[Mister Ton]

Hello everyone! I'm Anton, 17, and I just got my first car. I learned to drive on my dads '03 Z4 (the only car in our little household), and when it was time for me to start looking, every honda or toyota or whatever car I test drove felt like absolute dog crap compared to what I'm used to. I do not feel safe driving a car a twitchy gas pedal, spongy brakes, and vague steering and handling. (Which it seems like every normal/affordable car suffers from)

I found a decent deal on an '06 330i with some cosmetic flaws, and I took it because I love how it drives and the quality of the interior.

Here's all the problems I've found on the car so far:
1. The rear right door sometimes doesn't unlock when using the key or button on the dash, and sometimes the handle won't open for door but sometimes it will.
2. The window on the same door will often get jammed but only when trying to put it up. Turning the car off, waiting a few minutes, and trying again usually allows the window to go back up
3. I don't know if this is a problem or not, but the steering is by far heavier than any car I've ever driven, a little too heavy in fact, and that's coming from someone who defines sporty steering as a basic necessity for a car (Like I said before I drive my dads z4) I just want to know if this normal for all E90's or if I should look into this.


I'd love for you guys to tell me anything I should know about my car. Again I'm a first car owner so I don't have piece of mind about any of this stuff, it's all very very new to me. If you guys have any advice on when to service what on the car after x amount of miles and where (I'm in Cary NC of anyone knows any great shops around my area), what's prone to fail, what to replace it with so it won't be prone to failing (especially if it involves replacing something with an aftermarket part that's more reliable than what BMW) good cleaning products, good habits to keep the car in good condition, how to keep the electronics in working order, anything really please let me know. I know that things break in cars, but I want to make my car as beautiful, perfect, and reliable, and safe to drive as I possibly can because I love it, and that's why we're all here, because we love our BMWs.

[Nickco43]

Originally Posted by Mister Ton

Hello everyone! I'm Anton, 17, and I just got my first car. I learned to drive on my dads '03 Z4 (the only car in our little household), and when it was time for me to start looking, every honda or toyota or whatever car I test drove felt like absolute dog crap compared to what I'm used to. I do not feel safe driving a car a twitchy gas pedal, spongy brakes, and vague steering and handling. (Which it seems like every normal/affordable car suffers from)

I found a decent deal on an '06 330i with some cosmetic flaws, and I took it because I love how it drives and the quality of the interior.

Here's all the problems I've found on the car so far:
1. The rear right door sometimes doesn't unlock when using the key or button on the dash, and sometimes the handle won't open for door but sometimes it will.
2. The window on the same door will often get jammed but only when trying to put it up. Turning the car off, waiting a few minutes, and trying again usually allows the window to go back up
3. I don't know if this is a problem or not, but the steering is by far heavier than any car I've ever driven, a little too heavy in fact, and that's coming from someone who defines sporty steering as a basic necessity for a car (Like I said before I drive my dads z4) I just want to know if this normal for all E90's or if I should look into this.


I'd love for you guys to tell me anything I should know about my car. Again I'm a first car owner so I don't have piece of mind about any of this stuff, it's all very very new to me. If you guys have any advice on when to service what on the car after x amount of miles and where (I'm in Cary NC of anyone knows any great shops around my area), what's prone to fail, what to replace it with so it won't be prone to failing (especially if it involves replacing something with an aftermarket part that's more reliable than what BMW) good cleaning products, good habits to keep the car in good condition, how to keep the electronics in working order, anything really please let me know. I know that things break in cars, but I want to make my car as beautiful, perfect, and reliable, and safe to drive as I possibly can because I love it, and that's why we're all here, because we love our BMWs.

