BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

andrew001

My car was produced on 9/27. guess it was the last batch which has 2 rear headrest

locke2c

like any brand, there are good and bad dealerships and fair or unfair many people's perception of a brand is based on their experience with a local dealer.

my last car was a Subaru Impreza and my local dealership was very poor. still is, actually. ;-) nevertheless I don't harbor any ill feelings towards the brand itself, but certainly I would advise locals that the dealership sucks and there isn't another Subaru dealer within 90 miles.

the experience I've had with BMW has been completely the opposite... my dealer is awesome! respectful salesmen, good supply of vehicles onhand (of course BMWUSA requires that to a certain extent), prompt service, issues resolved in one visit, and free loaner vehicles no matter the age of your BMW.

-Colin

9sunset

Thank you Kominsky, I think you are right.
Friend of mine had a 323i and 15" rim didn't fit
either.

brave1heart

<<< I'm pretty sure the E46 325's have the same size disk brakes as the 328's had. >>> That's correct! The 323, however, has smaller brakes than the 325/328. While the minimum rim size for the 325 is 16", the 323 can accommodate 15".

twoof1

brave,
The resonator kit is actually a piece lifted from the 5 series and modified to fit the 3 series. It is comprised of a resonator box (about 4x4x3") with a mounting tube on either end which mounts between the intake manifold and the AFM. ECIS had to shorten the resonator box to fit into the tight space between the intake manifold & the AFM. The lid I spoke about is really more of a cap on one end of the resonator box. It came unsealed and basically was flapping loose in the engine compartment and almost fell off completely. Obviously the engine was freaking out because of the tremendous amount of raw air going to the engine after the AFM. I believe that ECIS should have known that the area the piece is mounted is subject to tremendous heat and should have done more than just use silicone to adhere the cap to the resonator box body.
As I stated in a previous post, ECIS told me up front that this resonator kit was a prototype product and they did not hesitate to accept my return and give me a full refund on the product. I don't want to sound like I am slamming ECIS because in the long run they took care of me, but I think the product was under-engineered.
BTW if you thought the heat shield install was tight, the resonator is an even tighter fit!

tenet1

Doesn't the 3rd headrest in the back obstruct the view from the rear view mirror?

I wonder how it will impact the view.

dave330i

Why would you want it? It's not like you can fit 3 adults back there. Plus the middle headrest will obstruct the rear view.

ultrarunner

I never really got used to driving with the middle headrest blocking my rear view.

At least the headrest in the Sport Wagon can be moved be folding the rear seat down.

stevezxu

I heard the xenon light is a hot item to steal. And it can cause great damage to your car. Is this true only for Acura? or for BMW w/ xenon as well?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/10/11/national/main525191.shtml

Thanks,

stevezxu

I heard the xenon light is a hot item to steal. And it can cause great damage to your car. Is this true only for Acura? or for BMW w/ xenon as well?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/10/11/national/main525191.shtml

Thanks,

ccotenj

well, i KNOW they are a hot item on acuras (a former co-worker had TWO sets stolen out of hers), but i haven't heard of it being a major problem with bimmers...

-Chris

stevezxu

Thanks. Is this because that Acura is too similiar to Honda?

ccotenj

if i had to bet, yea... but that's a guess on my part...

-Chris

jpierce26

I am gearing up to purchase a new BMW. I was wondering if I can just walk into a dealer and purchase it off the lot, or am I going to have to order it?

I am interested in the 2003 330XI loaded.

JP

ccotenj

that "depends"... when i was at the dealer the other day, they had a grand total of 2 3ers sitting on their lot... it may be different in other places, but it seems like at my place they are pretty much spoken for as they come in...

-Chris

chashoang

chashoang

I bought a certified 2001 325i with 16000 miles 3 months ago and had numerous problems with it. It now has 20000 miles on it. Too make a long story short, i finally got a hold of the owner and he was sympathetic to my complaints and agreed to find me a replacement vehicle for a fair price.

i am now working with the manager i have the option of two cars:
1)2001 330Ci with 26000 miles, premium, lthr,and htd sts for $5000.00 extra and my car.
2)2002 330Ci with 7000 miles, premium, lthr, xenon, cold weather package, and HK for $6900.00 extra and my car.

I paid $32,000 for my car orignially (purchase price was 28,800) with tax/title/lisc. The original trade value on my car was $25,000 only after 3 months of use and unending problems.

