1994 BMW 3 Series 320i coupe from UK and Ireland - Comments

Electric windows sometimes get stuck on closure. They go half way up, and then back down again. Can be very frustrating at times.

The drivers airbag light came on permanently soon after I bought the car. I was told by the BMW dealer that the airbag control unit needed to be replaced, and it was not dangerous to leave it as it is, so I didn't bother fixing it. Just means that I have no airbag.

More recently, in the cold weather, the automatic transmission got stuck in third gear. This soon corrected itself (after about 1 hour of worrying about a big bill)

Also during the cold weather, I found the idling revs were inconsistent. Sometimes too high, that the car felt it wanted to just drive away from the lights on its own, or sometimes it dropped below 500 and the engine just cut out.

Mechanically I think the car is very good. All the problems I have experienced are due to electrical faults, but these can be very annoying.

The car looks very nice and the paintwork is good. My car is almost 10 years old, but doesn't look it at all once it's been cleaned. The paintwork still shines.

Performance wise, it's only quick when you put it into "sport" mode. In economy mode, it's very average.

I recently put on Pirelli P6000s all round and the handling and ride improved tremendously. But don't push too hard in the wet or someone might get hurt.

Most of my driving is very uneconomical due to short trips, and I get about 20mpg. On a long trip it will do around 30mpg. For a 2 litre car, I think it should be better than this.

I think your problems with the engine idle speed are probably due to a vacuum advance problem and possible either/also the oxygen sensor. Get your the vacuum hoses on your injector manifold replaced first, which is cheaper. Go the good BMW genuine article, as dodgy OEM parts won't work to specification. If this doesn't help, get the oxygen sensor looked at - if this is playing up the EFI system has no idea what the airflow and combustion in the engine is doing and will run the engine usually too rich (the high revs) but maybe also too low (the stalling).

The oxygen sensor is a common problem, as is vacuum system leaks, not only with BMW's but all manner of cars. This will also improve your fuel economy! Preventative maintenance is your friend.

Aside from that, get new plugs, ignition leads and an injector clean. If this doesn't work, I have no idea what your problem would be, as it sounds quite weird.

Best of luck.

My 320i sedan is 1994, coupe automatic model. I also have weird electric window behaviour, like window is going down and then suddenly up and closes.

My airbag light is also on, but it is due to car crash that car was in, which means that driver airbag is used and I need to replace few things in order to make it work.

I also had problems with motor running cold and replaced lambda sensor (oxygen sensor). It runs smoothly now, but on a cold start automatic won't change gears until around 3000 revs. As soon as engine gets a little bit warmer (out of the blue area on thermometer) everything works fine.

Car is a great pleasure to ride, it is a dragon on a road in sport mode, in economic mode is average.

Your in-city 20 mpg is very good for bmw's 2.0l engine which is 10 years old! My engine needs more work on it, I can't get more than 15mpg in the city.

I really enjoy driving this car, it looks great when washed :o) has a lots a room for coupe and it's 6-cylinder sounds soooo good!

Engine needs regular nursing, and if you don't do that (changing oil, filters, small repairs here and there) it will get lazy and will consume more fuel than needed.

Agree with on the fact that it's quick only in sports mode. that's because it's running in economy mode by default (sports mode off) to save on fuel, hence shifts take place a lot earlier in the rev range. Trust me you don't want to drive with the engine always in the right gear for max acceleration, I did that for a 30 mile mixed journey (dual carriageway driving and city driving) I spent £10 worth of fuel in 30 miles! scary! but what a ride the engine is relentless when it's over 4000rpm!

Raziel.

Re: sticking electric windows.

Try spraying WD-40 down the window guides. Worked on my 1994,320i.All the best,

Steve.

I have a manual 320 Coupe; nice car.

I find I can't feel the 150 bhp it has. On a cold start it seems to be stuck at around 3000 rpms, then after she warms up you can feel the switch and she'll drive normally.

It's a stunning car; turns plenty of heads, even to this day. I think its actually the nicest 3 series so far.

I can get maybe 35 mpg, but I've often put 150 euro into her in a couple of days; it depends on what way you're driving really.

I have that problem with the windows too; they have a mind of their own, but having said that, it's a great car; a great drive as long as you keep your wallet beside you.

Really happy with my 1994 BMW 320i coupe. I picked it up last month and it came with a full service history. Performance is good although it can drink fuel for fun if you drive it hard like I do! Fueling it with 98 octane unleaded really helps the performance.