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Sedans BMW 3-Series BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier
30156 messages, Last post on Nov 17, 2009 at 5:41 AM
You are in the BMW 3-Series Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: kominsky (Feb 27, 2009 7:52 am) The ENTIRE rear cluster(s) INTERMITTENTLY go out on a on some E46 models. This is dangerous. Other symptoms include: turn signals go twice as fast (because the rear one is inop), brake light inop, tail light inop, check system warnings, etc. This isn't about bulbs--those are wear items and we all expect them to burn out over time. This is about ground wiring that got so hot that the connector has melted (BMW dealership said it was "fused" together), and BMW's internal safety defect reporting. Here's the scoop: they are legally obligated to report safety defects. Instead, BMW dealers are and were seeing so many of these cars that they would simply change all the bulbs and out the door you went--with no paperwork or other documentation. Not a good idea when you're trying to track a problem . . . . They initially thought it was bad bulbs, by the thousands. They were mislead because just moving the wires was enough to "fix" the problem for a few weeks or months and the wires were always moved when they replaced the bulbs. Many of us we had these problems off an on every few months until we were out of warranty. Now BMW dealers are sticking their customers with bills upwards of $500 to accomplish the BMW Service Bulletin which came out over two years ago: replace the melted connectors, add the second ground wires, replaced the sockets and clusters, etc. Here's the third version of this defect bulletin: www.bmwtis.com/tsb/bulletins/bulletin_graphic_temp/B630306g.htm If it doesn't work, just try to Google "SI B 63 03 06 pdf" BMW's actions so far have been wrong, unsafe, illegal and unethical. BMW HQ in Germany has been advised of what's going on here in the states and we're hoping once the higher ups see the details they'll step up to their legal and ethical responsibilities. There are many thousands of these cars out there. A very small fraction of the owners are reading these blogs; the others are probably just living with the problem thinking they have rear lights--when they actually don't. Heaven help BMW's execs if/when there's an accident for a safety defect they've been aware of for over two years now, and that they failed to fix via a recall. 
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Replying to: tnguyen74 (Mar 12, 2009 2:15 pm) You may have someone's modified car if you have an E46 sedan? Don't know about problems with LED tail lights on the coupe so you may want to search other boards to see if there's another TSB for that. |
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After a painful sale of my beloved '06 ZCP M3 due to unexpected events  I ended up buying a 2000 E46 323i sedan with 83K on the clock for a little more than eight grand.  I test drove the car and it was very good, with the only brakes a tad long. So even though the worn brake pad indicator is not on I am planning doing front & back replacing rotors, pads, and sensors. I have also heard in this forum that water pumps need to be checked, maybe replaced around the 80K mark. Other than that, the engine sounds pretty good plus its a 5 speed manual (so I don't anticipated the "reverse gear syndrome" that plagued some automatic E46 slushboxes around 100K). So the question to you friends out there is, should I sign for a 4 year 1800$ extended warranty or should I get myself a good indie shop and do the brake & water pump deal and come ahead while at it? Can I just wait for the water pump to fail without risking major engine damage? I don't know I feel at times that if it ain't broken don't fix it.  I am all ears.
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Besides replacing pads, rotors, & sensors, I'd also advise (as I've learned from my friend roadburner) to flush out & replace the brake fluid, manual transmission fluid, and coolant using only BMW fluids and definitely replace the water pump  . I think E46 cars have problems with front control arms if I'm not mistaken. Good luck! |
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Replying to: alibajalajaula (Mar 27, 2009 5:36 pm) Now. |
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I have a 2004 325 with automatic transmission. When I start the car and put it in drive, the transmission will not engage for 5 to 10 seconds. If I apply the accelerator, the engine races but nothing happens. If I shift to first in the manual mode, the transmission will engage a little more quickly. If I put it in reverse, it engages immediately. It's almost like when I put it in drive, there is a lag like when a computer is booting up. Th problem is most severe when the car has been sitting overnight. Is this a common problem? Any ideas on what needs to be done? Thanks! |
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Replying to: jjdaniel (Mar 29, 2009 7:56 am) |
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If you're really lucky, the transmission is just low on fluid. If you're not, you need a new, and very expensive, transmission.
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Replying to: jjdaniel (Mar 29, 2009 7:56 am) Warranty has expired , of course Ditto to being worse overnight. I also have EML (elec malfuntion icon) . Hope to get some info befo taking to Stealership. do u hve EML lite? Once in gear shifts smoothly. Wonder if is some computer that controls gear selection , independent of transmission body. How check ATF fluid. Let me know what u find out and I will post any ifno I have. Have to wonder if this is a probl common to the 04 3 series??
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