E46 328 - 1st BMW
Discussion
Hello folks...long time reader of PH !
Three weeks ago via other PHher iMac's connections, I bought an E46 328..one of the early '99 cars, and my first Beemer after lots of very dull cars..
Done about 1000 miles now in it, and glad to have read other posts that have answered a few queries - frequent drooping of interior mirror, seating position (it must be one of the rare cars with leather but not eleccy seats so headroom no problem for me at 6'2)
However, I've a few queries, that I've not found on the rest of Ph...
1 - Gearbox...its a manual...so probably answers the query I have ?! Incredibly notchy, and almost forces the use of 1/3/5...4th is incredibly notchy, to the point where I dont use it unless prepared to blip on downshifts, and or double declutch... are they all like it.. ? what are the likely causes ?? (car has done 64k)
2 - Headlight Washers - according to the build sheet obtained from a friendly main stealer, the car does have the headlight washer fitted..but I cannot see how they work (read the manual and it says about every 5th wiper swipe get the headlight washer working)..have checked fuses and the motor and it appears to be spinning. No water is coming out of the jets to the headlights(windscreen works just fine)..is it a common complaint / cheap/easy to fix .. ?
3 - Independent specialist in south Nottingham / Melton Mowbray area...any come recommended... ?
4 - Tyre Pressures...are they really meant to be 32/37 on this car...seems very high..
and finally !
5 - Temperature gauge.. its all over the place once warmed up..ie comes up to quarter mark, but as soon as I start to use some revs and kick on a bit, the gauge goes up to half and then slowly but surely works it way back to 1/4 once constant speed obtained. Sit at traffic lights and the same happens...from 1/4 to half...back moving again constant speed etc and it falls back...If its 1/2 it never climbs any higher either..
I've been keeping an eye on the expansion tank and the level hasnt moved, so suggests no leak or usage of the coolant..?
a)where is the usual running mark - 1/4 or half or somewhere else !?
b)is the thermostat stuck open (car was stood for 3+ months as previous owner passed away)...someone suggested this could contribute..?
c)is the gauge faulty
d)or is it more likely a duff temperature sensor..?
thanks !
Three weeks ago via other PHher iMac's connections, I bought an E46 328..one of the early '99 cars, and my first Beemer after lots of very dull cars..
Done about 1000 miles now in it, and glad to have read other posts that have answered a few queries - frequent drooping of interior mirror, seating position (it must be one of the rare cars with leather but not eleccy seats so headroom no problem for me at 6'2)
However, I've a few queries, that I've not found on the rest of Ph...
1 - Gearbox...its a manual...so probably answers the query I have ?! Incredibly notchy, and almost forces the use of 1/3/5...4th is incredibly notchy, to the point where I dont use it unless prepared to blip on downshifts, and or double declutch... are they all like it.. ? what are the likely causes ?? (car has done 64k)
2 - Headlight Washers - according to the build sheet obtained from a friendly main stealer, the car does have the headlight washer fitted..but I cannot see how they work (read the manual and it says about every 5th wiper swipe get the headlight washer working)..have checked fuses and the motor and it appears to be spinning. No water is coming out of the jets to the headlights(windscreen works just fine)..is it a common complaint / cheap/easy to fix .. ?
3 - Independent specialist in south Nottingham / Melton Mowbray area...any come recommended... ?
4 - Tyre Pressures...are they really meant to be 32/37 on this car...seems very high..
and finally !
5 - Temperature gauge.. its all over the place once warmed up..ie comes up to quarter mark, but as soon as I start to use some revs and kick on a bit, the gauge goes up to half and then slowly but surely works it way back to 1/4 once constant speed obtained. Sit at traffic lights and the same happens...from 1/4 to half...back moving again constant speed etc and it falls back...If its 1/2 it never climbs any higher either..
I've been keeping an eye on the expansion tank and the level hasnt moved, so suggests no leak or usage of the coolant..?
a)where is the usual running mark - 1/4 or half or somewhere else !?
b)is the thermostat stuck open (car was stood for 3+ months as previous owner passed away)...someone suggested this could contribute..?
c)is the gauge faulty
d)or is it more likely a duff temperature sensor..?
thanks !
