BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

grantchstr

Is the extended warranty transferable to a new owner? I would imagine it would have to be transferable.

kyfdx

Yes.. again, it works just like the CPO warranty or the extended maintenance.. Once it is purchased, it stays with the car..

regards,
kyfdx

webby1

Interesting...I asked today if this warranty is available in Canada and the answer was no.
However, the way they get around it is that when you return your car at the end of the lease you buy your car back for additional 1600 cdn plus any work that needs to be done to get it to the Certified Series BMW standards.
In Canada the extended warranty however is only 6 yrs and 120,000 km.
Webby

memphis10

I would like to hear some opinions about buying or not buying the extended warranty. I am sure that I will cross 100K miles before 6 years. I have a 325 5-speed manual and so far there have been minor problems with the door latch assembly and speakers.

kyfdx

1) You'll probably get your money's worth, if you are going to hit the full 100K.. 50K miles of warranty for $2249...

2) If I were getting the warranty, I'd be sure to buy the maintenance extension for another $1000... You'll be going to the dealer, anyway... That will certainly pay for itself.. 60K, 90K service, plus oil service at 75K will certainly add up to $1000, plus you know you'll need brakes during that time, as well...

3) $3250 is a lot of scratch... If you keep the car, it will probably pay off... If you decide to sell, figure it will add about $1000 to the selling price..

Would I do it? I'm not sure... I'm not the original owner of my car, so I can't.. If it makes you keep the car for three more years, the gain from not buying a brand-new car might make it worth it..

regards,
kyfdx

brave1heart

Put the $2249 + $1,000 for maintenance in a bank account and use it for repairs. You should come out ahead. If you are not comfortable with that, sell the car and buy a new one - that should be a better deal.

nyccarguy

Do I have a shot at finding a leftover 2005 E46 325i w/ a stick and Sport Package (those are my minimum requirements)?

nyccarguy

What are the base mfs and lease residuals on a 3 year/ 15,000 mile per year lease for an '05 325i?

gordonwd

My guess is that it will be difficult. Most U.S. dealers stock almost no sticks in the first place, so the pickings are bound to be slim, and probably moreso for the 325. I had to factory-order my 325i manual in order to get anything close to what I wanted.

potemkin

I bought the car you're looking for back in January. Sorry.

If I were you, I'd call every dealer in the area today. Time is NOT on your side.

bing330i

Any dealer should be able to search nationwide master inventory to see if there are cars that match your requirements.

kyfdx

Most won't show on the inventory, because they would have been "punched" at the end of May, to get the $2500 incentive that expired then..

Low-option manuals with sport package.. Not a lot of those to begin with..

Get a list of dealers from the BMW website, and start calling... It might take all day, but you might find one within 500 miles, if you are lucky...

Doubtful, though....

regards,
kyfdx

nyccarguy

I know time isn't on my side. I don't even need a new car right now. My '01 Prelude Type SH is running quite well with a little under 49,000 miles on the odometer. If I find the right one at the right price, then I'll see what happens.

I realize there won't be any cars out there with just the SP and stick shift. Those are the only 2 things I REQUIRE on the car. I emailed a few dealers in my area and will see what they come up with. I'll keep you guys posted.

grantchstr

Most U.S. dealers stock almost no sticks in the first place,

You mean there are that many folks who buy BMWs with auto? You gotta be kidding.

Oops, I forgot I live in America now!.

So the implication is that in the US when you eventually come to sell your used stickshift, no-one will be able to drive the thing. So it follows that the residual values are very low. So the strategy might be to buy a used stickshift fot a song?

kyfdx

Exactly... If you want a stick.. buy it used.. The dealers pound them down on trade-in, so they can be had much cheaper...

nyccarguy

It is a good idea, but I want to lease and leasing used is expensive.

shipo

"So the implication is that in the US when you eventually come to sell your used stickshift, no-one will be able to drive the thing. So it follows that the residual values are very low. So the strategy might be to buy a used stickshift fot a song?"

