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BMW 3-Series 2005 and earlier
30250 messages, Last post on Mar 24, 2013 at 11:51 AM
You are in the BMW 3-Series Forum.What is this discussion about? BMW 3 Series, Sedan
#8360 of 30250 Morning! by gurumike
Jul 29, 2001 (9:59 am)
Brave1Heart -1. No. It's a little better.
2. No.
3. Depends on who it's for. Although I have in the past done exhaust etc, I'm quite happy now with just the intake. I'd say that you either just do the intake or the whole lot. Some people do the exhaust for looks/sound. Jon Shafer recently got a Racing Dynamics exhaust and the ECIS intake but he has yet to do software. It looks quite good (2 fairly large round tail pipes) and surprisingly has little extra noise. It's a bit boomyer but not loud like some. From a performance perspective, the exhaust is not really worth doing unless you do the other 2 items too. Since 1996, U.S. cars have had OBD 2 (on board diagnostics). One of the biggest differences between OBD1 & OBD2 is that OBD2 doesn't "permit" the fuel flow to be increased from a factory setting. On 95 and earlier cars if you, for example, put your intake on, the mass air flow sensor sees that a larger volume of air car enter the engine and it turns up the fuel supply accordingly. An exhaust would only provide a small improvement, but that's a small improvement more than it would on an OBD2 car. In a normally aspirated engine (no turbo/supercharger), especially our BMWs, the exhaust is already efficient enough for the flow of exhaust gas at the pressure it's delevoped. That's why you need a "chip". The new software will match fuel supply, as well as numerous other engine operating features, with the engines potential. Remember - increasing efficiency means better gas mileage as well as quicker (although not at the same time!).
What is this "working relationship" with ECIS about which you speak? Although I did, coincidently, tell the parts manager that he could become a supplier for their offerings, we are not right now. I got mine directly from ECIS. I, like errikson, had spoken with Sean at ECIS who was quick to point out their policy of maintaining a fair price but that, as part of their distribute agreement, no-one is allowed to sell them for less than their (low) retail price. I could have gotten 20% off the Dinan part and I'm sure one of the techs would have put it on for me for cheap. It was only because of the reviews people had given ECIS at bimmer.org that I was swayed. That and I really didn't want my car being taken apart for the first time since it left the factory for anything but an absolutely essential repair. I am sorry if my enthusiasm for my new toy was excessive but I really am that stoked on it. What made you think that I/we have a "working relationship" with ECIS ?? PS - I'm fairly sure a CLK55 would walk away from anything this side of an M3. Holding the gas peddle down doesn't require a great deal of skill!
kiski - I am sorry to hear that your delivery experience was less than it should have been. But you needn't worry about calling the guys manager about the problem, unless you really want to. In about a week after you get a new BMW, Sky Alland (a marketing company who work for JD Power &assoc) will be calling you for a "CSI" survey. The customer satisfaction index is extremely important for the dealership, as well as BMW. Even on an ordered car where all the credit apps have already been done and the delivery evolves just your signing the paper work and being shown the car and around the dealership, I usually will take at least 2 hours. Just the car will be the better part of an hour. BMW has several very clear expectations of what needs to happen at delivery. Questions on the survey include "Were you introduced to the parts and service dept". With the exception of weekends or after service hours, I take my customer to the service dept, introduce them to a specific service advisor, tell the service guy what they just brought ("congratulations etc") and take one of their business cards for the owners books. Then it's off to parts. "Thorough explanation of vehicle controls". Well, I'd wager that if you were in and out in 35 mins which included signing papers, this likely didn't happen! "Explanation of warranty" - was it? "Contacted since delivery" - I have spoken to people that didn't hear a word from their sales man after they drove off in their new car! This is one I can not imagine missing! You will have this opportunity to share you feeling about that standard of delivery with all (BMW, your salesman, his sales manager and the owner!!!). BMW expects no less from it's representives than Toyota expects of it's "Lexus" people.
