BMW 3-Series: FAQ

abpaul

I have a 325i with sports package that have about 10K miles on it. Last few days I can feel a subtle increase in engine noise and feel like the car is having some resistance to acceleration. I could also feel some more vibrations inside. I have to take it to the dealer in next couple of days but am not sure why this happening. Does anyone had this kind of an experience before. Some of friends sat in the car and they felt the difference while others didn't. I am not sure as to what to do if the dealer is to say that they don't see a difference. Any help is greatly appreciated

superdog

the psi suggestion is 39 front and 46 back.. this seems to give a really bumpy ride.. Anyone use different #s?

Thanks

okami

I am doing some car research on BMW, I found an entry in a catalog for parts for a 305i -- I never seen one. Is this a US/CAN vehicle or does it belong only in europe. Anyone have any insights?

thx

tjmalek

I'm looking at buying a 1994 BMW 325i. I've never owned a BMW before or had any experience with them. I wanted to hear from a seasoned BMW owner if it really does cost that much more to maintain one? And if so, Is it worth it?

gordonwd

Is it true that you can only open the window with the remote?

That is true. If you want to close everything from the outside, you have to put the key in the lock, turn it to the locking position, and hold it there for a few seconds.

div2

You really need to have the car inspected by a good BMW tech. Threes of that vintage aren't that expensive to run, but it helps to be able to do some of the minor maintenance yourself and to know a good independent BMW shop.

scottmsimpson

I am contemplating a used E46 to replace my 1999 Acura CL, and be a garage mate to our 87 325iC. When looking at used 3's (2000-2004) at a non BMW dealer, how can I tell if a certain vehicle has any of the various option packages, such as the sports package or others?
Are there certain features to distinguish the fact that the vehicle was supplied new with a certain package?
Thanks, Scott in Wisconsin.

kyfdx

Sport package cars will have sport seats.. easy to spot, with larger side bolsters, and the manually adjustable thigh pad... If it is a 325i, it will also come with 17" wheels, instead of 16". 330i sport pkg has staggered 17" wheels, with the rears wider than the fronts..

Premium package... On a 325i, look for the power seat controls.. those are also a stand-alone option, but usually means it has premium...

Heated seats.. Look for the control buttons in the center dash area below the ventilation controls.. If the car has pop-up headlight washers, it has the whole cold-weather package and will also have fold-down rear seats..

Xenons.. Look for a smaller cone, inside the headlight enclosure.. Once you see one with.. and without, it is easy to tell the difference...

Harmon-Kardon stereo.. standard on 330s... On 325i, you can see the name on the speaker grills.

kyfdx

Sport package cars will have sport seats.. easy to spot, with larger side bolsters, and the manually adjustable thigh pad... If it is a 325i, it will also come with 17" wheels, instead of 16". 330i sport pkg has staggered 17" wheels, with the rears wider than the fronts..

Premium package... On a 325i, look for the power seat controls.. those are also a stand-alone option, but usually means it has premium...

Heated seats.. Look for the control buttons in the center dash area below the ventilation controls.. If the car has pop-up headlight washers, it has the whole cold-weather package and will also have fold-down rear seats..

Xenons.. Look for a smaller cone, inside the headlight enclosure.. Once you see one with.. and without, it is easy to tell the difference...

Harmon-Kardon stereo.. standard on 330s... On 325i, you can see the name on the speaker grills.

jhopple101

Hi,

Does anyone know how I can find out if my 04 325Ci is prewired for satellite radio? I just bought it used and want to add XM.

Thanks!

erickpl

would be for Sirius, not XM.

I went aftermarket and put an alpine unit in mine to receive XM.

-Paul

keycard

Hi!!
My bimmer is hitting 120K very soon, the only problem so far (Knock on a lot of wood)
1. Fuel Pump died out around 52K-replaced
2. Bolt Bearing was rough--Replaced (118K)

QUestion:I don't have the manual anymore, is the next Big event Schedule Maint 3?
What is the usually ball park figure from a dealer and from a independent. Any recommendations for independents in the SF area? Int he past, I've always had a friend mechanic do all the work so it was cheap..

