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BMW E46 Three Series - Problems and Common Faults. Body and Fittings. It's far too easy to hit the button on the remote for the boot and open it by accident. Electric windows are a common problem. The plastic clips break and the window slips out of the holder. If doors stick shut in freezing weather put petroleum jelly on the rubber seals lightly. Signal lamp signalize that trunk is open and trunk light is always on but trunk is closed. . Benchmark small executive car. Known issues revealed. Read before you buy a used 3 Series.

1. Bmw E46 Transmission Problems
2. E46 M3 Touring

In this article you can find 13 of the most common problems on BMW E46 models. Like any other vehicle BMW’s also have problems, the only difference is, they’re something more expensive to fix.

If getting ready to buy one, or have one and want to know what might be some of the common problems to expect in the future, this list could be useful.

Burning Oil Smell and Oil drips

Because the valve cover or the valve cover gasket on E46s will go bad around 60k miles, you’ll find this is the #1 repair on these vehicles. The most common repair on these vehicles by all means.

1. Bimmerforums is the preferred online BMW Forum and community for BMW owners. At Bimmerforums, you will find technical how-to information maintenance specifics audio advice wheel and tire combinations and model specific details not found anywhere else. Our professionals are here to help make sure you find the answers you need to your questions and our community is here to help other brainstorm.
2. E46 (1999 - 2006) Tailgate window opening on '01 325 touring. Jump to Latest Follow. All-in-all it cost £650 by the time BMW found what was causing the problem.

Failed Window Regulator

This is not a quick repair, but it’s not a difficult one. With a couple of searches online you can find some useful forum posts like this one.

Loss of Coolant

In this video you see some of the common problem areas as far as coolant leaks. It’s a quick and dirty video, but it shows you some good places to look for. Common on a leaking expansion tank.

Blower Motor Final Stage Fan Resistor Failure

If you start noticing the heater fan speed varies regardless of the setting, the fan will not turn off when the car is switched off, or the fan will not switch on at all, these are all the symptoms of the Final Stage Resistor failure.

Jolt Feeling in the Steering

This video explains how you can determine if a BMW E30, E36, or E46 3-series is experiencing control arm bushing failure. This is a common symptom of worn out thrust rod bushings in the front suspension.

Power Steering Fluid Loss

There are two commonly replaced P/S hoses on E46s. They are commonly replaced between 50k-200k miles.

Water Pump May Develop Coolant Leak

One of two things usually will happen: either it will become noisy, or it will start leaking coolant. This can cause your drive and timing belts to go bad.

Some of the common threads I found mentioned that they noticed their water pump went bad after one of the following components in their cooling system also failed; thermostat, radiator, or head gasket.

If find the same results be sure to check these items to prevent future repairs.

Noise from Top Front/Rear Doors

This is commonly hear when the windows are completely closed. The problem is caused from worn door seals. Rubber wears out and specially if you have a vehicle that’s 10-15 years old. There are all kinds of hacks out there to repair this issue, but the right thing to do is to get a new set of BMW door seals. Here are the links to the OE parts from realOEM.com:

Front (51728194682) – Back (51728194684)

Coolant Leak from Radiator

It is not uncommon for the to develop a coolant leak. A leaking radiator will require replacement. When a leaking radiator is replaced the entire cooling system should be inspected and if any additional leaks are found they should be repaired also.

Overheating can cause severe engine damage. If the engine begins to overheat it is recommended to stop at the first available location and have your vehicle towed to a repair shop.

Failure of Taillight Bulb housing assembly

Bmw E46 Transmission Problems

If replacing the bulb doesn’t solve the problem, the most common repair is to do a complete rear left bulb socket replacement. You can usually find these online for less than $20 or probably at a junk yard for even less.

Rear left (63217165843), Rear right (63217165844)

Faulty Hydraulic Lifters

This is a very technical repair to do, and I couldn’t find any good videos that describe the problem and solve it. If you’re looking to learn more about it, I would recommend reading this article on troubleshooting BMW hydraulic bucket tappets. This video is a simple procedure you can try, but it’s not guaranteed to remove the check engine light.

BMW FZV Antenna AmplifierRepair
Last updated February 1, 2019

FZV Antenna Amplifier repair service. I am nowdoing repairs on this module. Cost is $65 including return shipping within theUS. This module takes a while to repair so I don't offer my drive up service.Just drop off & pick up next day or mail it in. To arrange a repair eithercontact me via email at scott@bmwgm5.com or callat 310-283-4273. I will not give you my addressover the phone due to too many modules being sent to the wrong address becausethey wrote it down wrong. My address is only give via email. Before I allow youto send a module to me I need to hear your symptoms and determine if theproblem sounds like a FZV antenna amp problem. In some cases the exact cause ofthe problem can not be determined. In those cases I offer a check out &test service for $25. If it is determined that the FZV is bad the $25 goestoward the cost to repair the module. The FZV antenna amplifiers in the pictureabove are for E46 sedan or coupe. The FZV antenna amp in the convertible islocated in the rear view mirror and is a bitch to work on. Here is a write up-> E46 Convertible FZV. In thetouring/wagon the FZV receiver is located in the tailgate near the box. See thepicture below.

Picture<-- Picture of the FZV module out of the car
Picture <-- Picture of theFZV module, component side
Picture <-- Picture of the FZVmodule, solder side
Picture <-- Close up picture ofFZV key fob section
Picture <-- FZV on a E46 3-seriestouring/wagon
Link<-- FZV on a E83 X3 SAV (see Figure 1)

More info on the FZV Antenna Amplifier.

E46 M3 Touring

BMWGeneral Module III (GM3) Page