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Thread: Many questions about my new to me 2004 330Ci

  1. #1
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    Question Many questions about my new to me 2004 330Ci

    Hi- I just joined the forum and have already found many answers to questions I had. Lots of sharp folks here, thanks for the great info.
    So, just received for "almost free" a really nice condition 2004 330 Ci Convertible (M54 engine) from a buddy who was getting a new car. Normal wear and tear, not to bad at all. Haven't had a car in many years (drive trucks/motorcycles mostly) so this is a refreshing experience so far.

    As said, car in good used condition, owner had it serviced regularly. I just had my neighbors shop do all the plugs, replaced a bad coil, steering rack was leaking bad, replaced that, fluids, valve cover gaskets, etc. Car actually runs great, love taking the top down for my commute home. Car has 110k miles.

    There's a few things I've learned about, and trying to also figure out a couple things. So the groups help is appreciated with experienced E46 and 330 owners advice.

    First, the car is a 6sp Manual, and the clutch and tranny shift and work well. Do these clutches if not abused typically need to be replaced at 100K? There's no chatter, has a good friction zone, so I don't have any issues, yet. Trans has plenty of fluid to. Your opinions and experience? Any clutch (OEM or 3rd party) better than another?

    Next, and reason I asked above first, is at slow RPM (around 2000-3000) when in gear, I get this bucking sensation when slowly accelerating, which reminds me of a bad motor mount. I've heard it called washing machine buck, and have heard its a common e46 thing. Now never having a BMW, I really don't know. If I accelerate harder, it doesn't happen. Mainly at slow speed low RPM when in traffic on freeway. I've heard it could be; Mass Air Flow unit, possible vacuum leaks, Cam Sensor, all kinds of nits. To me it feels more mechanical like a mount, but there's no clunking or anything, just a shudder or minor bucking. I've also heard some center drive mount or something? Well, what do you say, and what should I look for? Anything related to the Variable Timing on the cams?

    Next up is oil consumption. Again, read some stuff here and elsewhere about the PCV (CCV in BMW talk). Is it true there's a vacuum issue that's causing the excessive oil burn? One fix I've seen is attaching a vacuum line to the spare plugged port near the back of the motor and attaching it with a reducer to this other port mid engine under the intake, O2 pilot mod or something?

    If you have any other advice beyond my questions above, please chime in. I like the car, it's fun so far and i'd like to see if I can drive it around for a while.

    Thanks much for your help!
    Last edited by FastBikeGuy; 09-15-2018 at 12:16 AM.

  2. #2
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    I've heard of clutches lasting far over 100K, depending on the shifting skills of the driver(s). You're prolly good there if there aren't any current fault. I might suggest flushing out the old fluid for some new.

    The bucking may well be the motor/tranny mounts. I did mine around 85K and the left side motor mount was actually in 2 pieces! Both old mount lost about an inch compared to new. If you're not hearing a clunk from the rear, the driveshaft is prolly ok.

    If the issue was coming from the MAF or those other components, you'd get the SES light. You sound like a competent mechanic, I suggest you get a code scanner to help you diagnose the car. Best $100 you can spend. You can het a generic one and use it for your other vehicles too. Tell the wife "It's a tool not a toy".
    Johnny Murray

  3. #3
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    The weak part of the clutch system is the throw out bearing. Mine disintegrated at 100k miles. Seems there’s a PLASTIC ring that decided to come apart!! The clutch friction disk itself had lots of wear left, but I decided to have the entire clutch replaced. Btw, the flywheel is made if 2 concentric tings connected by rubber. It’s called a dual mass clutch. Typically it can’t be resurfaced.

    The 3liter engine (M54B30 in BMWspeak) tends to be an oil burner. The reason is a combination of the low tension oil control rings and the carbonization of the oil drain holes in the pistons. The 02pilot mod works by increasing the crankcase vacuum. Also, some folks at E46Fanatics have reported reduced oil burning when they switched to Shell Rotella T6 oil. It’s actualky a Diesel engine oil but it seems to decrease oil burning.

