BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

john01 · March 2002

Michelin maps are number-coded, and there are total of 6. 419 and 420 cover the southern 1/3, 417 and 418 the mid 1/3 and 415 and 416 the rest. I am sure you are flying into Munich, but in Frankfurt, on the lower level of Terminal 1, Hall A, there is a little newsstand that has more Michelin maps than most other places. About & euros each.

shipo · March 2002

For Germany, Michelin makes the following maps:

Germany Northwest Map #415
Germany Northeast Map #416
Germany Midwest Map #417
Germany Mideast Map #418
Germany Southwest Map #419
Germany Southeast Map #420
Germany Overview Map #984

All six of the regional maps (415-420) can be had for around $9.00 all over the internet, the Overview can be had for about $11.00.

Good luck, have fun.

Best Regards,
Shipo

530bmw · March 2002

To me, you are an ex-mechanic(part time) that is why it is pretty easy to you. I have a long way to go yet before I put on new brakes. Please keep us posted on your brake situation.

shipo · March 2002

I just ordered an ED 530i from Park Avenue BMW in Bergen County for $1,500 over invoice (plus $200 MACO), salesman Mike Weber.

As for the fans, BMW got a bad batch of fans from Seimens last year, that problem has been worked out.

On the subject of noise and rattles, I am just about to turn in my 1999 328i (early production E46), the car has 37,000 miles of driving in and around NYC, and so far, not a single unscheduled noise, squeak or rattle.

Best Regards,
Shipo

shipo · March 2002

Trust me, this is fairly easy.

1) Loosen the five wheel bolts on a single wheel a half turn each, then roll the car a couple of feet to make sure that the wheel is easy to remove.
2) Jack up the car and remove the wheel (make sure to chock the wheels at the other end of the car).
3) Loosen the two 16mm caliper bolts behind the caliper bracket, and remove the bottom bolt.
4) Stack 14" of newspapers (preferable bound with twine or some such) to the rear of the wheel well.
5) Remove the top caliper bolt, and rest the caliper on the stack of papers.
6) Remove the single rotor retaining bolt with an Allen key and slide the rotor off the hub.
7) Remove the spring clip between the caliper bracket and the caliper.
8) Remove the brake pads from the caliper and slide the caliper bracket off of the caliper (these are floating calipers so the bracket should slide smoothly off to the rear).
9) Put the brake pads back into the caliper and slide a thin hammer handle between the brake pads and twist the hammerhead so that the oval of the handle gently presses the piston back into the caliper.
10) Repeat #9 with a larger hammer handle until the piston is pushed all of the way in.
11) Remove the old pads.
12) Wash the new rotor in a good concentration of dish soap, rinse and mount the new rotor and secure with the retaining bolt, tighten with the Allen key.
13) Slide the bracket back on the caliper.
14) Insert the new brake pads in the caliper.
15) Re-attach the spring clip between the caliper and the caliper bracket.
16) Slide the caliper over the new rotor, and thread the top caliper bolt.
17) Remove the stack of papers, insert the bottom bolt and tighten both bolts to about 100 ft/lbs.
18) (Left front only) Snap the sensor in place on the inside brake pad ("bump" toward rotor), and connect the sensor to the "Box" in the wheel well thus replacing the old one.
19) Mount the wheel, and screw in the wheel bolts finger tight.
20) Lower the car to the ground and tighten the wheel bolts to 72 ft/lbs in a "Star" pattern.
21) Repeat for the other wheel.

It really is that easy. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

rhmass · March 2002

Rtorreca, the MSRP with the options you listed comes to $35,270. Are you sure you missed listing all options on your car? You listed Step, PP, xeron and Nav as the only options. If indeed it is the case, you have paid $500 over MSRP. You should have been able to do better than that, despite the higher demand on the xi models.

postoak · March 2002

Thanks for the map numbers. I went last time with only #984 and found it inadequate. The others you site are what I meant by "sectional maps". I think I've seen the complete set at Barnes and Nobles and will pick some up.

shipo - wow, who would have thought changing pads and rotors on a BMW was so easy. These cars seem so complicated that most people here are afraid to change their own oil! lol You are an inspiration to all of us!

ajvdh · March 2002

If you want to save yourself a bunch of time cleaning your hands, buy a pair of cheap form-fitting Neoprene gloves. I do all my under hood/under car maintainence with them now, and there are only a few cases where I need to pull 'em off for that last bit of dexterity.

An alternative to a stack of newspapers is to bend an old wire hanger into a hook and hang the caliper from a convenient suspension component. When I'm just changing pads, I don't even bother with that, I just hold the caliper in one hand.

Put a little anti-seize on the hub before you put the new rotor on. Also a dab on the rotor retaining screw. It'll make the job much easier next time.

I'd also suggest not using soap and water to clean the cosmoline off the new rotor, instead use spray-type brake cleaner. Hold the rotor vertically by sticking your fingers through the hole, and all that gunk'll flow right off. You don't have to wipe the rotor afterward, but make sure your garage is well ventilated.

Oh yeah, if you want to cut down on brake squeal, spray some anti-squeal on the *back* of each pad and allow to dry before putting 'em in the caliper.

ubrsf · March 2002

I believe there is no MACO fee when you do ED. I didn't pay it, why are you paying it?

shipo · March 2002

My salesman insists that the advertising fee in the NYC area IS payable on European Delivery. Given that it was only $200, I am not too worried about it. I do know that different metropolitan areas have different rules regarding MACO or what ever it is called in any specific area, so, he MAY be right.

Best Regards,
Shipo

nyccarguy · March 2002

besides...shipo just saved himself more than $200 when he did his brake job on his 3er himself!

1pierce · March 2002

Why did you upgrade from a 3-series to a 5-series? Is is just because you needed more room, or were there other considerations? Seeing as you had the higher-end 3-series (328i), and didn't get the high-end 5-series, you couldn't have done it for better performance - unless I'm missing something. Is the engine in the 530i the same one that is in the 330i?

Just curious why you chose the 5.

shipo · March 2002

Yup, there are lots of ways to skin a cat. ;-)

I used Goop to clean my hands, it took all of 2 easy minutes, followed by a quick wash with Dawn. The end result was almost perfect.

I thought about the hanger wire, however, 1) I was already dirty, so, I did not want to go back into the house, and 2) with the plastic fender liner, there are few (if any) places to hang the caliper other than the spring.

I have very sensitive sinuses, and the "Spray Stuff" bugs me, soap and water in a big bucket works pretty well. That said, the "Spray Stuff" is decidedly faster.

The pads that I bought already has a layer of stuff on them, and so far, they have perfectly quiet, however, I may be singing a different tune after a few hundred miles. In the past (25 years ago) I used to use a good high quality Duct Tape (3M) and back the pads with that stuff, it never failed to prevent all noise associated with "Them new fangled disk brakes." ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

shipo · March 2002

I have found the performance of the 328i to be more than adequate for my needs, and my Butt Dyno told me that the 530i had almost exactly the same performance as the 328i, I would be hard pressed to determine which one was faster without a stop watch or a side by side run.

I decided to upgrade to the 5-Series for what is probably the most basic illogical reason of all, I wanted it. ;-) The only decision was what options and color.

Given that I may want to keep this car until 2011 when my son comes of driving age (he wants to drive a stick, and he is only 8), I felt that the lack of cylinder liners on the 540i might represent a potential maintenance issue once the car hits the Century mark. That combined with the extra $8,300 for the 540i 6-Speed (all else being), and I simply could not justify going for the bigger motor.

Best Regards,
Shipo

gs4rx3 · March 2002

The car is in great shape and has been offered to me at $11,000. It has 44,000 miles. I have never owned a 3 series and want to know if there are chronic problems they incur that I should be aware of. Also, is that price a fair one? I only have 1 day to decide before this guy trades it in to the dealer on a new car. Thanks.

ds2k1 · March 2002

Edmunds says that $10,600 is FMV for a '96 318i. However, for the same money, I'd much prefer a '96 Acura GS-R. They appear to cost about the same amount and the GS-R is an absolute blast to drive and is extremely reliable.

My $.02.

kdshapiro · March 2002

My 2002 330is' heated mirrors is stuck in the on position. When the ignition is on the heated mirrors are on. The climate control button is off (and yes the light works). Does anybody have any suggestions?

Ken

modendahl · March 2002

I picked up my new 02' 325i on Monday (or I should say my wife's 325i). When driving it, I noticed that when I depress the gas pedal to the floor, it reaches a point of resistance and then drops another 1/2" to 3/4" before hitting the floor. Almost kind of notchy feeling.

Is this normal? It isn't bad, just kind of wierd feeling. I thought I remember seeing posts about this a while back. Of course, my wife says that she didn't notice - but then she never has it to the floor (but I do).

Thanks for your input.

mschukar · March 2002

I picked up my new 02' 325i on Monday

I picked up our new 325i on Monday as well, our cars have the same "birthday" :-)

I haven't noticed the notchy gas pedal myself since I'm trying to follow the break in period which I believe advises against full throttle during the first 1200 miles. Personally, I can't wait to do some driving without dropping below 4500 rpm's! I'll get back to you then.

-Murray

cnorthrup · March 2002

That is the pedal hitting the "kickdown button" (assuming you have the step trans).
This will normally force the car to shift to a lower gear for passing etc.

If car is new you should not be flooring it. Read your manual... there is a breakin period (1200 miles)

CNorthrup

kdshapiro · March 2002

Not for anything I would heed the break-in period advisories - as hard as it is not to want to drive it hard. Mine just passed 1200 miles and I've slowly started to rev 'er up. Man can that baby move!!!!

stgreen · March 2002

i seem to remember something on this board about this phenemonon. its a little 'ticking' around the drivers side seat belt area next to the left ear...

anyone with the same problem and/or solution.
stg
330xi

scotpana1 · March 2002

Installed it today . Took an 1 1/2 hrs between trips for coffee. Will program it 0730 Monday. Also ordered UGO from Pacific will install it next week. 1500 miles and it is an absolute dream to drive. I have been sipping some Glengoyne. My inlaws in Scotland sent it for Xmas. It is superb. It is also hard to find stateside. My last self done brake job was on my ' 85 Ford Van . I would have to think twice if I were to try it on the 325i.
Enjoy weekend

alan927 · March 2002

What you have is known as a sticky throttle pedal and there is no solution for it. Some E46's have it and some don't but it is a very common problem. When you bring your car in for it's first service (next year) they might have a solution. BMWNA is aware of the problem and from what I understand they are working on trying to fix it.

Good luck with your new 325 !!

alan927 · March 2002

Dave330i - so this is where you went !!!

Heh heh, wait till I tell the others !!!

Alan F

shipo · March 2002

Having done brake jobs on older Ford vans, I can definitely say that the brakes on the E46 cars are FAR easier, like, way less than half the time and about 10% of the aggravation.

Best Regards,
Shipo

nobee · March 2002

Postoak, Michelin maps are great but I rely on the ESSO maps you can purchase here in Germany for around 2 Euros. The map depicts all roads in their european and german designations, shows you where you can expect heavy traffic, road construction, and all the ESSO stations in GE. I can pick one up for you if you'd like. Just e-mail me your address.
-nobee

nobee · March 2002

Modendahl, The notch in the pedal is quite normal. It has nothing to do with a sticky pedal. I believe your owner's manual explains the notch.
-nobee

div2 · March 2002

I have a 1995 318ti I have owned since new. At 68000 miles the only non-scheduled maintenance has been a set of front pads and replacement of the serpantine belts. The fuel senders and keyless entry/alarm module were replaced under warranty. The E36 3er was pretty well sorted by 1996 so there really aren't any chronic problems. I would want to see a full service history as poor maintenance will REALLY kill a BMW. Was the DOT 4 brake fluid changed every two years? Was the coolant changed(using BMW coolant) every three? The 318i isn't a rocket sled, but a five speed can be a lot of fun if you don't mind using the geabox to keep the engine "on the boil"(above 3000 rpm).

530bmw · March 2002

Thank you for your detailed instruction on brake job...better than than Chilton. Are still having a problem with your brake light?

On MACO, I wish someone could shed some light on this for ED. Just like you said it could depend on locality which I think it is legit. However, an unscrupulous dealer may try to use that as an excuse for making more profit when in fact MACO is not applicable for ED. I wonder if anyone or millerro3 can share his wisdom on this.

MILLERRO3, if you have information on ED MACO please tell us so we know how to deal with this in the future.

cecilt · March 2002

if the 3-series will have the valvetronic engine for the 2003 model year or is it coming out in 2004.

derprofi · March 2002

We limited our driving to Germany and Salzburg so we got by very well using a combination of the little road atlas that BMW includes in the ED information package and an ADAC map of Germany that we picked up at the Delivery Center. The only time I ever recall being lost was when trying to locate the Schloss Hotel Lisl in Schwangau at 10PM on a rainy night. Never had any other problems. Great place to drive and very logical signage.

mschukar · March 2002

I'm getting ready to order some Klasse All in One and was thinking about ordering some polishing cloths as well. Any recommendations? Or should I just go down to Target and buy some 100% cotton towels?

Thanks
-Murray

jluftig · March 2002

Many CD players, even though not marked as having such capability, can play CD-R disc with MP3 files. Has anybody tried this in thier '02 BMW yet ? Also, sometimes the decode for MP3 is in many changers ? Anyone with a changer tried yet ? A CD-R with MP3s is 10 hours of music, so it is a capability worth knowing about.

derprofi · March 2002

I don't know of any CD decks that play MP3 files and don't advertise it. The '02 BMW Business CDs will, however, play CD-RW discs which is not something that a lot of car players support.

jluftig · March 2002

Many CD players, even though not marked as having such capability, can play CD-R disc with MP3 files. Has anybody tried this in thier '02 BMW yet ? Also, sometimes the decode for MP3 is in many changers ? Anyone with a changer tried yet ? A CD-R with MP3s is 10 hours of music, so it is a capability worth knowing about.

cnorthrup · March 2002

I've used Field Crest towels bought at Kohl's.

I have got a lot of advice over at the
"Store Bought Waxes Part II (No Zaino Posts)" in Town Hall-Maintenance & Repair.

CNorthrup

alan927 · March 2002

Your aren't correct about the sticky pedal issue, It is not normal and in fact is a very common problem.

Check out the link below as proof, you could also do a search on that website under 'sticky pedal' and you will find many responses.

BTW my 330Ci does not have this problem. It is smooth sailing all the way !!

http://beemerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3512&highlight=sticky+pedal

salexa1 · March 2002

How do you purchase a bmw directly from Germany?

postoak · March 2002

Purchasing a BMW directly from Germany is called "European Delivery". For more information, click on this link:

http://www.bmwusa.com/welcome.cfm?code=Home

Then click on "Virtual Center" and then click on "European Delivery".

nobee · March 2002

my position. I believe the poster asked about the last 1/4" "push" on the accelerator (too lazy to scroll up..). It has a "notchy" feel where you can press the bimmer into over-drive and the tranny will push the rpm's into redline. This is what happens in the Steptronic version and I can't say if there's a "notchy" feel in the 5-speed version. I believe there's a paragraph or so on it in the owner's manual. Sorry about the confusion.
-nobee

innkeeper40 · March 2002

I am scheduled to pick up a 330i in Munich on Thursday, 3/21. I have the paperwork from "BMW EORUPEAN DELIVERY DEPARTMENT" confirming the 3/21 pick up date. Here's the snag. I paid the car off on 22 Feb 02. The dealership has not yet cashed the check and that sounds unusual to me. I've already sent an e-mail to the sales person. Should I be worried? Thanks, TC

allano · March 2002

The BMW CD player will extract normal music (wave ~= *.cdr format) burned on a CD-R blank but does not have a built-in mp3 decoder so it cannot play a CD of mp3s directly. However, I understand from a series of posts before Christmas, that you can add a device which takes the place of the 6 CD changer in the trunk, which will play mp3s under control of the AM/FM/CD head in the dash.
One of the questions you'll need to ask about this device is how you choose a song or playlist using the in-dash head. One major disappointment I have with our DVD player (which can play mp3s) is that I cannot choose either playlist or song -- the player starts with the first song on the CD and ends with the last.

eug · March 2002

Noticed the questions about the sticky gas petal, and I thought I'd chime in. I am on BMWNA's update list for this problem. All prior solutions have failed. At the end of this month, some BMW engineers are delivering a new petal to be tested. If everything goes well, the new petals should be available in May.

derprofi · March 2002

The PhatNoise (www.phatnoise.com) is hard drive based, trunk mountable and compatible with the BMW factory head unit. For navigation, it uses the 6 changer buttons and a text-to-speech engine that reads album, artist, genre and playlist names out loud.

Kenwood licensed the technology and renamed it MusicKeg, so hopefully there will be wider availability and a nice price drop in the next 6-12 months. In the meantime, I have no idea where you can buy one of these...

nobee · March 2002

I love the idea of having a portable 20-30GB hard drive that I can load and reload with all my favorite music and have it easily intergrated with the stock head-unit! It's too costly right now and hopefully it'll drop down in price and they'll use USB 2.0 for the downloads which will give me a better download rate than firewire.

derprofi, I found the MusicKeg in a Crutchfield catalog!
-nobee

mschukar · March 2002

You're right, the current USB system would take hours to transfer any significant amount of music, but USB 2.0 is only marginally faster (if at all) than Firewire and, to my knowledge, not widely available on new PC's.

I'm still checking into adapting the CD changer input on the head unit to accept RCA inputs. Crutchfield has a P-bus adapter that may work. This would allow me to plug in my iPod giving me 50 hours (5 gig) of music that I could take between cars, jogging, etc.

BTW, I can load the entire 5 gig in about 10 minutes through Firewire.

-Murray

john01 · March 2002

I am not sure if you have seen it, but if you don't use your tape deck (if you have it) and don't mind not using it at all, you can connect iPod to the system. There is a pretty good instruction on bmwtips.com

dave330i · March 2002

No idea what you're talking about. I've been posting on this board for almost a year now.

genie1 · March 2002

Just got back from dropping my car off for it's Inspection I.

They had to pry me away from the Topaz(?) Blue Z8. Beautiful curves!

There was also a nice blue Z3 that I could see myself in

I guess I'd have to compare it to the 325Ci and the coupe next summer (2003).

I HATE the rear end of the new 7. It's like some monstrous Victorian bustle/train contraption - really hideous.

On a side note: I was talking to a guy that dropped off his 528 because the speakers were hissing. I seem to remember hearing about this a couple of months ago...anyone care to spare me the agony of searching several thousand posts? Was there a TSB, or a posted fix?

Thanks.

BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

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