Help! My BMW needs a new engine as a piston apparently punched through the base of the engine. I've been looking around for a second-hand one but am getting confused by engine model nos. My car is a V reg (1999) 318i SE E36 saloon shape. I can't work out if my engine is M44 or M43 (or something else!). Also would a different engine model fit /work anyway?|||The engine is an M43 (based on the info supplied). Enter the last 7 digits of your VIN number on www.realoem.com and it will give the engine number of the car.
Any E36 engine will fit your car (even the M3 and M3 Evo's) but you will need to make a number of additional alterations, depending on the engine, including (but not limited to): -
Gearbox
Prop-shaft
Differential
There are three BMW magazines in the uk that advertise BMW specialists or have a directory in the back, Total BMW, Performance BMW and BMW Car. Give a few a call and see what they've done.
Thornley Motorsport and Bexley Motorworks are featured regularly, as is CA Automotive.
I hope this helps,
Andy
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Will a Harmon kardon amplifier from a 2001 BMW 330ci work with the system of a 2001 BMW 325i?
The Harmon Kardon amplifier in my 2001 BMW 325i shorted out and I don't want to spend the $1,000 at the dealer to replace it. I found a used Harmon Kardon amplifier from a 2001 BMW 330ci but am not sure it will work with my system. Any thoughts?|||The amplifier should be the same or similar. As far as connectivity there should be no issues, an amp is an amp. (You can hook up any amp to a deck and speakers). One issue could be though if the amp is the same size physically and it won't fit in the basket that BMW provided. (Could have changed from one year to the next, doubtful though) I am sure you can get around that easily enough by placing it elsewhere.
Depending how much you are spending, you might look into just buying an after market amp to save money and perhaps make your car sound better. Amplifiers today are more efficient and better sounding in general than ones made 7 or 8 years ago (obviously comparing the same quality amps). You can go to Best Buy or Circuit City and get some advice about what to install in your car. You can also go to a local audio shop, but check around for reputation first. (CC and BB have good return policies and can handle a simple amp install). The other thing I was thinking if BMW is going to install it they will charge mega bucks($90 an hour), so for $100 at Best Buy or Circuit City they will install an amp unless you know someone personally that will do a reliable job cheaper. Just my thoughts, I am sure others will also have some good ideas too.|||i dont think so..........
Depending how much you are spending, you might look into just buying an after market amp to save money and perhaps make your car sound better. Amplifiers today are more efficient and better sounding in general than ones made 7 or 8 years ago (obviously comparing the same quality amps). You can go to Best Buy or Circuit City and get some advice about what to install in your car. You can also go to a local audio shop, but check around for reputation first. (CC and BB have good return policies and can handle a simple amp install). The other thing I was thinking if BMW is going to install it they will charge mega bucks($90 an hour), so for $100 at Best Buy or Circuit City they will install an amp unless you know someone personally that will do a reliable job cheaper. Just my thoughts, I am sure others will also have some good ideas too.|||i dont think so..........
How long does it take to to receive ur BMW X5 after u order it?
How long does it take to to receive ur bmw after u order it?|||it normally takes 4-6 weeks to get those in ,but they been running ahead of time on them,and can usually get them in 3-4 weeks ,good luck with it.|||it should,i hope you enjoy it,those are nice cars,good luck.
Report Abuse
How can I get the radio code for my BMW without having to pay the dealers?
I replaced my battery without knowing that it'll reset the radio. I don't have the manual or anything that came along with the car, but I do have the registration papers for the car. I tried bringing it to a BMW dealership but they're charging me $150 for the code. Thanks in advance for helping out.
-Kevin|||pull the radio go to the dealer with the serial number and your license and registration and they will run in through the computer and retrieve it for you. N/C|||Check inside the glove compartment - sometimes people stick the code number in there (particularly if the number was on a gummed label - don't know if BMW does it like that).|||Try another dealer. $150 is absurd. I've gotten radio codes twice and not been charged for it. One our 318 they did have to pull the radio out to get the code. Took a mechanic about 5 minutes. I was prepared to hand over $50 but they didn't charge me.