    The Achilles heel of the E46 is the cooling system. It’s made primarily if plastic. It needs to be overhauled at 100k miles. See Mango’s sticky at E46Fanatics. Never buy aftermarket cooling system parts. Never.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by johnjmurray View Post
    The bucking may well be the motor/tranny mounts. I did mine around 85K and the left side motor mount was actually in 2 pieces! Both old mount lost about an inch compared to new.
    Thanks for the reply! Can you describe what the sensation accelerating from low RPM was like when yours were broken? It seems if the car is loaded up in 2nd gear around 2100-2500RPMs, it happens the most. That's why I believed it was a mount.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by MarcoZandrini View Post
    The weak part of the clutch system is the throw out bearing. Mine disintegrated at 100k miles. Seems there’s a PLASTIC ring that decided to come apart!! The clutch friction disk itself had lots of wear left, but I decided to have the entire clutch replaced. Btw, the flywheel is made if 2 concentric tings connected by rubber. It’s called a dual mass clutch. Typically it can’t be resurfaced.
    Are the aftermarket clutch packs more positive in engagement than the oem? Any recommends on one clutch pack over another? I'm not tracking this car, but I can be heavy on the driving a bit

    Quote Originally Posted by MarcoZandrini View Post
    The 3liter engine (M54B30 in BMWspeak) tends to be an oil burner. The reason is a combination of the low tension oil control rings and the carbonization of the oil drain holes in the pistons. The 02pilot mod works by increasing the crankcase vacuum. Also, some folks at E46Fanatics have reported reduced oil burning when they switched to Shell Rotella T6 oil. It’s actualky a Diesel engine oil but it seems to decrease oil burning.
    Cool, I'll go checkout the e46 group as well, appreciate the tip. I have diesel trucks, so know all about Rotella. Is the 02 pilot mod well adopted and has it been positive in burn reduction for most? Trying to get an idea since it's so simple, just curious if it's the real deal on reduction.

    Quote Originally Posted by MarcoZandrini View Post
    The Achilles heel of the E46 is the cooling system. It’s made primarily if plastic. It needs to be overhauled at 100k miles. See Mango’s sticky at E46Fanatics. Never buy aftermarket cooling system parts. Never.
    I appear to OK there so far. The previous one car owner already changed the Radiator, reservoir, hoses, thermo, and related when the reservoir split. So think I'm OK, gonna review his service records for dates and such. Components look fairly new, my guess is he did 20k ago.

  6. #6
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    Another question I have is about the dash and radio clock. It seems the twisty knob on the lower right of the dash does nothing, almost like its disconnected or broken. I can't set the clock under all the instructions I've followed, and not sure if this is even a serviceable part?

    Also, the previous owner tells me there's a CD stuck in the business radio. Any idea how to eject without ripping it apart? It trys to eject but its wedged deep inside, his kids may have slid coins in there or something.
    Last edited by FastBikeGuy; 09-15-2018 at 10:36 AM.

  7. #7
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    When you need to replace the clutch go with either the factory clutch or a single mass flywheel set up. Don’t go by the looks of the cooling system parts. Watch th system and the coolant level like a hawk. Google “BMW E46 hidden obc functions.” Test #7?shows you the coolant temperature as seen by the engine computer. The temperature needs to be in the 95*C-100*C range. These engines are aluminum and do not tolerate overheating at all. The clock setting “stem” in the gauge cluster is plastic and it breaks. Go to E46Fanatics and check there for the solution. As far as the stuck CD, google is your friend.

  8. #8
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    Fast: Stuck CD is probably one the guy burned himself. They're known to get stuck. Pry up the trim bezel and there is a small ejector hole in the radio, similar to a CD-ROM on a computer. Otherwise, unscrew the two screws securing the radio and pull it out until you can disconnect the plug in back. When you plug it in again, the CD should automatically eject.
    Johnny Murray

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by johnjmurray View Post
    They're known to get stuck. Pry up the trim bezel and there is a small ejector hole in the radio, similar to a CD-ROM on a computer. .
    Cool, thank you Sir!

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by MarcoZandrini View Post
    - When you need to replace the clutch go with either the factory clutch or a single mass flywheel set up.
    - Google “BMW E46 hidden obc functions.” Test #7?shows you the coolant temperature as seen by the engine computer.
    - The clock setting “stem” in the gauge cluster is plastic and it breaks. Go to E46Fanatics and check there for the solution.
    Hey that's awesome, thanks for those 3 great tips!

  11. #11
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    FBG, you describe a bucking sensation under acceleration. Is it a hard contact-type feeling or is it more of a regular surging or pulsation in power with an interval of about a half a second or so? If it's the latter, I've got the same thing in my 330Ci with the six-speed, and I have never been able to find the root cause. It's about the only flaw in the car's performance and it drives me absolutely nuts when it happens!

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jackson42 View Post
    FBG, you describe a bucking sensation under acceleration. Is it a hard contact-type feeling or is it more of a regular surging or pulsation in power with an interval of about a half a second or so? If it's the latter, I've got the same thing in my 330Ci with the six-speed, and I have never been able to find the root cause. It's about the only flaw in the car's performance and it drives me absolutely nuts when it happens!
    Interesting. At what RPM? For me, if I load up the motor a bit by shifting early, it comes on about 2700-2900 RPM's. Very repeatable, and only if I'm short shifting or loading the motor up. Can you repeat yours with those same conditions?

