ok, I know where the microfilter is under the hood on the E46. But doing some reading, I am wandering if there is another microfilter maybe in the place it was on the E36. Is there 2 microfilters for the E46 A/C or just one?
the E46 has only 1 microfilter under hood..that is it...I would say that since BMW pays for maintenance for the first 3 or 4 years of life of vehicle,it reduces there cost for labor.
BMW has greatly reduced the maintenance cost for consumer...they heard the cry of the consumer...thank goodness
IMHO, the awkward location on earlier cars was because the microfilter was an addition to an existing design of heating system, which isn't made by BMW. So it had to wait for a total redesign to situate it in a more accessible location.
They've also reduced the maintenance schedule to roughly half of what it once was. Most fluids are drained/filled over twice the interval as before. Transmission and differential? Hey, they're LIFETIME fill (Okay, BMW backed down and now the auto trans interval is 100,000 miles). Coolant is up to 4 years from 2. Brake fluid up to 2 years vice one. No 1200 mile service except for M-cars.
Maybe the car is better, maybe the fluids are better. Maybe not. (BMW coolant is still the same and the penalty for extending the interval is severe.) Curiously, all this happened simultaneously with "free" maintenance.
Probably of no concern for a lease car or any vehicle that won't be celebrating its 100,000 mile with the original owner. But I suspect that using the current service interval, vice the one it replaced, will have its impact on cars that exceed 150,000 to 200,000 miles.
R / John
On my 2003, coolant is "lifetime". Have they now gone back to 4 years?
Doesn't synthetic oil (OEM in the U.S. since about 1999) allow for a longer drain interval?
Actually, the doubled oil change interval began with OEM synthetic oil. "Free" (36,000 mile) maintenance began some time before that.
Tom
Check your service book. Should read 4 years from date of manufacture. Never changing the coolant in an aluminum engine is a guarantee that overheating will occur in its future.
Certainly. But that drain interval is upwards of 16,000 miles on some cars. There're are a number of reports (primarily from V-8 owners who are chasing loose oil pump bolts) of sludge build-up in the sump. Synthetic doesn't lose its lubricating qualities as rapidly as Dino oil, but the additive package still can only do so much. Going to extended intervals presses that capability. Evidently BMW agrees to a degree. They now specify annual changes even if the service interval (based on total fuel used) does not indicate service time.
It's 50K now. That should get you through Oil, Insp 1 and another Oil prior to expiration. For folks with auto trans and heavy feet, it probably also means a free brake service. I'd do the trans, diff and power steering somewhere in the 30K to Insp 1 interval.
R / John
I'm not sure about that, since the additives in the coolant are more to do with preventing corrosion and freezing. Of course rampant corrosion could lead to overheating...
The only coolant service listed in my 2003 Z4 Service Manual is Inspection I (page 7) which calls for checking coolant level, "antifreeze protection level", and leaks, but no coolant change. This was confirmed by the dealer. While the index still includes "cooling system" among the time/100k services found on page 9, that page only lists Brake Fluid (2 yrs.) and replacement of the Oxygen Sensor, Spark Plugs and ATF at 100,000 miles.
Can you tell me on what page the 4 year coolant change is described, as I would love to have the dealer cover it when I have it done.
Tom
AFAIK, there has never been a "lifetime" coolant. Just long-life.
Yes, it does.
--
-Fred W
On Fri, 19 Aug 2005 08:29:11 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)" spewed:
Damn :( I was hoping they'd finally wised up and fixed it in later years of the E36. I'm looking to get around 98-2001 3 series, but haven't decided what yet. I know I want stick shift, 2dr (probably, unless 4dr frt dr size changed), that I like the E36 style much better that E46, and what colors I DON'T want, but that's about it! Oh, well, I do want the side airbags, and head if possible. Limited slip would be nice too, but I think it can be added later. A decent stock sound system would be nice too, as my 94's is HORRIBLE. But, subjects for another post.
-- _____________________________________________________ Drivin a 94 BMW 325is w/sport. For email response, or CC, please mailto:see.my.sig.4.addr(at)bigfoot.com. Yeah, it's really a real address :)
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