Last week I went to look at a nice low mile, well equipped(Sport pkg. Premium pkg., Cold Weather pkg.) CPO 2007 328i 6 speed manual coupe that had caught my eye online at a generally well regarded BMW dealer in D/FW, and due to the excellent financing now available on BMW CPO cars, I ended up driving it home on Friday the 16th. I have not owned a BMW since the mid '90s, so please forgive me for not being completely up to date on these cars, even though I have subscribed to many car magazines since I was a kid. I read car magazines, forums, automotive websites, and watch videos about cars regularly. This is my 17th car, and second bimmer, and I am very happy to own such an automobile. In the past I have been a PCA member, and also have been very active on SAAB forums such as SAABCENTRAL, where my user name is also Rennsport1. I've owned two SAAB Turbos in the last few years. The dealer where I bought my 328i coupe, Moritz BMW in Arlington, just west of my home in Dallas, has the car presently to make a few adjustments that I requested, and to get it prepped for a proper delivery. I will make sure to take lots of pics when I go to pick it up in a few days. Among other things, they are buffing the paint on Tuesday to get out a small shallow surface scratch that I noticed on the front driver's side front fender, and soon it should be gone. I do have a few questions, such as how long should I expect the clutch and brake pads to last in a 328i ? I do a bit more city than highway miles, I like to drive, but I don't sidestep the clutch or drag race. I am not planning any substantial mods, except possibly a K&N air filter(just the air filter, not a whole intake mod) if that is a good idea, and does not affect my warranty?). I am also considering running Motul 300V oil, or Amsoil. Which oil brand and grade do these cars come with from the factory ? Should I have any warranty issues if I get the oil and filter changed outside of the dealer ? I am also planning on adding a Clear Mask/Clear Bra very soon to protect my 328i, like I had on my last car(2008 SAAB 9-3Aero SS LP9 V6Turbo). Since my oil was just changed during the CPO certification process, when should I expect the next indication warning that the car will need fresh oil/filter ? Although I will probably not wait more than 7500 miles to have that done, I believe in keeping the oil and filter fresh, as well as only using top tier fuel (of course my SAAB TURBOs were kept on a strict diet of Shell V-Power or Quick Trip 93 Octane go go juice). Thanks and regards. I am looking forward to being an active member on this forum, as well as in BMWCCA.
If you use proper shifting & clutching techniques and aren't a leadfoot out from every dead stop, you should be able to get 150k-200k or more out of a clutch. I think my alignment guy has a 320i with over 250k on the original clutch, but - that's also a much lighter car with only +- 100hp. You can't account for the first part of your car's life though, so - ymmv. Will be interesting to see how the recent crop of manual BMW's do with clutch life. Brake pads on BMW's are generally easy to change - again, depending on how it's driven, ymmv - but I'd expect you to have some pad life left @ 30k. Get one of those little automotive inspection mirrors - if you don't have basketweaves, you can get it in between the spokes & line that up behind a caliper and directly see the pads; a flashlight helps. Since 3'ers have had brake pad wear sensors for years, I would think they still do, and will trip an idiot light when your pads get worn to replacement level. The owner's manual should cover that. I don't see how a K&N stock replacement filter could affect the warranty, but ask 'em & read the fine print. There are always ongoing discussions about BMW's maintenance intervals; if your car's not leased, and you intend to maximize your useage of it, you may want to consider more frequent maintenance intervals. Email Mike Miller to request his maintenance schedule recommendations, and I think if you search the forums you'll find further discussions. Cold weather package... in Dallas?? Those heated seats should feel great on those sub-40º days down there! Hey, congrats on the car, wilkommen back to BMW's, plus the forums & the club! Get in touch with the local chapter gurus down there to source a good indy shop for non-warranty work, etc. - & enjoy the new ride!
Thanks MGarrison. I will read up more on how to keep the clutch from wearing too soon, of course some of it is obvious. I do like to heal and toe, but I am still getting used to the car, and taking it very easy, I have not had a manual shift in a few years, but it's great to be rowing through the gears again ! I forgot what it was like to really feel at one with my car. The SAAB had the paddle shift 6 speed automatic Aisin AF40/6 paired to the Holden/SAAB LP9, which was not bad, but nothing like a true manual shift, especially an excellent one. Yes we do not see many very cold days in Dallas, but I still enjoy heated seats when it's cooler, my last car had them as well, and I used them quite a bit here. Thanks very much.
I'm just teasin' ya coz I'm jealous, I only have heated seats in my pickup, but in the BMW's I gotta freeze my butt off! If I had them when it's cold, I'd use 'em all the time too!
While K&N remains in business selling filters, many studies have shown the stock paper filters do a better job of keeping dirt and grit from reaching your engine. BMW uses a Castrol synthetic oil - reasonably priced from your dealer with 'CCA discount. Look in your owner's manual for the recommended grade. You could change your oil & filter at 7500 mile intervals for piece of mind, having the dealer reset the service interval counter when they perform the service at ~15,000 miles.
To amplify the oil choice, oils are now quite specific to cars. BMW has it's own standards, Long Life 01, 02, 03, 04. There are several oils available that meets these standards, but you have to look for them. I think 7500 miles is a wise choice; it also opens up some additional choices because you no longer need the exact oil with the extended-wear attributes necessary for 15K miles. Check out the ACEA specs (European specs for oils.) If you want another choice, Mobil 1 0W-40 is LL-01. BMW specifies very lightweight oils for fuel-efficiency reasons; pretty hot in TX but there aren't many choices. I'm not sure if Amsoil or other "off" brands meet the LL standards, but If you Google around for LL-01 you may find some. It's important to note that some people have come to grief by choosing non-BMW approved oils, even though they were fine SAE SM spec oils.
