Customer Reviews

BMW 3-Series & Z4 Models, 1999 Thru 2005 (Hayne's Automotive Repair Manual)

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

 

 

Good manual for maintenance and diy fixes. I have a 2001 325xi wagon... doesn't show much about stuff for the wagon but it seems not much is different from the sedan when it comes to mechanical work. Great visuals for suspension, brake, engine work. If you're like me, you look to bimmerfest.com, bimmerwerkz.com, bimmerforums.com or a similar forum for diy jobs and the advice of fellow owners. This book is a nice reference for when you're on the job (or preparing for the job) and don't have the time to do that. They give a nice explanation of every type of job - brake, rotor, or strut replacement, oil change, tune-up, all filters, etc. Pretty much anything you want to do. This is the bible for all E46 owners. You'll come back to it everytime.

I don't seem to have any problem with the print or the photographs in my copy - but then again I usually cover most of them with greasy fingerprints pretty quickly anyway.

This is a Haynes manual - they're good. They're far better than the Chilton's versions, which tend to cover every model made during a 10 year period in one book... which leads to vague descriptions and lots of caveats. This book is fairly thorough and covers all the jobs any typical home mechanic is going to mess with.

So far I've overhauled my entire braking system and front suspension components; and it hasn't steered me wrong yet.

If you're more serious than this manual, then you'll need the (much more expensive) Bentley book or a factory manual (which for European cars are frequently written by Bentley - at least I believe VWs were last I checked).

Although the Z4 and the 3 series share the same engine, this book is not helpful for Z4 owners. All pictures are of the 3 series equipment. Pics are all black and white and not very sharp. A pleasant surprise at the back of the manual is the wiring diagrams for the Z4. Probably a decent manual for 3 series BMWs. As a Z4 owner, I would not have purchased this manual if I had an opportunity to view it first.

This book was a great price. It looks like it has all the info needed to do any basic and extreme repairs. I have forund it useful to do any of the repairs that I needed to do. Engine air filter (K&N) cabin air filter, spark plugs and fuel filter. Along with some other small stuff. For the price its good to make sure I am doing the repairs correctly.

This reference book is not very detailed and I did not find it very useful. I would suggest spending the extra money and buying the bentley's repair manaual

This is a pretty good manual for the most part. It covers MOST of the stuff your going to fix in the car, not all but most. I would prefer the Bentley manual, but it costs over $[...] !! So for around $[...] this Haynes manual is alright

I am a long time fan of the Haynes manual line. While not overly detailed it uses language that the everyday car owner can understand and doesn't mislead the consumer to believe that they can do a project that is out of their reach.

A decent starting point, but not very clear photos, and steps are not always easy to follow. In its defense, there are so many different permutations of the E46 BMW, that this book can be only a starter reference. It includes some good tips on general mechanics and shop technique. However, you will probably need to supplement this book with internet searches to perform most repairs.

Good book for those wanting to do a few minor jobs that you don't want to overpay the dealer to do.

I used this to do minor work on a Z4. I also had the TIS system which is the service manual that comes on CD. The TIS system is extremely thorough (its what the bmw mechanics use) but its confusing for non-mechanics and not very well organized. For this reason I bought the Haynes. The Haynes manual was very clear about recommended service intervals and procedures and best of all, they all agreed with what the TIS system said. After a while I stopped using the TIS altogether. Also I have used three different Haynes manuals (for three different vehicles) and they are not all created equal. In my opinion this is an especially good one.

There is a review on here saying that none of the pictures are for the Z4 and that is true but I found that it was all about the same. The only time I got confused was when I forgot Z4's don't have fluid based power steering and couldn't find the reservoir. Perhaps that person did more work than me. I only used this for basic maintenance and would have taken it to a pro if something big came up. So, if you are looking to do basic things to save a little money, consider the Haynes.