Again, sorry to hear that. I hope that you find the car so good that that will just be a distant memory. One philosophical rule I try to remember - "product and service are remembered long after price is forgotten". Some sales people think there is a sliding scale of service that relates to how much $$ they made. I think that profit is just a reflection of the model you selected and that all that matters is that even a Dodge Neon customer is making a $12 plus THOUSAND sale. When I purchased my Allen Edmunds shoes at Nordstrom, I got the red carpet treatment for about an hour. I "only" spent $300. Your car was about ONE HUNDRED TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE !! You deserve at least the same treatment!
#8361 of 30250 Misc... by brave1heart
Jul 29, 2001 (11:12 am)
kiski - my dealer spent two hours with me on delivery day. She answered most of my questions and if she didn't know the answer, she wrote it down and got back to me the following week. Well, that, of course, was before she left me for errikson :o) BTW, the gas tank was full and the only thing that didn't meet my directions was a key memory setting, which was resolved on the spot. I bought the car 3 months ago and have not had to go back to the dealership yet.megrdh - I get a new chip on my windshield once every couple of months, if not even more often (a lot of this is a speed factor). I wait till I get a few chips and then replace the whole windshield. The insurance companies typically cover it no questions asked but make sure to get a BMW factory windshield. I do have a 1/4 inch crack right now but it will be fine for at least a year. I do too much driving (road warrior type) to worry about chips and waxing...
aaron330 - nice looking car!! One thing I especially like about the 330 is the aluminum inserts around the tach and speedometer. The contrast makes for easier reads.
guru - good response, thank you. Looking forward to seeing the pictures. As far as the exhaust, a lot of BMW tuners claim an HP and torque gain due to the exhaust only. I am surprised to hear you say that the ECIS exhaust is mostly for sound and looks. Are they reselling AA exhausts BTW? Oh, I thought you'd mentioned once that your dealership was very close to becoming an official ECIS distributor.
As far as the MB CLK 55 AMG, it should walk away from just about anything, maybe even an E46 M3. And that exactly is my point: on the mostly congested interstates, there's only so much HP can do. All you need is a well-handling and braking car with reasonable HP. The rest of it is driving it well, especially keeping it in the right gear and having a feel for the traffic. Probably most of the guys in my kart racing league would easily walk away in a CLK 55 but most owners of really fast cars don't know how to get the most out of them. It must be really embarrassing for an owner of an 85-grand brand spanking new super-fast AMG car to have their beep whipped by a 325. Conversely, it was a lot of fun for me and the Shtroumpf.
#8362 of 30250 M3 - CLK55 by habitat1
Jul 29, 2001 (12:04 pm)
Mr. Braveheart,I was browsing this "forum" on behalf of a friend who is considering getting a 3-series for his son, and caught your post.
No the CLK55 will not walk away from an M3. I have driven both recently and extensively, along with an M5 and E55. I can personaly assure you that, in terms of performance and handling, the M3 is definately a more "fun to drive" car (although a less luxurious ride) than the CLK55. I did the comparisons to confirm my previous decision to get one and am on track to take delivery of a 2002 in November / December. My dilemma was between the M3 and M5, and I've basically traded the practicality of a four door sedan that can more comfortably seat my family for the pure fun factor of the M3. We'll likely be trading our SUV for a Mercedes Wagon next year, so the wife and kids won't be suffering.
By the way, the CLK55 was not as impressive as I thought it would be. Handling was only marginally better than a CLK430, which, although not bad, is not in BMW's "M" league. Supposedly, the new C32 will be the hot performance car from AMG. The Mercedes dealer tried to pursuade me to wait. However, without a manual transmission, the fun factor just wouldn't be there for me.
I'm glad I went through the seat of the pants testing for myself. It was fun and enlightening.
#8363 of 30250 kiski...yet another delivery experience.... by yeeeha
Jul 29, 2001 (1:02 pm)
Afraid I am in the same boat as Brave1heart and Gurumikes experiences as far as delivery. My salesperson took 2-3 hours from the time I arrives, until the time I drove off. My vehicle was in the middle of the showroom, and he gave me the full tour of the place (even though he knew I would never be back since I was from out of town)!Now, he did not throw in a t-shirt or keychain, as I recall Brave received (via his honey), but I didn't give that a 2nd thought, as I received a fantastic deal on the car.
Believe it or not, since he knew it would be late in the evening when I arrived home (about 2:00am), he asked me to email him when I got home, so they knew the car and I arrived home safe. I found that thoughtful. He followed up several times after the sale via email and phone to make sure all was going well, and to answer any questions I may have had.
Guru is spot-on about the survey. They will ask several questions about your experience - front to back, and ask you to rate your satisfaction.
#8364 of 30250 Please don't raise another human being incorrectly!! by micga
Jul 29, 2001 (1:46 pm)
I was browsing this "forum" on behalf of a friend who is considering getting a 3-series for his son, and caught your post.That is sad!
#8365 of 30250 Just cleaner my car... by gurumike
Jul 29, 2001 (2:12 pm)
... not that much is viewable, but here's what my intake looks like:
Brave - I didn't say anything specific about an ECIS exhaust. To the best of my knowledge, ECIS don't make an exhaust, they off the (highly acclaimed on bimmer.org!) Active Autowerks part (as you noted). I believe my comments to be true on any after market piece. On the CLK55 note, a new M3 would out class it. The new C32 AMG does do 0-60 0.2 quicker (4.6 vs 4.8) but the M is still considered the better sport sedan. I think a CLK55 is somewhere in the mid 5s to sixty.
#8366 of 30250 M'kay - by gurumike
Jul 29, 2001 (2:36 pm)
- so it was supposed to say "Just cleaned my car" but for some reason, Edmunds Editing tool won't subsequently allow me to repost after editing due to "no words greater than 150 characters in length are allowed". The html code screws it up. Odd that it lets you post it the first time, then!#8367 of 30250 What to get? 330ci opinions by dsony
Jul 29, 2001 (7:14 pm)
Hey guys (and girls),It's a toss up. I own a 3.2TL and it's quick and fun to drive, but I want something better. I'm in the market for a fast, sporty, good lookin' car? (pretty easy right?)
Here is what it comes down to:
1. BMW 330Ci with ALL options $43k: I like the looks, and speed.
2. Lexus GS300 with Navi
3. Audi 2.6T
I really have my heart set on the bimmer. It looks great, drives well and is decently quick (automatic). My only concerns:
1. Getting a good deal! I want at least $1.5k off MSRP, you think they'll go for it?
2. How good is the navigation system? The screen is kind of small. How bout it's functionality? I personally like the Acura navigation systems. Easy to use and DVD map thus whole US? Anyone have any comments?
Any other comments and suggestions would be great. What do you except to pay for this BMW 330ci?
#8368 of 30250 The finer things in life (off topic?) by laurasdada
Jul 29, 2001 (8:07 pm)
Hello, all. I continue to enjoy reading this board as I am a potential 3 customer. I believe that a subtext of this discussion could be the general appreciation of the finer things in life, so although off topic, I think folks who appreciate German automobiles might also appreciate fine European watches. Earlier I posted about accessorizing a 3 with a fine watch. I listed 3 candidates (thanks for your thoughts, deepdarkblue) and finally "pulled the trigger." I just purchased the IWC DaVinci Chronograph. This will be a nice complement to my Tag Heuer dive watch (no deepdarkblue, I am neither independently nor dependently wealthy! I don't spend a lot on myself, but when I do...!). Actually, the IWC was an incredible deal, which helped in the decision.Brave1heart, I understand your thoughts on spending what might seem like an inordinate amount of $$$ on a watch (I was actually shopping at Bailey, Banks, Biddle in Copley this afternoon, btw). However, the same argument could be applied by many regarding spending large $$$ on an automobile! The bottom line, as you pointed out regarding your 3, is that it is something I wanted and fulfilled whatever strange needs I have as to its purchase. I didn't buy it to impress anyone as I'm sure 98% of the population would not know an IWC from a Timex!
I currently drive a Chrysler 300M, which is a major surprise to anyone who knows me (a domestic? A Chrysler?!?), however, I am thoroughly enjoying this impressive (and large!) auto. I post on the 300M board, but thought there might be more watch afficianados over here...
Enjoy your rides and thanks for allowing me to participate!
#8369 of 30250 UT by tcn2k
Jul 29, 2001 (9:47 pm)
I heard you can call Homelink Universal Transmitter at 800-355-3515 and ask them for a booster kit, they will send it to you free of charge.To POST a message, please
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