Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options

BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

1…364365367369370…585

Comments

  • Options
    vkwheelsvkwheels Member Posts: 218
    Don't tell me, everything's bigger in Texas...
    ;-)
  • Options
    erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    VK, I lived in Texas... yes the hail is huge. Cinco de Mayo, 1995 - biggest dang hail storm / tornados in Ft. Worth I've EVER seen. Hail the size of grapefruit at times. There were a lot of people hurt at the celebration. I won't even talk about the cars... NOT fun.

    There were quite a few hail sales after that. I passed. :)

    -Paul
  • Options
    kingcongkingcong Member Posts: 1
    I was wondering if it was common practice for a dealer to keep the $1000 deposit on a special ordered car if you decided not to take the car?

    I am asking because the dealer told me that because the car that I would like to order is a manual they would not refund the $1000 deposit.

    Thank's all for your replies.
  • Options
    kominskykominsky Member Posts: 850
    My dealership told me that they would refund my deposit ($500) if they sold my custom-ordered car within 1 month of arrival at the dealership, if I decided not to take ownership. I don't remember seeing that in writing, but I have no reason to doubt that it was true.
  • Options
    dl7265dl7265 Member Posts: 1,381
    Congrads sounds like either way a nice choice ;)glad you got a local deal too.

    Kominsky: i think i drove over 550 miles which in PA is a lot id say. my friends live up near Plymouth so i was all over stayed in a nice B@B west of the Penn turnpike of 80, really nice area.Also stayed at the Radisson Train station up in Scranton. Unfortunatly the Brand new Buick rental i had while a nice cruiser was no 3er in all those nice driving roads ;( .In addition i missed the times for a ride/drive around the track.

    VK and Erick, yup it was the 1995 storm , i watched in horror as larger than Softball hail beat her to a pulp ;( . Also the G20 took a good beating as well, although i cant remember what date that was .. it was my 1st time using the paintless dent removal and was very impressed.

    DL
  • Options
    allanoallano Member Posts: 175
    1966 Barracuda fastback: 273 cin V8, 4 spd., RWD Put on Michelin radials and thought it was the cat's meow until I drove a VW beetle. The Beetle was a fun car.
    1968 Datsun SRL311, 135HP, 2L 4 cylinder, 5 speed, RWD, 2 seat rag top. (MGB imitation). With its narrow tires, learned about understeer/oversteer, affects of tire pressure, front/rear damping (w Koni shocks) and how to drive around corners with a two wheel drift. At only 2000lbs, it would get up and go but was geared and sprung for the track and loved to be thrown around. Learned what it is like to drive a car with a very peaky torque curve and horse power developed by high rpm.
    1972 BMW 2002 - everything people remember and anti-thesis to the Datsun experience: wide torque curve over the full silky-smooth rpm range, gearing for any occasion and a suspension that required smooth inputs to steer quickly. Bought it for $3200 and sold it for $1500 10 years later.
    - got married -
    1979 Chevy Citation (wife's car) iron duke 4 cylinder E/W orientation, 4 speed in a console, FWD - a lot of space in this car but not very refined.
    1982 Subaru GLX (5 door) 4 cylinder wet-head boxter, FWD only -- something inexpensive while saving money for children's education
    1986 Subaru Loyale (wife's car) - same as the above but with fibre-??? overhead cam belt that broke prematurely
    1990 Honda Civic (tall) Wagon (5 door) 1.6L 4 cylinder that loved to be revved, 5 spd, FWD -- another inexpensive car while both children were in college.
    1995 Mazda 626 (wife's car) 2.0L 4 cylinder, 5 spd manual, FWD -- a lot of torque, short-throw stick, reasonable ride and still running well after 7 years and 140,000 miles.
    - both children graduate from college -
    2001 325xiT -- enjoy every opportunity to drive it. My wife is afraid I'm going to wrap it around a pole but she was never with me when I drove the Datsun or BMW 2002 at their limits.
  • Options
    midtowneastmidtowneast Member Posts: 49
    I haven't posted in a in a while anyway here they are,

