1998 Bmw 318ti problems
The BMW 3 Series Compact is a car which was produced from 1994 through 2004 by BMW. It is a 3-door hatchback version of the BMW 3 Series through two generations, for the E36 platform in 1993 and E46 platform in 2001. Unlike most hatchback competitors which were transverse engine front-wheel drive, the 3 Series Compact uses the longitudinal engine rear-wheel drive layout.
In 2004, the 3 Series Compact was replaced by the 1 Series which encompassed 3-door and 5-door hatchback, coupé and convertible body styles (the coupé and convertible models have been marketed separately as the 2 Series since 2014) as BMW's entry-level cars; a new nameplate was created since the 1 Series is smaller than the contemporary 3 Series despite sharing mechanical components. The 3 Series GT, introduced in 2013, is not a successor to the 3 Series Compact, despite also using a hatchback rear opening.
First generation (E36; 1994)
Launched in March 1994, the E36 3 Series Compact (model code E36/5), was BMW's first hatchback since the 2002 Touring model was discontinued in 1974. It reportedly cost BMW $500 million USD to develop the hatchback from the E36 platform.
From the front bumper to the A-pillar, the E36/5 is identical to the E36 saloon. From the A-pillar back, the E36/5 is unique. Although the overall length of the E36/5 is approximately 200 millimetres (7.9 in) shorter than the rest of the E36 3 Series range, the length of the wheelbase is the same. There is a unique set of doors with framed windows for the E36/5, rather than adopting those of the E36 saloon/wagon or the frameless ones of the E36 coupé.
The interior is mostly similar to the E36 saloon models, apart from the folding rear seats and dashboard which share some elements with the previous generation E30 3 Series. Some cost-cutting was employed in the E36/5 dashboard such as manual air conditioning, compared to the rest of the E36 lineup which had automatic climate control.
The E36/5 front suspension uses the E36's MacPherson strut design, while the rear suspension uses a semi-trailing arm from the previous generation E30 models instead of the Z-Axle multi-link suspension used by the rest of the E36 range. The E36/5's rear suspension arrangement - which was also used on the Z3 - was more compact and cheaper to produce. Some reviewers believed that this arrangement caused the E36/5's to be prone to oversteer.
The launch models were powered by four-cylinder petrol engines, with the range expanded over the years to include a four-cylinder compressed natural gas engine, four-cylinder diesel engines, and six-cylinder petrol engines. In North America, the sole model available was the 318ti, initially powered by a DOHC 1.8 litre, 138 hp (103 kW; 140 PS) inline-four BMW M42 engine. In 1996, in conjunction with making the car compliant with OBD-II, the M42 was replaced by the 1.9-litre M44 engine.
A large sunroof, covered by a folding canvas roof was available from mid-1995. This model was known as either the California Top Edition or the Open Air Edition.
In September 1996 (for model year 1997), the 3 Series Compact received a facelift in line with the remainder of the E36 range. Changes included revised tail-lights, grille, bumpers and mirrors.
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Common 1998 Bmw 318ti problems
The BMW 318ti, produced in 1998, is known for its rear-wheel drive and sharp steering, which sets it apart from many of its front-wheel drive competitors. However, like any vehicle, it has its share of common problems that owners have reported.
- Cold starting issues: Early BMW 3 Series Compact models, including the 1998 318ti, may have trouble starting in cold weather. This is a known issue and can be attributed to the car's design and age.
- Leaking radiators: Faulty radiators are a common problem in the BMW 3 Series Compact, including the 318ti. This issue can lead to overheating and potential engine damage if not addressed promptly.
- Interior quality: Cars built before the facelift in September 1996 may have lower-quality interiors, with trim and fittings that are not as tightly screwed together. This can lead to rattling noises and other issues over time.
- Window seals: The window seals on the BMW 3 Series Compact, including the 318ti, have been known to perish and leak. This can result in water damage to the car's interior and electrical systems if not addressed.
- Tyre and rear axle condition: As the 'economy' model of the range, the 318ti may have been subjected to less-frequent servicing, which could lead to issues with the tyres and rear axle. It is essential to check the condition of these components before purchasing a 318ti.
- Mounts and filters: Over time, various mounts and filters in the BMW 318ti, such as fuel filters and water pumps, may need to be replaced. This is especially true for cars that have not been well-maintained.
- Timing belts: The timing belts in the BMW 318ti should be replaced around 90,000 miles to prevent potential engine damage. This is a critical maintenance item that should not be overlooked.
These common problems should be taken into consideration when purchasing a used BMW 318ti. Regular maintenance and inspections by a certified BMW technician can help identify and address these issues before they become significant problems.
Is the 1998 BMW 318ti reliable?
The 318ti is a fun, reliable, and efficient car to both own and drive. I have over 129,000 miles on my 1998 318ti that I purchased new and it's still running strong. An excellent car that I would recommend to anyone!
Is 318ti rare?
