BMW E46 318i Touring 2 Litre Noisy Engine

[peterjfox]

I'm interested in purchasing a Japanese Import BMW 318i Touring 2 Litre N42 engined 3 Series with 57K on the clock.
It's from a dealer who specialises in this and has a website etc.
No service history as of yet but in absolutely mint condition and now UK registered.
The engine is making this ticking noise which I'm not sure about?
Valvetronics, Lifter or Cam Chain issues?
Here it is
https://youtu.be/uKsRUz5BHQQ

[d_a_n1979]

Sounds like a sticking lifter to me, could be wrong

Isn't the way to sort this to hold the engine at higher revs for a few mins?

Also; can I ask why you're contemplating buying a 4-pot E46 from Japan; unless it's an absolutely amazing spec, surely there are better engined versions over there?

[Olivergt]

Is there any reason you are not looking at the 6 cylinder cars? They are a world apart compared to the 4 cylinder cars.

There are plenty out there.

[helix402]

It’s missing two cylinders.

[peterjfox]

Re the Japanese question, the car is mint like new, but the engine issue is a shame.

Re the 4pot question, i am also looking at an E46 330i Sport Touring Auto tomorrow with 56K on the clock and in mint condition. Nearly £8K though (!) but from a dealer with warranty. Two owners in Titan Silver.
Anything I should be looking out for with these?

[g3org3y]

peterjfox said:

Re the Japanese question, the car is mint like new, but the engine issue is a shame.

Re the 4pot question, i am also looking at an E46 330i Sport Touring Auto tomorrow with 56K on the clock and in mint condition. Nearly £8K though (!) but from a dealer with warranty. Two owners in Titan Silver.
Anything I should be looking out for with these?

Surely you've got to go for the 330

With E46s - rust rust rust is the main issue.

Mechanicals are pretty robust. The M54 engine is decent. Usual cooling system frailties to consider.

[helix402]

I love the E46 and (imho) it has some areas in which it’s better than the E91 etc. However for 8k I’d buy a 335i/d or another much newer car.
As an interesting comparison I drove an E91 330dA SE this week. I was able to compare it to my E46 330d SE Touring. (It’s not standard). The E91 +ves=better front end ride quality, quieter at low speed, no rust (sadly I now have rust on one rear arch). E46 +ves=faster, better body control, higher quality interior plastics.

Edited by helix402 on Tuesday 19th January 21:37

Edited by helix402 on Tuesday 19th January 21:42

[peterjfox]

Thanks for the replies guys,
Do you think £8K on a 2 owner immaculate 330i E46 2004 56K car is too much?
It is at the top end by the looks of it
Have a look
FSH BMW / Independant
Immaculate condition with Bi Xenon headlamps, Montana leather plus bluetooth and all the usual specs.
2 Owners, from a reputable independent dealer with 6 month warranty Titan Silver
£8000

Edited by peterjfox on Wednesday 20th January 00:17

[g3org3y]

What's your plan for it? Would make a great daily, but racking up the miles will be detrimental to the value. Not sure that it's special enough to be for weekend use only.

helix402 said:

I love the E46 and (imho) it has some areas in which it’s better than the E91 etc. However for 8k I’d buy a 335i/d or another much newer car.
As an interesting comparison I drove an E91 330dA SE this week. I was able to compare it to my E46 330d SE Touring. (It’s not standard). The E91 +ves=better front end ride quality, quieter at low speed, no rust (sadly I now have rust on one rear arch). E46 +ves=faster, better body control, higher quality interior plastics.

This is a decent point. If you are a big E46 fan and want to pamper this 330, you could overlook the price if it's a minty mint car.

IMVHO, the E91 is the overall superior package (especially if used as a daily).

[Olivergt]

That is very big money for an E46, even if it is an immaculate 330i.

Given that the cooling issues,which are quite easy to resolve, can be age related as well a mileage. And also the rust issues (rear arches especially) can also be age related.

The 6 cylinders cover miles very well, so as long as the rest of the car is in good condition, mileage shouldn't worry you.

Does it need to be a touring?

Here's a saloon with very low mileage, 2k cheaper:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202012307...

Edited by Olivergt on Wednesday 20th January 13:21

[helix402]

Do you want mine for £7k? (Not really):

[d_a_n1979]

peterjfox said:

Thanks for the replies guys,
Do you think £8K on a 2 owner immaculate 330i E46 2004 56K car is too much?
It is at the top end by the looks of it
Have a look
FSH BMW / Independant
Immaculate condition with Bi Xenon headlamps, Montana leather plus bluetooth and all the usual specs.
2 Owners, from a reputable independent dealer with 6 month warranty Titan Silver
£8000

Edited by peterjfox on Wednesday 20th January 00:17

Personally £8k feels a bit high (I'd have thought £6-6.5k would be more reasonable); the M54 3.0i engine is superb; but it will need a full cooling system overhaul and the car will probably want the suspension refreshed; it's done low miles, but it's the age of the car and the rubber parts that lead to this!

If you've got the budget for a car like this and it ticks all your boxes, IMO go for it

Plus the touring has the more versatile space to use and it's not a huge car; so for me, it's a much better proposition over a saloon 330i

Edited by d_a_n1979 on Wednesday 20th January 10:31

[Touring442]

peterjfox said:

I'm interested in purchasing a Japanese Import BMW 318i Touring 2 Litre N42 engined 3 Series with 57K on the clock.
It's from a dealer who specialises in this and has a website etc.
No service history as of yet but in absolutely mint condition and now UK registered.
The engine is making this ticking noise which I'm not sure about?
Valvetronics, Lifter or Cam Chain issues?
Here it is
https://youtu.be/uKsRUz5BHQQ

Sounds like the usual N42/46. That's most likely the Valvetronic motor. Easiest way to tell is pull the top 'BMW' engine cover off and disconnect the sensor connector plug at the front next to the oil filler cap. If the noise goes away it needs a new motor. About £250 to supply and fit a genuine BMW/VDO motor.
If the mileage is genuine (got to be so careful with Jap imports) and it's otherwise OK, it's not a bad car. A good N42/6 is a decent engine with 150 bhp, quite torquey and good economy. With 57k it should still be OK but they need regular oil changes to stay good.

[peterjfox]

helix402 said:

Do you want mine for £7k? (Not really):

[peterjfox]

Olivergt said:

That is very big money for an E46, even if it is an immaculate 330i.

Given that the cooling issues,which are quite easy to resolve, can be age related as well a mileage. And also the rust issues (rear arches especially) can also be age related.

The 6 cylinders cover miles very well, so as long as the rest of the car is in good condition, mileage shouldn't worry you.

Does it need to be a touring?

Here's a saloon with very low mileage, 2k cheaper:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202012307...

Edited by Olivergt on Wednesday 20th January 13:21

It's a tourer I'm after plus I want max 50K miles

[helix402]

I think you’ll have a challenge finding one with a max of 50k miles.

[d_a_n1979]

helix402 said:

I think you’ll have a challenge finding one with a max of 50k miles.

Well he's nearly found it; the one with 56k miles...