320d E90- Some small problems

EC1991

Hi guys bought a 2006 320d, having some very small issues with it taught might be an idea to post here..
Sorry if these questions are against the rules of what or what not to post in the forum, I'm pretty new, so feel free to move/delete mods..

Have the car 3 weeks now, and very happy overall. A few small questions though if anyone knows the answers...

This car is chained instead of a timing belt right?

When I reverse the car theres a constant beeping noise, it's like the parking sensor but a constant noise, one of the 4 sensors are the rear of the car has appeared to have popped out. Am I right in assuming the noise is cause by one of the four parking sensors being missing? If so is this easy to replace?

Also its avaraging out at 27-28 MPG, is this a normal fuel efficiency rate for the 320d? I havnt been driving it too hard really, pretty standard really.Also does the air-con effect MPG much?

It's also pretty hard to get it into reverse, it's not too big of an issues for me, but I think if my GF was driving the car there literally would be no way she could put the car into reserve without using both hands, can the reserve gear be like this in these cars or is it a problems with the linkages or something?

Final question, initially I taught this car was clocked because the millage on the online motorcheck website really didnt add up with its current millage,it shows that there was 80k milage on it in 2009, 2.5 years later theres only 92k on her now, So was convinced it was clocked.But I brought the key into BMW and from that they printed off the milage from it, and that it inline with what it says on the dash which is strange, can the milage on the key be altered at all? just seems too few miles for nearly 3 years driving..


Again sorry if it was incorrect to post this,
thanks all!
Eoin.

EC1991

^^ BUMP ^^

EC1991

EC1991 wrote: »

...............

This car is chained instead of a timing belt right?

Yep

EC1991 wrote: »

...
When I reverse the car theres a constant beeping noise, it's like the parking sensor but a constant noise, one of the 4 sensors are the rear of the car has appeared to have popped out. Am I right in assuming the noise is cause by one of the four parking sensors being missing? If so is this easy to replace?

Yep and yep (google is your friend for repair)

EC1991 wrote: »

....

Also its avaraging out at 27-28 MPG, is this a normal fuel efficiency rate for the 320d? I havnt been driving it too hard really, pretty standard really.Also does the air-con effect MPG much?

Seems woeful, I used to get 30mpg from a Mondeo diesel around town, and I literally mean around town. If that's mixed driving it's very poor.

EC1991 wrote: »

....
It's also pretty hard to get it into reverse, it's not too big of an issues for me, but I think if my GF was driving the car there literally would be no way she could put the car into reserve without using both hands, can the reserve gear be like this in these cars or is it a problems with the linkages or something?

Hard to push over but once it's over to the left it goes into reverse ok? Being hard to push over is normal enough in some of them I find, bit weird though, have to apply the lateral force, goes against the instinct though I suppose.

EC1991 wrote: »

...
Final question, initially I taught this car was clocked because the millage on the online motorcheck website really didnt add up with its current millage,it shows that there was 80k milage on it in 2009, 2.5 years later theres only 92k on her now, So was convinced it was clocked.But I brought the key into BMW and from that they printed off the milage from it, and that it inline with what it says on the dash which is strange, can the milage on the key be altered at all? just seems too few miles for nearly 3 years driving..


Again sorry if it was incorrect to post this,
thanks all!
Eoin.

Dunno about the clocking, I'd imagine the dealer would be correct.

Gumbo

just to back up RJ's comments :

Timing Chain = Correct

Parking Sensor (PDC) = When one is broke, the whole system clogs up. When you put it into reverse the system rings out a constant beep. How to diagnose this is :

• put key inot car and turn to red lights.
• engage reverse gear.
• get out of car and get on your hands and knees and listen carefull to each PDC sensor. if you hear a faint clicking noise, its ok, and move onto the next one. the PDC sonsor that is not clicking in the one thats broken and causing the system to not work.

Mileage issue : the online check could be a mix up with miles/km readings. Seemly BMW mileage is stored in 3 places, the key, the ECU and the dash and if theres a conflict with one of them is throws an error. im not 100% on that though, so its a case where you have to study the service history and receipts to check dates and mileage recored against each item.

MPG issue : yes 27 is bad, even for town driving. i do 100% town driving and commuting in my 530d and manage 25mpg so the 320d should be better. My old E90 320d after a remap managed 36 and my old E46 320d standard auto managed 36.6.

EC1991

RoverJames wrote: »

Seems woeful, I used to get 30mpg from a Mondeo diesel around town, and I literally mean around town. If that's mixed driving it's very poor.



Hard to push over but once it's over to the left it goes into reverse ok? Being hard to push over is normal enough in some of them I find, bit weird though, have to apply the lateral force, goes against the instinct though I suppose.

Yeah I drove from waterford to Kilkenny today, 80% of journey was on a motorway, 100-120KPH is the most I done, I got 30 MPG for the journey, if theres any slight incline in the road and I gotta put the foot down in the slightest is shoots down.
Any ideas as to what this could be?Bad diesel?

Good post about the gear, maybe jus muscle memory type stuff lol does feel werid applying lateral force! but sometimes its a huge strain makes me feel like a woman not being able to get the car in gear !

EC1991

kceire wrote: »

just to back up RJ's comments :

Timing Chain = Correct

Parking Sensor (PDC) = When one is broke, the whole system clogs up. When you put it into reverse the system rings out a constant beep. How to diagnose this is :

• put key inot car and turn to red lights.
• engage reverse gear.
• get out of car and get on your hands and knees and listen carefull to each PDC sensor. if you hear a faint clicking noise, its ok, and move onto the next one. the PDC sonsor that is not clicking in the one thats broken and causing the system to not work.

Mileage issue : the online check could be a mix up with miles/km readings. Seemly BMW mileage is stored in 3 places, the key, the ECU and the dash and if theres a conflict with one of them is throws an error. im not 100% on that though, so its a case where you have to study the service history and receipts to check dates and mileage recored against each item.

MPG issue : yes 27 is bad, even for town driving. i do 100% town driving and commuting in my 530d and manage 25mpg so the 320d should be better. My old E90 320d after a remap managed 36 and my old E46 320d standard auto managed 36.6.

Thanks for your help man, The chain requires no services or maintaince or anything right?

36.6 town driving sounds great, what I'm getting at the moment really isn't what it should be, what can cause this?

Thanks again,
Eoin

ongarite

The thermostats (EGR & engine) on the 320d/520d engine are prone to failure and will lead to poor mpg.
On the e60 you had to access the hidden service menu to check the engine temperature. Not sure of the procedure on the e90.
If the engine isn't hitting 90c, one of them is faulty.

EC1991

EC1991 wrote: »

............

Good post about the gear, maybe jus muscle memory type stuff lol does feel werid applying lateral force! but sometimes its a huge strain makes me feel like a woman not being able to get the car in gear !

Better to be like that than slipping into reverse easily when you want first
I'd be expecting 50mpg on a run like that in a 320d tbh, can't offer any help as to what's wrong though.

king_of_inismac

MPG is most probably related to engine not getting up to temp.

Get the sensors checked

RoverJames wrote: »

EC1991 wrote: »

............

Good post about the gear, maybe jus muscle memory type stuff lol does feel werid applying lateral force! but sometimes its a huge strain makes me feel like a woman not being able to get the car in gear !

Better to be like that than slipping into reverse easily when you want first
I'd be expecting 50mpg on a run like that in a 320d tbh, can't offer any help as to what's wrong though.