Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

BMW 3-Series Maintenance and Repair

14445474950105

Comments

  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,200
    More or less... had it towed in.. anytime you have a sensor go out, that controls internal engine functions, the car will basically go into "limp mode".. This is to stop you from damaging the engine...

    So, even though the car will barely run, it doesn't necessarily mean you've done any damage to it.. yet.. But, you may have... and, I definitely wouldn't keep driving it..

    regards,
    kyfdx
    Host-Prices Paid Forums

    Edmunds Price Checker
    Edmunds Lease Calculator
    Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!

    Edmunds Moderator

  • triciaptriciap Member Posts: 6
    Thank you so much for your help :)
  • hus6hus6 Member Posts: 1
    I am looking to buy a 2000 323Ci with about 80k miles. I drive about 25k miles per yr... and plan to keep it for 4 yrs... so I would drive it till it hits about 180k miles. I've always driven Accords... and they've always lasted that long. But as for BMW, i am kinda weary... in general, will it last that long? and will the repairs/maintenance be a hell lot more than an accord? I hear that bmw at high mileage is very risky... but i dont know. any insight from high mileage bmw owners would be greatly appreciated... thanks alot.

    -hus
  • div2div2 Member Posts: 2,580
    Will a BMW cost more to service and repair than a vanilla FWD family sedan? Probably. Significantly more? Depends. A lot of the so-called experts who claim to know about high BMW running costs base their comments on something they heard from the best friend of their second cousin's first wife's dermatologist's barber.
    The truth is that a BMW 3er is not all that expensive to maintain if you can do some minor work yourself AND you know a good independent BMW tech.
    As for the specific car you are considering, I'd want it inspected by a good BMW tech,and I'd also want to see a full service history. Was the coolant replaced (using BMW coolant ONLY) every three years? Was the brake fluid changed every two years with a good DOT 4 fluid?
    I have a 1995 3er I've owned since new with 99,000 miles on it. Service and repair costs have averaged less than $500/year. I also have a 1997 528i with 128,000 miles. Maintenance and repairs costs for it come to a bit less than $1100 per year.
    Oil changes are cake and can be performed in your driveway for less than $45 using Mobil 1 and a BMW filter. Brakes are dead simple as well. How much is a superb driving experience worth to you? In my case, any additional servicing expense my 3er and 5er incur is more than offset by the enjoyment I relieve from driving them.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I think div2's estimates are pretty darn good. You'll notice that yearly maintenance and repair costs go up as the car piles on the miles. This has also been my experience with BMWs that I have owned. So at the 150K mark, you should plan on spending at least double what you'd pay at the 75K mark, per month.

    As a general rule of thumb I always tell people that even IF you do minor work yourself and use an Indy shop for repair and maintenance, still, with any high miles German luxury car (150K+) you should plan on $125-150 a month and if it exceeds that by a fair margin over the course of say two years you really need to bail on the car.
  • potemkinpotemkin Member Posts: 195
    My experience has been similar to Div2's. I've put 113k miles on a '95 318ti and it has never been in the shop due to a mechanical breakdown. The two times it wouldn't start were due to battery issues (i.e.: they were dead).

    As far as maintenance costs go: Not much experience with labor costs, but I think they're pretty competitive; I'm finding prices for parts are what you'd expect to pay for just about any car. All I can guess is that people speculating about high maintenance costs are lumping BMW with Ferrari because they're both European.

    "I hear that bmw at high mileage is very risky..."

    In my opinion, all cars at high mileage are risky. Just because Div2 and myself haven't had major reliability issues doesn't mean that you're going to do as well (no matter what brand you buy). If it's any consolation, CR gives the 3-series a 5 (out of 5) for reliability*.

    Now, if you'd posted that you were looking at an '87 Mustang with 80k miles that you wanted to drive for another 100k... I'd unequivocally tell you to run away from it as quickly as possible.

    P.S.: [Confession:] My 318's reliability is all the more remarkable considering I've been pretty lax as far as routine maintenance is concerned -- I've just now gotten around to changing the fluids in the transmission and differential (for which I'm very sorry).

    * Data for the 2001 thru 2003 models.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    You gotta play the averages with high mileage cars, regardless of the make. ANY high miles luxury car, even a Lexus, is not a good idea.

    What's "high mileage"?

    Here's my view: Engineers make a car that will run, or hang together, probably on average 175K-225K. After that, so few survive that one has to believe this lifespan as pretty accurate.

    So if you buy a luxury car with 175K on the clock, you are essentially buying something that can drop dead any minute.

    If it has 150K on the clock you are at best 3/4 of the way through a car's normal life, and it won't be the BEST 1/4 either (hey, just like US!!!) :cry:
  • sirdarby1sirdarby1 Member Posts: 36
    For my 98, the dealer is quoting me $3500 - $4000 for a top. An aftermarket top is about half that for my car. Labor varies
  • sunilbsunilb Member Posts: 407
    I don't have this issue, but just read about in a magazine at the local bookstore. Anyone aware of this being an issue (tearing of the rear floor subframe) in E46s after 2001? (the article and other research I've done indicates this being an issue primarily in MY2000 and earlier years).

    I'm planning to keep my car for a long time, but this potential issue could really irritate me.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,200
    The only car that I've heard this is about is the E36 model... ('92-'99), and then.. mostly in coupes and with cars that have been auto-crossed or tracked..

    I've never seen anything in print about this problem with the E46s...

    regards,
    kyfdx
    (not the expert)

    Edmunds Price Checker
    Edmunds Lease Calculator
    Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!

    Edmunds Moderator

  • dave330idave330i Member Posts: 893
    "I don't have this issue, but just read about in a magazine at the local bookstore. Anyone aware of this being an issue (tearing of the rear floor subframe) in E46s after 2001? (the article and other research I've done indicates this being an issue primarily in MY2000 and earlier years)."

    The subframe tear is issue with Z3s. The subframe was designed for 4 cylinder, and BMW stuffed a I6 in it.

    You sure you're not confusing the 2 cars?
  • sunilbsunilb Member Posts: 407
    kydfx -- thanks... that's good to hear.

    dave330i -- The magazine I read this in was "Bimmer", in the Tech Q&A section. The person who wrote in had a '00 E46 with this problem.
  • phinphin Member Posts: 1
    Hi Jason,

    I live in the UK and am having exactly the same trouble with my 2001 - 330d. I too have taken it to the garage but had no joy in getting it fixed. I was wondering if you have managed to get yours sorted - and if so what was done?

    Thanks in advance

    Phin
  • geneegenee Member Posts: 170
    I need wipers for my 2002 325i with sport package. Any suggestions for something better than Bimmer refills?
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    I ordered Anco (sp?) refills from autozone.com. They worked great on my E46.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yeah, Bosch wipers just don't cut it.
  • lucas10lucas10 Member Posts: 2
  • lucas10lucas10 Member Posts: 2
    Hello,

    I owe a BMW 323i 2000 automatic. The other day, I was trying to reverse out of a parking lot. I put it on reverse and it wouldn't move. The car sounds fine and the drive works fine also but the reverse just does go.

    Any advice will be appreciated!~~

    Lucas10
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    There have been multiple, and I mean a number, of posts about E46 automatics from the '99-'01 model years losing reverse gear. I don't know what kind of advice you're looking for; if the car is still in warranty [extended warranty in your case], then you know what to do. If not, you can try to get BMW to split the cost with you in some fashion, because this is becoming a well-known problem. Do a search in this forum and see if it doesn't turn up multiple instances of these transmissions failing. Anyway, you're not the first, and won't be the last....
  • hodgiehodgie Member Posts: 1
    Hi, I've just bought a 1994, 3 series bmw. Sometimes when the car is stationary with the engine running the revs drop down really low until the car is about to stall, the engine then revs itself up to about 1.5 revs. It repeats this over and over again. Does anybody know what this is and how it can be fixed? It is happening about 80% of the time now when the car is stationary. Sometimes the engine cuts out all together and takes a few turns of the key to get going.
  • div2div2 Member Posts: 2,580
    You need to test the throttle position sensor(TPS) as well as the idle control valve(ICV). The test procedures are dead simple assuming you have access to a digital multimeter. I'd strongly suggest picking up a copy of the BMW E36 Bentley Manual if you plan to perform maintenance and repairs yourself; Threes of that vintage are actually quite easy to work on.
  • jimkimjimkim Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2001 330 Ci automatic and have recently noticed a shimmy in the front end when making turns. I've also noticed a little rattling noise in the front end usually around the right front tire. Anybody have a clue?

