BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

paule

The 3 series/M3 make Car and Driver's 10 best list yet again for the '05 model year.

 

Best Luxury Sports Sedan: BMW 3-Series/M3

kdshapiro

While the 3/M3 may not be for everybody and people can nit-pick the cars, the fact remains if you want to drive and entry level sports sedan, this is still the top of the heap, for now.

sunilb

Actually, C&D had a category for Best Sports Sedan [Acura TSX] and then Best Luxury Sports Sedan [3/M3-series].

 

Not sure if they've done this in the past, but to me it seems like a bit of a cop-out as the Acura is in the same ball-park as the 3 when it comes to luxury.

kdshapiro

I noticed that myself. From what I've read the TSX is deserving of a spot. It's not the car for me, FWD, 4 cylinder, etc, but people really like it. Then again I don't consider the 3 luxurious by any means, but with the exception of the Lexus ES all the competitors get exactly the same grade as far as the luxury grade goes. I don't consider one to be better than the other or one to be worse then the other.

 

I just consider the 3/5 to have an extremely functional interior, even with the i-drive.

webby1

Thanks kyfx and others.

 

I have noticed that Pirelli P Zero does not make 205-50-17 so I assume I would have to go to 225-45-R17 which is also the standard size for the 330I in Germany.

What is the difference in these sizes...taller, wider and what impact on driving?

Thanks again to all.

Regards,

Webby

ggs1

i am considering buying either the g35x or the bmw325xi and i need input.i realize this is probably an apples to oranges comparison since you get more bang for your buck with the infiniti, but after having driven both i continue to lean toward the bmw.i could move up to the 330xi but can't seem to justify paying the extra 5 to 7 grand and i'm not crazy about new body style on 2006 model.i would appreciate any and all advice from those of you who have experience with these cars.sincerely ggs1

lovemyclk

A couple of things... the upcoming e90 3-Series will, indeed, have a new exterior/interior style. Along with that will be slightly more useful room and supposedly better driveability. iDrive will be an option on the 3er.

 

To add to this, the next 325 will also have a new and more powerful powerplant. More HP, less weight. Should improve overall performance, not that the current 325 is bad.

 

On top of all the empirical data points, which car do you desire the most? Would feel the best driving? Don't overlook the emotional aspect to owning a fine car!

novice

I just spoke to an old friend this weekend who has a G35 for over a year. Here's the evaluation he and his wife give it at this point: They love the power and speed it provides--it's a fun car to drive. Very comfortable front seats. But it transmits every bump and flaw in the road, so the ride is punishing on some roads in Pennsylvania. Too much wind noise at higher speeds. Radio is sub-par. In short, they like the car in some respects, but wouldn't buy another one.

fla528

I have just purchased a 2000 323ic convertible and my family loves it! especially my two year old who yells "top down". My question is that the factory warranty ended in July of 2004. Any suggestions on buying a extended warranty plan and who from...????

Thanks for any help..!!

kyfdx

Same overall height... 1 cm wider.. So, just a little wider contact patch, giving you a little less weight per sq.inch... and a little better dry road stability..

gordonwd

Now that I no longer have a motorcycle to buy accessories for and install them, my thoughts naturally turn to the many goodies available for E46s. I like the look of the clear signal lenses to replace the amber lenses, but I am wondering how likely I am to get hassled about them.

 

You might notice that the places that sell them cop out by putting the "For off-road use only" phrase (yeah, right!) in their ads. This is because even though these lights will flash amber (due to amber bulbs), they will not act as correct amber side _reflectors_ as required by law in the U.S.

 

So has anyone heard of anyone actually being cited for this? It certainly seems like something that would go unnoticed unless a knowledgeable cop were doing a full inspection of your car. It also seems like they sell enough of these kits that most people must be getting away with it. Comments anyone?

 

  Doug G

div2

If you run clear turn signal lenses with amber bulbs you won't get hassled at all. The police tend to zero in on the Tune-A-Roni cars running all clear lenses with blue or green bulbs. FWIW, I replaced the sealed beam headlamps in my 1974 Monte Carlo, my 1978 Arrow GT 2.6, my 1973 Bavaria, and my 1987 535is with "Off Road Use Only" Cibies european(E-Code)headlamps. My 1999 Jeep Wrangler currently sports Hella E-Code lamps. I've NEVER been hassled by the police about them

m4d_cow

ive been wondering about the same thing as well, is it legal in WA state?

 

ggs1:

gx: more power, faster, bigger and roomier

3er: smoother ride, handles better, more comfortable seats, better materials inside out

 

bmw is surely more expensive, but worth it, and now is a good time to buy one (imo) as the new model is coming soon and buying now means discount

kyfdx

You had a Plymouth Arrow? That was almost my first new car..

 

The deal fell apart over a pricing change.. They had my trade for about a day (high-mile '70 Galaxie).. When I went back to get my car, I couldn't get it started (no surprise), and had to have it towed away!! That kind of ate into the $100 I was getting for it..

