BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

brave1heart

Yes, I liked the slotted ATEs but aside from looking better, they do not provide much, if any, imporovement in braking. Maybe they allow the pads to clean the rotor surface quicker, especially in rain, not sure. I also use solid Brembo rotors front and rear - they are reasonably priced (Tirerack) and get the job done well both on the street and the track.

fedlawman

...on rotors. I'm a firm believer in OE (Balo, Brembo, Ate) rotors. No holes, slots, or swirls either - just solid discs.

shipo

While I've never experienced any heat related rotor problems on either of my BMWs (they always seem to make'um beefy enough for the job), I have on other cars. Take our 1998 DGC for example, in the first 115,000 miles, that van hand no fewer than six sets of front rotors (due to heat warping), while our 2003 DGC managed nearly 60,000 miles on its first set (and no warping when I yanked them due to pad thinness). The difference? While the diameter was the same for both, the thickness of the friction surfaces (i.e. the rotor portion itself) is significantly thicker on the 2003.

Think about it this way, rotors are nothing but a big metallic thermal battery, they absorb the heat generated by braking, and then gradually (relatively speaking) release that heat, hopefully in time for the next brake event. If any one brake event over burdens the rotor's ability to store the heat, it (or they) will warp. If any series of brake events over burdens the rotor's cooling abilities, then the series of events will saturate the rotor(s) with too much heat and it (or they) will warp. Said warping happens little by little and no amount of “turning” will correct the problem, quite simply, once warped, they need to be scrapped.

For our 1998 DGC I mounted a set of cross drilled rotors that were otherwise identical to the OEM part, and now, today, a full 20,000 miles later, no warping. That's never happened before, not even once with this van. Normally by 10,000 miles a little pulsing could be felt through the pedal. By the 20,000 mile mark the pulsing was getting annoying, and by the 25,000 mile mark the van was getting dangerous. Prior to the drilled rotors I tried three sets of OEM (counting the set that came from the factory) rotors (one set only lasted 8,000 miles), two sets of top of the line NAPA rotors and even a set of Brembo solid rotors to no avail. In desperation I tried the drilled rotors (having heard all of the stories of cracking and other failures I was reticent to even give them a try), and so far at least, I couldn't be more delighted.

Getting back to BMWs in general, if my car was never to take a turn on the track, I'd stick with the OEM part. If I was to track my car and found that the rotors could still go the distance, I'd still stick with the OEM part. However, if I was to track the car and experience rotor warpage, I wouldn't hesitate for a moment to put cross drilled rotors on it.

Best Regards,
Shipo

kominsky

I ended up getting Turner Motorsports brake package w/solid rotors and PBR/Axxis Metal Master pads. Thanks to all for your input! http://www.turnermotorsport.com/html/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=E46330BRAKEPAK

fedlawman

A fine choice!

memphis10

I have E46 325i with SP. I have had Pirelli P6000 on them which need to be replaced. Was thinking on getting All season performance tires since I live in the CT now where it snows. I am worried about the performance deterioration. I don't push the car hard any more but I don't want it to feel too mushy. Wanted to get opinions on how much of a performance downgrade would it be. Also, any reccomendations on Tires would be welcome. thanks

fedlawman

Personally, aI live in Seattle and last year, I decided to try out an all-season tire as an all-around solution to our weather conditions. I don't drive my BMW in snow, so I wasn't concerned with "winter traction."

I did a lot of research and chose what I think is the best all-season ultra-high performance tire on the market, the Pirelli PZero Nero. Now, after driving them through the tail end of summer, the fall, and most of our winter, I tend to think of them as "jack of all trades, master of none" tires.

OK, snow first - If you will be driving your E46 in snow, don't mess around with anything short of a dedicated snow/traction tire during the winter. An all-season tire will be marginally better than a summer tire in the white stuff, but not much.

Now, the rest of the year - The decision between summer and all-season tires should be based on how hard you will drive, and how long you want your tires to last. The performance downgrade from summer tires to all-seasons will be noticeable, but only when you're really pushing the car. On my M3, I only notice the difference during very aggressive, steady-state cornering. Turn-in, road feedback, and responsiveness otherwise feel very much the same. Since the all-seasons will last longer (better treadwear rating) and also work a better during those cold (but above-freezing) fall and winter days, then I'd say, based on your description of the way you drive, the trade-off is worth it.