    The car has always had a tendancy to stall at times just after it's first started and in slow speed stops and starts.

    Thanks in advance for your help.
  • timnytimny Member Posts: 142
    With the displacement on the 2006 330 and 325 engines being the same, how can one tell for certain if the correct engine is in a given 330?

    The reason I ask: I have a loaner 330i while mine is in the service center (again!) and the loaner feels more powerful (much more powerful) than my car, especially in lower gears. The same throttle pressure that would get my car off to a healthy but reasonable acceleration results in the loaner positively leaping off of the line. At 3/4+ throttle, my car feels like it hunkers down first and then gets off to a good clip; the loaner roars off without any hesitation. Both car have similar mileage (loaner = 1900, mine = 2200). Mine has a sport package; the loaner does not. Both are AT.

    Could it possibly be the wrong engine is in my car??
  • dave330idave330i Member Posts: 893
    "Could it possibly be the wrong engine is in my car??"

    No. Most likely explaination is how the 2 cars have been driven. Odds are the loaner's been driven more aggressively than your car. Software adapts to driver's habit to optimize performance.
  • geneegenee Member Posts: 170
    Went to the local BMW parts window and asked about refills for the 2002 325i. I was totally blown away when he said they were $2.90 each. New Rain-X blades - which don't have the proper connection insert are $9 a pop at the big-box stores .. Anco about the same ... Trico doesn't list the car. So, we will try the BMW product and see (hopefully).
  • div2div2 Member Posts: 2,580
    I found a similar deal with the oil filter inserts. The STP filter at Autozone was made in China and cost $10. The BMW filter cost $6.88 with my CCA discount and was made in Germany.
  • timnytimny Member Posts: 142
    Interesting ...

    This would be consistent with another posted I read a post here a while ago about the break-in period for a previous model 5-series ... the owner had driven it aggressively from the beginning, and subsequently a technician driving the car some months later noticed it displayed considerably more power (thought the 530 performed like a 545).
    So is this sort of phenomena dynamic or pre-determined by one's behavior during the break-in period? (i.e., if I start driving my car more aggressively, will it "loosen" up as well, or having been pretty mild on the petel during the break-in period have I permanently trained timidity into my car??).
  • timnytimny Member Posts: 142
    Interesting ...

    This would be consistent with another posted I read a post here a while ago about the break-in period for a previous model 5-series ... the owner had driven it aggressively from the beginning, and subsequently a technician driving the car some months later noticed it displayed considerably more power (thought the 530 performed like a 545).

    So is this sort of phenomena dynamic or pre-determined by one's behavior during the break-in period? (i.e., if I start driving my car more aggressively, will it "loosen" up as well, or having been pretty mild on the petel during the break-in period have I permanently trained timidity into my car??).
  • dave330idave330i Member Posts: 893
    "So is this sort of phenomena dynamic or pre-determined by one's behavior during the break-in period? (i.e., if I start driving my car more aggressively, will it "loosen" up as well, or having been pretty mild on the petel during the break-in period have I permanently trained timidity into my car??)."

    Software constantly updates so it's dynamic, but it does take some time. My car wasn't truly "broken in" until 20k or so.
  • michael37michael37 Member Posts: 4
    I NEED TO FIND A ECM FOR A 1995 325i. ANYWAY,THATS THE NAME THE MECHANIC GAVE IT.(ELECTRONIC COMPUTER MODULE?) ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
  • jamieljamiel Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2004 BMW 325i, w/ about 10k miles on it. I had a strange situation yesterday when I tried to pull my car out of the driveway. It seemed like the engine was shaking, and the car is about to stall. When in Park and idling, the car shakes.. almost trembles. If I press a little on the gas, the shaking stops. Then a few seconds later, as the rev goes down, it shakes. Things don't "feel" right when I drive, as if a certain oomph is missing. My "Service Engine Soon" light is on.

