Ashtray: BMW E46 330CI Thread.

[Split_Pin]

Just been out for a run in this along some back roads, it is driving very nicely just now, think I might hold onto it for a bit!

 

I also discovered, no surprise though, that it has the same hidden menu function as the 75. Handy for checking the coolant temperature when there's no guage!

[Split_Pin]

About 50% of the cars I buy have had a stuck open thermostat so I wanted to run the fancy hidden menu on the way to the station this morning. Sure enough the engine struggled to reach its maximum temperature of 71 degrees. It's leaking anyway so a replacement is on the cards. It looks pretty easy to access too.

[JakeT]

Classic, they all seem to do it. They also have a heated element to open the thermostat when you floor it. They usually die and set a code. You’re right they’re easy to do, only issue will be the quick fit hoses which are a git to remove.

[Split_Pin]

The Audi has the same quick* fit hoses which were a joy*, so looking forward to that!

Quite pricey for a thermostat, I went for middle of the road at £75 posted.

[grogee]

14 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

Just been out for a run in this along some back roads, it is driving very nicely just now, think I might hold onto it for a bit!

 

I also discovered, no surprise though, that it has the same hidden menu function as the 75. Handy for checking the coolant temperature when there's no guage!

There is no gauge... but have you noticed the red line move slightly clockwise as the engine heats up?

Thanks, BMW. Fat lot of use that is. 

[Split_Pin]

25 minutes ago, grogee said:

There is no gauge... but have you noticed the red line move slightly clockwise as the engine heats up?

Thanks, BMW. Fat lot of use that is. 

This has markers before the red line which don't fully disappear when the car is warm. This prompted me to investigate using the hidden menu.

[grogee]

5 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

This has markers before the red line which don't fully disappear when the car is warm. This prompted me to investigate using the hidden menu.

They went to the trouble of engineering a clever* movable red line which is less useful than a temp gauge yet just as much effort to produce... 

[SiC]

2 minutes ago, grogee said:

They went to the trouble of engineering a clever* movable red line which is less useful than a temp gauge yet just as much effort to produce... 

They discarded that movable rev limit indicator on the E9x, but didn't put in a temp gauge either. But they did keep that useless instantaneous mpg gauge which would be much more useful as a temperature gauge. 

 

[Split_Pin]

5 minutes ago, SiC said:

instantaneous mpg

999mpg down a hill 😂

[cort16]

Why would you ever need a temp gauge or a dip stick especially with their highly robust cooling and oiling systems that never leak*. 

I thought it was weird that my 7 series had both when lower range cars didn't. You'd think the fancier the car the less interested you'd be in such things.

[Split_Pin]

20 minutes ago, cort16 said:

robust cooling and oiling systems that never leak*. 

I think they were going for the old 'If it leaks, there's fluid in it'.

[SiC]

2 hours ago, cort16 said:

I thought it was weird that my 7 series had both when lower range cars didn't. You'd think the fancier the car the less interested you'd be in such things.

Could be different demographics on higher end cars. I know Mercedes in recent years have put the latest tech and interfaces on their low end cars as options first rather than the S-Class, as the customer tends to be more tech savvy and willing to accept novel new stuff.

[Split_Pin]

The replacement thermostat came this afternoon so after work I wasted no time in fitting it.

Old one was leaking from everywhere and it wasn't working properly either.

Correct.

Nice and clean in there which is great.

New one on and no leaks so far.

Quote a fiddly job as the bottom 2 10 mm bolts are hidden and I had to do everything blind. 

[SiC]

Had a look at mine last night.

Pretty scanky too. 

However it's holding the right temperature on the thermostat when warm (at least I presume 90c is correct), so I'm a bit loathed to change it right now. 

Presumably the crustiness around that connector is probably what triggers the thermostat heater code occasionally on mine.

 

Was there a date code in the plastic of your old one? I wonder/suspect it's probably original to the car?

[Split_Pin]

6 minutes ago, SiC said:

Had a look at mine last night.

Pretty scanky too. 

However it's holding the right temperature on the thermostat when warm (at least I presume 90c is correct), so I'm a bit loathed to change it right now. 

Presumably the crustiness around that connector is probably what triggers the thermostat heater code occasionally on mine.

 

Was there a date code in the plastic of your old one? I wonder/suspect it's probably original to the car?

I didn't check the date on it but given its on only 102k miles, I'd say it was original. I check the temperature via that hidden menu, quite handy for stuff like this, I use it on the 75 as well 😁

[SiC]

I didn't check the date on it but given its on only 102k miles, I'd say it was original. I check the temperature via that hidden menu, quite handy for stuff like this, I use it on the 75 as well

I need to find it on my E90. There is some code that I need to figure out to enter to get to it.

My Z4 has a temperature gauge thankfully! Not that it's much more use as it's in the middle from 75c+. I believe it stays there until it pretty much smokes itself.

[Split_Pin]

@SiC

 

 

Coolant is menu 7 option 0 (I.e. don't press any more when you get to menu 7) 

They should all be the same.

[IronStar]

19 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

The replacement thermostat came this afternoon so after work I wasted no time in fitting it.

Old one was leaking from everywhere and it wasn't working properly either.

Correct.

Nice and clean in there which is great.