 

Ahh... not so fond memories

div2

That was a typo; I actually had a 1979 Arrow. It had the big 2600 four banger as well as four wheel discs. It was pretty quick for it's day. I sold it in 1983 and bought a 1973 Bavaria(a car I had wanted ever since I saw the first ad in Car and Driver back in 1971)-the rest is history...;)

midtowneast

I purchased the clear light set form BMW and they came with amber lights. If you want to keep the clear look BMW also offers silver bulbs that flash yellow. I opted for that after a week of two with the amber setup. I am not sure of the parts numbers but they are available on Circle BMW' website. And this setup is all legal.

3catmom

Hi. I own a 2003 300i. I have no idea what I did but, both my remotes aren't working and I can't activate the alarm. I have to lock the doors manually - remote doesn't work to lock or unlock the doors or trunk and the little red alarm light won't blink. Also, now when I go to leave the car, it beeps as long as the door is open - never did this before. This all happened suddenly tonight so I'm hoping that it's just something I did. Any ideas?? Thanks.

ek01

I have a 2002 330i with 77,000km. I have only had the car for half a year and am not fully knowledgeable about the car. I have been checking the manual on how to determine if the brake pads need replacing but haven't had any luck. Is there an audible alarm on an indicator on the dashboard to alert the driver? Appreciate the help.

paule

I'm just taking a wild guess at this one but I would try disconnecting the battery, waiting a couple of minutes, and reconnecting it and see if things "reset".

erickpl

Yes, there is a visual indicator on the dash. However, once that trips, you also have to replace the brake sensor as the wearing that causes that light to activate also destroys the sensor. You can have your tires/wheels checked and see how much pad is left.

 

-Paul

brave1heart

Not quite true. Tripping the brake sensor light on the dash does NOT destroy the sensor. All you need to do (have done it multiple times) is turn the ignition key without starting the car and keep it there for 30 sec or so. That resets the light assuming you've already put in pads with the minimum required thickness (3 mm for E46 cars). Also, the sensor is not that expensive - $10-20 from Pacific BMW.

 

As far as determining pad thickness. Just peak through the rims spokes with a flashlight and visually estimate.

tcn2k

So i changed my rear brakes about 2 weeks ago. It start snowing heavily here a few days now, and yesterday my vehicle rear right made squeeking sounds during slow brake application. I had my vehicle into the shop for warranty work today and the guy called me and asked if i had the brakes done else where. He said that you usually need to put some lubricant on the brake pads before installing the new brakes pads. Is this true? I didn't notice that on most DIY website and here from shipo and others.... Just wondering if he's just saying that or could the brakes just be wet? But if it is wet, it seems to only happen on one side, the right rear.

kyfdx

I hope he means on the back side of the pads...

paule

He's probably referring to the grooves on the ends of the pads that slide on the caliper rails. You should never put anything on the friction face of the pads themselves.

 

A brake pad is basically a friction face that is bonded to a metal plate. The metal plate has grooves on either end that slide on the caliper rails. This is where you should use some type of lubricant to allow the plates to slide freely on the calipers. I generally use something like wheel bearing grease.

 

One other thing that will prevent noise is to use a type of adhesive on the back of the metal plate where it clips into the caliper. This prevents the pads from moving in relation to the piston part of the caliper.

 

Adding the "anti-squeal" adhesive would require removal of the pads.

 

You probably could add some grease to the edges of the metal plates without removing the pads. Remove the wheels and put a little grease where the metal plates slide on the caliper rails.

 

I'd like to add that I have never looked at BMW brakes but I'm assuming they are like most other disc brake systems for which the previous comments would apply.

brave1heart

I agree with everything paule mentioned. In my experience, stock pads have never squealed. Performance pads like the Hawks usually do under light braking and that's all corners. Regardless of the type of pad you use, you should always bed your new pads to the rotors. The detailed procedure is easy to find on the internet but it basically requires you to heat up the brakes with light braking and then do repeated braking heavy from 60 to 10 mph (about 7-8 times) and then drive around for 5-10 min ideally without braking to cool off the brakes.

div2

I remember installing new pads on my M6 the night before a drivers school at Memphis Motorsport Park. I was out at 1:30AM bedding in the pads in a quiet residential area. At least the police never found me...;)

brave1heart

That would have taken a lot of 'splaining: "Officer, you gotta believe me - I had to go 60 in a 35 mph zone and then brake hard to 10 mph because the pads bed in better that way. And then I had to do it 7 more times"!!

brave1heart

What happened here? I thought I was on a different website. Nice look and feel!!

div2

Yeah, and having big numbers stuck on the side windows don't help either...

95mushroom

Hello,

 Your guys' BMW charm still to wear on my family. We're starting in the market for a used 3-series. Me, being the car-guy that I am, would like a 330i. However the price difference between the 330i and 325i is enough for me consider the 325i. What you guys opinions between the two? Obviously the 330i has more power, but is the 325i a slouch? I would be coming out of an Oldsmobile Aurora that had an awesome V8 so would the 325 be livable?