    I'm not sure if this has anything to do with the tons of rain we got in NYC past few days. I drove my car a few days ago and everything was fine. Any idea what the problem is? The dealer is about 20 miles away, is it safe to drive? :confuse:

    Any help is highly appreciated
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    The post about the 530i that you are referring to is one that I made a week or two back. Just to keep the tale from growing, the BMW technician compared my car to the then available E39 540i (non-sport, non-6-Speed I assume), not the newer/faster 545i.

    As far as aggressive driving begetting a faster and more responsive car, my thinking is that there are two separate issues here.

    1) The drive-by-wire throttle control system. Over a period of two or more weeks (I forget the exact period, and whether it is calendar time or on the Hobbs Meter (engine hours)), your car's ECU learns your driving style and adjusts the throttle response accordingly. I've read that some recent Audis could be forced to have their memory purged thus speeding up the learning process. The steps to activate said purge were something like, a) turn the ignition on but do not start the car, b) hold the throttle pedal to the floor for some number of seconds, and c) release the pedal and start the car. Will this work on a BMW? Unknown, I suppose it depends upon whether BMW and Audi use the same supplier for their throttle control system. If you want to try it out, check out the Audi A6 discussion and search for posts from markcincinnati, or I suppose you could just post over there and ask him for the procedure.
    2) The physical break-in of the engine. When I was a car crazy kid growing up in the Birmingham/Bloomfield Hills area of Michigan, I had lots of friends whose fathers were engineers for the autos (gee, what a surprise given the geography). I heard from more that one source that the fastest engines were broken in hard, hard as in leaving the transmission in second gear and driving down the freeway for fifty miles (back when the speed limit was 70 and cars drove 85). Supposedly this procedure conditioned the internals of the engine to run faster with less resistance, or some such bilge. Do I believe it? I'm not sure, but so far at least, my cars have all been broken in that way (well, not quite that hard) and they have all seemed to be quite fast compared to other like models.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • div2div2 Member Posts: 2,580
    First, turn off your Caps Lock
    Second, contact ProgRama. They can supply ECMs on an exchange basis.
  • davidd3davidd3 Member Posts: 582
    Having test driven the 330i prior to placing my order and having spent a week in a 330i loaner, the first few weeks I drove my own 330i, it felt as though they'd given me a 325i with 330i badging. Of course I knew that wasn't the case, but I was at a loss to explain the relative sluggishness of my new car as compared to the demo car and the loaner car. In the case of my car, there was an initial hesitation upon acceleration, and the car didn't wow me with acceleration even after it got going. Now, 6 weeks and 3,000 miles later, it's much better. The hesitation is gone and a good acceleration rush is there for the taking (though still not as much of a rush as I got with my G35). I chalk it up to "breaking-in." Probably you will also see an improvement in time. But why should it take time? I don't have the answer. My G35 was fast right from the start. I'm surprised that my 330i was not.
  • michael37michael37 Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for your help!!! Have you had any experience with ProgRama.? Thanks again!!!
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,200
    If I had to guess... I'd say a bad camshaft postion sensor... My '03 had the same exact symptoms...

    I wouldn't drive it that way.. call BMW roadside assistance, and they will flatbed it to the dealer...

    If it is the sensor, it isn't serious.. a fairly quick job..

    regards,
    kyfdx
    Host-Prices Paid Forums

    Edmunds Price Checker
    Edmunds Lease Calculator
    Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!

    Edmunds Moderator

  • timnytimny Member Posts: 142
    Hi there. Yes, I remember now that it was your post.

    This is fascinating to me. Intuition would tell me that such aggresive break-in would damage the engine in the long-run, and with that mind set I've drove the first 1200 miles very timidly (didn't take the car over 65, never over 4500 rpm). So maybe if I drive a little more aggressively, the car will loosen up ...

    When I read your original post I was astonished that a technician (to say nothing of an average joe) would take notice of the perforamcne differences. Then I borrowed this loaner and experienced it myself.

    I just hope this all means that the same performance potential lurks underneath the hood of my car ... just needs to be slapped around a bit :)
  • timnytimny Member Posts: 142
    ... well, I am glad my concern that I might have a 325 in 330 clothes isn't a thought that's occured only to me (my wife's certain I've been driven paranoid by the problems I've had with the purchase/prep of my 330).

