New 318ti owner, few questions.
 

So, this 1998 318ti is my first BMW ever... So I have a few questions on how it's supposed to drive/sound.

First: The car feels VERY stiff... Almost like I have no power steering, but not THAT difficult. Somewhere in between (if that makes sense). I heard the 3 series are stiff like that, but since I've never owned or driven a BMW up until 2 weeks ago, I had to ask.

Second: When on the interstate, doing 65mph+, the RPMs are sitting around 3,000. Is this normal? The transmission seems to shift just fine.

Third: The exhaust seems a bit loud, but I brought it in for an inspection sticker and everything passed and we found no holes or exhaust leaks. A naturally louder car?

Fourth: When taking off or accelerating I hear a metallic spinning type noise. Hard to explain. I thought it was a rear rotor, but it's not. If I'm in Park, and I rev the engine I hear some rattle/metallic sort of sound. Could it be a heat shield or something much more serious?

That's all the questions I have for now, and thanks everyone in advance!


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What kind of cars did you drive before? If you're used to something like a minivan or a Crown Vic, then the steering and suspension on a 3-series will feel a bit stiff. Do you feel like you're in control of the car? That's what really matters.

I don't have an automatic, but it sounds reasonable. But if you want to make sure, look up the gear ratios and calculate what the RPMs should be for a given velocity.

The water vapor in exhaust often makes mufflers rust from the inside out. It's possible that the baffles inside your muffler are breaking down, but the corrosion still hasn't penetrated the shell.

No idea, sorry.

New 318ti owner, few questions.
 

I've had a Ford Escort, Jeep Wrangler, and Pontiac Grand Prix. I feel totally in control, I personally like the way it feels... But I wanted to make sure the steering and suspension were suppose to feel that way, to ensure no damage is done to the car.

I honestly have NO idea what you mean by gear ratios... I'm quite numb when it comes to cars, unfortunately.

Thank you for responding :)


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Gear ratio is the number of engine revolutions divided by the number of wheel revolutions. So if the ratio is 5.5, it means that the engine rotates 5.5 times for every revolution of the drive wheels. Your car has a transmission with multiple gears, each giving a different ratio, plus a differential, which has a fixed gear ratio.

Go to this table: http://www.bokchoys.com/differential/GearRatios.htm - look up the numbers for 318ti automatic. ("Final drive" is the gear ratio of the differential.) Input them here: http://www.bokchoys.com/differential...calculator.htm - you'll also need your tire size. This will give you your maximum speed in each gear, plus the engine RPM when cruising in top gear.

70MPH is 3047 RPM and 75MPH is 3265 RPM. I guess it is correct then. I was nervous as I drive 75MPH for a good 15 hours from Maine to North Carolina... And this will be the first time taking this car, my other cars would be around 2,500 cruising. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to blow the motor or kill the transmission. :)

I brought the vehicle to a garage this morning for a quick look over. They said everything on the car is mint, however, the rattling is the guts of the cat. I can't even imagine how expensive a cat is for this.


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Purchase an aftermarket catalytic converter as BMW units are extremely pricey and are known failures for 318Ti's as a matter of fact there was a soft recall on them for awhile but that is gone now.

I was going to buy a direct fit, but it's still $228.87 shipped. Plus another 100-200 labor? A universal fit that claims it'll work is $55, but my mechanic said don't bother as welding can cause it to fall off in 2 months anyways, as its incredibly hard to get all the way around both ends in that tight space. I don't know what to do with this car now. :/


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Sure the rattling is not just some metal shielding vibrating or hitting the exhaust?

I thought that's what it was... But when they put it on the lift, they said that there is nothing lose, no leaks anywhere, everything looks mint except when you tap the cat, you hear some pretty gnarly rattling inside... And apparently thats why when I accelerate I hear a terrible noise. This is a nightmare.

People have had mixed results from aftermarket cats.
I think Magnaflow makes on that actually works.

Would this work? http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/more...nid=444&jpid=2

It's $228.86 shipped.

That is not a bad price and direct fit is the way to go.

hello all i am also a new 318ti owner. never have driven a BMW before. I had a messed up exhaust system. Replaced the engine manifold which i got from ecs tuning about a week ago for $30 bucks on sale. Also added a federal magnaflow cat #99205HM which was recommended from magnaflow. Also added a borla pro xs muffler which was a decent price. Had it installed yesterday it sounds nice and deep but, way too loud. Now my question is, is there any mufflers out there that will be just like stock without selling my soul to the dealer? i have heard of ANSA and Bosal but everything i find online sounds like ricer type mufflers. I really need someones help if you all had any experience with a good similar to stock muffler. Thanks

I just had to deal with a catalytic converter issue as well. wine was rattling very loudly and power was way down. I removed it, cut a flap out of the top, took the loose guts out, and welded the flap back in. I know the CEL will pop on eventually, but I don't have to meet emissions here in southern Louisiana, so I'll let it ride for now. My 98 ti also tachs pretty high on the interstate, aabout 3500 at 75 (i have the manual).