BMW 3 Series E90

In 2005, the fourth generation of cars, the BMW E46, gave way to the next generation of cars of the third series. It was BMW 3 series E90. Dimensions of the car increased in length/width, compared to the E46, and amounted to 4520/1817 mm. Height of the car – 1420, wheelbase – 2760, ground clearance – 125-144 mm (varies depending on the modification). The data are given for a sedan, the values for station wagon and other bodies are slightly different.

BMW 3 Series E90 cars were also assembled in the Russian city of Kaliningrad. The equipment of “Russian Germans” was a little inferior to “German Germans”, but the quality of assembly was the same. True, domestic production produced only 4 models, 318/320/325i and 325xi. The first three were rear-wheel drive, the last one – with all-wheel drive.

Appearance

Compared to the E46, the body has become wider at the front, which is confirmed by the photo of the BMW E90. At the sill on the side, the facet of light has risen higher and its forms have become much more expressive. Combination of concave surfaces with convex ones is traced in 2 lines running along the exterior mirrors, which have a more distant zone of visibility. Sporty orientation is emphasized on the stern of the car. The shapes of headlights (letter L), luggage compartment lid, bumper have been changed. At parking lights there are strips of light diodes. Having increased the rear track, German designers have given the rear part of the car additional dynamism.

As a result of careful reworking of parts and assemblies, it was possible to slightly increase the width of the car. Dimensions of BMW E90 are 1780-1815 mm. Though visually it seems that BMW became much wider. Characteristic features of the exterior of the 5th generation BMW are long hood, rearward shifted interior, short overhangs and LED lamps (LED headlights BMW E90) low beam.

Some owners think that BMW E90 looks better with the angel eyes on. Therefore, the settings are coded so that they are automatically switched on in the NCS Expert DRL mode when the engine is switched on.

The car body has become lighter. However, its rigidity has increased by 25% and safety has increased. And the weight of the car remained unchanged! Germans were able to create a lightweight construction by using improved steel grades. In addition, they were processed under pressure.

This generation of BMW is considered to be the safest in side impacts. In EuroNCAP crash tests, the best results were achieved. The cars also received a good rating in rear impacts. Add to this the seat belts and 6 airbags designed to protect all parts of the body of the passengers/driver.

There are supposed to be 4 exclusive packages for the sedan:

• Lifestyle;
• Exclusive Edition;
• M Performance;
• M Sport Package.

Interior

BMW E90 interior has several variants of design. The most interesting designers consider finishing with plastic with a dark shade. But the interior design “under wood” seems to them pretentious. The upholstery is natural leather. The main interior detail was a monitor of 8.8 inches, which has a good resolution. Therefore, the graphics have accurate detailing. It is easier to find the required functions. On the large screen you can study the information coming from the navigation system Professional and the data sent by the multimedia iDrive.

The navigation package has an integrated 80 gig hard disk. Therefore, access to digitized map material is instantly available. Thousands of mp3s are also allowed to be stored on the hard drive. Thanks to ConnectedDrive, internet access will be unlimited. True, there is one limitation. To use it, the car must not be moving. Information is transmitted by EDGE technology, which covers vast areas and operates at three times the speed of GPRS.

Electronics and security

In the “base” for the interior there are mountings designed for child seats, which are mounted in the second row. The first row seats are equipped with active head restraints that reduce the risk of injury in rear-end collisions. As soon as a collision occurs, the safety system’s electrical unit quickly moves the front of the head restraint forward/upward to 60/40 mm, reducing the distance to the head. As a result, this safety element has increased protection effectiveness. In the “base” there is an electromechanical steering wheel with integrated Servotronic function, which. Based on the speed, adjusts the efficiency of the power steering. Active steering, which adapts the steering ratio to the speed at a given time, is an option.

The steering provides a more/less sharp response at low/high speeds. This is how the German designers solved the contradiction that arises between steering comfort, stability and dynamism. There is one more important function that complements the E90’s steering. If braking takes place on different surfaces (grip coefficients will differ), the system, actively intervening in the work of the steering wheel, will stabilize the car faster than the driver.

All models are equipped with DSC, which controls the stability of the vehicle. On the six-cylinder models, this is supplemented by various functions. For example, the brake disks will be kept dry even in wet weather. Or the brake pads connected to the disks will be in increased readiness for braking. This prevents the BMW from lurching before stopping and rolling uphill.

ACC will give the driver a great deal of pleasure behind the wheel. The Active Cruise Control system will always take into account the specific situation on the road. The radar sensor, having determined the distance to the car moving ahead, gives a signal to the system, which will adapt the speed of the BMW E90 with the distance according to the presetting. With the help of ACC BMW without the driver’s participation automatically dials the speed specified in the memory, then it is maintained, and if necessary, reduced!

The driver needs to press a button on the steering wheel to enter the current speed of the vehicle into the memory. This speed will be maintained until the driver brakes. This is a good feature when driving on the highway. Let’s say the authorized speed is 110 km/h. You reach this speed, press the button and you can release the accelerator pedal.

The FRM BMW E90’s FRM unit regulates all lighting. It controls the headlights, front headlights, fog lights, reversing lights, as well as trunk/door lighting and other additional vehicle lights.

Engine

Internet and other functions are the advantages of any car in today’s world. However, the technical characteristics of the BMW E90 are more important. And among them, the powertrains occupy a central place.

The unique motors are six-cylinder three-liter diesel units. These engines are installed BMW E90 330d and function according to the EfficientDynamics concept. The dynamics of this engine is not weaker than similar indicators of powerful gasoline motors. The maximum power is 245 “horses”, the maximum speed is 250 km / h. Acceleration to 100 km/h takes 6.1 sec. And the average fuel consumption of BMW E90 per 100 km is only 5.7 liters! Let’s face it, the result is outstanding.

We’ll go into more detail about the engines below, in the “Configuration” section.

The running gear of the E90 is unique and perfect. In the front there is a McPherson suspension, which is adapted to high-powered power units. At the back there is a multi-lever design with 2 joints. Traction stretches on the shock absorber struts, complete with an aluminum stabilizer bar. Engines are paired with manual/automatic (at) transmission. MKПП are supplied by the manufacturer “Getrag”, automatic transmission – “ZF”. The “mechanics” has no problems, but after 200 thousand kilometers the clutch should be replaced. In “automatic” after 120/300 thousand kilometers it is necessary to change oil seals with gaskets/hydrotransformer.

There’s no hassle with the xDrive transmission.

The volume of oil in ZF automatic transmission is about 7 liters. It is recommended to use the company’s products Shell oil or branded, M 1375.4. Checking the engine oil level can be done after every 80 thousand kilometers. This is the periodicity (plus or minus 10 thousand) of oil change.

Equipment

The most popular modification of the E90 in Russia, judging by reviews, is the BMW E90 320i. It was equipped with two engines with 4 cylinders. Since 2007 BMW E90 was equipped with N46 with 150 hp. Car owners wrote that over time, the N46 engine works like a diesel. There are many reasons for this. The most common are: filling with low-quality gasoline, failure of timing, destruction of the tightness of the exhaust system, ignition malfunction. Therefore, in 2011 BMW 320 E90 was replaced by 170-horsepower motor N43.

The analog of the gasoline motor is the diesel unit mounted on the BMW 320d E90.

If someone finds such power a little too little, you can buy BMW 325i E90. The modification was initially equipped with a 218-horsepower engine N52B30 with a volume of 2.5 liters. The power plant can be flashed and increase its power to 240 “horses”. After restyling, the engine N53 was installed on BMW 325 E90. The thing is that on BMW E90 N52 after 70 thousand mileage began to consume a lot of oil. The reason – oil caps.

BMW 330i was equipped with the same power units, but more powerful. N52 and N53 had 258/272 hp. The top version, not counting the M3, is the 335i modification. It appeared in 2006 and was equipped with a 306-horsepower engine N54 / N55. With the help of chip tuning it is quite possible to pull it up to the “charged” M3.

If economical engines are required, choose the 330/335d versions. Diesel engines function for a long time, and there will be no problems with the fuel injectors and injectors, if the BMW will be filled with high-quality diesel fuel. Before the restyling, the cars were equipped with the M57 motor, and then it was replaced by the N57. Finally, the weakest motors are on the diesel/gasoline versions of the BMW E90 318i/316i . If you really want to drive a “Bavarian” and you are quite satisfied with the power of 116-143 “horses”, buy these modifications.

Which motor is best is up to you. Choose the engine based on the purpose of the car’s operation. But in any case, the BMW E90 has excellent installation characteristics.

Difference between restyling and prerestyling

The BMW E90 model turned out to be so successful, according to owners’ reviews, that the Bavarian manufacturer did not dare in 2008 to conduct a serious restyling to change the exterior with the interior. Therefore, the changes were minor. Hence the small differences between restyling and prerestyling. The main problems on the E90 models were with the front optics. There was melting of headlights. Of course, not on all cars, but in some cases. The second curiosity was with the mechanism of wipers. Their section, also on individual cars, was subjected to slight corrosion. Moisture got in, and the mechanism started to stick.

With the restyling of the BMW 3 E90, these problems have been eliminated. However, the manufacturer recommends, for insurance, to lubricate the mechanism of wipers and adjust their work as much as possible. Because if the BMW E90 LCI motor that drives the wipers fails, it will be expensive to repair.

The third misfortune – the engine starts and stops. The reasons may be different, but in most cases, the fuel pump is to blame. There may be plugs in the engine cooling systems. Pumping them will help.

In 2009, the BMW E90 2.0 successor appeared on the assembly line. These were the F30 models.

Generations and configurations

Generation 5 coupe – restyled

03.2010 – 03.2014

Convertible 5th generation – restyled

03.2010 – 03.2014

Fifth Generation Sedan – Restyled

09.2008 – 01.2012

Station wagon 5th generation – restyled

09.2008 – 06.2012

Fifth Generation Coupe

09.2006 – 02.2010

Convertible 5th generation

09.2006 – 02.2010

Fifth Generation Sedan

12.2004 – 08.2008

Station wagon 5th generation

12.2004 – 08.2008