BMW 3-Series 2006

stan_330i

Calif65gm is correct that the E90 can be programmed to lock the doors at a low speed as you start driving, but you can't specify a given speed at which the lock engages.

stan_330i

The E90 presumably has a built in GPS receiver. That would be necessary for the emergency services offered, and for the optional navigation. Has anybody heard whether or not we can access the location data being generated by the receiver? Would it be possible through the Bluetooth connection?

barry626

Your dealer is very correct!
Past BMW's u could make clown nose flash, not e90.

You want the appearence of a alarm, only cost $450.00 & worth it!

shipo

"You want the appearence of a alarm, only cost $450.00 & worth it!"

And worth it? I fail to see how. All BMWs sold here in the U.S. have a fully integrated theft deterrant system built in as standard equipment. I simply don't understand why the addition of a blinking clown nose, or even the addition of the "Alarm" would deter even a single extra would be thief.

The flip side of this is the pro, and the addition of the alarm ain't gonna amount to a hill of beans if he/she wants your car. All they (the pros) have to do is pop your car in a container box and drive away. Alarm or no, your car will still be just as gone.

Best Regards,
Shipo

ckm1515

I concur!! The 'lojack' taht comes with the assist is more than adequate than a silly blinking alarm. If anyone wants one bad enuff, they will get to it with or without clown nose. Besides, it doesn't even lower your ins deductible as that is already in effect via the BMW assist!

shipo

The problem is that even with the "Lojack" like feature of BMW Assist, all the professional thieves have to do is forklift your car into an insulated container box. Poof, the car instantly vanishes from the grid, and when it next ventures forth from said container box, it's in Novosibirsk. BMW Assist ain't gonna do you a whole lot of good if the car is in Russia.

Best Regards,
Shipo

like2drive

Hi.

I agree 100% on the same issue with my S2000. If someone wants it, they can scoop it up. My point is I'd like to deter people from busting a window trying to take things out (or in the search for things to take out) under the guise that the car will make a lot of annoying (and perhaps) attracting sounds (even if it really doesn't).

If it can't, oh well.

Thanks for the advisement.

like2drive

Hi.

Has anyone gotten remote start and / or an aftermarket alarm for their E90?

Vehicles in the past I had with remote start are:

92 Toyota Corolla, 96 Jeep Cherokee, 03 Honda S2000 ...

I realize the BMW E90 has a bit more electronics and the special key FOB.

Does anyone have opinions on if this would impact warranty work?

My alarm on the 03 S2000 had tons of features including remote start, smart windows (one touch up and down for all windows, remote windows, windows up when armed (or slightly vented ... etc), remote headlights, tilt / motion / proximity (RADAR) sensors, remote locks, configurable auto lock / un-lock, remote trunk, auto start if the battery became low or the engine temp became too low, multiple sirens / buzzers, etc ...

I opted to stay away from Comfort Access as it didn't include remote start ...

Anyway, remote start is the prime issue / question.

Thanks!

best4

Has anyone mastered the Bluetooth system yet? I just pick up my car last night and love it. After the car downloads the phonebook from the phone how do you attach voice tags to the entries for voice dialing by name? I am using a Motorola Razor and do not have navigation. I can scroll through the entries on the radio panel but that is to hard to do while driving. My phone has voice activation but that part does not transfer to the car. I do not want to have duplicate entries in the car phonebook (that could be a lot of work). Any ideas?

330i, Sports Package, Premium Package, Comfort Access, Cold Weather, SAT Radio, Rear Sunshade. Titanium Graphite, Terra Leather.

tayl0rd

But wouldn't it seem a little odd to see a forklift loading a BMW into a shipping container in the middle of a mall/supermarket parking lot at 8 o'clock at night? (or any time of day, for that matter.) :confuse: Somehow I don't think the "pros" are gonna go all Ocean's Eleven just for a car.

shipo

Well, odd though it may well be, that is exactly what they do. My brother had his On-Star equipped Yukon (sp?) nicked that way, right from the parking lot of the upscale hotel he was staying at. The local constabulary told him that they'd been chasing the group responsible for many vehicular vanishing acts for several months at that point, and that it was the forklift/container box trick that was what allowed them to do it so quickly and go uncaptured for so long.

