E36 328 Sport... Nikasil (sorry!)

[PetrolHeadSeb]

I know this topic has probably been done to death so sorry for bringing it up again!

Basically I'm looking at buying (what looks like) a nice original '97 328 sport, but the seller isn't sure if it's still got the nikasil lined block.

If I call BMW customer services, will they still be able to tell me if it's been replaced?

[PetrolHeadSeb]

Looks like you have to call an 090 number at £1/min to find out. So I was hoping to save myself a few quid by finding out on here first

[PetrolHeadSeb]

Matt UK said:

I would take the view that on a car of that age, if there was a nikasil problem, it would have caused an issue by now.

I'm kind of inclined to agree, but a lot of information I'm reading counters that argument, so it would be useful to find out if possible.

Edit: Also the car is quite a long distance away so it's not just a case of popping down the road to have a look.

Edited by PetrolHeadSeb on Wednesday 2nd March 09:46

[PetrolHeadSeb]

OK so I called BMW's 090 vehicle information line and they told me they can't tell if the engine has been changed, but one of the dealership's who've seen the car should be able to.

He gave me the dealership details, I called them and they've got no record of the car on their system at all!

So I'm none the wiser! The car sounds good, comes with FSH and has been in the current owners family for 6 years, so all you'd assume it'll be alright....

I might just bite the bullet and do the 6 hour journey there to look at it

[PetrolHeadSeb]

Cheers for that Babu 01, I'd been looking around for that.

I think I will ask the seller if there's anything engine related in the history and see if he can do the quick check.

From the conversations I've had he doesn't seem very mechanical so I was hoping I'd be able to find out myself, but this is now not the case!

Salom said:

This may help....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_M52

Interesting thanks, I was under the impression the M3 Evo was the only E36 with VANOS, obviously not!

Was the switch over to the steel liners definitely September '98? I've been digging a bit and found this car isn't actually a '97 model as I thought. It was actually registered in April 1998, so it may have been built in 1998 too.

Could it possibly have rolled out of the factory with a steel lined block?

[PetrolHeadSeb]

Norfolkinchance said:

I've had a nikasil car for three years. Had a compression test a while back and all was well, uses no oil at all.

I suppose I could ask the seller to have a compression test done, a little cheeky on an old car worth less than £3K perhaps though

[PetrolHeadSeb]

So unless it was built and registered within about a 4 week period, odds are it'll be a nikasil block then.

I'm hoping the seller will do the visual check, if not, I might still try and see it and check the build date using the link above...

... Or I could just wait for one to come up for sale closer to home!

[PetrolHeadSeb]

Little update, the seller was able to do the visual check and looks like it does have the steel block after all



Looks right doesn't it?

I still have to decide whether it's worth travelling so far to see it of course, but it's all looking good so far.

[PetrolHeadSeb]

Granted, but surely the fact that the car is still going after this amount of time points to it being ok?