Based on my research last year, I'd recommend checking out the Pirelli PZero Nero M+S (I am very impressed with them overall) and the Kumho ASX. I don't think the P6000 is a particularly impressive tire anyways, and I suspect that either of these all-season choices might just outperform your current tires.

tnguyen74

My 03 325i I recently purchased oil light flashed really quickly and went away. It did it again every 30 minutes or so. I than added a quart of oil and after a month it flashed for like two seconds today and not after. There is no sign of oil leaking. I sure hope it's not burning oil.

The last owner just changed the oil and had the light reset 2k miles ago. Should I be afraid of the light and keep adding oil? This is not normal.

shipo

Did you check the dipstick before you added the oil? How low was the oil level? Did you check your oil level again today? How low as it then?

Best Regards,
Shipo

tnguyen74

The first time I checked it and it was a little low than I added a quart. The light just came on today but I'll monitor it and check the oil tommorow.

Shipo, do you know where the cabin filter is located? Is it easy to get to to inspect for replacement?

kominsky

The cabin filter is on top of the engine at the back of the engine bay (towards the windshield). There are 3 1/4-turn retaining screws. Turn them and the cover pulls off. Put in the new filter. I did mine today and it took ~5 minutes.

brave1heart

Even at the track, the type of rotors is not nearly as important as pads and brake ducts to keep the brakes from overheating. At the bigger tracks like WGI and Mont-Tremblant, anything less than PFC 97 pads overheats in my E46 325i. The front rotors (11.8" I think) are simply not big enough for advanced track work but the PFC pads compensate for that pretty well ;o)

shipo

Interesting, thanks. ;-)

Any thoughts to fitting the brakes from an E46 330i to your 325i? Given that you're already running large enough wheels clearance shouldn't be an issue, so it might just be a matter of different caliper brackets, calipers and rotors.

Best Regards,
Shipo

abfisch

Excellent thought. I plan on doing this to my 325i once I need new brakes. Obviously if one is tracking much, than a big brake kit would probably be the ticket, but that is too much money for me. An alternative, and this info. was given to me by Dave Zeckhausen Racing, is the change the front rotors along with the carriers to the rotors to the 330 model in front. Leave the rears alone, as you would need to replace the Ebrake componetry too. Use a little more aggressive pad on the back than on the front and the pad wear would be practically equivalent. The cost involved very just replacing same components is in the line of $400 dollars or so, and may be a nice touch to a 325i.

If anyone has experience with this, please let me know.

abfisch

tnguyen74

I have decided to replace the side lights with the clear ones and they look great. However, the bulbs are clear also. Are most of you replacing the bulb to an orange one or just leaving the clear bulb alone. I'm also replacing the front corner lights clear and deciding on leaving the clear bulbs or go orange.

Also, I removed the side lights but having problems snapping the clear ones in. Are there any suggestions from anyone who has done this?

kominsky

I'm pretty sure that leaving the OEM clear bulbs in would be illegal in most states. There are bulbs made that are clear or silver when off but light up in amber. This prevents the egg-yolk look of using amber bulbs under clear lenses and should be legal most places. Here is one example but I believe similar bulbs are made by several companies...

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/html/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=SBCA%207506

gordonwd

I haven't visited here in a long time, but thought I'd comment on my recent upgrade. When I ordered my '04 325i, I waffled on the Sport Pkg and finally decided not to get it, although I at least made the good move of ordering the sport seats. After two years, I decided I liked the look of 17" wheels on the car and ended up with the same style of OEM wheel that would have come with the sport package. The one drawback was that the height of the standard suspension made the car look slightly jacked up with the lower-sidewall tires (even though they're the same O.D.).

Anyway, I just bit the bullet and had a Dinan Stage 1 package installed, which replaces the springs and shocks. I'm still getting used to it, but think I'll really like it after I get to the point where I'm not paying so much attention to every bump I go over. It's hard to gauge the difference because now I can't remember how the car used to ride, especially since I had just changed back to my summer tires (I saved my 16" wheels for winter use).

I think that the overall ride of the car is slightly stiffer than the sport suspension -- maybe in between sport pkg and ZHP (can anyone confirm this?). It seems like there's a bit more "thump" over bumpy pavement, but over other roughness it seems better than stock. The Detroit area is a good test case since many of our roads are in really bad shape, and concrete roads get extremely bumpy when they crack and settle.

But so far it seems like a good performance upgrade, and the car definitely looks more "right". This is not supposed to be a "lowering mod", but it did bring the car to about 1/4" lower than the sport pkg, 3/4" lower than my previous stock setup.

abfisch

Sounds nice. What did the Dinan Stage 1 consist of??? I have an o4 with the SP, and enjoy it for what it is. How much???? More than 2k??

Other mods that are easy to do yourself and not too expensive are CDV replacement(MT), front strut bar, clutch stop replacement and tranny mounts. I have done the mounts yet but everything else makes it more engaging without turning it into a tracker.

abfisch

gordonwd

Stage 1 consists of matched springs and Koni shocks, plus a full chassis realignment as part of installation. Stage 2 adds bigger sway bars. If you have the SP already, this upgrade would not be worth the money IMO unless you're planning on tracking the car. You can check the dinancars website for details and prices if you're interested.

For me, the difference from the standard suspension is significant and I'm noticing the improvement every time I drive over certain roads where I remember what it used to do.

sadetjoe

Speaking of warped rotors, how concerns should I be with considering the car has only 1107 miles on it and it is 2004 model. It is a certified 2004 BMW 330Ci. This is what I have noticed in the Certified report and what got fixed
Alignment Done
* Front camber of specs
* Front * Rear Toe out of specs
* Front Rotors Warped (how could it be if the car has only 1107 miles..is it possible? could it have been abuse?)
* 4 tires have excessive road force. According to dealer's technician it could be due to being parked for long periods.

What should I do? should I be concerns? Should I take it back to the dealer? Thanks much for your help

shipo

A three year old car that by the book isn't even broken in yet? Scary. Regarding the warped front rotors, my bet is that water in the braking system froze the front calipers to a certain extent and that in turn over-heated the brakes once it was driven. I'm thinking that you need a braking system flush and four new brake calipers, and possibly a new master cylinder as well.

Regarding the alignment, hmmm, accident maybe?

Other thoughts...

Personally, I wouldn't touch this car with a ten foot pole. The problems with the braking system are in my mind only the tip of the iceberg as there is most likely internal engine corrosion as well. The fact is, that unless that engine was "Pickled" (i.e. prepared for storage, complete with pickeling oil and dessicants), internal engine parts that would normally be bathed in oil on a regular basis have been left exposed to humid air, apparently for several years without being started. Any way you cut it, that means rust.

As for taking it back to the dealer, I'm thinking that if you bought it, it's yours, and there ain't much you can do about it at this point. :-(

Best Regards,
Shipo

sadetjoe

Thanks very much for your comments. Yeah I was not thinking that I could take it back to the dealer rather taking it back so that they can fix or replace the necessary parts. Is there anyway for check for internal enginer corrosion?

shipo

Internal engine corrosion is more commonly found in light aircraft that are only flown on an occasional basis. For those engines the two most common diagnostic aids are a "Cylinder Leak Down" test (the mechanic pressurizes each cylinder with the valves closed and then tests the leak-down rate) and what is known as a "Borer Scope" (sticking a tiny camera into the combustion chamber via the spark plug holes).

What those two tests won't show is how much corrosion is on the face of the cam lobes, lifter surfaces, valve stems and other moving parts.

Keep us posted.

Best Regards,
Shipo

circlew

Shipo,

What is the time threshold before one would implement a full prep such as recommended for long-term vehicle storage? I know there are a lot of precautions and tactics necessary to ensure proper storage conditions for the various systems that need protection.

Regards,
OW

shipo

Hmmm, good question. For an airplane left out in the elements, the typical rule of thumb is a "couple of months". If the plane is hangared, then most folks I know might not even pickle an engine even if it isn't going to fly all winter (the probably do turn it over a time or two though).

For a car, I'd probably contact the manufacturer and ask them.

Best Regards,
Shipo

nyccarguy

Are you out there? Great article you wrote on the new 335i Convertible! You had me laughing!

