BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

jk26 · July 2001

I can recommend someone at motorwerks to talk to and work with if you are interested. I have not ordered my car as I am waiting to find out later this month what I will be making after I graduate. I have been talking with Rick Larsen, who has been a great source of info and does not pressure you at all into buying. I am happy with the way he has been in contact with me and can't say anything bad in dealing with him. Good luck...

Jason

adam68 · July 2001

What is the best way to clean wood trim? Is there
any way to remove fine scratches or swirl marks?

Thanks

Adam

muzzy325i · July 2001

I was told by my sales guy, that it is standard if you have power seats and the mirror selector switch is in the right position (driver or passenger side), I do not have power seats so I forgot where it needs to be. BTW my 325i has only one option (CD), really three if you count Metallic paint and dealer installed arm rest.

erz999 · July 2001

Does anyone know what the 2002 model 330xi sedan will offer different from 2001 models, if anything? Also, when do they become available?

Thanks...

bmwagonmaster · July 2001

Dunde: My Step idle speed looks to be about 750 (gauge pointer is about halfway between the 1k and 500 mark). Shifting into reverse with foot on brake pedal, I control driveway backing up with brake only. I definitely don't have to press gas pedal to backup.

Burrsr: I've got the tilt mirror (with my PP)and you can't control tilt while in reverse with joystick. Tilt angle seems to be standard BUT it tilts the same amount from where you ORIGINALLY adjusted mirror. For example, if you first adjust "regular" mirror position pointed way up, then the "tilt" position might only end up level, rather than pointed down. Did I further confuse anybody? Hope not, and hope this helps (:->

Muzzy: Welcome. There's nothing like your first time...

mccerio · July 2001

How long is the wait between status 182 and arrival at the dealership?

I have a 330i, steel gray, 5 speed, SP, Xenons, moonroof, in-dash CD, black l'ette interior, Alu trim. Going to BMW of North Haven, CT.

Thanks in advance.

- MCC

j330i · July 2001

How important is it to get something like lojack installed in BMWs? Does anyone have any experience or know of anyone who had a BMW stolen? My salesman said that with the anti-theft device, it is virtually impossible to steal a BMW unless someone gets hold of your keys or tows it. Therefore, I was considering just going with the BMW alarm to help keep people from messing with it. Any comments?

shawn325i · July 2001

Just changed my user name from shawn33 to shawn325i, now that I have a production number on my ordered 325i.

The wait is a killer!!!!!!!!!!!!

trejos28 · July 2001

tenet1 · July 2001

Congratulations!!

How long after your order at the dealer did you receive a production number??

I just ordered my 325i (modified an existing status 111)

dtlee · July 2001

Hi folks.
My 330i finally arrived at the dealership. The car is beautiful. One (small) issue, the headlight trim is black instead of titanium. Anyone else have this problem with their recently build E46? Can't wait for delivery (after the fix).

Thx

shawn325i · July 2001

Congrats on your order!!!! Now if we can just get behind the wheel.

1 day short of 3 weeks.

adam68 · July 2001

Any advice on best way to clean and remove swirl marks from wood trim?

megrdh · July 2001

May I ask you how much your dealer charge you to install the arm rest. I asked mine and he said about $500. I thought it is too much so I spend the money on alarm and tinted windows instead. Thanks in advance. Meg

dparis1 · July 2001

I have had my new 330i since october.
Already have 21,000 miles on the car.
Does anyone know what the lifespan of the tires should be?
Sports Package tires

gurumike · July 2001

mccero - it's produced!! not shipped. You'll be a driver in about one month from today.

dtlee - most new 330i sedans do not have the titanium trim (you could say that's now the "old" look!). Mine didn't, nor have any 330s I've seen in the last few weeks.

