BMW 3-Series 2006

sander1

Amir,
I was just offered the same insurance package from Equipro for the run flats. I would take it but check the details..
few things to remember, these tires wear out quickly, can't be fixed and even if you drive on them you will have a good chance of damaging your rim, which is not covered. I wanted this car and I was willing to pay the high price, but the tires are a big deal and you should plan to spend a few thousand (2-3k) on them within 5 years. Remember the nails cannot be fixed, driving on them will sometimes void the warranty.. and the dealer told me they will not install regular tires because it will mess up the cars suspension and tuning. I was on this car, but now Im off. It's a great ride, god awful interior styling and not worth all the trouble down on road. Hope this helps.

dl7265

"Be _really_ careful with the clay, keep it clean, and use lots of lubricant"

Just in case, I'll third this advise, especially on the creases. :shades:

DL

dl7265

Hmm its been about 1999 since I made that trip. Using Shipo's advise and take it slow id imagine you'll be fine. Having said that there are some pretty nice drop off's from what I recall before you make it to Sacramento. :surprise:

Are you using Ski sack ? or did you purchase roof rails ?

DL

saigonboi21

i dont have either. My friend's car has a rack so he will be carrying the equipment.

mwhitt

Question for Shipo

I live in a snowy area, lots of hills and drive a lot. I am looking at a BMW xi vs Audi. Do you have some practical sense of the performance of the x drive system. Generally, I like the BMW better for many reasons, but the awd system is pretty important to me.

shipo

Hmmm, given that I'm something of a RWD bigot, you're probably asking the wrong person. ;-)

Me? Unless I was living high in the Rockies or Sierra Nevadas, I'd opt for a RWD BMW and then put winter tires on it during the snowy months. That having been said, conventional wisdom suggests that Audi has the premier AWD system going these days, however, BMW's new AWD system is considered to be very much of an improvement over its previous system, AND is arguably better than the Audi on dry pavement, all else being equal.

The thing is that rarely in this world are thing "equal". Once I discovered the pleasures of a true Sport Package, that's all I've wanted since. Due to the fact that the 330xi cannot be had with such, if I really wanted a car of that ilk with AWD, I'd opt for the A4 with the Sport Package.

Best Regards,
Shipo

jb_shin

Auid AWD system is front-biased, meaning more torque to the front wheels, thus feeling more like a FWD car. One exception is the upcoming RS4, and possibly the S4.

BMW system is similar to the system in the Infinity G35 where the power is only sent to the rear wheels until it is necessary to do otherwise.

Having said that, I have rarely, rarely seen AWD cars in Germany where I spent 3 years. A good set of winter tires and common sense seem to get the job done.

bdr127

Auid AWD system is front-biased, meaning more torque to the front wheels, thus feeling more like a FWD car. One exception is the upcoming RS4, and possibly the S4.

Audi's Quattro system has been 50/50 F/R distribution since its inception 25 years ago. This year they introduced a 40/60 in the S4, and, according to sources, will very likely use that split in future Audi models.

bmwna

I'm with BMW of North America, LLC. I've passed this message on to a BMW NA Customer Relations Representative who will be in touch with you soon.

BMW NA Customer Relations

ivan_99

I think it's the Haldex one that is FWD biased...which is not really a Quattro...but by name.

saigonboi21

Shipo- so it's best to use brakes instead of low gears?? That's what i got from reading ur respond. Please correct me if im wrong. Thanks

johnny420

I think he means that, due to travelling downhill and the slick conditions, the car will tend to carry more speed than the DSC will allow, so the wheels effectively lock up, causing the rear end to step out.

That would explain why his car righted itself when he pushed in the clutch. The rear wheels began spinning again, and inertia took over.

Maybe the best solution would be to upshift, drive a gear tall, so to speak, and use the brakes judiciously.

bdr127

The Haldex system is just a part-time 4WD system that is 95/5 F/R split under normal conditions... When it detects slippage, it puts up to 100% power to any one wheel, but there is a split-second delay once it detects the slippage.