    1985 Honda Accord hatch first car totaled
    1987 Mazda 626 lx stolen twice in three months it did
    not return the second time
    1985 Toyota celica gt good car long 2nd gear, totaled
    1983 Honda Accord Lx a good get around car totaled
    1993 Honda Accord EX got this one new, its still my
    work car 115,000 and counting.
    1991 Honda Civic Si fun car but it didn't feel right
    I sold this one.
    1986 Toyata Camry I hated this car and it was
    stolen.
    1993 Honda Civic Si another great car, I had to sell
    it because my wife could not drive 5sp.
    2001 Acura CL-Type S it could not carry five people
    I had to trade it in.
    2002 Acura TL-Type S I believed this was a great car
    until the German came along.
    1991 Honda Civic Lx a car for my wife to practice on.
    2001 BMW 330 Xi a true driver's car

    The future holds an SUV probably an MDX or Pilot if they put in a moonroof.
  • Options
    mbartombarto Member Posts: 24
    here's my vehicle history:

    1977 Dodge Van (New) - My first vehicle. Customized it myself, bed and all. "Chickmobile" - until it got totaled by a head on - not my fault. But I was blessed I lived, the other driver died.

    1976 Chevy El Camino SS (Used) - My van replacement from the insurance settlement.

    1978 Fiat X-19 (Used) - Brainwashed by the movie "Breaking Away" and since I had the cycling fever, bought the Italian Fiat X-19 and a $600 Raleigh 12-speed. The Raleigh was reliable, the Fiat (FIX IT AGAIN TONY!) was not ..But the girls loved it. Severly underpowered, but handled like a dream and the removeable hardtop was sweet!

    19?? Ford Falcon (Used) - My project car - Bought for about $250. I think I drove it twice and then sold it.

    1974 Chevy Nova (Used) - Good running car that got me to Texas for college, for awhile, and then got me back after I decided I wanted to be married instead.

    ..Got Married...

    1982 AMC Concorde Wagon (New) - Contrary to AMC's history, this was a great running car. Along with the Nova, reliable transportation for our two jobs.

    1969 Chevy Camaro (Used) 327 V-8 - My dream car. After my daughter was born, and with overseas orders, I decided we didn't need it anymore. Someone should have hit me with a 2x4 to knock me back to reality. Oh, somedays I wish I had that Camy again. My 18-year daughter still reminds me day after day why I sold "HER" car.

    1986 Ford Escort (New) - Our car after I returned from overseas. Should have been used. Money pit #1. Problems since day #1. After two blown head gaskets, and other problems, it had to go. Worst car I have ever owned, including the Fiat.

    1990 Mazda 626 (New) - Great car.

    1993 Ford F-150 4x4 X-tra Cab (New) - For the Nebraska winters.

    1989 Mercury Topaz (Used) Cheap transportation, but lemon. Money Pit #2.

    * Note to self - NEVER buy American again, especially Ford!

    1996 Toyota Camry (New) - Great reliable car. Not ONE problem in 3 years.

    1999 Toyota Avalon (New) - Another great reliable car with no problems. Sold when I came here to Qatar last December.

    2000 Toyota Tacoma X-tra Cab (New)- Still own. Great reliable truck. "Do I see a pattern here"?

    2002 Mazda Protege (New) - Still own (my title). Really it's my daughter's car 99 percent of the time. Her present for High School graduation and to use for college.

    2003 ?? When I return from my contractor work in Qatar later this year, it will be one of these... Infiniti G35 coupe, a BMW 330ci or a BMW 530i. Until I do a test drive, I haven't finalized my decision yet. But I'm stongly leaning towards the Infiniti. I'm waiting for that day when I lay cash on the table at either the Infiniti or BMW dealer and say "I want that today"!