The dealer is fanagling the price of my trade and the price of the vehicles. I saw both of them listed online : the 2001 was 32,800 and the 2002 was 34,377.

it seems like a no brainer to go for the 2002 but it didn't drive as nice as the 2001. the 2002 was also heavily smoked in and still has some odors. it also has been on their lot for over 6 months were they are paying interest on it and need to get rid of it fast (saleman told me this). It was originally set at $41,000 and every month has gone down (40,000--39,000--38,500--35,997)

Can anyone comment on how to get rid of the smoke smell, and which car they would pick, and if i'm getting a worthwile deal on these cars. Also, is their something posiible wrong with this car if no one has picke dit up at 34,377?

please comment asap since i am going to the dealer on friday 11/01/2002 to decide.

thanx all.

abcnyc

Anybody with experience with P21s wheel cleaner ? I've been using Eagle One wheel cleaner, but I read some very good things about P21s. However P21s ($14) is also about 3 times more expensive than Eagle One ($5). Does anyone think the P21s is worth it ?

abcnyc

I've also just used Klasse for the first time. It's very easy to use and looks great. But I also noticed swirls. At first I thought I might have applied it wrong to result in swirls, but you seemed to have had a similar experience. I wonder if there is anything that can hide or remove the swirls. I know some people also use the Klasse high gloss sealant after the All-in-One application.

ipatty13

I was surfing www.bavauto.com and noticed the "Invisible Front End Shield," which is a clear 3M urethane coating for protecting the grill and hood from cracking, nicks, sun damage, etc.

Can anyone who used this comment on whether it actually works and whether it is nearly invisible?

ccotenj

febreeze works good... just don't get it on the leather...

-Chris

chashoang

ccotenj:
thanx for the reply. Have you used febreeze in a car before? any special instructions on how to use it besides what you stated earlier? Also, is febreeze a spray? and how to i apply it if the car is 3/4 leather inside?

thanx

ccotenj

yes, i've used it. it comes in a spray (and other forms)...

cover your seats with an old sheet or something... where else is leather?

-Chris

dave330i

Woohoo, just spent $700 at tirerack.com. Tires should last 1-1.5 yrs, so that breaks down to less than $2/day. Not too bad.

eengstro

Check out the Klasse page at http://www.properautocare.com:

http://www.properautocare.com/kla-16.html

One of the cons they noted is: "Can highlight swirls and paint imperfections." So, I knew going in that Klasse wouldn't look as good as carnauba wax, but I was still surprised.

It is basically a tradeoff: do you want the superior looks of carnauba wax, or the superior protection of a synthetic wax?

Eric

kominsky

what did you end up getting?

erickpl

You can spray it onto the carpeting of the car. If you can, you should spray it on all the carpet surfaces you can. That is where most of the smoke smell will hide. However, getting under the seats could be a pain, unless you want to unhook the seats and do it that way.

One thing I've heard tried is to use a steam cleaner and steam the carpets. You could possibly put a bit in the solution there and mix it with the soap and water. But that might be hard if you don't own it yet. Maybe make that part of your negotiating tactics - steam clean the carpeting and make the dealer prep it for you so the smell is minimized.

-Paul

dave330i

I ended up getting S-03s. They are suppose to be one of the best tires, along with being the quietiest. The tread life is pretty good for high performance, and the only negative is tendency to tramline.

seivwrig

I use the P21S. But I have never used the Eagle One. The P21S is great for people like myself that don't like washing cars. It makes the wheels easy to clean. The price is kind of high but you don't have to worry about it messing up the wheels. Most German products are perfect for German cars. The other alternative to German products is Griot's Garage. I only use Meguiars and Eagle One products on my truck. The German paints tend to be different than the American paints.

bimmer3i

ccotenj

most (good) detailers can do this for you...

-Chris

kominsky

S-03's? SWEET! You were originally looking at Kumhos and Sumi??s weren't you? Did you win Powerball? LOL!

dave330i

The way I figure, I'll have to buy new tires every 1-1.5 yrs (at least the rears. Fronts could last upto 2).

4 new Kumhos or Sumi will cost $500 (tires + mounting). Divide that by 365 and you get $1.37/day. 4 new S-03s cost $800 (tires + mounting). Divide that by 365 and you get $2.19/day. So, for extra $.80/day I get to ride on one of the best street tires available.

kominsky

I wonder if my wife would buy into that logic... :-)

I've been through this here before, but I put out ~$300 for motorcycle tires and ~$500 for the Kumho's in Spring, $450 for Michelins for her van this summer, and ~$1200 for winter package this month. Maybe when the Kumho's need replacing, I won't have all the other expenses and can move up the tire hierarchy.

Give us a review in a few weeks.

dave330i

Nothing wrong with the logic.

Divide by 2 yrs, and it's only $.40/day extra.

I should have them mounted early next week. I'll keep you guys posted.

abcnyc

seivwrig - Thanks for the input on P21s. I'll try it once to see if it works better. I'm a little worried about the Eagle One's effect on the wheel paint and clearcoat.

Has anybody tried the Klasse high gloss sealant ? The literature indicates it really makes a difference.

bmw323is

ipatty13, I put the 3M clear mask on my car (actually I had it installed). My car is black. It is more difficult to make it totally invisible on darker non-metallic colors. It does do a good job in keeping chips and scratches away though. On a black car, I wouldn't do it again. I just get chips around where the mask is. I know one guy with a new M3 that put it on the whole hood, the entire front end, half the front fenders, backs of the mirrors and the front of the real wheel arches. I think he paid about $600 for the job.

