BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

elevatorguy

I am looking at a used (1993) 318i for my wife. It has high mileage (150k) but was well taken care of. It's a 5-speed. I would like to know if these were/are reliable vehicles and what to look for before buying? What are some of the weak points of the car? Are these interference engines? I know they use timing chains, not belts, but how often should these chains be replaced? Anything special that I should take a close look because of know failures? Anything in particular that is very expensive to fix that I should look at also to make sure it's not going to need replacing soon? Any comments and opinions ae welcome and appreciated.

Thanks,
Todd

alibajalajaula

Friday I got my first flat.Michelin Pilot Sport 255/35-ZR18.Still don't know how it happen, since I got in the morning to work,got off the car and checked the tires (they all were inflated), but by noon the right rear was down. I seemed like one inch, so I just tried to move it back couple of feet so I could get the jack, but no way (not even a foot). Nervous, and wanting to save the tire, I opted to wait until the car next to me left. Then my ordeal started. This one-legged jack is a pain in the butt. After I had removed 3 of 5 bolts, with the remaining 2 loose, the jack collapsed, and I had to hurriedly get the two bolts back in to avoid full collapse of the brake disc to the ground. This what at the parking lot, level ground, with first gear,parking break, and retaining chock. A good samaritan saw me suffering and lended me his A-Frame Mazda jack, and we changed the wheel. Unstable BMW jack design. Full workout with a 104 heat index in H-town.
When I got to the tire place, the tire rim had ground the tire around the sidewall and a chunk of tire residue, about a fistful was inside. Being Z-rated tires, I had no option but to replace it. The wall had weakened.
Question to this forum of performance car lovers: Is this life with low profile tires? Has anyone "saved" a LP tire that has ever got a puncture?, or is it always a death sentence? The mechanic at Discount Tire said I must have driven a mile with the flat, to which I contested, indicating that the tires arrived properly inflated. I never notice anything. The tire only had 4700 miles and costed me $285 plus tax. Unforgiving. What about you kyfdx? I think you have 17s. How about you blue? Any luck, or is this the dark side of BMW ownership? I had a 325i with 16s Contis for 3 years and never had a flat or if I had a loss of air, the tire could be fixed. A little more user friendly. Don't even know if a wireless tire pressure monitor would help. But where do you set the limit, on how much to spend on gadgets? Guys, just needed to vent and get some feedback.

kyfdx

We've only had ours since December... but, no problems so far. Of course, your 18's have about 1/2 inch less sidewall.

I hate to say it.. but your tire dealer may be correct.. You could have indeed driven a mile or so as it was deflating. The tires are so low profile, that if it was gradual, you could easily not notice it.

If it was just a puncture, I think you could have it "fixed". It sounds like your tire was too far gone, though.

I'm thinking.. wouldn't BMW roadside service have changed the tire for you? They show up in about 30 minutes around here.

Sorry to hear about it.. I feel your pain.

regards,
kyfdx

blueguydotcom

Is this life with low profile tires? Has anyone "saved" a LP tire that has ever got a puncture?, or is it always a death sentence?

Welcome to the club. I got my first puncture one month into owning my ZHP. And if you get a puncture on a 235 and drive on it, yep it's a gonner usually.

The mechanic at Discount Tire said I must have driven a mile with the flat, to which I contested, indicating that the tires arrived properly inflated. I never notice anything. The tire only had 4700 miles and costed me $285 plus tax.

Count yourself lucky. when it happened to me in june of 2003 there were no 235/55s around. none. The RE Potenzas from the factory were all going to BMW and Nissan's factories. Tirerack had a 1 month backorder. Bridgestone corporate said they didn't have any in stock and if I found one buy it. One dealership claimed to find a tire in NJ and it would take 1 week plus $400+ to get it.

I finally found a replacement at a local bimmer dealer. Final tally? $385. Yes, 3-8-5.

