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I bought this the day after Christmas last year as a present to myself. 2002 325i, 5 speed manual, purchased with just over 62k miles. It's now over 73k. I had been driving around in my roommate's Civic for months after my Probe blew up, and I was just fed up with it. After doing a phone system installation in Columbus, I was bored and swung in to a used car dealer. This was sitting on the lot, so I test drove it for shits and giggles. One thing led to another as I realized I could afford it, and the rest is history. So far no performance mods, but a front strut brace and the reinforcement plates are coming soon, as well as some nice tires. I might do an exhaust if I hear one I like, but that's still up in the air. For now, I'm getting the lighting the way I want it (smoked and LED wherever possible, headlights will be replaced with HID Projector46s with angel eyes) and working on cleaning up the wiring for all my interior gadgets. Until I decide if my next car will be an E46, I'm trying to stick to parts I can swap between them. edit: as soon as I get the drat Probe running and sold, I intend to fill its space with an E36 track rat Also, might want to add Bimmerfest to the OP. At least for E46s the wiki there is a great resource. There's also a nice large forum. wolrah fucked around with this message at 16:42 on Mar 28, 2008 |
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Mar 28, 2008 16:25
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frozenphil posted:Pretty much the same here. Now that it's been getting warm out, I've been able to drive around town with the windows down and I get very similar reactions. I'm typically in a polo and either jeans or khakis, listening to Sirius Hard Attack or whatever CD I've most recently purchased. I can't wait to get around to installing a PC in here, I hate swapping CDs and my iPod's too small to carry much more than my podcast collection.
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Apr 2, 2008 02:35
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3363 posted:9pm, Ikea parking lot empty, it's raining, I turn off DSC, put the Automatic into 2nd and plan to dori dori around the back. Before I know it I just did some bizarre figure 8 360 degree spin and am rolling backwards before the transmission locks up. Restart the car, all is fine, but I sure as poo poo am confused as to how anyone could drive something 300-500hp in the rain. This is on a 323i and it felt like I was a Caterham sliding on a nonstick skillet. It's all about familiarity and control. My guess is that you've never really done anything like that before and just pinned the gas to the floor, cranked the wheel, and hoped it just worked that way. Obviously as you've learned it does not. If it snows in your area, next year (or if there's one more freak snowstorm) I recommend you take advantage of a local empty parking lot (extra points if the lot has no light poles to cause damage to your vehicle) and just toss it around for an hour or two until you get used to it. You can do the same in the rain, but in snow it's even more fun and causes less tire wear. I have an abandoned department store and a nearly dead mall near by, so I use those whenever I feel the need for sideways time. I can't wait until I get my summer tires, as the Blizzaks obviously don't like any kind of extremely aggressive driving.
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Apr 5, 2008 17:06
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3363 posted:Or someone lubricated the Ikea parking lot, I don't know, when I've unintentionally lost the rear end in the rain before I could catch it at higher speeds. This incident though was just awkward. This could be more accurate than you think. Oil and other various fluids that drip from vehicles get brought back to the surface and spread out during the beginning of a rain storm. If it's light rain, the stuff might not wash away for a while. You literally could have been spinning in oil.
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Apr 6, 2008 00:57
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I know I'm going to get called crazy for this, but here's what I spent the evening installing... The wiring's still a bit messy, but it'll be moved to an ignition controlled circuit as soon as I find an antenna mount that will handle my driving and can permanently run that line.
