2001 330ci issues

BMetal · 03-11-2006, 01:58 AM

Hey Hey,

I'm looking into getting a 330ci, and I was wondering if I need to worry about any issues with the 2001 engine since it was the first year it was offered? I know the platfor had been around for a year or 2 but should I worry about the engine?

Or, of course if there is anything else specific to the 01's that I need to know.

Thanks

rodo · 03-11-2006, 08:56 AM

i think 01 330's had a light steering problem, if im not mistaken there was a recall they could do to fix it

KaschmirBeige3 · 03-12-2006, 04:16 PM

The 3.0 motor is pretty much a bullet proof engine. It's very reliable. Only bad thing about it is that it likes to consume a bit more oil than the 2.5 litre counterpart.Other than that it's a great engine and the lightened steering issue can be fixed by the dealer if you want.

ambasah · 03-12-2006, 10:33 PM

there was something about a fan recall in the 01 I believe. You do not have anything to worry about with the 330 engine. The M's on the other hand...

BMetal · 03-14-2006, 12:52 AM

So this is all that needs to be known about the 01's? Possible lightened steering and a possible fan recall?

How much of a problem is the oil drinking problem? If I get frequent changes (5-10 K), would I need to be topping it up or what?

Thanks

rafiki · 03-14-2006, 02:30 PM

I have found that in my 330i, oil consumption is about half a litre per 2000kms. However, that is for mixed driving without redlining every other shift. Oil choice also makes a difference. Castrol Synthetic from the dealer seems to disappear much sooner than LubroMolly which I switched to.

In regards to the lighter steering wheel, I believe only the original owner of the vehicle can have the rack switched out. I would love to have mine swapped out, but I bought it used.

croat · 03-19-2006, 12:38 AM

I have 2001 330i

Could someone explain this light steering problem and what are the symptoms?

ambasah · 03-19-2006, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by croat

I have 2001 330i

Could someone explain this light steering problem and what are the symptoms?

It isn't a "problem". In 01 (and maybe 00) BMW decided to make the power steering "lighter" in their cars. There was a backlash against this by customers and BMW went back to "regular" steering in 02. They provided a "retrofit" through dealerships (I believe only in the US) at the time. I don't think it was ever offered here in Canada.

cisco911 · 03-20-2006, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rafiki

I have found that in my 330i, oil consumption is about half a litre per 2000kms. However, that is for mixed driving without redlining every other shift. Oil choice also makes a difference. Castrol Synthetic from the dealer seems to disappear much sooner than LubroMolly which I switched to.

In regards to the lighter steering wheel, I believe only the original owner of the vehicle can have the rack switched out. I would love to have mine swapped out, but I bought it used.

My 330i doesn't burn any oil. I bought it last october and I have put 10k on it. I changed the oil when I bought it because I did not know what was in there(used AGIP 5w-40). Ran it for 5k before changing it again, didn't burn a drop of oil. Have another 5k on it now and I'm about to change it when I do my spring mantenance next week and it is still at level.

PS: My car has 100k on it

Stuttgart · 03-26-2006, 11:59 PM

what year is ur 330?

grossi · 03-27-2006, 09:16 PM

So far I've had no problems with my '01 330Ci either. Just to be safe I try to get oil changes often (typically every 5K). My car has 69,000Kms on it and so far everything has been awesome. The light steering issue, as noted above, was changed for the '02 model year... It's not really an issue, just a noticeable difference compared to other Bimmers. Goodluck on deciding buddy!

d12 · 03-27-2006, 10:49 PM

had my 2001 330ci for 2 years... bought it at 40k and now it has 102k, the engine is bulletproof, and yes it does drink alittle more oil, but who cares... i love this car to death, after 2 years it's still puts a smile on my face

btw, you will need to replace waterpump/thermostat since it's the comon problem, but other then that no problems