Talk to me about...the E46 330ci
Discussion
I'm giving serious thought to getting an E46 330ci as my next car, as it seems to be a whole lot of car for the money you can pick them up for these days. Proper-sized engine, good power, very balanced chassis and all in a comfortable and pretty practical car.
I know the M54 unit is meant to be a fairly bombproof engine, but what else should I be looking out for? Do the well-documented E46 subframe cracking issues apply to all cars or just early models?
Many thanks
I know the M54 unit is meant to be a fairly bombproof engine, but what else should I be looking out for? Do the well-documented E46 subframe cracking issues apply to all cars or just early models?
Many thanks
Oil leaks and rust are the main issues. The radiators are prone to bowing and the cooling system in general needs to be renewed if not already done- this is a good DIY job though and all parts combined don't actually cost that much.
I've had mine for over 4 years now and love it. I keep thinking that I'll sell it and try something else but always change my mind.
I've had mine for over 4 years now and love it. I keep thinking that I'll sell it and try something else but always change my mind.
The cooling system. Thermostat, waterpump, radiator and hoses will need to have been done at some point - the youngest of these are over 10 years old now.
Front bushes do not last long - often ball joints go too.
Electric memory seats were standard
Xenons are nice to have and make a big difference - if one side doesn't work swap the bulbs to check whether the issue is the ballast or the bulb.
Nappa leather is much nicer than the Montana
Sport are nicer than the SE
Clubsport not worth paying extra for - the same car as the Sport but has extra spoilers, different wheels and reduced sound proofing. All of which makes it worse that the sport imo.
Most importantly, avoid the SSG gearbox
Sellers will claim it is the M3 gearbox. It isn't, that was SMG2. The one in the 330 is terrible and WILL fail.
Front bushes do not last long - often ball joints go too.
Electric memory seats were standard
Xenons are nice to have and make a big difference - if one side doesn't work swap the bulbs to check whether the issue is the ballast or the bulb.
Nappa leather is much nicer than the Montana
Sport are nicer than the SE
Clubsport not worth paying extra for - the same car as the Sport but has extra spoilers, different wheels and reduced sound proofing. All of which makes it worse that the sport imo.
Most importantly, avoid the SSG gearbox
Sellers will claim it is the M3 gearbox. It isn't, that was SMG2. The one in the 330 is terrible and WILL fail.
Mine's done 165,000 miles - Brilliant car, brilliant engine.
Uses a bit of oil and yes the radiator and water pump have been done.
No rust but the CD changer has stuck.
Standard equipment includes: Leather sports electric seats with memory; Cruise, rain sensor wipers and auto lights - Makes for a very quick, easy and comfortable car.
Uses a bit of oil and yes the radiator and water pump have been done.
No rust but the CD changer has stuck.
Standard equipment includes: Leather sports electric seats with memory; Cruise, rain sensor wipers and auto lights - Makes for a very quick, easy and comfortable car.
I guess you press the button, and it whirs and chugs a bit, and then nothing happens? To fix this, open the cover and open the sliding door (so you can see the eject button and the side of the tray), get a hammer, and whack the side of the CD tray with it.
If it doesn't pop out within 2 seconds, hit it harder. What have you got to lose?
Eventually you'll hit it hard enough that it will whir and chug and pop out, and you'll get your CDs back.
(At a pinch, you can use the warning triangle case... but I recommend just leaving a hammer in the boot.)
P.S. as I write, it's just gone midnight on Friday. So, if you're reading this after getting back from the pub, having had a skinful, go and try it right now... you might have to give it quite a whack, and dutch courage will ensure an appropriate level of blithe indifference.
If it doesn't pop out within 2 seconds, hit it harder. What have you got to lose?
Eventually you'll hit it hard enough that it will whir and chug and pop out, and you'll get your CDs back.
(At a pinch, you can use the warning triangle case... but I recommend just leaving a hammer in the boot.)
P.S. as I write, it's just gone midnight on Friday. So, if you're reading this after getting back from the pub, having had a skinful, go and try it right now... you might have to give it quite a whack, and dutch courage will ensure an appropriate level of blithe indifference.
Edited by to3m on Saturday 27th August 00:20
Got a 330i Sport Touring myself but same goes.
Of note, the oil issue can be reduced by changing out the breather system, it's possible to do as a DIY job but I'd not recommend it (fiddly and have to do blind) and swapping to 5w40 oil slows the consumption right down.
Front bushes do fail, and RTA bushes as well, or go soft and cause the car to wander. Powerflex bushes in these locations do tighten things up nicely.
Brake calipers are prone to seizing but Euro car part exchange units from Pagid aren't expensive.
