E46 330i M Sport - What to look out for?

[JaFool1]

Hi all,

I am looking at purchasing an e46 330i M Sport Auto 2003 with around 70k on the clock.

It seems to have a solid service history and the seller has stated that the only fault is the with traction control due to 'Pressure Sensor 1' which can replaced for ~ £150.

As I have been out of the car buying game for a while now (had a van for 10 years) and this would be my first BMW I was wondering if there are any common faults I should be looking out for when I go to view it?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

[helix402]

I have done three E46 threads on PH. If you read all three you will lose several hours of your life. You will also learn about most of the common E46 faults and how to fix them.

[Mr Tidy]

If you can find helix's threads they are sure to give some useful information.

But anyway 1st stop must be the MOT history - it may give you a feel for how the car has been looked after.

Be prepared for cooling system issues - E46 radiators like to become banana-shaped and expansion tanks are prone to splitting. My E46 needed all that done just after 82K, which was a shame as I bought it with just under 80K!

And at that mileage it's probably due a refresh of the suspension - bushes, shocks, etc.

So if the one you are looking at has had any of those jobs done that is a bonus.

But they are still great cars - I hope you get a good one!

[Mr Tidy]

If you can find helix's threads they are sure to give some useful information.

But anyway 1st stop must be the MOT history - it may give you a feel for how the car has been looked after.

Be prepared for cooling system issues - E46 radiators like to become banana-shaped and expansion tanks are prone to splitting. My E46 needed all that done just after 82K, which was a shame as I bought it with just under 80K!

And at that mileage it's probably due a refresh of the suspension - bushes, shocks, etc.

So if the one you are looking at has had any of those jobs done that is a bonus.

But they are still great cars - I hope you get a good one!

[aka_kerrly]

If you have successfully found a non rusty E46 with a solid underside, a well maintained engine/running gear & presentable bodywork then WELL DONE!

I've looked at a few recently as my little bro is after a 330ci/Clubsport and there are quite a few that have been rather nasty showing clear evidence of being run on a shoestring the moment it was a sub £10k car!

Regarding the DCS issue, have a look at this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De5mY0cObyg

Basically the connector for the master cylinder sensors can simply suffer from dust/water ingress, the same for the plugs at the other end. It's ALWAYS worth getting some electrical contact cleaner and checking the wiring first before investing in new parts.

[vsonix]

They're good cars, at this age the interiors tend to get a bit tatty as the soft touch stuff on the plastics doesn't age so well. Front arch rust is starting to affect all E46s. There's been an airbag recall, so make sure it's been changed (or to take it to be changed). M54 engine is well known for going through about a litre of oil per thousand miles, apart from the cooling system as mentioned above - a weak spot on most if not all older BMWs - the engine is bulletproof and if maintained properly will no doubt outlast the rest of the car.

[anonymous-user]

Another major flaw is the rear axel carrier panel where the subframe bolts onto. It cracks and it affects not only the M3. I've seen this with my own eyes on a 323i, 330i and 330d.

https://www.turnermotorsport.com/e/t-gallery-e46-s...

[E-bmw]

lord trumpton said:

Another major flaw is the rear axel carrier panel where the subframe bolts onto. It cracks and it affects not only the M3. I've seen this with my own eyes on a 323i, 330i and 330d.

https://www.turnermotorsport.com/e/t-gallery-e46-s...

Which is a big job to pay someone to fix but if you have & are handy with a welder a weekend will see the job done & a full refresh of the rear suspension bushes at the same time is VERY worthwhile.

[anonymous-user]

E-bmw said:

lord trumpton said:

Another major flaw is the rear axel carrier panel where the subframe bolts onto. It cracks and it affects not only the M3. I've seen this with my own eyes on a 323i, 330i and 330d.

https://www.turnermotorsport.com/e/t-gallery-e46-s...

Which is a big job to pay someone to fix but if you have & are handy with a welder a weekend will see the job done & a full refresh of the rear suspension bushes at the same time is VERY worthwhile.

Have you done this job yourself?

I've done it a good number of times and how anyone could contemplate it without a ramp is astonishing.

To do it properly the subframe and diff have to be completely removed

[E-bmw]

lord trumpton said:

E-bmw said:

lord trumpton said:

Another major flaw is the rear axel carrier panel where the subframe bolts onto. It cracks and it affects not only the M3. I've seen this with my own eyes on a 323i, 330i and 330d.

https://www.turnermotorsport.com/e/t-gallery-e46-s...

