I picked up the car today from a used car lot. It has a manual transmission with 133K miles on it. Unfortunately the previous owner put in a short shifter which I find PITA. It is black exterior with parchment interior. It has some service records on maintainance log from BMW dealerships.


1. I noticed that there is a rattling like noise coming from the transmission. I only hear it when the gear is in neutral. However when the clutch is depressed the noise disappears. Could this be a transmission or a clutch problem? Or possibly the shifter?

2. Since the engine is a M30 on this car, do I have to do the valves adjusment per the tips at bmw34.net website?

3. I drove home 40 miles today. I noticed via the comuter that I am averaging 19 mpg on the highway . How can I improve the mileage? Does a new 02 sensor help in this department?

4. One of the highbeam light as a crack. Where is the best place to buy a replacement?

TIA.