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Thanks for making me laugh...and hard.
BTW, dryer sheets make for great deodorizer in your suitcase when you travel. Look at me! I'm Martha Stewart! Gag.
There isn't really a phone number for BMW to a department that tells you where your car is. I would appeal to everyone not to phone BMW of North America and ask any question along the lines of "yer, I'm just calling to see where my car is...". Relax, it is coming. They will try to accomadate you as best as possible but if you feel inclined to learn to information, call your dealer. They get a new update every day, except some week-ends. Your sales person is able to answer that question for you. I like to photo copy our BMW report and mail it to my clients each time their car changes status.
My new stereo project will be less expensive than my previous and goes like this:
Subs. An essential part of any sound system and no, you don't need to be into hip-hop/rap to justify getting them. All music sounds much better. I will be getting just one amp and one sub, in a box than will not take up too much space. I believe I will go with an Extant amp (and possibly sub too) which has an adjustable input signal. This path should allow me to disconnect (and remove, perhaps) the *weak* H.K. pieces there right now (why did they bother?!) and use the signal from the factory amp to efficiently drive a decent sub. What really blows my mind is that BMW put too lower frequencies to the front door speakers (can't decide if I rate them as mids or woofers). I ended up also going with the well recommended on this board Rio Volt mp3 player which I intend to play through the antennae on the back of the factory radio (by way of a JVC FM modulator). I'll post some pics in a week or so when it's all in the car.
Also, I seem to recall that a number of people have been complaining about a "thump" coming from the rear of the vehicle when shifting. I've experienced this, as well. Nothing bothersome, but it is noticeable. I think it has to do with improper clutch release. If you let out the clutch too quickly, you can hear it. If you shift smoothly, keeping the rpms up before releasing the clutch, there's no "thump." Any thoughts on this?
Also, is there a major difference between the black and metallic black finishes?
Thanks.
Trust me my friend, this is just as much YOUR pregnancy a it is your wife's, and whether she knows it or not, it is her job to keep you up to date on every nauseous moment, every paranoia about weight gain and the growing appetite. It will also be your responsibility to accommodate her need to pee at every rest area AND in between (I hope that does not run afoul of the Edmunds Terms of Use). Hmmmm, what else, OH YES, hormones/tears, I swear, my wife could be watching a Three Stooges episode and start crying! During her third trimester, she will start "Nesting" (if not before) and it will be your job to paint the nursery Pink. No Blue. NO PINK! Ah Dear? How about Blue? As I said, this is YOUR pregnancy too.
Burrsr,
I was going to say that Reverse might FEEL like it engages sooner than First because Reverse usually has a higher numerical gear ratio than any other gear. A higher ratio means that the clutch has less work to do to lock up; hence it may feel like it engages quicker in Reverse than in First. However, BMW has seen fit to make a liar (well almost) out of me by using a Reverse ratio that is slightly lower First in both the 325i and the 330i, so much for that theory. Mechanically, I cannot think of any other reason why reverse would engage quicker. Anybody else?
Mfeldman,
Good hunting to find the source of the noise. I have found that sometimes after I use the parking brake, I hear a speed dependent noise from the rear of the car until I use the actual brakes once, then the noise goes away. I wonder if your parking brake has rusted a little. In my owners manual BMW suggests that you should periodically glide to a stop (from a very low speed and only when you are not in traffic) using only the parking brake to keep the contact surface rust free. Who knows, might be worth a try.
Kominsky,
WAY TOO FUNNY. I had a mouth full of tea when I saw your picture and I damn near lost it all over my laptop. That one is destine be a classic.
Best Regards,
Shipo
How long does it usually take to get it on a ship? and how long does it take to arrive in US (e. coast)?
Also, how can I check which ship it is on once it start its voyage?
Thanks.
brave1heart - read what shipo wrote above about the pregnancy, then print it out. Six months from now, read it one more time and you'll be on the floor LOL!
div2: What did you mean by "Do not ever slip the clutch to hold your position on a hill"?
deepdarkblu: Your car looks very nice. Do you have any pics of the interior?
kominsky: Real funny pics!
titaniumsil325: My salesperson's name is Adriena. She seems like a nice person, but she totally misled me with the "90% chance for end of June delivery."
Other questions/clarifications about stick driving:
On a hill where I am stopped at a light, and I have my foot on the brake, should the car be in neutral at this point or should I be pressing down on both the clutch and the brake? And when the light changes from red to green, what's the first thing I should do (besides pray that I don't back into the car behind me)? After shiftin into first gear, do I begin easing of on the clutch while keeping my foot on the brake, or should I remove my right foot from the brake and gun it for the accelerator while simultaneously easing off on the clutch? And if the car begins to roll back rapidly while on a steep hill, what can I do besides panic?
