E30 M3 does not exist!?!Â….

[jmc330i]

Ԛ…..according to my local BM dealer.

Went there earlier today to get some prices on a couple M3 parts and the new EPC doesnÔš't have the E30 M3 listed.
The usual parts guy was on half day, so the new trainee was trying to find it. After awhile he went and got one of the technicians who had no luck either. He said the EPC was updated last week and maybe something had gone wrong with the update and deleted the M3
Then one of the admin blokes said Ԛ“oh, its because the M3 is LHD and was never officially sold in the UK.Ԛâ€a

Anyone else had any problems getting parts for the M3 over the last couple days?

[Dan318-is]

bmw told me they didnt stock e30 torches anymore when i saw them in the cabinet next to me!

an they took 13 minutes today to try and tell me what differential oil i needed for my slipper, and in the end told me th exact same one as the estaclear 318is site!

USELESS NEVER GO TO VINES OF GUILDFORD (unless u wont ultra fit receptionists)

[maxfield]

My dads never had problems i think he's just bought some fog lights from them

[Simon13]

barons in farnborough, get a bit of discount always have a chat etc. Never have a problem getting any parts ever!

I think that guy was taking u for a fool, go and slap him next time your in there! cheeky twat i'd say to him

[Rich_W]

As Im sure you know, a few M3's WERE imported by BMW and sold as UK cars. No idea how many, but I would guess less than 100.

You do have to be awake, when buying parts, I was sold an oil filter for a 6 pot last month. Only cos I queried the number at home that I found out before I started the work.

I use www.realoem.com to find part numbers.

[jmc330i]

barons in farnborough, get a bit of discount always have a chat etc. Never have a problem getting any parts ever!

I think that guy was taking u for a fool, go and slap him next time your in there! cheeky twat i'd say to him

Yeah I always have a chat with the guys when I go to my dealers and they are always really helpful - I think most of them want a ride in the 330i when its done

Thing is, I was actually infront of the computer with him and the M3 or M3 Cab was not listed. All the other E30s were there, although thinking about it I didnt see the 320iS either.
This is on the new look EPC, which I think is linked back to Germany which is why the guy thought it could be an update problem.

I have a copy of an older EPC/ETK and normally go there armed with part numbers, but I only called in as a last minute thing.

They just couldnt find any reference to the M3

[Patm3]

had this problem when i first bought the car some parts places use to say no such car, and i would walk out as if they had no knowledge of my car how can they help. but have had a hard time convincing some mates it was an M3.

[JazzMan]

bmw told me they didnt stock e30 torches anymore when i saw them in the cabinet next to me!

an they took 13 minutes today to try and tell me what differential oil i needed for my slipper, and in the end told me th exact same one as the estaclear 318is site!

USELESS NEVER GO TO VINES OF GUILDFORD (unless u wont ultra fit receptionists)

hmm sounds just like Scotthall to me (echo the receptionitst bit ;) ). The parts desk people I've dealt with were very unhelpful. I get the feeling they'ed rather you give them your car for fixing so they can charge a lot money.

[Bob_S]

I found this out about the M3 aswell at my local dealership (Halliwell Jones Chester) despite not having it they are always friendly helpful and now on first name terms I'm in there that bloody often! They usually find the obscure parts I want too aswell so I aint complaining.

[jmc330i]

Its the first time its happened to me. Ive ordered M3 parts before with no problem, but that was with the old EPC.

Now they have changed to the new EPC and the M3 wasnt on there - I was going back down today to see if its been sorted, but I spent a few hours in A&E getting my eyelid stitched back together

[bigkev]

OUCH tell more (i like a bit of gore for the weekend)

[Falkster]

I once pulled up into my local dealers in Harrogate and one of the lads came out of the service bay and said.....'is that a 325 with a kit on it'

I was astonished to say the least. I get a great deal more pleasure giving my business to my local indy. They know more than the dealers and take more pride in the work.

[jmc330i]

OUCH tell more (i like a bit of gore for the weekend)

Just a freak accident at work. I was walking passed a guy who was taking a plastic roller cage apart and one of the round tubes flicked up and the end caught me just below my eye.
1.5cm long cut a few mm from the edge of my eye lid, loads of blood and now a very black and swollen eye - could of been a whole load worse had it been a couple mm higher

[HartgeH27]

As Im sure you know, a few M3's WERE imported by BMW and sold as UK cars. No idea how many, but I would guess less than 100.

You do have to be awake, when buying parts, I was sold an oil filter for a 6 pot last month. Only cos I queried the number at home that I found out before I started the work.

I use www.realoem.com to find part numbers.

Rich,

Good link dude !! Gonna sticky this one in the tech section -

[Stevin]

I'm amazed that ppl don't know about realoem... I used it everytime b4 I go to the dealer... and I always get the right part no. from it... except for the Z4 shifter which changed sometime, and now it's got 2 different part no.'s and no one at the dealer could tell me the difference

[jmc330i]

Ok problem solved

Spent about an hour at the dealers yesterday and finally got all the parts I wanted ordered.

The new EPC doesnt list LHD models unless its told otherwise, so when we tried to find the 320iS or 325iX they werent listed either.
Basically on the old EPC (the one I have on my PC and the RealOEM site) you select the model (325i, M3, etc), then select the year and then you have the option of RHD/LHD.

On the new EPC, one of the settings needed changing to allow the LHD option to be used. Something so simple took them ages to figure out

Still, its all sorted and the M3 exists again

[stevetigger]

And now they know how to use there system! Thanks to you, hope you got a good discount 4 your help!

[Cotty]

Think thats bad I used to own a TVR S1. Try getting an insurance quote on a car that doesnt exist on their system

[jmc330i]

hope you got a good discount 4 your help!

I normally get a pretty good discount and a coffee or two while Im there

[E30Adam]

As Im sure you know, a few M3's WERE imported by BMW and sold as UK cars. No idea how many, but I would guess less than 100.

You do have to be awake, when buying parts, I was sold an oil filter for a 6 pot last month. Only cos I queried the number at home that I found out before I started the work.

I use www.realoem.com to find part numbers.

Rich,

Good link dude !! Gonna sticky this one in the tech section -

No need fella, it's in the links section.

[320Touring]

thats a shame it doesnt exist- makes em rarer though

as for ETK- best idea is to print it off, go in and shout/wave arms/jump up and down til you get a big boss person, then calmly explain that you want that part, in two days time, and at cost price, no VAT. voila, one part ordered no problems*


*disclaimer, the author takes no responsibility for any injury incurred whilst "jumping up and down", or during incarceration, due to being arrested for "breach of the peace".