Hi I've just brought a 330ci anyone know anything I should be looking out for?

Anyone tell me what there getting MPG out off there's.

Hi,

Check out the E46 buying guide and common faults thread pinned at the top of the 3 series section, you should be able to find most things you are looking for there.

As for the MPG question I cannot help as I have a 36 and it's only a 318.

That's great steve thanks for that, new to the site so still finding my way around, lol

Haha no problem Howard, any questions you have don't be afraid to ask. Very friendly bunch on here :).

Hi I've just brought a 330ci anyone know anything I should be looking out for?

Anyone tell me what there getting MPG out off there's.

TREES ! :P :D

lol :rolleyes:

The 330 sport is a nice motor it shares the same m54 engine of my 530 sport they are bullit proof

As long as you feed them the correct castrol oil and keep up with the servicing. They do good mpg

Considering it is a 3 litre engine just depends on how heavy of a right foot you got! Enjoy your ride keep us updated

Picking it up tomoz so I'll let you know in a few weeks how heavy my foot has been lol

Well I got from Basingstoke to just south of Glasgow on just under a tank.

The 330 sport is a nice motor it shares the same m54 engine of my 530 sport they are bullit proof

As long as you feed them the correct castrol oil and keep up with the servicing. They do good mpg

Considering it is a 3 litre engine just depends on how heavy of a right foot you got! Enjoy your ride keep us updated

True, the engines are pretty strong. A common issue is that for some reason certain ones will consume oil like Oliver Reid consumed alcohol. I burn off about 1lt every 300 - 350 miles which is way outside the quoted spec of 1lt per 1000 miles but there is no power loss or exhaust issues.

I have a 330ci M-Sport manual and was getting 29 - 31mpg (manually calculated as the OBC records a little more). I changed jobs and my commute was mainly dual carriage way and fast A roads. Now on a more twist and turn (read slip and slide) commute, I've dropped down to 28 - 29. I don't hang around but do drive as far as I can see so don't race up to a red light or slow traffic (I had some advanced tuition a while back).

As for tips, I used the golf tee trick to permenantly open both exhaus pipes as I prefer the more bass roar around 2 - 3000rpm.

Enjoy it!

My 330ci gets about 19.5mpg but saying that I only have a short hilly trip to and from work. It's laid up for winter now as I'm using the Land rover plus I think I've get a bit of a head gasket leak because it's eating oil and coolant even more than the m54's do anyway. Also watch out for pot holes this time of year, I hit one and blew £800 of airbags and a front tyre. Other than that, love it been spot on.

Whats the golf tee trick?

The exhausts are quietened/restricted by a flappy-valve-gate thingy and can be permanently kept open using a little logic ;)

Whats the golf tee trick?

Look underneath the tail pipes and around the top there should be a flexible hose connected to the back box. This is the vacuum line that actuates the butterfly valve on the second pipe.

if you look down the pipes you should see one is closed with the valve. Sometimes these can seize closed so try and move it manually to check it's free.

Get a golf tee, pull the pipe free from the back box (gently - it's been there for years) and plug the flexible pipe with the tee. Tuck the hose somewhere out of harms way and then enjoy a more bass sound from the exhaust, especially around the 2k rpm mark.

Good stuff ;)

He might not play golf !! Fold it 'n tie-wrap it B) ;)

Cheers guys ill look tomorrow!!

Ive had a look and its seized! I triedto move it but ive bent it. Can i take it out or shall i just bend the other side? Its made a differencealready, sounds more beefy!!

hmm - not sure.

I would try something like penetrating oil or similar to allow it to free up. Carefully clean up whatever you spray in.

If it is bent now you could probably just remove it. My car just went through it's MoT with this in place for the 3rd time so doesn't affect emissions or economy in my case.

Ive removed it now! Had no choice, it was bent but hopefully it will be ok!