Customer Reviews

BMW 3 Series (E46) Service Manual: 1999-2005

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have a 2002 E46 M3 and got this manual for help with small projects. I previously had a 1993 325i and a 1984 318i and I used Bentley manuals for both of those cars and found the books to be very helpful.

Not so with the E46 M3. Put simply, I have tried to use the book to help with maybe 5-6 projects and EVERY single time the information in the Bentley manual was either: 1.) completely unless (i.e., for one of the steps it will say "remove navigation screen" but then give zero information about how to do that); or 2.) completely wrong.

I am truly shocked that this book is advertised as containing useful information about M-series cars...that's just 100% false. Since I haven't tried using it with non-M cars I have no idea if it's useful or accurate for those vehicles. However, if you have an M car and you are thinking about buying this book to help you with projects, FORGET IT! Just Google stuff and look for blogs with M-specific instructions.

I will leave the more in-depth reviews to the readers with more engineering know-how; but I took delivery of this book from Amazon the other day, and as a first-timer to a BMW Bentley manual I'm quite impressed. At over 1400 pages there's no doubting that it's quite comprehensive and detailed. But for anyone who owns an E46 and has gone a step further to become an enthusiast, you will know how complicated these cars are; so it would appear impossible to cover absolutely everything for the E46, what with so many different body variations, engine options and equipment levels, not to mention different markets. Bear in mind that with the international context of use for this book, some details and specifics will be absent.

The pictures included are reasonably well detailed and are of high quality and of a decent size. Explanations are quite clear. A batch of wiring diagrams are appended to the end of the manual, which contributes substantially to its size. As those familiar with Bentley manuals will know, the manual is fully indexed and segmented into the main car components (e.g. engine; body), with each sub-component (e.g. changing the transmission; removing headlights) quite well-defined, including an overview of what special tools are required for the job.

I think this book will come in very handy for my E46 ('99 model) and would recommend it to friends. It's a bit expensive (though in reality this won't bother most people with E46s) and also this version is quite new so it may not breach the second-hand market in any great quantity in the near future.

I had a similar experience to another reviewer in that after a few days owning the manual, the binding started coming apart and a few pages are now trying to escape.
I used the book so gently that I believe I'd rather just get a refund than an exchange - because I'm afraid the same thing will just happen again.

As for the contents of the manual, I'm giving it 4 stars because it seems like a decent manual. It has good pictures. Granted, sometimes you need to stare at them for a while and then stare at your car to figure out exactly which angle they took the picture from. The instructions are concise but I was able to follow pretty well.
I'm not a seasoned mechanic. I want a manual to tell me what to do, what order to do it, and generally which screws to undo for each step. This manual did that pretty good.

Here's what I used the manual for in my short time:
-I replaced my belts
-I openned up the blower motor for the HVAC system
(unnecessarily since it wasn't the problem)
-I replaced the blower motor resister pack, also called
the final stage unit which is in behind and left of
the glove box.

I own multiple BMWs so I own multiple Bentley manuals to cover them. The updated E46 3 series manual is my most recent acquisition since my newest BMW is a 2004 330xi. The Bentley manuals cover more detail than most of their competitors, have good clear pictures, note the variations from year to year in the production run, and are well produced on good paper stock (or on CD media in some cases). If you maintain your own car and want to be able to do more than the most basic things, this is a must have. Even if you just want to understand how things fit together, it's a good resource.

Great book, got it as a present for my husband's birthday. Sadly it's missing a section - 119 and 120. I did not expect it from a book that came so highly recommended by a number of our friends who are BMW owners. If it weren't for a missing chapter, I would have given this book 5 stars.

Has very detailed instructions and pics/diagrams explaining all steps clearly.
The pics also have bold arrows pinpointing the exact nut/bolt/screw in the description, and this really eliminates annoying doubts while in the middle of a procedure!


Differences between each model are also explicitly listed.
All necessary tools and tool part numbers are listed with pics too!

Definitely worth the $$ considering hourly labor rates charged by BMW certified technicians.

Bentley manuals are excellent and this was purchased at a great price! Whether you work on your own or just want to understand why your mechanic charges so much, this manual will provide answers.

If you are hoping for a lot of useful diagnostic routines and detailed illustrations, like a factory service manual, you will not find it in this book. What you will find is a lot of instruction for replacing components assuming you know that the component needs to be replaced. So, in that sense it is very useful. It just isn't as useful as the OEM manuals I have had for previous cars. I was expecting that since in the past I would have 2-3 volumes for one specific model and year, whereas this book has one volume for the entire generation, including the M3 model.

This is a very complete and comprehensive servicemanual for anyone who doesn't really know much about the technology underneath the hood (or anywhere else in the car for that matter). If you know what exactly is wrong with your car, bets are this manual will help you fix it.

Excellent book. I ordered this book because there is no equivalent book for my Z-4. This book covers the same engine, which is what I needed.