Any E46 M3 Owners Out There?

[cegerer]

I'm selling my Cayenne (due to high mileage) and am considering a new BMW M3. Damn, these things are fast (0-60=4.8)! And the sequential manual gearbox is incredible.

This will be my daily driver and I'll put about 50,000 miles per year on it. My primary concern is the combination of rear-wheel-drive and snow! Haven't done that since my musclecar days many moons ago. I've heard that they actually handle snow quite well due to traction control and as long as you put a good snow tire on (i.e. Nokians, Blizzaks). There're probably only 10 days per winter where I actually have to drive thru any kind of accumulated snow.

Anybody have any winter driving experience in an M3? -- Curt

[RANDY P]

www.e46fanatics.com

Wouldn't be too concerned with the drivability, but reliability. Do some surfing there.

Good luck.

[SLO-BOB]

I don't own one, but I'm an active BMWCCA member so I come across them often. Seems like a great car, but the engine problems, which supposedly have been cured on the brand new ones, still scare me.

Just read of another (the second) recall on the S54 engine. Seems the cure is a new engine management system tweak that drops red-line from 8k to 7.5k in first gear. Also, SMGII is glitchy at cruising speeds-great on the track. Hold out for SMGIII if you can. Also, the next gen M3 is due out soon and it will make the value of an E46 M3 drop like a stone as it promises to be far superior in speed, handling, and reliability. Unfortunately, it will also be a Bangled version of the current M3 which is a shame. Think little 5 series.

With traction control and the right rubber you'll find the E46 platform acceptable at best. Not great by any measure when compared to any front/all wheel drive car. If you want a great car that will hang with the E46 M3, look no further than the E46 330pp. It is very close and in the right hands, with a few minor mods, can hang with the M3-even on the track. You just have to get used to 4 doors. This is THE car for BMW buyers in the know. Shhhh.

[Adam]

New or Used, Curt?

I would assume most used M3s would have been cured of this malady by now.

Awesome little cars, though...

[cegerer]

Engine problems? Yikes. Guess I need to do some more research. I've seen the spy photos of the next generation M3 - don't like the looks of it myself. Plus, I'll only have this for about 1 1/2 years.

The E90 looks to 'Saturn-ish' to me?!



E46 looks good:

[cegerer]

Thanks for that link Adam. Probably going to buy new 2005. But if the right deal came up on a low-miles '04, who knows.

[cegerer]

Sebring - what is a 330pp? I see only a 330ix and 330Ci on the BMW website - both with a measly 225HP motor.

[RANDY P]

Constant problems with SRS faults, broken window regulators, lower control arm failures, possible torn rear subframe. DSC glitches, etc. etc. A lot of guys don't like the traction control in the snow. Makes the car jerky and slides a lot more with it.

Didn't discover all of this until I bought my 328 and started surfing sites. Wishing I hadn't at this point.

Hate to say it, but the E46 has to be one of the least reliable, and in some cases it can be dangerous.

Make sure you get a GOOD warranty.

rjp

[RANDY P]

I think Sebring is referring to a "ZHP" -

Sport package. Slightly more radical cams, (+10 hp) sport seats, and slightly different springs)

Cams, that's right. VANOS failures -60K.

[cegerer]

Looks like the engine problems were pre-2003?????

I haven't pulled the trigger on this thing yet. Just trying to get more info right now. And you guys are doing a good job of it. Thanks.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Any thought to an Audi S4? Quattro for the snow, and performance that is close to the M3, with flawless fit and finish. The E46 is a incredible car, but all the reliability issues scare me, they seem a little too high strung.

[cegerer]

Yeah, the S4 is a great car. Maybe a better car for what I need. But the styling is bland. Maybe that shouldn't matter? But I really like the aggressive look of the M3. That, and the high-strung racer nature. I should probably go do something stupid like take an S4 for a drive ....

[nostatic]

an S4 would likely cure you of the M3 thing. No substitute for awd in bad conditions. 340hp 4.2L V8. That should work...

[cegerer]

Yeah, well the closest BMW and Porsche dealers are 1 hour away. There's an Audi dealer 1/2 mile from my office. That would just be too easy. Too bad the new RS4 won't be out for a while yet - around 425HP I think.

[rammstein]

Quattros in the snow are actually more fun than on dry pavement. Worth considering in Michigan.

[bluebullet]

I worked on quite a few M3s up until 2002. Lot of problems with the SMGs (my friends car used to idle surge then shut off in the middle of traffic, and the car wouldnt start and the shifter would lock itself. You had to wait 15 minutes to turn the car back on again). I heard horror stories too of people breaking in their M3s and consuming 8-10 quarts of oil in the process, and burning quite a lot of oil when broken in already.

Dont they have plastic oil pump gears too?

I used to do H&R coilovers for M3s...we used to break the adjustable perch in the rear all the time due to the design and that the spring doesnt sit on the perch straight....use to crack them in half.

[Halm]

Curt, We went through this exact exercise last July. Look hard at an Audi S4. My wife bought one last summer and it is so good, it has changed the way I think about cars. With Quattro, snow will not be an issue.

PM me with your phone number and I'll give you more details.

[project935]

S4 Avants (the wagon) are kinda quirky cool too.

[cegerer]

I test drove an S4 this morning. Very nice. Very fast. It's on the short list.

Other than 911's, every vehcile I've owned for the past 20 yrs. has been AWD. The M3 would be a big change ....

[RANDY P]

Originally posted by bluebullet
I worked on quite a few M3s up until 2002. Lot of problems with the SMGs (my friends car used to idle surge then shut off in the middle of traffic, and the car wouldnt start and the shifter would lock itself. You had to wait 15 minutes to turn the car back on again). I heard horror stories too of people breaking in their M3s and consuming 8-10 quarts of oil in the process, and burning quite a lot of oil when broken in already.

Dont they have plastic oil pump gears too?

I used to do H&R coilovers for M3s...we used to break the adjustable perch in the rear all the time due to the design and that the spring doesnt sit on the perch straight....use to crack them in half.

Bluebullet - you have a PM.

REgarding my SRS light and fasten seat belt light

Anyone else out there who's reading this and has tinkered or had the problem I'm hinting at feel free to PM me.

Never worked on an Airbag system before..