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Apr 8, 2008 03:12
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multiprotocol posted:That looks like a newish 3 series, so pardon me if I say that your current wiring job looks like it goes over as well as a fart in church. You're right on the car, it's an '02 325i. The mag mount antenna's sitting on the seat right now, i stick it out the sunroof to use it since it fell off the trunk at 90 MPH last week. The power line is going to a 3 way lighter splitter under the passenger seat. So yea, it's poo poo right now. Until I have a proper antenna I see no reason to bother digging around under the dash for a circuit to power off of. The other two wires are an aux line going to the Sirius receiver on the left side of the wheel (I have a cord that's 2 feet longer so I can run it under the dash on order) and the iPod cord which I just need to tuck under the plastic again. I had it out at that point since I had just reinstalled the glove box. e: I guess I also missed the GPS power hanging down from the mirror, that's tricky to hard wire since it wants 5 volts on a USB connector, so I'm working on properly disassembling the power cord to tap in to the garage door opener power where I have my radar detector pulling from. So yea, the wiring is certainly not up to what I want, but for now it's OK until I get some more parts in to sort out the little details. CornHolio posted:Are you calling his wiring job absolutely hilarious? Yes it is hilarious... On a side note, every time I stop in a CB shop to see if they have any good solutions for my antenna I get a "WTF" look when I tell them I have a Cobra 29 in a BMW, then a laugh when they see I'm serious. wolrah fucked around with this message at 15:59 on Apr 8, 2008 |
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Apr 8, 2008 15:49
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CornHolio posted:I couldn't tell you how it works, other than voodoo, but I wish all cars were this easy to replace bulbs in. Agreed. I've done both front corners, both side markers, a headlight, and a reverse light in the time I've owned the car and it seriously does take longer to open a blisterpack bulb than to install it.
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Apr 8, 2008 16:03
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milieu posted:I've got a question for you fine gentlemen: What would you rate are the best bang for your buck bolt-on mods for an e46 323 manual? I've got a 99 323 (2.5L M52) but I'd like to get as much performance out of it as possible sans supercharger or turbo (for the price of doing that I might as well sell the car and just buy an M3). 1, 2, and 3 are great. Underdrives and an ECU flash won't get you enough to be worth it. As for removing the spare tire/toolkit, I'd say keep it in normally and just pull it out when you take it to the track. The difference won't be noticeable during normal driving and it's not like it's hard to pull them when you need to. The benefits in weight don't outweigh the loss of a nice backup plan when something goes wrong. Cat delete falls as another thing you won't gain anything noticeable from, and it'll reduce the value of the car on resale. I also hope you're joking about #8.
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Apr 8, 2008 23:15
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Any modern computer controlled non-boosted engine should be able to run without risk of damage on any unleaded gasoline one could find in a first-world country. Performance and mileage will take a hit if you're not running the "right" octane, and as pointed out earlier it's still only a few bucks difference for a full tank, so it really doesn't make sense to run anything else unless you have to. If you've chipped it, that's another story. Most chips effectively tighten up the margins in which the engine operates, so it won't be as tolerant of things going wrong.
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May 2, 2008 14:37
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missed_again posted:Guys, i need your moral support I own a 2002 325i, yes people do seem to be a bit more dickish around me with this car (though I came from a Police Package Crown Vic, so take that as you will). They are loving beautiful though. I think the E36, E39, and E46 are all amazing looking cars, newer models have too much Bangle in them. I say test drive the lot, but if you like the BMW don't think about the "looking like a cock" factor. Just go for it. wolrah fucked around with this message at 23:42 on May 15, 2008 |
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May 15, 2008 23:39
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Not as impressive as Daveh's dad's M3, but I got rid of my stock tail lights and installed some M3-style LED units today. Before:  After:   I think it really cleans up the back of the car, plus LEDs are just nice. The wheels I want are backordered until July, so that moved up the CarPC in my priorities. As soon as my USB->I-Bus interface gets in I'm starting work on that.