You should have read this before you bought the car: https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1517476

[phillycx]

I should preface this by saying that these are just educated guesses and not definitive answers. Having said that:

1. Rear right door may be a dysfunctional lock actuator or possibly the child lock is engaged(?).
2. Your window regulator may be on the way out.
3. The steering on e90s is noticeably heavier when transitioning back from a Honda, Nissan, Toyota, etc. After driving a rental car or the other family car I immediately notice the difference and it takes me awhile to readjust. I have to say I personally enjoy the heavier steering.

[dakine_surf]

+1000^ to what he said above.

I don't know how many miles are on your car, but it sounds like you need to get reading on these boards... learn to use the search function, most of the questions you ask are talked about over and over on these forums. What is the maintenance history on your car? Do you have records? How many owners? etc.

Based on the widow regulator and door lock actuator issues being present when you purchased it, it would lead me to think that there is more maintenance that has been neglected... but again I don't know how many miles or anything about the condition. Good news is the n52 is a reliable motor as long as it has been taken care of. If maintenance was neglected, you could be opening up a can of worms that at 17 you might not have the means to fix.

If you plan on wrenching on everything yourself, have the tools and the space, then a used high mileage 330 is a pretty good first car. It will teach you responsibility and tons about working on your own car, hopefully spark and flame your love of automobiles.

If you are going to be using a mechanic, then I hope you have a decent job or a lot of money... your first visit to the shop could be heartbreaking... just a few of the neglected maintenance items on these cars can easily rack up a $3K-$7K shop invoice.

[Efthreeoh]

I'll try to help here. So welcome to the Forum. We're all willing to help, but you've not asked anything that has not been asked and answered already, 13 model years out from the E90 introduction. The rear door on your car, I'd check the wiring harness going from the body to the door. You'll have to pull back the rubber sheath to see if any wires are frayed. And you'll have to dig into the door by removing the door card (the inside panel) and looking around for issues. It could be the regulator is on it's way out. All that is a guess.

The steering. I have an '08 Z4 Coupe so I have both cars you've driven. The E90 steering is much heavier than the E85 your Dad has. The E85's electric steering is variable and eases up at lower speeds and parking lot speeds, whereas the E90, without active steering, is quite heavy at low speeds. I think what you are witnessing is normal for the E90, but a check of the power steering fluid level is something you should do. If the green label is missing on the PS reservoir cap, and the fluid is low, Pentosin CHF-11 is the only power steering fluid that is used in the E90. There is a green label that can fall off and reveal lettering that says 'Use ATF" only, but that is just because BMW uses the PS reservoir in a majority of its cars (going back over 45 years or so) and other BMWs use ATF for power steering fluid.

As far as recommendations, searching the Forum will bring up almost any topic you can think of. But you've asked about recommendations but have not provided any information about your new car except it is an '06 330i. What transmission does it have and how many miles are on it would help us give you better advice, rather than us just shooting in the dark. I suggest you become familiar with the owners manual and how the CBS works. Then review the DIY section, as there is plenty of information there to find.

I don't know your level of funding status, but realize that any BMW 10 years old and 120,000 miles past new is going to require an owner versed in repairing automobiles either by direct participation using tools, or familiarity with automotive systems and how they work, so that if you take the car to a third party for repair, you can discuss options for repair from an educated position. It's no secret that BMWs are expensive to repair, and some mechanics will take advantage of BMW owners by upselling unnecessary repairs. Keep the E90 properly and correctly repaired and in reasonable good shape, and it will provide many years of good service. Some people way over maintain these cars in my opinion. My opinion comes from 30 years of BMW ownership and a lot of familiarity with the 2006 E90.

[ctuna]

Real BMW steering is designed for Road Feel not
to be a Video Game .
This used to be a prized feature until to many wimps
complained.
That being you might try changing the Power
Steering Fluid it some times lightens it up some.

[RND1]

Congrats Anton - that's a heck of a first car! I posted on here a few weeks ago if the E90 was a good first car for a 16 yr old and the overwhelming response was the N52 was. So, my soon-to-be-licensed 16 yr old and I are looking for an E90 N52 6sp sport to bring home as his first car.