You could also try at the parts counter. Be prepared to pull the radio and carry it back there. Most older BMWs need a special 5-sided screwdriver to remove the security screws holding the radio in. Be sure you take proof of ownership with you.
Be sure to write down that code!|||Resetting radio after power is removed or display shows "CODE"
• If the correct code is not entered in the three successive tries, the radio will not accept entry until the radio has been ON for one hour. IMPORTANT: When entering 5-digit code number, be sure to complete sequence number of that 5-digit code. For example: Code No. sequence is 12345 and you mistakenly enter 125 instead of 123, continue the code number sequence of 45 to complete that entry. The radio will not operate and "CODE" will reappear in the display. Re-enter the correct number sequence of 12345 and operation of the radio will continue. NOTE: If an audible beep is heard while entering the 5-digit code, STOP immediately. Begin entering the code again, starting with the first number of the 5-digit code.
• Another solution from Steven V. The local BMW dealer told me that if I turn the ignition key to the number two position and leave all the dash lights on then disconnect the battery for fifteen minutes to a half hour. The system will re-program itself when the battery is connected. It does not say that in the manual or CD rom but it apparently worked fine. Of course the radio had to be recoded again.|||search on google. What year model type of radio head standard?|||that $150 may be the cost of removing the radio to see the serial number.
if you take it out yourself and bring it to the dealer i'm sure they'll tell you free of charge.
-Kevin|||pull the radio go to the dealer with the serial number and your license and registration and they will run in through the computer and retrieve it for you. N/C|||Check inside the glove compartment - sometimes people stick the code number in there (particularly if the number was on a gummed label - don't know if BMW does it like that).|||Try another dealer. $150 is absurd. I've gotten radio codes twice and not been charged for it. One our 318 they did have to pull the radio out to get the code. Took a mechanic about 5 minutes. I was prepared to hand over $50 but they didn't charge me.
You could also try at the parts counter. Be prepared to pull the radio and carry it back there. Most older BMWs need a special 5-sided screwdriver to remove the security screws holding the radio in. Be sure you take proof of ownership with you.
Be sure to write down that code!|||Resetting radio after power is removed or display shows "CODE"
• If the correct code is not entered in the three successive tries, the radio will not accept entry until the radio has been ON for one hour. IMPORTANT: When entering 5-digit code number, be sure to complete sequence number of that 5-digit code. For example: Code No. sequence is 12345 and you mistakenly enter 125 instead of 123, continue the code number sequence of 45 to complete that entry. The radio will not operate and "CODE" will reappear in the display. Re-enter the correct number sequence of 12345 and operation of the radio will continue. NOTE: If an audible beep is heard while entering the 5-digit code, STOP immediately. Begin entering the code again, starting with the first number of the 5-digit code.
• Another solution from Steven V. The local BMW dealer told me that if I turn the ignition key to the number two position and leave all the dash lights on then disconnect the battery for fifteen minutes to a half hour. The system will re-program itself when the battery is connected. It does not say that in the manual or CD rom but it apparently worked fine. Of course the radio had to be recoded again.|||search on google. What year model type of radio head standard?|||that $150 may be the cost of removing the radio to see the serial number.
if you take it out yourself and bring it to the dealer i'm sure they'll tell you free of charge.
How much do BMW repairs usually cost, and how long do they last, how reliable are they?
I am looking at getting a 2000 323i BMW and was wondering how much the repairs would be, also how many miles would it last. i need a car that would last at least another 4 years will minimal repair costs.|||I agree with snoiwe on all of these problems and would like to add that there are a few more things you need to worry about on the newer models mostly electrical in nature. The consumer database shows many owners reporting probelms with the central computer module which is alays needing upgrades or replacement. This module controls just about everything electrical in the vehicle and when it fails, good bye transportation. Interestingly, statistically speaking, the 1999 models and older where more reliable than the newer models today. The most reliable were the 1980-1988 models but I doubt you want to go that old.
