BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

shipo

Modendal,

Given that I live only 25 miles from the Port of New Jersey (Jersey City), I am expecting a transit time of between 3 and 5 weeks, which means that 7 of the first 8 weeks worth of payments will be spent on a car that will not be at my disposal, which works out to less than $1,000. Add to that about $900 for airfare ($447 per person), $400 tops for hotel rooms (staying with friends while in Paris), and $200 for some other incidentals, and I will have spent $2,500 over the negotiated price of the car. Given that I will be saving closer to $5,300 on my 530i, I am still ahead by $2,800 AND get a free vacation in Germany and France. To take it one step further, to do the same vacation without doing ED, we would have to rent a car; currently, the going rate for a Mercedes-Benz C180 stripper is $275 per week, said $275 could then be added to my savings, which now total $3,075. So, leasing an ED car does not automatically mean that it's a bad deal.

Godwin3,

I FIND IT VERY DISTRACTING TO READ A POST ON ALL UPPERCASE LETTERS, SO MUCH SO, THAT I ALMOST CANNOT READ IT AT ALL. PLEASE, IN THE FUTURE, TYPE YOUR POSTS IN MIXED CASE. THANKS.

Best Regards,
Shipo

brave1heart

I suspect you'd be able to break even on the free BMW lunch in Munich alone, especially if they have open bar ;o)

innkeeper40

I'm scheduled to pick up my 330i on March 21st. Where can you get the best exchange rate for conversion from $$ to Euro. Does it really matter?
Those of you who have done ED recently...do most places take US Credit cards? Thanks, TC

brave1heart

What, they still have those mainframe terminals found in public libraries that only allow you to type in upper case?!? Seriously, no need to shout - we can hear you just fine. What you're experiencing is called tramlining - it is normal and common for wider, stickier tires on uneven roads. Put the coffee mug down and keep both hands on the wheel - that should help ;o)

brave1heart

Yes, the exchange rates vary widely. You typically get the best rate when paying by credit card. Plus, it is more convenient and safer. Yes, they'd love to take your U.S. credit card. We spent two weeks in France with my wife 2 years ago and I don't think we needed more than $200 cash.

shipo

While working in Germany back in 1996, I found the best way to exchange money was NOT to exchange it at all. I found that the best way to get money in any part if Europe was to simply stroll up to the local ATM, use your US ATM card and punch in a request for a bunch of local currency. By using an ATM, you avoid paying a fee for the exchange; instead, your account here in the US gets debited at the exact exchange rate, all in all, a much more convenient and cost effective way of changing money.

Yes, you can use your US credit cards all over Europe (and Asia, Africa, South America, Oceania and India).

Best Regards,
Shipo

john01

It is best to have 100 to 200 euros handy, which is more than I used to carry in the states. If you use your credit card(s), find out which one has the least amount of surplus charge on foreign currency transactions, as just about all the credit cards do these days. I use my bank ATM cards instead of exchanging cash, and unless you are in small shops, you can use your credit cards. Master card seems to be more popular, and some places will only take EC cards (common European bank cards, like our check cards)

brave1heart

http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/068/auto/Many_failing_to_heed_SUV_history_lessons%2b.shtml

kdshapiro

This is nothing to do with SUVs and everything to do with drivers. Some of the biggest pileups in history like the 70 car pile ups in California have nothing to do with SUVs. I will grant you in full emergency manuevers SUVs will not be as nimble as my 330i. But neither are tractor-trailers. Yet neither should be banned from the road. And how many people have wrecked their cars because they didn't understand how to drive them.

Let's not start with the whole intended uses discussion either. Where diversity in vehicles is a by-product of this culture, one needs to make their own decision about what they drive, what it does to the environment and how safe it is.

Ken

bmw323is

Shipo - ThIs Is EvEn MoRe DiStRaCtInG

Has anyone seen the NASCAR commercial where this 50ish balding guy in a little Geo Metro gets stopped on the freeway? The cop comes up and says "Sir, do you know how fast you were going? The guy says "185 or 190?" The cop says "you were going 64 in a 55 zone, I'll have to write you up for that." The guy pulls a 20 out of his wallet and puts it out the window and says "Officer, are you sure I wasn't going 185?"

I love those NASCAR commercials - they just have to win some kind of award.

hitek007

DOES ANY ONE OF YOU HAVE SOME ADVICE?

