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BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

1501502504506507585

Comments

  • tenet1tenet1 Member Posts: 354
    Bluetooth is a standard, so yes, any enabled phone should work flawlessly with a handsfree Bluetooth kit. I have used BT with handsfree kits and to dial # from a Palm and love the technology. No transmit receive issues unless you venture too far from the phone because BT range is limited
  • memphis10memphis10 Member Posts: 161
    I went through the same issues with 2 dealerships in this area about the nose blink and the light flash during lock and unlock. I printed out the instructions from e46fanatics but the dealer refused to do it.
  • 307web307web Member Posts: 1,033
    Then a BMW speciality repair shop can do it if the dealer doesn't want to.
  • div2div2 Member Posts: 2,580
    "Then a BMW speciality repair shop can do it if the dealer doesn't want to."
    If you know an independent BMW shop that has a MODIC, please let me know.
  • seivwrigseivwrig Member Posts: 388
    I have had my 3 series for two years and my Ford Ranger for 5 years. Ranger has proven to be reliable with the exception of a speed sensor that I had to replace. The 3er has had the following sunroof cover clips replace twice, front windows seals replaced, power mirror module replaced, battery died, window regulators replaced, notchcy pedal fix. On the flip side, this is the most fun that I have had in a car. If church did not conflict with auto-x, I would be there. Most 3ers don't have all the problems that I have had. But I drive the car hard, most of the rattles probably are due to the poor Houston roads shaking the car done. I would recommend any 3er until the body style change. When that happens, then there will probably only be image drivers.
  • sapessapes Member Posts: 3
    Anybody try to use a Dell Jukebox? I am seeing many ways to interface this and like devices but it is not clear to me how much control you can have via the aux input? I assume volume, but what about new tracks, etc. I am also seeing folks use RF tuners and the cassette wiring. This at least assures total control but at the cost of elegance. I have seen a few folks offer the Phatnoise solution but that appears to be for a whole new system which would imply abandoning the old MP3. Given control vs clean lines, is the aux input a good option?
  • gordonwdgordonwd Member Posts: 337
    Has anyone ever seen a copy online of the setup sheet for the memory and key settings? I assume that my sales rep will go over this right before my car arrives so I can make my choices, but I'd like to see the list in advance so I don't have to make a bunch of quick decisions while sitting in his office.
  • soverypoornowsoverypoornow Member Posts: 74
    I had the same concern, so I had my salesman fax the sheet to me a couple weeks out.
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    iPod works with a BMW stereo and you can use your steering wheel controls to motivate the iPod. Dension makes a product called icelink that allows you to do all this, plus the ipod will be recharged at the same time. Very cool. If I were still using my BMW as a commuter the Icelink would be installed in my car.
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    You got a URL for that thing? We bought a new iPod and would like to try that sometime.

    -Paul
  • gordonwdgordonwd Member Posts: 337
    On a 325i without an alarm installed, is there a visual confirmation (i.e., lights flash) when locking the car with the remote? I remember seeing something about having to have a special setting made in order to have this happen. What are the details of this? What should I tell my sales rep?
  • erickplerickpl Member Posts: 2,735
    My 325xi has the flashing corner lights and the blinking clown nose. It has no alarm.

    it had to be coded at the dealer, but they did it w/o complaint.

    -Paul
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    For those of you with later E46 3ers (since 2001 model year, and maybe even some of the later 2000s), you CAN have your lights and clown nose programmed even though you don't have the alarm package, contrary to what many dealers may tell you. If you "Go To" message 15225 posted by jluftig on 24-May-2002 you will find a post that explains how the dealer should do the programming.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • 307web307web Member Posts: 1,033
    I the point was that his dealer just doesn't "want" to do it. They prefer to get the money for doing a complete alarm install and refused to just activate the lights.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    In every case where a dealership has been unwilling to do the programming that I am aware of, it has simply been because they didn't believe that it could be done, and they are half right. Initially, the E46 required the alarm before it would recieve the programming without throwing errors. My 1999 328i was just such a car, unless I was willing to spring for the alarm, the programming wouldn't work.

    In the case of brislance1 and his new 330i, his dealer happily reprogrammed his car when he showed them post 15225. They were delightfully surprised that the programming worked and thanked him for the information.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • wjc12345wjc12345 Member Posts: 10
    And I Can't wait!!

