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BMW 3-Series 2006
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Comments
Re window tint,etc., you shouldn't have to resort to messing the car's standard trim up to get things comfortable.
The car already has window tint...hard not to with the heat here in Arizona....switching to manually controlling the a/c is working better but we'll see if the a/c can handle the 115 degree days...last summer I thought I was going to die. I've been in many other cars...rentals, friends and they all can cool the car down in that heat even without window tint....BMW should not have an auto climate control if they are not going to design it to work right. Its sad my 1988 ford from years ago had auto climate control that worked great and believe it or not I had fewer problems with that car.
Also, find any shade you can to park the car in. The HVAC system will work much better than a totaly baked interior with no venting upon beginning your neext drive. I know many people are using their auto start systems to pre-cool the car but in direct sun on a 100 deg day, even this will only be a partial fix and a lot more expensive!
If you've got a black/black car in Arizona or New Mexico, you will no doubt need a cooling suit such as used in IRL DESPITE the AC at full blast.
Regards,
OW
Well I have to give credit where credit is due, and American cars always did have the best AC in the world.
I always tell people---look, see if you can find an identical car at the dealer and test its AC---if it's as good/bad as yours, then that's what you have to work with. You can't give the car back (presumably) so if you have to add options to improve AC performance, or go to manual operation, then you have do, or just suffer.
Some cars are just not up to the task of an Arizona climate. I'd be no less annoyed than you.
Maybe the system can be tested for system health, vent temperatures, refrigerant levels, etc.
To Mr Shiftright....your toyota would do fine...my parents 2006 Camry has no tinted windows and it gets very comfortable pretty fast....and yes the auto a/c in the toyota works like a charm...set it and forget it. Bought my BMW in Feb so had no idea how bad the a/c was...but seems to better in manual mode...so I just have to do it myself. Seems the system was designed poorly and doe snot account for sun or even interior temperature. The heat on the other hand I have to turm off in the winter cause it gets too hot.
In the case of my two cars, the manual clearly stated that for maximum cooling of the interior (i.e. initial cool-down stage) you should select the "Max" button and leave it engaged until the car interior is comfortable. Once the initial cool-down has been achieved, you can disengage the "Max" mode, however, in extreme heat circumstances, you might then want to engage the "Automatic recirculate air control" (AUC) so that the right side LED is turned on so that you aren't pulling in hot outside air.
Best Regards,
Shipo
And the loaner? That was a bummer. No 335. At first they put Mrs. D in a 5-Series for the first time. She was admiring it inside and out, but soon realized the power seat wasn't working and she couldn't get close enough to drive the car. Had to give it up for a 328xi in what she referred to as an embarrassing bright blue color. She went on to complain that it felt sluggish as compared to our car. Must be the combination of less hp (328 i/o 330) and added weight (xi i/o i).
If you have a chance David, let me know how the repair works out.
Eddie
I'll report back after the repair is done.
In the meantime, I wish you well in your endeavors to get your dealer to recognize what sounds like the same problem with your car.
David
Did you have any luck getting the brakes adjusted? I've driven two other 06-325i's that did not have the problem. I've taken it to two dealerships, both told me thats bmw brakes. I find that hard to beleive. Two weeks ago, the dealer flushed the brake fluid, no difference. Now they want to update the software, not sure if that will help.
The service writer, claimed my car was an early production made in sept of 2005 and BMW had changed the brake assembly to fix this problem shortly thereafter to fix this problem. If that's true, I have to fight the dealership to replace the brake assembly with the newer version.
I'm glad I'm leasing the car because I have my doubts about this. I'm sure the intervals recommended for doing a given service would be quite a bit different if the consumer was paying for it.
The 46 had the same setup and I know many people with late 90s and early 2000s e46s that have zero engine problems.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
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There's a lively debate going on in Roundel about BMW Service and Oil Change intervals. The mag's Tech Guru is very scornful of BMW's current policies and so are most of the readers.
A few technically knowledgeable readers think that given new materials and modren oils it's fine to adhere to longer intervals.
I fall somewhere in between. There's no way I'd let a tire rotation go longer than the stated 7-8K (15K is a prescription for disaster IMO).BTW I get nice even tire wear.
If I'm gonna be in for tires I might as well get fresh oil/filter.;)
I can't imagine not replacing the ATF for 100K miles, I change every 60 or 70K. It's cheap insurance, transmission failures being a lot more common than busted engines,and nearly as expensive. :surprise:
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
As for tire rotation, why bother? 50/50 weight distribution doesn't call for it and my tires where worn out almost the same.
As for ATF, I still have the same ATF in my first car and no problem either.
But I guess over all if you can get a better sleep at night, why not.
