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That's ridiculous; the most that I ever paid a dealer for an Inspection II(including a coolant service) was $700. My last Inspection II cost $357 at my independent BMW tech- and that price included Mobil 1 lubricants in the engine, gearbox, power steering and final drive. The only thing my tech didn't do was change the microfilter, as I do that myself- along with the brakes, Oil Services, and Inspection 1).
We own both a (2005) 325i and a (2006) 330ci which is the recent replacement of a 2002 330ci. The 325 is a manual/sport package car, the 330ci has a steptronic transmission. Certainly the 330's thrust is greater under nearly all conditions. However, the 325 is no slug and is a very rewarding/entertaining drive and the acceleration is more than adequate under all circumstances. Furhermore, with the 325's sport package all four wheels/tires are the same size which: 1. produces better handling balance, less understeer and 2. gives you tires you can rotate every 5000 miles or so. With the offset tires of the 330 (larger wheels/tires at the rear) you won't get more than 20,000 miles from a set of $1,000 tires since you cannot rotate the tires. There are always trade offs. Overall, I feel the 325 (when properly equipped: eg- manual, sport) is a superior car value. The extra $5-$10K for the 330's horsepower advantage simply isn't worth it for my money--my wife loves the coupe though. In the end, you must judge.
Clack
Here are my impressions:
- Even with rebound set to max - 1/4 turn, the ride is noticeably less jarring than it was with the worn out factory shocks. The car seems to be gliding over bumps. Even though the ride may be a little busier, it is noticeably more supple and comfortable. With the rebound set to min, the ride will be even more comfortable.
- That wander that the E46 has at high speed is gone even with the camber that I am running. The car feels really tight and solid, reminds me a lot of E36 M3s.
- Turn-in is immediate and very crisp, there's no "thinking" at all. From driver perspective, this is the biggest adjustment that I have to make to get used to it.
- Grip is stupenduous!
- The car sits much lower than I had ever thought it would. Even though the drop is supposed to be just an inch in the front, it looks closer to 2 inches. Very aggressive stance but I know I'll be plowing the snow next Winter
- I picked up -.3 degrees of negative camber with the lowered suspension - it went from -2.1 to -2.4 at the min setting with the TMS fixed camber plates. TMS is saying that even the fixed plates can be adjusted within a tight range and I could go to -2.8 if I wanted to. Sweet! I am keeping it at -2.4 year-round so I won't eat up the tires
too fast and I'll take it from there.
- Unfortunately, the R/D strut brace does not fit any more because of the camber setup. I will be getting an M strut brace (it is adjustable), which sits flatter on the strut towers anyhow.
If anyone needs a R/D strut bar cheap, let me know.
On a track you are not going to encounter really rough pavement, but on the street I would imagine you'd have to be really careful.
The warning bulb goes on when this happens. The problem is intermittent and once the lights are on, they stay on.
Dealer is 100 miles away so I am waiting for the day that the bulb dies!
Best Regards,
Shipo
Batteries often just go bad after an extended period of non-use because of the oxidation that takes place on the lead plates unless you use a battery tenderto keep them properly charged during extrended periods of non-use. You could try a battery from your other vehicle and see if your 325 will start, if the size and terminals are similar.
Hope this helps.
If you haven't done so already, you need to join the BMW Car Club of America. That will allow you to find out what shops are used by other members in your area. Most shops offer a 10-20% club discount on parts and/or labor.
I changed from winter tires to summer tires today.
I took the bolts out of one of the back wheels and it didn't budge. It was like the bolts were still in there.
I kicked it gently one time with no change. Two more successively harder kicks and it finally broke free. The other back wheel only took two kicks to break free, but I kicked it harder.
The fronts were not nearly as bad - in fact one of them dropped right off.
I noticed that on the back wheels there was much more "gunk" between the wheel and the hubs and one actually had water between them. I checked the torque on a few of the bolts just for giggles before beginning and the ones I checked were OK.
We also discussed applying a lubricant of some type when mounting. I used white lithium grease in a spray can last fall but, obviously, not enough. I remember spraying just a little on each wheel before mounting - this time I sprayed quite a bit.
Also - if you decide to use a spray, spray it on the wheel and not on the hub. You will surely get grease on the rotor. Ask me how I know that!
2025 Forester Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport
abfisch
That is very helpful.Thank you so very much for this.
It sure helps to have the experience of real world drivers who have driven both cars.
My gratitude.
