BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

div2

That particular warning is often caused by the failure of the brake light switch located on the pedal cluster. I'd check and clean the contacts on the brake bulb sockets first, but the switch is probably the culprit.

brave1heart

The two sizes will be very close - see for yourself here -

http://www.1010tires.com/TireSizeCalculator.asp

Narrower tires are better in snow - a long tire patch will dig into the snow better than a short, wide tire patch. But staying with the same 205 mm width will not buy you much and considering the clearance problems with 16s, I'd probably stick with 17s as well.

abfisch

Not trying to start a confrontation, but doesn't the service manual say 88ft/lbs on the lug nuts. I know it is only 5 lbs but is it 83 or 88??? I thought I read 88 ft/lbs in the Bentley Service Manual.

abfisch

abfisch

How about the wiper blades??? The Bentley/BMW recommends changing these twice a year. These are covered, are they???

abfisch

dave330i

"How about the wiper blades??? The Bentley/BMW recommends changing these twice a year. These are covered, are they???"

I usually change them when they start streaking.

venture

You are correct. I checked the owners manual and it says 88.5 lb/ft. I went out and snugged them up a bit. Thanks.

I could have sworn they used to be 82.5. :confuse:

brave1heart

Yes, 88 lb/ft is correct. I believe it used to be 80 till late 2002 or so. It's not that big a difference, though...

abfisch

It is confusing for a company that prides itself on exact standards. I am a reader by nature. Wouldn't you know it, it was bothering me so much I looked in the Owner's manual found on page 144, and yes it is 88.5ft/lbs, but then in the service manual (Bentley), it says, get this, 90ft/lbs +/- 7 ft/lbs. What is up with that. There has got to be something I don't know. Never seen that before.

So...you could be right too. However, I would use 88.5 as the standard as that is from BMW itself.

I am hoping my barely used 04 325ci does better than Consumer Reports write up has given it. Last time I listend to CR I bought an Avalon and had some problems. 04 had a NON recommedation for a used car.

Many problems, some major. Got one without alot of gizmos.

Comments welcome.

abfisch

abfisch

Are these covered under the service agreement??? I can change them, except when it is 10F outside, but if they are covered and paid for them already, why pay twice.

Do anyone know if wiper blade replacements are covered??

abfisch

shipo

I just checked my archive of PDFed BMW manuals and found that through the 2003 model year, BMW recommended 100 NM or 72 lb-ft of lug bolt torque. Starting with the 2004 model year, they upped the torque spec to 120 NM or 88.5 lb-ft, and this change was apparently meant to be retroactive to some point in the past. How far back? Unknown. Given that the E46s and E39s are of a relatively recent architecture, I'm assuming that the new torque spec would almost certainly apply to all vehicles built off of those two platforms.

Best Regards,
Shipo

div2

I'm pretty sure that the 120 NM torque spec applies to the E36 platform as well. It's what I use on my Club Sport, anyway.

dave330i

"Do anyone know if wiper blade replacements are covered??"

It's a wear & tear item, so most likely no.

hgeyer

Are covered under the 4 year free maintenance program. At least they were for my 2002 330 - unfortunately the freebee ended after my 3 year maintenance program ended.

rhmass

Yes, wiper blades are covered under the free maintenance program. I had my 02's wiper changed twice already when I brought my car in for the annual service.

erickpl

from the dealer... like $12.00 for the set. Why worry about it?

For me it is a safety thing. If they start to wear, I replace em.

-Paul

abfisch

$12.I may be wrong, but I thought my friend brought his 5 series in and it was alot more than $12. In addtion, it is not the $12, it is the prinicpal of paying for something twice, that I am not crazy about.

Thanks for your input. Love the frank discussions. Own a 02 Avalon. Just bought a 04 325ci SS from another soldier who came back from Germany, and am getting familiar with the car.

abfisch

abfisch

Excellent info. To piggyback you, the Bentley manual for the 04 states 90ft/lbs +/- 7ft/lbs. Strange but I read it twice in two different areas in the service manual.

Thanks

abfisch

tcn2k

Anyone ever heard of this problem? My 2001 325i passenger side window; when rolling down or up, at a certain point (about midway), you hear this clunk sound. Sound like something is lose inside. But not sure if it's the auto window regulator or what.

brave1heart

It's the window regulator - it's a common problem with E46 cars. I had my front passenger side regulator replaced at ~ 70K miles and the driver side is ready to go soon at 87K miles. I only paid $100 ($60 for a used one + 1/2 hr labor) but the dealer was quoting $550, so be careful.

fedlawman

Just got 25 MB (one complete lap) of video uploaded from my last HPDE at Pacific Raceways (Seattle International Raceway).

