BMW 3-Series Maintenance and Repair

gbray1 · May 2001

Chloe -

I have a 2000 BMW 323i, stick, sport pkg. My advice to you: BUY TWO! That's how much I love the car. I was an Acura driver before, but the German engineering can't be beat. I have 26k mi on mine, and all I've done is change the oil at 15k as prescribed. No rattles, no problems. The very best car I have ever driven.

My suggestion: get the 325i with a sport pkg - you will get great seats, sport steering wheel, and very handsome alloy wheels. The suspension upgrade is great too - sporty, but never too rough. I like your idea of tannin red - should look great with silver. I have sand interior with steel blue and am very happy - I wanted to get away from the dark black interior.

You may consider the 330i with more power, but for the price the 325i can't be beat.

Don't be fooled by the glitzy bells and whistles of the Lexus. It is a good car, but I truly feel that BMW will deliver the day to day driving experience that will keep you smiling.

Good luck. No, I don't work for BMW - I'm in investments.

Greg

3304me · May 2001

Jeff,

Is the red leather you have called tanin? I didn't realized it was that bright of a red. I just ordered a 330Ci with tanin leather. The brochure had it as a much darker red. Not that I'm not happy with my choice but this make my 330 even more flashier than I had first anticipated

Yeah!

dbmw1 · May 2001

Has anyone else had this problem. My car overheated and the aux. fan had to be replaced. Seems to be a common problem with the latest bmws.

stuartbmw · May 2001

I just bought a 1999 323i. Great looking/driving car. I do have a question... opened up the oil filler cap, and you can't really see any of the lifters or moving parts, there is only a plate blocking the view, but the plate had quite a bit of dark, sludge-like oil on it. Is this normal? It sort of spooked me for a 20k car. Any thoughts? I haven't been able to validate any of the service data since this was a leased car, and I bought it from a specialty firm that deals in used BMWs. Their reputation is good though, and I have sent email requesting to meet them on Monday.

Any input woudl be welcomed.

chloe6 · May 2001

Hi!

Thanks for giving me the encouragement I needed to make me order the 325i. After seeing the photos of the red leather interior of Jeff's car, I'm definitely going to go with the red. I'm going to place my order tomorrow or Tuesday -- and I'm also going with Greg's suggestion of the sport package.

Thanks again to everyone who posts messages on this board -- I'm learning a lot!

By the way, Happy Mother's Day to any of you Moms out there!

Regards,
Chloe

lev_kuznetsov · May 2001

sterlinghawkns, check if there is smoke (out of the muffler). If there's grayish smoke, your car is burning oil. if it's been doing that from the beginning, it's alright. If the car is still under drive train warranty, you might try to get them to replace the engine anyways, but it will take enormous amounts of pain (lawers, looking for other people with the same problems, etc.). Don't go looking for smoke right after you have started the car, wait until the engine at the normal operating temperature. Also, I don't know where you live, but if it's cold and you don't wait for the engine to warm up, just drive away, it will burn oil everytime you do it.

You can also ask some real bmw mechanic what's going on (bimmer.org, unofficialbmw.com forums); I'm just speaking from volvo experience.

lev_kuznetsov · May 2001

Chloe.. Are you buying or leasing?

Red interior is somewhat less desirable, so if you're buying, you'll be loosing some bucks when you decide to sell. If you plan on selling like 12 years from now it won't make much difference, but if you'll be selling in 4 years, that's about 1000$ less than a black interior car. Of course, if you're leasing, it doesn't matter at all

tmiale · May 2001

Hi dbmw1. Yes, I've experienced the same thing you have. My 2001 325Ci had only 1600 miles on it before it overheated two weeks ago. Very embarrassing and aggravating! The dealer replaced the thermostat the first time and I was back the next day. They finally replaced the fan and it's run well since. I'll keep my fingers crossed with this fan.

ccotenj · May 2001

ummmm... he's burning 3/4 qt every 4000 miles... not a quart every 500, like a volvo

...

he's not going to be able to see oil smoke at that rate of burn... *maybe* at startup, but unlikely, because so much other *gunk* is coming out of the pipe then... so while your suggestion of how to "look for" signs of burning oil is a good one, i think in this case it would be along the lines of looking for a needle in a haystack....

