For how long does the S54 (E46 M3) engine last?
Discussion
Hi all,
My car's just passed 116k on the clock (on a 06 plate). Needless to day, it gets very well used every day by me, but I also keep it well maintained.
My friend's 113k block just went 'pop', with £2k needed to fix it.... he's going to break the car for parts (it's a CS also, so has some more 'choice items', not least the wheels).
I've been looking semi-seriously at V8 M3s and cheap 997 911s for a while now.
I could never justify the change while my car worked fine, but my friend's "great loss to the family" makes me wonder if I should cash in my chips... sooner than I'd planned.
What's the general feeling for how long these engines tend to last? Does anyone have one with more average miles than mine (over 14,000 per year)? Anyone had to scrap their car due to engine failure?
[n.b. Please don't quote moon-and-back mileages from US websites. Those numbers will be based on lots of long distance trips @ a steady 60mph.]
My car's just passed 116k on the clock (on a 06 plate). Needless to day, it gets very well used every day by me, but I also keep it well maintained.
My friend's 113k block just went 'pop', with £2k needed to fix it.... he's going to break the car for parts (it's a CS also, so has some more 'choice items', not least the wheels).
I've been looking semi-seriously at V8 M3s and cheap 997 911s for a while now.
I could never justify the change while my car worked fine, but my friend's "great loss to the family" makes me wonder if I should cash in my chips... sooner than I'd planned.
What's the general feeling for how long these engines tend to last? Does anyone have one with more average miles than mine (over 14,000 per year)? Anyone had to scrap their car due to engine failure?
[n.b. Please don't quote moon-and-back mileages from US websites. Those numbers will be based on lots of long distance trips @ a steady 60mph.]
Edited by M3CS on Saturday 21st June 09:41
M3CS said:
Hi all,
My car's just passed 116k on the clock (on a 06 plate). Needless to day, it gets very well used every day by me, but I also keep it well maintained.
My friend's 113k block just went 'pop', with £2k needed to fix it.... he's going to break the car for parts (it's a CS also, so has some more 'choice items', not least the wheels).
I've been looking semi-seriously at V8 M3s and cheap 997 911s for a while now.
I could never justify the change while my car worked fine, but my friend's "great loss to the family" makes me wonder if I should cash in my chips... sooner than I'd planned.
What's the general feeling for how long these engines tend to last? Does anyone have one with more average miles than mine (over 14,000 per year)? Anyone had to scrap their car due to engine failure?
[n.b. Please don't quote moon-and-back mileages from US websites. Those numbers will be based on lots of long distance trips @ a steady 60mph.]
depends on zillion factors, if the engine has always been properly oiled and warmed up before going to the redline it will probably cross 200K miles, considering all other maintenance was also done on timeMy car's just passed 116k on the clock (on a 06 plate). Needless to day, it gets very well used every day by me, but I also keep it well maintained.
My friend's 113k block just went 'pop', with £2k needed to fix it.... he's going to break the car for parts (it's a CS also, so has some more 'choice items', not least the wheels).
I've been looking semi-seriously at V8 M3s and cheap 997 911s for a while now.
I could never justify the change while my car worked fine, but my friend's "great loss to the family" makes me wonder if I should cash in my chips... sooner than I'd planned.
What's the general feeling for how long these engines tend to last? Does anyone have one with more average miles than mine (over 14,000 per year)? Anyone had to scrap their car due to engine failure?
[n.b. Please don't quote moon-and-back mileages from US websites. Those numbers will be based on lots of long distance trips @ a steady 60mph.]
Edited by M3CS on Saturday 21st June 09:41
This is now showing 168k.....Still pulls like an express train. Its a 2 owner/ pampered Company directors express. These engines last very well. Some pre 2003 cars suffered bottom end failure. If the bottom end has gone, its been ragged from cold ( as so many have )
Reluctantly for sale now.
neutral 3 said:
This is now showing 168k.....Still pulls like an express train. Its a 2 owner/ pampered Company directors express. These engines last very well. Some pre 2003 cars suffered bottom end failure. If the bottom end has gone, its been ragged from cold ( as so many have )
Reluctantly for sale now.
Let me nip this in the bud right now. I will not be acting as a go between for parts. That is not the subject of this thread and I seem to recall discussions leading to selling of cars or parts break the forum rules too.
In a few weeks he'll start putting things on ebay. I suggest you both set up alerts.
In a few weeks he'll start putting things on ebay. I suggest you both set up alerts.
Put over 100,000 miles on M3 into Autotrader and you get pages with good mileage.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/cars/bmw/m...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/cars/bmw/m...
M3CS said:
Let me nip this in the bud right now. I will not be acting as a go between for parts. That is not the subject of this thread and I seem to recall discussions leading to selling of cars or parts break the forum rules too.
In a few weeks he'll start putting things on ebay. I suggest you both set up alerts.
Sorry to be a pain, do you know his eBay ID?In a few weeks he'll start putting things on ebay. I suggest you both set up alerts.
I will search and put up alerts anyway.
I have done about 30,000 miles in the past year behind the wheel of my M3 and she hasn't missed a beat. She is very pampered though, serviced early, very frequent oil changes, always warmed up and rarely driven by the wife 
Dunno what all the scare stories and horrendous running costs are all about...apart from an appetite for tires I don't think they are that bad really. Averaged 33mpg on my last jaunt to scotland too.
Dunno what all the scare stories and horrendous running costs are all about...apart from an appetite for tires I don't think they are that bad really. Averaged 33mpg on my last jaunt to scotland too.
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