Best Regards,
Shipo

tayl0rd

That's just nuts. Seems like the cops would've put out a public bulletin or the local news would've been reporting that type of activity. It's just unbelievable.

I could understand if they were sliding cars up on a flatbad and rolling out, but come on...

shipo

In days gone by I've heard of any number of flat-bedding incidents, however, with the advent of Lojack type devices, the days of the exposed flat-bed car theft model quickly became numbered. I suppose instead of using a forklift, a good car thief could rig up a couple of wheel ramps and a winch inside the shielded container box and forego the forklift, however, I've yet to hear of this approach.

As for the forklift method; I suspect that a good professional theft ring could easily stage a diversion that would shield the forklift/theft event from prying eyes for the few moments that it would take for a practiced operator to get a car inside the container.

Best Regards,
Shipo

bdr127

The problem is that even with the "Lojack" like feature of BMW Assist, all the professional thieves have to do is forklift your car into an insulated container box. Poof, the car instantly vanishes from the grid, and when it next ventures forth from said container box, it's in Novosibirsk. BMW Assist ain't gonna do you a whole lot of good if the car is in Russia.

That's what insurance claims and GAP insurance are for! :P

kyfdx

My wife's car has Bluetooth.. but, I'm still a novice.. I think you can only add the voice tags if the phone numbers are in the phone's memory, and not on the SIM card.. There is at least a 50% chance that I'm wrong about that, though..

Anyway, you can find everything you want to know about Bluetooth, here:

BMW Bluetooth

regards,
kyfdx

blueguydotcom

There was a group in San Diego who frequented La Jolla and UTC area. They'd park a scout at the front of a garage and then send a few vehicles down into a garage to strip vehicles. These guys would tear down an acura faster than a pit crew at the indy 500 can change a set of tires. Really impressive what they accomplished over several months.

After reading about that kinda thing, I wouldn't be shocked to hear of people simply yanking cars from mall parking lots.

best4

I have seen the BMW site. Not enough detail for me. I figured out that the voice tag has to be recorded but does not add a duplilcate contact in the address book. It would be nice to be able to just select the number in the book at record the tag to it but you have to record the tag and give the number to pair with it. Takes longer than I thought but it seems to work so far. If there is an easier way let me know.

leej_48103

Hello,

Just put my order in for an electric red sport wagon. CA told me that it will NOT have run flats, which was news to me. Can anyone confirm? He was rather emphatic about it but even the owner's manual I have on loan says it comes with run flats.

Thanks,

Jim

leej_48103

Hi,

I was wondering if the seats and other customized seetings adjust automatically when person approaches car with comfort access or does one need to push a button on the remote to cause those changes? I presume a button needs to be pushed or the car would be confused when both driver and passenger have the fobs.

Thanks,

Jim

raleigh

Hello all - I am in the market for a new BMW, but am undecided between an E-46 non-Bangleized 330 coupe with performance package, or the new E-90 sedan with sport package. Has anyone had experience with both and what are your thoughts? Style-wise the new body leaves me cold. Is it really a better car? :confuse:

Thanks for your help.

blueguydotcom

I have a 330i with the performance package (6 sp manual). I just ordered a 2006 330i (6 sp, sport package).

Pluses of the e46 ZHP over the e90:
Faster, louder, more personality, more alive, better appearance, better interior (window controls in the right place, stereo facing driver, controls don't wash out when wearing polarized glasses, etc).

Pluses of the e90 sport package over the e46 ZHP:
New warranty, tighter handling, comfort access, cheaper feature for feature.

I can't speak for the e46 ZHP coupe v. e90 sedan as I found the coupe to be a little squishy for my tastes - the structural rigidity of the coupe can't compare to the sedan. When pressed hard it's obvious to me.

