E46 330Ci on 99K miles - What is to do.
Discussion
Hi Guys
I now own a 330Ci E46 2006 model.
It has 99K on the clock and I know the cooling system on these are weak and I'm not sure when it was overhauled.
I also know that the DISA valve can fall apart - what do people do? Rebuild or replace?
All seems well but I want to keep it that way and carry out any preventative maintenance.
With regards to the Auto-box and the Torque convertor - do these require servicing or oil changes? I know it's often stated as sealed for life, however many in the MB world now replace the fluid for both their 5 and 7 speed boxes. Does the same apply here?
Finally, any recommendations for a decent UK E46 forum and also a mechanic that is well versed with BMW in / around London?
Cheers all.
I now own a 330Ci E46 2006 model.
It has 99K on the clock and I know the cooling system on these are weak and I'm not sure when it was overhauled.
I also know that the DISA valve can fall apart - what do people do? Rebuild or replace?
All seems well but I want to keep it that way and carry out any preventative maintenance.
With regards to the Auto-box and the Torque convertor - do these require servicing or oil changes? I know it's often stated as sealed for life, however many in the MB world now replace the fluid for both their 5 and 7 speed boxes. Does the same apply here?
Finally, any recommendations for a decent UK E46 forum and also a mechanic that is well versed with BMW in / around London?
Cheers all.
giggity said:
Hi Guys
I now own a 330Ci E46 2006 model.
It has 99K on the clock and I know the cooling system on these are weak and I'm not sure when it was overhauled.
I also know that the DISA valve can fall apart - what do people do? Rebuild or replace?
All seems well but I want to keep it that way and carry out any preventative maintenance.
With regards to the Auto-box and the Torque convertor - do these require servicing or oil changes? I know it's often stated as sealed for life, however many in the MB world now replace the fluid for both their 5 and 7 speed boxes. Does the same apply here?
Finally, any recommendations for a decent UK E46 forum and also a mechanic that is well versed with BMW in / around London?
Cheers all.
I got a lot of useful E46 info here.I now own a 330Ci E46 2006 model.
It has 99K on the clock and I know the cooling system on these are weak and I'm not sure when it was overhauled.
I also know that the DISA valve can fall apart - what do people do? Rebuild or replace?
All seems well but I want to keep it that way and carry out any preventative maintenance.
With regards to the Auto-box and the Torque convertor - do these require servicing or oil changes? I know it's often stated as sealed for life, however many in the MB world now replace the fluid for both their 5 and 7 speed boxes. Does the same apply here?
Finally, any recommendations for a decent UK E46 forum and also a mechanic that is well versed with BMW in / around London?
Cheers all.
http://www.bmwforums.info/
I ran a 325 up to about 120k, oil consumption was my only significant issue but only cos the remedy was going to be a head gasket off job. If you search my username on the above, you might see some of the advice.
Other than that, really cheap to run. can only think of CCV breather pipe as a job of note, that's besides plugs, injectors, brake calipers and usual consumables.
I have a 330i (Saloon) E46.
What do I do? Nothing! Just drive it and get a decent indy ( I can recommend Phil from CPC too ) to service it and they won't be shy about letting you know things that may need doing.
It really isn't necessary to start delving into the car and rooting about looking for issues. I find just enjoying it and getting it sorted as and when is best.
I can't think its that expensive ( mine was under 2.5k ) so not worth massively worrying about?
What do I do? Nothing! Just drive it and get a decent indy ( I can recommend Phil from CPC too ) to service it and they won't be shy about letting you know things that may need doing.
It really isn't necessary to start delving into the car and rooting about looking for issues. I find just enjoying it and getting it sorted as and when is best.
I can't think its that expensive ( mine was under 2.5k ) so not worth massively worrying about?
My 2001 330i touring now has 199k on the clock. Last year I did spend a bit on it getting front brakes renewed, some rust sorted and a few other niggles, but the engine and gearbox are still going strong and it's such a perfect spec. for me, I'd struggle to think of a direct replacement if something major happened to it tomorrow.
A friend of mine had a 2001 330i coupe and he put 250k miles on it from new. In the end, electronic gremlins were the death of it. That's often the way once a car like that gets to a certain age/mileage.
A friend of mine had a 2001 330i coupe and he put 250k miles on it from new. In the end, electronic gremlins were the death of it. That's often the way once a car like that gets to a certain age/mileage.
Entirely depends on condition and how well it has been maintained / ran.
They can be a bit of a minefield once they start to go, so many problems. A friend of mine has been through 2, M54 engines within a year - suspected headgasket failure on the first, rod knock on the second.
Not to mention DISA valve problems, lambda sensor failures, the awfully designed PCV system, perished vacuum lines, prop bushings failing, awful rear handbrake plates corroding and then the cooling system and whatever suspension items which are worn out..
