dean944

I trust you guys know more than most, so here are my questions. I bought a nice 328i over the weekend that needs brakes and maint. caught up.


Prefferred BMW tech forum ?

Preffered BMW aftermarket parts supplier?

Extended warrty on a 97 328i 99k, Worth 2k for warrty? (Seems high to me.)


Thanks for help here

R. Dean

stuvx

www.bimmerforums.com for tech stuff. Can't help you on your other questions.

streckfu's

They have the most entertaining OT as well.

judd944

www.roadfly.org
these guys seem to know more Tech stuff. E39 at least. (the interface sucks though)

Motation

I have a '95 M3 and I have learned some good stuff from the guys on Bimmerforums, though it seems alot of the M owners are barely out of high school. That is not burn on their maturity , just stating a fact. ( I guess I just felt a little out of place?) I don't have a preferred aftermarket supplier, I will usually check bimmerforums, then check the diffferent sites for the best price. Plenty of info on bimmerforums to keep you real busy. Not sure about the warranty question, never had that new of a car. But for me it might depend on the maitenence history.

See you on the road. (and on Bimmerforums)

KuHL 951

I find the bimmerforums, at least for my E30 series, to be sort of petty and manned by too many kids wanting 18" wheels with no regard for weight. The threads are often style, street oriented with some really bogus advice at times. Some threads move so fast that the good tech answers tend to get buried quickly. I have received lots of info though if the post is made as specific as possible. Roadfly is sort of up and down but serves the purpose. I would think that for the M you would probably have better luck than I've had with the E30 Forums. There are plenty of very knowledgable people but the sniping seems to keep them in the background. Just finding good info on my 325iX is a challenge but there are iX specific forums for drivetrain issues.

TrevorW

Not a big fan of bimmerforums, www.bimmerdiy.com is a good site.

MichelleJD

I go to e46fanatics. You didn't state your year so I don't know if it applies to you.

M758

Yep... that why I don't really follow them over there. That inface makes it hard to drop in every so often and actually follow a thread a few days old.

Too bad really.

joseph mitro

From owning two E36 M3s, I've found several tech sites to be helpful:

http://www.geocities.com/e36rulz/DIY.html
http://www.bimmerdiy.com/e36
http://www.logun.org/index.htm
http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/tech.../tech_main.htm
http://www.understeer.com/index.htm
http://www.unofficialbmw.com/e36.html

As far as ordering components, I have used several different online catalogs as well:

http://www.bimmerworld.com/
http://www.hms-motorsport.com/store
www.turnermotorsport.com
www.bimmerzone.com

Oh yeah, I wouldn't get the extended warranty. These cars are very reliable and I like to do my own work anyway. The only thing you should check is the radiator, which tends to crack at 100K miles. So unless that's been replaced, you should look at getting that and the water pump replaced soon.

SamGrant951

www.realoem.com - BMW parts online catalog, I use bimmerforums for most of the tech - search function mainly. You have to weed through some crap though. Joe threw up some good links.

Bf.c OT = hilarious

docwyte

HMS and Turner are by far my preferred source for parts. Their level of customer service is head and shoulders above pretty much everyone else. They ship promptly and will quickly remedy any issue.

dean944

Thanks for all your suggestions.

Yep it has 99.8k miles on it, so the radiator may need some atn soon. The plastic tanks must harden over time.

Thanks again everyone.


Dean

DanG

http://bimmerparts.com/ for all the parts on my bimmer, and some for the Porsche as well. Excellent prices, lightning fast shipping (usually <48 hrs from the order!), top-notch service.

stuvx

Thanks Joseph for the unofficialbmw link. Never heard of it before, but it might be the best e36 tech site I've ever used. I'm going to have to join.