A couple of questions from a newb

[turtles]

Hi,
I'm interested in the 325i but have a few questions.

1) What does the BMW "Full Maintenance" include? Oil changes (how many & how often)?, tire rotation?, 30K tune up?, etc. And that's for 4 years or 50K miles correct? It's all free?

2) Will aftermarket stereo head units fit? Any particular size? Crutchfield says they don't have any head units that will fit the BMW 3 series. Anyone got any pics of an aftermarket head installed?

2b) Can a head unit be installed in the storage slot under the temperature controls? (i.e. this is the location the temperature controls would be if you had the dvd navigation screen. I won't have the navigation screen so the temp controls will be right below the stereo leaving that space below them free).

3) Is the body style the same for 2005?

4) Sports package, yes or no? (Your personal opinion)

5) Any other comments are greatly welcomed.

Thanks!

 

[codex57]

1) Everything but the tires. Brakes included. Problem is the service intervals come at 15,000 miles. No one who cares about their car waits 15,000 miles before their first oil change.

2) Yeah, aftermarket stereos fit. You just need the adaptor. Tons of cars need special adaptors to put in aftermarket stereos b/c the stock stereo was a weird size. It's not a big deal.

2b) Dunno. Never seen one their. I suppose if you really wanted to, you could find someone to do it. I'd stick with where the stock stereo is though.

3) I believe the sedan is supposed to change for 2005, but no one has seen a great pic yet.

4) Sports package? Absolutely. 325i isn't all that fast. You can get disappointed with the speed. With the sports package, the handling is so good, it helps you forget about your lack of speed so that you concentrate on having fun with the handling.

 

[turtles]

Thanks for the reply codex!

So, BMW only does oil changes every 15K miles? That's pretty dumb. I saw they use synthetic oil at least. How much does the dealership charge for an oil change if I take it in every 7500? Also, do they do the 30K tune up, or do they push that off to 100K?


I was hoping there'd be a little more action in this forum. I guess not many people look at the newbie section.

 

[Dave8812]

Ya, you just gotta wait a while. Not very many people are online at once. But i would definately change your oil before 15,000 miles. That isn't really a good matenince plan. But it should be easy enough to do it youirself...

 

[codex57]

15,000 intervals will be enough to last through the warranty period. Long term prospects aren't good though. Anyone who cares about their cars changes it earlier. They do the 30K tuneup for free at that mileage.

This board doesn't have a lot more people on at once. You got to be a little patient. But, the more active members tend to be much more mature and helpful to newbies than any other BMW board I've seen. I ran through several when I first got my car. I finally stuck with two: this one and one for younger owners who like to modify their cars. I stay here for basic info that I'd get yelled at for asking at the other sites.