944s

ids what the hell happened with the last message

hi! im getting ready to purchase a 97 (E36) 325i sedan,, the car has 157000 miles on the odo,,,what kind of problems if any should i expect to encounter at this mileage? thx

Mr_Shiftright

That's pretty high miles, so realistically, anything can happen. I trust you'll have the car gone over. Look for leaks of any kind, front and rear suspension wear (control arm bushings, etc.) and of course give it a vigorous test drive and play with ALL the knobs and switches. By all means check the fluids in radiator, master cylinder, engine and transmission for anything amiss in color or consistency.

erickpl

Which Roundel was that in?

-Paul

kyfdx

Current issue..

erickpl

I have my copy, but haven't opened it yet. I guess I'll be reading it on the plane today.

-Paul

nyccarguy

the article on the new 335i Convertible.

kominsky

I replaced my front rotors and pads yesterday. The front passenger-side was warped, so the difference was immediately recognizable. After a reasonably "hot" run down my favorite road, the burning smell that I've been becoming familiar with was also absent... nice.

The job went fairly easy except for getting the old rotors off. I guess they make a tool for that task that is missing from my toolbox. I used the tried and true backyard mechanic's method of beating the snot out of them with a hammer until they came off. I'm pretty sure the skin currently missing from my knuckles and knees will regenerate. ;-)

I intend to do the rears on the next nice day when I have some downtime. I was going to jump right into them yesterday but became a little intimidated reading about it in Bentley. The parking-brake part in particular. Anyone have words of encouragement to offer? I have a feeling I'm psyching myself out over something that will be simple.

Thanks again to all for your advice. FWIW, the rotors that come with the Turner package are Zimmerman's.

erickpl

I read mine on the plane today... nice comments about the 335i. Very enjoyable read and pretty informative too.

I'm still trying to figure out why everybody hates iDrive. I've driven BMW's with and without it. They drive the same either way and my experiences with iDrive have all been good. I know it doesn't appeal to the purists who like the simpler cars w/o the hi-tech doodads, but I have had zero problems with it.

-Paul

fedlawman

"I intend to do the rears on the next nice day when I have some downtime. I was going to jump right into them yesterday but became a little intimidated reading about it in Bentley."

You had me scratching my head there for a minute trying to remember if the parking brake is somehow in the way.

No, unless the rear brakes on the E46 are of a different design than the E30 (I don't think they are), the rear rotors come on and off the same as the fronts - I've never had to touch the parking brake assembly (doing the brakes anyways - ask me about the rear wheel bearing another time...). I use a rubber mallet to persuade them if they are a little stuck.

kominsky

I'll read the procedure again, but I thought it involved loosening bolts at the parking brake hand-lever and several different adjustments. Maybe I read into a section of the manual that doesn't pertain to simply swapping the rotors.

As for the rubber mallet, that worked fine on the driver's side but the passenger's side required the use of a good old-fashion steel hammer... it wasn't giving up without a fight!

Thanks!

fedlawman

I've never crawled around an E46. Let me know how it works out.

nyccarguy

Count me in as an i-Drive hater. It makes very simple tasks difficult & counterintuitive. My Mom has an '05 530iA. Now I'll admit that she's going to be 59 in October and is a COMPLETE TECHNOPHOBE. I'm 31 and consider myself a car guy and have little trouble figuring things out when it comes to automotive gadgets. I'm not a gadget guy (prefer stick shifts and manual seats among other things) though.

Normal car if you want to switch between AM & FM you hit the "Band" button on the radio (doesn't apply to me anymore as I've had SIRIUS for 2 yeasr and will NEVER go back to terrestrial radio).

iDrive equipped BMW you have to nudge the controller up, scroll one click to the left, bop the controller on the head for FM, bop the controller on the head again for your presets, then click the controller left or right to scroll through your presets.

You should see what you have to do to change the vent settings from cold air to hot air!

cotmc

Three of the reasons I like the e46 platform so much:

1) Nice looking design (no strong Bangle influence!)
2) No i-Drive
3) No Run Flat Tires (includes full size spare!)

fedlawman

I've heard tales of others encountering this, but it's never happened to me until today.

I was driving through my neighborhood in my E30 M3 this morning and noticed a man in a Honda Element following me pretty closely looking at the rear of my car. As I came up the hill past the city golf course, he eventually caught up to me (which took some determination on his part since I charged through the corner and accelerated to 65 MPH up the hill) and came alongside - very obviously checking out my car.

