Recently, the blower fan of my E46 318ti compact stopped working. A search on the internet revealed a number of possible causes: Dashboard control unit Blower resistor (also known as FSR, final stage resistor) The blower motor itself A cable somewhere in between I could quickly rule out 1. When […]
Lately I’ve been putting some thought into building a dual use road/track car. Something that would be possible to do my commute to work with, but also have fun with on a track during trackdays. Inspiration came from HeelandToe.Blog’s 328i and the two Throttle House cars. Grassroots Motorsports also is […]
History The fourth generation of BMW’s 5 series was introduced in December 1995 as successor to the E34. The design was clearly a continuation of the E34, while introducing features introduced with the E36 3 series (e.g. the glass-covered headlights), whereas the more rounded look and horizontal crease line would […]
History BMW was in a difficult situation in the late 1950s. It still felt the effects of the second World War, such as the loss of the car factory in Eisenach and the bomb damage to the Munich factory. Motorcycles weren’t selling as well as they used to, money was […]
I have decided to treat the M3 separately from other 3-series models. The M3 models differ quite a bit in price, engine, and sometimes design from the regular models. History The first M3, based on the E30, was introduced in 1985 as homologation model for motorsports. It has little in […]
History The third-generation 3 series, introduced in 1991, was a radical step forward from the E30. The design was completely new, with much improved aerodynamics. Gone was the open grille that still adorned the contemporary E34 5-series. The six-cylinder engines (M50) were all new, employing four valves per cylinder. Top […]
History The second generation of BMW’s 3 series was introduced in late 1982. Where the predecessor E21 had only been available as two-door sedan (not counting the partial convertibles by Baur), the E30 was sold in a total of four body styles. The four-door sedan, convertible, and station wagon (Touring […]
History The fifth-generation 3-series was introduced in 2005, as successor to the successful E46. Each model now received its own code: E90 sedan, E91 touring, E92 coupé, E93 convertible. After the controversial E65 7-series and E60 5-series, BMW decided to play it safe with the E90’s styling, resulting in a […]
History The E46 3 series was introduced in 1998 as successor to the E36 model. It can be considered an evolutionary upgrade of the E36, as the initial engines are revised versions of the engines offered in the E36 (M43, M52), and the interior (instrument cluster, front seats, steering wheel, […]
To me, modern BMW car history begins with the introduction of the Neue Klasse in 1962. This modern sedan, with its newly developed front-mounted engine (the famous M10) and rear-wheel drive, was a turning point for the then-struggling car and motorcycle manufacturer. Most modern BMW cars can trace their lineage […]
My BMW 318ti compact has the original BMW Navigation Business radio/tape player. For looks and value, I wanted to retain this system instead of getting a new radio, but I also wanted the possibility to listen to podcasts from my phone (I always listen to X-Wing podcasts when traveling alone), […]
More about my car history and how I found this car, and why i bought it can be found here. By BMW 318ti compact (E46 model) was built in early 2002. It is equipped with the 2.0L N42B20 Valvetronic engine which develops 143 HP and 200 Nm of torque, and […]