However, I would like to point out that the reason BMW swtiched to the Hydramatic transmssions from GM was because they were 100% reliable whereas the trans they used before were alwasy breaking down. As you can see, Wetsombereo does not know whay he/she is talking about- ZF is made by ZF Friedrichshafen AG, a German company which has had many problems. BMW has had no problems with the GM transmission.
I would advise you to avoid this vehicle and go with something more reliable. The 2003 Lexus IS300 is a great soild car. It drives excellent and is of course very reliable. Its about the same size. The only downside is some find the styling to be 'boy racer' compared to more classy models.
Good Luck|||I like the E46 body style. But unfortunately, the 1999/2000 model year cars are bad.
Automatic transmissions for many E46 models (not just 99/2000) have been known to fail due to a defective component inside their ZF5HP19 steptronic transmissions. (see photos: http://www.noreverse.org/docs/trannyauto… ). When this happens, owners will completely lose their reverse gear. BMW will only help if you write in (and FEDEX in a GOOD letter), and even so, they usually only pay 50% - so you're still stuck with paying some $3k. That happened to me 3 years ago, when the car had just 100k miles.
Here's the link:
http://www.noreverse.org/
1999/2000 cars also suffer from a serious defect in the rear subframe. The sheet metal where the subframe mounts on to will fatigue over time causing the whole subframe mount to rip out from the car body itself! I'm currently suffering from this issue now and actually am going to the dealer who arranged a rep from BMW USA to look at it tomorrow. This repair will cost $4k - $7k depending how severe the damage is.
Here're some links:
http://www.turnermotorsport.com/html/det…
BMW service bulletin here: http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.…
An internet forum where close to 200 members have the same problem. http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.…
My advice, E46 cars are nice, but the early cars all have serious defects. Go for only 2001 or newer cars. Also, be aware that ALL E46 cars suffer from front strut tower "mushrooming" problem, where the 3 strut bolts start pointing AWAY from each other instead of straight up as the whole tower structure weakens and bulge up over time. If a strut tower bar or at least a set of strut tower reinforcement plates (such as this one http://www.turnermotorsport.com/html/det… ) was installed beforehand, it will solve this problem.
While this may cause minor alignment problems, it could also be the beginning of structural cracks in the corner support near the strut tower.
See this photo: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/att…
and this post:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/sho…
Major repairs:
Transmission failed at 100k. $3k partial payment.
Front control arm (pair) @ around 125k miles. (BMW quote $2,000 - I bought an upgraded part from bavauto.com, spent an afternoon with a buddy - total cost: $400 plus a 6-pack). The ball joint was the culprit. But BMWs do not have replaceable ball joints, so you need to change out the whole control arm and bushings.
Sensor failed, tripped the check engine light @ around 90k miles - $180
Rear shock mount torn. I changed out the whole set of rear shocks. $230. BMW will probably charge $800
Thermostat failed, expansion tank cracked. $250
ABS/DSC controller malfunction. BMW says the part ALONE is $1k. (happening now)... probably will look at replacing it with a cheaper used part. So now I have NO ABS or DSC.
I change my own oil, oil/air/cabin/fuel filters, spark plugs, belts, brakes, battery, all fluids (tranny,diff, brake, power steering, coolant)... if I didn't, I'm sure I'd be a lot poorer with BMW labor rates going at $110/hr.|||the maintance on it will cost you a bit but the car will last a very long time if you treat it right. with proper care and maintance you should have a problem getting 150+ miles out of it without issue...|||If you have to ask, you can't afford it!
Keep in mind an oil change is a lot more than what you'd expect.|||They are very dependable and you can usually get 2-300000 miles out of them but when they start to have problems get rid of it because it will cost you a ridiculous amount of money to keep it going.Parts are very expensive and only a small handful of repair shops will touch it and the ones that will are usually very expensive.If the cars has decent miles on it it will definitely last 4 years or more before you have to put much money into it besides your normal maintenance.But just like anything it depends on how its cared for.GOOD LUCK!|||you know what BMW stands for?