    One question about security - the car as it stands does not have any formal alarm system (at least I didn't order one from the dealer. Aside from "driveaway protection" (which I'm assuming is all about the chip in the key - are there any other standard security features? I'm giving serious consideration to the "Autolock" - a device that is similar to the Club - but is secured under the brake-pad. I've heard good things about this device - - any suggestions/advice??

    Thx!
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    When I first got my 328i I was surprised when my insurance company told me that my policy actually got about $100 cheaper per year compared to my previous car, a 1995 5-Speed Passat GLX. When I asked why she told me that the anti theft features on BMWs were preventing thefts by all but the most professional of thieves. That was in January of 1999.

    Since then I have only heard of a single BMW being stolen, and that one was put on a flat-bed and gone within something like a five minute flat. The owner suspected that his house had been staked out and that they were waiting for him to come home.

    In essence, I have a difficult time justifying any anti-theft devices for my BMW, except maybe the alarm system. I say maybe because the guy who had his BMW flat-bedded had the alarm and he never heard it go off, right in front of his house.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    Exactly. Short of towing it'd take a hardcore pro time to steal your bimmer.
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    Does anyone know if it hurts the performance? We just ordered a 325i auto w/ it. Let me know if it's a bad idea, so we can go change the order. 'cause we like to protect the environment by keeping the car as smog-free as possible. The system is mainly a stronger-filtration catalyst or something like that. I assume it hurts the rpm-drop speed on lift-off for manual shift, which isn't available w/ SULEV anyway. BMW took care of the slow rpm drop when they switched from the 323/328 to 325/330 for '01.
  • drmpdrmp Member Posts: 187
    People, please post your exoerience about SMG. I am interested about this F1 style tranny. Thanks.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Hmmm, I had a 1999 328i with a 5-Speed and I never noticed a lag in the RPM dropping when shifting or popping the car into neutral. I have a 530i with a 5-Speed as well and can tell no difference between the two engines, at least as far as the idle drop off is concerned.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    on the '01 325/330 had the improvement over the 323/328 for a faster rpm drop. I never compared the two.
  • postoakpostoak Member Posts: 537
    Certainly, on my 2002, I have to do a "one thousand" count before shifting up to the next gear -- unless I want a jerky shift.
  • ksomanksoman Member Posts: 683
    ok, now we completed our move from the smooth blacktops of AZ to the spectacular moonscape blacktops of NJ. my wife's 3 cabrio has started to creak like HELL!!!!

    14K miles & 10 months old, I think I've a serious issue!!
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    I used to work for MB-USA in Montvale, NJ, you should have heard the C-Class Cabrios creak. I think that it's just part of the allure of a rag top.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    "ok, now we completed our move from the smooth blacktops of AZ to the spectacular moonscape blacktops of NJ. my wife's 3 cabrio has started to creak"

    The creaking isn't the issue, wait until you hit your first mooncrater. :)
  • tenet1tenet1 Member Posts: 354
    No bent rims yet? Go to NYC
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Wow, we're a tough crowd. ;-) Not to make light of your issues, I would be inclined to attempt to isolate where the creaks are coming from and have your new dealership attempt to fix them.

    I'm not sure where you live in NJ, however, I have had good luck with the service departments from both Prestige BMW in Ramsey and Park Avenue BMW in Rochelle Park, OTH, I would't go anywhere near DiFeo BMW in Tenafly with any car I wanted to hang on to for more than a couple of days.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    "ok, now we completed our move from the smooth blacktops of AZ to the spectacular moonscape blacktops of NJ. my wife's 3 cabrio has started to creak like HELL!!!!"

    Anyway, the non-sport cushier longer-travel suspension is only available for the 4-dr, & then the large-brakes 330i sedan cancelled this suspension in 6 months due to the mandatory 17"s unmatching for the taller suspension's more camber change.

    But since the combination of the 17"s & the lowered sport suspension is disastrous for the creaky cabrio, I heard the 17"-std 330 Cabrio actually has the std suspension instead.
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,373
    Has anybody seen the Style 135M wheels on the 330Ci ZHP?

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • brave1heartbrave1heart Member Posts: 2,698
    We installed the Shark in my car with a friend who was gracious enough to bring his battery charger to my house yesterday. Well, I can't tell any difference in acceleration whatsoever. The only difference (other than the raised rev limiter of course) is that throttle response is marginally better when transitioning from partial to full throttle. It is possible that I may not be able to tell a peak HP gain of 5 or so ponies at the wheels, although that was not the case with the ECIS CAI (installed over a year ago). The intake made a very noticeable difference immediately. Whatever the throttle response gain over stock in my car, it is at least 80-90% due to the CAI and the rest to the Shark, that's how small I feel the Shark's contributions is. On the plus side, there are no issues with drivability (93 octane) that I can tell, except that it takes a bit more gas in order not to stall it off the start (idle speed is still the same). Of all the mods that I have done so far, this is honestly the only one that I am not sure is worth the money. For anyone out there looking to spend $350, get the CAI (any CAI) over the Shark. I was hitting the rev limiter in a few spots at the autoX last year and I am at least hoping that the raised rev limiter will shave some time off this year.