Hmmm, I wouldn't bet on that strategy, not one bit. Why? The fate of my much loved 2002 530i is why. When I dropped my Sapphire Black/Black Leather 530i 5-Speed, PP, SP, Xenon and Premium Audio off at my local dealership (not the one where I leased it) at lease end the leasing manager (who stated to me on the phone that he didn't really like taking back leased cars that he didn't lease in the first place) took one look at my car and said, "Oh yeah, we're keeping that one!"

I was sort of surprised because I've always heard that dealers cannot stand having well equipped cars with manual transmissions sitting around on their used car lots. With that in mind I asked, "Really? Why?"

"Mr. Shipo, do you have any idea how hard it is to find a nicely equipped E39 SP with a stick these days?"

"Uh, yeah, that's one reason why I usually order my cars directly from the factory."

"Well your car is going to be in very high demand, it'll sell fast."

True to his word, my car was CPOed and on their lot two days later, stickered at an astounding $36,999! To put that in perspective, the U.S. MSRP was $47,395, and I got it for somewhere north of $42,000 via the ED program. Furthermore, were I to have bought it at lease end I would have only had to pay $28,500 (plus or minus a few hundred). I tracked the car daily on the BMW-NA CPO web site and noticed that it sold just over two weeks later, and when I called the leasing manager and asked him how much he got for "my" car, he proudly told me that they got $36,000 for it. Hmmm, so much for "If you want a stick.. buy it used.." ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

blueguydotcom

In fact the buyers are always extremely excited as they want stick!

blueguydotcom

Well my dealership is really testing me now. Over 2 weeks ago they finally discovered my disa valve was bad - after many trips to the dealer with the same complaints about poor power delivery, deadspots in the tach and engine stuttering. But the dealer was out, so they told me they would order one and someone would call when it arrived.

At 10 days after my visit I called for an update. Nobody could tell me if the part was in. I left a message in my SA's voicemail.

7 days later I still had not received a call about the part or a return call from my SA. I called again.

Yes they have the part now. He asked, "What nobody called you?" No, nobody. Grrr. And I left a voicemail for you last Friday, thus I expected a callback within a WEEK. No response. "Okay, i'll transfer you to set up an appointment."

I get the appt guy and he offers a time Wednesday...fine. I say I will need a loaner. He tells me he can't guarantee it. Well dude it's your dealership's fault this wasn't fixed long ago. It's your dealership that failed to call me when the part arrived and it's your dealership's SA who didn't return my call...I best get the free loaner.

He repeated: no guarantee. Even though I'm dropping off the car on Thursday at 7 AM? how many rentals fly out the door at 7 am?!

Little miffed at my dealership...the third major part breaking in 2 years 1 month is also weighing on my mind. Miata are you calling my name you sweet, topless cutey?

jamesspot

I'm sorry - I sent one email with my stuttering symptoms (revving hard through 4200 rpm in 2nd gear) and the TSB to my SA and requested they fix this along with my first low mileage (10k, one year) oil change and put on new wipers. They advance ordered the part. Dropped the car off, rode Metro downtown DC, went to the Air & Space Museum, lunch, and War of the Worlds movie with my teen age son on a Friday. Received a cell phone call during lunch saying my car was ready.

Result - car revs like the chain saw it is supposed to, a thank-you email to my SA at Passport, straight 5's when BMWNA called, and I know where I'm going for all of my future dealer warranty and maintenance services.

If my SA was a woman. I'd send her flowers...perhaps a nice Scotch for him??

grantchstr

Given your expperience why do dealers "pound down" trade-ins of stick shifts as "kyfdx" mentioned in another post? Something is amiss......and why didnt you buy the thing and sell it yourself? That was an $8,000 arbitrage opportunity waiting to happen.

The residual on my 2005 325xi (12k/yr stick shift!) is $19,000 ----- so I should buy it after the 36 month lease, right?

shipo

"Given your expperience why do dealers "pound down" trade-ins of stick shifts as "kyfdx" mentioned in another post?"

