[freon warrior]

Ok bit of an update, service manager called tonight. Coils, injectors and plugs are ok so don't need changing! They have ordered a new ECU, which has to come from Germany. I will probably not get the car back this week. The saga continues.

[atariboy]

I am not sure if the problems that people have had with the 320I were there from day 1 and its early days for me but after 500 miles in my E93 320I M-Sport has been as smooth as silk and nothing sinister to report. Interestingly enough a guy at work who has an 57' E92 320I says that my engine seems a lot smoother than his.

[freon warrior]

My hesitation at low revs under load was from day one. What build date is your car? You should find it on the underside of the bonnet.

[atariboy]

Ok will check at the weekend. The car was built in late October'08 and arrived in the UK in November

[freon warrior]

Originally Posted by atariboy

Ok will check at the weekend. The car was built in late October'08 and arrived in the UK in November

I think you should be ok. Most of the issues seem to have been late 07 and early 08 builds. I am no expert though!

[freon warrior]

Update:

New ECU fitted and will be available tomorrow after Chris Fallon from BMW UK has 'signed it off' as fixed

[freon warrior]

Well its back! Mmm... not sure it is completely right but is certainly much better than it was. They have also fixed all the squeaks and rattles. Here is something that I really appreciated, I had a door dink on the NS rear quarter which my dent man could not do as he said it was double skinned, its now gone!! The sales manager got it done for me apparently. A nice touch!

I need to drive it a bit more though.

[atariboy]

Just an update Guys. Have done 2000 miles now in my E93 320i and no problems under the hood so far. It has been remarkably smooth and quiet for a 4-pot so I am pleased but yes it does sound like a bag of bolts at tickover but apart from that, no squeaks, rattles, stalling or loss of power. Will continue to keep my fingers crossed though

[FieldingMellish]

Just a quick follow-up on my experience. I always intended to post a detailed account of all the relevant details here, but after I'd fought through the stress of getting rid of my lemon, I couldn't find teh energy or wherewithal to do so.

Very briefly: I purchased a 57 plate 318i M Sport, with the new 'Efficient Dynamics' engine, because that was the model I first test-drove and fell in love with. I was, partly by this forum, warned off getting an older, non-ED 320i - which had been my original intention - and was aware of the range of problems well-documented on this thread. BUt I was also told that these problems had been resolved on the new ED engines, another reason to spend more money and get the latest engine. This decision, as well as being expensive, turned out to be the worst possible choice I could have made. I had all the stuttering, limping, cutting out etc. detailed above, right from the start.

I had bought my car, via a broker who does a lot of business with my employer, from a BMW dealer hundreds of miles away. My local dealer, once it had become clear that they could not fix (or even confirm teh existence of) the problems I had with teh car, soon began to treat me like a particularly infectious leper. BMW Customer Service, it very rapidly became clear, exist for one reason and one reason only: for Dealers to fob unhappy customers off onto.

When I very nearly got killed, for the second time, because the engine failed at speed, with a heavy line of following traffic behind me, I decided enough was enough adn asked the supplying dealer for a refund. They flatly refused. I mentioned that I would therefore have to take legal advice. They effectively said, go ahead, we will crush you.

But they did offer me a replacement car, I would only have to pay the difference in Book Price between my 318i and whatever car I chose. But of course that was always going to be a significant difference, because i did not want another 4 cylinder petrol engine from BMW. I was thus faced with a choice between a 325i or a 320d. In the end, I got a 320d M Sport, again with the new ED engine, meaning I had to lay out an extra couple of grand on top of the already very high price I had paid for teh 318i.

I am very happy with the 320d, it is a huge improvement, imho, on the older 320d in terms of smoothness and how it feels around town. And of course when you get it up to speed, it's about ten times the car teh 318i ever was. I am still enamoured of (certain aspects of) the BMW brand in general, there is no doubt that the experience of driving a 3 Series, at least one which isn't limping or cutting out, is way superior to, say, an Audi A4. I would definitely consider buying another BMW in future, in fact unless I am economically unable to so so, I can see no other option when I come to buy another car.

But I remain shocked and angry that BMW can ignore, at a corporate level, the very real (and dangerous) problems they have with these engines. No doubt, in future decades, this phenpmenon will become fairly well-known - "Oh yes, those 4 cylinder E90 petrol engines were problematic..." - but it ill behoves BMW to deny these problems exist right now. I feel I and many others have been very shabbily treated and the whole situation is a disgrace.

I should also note that I suspect I might not even have got the replacement deal I did get, had my car not been purchased through a broker who does a lot of business both with my employer and with the supplying dealer, and who presumably did not want a long drawn-out dispute queering the pitch for his future business.

The worst aspect was the constant lying from BMW, refusing to admit they have a known problem with these cars, when in fact I was in touch with someone on this thread (you know who you are :-)) who had the same problems with a car purchased form teh very same dealership as mine, but who was telling them there was nothing wrong with their car. For teh problem to be so prevalent that one dealership has more than one car with these problems reported says something, I think, about how endemic this problem is, and therefore how outrageous it is for BMW to keep on denying it.

Well, that didn't turn out quite so brief as I intended, but belive me there is a lot of grisly detail left out. My local dealer - sho I have no problem naming here as Williams BMW Manchester - really behaved in teh most despicable manner imaginable, far and away the worst 'customer service' I have ever experienced.



As a post-script, I have now received an enquiry from teh National Mileage Register, meaning someone muct have bought my old 318i. Their letter states that their aim is "to protect the innocent consumer". Their form asks for "any additional information" about the vehicle. I know that on a certain level I really ouht to tell them about the dosgy engine, but won;t this rebound on me and cause me yet more hassle? What do people normally do in such a situation?

[atariboy]

It does almost seem to be pot luck with the 320i...either you have a good'un or a bad'un. I have no doubt that the people on this forum have had genuinely horrendous issues but I dont think it can be every 320i engine thats been produced and I always thought that the engine management system logged any blips or failures. Although mine is fine, I am still cautious and will continue to monitor its performance.
I think a lot does depend on the dealerships....I have had 3 bmw's and never had an issue with my local stealer. They have always been very helpful and obliging.

[AlanQS]

With regard to the National Mileage Register and "should you tell", you didn't sell the car therefore if you wish to tell them, go ahead.

If you do, tell them simply and factually that the car was taken back by the dealer for an engine problem that they could not fix. You won't hear anything more i am sure.

[Stufos]

I picked mine up, new, in September. I've only done around 2k but have not experienced any of the problems reported here. Apart from rusty wheel hubs

[brumex1]

there an easy diy fix

[bigfriendlyg]

My power steering has gone and the car judders when pullin away after 1 hour of driving?!? i thought bmw shouldnt have these problems - ive extended the warrenty now as i happened one month out of warrenty! I am now awaiting the claim papers and we will see from there!

[bluemax]

Just a quick update on my experiences since early December.

Simple really: started using Shell & BP garages and not supermarket pumps. In the 2 months since I switched, I have yet to experience any issues. So for me, it was the type of petrol all the time.

hope this is useful
Bren

[COLSEN]

Originally Posted by bluemax

Just a quick update on my experiences since early December.

Simple really: started using Shell & BP garages and not supermarket pumps. In the 2 months since I switched, I have yet to experience any issues. So for me, it was the type of petrol all the time.

hope this is useful
Bren

Here here. Glad it's better Bren, my new one is constantly running on Shell V Power and it really is a different car, a bit like a BMW should be really... smooth, no judders etc!

[AlanIOW]

Sorry to jump ship but, I'm out of here.

After 21 months of disappointment with the E93 320i, I have changed to a E93 320d. Like several other posters BMW have done the right thing and bought back my old one and supplied a new one at a very attractive price. My advice, if you are still having 320i troubles, is email BMW customer service and Reject the car, but don't leave it too long. I was very lucky to get the deal I got with the help from Chrisbin on this forum and my Dealer, Barons of Hindhead.

In my case BMW forwarded my "Reject email" to my dealer, who took up my case.

See Pics of my new one at; http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=236275

[Halpin13]

Hello all I've just got my first BMW it's a 320i on a 55 plate and when the car is stationary it's making a noise a petrol car shouldn't, this normal 4 the ages and model, the car as a Full service history and mot all perfect, just this has me a little worried?

[AlanIOW]

Hi

Welcome to the forum

As far as I know the later 320i's with High Pressure fuel Pumps [Coupe's from late 2006 onwards] are the only noisey ones, I said my 2007 320i sounded like a tractor, I would guess a 55 Plate is the older and IMHO better engine which should be fairly quiet, I would get it checked out.

[Halpin13]

Thank you for the advice, I'll get it looked at and get mind put 2 rest, also do you know any websites where sell exterior parts 4 the e90 just bmw direct seem 2 be a bit expensive with me being 19. Thanks again.

[SiKkBaSs]

Originally Posted by bigfriendlyg

My power steering has gone and the car judders when pullin away after 1 hour of driving?!? i thought bmw shouldnt have these problems - ive extended the warrenty now as i happened one month out of warrenty! I am now awaiting the claim papers and we will see from there!

That's a shame dude. Such a shame after you buy a car and you think nothing should go wrong with it. The two problems you have sound serious and should be taken care of immediately to be honest. Power steering failure sounds dangerous.

[illingworth22]

Originally Posted by chrisbin

Sorry...I'm not up on the "ED" difference....but the problem we are talking about relates to the new 320i engine afaik (mine is anyway) and I've certainly seen elsewhere that someone with an ED engine has the problem....

I have only just seen this post.... and just picked up my Oct 07 320d M Sport Coupe. Is this a Petrol or a Diesel problem?