Everything Wrong With My 2002 BMW 325i (And maybe you can help!)

"sefeing, actually bought an E46" (sefeing90) 02/03/2019 at 14:23 • Filed to: e46, E46 things, BMW, BMW 325, 325I, BMW things

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It’s been about a month since I picked up my 1 owner, low mileage, close to my apartment BMW 325i, and so far, I’m a huge fan of it. Here’s a picture to catch your attention. I need to take some interior photos. (NO WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH WHOOOO)

Right after buying it, I immediately had an oil change done at a local indie shop, because the P/O only drove about 8k miles in the last 8-9 years .This number is backed up both CarFax, and the METICULOUS service records that he kept. I have all but 2 records that show up on the CarFax - one is for the Takata airbag recall, one is for a water pump & thermostat replacement.

I emailed both of these dealerships to see if I could get the records emailed to me, but got no reply (If anyone works at BMW & would be willing to email these so my records are complete, that’d be amazing).

I Screenshotted the service records that I put into a G-Doc, if you’re interested:

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!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Jerry (we’ve named him) sits at just over 80k miles.

So, on to what’s wrong with it:

Honestly, not much.

The number 1 thing that I want to figure out, is a rumbling between 55-65, that I can feel in my seat.
I had 2 rear wheels repaired after buying the car that had bends in them. The rumbling (it doesn’t realllly feel like a vibration, but must be somewhat) seems to be most apparent when lifting off the throttle at about 60MPH. Below 52 or so, it drops out completely. Since the wheels have been repaired & balanced already, I don’t think it’s them. My guesses are:
Center driveline support bearing (and/ or Guibo flex disc)
Bad tires (The tires do need to be replaced soon - they have almost no wear, but are 8 years old)
Bad bushing somewhere - maybe rear diff?
Front wheels need balancing? - there’s not much vibration through the steering, but possible.
I’d love some input on this one. It got better after the rear wheels were repaired, but I don’t think it’s coming from them.

The P/O claims that the A/C needs a recharge, or has a leak.
This one, i’ve been unable to verify - it might be fine. When pressing the A/C button, the compressor kicks in, and I can see it visually clutch in and spin. It’s been too cold to use the bottle of ACPRO that I bought, and frankly, too damn cold here in NYC to even notice the AC not working. The heat works like a charm, and he had the blower motor replaced once.

Driver’s door weather seal needs to be replaced. Add image credit, source, and caption ( see photo at the bottom - Kinja wouldn’t let me put this in a list.. )
I don’t know how this one happened. The rubber’s in great shape, but I can hear some air leaking through. It’s pretty tight in the rain, but if I pour water right onto that spot, some gets in can this be repaired instead of needing a new part?

The drivers & passenger’s door window regulators definitely need to be replaced soon.
They pop & crack, so I sprayed some silicone grease in the tracks to help. This is a temp fix and I know I’ll need to do this one. I can probably do it myself.

The windshield cowl needs to be replaced
Just some worn rubber. Easy fix that I’ll get to when it’s not 4 degrees in NYC.

I should probably change the transmission fluid
Again, not a super pertinent repair - BMW said these were “lifetime fluid” transmissions, but I don’t believe that. When it gets warmer out I’ll have it done.

I need new screws for the radio
They repaired the business radio volume knob once before I did and obviously lost the screws that hold it in. It’s pressure fit in right now, and I just need to find the part number on these 2 basic screws, and find somewhere that’ll ship them to me.

I’m not sure what this wire goes to... ( Photo below again...)
If you know, pls help. It seems to run along the same line as either the fog light, headlight, or headlight washer. All three of these things still work, so I have no idea...

Passenger fender liner should probably be replace
This one was my fault. I nicked a curb with the bumper.

As previously stated, new tires will be needed fairly soon
There’s very little wear, but they’re 8 year old rubber.