Since your Dad has a 15 yr old BMW, he should be well versed in either fixing all the niggly things that inevitably go wrong with old BMW's or at least have a knowledgeable independent mechanic who can fix things without gouging you.

It doesn't look like you have a place to work on the car other than in the parking lot? If so, it's still doable, but makes life a little more challenging. Harbor Freight is your friend - save up for a low profile jack and some jack stands and get yourself a set of metric sockets and wrenches.

From what I've gathered here, the main issues with the N52 are oil leaks from the oil filter housing and the oil pan. Both are DIY, but the oil pan requires removing the subframe which may be beyond what you would want to do.

Get yourself an aftermarket obd2 code reader so you don't have to bring it to a shop every time an idiot light pops up on the dash. Maybe one of the experts on here can recommend one as I'll need to purchase one as well. I love my Peake tool for the e36 m3, but don't think it will work on the e90.

Looks like you need the drivers side kidney grill - for oem BMW parts, I like the BMW Mini Parts Store, AutohausAZ, and FCPEuro. If you can afford it go with oem BMW parts instead of cheap aftermarket from autozone etc.

For cleaning, get a clay bar kit and go to town followed by a polish and wax. And plastic polish to get the haze out of the headlights.

[Mister Ton]

Originally Posted by dakine_surf

+1000^ to what he said above.

I don't know how many miles are on your car, but it sounds like you need to get reading on these boards... learn to use the search function, most of the questions you ask are talked about over and over on these forums. What is the maintenance history on your car? Do you have records? How many owners? etc.

Based on the widow regulator and door lock actuator issues being present when you purchased it, it would lead me to think that there is more maintenance that has been neglected... but again I don't know how many miles or anything about the condition. Good news is the n52 is a reliable motor as long as it has been taken care of. If maintenance was neglected, you could be opening up a can of worms that at 17 you might not have the means to fix.

If you plan on wrenching on everything yourself, have the tools and the space, then a used high mileage 330 is a pretty good first car. It will teach you responsibility and tons about working on your own car, hopefully spark and flame your love of automobiles.

If you are going to be using a mechanic, then I hope you have a decent job or a lot of money... your first visit to the shop could be heartbreaking... just a few of the neglected maintenance items on these cars can easily rack up a $3K-$7K shop invoice.

Thank you for the useful info. I am the third owner of my car and it has 182475 miles. I only have service records from the second owner. He performed routine maintenance on the car done by the same 3 places: Wall Auto and Import Performance for repairs, oil changes and fluid checks/changes, and Discount Tires for rotations and tires. I don't know if having services done by the same places is an indicator that the car was well taken care of but I thought it would be worth mentioning to you. Here's all the major work he had done to the car.

Starter replacement 133885
Rear right window motor replaced 146056
Fuel injection 'running too rich' 146620
Power steering pump+fluid 169812
Starter replacement 133885
Radiator plastic tanks and upper hose replacement 174683
Battery replacement in 2017 (This was done by AAA and they didn't record the mileage)

[Mister Ton]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

I'll try to help here. So welcome to the Forum. We're all willing to help, but you've not asked anything that has not been asked and answered already, 13 model years out from the E90 introduction. The rear door on your car, I'd check the wiring harness going from the body to the door. You'll have to pull back the rubber sheath to see if any wires are frayed. And you'll have to dig into the door by removing the door card (the inside panel) and looking around for issues. It could be the regulator is on it's way out. All that is a guess.

The steering. I have an '08 Z4 Coupe so I have both cars you've driven. The E90 steering is much heavier than the E85 your Dad has. The E85's electric steering is variable and eases up at lower speeds and parking lot speeds, whereas the E90, without active steering, is quite heavy at low speeds. I think what you are witnessing is normal for the E90, but a check of the power steering fluid level is something you should do. If the green label is missing on the PS reservoir cap, and the fluid is low, Pentosin CHF-11 is the only power steering fluid that is used in the E90. There is a green label that can fall off and reveal lettering that says 'Use ATF" only, but that is just because BMW uses the PS reservoir in a majority of its cars (going back over 45 years or so) and other BMWs use ATF for power steering fluid.