Of note, the oil issue can be reduced by changing out the breather system, it's possible to do as a DIY job but I'd not recommend it (fiddly and have to do blind) and swapping to 5w40 oil slows the consumption right down.
Front bushes do fail, and RTA bushes as well, or go soft and cause the car to wander. Powerflex bushes in these locations do tighten things up nicely.
Brake calipers are prone to seizing but Euro car part exchange units from Pagid aren't expensive.
You hear a lot about replacing the cooling system but mines never had it done and it's now 14yrs old. I'm not one for preventative maintenance, would rather just replace stuff when it breaks.
Rust is an issue though, I have it on one front arch and one back arch.
Harmon/kardon is a nice option to have, so is a sunroof.
Rust is an issue though, I have it on one front arch and one back arch.
Harmon/kardon is a nice option to have, so is a sunroof.
to3m said:
I guess you press the button, and it whirs and chugs a bit, and then nothing happens? To fix this, open the cover and open the sliding door (so you can see the eject button and the side of the tray), get a hammer, and whack the side of the CD tray with it.
If it doesn't pop out within 2 seconds, hit it harder. What have you got to lose?
Eventually you'll hit it hard enough that it will whir and chug and pop out, and you'll get your CDs back.
(At a pinch, you can use the warning triangle case... but I recommend just leaving a hammer in the boot.)
P.S. as I write, it's just gone midnight on Friday. So, if you're reading this after getting back from the pub, having had a skinful, go and try it right now... you might have to give it quite a whack, and dutch courage will ensure an appropriate level of blithe indifference.
Done this to the E39 once and got the previous owners pink floyd and cher cd's..If it doesn't pop out within 2 seconds, hit it harder. What have you got to lose?
Eventually you'll hit it hard enough that it will whir and chug and pop out, and you'll get your CDs back.
(At a pinch, you can use the warning triangle case... but I recommend just leaving a hammer in the boot.)
P.S. as I write, it's just gone midnight on Friday. So, if you're reading this after getting back from the pub, having had a skinful, go and try it right now... you might have to give it quite a whack, and dutch courage will ensure an appropriate level of blithe indifference.
Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 27th August 00:20
Bargain.
RanchoGrande said:
You hear a lot about replacing the cooling system but mines never had it done and it's now 14yrs old. I'm not one for preventative maintenance, would rather just replace stuff when it breaks.
Rust is an issue though, I have it on one front arch and one back arch.
Harmon/kardon is a nice option to have, so is a sunroof.
Seriously check your cooling system! Mine is also 14 years old, had the engine slightly stripped to do the vanos seals and spotted the radiator was just about to burst. It was sagging, distorted and just starting to drip. Replaced the whole cooling system and it was all original from 2002, although tbh the waterpump and hoses were not too bad.Rust is an issue though, I have it on one front arch and one back arch.
Harmon/kardon is a nice option to have, so is a sunroof.
I understand what your saying about preventative maintenance, but if the cooling system pops it could easily destroy the engine. It's not like a shock or a bush failing.
I got bored with mine - not the driving dynamics or performance, but I found I wasn't using it as much as I used to (working from home a lot), and it had started to cost me money to keep it in nice condition. I had the driver's side front wing replaced, because it had turned into a bubbly rusty mess. A year before that, I had some other rust patches sorted. Rust had started to come back in some of the previously fixed areas (especially the thin strip of metal between the bumper and the boot lid).
Previous year's MOT had warned that the rear brake pipes were corroding. Got my mechanic to look at it, and he reckoned they were badly pitted and probably needed replacing, and to do it properly you had to drop the fuel tank (nice design BMW!).
I got tired of the potential pain of keeping a rusty 12 year old car on the road, and sold it to WBAC before the next MOT was due.
I regret a little. Mine was a very nice spec - topaz blue sport model, with manual gearbox, xenons, sunroof and HK audio. 100k miles, and the interior (full heated leather) was still like new.
On the plus side, a lot of the common issues were a fairly easy DIY fix. From what I remember (and as other have said), you need to keep on top of:
- Cooling system (although mine was fine)
- CCV (crankcase ventilation) - can get clogged up and cause excessive oil consumption.
- Air intake system (rubber ducting) can develop splits/cracks which cause running problems and throw fault codes
- Final stage resistor (climate control system) - very common failure causing the blower motor fan to run erratically - sometimes causing battery drain
- Wiring faults causing airbag warning lights - most commonly the passenger occupancy sensor (you can buy a resistor from eBay cheapily to fix this), but on mine it was the wiring to the seatbelt pre-tensioner - a cheap (£16) DIY fix.
- Autobox - some develop problems north of 100k miles, others don't. Some claim that changing the gearbox fluid and filter helps, others say don't touch it if its working fine.