Photo of the driver’s door seal:

Photo of mystery wire - this APPARENTLY is the thermoswitch that activates the heated washer nozzles (the car has the cold weather package). So I guess I’ll have to get a new lower splash shield & sensor + connector Not sure how to figure out which wire goes to which side tho.

Other than that, the engine is smooth as can be, the transmission shifts like a dream and it’s overall a great car. The insurance is lower than my 2004 Civic was, somehow, and I enjoy the car like crazy. I’d love any input you’ve got to fix any of these problems, if you’ve got a few minutes <3 Love ya Oppo.

Future Heap Owner > sefeing, actually bought an E46 02/03/2019 at 14:50

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I think there’s a good chance the rumbling is due to the ancient tires. Since you gotta replace them anyways, I would just do that first and see if that fixes it.  

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > Future Heap Owner 02/03/2019 at 14:55

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yeah, I’m starting to think it’s a definite possibility. I’ve got a trip this weekend, and then I think I’ll start looking around for tires. I’d LOVE to be able to wait until Costco runs it’s $.01 mounting / balancing promo, to save a cool $100 or so

Fyoeu > sefeing, actually bought an E46 02/03/2019 at 14:56

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Nice to see it’s treating you well! Honestly kinda surprised that there’s really not much wrong with it - but the fact that it was well maintained wasn’t previously owned by some kid probably helps - Hopefully you get that rumbling figured out, I’m curious too! Have you asked your indy mechanic about it?

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > Fyoeu 02/03/2019 at 14:59

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I have - he really thought it was the wheels. That helped with the vibration, but didn’t eliminate it totally. I’m caught between replacing the tires, or bringing it back to see if it’s the center support bearing (or both)

I definitely got lucky with the car, the previous owner really was as neurotic as I’d hoped, and had almost everything done at a BMW dealer, and on-time, or as needed, which was great. 

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > sefeing, actually bought an E46 02/03/2019 at 15:07

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I’d recommend new, quality tires and a road force balance. The shop I had my current summers mounted at didn’t use the road  force machine and I kinda regret it (vibration from 75 MPH to 85 MPH or so)

CompactLuxuryFan > sefeing, actually bought an E46 02/03/2019 at 15:26

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Nothing better than a well kept E46 

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 02/03/2019 at 15:26

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Gotcha - yeah that’s a good suggestion, back when I had my ST, I made sure I went to a road force equipped shop 

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > CompactLuxuryFan 02/03/2019 at 15:32

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:) :) tryina keep it that way 

trailscout > sefeing, actually bought an E46 02/03/2019 at 16:00

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Wire could be for auxiliary fan, change fluids I think that is a gm transmission so dexron VI (6), window guides, get 3m silicone paste and lube the entire track with that one a year. Kevin- 2001 X5 m54.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > sefeing, actually bought an E46 02/03/2019 at 16:04

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Seconding this. You gotta start with what you know.

Josh > sefeing, actually bought an E46 02/03/2019 at 20:11

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Nice looking BMW here's my new to me E90

gospeed81 > sefeing, actually bought an E46 02/03/2019 at 21:38

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Rumbling might be front lower control arm bushings

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > trailscout 02/04/2019 at 07:34

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:) thannnk you

Wire’s determined to be the thermoswitch for the heated washer nozzles. Now to figure out where to get the connector that hooks into it, and to order the splash shield + sensor. 

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > gospeed81 02/04/2019 at 07:35

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Possible, but the previous owner already had these replaced 

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > Josh 02/04/2019 at 07:35

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Damn, that’s a good looking car 

Chaplian > sefeing, actually bought an E46 02/04/2019 at 15:55

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Welcome to the world of the E46! Lovely cars, and they will eat your wallet/bank account for dinner if you don’t keep an eye on them. In regards to your issues:

1. Replace your tires, and road force balance them. After that, control arm bushings (if they were replaced with chinesium, they can already be bad. OE goes bad every 40-50k.). Lemforder is a solid choice for all aftermarket suspension parts since they were the OE manufacturer for a lot of things.

2. Don’t charge it yourself. Take it a shop and have it properly charged. There are specific high and low pressures you need to hit for optimum cooling (and E46s have damn good AC). It may also be your FSR/FSU (Final stage resistor ). Easy way to test this in summer, turn on the AC, and if its blowing hot, smack the left knee panel on the passenger side. Give it a few firm hits, and if it blows cold, tah-dah.

3. 3M weatherstrip adhesive. You want the black one, it’ll fix your issue. No need for a new door seal.

4. You can do this yourself. Buy OEM BMW ones (I’ve bought all of the aftermarket brands, I can do this job in 30 minutes a door now. I’ve done it at least 8 times.) and apply the zip tie fix. Make sure you don’t tear the vapor barrier. IF you do, tape it back together with good duct tape. The 3M weatherstrip adhesive is a great way to reattach the barrier to the door, it’s what I use. Use a heat gun/hair dryer to take off the adhesive if it gives you trouble. Replace the red clips that attach to the window/attach the window to the regulator. They cause a lot of issues, and you’re already in there.

5. Super easy fix. Maybe 15-30 minutes? Makes the car look way better too.

6. Change the transmission fluid and filter. Tons of write ups on E46Fanatics. Confirm whether you have a ZF or GM transmission. You’ll be surprised how well it drives better.

7. RealOEM is the BMW parts catalog. It has assembly drawings and part #s/views for everything you can imagine. You can literally build a car using it. Bookmark it, worship it, love it.

8. No idea, my car also has the cold weather package, and I don’t remember that being there. Might be a heater for something.

9. You live and you learn. It’s like $30 on Amazon or eBay.

10. Replace your tires sooner rather than later.

Another thing, replace your cooling system yesterday. I went through your service records, and there is no concrete evidence on the water pump, hoses, and expansion tank being replaced. Keep your radiator for now, unless you’re going to be doing tons of miles. Expansion tank, Modine/Cool Xpert makes the OE one, and that is the brand I would go with/went with . Behrs are known to crack occasionally. Water pump, OE is cheap, Saleri is also the OEM IIRC. I would personally replace the thermostat too, since you’re already going to be in there. Avoid URO at all costs, everything they make it garbage. I try to buy everything from FCP Euro since they have lifetime warranty on all components.

Is your coolant blue? In that case, it’s OE, and that’s what you should stick with. Zerex G05 (it’s ford’s gold coolant) is also good stuff, and that’s what I run. More readily available. Replace your coolant cap with an E30 expansion tank cap so it vents at a lower pressure.

Your shocks/struts are probably dead. Probably doesn’t feel like it, but they’re probably dead. Rear shocks are an easy job, front struts are not too bad either. I’m a firm believer in Bilsteins. The rear springs are known to crack and break off a ring, so watch out for that. Engine mounts are fluid-filled and probably near end of life, so keep an eye out for them. If you feel the car shake at idle, that’s it, or if you see fluid leaking. If your rear end feels like a mess, your rear trailing arm bushings are probably gone. Not too bad of a job either.

Keep an eye out for oil leaks, there’s myriad of them. Oil filter housing gasket is very common. $5 gasket, 3-4 hour job. Valve cover gasket likes to seep also. Vanos oil feed hoses like to fail, and those aren’t too hard to replace either.

Replace your fuel filter also. Forgot about that. If the fuel pump dies, no need for a tow. It’s about $100-120 for OE or the OE manufacturer, and all you do is pop the rear seat cover off. Not a hard job.

The tail lights are known for burning up their grounding wire since its gauge is inadequate, so make sure that recall has been done. If it hasn’t, there’s an easy fix where you just add the extra wire yourself.

If the car has trouble starting, it’s probably your crankshaft or camshaft position sensors. Kind of a pain to replace depending on their position, but mostly an easy fix.

I’ll probably remember more and post later. If you have any questions, I’d love to help. I’ve touched just about every bolt on my E46, and have ran into most issues.