As far as recommendations, searching the Forum will bring up almost any topic you can think of. But you've asked about recommendations but have not provided any information about your new car except it is an '06 330i. What transmission does it have and how many miles are on it would help us give you better advice, rather than us just shooting in the dark. I suggest you become familiar with the owners manual and how the CBS works. Then review the DIY section, as there is plenty of information there to find.

I don't know your level of funding status, but realize that any BMW 10 years old and 120,000 miles past new is going to require an owner versed in repairing automobiles either by direct participation using tools, or familiarity with automotive systems and how they work, so that if you take the car to a third party for repair, you can discuss options for repair from an educated position. It's no secret that BMWs are expensive to repair, and some mechanics will take advantage of BMW owners by upselling unnecessary repairs. Keep the E90 properly and correctly repaired and in reasonable good shape, and it will provide many years of good service. Some people way over maintain these cars in my opinion. My opinion comes from 30 years of BMW ownership and a lot of familiarity with the 2006 E90.

Thank you so much for the info! I am the third owner of my car and it has 182475 miles. Its the automatic version. I only have service records from the second owner. He performed routine maintenance on the car done by the same 3 places: Wall Auto and Import Performance for repairs, oil changes and fluid checks/changes, and Discount Tires for rotations and tires. I don't know if having services done by the same places is an indicator that the car was well taken care of but I thought it would be worth mentioning to you. Here's all the major work he had done to the car.

Starter replacement 133885
Rear right window motor replaced 146056
Fuel injection 'running too rich' 146620
Power steering pump+fluid 169812
Starter replacement 133885
Radiator plastic tanks and upper hose replacement 174683
Battery replacement in 2017 (This was done by AAA and they didn't record the mileage)

[dakine_surf]

Well that's a good start...

Based on your mileage you might be due for a thermostat and water pump unless it was done by the first owner in the 80K-120k timeframe, so just keep an eye on those things... you expansion tank and URH was changed so that's one part of the equation done. Most likely your car is on its 2nd H2O pump and thermostat. Starter replacement is common on these cars, the one you have in there should do you well for a while.

Check for leaks around the valve cover and under the car on the oil pan gasket. They typically wont show up on the garage floor because of the splash guard, so get under there and check that out. Keep an eye on you oil level and add oil as needed, I'm sure at 180K its burning a little between changes.

[Gamb1t]

The n52 is a fine used reliable BMW. That said it is aging and there will be components that require more attention. Diy for most areas aren't that bad if you have the right tools. If you live in the apt without personal parking garage that means self repair work is a problem. Bringing to a mechanic will quickly escalate the cost to the point it makes little sense with this car.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by RND1

Congrats Anton - that's a heck of a first car! I posted on here a few weeks ago if the E90 was a good first car for a 16 yr old and the overwhelming response was the N52 was. So, my soon-to-be-licensed 16 yr old and I are looking for an E90 N52 6sp sport to bring home as his first car.

Since your Dad has a 15 yr old BMW, he should be well versed in either fixing all the niggly things that inevitably go wrong with old BMW's or at least have a knowledgeable independent mechanic who can fix things without gouging you.

It doesn't look like you have a place to work on the car other than in the parking lot? If so, it's still doable, but makes life a little more challenging. Harbor Freight is your friend - save up for a low profile jack and some jack stands and get yourself a set of metric sockets and wrenches.

From what I've gathered here, the main issues with the N52 are oil leaks from the oil filter housing and the oil pan. Both are DIY, but the oil pan requires removing the subframe which may be beyond what you would want to do.