3/4 qt every 4000 miles is well within spec... he doesn't have a snowballs chance in a very warm spot of getting a drivetrain replacement...

also, from a bmw perspective, it's recommended that you don't sit there and let your car warm up... fire it up, go on your way... if it's *real cold*, it's probably not a bad idea to let it run a few seconds to let the oil get circulating (the vanos in mine sounds like a coffee can of rocks on startup when it's under freezing

)....

-Chris

booboo2511 · June 2001

I just thought I would try to generate some interest in this group by trying to write a recent note here. I can't hardly believe there is not more interest since there are way more people who own E36 BMWs then the E46. Oh well hopefully we can start to generate some interest in here and pass on some information about our experiences with our E36 convertibles. I can only say that I have been quite pleased with mine.

Mr_Shiftright · June 2001

Since this board is strictly for repairs and maintenance, you may wish to visit the Coupes/Convertible Board or the Sedans Board for older 3-Series discussions.

shiftright the host

bgar851 · June 2001

Hi, I have a problem with my 1998 323 is. When I turn the steering wheel to the right , I get an annoying clicking sound around the 2'oclock position in the steering wheel. Its always in the same place and it occurs about 80% of the time.The car had this problem last year and was fixed by the dealer.It has started to reoccur again.Now the dealer says the noise is within normal operating specs and that all 1998 323's make this sound. I find that very hard to believe that such an annoying sound is "standard". They said it has something to do with the rag joint.My question for all you 323 owners is does your steering wheel make a clicking sound ????????? Thanks.......

gjacc · June 2001

I am very interested in buying a used 1996 328is (or similar) and have read that all 3-series are reliable, but what about maintenance cost?
Anyone have any experience with what breaks and how much it costs to fix for a BMW this old?

popthathood · June 2001

Hi. I'm joining in on a few of the messages about oil change intervals .... I also have a nagging doubt that sticking to their schedule is the best course of action for the car - after all, it is in their interest to have as few visits as possible (though of course it would be imprudent of them to encourage engine damaging behavior). I drive mine (2000 323i wagon) gently, and this has extended the interval indicator to what would make it 17,000 miles...
What is the actual sensor mechanism that governs this? Is there any point even checking the oil level manually?
Also, what about other things like brake wear? Normally that will be taken care of at the service interval, but I am reluctant to go 17,000 miles without the BMW mechanics even looking at the car.

I'd appreciate any advice here, and also any comments from anyone who has had servicing done ahead of schedule (and paid for it) and whether the servicing garage said that it was just as well the servicing was done.

Regards

shipo · June 2001

It is my understanding that the E46 determines the service interval by how much fuel you use. The harder you drive, the more fuel you use and the sooner you need to come in for service.

Best Regards,
Shipo

bmwagonmaster · June 2001

I've got the same wagon and I've got the answer you want to hear( I posted it earlier on Sedans Board, too). BMW has a special service bulletin that tells dealers you can get a no-charge oil change service even before the service interval indicator. The requirement is that the car be at least a year old. They did this for low-mileage drivers like me who only run about 8k a year. I think the bulletin is 00-02-00, but you can call BMWUSA customer service to confirm so there won't be any difficulty at the dealer. Hope this helps.

lokki · June 2001

You have sensors built into the brake pads. A light will go on on the dash when the pads are worn to the replacement point.

bmw325xi · June 2001

I bought an AUTOMATIC BMW325xi three months ago. After a couple hundred miles I began to notice a fairly loud "clunking" noise coming from the back of the car. The clunk occurs in two different situations: (1) When shifting from Park to Reverse (2) When dropping below 1000 rpm and then hitting the accelerator. The second situation can occur when slowing down for a stop light and then having to hit the accelerator to start up again before coming to a complete stop. I have brought the car to my BMW dealer twice and they are claiming that this is normal noise for the AWD BMW. I've noticed some other posts related to manual transmission clunking noises. Does anyone else have an automatic 325xi with these noises? Has anyone been given a successful remedy for this noise? Thanks in advance for any advice.

stgreen · June 2001

it might not help, but i test drove a 325Xi wagon at the dealer (no sedans available to test drive) and when i hit the brakes it made the steering wheel vibrate and when driving - under normal conditions - i did hear a clunking-type noise from the back of the car if i remember correctly,

but demo had 8,000+ miles on it (i guess thats considered used...)

otherwise how has you experience been??? im thinking of 330Xi as a commute car and for new england winter driving as well...

popthathood · June 2001

Shipo, bmwwagonmaster & lokki

Thank you very much for your swift replies and information.

Much appreciated.