    Cheers!
  • Options
    dl7265dl7265 Member Posts: 1,381
    Man , that brings back high school memories.My best friend bought a used one and another friends dad got him a new one, but it didnt matter we were allways stranded!I think i recall it was a overheating problem and the radiator hose busted over and over ,,,,,

    DL
  • Options
    roadpuproadpup Member Posts: 2
    havn't been on board for a while so pls forgive...does anyone remember the name or link to the British web site that pictured and detailed all the design and tech changes for all BMW models in the near future as well as pictures of the new models too? thanks gary
  • Options
    mbartombarto Member Posts: 24
    Hey, that happened to me once too - a busted radiator hose leaving me stranded. Along with other problems I remember like that bad thermostat, rear struts, altenator, wheel bearings, brakes and a slew of other things. Can't remember them all since its been close to 22 years. Even with all those problems - I still miss driving that car.
  • Options
    nobeenobee Member Posts: 194
    "hey, you're 26 and don't need a BMW right now."
    I'm 27 and I definitely need my BMW! lol.

    -nobee
  • Options
    visordocvisordoc Member Posts: 48
    http://www.bmw2002.co.uk/news.htm
  • Options
    obioha1obioha1 Member Posts: 27
    I was wondering what exactly does the sport package include. Is it just a tire and seat upgrade or is there some suspension tuning. I was looking in the 3 series coupe brochure and it says that the coupes come with a sport calibrated suspension. Also in the brochure it only states a wheel/tire upgrade as well as the addition of sport seats.

    Also if the upgrade is just tire and seats, does this apply to the 2001 coupes as well or is the sport calibration just for 2002. If this is the case I can just buy low profile tires and the m double spoke wheels for real cheap off of ebay.
  • Options
    sambmsambm Member Posts: 1
    1979 Toyota Cressida 4sp yes! 4sp
    1980 Honda Accord 5sp
    1982 Audi s200 turbo charge auto
    1987 Honda Prelude 5sp
    1988 Honda CRX si 5sp
    1992 Mazda MPV (Ex wife's)
    1998 Nissan Pathfinder Auto
    1999 Nissan Altima 5sp
    2002 BMW 325xi 5sp
  • Options
    tcn2ktcn2k Member Posts: 277
    Sport package are sports tuned in 01 as well.
  • Options
    kominskykominsky Member Posts: 850
    The sport package is tires/wheels and seats only on the 2001 Ci's. I'm not sure about 2002's. As for buying non-sport and getting the tire/wheel package later, you'd be giving up what, IMHO, are some of the best factory seats out there. I think the seats alone were worth the price of the SP.
  • Options
    getz1getz1 Member Posts: 63
    -1986 Pontiac 6000 LE
    -1986 Chevy Z28 totalled >> 1986 V6 Camaro for insurance purposes
    -1988 Honda Accord
    -1989 Honda Prelude
    -1991 Honda Prelude
    -1993 Hyundai Elantra
    -1996 Nissan Sentra
    -1996 Infiniti G20
    -1997 Toyota Paseo
    -1999 infiniti G20
    -1999 BMW 323i (E46)
    -2000 Honda Civic
    -2000 Honda Accord V6 Coupe
    -2001 Honda Accord V6 Sedan
    -2001 Nissan Pathfinder
    -2002 Nissan Maxima
    When I married my wife I told her she would never have to question my devotion towards her, however cars tend to be a flavor of the week thing for me. I'm 26 years old and when I think back to the tremendous amount of money I have blown on cars, sometimes I wish I was capable of buying a hyundai accent and driving it for 14 years. I guess everybody has their vices.
  • Options
    nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,439
    Wow dude, we're the same age and I'm on my 4th car and you're on your 14th! Yikes! Why'd you dump the '99 E46 323i for an Accord EX-V6? Or do I not want to know?

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • Options
    sbelfonsbelfon Member Posts: 3
    With all this BMW knowledge buzzing around perhaps one of you could help me diagnosis this problem. I recently noticed a grinding sound coming from the rear passenger side of my E36 (40K mi.). It seems to be most prevalent when I first start driving and at slow speed. It sounds loke a CV joint problem but I'm hoping I'm wrong.

    I've kept current on maintenance (dealer and independant) and would expect that a worn boot would have been picked up at my last inspection, a Type II at the dealership.