Also, in stop and go traffic where you in along, what do you do? Are you supposed to keep the car in first gear all the time, keep the car in neutral as much as possible, or keep shifting back and fourth from neutral to first. HOw do I prevent clutch wear and damaging my transmission?
Lastly, can anyone produce a list of definite DO NOT DO's for stick driving?
Thanks!
Thank you so so much for your info! I got help from BMWNA involved and waiting for their call back. Meanwhile I am driving a brand new "Daewoo" rental car the dealer provided. Dont even know what model it is??
My car is scheduled for arrival at the VPC in Newark, NJ on July 17. Does anyone know how long cars usually stay at the VPC before going to the dealer? Can anyone in the New York area give me an idea when I should be able to take delivery of my car (going to Hassel BMW in Freeport, NY), given their prior experience?
If your dealership is dead set on giving you trouble, you may want to try this route...I remember reading on this message board (I think by gurumike) that one of the reasons dealers don't like to give out production numbers is because once you have the prod #, you can "switch" the vehicle to another dealer.
Do you have a production number yet? If so, I wonder if you can provide it to the dealership that approved you, and perhaps they can "move" the vehicle into their inventory....does this make sense? I am speaking from memory, but I remember finding that interesting (ie ordering from high supply/low demand region and transferring the vehicle to high demand / low supply region). No idea if that's how it works, but may be worth investigating.
hippo168:
trip across the atlantic takes about two weeks. your dealer should be able to tell you the ship name. Then you can got to http://www.wlna.com and find the ships schedule. All it will really tell you is when your ship is scheduled to arrive in the various ports. But it is cool to check. Hope this helps....
Also, I checked out the K40 website and they sell something called a laser difuser plus. Is this some gimmick or does it really work? If so, is it worth buying in addition to a standard radar detector?
"On a hill, at a red light"...what to do....
feet should be on clutch and on brake. gear should be in first. light turns green. release the brake and step on the accelerator (gently) to raise the rpm's. At the same time you are stepping on the accelerator, you need to let out the clutch (gently). I know this sounds like a pain in the @#*, but it will become intuitive VERY quickly. The first couple of times, you may want to watch the rpm's, so you keep from stalling. But like I said, it will get to where you can accelerate on a hill in San Fran while blasting Ted Nugent, and you won't give it a 2nd thought!
I just hope he didn't damage my machine!
I just needed to vent.
Someone please reassure me my car's ok.
I posted a response for you on the TL board, but here's a quick one... we're getting the TL for me, the BMW for my husband, and a Toyota Camry for our housekeeper to use. And I don't want to shop for another car for a VERY long time!!!
Have a great week!
Chloe
Parking brake - I use it ALL the time in city traffic. I pull it 90% of the time if I'm at a traffic light. This way I make sure that the car won't roll back or forth and I don't have to rest my foot on the brakes and/or clutch, so I think it's a safe thing to do. It may seem like an overkill to some of you but I'm so used to it that I don't notice it. It hasn't had a chance to pick up any rust.
Komisnky - hilarious!! This is the BoneCrusher Belle of imagery.
Guru - I must be missing something about the economics of leasing. You're leasing a custom-ordered car for an expected 11 months and you're adding top-of-the-line built-in radar system, an air intake, and now a nice stereo mod. All for 11 months. Wouldn't this be the equivalent monthly lease on a stock Maranello for the same period?!?
Oh, one of the big shot East Coast executives in our company took us out for lunch today and we started talking about cars. Someone asked me about my BMW and then he said that when he sees a BMW he usually gets out of their way because they're typically bad drivers. I told him that it's probably true and that this is one of the things that I like about the car - the fact that I don't have to negotiate my way in the fast lane. I think what he meant to say is that BMW drivers are too aggressive. Of course, that doesn't make them bad drivers but a lot of people perceive it that way, including him. He's all into the safety thing - he drives a large Swedish car but at least he drives a manual. Oh yeah, the manual is probably to conserve gas and protect the environment better. The safe Swedish car image fits his corporate PC profile pretty well. Of course, I didn't say that but it's nice to know that my company's execs will get out of my way if they see me coming in the fast lane.
And a last thing: the Shtroumpf's pickup has gotten so good that now I can actually chirp the tires when I shift it into second. Has any other 325-er also tried this on a dry road? BTW, 3,200 miles and it's been absolutely totally flawless mechanically.
2. Don't let out the clutch too quickly. If you do this from a complete stop, you may stall or get the "jerks" or both. If you're already moving, it will lead to bumpy shifts. There's nothing like a smooth shift, baby.