Regards

bmw325xi · June 2001

I LOVE The 325xi except for the clunking noise which is really not acceptable for what is supposed to be the "Ultimate Driving Machine." I know someone who bought an automatic 330xi and is not hearing any noises yet. I drove it in the Pennsylvania winters this year and it did great. I travel alot for work and it makes commuting more enjoyable. Good Luck!

mrpeltyn · June 2001

Help! Coming out of a shopping center with my 325i w/sport package wheels today I accidentally hit the curb with my passenger side front wheel rim. It put 2 separate one inch scrapes in the wheel. Does anyone know if this can be fixed, and if so, how much it would be to do so?? Or is the only option to replace the rim completely? Any answers would be GREATLY appreciated!!!

alcan · June 2001

Many tire shops offer alloy rim repair/refinsh. Not cheap but less than the cost of a new rim. Check your yellow pages. Another option might be to locate one in a recycling yard.

dc2000328i · June 2001

I was browsing through some of the messages and noticed that some individuals were having problems with a noise from the rear. My first question is the following:

1. In the 3-series with the manual transmission, is there a fix for the rear "clunking" noise when the clutch is disengaged?

Also, I have this annoying problem with the front brakes that is noticeable when the brake pedal is tapped abruptly. The steering wheel will jerk to one side, which can be felt by the driver and seen by anyone watching the steering wheel. I took it to the dealership and a technician was able to reproduce it; however, the dealership mentioned that BMW is aware of the problem and has no way of fixing it because a resolution would interfere with the DSC system. Seems pretty messed up, huh? Personally, I think it is a warped rotor (some pulsation in the steering wheel) or a stuck brake pad (may explain why the steering wheel would jerk to one side if one pad is partially engaged). For a car that has 7K miles, the rotor should not be warped!!

2. So, by second question is: Is there a fix for the brake/steering wheel problem?

Any response pertaining to either of these questions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Sorry about posting it again-->spell check changed a few words.

330va · July 2001

First, some history. Ordered my beauty April 27th from Richmond BMW. 330i, Steel Blue, PP, CD, heated seats, 5 SPEED! Picked her up on June 2nd (I thought the wait was killer but I guess I have no room to complain with just a 5 week wait). Delivery was relatively painless and I was on my way to enjoy the ultimate driving machine. I had initially had the typical "buyers remorse" thing about spending so much for a car. All remorse was history about one mile down the road, never heard from again. Definitely worth every penny. And the attention, not only the double takes on the road but I have already been stopped several times in parking lots to answer questions or just talk about the car. It seems like perfect strangers love this car as much as I do. If only they knew.
Only one problem though. I have just passed approx 1800 miles of fun and noticed a slight change in performance. It seems not to have the same pep as it did just 2 days ago. Not bad, no obvious misses at idle or at speed, in fact hardly noticeable, but I can tell. This wasn't a new tank of gas or right after any change of anything. I filled up again anyway (with premium of course) but no change. The quick response that I felt as soon as the accelerator was touched now seems uninspired. Up 'til now, this car coaxed me to drive fast. Now it feels like "it" needs to be coaxed. I have contacted the dealer who said to bring it by for a test drive with a maintenance tech. I have a feeling that he will say that it seems normal to him. Does anyone have a clue? Help, I miss my baby!

Thanks,

Chip

willyglee · July 2001

I have a new 330i Sport+Premium+Xenon+auto. I still feel that head bob when taking off from a start. Euro cars in general need a little more throttle work to accelerate but your problem sounds weird. I can't imagine what has happened but I don't doubt you. Bad gas, maybe fuel filter, maybe water in the fuel system. I would have service put it on a diagnostic system to confirm compression and mixture. The mods they sell are not hardware, they are software. Perhaps you have had a glitch in your chip programing. I would make them go over that aspect. Also take a ride in a service loaner with similar miles and the same engine - see if it feels the same. I hope this doesn't happen to me. From all I have heard the performance should actually improve after a few thousand miles. What's your mileage computer saying? Any change? I am getting 16-17 mpg in per city driving with an auto transmission and premium fuel. Good luck and please keep posting on this issue.

330va · July 2001

I took my 330i to the dealer today to check on the "performance" issue. I explained my cars' behavior to a couple of technicians and there response was predictable stuff like: "it will run differently with the A/C on" and "maybe you got a bad tank of gas" also "if there is something wrong, it will show up as a fault on the diagnostic". To their credit, they did refer me to the service manager. He and I took the car out for a spin (he drove). He appreciated the the car may seem to be running differently to me, but it seemed to be ok to him (just as I suspected). I explained that, although it would be hard to complain about this cars performance, it just isn't the same as it was. It's just not "impressive" any more, just pretty good (does this make sense?). Anyhow, he suggested that the computer may have "adapted" to my driving style. I admit, I am not beating the car (I am averaging, up until now, about 29 mpg. Realize that most of my driving is country back roads, not city), but I do enjoy a spirited drive (it's been hard to avoid). He explained that because the throttle control is "fly by wire" and not a direct cable, it is possible that the throttle response may be different than what I am used to. He also told me that when we got back, he would hook up his computer and reset the "adaptation" to factory setting. He wasn't sure if this would help, but what the heck. It did seem to help some (maybe my imagination). I guess what I will do is try to drive a bit more aggressively and see if it will "adapt". You are right, WEIRD.
I'll keep you posted.

jpcanon1 · July 2001

There is a TSB that came out- #340798 in July of 1999 for the steering wheel twitch. It is a steering bushing, new rotors and pads. I had it done and it helped, but it eventually came back. Seems like the rotors keep warping super easy- I've had 3 sets at only 17,000 miles on my 1999 328i- ongoing nightmare!

shipo · July 2001

What is your production date? I have a 1999 328i with a production date of 12/98 and I have 27,000 miles (driven in a reasonably aggressive fashion) on the original pads and rotors with no steering wheel twitch or any other steering/braking problems.

Best Regards,
Shipo

jpcanon1 · July 2001

Mine was an 11/98 build- I think you got lucky! Actually, I don't know how many people had the trouble, but the TSB did come out. Also, if you search the "archives" on the www.bimmer.org board under 3-series E46, there should be lots of discussions! Joe

dc2000328i · July 2001

Well I took the car in to the dealer a week ago, and they had to order several parts such as the front disc, pads, joint, bolts and nuts, and a bracket support. I got it back yesterday and the steering wheel does not twitch upon abrupt braking anymore. Hopefully this problem will not arise again for the life of the car.

Overall, I am satisfied with job that they did; however, the technician managed to knick the rims again!! Well, it looks as if I will have to take it back to the dealer for more rim touch-up around the area where the bolts go. Well, the service manager had offered to send the rims back to get it refinished after the incident occurred the first time after a rotation and balance. However I figured that as long as I am under the maintanence program, the same knicks will occur when the service department rotates and balances the rims next time, so getting them refinished will not get me anywhere.

DC

jpcanon1 · July 2001

Keep an eye on it- my "fixes" seemed to last approx 5,000 miles, then the twitch started to come back!

madhu_nair · July 2001

I bought an AUTOMATIC 2001 BMW325I four months ago. After around 5000 miles I began to notice a fairly loud "clunking" noise coming from the back of the car.

The clunk occurs when shifting from Park to Reverse. It doesn't happen all the time - 60%.
I took it to the dealer two times.
The first time they did agree that the sound is weird and that they can't fix it. They told that they'll contact BMW and get a specialist for fixing it. I never heard from them or BMW.

Then I filed a complaint from www.bmwusa.com
They asked the dealer to schedule another check up
for the car. This time they just refused to
acknowledge the problem. They said that all the
325s make that sound and that BMW states that it is a normal behavior of the car.

Have any of you guys ever faced this problem?

Has anyone been given a successful remedy for this noise? Please email me with the same.
madhu_nair@hotmail.com

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Thanks,
Madhu
madhu_nair@hotmail.com

shop2 · July 2001

I've had my car for about a week and have put about 1300 miles on it. I definitly have the brake twitch problem. I thought it was my imagination until I went to clean the wheels. I found more brake dust on the left front then the right. At moderate to low speeds, the left front seems to engage a split secound before the rest, but does not bind when coasting.
T.B.C....

shop2 · July 2001

Anyone out there have any experience or thoughts on engine noise (overtone beat vibration) between 3000 and 3500 RPM's?
2 beats per second (like a whua, whua,whua whua)
Subtle at first but very annoying when highway cruising at about 80 in 5th gear. Can't get away from that RPM range there. Dissapears when below or above that range. My wife even noticed it.
Help!

bluewolf · July 2001

I'm presently a VW owner and have been happy with the build quality of the car, but I also know there are alot of VW lemons out there. Considering a 325i next. Are BMW dealers better at customer service than VW dealers? How about service departments oveall?

Can anyone objectively compare BMW and VW from a build-quality perspective, and are there many lemon Bimmers? Thanks for the opinions.

snaphook · August 2001

I have a 94' 325is and a couple of weeks ago when I started the car the following occurred. Service indicator, fuel gauge, tach, speedometer, odometer, and temperature gauge were all dead. Where the odometer reading should have been instead the word "CodE" was displayed. There was no message on the onboard computer. I restarted the car and this all went away. Just today the same thing happened again, only this time restarting the car did not clear it. It did eventually go away later in the day, approx 5 restarts. Everything now works with the exception of the odometer which reads all 0's and will not update.

Clearly the engineers at BMW were trying to convey some information to the operator by displaying "CodE", but what? There is no reference to this diagnostic message in the owner's manual. I realize that I will have to take the car in but I would appreciate some heads up as far as what to expect.

325i87 · August 2001

I disagree with mikesm6. This was true in the 50's, but not now. How can you go anywhere with a 1000 mi service interval? I have had a 325i/1987 which now has 260,000 km and always followed the service indicator for oil services/inspection. The service interval averages about 17,000 km for my driving.

A lot of little things wore out in the car including the driver belt buckle which I just replaced, but the engine is still doing just fine and never needed work. I has taken a litre of the recommended oil 10w50 every 3800 km for as long as I can remember, less when I was using synthetic oil.

shipo · August 2001

I currently have a very early build E46 (12/98) and prior to that I had a 1995 Passat GLX, so I can offer you some observations about the build quality of the two cars.

My Passat was one of the best cars I had ever owned, having said that, it was not without some initial problems. In the first year I had to have the following items replace under warranty:

- 3 fog lights (heat stress cracks)
- 1 right rear power window motor
- 1 rear window defogger switch
- 1 instrument cluster

During the life of the car (>80K miles) I had to replace the following items at my expense:

- 1 fog light (heat stress cracks)
- 1 battery (it exploded, what a mess)
- 2 sets of rear wheel bearings (one per side)
- 1 instrument cluster

Given the fact that I drove those miles mostly in and around NYC which has some of the nastiest pot holes this side of the third world, and that the Passat never developed any unscheduled squeaks or other noises, I would say that the structure of the car was well built.

I now have about 27K miles on my 328i and have only replaced one little tail light bulb on each side. I could have had these done under warranty, but the whopping $4.00 it cost me to buy the bulbs my self saved me from a trip to the dealer (not that my dealer is bad, I just have a very tight schedule).

To summarize, I found that the VW was very good, while the BMW is nearly perfect.

Best Regards,
Shipo

div2 · August 2001

Well, the BMW Synthetic is less than $3.50/qt. with a BMW CCA discount. As for the tranny, Dexron III is what the slushbox uses; the manual can use the same with no problems. Throw Mobil 1 gear oil in the diff. Heck, do what I do-buy an oil extractor from someplace like Griots and do the work yourself. It's a 1/2 hour job tops and you won't even get your hands dirty... I won't even take my domestic car to Jiffy Lube-trained monkeys are fun to watch at the circus, but I don't want them wrenching on your car.

gbradcsi · August 2001

I drove 16 miles stopping for 3 lights along the same route and the car sputtered and died, it restarted shortly and each time the plugs were fouled. Three days in a row, going the opposite distance to work no problem, it happens at 6 AM temp 72 degrees F, heat no problem. since then i
changed the gas, new intank fuel pump, new fuel pressure regulator. the temp sensor, oxygen sensor and coil read ok according to specs. (i even substituted the temp 2 sensor with a 400ohm resistor , normal at 175 +degrees. no change today the 4th time it now only starts but runs rough and smokes black. only able to idle not drive now. is the ECU (the brain) the problem?
airflow sensor and speed sensor would not act like this. i have good spark. fuel pump pressure normal ~34 psi.
i am usually good with changing and reading the specs on my cars. HELP please.

jfriedl · August 2001

My wife owned a 1996 Passat that she dearly loved up to the day it got totaled by a Ford delivery van. In the two years/40k miles we only had one problem with the car - we needed to replace the dash because the tach and speedo were reading improperly. The dealer was great. Even though it was a few mile out of warranty, the dealer was unhappy with what happened and managed to fix it under warranty. The car was great. Fun to drive (for a front wheel drive car) and comfortable.

