BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

shipo

I used the Original Deluxe pads and used the PBR/Axxis break in procedure, and so far at least, not a single squeek or squeal. Hmmm, no squeal, no dust, I must not be enjoying the finer aspects of driving a German car. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

erickpl

Guess you need to get out there and drive it some more before your lease is up!

-Paul

erickpl

If you're wanting to do the work yourself, it really is that easy. I think I got a list from Shipo about what tools you need and recommended things to do, but I KNOW you will want a floor jack and jack stands for safety. The gloves made cleanup easy and working with parts was no problem as the gloves were really thin.

Some people have even taken this opportunity to clean the calipers really well and then paint them with a high temperature paint. This makes keeping em clean a lot easier and it looks quite nice. e46fanatics has more stuff about that too.

-Paul

tcn2k

Brakes,
Ok, i got my car on to a jack stand. Took the wheels off, and got the metal clip off the caliper and caliper bracket. I am trying to get the 2 16mm bolt off that holds the caliper bracket. I am having problem getting it off since there is so little room for me to get a longer wrench in there for torque. Anyone have any tricks on getting these two bolts loose? Damn thing are on there pretty tight!

Also, shipo mention that there is a hex bolt that holds the rotor in place, what size is this hex allen wrench do I need?

tcn2k

Question regarding brakes, on e46fanatics website, it has a DIY that says you will need to take the calipers off of the caliper bracket using a 7mm hex allen wrench. But i have a note i saved from you from a while back on how to change the brakes; and it did not mention taking off these bolts; but instead, taking off the 16mm bolts and then sliding the calipers off of the caliper bracket after the metal clips is taken off. Is this still true?

shipo

Hmmm, I don't honestly remember, however, now that you mention it, I do seem to remember a couple of pins that required an allen key to remove. I'm thinking that erickpl might be able to shed some light on this issue as he has done an E46 brake job fairly recently. I'll PM him and let you know if I hear anything. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

shipo

Hmmm, well, I sent a message to erickpl's E-Mail address that I have in Outlook, and it "bounced", so it seems that he has made his move. Hopefully he will check in here soon and give us an answer. When he does, I will update my "How To" and repost it for general consumption. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

tcn2k

Thanks shipo.... Can you also update the details of removing the sensor wire from the black box? I open the black box, but wonder how it comes out. I don't have the part yet, so maybe when the sensor part comes, i can see how it is done. It looks fragile within the box, so i was just afraid i might kink the wire.

Please enlighten us Erickpl on a few issues i am having problems with... if you get these posts...

webby1

I am looking at a 1998 328I
Mileage: 77673 km
Features: Automatic, 4 dr., 2.8, 6 cyl. , Gas, Black exterior, Black interior, Fog Lights, Alloy Wheels, Sun Roof, Bucket Seats, Heated Seats, Air Conditioning, AM-FM Stereo, Cassette, Power Windows, Power Locks, Power Mirrors, Cruise Control, Tilt Wheel, Driver Air Bag, Passenger Air Bag, Anti-Lock Brakes, Traction Control
I would appreciate your comments....is this a good used vehicle to purchase or a good one to stay away?
Thanks,
Webby

div2

The E36 3ers are pretty reliable cars. I'd want it checked out by an experienced BMW tech and I'd also want to see a full service history. Has the BMW coolant been changed ever three years? Brake fluid every two years(using DOT4 fluid ONLY)? Check that everything works-windows, sunroof, seat heaters, cruise, etc. There are tons of E36s around so you can afford to be picky.

erickpl

Shipo, sorry, forgot to update my email addy.

tcn, the 7MM hex bolt wrench is needed if you plan on changing the rotors. It essentially holds the rotor on since the BMW lugs come off when changing the wheel. I went ahead and did this on the front since I was swapping out the rotors. For the back, I left them on.

As for getting those calipers off, try using a bit of penetrating oil (spray VERY carefully and keep it off the rotor). I let it sit for about 5 minutes, then used a ratchet wrench that has a joint so I can move the handle a bit. A fixed handle will work, but the knuckled handle was a bit easier and kept me from ripping my knuckles when it finally gave way.

