Buptaboy

But would that get into the cabin when all the windows are shut? It can only be coming in through the air blowers and there is no smell under the bonnet. No signs of the rocker gasket seal gone without taking the engine covers off.

Hi all, Been having this problem a while now where I smell burning oil in the cockpit when crawling in traffic or car park manoeuvring. There is no smell from the engine bay or any sign of leaks. I have also noticed that if I turn the climate control off the smell goes. Any ideas what it could be?? 2002 E46 325Ci

Hi, I changed discs and pads, and handbrake shoes, all round the other week on my E46. As Mike has said it should be same as every other motor with exception of the wear sensors. I replaced my sensors anyway with the new pads just so they were new. A good trader I found online was called mister-auto. Sounds cheesy I know, but I got the same Bosch sets that euro car parts and GSF were offering for literally half the price (£150) as this guy sources them from Belgium. Having to cut short here as family have just turned up but will return soon!

Looks a hell of a lot better, good job! The "wood effect" trim doesn't make me think 80's, it makes me think Rover :wacko: lol

Thanks for the tip! I discovered a few 325Ci's that must've had this problem when I was looking around for one last year, along with rocker gasket seal issue's too. Obviously I bought one without these issues but now will have a lightbulb appear above my head reminding me of this post if it starts happening with mine!!

Did you buy it like this or is this a build up of un-dealt with problems?

Hi all, Think I may have posted in here before but just incase I am confused(!) here it is..... again...maybe? 2002 E46 325Ci 100k Airbag light - OBD II reader came back as passenger pre-tensioner. Not got around to working on this yet but did find a handy tip for passing the MOT with this fault. Remove fuse 10 from the board in the glove box and this turns out the light. It did also, however, stop my parking sensors from working, put cruise control permanently on (but with control of the cruise control!), and the BC button on the left stick stopped working. Replaced the fuse after the MOT and all was back to normal.... airbag light back on :( Corroded brake line in O/S/R arch - Had an advisory for 2 years running now but think this is fairly easy to replace if you have a logical mechanical mind. Have seen a couple of DIY vids and will be attempting this one fine sunny day this year. Windscreen washer jets not pumping spray through - Initially I assumed this was the jet outlets in the bonnet that were blocked, but after poking them out with a needle found no difference (it was like !Removed! with kidney stones!). Looked further back in the system and found that the reservoir had a lot of gunk in the screen wash so I removed the tank and drained then removed the pump to gain access to the micro-filter which was heavily blocked. Cleaned it all out, put back together, now they work fine. That's all I can think of for now, or have found in the 1st year. Any newly found issue's I'm sure to update this string and look for help to resolve!!

Hi all, Any of the BMW mechanical geniuses out there that can recommend the parts needed to fully replace my suspension set? I have a 2002 E46 325Ci and would like to replace all parts at the same time rather than a bit here and there. Other than wishbone's, drop links, antiroll bar, shocks & springs, I'm not sure what else there is!? I'm confident on carrying out the work but need like a check list to make sure I replace all parts. As always, any advice greatly appreciated!

They do a sort of Inspection 2 at Halfords, look on the website as it details exactly what they do on each service type. I only had the basic 40 point check and they couldn't fault it although they did agree that there is an occasional knocking on passenger side from suspension from hard impact road tremors. Gets a bit pricey for the full service but would be a lot cheaper than BMW dealer and is peace of mind if you not mechanically minded! Can't put a price on that really!!

I am bidding on some style 89's that will all need a refurb but am concerned about the overall cost for four wheels. What do you have to do to do it yourself? Is it relatively easy??

Hey black ice, what are you looking to do? Just an oil service or an inspection 1 or 2?

Thanks Daz, but I meant my private gallery. I can't find an upload gallery button anywhere.

Posted on Facebook about it after I dropped the car off and a mechanic friend was slating them saying I would go back and find a big list of things that need doing. When I went to collect my car the guy said he was surprised that there were no issues with it and the engine was in sound condition for its age! £151 for a 40 point inspection and oil service wasn't bad! From here in though it's self service as I only did this as part of the warranty agreement.

