Can I get some BMW 3 series advice?

mjt · 13 Jul 2009 at 19:16

Jonnycoupe said:
Thats due to slip in the torque converter for a small amount of time?

I have no idea how a manual steptronic goes up the gears whilst keeping the rpm at a set point so i wont comment any further

the only thing that goes up is the number on the dash. it's weird, but good for making swift progress

Dandle · 13 Jul 2009 at 20:35

merlin said:
The fuel economy of this thing is quite simply mind boggling. It has ED, but importantly it drives traffic with zero throttle - idle speed gets it the car moving totally stall free from 1st gear and you can pop it into 2nd again with zero throttle too.

Your car is a pre face lift so i dont think it came with ED. That was rolled out on facelift cars certainly for the 5 and 1 series.

Django x2 · 13 Jul 2009 at 21:40

He will definately have battery regeneration but not auto start, I think.

merlin · 13 Jul 2009 at 22:01

Will check tomorrow but pretty sure my logbook reads 153g/km which is the ED reading.

Interesting to know though, I didn't realise ED's started with the facelift.

Dandle · 13 Jul 2009 at 22:02

Lucero said:
He will definately have battery regeneration but not auto start, I think.

It wouldn't have autostart anyway as it's a six, did they roll out ED on the 3 series before the facelift then as that's when it has been rolled out on other models?

Jonnycoupe · 13 Jul 2009 at 22:02

Has it got the variable opening radiator shroud then?

merlin · 13 Jul 2009 at 22:04

Jonnycoupe said:
Has it got the variable opening radiator shroud then?

Think that's dropped on the 6 too.

Dandle · 13 Jul 2009 at 22:06

merlin said:
Will check tomorrow but pretty sure my logbook reads 153g/km which is the ED reading.

Interesting to know though, I didn't realise ED's started with the facelift.

I'm not 100% on it but as above that's when the other models got it. It would make sense as well because the diesels(at least the 330d anyway) moved to the new alloy block on the 3 series then too with 245bhp.

merlin · 13 Jul 2009 at 22:09

Dandle said:
I'm not 100% on it but as above that's when the other models got it. It would make sense as well because the diesels(at least the 330d anyway) moved to the new alloy block on the 3 series then too with 245bhp.

Do you know the manufactured date cut-off? BMW print the made date on a sticker/plate underneath the bonnet.....

Dandle · 13 Jul 2009 at 22:12

Jonnycoupe said:
Has it got the variable opening radiator shroud then?

That's not strictly an ED thing as the SE diesel cars have had that for years(M-sports never had them fitted). Brake cooling flaps on SE cars are an ED thing though I believe. The M-Sport 5 series has no active aerodynamics at all, I wouldn't thing the 3 M-Sport does either.

merlin · 13 Jul 2009 at 22:14

Dandle said:
The M-Sport 5 series has no active aerodynamics at all, I wouldn't thing the 3 M-Sport does either.

Correct.

Morba · 13 Jul 2009 at 22:22

merlin said:
The 3 touring boot is far from spectacular. Saloon boot is fine for most, you just don't get the height but I'm sure you actually get more "floor" space. .

i dunno, i dont like the boot in the 'loon at all, also didnt like it in the e36.

3 touring has quite a lot of boot space doesnt it? mroe than the 5 touring iirc.

do like the 3 touring sports, very nice looking estates

merlin · 13 Jul 2009 at 22:25

Need Fox to confirm on the E46 but certainly on the E90 the floor space is smaller in the Touring, but then you get that height.....

Morba · 13 Jul 2009 at 22:29

yeah, loading a 'loon is a nightmare

Housey · 13 Jul 2009 at 22:33

Buy a Ford Mondeo is the answer you're not looking for I think.

[TW]Fox · 14 Jul 2009 at 00:15

NickXX said:
I never ever had this lack of response from low down - I suspect it may be down to your driving, or problems with the cars you are driving.

It is neither - its how the engine works and why BMW introduced sequential turbocharging with the 335d to eliminate this.

Dandle · 14 Jul 2009 at 06:23

[TW]Fox;14472371 said:
It is neither - its how the engine works and why BMW introduced sequential turbocharging with the 335d to eliminate this.

They introduced sequencial turbo charging because to get the high power on the x35d engine they needed such a big turbo it required a lot of exhaust gas to get it spinning up before it would deliver boost, the smaller turbo was added to get around that. Generally turbo diesels dont have great big turbos as they dont need them because they arent required to still be delivering air at high rpms so there is very little lag comapred to petrol counterparts.

[TW]Fox · 14 Jul 2009 at 08:14

The turbo on the 530d is larger than the smaller turbo on the 535d is it not, therefore takes longer to spin up. Whatever, you dont get loads of go at 1400rpm! You still get performance - this is not what the point being made is - its just not quite as flexible at lower revs as the petrol variant. It's miles better than, say, a 2 litre Focus or something though.

Dandle · 14 Jul 2009 at 08:40

It probably is a bit larger than the small x35ds small turbo, I don't know for sure. The engine is producing max torque at between 1750-3000rpm though and that would point to the turbo being on full boost by then.

merlin · 14 Jul 2009 at 09:12

Two things:

1) My car was manufactured May 08, reg Feb 09, bought May 09. I guess that it's not therefore an ED. Either way, the economy is brilliant and I hope it'll only get better as the engine loosens up.

2) Tested turbo spool up in 4th and it starts to push from 1300rpm not 1400rpm as stated. However, by 4100 it's all out of ideas.