Which is a big job to pay someone to fix but if you have & are handy with a welder a weekend will see the job done & a full refresh of the rear suspension bushes at the same time is VERY worthwhile.

Have you done this job yourself?

I've done it a good number of times and how anyone could contemplate it without a ramp is astonishing.

To do it properly the subframe and diff have to be completely removed

I have but on an e36 & the job is pretty much the same, a ramp is 100% not required, in fact, I find your ignorance about the need for a ramp astonishing. It was easier without, as I was just lying down welding rather than stood up welding, which was much easier.

I had the rear of the car on stands, yes, the subframe, diff, and also exhaust need to be fully removed, which is why I said do the suspension refresh at the same time.

To do it properly you also may need to remove the rear seats & boot carpet etc & cut away the inside (I did on mine) to get at the upper end of the inner bush on one side to weld extra braces there.

That was on my first e36, on the second one I dropped the diff carrier each year to inspect it for the start of the same issue & never found it even though the car were more powerful, go figure.

[sparks_E46]

Budget a few hundred pounds to sort out wheel arch rust, not a big deal really and can be sorted easily enough.

[bmwmike]

Had a quick scan and didn't see the following mentioned..

Valve cover gasket oil leaks
Oil filter housing oil leaks
Bulging strut towers "mushroom"
Climate control not working properly either the sample fan broken or the hedgehog resistor.

[dhutch]

I looked into the cracking rear issue, information is mixed, but the sound on the ground is its less common than the internet makes out.

On mine I, a 330ci on about 150k doing 10k a year for 2.5 years, i have done:
- Cam position sensor (poor low speed) and a coil pack (misfire, ecu light)
- Rad fan (used), Radiator, Top hose as they all failed
- Swapped from 18" staggered to 17" for ride and tyre costs.
- New tyres all round and tracking due to tram-lining (Mich PS4)
- Air con re-gas, still pulling down reasonably well 2 years later
- Front bushes and anti roll bar bushes as mot able
- Front wings replaced, rear arches treated, both sides painted
- Set of shocks, springs, dust covers etc. Bilstin B4 with Ebach from TDC
- Repair to rear back box (mount came off, cheaper than new box)
- New drivers door handle and mechanism including painting the handle.

However for a £2000 daily, it looks mint and is a pleasure to get about in. Emola red, basically clubsport spec.

Not quite the raw fun you get with an E36, certainly a large car with an open diff, but very nice on the motorway.


Daniel

[DJMC]

I had my 2003 330ci cab from 2004 to 2014, from 18k miles to 125k when I sold it.

During that time:
Gear lever refused to return to central position around 100k miles - £1000 box out fix at local garage. Just a small spring or two.
Both front suspension arms replaced due to wear 100K+
Headlamp washer jets stuck - replaced.
One leaky shock - replaced.
Hood mechanism failed - fixed under warranty.
No visible rust to front wings. Always garaged.

Last of the driver's cars. Get a good one.

[dhutch]

DJMC said:

Gear lever refused to return to central position around 100k miles - £1000 box out fix at local garage. Just a small spring or two.

Oh yeah, I had that too. 5sp box?

Apparently it can be done, if a pita, without removing the box. However I timed mine up with a clutch change. Remove the detent pin, take 2 thou of it, clean it all up and replace. Change springs if needed but often not.


Daniel

[Mr Whippy]

DISA can go too, well worth fixing for peace of mind.

I’d buy the best you can find and budget £2,000 for an array of ‘getting it right’ bits and you shouldn’t go too far wrong

It might seem a lot but generally if it’s fixed right and driven/cared for nicely then it’ll easily last long enough that you won’t feel bad having spent it!

[C70R]

Mr Whippy said:

I’d buy the best you can find and budget £2,000 for an array of ‘getting it right’ bits and you shouldn’t go too far wrong

This.
I've had two, and unless it's completely mint I'd struggle to justify paying the massive increase over the massive plethora of cars out there at £2k...

[Mr Whippy]

Yep much cheaper to go over an ok example and get it mint than trying to find a genuinely mint one that’s had all the bits done.

I was tempted by an E46 M3 but finding an ‘ok’ example at a sensible price seemed like a minefield.
Tons of wheat and chaff mixed up right now with prices all over for E46 generally.

Great cars and I’d have one but finding one... you have to have a lot of free time and enjoy driving around a lot

[Sticks.]

If the sensor can be done for £150, get him to do it. If it's the ECU it'll be a lot more.

If it's on 18s, mismatched tyre brands can cause extreme tramlining.