BelvoirGlover said:
1 - Gearbox...its a manual...so probably answers the query I have ?! Incredibly notchy, and almost forces the use of 1/3/5...4th is incredibly notchy, to the point where I dont use it unless prepared to blip on downshifts, and or double declutch... are they all like it.. ? what are the likely causes ?? (car has done 64k)
I've the same car and the gearbox shouldn't feel really notchy. I initially had trouble selecting 3rd but that was more because of a seemingly not-quite-perfect position when moving from 2nd, when changing down from 4th there is no issue. The rest of the gears are completely fine.BelvoirGlover said:
2 - Headlight Washers - according to the build sheet obtained from a friendly main stealer, the car does have the headlight washer fitted..but I cannot see how they work (read the manual and it says about every 5th wiper swipe get the headlight washer working)..have checked fuses and the motor and it appears to be spinning. No water is coming out of the jets to the headlights(windscreen works just fine)..is it a common complaint / cheap/easy to fix .. ?
The headlight washers only come on when both the headlights are on and the wipers are washing. If you think the motors are working but no water is coming out then you've a water issue from your washer fluid bottle. If this has water in then the next thing is to check the pipe that connects to the mechanism. I've pulled mine out when I stripped down the headlights and it required taking the narrow panel under the headlights where the washers sit. The water pipe is only just pushed onto the mechanism and came off easily, pushing the mechanism back worked fine to get it back on.BelvoirGlover said:
3 - Independent specialist in south Nottingham / Melton Mowbray area...any come recommended... ?
No idea, I live in Altrincham with 2 very good indies on my doorstep! Look on www.bmwland.co.uk for a reccommended indie.BelvoirGlover said:
4 - Tyre Pressures...are they really meant to be 32/37 on this car...seems very high..
What wheel size are you running? Most sizes do have a 5psi increase on the rear.BelvoirGlover said:
and finally !
5 - Temperature gauge.. its all over the place once warmed up..ie comes up to quarter mark, but as soon as I start to use some revs and kick on a bit, the gauge goes up to half and then slowly but surely works it way back to 1/4 once constant speed obtained. Sit at traffic lights and the same happens...from 1/4 to half...back moving again constant speed etc and it falls back...If its 1/2 it never climbs any higher either..
I've been keeping an eye on the expansion tank and the level hasnt moved, so suggests no leak or usage of the coolant..?
a)where is the usual running mark - 1/4 or half or somewhere else !?
b)is the thermostat stuck open (car was stood for 3+ months as previous owner passed away)...someone suggested this could contribute..?
c)is the gauge faulty
d)or is it more likely a duff temperature sensor..?
thanks !
My temp guage works perfectly, rising to halfway in a couple of minutes, depending on driving style. A faulty sensor sounds plausible, get an indie to check.5 - Temperature gauge.. its all over the place once warmed up..ie comes up to quarter mark, but as soon as I start to use some revs and kick on a bit, the gauge goes up to half and then slowly but surely works it way back to 1/4 once constant speed obtained. Sit at traffic lights and the same happens...from 1/4 to half...back moving again constant speed etc and it falls back...If its 1/2 it never climbs any higher either..
I've been keeping an eye on the expansion tank and the level hasnt moved, so suggests no leak or usage of the coolant..?
a)where is the usual running mark - 1/4 or half or somewhere else !?
b)is the thermostat stuck open (car was stood for 3+ months as previous owner passed away)...someone suggested this could contribute..?
c)is the gauge faulty
d)or is it more likely a duff temperature sensor..?
thanks !
Thermostat - Same thing happened recently on my E46 99 323Ci, would hardly ever get to half way and as soon as it did went back down to 1/4. Took to my indie and diagnosed broken thermostat (the lugs break internally and it slips and stays open) has done 2 on his own E46 328. £100 later job done and she's behaved perfectly in all driving conditions since. Hope this helps.
thanks for the info on the water temperature issue..just waiting for payday now!
Regarding the thermostat, is it worth venturing to G&S for a pattern part, or is it a no brainer buying the BMW part..? - was the £100, more part than labour.. ?
Any recommendations in Nottingham for a good indy.. ?
Gearbox has got better...maybe partly me, but also using it daily for over a month has perhaps helped, given it had been stood for 3-4months after the previous owner passed away.
