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gear stick is confusing
Reverse on BMWs is to the left of 1st gear. Push hard to the left and you will feel it pop over, then push it forward to get to reverse. There is no lock collar etc, just heavy resistance so you dont accidentally shift to reverse from 2nd etc.
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Hi,
I am looking to buy the 2000 bi-Vanos version of this car.
I am curious as to the official acceleration time of this car.
Some sites post 7.5 secs and some post 8.8 secs, which to me is a substantial difference – given that the 530i with only 30 more hp is said to be doing 7.1, and the 525i is said to have a virtually identical spec as the 528i.
2.5L = 2.8L < 3L? I find this odd.
Also, this one car I’m looking at has Dinan Auto transmission software, Stage 2 software and a Cold Air Intake. I understand this is a sanctioned after-market upgrade that yields more power and removes the speed limiter. How much more power and more importantly – what is the improvement to acceleration?
Thanks very much!
THANK YOU very much for your time and trouble! I never thought anyone was going to reply, let alone so considerately.
I don’t drive fast, but I drive long distances and every so often I like effortlessness in overtaking.
So are you saying with Dinan the car becomes more drivable with no real change to acceleration?
Maybe my other question should be if I should get a stock 530i or a 525i instead? Thanks again!!!
2.5L = 2.8L < 3L? Yes, oddly enough. In 1996, legislation called On Board Diagnostics II was enacted. All cars had to be compliant, indicating a bump in emissions control durability standards, monitoring of more emissions parameters, and standardized data logging interfaces. To make up for the power lost in the process, BMW replaced the 2.5 liter models with 2.8 liter models of the same horsepower. Pre OBDII 2.5 BMWs were 189-194 hp in the US, same as the OBDII 2.8L BMW. When an OBDII 2.5L did come out (323i badged), it only made 170 hp.
Those acceleration times you have sound about right. Don’t expect chipping a naturally aspirated engine like this to change the overall performance measurably. What they can do is quicken throttle response and open the throttle further when you’re giving the car part throttle. When you floor the car, you’re still just fully opening the same throttle that was always there, feeding air to the same combustion chambers at the same compression ratio. You can wake an engine up, remove the top speed governor, and make it feel peppier, but you’re not likely to change your time slips.
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i have a 1999 bmw 328is with a cold air and a stage 2 dinan ecu update, what ive been wanting is more torque cuz my off the line acceleration is kinda weak, anyone know of a good way to do that without any major work? i havent been able to come up with too much
An ECU tuning is the only easy way to add torque to the engine. The only other options require either replacing engine internals or a supercharger.
But to get more torque to the rear wheels, you could add a higher ratio differential. This isn’t very expensive compared to the other options for increasing off the line torque and has very minimal drawbacks if you select the proper gearing ratio. Diffsonline is very reputable company who specializes in only differentials for BMWs. Give them a call if you don’t know what to get and they can guide you to the proper setup.
Good luck!
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I found 2 places in/around Glendale/CA…
1. Pacific BMW
2. Avus Autosport (Dinan)
I am just looking for a reliable yet economic way to get an Oil Service done?
Thanks in advance!
You can do this fairly affordably.
1. If you are willing to do the oil change yourself, you will end up paying only about $48 worth of parts and materials.
Here’s how: http://www.bmw325i.net/maint_oil_change.shtml
2. If you feel you cannot do this on your own and definitely need someone else to do it, you still can save a bit by KNOWING what to advise your neighborhood mechanic before the work. You can even print out the above instructions for him. My neighborhood mechanic charges me $14 labor for oil change if I brought my own filter and oil.
Materials needed:
- 7 Quarts of synthetic oil (I use Mobil 1 0W-40)
- Oil filter (about $7-$8 from dealer, or use Mann or Bosch if you buy from outside, they’re just as good).
Either way, you will need to reset your service indicator. Most people say you need a reset tool or to go to a garage or dealer to do this. That may be true if you had an older pre-2000 BMW. What they DON’T KNOW is that you can do this comfortably sitting in your driver’s seat for BMWs from May 2000 onwards!!
Here’s how: (see page 3)
http://www.bavauto.com/newsletter/2007_n207_newsletter.pdf
It is recommended that you do an oil change every 6000 – 7000 miles even though your BMW service indicator tells you to do it at 15,000 miles.
Here’s why (see page 4)
http://www.bavauto.com/newsletter/2006_n206_newsletter.pdf#page=4
Since you need to drive in the Californian traffic on a daily basis, this is even more important. Check out this article from Mobil Oil…
http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Car_Care/AskMobil/Long_Drain_Intervals_in_a_BMW.aspx
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Does the e36 BMW M3 sports package (dinan kit) have more horsepower than a regular e36 M3? The one I found says sport package and then goes on to say it has a dinan horsepower kit. I am unfamiliar with this and was wondering what the benefit is.
Dinan is a great high end performance company, and the have done work on some BMWs. Im not sure how much horsepower, if any, the sport package would have. I would think that the "sport package" would have a better suspension setup, more than added horsepower.
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