Test drove the Acura RL today - a nice car, for $10K less, same equipment, as the 545. Provides an interesting choice. Standard on the RL is a Nav System, heated seats, 6 disk CD changer, remote fuel door release, trunk pass through, voice activated controls, RF key - no key needed in...

Well, after 12 years of mostly problem-free service, my 2000 323 has succumbed to the dreaded "no reverse" problem. Damn it. I was hoping to get a few more years out of it. Now I have to decide if a car with a book value of only a few grand, and is starting to show the first signs of rust, is...

Hi, I'm about to buy a 3 series BMW (318i SE Auto). This is a second hand model and is a 2002 UK model. (The model just prior to the new angular one). I know these are generaly very sound cars. My friend has a similar model that I've driven, when I am in neutral (from memory) the gear lever can...

I've searched the net and haven't found a solution to this problem yet. I own an 87 325iC. Starting about two years ago, with my headlights on, whenever I used the turn signal and completed a turn and it would snap back to the normal position, my high beams would come on. I explained the problem...

What are the minimum thicknesses for an E46 brake rotor & pads?

The BMW i8 may be the cutting edge today - it did, after all, just win our Technology of the Year award - but as rare an event as it is, it's not the first time that BMW has put out an extreme mid-engined supercar. The last time was in the late 1970s with the M1, a Giugiaro-designed, (partially)...

1991 BMW 535i for sale or parts - wrecked.. The car is a 91 BMW 535i, Granite Silver Metallic, 182,000miles. This car has alot of good parts, rebuilt driveshaft, factory rebuilt 4hp22 auto tranny, etc, etc.. I have sold a few parts already such as the front blinker lights, driver's side grille,...

Hello All, New to this BMW group and was wondering if any one knows the cost of a 60K tune-up for a 2001 530i? What are the items that needs to be changed? Timing Belt? Spark Plugs? PCV Valve? Air, Oil, Fuel Filter?

Are there any negative side effects to using 89 Oct gas rather than the "required" 93 octane? How about 91 octane? So far I haven't heard any pinging or knocking and the car seems to have the same pickup. I have a 2002 325i and a 2006 X3. Thanks

I have a -97 E39 525 TDS touring. Last summer, I replaced my old fabric seat covers with brand new leather cover. Nice result and reasonabel amount of work. Original BMW. My only problem is that on the passenger front seat, it seems like it was installed some kind of a sensor mattress, used by the...

I've been having trouble with premature belt failure for a while and can't figure this out. The first belt that came with the car had a section of it chipped off. The belt caused a knocking sound on the pulleys and was removed. I'd checked the idler pulley and they spin smoothly. I'd installed a...

I have a 1994 530i that I recently bought. It's in great condition and I have no qualms about it. (Well, I'd rather have the CD changer in- dash instead of in the trunk, but hey, it's still nice.) One question I have is that there is a wiring harness that goes under the hood liner. Does anybody...

I have replaced the front brake pads on my 98 740il and the brake lining message and brake light is still on. Do they have to be reset this or will they automatically go off when the condition is fixed?

I don't know what is, exactly, but somehow I often can tell the Brits from the North Americans by the way they write their posts... :-))) DAS -- For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling --- "Dave Plowman (News)" > wrote in message

Well, the numbers are just in. In its first month on the market (September 2004) the 1 series sold better than the 3 series here in the Netherlands. The 1 is overall the 25th most sold car for that month ahead of for instance the Toyota Corolla, the Citroen C3 or the Fiat Punto. Both the VW Golf...

BMW won't begin selling the 2014 X5 for another few months, but the German manufacturer has brought the third-generation SAV's configurator online, allowing interested customers to poke around and look at the X5's optional goodies. Like the 3 Series, the X5 is available in a number of lines that...

Looking to purchase a used (possibly certified) 330ix. Are there any "watch-fors" on these machines? How is does maintenance and operating cost compare to a conventional RWD-only model? Thanks

After 2 years I go to get new tyres on the back because the inside of the tyre is down to the limit, the fronts are also wearing on the outside edge, so ask them to do a full tracking test. They have all the latest laser stuff. The test has shown that one wheel is outside BMW specification for...

The exhaust on my '86 BMW 323i is leaking between the headers and front muffler. So while driving slowly and standing still some of the exhaust fumes are drawn into the car. This is very unpleasant, especially since the car doesn't have a cat and is using a lot of oil. I've tried sealing the leak...

Days? Repaired? It takes an hour to take it off and put a new one on. Assuming I used the correct engine for your car, the alternator will cost you about $250 if you go to the parts store yourself and get it. I can't tell what the price will be if your mechanic buys it and passes it along to you,...