New one on and no leaks so far.

Quote a fiddly job as the bottom 2 10 mm bolts are hidden and I had to do everything blind. 

No puddle underneath? No coolant consumption so far? 

[Split_Pin]

Not yet but I haven't gone far.

[Split_Pin]

I went over to my mum's tonight which is a 40 minute drive on a mix of roads. There and back the car seemed to be running a bit warm, between 96 and 100 degrees to be exact. It seemed quite happy at that.and didn't go any higher regardless of load or speed.

I checked the old thermostat and right enough it's stamped 97 degrees so it's running as it should.

Still seems a weirdly warm temperature to run at but it is correct.

It's was also definitely the original.

[SiC]

I wonder if mine is running at bit cold at 90c...

I've got a feeling that I read these run warmer deliberately. When it needs to cool the engine down during high performance periods, it heats up the thermostat to open it further. (Which was to do with one of the codes you were having to begin with)

[Bren]

On my 545 the stat did not open until 105 deg. All to get the emissions lower but all it does is degrade the plastic and rubber.

[Split_Pin]

Just now, Bren said:

On my 545 the stat did not open until 105 deg. All to get the emissions lower but all it does is degrade the plastic and rubber.

Best not to drive with the hidden menu on number 7 😳

[horriblemercedes]

On 11/07/2024 at 09:48, SiC said:

They discarded that movable rev limit indicator on the E9x, but didn't put in a temp gauge either. But they did keep that useless instantaneous mpg gauge which would be much more useful as a temperature gauge. 

 

And it shows oil temperature on the M3! So someone there clearly thought the instant fuel economy readout was not that important...

[Split_Pin]

I took this on a family trip down to New Lanark today. Although it's only a 60 mile round trip it goes through lots of little towns with traffic lights so it normally takes just over an hour each way. It drove exceptionally well. Now that I know it's getting up to temperature and the gearbox now works properly, I can really enjoy the 6 cylinder soundtrack.  There are no knocks from the suspension and there aren't even any trim rattles.

29.7 mpg average was achieved which is good going for a large petrol automatic. It's only a tad better than the Saab but I always remember I'm not paying £60 per month to tax it 😂

[Split_Pin]

As reported elsewhere, @Spiny Norman, @Jazoli, @aldo135 and I met in a Burger King car park to participate in an Anglo-Scottish German car swapping in Glasgow saga.

Alan was buying my E60, Ian was buying his Polo, David was buying Ian's SLK and I bought David's E46.

I arrived early so sat outside Starbucks with a flat white in the sun. I am taking a week's break from work, it was lovely and roasting and I was waiting on my new convertible. I was happy.

We all had a catch up and went our separate ways. I got stuck in a massive tailback in Glasgow but the temp guage never moved and the car behaved perfectly on the way back. 

It's very loud though and it's definitely lowered. If you drove over a coin you'd know whether it was heads or tails. A big difference from the wafty 5er. I've owned cars with coilovers and lowering springs in the past so it was familiar.

However, one of these is on on my bucket list so it must be done.

Got home and gave it a deep clean inside. Quite a bit of beach was inside together with about a years worth of receipts! David repaired and redyed the front seats and they look perfect, really nice.

I ordered some 5w30 which comes tomorrow, hopefully I'll get the oil changed on Friday.

I couldn't open the bonnet but a quick message to the PO and I got the technique right.  The catch was seized so I sprayed it with WD40, worked it and then silicone. The bonnet now opens without the need for a special procedure.

I checked the coolant and it needed a top up. I couldn't see what colour it was so extracted some with my hygrometer. 

Almost complete plain water but on the plus side it was super clean. I removed as much as I could, added some blue coolant, ran the engine for a bit and repeated. I'll do this a few more times and we should be grand.

As the air filter was in the boot I changed that out.

Looks tiny on the drive beside all the other, newer cars. The design shows its age here.

It really needs the bumper and bonnet painting, the rest of the car is quite clean so possibly worth doing.

[Jazoli]

I’m glad you like it, it’s probably the only car I have sold on here that I haven’t touched at all and only opened the bonnet to top up the screen wash, it’s funny how you think it’s hard as I thought it was really compliant and rode better than my wife’s new Captur, like the Saab before it that also had a standard exhaust but was quite loud, I know the quiet flap was disabled by NM as it was seized, it’ll be interesting to see what you do with it, you’ve made a good start.

I’ve got the rest of the leather dye for the back seats and a new bonnet badge here I forgot to pick up off the table, if you WA me your address I’ll send it up and I’ll pm you a link for all the BMW tools such as INPA and NCS expert.

[Split_Pin]

Cheers David, much appreciated, a new badge was going to be next in my list!

[Schaefft]

Great to see this one continuing to receive some tlc. I know 330ci were cheap for a long time and automatic convertibles are hardly the most desirable variant of the E46 but there is no reason these should be cheaper than their E36 counterpart.

[IronStar]

Great cars those. A friend drove one for a few years, I distinctly remember it having autobox on a slow side, but also being deceptively fast because of it. 0-driver’s license revoked speeds much faster than you realize. It was very reliable (other than leggy-when-bought autobox blowing up, and being rebuilt at 1k€), so I hope it serves you well.