BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

potemkin

"Michelin can only be partially blamed in this case."

Respectfully disagree.

Michelin can be fully blamed. There has been plenty of opportunities between the time of the resurfacing and the race for Michelin to get the necessary information to provide their racing teams with a viable tire.

While what happened Sunday was unfortunate, I can't fault anyone else for what happened. To race on the Michelins after being warned by the manufacturer would be criminal. For FIA to change the rules to accomodate seven of the teams would be to punish the three that were playing by the rules, even if they gave all the points to the Bridgestone Three -- there's more than just points a stake here, there's winning the USGP race itself. Would Michelin drivers have taken the podium and accepted the trophies?

Under the circumstances, both the drivers and FIA did what they're supposed to do. Right now, all involved need to spend all the air-time available to them simply apologizing to the fans for what happened. But I suspect they'll waste all this valuable capital blaming each other.

brave1heart

I don't believe Michelin is trying to convince everyone else that this is not their fault. They did not do their homework and nothing can mask the fact that this is a total embarrassment for them.

The point is, what do you do once you realize that you've screwed up? No other Michelin tire has ever been tested with the new track surface in these cars and the risk of failure would remain if they were running Turn 13 in its intended configuration. 9 out of 10 teams would have run the chicane (that's everyone BUT Ferrari). Why not save the race by essentially giving Ferrari 1-2 and adding a chicane? The rules are there mostly to make sure that they keep the playing field level as much as possible. If 9/10ths of the playing field and everyone else benefit from adding a chicane, FIA should bend a rule to accommodate that and reward the parties (Ferrari) that make the biggest compromise in the interest of the fans. NASCAR is so successful because they take care of their fans. The only way they could that is by writing their rules with a pencil, not carve them in stone.

potemkin

Brave, didn't mean to imply that Michelin was trying to deflect blame. As far as I can tell, Michelin is acting responsibly throughout this ordeal and should be applauded for their actions.

The only one acting cravenly here (so far) is Tony George, CEO of the IMS. Though definitely blameless, he still felt obligated to issue a press release saying, "Here they are. Go and get them!"
Crass Statement Here.

No wonder nobody likes that guy.

I repeat: Everybody involved (regardless of blame) needs to get together and apologize to the fans as loud and long as possible. A simple, "We're sorry, it won't happen again" will suffice. It worked for Hugh Grant, It'll work for F1.

kyfdx

I would have been screaming for my money back, also...

No wonder their following in the US is so minuscule...

brave1heart

Yep, the state of road racing in the U.S. is miserable and now F1 is no exception. It's sad... for me at least. I went to see Brock Yates from Car & Driver at a PCA meeting here in Boston a couple of months ago and when someone asked him what he thought of the state of road racing in the U.S., his response was "I'm bored". I too used to watch CART all the time but can't keep up with them with the horrible coverage they are getting. IRL... forget it - what road-racing fan would want to watch cars turn left all day... I actually liked F1 a lot this year (sans the qualification rules and miserable BMW performance)... guess they are never making a comeback in the U.S. plus Montreal is a more fun place to go to than Indianapolis anyhow. The Indy stadium holds 500,000 fans - they only had 130,000 this year and if they have the guts to come back next year (I seriously doubt it), there will be half of that... All hail NASCAR - after all Windows was (still is!) a much inferior system compared to Apple but still won in the end. Good thing the Grand Am cup looks interesting this year...

paule

The "Good 'ol Boys" are racing at Infineon this weekend. They better know how to turn right or it's going to be a very short race for them!

alibajalajaula

I had to take my ZHP to a BMW dealership bodyshop (Momentum West in Houston) and I was very dissapointed for the excessive amount of time they took. :mad: It so happen that the same day I got my car from the shop, I got rear ended :mad: .Basically the driver side tailight. Due to the sub-par performance of the the dealership bodyshop I decided to take my baby to an indie, fully recommended by my insurance.
When the car was delivered the safety warning triangle that is stored in the left side of the trunk was gone. I demanded an explanation and the manager said: Huh,huh, dunno...don't even know if it was there in the first place. Maybe the employee knows, etc, all kinds of BS.Finally he agrees to get a replacement. Guess what? BMW NA had discontinued this item. I went to two dealers and the only triangle sold is the a generic BMW, which of course does not fit in the slot nor the clip meant for it.The bodyshop guy offered me that and I refused. The original part number for the 330i ZHP is 71-60-1-095-457, and its shown as NLA -no longer available. I can't believe that a component from a year old car is NLA. One of the parts clerks said that this was like the First Aid kit. If you loose it, forget about, can't be replaced.
To the audience (blueguy, kyfdx,shipo,etc,anyone) what do y'all think about this. Should I settle for the generic (which will be dangling in the trunk); would it be too visible as a missing item? How much could this affect the resale value of the car? What would be a reasonable amount to request damages from the body shop? Any similar experience? Thanks guys

blueguydotcom

would it be too visible as a missing item? How much could this affect the resale value of the car?