  13. #13
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    The 02pilot mod seems to work for most folks. I am not in favor of it as it sends unfiltered crankcase fumes directly into the intake manifold. Try the Shell Rotella 6 first ya see if that reduces the burning. Btw, burning oil is bad for the catalytic converters. I went the oil catch can route. That reduced the oil burning appreciably. Also, you wouldn’t believe the crap that collected in the can. It was a yellowish, oily water froth.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by FastBikeGuy View Post
    Interesting. At what RPM? For me, if I load up the motor a bit by shifting early, it comes on about 2700-2900 RPM's. Very repeatable, and only if I'm short shifting or loading the motor up. Can you repeat yours with those same conditions?
    I tend to drive the car pretty aggressively (not stupid aggressive, but it is a 330 with a six-speed, so I use it for its intended purpose) and it comes on around 3K under anything over about 1/3 to 1/2 throttle. It seems to damp out by the time it gets to around 5K. The common threads with your experience are heavy throttle and mid-RPMs, so it sounds like we have a similar problem.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by MarcoZandrini View Post
    The 02pilot mod seems to work for most folks. I am not in favor of it as it sends unfiltered crankcase fumes directly into the intake manifold. Try the Shell Rotella 6 first ya see if that reduces the burning. Btw, burning oil is bad for the catalytic converters. I went the oil catch can route. That reduced the oil burning appreciably. Also, you wouldn’t believe the crap that collected in the can. It was a yellowish, oily water froth.
    We've got two E46s in the stable - my 330Ci, which doesn't use any oil to speak of, and my wife's 325 sport wagon that drank oil like crazy. For other reasons (chasing intake leaks), I replaced the entire CCV system on the wagon, installing the factory cold-temperature oil separator. It has stopped, and I mean STOPPED, using oil - it was down less than half a quart at the 3000-mile mark when I checked it the other day. Both cars are on the high side of 160,000 miles. YMMV, of course, depending on the internal condition of the engine. I live in California, which has no sense of humor for owner-induced modifications to emission control systems, so I stuck with BMW-engineered upgrades. For me, at least, it proved to be a good choice.

  16. #16
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    Hi and welcome to the 330 club.

    The bucking sensation you talk about is probably worn transmission mounts and engine mounts. These mounts generally last anywhere from 80k-120k.

    Your clutch, if not abused, can last past 180k miles. Normally you should replace this once you start to feel the clutch slip. It will happen slowly so you’ll see it coming. You can also replace the shifter bushings when the times comes.. your shifter will eventually start to feel loose and even lean to the right.

    The ccv system in these cars also last around 80k-120k miles. Most likely this is the cause of the oil consumption Your experiencing. The parts are made of plastic and rubber so they wear out overtime. The oil return hose wears out and causes the rest of the system to fail.

    My rule of thumb is replace important components between 80k-120k or 180k-220k miles. Like coolant system,mounts, ccv system, belts/tensioner, And guibo flex disk. If you do this your car will last you a long time.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by MarcoZandrini View Post
    The weak part of the clutch system is the throw out bearing. Mine disintegrated at 100k miles. Seems there’s a PLASTIC ring that decided to come apart!! The clutch friction disk itself had lots of wear left, but I decided to have the entire clutch replaced. Btw, the flywheel is made if 2 concentric tings connected by rubber. It’s called a dual mass clutch. Typically it can’t be resurfaced.

    The 3liter engine (M54B30 in BMWspeak) tends to be an oil burner. The reason is a combination of the low tension oil control rings and the carbonization of the oil drain holes in the pistons. The 02pilot mod works by increasing the crankcase vacuum. Also, some folks at E46Fanatics have reported reduced oil burning when they switched to Shell Rotella T6 oil. It’s actualky a Diesel engine oil but it seems to decrease oil burning.

    The Achilles heel of the E46 is the cooling system. It’s made primarily if plastic. It needs to be overhauled at 100k miles. See Mango’s sticky at E46Fanatics. Never buy aftermarket cooling system parts. Never.
    The Rotella oil guys on e46fanatics use is the t6 5w-40 synthetic. They are making the t6 in 0w-40 weight, the weight I use in my m54b25 only I use Castrol Edge. I've got it in my m52b28 too, but those never use any oil.

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

    Gave away my BMWs, driving a VW and an Audi now.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by jmo69 View Post
    The Rotella oil guys on e46fanatics use is the t6 5w-40 synthetic. They are making the t6 in 0w-40 weight, the weight I use in my m54b25 only I use Castrol Edge. I've got it in my m52b28 too, but those never use any oil.

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
    https://rotella.shell.com/en_us/prod...synthetic.html forgot the link.

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

    Gave away my BMWs, driving a VW and an Audi now.

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