Repair manuals and video tutorials on BMW 3 Series

Engine

• Fuel injectors get clogged after 80,000–100,000 kilometres. Bad acceleration dynamics and black smoke coming from the exhaust pipe are signs of this malfunction. Fuel injectors require adjustment after they were replaced, therefore it’s better to contact specialists for this job.
• Variable valve timing solenoid gets clogged after 100,000 kilometres of mileage. This defect causes a major loss of engine dynamics. To prevent power unit malfunctions, check the motor oil condition regularly. Replace it within scheduled intervals together with a filter. Do it yourself repair and maintenance of BMW 3 series is easier than you think if you use our video tutorial as a reference.
• Diesel engines on 2005–2007 cars have issues with a turbocharger: it has a short service life. If you hear whistling during acceleration and the engine feels jerky, you need to visit a service station immediately to diagnose and replace a broken component.
• On E90 cars of later production years, the timing chain breaks down quickly. Clanking sound indicates this defect. Our recommendation for such cases is to replace the part at a car service station.

Transmission

• The clutch is a weak spot of cars with manual transmission. Calm driving helps to increase its working lifespan to 100,000 kilometres. Fans of the sporty driving style will need to replace the whole unit much earlier.
• An automatic transmission control unit sometimes works erratically. Contact professionals for diagnostics of this unit: it may require resetting. Automatic gearboxes are sensitive to the quality of transmission fluid. Our illustrated PDF manual for BMW 3 series repair will help you to replace it in due time.
• On many all-wheel-drive vehicles, a transfer case may fail after 80,000–100,000 kilometres. This problem can be solved only by installing a new unit.

Interior

• Over time, the heater blower may start whistling. You can get rid of this unpleasant sound by replacing the component or greasing its motor. You can find a complete procedure for this task in our step-by-step manual on BMW 3 series repair and maintenance. You can also download a detailed video tutorial for free.
• A factory-installed radio receiver works with malfunctions. You can visit a garage for repair or install a new car radio yourself.
• Eventually, the central locking system on estate cars stops reacting to remote control signals. In this case, an antenna mounted in the luggage compartment needs replacement. It is better to entrust this laborious procedure to professionals at a service station. You can grease or replace lock cylinders at home if necessary. For this, use our step-by-step video tutorial on BMW 3 series repair.