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Comments
Best Regards,
Shipo
Then I remembered the salesman mentioned it was 38 front and 42 on the rear. The manual says 32 front and 38 in the rear (for four passengers). This is the same salesman that told me also 1. no break-in needed, 2. use mid grade gas, and 3. no oil change until 15.000 miles.
May be he should start reading this board to be better equipped for selling BMWs.
Ken
In 1998 when I ordered my 1999 328i, I drove the 528i, and while I liked the car VERY much, there were a few things holding me back. Things such as no in-dash CD availability, and a perceived lack of power. Fast forward to 2002, and the in-dash CD is now standard, and the 530i, with its more powerful mill, should feel at least as powerful as my 328i. So, given that my two 5-Series negatives have now been addressed, I get to tend to my other (albeit lower) priorities, such as luxury goodies. ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
P.S.
While the 530i may be bigger than the 330i, it only weighs in at 209 pounds more than its smaller sibling.
BMW switched to using a compound called Alusil (not sure what it is) in the late 90s and this seems to have stopped the problem.
With the I6, my understanding is that for the US only the cylinders are lined using cast iron sleeves--the rest of the world gets Alusil as in the current V8s (and the brand-new Valvetronic N62 V8s). I agree w/ you that the iron is probably the most durable- i suppose the trade-off is weight. I guess BMW doesn't want to use the iron sleeves on the V8s because it would add too much extra weight.
Its hard to say just based on the design of the 2 engines which one would be inherently more reliable.
here are some pros and cons for each design in terms of reliability:
V8
+due to greater torque the engine doesn't need to spin as fast to generate sufficient power thus less engine, camshaft, and valve wear.
+90 degree V8 is inherently balanced
-Alusil cylinder liners may not be durable in the long run
-2 banks of cylinders means that there needs to be 2 valvetrains and so there is some extra complexity and things that can go wrong.
I6
+cast iron cylinder liners are very durable
+only 1 valvetrain -- less things to go wrong
+Able to have a more free flowing exhaust
+inherently balanced
-Longer block length could mean greater tendency to warp and cause head gasket problems
-models w/ I6 engines tend to be geared to run at a higher engine speed for a given road speed-- meaning more engine wear than a V8.
-On the latest M54 engines, the cats have been moved very close to the manifold. Some have speculated that the great heat generated by the catalysts could cause problems down the road-- BMW had a similar design in the late 70s on the 533i - and those engines constantly overheated.
From everything I've read, my gut feeling tells me that the I6 is a simpler, sturdier design and thus more reliable design. BMW has also been refining the I6 for a lot longer than the V8.
Hippo, to test to see if your xenons self-leveling actually works, this is what I do (and also because it looks cool!):
Turn the car on and immediately turn on the lights. You'll see them adjust!
-nobee
>> normal prices were: $1500 over invoice.
>> among the oc four: irvine is a no-go. do not waste your time there. tina - fleet mgr at sterling is pretty straight forward and decent price ($1500 over). i felt crevier guys were too "sales" type. shelly guy never wanted to give me a quote unless i went there. cutter has a good reputation but i do not know it is worth to drive 100+ mi to save hundreds $. tried few in SD and riverside but were not compelling.
>> i ended up buying mine at alhambra. talk to eddie yeh. he's cool. hope this helps.
actually you'll probably get better deals on 2002 5ers as the model changeover is coming. i personally will not wait for the 2003 model year - statistically first model year of a brand new car design is in the same category of "user acceptance test" phase of a system development cycle if you know the IT term. still require debugging.
to forget was the digital camera. In my wildest inagination...I can not imagine anyone who can afford a week or so to pick up the car of their dreaming and driving the Ultimate Driving Machine on the finest high speed roads in the world...with some of the most disciplined drivers in the workd...not doing this. As a summarry, the food is great, the beer and wine are the best in the world. The prices for hotels run around $85 a night with WC and breakfast for two. Most dinners for four, including beer, main course and dessert, run a bout $80-90 for four. I should be on the tread mill right now. Here are some specific recommendations. I would strongly recommend you stay at the Hotel Mark (www.hotel-mark.de) They have a gated underground garage for about $8/ a night. You can get the train from the airport (follow directions at airport...easy to find train station...it's right down stairs). Take the S1 line to the Hauptbahnhof (main/central train station in the heart of Munich...ride takes about 45 minues). We paid 15 Euro's (aprox $13) for all four of us to ride the train all day around Munich. In my opinion...public transportation in Munich is the only way to go. Efficient, fast, dependable and fun. All you have to do is try and drive in downtown Munich where the street names (if you can even find them) change every three blocks. Trust me, take public transportation. Dropped off the wife and daughter and son-in-law and I got on subway and headed toward Euro Delivery Center. That little subway map that BMWNA
sends is invaluable. No problem with pickup at all. I was a little disappointed in their gift shop. I was expecting to see more shirts and jackets with BMW logo's on them. Lots of little model cars, however. Folks very friendly. You can purchase city map of Munich there (about $8 as I recall)...Note: Purchase the most detailed map you can find as many of the little "here's how you get to my place" maps are missing the details (like 40% of the streets) you'll need to drive around town (getting back to hotel after you pick up the car). If you're going to do the Factory Tour...better make sure you have reservations. I did the drill with BMWNA and it was no problem. Factory tour was fantastic. While you're waiting for the tour to start (English tours are Monday and Friday...starting promptly at 1:15 PM)...don't eat the food at the little snack stand they have. I was an Army Helo pilot, stationed in Germany, so I've eaten a few German meals over the years, and it's the only bad meal I've ever had in Germany. Places we visited: Rotenburg (highly recommended), Schwaebish Hall (about 30 minute drive from Rotenburg) where we used to live, Heidleburg (recommended, but not a must see), Baden-Baden (great resort location for Spa's and gambling). Garmish (a MUST see with the Zugspitze...the highest mountain in Germany). Great place to ski, and hang out. If you have ever seen God's Country...this is it. It's only about 45 minutes south of Munich. Notes on the car: If you think it was great on your dealership test drive...wait until you get it on the Autobahn and the back country roads. It's fantastic. The gentleman at the Delivery Center said to keep the RPM below 4,000 (book says 4,500). Not sure why, but the book also says keep speeds below 100 MPH. I kept the RPM's below 4K but frequently hit speeds of 105 to 110 MPH. I used to be a helo test pilot and I figured that the RPM was more critical the top end speed...and, hey, I was on the Autobahn so I went for it. As I recall the RPM at 105 MPH did not exceed 3600-3700. This car will cruise all day at this speed...and if you need to pass...it has the legs to do it. Vehicle Turn In at E. H. Harms...not easy to find without a good detailed map...but if you have the appropriate map...it's a no brainer. I personally would not want to try and turn the car in and then try and catch a flight. We turned the car in on Thursday afternoon and then caught the bus and subway out to see Dachau concentration. A sobering visit...but one...in my opinion every American should see. Stayed the last night at the Hotel Mark...got up the next morning, ate breakfast...walked across the street, got on the train to the airport and flew home. I'm sure I've left many unanswered questions...I remember having so many prior to my trip. If you need any help or have questions I can help you with...just yell. Shipo and Brave and the gang...thanks for all of your help....I've got to go get back on the treadmill :-). TC
Best Regards,
Shipo
The dealer inflated my tires to 35 psi front and 40 psi rear. Since those values were 'close' to the recommended 38/32 and tires typically loose air over time, I kept those vales. I've never had my tires squeal at the limit, have not encountered understeer (higher than recommended front pressure) and the ride is smooth. Your question gave me the incentive to measure middle to outside tire wear and find no measurable difference (less than a 64th) after 11,350 miles.
I would measure tire pressure about once every three months - my tires retained air quite well (less than 2psi over the summer months) but strongly recommend checking them on a cold morning in late November. Both my daughter's 330xi and my 325xiT were down 5psi in cold weather.
I, and more importantly, your BMW's owner's manual disagree with two-thirds of your salesman's statements. 1. As hard as it is going to be, vary your engine speed often and keep its maximum value under 4500rpm. On other engines, I have been rewarded by their lives exceeding 150,000 miles with oil consumption less than 1 quart in 6000 miles. 2. I use 93 octane and believe the higher octane gives better performance as well as better economy (mileage and cost) than lower grades. 3. The 15,000 mile oil change is rational because the BMW uses 8 quarts of synthetic oil. My other cars carried 3.5 quarts with recommended 6000 mile intervals.
I find the steering to be delightfully heavier than my previous two cars. I owned 20 years of Japanese FWD cars which (in my case) forced a straight-arm steering style. I started the BMW with the steering wheel as far away as possible but have been moving it closer (about in the middle now) because that position feels much more comfortable.
I find the downloaded version of owner's manual to be very helpful because you can 'find' ( + in the pdf document) subjects a lot quicker. Be glad to 'talk' to you more as you have other questions or observations.
Alan
Ken
Best Regards,
Shipo
The SW is jet black with natural brown leather, step, pp, cold package, park distance, zenon, and full size spare. My wife's choice of colors was nice as the brown leather interior matches the black and the wood trim nicely, but I worry about the swirl marks that will eventually come! The dealer gave us a coupon for a month's cleaning at ScrubaDub which is the car wash I stay away from because of its swirl mark producing results!
About break-in, the service manager who I have known for over ten years told me that not only the 1200 miles' break-in should definitely be observed, one should even take it easy for the first 4000 miles, if keeping a car long term is the goal. He also suggests to have the first oil change at 1000 miles, and then yearly as BMW suggests. I have followed his advice for all my cars and none had ever had engine problem.
So far I don't have enough experience with the SW yet to share my driving impression except it felt powerful enough for me and it has been difficult to keep the speed down!
Thanks for your comments and advice.
Rob
I tend to agree with your service manager on break-in; its not a step-wise process. I observed the recommended limits until 1200 miles but then gradually increased the upper-limit on engine speed and length of time at any one speed until around 4000 miles. I suspect 90% of the break-in occurs in the first 1200 miles and the final polishing (bearings, piston, cylinder walls) occurs over a longer length of time.
My color is silver with gray leather interior, manual transmission, full-sized spare, heated seats (a gift from my wife) and CD changer (not std. at the time). I had LoJack installed because it would pay for itself in 5 years with reduced insurance payments while providing vehicle recovery. The dealer included a key chain, floor mats and keyed wheel locks. I was going to buy the chrome exhaust tips but as you see, that accessory came with the car. I love the enhanced interior lighting. I also installed the Universal Transmitter for my garage door -- no searching for the remote, a very clean look and easy to install.
Depending on how you intend to use the car, I highly recommend BMW's sunshade with soft case (durable and fits like a glove), cargo mat (has a lip all around to contain dirt and moisture - we hauled shrubs) and roof racks (only need the lateral pieces: part # 82719408624). The roof racks are very easy to install and remove as well as being extremely sturdy: I've put a mattresses and 16ft pressure treated lumber up there. For the winter, I installed McNeil rubber floor mats which are well ribbed to contain sand and dripping snow.
With this year's warm winter, I've always hand-washed the car, kept the exhaust tips polished and kept tar spots to a minimum. Its like therapy for me since I sit at work all day.
How do you find the park distance option? My daughter wants to have it installed on her 330xi but I have read that people find the tone very annoying after using it for a while.
Alan
The dealer did throw in the floor mat, a key chain, touch-up paint and a couple mugs for the deal. I found most salespeople don't stay in the same dealership for long, thus less interested in developing a relationship, whereas the service people will see you regularly and thus more responsive to you, particular if you have been a long term customer. The service manager who was the service advisor when we bought our first BMW, has been really taking care of our service needs and offers us good advice.
My wife likes the park distance control very much. She had a few skirmishes in the past with the stonewalls while backing up in unfamiliar surroundings. The beeping actually stops in 3 seconds after the car is stopped. So far it hasn't been annoying YET!
I stopped using ScrubaDub after noticing the swirl marks on our cars and having to take them out by "micro polishing" at the dealership. Now I use the "touchless" carwash in our town's Mobil station during winter. It doesn't clean very well, but at least takes out the salt on the car. Then in spring I do a thorough multi step cleaning including handwashing,claying,polishing and waxing. Before the winter, I repeat the process and make sure to put on a couple coats of wax as the last step.
While I am not technically as knowledgeable as you as well as many true BMW enthusiasts on this board, I do enjoy the driving experience with the BMWs over the years. I am always impressed with its engineering and safety features. What no other manufacturers do as far as I know is that BMW always has incorporated safety features across the board on their products, once it is available. For instance, all their cars have ABS as a standard equipment as far back in 1986. While luxury level of their various models may differ, safety is paramount to all their cars. The BMW experience is not easily quantifiable. I read the Edmunds' review on the wagon and the reviewer's negative comparisons with the Audi and Subaru. He repeated the word "expensive" almost 5 times describing the BMW. Had he owned one for a while, he might understand the true meaning of "value". Sorry for the long-winded response.
I have a 2000 titanium silver 325xi. I've taken good care of it and it still appears brand new except for the black vinyl(?) stripe that goes around the outside of the car. I believe I applied wax on it at one time by mistake and then there seemed to be no turning back - it has appeared "bleached" ever since after the wax dried up.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
I was curious how much the BMW roof rack cost. The Thule kit cost $175 and is available at many bike/outdoor stores. The Thule system is probably more versatile than the BMW rack and the accessories can be used on other cars. For me, it wasn't much of a decission.
-murray
Yes, I purchased the cargo mat from BMW. I find it durable (doesn't crack when bent sharply) and is also light weight (my guess it is a rubber/plastic compound). I do not know the weight of the McNeil cargo mat but I could probably gain 0.1 seconds in the quarter mile when I remove their rubber floor mats %~).
Since you sound like someone who is willing to invest time in cleaning and waxing your car, I would recommend Zaino waxes (http://www.zainobros.com/). I used their claybar and wax on my wife's '95 Mazda after five years of neglect. After two applications, I found their wax removed 95% of the swirl marks (not scratches) on the car. After a winter's worth of driving, the finish is still as shiny as in the fall (subjective comment). 'Genie1' could give you an idea of how well the Zaino wax held up on her black BMW318.
Murray,
Since I have a wagon, I never intended to load bikes, ski's or luggage on the top of the car (they fit nicely inside) but rather just (many) occasional odd items. I also don't like having the cross pieces up there all the time (wind noise and looks). When I looked at the Thule system, I could not convince myself that it mounted more quickly and securely to the wagon's longitudinal supports so I went with the BMW unit. A lot of this uncertainty was caused by a lack of Thule information specific to the wagon.
The BMW's cross-pieces cost $185.00 minus a BMWCCA discount but they are worth it. These pieces have rubber-lined, contour-fitting, keyed mounts that fit anywhere along the longitudinal supports and a rubber strip along the top which really does prevent sliding. I can get both cross-pieces on or off in about 3 minutes; even with the keyed security bolts.
I have no doubt the Thule system is very good and my recommendation was not intended to say that the BMW system is better than Thule. I opted for the BMW part because I was able to obtain more information about its fit and believed it better satisfied my intended use.
Alan
Talk about timing...Yesterday was the first warm, sunny day in a long time, (northerners will know the two are not mutually exclusive), so I decided to hand wash the car instead of driving through the Sunoco touchless I used throughout winter...
The Sunoco never really got the speed-streaks off the hood so I wasn't too impressed with it anyway.
I used Zaino carwash to effortlessly remove the following: road salt that had crusted to form a stuccoesque finish, hard water spots and road grime. Blotted dry to a spot-free finish. The car was quite filthy when I began, but it took me about an hour to get it cleaned and dried (I like to take my time).
The Z2 that I used last November has held up very well. The car has a deep, glossy, mirror-like gleam and is as smooth as glass (and I haven't even clayed it). I am trying to get in a layer of Z2/Z6 today to keep it looking good for the next couple of weeks.
I also used the Z carwash on my brothers car (three weeks old, midnight blue, dealer-applied wax), but am trying to get him to buy Klasse (if I can find it here) as it is a one step product, rather than the 4-5 product Zaino system. The carwash took off road salt easily, and left a nice shine.
how well the Zaino wax held up on her black BMW318.
In one word:
Beautifully!
I have been exclusively using the Maguiars products: quick clay, #7 and #26 for many years and have been quite happy with the results. I read about the Z products and thought it might require a bit more application effort. With jenie's post at hand, I may even be able to convince my wife to join in the washing/polishing/waxing project. She always thought those work was the guy's thing!
alan, we took the SW out this morning and found it to be everything we have expected. It feels solid and handles very responsively. Everything functions flawlessly, as to be expected of BMW.
The steering felt a bit lighter than our 98 and 94 3 series. I wonder if it is due to the AWD system and the much higher tire pressure specified. Overall it was a delightful driving experience.
I definitely will get the cargo mat and may be the cross piece also, if I need more carrying capacity this summer to haul my college sophomore back home from campus.
Thanks for sharing your ideas. This is such a wonderful board, friendly, educational and sometimes even entertaining!
• I needed a fulltime bike carrier for my 2002 330xi and purchased a thule base rack system and 2 new bike trays. (Thule just REdesigned both the bike trays and the wind fairing - see 2002 cataloge at bike shop - web isn't updated yet...) - Anyway, both bmw and thule base support (i.e. roof rack) system fit in the four anchor points already on your 98-02 roof. I purchased the thule system and not the bmw system because i've used thule racks in the past with no problems AND the bmw tray was in two pieces and the thule is more versatile and offers more options.
•• Wind noise was pronounced without the fairing and the new fairing (so thule says - no in yet) is supposed to really reduce noise and increase milage...
* Waxes - although no one has mentioned it before, I've been using P21S conditioning shampoo, paint cleaner ('primer') and their waxes on old 94 saab and new bmw. i think they work great. On leather I use Pinnacle products.. also great IMHO...
stg
Just wondering if I should get the new ones.
Thanks
-murray
http://bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/forums/e46/search
for a quick search. You will find a lot of useful info on the install. It took me and a friend < 1 hr to do it and it's well worth it!!
It starts here:
madcloyd "Mercedes-Benz C230" Mar 21, 2002 11:47am
and gets more interesting as it goes along. I don't quite know what to make of it.
A couple of minor cosmetic glitches: the leather wrap on the shifter had a seam come undone and one of the plastic control switches on the steering had a hairline crack...the dealer has ordered both parts in, my brother just has to free up time to drop it off to be fixed. I think the dealer experience was better than Toronto area BMW (Mercedes-Benz CA owns all Toronto area stores).
He let me drive it around the block yesterday. It feels very different to my Bimmer. The accelerator was spongy on take-off, but less so when it got going. The turning-radius is amazing. The Kompressor has a fairly agricultural sound on start-up, but boy, does it get going!
Overall, I prefer my Bimmer and its heavy steering...the C230 feels a little more luxe than sport. But I am definitely going to continue dreaming about testing the SLK v/s the Z3 for my next ride.
One more thing: This car does get quite a few appreciative looks...something my single and available brother does not mind at all.
me neither, when I'm in the passenger seat. I can't wait till he lets me drive it by myself.
Basically it looks like a beefed up design: more streamlined, stronger, and silver and black - not just all black. in fact, for the record it can be combined with thule 'skins' and you can 'change' the color.
the key for me is that ive been having problems with the old trays and my fork on my tri-bike. it keeps slipping out of the head unit...
anyway there you have it. checkout: www.thuleracks.com but the last time i checked the 2002 wasnt listed.. new fairing too...
stg
If all things in life were this easy...we'd be bored.