Also remember, righty tighty, lefty loosey. Since you are looking at the caliper bolts from the opposite side, you may be actually tightening them instead of loosening.

-Paul

tcn2k

Ok, got them to work a bit.... Here's the break down in case someone wants to do this on their own:
6mm hex is needed to take the single screw to let the rotors loose.

7mm hex is needed for two of the screws for the calipers to come off of the caliper bracket. This is for replacing the brake pads.

16mm socket is needed to take the calipers bracket off to replace the rotors as well.

I am now just waiting for the parts to come, but i have to say, it isn't too bad of a job. (knock on wood.)

erickpl

Good... glad it's working for you. It really is that easy, just don't let your caliper assembly hang there, use a coathanger or bungee or some kind of support so you don't strain your brake line assembly.

-Paul

deepdarkblue

I have done my front and rear brake pads--not a major ordeal except for getting c-clamps on to compress the new pads together to get them back onto the rotor.

My problem is when I have to change the rotors out. I tried loosening the rotors, but I couldn't get the damn bolts to move (and I am not a 120 lb weakling). I event tried WD-40 (perhaps not the best thing to use near brakes). I could not get enough torque because of the awkward position. I was not on a lift, unfortunately.

Any advice here? I know I'll have to change my rear rotors soon. Help!

erickpl

which bolts are you referring to? the ones holding the rotors on or the ones holding the calipers on?

For either one, you can use a bit of penetrating oil (being careful to avoid overspray). Be sure to wipe off any that gets on the brake pads. Since you are replacing the rotors, you don't have to worry about them so much, but if you use the penetrating for the caliper bolts be sure to wipe off anything that gets on the rotors VERY well.

My bolts were very tight and I'm not the strongest guy out there, but 5 minutes of soaking in the penetrating oil worked like a charm.

-Paul

mschukar

Upon changing to my winter tires last week, I noticed my OEM summer tires should probably be replaced next spring. I’ve got a 2002 325i with SP (17” rims).

Does anyone have a favorite performance summer or all season tire? I’d like tires that provides good performance at a reasonable cost.

Thanks for your help
-murray

tcn2k

What i did for the front was turn the wheel so that i have more access to the 16mm bolts. Then i used a long torque wrench and it is came off like butter once I got my weight on the wrench.

I am having to do my rear axle soon, i am giong to wonder how i am giong to get those damn bolts off too. I will may have to go get a can of pentrating oil and start soaking them like paul did.

Anyone knows the torque on these bolts so taht i won't overtighten them?

16mm bolt (caliper bracket)?
7mm bolts (caliper)?
6mm bolts (rotor)?
and the wheel bolts?

brave1heart

16mm bolt (caliper bracket)? pretty tight - 110 Nm
7mm bolts (caliper)? 22 lb/ft only
6mm bolts (rotor)? - very little - 16 Nm. These are there just to hold the rotor so it won't fall off when you take the lug bolts off
and the wheel bolts? - 88 lb/ft. This was revised from 80 to 88 a couple of years ago.

brave1heart

If you have snow tires, stick to summer tires for your performance needs. The Michelin SP 2 are the best performance tires but somewhat pricey. The Sumitomo HTR Z II is a very cheap but decent performance tire. Good treadlife too - mine lasted nearly 30K miles. I've had the Yokohama ES100 for the past 15K miles and although it has been a good performance tire (exceptional in the rain!!), I would not recommend them to most people because of excessive tramlining since day 1 and deafening noise at low speed after the first 10K miles.

kyfdx

I'm going to throw out another option in contrast to brave1heart (who knows a lot more than me).

If you are looking for reasonable cost to go with performance, I wouldn't disregard all-seasons, even though you might run snows in the winter..

If you get a high-quality all-season like a Pirelli P-Zero Nero M&S, or a Michelin Pilot Sport AS, then you can get good handling and superior wear..

They won't handle as well as a summer Yokohama, but they'll last a lot longer and be a lot more quiet as they begin to wear.. They do cost more, but you will more than make up for that with the longer life.

If cost isn't as important, and race-track handling is more important... then Michelin PS2 is probably the best tire.