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May 25, 2008 05:36
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Guinness posted:Now you need to get rid of the Carmax sticker and license plate frame. That should have been your first order of business. Those things are tacky as hell. I know, I keep thinking that when I look at the pictures, but when I'm actually working on the car it never hits my mind. e: With the help of a heat gun, the stupid carmax sticker is gone, license plate frames too. wolrah fucked around with this message at 03:06 on May 27, 2008 |
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May 25, 2008 22:27
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Pimpsolo posted:Are these OEM? or ebay ones? I ask not to knock on you, because I've seen great results from ebay lights for BMWs (no sarcastic). Because the price of the OEM LED lights plus the equipment you need to allow the electric connectors to work with the LED lights, the price exceeds $600. The ebay ones, by comparison, look high quality and are a fifth of the price. I just never new anyone who bought e46 LED ebay tail lights and could attest to their quality. They look great either way. These are from Eagle Eyes via Bimmian, so probably the same as the eBay ones. These same units are resold by all of the major BMW parts places, I wouldn't be surprised if they're the only one on the market. I usually prefer a different place, but Bimmian has them on sale for $200. I don't believe there is an OEM option for sedans, only coupes where the real M3 parts bolt in (plus the computer reflash or resistor packs to fool the lighting control module). The fit is a little bit tight and there is a total lack of instructions, but I can't say I've ever had aftermarket bits fit perfectly and instructions aren't needed since there's only three nuts to remove and they're all easy to find if you just look at the units. wolrah fucked around with this message at 02:19 on May 26, 2008 |
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May 26, 2008 02:12
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FYI Mobil 1 5W30 doesn't meet BMW's spec. Whether that matters is beyond me, but the only Mobil 1 offering that does meet it is 0W40.
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Jul 1, 2008 13:23
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I have to say I like the new 7 design. It's simpler and just looks cleaner than the current model.
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Jul 10, 2008 17:30
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Just got back from an event BMW Cleveland held which was supposed to be featuring the M3 and 1 Series but basically ended up being a bunch of Northern Ohio BMWCCA members hanging out bullshitting about our cars, plus a supercharged E46 330i ZHP and a brand new M3 Coupe getting fired up and shown off. Uploading pics and video now, but my connection's sucking at the moment. edit: Videos All photos in no particular order or arrangement And some of my favorites... Lineup of E36 track cars  The lone 8 Series, an 840 which must have been bought fairly recently given how many questions the owner was asking about reliability  E24 635CSi, my E46 325i (I was embarassed when I showed up with the only really dirty car), an E46 M3, and an X3 that no one really cares about.  Another loner, this 2002 that I would not be surprised at all if the owner is a goon.  A good time seemed to be had by all, I got a $20 gift card good for parts, accessories, or even towards a car (lol), and I think I'll be showing up to more CCA events. wolrah fucked around with this message at 03:52 on Jul 17, 2008 |
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Jul 17, 2008 03:34
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CornHolio posted:well, he's in for a suprise. Yea, I was laughing to myself as he was talking to one of the mechanics. Someone else who had a 540 chimed in and said what at least half of us were thinking, reliable BMWs have 6 cylinders.
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Jul 21, 2008 16:09
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The stopper for my clutch pedal broke off yesterday. I guess chalk that as one more thing to do this weekend while I have the wrenches out to take care of the sensor that's giving me lovely idle and a code. I thought this car already had a terrible dead zone on the clutch, now it's an inch or two worse...
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Jul 30, 2008 03:18
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wwb posted:1) Am I nuts for buying one with 95k miles or so? 1. No idea, but being a BMW I6 at least the engine should be solid. 2. Trivial. I installed a DICE HD unit in my E46 about 30 minutes at night in the middle of winter without needing a single tool. iPod over the dock interface with ID3 tags on the display and steering wheel control, plus HD Radio and an Aux input. edit: that does not apply if you're looking at the current generation, they're all using a fiber optic system rather than I-Bus.
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Aug 14, 2008 00:23
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Voltage posted:I am going to have to be extremely careful seeing as how my last car was a Prizm. I am going to either have to practice some serious self control or buy a valentine 1 or STI driver. I will post some pictures of it when I have the chance. There are no words for how true this is. I had been driving my ex-roommate's Civic for months before buying my 325i and I had become used to being basically invisible to the police. Scored a nice two point driving award within three weeks, then had a close call on a second one a few days later, even while driving with an 8500 X50. Radar detectors don't help when the cop is coming up the onramp at 70 and I pass him like he's standing still, nor is it much help when I'm the only car on a country road and he hits me with laser.