Hmmm, couldn't tell ya. I've leased two BMWs from two different dealerships (not counting the one where I dropped the 530i off at lease end), and both of them not only stocked new cars with manual transmissions but the had a number of CPO used cars with that same tranny to sell as well. Go figure.

"Something is amiss......and why didnt you buy the thing and sell it yourself? That was an $8,000 arbitrage opportunity waiting to happen."

That's not quite correct. Under the assumption that the CPO program costs somewhere between two and three thousand dollars to establish (between the cost for the insurance policy and the "Once Over" multi point check), so now we are talking a smaller potential gain. Then we need to consider that a "Private Party Resale" never garners the kind of cash that a sale from a dealership's used car lot would and you further diminish the potential gain. The final nail in the coffin so to speak was that Edmunds TMV, KBB, et. all recommended a "Private Party" resale price for my car at somewhere south of $30,000. The fact is that I'm too busy to dink around with selling a car where the potential gain was only a thousand or so dollars. No thanks.

"The residual on my 2005 325xi (12k/yr stick shift!) is $19,000 ----- so I should buy it after the 36 month lease, right?"

If you want the car at the end of the lease, then it will probably be the best deal going. Me, I want wither a new E90 330i or maybe even a lightly used E39 540i-6 or M5. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

fedlawman

You'll pay sales tax if you buy it.

Why not try what I did with my Acura - go to the dealership before the lease is over and offer to SELL it to them. I walked away from my lease one year early and was paid $2,000 to do it!

shipo

"You'll pay sales tax if you buy it."

That of course depends upon where you live. Here in New Hamster we have no sales tax or income tax so buying a car at lease end is irrelevant with regards to the sales tax. Of course the flip side of this is Illinois (where I used to live) where you pay sales tax on the full price of the car when you lease, regardless of what the residual is calculated to be. Then again, since the tax has already been paid, if you buy the car at lease end, there is no tax due.

Best Regards,
Shipo

islander71

Shipo is correct. I bought my 02 330i last November at lease end in Tennessee. In TN we do not have a state income tax, but we do have sales tax. I was required to pay tax on the residual value, though I was able to write off the sales tax on my 2004 tax return.

grantchstr

You'll pay sales tax if you buy it.

Why not try what I did with my Acura - go to the dealership before the lease is over and offer to SELL it to them. I walked away from my lease one year early and was paid $2,000 to do it!

So the dealer also ate the remaining rentals?

The problem with buying at the end of the lease is that there isn't a level playing field - the individual has to pay sales tax but the dealer does not.

grantchstr

I think you would have picked up a lot more than $1,000 for your trouble, I would guess more like 5K. The Private Party TMV numbers are low particulalry for premium type cars for some unknown reason. The PP "TMV" on my Landcruiser is thousands below what the car could be sold for.

grantchstr

The final nail in the coffin so to speak was that Edmunds TMV, KBB, et. all recommended a "Private Party" resale price for my car at somewhere south of $30,000. The fact is that I'm too busy to dink around with selling a car where the potential gain was only a thousand or so dollars. No thanks.

I think you would have picked up a lot more than $1,000 for your trouble, I would guess more like 5K. The Private Party TMV numbers are low particulalry for premium type cars for some unknown reason. The PP "TMV" on my Landcruiser is thousands below what the car could be sold for.

gordonwd

I get the appt guy and he offers a time Wednesday...fine. I say I will need a loaner. He tells me he can't guarantee it.

They probably remember the condition of the last loaner they gave you when you returned it!

ddas

Does the 02 BMW 325i come with a driver's armrest in the center? I am looking to buy one which does not have one and am wondering if that is something that comes standard with this model or not....

Thanks,
ddas

erickpl

is part of the Premium package in 2002. My dealer added it to mine for free when my factory ordered 2002 325xi did not have the premium package. He also added the wood trim for free.

Natural brown leather does NOT look right with the aluminum trim...

