330ci more questions
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2004 330ci m sport auto
1: Are the mirrors supposed to fold up when parked, or was this an optional extra?
2:Im averaging 21.5 MGP town driving only is that about right? Not to bothered just wondered.
3: Not been out in the car for a few days and since have had nothing but frost and ice. Went out in it earlier and left it for 50mins and I noticed a wet patch near the drivers side front wheel upon return. Got home 10 mins later and again noticed a smaller wet patch after being parked for 5mins.
Closer inspection from underneath near where the fog light is there are two inserts cut say about length of a credit card and the width of a finger, this had Icicles hanging from it, I broke them off and could see water dropping from there. It was water only i could tell by the taste. Above in the engine bay sits the washer bottle, could it be this was froze and was dripping, from warming?
No warning lights on!
Any advice welcome.
1: Are the mirrors supposed to fold up when parked, or was this an optional extra?
2:Im averaging 21.5 MGP town driving only is that about right? Not to bothered just wondered.
3: Not been out in the car for a few days and since have had nothing but frost and ice. Went out in it earlier and left it for 50mins and I noticed a wet patch near the drivers side front wheel upon return. Got home 10 mins later and again noticed a smaller wet patch after being parked for 5mins.
Closer inspection from underneath near where the fog light is there are two inserts cut say about length of a credit card and the width of a finger, this had Icicles hanging from it, I broke them off and could see water dropping from there. It was water only i could tell by the taste. Above in the engine bay sits the washer bottle, could it be this was froze and was dripping, from warming?
No warning lights on!
Any advice welcome.
I had water leaking from that area on my old E46 320 Ci. Turned out to be the washer pump, which is mounted on the bottom of the washer bottle (if you have headlamp washers there are possibly two pumps?).
The good news is that if it is that, its a really easy DIY job to replace the washer pump. I'm no more than an enthusiastic dabbler when it comes to mechanics, and it took about 10 minutes. Unplug cable, remove old pump (get a bit wet), fit new pump, and reconnect cable. You can buy the pumps off eBay for not much more than £10.
As someone else said, if you have the power folding mirrors, there's a button on the drivers door that activates them.
I've just bought a 330 Ci myself (my second E46), although a couple of years older than yours. They're great cars, and really good value these days. Mine needs a bit of work to make it perfect, but its nice that there's so much DIY info out there on the web related to the E46 (about to tackle the final state resistor "hedgehog" this weekend!).
The good news is that if it is that, its a really easy DIY job to replace the washer pump. I'm no more than an enthusiastic dabbler when it comes to mechanics, and it took about 10 minutes. Unplug cable, remove old pump (get a bit wet), fit new pump, and reconnect cable. You can buy the pumps off eBay for not much more than £10.
As someone else said, if you have the power folding mirrors, there's a button on the drivers door that activates them.
I've just bought a 330 Ci myself (my second E46), although a couple of years older than yours. They're great cars, and really good value these days. Mine needs a bit of work to make it perfect, but its nice that there's so much DIY info out there on the web related to the E46 (about to tackle the final state resistor "hedgehog" this weekend!).
stevesuk said:
I had water leaking from that area on my old E46 320 Ci. Turned out to be the washer pump, which is mounted on the bottom of the washer bottle (if you have headlamp washers there are possibly two pumps?).
The good news is that if it is that, its a really easy DIY job to replace the washer pump. I'm no more than an enthusiastic dabbler when it comes to mechanics, and it took about 10 minutes. Unplug cable, remove old pump (get a bit wet), fit new pump, and reconnect cable. You can buy the pumps off eBay for not much more than £10.
As someone else said, if you have the power folding mirrors, there's a button on the drivers door that activates them.
I've just bought a 330 Ci myself (my second E46), although a couple of years older than yours. They're great cars, and really good value these days. Mine needs a bit of work to make it perfect, but its nice that there's so much DIY info out there on the web related to the E46 (about to tackle the final state resistor "hedgehog" this weekend!).