You got off lucky. I bought my replacement S-03s from Costco as they have a puncture/road hazzard warranty. Been good for a year now...

bmw323is

My personal opinion is to stay away from wheels larger than 17". My MY 2000 3 series has the 16" wheels with Z rated rubber. I thoroughly researched the possibility of upsizing to 17" wheels and decided against it for reasons of cost vs. performance and for risk of tire/wheel damage. In the last year, Car & Driver did a great story on upgrading plus 1, 2 and 3 sizes. Their determination was that there was very minor improvement in some areas, like cornering (at least to a point), but results also worsened in other measurements. For example, the bigger the wheel (generally) the greater the unsprung weight, the poorer the acceleration.

For the last few years car manufacturers have been adding HP and wheel size with each new model year. How long can that last? What is the real purpose? Would you buy an M3 if it had the same size wheels as a 330i? When BMW introduces the 1 series with standard 16" wheels and the sport package with 17" wheels, what will the M3 have to have at that time, if it has to upsize from the 1 series thru the 325, and the 330, and the 330 ZHP...?

For me, 16" wheels with good Z rated rubber is just fine. After this, it's really about cosmetics.

creakid1

already costed me a fortune on the front tires of my '90 323(Mazda Protege). I'll rather just go find thrill in some twisties instead.

blueguydotcom

For me, 16" wheels with good Z rated rubber is just fine. After this, it's really about cosmetics.

There exists an advantage in corners with smaller sidewalls. I can feel the 16s on my Protege flex in corners. My old Jetta with 16s was sloppy. 1.8Ts with 17 felt far more planted in corners.

Flex and weight are enemies in performance. If I have to choose between them, I'll choose to negate flex. Weight can be overcome with better alloys or more power. Flex always hurts handling.

ponytrekker

Mine collaped also, luckily before I got the wheel off.

Go to Wal*Mart or someplace and get yourself a real jack.

kyfdx

To me.. the price/performance/hassle equation starts turning against you at 17". I can still see the performance gains and the aesthetic upgrade at 17", but at 18" the cost and damage factors seem too high for what you get out of it.

In the case of the performance package, the 18" are standard, so I couldn't see getting the package without them.... But, I'm sure its hard to swallow...

blueguy... no problems in a year.. because you bought the warranty.. it is like life insurance.. buy it, and you never need it...

regards,
kyfdx

frankw3

I've got a 2001 330 convertible and need to replace the tires. I've got Continental 225/4517's and 245/4017's on now. I've been looking into Goodyear Eagle F1's, Bridgestone Potenzas, Toyos, Michelin Pilot Sports, and Pirelli Pzero Neros. What's best for general driving, handling and wear? I've got separate snows for winter.

brave1heart

The Michelin Pilot Sports are the best "for general driving, handling and wear". Their only drawback is price.

I have 17s with my 325i's Sport pack and have never had a punctured summer tire or a dented rim (63K miles on the car). I had 225/45/17s for 2 years and 235/40/17 all around for over a year. I do ~ 8-9 autocross events and 5-8 track days a year and contrary to some opinions on the board, I still get 20-25K miles out of the tires. I've had Contisports, Sumitomo HTR Z II and currently Yokohama ES100. Of the 3, the Yokos have been the best tires. Good performance, great price, decent wear. Only drawback is excessive tramlining. My next set will be Falken Azenis. I'd only recommend these to owners who do a lot of autoXing and/or track events and do not drive in heavy rain very often.

blueguydotcom

blueguy... no problems in a year.. because you bought the warranty.. it is like life insurance.. buy it, and you never need it...


no, no. I bought a replacement RE40 last june when i got the flat. It was in april that I got the new bridgestone s-03s for my car. costco tires come with a road warranty in the price.

m4d_cow

it rains quite a lot here, at least for me. Tried avensis once and didnt work that well, like brave said. I also remember using Pirellis (dont remember what type) and it gets kinda noisy, especially at higher speed.