I'm used to getting nods and thumbs up from people when I'm out and about in the M, but when we got to the top of the hill and made eye contact, he gave me a "hang loose" and said, "I love your car, is that a wide-body kit?"

I just smiled and thanked him.

tnguyen74

I have an 03 325i with the oil light flashing quickly for a short period of time. I checked oil and it's OK and even added a quart to make sure. It doesn't happen all the timebut when it does the engine is at idle speed. However, if I rev the engine or accelerate the light will go out imeediately. It often happens after I exit the highway ramp after cruising for a while at the light or stop. Seems like the oil pressure drops or something. Is this something I need to be concerned about since the oil level is OK? I was going to wait until the next oil change to see if the problem will go away b/c of the oil filter or type of oil being the issue. I'm suspecting some kind of sensor is malfunctioning. Any input or help would be greatly appreciated.

shipo

What brand of oil are you using in your engine?
What weight of oil are you using?
How many miles are you driving per oil change?
How many miles on the engine?
How many miles can you drive before your dipstick registers "down a quart"?

Long story short, I'm suspicious of either the oil quality in your engine and/or the condition of the bottom end of your engine (i.e. the crank and the crank bearings and rod bearings). That your light only illuminates after the car is warm and at idle implies to me that the sensor is operating properly.

Best Regards,
Shipo

tnguyen74

I purchased the car used a few months ago and the previous owner just had the oil changed so I can not verify the oil, weight, and brand. The car has 90k and I've driven the car about 4k since I've had it. The oil level is good and I don't want to keep adding oil. I sure hope that it's just the oil quality condition like you said and not the crank and rod bearings. I guess after the next oil change I'll see what it does than go from there. Do you think it's possible the oil pump not keeping up when the engine is at idle? I say this is b/c when the engine speed increases the light goes out.

butmywife1

Hi Erickpl

I tried to have installed an isimiple ipod interface for my '02 325xi this weekend but it will only work when I have started the car and then connect the interface (loaded in the trunk). Not practical, I know. I remember that you said yours has been working for a couple of years. did you get yours through BMW? My BMW dealer has one for sale (more expensive) and they want an arm and a leg to install it ($170) so my question is: Is it possible that the interface I bought (Best Buy's isimple, specifically for BMWs from 1998 to 2005) just isn't communicating with the radio every time I start the car? I'm just about ready to bail and pay twice as much for the BMW one.

shipo

Over the years I've seen MANY cars that had the oil pressure light flash or stay on while at idle, and so far at least, it has NEVER been the oil pump. Said another way, 9 times out of 10 the lower end of the engine has been the problem, and the other ten percent of the times it has been below standard oil.

Given that you have no idea what junk the previous owner put in your car, I'd get that stuff out of there pronto. Your three choices for oil that is certified for your car here in North America are as follows:

BMW Synthetic - 5W-30
Castrol Syntec - 0W-30
Mobil 1 0W-40

You MUST make absolutely sure that you are using one of those oils or you will run the risk of very expensive engine damage.

If you are still dealing with the light coming on after changing your oil, then I'd say the odds on bet is that you have worn engine bearings.

Best Regards,
Shipo

erickpl

I don't have any idrive setup in my BMW, nor did I in my 2002 325xi. I had XM installed to work with the factory head unit.

My current BMW has Sirius, and I haven't bothered to do any kind of iPod retrofit to work with the iDrive setup.

-Paul

503bmw

hi,
just wondering if anyone has any easy and safe way of removing emblems. I would like to remove my 325i emblem w/o scratching it or leaving marks .

thanks

kyfdx

I've always heard dental floss is the preferred method.. Then some sort of paint-safe goop remover to get the adhesive off..

kominsky

If they're glued on, use a hair dryer to soften the glue, then they should just pull off (maybe the dental floss mentioned above will make that part easier). In the past, I've used wd-40 to remove the residue but there are products made specifically for the task.

If you use the hair dryer, have patience, you'll know when the glue is soft enough.

503bmw

I have a 2001 325i automatic and just wondering in septronic mode, could it still harm,or damage your engine if you accidentally miss- shift?
i read in my manual book that if you miss-shift, that it will automatically shift for you.