E90 M3 running costs / risks nowadays?
Discussion
Looking for a V8 family hack while I still can, and the E90 M3 is one of the few with a (admittedly rare) manual 'box...and THAT engine!
I know it's not going to be hot-hatch money to run, and a 15+ y.o. M-car isn't exactly risk-free, but I also understand that the engine's rod-bearing issues are now well-known and sadly should be treated as a service item, so there's little excuse for one on the market not to have been done already.
...so, what can I realistically expect in terms of servicing costs, what is recommended preventative maintenance, and above all what (other than rod bearings) are the big risks / big bills...and how likely actually are they to come home to roost (on the aforementioned 15+y.o. 70-100k mile car)?
Thanks,
Martin.
PS - any ownership experiences, good or bad, gratefully received.
I know it's not going to be hot-hatch money to run, and a 15+ y.o. M-car isn't exactly risk-free, but I also understand that the engine's rod-bearing issues are now well-known and sadly should be treated as a service item, so there's little excuse for one on the market not to have been done already.
...so, what can I realistically expect in terms of servicing costs, what is recommended preventative maintenance, and above all what (other than rod bearings) are the big risks / big bills...and how likely actually are they to come home to roost (on the aforementioned 15+y.o. 70-100k mile car)?
Thanks,
Martin.
PS - any ownership experiences, good or bad, gratefully received.
I don't own an M3, but I do own a V10 M5, and the V8 is based on the V10, just with 2 cylinders chopped off.
If the rod bearings have been done and ACL / Mahle ones have been used, then you'll be good for a while. The other issue with the V8 is that it can eat through main bearings. These tend not to get changed as it's a significant job. Engine mounts can go on the M3 as well, and these would normally be changed at the same time as the rod bearings. Throttle actuators are an issue, but they can be rebuilt. I know that the V10 can suffer with idle actuator issues and I think the V8 may be the same, but someone else can add about that.
Coils are quite expensive, and I'd advise changing the fuel injectors if there is no history, as they can get damaged and leak fuel into the bore, causing engine failure.
The cam covers can also suffer corrosion. Some owners replace with after market aluminium ones. The V10 uses aluminium whereas theV8 has magnesium alloy and is susceptible to becoming microporous.
The V8 has a different VANOS set up than the V10 and has been known to suffer with VANOS cover failure. There are aftermarket kits available to prevent this, but it's cam and VANOS cover off job.
These are some of the issues I am aware of, and I am sure someone will be along to give more information and provide more context from an owner's POV.
If the rod bearings have been done and ACL / Mahle ones have been used, then you'll be good for a while. The other issue with the V8 is that it can eat through main bearings. These tend not to get changed as it's a significant job. Engine mounts can go on the M3 as well, and these would normally be changed at the same time as the rod bearings. Throttle actuators are an issue, but they can be rebuilt. I know that the V10 can suffer with idle actuator issues and I think the V8 may be the same, but someone else can add about that.
Coils are quite expensive, and I'd advise changing the fuel injectors if there is no history, as they can get damaged and leak fuel into the bore, causing engine failure.
The cam covers can also suffer corrosion. Some owners replace with after market aluminium ones. The V10 uses aluminium whereas theV8 has magnesium alloy and is susceptible to becoming microporous.
The V8 has a different VANOS set up than the V10 and has been known to suffer with VANOS cover failure. There are aftermarket kits available to prevent this, but it's cam and VANOS cover off job.
These are some of the issues I am aware of, and I am sure someone will be along to give more information and provide more context from an owner's POV.
TheAngryDog said:
I don't own an M3, but I do own a V10 M5, and the V8 is based on the V10, just with 2 cylinders chopped off.
If the rod bearings have been done and ACL / Mahle ones have been used, then you'll be good for a while. The other issue with the V8 is that it can eat through main bearings. These tend not to get changed as it's a significant job. Engine mounts can go on the M3 as well, and these would normally be changed at the same time as the rod bearings. Throttle actuators are an issue, but they can be rebuilt. I know that the V10 can suffer with idle actuator issues and I think the V8 may be the same, but someone else can add about that.
Coils are quite expensive, and I'd advise changing the fuel injectors if there is no history, as they can get damaged and leak fuel into the bore, causing engine failure.
The cam covers can also suffer corrosion. Some owners replace with after market aluminium ones. The V10 uses aluminium whereas theV8 has magnesium alloy and is susceptible to becoming microporous.
The V8 has a different VANOS set up than the V10 and has been known to suffer with VANOS cover failure. There are aftermarket kits available to prevent this, but it's cam and VANOS cover off job.
These are some of the issues I am aware of, and I am sure someone will be along to give more information and provide more context from an owner's POV.
If the rod bearings have been done and ACL / Mahle ones have been used, then you'll be good for a while. The other issue with the V8 is that it can eat through main bearings. These tend not to get changed as it's a significant job. Engine mounts can go on the M3 as well, and these would normally be changed at the same time as the rod bearings. Throttle actuators are an issue, but they can be rebuilt. I know that the V10 can suffer with idle actuator issues and I think the V8 may be the same, but someone else can add about that.
Coils are quite expensive, and I'd advise changing the fuel injectors if there is no history, as they can get damaged and leak fuel into the bore, causing engine failure.
The cam covers can also suffer corrosion. Some owners replace with after market aluminium ones. The V10 uses aluminium whereas theV8 has magnesium alloy and is susceptible to becoming microporous.
The V8 has a different VANOS set up than the V10 and has been known to suffer with VANOS cover failure. There are aftermarket kits available to prevent this, but it's cam and VANOS cover off job.
These are some of the issues I am aware of, and I am sure someone will be along to give more information and provide more context from an owner's POV.
