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BMW 3-Series Maintenance and Repair

5349 messages,  Last post on Apr 30, 2013 at 3:31 PM

You are in the BMW 3-Series Forum.

What is this discussion about? BMW 3 Series, Sedan

    
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Messages Page 162 of 536

#1608 of 5349 Re: cost of 1993 bmw 325is [hellskitchen] by kyfdx HOST

Mar 01, 2005 (11:52 am)

Replying to: hellskitchen (Mar 01, 2005 11:45 am)
I've never owned an E46 BMW ('92-'99).. but, they don't have a reputation as being the most trouble-free model... But, if you are driving only 6K/year, then you'll just need to see your mechanic for regular maintenance semi-annually..
 
You should be able to keep the car pretty nice for a long time...
 
I'll wait for some other owners to chime in.. I just don't have enough experience with this model.. I wouldn't mind having one, though...
 
regards,
kyfdx

#1609 of 5349 Re: Thanks guys [sirdarby1] by dhanley

Mar 01, 2005 (7:41 pm)

Replying to: sirdarby1 (Mar 01, 2005 9:18 am)
What i mean is that sometimes, with AT's if they are really old, gunk/crud can be clogging up the seals, making the thing still work. Sometimes, new detergent fluid can cause it to fail faster.
 
However, if BMW is now saying to change the fluid at 100K, i'd feel a lot safer. Plus, it's not me potentially giving you advice that may damage your car. (Probably not, of course. Assumedly they know how to not destroy their own cars. ).

#1610 of 5349 hellskitchen by div2

Mar 01, 2005 (9:09 pm)

As kyfdx noted, I have a 95,000 mile 1995 318ti Club Sport which I have owned since new. Non scheduled maintenance has consisted of:
1 Set of front pads
1 Set of new belts(replaced as a precaution)
1 Timing chain tensioner(ditto)
2 Idler pulleys
3 Sets of Z Rated tires(average life 31,000 miles)
As previously mentioned, find a good indie shop and follow the BMW service recommendations to the letter. If it were me, I'd use Mobil 1 0w-40, ATF, and gear oil, Castrol LMA Brake Fluid, and BMW Coolant. That car should make it to 150,000 miles with no problems. I'd take that '93 over any sub $25K new car.

#1611 of 5349 1998 BMW 328iS with 150000 miles by bimbalas

Mar 01, 2005 (11:03 pm)

Hi,
I'm thinking of purchasing a 1998 BMW 328iS coupe,6cyl,4speed automatic overdrive and with 150000 miles ..for 6000-6500$(Kelly Blue Book value 8200$)...is it a normal deal considering high milage of the car..what things I should look at before buying it?What major problems this car can have because of it's high milage?What are the weaknesses of this model?

#1612 of 5349 bimbalas by div2

Mar 02, 2005 (9:18 am)

The key to the successful purchase of any high mileage BMW is to have it thoroughly checked out by a QUALIFIED BMW technician. I'd also want to take a look at the vehicle service history. Was the oil changed regularly? Was the DOT 4 brake fluid changed every two years? Coolant every three(using only BMW Coolant)? Was the ATF changed at least once? What does the compression test look like? Do you have a good BMW indie shop lined up to handle any repairs and maintenance? The M52 motor should easily go over 200K miles with regular maintenance, but I would expect the slushbox to go belly-up within the next 50K-75K miles. Therefore, I would adjust the price accordingly. If the car does check out I wouldn't hesitate to buy it-for around $4500. That said, I enjoy performing the maintenance and minor repairs myself. If you are going to have go to the dealer for every little glitch then I'd advise that you give the car a pass.

#1613 of 5349 Re: ATF and purchasing Hi mileage BMWs by sirdarby1

Mar 04, 2005 (7:10 am)

Thanks again dhanley:
 
I guess I'm still a bit nervous now that my 100k
warranty is over. That thing really covered a lot and I had my mechanic check the car over thoroughly when I had a few miles left. I was
blessed to get a new AC compressor.
 
I'm gonna rest easy but I do agree that an indie mechanic would be best because the dealer is very expensive.

#1614 of 5349 Re: Crooked drivers seat/gas pedal adjustment in 330xi? [r_l_edison] by jntownes

Mar 04, 2005 (12:43 pm)

Replying to: r_l_edison (Nov 02, 2004 3:15 pm)
I am also having trouble adjusting to the driver's seat in this vehicle. The seat appears in a crooked position so that I end up on one side of the seat instead of directly in the center. Also, there is a support bar in the middle of the seat that exacerbates the uncomfortableness. While the lumbar support can be moved up and down and increased and decreased in intensity, this support bar is permanent and rather intense at its designated position. Combined with crooked position of the seat, I find that the middle, right portion of my back is constantly pressured while I drive. I have found that significantly reclining the seat aleviates this pressure, but this removes almost all the upper support for the seat to the point that it is unsafe.

#1615 of 5349 Engine Stalling 04/05 with 330ic Convertible by gansett

Mar 04, 2005 (5:17 pm)

I have read many concerns about 330 engines stalling and related matters. I want to share my experiences.
 
My 04 330 convertible would rough idle and stall even when the engine was warm. Two dealers tried in vein for over a year to resolve the matter. Finally, the car was "bought back" by BMWNA through my dealer (who is wonderful!) South Bay BMW, Hermosa Bch, CA, and I was given a new 05 330 convertible ZHP.
Unfortunately, this car rough idles a bit more than it should but fortunately it does not stall.
 
My understand is that to make the engine performance strong and fuel economy high as possible the car runs extremely lean thus opening the door for stalling and rough idling.

#1616 of 5349 Window malfuctions on BMW Convertibles and coupes by gansett

Mar 04, 2005 (5:21 pm)

On occasion my driver's side window does not drop properly when existing the car on my 330 convertible and when you close the door it nearly breaks the window which is now slightly above the roof.
 
I have had this problem on both a 04 and 05 convertible, but despite repair it continues to malfunction. Anyone else with this problem? (The problem is most accute when using the all-up botton after raising the convertible top. More than 50% of the time the window malfunctions when exiting the car.

#1617 of 5349 Re: ATF and purchasing Hi mileage BMWs [sirdarby1] by dhanley

Mar 04, 2005 (11:19 pm)

Replying to: sirdarby1 (Mar 04, 2005 7:10 am)
I understand completely--i was nervous when i passed the end of my 100K warranty. That was a year ago and everything has been ok ( knock on wood ).
 
I have an indie mechanic who I trust, and it may be awhile until i succumb to the allure of a new euro delivered 330.
 
Remember, it us unlikely car repairs will ever be close to car payments.
 
dave

Messages Page 162 of 536

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