Bring Money With!
having said that, i own 2 and will never part with them|||BMW repairs are not any more expensive than fixing a Honda. Honda labor and parts are as expensive if not more. The motor in the car you are looking at is solid. Its been pretty much the same motor in the 3 series for years. The transmission IS a ZF....so its made by GM, BUT this isn't a bad thing. The ZF trannies are capable of taking more abuse. BMW put ZF trannies in the 5 Series in 1992 and it was definately better than the old Gertag units.
I have owned 7 BMW's now, 4 out of the 7 went over 300,000 miles. I would call that long lasting.
Also, out of the 7 I have owned, the only car that ever left me stranded was because of a head gasket, and thats a pretty normal problem to have after 250,000 miles, so I would call that reliable.
If you are buying a 323i, don't buy one with more than 100k on it, and it will last much longer than 4 years. (and still be worth something afterwards too which we can't say for some of our asian car maker friends. Resale kicks *** on BMWs)
Snowie has some great info up there for you...he knows his stuff.
Snowie: The ABS/DSC box can be fixed by a Bosch certified tech. (the hard part is finding one) Its also not just a problem on the 3's. The E39 5's had this same problem. I got mine from a wrecker here in Portland for $600. I am sure the sale could be duplicated for the same price. PM me if you want the phone number.|||yes the car will last another 4 years no problem, but NOT with minimal repair costs.
I have a 2002 BMW 325i that i purchased used 2 years ago with 59k miles on it. today the car has 96k miles on it. during the 2 years and 37k miles I have put about $4,000 in maintainence. That's just normal wear and tear (brakes, oil changes, a tune up, etc.)
if you have to question whether you can afford the repairs or not, then the car is not for you. BMW's cost a lot to maintain and it takes a different type of person to appreciate the car and fork over the money to fix it, without getting upset.
I'm very passionate about my BMW and will not drive anything but a BMW, and I dont mind forking over my money to keep it running like the day it was first sold :)|||BMWs are very lousy. 1st off GM has a contract with the 3 series. Automatic 3 series are using GM based automatic transmissions. Anything for BMW to cutback and gain more on profits. BMW failed years ago in aviation and decided to move into the automobile industry. Bad mistake they should give it all up.|||1) $29.00 2) 6months - 8 yrs 3) very
However, I would like to point out that the reason BMW swtiched to the Hydramatic transmssions from GM was because they were 100% reliable whereas the trans they used before were alwasy breaking down. As you can see, Wetsombereo does not know whay he/she is talking about- ZF is made by ZF Friedrichshafen AG, a German company which has had many problems. BMW has had no problems with the GM transmission.
I would advise you to avoid this vehicle and go with something more reliable. The 2003 Lexus IS300 is a great soild car. It drives excellent and is of course very reliable. Its about the same size. The only downside is some find the styling to be 'boy racer' compared to more classy models.
Good Luck|||I like the E46 body style. But unfortunately, the 1999/2000 model year cars are bad.
Automatic transmissions for many E46 models (not just 99/2000) have been known to fail due to a defective component inside their ZF5HP19 steptronic transmissions. (see photos: http://www.noreverse.org/docs/trannyauto… ). When this happens, owners will completely lose their reverse gear. BMW will only help if you write in (and FEDEX in a GOOD letter), and even so, they usually only pay 50% - so you're still stuck with paying some $3k. That happened to me 3 years ago, when the car had just 100k miles.
Here's the link:
http://www.noreverse.org/
1999/2000 cars also suffer from a serious defect in the rear subframe. The sheet metal where the subframe mounts on to will fatigue over time causing the whole subframe mount to rip out from the car body itself! I'm currently suffering from this issue now and actually am going to the dealer who arranged a rep from BMW USA to look at it tomorrow. This repair will cost $4k - $7k depending how severe the damage is.
Here're some links:
http://www.turnermotorsport.com/html/det…
BMW service bulletin here: http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.…
An internet forum where close to 200 members have the same problem. http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.…
My advice, E46 cars are nice, but the early cars all have serious defects. Go for only 2001 or newer cars. Also, be aware that ALL E46 cars suffer from front strut tower "mushrooming" problem, where the 3 strut bolts start pointing AWAY from each other instead of straight up as the whole tower structure weakens and bulge up over time. If a strut tower bar or at least a set of strut tower reinforcement plates (such as this one http://www.turnermotorsport.com/html/det… ) was installed beforehand, it will solve this problem.