    Any insight anyone could offer would be appreciated.
  • Options
    gwunjgwunj Member Posts: 26
    What Kominsky said for the '01 coupes applies to the '02 as well. The sport seats are quite a good match for the capabilities of the car. After driving my new coupe for three weeks, I had to drive the old Sentra again. During the first hard turn, I nearly slid off the side of the seat. It's amazing how quickly one forgets!

    Egads ... Looks like I'm one of the few who keeps their car for the duration. My list:

    '79 Buick Opel hand-me-down from Mom when I got my license. I believe Buick rebadged an Isuzu Kadett coupe. I wish I had a picture of it.

    '93 Nissan Sentra - First new car, junior year of college. Incredibly reliable. The only major work done is a pair of front rotors and CV boots. Even the original clutch is still hanging in there!

    '02 330ci - Topaz/grey, SP, PP, HS. I figured I've been a good boy, worked hard and saved money. Since no one else will, I rewarded myself with a 30th bday present. It was within stretching distance, and I figured I may as well enjoy it now rather than later. I'm all grins 1900 miles and ... wow! ... only six weeks later!?!? Feels like I've been enjoying the car much longer than that! Gotta love it.

    -Glenn
  • Options
    leenelsonmdleenelsonmd Member Posts: 208
    I love the car histories.

    Getz1: impressive. Good vice to have though. I wish I had the resources to change cars every few months.

    I may stick with my '95 325i (95k miles and no problems whatsoever). I am admittedly disappointed by the lack of any change in the 2003 3 series. I thought that they would at least put a 6 speed in it to compete with the G35 coupe. I may just keep old faithful and wait for next year. Any thoughts on the 2004 3 series?
  • Options
    ubrsfubrsf Member Posts: 51
    this is ridiculous!! Who gives a rats a**!

    1978 Cutlass Supreme
    1989 GMC Sierra S-15
    1996 Nissan Pathfinder
    2002 BMW 330i
  • Options
    kbhockeykbhockey Member Posts: 29
    Ok, here's mine. Not as eventful as some, but I have enjoyed them all...

    83 Honda Accord (with Hyperblinker!)
    67 Camaro (327 w powerglide)
    89 Jimmy (stolen once) plowed thru superstorm of 93
    97 Acura Integra GS-R
  • Options
    mschukarmschukar Member Posts: 351
    '74 Vega (parents car, learned to drive)
    '80 Datsun 510 (parents hand-me-down, RWD, good in snow)
    '85 RX-7 (Great car, high insurance, bad in winter-starting & tires)
    '93 Ford Probe GT (Ok, we all make mistakes, hit a deer with the RX-7 and liked the looks, probably only FWD car I'll buy for myself)
    '95 Mazda 626 (wifes car, but I drove it for a few years)
    '95 Miata (most fun for the buck IMHO, had to sell when we had a daughter)
    '98 Volvo V70 wagon (great car...for the wife)
    '02 325i SP (sold the Miata and the 626 and got the best of both)

    Hmmm, I'd say the only FWD car I bought for myself was the most disappointing of the lot (it was terrible in the snow on top of it all)! And to think I still have to explain to people why RWD is better!?!

    -murray
  • Options
    mercruisermercruiser Member Posts: 1
    sorry to do this on my first post, but i wanted to see my list in print

    77 Chevy Monte Carlo
    80 Plymouth Horizon TC3
    88 Mazda B2200
    90 Chevy Corsica
    92 Geo Storm
    93 Mazda Protege
    93 Mazda Miata
    95 Nissan Pathfinder
    97 Jeep Cherokee Sport
    96 Mazda B3000
    97 GMC Suburban (still have it)
    92 Olds Cutlass Ciera (still have it -- $1 extra car)
    02 325 XiT
  • Options
    meb330imeb330i Member Posts: 3
    Away from the board for a week. 132 messages later, I guess I'll add my history:

    1977 Chevy C10 Pickup
    1978 Monte Carlo--College car, red, complete with white vinyl rear roof. Had for 7 years. Reupholstered the seats, put in a short block, and more AC compressors than you could count.
    1988 Honda Accord LXi--First new car
    80-something Dodge 2+2 coupe--Bought from a pilot in Korea and stayed there a year later
    1994 Saab 900SE--Original dream car. Bought through Military Sales in Germany and cruised over Autobahn for a year
    1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass--Traded Honda for wife's car. Big mistake (Olds, not wife) Traded car even (barely) in two years. Last American car I'll ever look at!
    1999 Saab 9-3SE--Wife's dream car
    2002 330i--Current dream car, although the M3 being deliverd the night I picked it up...Never mind!
  • Options
    kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    This is the fun stuff. Not my car:

    Is...

    Isn't

    Is...

    Isn't
  • Options
    getz1getz1 Member Posts: 63
    Actually I dropped the accord for the bimmer, and the bimmer for the maxima. I loved the BMW but at 65000 miles (I drive 30,000 miles per year) my transmission began to emit a groaning sound between first to second shifts. With my warranty semi-recently expired, the thought of fixing a tranny scared me out of it. The maxima has 255hp mated to a 6 speed and is much faster in a straight line than the 323i, but comes nowhere near inspiring the confidence that the BMW did when the road starts to turn. Now with the max, I start to question if I really used to take that one favorite sharply banked hair pin off ramp at 65 mph which if attempted in the nissan would land me squarely in the middle of a corn field. Man I miss rear wheel drive. Honestly BMWs rock, but I wont miss the $550 inspection II and the $800 brakes etc. If I can hold on to the max for 5 years, the wife has cleared me for an M5.
    Drive happy.
    -Getz
  • Options
    pfaustpfaust Member Posts: 8
    I took delivery two weeks ago of a 2002 330i and wanted to write in an say I am extremely happy so far with this car! The car is Electric Red with natural brown leather, sports package and a 5-speed. This set-up has everything I want and more. Needless to say, the color and combination with the natural brown interior is gorgeous. The M rims with the wide performance tires look killer and the car corners wonderfully. The car is a real head-turner and I have to say is by far the most comfortable car to operate in every way that I have owned. All the features seem to be above average in their functionality. The shifting is fantastic and even though I'm not an audiophile, the Harmon Kardon stereo sounds great. I wouldn't say the acceleration will throw you back against the seat, but the surge and torque is appealing. But, since I'm in the break-in period, I have not yet explored its "limits". But, you can bet I will very soon.

    I had to order this combination as most of the dealers usually include the premium package and have automatics. I e-mailed a handful of dealers with offers and ended up paying around $1300-1400 over invoice. I made my offers inclusive of the documentation and advertising fees and had them throw in the $150 floor mats. Since I had been following this message board for quite a while, I knew in advance what was a reasonable offer which made the process much easier. The tracking of the production of the vehicle through BMW's web site was very accurate and the car came in much sooner than I expected (just over 45 days). My only complaint was with the dealership in that the Business Manager was "rude" and acted a little put out over the deal he gave me. Of course, he didn't have to agree to it, so that was his problem. I had a new salesman who had very little product knowledge and wasn't too sharp. My wife was going to surprise me and add the wood trim so it would be there when the car was delivered. The salesman said shortly after it was ordered that the wood could be added on when the car reached the dealership. When my wife called him just before the car was due to arrive, he changed his story and said it could only be done at the factory and it was now too late. Of course, with a little checking, he could have found out the right story at the beginning. But, in the end, I got a great car for a good price and that is all that matters now. The dealer matched the rate given by PeopleFirst (whose service was very good, by the way) at 5.49% which was not too bad so I went with the dealer. Of course, the dealer also screwed up the loan paperwork making the first payment due the day before my visit to them...but I digress.

    Sorry about the long story, but I wanted to share my positive experience and express my pleasure with this fine car. I also want to say thank you to all the people that have shared their tips regarding the features of the car, the price that should be paid and the different financing options. Your enthusiam definitely rubbed off on me which is what made me consider buying this car and finally to pull the trigger.