Hi All, How do I upload pictures to my gallery? I managed to upload a profile pic but can't work out how to add to my gallery!?

Hi All, I am looking around for BMW wheels to replace the ugly 7 spoke 205/55/R16's that came with my car. The wheels I have currently make the car look laughable in my opinion so need to be replaced but I want to keep with BMW style wheels rather than rude boy aftermarket rims. Trouble is, I can't decide what rims to go for.... I like the style 67's but don't want to come across as a wannabe M3 owner that could only afford a 325Ci. I also like the look of style 68's but as I have no artistic imagination I can't picture them on my car or decide when looking at picture's online if I like the look. And the 3rd style I have found are the 71's but at the moment they are out of my price range. What do you have/ what is your preferences? When it comes to getting wider wheels than the 205's that I have now, do I need to get spacers etc?? Any comments welcomed!!

Hi All, Just wondered if anyone has used Halfords auto centre before for servicing their motor and how you found the service? I have dropped mine off this morning and instantly was disappointed as I was led to believe prior to booking that it would be turned around in max of 3hrs but was told this morning it would be all day! I am only servicing at a garage as part of my warranty agreement as usually I would do all this myself!

I too need to add an arm rest to my 325. From looking around online I think you have to replace the centre console part from the gearstick backwards only. Here is an example from ebay:- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-E46-3-SERIES-ARM-REST-KIT-GREY-LEATHER-/321465243809?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item4ad8d258a1 You will notice that the storage tray compartment in this example is missing as there are variations available to fit in here too i.e. cup holders. I am sure there are a few video's on youtube on fitting without damaging (just remember to use plastic panel tools!!)

check out bmw breakers in bridgend:- http://www.bmw-spares.com They seem to have almost everything you can ever need/want to repair/upgrade your bmw!!

Thanks for the link Bruce but when putting in the details of the car they are not compatible. I bought some from Bennett's yesterday and they supplied me with the wrong one's too even though they took my registration. Of course, I didn't find this out until I had stripped one of the pads out and realised that not only was it the wrong shape but they also have wear sensor's too!

Yeah it looks as though the off centre facia is the only one available in the UK, you can get the central facia from the states but cost including delivery works out about £60 (not including any import taxes!) so looks like my symmetry OCD will have to suffer! I too noticed there is sod all room behind the unit for cabling and couldn't see where I will be able to root the iPod cable. I'm thinking about stripping out the climate control unit and having a play around to find the best cable route solution. With the steering wheel controls you have to get a separate unit to work with the car and head unit. You can get a full set (including fascia) from eBay for around £45:- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Stereo-Fitting-Kit-for-BMW-E46-with-ALPINE-Steering-Interface-Facia-Adaptor-/351085495567?pt=UK_In_Car_Technology&hash=item51be53850f

Hi all, Looking for a pair of Jehnert custom door speaker boards for E46 coupe. Anyone who has any they no longer need please contact me!

Hi all, Need to get some rear pads as the one's on the car I bought are very low. Just wondered if anyone knows of anywhere that's best to buy from and if there are any aftermarket parts they have found better than oem standard pads?

Hi All, Has anyone changed their head unit, speakers, and or added a sub to the system? Did you experience any strange issue's? I only ask as I have heard that the German's like to do some weird wiring within their cars and a couple of mates with Audi's have had problems with rear speakers not working after replacing just the head unit. Also, I want to use the centre mounted facia panel that I have seen pictures of but cannot find it anywhere to buy. Any advice or info greatly welcomed.

Hey, I just bought my 325 E46 last week but have noticed a similar sound when sat idling. I have also noticed what I was starting to think was a bearing sound when driving. Could this be a similar issue?

Welcome to the clan Steve! I made the mistake of owning a vauxhall the last 8 years and finally I plucked up the courage to change to a real car! lol. I had so many problems over the years with my Astra, but what I can be thankful for is that I learnt a lot from making repairs to that money pit of a car, and saved a fortune doing it myself. I too believe I have bought a sound machine that is still in it's toddler stages (maybe I should expect some tantrums soon!) but I have some plans to change/upgrade bits on her and quite possibly take the car modders motto of spending money on upgrades not repairs!