Get yourself an aftermarket obd2 code reader so you don't have to bring it to a shop every time an idiot light pops up on the dash. Maybe one of the experts on here can recommend one as I'll need to purchase one as well. I love my Peake tool for the e36 m3, but don't think it will work on the e90.

Looks like you need the drivers side kidney grill - for oem BMW parts, I like the BMW Mini Parts Store, AutohausAZ, and FCPEuro. If you can afford it go with oem BMW parts instead of cheap aftermarket from autozone etc.

For cleaning, get a clay bar kit and go to town followed by a polish and wax. And plastic polish to get the haze out of the headlights.

Just want to offer clarification, the oil pan gasket replacement requires lowering of the subframe, meaning unbolting it from the chassis after the engine has been supported with an engine support bar and the engine mounts unbolted.

OP, so you listed some repairs. How about the maintenance items: brakes, spark plugs, air filters, coolant, and driveline fluids?

[mecheng77]

as Efthreeoh said, the most important thing you can do for PM, is to change all the fluids, especially the trans and engine oil. And change the air filters. The car has a monitor for the spark plugs so I wouldn't worry about them. For the wp and thermostat, if its not overheating, leave well enough alone.

The window should be an easy fix, probably the regulator, I had the same issue. It looks like someone already replaced the motor, the motor rarely fails.

If you are not handy, find a BMW specialist. You picked a great car, the 330i was only 1 year only.

[lowrydr310]

Originally Posted by mecheng77

The car has a monitor for the spark plugs so I wouldn't worry about them.

That isn't a smart active monitor, rather the spark plug monitoring function is only a mileage-based service reminder that is manually reset. It's only useful if the interval was properly reset if the spark plugs were actually changed in the past.

My personal opinion on the issue is that if you have no record of when they were last changed, just go ahead and change them and reset the service interval so you're starting with a fresh baseline.

I have mixed opinions about coils. Some say to replace all the coils too if you don't have any record of them being replaced, but others argue that it is overkill. As far as I know the typical failure of coils on the N52 will start out as an intermittent misfire, giving you advance notice of the failure and not leaving you stranded. In my case I bought my car with ignition issues and a constant misfire, which was caused by bad plugs and two bad coils. After a visual inspection of all the coils they were very old and brittle, and I just decided to replace them all at the same time.

[nsjames]

buy bimmergeeks cable/wireless dongle.

setup ISTA/inpa or buy protool.

useful for your dad's car too. factory level diagnostics.

do it now, before you desperately need it to diagnose your broken car.

[Mister Ton]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Just want to offer clarification, the oil pan gasket replacement requires lowering of the subframe, meaning unbolting it from the chassis after the engine has been supported with an engine support bar and the engine mounts unbolted.

OP, so you listed some repairs. How about the maintenance items: brakes, spark plugs, air filters, coolant, and driveline fluids?

I replaced the spark plugs today and the brakes are fine. I'm going to have an oil change done and do a general fluid check/flush sometime this week

[GoRomeo]

Congrats and welcome to the club!

Good choice on your N52. I ve had mine for 13 yrs and going strong...

You may want to polish/restore your headlights. They are in pretty bad shape. Mine used be bad too but I ve used the Maguiars heavy duty kit and works like a charm. My headlights came out like new. Still look great after 6 months.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Congrats!

[Germanian]

Originally Posted by Gamb1t

The n52 is a fine used reliable BMW. That said it is aging and there will be components that require more attention. Diy for most areas aren't that bad if you have the right tools. If you live in the apt without personal parking garage that means self repair work is a problem. Bringing to a mechanic will quickly escalate the cost to the point it makes little sense with this car.

Completely agree with Gamb1t! Using the right tools can improve your DIY skills and save your money in future. Yeah, it also takes more time than taking your car to a mechanic but who can you trust more than yourself!? By the way I have just purchased new socket organizer to store all my tools in one place without losing anything. Guys from this website have the best reviews)