alpine325i · July 2001

Congrats to all of the people who have just received their new cars! I'm a proud owner of a 325i sedan. I've had my car for 5 months and have had no problems so far. I'm always amazed at the high level of precision this fine automobile has compared to the average car. For instance, I have a 1994 Ford Taurus wagon that I use for Home Depot trips. The Taurus wagon feels crude compared to the BMW, like it's worth 2 bucks. I remember what the Bavarian guy said at the Chevy dealer: "see all these cars, they're just "cars". A BMW is a "fine automobile" not just a car. On a lighter note, check out www.bushorchimp.com. I was laughing my (beep) off at all of the comparison pictures. :O)

jimbres · July 2001

I took delivery of a 330i equipped with sport package last week. My car also lacks the titanium headlight surround. I've read here & elsewhere that BMW no longer ships SP-equipped 330i's with this trim.

add123 · July 2001

dtlee/jimbres

When I took delivery of my 330i 2 weeks ago I noticed that it did not have the titanium trim. I advised my salesperson and told him that that is one of the differences between the 325 and 330. I also advised him that the 3-series brochure and on the website state the 330 comes with the titanium trim. He looked into it and agreed. The trim was ordered and was installed today and I will pick it up tomorrow. If I would have settled for the black the only visible difference would be the 330i emblem on the rear. No go. The dealer put the new ones in at no charge. Its up to you guys to get the trim but since we paid for it I think its only right we should get it.

add123

dl7265 · July 2001

Welp, i can think of three situations off hand.
1. car jacking,
2. tow your car
3. copy keys from dealer

honestly no one anymore pays atention to a annoying alarm sounding, and what the Lojack provides is the best chance at actually making an arrest.

There was one customer who had their very exclusive car in Florida towed away in a huge theft ring, there were some customs officals over sea's about 15 hours later that got a lojack hit on a trailer , and wala recoved the vehicle as well as several arrest.

Also fwiw i know of 3 Cadillac's that were recovered using the On-Star system to help track the vehicle , in each case the car was occupied and arrest were made.

I personally would much rather have the service than a blinking clown nose .

Regards,
DL

gurumike · July 2001

brave1heart · July 2001

Friends,

I just wanted to say that I'm back from vacation. I haven' had a chance to read through the 1,000 or so messages that I missed in 13 days but it seems that you kept a great pace of posting.
Well, I did miss the Shtroumpf in St. Martin. After 12 days in a Kia Avella, I felt reborn today - I took my 325 out for a loooong spin and I had a blast. I felt as free as jet skiing, except you really have to watch out for the cops. The car has nearly 3K miles and by now it seems to leap forward when I punch it. I put an Acura CL (3.0 ltr, 200 HP) under my belt today - not sure why every Acura owner feels like they have sth to prove to me; it's entertaining.
I feel I need to mention a couple of things about the Kia Avella that I drove on my vacation. It's smaller than the cheapest car sold in the U.S. (the Kia Rio) and it seems to be the Korean counterpart of the Ford Aspire. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the exact same car. It was the cheapest car that I could get in St. Martin (Corollas are like luxury there) and since my only requirement was a manual, it was an easy choice. So the real fun part is that they put all the torque at like 1,000 RPM's and the car feels really fast the first 10 feet off the start and then - plouf - nothing past second gear. It's very light, though, and dare I say - fun to drive. I guess I'm a sucker for manual, that's all.

OK, the real big news is that we're expecting (3 months) and I'm very excited I'll be a father. See, and you thought 2-3 months was a long wait. How about 9? I wish they had on-line tracking systems for babies. How do I sign up for the Babies Owner's Circle?

jnscheong · July 2001

And welcome back. You will have lots of fun with your baby I can assure you.

jnscheong

jnscheong · July 2001

I sent an email to BMWNA after seeing some posts about a week or so ago regarding the missing titanium headlight trim on recent 330i. I received a voice mail from BMWNA today stating that they cannot confirm that recently manufactured 330i's do not have titanium headlight trim. Like add123 said in an earlier post, if you want the trim, you should demand it.

jnscheong

blacksaphire · July 2001

Could you please check my status?

On May 29th, I ordered a 325xi, saphire black, 5 speed, CWP, xenon, black l'ette interior, Alu trim. Going to VOB BMW of Rockville, MD. I got a July production number, but so far the Owner's Circle status has been 'On Order'...

