I love this car

[1bad914]

I bought a 1997 328i last Wednesday. If I would have known how fun these cars are to drive I would have bought one a long time ago. I took it on a long trip this weekend and was amazed at how I felt getting out of the car after the trip, no fatigue or soreness. Besides that the on and off ramps were a blast!
I've driven Porsches and other hipo cars before, some may handle better, but none handle and give you the quiet comfortable ride that this does. If you can't tell....I love this car!!! I

Specs:
Silver 328i w/Sport Package 61K miles
5-speed
Black Leather interior
4 New Michlin MX-4 225/50 tires
I am the third owner, the PO was a friend of mine that had it for 5 years, he bought it with 28K miles and has maintained it immaculately. The car was stored and covered every winter, and has barely seen rain. Part of the deal is he pays for the 60K dealer service, which has been scheduled.

My plans are to add the clutch stop, replace the suspension with a better one and just have fun. I may eventually add a chip and CAI, but with gas at almost 2 dollars a gallon, I'm to cheap to pay for 91 or higher octane. The only issue I've found with the car is the passenger electric seat does not go forward and back, all other adjustments work. The dealer will tell me whats wrong with it at the service.

[blkongry]

You've got a broken drive gear in your passenger seat... a very common problem. The drive gear for my 'recline' is broken. Otherwise it sounds like you got a sweet deal. Yeah, I too went through several 'hi-po' luxo cars before I came across the 3-series, which is where I should have started.

[Ad Hoc]

Congratulations and welcome.

IMHO, I always use 92-93 octane gas in my E36 - even before I installed a chip and even back in the old days when I had my '84 318i. I know it's a little more money, but our cars are fine pieces of engineering and for me, my BMW is much happier with the higher octane. . . . . Unless, of course, you are putting so many miles on the car that it's cost-prohibitive to spend a few pennies more per gallon.

It's going to be close to or at $2 per gallon for the foreseeable future (OPEC is meeting this week to discuss production). I guess my point is - for me - If I'm spending $1.95, I'll spend $2.

[1bad914]

I can't hear any whine or whir when I push the button, should I if the gear is broken?

As far as the gas is concerned, I've only filled it once so far, the next time I fill it I'll use 92, if I see a differnce I'll continue to use it and buy a chip!

I've seen a write up on the gear replacement, I'll find it and order the part, it thats what it is!

This forum is quiet, I've belonged to the 911 and 914 for awhile, those lists are really active in comparison. I guess I'll have to start putting the word out on this list.

I will always keep a 914 around, there is nothing like going into a corner in a mid-engine car and knowing that the rear probably will stick like glue.

[n.10.z]

I read something a couple weeks ago about different octane levels in gas. It claimed that the only function that octane serves is to prevent knocking and that using anything higher than the lowest grade on which your engine doesn't knock is a waste of money. Having said this, and even though I believe the write-up to be accurate, I still use premium even though my car ran fine on mid-grade. I figure the ten cents per gallon is pretty negligible and it only costs me about $1.70 more per week (I go through about 1 full tank per week) over what I would pay for mid-grade. That's a mere $88.40 per year to run the high-octane. I don't know that this is beneficial in any way for my car, but I'm pretty sure it can't hurt.

[blkongry]

Yeah, I've read the same thing about using higher octane... that it is not effective unless you have higher compression, advanced timing, and it prevents detonation (or knock). It just seems, from a layman's point of view, that a higher octane would be a cleaner burning fuel (although I don't know if ocatane rating has any correlation to % of complete combustion). So, if it's cheap enough, go for it.

[abcxyz]

I have a Honda Prelude that requires 91 or higher octane, and I've tried using 89 before to see if it made any difference. The 91 octane went 50 miles MORE on a tank of gas, so I continue to put 91 in my Honda. My 98 328is says on the gas door that the minimum is 89, but I always use 91 just because of the test i did with the Honda...

[ettsn]

Originally posted by n.10.z
I read something a couple weeks ago about different octane levels in gas. It claimed that the only function that octane serves is to prevent knocking and that using anything higher than the lowest grade on which your engine doesn't knock is a waste of money.

Originally posted by blkongry
Yeah, I've read the same thing about using higher octane... that it is not effective unless you have higher compression, advanced timing, and it prevents detonation (or knock).

Not true. In a car like a BMW, the ECU will retard the timing to prevent preignition (pinging) by using the knock sensor in the head. Using a higher octane gasoline will allow the ECU to advance timing higher before preignition occurs. This will avail itself as an increase in power.

The old line about use the lowest octane you can without pinging is for old carburated Buicks and stuff. Not modern computer controlled cars like your BMW. You'll also note that the little sticker on your fuel gauge insists on premium fuel. That wasn't just some sick joke to get Americans to overspend on gasoline.

-Paul

[n.10.z]

First and foremost, let me appoligize for the mis-information. Just goes to show that you truly can't believe everything you read. I don't remember what the source was, but I felt it was pretty reliable at the time.

Secondly, my fuel guage simply says "unleaded gasoline only", it doesn't give reference to any particular grade. Maybe that came about on the later model e36's. I'm pretty sure I did notice something in the owners manual regarding fuel grade, tho I don't remember exactly what it said. I'll have to check it again, but it probably did recommend High-Octane.

Thanks for clearing up the misconception, Paul. Glad to know I was doing right by spending the little extra for the good stuff.

[blkongry]

Yeah... hmm, for some reason I didn't stop to realize the engine management software is continually monitoring and adjusting the system, so it would compensate for quality of fuel. I run premium in mine because it's chipped, but it would probably be a good idea even if it wasn't. Yeah, that old rule-of-thumb about using an octane rating high enough to just prevent knock 'is' probably just for the old carburated American 'lead-sleds'. Thanks for the insight and clarity, Ettsn.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Originally posted by ettsn
... Using a higher octane gasoline will allow the ECU to advance timing higher before preignition occurs. This will avail itself as an increase in power.

Very true--but in this case, I believe that the E36 engine counts as having "high compression or advanced timing".

The old line about use the lowest octane you can without pinging is for old carburated Buicks and stuff. Not modern computer controlled cars like your BMW. You'll also note that the little sticker on your fuel gauge insists on premium fuel.

The bottom line is, follow the owner's manual. If it calls specifically for regular-grade fuel, putting anything better in is a waste. If it specifically calls for premium, putting lower-grade stuff in is potentially damaging in the long-term, or at least will lose you noticeable amounts of performance.

Mom's 98 328is manual specifically states, "Use mid-grade or better. You will notice better performance if you use premium."

--DD

[ettsn]

Also note that European cars will almost always benefit from higher octane fuel. This is a function of design: in Europe, the fuel grades are usually 98 octane for premium, and 91-95 for the other grades. I've never seen lower than 89 anywhere in Europe. The numbers mean their worst available gasoline is our midgrade! I've seen performance increases with higher octane gasoline in almost every German car I've ever owned (barring things like the 1979 Rabbit, of course ).

-Paul

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Actually, Europe uses a different Octane scale than we do. They use RON, "Research Octane Number". We use AKI, "Anti-Knock Index". AKI is the average of RON and MON, and is sometimes written expressly on the pumps as "(R+M)/2". The difference between the RON number and the MON number of a given batch of fuel is called that fuel's "sensitivity", and it is usually between 8 and 10 points.

So the exact same batch of gasoline would be labeled 4-5 points higher in Europe than here in the US. That "89" octane was actually about 85, and 98 RON is comparable to our premium (91-94 AKI).

--DD

[ettsn]

I know about the difference in AKI pump octane versus Motor Octane and Research Octane, but it was my understanding that Germany wasn't only using RON anymore, but also a hybrid number such as ours. Is this not the case? No matter, their commonly available 98 is still roughly 94 for us (Californians suffer only 91 at best) and there are many places in Europe that have up to 106 right in the pumps.

Anyway, the point of my post was that European cars are designed for higher octane fuels. Last time I was in Kansas, I saw 85 octane for crying out loud! Might be fine for fueling up your Oldsmobile, but not your BMW or Porsche!

-Paul

Edit: The 89 octane I saw in Europe was in former East Germany in 1991! Perfectly fine for gassing up your Trabant!

[Ad Hoc]

Well, whatever you use it's all going to cost a little (or a lot) more. At their Vienna meeting, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) just voted to cut production. Good timing, huh.

. . . . Can you say "3 dollars a gallon" . . . .?

[n.10.z]

I'm gonna have to ask for a raise to offset the cost of my commute. Thanks OPEC...

[1bad914]

I just ran a tank of 93 octane through the car and noticed no differnce in performance. I was running 87 before. I'll probably compromise and run 89 form now on.