I don't have one. Never heard of it. Neither my bro-in-laws 3 has one nor does a friend's 3. :confuse:

I'd say it has zero impact on resale. 99% of the people looking to buy a car don't check foo tools or spare tires or anything that isn't immediately visible and/or would impact the operation of the car.

div2

Would this be what you are looking for?

If so contact Steve Diamond at Eurobuyers. Steve is a good guy with very fair prices.

shipo

To the best of my knowledge, cars sourced here in the U.S.A. do not include a warning triangle in the toolkit, in spite of the fact that said toolkit is molded with just such a slot.

On the other hand, if you picked your car up via the ED program, then you should definitely have the aforementioned warning triangle.

So, I guess the question is: Do you know for sure that your car was delivered with the triangle? FWIW, given that said triangle is not part of the normal North American equipment list, my ED sourced 530i managed to get returned sans the triangle, it now resides in a Dodge Caravan. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

alibajalajaula

Yes, indeed. Its exactly what was removed from my car. I'm pretty detailed oriented and like to keep my e46 as complete as possible. Very much appreciated.

gordonwd

BMW will have its own complete F1 racing team next year, having bought the Sauber operation lock, stock, and barrel. I guess they might still supply engines to Williams, but that relationship has been rocky lately.

The thing that I wonder about it this: This deal has probably been in the works for quite a while now. I believe that the U.S. is BMW's biggest market outside of Germany. So I would expect that BMW's brass were having some conniptions last Sunday when they watched the future of F1 racing in the U.S. go down the tubes with the tire fiasco at Indy!

memphis10

I like the move. BMW was talking a lot of heat for Williams screwups. Atleast, now they can't blame it on others. I like the statement of BMW board member Dr. Burkhard Goschel

"We will be taking responsibility for the engine, for the chassis, for the entire package."

"It will enable us to demonstrate our competence as a car manufacturer.

brave1heart

That deal's been in the works for a while. There was mounting tention between Williams and BMW and the relationship had deteriorated to a degree when they started criticizing each other publicly a few weeks ago. BMW has had its share of problems as well (they blew both engines in the beginning of one of the races) but overall, complete control will allow them to deliver a more competitive car. Maybe not right away but at least in a couple of years they'd be in a better position. Rumors are that Williams are going to source engines from Toyota.

wayde

wondering if people could share their recent deals on the now "old" 2005 330i/325i.
a dealer here has 2 sedans (330i) left - wondering what a good closeout price is.

kyfdx

The 330i had a $4200 dealer incentive that expired at the end of May..

The dealer most likely reported the car as sold on 5/31, and collected that $4200.. (If he didn't, he is an idiot and you don't want the car for what he wants for it.)

So, your target price should be very close to dealer invoice minus the $4200.. Maybe, $500-$800 over that at the most... This should give you a price around $7000-$7800 under MSRP..

regards,
kyfdx

wayde

wow, you're fast - thanks kyfdx!! i'll see what they say now that i have that info...

brave1heart

Wow, invoice minus $4200 for a 330i? That would be an awesome deal. Figure ~ 30-33 grand for a reasonably well equipped one. So considering the E90's MSRP will be about the same and it will sell at close to MSRP for a few months, you can get an E46 for about $7,000 less right now, all else equal? That's a no brainer!

jasond

Hi Shipo, thanks for your good advice. My local BMW dealership uses a torque rench exclusively so I am getting them to do the tire rotation and balancing. Discount Tire claim that they use a torque rench for tire rotation on imports and a pneumatic impact wrench for American-made vehicles. Since, however, one cannot watch the process this seemed the less reliable option. Again thank you, sincerely, Jason

blueguydotcom

Actually, it's not that simple. 1. the e90 is already selling for at minimum 1k under msrp. 2. the e90 330i comes standard with more features than the e46 330i. An e90 equipped the same way as my 03 330i is about 3k cheaper - with more features!

amt7565

Yes, I got my 330i Sport last month for $7200 off MSRP
Two weeks later I got my friend also the same deal. He got $7400 off a ZHP.