Regarding the thermostat, is it worth venturing to G&S for a pattern part, or is it a no brainer buying the BMW part..? - was the £100, more part than labour.. ?
Any recommendations in Nottingham for a good indy.. ?
Gearbox has got better...maybe partly me, but also using it daily for over a month has perhaps helped, given it had been stood for 3-4months after the previous owner passed away.
thanks...phoned Sytners at 11.30am today...still waiting for the call back to confirm price/availability...
presumably a sign of things to come.. ?
interestingly, found this posting
http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/142008
suggesting some 99 and 00 build cars had an issue with faulty thermostats to which a recall was put in place.
According to the service man at Sytner (Nottingham), my particular car doesnt require this "campaign update", the build date on the inner wing fits with the dates suggested on this posting...any suggestions..
The previous owner of the car I bought refused point blank to take it anywhere near the dealer network, so I doubt its had any updates/recalls that may have been needed..any ways to check/validate this.. ?
presumably a sign of things to come.. ?
interestingly, found this posting
http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/142008
suggesting some 99 and 00 build cars had an issue with faulty thermostats to which a recall was put in place.
According to the service man at Sytner (Nottingham), my particular car doesnt require this "campaign update", the build date on the inner wing fits with the dates suggested on this posting...any suggestions..
The previous owner of the car I bought refused point blank to take it anywhere near the dealer network, so I doubt its had any updates/recalls that may have been needed..any ways to check/validate this.. ?
BelvoirGlover said:
Any recommendations in Nottingham for a good indy.. ?
There is a BMW Specialist in Loughborough - oddly enough called exactly that - BMW Specialist.He's on Derby Road, near the spartans chip shop.
Don't know if he's any good yet as I've only just got my E46, but it's where mine will be going when the service is due (unless somebody is tells me otherwise)
BelvoirGlover said:
Hello folks...long time reader of PH !
...
Nice one!...
You've actually gone and done what I've been intending to over the last 2/3 months = actually bought one!
Not wanting to scare you at all but have you looked at the rear sub-frame suspension mountings?
As I said I've been looking at 328ci's for a while but started to read quite a few horror stories about this particular bit. This link covers what I mean;
http://www.bmwland.co.uk/talker/viewtopic.php?p=32...
&
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=1576...
&
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=5000...
&
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.ph...
To me, for the money, the E46 Ci's still look fresh and 'modern' and I'm still looking for one - well sort of anyway...
... need to convince the missus that getting rid of my 5 year Astra (which I've had from new and runs prefectly) and getting an 7/8 year BMW is a good idea!
Edited by Fastra on Thursday 30th August 15:45
Edited by Fastra on Thursday 30th August 15:46
Edited by Fastra on Thursday 30th August 15:49
Hi
The background to buying the car was a bit unusual...ie I wasnt looking for one, knew I wanted to change car but...no idea what tempted me, and more importantly, what could I afford.
When I looked at the car I bought (the only one I viewed), my test drive was 0.2 miles as the car was almost out of fuel, had no tax or no mot, due to the previous owner passing away, and the car had sat in his garage since his death. His wife doesnt drive and didnt know a great deal about the car.
Thus I wasnt too brave in taking the car far, as murphy's law says the BiB would be just around the corner...mine's just turned 65k this week and the 1 owner.
I am hoping the MOT which it sailed through (bar an advisory on the rear tyre tread depth's) would have picked up on this fault you've alerted me too.. ??
Still waiting for the call from Sytner about the thermostat price..(incidentally, a mate of mine bought a 520d last year from them, and had nothing but trouble and not a good word to say about them...was about his 7th Bmw from them and his worst experience as the car was a bit of a lemon by all accounts) - If they cant give good service on his 32k private (cash) purchase, me asking for a price for the thermostat stands no chance. His wife at the time drove a Fiesta Tdci and he had a better customer experience with the Ford main dealer he used...
The background to buying the car was a bit unusual...ie I wasnt looking for one, knew I wanted to change car but...no idea what tempted me, and more importantly, what could I afford.
When I looked at the car I bought (the only one I viewed), my test drive was 0.2 miles as the car was almost out of fuel, had no tax or no mot, due to the previous owner passing away, and the car had sat in his garage since his death. His wife doesnt drive and didnt know a great deal about the car.
