BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

prlady1 · June 2011

Did you know today is National Donut Day?!

Mr_Shiftright · June 2011

Of course...it's a holey day!

roger48 · July 2011

I am changing a flat right rear wheel on my 2005 330i. After removing all lug bolts, the wheel does not budge when I pull. I suspect it is kind a stuck because it's been there for more than six years. Any suggestion is appreciated.

srs_49 · July 2011

Whack it with a 2.5 lb maul or small sledgehammer. It's just surface-rusted on.

Mr_Shiftright · July 2011

Do make sure the car is on a jackstand when you start whacking on it.

shipo · July 2011

Or better yet on the ground; no jackstands needed. :P

Mr_Shiftright · July 2011

I have on occasion freed up a stuck wheel by lowering it to the ground and very gently driving forward and back with the lug nuts just slightly loose----very slowly.

roadburner · July 2011

And when you remount the wheel apply a thin coating of anti-seize paste to the hub area of the wheel- NOT on the lug bolts.

roger48 · July 2011

I gave it a couple of big kicks and it got out. You are right SRS-49, there is a lot of rust. I appreciate your advice.

rabadash · October 2011

I'm the original owner of a 1994 325i. Still running original exhaust and clutch, and no leaks. What's up with this car?

dboudreau22 · November 2011

you know we have a 98 m3 and i see alot of folks trying to make their japenese hondas, etc., look like or perform like the m3. why not just find the real thing. they are great and i have never driven a car like this one. i know my exposure is limited but people by watches that look like a rolex, but a car and make it look and perform like a different car. it is apparently not that expensive to buy one at 4-6 grand which is where they book. the labor by the hour is almost the same as any american car at the dealer but the car is so great. we hope to keep our old m3 for some time and have it when they are almost iimpossible to find. not for resale but for having what others are trying to get. we are not rich by any standard and it hurt when it const 400.00 to replace a starter, i am certain it is worth it at least to a certain point. at some point it will not be cost effective to drive it every day but it will make a great weekend car. not trying to offend anyone but i am truly confused as to why this stock car is mimicked by so many. a loving m3 owner.

dboudreau22 · November 2011

we have a 98 m3 that has 136000 on it and it does not leak a drop or show any early signs of wear, they are just great cars..........................period

dboudreau22 · November 2011

you know we have a 98 m3 and i have never got the tires to spin so long as the asc is on. i dont think you necessarily need limited slip if you have asc

dboudreau22 · November 2011

we have a 98 m3 and some of the bumper parts have worn off due to a time period when it was lowered using all the proper suspension. have recently returned it to stock and cannot find the engine cover that goes under the motor and helps keep it clean and certainly helps with the aero behavior. want to buy new skid plate and corner pieces as well as brake cooling ducts without breaking the bank. anyone know of an outlet that may sell used stuff to replace my worn stuff. should probably listen to my own advice and just buy new original stuff for integrity reasons'

roadburner · November 2011

I'd buy new parts. If you are a BMW Car Club member you should be able to find a dealer that will give you a 10%-15% discount.

shipo · November 2011

Spam-Spam-Spam-Bacon-and-Spam!

atticrat · March 2012

The 323ci collectible? Well if there's any warm feelings for first year Yugo GV's, Austin Marinas and Plymouth Crickets then the ol' lemon bimmer 323ci ought to capture a few weak beating hearts. I just unloaded a 2000 323 ci, purchases new, it has only 19K on the clock and has cost me over $3,000 in repairs. Numerous electrical problems (climate control), broken sunroof, failing window motors, cam position censor, front "A" arm bushings spent at 16K, original BMW battery dead at three years old, A/C system still not working properly after three attempts at dealer to repair, several recalls, weather stripping fuzzy material all falling off of both doors (this car is always garaged too), paint on top surfaces has turned a darker shade of silver and power steering leaks. I was a fool for spending 40K for this car new. I will not miss this stiff riding lemon! I was able to sell this junker for 12K. I disclosed the current crop of problems to the new owner and still he purchased it! I guess the hideously poor reliability and poor quality and the BIG $$$$ to keep those silly bimmers humming doesn't turn off some die hard bimmer lovers. Go figure......

fedlawman · March 2012

You spent $40,000 for a 323ci in 2000? :surprise:

And it was such a lemon that you kept it for 12 years! $3000 over 12 years equals $0.69/day. I've done worse with Hondas.

roadburner · March 2012

He/she sounds like a typical BMW-bashing one and done- odds are we won't hear from him/her again...

fedlawman · March 2012

One and done - for 12 years...