Honestly, I wish BMW still made the e46 sedan ZHP. It's a more engaging, faster, more comfortable car. The e90 is my default car...I can't find anything else I like and I would never trust a BMW out of warranty.

corvette

It most definitely comes with run-flat tires.

corvette

...I found the coupe to be a little squishy for my tastes - the structural rigidity of the coupe can't compare to the sedan.

Weren't a lot of the E46 cars affected by the subframe tear problem coupes? That could simply mean that the coupes are driven harder than the sedans, or could reinforce your point above. I've driven E46 coupes and sedans but haven't driven them that hard, that often to notice...

Also, didn't you used to have a problematic Jetta? And you ended up with a 3-series? Me too. Small world!

erickpl

To do voice dialing on a Razr, you have to store the phone number in the phone, NOT the SIM. I put my frequently dialed numbers on the phone (since I know them anyway), but I can put a voice recording to them.

When you activate the voice command and say "Dial Home", it will repeat the PHONE'S voice recording and do it.

-Paul

blueguydotcom

I had a Jetta and it was a nightmare. That car had evil spirits lurking in it...I swear it was just plain evil. Who else has ever owned a car that would shut down at stoplights, lock itself and then sound the alarm?!

Love my e46 - even with its niggling problems. And i'm looking forward to my e90: I'm just not as excited as I was about the e46.

best4

You can set the car up on the on board computer to move the seat when you unlock the car, open the door or do nothing to the seat. I have mine to set up when unlocking the car so it works with the comfort access on the door handle or the key fob.

best4

Yep I know that feature but the voice tag that is memorized in the Razr does not transfer to the BMW phone system. My other car has that type of Bluetooth system where the voicetag is read right off the phone. In the 330 I had to create new voice tags for each of the names while in the car using the steering wheel controls. Maybe there is something wrong with my system?

bdr127

Weren't those Jettas built in Mexico?..... hmmm...

corvette

Yes, they were. Don't know about his, but the issues I had with mine were mostly design problems and not assembly problems.

dhanley

I guess i'm sort of part of that club. Had a super troublesome passat, but not right before the BMW. BMW's been nearly flawless--had little climate control electronics hiccup. Going to get a e90 eventually, waiting for the 3.5/turbo.

dave

shipo

Count me in the group as well. Prior to my first BMW I had a 1995 VR6 Passat GLX. That having been said, mine was quite reliable and other than a few initial teething problems in the first year, the only recurrent/design problem was the instrument cluster which seemed to like to short out. Then again, since I didn't really know the mileage at the end of my 4 year/60,000 mile lease (it was well over 80K and maybe even over 90K to be sure), I was honestly able to say to VW Credit, "Due to the known instrument cluster design flaw, I don't know the actual mileage, honest!" As such my official documentation from VW Credit shows my actual mileage as 18, yes 18 miles, not 18K.

Best Regards,
Shipo

raychuang00

I just read that BMW has officially unveiled the 335i model, powered by a new turbocharged 3.0-liter N54 I-6 engine rated at 306 ps. However, the rumor is that this engine may stay exclusively in Europe; the North American market 335i may instead get a new, more powerful naturally-aspirated N54 engine. This sounds like BMW may have developed specifically for the North American market a 3.5-liter version of the N54 engine, complete with the same three-stage induction system used on the 330i models.

I can hazard a guess that the new 3.5-liter N54 I-6 engine could have output as high as 290 bhp (SAE 08/04 net), not far behind the 306 ps output of the European 335i.

fedlawman

Your guess is as good as anyones...

dhanley

A 3.5L should come in right at 300, though it's it's purely a stroker, 290 is an excellent guess.

I don't know if i'd prefer the lag-free nature of a true 3.5L or the low-end grunt to a turbo. I'm sure either would be "adequate".

Where did you see the info on the bmw?

dave

raychuang00

I don't know if i'd prefer the lag-free nature of a true 3.5L or the low-end grunt to a turbo. I'm sure either would be "adequate".

