I was wondering what forums or sites have good info, specs, parts, and reviews on bms from like 1990-2008. I have not been into bmw untill recently and know almost nothing about them. Basically i am looking at getting one and just want to do the research. So let me know where you guys get your info. Thanks
e46fanatics
rev something or other lol
theres a ton of forums out there.
if youre looking at e30’s www.r3vlimited.com is your best bet
also www.e30tech.com is good
bimmerforums.com has always been somewhat helpful but there is a lot of stuff going on there, hard to keep up :tup:
yea your looking at like 4 diff model yrs there or more, depending on what series your looking for, bimmer forums will have alot of info tho
I got on bimmerforums when enquiring info for an E39, they where very helpfull
Just ask the info here… I’m sure there are more than enough BMW buffs to make it worth your while…
e30 FTW! I want another 
bimmerforums.com is the best overall place to start… but once you’re narrowed it down to a generation you might find a more focused forum.
I just picked up a 328ic on saturday 
figure out what you want (e30, e36, e34, etc.) and we can go from there, there are many forums for each model
i’ve found that bimmerforums/m3forums/revlimited/what not are full of fucking idiots…
Its a pain in the ass to sift though info to find what i want… and when i do. I just simply do not trust the info
95% of automotive forums.
e36?
r3vlimited is actually pretty great in terms of knowledge. i mean of course there are assholes on there just like anywhere else, but there is a TON of info, and a lot of people who really know their shit. I have more luck there with 24v questions than the actual 24v forums
meh… the E36 3 series drop top forum on bimmerforums is filled with knowledge, but like any larger forum you’ll have a larger number of idiots… I’ve been thrilled with the info I’ve found so far…
m3forums is full of a bunch of people who cant do anything themelves… there are people who have gone to the dealer to get air put in their tires… i shit you not
Haven’t talked to a lot of people have you. There are idiots everywhere, so it would be impressive if you found a forum with out them, that relates to anything.
But bimmerforums.com has always at least pointed me in the right directions and the vendors for most major parts sources are in the forums, so its pretty easy to get issues resolved. They don’t want a bad rep with the people they plan on selling to.
Absolutely true.
sounds like i should start at bimmerforums.com
well i don’t think you realize how basic my knowlage is when it comes to bmws. But here i go how many # ex(e46, e36,e30) are there and what do they mean so i can narrow it down (like what trim, engine,suspension,how long they last, when and do they need timing belts changed, basically pros and cons) thanks ahead of time
the blue convertable?
o i believe it!
These are the manufacture codes for the different chassis.
These all represent the 3 Series cars for BMW (325,330,M3,318)
e30
1981-1991
e36
1992-1999
e46
2000-2006
The Model numbers such as 325, 330, 318, almost always refer to the Series and the engine volume. 318 is a 3 Series 1.8lt, 325 is a 3 Series 2.5lt, and so on. Like I said this isn’t always true, the 318 was offered with an assortment of I4’s between 1.7lt and 2.0lt
You will see suffixes almost always starting with an i, there are an assortment of these, each combination referring to different trim and performance packages.
An example is the ic, the c stands for Cabriolet or Convertible. The xi was for their all-wheel-drive set up. Then there is the td for Turbo Diesel, and the tds for Turbo Diesel with and Intercooler. I don’t know specifically what the i itself stands for. I would have guessed Inline, but it appears on V8’s and V12’s as well. I won’t go through all the variables here though.
That is all information based around the 3 Series there is also the newer 1 Series, 5,6 and 7 Series as well.
Each series has its own manufacture code like the 3 Series (e30,e36,e46…)
As far as known problems with the 3 Series, most notably in my experiences is the water pump on e36’s has a plastic impeller, this would fail around 60-100,000 miles or so, there is a metal replacement for these. Also the strut towers on e36’s has been know to crack, there are reinforcement plates for this that can be welded in. Cosmetic problems are rock chips on the front and the bolster on the outer edge of the leather seats tends to wear down when getting in and out of the car.
These are just a couple of the more frequent of the e36 Series cars that I’m more familiar with. There are a couple pre-purchase guides for exactly what to look for out there already. They would be a bit more helpful.
There is a sample of information from just one E36 owner on here.
318s came with m10, m42, m44.
e30’s didn’t start until 84
e36 92-95
e46 99-06
cabrio’s and m’s were different as well, there was often a year of overlap
td’s weren’t offered in the states or canada
e30’s timing belts snap like clockwork if not changed at I believe 65k intervals.
rear shock towers on the m also rot out
e34’s had problems with the 540 motors, slrs sucked, etc.
what are you looking into?
bf.c
wait, who said E46fanatics…
Jesus, maybe if you want 0-95203498609347-9246987245.4 threads about putting on clears…