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Sep 25, 2008 21:27
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Driving home from a party tonight I feel a bit of a pull for a second, then all is back to normal. As I get off the highway, I hear a lot more noise than usual from the back end as I coast. When I pull in to my apartment complex (about 1000 feet from the highway, so I was not driving far after hearing the extra noise) I smell gear lube. I get out of the car, grab the lovely glovebox flashlight, and see this... http://gamera.seanharlow.info/~wolrah/BMW/diff/ (link to dir as I'm too tired to resize enormous pics) What probably broke and how much will it probably cost me? If the pull I felt was when it started losing oil, I probably drove 25 miles at between 80 and 100 MPH on it. If it was just when I noticed the noise, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 mile at city speeds. e: 2002 325i stick
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Oct 23, 2008 08:18
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Sterndotstern posted:Looks like it might be the input shaft seal on the diff, can't tell for sure. I'd top of the fluid and drive it around the block, then check the level. If you think you can make it to your favorite BMW shop, do it. I have an extended warranty on the car, so after a few phone calls back and forth with CarMax and the local BMW dealer I had it towed up there. Regardless of whether it blew as I was pulling off the highway or at the earlier point where I felt the pull, it still managed to basically empty itself in less than the distance to the dealer, so no way I'd try to drive it. I'd rather not give CarMax any reason to deny the warranty claim, as I asked what the worst case scenario of a full diff replacement would be and it's about $2500 parts and labor. $75 deductible is far more appealing.
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Oct 23, 2008 18:38
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Update on the above: New diff, warranty's covering it, about $160 out of pocket between deductible and tow. I'll be quite interested to find out what happened.
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Oct 23, 2008 22:45
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Xenoid posted:Please let us know. Also that's hilariously expensive if the insurance is paying $2500. I'm not sure what an M5 diff/driveshaft costs (common 540 upgrade) but I'm pretty sure it isn't that much, and that's an M car! Yea, if it wasn't covered under warranty with that quote I'd just acquire the parts for a M3 diff swap and take the car to one of the local independent shops (in the past I'd say do it myself, but that's hard when in an apartment and it's my only car, plus my Probe showed me exactly how little motivation I have when things don't go right). It would cost less and I'd come out of it with a LSD.
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Oct 24, 2008 01:02
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VacaGrande posted:Is it a manual? I had the same issue about a year ago - there's either a TSB or something similar on this and the dealer should be able to find it - there's a computer update that fixes it. Got any more information? Occasionally mine will dip low, then overcompensate and rev up to about 1000, then dip down even lower on the return, repeat until it can't recover and stalls. This only happens if it's in gear with my foot on the clutch, if I slide the shifter to neutral nothing changes and then it stops immediately and goes back to a normal smooth idle if I take my foot off the clutch in neutral. While it's already at the dealer, I may as well get that taken care of if it's a simple reflash. edit: cool ^^^
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Oct 24, 2008 14:00
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wwb posted:Edit: BONUS QUESTION! I've got a DICE ipod interface in the vehicle, but it don't sound so good and has been surpassed by the DICE Silverline. Anyhow, I was going to pick one up for christmas, but I wanted to see if anyone had better iPod integration suggestions for an e39. Now, I know a modern head unit will be better, but I like the funk schwea of the stock look. Also, I like the nice integration. So, what is the best iPod integration that keeps the stock stereo/controls. As far as I'm aware the DICE is the only all-in-one option for models that didn't have it offered from the factory. There's also the Intravee, but you then have to buy an AI-Net iPod adapter on top of the Intravee unit. I have a HD DICE and don't have any complaints aside from the connectors at the rear of the car come loose over time. It first shows as a slight clicking when the unit sends a display update to the head unit, then slowly as the connection gets looser I start getting ignition whine. My CB antenna cable also runs right alongside the DICE cable, so if it gets too loose I get a nasty screaming noise when I transmit. Fortunately it's a simple job of popping the trunk, pulling back the carpet, unplug and replug. 45 seconds tops. HD Radio and the Aux input are nice to have too, though I rarely use HD since the range is lovely on it. wolrah fucked around with this message at 15:37 on Dec 11, 2008 |
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Dec 11, 2008 15:34
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rhombus posted:http://www.ultimatecupholders.com/ Will those really handle a large bottle/cup when turning? The only cupholders I've seen worse than the E46's stock ones are the ones in the armrest on the MN12 Thunderbird, and I often have a 1 liter bottle of water or green tea with me, so not having to find it when it rolls off the passenger seat would be great.