You're right though. One post and he's gone.

2002_bmw_ct · March 2012

Hello,

I too am sorry about your loss.

I write to you because our 2002 BMW 330 self-combusted in our garage! It was being driven daily, and had been parked the evening before the fire at 7pm. At 7:15am or so the next morning, my sister and mother saw a small amount smoke coming from in the front grill. Within 15 minutes of noticing this (and calling 911) the car had caught fire. Besides the smoke inhalation (which led to stage 2 pnemonia and other associated ills), the fire took 2 hours to put out and severly damaged the home that my parents built 40 years ago.

In no way am i comparing the loss of some dwelling to your terrible loss. There is no comparison. I posted this becasue I agree that BMW has not been forthcoming about their product defects and is highly recalcitrant when it come to taking responsibilty. I will do my damned not to let that happen. My poor mother has been out of her previoulsy comfortable home for over 9 months.

The only reason they did their recent recall for spontaneous car fires (X5) is because the wife of the White House deputy director of House legislative affairs was found deceased in her burning car. It appears to me that BMW has always counted on the fact that (most) cars do not self combust. So people look at their product as the cost last.

I had 3 bmws and a mini cooper (different than my sisters) for the last 15 years. I no longer drive any of them. Until BMW honestly deals with a defect, I have no longer have faith in their products.

roadburner · March 2012

Déjà vu all over again!

fedlawman · March 2012

Yeah, this one joined today to reply to a comment made 3 years ago...

Well hey, if it makes them feel better to express their feelings, then good for them. Although, I think therapy is a better, longer term solution

roadburner · March 2012

One hit wonders responding to long dead threads. If it's guerrilla marketing it is stunningly inept.

fedlawman · March 2012

Yup, only reaching members who have this thread bookmarked. You and me I'm guessing...

nyccarguy · March 2012

Waving my hands!

fedlawman · March 2012

OK, the three of us. Thanks for being a member of the BMW's not worth talking about thread!

Kirstie_H · March 2012

I can always re-name it to that if you three members prefer.

stickguy · March 2012

I'm here too, and I don't even own one yet.

srs_49 · March 2012

Me too, even though I gave up my '87 '325 last year.

fedlawman · March 2012

Well, you're both in luck. Normally, membership is reserved for owners only, but through this weekend, we are holding a special membership drive. If you have a pulse, vision in at least one eye, and a left leg (or suitable prosthetic), you are eligible!

Welcome!

akv25 · April 2012

Folks - time to change back to all season tires on my 330, and I am thinking of buying of some reasonably priced all seasons. Consumer Reports says that Cooper Zeon RS3 is a good UHP tire. Anyone have any experience with them?

roadburner · April 2012

A Consumer Reports endorsement doesn't impress me all that much(CR also likes Bose speakers). However, Road & Track and Autoweek were impressed by both the RS3-S and RS-3 A, so I decided to give them a shot- I put RS3-As on my 2007 Mazdaspeed 3. They replaced a set of Pirelli PZero Nero All Seasons(I run EHP or R- Comp tires during the summer). After almost 9,000 miles I'm very happy. Ride and NVH seem to be a bit more civilized than the Pirellis, and wet and dry lateral grip and braking performance are very good. Steering response is also quite good for an all season UHP tire. I'm about 99% sure that I'm going to put RS3-As on my wife's X3 as well.

fedlawman · April 2012

That's high praise. I have been very pleased with my PZero Nero All Season tires. To top them is very impressive.

I'll definitely put the Coopers on my list for next time.

roadburner · April 2012

I'm always interested in upgrading my street and track rubber, and this time in worked out very well. I definitely wasn't unhappy with the Pirellis, but a decent tire shop opened up just about a half mile from my house and they had the RS3-A for considerably less than the PZero All Seasons. Based on the reviews I figured the Coopers were worth a try. In any event, here are a few links:

Autoweek

Road and Track

Winding Road

fedlawman · April 2012

What didn't you like about them? I really liked mine. They felt like a good performance summer tire in every way except ultimate cornering grip. Turn in, ride, response, noise were all excellent, I thought.

kyfdx · April 2012

Getting ready to replace the 18" summer rubber on my E46 coupe..

Leaning towards the Pilot Super Sports..