Unfortunately, Americans were characteristically preoccupied with grunge music and buying pickup trucks, and the 318ti's introduction largely fell on non-existent ears. Under 25,000 of them were produced and sold for the US, out of around 375,000 total 3 Series sold in the world market.
What does TI stand for in 318ti?
ti is touring international. s can stand for coupe. RAiMA.
What is the 0 60 on a 1998 318ti?
BMW 318ti - First Test
| PERFORMANCE | |
|---|---|
| 0-40 mph | 4.6 |
| 0-50 mph | 6.4 |
| 0-60 mph | 8.9 |
| 0-70 mph | 11.9 |
Is the 1998 BMW 318ti reliable?
The 318ti is a fun, reliable, and efficient car to both own and drive. I have over 129,000 miles on my 1998 318ti that I purchased new and it's still running strong. An excellent car that I would recommend to anyone!
What engine is in a BMW 318ti?
In North America, the sole model available was the 318ti, initially powered by a DOHC 1.8 litre, 138 hp (103 kW; 140 PS) inline-four BMW M42 engine. In 1996, in conjunction with making the car compliant with OBD-II, the M42 was replaced by the 1.9-litre M44 engine.
What is the top speed of the BMW 318ti?
BMW claims 209 km/h (130 mph) for a 5-speed 318ti.
Is 318ti rare?
Unfortunately, Americans were characteristically preoccupied with grunge music and buying pickup trucks, and the 318ti's introduction largely fell on non-existent ears. Under 25,000 of them were produced and sold for the US, out of around 375,000 total 3 Series sold in the world market.
1998 Bmw 318ti car problems categorized by type of issue
After analyzing all complaints sent to the NHTSA and researching popular Bmw 318ti problems, we found that the most common problems with these 2023 model year vehicles are:
- Visibility problems
- Tires problems
- Power train problems
- Suspension problems
- Exterior lighting problems
The graph below shows statistics for all 1998 Bmw 318ti vehicle components and the number of complaints received.
1998 Bmw 318ti complaints
The NHTSA has received 17 complaints about various vehicle components related to the 1998 Bmw 318ti.
VISIBILITY PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2007-11-25
- Components: VISIBILITY
- Summary: 1. WINDOW MOVEMENT STOPPED 2. WINDOW FELL INTO THE DOOR AND THE TINT GOT SCRATCHED 3. THE DEALER QUOTED 300 TO FIX IT, REPLACED REGULATOR AND BRUSHING. *TR
VISIBILITY PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2007-03-21
- VIN: WBACG8327WK
- Components: VISIBILITY
- Summary: BMW318TI - BOTH DRIVER-SIDE AND PASSENGER-SIDE WINDOW REGULATORS HAVE HAD PROBLEMS . REPLACED THE PASSENGER-SIDE REGULATOR TWICE ALREADY IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. FORTUNATELY ONCE WAS WITHIN THE ONE-YEAR WARRANTY OF WHEN IT BROKE THE FIRST TIME SO THE EXPENSE WAS JUST THE LABOR, STILL EXPENSIVE. JUST THIS WEEK THE DRIVER'S SIDE REGULATOR FAILED. NOT A CHEAP FIX, AND QUITE A SCARE WHEN IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. AN UNEXPECTED LOUD CRACK AND THE WINDOW CRASHED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR, JUST A FEW SECONDS AFTER THE WINDOW BUTTON WAS DEPRESSED. WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THAT THERE WAS A RECALL. THIS WAS GETTING TOO BE VERY EXPENSIVE.*AK
VISIBILITY PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2006-07-18
- VIN: WBACG8323WK
- Components: VISIBILITY
- Summary: 3 SERIES MODELS (E36) AND NOTABLY THE 318TI BMW AUTOMOBILES HAVE AN EXTREMELY HIGH FAILURE RATE FOR THE WINDOW REGULATORS. ITS NOT UNCOMMON TO HAVE TO REPAIR THEM ANNUALLY AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY 300 DOLLARS PER DOOR. THE FAILURE OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING THE WINDOW TO JAM, OR FALL INSIDE THE DOOR. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN DOCUMENTED PROBLEM AMONG THE OWNER COMMUNITY AND REACTIONS AT DEALERS IS "OH YEA HAPPENS ALL THE TIME." I PROPOSE THIS COULD PRESENT AN EGRESS ISSUE IN EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY. *JB
TIRES PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2005-01-24
- Number Of Injuries: 1
- Crash: 1
- Components: TIRES
- Summary: PIRELLI P205 60R 15 TIRE BLOW OUT RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURY TO CLIENT. *JB
TIRES PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2001-07-05
- Components: TIRES
- Summary: CAR HAS A SAFETY DESIGN FLAW. SPARE TIRE MOUNT DESIGN ALLOWS THE SIDEWALL OF THE SPARE TIRE (MOUNTED UNDER THE TRUNK) TO RUB AGAINST THE BOTTOM OF THE TRUNK DURING NORMAL DRIVING. UPON TAKING OUT THE SPARE, THE TIRE WAS FOUND TO HAVE PRONOUNCED MARKS AND GROOVES ON THE TIRE SIDEWALLS FROM THE RUBBING. THE MARKS WERE DEEP ENOUGH THAT THE BELTS IN THE TIRES COULD BE SEEN AND FELT ON THE SIDEWALLS. THE TIRE CAN NOT BE USED. MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM IF THE SPARE (SMALL SPARE) IS USED WITH POTENTIAL SIDEWALL FAILURE DUE TO POOR SPARE TIRE MOUNT DESIGN.*AK
EXTERIOR LIGHTING PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-24
- Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
- Summary: LOW HEAM HEAD LIGHTS DO NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH ILLUMINATION.