Good luck with the hedgehog, did mine a few months ago, i had to get into positions i never dreamt off! The good news is that if it is that, its a really easy DIY job to replace the washer pump. I'm no more than an enthusiastic dabbler when it comes to mechanics, and it took about 10 minutes. Unplug cable, remove old pump (get a bit wet), fit new pump, and reconnect cable. You can buy the pumps off eBay for not much more than £10.
As someone else said, if you have the power folding mirrors, there's a button on the drivers door that activates them.
I've just bought a 330 Ci myself (my second E46), although a couple of years older than yours. They're great cars, and really good value these days. Mine needs a bit of work to make it perfect, but its nice that there's so much DIY info out there on the web related to the E46 (about to tackle the final state resistor "hedgehog" this weekend!).
curdman said:
2004 330ci m sport auto
1: Are the mirrors supposed to fold up when parked, or was this an optional extra?
2:Im averaging 21.5 MGP town driving only is that about right? Not to bothered just wondered.
3: Not been out in the car for a few days and since have had nothing but frost and ice. Went out in it earlier and left it for 50mins and I noticed a wet patch near the drivers side front wheel upon return. Got home 10 mins later and again noticed a smaller wet patch after being parked for 5mins.
Closer inspection from underneath near where the fog light is there are two inserts cut say about length of a credit card and the width of a finger, this had Icicles hanging from it, I broke them off and could see water dropping from there. It was water only i could tell by the taste. Above in the engine bay sits the washer bottle, could it be this was froze and was dripping, from warming?
No warning lights on!
Any advice welcome.
Leak isn't normal. Most likely the headlight washer or a leak from the reservoir itself.1: Are the mirrors supposed to fold up when parked, or was this an optional extra?
2:Im averaging 21.5 MGP town driving only is that about right? Not to bothered just wondered.
3: Not been out in the car for a few days and since have had nothing but frost and ice. Went out in it earlier and left it for 50mins and I noticed a wet patch near the drivers side front wheel upon return. Got home 10 mins later and again noticed a smaller wet patch after being parked for 5mins.
Closer inspection from underneath near where the fog light is there are two inserts cut say about length of a credit card and the width of a finger, this had Icicles hanging from it, I broke them off and could see water dropping from there. It was water only i could tell by the taste. Above in the engine bay sits the washer bottle, could it be this was froze and was dripping, from warming?
No warning lights on!
Any advice welcome.
Martyn D said:
Good luck with the hedgehog, did mine a few months ago, i had to get into positions i never dreamt off!
Yeah I read that - prepared for a bruised back and scraped knuckles! I'm assuming its the hedgehog. The blower motor is fine on full speed, but on other settings, the speed tends to "pulse" up and down constantly.stevesuk said:
Yeah I read that - prepared for a bruised back and scraped knuckles! I'm assuming its the hedgehog. The blower motor is fine on full speed, but on other settings, the speed tends to "pulse" up and down constantly.
Sounds like it could well be the hedgehog, the worst thing is the steering column as it gets in the way, you've sort of got to get your head down by the peddles and will need a short Torx screwdriver, to long a one and you'll have to do what i did and cut the handle in half.... 
Patrick Bateman said:
That sounds like there's something wrong.
Or you spend all your time in 1st and 2nd gear, constantly stopping and starting.
Its an auto so I have little choice in the matter. I have done the usual, tyre pressures, reset auto box, clean MAF and it doesnt seem to improve much. I'm not overly stressed because I dont do a great deal of miles in the car and when I get out on the motorway I get a respectable 28-32MPG. Town driving, big engines and auto boxes are never going win you any eco warrior awards. Or you spend all your time in 1st and 2nd gear, constantly stopping and starting.
Martyn D said:
Sounds like it could well be the hedgehog, the worst thing is the steering column as it gets in the way, you've sort of got to get your head down by the peddles and will need a short Torx screwdriver, to long a one and you'll have to do what i did and cut the handle in half....
Did this today, sat half in the car and half on the driveway in the freezing cold for over an hour. I used a flexi driver with a torx bit to get that top bolt out - what a pig of a job. I wonder how BMW dealers do it when the customer is paying by the hour? Dashboard out? Anyway, for the cost of the £38 part and 1 hour of torture, I now have a perfectly working climate control system, so worth the effort :-)Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff