Unhappy 330i owners

[kilotango]

i was unhappy with my E46 330Ci during the 3rd month after i first got it. the previous owner really didnt look after it, and i had NO idea about beemers or what i was getting into. at that time/mileage all sorts of stuff started breaking one after another.

i did have thoughts about selling it cheaply to get rid of it quickly, but i could definitely see the potential in this car. so i joined this forum and started googling about all the common issues. i started fixing it up bit by bit when my budget allowed me to... and after a year and a half, the whole car had been transformed. i had literally replaced more, than what could break. after that i used it everyday and loved every minute of it.

that 330 is the car i now measure every potential new car against... because it really is my perfect car. :chef:

 

[individj]

It wasn't called the poor man's M3 for no reason.... 90% of the performance at a fraction of the price( figuratively speaking)

i have 1 and this is not true...do mani & exhaust...X3 diff and its nice..not close to driving a M3 quickly...with that being said the 330i is a lovely cruiser.

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My e46 330i was one of the best cars I ever owned.

Damn Jeep driver!!!!!

my silver individual was written off by a lady in a jeep!

 

[KPM3_30]

I love my 330i, I'm sure anyone that's read my ramblings would be familiar.. That said, I feel the way I do because of the entire driving experience in its totality, everything just works together. Like has been mentioned, it was the perfect daily for me.. So much so, that I didn't think of changing it for 5 years.

I've always rated the 330i as more of a personal performance car, especially since the world of forced induction.. It has enough power combined with the chassis to give you a sense of fun and genuine driving pleasure that is devoid of most newer cars. The power delivery is no where near urgent, rather more brisk. The smooth, deep 6 sound is something I still never tire of hearing and ever since I changed the exhaust system, the sense of theater getting up to the red line is a pretty special experience. Although I must admit that the car doesn't feel as eager to rev as a 325i for example and coupled with the 2.93 factory diff, it's why the power delivery is such.

An M car will always be such and can't be compared to others, simply because ///M. I will rate however that the 330i does a pretty good job as it's baby brother.

 

[VinceM]

I love my 330i, I'm sure anyone that's read my ramblings would be familiar.. That said, I feel the way I do because of the entire driving experience in its totality, everything just works together. Like has been mentioned, it was the perfect daily for me.. So much so, that I didn't think of changing it for 5 years.

I've always rated the 330i as more of a personal performance car, especially since the world of forced induction.. It has enough power combined with the chassis to give you a sense of fun and genuine driving pleasure that is devoid of most newer cars. The power delivery is no where near urgent, rather more brisk. The smooth, deep 6 sound is something I still never tire of hearing and ever since I changed the exhaust system, the sense of theater getting up to the red line is a pretty special experience. Although I must admit that the car doesn't feel as eager to rev as a 325i for example and coupled with the 2.93 factory diff, it's why the power delivery is such.

An M car will always be such and can't be compared to others, simply because ///M. I will rate however that the 330i does a pretty good job as it's baby brother.

Spot on about 325 engines, my little 325ci is the most fun car I have ever owned, rev happy, brisk, doesn’t feel slow, yet again it’s a manual and it’s far more fun driving a slow car fast than the opposite. Interestingly enough, it drives better than my F30 M sport, it sits lower, better steering and road feel, better handling and I general said seems better put together. Strangely so, feels newer than my 330ci, which I guess might be due to renewed suspension items including new bushes and control arms, etc.

My 330ci however has more torque that comes in handy from higher gears. It’s with Gizmo for a refresh (spending half its cost price); hopefully it will feel like a newer car than it currently drives.

Nice thing about costs, these cars are at their last depreciation curve, spending R40k on it, you still get that value back vs a new car which costs more ito installments in 1 year.

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[SubLoaded]

@waynethelame where's the 323i thread? :tease:

 

[Andre1983]

I have say I really enjoy my e90 330i. I can only compare it to my previous cars, e36 328i, e46 and e90 320i. Its absolutely fantastic.

Sent from my SM-J720F using Tapatalk

 

[Blue Shirt]

A contributing factor to E46 330i laziness at low revs is when the vanos seals start going bad, which can happen anytime from 120k km onwards.

My nephew once bought a lazy 330i which was really transformed once we replaced the vanos seals. All the low-down torques came back which improved the throttle response.

One can also reset the throttle adaptations which restores a bit of throttle feel.

 

[Sabre]

Having daily driven 330i’s for the last 9 years, both auto E46 then E90. I can tell you that it’s all you would ever need in a daily.

Both have known issues but they are the same for the 320i. My E90 has the GM auto box and much cheaper to service than the ZF.

Personally the E90 330i is amazing value for you’re money. Hope to keep driving mine for a long time.

 

[kilotango]

A contributing factor to E46 330i laziness at low revs is when the vanos seals start going bad, which can happen anytime from 120k km onwards.

My nephew once bought a lazy 330i which was really transformed once we replaced the vanos seals. All the low-down torques came back which improved the throttle response.

One can also reset the throttle adaptations which restores a bit of throttle feel.

100%... vanos seals, torn intake hoses, fuel pump and fuel filter properly sorted my car out. was like a whole new car after doing those things.

 

[Fordkoppie]

Regarding the throttle.....

An M3's Throttle plate on the engine does exactly what your foot is doing on the throttle pedal. Its brilliant, and like Adi said - Testimony that an electronic throttle can be brilliant.

A 330i throttle isnt. Its retarded. Especially when trying to exercise clutch control in a slow parking maneuver or the like.
The throttle plate on the engine opens itself more when it senses the RPM is dropping.... But it does that just a fraction of a second too late. So you always get this thing where it feels like its going to bog on pull away, and then suddenly the RPM shoots up without you doing anything with your foot. Then it senses that the RPM is too high for where your throttle pedal position is, and it closes the throttle plate on the engine again. The effect of this is always looking like a learner driver..... Pull away, bog, RPM shoots up, car lurches forward, and then dies. :rage:

Obviously one learns to drive the car around this issue, but its plain stupid. The other problem is the transition between small throttle openings and big ones. The M54 intake plenum was designed with 2 runners in each port. A big one, and a small one. The small one is only fed via the ICV, and the big one by the TB. The advantages of this is too much for me to spell out here.

At low RPM, and low throttle pedal input, the engine is solely running on the ICV circuit - In neutral, the engine can spin up to 3500 RPM purely on the ICV. Thereafter the big TB takes over...... And this transition is also not perfectly smooth in every single scenario. And no - its not just my current 330 that does this - Its every single one of the 13 cars I have driven for extensive periods of time.

 

[Tjoppies]

only thing that makes me unhappy is the +- R25 000 i need to get it to a MINT condition...front bumper respray , new foglights, window tint, redo steering wheel and the OCD in me want to replace the carpeting...apart from that she's STUNNING.

sometimes wish for a manual but with the amount of driving i do the auto makes more sense.

speed wise it doesnt blow my hair back , but from about 3800rmp it starts moving real good.

engine/exhaust note - better than the new BA BA GA GA new range of turbo BM's.
smooth as friggin silk.

will take a lot for me to sell , i turned down a R110k offer - only thing that would make change is a 335i or MAYBE a 330d...but even then i'd rather sell the wife's car , let her drive the 330i.

maintenance hasnt been bad for a 15yr old car , about R15k including services.

absolutely LOVE my 330i....it's my unicorn:blowheart:

 

[Fordkoppie]

Having complained about the throttle, this is a small quirk in the grand scheme of things.

Over all, I think its one of the nicest cars that offers a lot of value for the money.

 

[Blue Shirt]

Having complained about the throttle, this is a small quirk in the grand scheme of things.

Over all, I think its one of the nicest cars that offers a lot of value for the money.

Agreed. Besides, the throttle issue is not really an issue in cars with auto gearboxes such as us older people prefer :fencelook:

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Regarding the throttle.....

A 330i throttle isnt. Its retarded. Especially when trying to exercise clutch control in a slow parking maneuver or the like.
The throttle plate on the engine opens itself more when it senses the RPM is dropping.... But it does that just a fraction of a second too late.

Its a pity that the only way to change the throttle response permanently is by hacking into the DME which not everyone can do.

The throttle adaptations can be reset by doing the following steps:

1) Press the pedal to the floor and keep it there until step 6 below.

2) Insert the key and turn to position "2". Position "2" is one position before the car engages and starts.

3) Wait 10 seconds and then turn the key back to position "0", which is the initial position.

4) Once again wait 10 seconds.

5) Then release the pedal and start the engine.

You should now have your throttle response reset. Your driving pattern from this point on will dictate how your throttle response adapts. If traffic congestion in your area forces you to drive conservatively a lot of the time, then over time your throttle response will once again become lacking, and you'll need to perform another reset.