I am considering the DINAN upgrade to my 2001 325 /SP. 1. What can I expect from it? 2. What does stage I and Stage II consist of? 3. Will I notice any difference? 4. Will the gas mileage improve?

Cheers!

shipo

Even Dinan says not to expect too much from their kits, with the ODB-II systems of current cars, there is little room for the aftermarket folks to do much. If you want suspension goodies, go for it, as for the engine, leave it stock.

Best Regards,
Shipo

hitek007

thanks for the feedback. I am pretty comfortable with my suspension.. . i think I better use my $$ somewhere else.

thanks for the quick response.

Hitek

brave1heart

I second Shipo's opinion. If you need a faster car, get the 330. These cars are already pretty well optimized and any acceleration gains from mods will be marginal and will likely be at the expense of drivability.

brave1heart

If I had to sum up the article in one sentence, it would go like this: "SUV's are not nearly as safe as most SUV driver seem to think". We are not too far apart - you are saying that the drivers are to blame, not the SUV's. There is a misconception with most drivers out there that SUV's are very safe. I was watching some boring discussion on CNN about the newly-proposed CAFE standards a couple of weeks ago and the talking heads who clearly knew nothing about cars kept asking: "But can a car really be as safe as an SUV?!?" This misconception has been propagated by the U.S. auto industry because it is convenient for them - it's all about fatter profit margins. Long-term, it makes the U.S. auto industry less competitive with foreign brands - as you can see, the big three have been losing massive market share in the past decade.

modendahl

Your ED sounds like a well thought out plan. Keep in mind your savings is a little higher than those of us in the 3 series range - the 5 has a bigger ED savings which helps out.

It also sounds like you have a strong desire to go to Germany and get the whole BMW experience as well - and that is worth a tremendous deal of $$. After all, we're talking about driving BMW's and not Chevy Cavaliers

hgeyer

My dealer screwed up and overcharged me by $50 for my Universal Garage Opener when I took delivery of my 330i last week. (more likely, he screwed up by getting CAUGHT overcharging me)

I'm sure that if I griped enough, he'd credit my charge card, but I've agreed to instead take a credit at the parts counter for any accessory.

Now my question, what would be a "got-to-have" accessory that's priced in the $50 range?

mschukar

This is nothing to do with SUVs and everything to do with drivers

I agree to the point that drivers are ignorant to the safety of SUV's.
Fact: SUV's are NOT as safe as cars.

It's not about banning vehicles, it's about forcing auto makers to make safe vehicles for us to drive or at least telling us the truth about their lack of safety rather than the contrary. It's about a vehicle that carries 7 passengers being classified as a passenger vehicle for CAFE standards.

SUV's have their purpose, but they should be held to the same standards as other vehicles on the road.

-Murray

p.s. Sorry for the rant, but my 325i is still sitting at the dealer!

carwatch

How much is the dealer installed universal remote transmitter? I'm planning to have it installed by my dealer but I did not get a quote. He said he'll have to ask "parts dept." first.

The alarm is quoted at $495 installed. Is this right?

hgeyer

Both the remote and alarm are easily installable at home. The remote costs $135 and really took me 10 minutes to install. I was amazed at how easy it is to install; even if you screw up, a replacement panel above the rear mirror costs only $15 at the parts counter. The wiring harness is resting above the mounting panel, and the panel is pre-scored for a razor knife to cut.

I don't have the alarm, but know that it costs about $225 and is also pretty simple to install (the car is prewired to basically "plug and play"). People who've installed it claim to have taken around 30 minutes.

abcnyc

abcnyc

Any recommendations on what to use to dry the car after washing ? I've read where it is not recommended to use chamois. Also does terry cloth leave lint ?

denk

Some chrome exhaust tips would come in under $50.

autolover2

I just bought this car used, and it did not come with an owners manual. Cool air seems to come out of the center vent and driver side vent, but warm air is coming out of the passenger side vents. What am I overlooking?
Also, how do you set the time and date????

dl7265

It standard BMW its too keep you awake while driving none of that hot air in your face making you sleepy . There should be a dial with little red/blue dots u can adjust the temp on that center vent.

Goodluck,
DL

seivwrig

At this point, we probably need another discussion group for BMW European Delivery. It was mentioned on the discussion list about accessories. I would glad to send euro prices for BMW accessories to anyone when I return to the states. This probably the last day I will be logging on unless i use the servies of an internet cafe in England. I drove to Antwerp and Brussels for some shopping. No need for sightseeing. The roads in Belguim are not as good as Germany, but the section between Verviers and Liege will test your driving skills. There some great hairpin turns in the Mosel river valley region. My driving experience has been great at this point. Car is doing fine, the car has stuck to the wet roads. I now have over 850 miles. I have gone slightly over 4000 rpm. It is kind of hard to keep it down. 1200 miles is alot. I might go for brokes today on my way to Zeebrugge, Belguim.

Guten Morgen folks.

parump

I would very much like to encourage BMWNA to consider making available the following options available for E46 sedans in the North American market. If you agree with these recommendations, please indicate your support by submitting a response. If we can achieve at least one hundred responses, perhaps they will incorporate these changes into future model years.

1. Rear Fog Lamps: a standard option in European E46's, a serious omission for cars shipped to North America. Every year, needless lives are lost because of fog obscuring car visibility. PLEASE include this life saving feature at minimum as an option for us.

2. Shoulder Belt for the Rear Middle Passenger: California passed a law this year mandating the use of booster seats for children weighing up to sixty pounds or six years of age. Often, it is blunt head trauma occurring within the passenger cabin that causes a fatality. A booster seat placed adjacent to the door is much more dangerous than one located in the center position. PLEASE include a shoulder belt with the middle, rear seat in future E46 sedans (already standard on the Touring model) to enable placement of a booster seat.

Thanks to all who support these suggestions!

shipo

Hmmm, OK, I like the third shoulder belt for the rear seat, however, I have a bit of an issue with those rear fog lights.

In Europe, where said rear fog lights are fairly standard, people know how and when to use them. That said, around here, I cannot tell you how many Rovers, Mercedes-Benzs, Audis, Jaguars and the like that I have had to follow in traffic, on a perfectly clear night, where they were running with the rear fog turned on. That is one of my personal pet peeves, however, the only thing that is more annoying is following a car where the idiot in the drivers seat has the hazard flashers turned on.

Maybe it is just me, I have always had very acute night vision (able to see stuff others cannot), however, I think that ALL rear fog lights should be outlawed/deactivated in this country until the driving public is educated as the their use, and when NOT to use them.



Best Regards,
Shipo

langenthal

FYI, You can download and view BMW owners manuals at the BMW web-site. I have a 330XI on order that is "enroute" according to the tracking information. Pretty cool tracking your new "beamer" online. I have printed and read the manual (yes, I do feel like a car nerd). I appreciate the remote discussion because I am considering getting one. It comes standard on many cars, don't like paying >$100 for it, but it's a BMW, you get charged for everything, including the $700 headlight option.

Should have my car in two weeks at the most. Can't wait. FYI, 36 month 15k miles/year lease deal.

kdshapiro

Seat Belts...should be a dealer installed option. I have no need for a center seat shoulder harness in my car.

Rear Fog Lamps...while in theory it sounds good I would not want to see them for the following reasons: More drivers it seems nowadays are inconsiderate than not. Drivers drive with headlights, high beams, fog lights and auxilliary lights on all at the same time. I think a set of rear bright white lights (not sure about bright yellow lights) might be blinding if used without fog and confused with headlights if used in fog.

Something that would make sense is to increase the functionality of an option that is now available, the rear distance backup option. Build some more smarts into it and have it flash brake or auxiliary lights if it senses cars coming to you from the rear in excess of a predetermined speed and distance.

Ken

postoak

It really depends on how fanatic about car care you are. People who are most into car care would wash AND dry only with white, 100% cotton towels which have the borders cut off. Those of us who aren't quite so demanding use a California Water Blade (silicone squeegee) to remove most of the water on the large areas of the roof and hood and trunk decks and then use "The Absorber" to finish up. "The Absorber" is an artificial chamois that works much better than a real one. Also, some people say that if you remove the nozzle from your hose and let the water flow smoothly onto the car at final rinse that almost all the water will just slide off the car. It seems to me that you are still going to need to use one of the above two methods to get "all" the water off.

riez

Check out p. 12 of the current, 1/2002, issue of BMW Magazine (a BMW corporte publication). Has a sad story about women named Erin: "as a 10-year-old, she was in the back of a car when it was involved in a head-on collision. Wearing only a safety belt with no shoulder strap, she was thrown forward and suffered a broken spine." Now paralyzed from waist down. She drives a car using her hands to brake and accelerate. Article states how she and her husband just bought a 325i because of safety. I found that most odd, given that anyone sitting in the middle of its back seat in same circumstance might end up paralyzed exactly as she was!