- Manual gearbox - in cold weather, the gear change can feel a bit stiff, or not center correctly until the car is warmed up (they all do that sir)
- Quite sensitive to tyre choice (especially the Sport with its 18" alloys, with wider rears). I had all 4 tyres replaced on mine, and adjusted on a hunter alignment system, and this transformed the handling/ride.
Other than that - it really is rust that is the main concern, especially now the youngest example is going to be well over 10 years old. If you want your car to look visually tidy, it's going to keep you busy (unless you're lucky).
We now have a 2005 E90 (well, E91 actually), and that hasn't rusted at all (yet!), so I assume the E46 design is just prone to corrosion. This alone would put me off owning another one. But I did like it - and also the 320 Ci I'd had previously.
Previous year's MOT had warned that the rear brake pipes were corroding. Got my mechanic to look at it, and he reckoned they were badly pitted and probably needed replacing, and to do it properly you had to drop the fuel tank (nice design BMW!).
I got tired of the potential pain of keeping a rusty 12 year old car on the road, and sold it to WBAC before the next MOT was due.
I regret a little. Mine was a very nice spec - topaz blue sport model, with manual gearbox, xenons, sunroof and HK audio. 100k miles, and the interior (full heated leather) was still like new.
On the plus side, a lot of the common issues were a fairly easy DIY fix. From what I remember (and as other have said), you need to keep on top of:
- Cooling system (although mine was fine)
- CCV (crankcase ventilation) - can get clogged up and cause excessive oil consumption.
- Air intake system (rubber ducting) can develop splits/cracks which cause running problems and throw fault codes
- Final stage resistor (climate control system) - very common failure causing the blower motor fan to run erratically - sometimes causing battery drain
- Wiring faults causing airbag warning lights - most commonly the passenger occupancy sensor (you can buy a resistor from eBay cheapily to fix this), but on mine it was the wiring to the seatbelt pre-tensioner - a cheap (£16) DIY fix.
- Autobox - some develop problems north of 100k miles, others don't. Some claim that changing the gearbox fluid and filter helps, others say don't touch it if its working fine.
- Manual gearbox - in cold weather, the gear change can feel a bit stiff, or not center correctly until the car is warmed up (they all do that sir)
- Quite sensitive to tyre choice (especially the Sport with its 18" alloys, with wider rears). I had all 4 tyres replaced on mine, and adjusted on a hunter alignment system, and this transformed the handling/ride.
Other than that - it really is rust that is the main concern, especially now the youngest example is going to be well over 10 years old. If you want your car to look visually tidy, it's going to keep you busy (unless you're lucky).
We now have a 2005 E90 (well, E91 actually), and that hasn't rusted at all (yet!), so I assume the E46 design is just prone to corrosion. This alone would put me off owning another one. But I did like it - and also the 320 Ci I'd had previously.
Strangely the Compact seem to be the only E46 that doesn't seem to suffer from rust issues - perhaps I'll just keep mine!
Echoing what has been said before, the radiator in my 325ti starting leaking at 13 years old, and was bowed like a banana so worth keeping an eye on that.
The E9* series are great cars, but the N52 6 cylinder engines worry me a bit! No dipstick just a low level warning light, and I think the saloons and estates have no temperature gauge! Plus the electric water pump is expensive - an OEM one cost me £500 + fitting from my local BMW specialist for my Z4 Coupe!
Got the whole cooling system on the 325ti done for less than that including labour.
And the N53 engines have their own issues with carbon build-up, injectors and HPFPs.
I am starting to think an M54 engine is as new as I want!
Echoing what has been said before, the radiator in my 325ti starting leaking at 13 years old, and was bowed like a banana so worth keeping an eye on that.
The E9* series are great cars, but the N52 6 cylinder engines worry me a bit! No dipstick just a low level warning light, and I think the saloons and estates have no temperature gauge! Plus the electric water pump is expensive - an OEM one cost me £500 + fitting from my local BMW specialist for my Z4 Coupe!
Got the whole cooling system on the 325ti done for less than that including labour.And the N53 engines have their own issues with carbon build-up, injectors and HPFPs.
I am starting to think an M54 engine is as new as I want!
Mr Tidy said:
I am starting to think an M54 engine is as new as I want!
The N52 engine in our 325i hasn't required anything more than routine servicing in nearly 11 years. All I've done is to change the oil/filters and it's had one set of spark plugs (as per the servicing schedule shown on the computer).Yes, the waterpump is expensive - but if mine goes tomorrow, given that nothing else has gone wrong with the engine/cooling system in 11 years, I'll happily spend the money to get it fixed. Although I've probably jinxed it now!