3. Don't downshift multiple gears (like from 5th to 2nd). Bad bad bad. I've gone from 5th to 3rd a few times, but I've done it only in situations when I've had to and when the change in rpms won't bludgeon the engine. Again, keep the shifting smooth (rpms up slightly before engaging the gear.
4. When going in reverse, never let out the clutch all the way. You'll know what I mean if you try it. Let out the clutch gently, but you will never fully release it.
That's all I got.
I only sent the on-line credit application to Hassel to see if the other place was lie
I didn't even negotiate with Hassel at the beginning, because they treated me really badly the first time I walked in. The salesman I had was Asian, and could barely speak English. He didn't even want to negotiate, and wanted to tack on a $500 prep fee.
Huntington. was very nice till I had the financing incident.
Josh
Just got my production number and VIN for my 325i and logged onto the Owners Circle, but all it says is my vehicle is scheduled for production.
Is there a way to break down the VIN so I know where it is being built??
How can I get the status code instead of "scheduled for prod."??? Also, does the website display your options etc. I could not find the important stuff.
Any thougts anyone??
I've been using a stick for 14 years, and every car is different. If you are unfamilar with the car, figure out at what point the clutch engages. (Try this exercise in a parking lot before you get going.) First, adjust your seat so you can depress the clutch to the floor and release it comfortably. Next, while in first gear, let the clutch out very slowly and watch the RPM gauge. Stop when the rpms start to drop slightly. Push in the clutch again. Don't give it any gas. You should remember the point at which the RPMs start to drop and how it 'feels'. This point is where the clutch starts to engage. This is where you need to give it enough gas, when you're actually taking off. At this point, if you don't give it enough gas you'll kill the engine. Good luck.
Just got my production number and VIN for my 325i and logged onto the Owners Circle, but all it says is my vehicle is scheduled for production.
Is there a way to break down the VIN so I know where it is being built??
How can I get the status code instead of "scheduled for prod."??? Also, does the website display your options etc. I could not find the important stuff.
Any thougts anyone??
what about upshifting? 1st to 3rd, 2nd to 4th?
PS - thanks gurumike et al for the 2001/2002 clarifications!
http://www.e46fanatics.com/faq
To get the status code, you can call your dealer or BMWNA. The website doesn't give out status code and options ordered.
jnscheong
BTW does anyone know whether SMG is coming in 2002 for anything other than the M3?
drcr - Thanks for the post. Have you tried to replace a shift knob? I am just a little apprehensive about pulling up hard on my shifter.
Thanks
As far as general advice for mastering the manual, the most important thing is to try to FEEL the car: watch the RPM's closely and try to hear the engine. It is important not to ride the clutch but it's OK to use a bit more gas at first till you're comfortable with shifting. It is also better to release the clutch relatively fast. It's all about coordination: the BMW's pedals travel is very long and linear. The gas pedal and the clutch pedal should typically move at about the same speed, only in reverse direction. So if you are releasing the clutch slowly, don't hurry the gas pedal and the other way round. Practice is key, just like anything else. I never double clutch but I drive very smoothly b/c I use a little extra gas before I start the next upshift. That allows me to match the RPM's better on the way up. I use downshifting all the time not necessarily to save the brakes but mostly for better control over the car. As far as stop-and-go traffic, use your judgement. I generally try to go at a steady pace even if the distance between me and the car in front of me varies. If I have to stop, I'd always keep it in neutral while stopped. Also, I typically keep a good distance, which allows me to monitor the cars that are way ahead of me rather than focus my attention on the car immediately in front of me. This way you are at least a step ahead. It's all common sense but the key thing is to try and feel the car and adapt to the traffic and weather conditions.
kominsky - That's a lot of power - I didn't know you could easily smoke the tires in second with the 330. I'm also guessing that the DSC would be even better to have for safety in the 330 b/c you have a much bigger potential for error with that kind of power. I haven't tried to smoke the wheels yet but the only way you can do that with a 325 is if you rev it off the start. Even a chirp in second needs high RPM's in first before you upshift. I drive it at ten tenths most of the time so I know.
drcr - Thanks for the post. Have you tried to replace a shift knob? I am just a little apprehensive about pulling up hard on my shifter.
Thanks
http://www.circlebmw.com/parts/e46/e46-cat.htm
When you get there, click in the left column on "armrest." When that page comes up, click on "installation instructions". You'll see that the first thing listed in the factory instructions is to remove the gear shift knob by a "vigorous" pull. Hope this helps.
San Francisco, here I come!
Best Regards,
Shipo
Talking about break-in again. What will happen if I get over 4K? Thanks. Meg