Im looking for tires that gives good handling, but doesnt make much noise and doesnt hurt the ride. Any suggestions?

white6

On the recommendation of Gary at tirerack, I bought four Dunlop SP Sport 9000's; couldn't be happier. Ride and noise are as good or better than the factory OEM, handling is superb (keep in mind I only drive vigerously on STREET, not tracking here). I can't speak for wet weather performance; my car doesn't get driven in inclimate weather. Price wasn't horrible; $133 each plus shipping in 225-45-17 (that's about $150 a set cheaper than Michelin Pilot Sport).
Keep in mind, folks, that the larger wheels do have another function; they allow larger brake rotors; it is my understanding that a 16-inch wheel will no longer clear the brake rotor on a 330.

kyfdx

I have Michelin Pilot Sports and I like them.. I didn't pick them, as they were already on the wheels I bought, but they came off a 330i convertible.. I think the biggest complaints on the cheaper options seem to be much greater noise as they wear down.

I know price is always a consideration, but if it isn't the highest factor, I'd go with the Michelins.

regards,
kyfdx

shipo

"...it is my understanding that a 16-inch wheel will no longer clear the brake rotor on a 330."

That is only partially true, as with my 530i SP, there are a few 16" wheels made with the proper offset and rotor clearance. A quick check over at TireRack for a "Winter Tire & Wheel Package" shows that the AT Italia Type 5 wheels in the 16" x 7.5" size will fit a 330i. I have noticed that as the fall approaches, TireRack will sometimes stock a few more wheel models that will fit specifically for the folks doing the winter package thing. In my case, there were 4 different wheels that I could choose from when I bought mine, and I bought the Borbet Type H wheels shod with the Michelin Arctic-Alpin tires.

Best Regards,
Shipo

kingk

Has anyone experienced a very unpleasant odor from the air vent? I got my new 330XI a month ago. I thought it was new car thing at first but it wasn’t. The funny part is that bad smell goes away if A/C is on. The warmer the weather is, the worse the smell gets... Since this car had been on the lot for several months before I got it, maybe some sort of fungus grows in the ventilation? Well, your 2 cents will be appreciated

tenet1

This is normal in all 3ers. Just turn off the a/c button and let the air run for a few minutes before you shut the car down. This way you wont get hit with a nasty damp odor when you get in the car again.

sunilb

But what if you are driving... turn the a/c on, then turn it off during the same trip (ie, it gets too cold)?

On another note, I've never noticed an auto climate control that required so many adjustments (from a/c on/off to the little wheel in the middle of the center vents).

kyfdx

I agree... way more complex than it needs to be for auto climate control.. But, it sure does work a lot better than my Honda at cooling the car.

regards,
kyfdx

creakid1

redirects the heat distribution b/t the foot & face outlets. Most other cars don't even give you this option.

"But what if you are driving... turn the a/c on, then turn it off during the same trip (ie, it gets too cold)?"

Then don't even bother turning on the a/c. Just blow the air & make sure the air flow is not in the recirculate mode, then the mildew will dry up as much as possible especially when the humidity is low.

sunilb

redirects the heat distribution b/t the foot & face outlets. Most other cars don't even give you this option.

Really? Mine doesn't... it changes the air temp from cold (blue dots) to warm/hot (red dots).

Then don't even bother turning on the a/c. Just blow the air & make sure the air flow is not in the recirculate mode, then the mildew will dry up as much as possible especially when the humidity is low.

Ahh... so, then I'll just have warm air blowing in my face? I've never had this issue with other makes... not sure why the germans mfrs have to be so "special".

mitchs3

Had the same problem in my prior car, 99 Volvo S70. They had a service bulletin modification and they set it up to run the ventilation fan periodically even when the car was off. I noticed the fan running sometimes when the car was parked in the garage... Seemed to help significantly, though puzzled my family who wanted to know why my car was making noise when parked.... have a bit of odor from my 02 330i, so a try to run fan with a/c off for a minute before parking to clear the system of moisture.... Does BMW have a similar mod it can do?

m4d_cow

as far as i know most cars thats been in the lot for a while usually have this issue, though not all brands have the same. i usually ask the dealer to check the air circulation system, so id suggest you to do the same.

ponytrekker

is a known issue with a "fix" (dealer sprays disenfectant) or several preventative mesaures (shut air off 1 minute before shutting car). Search around and you will find.

erickpl

Do a search in this forum for Lysol and you'll find a fix you can do.