The Torsen is full-time AWD with a 50/50 split (40/60 in the S4 and future Audi models) and the power is seemless and instantaneous.

corvette

Yes, it is weird driving a stick shift in the snow, as engaging the clutch can make the drive wheels "lock." The newer VW's have a feature which will apply the throttle as needed to prevent this, I haven't had the opportunity to test whether the E90 does something similar.

shipo

The incident that I was referring to was where I was on a long (for New Jersey) 1 mile decent on a winding snow covered road. IIRC, I was tooling along in either first or second gear with my foot off the gas allowing the engine to do all of the work of fighting off gravity. Near the bottom of the hill the grade of the road reaches its steepest point and that was where the back end of my car decided to pass the front end. So, given that I wasn't using any of my three pedals at the moment, one can see why I stated that "all of the DSC and ABS in the world wouldn't have prevented this skid" (or some such language). That said, simply pressing in on the clutch got my car all sorted out (at the expense of a higher speed).

Best Regards,
Shipo

mwhitt

So let's leave it at the moment that I still believe I need AWD, or I will be parking my car a lot in the winter.

I'm looking at the 325xi relative to 2.0T Audi. Next to AWD, the ability to handle a lot of miles is important. I drive 40K a year, and usually run up 200K+ before I buy again. I have friends with 3-series that routinely put 200+ on their cars with just nits and lice. I know no Audi owners, so I can't get the same feeling. I also have a little worry about the turbo vs inline 6.

any opinions there - and don't tell me to buy a Pac Rim vehicle...

corvette

Audi is owned by Volkswagen, so do you know any VW owners? If you use your car for everyday driving, a BMW on average is more reliable than an Audi/VW, especially at higher mileages.

mwhitt

actually I do, and they have had 100K pretty trouble free so far. more the reason I asked, I read an article in car&driver talking about audi quality - and it said that they had seriously ratched up quality process and expectations in both design and manufacturing. but obviously this in the last two years, so we have out of the box ratings but no long term stuff under this new regime (if it really exists).

i guess my real question was focused on the long-term durability of turbo 4 vs an inline 6. i've also heard some bad stuff about timing belt failure and ext. engine damage in audi's pre the service point, but post warranty.

marcus51

"Once I discovered the pleasures of a true Sport Package, that's all I've wanted since. Due to the fact that the 330xi cannot be had with such, if I really wanted a car of that ilk with AWD, I'd opt for the A4 with the Sport Package."

According to Edmund's and BMWUSA.com, the 330xi is available with a sport package ($900). Is this not a true sport package?

Thanks!
Marc

mwhitt

no it's not a true sports package. look at the contents and price on the i vs. the xi. he's talking about the lowered and stiffened suspension, a different set of rims and tires, along with the sports seats and other stuff.

the xi only gives you the fluff stuff. they don't lower it and stiffen it for the xi.

audi does..

shipo

What have you been doing, reading my mind??? ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

corvette

FWIW, my dad's 2003 Beetle TDI ate a timing belt at 120,000 miles. The belt and tensioner had been replaced by the dealer (Neil Huffman Volkswagen in Louisville, KY) at 101,000 miles. They were no help, parts warranty is 12k, so he had it towed to an independent mechanic and paid another $1000 to replace the belt, tensioner, and rollers that were damaged by the melted timing belt.

He still has the Beetle, and it remains the last VW/Audi/Porsche product anyone in my immediate family will ever own.

Before that, I had a long string of frequent problems with my 1999 Jetta VR6, which was a fun car otherwise. They were minor by comparison, but it got to the point where I the only thing I could count on needing some type of repair work every 3,000 miles.

kruntal

Had my oil changed at ~5000 mi. About $120 for that at dealership. It was 1/2 way mark on the e-dipstick before the change. Asked the dealer why it consumed oil, he said that is normal during break-in, oil consumption should reduce as miles add up. Let's see. He asked if he should just top up oil, I said no, just change. Next time I will go to 15K mark and have free oil change. Great dealership service experience. Loaner car, personalized service, etc...

He also updated software, don't know what that means.

Regading xenons bouncing on road bumps, I see that all the time, wonder what the guy in front sees in his rearview mirror. Must be more annoying to that person than to me. I got used to it. Xenons are worthy insurance esp in deer country were I am. Already spotted deer lurking on the sides a few time this season.

Changing over to winter tires today, from tire-rack. Got the $75 rim, and the $72 winterforce tires. Just until March. I will drive not faster than 70 mph with it on highways. Will use 95 ft-lb torquing. Have a scissor jack left over from my '85 Audi 5000S Turbo. That should do it.

Bluetooth with my Blackberry (Blueberry ?) works great. No problem.

Great drive overall ! Not a single problem. I doubt if you can go wrong with choosing any 3 series.

fedlawman

$120 for an oil change!?!?

jeffhou

On the new 330I, when you FIRST start the car, is it normal for the engine trouble indicator (the little orange triange) to come up next to the "P" (parking) position in the info window. It goes out along with some of the other idiot lights that come on momentarily upon start up. I don't remember seeing this before. When I check for stored messages, there are none so I'm guessing this all normal and all is okay. Just wanting some reassurance from others that I need not worry.

Thanks!

Jeff

kruntal

As I had mentioned in my msg #5113 above, changed the winter package wheels from tire-rack. Std inexepensive Winterforce tires (read "no RFT). Ride was just a tad bit softer, picked it up only because I looked for it, doubt if I would have noticed if I didn't look for it.

Yes, oil change was around $112. What do you expect from a BMW dealership for about 7-8 qts of synthetic and original BMW filter and service. I thought if you did it every 15K miles it is worth it. I did it only because it was first 5K.

Very disappointed with tire-rack wheel balancing. They need to tighten their quality control. I think I need to call them about it and get them rebalanced (whether they pay for it or not). Also 3 wheels had "1000 Miglia" caps, 1 had "Sport Edition" cap. Go figure...

Those do-it-yourself guys, watch out for tire rotation direction. 2 are left, and 2 are right. Dont switch left and right.

I put in only 65-70 ft-lb torque with my new Craftsman torque wrench since that is what it was set for in the factory installed original wheels. I know it calls for 95 ft-lb. I wonder what happens if it is only 65-70. Anyone ?

venture

"Very disappointed with tire-rack wheel balancing. They need to tighten their quality control. I think I need to call them about it and get them rebalanced (whether they pay for it or not). Also 3 wheels had "1000 Miglia" caps, 1 had "Sport Edition" cap. Go figure... "

My Borbet wheels & Michelin X-ice tires were balanced perfectly. I got 4 Borbet center caps as well as 4 extra Sport center caps and 20 wheel bolts.

I would definitely call TireRack and tell them. I would think they would want to know.

I torqued mine to 87.5 lb/ft. (or whatever is in the manual). No problems.

dl7265

"It was 1/2 way mark on the e-dipstick before the change. Asked the dealer why it consumed oil, he said that is normal during break-in, oil consumption should reduce as miles add up. Let's see".

That's Aprox 1/2 quart. My car was delivered it was at the Max and after 6 months and 7K miles slowly went down til it asked for a quart. I was advised it was with in BMW spec.

A oil change imo is not going to make an engine "stop" using oil.

On another board a owner paid $20 bones to have a oil analysis done after a 7800 miles oil change . The conclusion was that the oil was just fine, but had higher than normal metals from the break in. They recommended that a first change at least by 7500 due to the metals and after the oil should be fine til the 15k free service.

Btw , you got a BMW loaner for a NON-Warranty service ? I estimate the parts would run me about $55. So your price for the service and car for the day isnt so bad, depending on how you look at it.

DL

rats13

So let me understand this. The "free" maintenance program is oil not until 15kmi???

kyfdx

15K miles is the standard maintenance interval for BMW.. The computer adjusts the interval based on your driving.. but, it is more or less 15K... If you want it changed more often than that, it is on your own dime...

But, don't discount the "free" part.. At the 30K service, they put front brake pads and rotors on my car... for "free".

regards,
kyfdx
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div2

1. $112 for an oil change? My dealer only charged me $110 to change the ATF AND the final drive oil. Better learn to DIY when the maintenance coverage runs out. Or, I can send my ten year old son over to do it. Yes, it's that easy.

2. I've never had a problem with balance on any of the three tire/wheel sets I've purchased from Tire Rack.

3. I wonder what happens if it[the lug bolt torque] is only 65-70. Don't worry, you'll hear a low grinding rumble when the lug bolts start to back out. And they WILL back out.

dl7265

Well or one year regardless of mileage, which ever comes first.

DL

abfisch

That is what I was exactly going to ask. If you put mileage on the car, do they pay for rotors and pads???

I am not trying to be funny, but how about tires??? My Dunolps (rears) are worn at 15K.

abfisch

abfisch

Two things come to mind with your post. I am not sure what year BMW 3 series you have.

These are straightforward things from either the service manual or owner's manual.

1. BMW does NOT recommend Tire rotation. Because of the susp. set-up and the wear patterns, Front to rear, nor side-side should be attempted, unless you want to alter the handling.

2. At least for 03-04 models, 88.5ft/lbs of torque for the wheels nuts in the owner's manual, and 90 +/- 7 ft/lbs in the service manual.

Hope this helps someone.

abfisch

victord1

I finally had the chance to test drive the new 3 this past weekend. It was a 330i w/ step, sport, prem, cold, active steering and cruise control. It was a short drive due to a back up (accident) on the free way.

Overall, I was impressed with the ride. In term of stiffness, I think it's on the same level as the '05 330i w/ZHP. Except the '06 produces a lot less noise. It's even quieter (in my memory) than the regular (w/o sport) '05 330i. In term of harshness, it's on the same level as my '03 TL-S, but more stable. I really wanted to drive it on slab concrete at freeway speed to test its poise, noise and harshness. Well, there will be another test drive.

The active steering, IMO, is great. The turn is pretty quick at low speed. I almost scrubbed the curb at the first right turn, but adapted quickly to it. I like the fact that it became a lot stiffer at high speed, and I didn't have to turn the steering wheel that much going down a bending merging ramp at 55+/mph. I only wish it is a no-cost option. Yeah, only in my dream would BMW do that.

One thing I noticed was that the tranny kicked in pretty rough when shifting (on level ground) from Park to Neutral to Drive, and vice versa. Maybe some you owners can confirm. But, maybe it's only for this particular car---it has 11,000miles+ (not a typo). The other testers must have been really rough with it. :sick:

bdr127

That is what I was exactly going to ask. If you put mileage on the car, do they pay for rotors and pads???

I am not trying to be funny, but how about tires??? My Dunolps (rears) are worn at 15K.

Yeah, rotors and pads are totally covered.... If you're a two-footed driver, then you'll make out like a bandit with BMW's full maintenence. :P

Tires are not covered. If they were, I think there'd be a lot of people burning those things off! :P

Do you have the Sport package? If so, then the performance tires last, on average, around 15K like you are experiencing. All-seasons, of course, will last considerably longer.

gotrojan

Hi,

I am planning to buy the new 2006 BMW 325. But before making a final decision, I have a few questions and I guess this is the best place to get those answered.

1. I want to buy the manual transmission, but I am not sure about the long term maintenance cost for it. Is it an costly affair? As all bimmer enthusiasts agree, theres nothing like a manual BMW! So, is it fine in buying the manual (which I am very much interested in) or pay the extra for the auto?
Please indicate if there are any other issues with the manual!

2. I am in a dilemma of wheather or not to go for the sports package. I am definitely going in for the premium (for leather and the cool bluetooth feature) but not sure on the sports package. The features that the dealer told me were. a) bigger wheels b) sports suspension c) seat adjustments.
Please enlighten me about this package.

So, the configuration I am thinking of right now is:
2006 325
Premium Package
Metallic color (mostly Silver with black upholstry)
Manual Transmission

What price would be a good deal if I buy it from in or around Los Angeles area?

I appreciate your help!

Thanks a bunch!

saigonboi21

i got my plates about 2 months ago but havent put them on yet. I was wondering if i have to put on a front plate. I heard that cops might give u fix it tickets? i was wondering how much it is for window tinting and not having a front plate. Is it just a one time thing?? thanks

rhmass

I didn't pay attention to this, but I would say you only need to be concerned when the light stays on. When you start up the car, all lights come on to indicate they are all in working order. They would then go out.

arizonajoe

gotrojan - Kudos on your choice of a manual transmission. A 3-series automatic still strikes me as extremely odd and impure, like a toothless tiger.

If I decided I wanted a more relaxed and less engaged driving experience, I would get an automatic - but not a 3-series automatic. If I made an "automatic" lifestyle choice, and wanted an entry-level lux sedan, I'd get an Acura TL - a nice car to cruise around in, lots of feature content for the money, etc.

saigonboi21 - If you're referring to license plates, it's a simple legal issue driven by which state you live in. Here in Arizona, we don't have front license plates. Just call your MVD and find out.

corvette

With both automatic and manual transmissions, BMW specifies no maintenance. That said, you may choose to change the fluid in either one on your own dime. On average, a manual transmission is less likely to develop problems than an automatic.

selm

I think that those seeking a manual tranny (like me) will also want the sport package. In fact, my e90 325i only has one add-on... that is ZSP.

Fight on!!

gotrojan

Thanks for the reply.

Could you say something about the price for this config (in California)?
2006 325i
Manual Xmission
Metallic Color
Premium Package

kruntal

OK guys ! Called tire rack. Very nice folks at tire rack. Said take car to local approved shop. Will reimburse full cost of balancing the wheels. All 4 were out of balance. $80 + tax total.

Watch out for this folks out there....

The clearance between front caliper housing and wheel is very tight. The balancing shop guy put a sticker weight. I turned the wheel while car on jack (while shop guy was working on other wheels). The weight caught caliper housing and got knocked off. If I didn't spin wheel like that, I would have thought it was balanced, driven out of shop with an unbalanced wheel right from start.

Mine is the 06 325i with 17" standard wheel. I don't know if same case with the 330i and the 18" standard, with the larger rotors.

Finally asked the shop guy to tap in the old fashioned weights for the inside rim. Sticker weights OK for outside rim.

Nice ride with standard non-RFT. No problems there...

gotrojan

By fluid you mean the Engine oil that needs to be changed every 15k miles (or 1 year whichever is earlier) ??

Or is there any other oil that needs to be changed?

div2

Finally asked the shop guy to tap in the old fashioned weights for the inside rim. Sticker weights OK for outside rim.
Actually, the correct procedure is to utilize plastic coated adhesive backed weights such as those sold by BMW. They are thin and shaped to match the inner contour of the wheel.

dl7265

Brake fluid every 2 years. Very important, and its covered.The tranny and diff are "lifetime" fluids.

DL

nyccarguy

with the Stick shift and Sports package...you won't be disapointed.

gotrojan

what price should be good for the config I gave?

abfisch

bdr127:

Thanks man. Yes, exactly, I bought a slightly used from Germany, 04 325ci Sports Package about 1 month ago from a fellow soldier. He broght it back from Europe, family growing and had to get rid of it. Very nice second car for me, as I commute with my wife or use my 02 Avalon (Toyota) during these winter months. Rear Tires are very worn, fronts OK. The Dunlop OE tires are not much rated for wet weather or wear. Will put on Avon M550 AS. I think they are a better compromise for me, for a 3 season car with a wear rating that is twice of the OE tires.

Thanks.

abfisch