Thanks
KC

uponone

I'm looking at a 2002 BMW 330ci and I can't tell if it has leather seats or the leatherette seats. How do you tell the difference? I know it does not have the premium package because it does not have the wood trim accents. However, the dealer is trying to charge me for leather, but I can't really tell if it has it or not. I'd hate to pay for something that I'm not getting.

debbie11

I recently purchased a 2003 BMWci. It has a red light under the rear view mirror which I later learend is part of the alarm sysytem. At the time of purchase the dealer wanted to charge $750 to instal an alarm. Everything I have read says that this vehicle came standard with an alarm. How cna I find out if my car has alarm and how can I activate it?

bdr127

Check out this current conversation over in the 3-Series forum.... All the answers to your questions.

bdr127

One question not answered over there that I'll try to answer..... One of the easiest ways to figure out if yours has the alarm system installed is like this:

1) Open the hood.
2) Find the little button under the hood around the edge (usually right in front of the passenger-side windshield) that tells the car that the hood is shut... usually a "plunger"-type button.
3) Press and hold that button down (don't let go until I let you know).
4) Using your key fob, lock the car.
5) Wait for about 3-4 minutes (still holding the button down! ).
6) Let go of the button.

If the alarm goes off, you have an alarm. If not, then you don't.

erickpl

lock doors with windows down. Reach in, double pump door handle to unlock and open. You'll know if you have it.

-Paul

gordonwd

2. Bolt Bearing was rough--Replaced (118K)

What is a "bolt bearing"? Is it anything like a muffler bearing?

cogden

I have recently bought a 325i on a 'j' plate and am very much a beginner at this, can somebody please tell me how to top up my transmission fluid as well as this on my keys i have the main ignition key and a much smaller one and would like to know what its for. i would appreciate any help. Thanks

div2

If your 325i has an automatic there is a specific procedure for checking the fluid level. It's somewhat involved and requires the car to be on a lift. I'd let a dealer or a good independent BMW tech check it.
The small plastic key is an emergency key. A lot of people keep it in their wallet as a backup in case they lose a full-size key. Of course, should you lose your wallet, the finder will know where you live AND he/she will have a key to your 325i...

texasmerq

I was thinking about getting another car soon and now that I have driven all the primary candidates. Driving the BMW e90 330i really sticks out in my mind. I'm curious about the long term reliability from current or past owners. You normally only hear the bad stuff from any car because people usually only talk abut the terrible problems but I'm very curious about the average experience with these cars and for honest answers.

Thanks

potemkin

Well, I'm sure my experience hasn't been average, but here goes...

I bought a '95 318ti back in August of '95. It now has 112k miles on it and the only mechanical failure I can contribute to the car is that the ignition switch went out after about 100k miles. One time the battery exploded when I turned the key to start it. But since all the other batteries I've put in it haven't displayed the same sort of behavior, we'll attribute that failure to a bad battery. Recently I noticed the engine temp wasn't climbing as quickly as it should be. I replaced the thermostat and that problem went away. That cost me about US$20.00.

And that's about it. I'm sure most owners won't be as fortunate, but that's my story.

I also own an '05 325i, but I've only had it 9 months, so it's too early to tell. I'm hoping it does nearly as well. *Knocks on wood*

You're welcome.

texasmerq

Thanks for the testimonial. I guess I'm having similar luck with my current car. At least if you are to believe what people say about American cars.

abfisch

In regards to the locking mechanism and the alarm, can BMW activate the horn for a short beep, when locking the car, as the lights flash and the clown nose activates.

i recently bought a used 04 325ci, the lights flash, clown nose starts to blink, but horn doesn't sound. Would like a small beep if this can be done.

Does anyone know?? I realize this has to be done by the dealership.

abfisch

sheepdg

The audio sound is a brief sound of the car's siren signal, not horn. With no alarm system, the sound signal can't be "dummied" up. (fortunately, those damn things are annoying)

bimmerang

jeffersonk

Anyone else having trouble with their run flat tires on the 2006 3-series? I've heard that they go bald fast and mine certainly have. I've got two new ones on order right now. The $1000 price tag to replace these two is not fun, but it's more the inconvenience that bugs me. I hate it that I'm in the tire store every time the seasons change.

bdr127

$1000 for two tires? Maybe for all four?

The runflats don't go bald any faster than other tires... Perhaps you've read about the Performance tires that come with the sport package? Because they are softer performance-oriented tires, they will wear down after about 15k (higher if you don't drive very aggressively).

bakedflounder

Hello,

I just bought an '01 325i with only 32k miles on it. I'm having issues with the moonroof closing entirely. When I use the one touch switch, (then release)it closes only half way. (It really goes 3/4 of the way, then retracts, as if it's path were blocked).

But when I hold the button, it closes all the way. Anyone had an issue with this?

pdiddy2

Hi,

does the 2006 bmw 325i bluetooth support the motorola razor from Tmobile?

thanks in advance.

bdr127

Here are the bluetooth phones officially supported by BMW:

Bluetooth-Compatible Mobile Phones

trulyd123

How do I connect an MP3 player to my car? The dealer said that an IPOD would work, but can any another mp3 player work too?

