe due to supply/demand factors.
I strongly recommend that you all read your service and maintenance books for the official word on this, not uncommon, practice. Remember, they are covering the cars powertrain for at least 4 years / 50k miles (longer in some states) and they do want your engine to stay in absolute perfect shape. Do not consider that any of you know better than the engine specialists in Germany. Read the paragraph titled "Unscheduled Maintenance".
Thank you.
Mobil does a lot more marketing and thus has higher visibility, but I have been extremely happy with Castrol Syntec - no accident BMW went with this choice.
Guru,
Sorry about the name screw up. I just took it from your profile. I must have missed it, but did you change jobs?
Traffic from Albany to Boston yesterday was very different. Everyone was going much faster and all drivers were a lot more alert than usual. It felt like there was a sense of camaraderie between drivers and I was thinking "Can you imagine if everyone drove as well as that on our great roads all the time?" Getting around would be a lot faster and safer. Anyhow, have to go take care of my wife. So happy to be home and know that my family is OK.
Some of you may be interested in this article: BMW Group Pledges Aid for Relief Efforts.
Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board
Snow tires will help in all aspects of handling your car in the white stuff and a set of tires/rims will cost less than the AWD.
I would get AWD if you plan on going over mountain passes, though.
-Murray
Does anyone know if this will be available in the US? From the text in the article, SMG would be less expensive than Steptronic!
Bring it on!
-Murray
By the way, Germany is beautiful in November.
Best Regards,
Shipo
P.S.
All my family and friends made it out of NYC on Tuesday; however, a few of them were rather dusty. My heart goes out to those who lost loved ones.
The reason is the 16" has a higher ground pressure (psi) because its footprint is smaller.
The difference isn't something huge - - driver skill (and wisdom) are still far more important. But if you're looking for every advantage, for winter snow driving, the rule of thumb is "the skinnier the better". Just make sure that the smaller rim size clears the brakes :-)
Also, 16's will cost less than 17's, which is a minor bonus.
-hh
SLW
I have a 1999 328i without the SP (which means that I have an additional 0.5" of ground clearance) and a quick measurement shows that portions of the floor pan and undercarriage start dragging when the snow gets 6" deep. At 10" any 3-Series would simply become a snowplow and regardless of the number of driven wheels and size/quality of tires, sooner or later the car would pack enough snow under it to completely eliminate all traction. I have driven in 4 to 5 inches and trust me, that is about as far as you are going to want to go.
As far as using steel wheels in the winter, go for it. I do not know whom the salesperson is trying to snow (pun intended), but with four snows (not known for their stellar handling) mounted on your car, the quality of the rims will be a fairly irrelevant factor. After all, we are talking about wintertime driving here, not autocrossing or other types of timed racing.
On the topic of a reduced driving experience with the addition of all wheel drive; in the immortal words of Colonel Sherman T. Potter, "Horse Hockey!" An E46 equipped with the all wheel drive option will not get quite the acceleration as with the standard layout (according to BMW’s numbers both the 325xi and 330xi are one half of a second slower to 60mph when compared to the 325i and 330i respectively), however the extra 250 pounds or so is just not enough additional weight to negatively affect braking and handling under normal driving conditions.
I hope this helps.
Best Regards,
Shipo
A note on the XI's handling: the reason why the XI has been losing comparos against the A4 Quattro (and recently against the WRX) in C&D is because the 3-series XI package is too soft - the car has higher ground clearance, softer suspension settings, and non-performance tires (even when equipped with the sport package).
Switching off the ESP - someone recommended about a month ago that you need to hold the ESP button down for 3-4 seconds to switch off the ASC-T in addition to the ESP. I noticed that I when I press the ESP button, the ESP light comes on and then holding it for another 3-4 seconds makes the "brakes" sign on the lower right side of the dash come on. Using this tip, I have finally been able to slide my 325i in corners without the electronic braking system kicking in - it is a lot of fun!!
We're set to take delivery on Oct 23 and are wondering the same thing. Called bmwna and they said they would let sept/oct ED's either postpone their delivery dates or just ship the car here if we want. We're really torn - our 25th anniversary present to ourselves, both the car and the trip. Either way, we have to let them know within a week or so.
Thanks in advance!
Mschukar- I read an issue of Bimmer magazine with regards to the 330xi. They claim the AWD is better all year-round in regards to handling vs the 330i. I live in area where lots of wind driven snow is common. Plenty of hills to climb, too. I'm not sure if RWD will cut it or not, that's why I'm opting for the AWD.
Huntzinger- Good info on tire sizes. Wouldn't changing the tire pressure on the 17's make the difference or just make the tires wear faster?
One more thing. I was considering a 325xi but I've heard the AWD takes away too much power from the smaller engine. Any thoughts?
I have an A4 and I live in Denver. I have all-seasons on and it does fine in the snow.
Also, had the slight misfortune of getting some gum on my floor mats. Any remedies?
I also read in the owners manual that various features can be programed into the key ie: signals to indicate that the doors have locked and DRL's. Can I do this myself?
And finally, I see that their is a feature to tell if the tires are inflated properly. Is that offered as an option in the US?
Thanks for any data on the above.
Go to the BMW factory tour on Monday or Friday. It was really interesting for us to see how the cars were made.