I drove around later that day, no driving on Sunday, and then put a couple hundred miles on it on Monday without noticing that it was on. Of course, we were having unusually clear, sunny weather, and I must just not have seen it.
So was this light actually on all that time from Saturday to Tuesday? Or do those lights eventually time out and turn themselves off when the car is parked with the ignition off ('04 325i)?
Thanks!
Stacy
Fold down seats ARE nice to have though and you could fit three sets in the long way w/o too much trouble if you have them.
-Paul
Plus the fold-down seats also have a built-in ski bag that makes it super-easy to carry your skis (including long cross-country skis) without having to actually fold the seats down. A pretty cool feature, IMO.
I have a '01 325i and the passenger window is making clunk noises when you roll the window down. Does anyone know what the problem maybe? Does it need lubrication? New window regulator? Is it pretty easy to fix myself, meaning pulling off the front door panel etc?
thanks!
It is a pain in the [non-permissible content removed] but a small price to pay.
Regards,
Webby
-Paul
Yes. Brake fluid is hygroscopic, which means that it absorbs water. Over a period of time water will migrate through various brake system components, and this absorbed moisture lowers the boiling point of the brake fluid and can cause damage to components such as the ABS pump. Boiling the fluid is not good. BMW specs DOT4 only, so I recommend Castrol LMA or ATE Super Blue Racing fluid. Those of us who drive our BMWs as God and Munich intended-on road AND track-change the fluid every six months or so. Having the brake pedal go to the floor at 130 mph when you are approaching an 80 mph corner will ruin your whole day.
I just wonder how that would affect the brake fluid. With it being a closed system, how does moisture get into it?
I'm really curious about this.
-Paul
It was the same with motorcycles -- BMW is the only brand I'm aware of that wants to change brake fluid, especially that often. When I owned one I did do this service, figuring that on a bike the whole braking system is more exposed to the weather, but I always wondered how necessary it really was.
And I've been driving cars and motorcycles (including in competition) for 40+ years without a hydraulic brake failure so far (knock on wood!).
If your car isn't seeing any track use I'd change it per BMW's recommendations. Track rats should change the fluid every six months.
I just wonder how that would affect the brake fluid. With it being a closed system, how does moisture get into it?
It just does; note that quality brake fluids list their Dry and Wet boiling points.
The maintenance chart for my 1996 Triumph Speed Triple not only demands a brake fluid change every two years, it also calls for replacing all brake/clutch hoses as well as rebuilding the brake master cylinder/calipers and the clutch master/slave cylinders every four years. And it's not that fast of a bike; it will barely nudge 130 with a strong tail wind...
FWIW, I can't imagine BMW recommending brake fluid flush every 30k or so if it didn't need it.... After all, with their free maintenance program, BMW is the one that's paying for it!
My '95 Honda VFR called for a change every two years also, I believe. I changed it about once a year, when putting on new rubber.
All the best.
Webby
Anyway, there has been one nagging problem, but apparently it's too subtle for my dealer to pinpoint and correct, so I hope someone here can offer some suggestions. There are creaking noises coming from the right-rear passenger area of the car. The noise is best described as a dry creaking sound, although sometimes it sounds like velcro ripping. It only happens when there's some body flex on the right side of the car, not when I go over normal bumps that affect the whole car the same way. Each time I've had it at the dealer's, I've asked them to fix it. They said the rear 3/4 window needed lubricant and was very dry, and that helped slightly. They also said there was a piece of trim loose in the trunk, and that seemed to help a little. Sometimes I think the sounds are coming from the arm rests, and I've noticed the driver's arm rest makes a similar sound if I really lean on it. Most of the time, the car's tight and quiet, but that also makes the sudden creaking extra annoying.
Since I bought the coupe because I wanted a quiet, tight and fast car, the creak is spoiling what would otherwise be a dream ride. It even makes me think about trading in the car as soon as the business lease is up, which is a waste and shame. I'd much rather fix the problem and keep the car longer. Does anyone out there have any suggestions?
Seriously though, I can't recall reading about any problems with the '01 Xi E46. I know erickpl had a 325xi and put similar mileage on it.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
-Paul
The only thing I can think of is that I never use the fold -down rear seat except when transporting rifles to and from the range/field. The second-last time I had them in would have been in fall and then not again until my son and I went to the range a couple of weekends ago. So if I had to guess, the seat was never properly latched in between those two times.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
But jim1395, I'm going to do what you suggested, because I think it's a secondary problem. Thanks for your input.