With this '06 330, it was no problem going the 15K miles until first oil change. Besides, it's their $10K for a new engine!
Regards,
OW
My 528iA doesn't have a 50/50 weight dist., it's more like
52/48. Secondly there are other considerations, e.g. braking which is much harder on the fronts. In addition
BMW rear suspensions are notorious for causing the inner
treads to wear more quickly on the rears.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Mike Miller is a very bright guy who knows BMWs inside and out- and chooses to err on the side of caution. On my BMWs the oil gets changed at 7500 miles, regardless of what the SI system says. The reason? I ran Mobil 1 0W-40(a BMW LL-01 approved oil, BTW) in my wife's X3 for 9000 miles and then had Blackstone Labs perform a used oil analysis. The TBN was very low and Blackstone stated that the oil would have been good for an additional 1000 miles at most. And I'm supposed to run it 5000 more miles after that? I think not. And who knows how long the oil will hold up under the higher operating temperatures seen on the 335i- especially any that are taken to a HPDE from time to time?
As for the transmission and final drive, I change their oil at 30K intervals on my 3er(which has a manual box and a limited slip final drive-and sees a bit of track use). I'll change the slushbox and final drives of the truck at 60K.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
If you were thinking of discarding your front US plate, that will definitely get you a ticket.
Needless to say I ignored it and am still persona non grata in the Nutmeg State.
Boo hoo. :P
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
BTW, loved the little cupholder that is cooled. In a very bad place however.....but cute.
Regards,
OW
You are unimpressed, but as compared to what may we ask? What do you like so much better as to be unimpressed with a 3-Series?
Perhaps you can't, but if you took the time to check my profile, you'd see I have no FWD cars in my fleet.
You may. The Lexus IS. The Mazda 3 (don't vomit, please, I know it's a far lesser car, but was a lot more fun to drive around town). Mercedes C-240 Kompressor.
I'm not trying to insult anybody here, I'm honestly asking why anybody prefers this car over the Lexus or Mercedes. (The Mazda, I understand....).
= = =
One reason the 335 remains of interest to me ( though I currently drive a Corvette, I expect to return to a sedan next time around ) is summed up here:
“The 2007 335i sprints to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds and blitzes the quarter-mile in 13.4 seconds at 103.9 mph — and all this with an automatic transmission.” – Edmunds recent test
Those numbers, combined with traditional BMW handling & braking ability, attention to all dynamics as well as reasonable interior room & quality mean that the 335i is a truly outstanding performance machine – in my humble opinion.
The fact that the BMW’s automatic blips the throttle to match revs on downshifts is ( apparently ) a non-trivial accomplishment. My 2007 C6 does not do this – though the Brochure says it does.
The Vishnu tune that ups the HP & TQ even further would be of interest, should I purchase one.
The IS250 is clearly not even close in acceleration to a 335i, though in Edmunds test, the IS350 managed 13.8 @ 101.2. Not slow. But the BMW, at 0.4 seconds quicker, offers an additional degree of acceleration capability that many people could discern – and appreciate, when driven on the street.
I drove the 335i Coupe w/automatic before deciding to order my Corvette. The Corvette is quicker – but I certainly did not consider the BMW slow . . .
So I don’t understand your comments regarding “harder to move than a waste bin”. . .
Again: You do not state what year & model you drove. My neighbor’s old ( 7 model years ? ) 325 is not very quick – but a new 335 certainly is.
- Ray
Curious . . .
Bottom line though, no point in our trying to sell you on a car you personally tested and found to be unimpressive. No matter how much we like the car, it's not the right one for you.
Anyway, before noticing the scratch, I received the paperwork on the lifter procedure. Here's the lengthy description, if it may be helpful for anyone experiencing a similar problem:
QUOTE
Replacing all hydraulic valve clearance compensators (HVA). Engine hydraulic lifter order last visit as per shop foreman, battery disconnected, removed microfilter housing, removed all top plastic top engine covers, removed all DME connectors and wires across engine area, removed IGN coils, removed injector connectors, removed valve cover, removed valvetronic motor, removed spark PL UG CYL 1, and engine tyturn to set at TDC and installed spasial tool 11 0 300, alson on top of cams espresial tools 11 4 282 and 11 4 283 was installed and timing chain tensioner released and removed both exhaust and intake adjustment units, using expresial tool 11 4 270 return springs was removed from intake camshaft removed gude blocks and intermediate levers and replaced one by one lifter (roller cams followers) reinstalled springs and retorque all bolts. Removed exhause camshaft cover and removed camshaft replaced all lifters, installed espesial tool 11 4 460 on CYL valves 2, install camshaft back and cover and installled espesial valves 2, installed camshaft back and cover and installed espesial tools 11 4 461, and torque all bolts at specs, reinstalled espesial tool 11 4 280 and reinstalled exhaust and intake timing units replaced bolts and retorque, removed all tools and installed vavle cover using new aluminum bolts, reinstalled all parts and diagnostic head connected to relearn valvetronic motor and clear fault memories, engine starter OK, no noise can be heard, car was test droved OK and tested several times next day OK.