This is in Texas.

venture

After many washings my '05 325i is not beading water like it used to. I guess it's time to wax it.

I'm using a car wash that the dealer gave me, but I'm almost out of it. Any recommendations for a good wash liquid?

I have used Zaino in the past on my other black cars with great results.

Any reason to not Zaino this one (other than it's a lot of work) ?

div2

BMW, Meguiars, and Sonax sell good car wash soaps.

tootsie1

I have a black BMW and I admit it is very babied. I got the dealership paint protection on it and I have never let the car get dirty. So when it gets dusty, different from dirty, I bring the BMW in for a hand wash (After first trying a brand new California duster on it, but wax (from the duster) with the wax on my BMW ending up streaaking on the paint with a dull waxy finish. The times I have gone to two different car washes, they have jus suggested just rinsing car and not used any soap, saying it is better for the shine not to use soap. Has anyone else heard of this? The car is shiney, and pristine after the rinse, but still I wonder. Any enlightment would be appreciated.

TIA.

grantchstr

I made the mistake of getting a black BMW, it always looks dirty when my other cars (metallic silver and metallic beige) look clean. It pisses me off that I was so stupid ( I was persuaded by the dealer!) that I will respray my car silver.........

tootsie1

that sounds a little drastic repainting the car another color. black is usually best for resale while a repainted car sinks resale rates considerably.. just my opinion. do whatever makes you happy.

kyfdx

If you rinse off your car, and it looks good.... then, you don't need the soap...

kyfdx

Are you going to use a paintbrush.... or, just cans of Rustoleum?

kyfdx

Walking the local BMW dealer's lot...

A new '05 325Cic convertible.. I think it just came back from Euro Delivery, as it had the German license plates front and rear, and was fairly dirty... Still had the sticker on the window.. The only options were metallic paint, leather and automatic.. It MSRPed for just barely over $40K...

The guy probably only paid $36K for it, with the ED discount.. Considering the low option level, he might just have the cheapest new 325 convertible on the planet..

ximbri

Hey Paule!
Sorry for the delay in responding. Thank you for your suggestions! The track does look clear, so not sure what the trouble is...though I’m really not too worried about it. I've done some more testing and seams to only 'bounce back' when I open the roof completely...that is when the roof 'drag's the sunshield back into the headliner with the roof. If I open the roof without the roof 'dragging' the sunshield, I can then double depress the close button and it closes fine...weird eh?
Thanks again!

shipo

Yikes, I remember the days when this discussion would garner well over 100 posts in a single day. ;-)

On another note, I find myself wondering why the 5-Series discussion simply flowed from the E39 through to the E60 without being separated but yet the E46 and E90 discussions were not. Any thoughts?

Best Regards,
Shipo

grantchstr

Are you going to use a paintbrush.... or, just cans of Rustoleum?


MAACO :P

bing330i

I have had my share of problems since replacement of a broken water pump after 3 months of ownership. Now 2 more:

Chirping noise around the steering wheel. After 2 days of diagnostics, the advisor told me it's caused by a broken alternator. Part can not be ordered until Tuesday due to the holiday. So estimated of fix date to be next Wed.

Another problem that they could not figure out was the car makes squeaking noise when making left turn. Not all the times, but quite frequent. At first I thought it was from my music and then realized it was from outside when I had windows down. Initially I thought it was the brakes but was told they were good. What would you guess cause the noise? Bushings?

As the car is 3 years and 48k miles and I intend to keep the car for awhile, I think I will get the BMW's extended warranty, so called the Original Owner Protection Program (2OP). I got the extended maintenance already. does anyone know that would cover the car like the original warranty for 4 years / 50k miles?

TIA.

batman702

You are saying a new 05 330i sport pkg for 7500 off msrp? msrp is 40000 I assume? I can't even get into a 05 325i in Las Vegas for that price. Where can I buy the 330i for ? what 33000? sounds like a good deal to me, where to?

amt7565

Yes, mine was $42,250 and I got it for $35K.
My friend's ZHP was $44,450 and he got it for $37K.

