Again, I'm playing catch up, since I and almost everyone at my office has been hit hard by the mysterious flu running around the Silicon Valley.

Some reader questions and responses:

Q: just found your website. I have been looking 2001 33cic's on ebay. Is it safe to assume that if the care has the premium package and the sport package that it won't need the steering retrofit? Anything specific that I should be leary of? Also , is yours a 5 speed. ? How has shifting/clutch action been over the life of the car.

A: Unfortunately, I'm not 100% sure about the steering question, since I didn't order the sports package. I don't want to give you bad advice since it sounds like you're buying the car long distance.

What I'd ask is 1) is it still under factory warranty (including an extended warranty), and 2) is there a complete service history (should be available from BMW via the current owner).

Yes, mine is a five-speed. The shifting has a much longer throw than my old Mitsu Eclipse, but you get used to it after awhile. The clutch is a little annoying at first as well because it adjusts to how you're driving. Since the car you're looking at has the sports package they may have included a little tighter set-up, but again I'm not 100% sure.

Right now, after 140K+ miles, the shifter is pretty loose. I think a spring has broken, so I sometimes overshoot third gear and go into fifth. The clutch is just as tight as ever.

Q: A guy down the street is selling his 2001 bmw 330ci for 13,000. It's not a convertible. its white. in perfect condition. nothing wrong. garage kept. has 120k on the engine. has passed all inspections, works perfectly. I wanted to know what your views are. should i purchase this? at 13k? with 120k on the engine? what do you think? i come to an expert! hope to hear from you soon Wes!

A: Just go to kbb.com and just check exactly what blue book value is. It's the most reliable source.

For $13K, that sounds like a decent deal. I just went through the buying process for a 2008 Prius, and those are selling for $24K. You can't really get much for $13K.

My car has 142K miles. You can see what you might expect in terms of future repairs here, although most of that damage was probably caused by driving around crappy San Francisco streets.

FYI: I completely failed this guy by not responding quickly. If you're looking for a speedy answer to how much a car is worth, just go to KBB.com or Edmunds.com.

Q: My 330 is a 2001 model. In the trunk there is a disk that says the car is fitted for a BMW mobile phone, but my local BMW dealer says that they don't have a kit to enable me to use my mobile phone with a bluetooth connection. They told me to get an aftermarket part, but couldn't tell me where to get one. Have you come across this with your 330? An suggestions would be appreciated.

A: Unfortunately, I can't help you. When I bought my car, the link between the cellphone was a physical connection. I can, however, recommend the Jawbone Bluetooth headset, which has a great noise suppression system. When I join conference calls from my car, people can't tell I'm driving.

Q: I have a 2002 BMW 330cic and with the windows up and the top up it rattles and makes all kinds of noise but if I crack the windows just a hair than it stops. I just bought this car so I'm not sure it it's normal. I have always driven BMW sedans and once the windows are up I don't really hear anything. I'm just not sure if this is normal for a convertable. The noise drives me crazy so unless it is warm enough to drive with the top down, the car will just sit in the driveway.

A: Yes, I know exactly what you're talking about because it used to happen in my car. It has to do with how the windows are seated against the rubber strip on the top.

The problem may be from your windows not being firmly connected to whatever the lift mechanism is inside the door. This only happened to me after both of my front side windows were busted out and I had them replaced at a local glass shop instead of my dealership (which was 70 miles away at the time).

I'd recommend having your dealership (or a good BMW authorized mechanic) check the window regulator (what makes the windows drop down slightly when you open the door). After I had mine checked, the rattle vanished.

Q: I think your website is pretty neat but I did have a question that I hope isn't too technical. I have the 02 330cic and haven't used the top since last summer. I was going to go topless the other day and discovered the button that you press to take the top down just remained lit (orange)

A: It sounds like the little compartment that folds up in the trunk is in the "up" position. The light to take down the top is red, otherwise.