-Paul

-Paul

blueguydotcom

hardy har har. It was a cavalier and I drove it to work in rush hour and back to the dealer in rush hour. lousy car on every level.

nyccarguy

Well, I called a few dealers and found a few things out about the leftover E46 models:

1. If you're going to lease, it is better to go with an E90.
2. Dealers seem much more willing to sell you an E90 than an E46. I know they can make more money, but the cars sitting on their lots have got to be costing them money.
3. They don't seem to be in any hurry to get the old E46 cars off their lot.

I found a dealer in NJ (bell bmw) that has an '04 (yes '04) 325i with SP, PP, Heated Seats, Leather, Metallic Paint, and a 5 speed manual transmission with 60 miles and a similarly equipped '05 with 3700 miles for a hair under the 30K mark. Both cars are BMW CPO. They don't seem to want to negotiate on the asking price.

brs1

Hi,
I am having an issue with a 2001 BMW 316i (1.8L, bought in Germany.)

10 seconds after I turn on the engine, after the self-test, the oil warning light comes on for 20 seconds and then goes out.

We took the car to the dealer who replaced the oil sensor. We are still having the problem. Mechanic could not think of anything else that could cause this intermittent behavior. The car behaves normally.

Did anybody have such a problem with their car? What did it turn out to be?
Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
brs1

blueguydotcom

So my dealer replaced my DISA valve to alleviate engine stuttering at 4k rpm when engaging the throttle completely. Didn't solve the problem. A search through other forums shows the same results for other 330i (mostly zhp) owners..

Little frustrated. This is definitely playing on my view of getting an e90.

akv25

Guys:

I have a 03 330i w/ 5 speed manual transmission. I am not sure the engine cuts off at the redline in the car - I have tried it a few times in the first and second gears changing the gear when the rpm hits somewhere north of 6100. Is it that the redline is 6500 where the solid red starts?

I drove a brand new 325 w/ a stick and engine seemed to die as soon as it hit the redline. Any thoughts?

mschukar

I’ve been having a discussion with my co-workers about tires; a couple people insist that I’ll never notice the difference between different brands of performance summer tires unless I take my car to the track. I believe there are differences and taking a corner at 30-40 will put the tires close enough to the limits that differences will be noticed.

I’ve never had the opportunity to drive different tires back to back, but I find it hard to believe that tires are all the same. What do others out there think?

FWIW, I put Fuzion ZRi’s http://snipurl.com/gbsx on my 325i w/SP a couple weeks ago and I definitely notice an improvement over the OEM Conti’s. The co-workers say that difference is because the Conti’s were old :confuse:

-murray

blueguydotcom

Murray,

You should definitely be able to tell the difference among tires (only granny drivers can't tell them apart). I've had RE40s, SA-03s and Ecstas on my 330i. They all behave markedly different. The REs for pure handling have been the best of the bunch. Potenza 03s were plain garbage and the Kumhos have less grip than my oem REs but they're quieter.

brave1heart

There are noticeable differences in noise, ride comfort, and especially handling between identical size summer tires from different brands. My ES100 used to tramline like crazy since Day 1. The Contis were noisy and practically useless toward the end of their life cycle. I am still in awe of the Michelin PS2s that did One Lap with (10K miles on them now).

amt7565

I don't understand what you are trying to accomplish. Engines are designed to cutoff as soon as they reach the red zone to protect the engine from tearing down.

I don't understand why you would drive a brand new 325i and abuse it that way. It first has to pass the break in period. I wonder which poor soul will end up buying that car.

bmwna

I’m with BMW of North America, LLC. I’m so sorry your recent service experience was not what you expected. We are here to work with you and your BMW center. If you would like our assistance, please give us a call at (800) 831-1117, and mention Reference #200520300630 so that we can help you more efficiently.

BMW NA Customer Relations

blueguydotcom

A salesman from my dealership saw a post of mine on another board and contacted me too. Apparently he knows me. He says he always says hi to me when I'm in for service (kinda funny as the car's 2 years old yet I've had it in for THAT much service).

He's offered to intervene but at this point it's too much of a hassle to drive to el cajon, leave the car, get a horrible rental car, go to work, come back, get gas for said horrible rental and then get my car back and it's not fixed. Tired of this game. This car is starting to make my Jetta seem better made.