My 3-series was wearing Yokohama ES100's on this rainy Oct. 15th.

Right click and save link as:

http://home.comcast.net/~fishkin1/wsb/media/SIR_Lapping_2.mpg

brave1heart

Sweet! I like all the elevation changes but I'd gladly get rid of those trees right off the track ;o) What model was your track car? I drove my '01 325i with ES100 mounted on the SP rims at Mont-Tremblant in two days of pouring rain last year and the tires were phenomenal!

fedlawman

Hey Brave, I'm glad you watched! This was my 6th event (3rd one with the Bimmer), and I'm a card-carrying addict now. Yeah, the elevation changes are one of the attractions of SIR. It's a fun track to drive and it's really satisying as I improve there. My biggest challenge continues to be increasing my exit speed out of turn 3b (the bottom of the tight "S" part of the track).

I drove my 1988 325is. It's parked in the garage M-F, but since we rely on it as a back-up family car on the weekends, it's not likely to become a dedicated track car anytime soon (I'm hoping for the arrival of the 1/2 series to advance my diabolical plan).

I'm surprised you like the ES100's so much. Overall, I like the way they feel and respond - I think they're basically a very good, but not great dry pavement tire. I like the way they turn-in and transition, but I think they lack ultimate grip in big, steady sweepers. I do think they have very forgiving breakaway, which helps an intermediate driver like me explore my limits with confidence. I think they feel kind of "greasy" when the road is wet.

I'm seriously considering a set of track-ready (non R-compound) tires like the Falken Azenis RT-615 when the Yoko's wear out. No hurry - I live in Seattle. I have another 6 months before Mother Nature brings track season around again.

victord1

I drove my 1988 325is. It's parked in the garage M-F

Didn't you buy a TSX a few months ago and raced it sometimes???? For a few moments there I thought you'd ditched the Acura and went with a 3Series.

Anyways, great video. The car in front of you looks like the older generation MR2.

Always wanted to do that. But I don't think I can work the shifter the way you did. :P

fedlawman

Didn't you buy a TSX a few months ago and raced it sometimes???? For a few moments there I thought you'd ditched the Acura and went with a 3Series.

I bought my TSX in May 2003 and had 2 good years with it (the time really flew by). I ditched it in June for the 3 series.

Yeah, the car in front of me in the video is a 94/95 MR2 Turbo. Even after 3 more laps, I never did reel him in.

brave1heart

Oh, I meant driving with the ES100s specifically in heavy rain. I was running faster than any car in group 'A' with my little 325, all because of the ES100s. In the dry, they are just OK and only for ~ 10K miles. I got the Michelin PS2s (did One Lap of America with them this year) after the Yokos and I've been much happier with them. That said, the Falken Azenis are the best autocross tire than you can get for street classes (according to Grassroots Motorsports) and I trust that they will not get as greasy on the track as the 215's used to.

I liked the line that you are driving but I tend to keep my 325i's RPMs a little higher - in the 4,500-7,000 range. I think some rotation might help with the tight turns too - try it when there are no cars immediately behind you ;o) I had one of the best club racers drive my car at one of the NHIS driving events and was amazed to see how much trail braking he was using and how natural it felt. I only try it in slower turns, though, until I am more comfortable with it.

div2

I don't have any choice; I have to keep my Club Sport's RPMs over 4K on the track. OTOH, the trailing arm rear suspension LOVES to rotate the car. Sometimes a bit too much... :P

brave1heart

My 325i used to oversteer after I put in the front camber plates (-2.1 deg) and changed the alignment to zero toe all around. I put the rear sway bar in a softer setting to get it to feel more neutral. My biggest gripe with the E46 non-M cars is lack of limited slip diff. A friends of mine put one in his 330i and he can just power out of corners at the autoX even with the added power of the 330 while my 325 is spinning the tires going nowhere fast without a limited slip )

fedlawman

Well, winter is here so my ES100's are looking forward to plenty of heavy rain.

Rotation and maintaining proper RPM is my weakness right now. I'm just starting to experiment with trail braking, but I'm not really comfortable with it yet...

I'm also frequently torn at those "tweener" parts of the track where I have to choose between adding an extra upshift and downshift between corners, or just riding the rev limit a few extra feet and not shfting. It seems like 6 of one, a half-dozen of the other - acceleration time vs. shifting time. I think this contributes to my difficulty staying in the relatively narrow M20 sweetspot (about 4200 - 6200 RPM) at times.

Well, that's what lapping is for, and these areas are what I want to focus on next year. I always ask an instructor to ride with me for at least one session to give me feedback and advice.

div2

Well, you can always get a Torsen from Koala...$$$ :surprise:

brave1heart

Yep, I prefer an instructor for the first 3 sessions and then I like to do the last session by myself. To tell you the truth, the first time they let me out on the track without an instructor, I was a little more scared going out. You realize you are solely responsible and there's no-one there to hold your hand if you start getting in trouble.

I try to stay as close as possible to the HP peak rating (6,000 stock but probably closer to 6,500 RPMs with my car's mods) so I usually upshift at 6,700-6,800 RPMs just before the 7K rev limiter kicks in. Upshifts are "cheap" - they cost maybe 2/10 sec or so but downshifts can be "expensive" depending on how good your heel-and-toeing is. The decision to upshift depends on two things mostly: 1. how long you are hitting the limiter for and 2. How important is corner setup. Going into the toe of the boot at Watkins Glen, I hit the limiter in third for maybe two seconds and I prefer not to upshift as that turn leads to a decent length straight with a whopping 100-ft climb to boot, so corner setup is critical. This is where the 318ti's get killed, div2 - can't exit in second and third is just too high, so that climb takes forever ;o) If I were to heel-and-toe into 5,500 RPMs while setting up for the turn, with my skill level at least I'd be spending too much energy on the hell-an-toe and not enough on the corner setup. If you are hitting the limiter for more than a couple of seconds, though, it is better to upshift for extra speed and to give the engine a break.

fedlawman

with my skill level at least I'd be spending too much energy on the hell-an-toe and not enough on the corner setup.

Yup, that's exactly where I am... I only hit the limiter (6800 RPM on my chipped M20) for a couple of seconds (just before turns 3a, 5a, and 8), so I think I'm OK. Now when I eventually upgrade from the 3.73 LSD to the 4.10 LSD, I will find myself up and down shifting before each of these turns.

I need to improve my heel-and-toe technique a little before I feel fully comfortable with this. It's not quite second nature for me yet.

It sounds like your E46 is a great HPDE car. The engine has a nice wide powerband, but it remains an inertia car that rewards proper technique.

div2

I need to improve my heel-and-toe technique a little before I feel fully comfortable with this. It's not quite second nature for me yet.

I felt exactly the same way; I wound up making myself practice the technique EVERY time I drove a stick. Now it's such an ingrained habit that I even heel and toe driving my Wrangler. No kidding.

fedlawman

Wrangler's have some pretty long pedal travel don't they? I bet that's fun.

Actually, I practice it all the time too. Trouble is, my street shoes are wider than my driving shoes, and it's hard to compensate.

brave1heart

Problem is, it's hard to practice heel-and-toeing while braking at the limit on the street to simulate track driving better... At least I tend to draw too much attention when I do that ) But I always do blip the throttle on downshifts when driving on the street. I tend to practice heel-and-toeing mostly in the days before an HPDE but usually while braking at 80-90%.

Yeah, I love my E46 325i - it is a great track car, commute car, family car, snowmobile, and could even hold its own well at One Lap of America with the same all-around setup. It's a keeper.

fedlawman

You motivated me to pull out my August Roundel and re-read your (and other) One Lap article. Again, great stuff!

There's also Bill Auberlin's good description of Mont Tremblant in that issue. It didn't really hit me until you mentioned that track a few posts ago. I grew up in Montreal but wasn't a real motorsports fan back then (except for going to see the Grand Prix with my dad). I've never been to Mont Tremblant (except in the winter, of course) and have never seen the track there.

Pacific Raceways is fun, but it's the only track I've driven (and it helps that I live only 10 minutes away). You've got me seriously thinking about signing up for some HPDE's down in Portland and up in Vancouver next year so I can experience some new tracks.

nyccarguy

I got a postcard in the mail the other day telling me that EVERY BMW at this particular dealership was ON SALE and to drop by to register to win a free BMW mountain bike. So I bit and responded to the direct mail piece just for the sake of maybe winning a mountain bike. Of all th4e 50 something new 3 series on the lot, there was 1 325i with a Spot Package and a stick (demo that was sold). I came very close to buying a lightly equipped 325i a few months back but decided against it for financial reasons. I just love how these guys are programmed just to sell the cars on the lot.

Me "is this the only 3 series on the lot with a stick?"

Sales dude "Yeah, they're very rare and hard to come by. You can have one IF you want to WAIT 8 weeks. The stick and the automatic are pretty much the same, not much difference 0-60mph and the resale is better on the automatic."