That's just the engine there. I'm waiting for the gearbox / suspension / bodywork / electrics lists to follow...
havoc said:
TheAngryDog said:
I don't own an M3, but I do own a V10 M5, and the V8 is based on the V10, just with 2 cylinders chopped off.
If the rod bearings have been done and ACL / Mahle ones have been used, then you'll be good for a while. The other issue with the V8 is that it can eat through main bearings. These tend not to get changed as it's a significant job. Engine mounts can go on the M3 as well, and these would normally be changed at the same time as the rod bearings. Throttle actuators are an issue, but they can be rebuilt. I know that the V10 can suffer with idle actuator issues and I think the V8 may be the same, but someone else can add about that.
Coils are quite expensive, and I'd advise changing the fuel injectors if there is no history, as they can get damaged and leak fuel into the bore, causing engine failure.
The cam covers can also suffer corrosion. Some owners replace with after market aluminium ones. The V10 uses aluminium whereas theV8 has magnesium alloy and is susceptible to becoming microporous.
The V8 has a different VANOS set up than the V10 and has been known to suffer with VANOS cover failure. There are aftermarket kits available to prevent this, but it's cam and VANOS cover off job.
These are some of the issues I am aware of, and I am sure someone will be along to give more information and provide more context from an owner's POV.
If the rod bearings have been done and ACL / Mahle ones have been used, then you'll be good for a while. The other issue with the V8 is that it can eat through main bearings. These tend not to get changed as it's a significant job. Engine mounts can go on the M3 as well, and these would normally be changed at the same time as the rod bearings. Throttle actuators are an issue, but they can be rebuilt. I know that the V10 can suffer with idle actuator issues and I think the V8 may be the same, but someone else can add about that.
Coils are quite expensive, and I'd advise changing the fuel injectors if there is no history, as they can get damaged and leak fuel into the bore, causing engine failure.
The cam covers can also suffer corrosion. Some owners replace with after market aluminium ones. The V10 uses aluminium whereas theV8 has magnesium alloy and is susceptible to becoming microporous.
The V8 has a different VANOS set up than the V10 and has been known to suffer with VANOS cover failure. There are aftermarket kits available to prevent this, but it's cam and VANOS cover off job.
These are some of the issues I am aware of, and I am sure someone will be along to give more information and provide more context from an owner's POV.
That's just the engine there. I'm waiting for the gearbox / suspension / bodywork / electrics lists to follow...
The manual box is reliable, suspension is the same for any car of its ilk. Non EDC cars are probably better in this regard as replacement suspension will be cheaper. I'm not aware of any electric issues with the E90. An October 2008 onwards car would be a good one to get with the CIC idrive rather than CCC. I haven't seen many/any rusty E90 M3's, they tend to get looked after as they're the more rarer and more expensive car out of the 3.
You want to buy a car that has been regularly serviced (not just at the intervals, as that was far too long). Do this and you'll likely end up with a good car and little to worry about.
After hankering for one since I was a kid I bought my 2009 model a year ago. First thing I noticed when I started hunting was how many neglected examples there are knocking about, cars with flashy intakes and trim but lacking in any real maintenance work aside from an oil change two years ago and there are still loads on original rod bearings so it might take some time to find the right one for you.
I ended up with a 60k mile Jap import, incredible condition, a few nice options and full BMW history (in Japanese
). I wanted one that had not had the bearings done as I rather have them done myself and know how it's been treated since. The first lot of work was to replace the rod bearings, throttle actuators and to investigate a slightly noisy LSD which I ended up having rebuilt. I'd hoped this would cover the main issues but I had read about injector issues cropping up too now so after a chat with Darragh at Everything M Power I decided to get the in tank pump replaced as it has a built in filter, at the same time I had the gearbox serviced too. A few months later the water pump was wobbling it's tits off so that was replaced, it made sense to swap out the belts and pulleys while it was apart so that was all done.
I've replaced a few regular bits along the way, washer pump, wheel speed sensors and bonnet struts, these are all cheap enough and they're the same as the regular E90s but the bigger jobs consume money quickly. Front discs and pads were £550 for quality ones. I have been very risk averse with it, I could have tried some friction modification fluid in the LSD and I could have probably risked the fuel pump but I want to enjoy it rather than spend my time worrying about things going wrong. It consumes fuel at an impressive rate, tax is high (imports are a bit less) but its worth every penny IMO. I should add mine is a full garage queen, I store it inside over winter and through summer it's mainly used for road trips.
I ended up with a 60k mile Jap import, incredible condition, a few nice options and full BMW history (in Japanese
). I wanted one that had not had the bearings done as I rather have them done myself and know how it's been treated since. The first lot of work was to replace the rod bearings, throttle actuators and to investigate a slightly noisy LSD which I ended up having rebuilt. I'd hoped this would cover the main issues but I had read about injector issues cropping up too now so after a chat with Darragh at Everything M Power I decided to get the in tank pump replaced as it has a built in filter, at the same time I had the gearbox serviced too. A few months later the water pump was wobbling it's tits off so that was replaced, it made sense to swap out the belts and pulleys while it was apart so that was all done. I've replaced a few regular bits along the way, washer pump, wheel speed sensors and bonnet struts, these are all cheap enough and they're the same as the regular E90s but the bigger jobs consume money quickly. Front discs and pads were £550 for quality ones. I have been very risk averse with it, I could have tried some friction modification fluid in the LSD and I could have probably risked the fuel pump but I want to enjoy it rather than spend my time worrying about things going wrong. It consumes fuel at an impressive rate, tax is high (imports are a bit less) but its worth every penny IMO. I should add mine is a full garage queen, I store it inside over winter and through summer it's mainly used for road trips.
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