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Dec 24, 2008 14:34
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TheYellowFog posted:The only problem I have with the body is that you can see through the front grill, is it missing a part? Every other model I've seen it's just black behind the grill. Is this easily replaceable? TIA Front grille looks normal to me. As for the automatic, if it's the original tranny and it's approaching or reached 6 digit mileage, I'd say leave it behind. Too many reports of those things just randomly failing even if properly maintained.
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Feb 2, 2009 04:56
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Sterndotstern posted:(the non-LSD E46s are HILARIOUSLY drifty with one-wheel drive) Haha, I got reminded of this just last night. Completely dry roads last night and I was making a quick U-turn (for those who know Cleveland-area roads, I forgot 271 south doesn't connect with 71 north). Came to this turn to get back on 71 and as I was approaching it the light turned yellow, so I gunned it and came in to the corner at about 60 MPH. I got a lot more slide than I was expecting and ended up going from the inside lane well in to the outside lane and beyond. Might also be because I'm running some Blizzaks that are done after this season though. Tax return is buying me some new summer rubber which should perform notably better.
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Feb 10, 2009 19:24
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It's that time of the year again, time to switch out the winter tires for something built for the dry season. Financial difficulties are preventing me from getting the wheel/tire combination I was planning on, so the smarter choice right now will be some performance all-seasons, preferably something I can survive an Ohio winter with in case I can't afford another set of Blizzaks next winter. 2002 325i, stock 205/55R16 size (e: I guess 225/50R16 was also a factory size on the same wheels, according to Tire Rack). H rating matches the factory speed limiter which I doubt I'll remove (requires a costly chip that doesn't really gain me anything else) but there is a part of me that wants a V rated tire just in case I end up with spare money, so all else being equal I'll go with a V rating but will take a H rating without complaint. I put 30,000 miles on the car, primarily highway, in just over a year. I know grip and long life are contrary goals, but I'd like something that will last at least 30,000 more miles but still let me take on the various back roads confidently. wolrah fucked around with this message at 00:19 on Feb 18, 2009 |
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Feb 18, 2009 00:07
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CornHolio posted:Also, I'm in northern Indiana, and just went through my second winter with them. Winter tires would be better, but for what they are they're not bad at all. That's what I like to hear. I'm outside of the Snow Belt by about 30 miles, so 90% of the driving I do is identical to what you get over there (or maybe lighter depending on if you're north enough to get lake effect. I was already looking at these, since the RE-01Rs were my intended super high performance purchase and I love my Blizzaks, sticking with Bridgestone just seemed to make sense. If I don't hear otherwise, I'll probably be getting a set of these put on some time this week.
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Feb 18, 2009 03:48
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OrangeFurious posted:I had a feeling that might be the case. It's about time I make friends with the dealer anyway. If you know someone with a Carsoft setup you might be able to do it as well. I have Carsoft 6.5 which I think can do E38 coding. I'm actually feeling like a bit of a dumbass right now since I bought the adapter with only a 20 pin connector which does not exist on my 2002 E46, apparently it's a 1988-2000 plug.