    On an unrelated note, I wanted to mention that my friend's SO3s ride at least as well as my ES100s and have absolutely no tramlining that I could tell (we both have 235/40/17 all around). My ES100s handle well but follow the grooves in the road excessively.
    __________________
    '01 325i - Orient Blue/black 'ette, SP, manual, roof, xenons, heated seats, CD/H-K, OBC, OEM Alarm, steering retrofit, "non-sticky" gas pedal, hardwired V1 with concealed display, AP-22 performance meter, R/D front strut brace, ECIS CAI, Sharked, UUC sway bars, Hawk HP Plus brake pads, ATE Power Discs, ATE Super Gold
    Summer: Yokohama ES100 235/40/17 on Star 44s; Winter: Dunlop M2 Winter Sport 205/55/16 on Mille Miglia Spiders
  • gordonwdgordonwd Member Posts: 337
    Anyone whose car is coming in thru NY might want to take a look at www.neautoterminal.com to see the facility where your car will be unloaded from the ship and processed. They have some nice aerial photos of the facility showing the Wallenius ships docked. My 325i was just unloaded there Saturday morning. I found this out by going to the Wallenius web site (www.wlna.com), selecting Cargo Tracking for Autos, and entering my VIN as the shipment number. Try it if you're car is shipping this way!
  • edhedh Member Posts: 246
    what cars are made in South Carolina?
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    X models and Z4 are made in N. Carolina.
  • diestelmeierdiestelmeier Member Posts: 9
    Gordonwd -- MANY thanks to you for the info. We ordered our cars at about the same time, and they were made at about the same time, and I now see with the info you provided that they were shipped aboard the same vessel, too. How do you know that your car was unloaded in NY on 4/10? The sailing schedule I printed says the ship was in NY on 4/10, and is to be back there on 4/12, and then in Maryland, South Carolina and Georgia after that. I guess what I'm wondering is, where are the BMW preparation centers, and how do you know which one your car is going to? And how long after it hits the preparation center for it to get to my dealer? The wait is starting to kill me . . . :) Mark
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 16,373
    well since this is the 3er board, I can only talk about the 3ers at the NY International Auto Show at the Tony Soprano (I mean Jacob K. Javitz) convention center. THey had a Steel Blue 325iA SP there that looked great. Steel Blue is a great color.

    But the 330Ci ZHP that was there simply stole my heart. Mystic Blue with the Alcantara Interior and a 6 speed...my kind of car. Made me realize that is one of the reasons I work 6 days a week. I must have it! Will it be via ED during the year of the introduction of the E90 Sedan (last year of production of the E46 Coupe) or as a low mileage CPO car sometime in the future sometime after the E90 Coupe is introduced? Only time will tell!

    The sad thing is that I'd be perfectly well off with a 325Ci SP & 6-speed considering that I'm just an average driver living in a highly congested area and usually don't exceed 75mph on a daily basis. I could tell myself I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy, but the ZHP was calling me today:)-

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD

  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,200
    is the best.... Okay... I'm biased.

    Actually, Steel Gray is my favorite.. Steel Blue was second on the list. You can't be too picky, when buying used.

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  • gordonwdgordonwd Member Posts: 337
    I got the vehicle info from the shipping company site: www.wlna.com. Click on Cargo tracking, then on Autos, then enter your VIN (which should be on your Owners Circle page). That will give you the exact data on your car, including when and where it was unloaded.