 

[Tinuva]

Having complained about the throttle, this is a small quirk in the grand scheme of things.

Over all, I think its one of the nicest cars that offers a lot of value for the money.

Agreed. Besides, the throttle issue is not really an issue in cars with auto gearboxes such as us older people prefer :fencelook:

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Regarding the throttle.....

A 330i throttle isnt. Its retarded. Especially when trying to exercise clutch control in a slow parking maneuver or the like.
The throttle plate on the engine opens itself more when it senses the RPM is dropping.... But it does that just a fraction of a second too late.

Its a pity that the only way to change the throttle response permanently is by hacking into the DME which not everyone can do.

The throttle adaptations can be reset by doing the following steps:

1) Press the pedal to the floor and keep it there until step 6 below.

2) Insert the key and turn to position "2". Position "2" is one position before the car engages and starts.

3) Wait 10 seconds and then turn the key back to position "0", which is the initial position.

4) Once again wait 10 seconds.

5) Then release the pedal and start the engine.

You should now have your throttle response reset. Your driving pattern from this point on will dictate how your throttle response adapts. If traffic congestion in your area forces you to drive conservatively a lot of the time, then over time your throttle response will once again become lacking, and you'll need to perform another reset.

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You can skip step 1. I have done this many times with the rest of the steps. You know it worked when you hear a click sound.

Sent from my MI 5 using Tapatalk

 

[AdiS]

Yea I gave up resetting the throttle adaptations because they too quickly adapted back to the lethargic driving style that I have in traffic. I would have to reset the adaptations every 2-3 days, and that's just not worth the hassle.

Also, that jerky transition from the ICV to the main throttle that Fordkoppie describes also drives me mad.

But as stated, small things in the grand scheme of an otherwise excellent car.

 

[individj]

do the Racechip Pedalbox thingys work?

 

[Kyle]

Yea I gave up resetting the throttle adaptations because they too quickly adapted back to the lethargic driving style that I have in traffic. I would have to reset the adaptations every 2-3 days, and that's just not worth the hassle.

Also, that jerky transition from the ICV to the main throttle that Fordkoppie describes also drives me mad.

But as stated, small things in the grand scheme of an otherwise excellent car.

Yeah you make a good point, awesome cars if you enjoy them for what they are.

Took mine for a spirited drive last night after a while and remembered why I fell in love with it in the first place. Will miss this car when it's gone.

 

[Tinuva]

Yea I gave up resetting the throttle adaptations because they too quickly adapted back to the lethargic driving style that I have in traffic. I would have to reset the adaptations every 2-3 days, and that's just not worth the hassle.

Also, that jerky transition from the ICV to the main throttle that Fordkoppie describes also drives me mad.

But as stated, small things in the grand scheme of an otherwise excellent car.

Yeah you make a good point, awesome cars if you enjoy them for what they are.

Took mine for a spirited drive last night after a while and remembered why I fell in love with it in the first place. Will miss this car when it's gone.

Yeah I noticed it is up on Gumtree again for R110k this time. You will miss it!

Someone reposted it for you on to one of the facebook groups here in cape town for you.

 

[Kyle]

Yea I gave up resetting the throttle adaptations because they too quickly adapted back to the lethargic driving style that I have in traffic. I would have to reset the adaptations every 2-3 days, and that's just not worth the hassle.

Also, that jerky transition from the ICV to the main throttle that Fordkoppie describes also drives me mad.

But as stated, small things in the grand scheme of an otherwise excellent car.

Yeah you make a good point, awesome cars if you enjoy them for what they are.

Took mine for a spirited drive last night after a while and remembered why I fell in love with it in the first place. Will miss this car when it's gone.

Yeah I noticed it is up on Gumtree again for R110k this time. You will miss it!

Someone reposted it for you on to one of the facebook groups here in cape town for you.

Thanks bud, link?

 

[Tinuva]

Yeah you make a good point, awesome cars if you enjoy them for what they are.

Took mine for a spirited drive last night after a while and remembered why I fell in love with it in the first place. Will miss this car when it's gone.

Yeah I noticed it is up on Gumtree again for R110k this time. You will miss it!

Someone reposted it for you on to one of the facebook groups here in cape town for you.

Thanks bud, link?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/446...85001886649&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic