sub £3k - E90 3 series diesel....what to know before buying?
Discussion
Hi folks,
Sorry to be a bother, hope you can enlighten me. I'm in the market for a new (to me) car. I've always liked the look of the E90 3 series, and I can see a few tidy ones for sale at the £2500-£3000 park with around 100k, and I'm tempted. I have a BMW specialist locally for servicing.
While I'd love a high power petrol models, I'm not sure I can afford the running costs, thus I'm looking at the diesels. There seems to be a few different models, and I'm wondering what the best options might be in terms of running costs, reliability, common problems etc.
Any opinions/experience gratefully received.
Sorry to be a bother, hope you can enlighten me. I'm in the market for a new (to me) car. I've always liked the look of the E90 3 series, and I can see a few tidy ones for sale at the £2500-£3000 park with around 100k, and I'm tempted. I have a BMW specialist locally for servicing.
While I'd love a high power petrol models, I'm not sure I can afford the running costs, thus I'm looking at the diesels. There seems to be a few different models, and I'm wondering what the best options might be in terms of running costs, reliability, common problems etc.
Any opinions/experience gratefully received.
Early 320d, M47 (exhaust pipe points at the floor in shame) any 325/330d with the M57.
Lots of people like the N47 and are very happy with them. Lots don’t break. A Google search will give more N47 info. I’m looking at a 320d now with a seized engine. It’s a very useful home for spiders and dust.
Lots of people like the N47 and are very happy with them. Lots don’t break. A Google search will give more N47 info. I’m looking at a 320d now with a seized engine. It’s a very useful home for spiders and dust.
Edited by helix402 on Tuesday 2nd June 18:58
I'd go for a base spec M47N 318d. They go okay plus no swirl flaps, they're a bit better on fuel and I believe cheaper to insure. They're also about 87 times more reliable than what replaced it, the desirable* N47.
Forget N47 scrap, it will s
t itself very expensively. Gave up on one this week, 08 plate 320d where the injector had seized into the head (like they do), not what you need for a timing chain job (which you will be doing). A slide hammer got most of it out, leaving the inner bit stuck in the head. That means head off and the proud owner just threw in the towel. Scrap.
Forget N47 scrap, it will s
t itself very expensively. Gave up on one this week, 08 plate 320d where the injector had seized into the head (like they do), not what you need for a timing chain job (which you will be doing). A slide hammer got most of it out, leaving the inner bit stuck in the head. That means head off and the proud owner just threw in the towel. Scrap. Timely thread as I am interested in an E90/92 325/30d automatic. It seems to me that prices have gone up if anything and well priced cars are selling pretty much instantly.
I understand the M57 is the reliable one and the N57 is smoother and quieter but has a thinner cam chain and probably best avoided?
I understand the M57 is the reliable one and the N57 is smoother and quieter but has a thinner cam chain and probably best avoided?
Pick of the E9x diesel bunch for power, refinement, reliability, running costs and robustness is the M57 3 litre lump in a 330d. I am biased because that’s what I’ve got but I truly believe it. I’ve done 25,000 miles in 3 years with mine taking it up to 151,000 and all is still happy.
All I would say with this engine.....well.....all of them is, make sure the DPF is happy or removed and delete the swirlflaps on m57/47’s.
All I would say with this engine.....well.....all of them is, make sure the DPF is happy or removed and delete the swirlflaps on m57/47’s.
I had an E90 330d M-Sport and I loved it. It was totally reliable other than the consumables like suspension parts. I upgraded it to a Bilstein/Eibach suspension kit at 98K miles and took it to 160k+ miles without drama. Excellent car.
It still lives on!
One thing to watch is getting the transmission oil replaced in the auto-box as if it gets too contaminated it will kill the box.
When I ownded it I replaced the oil and filter every 10k miles though.
It still lives on!
One thing to watch is getting the transmission oil replaced in the auto-box as if it gets too contaminated it will kill the box.
When I ownded it I replaced the oil and filter every 10k miles though.
I had an E90 2008 325D and it was very reliable during my ownership. I had it mapped to the same power as a 330D and a gearbox map. I sold it at around 100k and it had just started with the DPF issues.
I now have an E91 2005 330D, it's in 130k and currently has a few engine fault codes, to do with the coils but it doesn't affect the car at the moment. The gearbox has a stage 3 map which improves it a lot.
It has just thrown up a red battery fault, but I'm hoping that it is due to being sat and not moving for the last few weeks.
The engines are regarded as being fairly bombproof, both of mine have the M57 engine. My current one has a few age related marks to the body, but I paid 3.5k for it last year.
Would I buy another one? Yep, but it would have to be another M Sport like the previous 2 and minimum 3.0 6 cylinder
If you get a 3.0 variant, then get the swirl flaps blanked, otherwise it can cost you a lot
I now have an E91 2005 330D, it's in 130k and currently has a few engine fault codes, to do with the coils but it doesn't affect the car at the moment. The gearbox has a stage 3 map which improves it a lot.
It has just thrown up a red battery fault, but I'm hoping that it is due to being sat and not moving for the last few weeks.
The engines are regarded as being fairly bombproof, both of mine have the M57 engine. My current one has a few age related marks to the body, but I paid 3.5k for it last year.
Would I buy another one? Yep, but it would have to be another M Sport like the previous 2 and minimum 3.0 6 cylinder
If you get a 3.0 variant, then get the swirl flaps blanked, otherwise it can cost you a lot
Edited by DuckSauce on Thursday 4th June 22:19
I drive a 320d with the older engine. I get roughly 45-50mpg combined driving.
If you can afford the M Sport, the seats are nicer and of course more extras. I just have a boggo SE model but to be honest it’s a decent car. I got the SE because it was low miles and the in better condition than the Msports I viewed.
Apart from the usual checks, If there is white powder on the dashboard, it might be worth walking away. There is a common fault with the a/c condenser, and if it’s the old type it corrodes and spews white powder into the cabin. It can cost in the region of £1k to sort through bmw. Many independent companies won’t touch the issue because it’s a dash out job. I found out the hard way sadly. It’s worth putting the a/c on full just in case the dash has been cleaned up, if you see white flakes, that’s not good and it’s not good for your health as it’s basically little flakes of metal.
The only other fault I’ve had is the camshaft sensor which is a very cheap part, but when it goes the engine randomly shuts down. This wasn’t idea for my wife and I on a very busy road in Birmingham city centre.
If you can afford the M Sport, the seats are nicer and of course more extras. I just have a boggo SE model but to be honest it’s a decent car. I got the SE because it was low miles and the in better condition than the Msports I viewed.
Apart from the usual checks, If there is white powder on the dashboard, it might be worth walking away. There is a common fault with the a/c condenser, and if it’s the old type it corrodes and spews white powder into the cabin. It can cost in the region of £1k to sort through bmw. Many independent companies won’t touch the issue because it’s a dash out job. I found out the hard way sadly. It’s worth putting the a/c on full just in case the dash has been cleaned up, if you see white flakes, that’s not good and it’s not good for your health as it’s basically little flakes of metal.
The only other fault I’ve had is the camshaft sensor which is a very cheap part, but when it goes the engine randomly shuts down. This wasn’t idea for my wife and I on a very busy road in Birmingham city centre.
Edited by imperium on Saturday 6th June 15:17
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