Thus I wasnt too brave in taking the car far, as murphy's law says the BiB would be just around the corner...mine's just turned 65k this week and the 1 owner.
I am hoping the MOT which it sailed through (bar an advisory on the rear tyre tread depth's) would have picked up on this fault you've alerted me too.. ??
Still waiting for the call from Sytner about the thermostat price..(incidentally, a mate of mine bought a 520d last year from them, and had nothing but trouble and not a good word to say about them...was about his 7th Bmw from them and his worst experience as the car was a bit of a lemon by all accounts) - If they cant give good service on his 32k private (cash) purchase, me asking for a price for the thermostat stands no chance. His wife at the time drove a Fiesta Tdci and he had a better customer experience with the Ford main dealer he used...
Sounds like you've worked it out now, but I'll chime in anyway 
Def the thermostat!
Don't get it done at sytners, there's absolutely no point. Find a cheap indy to do it. For major work, strange engine faults, bodywork, etc, I'd say use a BMW garage.
For everything else you're just paying for nothing, everyone knows how to change a thermostat without screwing it up
Def the thermostat!
Don't get it done at sytners, there's absolutely no point. Find a cheap indy to do it. For major work, strange engine faults, bodywork, etc, I'd say use a BMW garage.
For everything else you're just paying for nothing, everyone knows how to change a thermostat without screwing it up
BelvoirGlover said:
Hi
The background to buying the car was a bit unusual...ie I wasnt looking for one, knew I wanted to change car but...no idea what tempted me, and more importantly, what could I afford.
When I looked at the car I bought (the only one I viewed), my test drive was 0.2 miles as the car was almost out of fuel, had no tax or no mot, due to the previous owner passing away, and the car had sat in his garage since his death. His wife doesnt drive and didnt know a great deal about the car.
Thus I wasnt too brave in taking the car far, as murphy's law says the BiB would be just around the corner...mine's just turned 65k this week and the 1 owner.
I am hoping the MOT which it sailed through (bar an advisory on the rear tyre tread depth's) would have picked up on this fault you've alerted me too.. ??
Still waiting for the call from Sytner about the thermostat price..(incidentally, a mate of mine bought a 520d last year from them, and had nothing but trouble and not a good word to say about them...was about his 7th Bmw from them and his worst experience as the car was a bit of a lemon by all accounts) - If they cant give good service on his 32k private (cash) purchase, me asking for a price for the thermostat stands no chance. His wife at the time drove a Fiesta Tdci and he had a better customer experience with the Ford main dealer he used...
I'd get the mounts checked out.The background to buying the car was a bit unusual...ie I wasnt looking for one, knew I wanted to change car but...no idea what tempted me, and more importantly, what could I afford.
When I looked at the car I bought (the only one I viewed), my test drive was 0.2 miles as the car was almost out of fuel, had no tax or no mot, due to the previous owner passing away, and the car had sat in his garage since his death. His wife doesnt drive and didnt know a great deal about the car.
Thus I wasnt too brave in taking the car far, as murphy's law says the BiB would be just around the corner...mine's just turned 65k this week and the 1 owner.
I am hoping the MOT which it sailed through (bar an advisory on the rear tyre tread depth's) would have picked up on this fault you've alerted me too.. ??
Still waiting for the call from Sytner about the thermostat price..(incidentally, a mate of mine bought a 520d last year from them, and had nothing but trouble and not a good word to say about them...was about his 7th Bmw from them and his worst experience as the car was a bit of a lemon by all accounts) - If they cant give good service on his 32k private (cash) purchase, me asking for a price for the thermostat stands no chance. His wife at the time drove a Fiesta Tdci and he had a better customer experience with the Ford main dealer he used...
BMW in Germany actually had a recall for this but BMW UK didn't think is necessary over here - probably due to the cost!!!!
Most cases I've read about seem to have all been dealt with with quite well by the dealers - after a little persistence.
Sounds like the thermostat or air in the system to me but beware that that series of engines had problems with the water pump and viscous cooling fan as well. There was a severe problem with the coupe frames but if you get all the car details together and go to the local BMW dealer they can tell you from the, BMW data base if it was rectified, if it has been serviced by BMW from new the data base will have all details on it.
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