While this may cause minor alignment problems, it could also be the beginning of structural cracks in the corner support near the strut tower.
See this photo: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/att…
and this post:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/sho…
Major repairs:
Transmission failed at 100k. $3k partial payment.
Front control arm (pair) @ around 125k miles. (BMW quote $2,000 - I bought an upgraded part from bavauto.com, spent an afternoon with a buddy - total cost: $400 plus a 6-pack). The ball joint was the culprit. But BMWs do not have replaceable ball joints, so you need to change out the whole control arm and bushings.
Sensor failed, tripped the check engine light @ around 90k miles - $180
Rear shock mount torn. I changed out the whole set of rear shocks. $230. BMW will probably charge $800
Thermostat failed, expansion tank cracked. $250
ABS/DSC controller malfunction. BMW says the part ALONE is $1k. (happening now)... probably will look at replacing it with a cheaper used part. So now I have NO ABS or DSC.
I change my own oil, oil/air/cabin/fuel filters, spark plugs, belts, brakes, battery, all fluids (tranny,diff, brake, power steering, coolant)... if I didn't, I'm sure I'd be a lot poorer with BMW labor rates going at $110/hr.|||the maintance on it will cost you a bit but the car will last a very long time if you treat it right. with proper care and maintance you should have a problem getting 150+ miles out of it without issue...|||If you have to ask, you can't afford it!
Keep in mind an oil change is a lot more than what you'd expect.|||They are very dependable and you can usually get 2-300000 miles out of them but when they start to have problems get rid of it because it will cost you a ridiculous amount of money to keep it going.Parts are very expensive and only a small handful of repair shops will touch it and the ones that will are usually very expensive.If the cars has decent miles on it it will definitely last 4 years or more before you have to put much money into it besides your normal maintenance.But just like anything it depends on how its cared for.GOOD LUCK!|||you know what BMW stands for?
Bring Money With!
having said that, i own 2 and will never part with them|||BMW repairs are not any more expensive than fixing a Honda. Honda labor and parts are as expensive if not more. The motor in the car you are looking at is solid. Its been pretty much the same motor in the 3 series for years. The transmission IS a ZF....so its made by GM, BUT this isn't a bad thing. The ZF trannies are capable of taking more abuse. BMW put ZF trannies in the 5 Series in 1992 and it was definately better than the old Gertag units.
I have owned 7 BMW's now, 4 out of the 7 went over 300,000 miles. I would call that long lasting.
Also, out of the 7 I have owned, the only car that ever left me stranded was because of a head gasket, and thats a pretty normal problem to have after 250,000 miles, so I would call that reliable.
If you are buying a 323i, don't buy one with more than 100k on it, and it will last much longer than 4 years. (and still be worth something afterwards too which we can't say for some of our asian car maker friends. Resale kicks *** on BMWs)
Snowie has some great info up there for you...he knows his stuff.
Snowie: The ABS/DSC box can be fixed by a Bosch certified tech. (the hard part is finding one) Its also not just a problem on the 3's. The E39 5's had this same problem. I got mine from a wrecker here in Portland for $600. I am sure the sale could be duplicated for the same price. PM me if you want the phone number.|||yes the car will last another 4 years no problem, but NOT with minimal repair costs.
I have a 2002 BMW 325i that i purchased used 2 years ago with 59k miles on it. today the car has 96k miles on it. during the 2 years and 37k miles I have put about $4,000 in maintainence. That's just normal wear and tear (brakes, oil changes, a tune up, etc.)
if you have to question whether you can afford the repairs or not, then the car is not for you. BMW's cost a lot to maintain and it takes a different type of person to appreciate the car and fork over the money to fix it, without getting upset.
I'm very passionate about my BMW and will not drive anything but a BMW, and I dont mind forking over my money to keep it running like the day it was first sold :)|||BMWs are very lousy. 1st off GM has a contract with the 3 series. Automatic 3 series are using GM based automatic transmissions. Anything for BMW to cutback and gain more on profits. BMW failed years ago in aviation and decided to move into the automobile industry. Bad mistake they should give it all up.|||1) $29.00 2) 6months - 8 yrs 3) very
What is the best way for me to purchase bmw parts here in america?