POWER TRAIN PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-24
- Components: POWER TRAIN
- Summary: TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT SMOOTHLY.
SUSPENSION PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-24
- Components: SUSPENSION
- Summary: THE SUSPENSION DOES NOT SOAK UP BUMPS WITHOUT HOPPING.
POWER TRAIN PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-24
- Components: POWER TRAIN
- Summary: VEHICLE LACKS TIRE ROAD GRIP ON SOME TURNS AND THE REAR OF THE CAR SLIDES OUT.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 1999-02-02
- VIN: WBACG8330WK
- Components: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
- Summary: UNINTENTIONAL ACCELERATION: I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. I EASED THE PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE TO LET THE CAR ROLL FORWARD SLIGHTLY, THEN INCREASED THE BRAKE PPRESSURE AGAIN, THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO REV FAST, CAUSING THE REAR WHEELS TO SPIN AND PROPELLING THE CAR FORWARD APPROXIMATELY FOUR FEET, EVEN THOUGH I HAD FULL PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE BRAKES. I NARROWLY AVOIDED A COLLISION WITH TURNING TRAFFIC BY SHIFTING TO A LOWER GEAR, WHEREUPON THE RPM DROPPED. SHORTLY AFTER THIS, AS I WAS SLOWLY EASING INTO A PARKING SPACE, THE SAME THING OCCURRED. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, GENTLY APPROACHING THE PARKING STOP, EASED THE PRESSURE SLIGHTLY THEN INCREASED IT AGAIN, AND THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY REVVED FROM BELOW 1000 RPM TO IN EXCESS OF 3500 RPM, AND THE CAR TRIED TO LUNGE FORWARD, EVEN THOUGH I STILL HAD FULL PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE BRAKE. I IMMEDIATELY SHIFTED INTO PARK, AND THE RPM DROPPED AT ONCE. I SUBSEQUENTLY CALLED THE DEALER, WHO ARRANGED FOR THE VEHICLE TO BE PICKED UP. AT PRESENT IT IS IN THE REPAIR SHOP. *AK
TIRES PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 1998-08-01
- VIN: WBACG8328WK
- Components: TIRES
- Summary: MICHELIN TIRE (P205/R15 MXV) BLEW OUT ON FREEWAY. YH
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 1998-08-21
- VIN: WBACG8323WK
- Components: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
- Summary: GASKET WEAR CAUSED GASOLINE LEAKING. YH
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 1998-08-21
- VIN: WBACG8323WK
- Components: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
- Summary: SMOG DEVICE FAILED. YH
SUSPENSION,TIRES PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-24
- Components: SUSPENSION,TIRES
- Summary: TIRES AND SUSPENSION OF VEHICLE ARE INADEQUATE RESULTING IN REAR OF VEHICLE SLIDING DURING TURNS AND BUMPY RIDE.
POWER TRAIN PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-24
- Components: POWER TRAIN
- Summary: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT SMOOTHLY.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-11-24
- Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
- Summary: LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS DO NOT ILLUMINATE ROAD PROPERLY.
VISIBILITY PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 1998-07-24
- VIN: WBACG8322WK
- Components: VISIBILITY
- Summary: DRIVER'S WINDOW GLASS PLATE CAME OUT OF THE DOOR CHANNEL.
Additional sources
More sources of information about 1998 Bmw 318ti problems:
common problems - 318ti.org forum
Oct 26, 2007 ... '95 BMW 318ti. iTrader: (2). Photo Gallery. Default common problems. im looking at a 1998 318ti and it has 167,000 miles on it i have a few ...
318 common problems to look out for.
Dec 31, 2011 ... i say buy it...you'll love it! 1995 318ti Active what a nice e36. i've never seen compact which would be so angry.
just bought a 1995 318Ti, Problems to look out for? - 318ti.org forum
Jun 10, 2012 ... Overheating due to failed cooling system components is the number one killer of these engines. While you're replacing the cooling system, you ...
How reliable is a 1996 BMW 318ti? What are some common ...
Sep 4, 2015 ... Cooling System Failures: BMWs are notorious for cooling system issues, including water pump failure, leaking coolant hoses, and radiator ...
Problems or reliability of the '96 318ti?
Nov 3, 2005 ... Problems or reliability of the '96 318ti ... No more problems than any other E36. The ... i haven't had many problems with my '98, but the engine ...
Other years of Bmw 318ti
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