I couldn't believe BMW published this without mentioning that her car lacked the rear center shoulder belt!!! And when so many other BMWs have this. My '98 540i6 has one. My wife's '00 323iA doesn't.

Should be mandatory. If you don't have kids, you might have friends or family ride in back. Any time you have that fifth person sit in, they aren't protected by the superior lap & shoulder belt. BMW knows the superiority of this type belt over the old just lap belt.

postoak

Based upon what you have said about the process, it seems that you are somewhat at risk of the dealer not sticking to the agreed upon sales price until you sign the papers 30 days out. Seivwrig - isn't that why you had to use Garlyn Shelton as a "threat" to get your dealer to stick to the deal you had agreed upon? At this point in time, I have nothing in writing except a work sheet showing the agreed upon driveout price. It would be easy for the salesman to claim that that price was for a car missing some option I wanted -- which would increase his profit margin considerably. I think I am going to call and get him to send me something in writing with more detail on it -- AND the agreed upon price -- or do you think I am being overly cautious?

parump

This is a valid criticism of some drivers who illuminate the front and rear fog lamps indiscriminately. However, BMW engineers have anticipated this by wiring two circuits for the front and rear fog lamps, each with a separate switch. I believe that this clever engineering design will reduce the inappropriate use of the rear fog lamp if included in E46's shipped to North America.

Do you agree?

butmywife

I, too, had a worksheet with the agreed upon price. The "Euro/Power of Attorney" form will also show your agreed upon price and this form gets notarized by your dealer. I don't think you have much to worry about but I understand your skepticism. One thing I did was to get the dealer to give me a final breakdown of the total cost of the car so that I had that information for financing. That way, you'll see any hidden costs if there are any. My dealer has been nothing but upfront and straightfoward and at times my diligence/skepticism has been a little embarrassing but I guess that comes from past buying experiences with other dealers.

derprofi

Make sure that $50 parts credit is at dealer cost

stgreen

I love the rubber trunk liner for my 330xi. really protects from spills, mud and whatever... i know the stock trunk mat is reversable, but this has those side edges that really hold in case something spills.

also like the rubber floor mats for winter and wet spring. i live in new england so its needed...

for about $50 each those two items were my aftermarket purchases...

enjoy.

hgeyer

I already had some winter floor mats, but I am leaning towards the rubber trunk floor mat or cargo net.

One other thought was to use the credit and buy a set of wheel covers for steel rim tires in anticipation of buying winter tires for next season. I looked at the BMW accessories catalogue and it lists 14" and 15" covers. Shouldn't I need 17" covers, or at least 16" (if I downsize the wheel for winter tires)?

Another snow tire related question, will standard 16" steel rims fit over the 330i rotor's. I recall that you have to be careful when purchasing alloy wheels, but are steel rims shaped differently on the inside?

kdshapiro

I'm not saying they're not worthwhile, I'm saying that if the DOT(doh forgot the goverment agency) gives the go ahead for these lights, just by virtue of having them people will use them indiscriminately. The last thing we need is to be blinded by discourteous drives both on the oncoming and the same same side by having multiple sources of light to look at. In my opinion the potential distraction outweighs any perceived benefit, not to mention the additional confusion on the road.

As far as seatbelts go, I agree a shoulder harness is the way. However, I don't plan on having more than 4 in my Bimmer at any one time.

Ken

nobee

in the states because they are a valid safety feature that could potentially save lives.
In Europe, there are days when it's difficult to see the vehicle ahead of you due to harsh weather conditions and the only way to get any sort of "warning time" for both you and the car behind you are the semi-bright fog lights. I'm not saying to make these lights are bright as your front fog lights, but rather, have one of your rear red lights illuminate approx. 25% brighter. This is done with a lot of cars in Europe and I'm sure it can effectively be used in the states as well.
I don't buy into saying "no" to rear fog lamps just because the average consumer is assumed to be too stupid to know that they have it on when they shouldn't. I believe in the concept of the "3 E's in the following order:" Equip, Educate and Execute.
I do buy into saying that BMW should give the consumers the option to purchase a life-saving option. Why not? No one will buy them anyways because BMW will charge you about a grand over invoice! ;-)
-nobee

kdshapiro

1000 miles on the 330i checked the oil, down a quart. Kept with break-in guidelines. Is this normal for a Bimmer? I also didn't realize the engine took almost 8 quarts of oil - whew.

kdshapiro

I put a quart of castrol all synthetic 5w-40 in. Was that an acceptable oil? If not which ones are preferred?

bmw323is

I attended an open house at my dealer last week and asked two salesmen a question. "About how many 3 series do you sell with the 5 speed vs. the Step?" Both told me about 10% with the 5 speed vs. 90% with the Step (excluding M3's). One said the stick percentage was higher before the Steptronic automatic. Certainly seems hard to believe from listening to people on this and other boards. I also asked if the 5 speed then meant poorer resale, and was told it may be easier to resell because there are more people in the resale market that want the 5 speeds (especially as the car gets older). Interesting.

bavarian

John- the Europcar site doesn't show BMWs for rent and the Sixt only shows the 316. Hertz actually has a BMW520 for rent but as it was a stick I went for the auto Mercedes E200. The other great thing about renting from Hertz is that you get your name up in lights on a big board. I can stand there for hours just looking at it even if it is spelled incorrectly. I usually have to be led away by my nurse.

I did learn to drive a manual when I lived in England,as autos were practically unknown there.

It has been 8 years since I last drove one(in England) and in England the driver sits on totally the wrong side of the car. Luckily the British auto designers,who are often maligned, put the steering wheel and the 3 pedals on the same side as the driver, saving a lot of stretching and contortions-the simple ideas are often the best.

However in Gweat Bwitain (as it is often pronounced by chinless crusty old Tory Earls who drink even more than I do) one has to put one's left foot on the clutch whilst one changes geahs with one's LEFT hand as opposed to one's American cousins who use RIGHT hand and left foot whilst dwiving.

Fwankly-it seemed to me a bit much to have to do all that adaptation from my usual Americanised driving style-soda in one hand,cell phone in the other,cruise control, with one leg out the window tanning and the other knee steering the car.

All a bit too much to coordinate in the strange environs of rush hour Berlin.

My next car will have a stick and I will practice driving it at my dealers in Indiana.

Brave-I have heard that there is NO GUINNESS to be had with your BMW lunch during ED.

How sick is that?

I wonder if Audi serves it? Does anybody know?

brave1heart

10/90 is correct for the 5-series. For the 3-series, it's much closer to 35/65 manual/auto. I'll buy the argument that manuals are not hard to sell because used 3-series buyers are more likely to be performance oriented.

brave1heart

Maybe if you're picking up a Mini they'd serve Guinness. I think Warsteiner and Hefeweisen are more likely to be served at the BMW lunch, though. Can't lose in either case ;o)

abcnyc

I think having shoulder belt for the rear center passenger should be standard/mandatory. It's difficult to predict that one will never have a 5th passenger. I don't see why if a shoulder belt is a safer solution, then why shouldn't the rear center passenger have this as well.

abcnyc

Who is the manufacturer of the Absorber ? Can this absorber work by itself with using a squeegee first ?

butmywife

Greetings from E. Washington! On derprofi's advice I checked out the Hotel Uhland and was quoted a price of 76.50 euros per night for two in a standard room with private bath, tv and breakfast. It seems reasonable to me. Is it?

Some folks have posted that one can get some accessories put on the car while in Munich. Any suggestions of what the possibilities are or where I could find a list of possibilities? Is this done at the Delivery Center or at a BMW dealership?

I ordered the Am/Fm cassette with my 325xi. Could I get the CD changer put in there cheaper than back here in the States? What I really want I don't think I can get---lumbar! Any ramifications for altering the car before shipping it back to the States?

When do you leave for Korea? I lived in Japan for two years and had a ball. Never made it to Korea but saw Thailand, China, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. I recommend you go to Japan if you get the chance and you have some money to burn.

john01

I forgot, you have to start from www.europcar.co.uk or www.esixt.co.uk and navigate to their worldwide locations to pick Germany. Yes, there are more manuals for rental than automatics.