BMW 330xi Parts & Accessories

The BMW 330xi has become the benchmark for the luxury sedan category. With its sporty vehicle dynamics, high-quality interior materials, and wide range of configurations for you to customize with, it is no wonder BMW fans love this car with a passion. However, the BMW 330xi can only remain as perfect as how well you take care of it. If you want to keep your car in great shape no matter how many miles it has driven, then try these easy tips.

• Change the oil every 12,000 miles.

Getting the oil changed regularly is the easiest maintenance you can do for your BMW 330xi to keep its engine healthy and save you from the stress of breakdowns. There are many benefits to changing the oil on schedule. Having fresh oil running through the engine helps keep the internal moving parts clean and lubricated, which allows for a smooth and quiet ride. This will improve your car's gas mileage as well. Also, when you drain the old oil, you will also remove the dirt and other particles building up inside the engine. This debris may damage your engine if you keep them in for so long. Finally, because fresh oil will keep your engine clean and lubricated, you can rest assured that your car's engine will last for a long time.

• Replace the oil, air, and fuel filters.

Your BMW 330xi has filters that catch debris and other harmful particles that pass through your components. These will keep your car parts running smoothly and without a hitch. The owner's manual recommends that you change the oil filter the same time you fill the engine with new oil. This only makes sense since new, clean oil will get dirty immediately once it flows through an old filter. Meanwhile, the air filter needs to be replaced every 30,000 miles, but more often if you often drive on dirty, dusty, or muddy roads. If you don't want to wait that long, inspect the air filter regularly by opening the air box. If it is black, change it as soon as you can. Lastly, you must change the fuel filter every 90,000 miles. Having dirty fuel filter may badly affect your car's power, so replacing it on schedule can let your car drive smoothly.

• Get a new set of spark plugs every 80,000 miles.

Your car's spark plugs are what make your car start, so you need to look after this properly unless you want your engine to misfire or cold-start. Having faulty plugs will also badly affect your fuel economy. While BMW assures us these components last for 100,000 miles, engine problems start occurring once the plugs are 80,000 miles old. This is because air-fuel mixture starts building up on the spark plugs, and the gap that the spark plug travels across continues to expand as it ages. To avoid the inconvenience of having your engine stall or break down, you can check the spark plugs every 30,000 miles. When replacing them, you need to use the same type of spark plugs that your BMW 330xi was originally equipped with.

BMW’s 330xi is just one model-variant in a long line of compact executive cars known as the 3 Series. What started life as a fuel efficient two-door saloon in 1975 has slowly evolved into a group of internationally acclaimed vehicles. In 1998, the BMW released the fourth generation of the 3 series worldwide called the E46. Since then, the company made many minor changes to their model-variants before discontinuing the E46 in 2006 for the next generation in the 3 Series. Today, the sixth generation, the F30 rules the streets as high-powered sedans, GT hatchbacks, coupes, and convertibles. Here’s a look into the history of the E46 model variants and their changing details:

As the 20th century ended, it had become clear that the previous generation of the 3 Series had also come to the end. Many were wondering how BMW could possibly top the E36, when the company introduced the 323i and 238i four-door sedan variants. The E46 announced that it was different from the E36 with an exterior that had been reshaped to improve aerodynamics and increase its aggressive look. It had wider wheel arches, rounded roofline, and quad headlights with cut outs below the lenses.

Underneath the hood, the 328i variant had a 2.8-liter fuel-injection engine that could go up to 193 hp at 5,500 rpm and 206 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm. It’s fellow debutante, the 323i, had a smaller 2.5-liter engine that produced 170 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque. Furthermore, the E46 had a very flexible automotive computer system to power the entire in-car entertainment and navigation systems. Even today, this system can still be updated with the latest BMW technologies.

BMW upheld its tradition of introducing model-variants one at a time. A year after introducing the fourth generation, it first presented the 323Ci and 328Ci coupe variants powered by petrol engines. Within that year, a 323Ci convertible and a 323i wagon also joined the E46 family.

BMW originally called the variants with 2.5-liter engines as 323s instead of 325s because the company wanted to increase the spread between them and the 328 variants. In 2001, it modified the 2.5-liter engine so that it could now run up to 184 hp. To celebrate, BMW officially renamed the 323s into 325s. Furthermore, it discontinued the 328s and introduced the 330 variants with their 3.0-liter engines that could go up to 225 hp.

BMW brought back their all-wheel drive option to the 3 Series with the 330xi. It had been 10 years since the last 3 Series AWD. The 330xi sedan had a permanent front/rear 38:62 torque split aided by the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) to manage wheel spin and oversteer/understeer. It was very well received for being able to handle sever winter climates.

BMW revised the front fascia of the E46 and added new taillights. It also introduced the M3 coupe to the line-up with its 3.2-liter inline-6 engine that ran up to 333 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque.

The company added a DVD-based navigation system option to the E46 along with other enhancements to the interior. The 325s got front-center armrests while the sedan and wagon model-variants got rear-center headrests. The 330 sedans had improved six-speed manual engine options with firmer suspension and 235 hp.

BMW presented a compact as their last E46 variant which was the first thing that they replaced with the 1 Series that same year. Slowly, the company phased out the E46 saloons for the next generation of 3 Series cars called the E90.