Buy an OBD2 reader that’s compatible with canbus! They’re lovely cars, just need some love and attention. 

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > Chaplian 02/04/2019 at 20:35

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Thank you thank you thank you for this write up man - seriously.

Understood about the cooling system. There’s 2 records that I don’t have that I believe are related, but I don’t think he had the expansion tank done.

Water pump & thermostat have definitely been done - i think it’s only the expansion tank that hasn’t.

He definitely had the oil filter housing done + valve cover so that’s good, along with the recall for the wiring harnesses in the rear (and airbags, but that’s just about every car now, haha), and had the lower control arm bushings done at a BMW dealer. 99% of the work he had done was at a dealer, so the parts give me some confidence there for sure.

Deffffinitely going to do the window regs by myself once it’s a bit warmer here consistently in NYC - what did you pay for the OEM part? FCP looks like they’re about 150 each, right?

The weather seal I think I’ll actually need to replace, it’s not un-glued, but rather pinched, due to the rain gutters (on both sides, woof) being slightly broken / worn. I wonder if I can re-use those if i buy the clips, or if they’re toast. Both rear door sides are missing, which is apparently pretty common, this is the one thing I’m surprised that the P/O didn’t take care of, but maybe it didn’t bother him much.

Re: the A/C- he had the final stage resistor replaced already - I was under the impression this was just for the blower motor though? Didn’t realize it effected the A/C system. The compressor spins no problem, engages & disengages w/ the button, so I’m wondering if there’s a leak somewhere (possible), or if it really does just need a recharge, or some major overhaul- will probably take your advice here and bring it to a shop.

Figured out that frayed wire goes to that thermo-switch for the heated washer nozzles, I’ll replaced that when I replace the splash sheild

Re-reading your post over and over, seriously thank you!

Chaplian > sefeing, actually bought an E46 02/04/2019 at 22:35

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No problem at all! In case of your cooling system, your expansion tank mounting bracket will probably break/shatter when you yank out the expansion tank. These cars also have a separate thermostat for the automatic transmissions, which will also break when you pull out the expansion tank, so I recommend replacing both while you’re in there.

$150 per reg sounds about right, if you google FCP Euro and look at the shopping tag, you should see a 5% discount code/coupon that you can apply. It’s worth the money, plus if they go bad, lifetime warranty! The window clips are part # W0133-183210.

In terms of your gasket being pinched and the rain gutters, I actually don’t think I have that issue (knock on wood) so I can’t help you out too much there. I would try to hit the seal with gummi-pflege (BMW’s recommended rubber conditioner) and seeing if you make maybe coax it back into life.

My FSR went out and was causing those very interesting symptoms, so that may be more anecdotal. My AC was actually overcharged by the PO I think, so when the shop vacuumed some out, it was perfect.

Good catch on the frayed wire! I actually disabled/capped off my headlight washers because they kept breaking and leaking. I’ll fix them one day.

Oh, you should also look into buying the Bentley Manual for E46s, super helpful to have on hand.

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > Chaplian 02/05/2019 at 06:27

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Awesome. The Bentley manual I found somewhere online, so I’ve downloaded the whole thing. Is there an OBDII cable you’d recommend? I’m getting the BMW Scanner software loaded up on an old PC, but know a K+DCAN cable is required (so you don’t have to bridge pins). There’s a bunch on amazon, wanted to see what you’re using. 

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > Chaplian 02/08/2019 at 06:59

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Any chance you’ve done your motor mounts? I’m honestly wondering if that may be contributing to the noise. At first glance, they’re not super worn, but sitting at a stoplight I definitely feel some significant vibrations through the steering wheel. Looks like a fairly easy job, if I’m right?

Chaplian > sefeing, actually bought an E46 02/14/2019 at 21:00

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Sorry, never got these notifications! I’ve done motor mounts, not a bad job. Harbor freight has an engine bar that is nice, costs about $75 I think. I used that, some jack stands, extensions, a univeral-joint socket.