BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

pen101

After my test drive of the 330i, the salesman said I could get a new 2001 at $2,500 under MSRP and a 2002 at $500 under MSRP. This was before any negotiations. My feeling is that there is room to move on this. With the options that I want on the car, those numbers would translate into about $1,600 over invoice for the 2001 and $3,600 over invoice for the 2002.

shipo

In my experience, most engines (regardless of manufacturer) loosen up a little after a few thousand miles. It seems that the "Sweet Spot" where the Inline 6 BMW engine loosens up is between 7,000 and 9,000 miles (I noticed mine just over 8K).

In summary, it is not your imagination, you should notice the engine running a little smoother, with a little bump in throttle response and power, a little improvement in gas mileage and in some cases, a little quieter at higher cruise speeds.

Best Regards,
Shipo

pfer0215

I'll soon be purchasing some snow tires from tirerack.com for my 330i w/SP and was wondering if anyone who changes their own tires thinks a torque wrench is necessary. Thanks.

jrct9454

...is ABSOLUTELY necessary when changing wheels. Uneven torquing or over-torquing can and will result in warped brake rotors, already too much of a problem with BMWs. Get a decent one from Sears, along with the appropriate sockets, and a couple of cheap floor jacks from Wal-Mart, and you can swap four wheels in under 30 minutes, with complete confidence that it's being done right. Torque values should be in your owner's manual, but a decent rule of thumb for alloys is 80 foot-lbs max.

allano

In addition to supporting jrct9454's use of a torque wrench (they might appear expensive but they last a lifetime), I'd like to suggest to those who don't change tires themselves to ask the tire installer to "tighten by hand" and then give them the torque value (such as the suggested 80 ft-lbs.) I have had nothing but grief on other cars as a result of tire installers who use the air wrench set to the maximum torque that is used to loosen lug nuts.

shipo

Hear, Hear!

Folks, if one warning about using a torque wrench is not enough, I will add to that voice.

If you plan on doing your own swapping of snow tires, GET A TORQUE WRENCH.

Until you drive a car with warped rotors, you cannot possibly understand just how disconcerting and dangerous this is.

Best Regards,
Shipo

ccotenj

but i don't suggest using cheap carstands... your life is worth a few extra bucks...

-Chris

nbb

I heard a rumor that BMW will be issuing a TSB that includes replacing/upgrading the HK amp and speakers. Anyone hear this? Do you know which years and models (sedans, cabs, etc)?

brave1heart

Wondering if there's a way for the last heated seats setting to be memorized by the car when you shut off the engine. It would be nice not to have to remember to turn the heated seats on every time I start the engine. I vaguely recall reading that this is possible but not sure if it is controlled through the memory key...

jdkoch

Has anyone installed the ECIS CAI on
a 2001 325i and if so what was performance
improvement????

dave330i

I'd go with the grey. The general rule of thumb is dark exterior/light interior, light exterior/dark interior. It gives the car a better balance.

genie1

I like the light/dark combo too.

My favorite has to be dk blue exterior/tan interior. It also looks especially nice when you are tanned/darker complexioned.

But I have seen a couple of blues with black leather/ette interior and they are beginning to grow on me to the extent that I would have to think hard about tan v/s black interior.

My current interior is black and I like it more than I thought I would. I'm veering away from tan as I am not sure I would like all the different tonal variations (dash, trim etc). The black tones go well together.

Anyone with a tan interior have any input on this?

kominsky

I haven't heard anything about this, but please keep the board up to date if you learn more.

rpadilla

Has anyone had this problem -- drove into work this morning, and it was a little darker than usual, so I turned on the headlights as a precaution. When I arrived at the office, I parked in my usual space, shut the car down, and as I walked around the front of the car, I noticed that the left front turn signal/marker was still very dimly lit, in a steady state (not blinking). I assumed that I had forgot to shut off the headlights, but, when I looked in the driver side window, the switch was turned to off. I flipped the switch on/off a couple of times, but, the light stayed on. So, not wanting the car's battery to drain while one light stayed on all day, I drove over to Hades (a.k.a., Dreyer & Reinbold BMW). When I parked the car there, and shut her down, this time the light turned off. Not wanting to wait 5 hours to have a tech look at my car, I drove back to the office, and, so far, the incident has not repeated itself. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Any suggestions? I am scheduled to go in on Monday morning (hopefully that light turns off when it's supposed to this weekend!).

jfedor1

That sounds like the pathway lighting feature. You probably had the left turn signal depressed.
Its a "feature"
Next time this happens make sure the turn signal lever is in the center position.

Josh

shipo

In Europe, the streets are very narrow in many places and folks park their cars with two wheels over the curb leaving part of the car in the roadway. To alert drivers that the car is partially obstructing the road the driver activates the turn signal on the side of the car that is hanging out. When the engine is switched off and the turn signal is activated, the front and rear signal lamps are lit at a low power at a steady state. This sounds like your problem.

Did you happen to notice if the rear turn lamp was lit as well?
Did you happen to notice when you restarted your car if the turn signal lever was engaged to the left?

If the problem occurs again and you are then sure that it is not the turn signals, you have a problem.

Best Regards,
Shipo

john01

very good picture taken by this guy with his black 530d (France) with tan interior. Quite nice. check it out at www.bmw530.com

gurumike

I have the ECIS intake on my 330i and I love it. Only slight increase in noise (and all good!) but a surprising increase in mileage too. My average MPG display is currently hovering around 24 mpg !! That's with a fair amount of quick acceleration type driving. I'd say over a 10% improvement, which I don't think I would ever believed had I not seen it first hand.

gurumike

The pathway lighting feature is where you 'flip' the high beams after turning the ignition off and it puts the headlights on for about 20-30 seconds to light the (pathway?) area in front of the car. Shipo described the parking lights which is what rpadilla was on about.

I'm not aware of any method of adjustment that results in the heated seats defaulting to an on position. That should be possible with some rewiring, though nothing BMW would recommend !

MarkinAtlanta

Not EICS, but I did put have the Dinan cold air intake and software upgrade done at the same time. It makes a small difference, I didn't dyno my car before and after, so I can't quantify it personally. Dinan claims about 8 hp and 8 ft/lbs torque gain when doing both CAI and software.

rpadilla

Unfortunately, the rear lamp was not on, just the front marker. I have set up an appointment for Monday AM to see the Devil (read: Service Consultant) at Hell (Read: Dreyer & Reinbold BMW, the only BMW dealer in the greater Indianapolis area -- they practice good business strategy, "in a monopoly economy, gouge the customer"). Shipo -- does BMW have that feature with the turn signal function thingy on BMWs shipped to the US (the OM doesn't mention it). Thanks for all of your input...

shipo

Rpadilla,

The E46 Sedans (and most probably the coupes, convertibles and estate wagons as well) do in fact have the “Parking Lamp” feature on U.S. spec cars. In my owners manual (1999 328i) page 81 describes how to engage the Parking Lamps for both sides with a note that says, “For lighting on one side for parking, refer to page 82.” On said page 82, there is a heading called “Parking lamp, left or right”, with the following text, “With the ignition key in position 0, engage the lever in the appropriate turn-signal position.”

Lug nuts again,

According to my manual, the “Lug Bolts” should be torqued to 72 lb. ft. (100 Nm).

Best Regards,
Shipo

pahtri

I also did my pricing in the Atlanta area though this was about two months ago. Back then all three area dealers wanted MSRP for MY 2002 or a generous $1200 off MY 2001 325i. Like other people at work, I called around to Athens, Macon, and Augusta and wound up ordering from Taylor BMW in Augusta for over $2000 off MSRP. My salesperson is Melody Abbott, she's very courteous and attentive, highly recommended. I am hoping to pick the car up next week. Good luck.

blackren

I have a orient with tan interior. Very classy combination. May be not as sporty look as other may want it, but it's perfect for a vechicle like BMW, since it's a luxury car with sporty characteristic. I mean is there a car that can be paired with this colour combination and still looks aggresive at the same time. (not is300-too rice like, not a4-not aggresive looking enough, not C-class-too much luxury feeling) That's my 2cents.

parump

Glad to learn that others have experienced the increased responsiveness too. My appreciation for the car grows with time.

Thanks for the response.

dsemmen

Hi, I am new to the BMW board. I am trying to learn about this great car, as I am in the market for an entry level luxury car. I am considering the Lexus ES300 and the 3 Series BMW. My question is: Do most people who order a BMW go with the manual stick shift transmission? If so, why? Thank you.

bmw323is

I once read that nearly 50% of 3 series were ordered with a manual tansmission in the USA. Considering that of all cars driven, the percentages are about 10% stick, that seems high. Others may disagree on the 50% number, but I thought I read that in Roundel or Motor Trend magazine.

The BMW stick makes the car feel even sportier. Manual transmissions in this car are faster. Buyers of the 3 series are generally younger than those of the 5 series so more manual transmissions. The automatic costs $1,275. And finally, it's a wonderful manual transmission.

sybele

Hi guys. I got offered a 2001 demo 325i for 29,800. The car has 9500 miles and has the following options: full leather, premium package, HK audio system, xenon headlights, heated seats, and in-dash CD. It is silver with gray interiors. Is this a good deal?

shipo

At this point, the 7-Series is no longer available with a manual transmission, likewise the V8 version of the X5. I have no idea what percentage of 5-Series owners buy with a manual, but my guess would be well below 20%. That leaves the "3", "Z" and "M" series cars. According to my dealer, he sells well over 50% of his 3-Series cars with the manual and almost 100% of the Z's and M's.

As for why? The reasons are many, some simply prefer a manual, period, all other arguments are just icing on the cake. Others prefer stirring their own gears because of greater control over the vehicle, better acceleration and mileage and some feel (rightly or wrongly) that the manual will have lower maintenance.

I hope this helps.

Best Regards,
Shipo

hawkbert

The BMW dealership near my house has a small hill right by its entrance. Normally they put an older BMW on the hill, but for the past couple weeks there's been an IS300 with a big SALE sign hanging on its rearview mirrow. I can't help but think it's like they're displaying a hunting trophy or something. :-D

adam68

Has anyone had any experience with this product?

Thanks

bmw323is

I use one all the time. I bought it because I also bought a jet black BMW and it gets dust on it even before I finish drying it after washing. Every few days, I just quickly and lightly run the duster over the horizontal body parts before I use the car. It works great. If the car gets wet, the duster doesn't help, but it picks up the dry dust and doesn't scratch the paint.

rpadilla

Thank goodness you are a BMW 3-series owner (as well as a few other notables on this board)! Still haven't found the entry in the OM, but, I have tried the parking lamp feature, and have realized that I am an idiot.

orientblue330i

i use one on my Orient Blue 330i, its lifts off the dust well without scratching. For quick touchup, i use either the duster or a microfiber cloth with a quick spritz of Zaino Z6. Blessed in having such a deep, and in my opinion, gorgeous color, cursed in having to dust it often to see said color.... =/
In anycase, IMO, it was worth the 20 bucks for the car and dash duster set.
anyone try the CA car water blade?
how is it?

cheeks

Now that I've had my aux. fan replaced twice due to recalls, I find it very loud. I constantly hear, while diving, the fan turn on and off under normal driving conditions in not so hot temperatures. Has anyone else noticed this?

dl7265

It seems to work pretty well, however not as well on a 3er. reason is the curves and fender flares that gives the 3er its looks.I gave mine to a friend with a mini van with lots of flat surfaces and he loves it.

DL

genie1

Did anyone check out the MB C230 coupe/240 sedan for comparison with the 3/5 series?

If so, what did you think?

mmcbride1

My opinion of the C class is as follows:

Nice car, no manual tranny with the 3.2 V6, WAY too expensive (even when compared to the Bimmer).

brave1heart

Completely agree with mmcbride1. In addition, the C class is not sporty enough and I personally can't get past M-B's oldish, stodgy image with emphasis on status more than anything else.

jsc3

hi, new to the board and thought i'd ask about the 325. i've seen some posts hint at differences in maintenance between the base 325 and sports package. anyone have details. i'm shopping for a new car and had my heart set on a 3 series but the price may be out of range and if the maintenance is really that much higher, well, maybe next time...so am looking at the a4 and new passat glx. any advice. cap locks on my keyboard and return and question mark don't work...maybe a new keyboard first...

gurumike

requires new tires more often. And they cost more. Yes, new keyboard first.

jsc3

hi, new to the board and thought i'd ask about the 325. i've seen some posts hint at differences in maintenance between the base 325 and sports package. anyone have details. i'm shopping for a new car and had my heart set on a 3 series but the price may be out of range and if the maintenance is really that much higher, well, maybe next time...so am looking at the a4 and new passat glx. any advice. cap locks on my keyboard and return and question mark don't work...maybe a new keyboard first...

bmw323is

I'm not sure what you mean by 'differences in maintenance between base and sport'. There shouldn't be any difference between base and sport unless you consider a switch to snow tires with the sport package. All maintenance is covered for 3 years or 36,000 miles and the warranty is 4/50,000. Simple maintenance (oil changes) shouldn't really cost much more than another vehicle. It costs more, but you do it less frequently. However, after warranty, it's probably going to cost more to fix things if they break. Same as any other upscale import. It's a great car though.

This past weekend I looked at the 2002 A4 for a friend. I just don't find it as appealing as the 3 series - visually or mechanically. The back seat is still too small (Audi just can't get that right even when they try). You can buy this car for a couple grand less than the 325 (depending on options), but you get the 1.8 turbo vs. the BMW's nice six. I also have two friends with Passat's. Very nice cars, but no where near as sporty as the 325 (much larger though). For most people, a couple a grand at purchase time may seem difficult, but you soon are thankful you bought the Bimmer.

habitat1

Just posted this on the M3 vs. S4 board, but I need help in a possible decision.

I am pretty much assured of being able to get an M3 this winter/spring, but have been having second thoughts. Have heard that it is not a great "everyday" car in spite of all its attributes. Been advised that, if I intend to put 15k+ miles per year on a car in various conditions, occasionally carting kids, that I might be better off with a C32 or 540i 6-speed if performance is a high priority, a 530i if it is not quite as high.

Although I would never get a standard "C" over the comparable "3" sedan, the C32 seems to be worth considering. At 349 hp and 332 lb ft of torque, it matches or exceeds the performance of the E55 and CLK55 and, although it will be very tough for me to get an "automatic", it does seem to be a more "practical" alternative to the 2002 M3.

Please give me your thoughts, comments and suggestions. Thanks.

P.S. I am already aware of the numerous "key" related problems with the new C class and have been assured that they have been addressed. The dealer has offered that if I have any such problems in the first month, I can give them the car back and they will give me a full refund.

cnorthrup

Noticed that Tirerack shows that 16 inch wheels are okay. Since this car comes stock with 17 inch and the larger brakes (12.8) does this present a problem?

Also noticed that 16in "steel wheels" not available with 330i but are available with the 325i sp?

From what I have heard 16in is the way to go even though tirerack is indicating a tire of the same width... 205/50-17 vs 205/55-16. What is the advantage besides the wheels/tires being cheaper?

shipo

My 1999 328i (which has the same brakes as the newer 325i) has 16" wheels and they just barely clear the brake calipers, the 330i has larger brakes than the 325i/328i, as a result, I do not believe that you can use 16" wheels on a 330i, regardless of wheel type or design. I would be very careful when ordering.

