Joe_M

I noticed recently that my 2005 e46 coupe had a few bubbles appear on the rear wheel arch under the paint. As the car is only 8 years old I thought it was a bit crappy that its corroding already. I had a quick check online and read that it might still be covered under warranty. My car never came with the original manual so I'm not sure what my stance is. Have any of you guys had any luck with this kinda thing? I took it to BMW and the guy took a pic and details and said he'll get back to me. Is this a common fault?

I feared this. I've tried autoglym paint restorer, resin polish, wax, I've scrubbed the stuff in and nothing will shift it. Just seems unfair that this mad scaring on the paintwork appeared overnight and there's ##### all I can do about it. Frustrating!! I haven't got £4000 to do a respray. Gutted.

I've noticed recently that my paint work on the bonnet, roof and boot lid seems damaged. It looks like its covered in little dried water marks but on closer inspection it appears that the laquer is damaged. It's as if the car has been splashed with a harmful water of some sort across the top. I've tried a paint restorer and polish but its not shifting it. I'm worries the paint is damaged beyond repair :( And ideas?

Hi All, I polished my car at the weekend and the back and sides look great! Unfortunately the chips all across the front bumper have shown up a treat. Looks like the previous owner used to enjoy driving too close to people during motorway journeys. Could anyone give me a suggestion on the best way to deal with this? Is a re-spray the only way? Quotes? Cheers Peeps :)

I guess no one has ever experienced this? It happened again this morning whilst !Removed! down with rain. I opened the door using the central locking then pulled the door open. The window, instead of just jumping out of the seals as expected, continued down to the bottom allowing the rain an even bigger area to invade! A bit annoying. :blink:

Alright dude welcome to the clube

Ello mate - I've just brought myself an E46 after years of really average cars. I'm rapidly becoming a huge BMW fan.

I'm not sure why but every now and then my window on the drivers door seems to drop all the way down when I open the door occasionally. Any idea why it would seem to randomly do it?

Sorted! lol

Can someone please tell me how to set the time correctly in my E46? I haven't received the manual with the car yet and the time is an hour fast. I'm usually great at working these kind of things out but I can sort the !Removed! clock out lol

Thanks mate! Thats a good price for a double DIN :) I was adamant I'd need to change my head unit and speakers but since I picked the car up I've realised its great just the way it is! The speakers sound great to me and are plenty loud and basey enough for me. I'm over the moon with the car just the way it is!

Alright Chris, Yeah I'm from Birmingham but work over near Dudley. Thanks for the information mate. Really appreciated.

Hi Again, Sorry everyone - As you can probably tell I'm a tad excited about picking up my E46 320D tomorrow because all I've been doing is searching for new modifications and upgrades for it. So far I'm pretty sure I want to upgrade the exhaust system, speakers, stereo head unit and get the engine remapped. Exhaust: http://www.mijexhaust.com/mij-exhaust-system.html These guys quoted me £254.99 for a cat-back stainless steel exhaust system (mid & rear section) Speakers: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rainbow-231588-IQ-Line-BMW-3-series-E46-Front-Speaker-Upgrade-Kit-New-IQ265-25-/281010024847?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item416d80b18f These seem like the simple way to upgrade the door speakers in the E46 coupe so I think I'll try these. Only thing is they cost £229.99 which seems steep to me. I upgraded my speakers and tweeters in a Megane a couple of years ago with some pioneers designed specifically for the car for around £80.00 Head unit: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110943790763 This unit costs £320.00 and comes with an 8" display that can be used for DVD's etc as well. It looks like it will compliment the existing interior and has load of fancy features but I've had to ask the supplier if you can relocate the existing climate controls etc on the dash. Is that feasible? I think I'll be better off with a smaller unit thats more compatible with my iphone but I like the car to remain looking original. Engine ECU remap: I've asked for a few quotes on a remap. Not sure who to go with or how much but I've seen rough figures of £250. + the cost of a full service being quoted at £260 using genuine parts it looks like owning a car I love is going to cost me lol Total = £1,314.98 Any suggestions or help reducing the above figure will be gratefully received :)

I've been thinking about boosting the 150bhp in my E46 320CD by booking it in for a remap. Has anyone on here had an engine remap? Are they worth the £250? B)

Ah ah calm down calm down! :ph34r:

Google! Searched for BMW owners forum B)

That's its - I thought it would probably be the only Mod I'd like to carry out on it. I just don't understand why people pay around the same cost for standard systems from say a kwik fit? I've been looking at the costs of a new stainless system and it looks like they cost about the same as a standard grade steel one...

Ello, I've been doing a bit of research, whilst bored at work, on stainless steel exhaust systems. Is it worth replacing the existing system on my 320D with a stronger stainless system? Has anyone else had one installed? Do they sound OK? Affect fuel consumption? Thanks for any information :)

Thanks for the heads up Gav - Appreciated

B)

Thanks for the info Daz. Put my mind at ease.

Thanks for the replies peeps :) I'll have a google and see if mines got the swirl flaps.

Hi everyone.. I've just brought a BMW 320D Coupe and I'll pick her up on friday. The car has done 75,000 miles and when I asked the dealer if the car had recently had a timing belt changed he said "The belt doesn't need changing for either another 10,000 miles or 3 years". As the car came from dealership to dealership they are awaiting the service history (if any can be found) and I don't really like the sound of "We are waiting for he cars history to be sent to us". Would it be a good idea to have the water pump, tentioner, belts, and control arm bushings checked and replaced and roughly how much would this job cost me? The car is immaculate inside and out and looks like shes been loved but the lack of information with her worries me. Thanks for any help or guidance in advance its really appreciated. Joe

Alright everyone :) I've just brought myself a 320D Sport Coupe with 75,000 miles on the clock. The car is immaculate and I fell in love with her as soon as we drove together. Just thought I'd come on here and check for common faults and speak to other 3 series owners etc. Swirl Flaps? hmmmmm