Could save about $250 on the set, going with the Coopers, but this is likely to be the last set of summer rubber that I buy for this car..

roadburner · April 2012

What didn't you like about them? I really liked mine.

I liked the Pirellis fine; they actually handled about as good as the OEM Bridgestone RE050As. I just wanted to try something different.

roadburner · April 2012

Leaning towards the Pilot Super Sports.

I still haven't used my Michelin gift coupon yet; If I don't sell it I'm kind of tempted to go with the Pilot Super Sport or the Pilot Sport Cups on the Mazdaspeed. I wish Michelin made a dual-purpose EHP tire like the Direzza Star Spec or the RE-11. The Super Sport is primarily a street tire while the Sport Cup is heavily biased towards the track.

akv25 · April 2012

Thanks for the response roadburner. I've had mixed luck with CR recommendations. They had rated Falken 912s as a good UHP a few years ago and I bought a set. Absolutely awful tire. It has since been downgraded to performance all season by CR.

I bought Hankook Icepts last year and they've been ranked pretty good in the winter performance category by CR. They drive pretty good - good steering response, cornering and overall handling.

I'll be ordering a set of RS3 As soon.

roadburner · April 2012

I just ordered a set for my wife's X3 so I'll be running two Cooper evaluation tests in a couple of days...

rickn1 · May 2012

Anybody know of a good trunk rack / luggage carrier that fits a 2005 330ci convertible? Thanks!

rickn1 · May 2012

akv25 · August 2012

All:

Has someone had continued good performance from any of the Pela or other brand name oil extractors? I had read some reviews that mentioned broken hoses and problems with synthetic oil. Would appreciate any feedback.

Also - update on the Cooper RS3-A tire after about 2000 miles. I am quite satisfied with the tire as a UHP A/S tire - excellent grip and braking although a little soft for my taste.

Thanks!

roadburner · August 2012

I have the extractor sold by Griot's Garage. No complaints.
I run RS3-As on my Mazdaspeed 3 as a winter tire, and use them year round on my son's X3. They work fine in both applications. They are every bit as good as the PZero Nero all seasons I ran previously.

akv25 · August 2012

Many thanks for the suggestion.

Just out of curiosity - what summer tires do you use? I have a dedicated set of snow tires so the next time I need to change the A/S set, I'll probably go with summer tires.

roadburner · August 2012

Glad to help!
As for summer tires, I have Dunlop Direzza Star Specs on my 318ti. The car is my track rat, and the Star Specs were designed for the SCCA and NASA classes that require a DOT tire with a minimum treadwear rating of180. Overall, I'm very pleased.
The Mazdaspeed wears Michelin Pilot Super Sports(primarily because I was blessed by winning a set in a raffle). They are amazing tires, but a bit on the pricey side. Virtually every magazine from Car and Driver to Consumer Reports has ranked them #1.
My wife's CPO 328i came with a set of Continental ContiSportContact 3 SSR run flat summer tires; no complaints so far, but I don't have much experience with them yet.
Based on my experience with the Cooper Zeon RS3-A, I'd think that the Zeon RS3 summer tire would also be a good pick- but that's just an assumption.

rabadash · March 2013

I'm about to purchase a third car. As a result, I'm thinking about keeping my '94 325i for my kids, but that would necessitate storing it for a couple of years. Does anyone here know what might be involved (mechanically, fluids, tires, etc.) with storing a vehicle for an extended period of time?

Mr_Shiftright · March 2013

Putting it to sleep for that long requires quite a bit of work and unless there's sentimental value attached to this, it may be more trouble than the car is worth.

Certainly here are some of the steps you'll be taking if you want to insure a fairly trouble free resurrection:

1. Drain gas tank

2. Plug up air filter and tail pipe (rodents)

3. jack up car off tires unless you plan to replace them all

4. remove spark plugs and squirt a few teaspoons of ATF into each cylinder--replace plugs

5. put desiccant in the interior (held in small plastic container, get it at a boat chandlery)

6. ventilate the storage space

7. remove battery

8. release emergency brake

9. if applicable, place car under a "non-op" status at DMV so that it does not accrue back registration fees.

10. Use only a light, breathable, indoor-use dust cover---nothing waterproof.

stickguy · March 2013

my guess, unless it is something special, it would be better to sell it now, and whenever down the line they would be ready for it, to find another one. Assuming of course, they even want a 20+ YO BMW that has been in mothballs.

BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

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