I currently own a 2001 E46 325i manual with a sport package. I have never driven anything as fun as this. It has about 8,000 miles on it. I have already replaced a fog lamp and had to have the break master cylinder replaced as an internal seal malfunctioned. Other than that, it is very stout.

From my perspective, both vehicles are great. It all boils down to your personal preference. I personally can't stand front wheel drive. If I enjoyed front wheel drive, I probably would have gone with the Passat (I did test drive one and it was fun). It definitely has much more value for the buck. You can pick up a fully loaded Passat for what I paid for my "stripper". Now, if rear wheel drive is your thing, like it is for me, the BMW is the only way to go. This car is absolutely on rails. It does tend to have more over steer than I would have expected for a car like this, but I am very glad I bought it.

Finally, I do think the Passat is of a higher over quality than the rest of the line. It is the flagship and I think VW goes to extra measures to ensure it is of high quality.

In the end, i don't think you can go wrong with either car. Best of luck!

jfriedl · August 2001

My wife owned a 1996 Passat that she dearly loved up to the day it got totaled by a Ford delivery van. In the two years/40k miles we only had one problem with the car - we needed to replace the dash because the tach and speedo were reading improperly. The dealer was great. Even though it was a few mile out of warranty, the dealer was unhappy with what happened and managed to fix it under warranty. The car was great. Fun to drive (for a front wheel drive car) and comfortable.

I currently own a 2001 E46 325i manual with a sport package. I have never driven anything as fun as this. It has about 8,000 miles on it. I have already replaced a fog lamp and had to have the break master cylinder replaced as an internal seal malfunctioned. Other than that, it is very stout.

From my perspective, both vehicles are great. It all boils down to your personal preference. I personally can't stand front wheel drive. If I enjoyed front wheel drive, I probably would have gone with the Passat (I did test drive one and it was fun). It definitely has much more value for the buck. You can pick up a fully loaded Passat for what I paid for my "stripper". Now, if rear wheel drive is your thing, like it is for me, the BMW is the only way to go. This car is absolutely on rails. It does tend to have more over steer than I would have expected for a car like this, but I am very glad I bought it.

Finally, I do think the Passat is of a higher over quality than the rest of the line. It is the flagship and I think VW goes to extra measures to ensure it is of high quality.

In the end, I don't think you can go wrong with either car. Best of luck!

niwde · August 2001

I just read thru 193 messages so I feel confident I have a new one. I just took delivery of my new 2001 330ci, haven't even had it a week, and there seems to be something wrong with the windshield wipers. My car has the sport and premium pkgs. plus xenons, heated seats, and in dash cd. With the wiper control lever in the off position the wipers will wipe at random, rain or no rain. The only way I can get them to work somewhat normally, when it's raining, is if the control lever is in the auto position with the sensitivity turned all the way up. At the low speed position they seem to wipe at the high speed and the washer fluid sprays constantly, this also applies to the high speed position. Also, I can't seem to tell any difference in speed between the high and low speed settings.

I have described this to the service advisor where I leased the car and he has never heard of this problem before. He said that maybe the cars software needs to be reset.

I hope someone can give me some advice. -Thanks in advance,

lbennett · August 2001

I have a '01 330Ci with HK sound - very low bass causes the rear speaker to rattle. My dealer says BMW knows about this and is working on the problem. Has anyone experienced this problem and have you been able to fix it?
Thanks.

nbb · August 2001

Check the bimmer.org site for e46 cars. Many people have fixed this by stuffing a padded material in the opening to muffle the rattle.

johngault2 · August 2001

I too have a 330ci with HK, and low bass causes the speaker to rattle and distort. Even without the stereo on, the rear speaker and/or shelf rattles. My dealer told me that BMW was aware of the problem, but that there was not a fix available for it yet. I have gotten somewhat ambiguous answers from BMW USA on whether any fix is in the works. I am reluctant to stuff a sock in the speaker enclosure, which seems to be the preferred DIY solution. Good luck!

swap · September 2001

Does anyone have any experiences of windshields on the E46 cracking even on impact by small stones/ pebbles? I have had two in the past few months (In perspective, my other car which is an Intrepid seems to weather these hits without any problems (touch wood!))

Mr_Shiftright · September 2001

Just bad luck I think, although the angle of impact (and of your windshield) and the size of the stone would, of course, also be a factor.

hicaira · September 2001

So would speed!

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