Welcome! I owned a 2001 330Ci fir 17 years. Great car.
Did you get service records when you bought the car? If not, here are things that should be checked:
1. The cooling system is the E46’s Achilles heel. The consensus here and on other bimmer forums is that it needs to be overhauled every 100k miles. The installation of aftermarket cooling system parts is strictly verboten.
2. Vacuum leaks are common on these cars as they age. They affect how the engine idles. Basically, the engine’s idle speed will run up to about 1100rpm and then down to 500rpm and back to about 1100rpm. The small vacuum lines are the usual suspects. Smoke testing the intake manifold is how you find them.
3. If the car has an automatic transmission the fluid and filter need to be changed every 60k miles. Be advised that BMW sourced automatic transmissions from GM of France and ZF of Germany. They are different transmissions. The GM unit uses Dexron3 fluid while the ZF unit uses a more exotic fluid. The GM unit has a smooth side fluid pan. The ZF unit has a ribbed oil pan.
3. If you have a manual transmission the fluid should also be changed at 60k miles. The consensus here and on other bimmer forums is that Redline D4ATF (yup, it takes an ATF) or a mixture of D4ATF and Redline MTL is the way to go. Use the former is cooler climates and the later in warmer climates. You should use D4ATF as you’re in Florida. The transmission uses about 1.6 quarts.
4. The differential is not a limited slip differential. Only M3s got the LSD. Change the differential fluid at 60k miles. It takes exactly a quart of fluid. I used Redline 75W90 GL5 fluid.
5. The power steering fluid is the most neglected fluid in the car. Some owners experience a broken power steering pump shaft. I think it’s because they don’t change the power steering fluid. You can use Dexron3 or Redline D4ATF. I used D4ATF.
6. Another issue with early E46s is the tearing of the body’s sheet metal where the rear subframe attaches to the body. It seems BMW underestimated American drivers and our heavy right feet! It’s an expensive repair as the rear subframe has to be removed, metal plates welded into place and the rear subframe reinstalled.
Some websites you need to know about
:
1.
www.realoem.com provides you with the part # for every part in the car. Enter the last 7 characters of your car’s vehicle identification number. Hit enter and bookmark the page.
2.
www.E46Fanatics.com is the authoritative website for the E46.
3.
www.fcpeuro.com is the place to buy parts as it has great prices, fast shipping and a lifetime warranty on EVERYTHING it sells including oil!
Welcome to the addiction!
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