I think BMW might change the gearing of the six-speed automatic and manual transmissions on the North American market BMW 335i--if it uses the 3.5-liter N54 engine I suggested--so it matches the acceleration of the European market 335i with its turbocharged 3.0-liter N54 engine up to maybe around 100 mph. This is what BMW did with the first I-6 powered M3's sold in the US market.

ckm1515

I encountered the same problem with the Razr. When I say "Dial Mike", the male voice command says "phone book empty", therefore, I needed to create a voice command assoicated with the numbers. I also found out that you have to say "save name" as opposed to what the book says "store name". I say "save name", repeat for confirmation, say number than say "save" and it is added to phone book. To double check, I say "read phone book" and you hear my voice and the associated names. While a bit of a hassle, I now have the ability to press the button, say "dial home", confirm via my recorded voice command and then say "dial". My buddy has a different type of phone and he doesn't have to go through this process. He merely says "dial mike cell" and the male voice says "dialing mike's cell".

kukharkin

Hi,
Here is my problem. I have 2006 325xi with BMW assist. I paired my Motorola RAZR phone successfully, but it only connects in the car once in a while. After reading some posts here, I went to dealer asking about software update. They pretended they did not know about such issue, did some quick fix (no upgrade, probably just deleted and re-paired the phone again -- I did this a couple of times myself). The problem, however, is still there. Pairs up sometimes, sometimes not. Now the interesting part: BMW wanted to charge me for this "fix" (I refused to pay) and now is telling me they will charge me for the software upgrade. I find it absolutely outrageous. Could people who had similar experience with RAZR share their experience please? I understand it might be different with other phones, but RAZR is listed as "compatible" on BMW website. Thanks in advance.

corvette

I would nicely ask them once more to do the upgrade without charging you. If not, then find another dealer who is more sympathetic to service your car (I would venture that most are not this bad), and never return to the original dealer.

BMW will pay them to perform the software update under warranty, so there is no reason to pay for it out-of-pocket.

raleigh

Thanks for the helpful response! I was under the impression that the coupe and sedan were built on the same basic platforms. So, it would seem odd that the sedan handles better than the coupe -- especially since it is a little heavier. Not surprising that a lot of BMW owners are coming from VWs since they both have great driving dynamics. Unfortunately, VW has had a dreadful reputation for quality. It is trying hard to regain its footing. The new Golf GTI is impressive, and a new R-32 (or maybe R-36!) is supposedly due this summer. If they've gotten the quality up to par, it should be a better buy than the BM

shipo

"The new Golf GTI is impressive, and a new R-32 (or maybe R-36!) is supposedly due this summer. If they've gotten the quality up to par, it should be a better buy than the BM(W)..."

Ummm, if you like the whole FWD thing. Personally I'd much rather have the BMW.

Best Regards,
Shipo

kyfdx

At least, the last one was...

carnaught

....I had to change a flat "run-flat" this past week. What's interesting is about 6- 8 WEEKS ago I had a small bolt removed from it at Discount Tire and it didn't go flat, that is till this last week.

At least I was able to drive it to my BMW dealer where it was replaced (almost 9000 mi. on it). I got a loaner for the few hours it was there, got my tires rotated and the total was $260. While not a bargain by any means I paid $270 for a new tire in '95 on my VOlvo when a flat then couldn't be fixed.

shipo

Hmmm, it seems that I've confused the R32 with the GTI, which is FWD.

Best Regards,
Shipo

nyccarguy

Where'd you read about the 335i?

fedlawman

http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/02/17/bmw-officially-announces-new-n54-turbo-en- gine/

nyccarguy

So what does this mean for the 3 series lineup? Will there now be 3 3s? Will the 330i become the "base model," replacing the 325i? Will the 330i be discontinued in favor of a 325i/335i lineup for marketing purposes (0-60 times further apart allowing for the greater price difference)? Either way doesn't matter to me...I'm not getting a new car for a long time.

david22

After three months of waiting I picked up my 2006 330i.

6 SPD Manual (Awesome)
Premium Pkg
Sport Pkg
Cold Weather Pkg
Comfort Access
Sat Radio
Power Rear Shade, manual side shades (AWESOME)
Navigation iDrive

Dealer added accessories:

Rear Spoiler (Nicely understated and makes the car)
Aluminum Pedals (These pedals are AWESOME and non-slip...if you have a dark interior they are very cool, if you have a tan interior, put black mats in and do the pedals, I did and it is extremely nice looking!)

I hope this little review will help someone. The car is freaking awesome and I am so glad I added those options! If you are debating Comfort Access, JUST GET IT. What could be cooler than just walking up to your locked car and pulling the handle and it opens?? Then getting inside and not inserting jack, just pushing "start"? Jeez, awesome really. And the power rear shade...man o man...I pimped my ride lol. The power rear shade opens and closes at the touch of a button smooth as silk! And the manual side shades add a real touch of class and add so much to the exclusive look of this car! The side shades are extremely easy to operate and tuck away in a very clean fashion, I highly recommend. And DON'T EVER LISTEN TO THOSE BAD MOUTHING iDrive! If I didn't have it I would be kicking myself...it's half the fun. The 330i is all business when it's on the road, don't listen to anyone who pusses out and whines about bumps or whatever. This is a driver's car, not a "Driving Miss Daisy" holiday ride.
My MotoRazr Phone integrated seamlessly too, it picked up my phone book immediately, all I say is "Call home" and it dials everytime....no glitches. If you are having probs with the Razr make sure it is set to FULL TIME CONNECT. There is a temp blue tooth option that will only work temporarily. I never have any connection problems...zero. The Sport Package is awesome, it makes the car. When I come thumping into a gas station with the subs hitting the base hard...it's hilarious people can't stop staring at this car. The cool thing is you have a choice, leave people in your dust while on the road, or cruise in the slow lane with the Halos and fog lights on (too cool) :shades: and let em pass and observe....either way, you win. I love every second in that car...it handles all road conditions well. The Logic 7 sound system is KILLER...no distortion and man does it thump hard! Everything works and I get 25MPG average even with my foot in it. The only problem is EVERYBODY wants to race! Crap. I just hit it hard while going 65...all I see is their cars disappearing in the rearview mirror as I approach 130, 140 in no time at all...then...if they ever catch up to me in the next town, they're like giving me thumbs up and "man you left me in your dust" and I'm like "Ummm, ya, I meant to do that"! But really there are alot of admirers of these BMW machines out there and then there are those who compromised and bought lesser cars looking really pissed off...well, not my fault they didn't pony up the dough, right? Anyway, I love my 330i...if you are thinking of a 325i...think twice and get a paper route or something....the 330i is a major player on the open road. I guess different strokes for different folks.
Good luck!

kdshapiro

So I guess you think the car is ok then? Congrats...and enjoy your new ride.

raychuang00

Will the 330i become the "base model," replacing the 325i? Will the 330i be discontinued in favor of a 325i/335i lineup for marketing purposes (0-60 times further apart allowing for the greater price difference)?

Actually, I've heard the upcoming M3 with the V-8 engine will be very expensive and very limited production, so BMW needs a more sporting model than the 330i without the high cost of the M3. As such, I see BMW by the end of calendar year 2006 offer these models in the US market:

325i (3-liter I-6 with single-stage induction--215 bhp)
330i (3-liter I-6 with three-stage induction--255 bhp)
335i (3.5-liter I-6 with three-stage induction--290 bhp)

The M3 will arrive in calender year 2007 with a 4-liter V-8 rated at 400 bhp.

bdr127

I see BMW by the end of calendar year 2006 offer these models in the US market

335i (3.5-liter I-6 with three-stage induction--290 bhp)

I can't possibly see this coming out within two years (if at all), let alone by the end of this year. There haven't been any statements about a US release, and it wouldn't be entirely surprising for BMW to make a 335i euro-spec only. Of course, no one can even confirm rumors about whether the 335i will definitely come to the US, and, if it does, whether it'll be a bi-turbo 3.0L or a NA 3.5L here in the states...

BMW has a tendency to announce their definite plans years in advance (see the new M5, M6, etc). The new 3-series coupe won't be here until the end of 2006 and the convertible until early 2007. It would be ridiculous to think they could/would get a 335i sedan to the US before either the coupe or convertible....