# What happened to the 2001 3 Series



## webguy330i (Jan 9, 2002)

nate328Ci said:


> *With or without sport button? *


Both. But especially without. I only noticed a slight difference between the two myself. And yes I was out and about for a good 45 minutes ravaging that beast.


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## Guest (Feb 24, 2003)

webguy330i said:


> *How is that even relevant? I've driven every modern BMW offered to-date.
> 
> IMO the M5 has much more boosted steering than my e46. And I'm not saying they didn't produce some shite 2001 e46s TD, I'm just saying they're not ALL shite. I drove my friend's car which had the overboosted steering and it was terrible. Post-retrofit, her car great. *


I have already taken this thread too far. I apologize.

And Nate, you know I have repeatedly said I'd have been fine with an M52TUB28 E46. Although I have become accustomed to more power than that now.


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## nate (Dec 24, 2001)

webguy330i said:


> *Both. But especially without. I only noticed a slight difference between the two myself. And yes I was out and about for a good 45 minutes ravaging that beast.  *


Well, at parking lot speeds, maybe your 330 is heavier.

The steering is very heavy on the M5 with Sport on, dead, but heavy. I notice a heathy difference. Anyway, the M5 needs Dinan software to make the throttle driveable in non-Sport mode...

That car sure does have an engine...


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## webguy330i (Jan 9, 2002)

nate328Ci said:


> *Well, at parking lot speeds, maybe your 330 is heavier.
> 
> The steering is very heavy on the M5 with Sport on, dead, but heavy. I notice a heathy difference. Anyway, the M5 needs Dinan software to make the throttle driveable in non-Sport mode...
> 
> That car sure does have an engine... *


That engine is amazing. I was smiling for a solid hour or so after the experience. :bigpimp:


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## nate (Dec 24, 2001)

TD said:


> *
> 
> And Nate, you know I have repeatedly said I'd have been fine with an M52TUB28 E46. Although I have become accustomed to more power than that now. *


Didn't you originally have an order for one?


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## Guest (Feb 24, 2003)

nate328Ci said:


> *Didn't you originally have an order for one? *


No. News of the 330i arrived right as I was getting into making my purchase decision. It was between the 330 and an S4. And when I test drove the 328i SP 5-spd, it spanked the S4 on feel. So, to me, the idea of the 330i was perfect. Take the 328i I drove and add more power. How could I go wrong? So I waited a couple extra months for the first of the 330s.

The rest is history. If my lease on my '97 A4 had come up sooner, I'd have bought the 328i and I'd probably still have it. Although, without having personally had the day to day experience I had with my 330, I'd have probably been kicking myself for not waiting for it. Again, based on the idea of the 328i plus more power.

That does not accurately describe the 330i. It's like an entirely different car. And not in a good way.


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## ·clyde· (Dec 26, 2001)

TD said:


> *Although, without having personally had the day to day experience I had with my 330, I'd have probably been kicking myself for not waiting for it. Again, based on the idea of the 328i plus more power.*


But only for a couple months...and then you would have read everyone else's complaints about the steering and other assorted issues. End result...you would be similar to Nate in extolling the virtues of the 328 whenever possible.


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## Guest (Feb 24, 2003)

[email protected] said:


> *But only for a couple months...and then you would have read everyone else's complaints about the steering and other assorted issues. End result...you would be similar to Nate in extolling the virtues of the 328 whenever possible.  *


Quite possible. :dunno:

:angel:


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## Eugie Baange (Sep 23, 2002)

Hey! Hey! HEY! Now you've gone and hurt my feelings  

I realize I don't know any better (no real point of comparison) but I don't think my car sucks.

You're just jaded, Tom.
Not that there's anything wrong with it...



TD said:


> * [...] ALL of the 2001 E46s SUCKED. *


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## nate (Dec 24, 2001)

[email protected] said:


> *But only for a couple months...and then you would have read everyone else's complaints about the steering and other assorted issues. End result...you would be similar to Nate in extolling the virtues of the 328 whenever possible.  *


 :rofl: :rofl:


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## skyehill (Feb 19, 2003)

There's nothing Buick-like about my 2003 330i. I would be ticked off if I had bought one of those 330s with the screwed up steering though.


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## Plaz (Dec 19, 2001)

TD said:


> *That does not accurately describe the 330i. It's like an entirely different car. And not in a good way. *


And I still bet the '02 330i is probably as much of a different car in feel from the '01 330i as the '01 is from the '00 328i. :dunno:


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## Orient330iNYC (Jul 30, 2002)

unless you have a late 01 build 330i. my 08/01 steering feels the same as a mid 02 build 330i (loaner)
I thought there were 3 racks involved in this steering mess?
original over boosted
revised 01 (less boost)
and late 2001/2002 build racks?

i'm probably off, i gave up trying to keep track when i started running into threads that listed:
"new, new-old, new-new,new-old retrofit" :dunno:


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## Guest (Feb 25, 2003)

Plaz said:


> *And I still bet the '02 330i is probably as much of a different car in feel from the '01 330i as the '01 is from the '00 328i. :dunno: *


FYI, my quote was referring to the '01 330i compared to the '00 328i.


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## Guest (Feb 25, 2003)

Orient330iNYC said:


> *unless you have a late 01 build 330i. my 08/01 steering feels the same as a mid 02 build 330i (loaner)
> I thought there were 3 racks involved in this steering mess?
> original over boosted
> revised 01 (less boost)
> ...


For those BMW enthusiasts who care about things like this, picking up a used '01 is going to be a real PITA.


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## 2001E46 (Nov 12, 2002)

I've read in this thread that cars produced April 2001 and earlier have the overboosted steering. I've also read that the overboosted steering rack is 3.3 turns lock-to-lock while the preferred steering rack is 2.8 turns lock-to-lock.

My car is a 2001 325i and the sticker in the doorjam says 05/01, which I assume means it was manufactured in May of 2001. So I assumed my steering rack was the preferred one. However, today I checked the turns from lock-to-lock and guess what? It takes 3.3 turns to go from lock-to-lock.

Does this mean my car has the overboosted steering? Or does the lock-to-lock measurement only apply to 330's?

If my car's steering is overboosted, I don't think I mind all that much. It's my first BMW and I think it drives wonderfully. I never noticed a problem before so it's probably better not to have the dealer tear into the car to fix something I didn't know was broken.


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## visor (Sep 7, 2002)

2001E46 said:


> *My car is a 2001 325i and the sticker in the doorjam says 05/01, which I assume means it was manufactured in May of 2001.*


Correct me if I'm wrong but 05/01 means the 5th week of 2001...so you have the overboosted. :dunno:


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## 2001E46 (Nov 12, 2002)

I didn't order the car until April 2001, so I don't think it was built in Jan-Feb 2001. I didn't take delivery of it until June...


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## visor (Sep 7, 2002)

Oops...you're right  ...just looked at my doorjamb.


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## Guest84 (Dec 21, 2001)

2001E46 said:


> *Does anyone know exactly which E46's were delivered with overboosted steering? I took delivery of mine in June of 2001... *


Yours has the original steering, they changed _back_ to their standard, non-boosted steering in the production month of April or May 2001 I believe.


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