After 60,000 miles, the front outer half-shaft boots tend to tear and leak grease. In most cases, only the boot will have to be replaced; however, if it is not repaired soon enough, the half-shaft may need to be replaced. The front outer boots are put under heavy stress because of their involvement with the suspension when making turns.
Resources for the Repair and Maintenance of your BMW 330xi
BMW 330xi Models:
BMW 330xi Problems
Burning Smell or Oil Drips on the Ground Due to Engine Oil Leak
Engine --
Verified
Valve cover gasket leaks are common after 60,000 miles. Symptoms will include oil drips under the vehicle and burning oil smell from the engine compartment.
Loss of Power Steering Fluid Due to Leaking Hoses
Suspension & Steering --
Verified
A fluid leak may develop from one or more power steering hose. When a leak is being repaired, it is not uncommon for multiple hoses to be replaced.
Noise From Top of Front/Rear Doors When Windows Are Fully Up
Miscellaneous --
Verified
A creak or squeak can be heard from the top of the front or rear doors. This noise is most noticeable when the windows are fully up. The noise is caused by the decay of the flocking material on the door seals. New door seals, Teflon tape, special lube, or a combination of all of these may be needed to eliminate the noise.
Blower Final Stage Fan Resistor May Fail
Heating & Air Conditioning --
Verified
The blower final stage fan resistor is known to fail. Symptoms are the heater fan speed varies regardless of the setting, the fan will not turn off when the car is switched off, or the fan will not switch on at all.
BMW 330xi Recalls (Recent)
BMW 330xi Recall 08V384000
Body, Interior & Misc.
Summary: BMW IS RECALLING 200,000 MY 2006 3 SERIES SPORT SEAT, MY 2004-2006 5 SERIES STANDARD AND SPORT SEAT, AND MY 2004-2006 X3 PASSENGER VEHICLES. DEPENDING ON THE MANNER AND FREQUENCY OF THE FRONT PASSENGER'S ENTRY AND EXIT, SMALL CRACKS HAVE DEVELOPED IN THE MAT. IF THIS OCCURS, THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAGS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE HEAD PROTECTION SYSTEM, WILL BE DEACTIVATED AND THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP AS WELL AS THE PASSENGER AIR BAG "ON-OFF" LAMP WILL BE ILLUMINATED.
Learn more »One or More Rear Lights May Stop Working
Electrical & Lights, August 25, 2011
RepairPal Expert Overview:
High resistance in the electrical contacts may cause one or more of the rear lights to stop working. Intermittent light operation reduces the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions, increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will repair the affected vehicles as necessary to correct this concern.
BMW 330xi Recall 02V138000
Engine
Summary: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE ENGINE AUXILIARY/COOLING FAN OPERATION, INCLUDING VARIABLE SPEED, IS ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED. FAILURE OF THE FAN MOTOR CAN CAUSE THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUITRY OF THE FAN CONTROL UNIT TO OVERLOAD AND FAIL, CAUSING THE FAN TO STOP OPERATING.
Learn more »BMW 330xi Recall 01V206000
Engine, September 28, 2001
Summary: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE ENGINE AUXILIARY/COOLING FAN OPERATION, INCLUDING VARIABLE SPEED, IS ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED. FAILURE OF THE FAN MOTOR CAN CAUSE THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUITRY OF THE FAN CONTROL UNIT TO OVERLOAD AND FAIL, CAUSING THE FAN TO STOP OPERATING.
Learn more »Control Arm Bolt May Not Be Tight
Suspension & Steering, November 21, 2006
RepairPal Expert Overview:
On 25 vehicles, the bolt securing the front control arm and swivel bearing were not tightened to specification and could loosen over time. If the nuts loosen, vehicle handling and control could be compromised, increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will tighten the front control arm and swivel bearing connection to the correct specifications. The recall began November 21, 2006.
BMW 330xi Questions and Answers
Visitor, 2001 BMW 330xi, Birmingham, AL
Provide retail dealer costs for front half shafts(cv joints) and outer boots for 2001 330xi
Visitor, 2001 BMW 330xi, Colorado Springs, CO
Were do you start wene taking off the drivers side friont door panel?
Visitor, 2001 BMW 330xi, Arvada, CO
Iam unable to remove the cv joint from the transmission. I have tried pounding it out, used pry bar even tried an air hammer. It will not come out. What am I doing wrong!
Daleesa, 2001 BMW 330xi, West Orange, NJ
I've looked around for a manual for this car. All the manuals I find do NOT cover the models which are All Wheel Drive. Any manual info, or online resource would be helpful.
zacite, 2001 BMW 330xi, Columbia, CA
Hard gear engamennt while shifting
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BMW 330xi Reviews
I have 90,000 mile on my car it was running great, then one day it wouldnt start, light work radio work , but wont start
I own a 2004 BMW 330xi We bought it last year and have had to put 2 axles, ball joints, starter, brakes,traction control bars and now the car is making a noise that I have no idea what it is. This is our 8th BMW and have always loved them but after this car not sure I would buy one again.
I bought my 330xi 2005 used from a dealer. I loved it from the start. It was about $4k more than the crappy Toyota Highlander I was about to go for but when I test drive it I didn't look back. No problems and all pleasure so far. I never bought a Bimmer before and now I'm hooked. Have to get a newer one some day but for the price ($16.3k) this deal is insanely hard to beat. I wish BMW refurbished paint jobs as I know they'd be the only ones I'd trust bring back the luster to original finis.
I love this car. I test drove both the 325 and 330 and went with the 330 because it is so much more powerful than the 325. It's even faster in sport mode. The steering is precise and the braking is excellent. Mechanically it is great, I've only replaced one sensor in the 5 years that I have owned the car but make sure you use OEM parts because the aftermarket part I originally used had a slightly diferent voltage and the car ran horribly until the OEM part was used. It is a little on the small side,I would like to upgrade to a 5 series eventually.
It's a fun little car, that does great in the winter. But it really makes me appreciate my http://carassistants.com subscription. I wouldn't want to own this car without it.
BMW 330xi Model Years
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