Newer BMW engines, especially the modern 4 cylinder petrol turbos or diesels with their cam chain issues etc.? No, you can keep them thanks - in my opinion, not a long term "out of warranty" proposition if you want to run your car on a fairly small budget
Sf_Manta said:
Got a 330i Sport Touring myself but same goes.
Of note, the oil issue can be reduced by changing out the breather system, it's possible to do as a DIY job but I'd not recommend it (fiddly and have to do blind) and swapping to 5w40 oil slows the consumption right down.
Front bushes do fail, and RTA bushes as well, or go soft and cause the car to wander. Powerflex bushes in these locations do tighten things up nicely.
Brake calipers are prone to seizing but Euro car part exchange units from Pagid aren't expensive.
Alternatively a caliper rebuild is a nice DIY job; did it on mine after one seized. Easier than, say, doing the valve cover gasket/vanos seals which I've just had to do on my M54 powered E39.Of note, the oil issue can be reduced by changing out the breather system, it's possible to do as a DIY job but I'd not recommend it (fiddly and have to do blind) and swapping to 5w40 oil slows the consumption right down.
Front bushes do fail, and RTA bushes as well, or go soft and cause the car to wander. Powerflex bushes in these locations do tighten things up nicely.
Brake calipers are prone to seizing but Euro car part exchange units from Pagid aren't expensive.
Luca Brasi said:
Already did over 80k & counting in my 325i. Been ultra reliable, just general wear & tear. Put some powerflex bushes on there, Eibach springs, Bilstein shocks, handles beautifully. And that straight six howl never grows old!
yep, 100% agree on the above, got my 330ci sport at 76k now on shes on 169k, like Luca says its general w&t items, the M54 is a strong engineWell, over the last 4 years/25k miles I've replaced:
Thermostat and radiator (genuine/OEM respectively)
Engine breather system (genuine)
RTABs (genuine)
FCA/FCABs (genuine)
Clutch (genuine)
Tyres (Pirelli P6000 in standard sizes)
Boot lid lights (aftermarket)
Given that it started with 150k miles, this seemed reasonable.
Other bits I've changed because it couldn't hurt:
Dampers (OEM)
Top mounts (genuine)
ARB bushes (genuine)
ARB drop links (genuine - but one of those developed a fault after a few k miles)
Fuel filter (OEM)
Front wings (genuine)
It's quiet, comfortable, eats motorways and bends while averaging just under 30mpg. No rust (front wings aside).
BMW now sell most of the parts listed above as genuine for very reasonable prices.
I bought it for £2k.
Thermostat and radiator (genuine/OEM respectively)
Engine breather system (genuine)
RTABs (genuine)
FCA/FCABs (genuine)
Clutch (genuine)
Tyres (Pirelli P6000 in standard sizes)
Boot lid lights (aftermarket)
Given that it started with 150k miles, this seemed reasonable.
Other bits I've changed because it couldn't hurt:
Dampers (OEM)
Top mounts (genuine)
ARB bushes (genuine)
ARB drop links (genuine - but one of those developed a fault after a few k miles)
Fuel filter (OEM)
Front wings (genuine)
It's quiet, comfortable, eats motorways and bends while averaging just under 30mpg. No rust (front wings aside).
BMW now sell most of the parts listed above as genuine for very reasonable prices.
I bought it for £2k.
stevesuk said:
The N52 engine in our 325i hasn't required anything more than routine servicing in nearly 11 years. All I've done is to change the oil/filters and it's had one set of spark plugs (as per the servicing schedule shown on the computer).
Yes, the waterpump is expensive - but if mine goes tomorrow, given that nothing else has gone wrong with the engine/cooling system in 11 years, I'll happily spend the money to get it fixed. Although I've probably jinxed it now!
Newer BMW engines, especially the modern 4 cylinder petrol turbos or diesels with their cam chain issues etc.? No, you can keep them thanks - in my opinion, not a long term "out of warranty" proposition if you want to run your car on a fairly small budget
Glad to hear your N52 has behaved - I did check the price of a water pump on ECP and they came up with £340, so not a disaster if you DIY.Yes, the waterpump is expensive - but if mine goes tomorrow, given that nothing else has gone wrong with the engine/cooling system in 11 years, I'll happily spend the money to get it fixed. Although I've probably jinxed it now!
Newer BMW engines, especially the modern 4 cylinder petrol turbos or diesels with their cam chain issues etc.? No, you can keep them thanks - in my opinion, not a long term "out of warranty" proposition if you want to run your car on a fairly small budget
BTW I agree entirely with what you say about the 4 cylinder ones - sold my N47 engined 123d in July 2014 when I saw the light and started buying straight 6 petrols (and before BMW started picking up the tab for the cam-chain under the "Quality Enhancement" programme)!
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