They can be a bit of a minefield once they start to go, so many problems. A friend of mine has been through 2, M54 engines within a year - suspected headgasket failure on the first, rod knock on the second.
Not to mention DISA valve problems, lambda sensor failures, the awfully designed PCV system, perished vacuum lines, prop bushings failing, awful rear handbrake plates corroding and then the cooling system and whatever suspension items which are worn out..
BluePurpleRed said:
I have a 330i (Saloon) E46.
What do I do? Nothing! Just drive it and get a decent indy ( I can recommend Phil from CPC too ) to service it and they won't be shy about letting you know things that may need doing.
It really isn't necessary to start delving into the car and rooting about looking for issues. I find just enjoying it and getting it sorted as and when is best.
I can't think its that expensive ( mine was under 2.5k ) so not worth massively worrying about?
Agree, when something breaks fix it. No point in spending loads of money fixing something that hasn't failed. My 330ci is around 126k and in my ownership (5 years) has not had any cooling issues and going by the history I don't think it ever had any work done on it. What do I do? Nothing! Just drive it and get a decent indy ( I can recommend Phil from CPC too ) to service it and they won't be shy about letting you know things that may need doing.
It really isn't necessary to start delving into the car and rooting about looking for issues. I find just enjoying it and getting it sorted as and when is best.
I can't think its that expensive ( mine was under 2.5k ) so not worth massively worrying about?
I've had a 330CI convertible for almost 8 years. Bought at 40K miles and now at 92K. I was warned by various mechanics at services that the radiator was "bowing" and that when one of the joints fails, the coolant loss would be total and immediate. Easy to see if you kneel down at the front and look at the bottom of the radiator. The bottom few rows will have a distinct curve. As I drive across the channel quite often I decided better safe than sorry, and replaced it and the expansion tank with Eurospares parts. Quite an easy home mechanic job, and no worries since. Apart from regular servicing and tyres, the only other work has been replacing the inlet rubber ducts which had perished and made the engine warning light come on. Terrific car and there's nothing I want to replace it with.
I've had a 330ci Convertible for 4 years now and agree with what's been said above. Done 50,000 miles in mine.
Re the cooling "issue" the best thing to do is to wait for it to develop a problem and then fix it. You may well get years of faithful service before you need to do anything to it & there's no point spending the money now if you could spend it later on.
The autobox question is one I asked myself recently of the BMW specialist who services my car. I asked whether it was worth pre-emptively chnaging all the fluids and filters. Thier view (in opposition to the internet's opinion) was that these boxes do not give anywhere near the trouble that has made out to be the case, and that if they do start to get a bit strange then that would be the time to flush and refilter the autobox. As flushing, replacing the gearbox oil and filters is easily a £400+ job I took thier advice (which was not to worry too much about it) & we'll see what happens.
To be honest there are so many expensive things that can go wrong with a 15 year old e46 that it's best not to go proactively looking for additional ones that probably don't need fixing.
Re the cooling "issue" the best thing to do is to wait for it to develop a problem and then fix it. You may well get years of faithful service before you need to do anything to it & there's no point spending the money now if you could spend it later on.
The autobox question is one I asked myself recently of the BMW specialist who services my car. I asked whether it was worth pre-emptively chnaging all the fluids and filters. Thier view (in opposition to the internet's opinion) was that these boxes do not give anywhere near the trouble that has made out to be the case, and that if they do start to get a bit strange then that would be the time to flush and refilter the autobox. As flushing, replacing the gearbox oil and filters is easily a £400+ job I took thier advice (which was not to worry too much about it) & we'll see what happens.
To be honest there are so many expensive things that can go wrong with a 15 year old e46 that it's best not to go proactively looking for additional ones that probably don't need fixing.
Just drive it, and fix whatever breaks as and when it happens!
I bought a 325ti Compact in November 2014 with 80K miles.
April 2015 at 82K miles I had the leaking radiator issue, but although it had bowed it didn't dump all the coolant. While it was in bits I had the expansion tank, thermostat and auxiliary drive belt changed (you could see cracking on the belt).
Apart from a service it needed nothing else until November 2016 at 94K miles when one of the PAS pipes spilt, so that had to be replaced.
It's now on 98K miles and still going strong! (Off to touch some wood).
I bought a 325ti Compact in November 2014 with 80K miles.
April 2015 at 82K miles I had the leaking radiator issue, but although it had bowed it didn't dump all the coolant. While it was in bits I had the expansion tank, thermostat and auxiliary drive belt changed (you could see cracking on the belt).
Apart from a service it needed nothing else until November 2016 at 94K miles when one of the PAS pipes spilt, so that had to be replaced.