Dave330i - those S-03's are only 3.3 cents an hour extra! Hmmm, would you count the hours you are sleeping though Nice tires - enjoy.

visionxp

i know that some of you own a 3 series BMW.

im interested in finding how much you are paying for maitenance every month and for what?

mainly interested in E36 model:)

thankx

brave1heart

<<< i know that some of you own a 3 series BMW. >>>

Nooooo! How do you know that? I always thought that most posters were BMW wannabes that just pretend to have a 3-series so they'd look cool )

p.s. It's Friday ;o)

mg330ci

I can only imagine how the back seat will look in the 2004 model

I am glad BMW did not apply the 3='03=Headrest formula to the front of the car (can you say 3 headlights

Hey, it has more than the Infinity G35. That will certainly make them shut their mouth in the comparison boards, and go back to the drawing board with their tails between their legs! Those German engineers are brilliant!

Seriously, I love my 330ci, but the 3 headrest are no more than marketing gimmicks and I don't know who are they trying to fool. On a 2nd though, probably they ARE FOOLING a lot of people

The good thing, is that on the Bimmer, you don't have to worry about looking through your rear view mirror too much.

vkwheels

Eagle One car wash works fine & is cheap. Klasse all-in-one is great & the high glass sealant does make it glossier.

The wheels are still time-consuming, and getting fingerprints & smudges off the black exterior parts & wood interior take a bit o' extra effort. Oh well.

ccotenj

how many miles/month (or year) you planning on driving?

-Chris

eengstro

Funny you should ask about E36 maintenance. I wrote a webpage about things to look for when buying an E36. (To the rest of the board: I would appreciate feedback!

http://www.band.calpoly.edu/~eengstro/bmw-buy.html

Fixing a BMW isn't cheap, but in general, most of the car is bulletproof. (The major exception is the cooling system, which has caused me no end in grief.)

Eric

div2

I'm the original owner of a 1995 318ti Club Sport. I had a fuel sending unit, an alarm module, and an O2 sensor replaced under warranty. At 72,000 miles the only non-scheduled maintenance has consisted of replacing the front pads and the two serpentine belts(which I replaced as a precaution).

ccotenj

i'm the second owner of a 1995 325iC. got it with 40k on it when it was 4 years old. has 113k on it now...

other than routine maintenance stuff...

replaced water pump immediately on getting car...
o2 sensor at 65k...
clutch at 90k...
front brakes at 90k...
struts/springs at 100k...
filler neck/thermostat/cap assembly at 105k... (why they make those plastic, i'll never know)... belts at same time... fan clutch at same time...
rear brakes at 112k...

hmmm... a few other minor thingies... but that's about it for "break or wear" stuff...

you MUST (and that means MUST) change the fluids when they want to be changed, and have the brake fluid/coolant flushed every 2 years at a minimum...

if i was going to buy a used one, i'd want to see service receipts for routine maintenance, and i'd have a real bimmer tech go over the car (not joe at the corner garage)...

-Chris

visionxp

im thinking of getting a 92 or a 93 with around 100k miles in good condition.

ill probably be drivinglike 12-14 k miles a year.

does that help for a more accurate response?:)

locke2c

service history is critical with 100k miles and even then you must expect some repairs. BMWs are extremely well engineered but everything wears out eventually, especially if improperly maintained.

-Colin

visionxp

i read your post ... and it says you own a 318ti Club Sport.
im not particullary interested in the ti model(looking for an 318is or 325is) but im curious ... what does the club sport stand for?
i mean what's the difference between a regular ti and the one you have?

thankx

gloga

I would appreciate receiving any recommendations as to purchasing a car cover for a 330Cic. What to avoid and where to purchase?

Many thanks.

div2

The Club Sport was a limited edition(less than @300 built) offered by BMW Individual. The package consisted of an M-Technic bodykit, special leather/cloth sport seats, an M-Technic suspension, and 16X7 five spoke alloys wearing 225/50-16 Z-rated summer tires. The Club Sport also featured M3 mirrors and the 1.8L M42 engine-in contrast to the later M badged Sports, which came with standard mirrors and the 1.9L M44. I special ordered my Club Sport in August 1995. According to the dealer ordering information sheet, there were only three options available for the Club Sport-limited slip, premium sound, and sunroof. Available colors were limited to Bright Red and Jet Black. I did not want a sunroof but soon after my order was sent in BMWAG informed my salesperson(Barbara Neuerman of Fields BMW in Chicago) that AG had decided to build ALL Club Sports with sunroofs. Shades of the old Max Hoffman "mandatory options" on the 2002 and Bavaria! Barbara went to work and one day later she was informed that my build order did not include a sunroof. She did the same for another customer in the Windy City CCA Chapter. Both of these cars were Bright Red. I know of one Jet Black Club Sport without a sunroof as well. I'd guess there are probably less than 10 Club Sports in existence without a sunroof. BMWNA released a special Club Sport Brochure in late October 1995-after production had ended. Only one road test of the Club Sport is available-a "Short Take" in the June 1996 Car and Driver. It's a terrific car, and it acquits itself on the track quite well. Due to the light weight, a Conforti chip can get 0-60 times down into the mid-sevens, while handling is very similar to that of an E30 M3. I plan to keep it forever, though I am looking for a nice 2002 Turbo to keep it company...;)