In Arizona a BMW is usually a suburban or a 15 passenger van, a B..ig M..ormon W..agon..... I crack myself up

 

Thanks ken. Yeah im surprised (and thankful) that there are so many forums for them. I refuse to pay the $125 an hour the dealer charges plus I like tinkering with anything. So how does the Bently manual compare to the say Haynes manual as its 4 times the price!

 

I would look around for a good independent shop that specializes in German cars. I traded my BMW in just before the warranty was up because I was sick of dealing with the dealer. I also won't buy another BMW because of the local dealer. I'd be all over one if I moved. There is a local shop here that specializes in German cars. I had them mount 2 tires for me and from the minute I walked in the door you could tell that these guys knew what they were doing.

 

Can't even compare a bently to a chiltons or haynes. I don't use chiltons or haynes for anything except an occasional wiring diagram, mostly just common sense anymore (20 years spinning wrenches). And for a bimmer I'd want bently and FSM.

 

I would not be in business if I could not use Bentley manuals.
For my shop I use Ebahn Pro software which basically covers every VW and Audi made from 1993 to present.
I have three file cabinet drawers full of Bentley manuals from the mid 70's until 1993 then it's all on the computer.
They are worth every penny compared to the other options out there.

 

i hate working on german cars

 

as a euro mech, most bmw's come in for routine service work. honestly those things are great cars. i think one of the best automobiles ever made. e46's...all beemers eat up front brakes. rear a arm bushings'll deflect a lil under hard launches, causing a lil wiggle.
maintenance is what kills these cars(or lack of/ improper). use factory spec fluids or better aftermarket equivalents...blah blah blah you've heard it before.
oh synthetic oil, every 3-4k religously
and keep good plugs and coils in her.
slap an exhaust and intake on that thing...they sound glorious! 3.0 vanos head
h&r suspension: cup kit or coilovers, m3 sways, strut braces, rear a arm bushings. the ultimate driving machine. no bs.
if you really wanted to go crazy...active autowerks. they're turbo'n em and getting insane #'s with stock internals.
a few years ago i drove an e36 m3 turbo. scary fast. power. like hunting down liter bikes! potential is limitless-yet hp is expensive.
my pop's has a dinan tuned twin turbo 335i $$$ (he couldn't wait for the m3's to come out back in the day.) when ever i ride in that thing it amazes me!

that thing well taken car of, will last forever
anyhow congrats on the car.

kurt

 

I have an '07 335i twin turbo, the thing is crazy! When you give it a stab to the skinny peddle, she takes off faster than anything else I have owned.

I did recently drive a 2011 335d when they were doing a service inspection (CPO still covered) I was really impressed with the snappiness of the twin turbo diesel they have. Having strong acceleration and I was getting 44mpg doing my 100 mile round trip to work. Having the power and the mileage was pretty nice!