I'm looking at a 2002 325ci in particular, hoping to get it for under 2k. It looks fine from the photos, besides a small fender bender. Anything I need to know about these cars specifically? engine, electrical, suspension, body issues etc...
Research shows it should have an M54 engine, M54B25 to be exact.
Or maybe I hold off and try to find a 330 series, seeing as my current car makes more (stock) than a 325 (albeit being FWD).
330s are cool. I wouldn't get a 325 unless I wanted the wagon. Just my personal preference.
Window regulators should be part of every major service from what I hear. And if it's a BMW, it will have cooling system issues.
A 12 year old E46, assuming it's got typical mileage for that age and has been as badly neglected as most cars, will need the following to make it right: full cooling system, full suspension, CCV system, VANOS seals, pre-cat O2 sensors, valve cover and oil filter housing gaskets, intake pipes, plus the gamut of fluid and filter changes.
The following things would send me screaming into the night: any (and I do mean any) sign of overheating and/or an automatic transmission. BMW spec'd "lifetime" fluid in the trans, which means that the life of the transmission is usually right around 100k miles. When the all-aluminum M54 overheats, it has a tendency to not only warp the head, but also to rip the head bolt threads out of the block, meaning you get to buy a new engine.
I'm not trying to scare you off, but it pays to be very careful about buying an reasonably modern BMW for two grand.
Listen to O2Pilot.
If the car is current on its maintenance, that's a screaming good deal. If all you have to do is maintain it, BMWs with I6s are awesome. They're easy to work on once you get used to the fact that the first step on any work under the hood is going to get a bunch of airbox/intake/trim stuff out of the way. A few jobs suck (starters...ugh) but everything is doable. Much easier than most FWD cars these days.
But if it's not completely up to date on maintenance, budget for it and see where that leaves you. Full suspension, cooling system and VANOS overhaul will eat up a lot of your time and cost you a couple grand in parts alone. It doesn't take much to be $3K deep into repairs on these cars.
I wouldn't worry about the power level of the 325i if the deal is right. The 330i is definitely faster, but even the 325i feels like a damn fine automobile with a manual gearbox. Horsepower is not really what the BMW I6 is about. That big flat power band is. My E36 M3 makes 240 (or less at 160K miles) and my old 328is made 190 something. Wherever it is, it's making nice power. Substantially quicker from the driver's seat than an S2K or RX8, which both have better power-to-weight ratios.
02Pilot wrote: When the all-aluminum M54 overheats, it has a tendency to not only warp the head, but also to rip the head bolt threads out of the block, meaning you get to buy a new engine.
FWIW, Baum tools sells an alignment tool for heli-coil installation when this happens. Still requires a fair amount of work, but less than a new engine. But in general I agree, any evidence of overheating would turn most M54 cars into parts donors.
Ian F wrote:02Pilot wrote: When the all-aluminum M54 overheats, it has a tendency to not only warp the head, but also to rip the head bolt threads out of the block, meaning you get to buy a new engine.FWIW, Baum tools sells an alignment tool for heli-coil installation when this happens. Still requires a fair amount of work, but less than a new engine. But in general I agree, any evidence of overheating would turn most M54 cars into parts donors.
I've heard from more than one BMW tech that the Heli-coil repair has about a 25% success rate; whether this is with the tool or without, I do not know, nor do I know how severely overheated these engines were (how many bad threads, how badly damaged, etc.). Regardless, every single one I've communicated with about this issue advises that a used engine is the way to go.
I'm terrible on cars (so ironic considering my family), but I have a 2001 e46 with a manual transmission so I figured I'd share my experience. Overall, I haven't much trouble with the car. I took it to college this past year, drove it all over Florida from St. Augustine down to Tampa, it never left me stranded or began belching smoke. It runs through oil a little quicker than my old car and needed new diff mounts this summer when the shifter started clunking, but a good car otherwise. Granted, I went from an '88 e30 convertible to this, so I'm partially just glad it doesn't pour water on me during a light rainstorm.
I've been checking out the same models. I'm seeing their cost on the used market go down, down, down. I've seen some very high mileage (170k+) going for under $3k. These cars typically don't have maintenance records. I've seen quite a few 328's with 150k+ miles going for about the same amt.
02Pilot wrote: The following things would send me screaming into the night: any (and I do mean any) sign of overheating and/or an automatic transmission.
Are you talking about seeing a new radiator and therefore concluding it's overheated? or are there secret things, like certain bolts being loose in the head because it ripped out?
For the life of me, I really can't figure out how to look at an engine and tell it's been overheated.
Not arguing, geniunely curious, as I keep nosing around old BMWs.
foxtrapper wrote: Are you talking about seeing a new radiator and therefore concluding it's overheated? or are there secret things, like certain bolts being loose in the head because it ripped out?
A new radiator is pretty much required maintenance on a plastic radiatored BMW and shouldn't be scary. Signs it has leaked coolant (e.g. whitish stains) from some place other than the drain spots or where the hoses join to the radiator (the hose barbs break off) would be scary. Hopefully others may chime in with better things to look for.
Any hints or suggestions of needing a head gasket or that the hg has recently been replaced is a big red flag. Temp gauge should be rock solid in the center when warmed up.
Bottom line... compression & leakdown tests on the motor and pressure test the cooling system. If it checks out, proceed.
Virtually all plastic and metal BMW parts are date-stamped at manufacture. It's worth digging in a little and checking the date on the radiator at a minimum, but preferably all the major cooling components. There are usually other signs, as noted, but the dates on the parts will tell you definitively what's original and what isn't. Personally, I'd rather see all the dates match one way or the other - one new part among a bunch of old ones is the big red flag.
02Pilot wrote: A 12 year old E46, assuming it's got typical mileage for that age and has been as badly neglected as most cars, will need the following to make it right: full cooling system, full suspension, CCV system, VANOS seals, pre-cat O2 sensors, valve cover and oil filter housing gaskets, intake pipes, plus the gamut of fluid and filter changes. The following things would send me screaming into the night: any (and I do mean any) sign of overheating and/or an automatic transmission. BMW spec'd "lifetime" fluid in the trans, which means that the life of the transmission is usually right around 100k miles. When the all-aluminum M54 overheats, it has a tendency to not only warp the head, but also to rip the head bolt threads out of the block, meaning you get to buy a new engine. I'm not trying to scare you off, but it pays to be very careful about buying an reasonably modern BMW for two grand.
In reference to the lifetime fluid, does that pertain to MTX cars or just auto trans?
What is involved in a coolant system overhaul; new water pump, hoses, a sensor or two. Or more involved than that?
1kris06 wrote: In reference to the lifetime fluid, does that pertain to MTX cars or just auto trans?
Both.
What is involved in a coolant system overhaul; new water pump, hoses, a sensor or two. Or more involved than that?
Pump, hoses, and radiator. Sometimes expansion tank as well. I had to replace the level sensor in the ex's '97 M3 years ago (mounted in the bottom of the expansion tank), but I'm not sure that's common.
Ian F wrote:1kris06 wrote: In reference to the lifetime fluid, does that pertain to MTX cars or just auto trans?Both.What is involved in a coolant system overhaul; new water pump, hoses, a sensor or two. Or more involved than that?Pump, hoses, and radiator. Sometimes expansion tank as well. I had to replace the level sensor in the ex's '97 M3 years ago (mounted in the bottom of the expansion tank), but I'm not sure that's common.
And sometimes toss in a plastic thermostat housing as well
IIRC, some vendors sell "cooling system kits" that basically include everything you can replace.
New random question not worthy of a new thread, did certain E46 non M's come with a 6 speed mtx or is it CL idiocy/mistypes? Specifically a 98 328I?
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