Thanks for your help in advance!

unboringuy · July 2001

Ok, here's one for you. What about 330xi's (or 330i's, for that matter) with the PP? In that case you have the wood trim inside? Should that car have titanium headlight trim???

bmwagonmaster · July 2001

Didn't notice you were gone (LOL). Why didn't you drive to St. Martin's? Guess you would have needed the xi AWD for the water, though. Congratulations on the pending arrival! Great thought on a Baby's Owners Circle. Basically, they ARE alot like your car. Just change the diaper (instead of oil)regularly, feed them "premium" mother's milk, and don't
over-rev them! And does this mean you'll be trading for my wagon? Or (whisper because I wouldn't want anyone else on the Board to hear us)a V-A-N, maybe? I hear that Toyota Sienna rocks...
Glad you're back buddy. All you really missed was Aculex trolling, but Pat spanked him like a bad kid. (:->

dtlee · July 2001

Thanks everyone.

Add123: How long did it take for your dealer to get the right trim and install them?

hippo168 · July 2001

congratulations! just make sure you're going to spend equal time on your two babies...

btw, I got a decent deal from BMW of Peabody, and they just told me it will arrive at around mid-Aug, about 2+ weeks ahead of the schedule they gave me when I ordered the car!

nj330xi · July 2001

I'm new to forum..... Thanks for great posts. I'm glad to see others are as excited as I am! (But the wait is torture!)

I just saw the status on my Silver 330xi turn to "Produced not shipped" on the BMW web site. Yeah!!! My dealer gave me an estimate of about another 3-4 weeks until delivery. Is this about right?

deepdarkblue · July 2001

Hey, the board wasn't the same w/out ya. Congratulations on the good news of the baby! I hope you have time to catch up on the posts you've missed. Good stuff.

gurumike · July 2001

Your's is scheduled for production in the next 7 - 14 days. It's in 112 status.
What is the "alum trim" you mention?

adam68 · July 2001

What is the best way to clean/remove swirl marks on wood trim? I've been told everything from
pledge to car wax.....any suggestions?

Thanks

add123 · July 2001

dtlee,

The trim took about a week to come in. I was asked if I wanted to wait 2 hours for the install but I had things I needed to do. So I was given a loaner (Z3) and was told I would get a call later in the day. I never received the call that day (yesterday) which I guessed would happen. My sales person called me this morning for pick-up. As of this writing I havent picked it up but will in about an hour.

add123

aaron330i · July 2001

I finally drove my new Titanium Silver 330i (PP, SP, 5-spd) from the dealer in Temple, TX. It's gorgeous. I kept getting yelled at by my weife every time I go out and look at it cause we were expecing guests and had house cleaning and cooking to do.

The machine begs to be driven. I've found it's fairly easy to keep under the 4.5K RPM mark since it seems to have so much power under 4.5K.

I can't wait till the break in is over!

Oh...and I do have titanium trim around the headlights!

jimbres · July 2001

Thanks for the info about the 330i headlight trim. I'm beginning to suspect that BMW ran out of the trim pieces but decided not to delay shipment of otherwise finished cars.

We're leaving for a week in Maine tomorrow morning. When we return, I'll hold my sales rep's feet to the fire on this. You're right - we paid for the headlight trim & we should get it.

max63 · July 2001

I believe the best way to keep up your wood trim is just by dusting it. If you get smudge marks you may want to use just a touch of pledge. If you use too much it may leave a residue. As far as swirl marks, not much you can do.

Hey Guru, should I call my sales guy and ask him to put the trim on my front grill. I have a 330i, mid year, with SP and PP so Im not sure what I should do. Do they just have the trim on 330ix. Also can they program the red dot to blink and the lights to flash when locking. I have had the car for about two months, and I dont want to call back and ask for stuff they wont do. I trust you will have the right answer. Thanks for the help!

mschukar · July 2001

I was wondering if anyone had info on changes to the 325i sedan and wagon for 2002. Any current options becoming standard, spy photos of cosmetic changes, etc. I know this has probably been covered, but I can't seem to locate anything with the search and I'm not going to read 7000 messages.

Also, has anyone mounted a Thule rack to a 325/330 sedan? I know it has threaded holes in the roof for this purpose, but I wanted to know how it worked.

Thanks
-Murray

tchoo · July 2001

Picked up my 325Ci yesterday. Its everything I imagined it to be. Build quality is superb, no squeaks or rattles. It had the Bosch fan. I've been making up excuses to go out just to drive this thing. My wife yelled at me last night cos I took a curve too fast and the DSC kicked in and made it shudder a little. The passengers looked a little pale too! The only thing I find strange is the fact that I got Goodyear Eagles (205/55-16) instead of the ContiSports. I thought all Bimmer came with Continentals?

e30ragtop · July 2001

Hi all -- I've been lurking here for a few days, as I've started thinking about downgrading my 1992 e30 to Weekend Car status and buying a new 3er (325 ix Touring, perhaps).

In reading your posts, it seems like everybody's waiting a few months for their car to be delivered. Has anybody considered European delivery? Does it take much longer? It seems like it should be worth $400 in air fare to save 10% and get exactly the car you want. (Even if you don't combine it with a vacation and just fly over for the weekend, it seems to make good economic sense.) Where are the flaws in my logic? Euro delivery sounds like a great way to go.

blacksaphire · July 2001

Gurumike, thank you for your prompt response! I'm just amazed at how fast you could find the answer with this kind of detail and precision. Without your help, I would have still be in nearly complete darkness with the 'On Order' status from the 'Owner's Circle'.

Maybe you should build a web site, if you already haven't, if it's legally OK to share this kind of information... I'm sure you'll have plenty of traffic. If that's asking too much, how about just an informational FAQ site that lists status codes and their descriptions with other useful info and links.

BTW, I mentioned 'alum trim' just to contrast against 'wood trim'... But I really meant 'standard trim' which I thought was aluminum. I guess I put that since I saw other people doing that. I apologize if this made your search any more difficult. Thanks again, Gurumike!

dantlo · July 2001

Welcome back!

Congrat!Being a father is even better than owning any BMW!I became a father in 1999.My daughter is almost 2 now. Everybody told me it would change my life and it did. It was my happiest day of my life the day she was born.They grow so fast and learn so quick that you could not believe. I am buying her a tricycle tomorrow. I passed on the toy BMW tricylce, it costs $199 at the dealer.

Anyway, I took my car in for the sticky gas pedal. They will keep it for a couple more days to detect the problem.Someone else on the board had the same problem too.
Dan

tcn2k · July 2001

I did it! My little baby riched 1200 Miles last night. Now i can gradually take this baby up to 6000 rpm! Yes!

Also, i have a question, horse powers is for acceleration, torque equals hauling power, is this right? Can someone elaborate on how the two complements each other or how it works?

daswolf · July 2001

daswolf · July 2001

Owner's circle has me listed as "produced, not shipped". Could you please check status when you get a chance.

Orient Blue 325i
Sand 'ette
Step
CWP
PP
Xenon

being shipped to BMW of Peabody, MA

Thanks.

kominsky · July 2001

Congratulations!!!!

As dantlo pointed out above, if there is a downside to having a child, it's that it will show exactly how insignificant your BMW is. That feeling you got when you picked up the car, when you smoke some clown in a "better" car, or when you perfectly guide your car to the apex of a tricky decreasing radius curve... nothing compared to when you hold your newborn for the first time, the first time he or she smiles at you, when he/she falls asleep in your arms, etc.

A couple of quick suggestions for a first time dad from an "old pro"... 1) buy a camcorder if you don't already have one, and 2) start a savings account now for film developing ;-)

yeeeha · July 2001

My 325 (w/ SP) came with Michelin low profile tires. Between your Goodyear's, the Conti's, and my Michelin's, I don't think there is a set tire mfr that is used.

yeeeha · July 2001

info to links, etc on differences btwn 2001 vs 2002

tenet1 · July 2001

Does anyone know of any pricing info for the 3 series in 2002?

Are they available yet??

bmwagonmaster · July 2001

I've posted this link before, but here it is again for those who maybe came late:

http://www.bmwnation.com/home.html

The feature article describes many details of the 2002 edition and has photos too. Hope this helps.

BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier

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