I know this advice is contrary to what most people will suggest (and I don't even follow it myself, at least not yet), but you will still have a car that handles much better than a non-ZSP, and with a much better ride and longer tire wear.

regards,
kyfdx
(no flames, please)

div2

You can't beat the Kumho Ecsta MX from a value standpoint-it's a great tire, especially considering the price.

brave1heart

The Michelin PS2 is $166 on the Tirerack.
The Kumho Ecsta MX is $129 same size 225/45/17. The price difference is not that significant. Considering the PS2s are the best street tires (excluding the Azenis and other near-R compound streetable tires), they are easily my #1 choice.

brave1heart

I don't see how anyone (including me) can disagree when you say that with all-seasons, you get a better ride and longer tire wear at the expense of (some) performance. All-seasons are worth considering - it all depends on the buyer's driving style and personal preferences. IMHO, you pay a lot more PER MILE for summer tires but the fun factor makes it all worthwhile ;o)

reellaw

I have a '94 325. My passenger side window is not working and I took the car to my mechanic. I have always been confused about when a BMW owner is supposed to go to the official dealer for repairs or when that is not needed. Could someone give me some guidance?

reellaw

I have 41,000 on the '94 325. I am a NYC driver with some weekends thrown in for travel. Are the safety features on the 2005 models different enough to warrant getting a new car?

When you guys refer to an "E36" what do you mean?

kyfdx

E36 is the model designation for your car.. '92-'98 for the sedans...

E46 is the '99-'05 model

E90 is coming in as the new '06 model

I'd never suggest taking on the expense of a new car just for the safety updates.. Unless your car has become suddenly unsafe, for some reason.

robopop

One overlooked "fun factor" for good all-seasons is that they can be on the car longer than summer tires in the fall and put back on earlier in the spring. I have run my 530 with all seasons through several inches of snow with now problem - although I then quickly put on the snow tires. Obviously we should all be running winter, summer and spring/fall tires.

kyfdx

That is a good point.. I put my winters on about 3 weeks ago.. If I had all-seasons, I'd probably wait until the first day we got flurries (probably in a week or so). But, I have V-rated winter tires, so they aren't all that much worse than all-seasons would be (I'm guessing).

I'm considering all-seasons the next time, because my wife drives the car 95% of the time.. and she wouldn't know g-forces if they bit her.

But, just 10K on my current Pilot Sports.. So, I probably won't have to decide until my winter tires come off in '06...

regards,
kyfdx

330blast

Hi all,

It's time to flush the coolant of my 2001 330i. The price from Dealer is a little steep. So do you guys think it's alright to do the service at other auto shops such as "precision tune"?

Is there a particular kind of coolant they should use?

Thanks

brave1heart

My Dunlop M2 WinterSport snow tires handle about as good as any all-season tire, are H-rated, and offer a quiet, comfortable ride. There's no real good reason to run all-seasons in Nov-Dec if you already have dedicated snow tires.

brave1heart

Use the BMW coolant. If you can't DIY, go to a good BMW indie. It's not too complicated to do and for just about any repair, I'd trust a good indie more than the dealer. Last time a friend of mine with a 325ci had an oil change, they returned the car to him with the engine lid off. 'Nuff said about QA at BMW dealerships.

brave1heart

It's either the window regulator or the motor. Mostly likely the regulator, which is a very common problem with E36 and E46 cars. It happened to me too. The dealer wanted ~ $500. Turner Motorsport put in one that was left over from one of their cars for ~ $100.

robopop

Perhaps I mislead you, I run all seasons in the summer as well as spring and fall (Michelin pilot sport A/S) and have winter tires for when it really snows (Michelin pilot alpins) which, although they are certainly not bad on dry roads, are not as good as the A/S on dry (or wet) roads. The winter tires much more easily break loose under acceleration than the A/S tires. Granted summer tires would be even better but I was put off buying them by the idea that at non-summer temperatures the summer tires become hard and grip less well (info from Tire Rack and other sources). Living in upstate NY, spring and fall temps are frequently low without any real snow around. On balance, I decided to opt for longer period of slightly less "spirited" driving by using the A/S tires. Perhaps I'm being overly cautious with respect to summer tires in cold weather but I sleep more soundly at the wheel not having to worry. ;-)

blueguydotcom

How can you include tires in this? Are you saying BMW tires cost more than Lexus tires? Again, from experience, I would have to spend $3500 in unanticpated expenses over the next 2 years. Highly unlikely and doubtful.


I consider tires part of the maintenance costs and yeah tires for most everything else I looked at would be cheaper. My car has 18s; 16s and 17s are cheaper to replace, plus they last longer.

jim1395

i saw a 325xi today on the parkway, it had about 15-20 antennas on the roof. the small ones like for aftermarket gps or xm radio. it looked so ridiculous. what could all of those be for?

riez

Technical Editor Mike Miller has some fascinating comments in the February 2005 issue of Bimmer magazine. As Mike points out in his article on manual transmission and differential fluid changes:

Pre-"free" "recommended" maintenance intervals:
- 1,200 mile break-in service
- oil changes every 3,000 miles
- automatic transmission fluid and filter change every 15,000 miles
- manual transmission fluid change every 30,000 miles
- differential fluid changed every 30,000 miles
- brake fluid chance annually
- coolant fluid changed every 2 years

Post-"free" "recommended" maintenance intervals:
- No initial break in service (except M)
- Oil and filter change around 15,000 miles
- No automatic transmission fluid or filter changes
- No manual transmisison fluid changes
- No differential fluid changes
- brake fluid changed every 2 years
- coolant fluid changed every 3 years

He also points out:

"BMW dealership technicians no long open up gearboxes and differentials for repairs. Instead, the factory fix is to buy a BMW remanufactured gearbox or differential--or automatic transmission-instead."

"No one knows exactly what BMW's proprietary ATF is, so no one knows if there are viable alternatives. We do know that BMW dealerships charge about $500 for an ATF and filter service, mainly due to the price of the ATF. That's assuming you can get them to do the job, which is often not the case."

In the December 2004 issue of Roundel (BMW CCA), Mike also points out that prior to the "free" era, BMW used to recommend replacing the fuel filter at around 30,000 miles, which he still recommends.

Is truly scaring to see how little real maintenance is actually done on BMWs during the first 4/50.

jasond

These differences are very scary. It's difficult to believe that they are not driven by financial considerations. I have never owned a vehicle that, according to the guidelines, requires so little upkeep and maintenance. I wonder whether we all won't pay a price for this in the future.

bmwdoug

A 2001 525i, automatic, with premium package, 39,000 miles, asking price is $24500. Silver color.  Or, a 2001 325i, automatic, sport and premium package, 67,000 miles, extended warranty to 100,000 or two more years, asking price $18,900. Silver color. Both cars are outstanding condition.  Thanks for any input.

m4d_cow

my car got into accident yesterday, a guy in a chevy s10 were speeding passed a red light and i didnt see it coming. car was a real mess, damage from the front passenger's door up to the rear quarter. and turned out the guy was DUI and uninsured meaning its gonna be too much spendings on repairs...
im thinking of buying another one, but since a new ones coming soon, should i wait a bit longer or not? comments will be appreciated, thanks.

kyfdx

Really sorry to hear that... I know that is a terrible feeling..

I guess it depends on how much you liked your car... If it was everything you expected, go get another one... If not, there are lots and lots of choices out there....

kdshapiro

riez - you cross posted on a number of different forums. One has to believe there is nothing that will sink a manufacturer faster than cars falling apart due to an ill-advised maintenance schedule.

As such I follow the manufacturers recommendation. The two cars I had that were long term 8+ years and 100+K I never did any service on the auto tranny or diff and nary a problem.

So as such I have to believe that BMW won't throw the baby out with the bathwater on the ATF service.

rob139

im thinking of getting a 96 328ic. the power top will likely be an ongoing issue guaging from other posts but it works at this time. any suggestions on what to look out for? clean car fax, 2 prev owners, pretty good records. 5 spd manual clutch felt a bit high, is this normal? im trying not to get too caught up in excitement of car. any thoughts on non-factory warranties? i was told there is a 3 year 1800$ option which given cost of repairs may be worthwhile. thanks

mschukar

It's difficult to believe that they are not driven by financial considerations

Perhaps, but what financial considerations are you talking about? Is it really worth that much to BMW to offer free scheduled maintenance vs. the bad reputation that would result from engine failures?

A friend was concerned by the 15k oil change interval, stating that he still changes every 3000 miles like his dad did. My question, have engines and oil improved over the last 40 years? If so, why would the same maintenance be required?

-murray

ballfire8888

For those of you changing your oil outside of the BMW free maintenance, what oil are you using?

I saw some threads denouncing Mobil 1 5W30 and insisting on 0W40 due to the A3 rating!!!

gordonwd

With fresh snow and slush on the roads this morning, I got my first taste of the Dynamic Stability Control on my 325i. Going around an obviously slippery corner, I intentionally goosed it a bit to see how much the back end would slide out, and the DSC did a good job of catching the skid.

I was pretty impressed by the way it works, but it will take some getting used to the feel of it. With a manual-trans car, I am used to the exact responsiveness of the car to what my right foot is doing; but when DSC kicks in, the first impression is that the engine is "bogging down" or is about to stall. Luckily the light on the dash blinks brightly so you know what is actually going on.

This might make the car much better through the winter on the standard all-season tires than I expected, but -- just like with ABS -- this feature cannot repeal the laws of physics! I'll still have to learn the limits of the car over time (I spent the last 6 winters in an A4 Quattro, which gave me a lot more confidence in what I could get away with).

div2

There's certainly nothing wrong with Mobil 1 5W-30, but the 0W-40 formulation not only meets the more demanding ACEA standards but also meets BMW's Longlife oil LL-01 specifications.

div2

BMW actually extended the brake fluid and coolant change intervals back in the early 1990s, and I've yet to see any evidence that the increased maintenance intervals have had any effect on the longevity of brake or cooling system components. That said, I would change the brake fluid on a 6-12 month interval if I planned to use the car at drivers schools on a frequent basis.
BMW now calls for 100000 mile ATF change intervals. At 111000 miles the GM slushbox in my wife's E39 is still going strong. ATF failures appear to be rare based on the sample of cars owned by members of the E39 Digest Group.
As for the elimination of MT and diff oil changes,... Well again, I have yet to see any evidence that this practice is causing these components to fail prematurely. And I would probably change the oil in the MT and diff on a 50000-60000 mile interval if I tracked the car. For street use the factory installed BMW synthetic should be good for 150000+ miles at least.
The 15000 mile oil change interval may be pushing things a bit; I have seen some nasty M52 valve covers removed from cars that went @15000 miles on the BMW Synthetic. I tend to think(as does Shipo, I believe) that the BMW oil may not be as suitable as Mobil 1 0W-40 for extended drain intervals.
When all is said and done, you should perform a level of maintenance that gives you peace of mind. In my case-based on over 20 years of driving and wrenching on BMWs-I change the oil every 8000-9000 miles and the coolant every three years on both my E36 and E39. My E36 gets 60000 mile MT and diff oil changes, and annual brake fluid flushes, while the E39 gets 100000 mile ATF and diff oil changes as well as a brake fluid change every two years. As they say, YOUR mileage may vary...;)

robopop

The idea of a simple siphoning of the engine oil and replacement at the half way point in the "extended oil" interval is a concept that should be considered by those of us a wee bit concerned about the average 15,000 mile interval. It has been well covered before but should be mentioned for the "newbies" on the board. It is hard to get ones mind around the concept of 15,000 miles when we are so accustomed to the "3000 mile change or lose your car" that has been the standard line since the fifties at least.

kdshapiro

I have read one post on another board how someone took the time and money to have their synthetic oil analyzed at or around 15K miles. The analysis came back that there was some more life left to the oil. The whole thread went back and forth on this, but the evidence in this case seems incontrovertable, that at 15K the oil did not break down to the point of not protecting the engine. Obviously YMMV, but I think the jury will be out on this extended maintenance for several years to come.

div2

I'd bet that a car used only for long interstate jaunts could get away with 25000 mile changes. In contrast, a car that only gets used for short trips may need a change interval under 10000 miles. The problem is, 99% of the so-called "evidence" concerning extended maintenance intervals is either anecdotal or pure conjecture. Just for giggles I checked out my old 1972 Bavaria 3.0 owners manual and found that BMW used to call for Inspection I at 4000 miles and Inspection II at 8000 miles...