    I will continue reading your comments and adding mine.At this point (still honeymoon), I see myself owning a BMW for many years to come. Happy driving all!!!!
  • Options
    visordocvisordoc Member Posts: 48
    Congrats pfaust! 330, 5spd, SP. Man, you're going to have some fun once you've passed your break-in and rev past 4500 rpms! But for now, you will have to show great restraint... and trust me, we on this board know how tough that can be, especially with this car.
  • Options
    obioha1obioha1 Member Posts: 27
    In an earlier posts someone mentioned that brakes were $800. Wow, that's a lot of cash. On that note with "normal" driving what is the life expectancy of the brakes on the 3 series and what are the cost to replace? Also what is the cost of the 30k service(i think inspection 1) and 60k service(inspection II ?), I figure these are the major services for the 1st 4yrs of ownership. I was trying to do my own cost of ownership.
  • Options
    roadpuproadpup Member Posts: 2
    thanks much for the info on the web site....much appreciated gs
  • Options
    brave1heartbrave1heart Member Posts: 2,698
    A 330 is a great present for your 30-th b-day. I am turning 33 tomorrow and I still don't have mine. I guess I'll have to wait till the 333 comes out :o) The 325 makes me feel younger, though - people still think I'm only 25, although I suspect they may be referring to my matiruty (or lack of) ;o)
  • Options
    shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    I am not sure who is charging $800 for an E46 brake job; my former dealer quoted me closer to $650 for all four wheels. As is turns out, I did it myself for about $250.

    Should any of you folks want to do the work yourself, Steve at http://www.ultimategarage.com sells factory OEM parts (rotors, pads and sensors) for a very reasonable price ($135 for the fronts and $115 for the rears). I can tell you from experience, replacing the brakes on the E46 was simply the easiest brake job I have ever done. I am not kidding when I say that even for a novice, this job should take no longer than an hour and a half per axle. Suddenly, BMW ownership seems not quite so expensive. ;-)

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • Options
    dl7265dl7265 Member Posts: 1,381
    Dale did you ever figure out the reason your light stayed on after the brake change ? Im thinking of doing mine, before the light comes on.

    I once assisted my friend change his on a E36 it was very easy, the second set easier after the 1st of course :)

    DL
  • Options
    shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    I am not actually sure what finally did it, however, just PRIOR to replacing the rear brakes, I tried the reset procedure one more time, and viola, the light went out! Go figure.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • Options
    gwunjgwunj Member Posts: 26
    Well, then ... Happy B-day wishes to you! Realistically, the 325 would have been enough power for almost anything I would want to do. I did like the titanium accents of the 330 over the black on the coupes. The rings on the gauges add quite a nice touch. But, that's all aesthetics. The main thing that decided me was that I'd hate to be a couple years down the line doing the "Well, what if only I dropped the extra $5k?" Optioned the way I wanted, the price difference wasn't that dramatic due to some items standard on the 330i.

    We were coming back from a day trip to the Baltimore area for some blue claws last night. Now, I have no problem with pushing the speed up to 110-120 if the road is clear. BTW, I'm amazed at the stability at that speed. But, if there's traffic, it seems to be an extraordinarily high risk to take. There were two other yo-hums who seemed to have no qualms about doing a triple digit slalom through traffic. It's one thing to risk your own life, but to do it in and around others?

    *off the soapbox*

    -Glenn
  • Options
    rshaw11rshaw11 Member Posts: 52
    My 325i has just past 1800 miles and I had never had the opportunity, or need to truly test the brakes. This past weekend I was exiting one freeway ad merging onto another and there in my lane some fool had stopped to wait for an opening. Well I stomped on the breaks and the ABS kicked in and brought me to a quick controlled stop. BMW has really done an excellent job with the ABS and braking system, I'm very impressed, and thankful.
  • Options
    1pierce1pierce Member Posts: 284
    One of the reasons I decided on the 325 over the Audi A4 was the feel of the brakes. Not that the A4 was bad, but the 325 was perfect, and noticeably superior.

    I drive automatics around Pittsburgh (lots of hills and start/stop driving), so I'm pretty hard on brakes. The brakes on the BMW sold me.

    Now, if I can just make the brakes on my Maxima last another thousand miles until I give it back in August... They're borderline scary right now, so its drive slow time.
  • Options
    tcn2ktcn2k Member Posts: 277
    I have fair amount of changing brakes in my life time. Mainly calipers, so i have questoins on changing brakes on bmw's. I have a 325i, 2001. Shipo, how did you retract the piston on the calipers? And are the rear calipers turn to retract the piston or are they the same as the front calipers?