They also did some other work on my car during the same visit. Annual maintenance for year 2 at 30,000 miles. In response to my old complaint about a stuck rear cupholder, they installed a part which they had previously ordered. In response to my new complaint that the car sometimes takes a few presses of the start button to start, they detected a defective starter motor and replaced it.
My car (2006 330i) is leased, and since I am over the pace of my 15k per year, it actually works out well to let it sit in the shop for a few weeks while I put miles on their car. Nearing 1,000 miles now in 2+ weeks. Where I would hesitate to use my car due to mileage issue, I don't hesitate to use their car for anything and everything (except hauling home a couple of TVs from Costco).
That said, I of course prefer my own car to their loaners. When they had to put us back into a loaner after discovering the scratch, Mrs. D half-jokingly asked for a convertible. Nope. I half-jokingly asked for an M. Laughter. How about a 5-er? Nope. How about that white 328xi someone just returned? Nope. They put us back in the same loaner. Probably worked out easier from a paperwork perspective to just act as though we didn't return it yet. So they did nothing special to pacify us, unless you count supposedly expediting the repair on the scratch. We'll see if the car is really ready tomorrow as promised.
By the way, the loaner car came without an owner's manual and with grossly under-inflated tires. I realized the tire issue on day 1 and added air on day 2. Then the tire pressure warning indicator came on. Wanted to check the owner's manual for what it was and how to get rid of it, but it was nowhere to be found. I instead got help in a forum. I didn't get an opportunity to complain about those things yet.
Well then take this into account: Now with my 2006 3 Series just having turned 34000 miles, NOT ONE SINGLE PROBLEM.
But at the rate I'm going, maybe I won't have to pay for excess miles at the end of my lease after all!
What a difference!
I just put signed the papers on a 2006 BMW 330i - 24,000 kms/14912 miles over 1.5 years, driven by an 82 year old man who traded it in for a Lexus LS 430 (he was a life long Cadillac driver - so he's more of a cruiser than a sports car guy).
Body is in perfect shape and it came with a set of winters on rims...all for an awesome price. I'm thrilled.
Anything I should be aware of as a new BMW driver? and I have an option to extend my 4 year/80000 kms warranty to 6 years 160000 kms for $2550.00.
Is it worth it?
Anything I should be aware of as a new BMW driver? and I have an option to extend my 4 year/80000 kms warranty to 6 years 160000 kms for $2550.00.
Yes, don't own a (any) German car out of some sort of warranty as repairs are expensive. Check the price and conditions offered to you for the extended warranty and compare to independent extended warranties. It also depends on how long you intend to keep the car.
Great car, btw. You'll love it.
Unless you are a FIY-er, or you have a friend in the repair business, your exposure to post-warranty repairs on a German car is just too much of a risk. Some get lucky, some don't.
In any case, the company issuing the warranty obviously expects to spend less than the cost of the warranty, or they wouldn't issue it. It's insurance.
But you are right--the warranty company is betting against you. That's a very good point.
Thanks for your opinion(s).
True; I often consider this fact when trying to convince myself to buy a neat new 335i( or 135i or boxster).
I get the impression that any modern car can be very pricey to repair--my cousins's a pontiac mechanic and i hear horror stories--but maybe i've been lucky. I've had some bills along the way but it's always been a pittance compared to car payments.
It's true that most modern cars are $$$ to fix, but the German cars are sometimes more complex, requiring more labor time, and the parts prices generally exceed those of most other cars. You break the headlight assembly on a newer highline Audi? That can cost you $1,000. Power steering hose on some BMWs? How about $600 bucks? That's gotta hurt. Let's not even talk about Porsche with the GT's $4,500 brake rotors.
I would buy it but that brings up another question...Is there coverage beyond 6/100K? That is where the next demarcation is for keep/sell decisions.
Regards,
OW
I know some people don't want to hear this, but if someone asks me my advice, I usually advise them to think about disposing of their BMW just before the 100K mark. I think we reach the law of diminishing returns on these cars at about that point.....that is, the cost per month for a high level of reliability, cosmetics and maintenance reaches an uncomfortable level.
I mean, if you are shelling out $275 a month to keep an old BMW in top fettle, (averaging out maintenance and major repair work, like a transmission) and there are lease deals at $389, well it's tempting to start all over again....