-Paul

erickpl

I know you use Mobil-1 0W-40 in your 530, but did you use that same weight in your 328? In the warm climate I have here in soCal, would you recommend that weight or a different one? I've been using the BMW oil and my 325 now has 64,000 miles. Should I stick with the BMW oil or can I switch over to Mobil 1 w/o any adverse affects?

-Paul

shipo

Regarding the 328i, no, I only used whatever oil my dealership put in my car. Unfortunately, it seemed to me that the oil used in the 328i was less than capable of going the distance as it developed the "Smell" of old (1970s vintage) Pennsylvania Grade Crude (ala Quaker State, Pennzoil and Wolf's Head), and a fairly substantial amount of varnish developed inside the cam cover. This is not to say that the BMW synthetic oil is/was not capable of performing the job as I have recently heard that some BMW dealerships (never found out if mine was one of them) were not using said oil during the normal servicing of our cars. :-/

As for my 530i, it is quite happy on a diet of the 0W-40 Mobil-1, and I would not hesitate to use the same oil anywhere in North America.

Regarding your car, you shouldn't have any problem switching over to Mobil-1. If you are intending to do the changes yourself (or anybody else out there for that matter), I would suggest getting one of the many dipstick oil extraction units and a 36mm socket to remove the top of the oil filter canister. The beauty of changing the oil on our cars is that with the above two items, you do not need to get under the car to perform an oil change. All you need to do is suck the oil out of the dipstick, open the filter canister, dispose of the cartridge and then suck all of the remaining oil out of the canister. With the extraction complete, you simply replace the filter, add oil and away you go. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

gordonwd

That little wheel is a very useful feature IMO. I've been in a lot of situations on a sunny but cold winter day when you need heat blowing down around your feet, but would actually like cool air on your face. This control lets you make that adjustment.

erickpl

I already have the hardware. I have changed it once already.

Would you recommend 0W-30 for the soCal area or would that weight not be able to handle the temp ranges we have here (up to about 115)?

-Paul

shipo

Well, from my perspective, I run the thickest oil that I can safely run. Given that you car has most likely loosened up quite nicely by 65K miles, I would think that the 0W-40 would be perfect for your engine.

Best Regards,
Shipo

erickpl

I appreciate the input. That was my first thought too. I just wanted a second opinion.

-Paul

kdshapiro

"This is normal in all 3ers."

This is normal in most cars. Even $70K Lexus LS430 have this problem. But true run the fan and it dries the evaporater.

jimbres

Here's a link to the press release:
http://www.bmwusa.com/joy/buzz/news.htm?article=87

Any idea why it's available only for 2002 & newer vehicles? (I have an '01 330i.)

erickpl

One more question,

Would 0W-30 or 5W-30 work best in these conditions?

-Paul

shipo

In summer/hot conditions, I don't think that there would be a noticable difference between the two. True, the 0W-xx stuff is a little thinner when cold than the 5W-xx stuff, however, in the heat I don't think that the difference would mean much.

Best Regards,
Shipo

poper3

I believe it has something to do with the head unit on the radio.

erickpl

Brave,

what kind of brake fluid do you use? My car is due for a brake fluid change and I wanted to use something good. Is the BMW fluid adequate or is there a different fluid you use that is an improvement on the BMW stuff?

-Paul

brave1heart

erickpl,

I use ATE Super Gold (same as ATE Super Blue, just a different color). They are both DOT 4 fluids but the ATE has a higher boiling point, which makes a huge difference on tracks that are demanding on the brakes. For street driving, you won't be able to tell a difference between ATE and BMW's fluids. Get the ATE only if you are planning on taking your car to the track.

pat

Edmunds has published the "wrap-up" of its long term 330i road test. Click here to go directly to the last article in the series.

You can also get to the updates via the Helpful Links box on the left side of the page.

What do you folks think? We can discuss it here and if you have comments you want the editors to see, use the "Contact Us" option that you find when you click on the Help link at the bottom of the page of the article.

blueguydotcom

That's some cruddy gas mileage on the long term tester. 25 was the best? :O

shipo

Hmmm, I used to get about 33 on the highway in my 1999 328i and I get just a hair over 31 in my 2002 530i, and those figures ain't driving like a little old lady either. ;-) Then again, I had/have a manual transmission in both cars.

Best Regards,
Shipo

kdshapiro

That review sums up why the 330i is the leader in it's class even though there are cars, bigger, faster and with more toys. With BMW it's about precision and not about the number of toys on the car. For some the precision is the draw, for others who want a bigger engine or more toys for less bucks....well.

I got 32 on the highway going between 70-80 on one trip. I do notice if I flog it, my gas mileage goes down --- slightly.

jrosasmc

I'm glad to see that you're still around...How have your vehicles been treating you these days? (i.e. the vans and Bimmer)

Now I know this isn't car-related at all, but if you don't mind I have to ask: where in NH are you located? I saw from your profile that you live there...my best friend from college lives in Nashua. Quite a lot of New Hampshire kids attend our college (St. Michael's in Burlington, VT)

shipo

I've been a tad busy of late. It seems like I spend way too much time on the road (usually in rental cars :-/ unfortunately) and not enough time in NH. Hmmm, let's see, next week in Philadelphia, the week after in NYC and the week after that (maybe the two weeks after that) in Hong Kong. I figure that my 530i will get something like 40 whole miles in July. :-(

Regarding the cars, it's like this:
1998 Grand Caravan Sport 3.8 -- 84K miles -- Dead battery at 50K
2002 530i -- 25K miles -- not a single squawk
2003 Grand Caravan Sport 3.8 -- 26K miles -- not a single squawk

Hmmm, I guess that you could say that the vehicles are treating us more than a little good. ;-)

Regarding NH, I live two towns east of Nashua, about 8 miles. ;-)

In other news, I have already posted on the 5-Series discussion that after five years of dealing with the %#*{~?@^$& brake dust of my BMWs (not to mention the four years before that with my 1995 VR6 Passat GLX), I finally bailed on the OEM BMW brake pads and swapped them with the PBR/Axxis Original Deluxe pads. I have always been afraid that I would miss the prodigious stopping power of the OEM pads, however, after over 3,000 miles; the only thing that I've missed is the black dust all over my wheels. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

aldubya

to "joeny":
Thanks for the reminder re: fuel cap. First thing asked by the service advisor was "when did you last put fuel in the car?" Gas filler cap was tight. I've the 325xi now for a couple of weeks since dealer serviced the "alert". No recurrences. Yes, I agree. I thought 187 miles to "test" for recurrence of the alert "service engine soon" was a bit much mileage. I discussed it with the Service Mgr at Erhard BMW in Bloomfield Hills, MI. He said that their man drove it over the weekend to test and make sure the light didn't come on again before the car was returned to me. If they'd returned the car to me and the alert had come on, it would have been the 4th time for service, same problem. I, then, could have invoked the Michigan Lemon Law, and I had informed them I would. Bottom line: So far, no recurrence, and I do enjoy the car. Will see.

aldubya

for future reference: My 2004 325xi, auto trans, prem pckge, no sport suspension, came w/Goodyear Eagle RS-A, 225/55R16 orig equip tires, rated 91H. For relatively quiet ride, reasonable wear and traction, are the Michelin Pilot "Sports" as recommended by brave1heart the way to go? thanks. Your comments appreciated.

kyfdx

Pilot Sports are summer tires.. They do make Pilot Sport A/S (all season).

Since you have AWD, you might look at Continental ContiExtremeContact. They are an all-season tire that is supposedly very good in the snow as well. Plus, they have the advantage of being relatively inexpensive.

regards,
kyfdx

dcandela

Hi, all
First time posting -- I haven't seen any discussions around the different types of accessories folks are buying for their BMW -- i.e., I am looking to put the Euro white lights on my 2003 330i -- does anyone have experience with that? where do you source the accessories? Is eBay the best place to buy? Thank you!

kyfdx

Most of the accessories I've seen for sale on Ebay look pretty cheesy.. Try Bekkers or Bimmian.. You can google for the websites. There are lots of modders on other BMW forums.. Just Google around to look for them.... There is even a forum just for E46 cars.

regards,
kyfdx