    Are there any instruction on this, or has anyone have pics of changing brakes, rotors and sensors?
  • Options
    kominskykominsky Member Posts: 850
    Congrats to the new owners on the board!

    Brave, congrats on the B-day! I just celebrated 39 a couple of weeks ago (it is the last one I plan on celebrating ;-) ).

    Cruise control - I finally used it after 22K miles. It seems to be a little finicky taking a set, but once it's locked on, it is incredibly accurate. I would say that my speed didn't vary by more than .5mph - 1mph on either side of the set speed, and this was on some pretty hilly roads. The last cruise control I used was on my father-inlaw's Buick Rendevous and that thing had about an 8mph swing.

    Notchy gas pedal - It's back! It seems to have returned with the very humid weather we've been having around here lately. The "fix" lasted about one year. Hopefully, BMW has come up with something more permanent since then. Anyone know?

    Universal transmitter - got it for my birthday and installation was a snap (as many have reported). The only tip I would give to someone who plans on installing one themselves would be to not give up the search for the connector. Mine was buried deep (so deep in fact, that I couldn't get my hand in far enough... again, the wife earns her keep!)
  • Options
    pap5pap5 Member Posts: 144
    According to BMWNA, a new unit is finally available. You need to get in touch with them to designate the dealer who will do the work, then they will fax the dealer directly to have them order the part. BMWNA contact is Bill Stewart, 800-831-1117 ext. 2186.

    Members of the Yahoo "BMW-sticky-pedal" forum (support group?) update each other on progress. As of last week, a couple of members had the replacement installed and report it works well. My dealer says he has ordered it. Will it be permanent? Time will tell.
  • Options
    kominskykominsky Member Posts: 850
  • Options
    shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    When I did the first axle (fronts), I was very careful about what I did, so, I used the oval handle of a 3-pound hand sledgehammer. I removed the caliper, slipped the handle between the pads so that the narrowest portion of said handle was in there, and then twisted the head of the hammer so that the wide portion of the handle gradually pressed the piston back into the caliper. For my rear brakes, given that I was swapping both the pads and the rotors, I simply fitted a large screwdriver between the inside pad and the disk, pulled on the handle and pressed the piston back in that way. Piece of cake.

    That sort of answered your second question, the rear calipers work exactly the same as the fronts, they are just a little smaller. As for pictures and actual instructions in the form of a “Step by Step”, I have since discovered the bmwtips.com web site, this site is primarily geared to the E39 5-Series, however, I read through the brake instructions and there seems to be little (if any differences) between the steps for the E39 and the E46. Simply click on the above link, and then click on the “Tips & Tricks” tab. Item number 4 under the “Maintenance” header is “Changing disk brake pads”, this link is a “Step by Step”, including pictures. To be quite honest, if you have done brakes before, these will be a snap, maybe the easiest you have ever done. Good luck, let us know how you do.

    To all: FWIW, I still have the UGO that I bought for my 328i (with Moon-Roof) last summer, and I have yet to figure out what I am going to do with it. Any suggestions? ;-)

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • Options
    rfredarfreda Member Posts: 15
  • Options
    tenet1tenet1 Member Posts: 354
    You've got mail!
  • Options
    vkwheelsvkwheels Member Posts: 218
    Sounds like a very nice (& sexy) car, congrats! Your write-up of the experience was interesting, I share many of your feelings about the process, this board, etc. Funny thing is that my paperwork was screwed up for same reason as yours. The loan person from the dealer came out to my workplace to have me re-sign the docs. Maybe there's a bug which facilitates making this type of mistake.
    Happy driving,
    VK
  • Options
    erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    Brave, I was reading your post about turning 33 tomorrow (July 21) and wondered if I wrote it. My bday is 7/12/69 too. Happy belated.

    -Paul

    What IS a UGO? Universal G-car Obliterator? :)
  • Options
    nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,439
    I must have missed the post then, so

    happy birthday!

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles