Service lights on red and yellow

[Ocho]

I'm looking at buying an E36 318is coupe and have found what looks to be a very nice one and ticks all the boxes including a fair price BUT...

Both yellow and red service lights are on with INSPECTION above. It has stamped history up to about 95,000 (Inspection 1) but nothing since.

Having done a little research I've read that the car shouldn't be driven after the red light has come on. Should I walk away?

Cheers
Jem

[paprika]

The last thing was the Inspection in the history?

And now it's saying do an inspection on the OBC?

I wouldn't walk tbh, I would sprint.

[griffter]

when and how many miles ago was the stamped inspection service carried out? Maybe the servicing garage forgot to reset the service indicator. Worth asking the vendor and if possible the servicing garage imho. But if the book is stamped, the oil and airfilter dirty and the vendor cagey then beware...

[Ocho]

Just had a good chat With the seller. He does sound very genuine, so we've agreed a fair reduction and I'll getmy mechanic to give it a full service and change all the fluids too.

He's only covered 5k in the last 12 months since he bought it, so my guess is that it's had more servicing done since the last stamp, but by a small local mechanic (or someone diy'ing?) and hence either those re wilts were lost or mislaid.

It is likely to have visited a garage since the last stamp or the service indicator would show an oil change due (unless the indicator has been reset away from a garage which I know is quite possible... I'll just have to gamble on that.

At the end of the day it's a 12 year old car, so there will always be a bit of a risk. Just have to do what I can to get the history looking as it should do from now on!

Let's hope I don't have to repose on here in a couple of months for a recon engine specialist !!!

Thanks guys, Jem

[Denis O]

In many respects, the fact that the lights are on, suggests he's not trying to hide anything. It's so easy, and free, to turn the lights back to 5 greens that if he was trying to hide something he could have done.

See what colour the oil is. That will tell you more about what's going on than lights on the OBC.

[Pickled Piper]

As above, I wouldn't worry unduly as long as the rest of the details stack up.

With a car this age you are more at risk from s unscrupulous seller that has had the lights reset without having any work done on the car.

pp

[Ocho]

Thanks for all your thoughts. Update, I bought it on Tuesday and it drives beautifully and better still my mechanic has given it the complete thumbs up as a very good example.

Just need the temperature to drop so I can give it a good clean, take some pics and add it to my PH garage!