    Thanks!
  • div2div2 Member Posts: 2,580
    Knock on wood, I've never needed to use ProgRama. However, several of my friends have dealt with the company and all have been quite satisfied. By the way, you DO know that you can swap out the ECM yourself, right? It takes all of about ten minutes-tops.
  • michael37michael37 Member Posts: 4
    NO!! I was unaware of that, I would be very, very interested in the process. "THANKS " again , YOU have been most helpfull.
  • sunilbsunilb Member Posts: 407
    I called a local dealership about getting my car programmed so that the lights and the clownnose blink once I lock the doors, and they wanted $140 to do this. Is this the going rate?

    Seems like a lot of dough for 10 minutes of work.

    Also, shipo, I had asked about getting the OBC reflashed (to try and get better mpg) but they refused saying that they wouldn't do this unless there was something specifically wrong with the car (they were concerned that it could cause more problems than it would fix). My mpg is still mid-20s with mixed driving (haven't gone on an extended hwy trip for a while), so I may be better passing on the re-flash.
  • dave330idave330i Member Posts: 893
    "I called a local dealership about getting my car programmed so that the lights and the clownnose blink once I lock the doors, and they wanted $140 to do this. Is this the going rate?"

    They did mine for free when I brought the car in for inspection 1.

    "My mpg is still mid-20s with mixed driving"

    That sounds about right. How many miles on the car?
  • sunilbsunilb Member Posts: 407
    yeah, forgot to disclose that... it's an '01 with about 60K on the odometer. Runs like a champ.
  • dave330idave330i Member Posts: 893
    "yeah, forgot to disclose that... it's an '01 with about 60K on the odometer. Runs like a champ."

    For an '01 with 60k milage sounds a little low for mixed driving. If you get a chance go for a long road trip (at least 200 miles). I usually averaged 28 mpg on roadtrips.
  • sunilbsunilb Member Posts: 407
    Okay, so ~ 28mpg for roadtrips, but what about mixed driving?
    I calculate mpg manually at most fill-ups, but the computer provides a "miles to empty" and this is usually at 380-390 miles when I fill up.
  • dave330idave330i Member Posts: 893
    "Okay, so ~ 28mpg for roadtrips, but what about mixed driving?"

    It's hard to define what the right milage is for mix driving, since you don't know what the ratio is.

    There was a time when I did mostly city driving, and my mpg dropped to ~23 or so.

    "I calculate mpg manually at most fill-ups, but the computer provides a "miles to empty" and this is usually at 380-390 miles when I fill up."

    You do know that the computer can calculate mpg for you as well, right? After you fill up, bring up the mpg display and reset it.
  • sunilbsunilb Member Posts: 407
    You do know that the computer can calculate mpg for you as well, right? After you fill up, bring up the mpg display and reset it.

    Yep, the MTE is just easier for me to monitor.
    Sounds like my mpg should be slightly higher, but not by much. I'll take a look at a couple of things this weekend and see if it justifies bringing it in.

    Thanks for the feedback.
  • schmitty69schmitty69 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 330i with the premium and performance package with 46K miles. I bought the car about a year ago and it is still under warranty. I change my oil every 5K miles and I noticed right away that the car was going through a lot of oil in between oil changes. At least 1 quart every 1K miles. I called a BMW Service Manager to ask him if this is normal and he said it is within BMW guidelines for a car to burn 1 quart of oil every 750 miles although he said it is rare for that to happen on a 3 series. I also asked an independent dealer who is member of the Roundel and he said absolutely no way should a car with that many miles go through so much oil. The BMW dealers refuse to touch the car because of their guidelines. Any suggestions?
  • div2div2 Member Posts: 2,580
    A good how-to on ECM removal can be found here.
  • tturedraidertturedraider Member Posts: 159
    "If you get a chance go for a long road trip (at least 200 miles)."

    Dave, you definitely are not in Texas. I don't even plan for a trip to see my folks - 325 miles. 200 miles is a little trip around the Fort Worth/Dallas metroplex. 500 miles is the minimum for a "long" trip.

    :P :D :shades:
Sign In or Register to comment.