My Bmw E46 Problem Advice
Discussion
If It was me I would flog the alloys to raise some money. Are they genuine ones or replicas?
We are not perfect and everyday you learn something new we all sometimes switch the brain off and let the eagerness to buy something take over. I know I didn't have a clue about how bad the boot thing is and it makes up nearly half you quote. I would also ask for photos of the boot to see how bad it really is.
We are not perfect and everyday you learn something new we all sometimes switch the brain off and let the eagerness to buy something take over. I know I didn't have a clue about how bad the boot thing is and it makes up nearly half you quote. I would also ask for photos of the boot to see how bad it really is.
Edited by The Spruce goose on Thursday 22 August 23:33
To the best of my knowledge they are originals but not 110% sure but even if they are I've got no wheels to replace them with. Ill be honest I'm pretty blonde when it comes the mechanical sides of things but as for the subframe problem after reading about it I was shocked how bad it is and how many people its happend to
I'd say you could get most of the work done a fair bit cheaper. The car looks nice with the wheels and colour but this is the problem when buying on spec and not condition.
I'd be tempted to look for some decent used parts, pattern parts, etc and then look for a back street garage to fit the lot for an agreed fixed price you would be surprised.
19" tyres were never going to be cheap I believe vredstein sessantas can be had for £140-£180 fitted
I'd be tempted to look for some decent used parts, pattern parts, etc and then look for a back street garage to fit the lot for an agreed fixed price you would be surprised.
19" tyres were never going to be cheap I believe vredstein sessantas can be had for £140-£180 fitted
TBH on a £1200 car that had no oil in it (and is possibly still losing oil, as it's still under observation) - I'd be a little worried that after all the work on the subframe and the brake lines was carried out that the engine may turn out to have issues as well - I'd be thinking about breaking it and keeping the best parts for putting on one that you can do cheaper preventative reinforcement work on, especially if you're planning on keeping it any length of time.
FWIW when I bought my first BMW I did exactly the same as you and took it to a specialist for a 'check over' and ended up with some £700 worth of stuff that 'had' to be done including new prop shaft doughnuts etc etc. Of course, the car felt fine to me when I test drove it otherwise I wouldn't have bought it but when you're new to a certain type of car you do tend to seek a pro's opinion over your own, which of course can be expensive!
FWIW when I bought my first BMW I did exactly the same as you and took it to a specialist for a 'check over' and ended up with some £700 worth of stuff that 'had' to be done including new prop shaft doughnuts etc etc. Of course, the car felt fine to me when I test drove it otherwise I wouldn't have bought it but when you're new to a certain type of car you do tend to seek a pro's opinion over your own, which of course can be expensive!
I wonder how "badly cracked" the boot floor actually is. Often they can go on for years with a minor crack. Some guys on M3Cutters.co.uk have got theirs booked in for a FOC goodwill repair next year.
I had mine done at Partridge BMW in Winchester in June this year. The final bill was just under £4k but, thank God, BMW UK paid for it. (Actually I paid £400-odd extra but that was cos I had all new bushes installed instead of them refitting the old ones)
I can't see how it's worth the OP spending out on this car. Surely the sensible move is to sell it on and take whatever loss. Cut your losses.
I had mine done at Partridge BMW in Winchester in June this year. The final bill was just under £4k but, thank God, BMW UK paid for it. (Actually I paid £400-odd extra but that was cos I had all new bushes installed instead of them refitting the old ones)
I can't see how it's worth the OP spending out on this car. Surely the sensible move is to sell it on and take whatever loss. Cut your losses.
There is always a risk attached to buying a used car of this age - you must have known this? It's not a dog and nor are you being ripped off - particularly. You want the job done properly by a well known garage then that's how much they'll charge. Every f
ker on here will know someone who can do this or that cheaper but they're not in your position so ignore them. Simple decision - do you want the car in A1 condition or not. If not then get rid and set your heart on a Skoda instead.
Good luck, nice cars can be heartbreakingly expensive.
ker on here will know someone who can do this or that cheaper but they're not in your position so ignore them. Simple decision - do you want the car in A1 condition or not. If not then get rid and set your heart on a Skoda instead.Good luck, nice cars can be heartbreakingly expensive.
Do the dangerous items, top it up with oil, drive it for a month. If its still got oil in it reevaluate if its any good. Or sell / scrap / break it and buy a better car, next time with a mechanic friend in tow.
Very few people have not bought a dog at some point but we all learn. It looks nice too so can see why you bought it.
Very few people have not bought a dog at some point but we all learn. It looks nice too so can see why you bought it.
You took it to the wrong garage for that car.
i.e. you have a cheap old run of the mill BMW which does not need to go to somewhere like ML where they specialise not just in Munich's' finest but also in extracting far more cash than is necessary from over keen enthusiasts wallets.
Take it to a local small garage for an MOT and see what they say it needs before spending a penny.
The garage you went to are well known for upping service bills they used to recommend changng the timing chain on e30 M3's at 120k when there was no need to do so ie creating work for the sake of it and quite a lot of people fell for that advice.
i.e. you have a cheap old run of the mill BMW which does not need to go to somewhere like ML where they specialise not just in Munich's' finest but also in extracting far more cash than is necessary from over keen enthusiasts wallets.
Take it to a local small garage for an MOT and see what they say it needs before spending a penny.
The garage you went to are well known for upping service bills they used to recommend changng the timing chain on e30 M3's at 120k when there was no need to do so ie creating work for the sake of it and quite a lot of people fell for that advice.
Edited by rallycross on Friday 23 August 07:03
Patrick Bateman said:
4 litres of oil top up?
The engine takes about 6.5 litres.
No way would I be willing to spend that money on a regular e46. I'd flog it to webuyanycar.
+1The engine takes about 6.5 litres.
No way would I be willing to spend that money on a regular e46. I'd flog it to webuyanycar.
My concern here would be spending a grand+ sorting out the boot floor/tyres/brake pipes and endng up with a car that still has a knackered engine.
Flog it to WBAC and buy your next car from someone whose sorted all the problem areas. Such as the nice folks at the e46 forum where you can likely follow the ownership history of your intended purchase.
Jcdm89 said:
Ill be honest you guys have opend my eyes to get it all done else where we'll other the boot floor crack unless I can find someone else in the London/Surrey area who can do it. I just don't know what order I should do evreything if I'm to go down the route of using someone else
I used to use these guys when I had my e46 OP. in Wimbledon. May be worth a look. http://www.amclondon.com/
The tyre prices, wheel alignment and labour rates look absolutely top whack to me. I'm sure you could get budget or part-worn brand tyres for considerably cheaper and I bet a smaller garage would have more competitive labour rates.
4L to 'top up' the engine oil - where has that 4L gone? It must be pissing out somewhere or have been totally neglected for a long time.
Sorry but I think the seller saw you coming with this one. I would be tempted to get rid and start again.
4L to 'top up' the engine oil - where has that 4L gone? It must be pissing out somewhere or have been totally neglected for a long time.
Sorry but I think the seller saw you coming with this one. I would be tempted to get rid and start again.
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