BTW, at this point passengers are starting to feel the drop in power too. "What was that?" Fine, German engineering, baby.

fomentar

I understand the related risks associated with larger wheels and lower profile tires...I'm in an '03 330xi, sport package. I just encountered another "uneven" rode surface and my left front tire has a lovely bulge/bubble on the sidewall that is threatening the life of the tire...it's basically dead already. It's the second time in six months...yes, I do recall reading other posts like this and commenting to myself that the writer should pay more attention to where they are pointing the car...guilty as charged.

My dilemma is that I have 23K on the tires (Michelin Pilot Sport) and putting one new tire on the car at this point has me wondering if I replace all 4 and keep the remaining 3 'old' tires as replacements for eventual future tire damage...thoughts?

kyfdx

Do you have Pilot Sport All Season, or just Pilot Sports?

I'm going to guess that you have all-seasons, since you have an Xi...

If all-seasons, you could easily have 15K left on them... I'd buy one tire, and put it and the spare on the rear of the car.. (I assume your rear tires wear faster than the fronts? You may not notice if you rotate frequently). With the two best of your other three on the front... and the one with the most wear to the spare...

I'm also assuming your spare is a Pilot A/S..

I'd then forego rotating, as the new ones in the back will wear faster than the front... You'll get the most bang for your buck this way, and won't compromise safety or handling....

Maybe, you won't have another "incident" for awhile..... I wouldn't want to pay $700, just to have 3 old spares to rotate in... If you put new tires on, then trash one right away, you won't want to put an old tire in it's place, anyway..

regards,
kyfdx

akv25

I've driven Hondas that don't cutoff at the redline and still last for more than 150k miles. What am I trying to accomplish - nothing besides knowing what my car's redline is! It's a sports car, so driving it to the limit once in a while won't kill it.

As for the new 325, it happened while I was making a fast left at the lights. I have as much respect for new cars as anyone else,especially German ones. I don't think the poor soul will get a bad car just because the engine reached the redline once. As a matter of fact, I would have willingly bought the car had a better deal not come through.

centralcal

I am looking at buying a used BMW convertible as a second car. Does anyone have any thoughts on a Z3 vs 3 series. Pros/Cons. I last had a e36 with virtually no problems. Z3 seems like a good value for the $. Looking at spending less than $20K. I don't need a back seat, so that isn't in the equation. Thanks.

brislance1

I have been trying to order PBR Deluxe brake pads for my 03 330i since April. Today Import Replacement Parts called me and informed me that they finally received a shipment from Australia. I ordered both front and rear pads which should arrive in a few days. These are the pads Shipo talked about in one of his messages some months ago. They are supposed to be excellent pads that give off little brake dust! Their phone number is 425 357-6818. The sales person told me that they now have front and rear pads for 01-05 BMW 3 series.

Since I am not a mechanic, can anyone tell me how much I should expect to pay to have the pads put on by an independent shop? Would appreciate any input anyone can give on this question.

Thanks,

driver77

Recently I nicked the curb with my rim while parallel parking. It is about an inch long, 1/8 inch wide scratch. Is there anything I can put on it to keep it from discoloring or cosmetically make it look a little nicer without having to spend much? Would you put a little touch up clear coat over it to keep it from turning a rust color? Any advice is appreciated!

Thanks,

Jim

shipo

Congratulations on finally getting the new pads. ;-) While I've never paid to have brakes done, given that I can do an axle set in under an hour in my driveway (ie. sans lift), I'm guessing that a decent price would be no more than $120 to $150 for the entire job.

Let us know how you fare.

Best Regards,
Shipo

bmwfrevr

hello everyone,
I am thinking to purchase a winter package for my leased E90 325i w/SP to help me get through Detroit area snow and I have a couple concerns:
1. is the tire pressure monitoring system going to restrict me in my choice of tires.
2. should I look for 16 or 17 inch wheels and all season tires or strictly winter tires.

I am looking at tirerack I found a package for about $800.
any ideas.

Thanks,