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Feb 22, 2009 06:53
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Is the E39 5 series notably larger (interior+trunk in particular) than the E46 3 series? I'm happy enough with my E46 325i that I want to step up to a nicer BMW as soon as I get out from being upside-down on this, and right now my debate is between an E46 330i ZHP or a post-facelift 530i. At first glance, the E39 seems like the way to go. I carry a lot of stuff and can only expect my need for space to keep growing, especially as I add more permanently installed gear to my car like a carPC, ham radio, etc. Right now it's a tight fit with cables running all around up front for what I currently have. e: also, are there any more "gotchas" to the I6 5 series versus the 3s? I will be sticking with a manual transmission, so the automatic issues don't concern me, and I know about the cooling system. wolrah fucked around with this message at 23:06 on Mar 8, 2009 |
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Mar 8, 2009 22:56
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peterjmatt posted:That's the cover for the optional interior motion sensor (only included with a factory alarm system). It clips onto the headliner. There's most likely a big hole in your headliner just behind the sunroof opening. There should also be a white plastic part bordering that hole. The cover you have pictured snaps into that white plastic border, assuming the tabs on the border and the cover aren't broken. If the tabs are broken then the parts should be replaced. Confirming this. No dome light on the E46, just the central "all interior lights" button and the four individual map lights.
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Apr 15, 2009 04:25
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Where are the best places to tap 12v power around the E46 sedan? Obviously anything in the trunk needing always-on power goes right to the battery and the garage door opener line in front of the sunroof is a fairly well known switched power point for radar detectors and the like, but what else is there that's easily reached?
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Apr 30, 2009 02:13
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Sterndotstern posted:Personally, if I were you I'd keep the 04 stock and find a fun, cheap project to play with, like a 94-95 325is. For about the price of a nice suspension upgrade for your E46, you could have a whole car. This is pretty much what I've decided to do. The E46 got some cosmetic tweaks, tires, and some electronics, but as far as I'm concerned it's basically done for now and will remain as my daily. All "play" money right now is going in to savings to put down on a house when my lease runs out, then when I have a garage an E36 will magically appear as my thing to turn wrenches on.
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May 1, 2009 19:21
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It's about time to replace the clutch on my '02 325i. How bad is this likely to be on the wallet? I lack a proper garage so I'll be having a shop do it (and remove the CDV while they're at it). Also, what clutch should I get? My last car was a Probe with a Clutchmasters "Stage 3" clutch and that was a bit stiff for a daily driver, but I do want something more than what I have. Then again, I bought this with 62.5k on the original clutch, so for all I know if it had been brand new it might be exactly what I want.
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May 23, 2009 01:11
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A few quick questions: 1. I'm closing in on 100,000 miles on the '02 325i, should I just do the cooling system now or should I wait until something gives up? Basically how catastrophic do the failures tend to be? If it's more of a "temp will slowly start rising and an attentive driver can pull over and shut down easily before damage" thing I'll wait, but if it's more of a "if you don't catch it within 30 seconds of failure say hello to the dealership service department" thing it obviously makes more sense to do it now. 2. Whenever I do it, is something like this a good way to go for it? I often see mention of the radiator also being replaced, is that normal or are the parts in that kit what I need as long as the radiator is still working? 3. Completely unrelated to the above two, but I would like to upgrade to HID headlights and I like the look of angel eyes. Are the aftermarket units like the Projector46 worth looking at, or is the "right" way to do it buying the OEM units and installing some angel eyes separately? I'm most concerned about having a proper light pattern and basically looking OEM-grade.
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Jun 1, 2009 21:14
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Xenoid posted:2. Never seen or heard of repair kits. I was under the impression that a damaged radiator is almost impossible to fix, or it will eventually break again anyways. On #2, I should have been more clear but my question was more of if the radiator's not damaged (to my knowledge) should I replace it if I do the job preemptively, or is replacement only needed if the pump fails and bits go everywhere? On #3, the question isn't cheap HID vs. kits, it's OEM HID + aftermarket angel eyes from well known vendor vs. aftermarket full projector OEM-style HID with built in angel eyes from well known vendor. Cheap ebay poo poo isn't an option here, I'm happy enough with the factory halogens that I'll pay the money to do it right and actually get better light output rather than getting some bright blue poo poo that blinds people.
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Jun 1, 2009 21:51
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Xenoid posted:and you might want to do the fan delete mod as well. I have an electric fan, what exactly would a full delete gain me aside from needing to watch my temps when I'm leaving Cleveland? I think the AT models might have engine-driven fans, but honestly who the gently caress cares about performance and drives an AT 3 series?
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Jun 2, 2009 01:50
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