BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

allano

try http://www.macneil.com/store/igsearch.asp?item_group_id=3

dave330i

Thanks for the info. Just took my car in for the steering retrofit, and key program. I'll wait and see if they call me and tell me if it can't be done w/out alarm or not.

On a side note, it's pretty cold this morning. Car tells me it was down all the way to 47.

dave330i

Has anyone received it yet? I sent the e-mail reply several weeks ago, but haven't seen it yet. Of course I might have accidently thrown it out with all my other junk mails, but doubt it.

twoof1

pretty cold here this morning also.
My car told me it was 60 and sunny this morning!
Sorry guys had to get in a little left coast jab!

allano

Dave,
Got the BMW DVD in the same 'envelop' as the latest Roundel without asking for it. It appears to have five productions on it.

Alan

allano

Was 20deg F the other morning but did not notice it because the heated seats were so comfortable %-}

dave330i

live in SF area, so it does get a little chillier up here. Still warm enough for short sleeves though.

genie1

Where I used to live it was 97F yesterday. And it will stay warm and sunny for the next 6 months.

Now, why did I ever leave all that for 4+ months of frigid temps?

sigh

ccotenj

mine came with the roundel yesterday... which means that ALL of you should be getting it this week... after all, you ARE members of bmwcca, right???

-Chris

dave330i

I needed some new reading & viewing material.

dave330i

you could always move to SF, and get the Fire Mist Red SLK. ;-)

genie1

You have no idea how sorely I am tempted...

Let's see...order the SLK about 8 months before I want to leave Toronto (in CDN $)...

That gives me 8 months to find a job in CA.

Hmmm...me thinks this train of thought is way too appealing.

rpadilla

You can see the same exact stuff at www.bmwfilms.com, and download the whole piece to your PC. It is very cool stuff...esp. the episode entitled The Star, starring the M5.....saaaa-weeeeet!

genie1

I think the BMW Films experience will be at least marginally better on a big screen TV compared to even the largest/nicest monitor.

rpadilla

I cannot disagree...it was AWESOME to see that M5 on my big TV at home. However, I have it on my PC at work so that I can take the occasional "break" (wink wink) ;-}

derprofi

I'm such a sucker, a puppet with BMW's marketing (and engineering) department pulling the strings... I saw The Star and have been lusting after an M5 ever since.

Hey, I think I've stumbled upon a good reason to learn stick. Otherwise you'll never be more than a passenger in an M5 Sorta the 180-degree opposite to MB's AMG philosophy, eh?

rpadilla

but, derprofi, you are correct! I DO wish that I had been a little more patient and bought my 3er with the manual (now that I know, and have heard, how fun this car is to drive)! Regardless, the 330 is an AWESOME car....and, the M5, even "awesomer!" (not to get off topic onto the M5)

dave330i

not sure why you need to wait 8 months. Most dealers out here have SLKs in stock. Make sure you get it with manual. I'll be happy to teach you how to row your own gears. ;-)

rpadilla: I have seen several of the films on PC, but 32" is better than 21". Also, won't play on UNIX.

derprofi

then let me drag us further off and share a funny site I came across yesterday.

www.beaterz.com

This one is my favorite.

genie1

So that's where Porsche got the idea from

silverprincess

Will I get the permanent fault codes on a 99 E46?

genie1

Is your offer to teach me contingent on my getting the SLK? Because if so, you might have to wait a while.

I think spending one more winter here will help me decide...Should I stay or should I go...

My three years will be up next summer.

dave330i

That would be a watermelon launcher, wouldn't it?

dave330i

You already have good enough tastes to own a BMW, so the answer is no, you don't have to get a SLK. ;-)

3 yrs? Is that the length of your sentence to live there or the end of your lease? ;-)

genie1

Well the first two years seemed like a sentence.

But this last summer, I bought a BMW, made some new friends. Toronto actually feels like home.

I actually know it better than Detroit, Miami, Indy or any of the other places I've lived. So its getting easier to want to stay here, winter not withstanding.

BTW, I've found that my particular brand of good taste runs pretty expensive.

brave1heart

Yep, it's a Siemens. Will have to do it again to get the Bosch. I'll try to bring it in by the end of the year to take care of that and the seat belt clicking noise.

BTW, I love 4 seasons and will really miss the weather if I moved to a place like Frisco. Summer's comfortable, fall is gorgeous, winter's fine if you're a skier and the spring, well, there isn;t much of that here - it kinda goes from Winter straight into Summer.

genie1

Hot,
Hotter,
Oh God Do I have to go outside?
and Rain (a couple of days in Jan)

So I appreciate 4 seasons...I just don't love Winter as much as I thought I would.

dave330i

Detroit! I'm sorry to hear that. Driven through it once. Don't really care to repeat it.

"BTW, I've found that my particular brand of good taste runs pretty expensive."

That's what money is for. Like the saying goes, Make money to live, not live to make money.

brave1heart: we do have 4 seasons out here. It goes something like, warm all the time, warm during the day, rain, warm during the day, then warm again. Plus skiing is great out here.

genie1

Actually Detroit wasn't so bad. Thanks to El Nino, the winter was extremely mild. And I was in Southfield which was quite nice.

I've lived in worse places...and I haven't even listed a third of them yet.

brave1heart

Is it true that people from No Cali call those living in So Cali "flakes"?

dave330i

No idea. I've only lived here for ~2 yrs. now. Still delusional about moving back east coast.

dave330i

I was thinking more about the car choices you have in Detroit. Spent a week in Pontiac. Seemed like it was illegal to own anything but the big 3.

genie1

I did see a lot of MBs, Jags and exotics there though (Not in Pontiac, but in Troy and Bloomfield)

So you're not a native of CA?

dave330i

"So you're not a native of CA?"

Nope. From D.C. area. I keep hearing rumors about them though. They seem to be like Bigfoot or UFOs. Plenty of rumors, but no one's actually seen one.

derprofi

Yes, you are correct. And for a more festive touch during Autumn, small gourds will also work.

Anyway, I just signed up today for a factory tour while we're on our ED visit later this month. Looking forward to that. Also just got off the phone with my salesman and they're looking to move some leftover '01 540i for $2K under invoice, M Coupes for $1K under invoice, and M Roadsters for invoice. Anyone interested, drop me an email. I've now got this half-baked scheme forming in my mind to trade in the 01 SLK toward an M Roadster Just a dream, though... Two 5-speeds would not make for a happy household.

dave330i

go for the M coupe. They're pretty awesome cars. Jealous about the factory tour. Touring any other auto makers while you're at it?

dave330i

when you do get the SLK, don't forget to get a pink fuzzy dice as well. ;-)

visordoc

I know this is sorta off topic, but we're all driving fanatics/enthusiasts here so I thought I'd mention this.

One of my favourite computer games are driving games, and currently I find there is no better than Need for Speed: Porshe Unleashed (NFS:PU)played with a good force feedback steering wheel with F1 style paddle shifters such as ACT Labs Force RS. (Sorry to mention a Porshe game, but if BMW were to lend their name/cars to a driving game, I'd be the first in line to get one!)

Practicing going around the various closed and open tracks has really taught me about proper driving/racing techniques. Such as proper driving lines, braking, suspension tweaks etc. Of course, this is no substitute for the real thing on the track, but it comes real close as a simulation. To top it off, you can always adjust the steering "volume" to whatever feel you want from the road, unlike the 2001 E46's!

as33

mississauga bmw

as33

if want some fun go to mississauga bmw service

sandecki

Which tire is the best for 330i Sport PKG: Nokians NRW 225/45/17 or Michelins Pilot Alpins 205/50/17 ?

I know Michelin is reliable and it's size is more logical for the snow driving, however I have heard a lot of positive feedback on Nokians.

Any opinions or experiences?

Thanks

john01

You can actually drive BMWs in the Gran Tourismo on the Sony Playstation. Modified 3 (~300 bhp)series actually runs well. You can probably find emulators for your PC on the web, if you prefer PC over Playstation.

genie1

Dave:
I think pink may clash with the Fire Mist Red. Maybe I can get the car painted to match. ö

as33:
Why? Please elaborate.

brave1heart

I have a Dreamcast system with only 3 games. All of them racing games. I have the Monaco Grand Prix, the CART, and a Rally 2 game. The Grand Prix is the most realistic and if you pay close attention, it may even improve your real-world driving skills. I read somewhere that even F-1 drivers use it to practice when on the road. The CART game is great too but they rushed it to market when Dreamcast came out and it could be improved slighlty. I do love CART races, though, so it transcends to the game as well. The rally game is fun but it does not feel very realistic. It's nice to go driving sideways every once in a while, though )

genie1

Is it possible to replace 17" perf. tires with 17" all-seasons when the OEMs wear out? (Do they make 17" all-seasons?)

BTW, I remember some months ago someone mentioned listening to the Gypsy Kings on the BMW Business Radio. Was it you?

I just made an International compilation: Spanish, Arabic and French music for my car. I think that with the sunroof open the accoustics are amazing for German and Italian opera.

I also have a techno dance mix for my morning commute.

And Shipo, in reference to the "What FOOT do YOU use" topic: the left foot is for tapping to the beat.

jrct9454

Go to Tire Rack's website and follow the directions; Michelin's Pilot line features an all-season touring tread in 17" sizes, and there are plenty of others.

brave1heart

I didn't know you can dance while driving. Yes, I mentioned that I like the Gipsy Kings and before you know it, Bavarian had posted their chronological history and all band member details )

genie1

you can do when you're stuck on the highway coasting at 10 kmph. Dancing happens to be just one of them.

dave330i

I got my friend a pink dice for her birthday, and she loves it. She tells me she now owns a pimpmobile. ;-)

"left foot is for tapping to the beat"

So that's way automatics are so popular. Now I know.

Got my car back from the dealer yesterday afternoon. The steering feels much heavier now. Hard to imagine steering being sharper than before the retrofit, but it is. Only problem is steering wheel is slightly off center now. Need to call the dealer and take it back in.

They also got the corner lights to blink. Nice external cue. Had to show them how to do it though.

brave1heart

Yeah, the retrofit is great. It makes the car much sportier and I love the faster steering. It's a great feeling when you're switching lanes at high speed with your hands on the wheel at 9 and 3. It's a subtle change at lower speeds but above 70 or so it makes a big difference.

BTW, make sure they've done alignment on all 4 wheels.

Hey, you think genie1 has a discoball hanging from the ceiling in her car?