I own a american spec. BMW 325i 2002, but I want to purchase the parts cheaper than what the auto shops are charging.|||FWIW, in order to preserve brand ideals, dealerships are made to sell high. It's not unusual - many high end brands distinguish their clientele using price mechanisms. GOOD for BMW - and car enthusiasts - that their cars can perform better than garden variety brands. BAD, because money does not guarantee a better driver - and these cars are not meant for fuddy duddies.
ANYWAY the answer is, look for niche workshops, run by ex-dealership mechanics. You should be able to find a fair price from these guys. Also, because their reputation depends on their overall quality of service, they should do what it takes to maintain their reputation.
For bargain basement prices - there are 2 choices - at one's own risk. Online stores (ebay) and salvage yards.
Hope this helps.|||go to a junk yard that has bmw parts|||I used to have a '99 BMW 328, and the only way I knew to get part installed was to actually go to a dealership. If I went somewhere else they could never guarantee their work. To just get the parts I used either the dealership or online websites such as ebay. I would recommend asking around at some BMW forums. Try Bimmerforums.com|||Best way would be the dealer, even though it is expensive, it is better than taking the risk of buying parts online or going to a salvage yard. Infact, for a car that nice and new, don't even consider going to a salvage yard.|||Junk yard, eBay, Craigslist, or just online, or at some shops|||When I had my 2 BMWs in the US, I used Bavarian Autosport a lot. They sell some OEM stuff, and some aftermarket, so you can choose which you want a lot of the time. They know BMWs too. I'm in Germany now and I can find lots of local parts pretty cheap, except for the Euro exchange rate!
ANYWAY the answer is, look for niche workshops, run by ex-dealership mechanics. You should be able to find a fair price from these guys. Also, because their reputation depends on their overall quality of service, they should do what it takes to maintain their reputation.
For bargain basement prices - there are 2 choices - at one's own risk. Online stores (ebay) and salvage yards.
Hope this helps.|||go to a junk yard that has bmw parts|||I used to have a '99 BMW 328, and the only way I knew to get part installed was to actually go to a dealership. If I went somewhere else they could never guarantee their work. To just get the parts I used either the dealership or online websites such as ebay. I would recommend asking around at some BMW forums. Try Bimmerforums.com|||Best way would be the dealer, even though it is expensive, it is better than taking the risk of buying parts online or going to a salvage yard. Infact, for a car that nice and new, don't even consider going to a salvage yard.|||Junk yard, eBay, Craigslist, or just online, or at some shops|||When I had my 2 BMWs in the US, I used Bavarian Autosport a lot. They sell some OEM stuff, and some aftermarket, so you can choose which you want a lot of the time. They know BMWs too. I'm in Germany now and I can find lots of local parts pretty cheap, except for the Euro exchange rate!
How to remove tire pressure light from 2007 329i bmw?
Just had new tires and rims placed on 2007 329i BMW. Can't get tire pressure light to go off. How do you reset it?|||328i?
if it doesn't have nav, use the "scroll" button on the turn signal stalk down to "reset" select that with the "bc" button on the end of the same stalk. You may have to drive a couple hundred feet before it goes off.
If not, check the tire pressure, if that's good, then whomever replaced the tires didn't put the sensors in.|||There is no reset that's going to work if what I think is going on is happening. . Your tires may not be equal in total rolling radius making the car think you have low tires. To fix this you need some pretty fancy computer work done.
if it doesn't have nav, use the "scroll" button on the turn signal stalk down to "reset" select that with the "bc" button on the end of the same stalk. You may have to drive a couple hundred feet before it goes off.
If not, check the tire pressure, if that's good, then whomever replaced the tires didn't put the sensors in.|||There is no reset that's going to work if what I think is going on is happening. . Your tires may not be equal in total rolling radius making the car think you have low tires. To fix this you need some pretty fancy computer work done.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)