    My dealer said 5 days from when it hits the prep center, but that probably depends on where you are from the prep center. I'm in the Detroit area FWIW.
  • alibajalajaulaalibajalajaula Member Posts: 89
    Nyccarguy: these are the standard 18" stock wheels and can they be seen in the 3 brochure which you can order via e-mail from BMW. Better yet, I bet you took a good close look at them at the NYC Car Show. I too heard the siren call from the ZHP and took the plunge. Imola red. Don't regret it. You only live once. Whether to wait for a CPO or take ED, that it a very personal decision. IMHO, ZHP is a performance car, most people will enjoy redlining a heck of a lot, then trading it. My perception is that you may find a better cared vehicle, low mileage, among 325's than M3s,M5s or ZHPs. OTOH, 75 mph being top speed..hey, take a spin to Albany on a weekend (lived there) and stretch his legs, and you'll see.
  • brave1heartbrave1heart Member Posts: 2,698
    OK, I drove 250 miles on a variety of roads this morning and I wanted to give you an update on the Shark now that I’ve had a better opportunity to get a feel for it. The power gain is more noticeable at speed above 4K RPMs – the car definitely revs quicker and throttle response is instantaneous. The power delivery is very smooth and linear, which is one of the reasons why a 5 HP peak gain is hard to feel. I was also glad to find out that fuel consumption is at least as good under similar driving. My previous post was based on more limited driving (mostly lower speed backroads). In addition, I had just driven my friend's 330i with a Gruppe M intake and Shark and the torque difference between his car and my 325 was so noticeable that it erased some of my reference points. Again, the power gain is subtle and the throttle response improvement is not as significant as going from stock to CAI but there is a gain nonetheless and overall the car has a better feel to it. It’s nice to feel the car leap forward when you go from partial to full throttle at 80+ MPH :o)
  • div2div2 Member Posts: 2,580
    The adaptive characteristics of the BMW OBDII engine management system often mask power increases derived from modifying the fuel and ignition maps in the ECU-for a few hundred miles, anyway. Also remember that your Butt Dyno can often be misled; when I was a teenager one hot Holley carburetor performance mod was to stick a sheetmetal screw into the secondary linkage to convert the carburetor into a mechanical secondary unit. Guys swore up and down that this tweak made their car much faster. It turns out that this mod actually slowed the car down; what the drivers percieved as a jump in HP was actually a stumble caused by the modified carb.
  • gordonwdgordonwd Member Posts: 337
    >It turns out that this mod actually
    >slowed the car down; what the drivers
    >percieved as a jump in HP was actually a
    >stumble caused by the modified carb

    It's also a known fact that any mod that increases the noise level of your car automatically makes it feel faster :-). Sort of like when I used to pull the air cleaner off my dad's Dodge so I could hear that woo-oo-ooh sound through the 2-bbl carburetor when I floored it!
  • clvlndrclvlndr Member Posts: 1
    I recently test drove a 2001 325Ci convertible and had a problem getting my daughter's car seat to sit correctly in the back seat. It seemed that the seat backs were too vertical. Has anyone had this same problem and is there a fix or at least a car seat that will work in the back seat of a convertible?
  • hman709hman709 Member Posts: 11
    I am in the market for a car. I was very much considering '04 325xi with auto, premium and cold packages.

    Then, i came across a '03 525i with premium and cold with 10K miles. They are about 1-1.5K apart in price. In the $35-36K range.

    I liked the 525 interior size and trunk a lot however, it felt a bit slower than the 325 (for obvious reasons). But, my biggest concern is the RWD driving in the snow; i live in New York.

    Any ideas or thoughts on 325i/330i/525i driving in bad weather? I heard people just say to get snow tires. does that make the car stable (i.e. almost as good as a FWD) ?
  • shap1shap1 Member Posts: 77
    I found the same thing to be true of my 325. I have a Cosco Eddie Bauer seat and it fits pretty well. You will find that because of the angle of the seats, your daughter will have to stay in the booster longer than in other cars. My daugher is almost 8 and still needs the booster to keep the seatbelt from resting across her neck!
  • memphis10memphis10 Member Posts: 161
    Does anyone here use the 93 Octane (premium) from Costco or Sams. I have been filling up premium from Chevron but was wondering is there is any difference in quality.
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    I use Costco all the time for both cars. No difference.
  • scottlpscottlp Member Posts: 21
    I've recently bought a 330xi (silver-gray metallic, sports, premium and cold weather packages, and xenon) which I love. I was pressed for time, so I bought a car in stock at a local dealership, rather then ordering one. I knew I wanted the park distance control, but didn't really realize how much until I bought the car and realized that I couldn't see the rear end of the car. Are there any aftermarket "park distance conttrols" and do they work reasonably well?

    Thanks for your time.

    Scott
  • seivwrigseivwrig Member Posts: 388
    You can get your car retrofitted for the BMW PDC. You don't have to go aftermarket. Also, If you are technically inclined, you can do the job yourself with the help of a BMW TIS disk.
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