I've read the user's manual and for the life of me, cannot figure out how to get any mp3 player to work let alone an IPOD.

Thanks!

ckm1515

merely purchase a 3.5mm cable from radio shack ($4.00) and connect it to the aux input in the arm rest and switch the mode, via the steering wheel or menu key, to aux. make sure the volume is turned all the way up on your ipod or mp3 player or you won't be able to hear it. thats all and it works fine

trulyd123

Will do! Thanks for the advice :-)

pjo1966

I read on another forum that BMW has a service update to improve Bluetooth pairing. Does anyone have any info on this? I'm trying to find a website that posts service updates for BMW with no luck.

chrisnj1

Hi, I am using the razor and BMW Bluetooth. It is great!

abfisch

Don't want to sound like a complete idiot. Need two new tires for the rears of my 05 325ci. How does the BMW roundel hub center cap pop off??? Do you just take the wheel off and push on it from the inside...with a blunt end of a hammer or something plastic or do you carefully pry it off from the front.

Thanks.

abfisch

hgeyer

It pushes out from behind. You won't need any tools - it's pretty simple once you look at it from behind.

best4

I got my car last night. No problems with the Razor or bluetooth. After the car downloads the address book, how do you attach voice tags to them?

styx1182

I have a 2000 323 that I bought used with 79k... One year later I'm @ 1000k... Anyone know where I can find a list of recommended scheduled maintenance? Thanks

pat

Welcome!

Try this link: Maintenance Schedules, Recalls and Technical Service Bulletins.

And check out the other 3-Series discussions at this link: BMW 3-Series.

potemkin

"One year later I'm 1000k.."

Congratulations on being the first 2000 323 owner to break the 1,000,000 mile mark*. Way to go!

*Not positive, but I'm pretty sure you're the first.

rhmass

Don't you think he meant 100K?

pat

See the wink following "Way to go"?

vvk

Oil analysis has shown that 15k miles is quite concervative for a BMW engine. Oil samples have shown very low wear, good TBN retention and stable viscosity. No problem at all. BMW owners who driver their cars on regular basis can safely follow their maintenance computer's indication when to change the oil.

vvk

According to Edmunds, trunk volume for E46 is only 11 ft3. According to the owner's manual and some other web sites, the volume is 440l/15.5 ft3. I just converted 440l by hand and came up with 15.54 ft3. That's bigger than both new Camry and Accord. Can this be true? I have always thought that 3-series has pretty small trunk. Can it really be so huge? It does not look that big...

mdenero44

I am looking at a CPO 2004 330Ci with the Sport Package. I love ths car! Titanium Silver with black interior/aluminum trim. It has 25K and is in fantastic condition. The price is $29,995.00 The only hang up is the wheels and tires. I think the 68M wheels are gorgeous on this car, but of course with the SP it has the 17X7.5 fronts and 17X8.5 rears with Performance rubber.

However, I really want to run good all-seasons instead of performance. Where I live we get enough snow to make performance rubber undriveable, but not enough snow to make going to winter tires worthwhile. My preliminary plan is to buy two more 17X7.5 68M rims and go with 225/45s on all corners. Any ideas on how that might work on the 330Ci with SP? Will it cause any problems with the suspension? I realize the handling won't be the same, but if it goes down to excellent from superb I will be happy. I am sorry if I sound like an idiot, but truth is I am when it comes to these things! Any advise is appreciated.

MD

kyfdx

If you are familiar with how a 3-series handles on all-season tires, and are happy with that, then there is no problem with your plan.

Personally, I think there is a big difference in handling between summer and all-season tires, and wouldn't want to make the sacrifice, but that is just me..

Also, even if you go with all-seasons, why not just keep the staggered set-up? While it doesn't have any real handling advantage, you already have the wheels and it does give the car a more aggressive look. If your selected tire doesn't come in the 245/40-17 size, you can can substitute 255/40-17 with no problem on the rear.

If you do get two more wheels, then you won't have any problems with 225/45-17 all the way around, but the look may be a little jarring at first, if you are used to seeing those fat tires on the back.. Also, if you have a spare, it should also be a front wheel.. You could buy one more front wheel and a steelie for the spare..

Regards,
kyfdx

meccai

i need someone honest opinion if is should buy a 1997 bmw 328i that has 100,985 miles, the cost is 10,350.

meccai

HEY, MAYBE U CAN HELP ME IM LOOKING AT THIS 1997 328I THAT HAS 100,985 FOR 10,350 IS IT WORTH IT, DO U THINK I WOULD HAVE THE CAR FOR AT LEAST 3-5 YEARS?