Me (in my head) "They're not hard to come by, your manager just orders them all with automatics because that's what most people want. I seriously doubt it would take that long to get a car with a stick. I can read the brochure too jerk!"

I saw an E46 330i ZHP there next to the E90 325i SP and swear I like the E46 better. Maybe I've been reading too much ROUNDEL!

jaj

When I turn on defrost mode for the front windshield in my '04 325xi, the air that blows is extremely hot. Lowering the temp setting has no effect; nor does switching AC on/off when in defrost mode. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

-jaj

kyfdx

I think it is working as it was designed.. You can't defrost a window with cold air..

regards,
kyfdx
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selm

I saw an E46 330i ZHP there next to the E90 325i SP and swear I like the E46 better. Maybe I've been reading too much ROUNDEL!

ROUNDEL only thinks you have a good BMW if you drive an E30 M3.

Aren't the E46 330i ZHP and E90 325i SP about 10K difference in price? I don't think you can directly compare the two.

selm

Funny because I can only get my 04 Passat to defrost when using cold air. Makes it terrible inside the cabin.

shipo

From a post of mine from Jan. 2002:

One of the cool things about the HVAC system on the E46 is that there are TWO windshield defrost modes. They are the upper button on the left side of the panel and the upper button on the right side of the panel, and their functions are "Normal Defog/Defrost" mode and "Gonzo Turbo Blast/Melt The Glass" mode respectively. Another way of saying that is, when you get in you frosted up car, hit the upper right button, and when the occupants are fogging up the windshield, hit the upper left button.

Then again from May of this year:

Yeah, I forgot to mention that. Most (if not all) vehicle manufacturers activate the A/C compressor (at least at warmer OATs) when the defroster is selected. What I like about the BMW HVAC controls is that you can select the "Defrost" program (top right button) which uses the compressor in combination with "gonzo max tornado" fan speed, or simply direct air to the windscreen (compressor optional depending on the Snowflake button) by using the top left Airflow button. I cannot think of any other manufacturer that offers that flexibility. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I hear you saying, "Who cares?" Well, I do. There are plenty of times when the windscreen needs to be demisted just a little and the need for the extra dry air from the compressor is unnecessary, and the last thing I need is more dry air being directed at my eyes (thus demisting them too). :mad:

I hope this helps. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

kyfdx

We've had our 325i for almost two years (soon to be leaving), and I still haven't figured out the climate control system..

But, then again, she doesn't let me drive it much... :surprise:

nyccarguy

I'm not trying to directly compare the 2. I was just saying I think I like the look of the E46 better. But actually a used 330i ZHP and a new E90 325i are priced very close.

jaj

Boy do I feel dumb. I never noticed the direction of the arrow in the upper left button. The hot air is fine for getting rid of ice, but for just defogging some temp control would be nice. Thanks Shipo.

-jaj

kyfdx

We're selling our 3-series tomorrow, so naturally, I finally get to drive it this week..

I've learned oodles about the ventilation system the last few days.. I even tried out the defroster..

Fortunately, the new car has the same system... so, all of this new knowledge will come in handy...

regards
kyfdx
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nyccarguy

you're selling your 3er? what gives?

kyfdx

The wife is getting a new car.. We are leasing an '05 330Ci convertible... I got a pretty good trade offer on ours (really, really good), but my wife's friend had been looking for a used 3-series and she gave us a little more..

My wife is happy... I'm sort of happy.. the bank is ecstatic...

gordonwd

One place where my '98 A4 had it over my 325i is the climate control. On the Audi I could pretty much set the temp and forget it (usually 68F in winter, 74F in summer).

But on the Bimmer the car often gets too hot even if I only have it set at 66 or even 64F, and I find that I have to adjust that center vent temp control thingy to keep it from blowing hot air in my face (or cold air) depending on the conditions. It also seems to kick the fan up to a high speed before the engine has warmed up enough, so I have to manually bump it down to avoid getting cold air from the outlets.

Overall it's really a minor deal compared to what's good about the car, but I definitely think the A4 had a better system.

efazio

can anybody help me locate where the fuse box is on this car. I think I have a blown fuse and I need to replace it.

thank you

angelmaya

Thanks for the info. I was just told my 2001 325i needs new bushings. The mechanic did exactly what you said and Voila! said it was the bushings. It has 49k miles so I came here for help. Are bushings generic or can I get some that will last awhile? My manual stinks so please let me know of other problems that happen with so few miles. My Toyota never had any problems but didn't run like a bimmer! ang