List Something You Discovered About your Car After You Bought it...

OK, I've learned a few things since my last post. Most recently, the frame-less windows on the coupe suck when the car has been coated in ice. The windows couldn't move down enough to open and close the doors properly. Getting the door open wasn't too hard, but I couldn't close it all the way from inside the car. I drove to the gas station this morning with a door ajar indicated until I was able to use their antifreeze and wiper to soak the rail until the window moved.

Originally Posted by cwsqbm

OK, I've learned a few things since my last post. Most recently, the frame-less windows on the coupe suck when the car has been coated in ice. The windows couldn't move down enough to open and close the doors properly. Getting the door open wasn't too hard, but I couldn't close it all the way from inside the car. I drove to the gas station this morning with a door ajar indicated until I was able to use their antifreeze and wiper to soak the rail until the window moved.

Yep....this^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^can be a real pain in the balls during cold weather....

In any normal car, when the doors are locked and you use the door handle the door open, in my e46 they don't, It was annoying me because I would start to exit the car and realize I had to hit the unlock button.. till I saw my son open the door without unlocking it.. My 11yr old told me I had to open the door handle twice and that would open the door without having to hit the unlock button.

i discovered what that blue/white/red knob did between the two vents on the dash.. and the butterfly valve in the exhaust, which is now stuck open :-)

that it is both enjoyable and maddening at the same time.

Every nut and bolt is pretty much rusted together.

F*ck cars from the North.

I noticed that my auto trans has a sport feature - now I use it most of the time - so much better. Obviously, I also realized I should have purchased a manual.

Bought the car in the summer and by winter went to use the windshield washers and the motor was broken- just fixed for 20 bucks.

My car has a full Bilstein suspension setup lowered 1.5 inches along with all of the rubber bushings replaced with solid polyurethane. The PO even took the time to put in a set of performance camshafts.

Uh. I learned my car had been in a small front end collision, I learned it gets no grip in rain, I learned I payed too much and it wasn't an m. I got too excited when I found a z3 coupe and just bought it without really checking it out. I didn't know they made a non m. What the hell was the point of that?

i discovered my ZHP came with Shark Injector installed

there is a flashlight in the glove compartment, it plugs in to a charging outlet so its always ready to go! its my first bmw...

Sent from my DROID X2 using Bimmer App

Originally Posted by cwsqbm

OK, I've learned a few things since my last post. Most recently, the frame-less windows on the coupe suck when the car has been coated in ice. The windows couldn't move down enough to open and close the doors properly. Getting the door open wasn't too hard, but I couldn't close it all the way from inside the car. I drove to the gas station this morning with a door ajar indicated until I was able to use their antifreeze and wiper to soak the rail until the window moved.

Trick from a kid who learned to drive in the snow belt... Heat a pot of water (don't boil) and pour it over your door and window before you get in in the morning.

Originally Posted by bushman707

there is a flashlight in the glove compartment, it plugs in to a charging outlet so its always ready to go! its my first bmw...

Sent from my DROID X2 using Bimmer App

Calling that thing a flashlight is a bit generous.

Moving the turn signal stalk UP or DOWN with the ignition key off illuminates the parking lights on that side.
Pushing the odo reset button with the ignition key off will tell you the mileage in the cluster.

Originally Posted by cwsqbm

OK, I've learned a few things since my last post. Most recently, the frame-less windows on the coupe suck when the car has been coated in ice. The windows couldn't move down enough to open and close the doors properly. Getting the door open wasn't too hard, but I couldn't close it all the way from inside the car. I drove to the gas station this morning with a door ajar indicated until I was able to use their antifreeze and wiper to soak the rail until the window moved.

This ^ the trunk won't close either in these conditions

It's not as hard to do maintenance as I thought.
A stuck thermostat robbed me of at least 5 MPG for who knows how long.
Buy OEM whenever possible because aftermarket may not fit as intended.
The Stealership may or may not have your best interest at heart.
The human head weighs about eight pounds.

Originally Posted by cwsqbm

OK, I've learned a few things since my last post. Most recently, the frame-less windows on the coupe suck when the car has been coated in ice. The windows couldn't move down enough to open and close the doors properly. Getting the door open wasn't too hard, but I couldn't close it all the way from inside the car. I drove to the gas station this morning with a door ajar indicated until I was able to use their antifreeze and wiper to soak the rail until the window moved.

A very easy solution to this is, as you park the car in the evening, you roll the window down 1/4" or so. Just enough to clear the frame, but not enough to move the window out of contact with the seal. I do this whenever there's a threat of a freeze, and it works like a charm. If I remember....

Originally Posted by LX-biker

I dicovered better do not use windshiled washer at mall parking if sombody passing in front of the car- headlight washer may scary crap out of them if activated.

I still haven't had a chance to see/hear the headlight washer in action.

The owner's manual says five window sprays will trigger the headlight washer but how long (0.1 second to 5 second?) is considered a spray?

If the headlight is not on, five window sprays will not trigger the headlight washer.

I learned that my car is like a good looking woman -a lot of maintenance to keep up, friends are jealous, expensive to keep, I like her better with her top off, exterior does not like rain, and moody as sh*t. But in the end I like her in my garage and not in someone else's.

While installing an aux plug into the HK / DCS plate I found a belly button ring. I took it out and placed it in the cup holder. The next time my gf was in the car she saw it and I got in trouble. That was hard to explain.

Sent from my PantechP9060 using Bimmer App

Originally Posted by alfabmw1

I learned what the "clown nose" is, and that turning it switches my mirror between daylight and dim. I looked all over the place for the switch for the mirror at first, even read the manual, but did not figure out how to dim until I saw a post either on this forum or maybe the wiki.

For about tenth time, I tried to turn the "clown nose" and short of breaking it, IT WILL NOT TURN!! What's the deal? Are you all pulling my leg??

Originally Posted by wik009

For about tenth time, I tried to turn the "clown nose" and short of breaking it, IT WILL NOT TURN!! What's the deal? Are you all pulling my leg??

If you have the auto-dimming mirror, the nose doesn't turn (there's no need for it to turn).

The gas intake door is locked/unlocked based on the driver side door lock status.
If the driver side door is locked and gas intake door is open, you cannot close it.