Note that the incentives are gone now, so it's up to the dealer to give you the incentives. I got mine from Autobahn in Fortworth Texas. I think they have 2 silvery/grey sport packages remaining ($42,250). Call and ask from Kamran. Mention the last 2 black/brown packages he sold 6 weeks ago and ask him if he will give you the same deal. Only if you like silver/grey combo.

Good luck!

brave1heart

Yep, probably the sway bar bushings need to be greased. FWIW, y car has 82K miles on it and it has been rock solid even with all the hard driving it's seen. I maintain it well and do preventative maintenace on it.

bing330i

Thanks, Brave, for you always help. I wish I have 10% of your knowledge on car mechanics but unfortunately I have very very little. So I count on dealers maintenance services for its well being.

kyfdx

The extended warranty mirrors the CPO warranty that comes with the CPO cars..

$50 deductible per warranty visit, and a number of differences from the original warranty.. I think you can go to bmwusa.com and get a copy of all of the exclusions...

If you already have the maintenance extension to 6yr/100K, you are obviously going to use the dealer for any service/repair issues.. Since that is the case, the warranty would give you fair value, I think.. Especially since your driving history suggests that you will have around 95K miles, by the time the six years is complete.

regards,
kyfdx

brave1heart

It should take them < 1/2 hr to lift the car, pull the splash guard out, pull the bushings out, grease them, and put them back on.

tootsie1

is the only extended factory warranty available through BMW (would not be interested in anything except manufacuter warranty) 6 years, 100k miles? Can you a longer term with less miles? Ballpark pricing anyone?

Thanks!

kyfdx

Nope...thats it..

$2249 for a 3-series..

tootsie1

OMG that sounds super high, and such a waste paying for 100k miles, when I would be lucky to hit 60k in the same time frame. does it include maintence at that cost? because truly it is only extending the warranty another two years. I am surprised that is the max BMW will go timewise, when all others do at least 7 years, and some like Chrysler certified do 8 years..max milegae is always 100k and is adjustable at 60. 75, 100k miles. I just don't know why BMW expects such high mileage on their cars after 6 years (no one I know drives one that hard -- it is not a work truck after all)... Really shocking, unless the price for the 6years/100k warranty price that you gave me reflects a 100% retail mark up? 2250? whew still have sticker shock that it cost that much for two years peace of mind.!

bing330i

Thanks, kyfdx. I do not see any reference of the extended service contract on bmwusa.com. Do you have the URL? Thanks.

tootsie1,
- Maintenance extension is another $1k.
- The lowest price for extended warranty i have seen is $250 off the MSRP. NOTE: I just realized that my last post was removed by the town hall admin Pat, per edmunds policy not to include an URL to a competitor's site. I did not realize competition is enfored in such way. Google's search for "Yahoo Search" returned all "Yahoo Search" links. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=yahoo+search. If anyone wanted to know the discount source, please let me know, as I can not post dealer name either, per Edmunds policy.
- Most people I know who live in a metrepolitcan areas have comparatively long commute and thus often hit the mileage before the years.

kyfdx

BMW CPO warranty

This details the CPO warranty.. The extended warranty that BMW sells, has the same terms..

regards,
kyfdx

bing330i

Thanks, kyfdx. By reading this PDF file, I still did not get a sense what coverage extactly are different from the original warranty. Maybe because it is getting late :-) Thanks again.

kyfdx

Once you link to that page.. there are four different pages to look at... click on the covered, not-covered, and terms links....

regards,
kyfdx

bing330i

Thanks, kyfdx! It must have been late :-) So $50 deductible per visit is a key diff. As far as covered, not covered, it seems all major items are covered. I would have the extended maintenance to cover those wear stuff. Thanks again...

memphis10

I did not know that BMW NA offers an extended warranty. I thought that they sold extended maintenance and the warranties are offered by third parties that are not very reliable. The only warranty they offered besides the manufacturers warranty was the CPO. Do you have have more details on this extended warranty. Your link has only the CPO warranty details which I understand is similar to the extended warranty you have mentioned. My 4/50 warranty runs out next year and I am eager to explore this option. Thanks.

kyfdx

They started it in September of '04.. It is only available to original purchasers or lessees... It mimics the CPO warrranty exactly....

You have to purchase it before your current warranty runs out... Around $2249 for a RWD 3-series...

regards,
kyfdx

dg2

Clock readout not working. Is there a fuse or something i need to reset? Or is this a dealer fix-it item?

325i sedan 95