 

Thanks so much in advance for any help!

 

Shawn

sunilb

just test drive both (even if you test drive new cars). I found the 325i to be livable, but the 330i worth the extra cost. Depends on your driving style and what you are looking for out the car.

m4d_cow

325 loses only in acceleration, nothing else imo except for minor details and some features.

kyfdx

Drive the 325i first.. If you like it, don't drive the 330i..

 

This is my advice for all cars that come with two engine options... Once you drive the more powerful one, it is hard to be satisfied with the other...

webby1

Absolutely true !!!!

bb101

Looking at the 2005 325i and have found one with the color and options I want, only catch is it has the brushed aluminum trim instead of the wood trim. I think it looks nice, but it is odd how few of the 2005's have the aluminum trim. Of the 20+ 325i's on the lot, only 1 had the aluminum. What bothers me is the impact on the re-sale value. Any thoughts?

div2

Who cares? Buy what you like!

paule

I believe that was an option for '05 where it used to be standard. The only reason why I know is that my wife and I were looking at '04s where it was standard and she mentioned she liked the wood better. I rambled on something about being able to buy the wood trim afterwards and put it on.

 

Well, it looks like BMW was 100% interested in what my wife wanted because they switched course and made the wood trim standard for '05. So,....you can look at it as you have a car with an option that is pretty rare

 

I'm pretty sure there will be no effect on resale. If you really want the wood trim look, negotiate with your dealer that he swap it out.

tangko1959

Sure...you will be alert by a sign lighting up if the brake pads are too thin....the sign is located just upper the airbag checking sign (in between of the ABS and tire pressure checking signs)....the sign is likely a circle with three dots each side...try to check it out...

kyfdx

It used to be that wood trim only came with the premium package... So, when you saw aluminum, it meant the car was missing some options.. As stated above, it is now a no-cost option..

 

I think it looks great with the black or grey interior.. Not so good with sand..

 

Even though used BMW buyers are known to be picky about options, I doubt this one would affect re-sale.

m4d_cow

wood trim is now standard on all 05 3ers replacing the aluminum trim, which is now optional

ru777

An easy question to anyone who has a 2004 or 2005 BMW 325.

 

Can it play MP3's when recorded on a CD ?

 

My local dealer has quoted $250 to install an iPod adaptor.

 

Thanks!

Ru777

cartalk

$250 just for the iPod install or including the part?

 

The part itself is $149. Labor, per service manual, is 1.5 hours.

ru777

thats for parts+labor.

 

Can anyone answer my initial question, please.

Thank you!

poper3

On my 04 I could play MP3s if they were only burned on a disc as an audio file, which kinda defeated the whole MP3 purpose of jamming a few hundred songs on a disk.

paule

Man, you're making me break out the owner's manual.

 

From the BMW "Owner's manual for the radio":

and I quote, "The CD player can also play CDs containing compressed audio data in formats such as MP3 or WMA."

ru777

Thats great.

 

Thank you paule & popper3

 

This forum rocks -as usual.

Ru777

mschukar

My local dealer has quoted $250 to install an iPod adaptor.

 

If you have an iPod or other MP3 player, you can get an aux input adapter (headphone jack) for $40 on '03 models and newer. http://tinyurl.com/4wtkk

 

If you don't have an iPod, you can get the new iPod Shuffle for $99 http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/

 

-murray

nyccarguy

I've been lingering around ebay and just checking out the going rate for 1998 & 1999 E36 M3s. Not that I would ever buy a car off ebay, much less an M3. Kind of a bummer that I see all the low mileage ones seem to be Automatic Convertibles and all the high mileage cars seem to have sticks coupes.

kyfdx

It can take awhile.. but, there are good ones out there.. Usually about every 3 months or so, I'll see a nice '98 or '99 with under 60K and all the right stuff... Most of them are asking around $24K-$25K, though.. I'd think a price down around $18K-$20K for a nice one, would be a good deal.... roadfly classifieds is a good place to look.

 

regards,

kyfdx

div2

Here's one I let get away...

A friend dropped by after work one day driving a silver 1997 M3 coupe. A local Chevy dealer had just taken it in trade and my friend wanted me to look it over. It needed a good detailing and it had 102K on the clock but it felt tight and everything on the car worked(well, I did forget to check the OEM CD changer). I took it down a local winding two lane and it drove great. He wound up buying it-for $10800. DRAT! I wish

I had seen it first. I advised my friend to change all the fluids, air/oil filters, and the plugs. It wound up taking less than $500 to get it into near-perfect mechanical and cosmetic shape. It had no real issues that I could detect; the windshield had a stone chip that I believe can be repaired, the wheels had a few minor scratches, the tires were half worn Kumho Ecsta 712s, and the air sampling fan on the digital climate control was a bit noisy. All the OEM DOT VIN stickers were present and accounted for. The only thing AWOL from the tool kit was the tow hook. I even found a Peake R5 reset tool in the glove box. GRRRR...