It's now on 98K miles and still going strong! (Off to touch some wood).
I love how people get obsessed over numbers on a clock. If I told you I drove a Mondeo (well, 2) to 300k without massive issues you'd probably say I was lying, and one didn't even have many of the 'common' Mondeo faults if you believe the forums.
Every car has its issues. Some more than others. Sure the BMW is one more than others. I've seen BMWs on their original rads after 130k (my E36 323i) and seen some fail when the car was 6 years old and with only 50k on the clock ; the latter was an E89 Z4. It really is one of those I hate to say.
My point is you can go overboard with preventative maintenance. If it were me I'd do the following:
-Cooling system : Check it over ; If the rad/tank/hoses are balooned/swollen, replace them ASAP. Otherwise just flush the coolant out and refill with G48 or the BMW coolant.
-Rest ; check it over. That's all. Bushes are not as bad as people make out ; Dealer bushes IME or poly items tend to last quite some time when fitted correctly.
I would however do the following:
-Rebush the subframe. My M3 is on 130k and I drove some with 72k and owned an E36 323i with less miles and drove a mate's E46. The subframe rebush transformed the car. When you look at some of the Redish videos it is easy to see why ; age does them no good and the alloy cores begin to crumble where the rubber meets it.
-Reinforce the RACP ; this IMHO is an E46 killer. Mine had cracked but was only really noticable when the subframe was dropped. A friend's 328i ripped the rear left mount out.
-Keep on top of the maintenance without fail. I've seen BMWs do huge mileages ; I personally know of an E39 525d that did 530k. OK, it had various engine issues (two turbos, the flaps die which killed a piston and a few bushes here and there) but otherwise the car was fine bar being very cosmetically challenged; the owner was a bit of an eco warrior. I've seen them also fail fast ; they are not too tolerant to neglect ; it is knowing when to catch the issues.
Every car has its issues. Some more than others. Sure the BMW is one more than others. I've seen BMWs on their original rads after 130k (my E36 323i) and seen some fail when the car was 6 years old and with only 50k on the clock ; the latter was an E89 Z4. It really is one of those I hate to say.
My point is you can go overboard with preventative maintenance. If it were me I'd do the following:
-Cooling system : Check it over ; If the rad/tank/hoses are balooned/swollen, replace them ASAP. Otherwise just flush the coolant out and refill with G48 or the BMW coolant.
-Rest ; check it over. That's all. Bushes are not as bad as people make out ; Dealer bushes IME or poly items tend to last quite some time when fitted correctly.
I would however do the following:
-Rebush the subframe. My M3 is on 130k and I drove some with 72k and owned an E36 323i with less miles and drove a mate's E46. The subframe rebush transformed the car. When you look at some of the Redish videos it is easy to see why ; age does them no good and the alloy cores begin to crumble where the rubber meets it.
-Reinforce the RACP ; this IMHO is an E46 killer. Mine had cracked but was only really noticable when the subframe was dropped. A friend's 328i ripped the rear left mount out.
-Keep on top of the maintenance without fail. I've seen BMWs do huge mileages ; I personally know of an E39 525d that did 530k. OK, it had various engine issues (two turbos, the flaps die which killed a piston and a few bushes here and there) but otherwise the car was fine bar being very cosmetically challenged; the owner was a bit of an eco warrior. I've seen them also fail fast ; they are not too tolerant to neglect ; it is knowing when to catch the issues.
As others have said, just enjoy it an fix when necessary. What else can you get for the money that's as good as these?
My e36 328 ran to 172k without major issue. The only things changed other than routine service items were a radiator, a couple of sensors and broken bonnet release cables. Finally killed by the insurance company refusing to repair accident damage (someone else's fault) because it was too old!
My e46 330 is on 126k now (bought at 101k). Hopefully it will continue in the same vein and I shall keep enjoying it for many years to come.
My e36 328 ran to 172k without major issue. The only things changed other than routine service items were a radiator, a couple of sensors and broken bonnet release cables. Finally killed by the insurance company refusing to repair accident damage (someone else's fault) because it was too old!
My e46 330 is on 126k now (bought at 101k). Hopefully it will continue in the same vein and I shall keep enjoying it for many years to come.
Sebring man has the right idea here. Drive it until it breaks. I seem to find that it is American owners that are most concerned about these things. My parents ran a 330i touring from new to 150k over 11 years and did some very hard miles in it. All it needed outside of regular servicing was an Alternator (and 8 style 72 wheels). They also have an X5 which they've owned from new with the same engine, and that's now done 210k. That had it's first rad at ~150,000 miles. Again, this has also needed an alternator. Auto box is still completely fine too.
My E46 325ti does 25k per year and has been utterly reliable, too. My 328ci hasn't done enough miles yet to prove its long term reliability but has been great to say it sat outside for 2 years. Needed an overhaul though!
My E46 325ti does 25k per year and has been utterly reliable, too. My 328ci hasn't done enough miles yet to prove its long term reliability but has been great to say it sat outside for 2 years. Needed an overhaul though!
Edited by JakeT on Wednesday 14th June 10:26
LanceRS said:
As others have said, just enjoy it an fix when necessary. What else can you get for the money that's as good as these?
My e36 328 ran to 172k without major issue. The only things changed other than routine service items were a radiator, a couple of sensors and broken bonnet release cables. Finally killed by the insurance company refusing to repair accident damage (someone else's fault) because it was too old!
My e46 330 is on 126k now (bought at 101k). Hopefully it will continue in the same vein and I shall keep enjoying it for many years to come.
Very similar to me; I had an E36 328i convertible which I took from ~140k to over 170k without major issue or cost, although one of the things I did find was that it didn't like being left to stand for very long when I purchased and started using the E46 330Ci (bought on 74k miles, now coming up to 78k).My e36 328 ran to 172k without major issue. The only things changed other than routine service items were a radiator, a couple of sensors and broken bonnet release cables. Finally killed by the insurance company refusing to repair accident damage (someone else's fault) because it was too old!
My e46 330 is on 126k now (bought at 101k). Hopefully it will continue in the same vein and I shall keep enjoying it for many years to come.
The E46 has already cost me more in non-routine repairs in 6 months than the E36 did in 4 years though...! Still, it's tip top now having had most of the cooling system refreshed and a main rear seal leak sorted.
Funk said:
Very similar to me; I had an E36 328i convertible which I took from ~140k to over 170k without major issue or cost, although one of the things I did find was that it didn't like being left to stand for very long when I purchased and started using the E46 330Ci (bought on 74k miles, now coming up to 78k).
The E46 has already cost me more in non-routine repairs in 6 months than the E36 did in 4 years though...! Still, it's tip top now having had most of the cooling system refreshed and a main rear seal leak sorted.
It's one reason I am not so fussed about mileage these days but I do keep on top of cars more than I used to.The E46 has already cost me more in non-routine repairs in 6 months than the E36 did in 4 years though...! Still, it's tip top now having had most of the cooling system refreshed and a main rear seal leak sorted.
I owned a 1989 Porsche 944 S2 with 124k on the clock. I did not know at the time that it was on a low mileage engine. In a year it took a complete cooling system including the heater matrix, an engine (yes, the third engine for the car), a lower arm, and various bushes to get it even vaguely OK. It was dead easy to sell though. Back then 944s were on 200k too.
My second was a 173k 944 Turbo. I spent almost nothing it over two years of owning and put on 10k in that time. It was a hard car to sell ; one guy bought a 90k example over mine for a £2k premium but soon spent £3k more putting many things right (I think he spent more come to think of it). It did sell however and it was a faultless car for a year under an owner who seemed to know more about modding a car over actually maintaining it ; he went cheap in a few areas going by the MOTs.
Damn, I do miss that car and would probably buy it back,
BluePurpleRed said:
I have a 330i (Saloon) E46.
What do I do? Nothing! Just drive it and get a decent indy ( I can recommend Phil from CPC too ) to service it and they won't be shy about letting you know things that may need doing.
It really isn't necessary to start delving into the car and rooting about looking for issues. I find just enjoying it and getting it sorted as and when is best.
I can't think its that expensive ( mine was under 2.5k ) so not worth massively worrying about?
Exactly. Get it up on a ramp and have a look - if it's clean, everything works and the bottom of the rad isn't bowed downwards, just drive it and fix it if and when it goes wrong.What do I do? Nothing! Just drive it and get a decent indy ( I can recommend Phil from CPC too ) to service it and they won't be shy about letting you know things that may need doing.
It really isn't necessary to start delving into the car and rooting about looking for issues. I find just enjoying it and getting it sorted as and when is best.
I can't think its that expensive ( mine was under 2.5k ) so not worth massively worrying about?
giggity said:
Some good stuff, cheers guys and thanks for the recommendation.
I'm only worried about the cooling system and the DISA value.
The PCV can be dealt with as and when it fails.
I wouldn't concern yourself to panic about said items I'm only worried about the cooling system and the DISA value.
The PCV can be dealt with as and when it fails.
my car is still on the original DISA and I have inspected it (all good) and the radiator is sound with the header tank dated 2002 same as the car (shock horror if you read the American sites) 
and yes I check this often although the car only does little mileage in my hands currently standing at 165k E46 325T howver the crankcase hoses (precaution) have been done and so as the HP Vanos hose (weeping) 
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