FWIW, if you have two tire/wheel combinations with the same section width, differing only by rim diameter, they should perform virtually identically in the snow.

Best Regards,
Shipo

new330owner

Anyone know of a website that has a brochure for the 2002 3 series sedan or where one can be ordered. My dealer still doesn't have any brochures (even though they have 2002 cars!).

In your experiences, how long after production have you had to wait for your car to reach the dealer?

derprofi

I generally like Benzes and own one, but I think Mercedes does their customers a great disservice by not offering any of their AMG-tuned cars with a manual transmission. Right there, that's a blatant tip-off that MB is positioning these cars not for the driving enthusiast, but for people who generally have more money than driving skills. I'm in love with the SLK hard-top convertible design and probably wouldn't hesitate to upgrade to the SLK32 in a couple of years--for those unfamiliar, it wedges the same 349HP engine as the C32 into a roadster!--but until they offer 3 pedals in it I'll probably be taking any future 2-seater business to BMW.

We briefly considered the C-class when shopping for a sedan. The design of the C was quite pleasing to us, but overall we liked the design of the 2002 3-er better. The added cost of the C320 was the next hurdle, especially when most Benzes go for MSRP in the DC area, and that's once you manage to get to the top of the waiting list. Performance was also problematic. The C320, even with it's extra displacement, still couldn't match the 330i. The forced "Slushtronic" option was the final nail in the coffin of the Benz. On top of the car itself, we've had awful service from Euro Motorcars in Bethesda, which is supposedly the best dealer in the area. Don't get me wrong--I'm still very pleased with our curent Benz. It's just that it will take something very special for them to get any business from me in the future.

I vote for the 540i. Do Euro Delivery and you can get it for around the same price as a C32.

genie1

I did notice one odd thing when we tested the C240 vs the 525 a couple of weeks ago. Both cars got driven fairly aggressively.

The difference was that in the MB the ESP and the ABS both kicked in during the test drive. The Bimmer OTOH handled all curves and stops without any electronic gizmos going off.

I personally preferred the performance of the Bimmer. My brother and his buddy preferred the MB. (In fact the guy cancelled his order for the LS and ordered the 240 instead)

We are testing the C230 coupe this weekend as my brother likes the looks and the 3point star. I like the interior of the car and the front end (but hate the rear). We'll have to see how it drives.

The MB mystique is a powerful thing (at least for us) as we were brought up on it. Next step up was a Rolls.

habitat1

and I agree that both the M3 and M5 are better suited to the driving enthusiast than their AMG counterparts. I also would not consider a C240 or 320 over a 3-series sedan.

However, what is compounding the decision for me is that the final selection needs to be a daily driver that will serve me well for 16-20k miles a year. The concensus of advice I have received from trusted sources is that the M3 is the worst choice. The smaller size and cutting edge performance orientation would make it a great weekend car or occasional daily driver, but that it will probably wear on me (and my pocketbook) if I attempt to squeeze 20k miles a year out of it. The M5 is a better daily driver choice, but I have decided against jumping to the $75k price point. The C32 is still a question mark. I would agree that standard C class cars are higher priced than their 3-series sedan counterparts and offer less in the way of performance. However, the C32 and M3 work out to about the same price comparably equiped and, relatively speaking, the C32 looks like a better deal. It's only about $8-$10k more than a well equiped C320 and is light years ahead in both performance and exclusivity.
But, even my friend in the Mercedes leasing business warned me that a C32's value will drop like a rock if I put 50k miles on it over the next 3 years. He advised getting it only if I either limited my miles to 5-7k per year (impossible) or intended to keep it for the rest of its life or my life, whichever ends first.

A 530i 5-speed sport at under $42k Eurodelivery is looking better and better!