Long-termer 318d E91 N47

[DailyHack]

Bought as an ex lease/company vehicle from photographic company.

Was an auction buy so got it at a steal 1 year and half ago.

It's a 2012 E91 ES 318d (one of the last registered I believe before the F'series came along) don't know why it was badged a 320d...bit of a odd one.

Bought with 56,000 miles on, it's now on 98,000.

As soon as I got it it went straight in for an oil service and gearbox and diff oil change, being on BMW long life since new, that won't be happening in my ownership (every 8k for engine oil now, I know the achilles heal the N47 has for chains)

Then it was a hunter 4 wheel alignment. It was waaaay out almost crabbing, felt like such a different car when done - £80 well spent!

So other than that, its been business as usual, oil/filter...repeat. It's flexi pipe on exhaust blew a hole, so went under the knife for a new one, welded and put in place.

It's such a great workhorse, being the 318d it ain't going to set the world speed record but it's got a decent shove mid range and its perfect - swallows all my equipment easy, coming from ex-photographer also the top rear bumper lip it's little grazed due to unloading all the time.



Recently added some style 308 alloys, and had my winter tyres put on, I really like the look of these, why didn't they ever create a estate version ED, just need to lower it a little

Edited by DailyHack on Saturday 6th April 21:11

Edited by 757 on Saturday 31st December 08:43

[Swoxy]

I suggest a remap, I had 318d with a Superchips Bluefin and it was fantastic to drive compared to without - the best of the E9x and I've driven from 318d to 335i.

[DailyHack]

Yeah toyed with that idea, see how I get on, it's not bothered me the power, it sits at 65 all day long with cruise, I'm never in a rush TBH

Does like to hustle along the a roads, just such a great poised car the E90's to drive.

Retrofitting of M sport Alacantra seats has made a huge improvement over the shallow SE seats, also added cruise aswell, so it's kind of a hybrid ES/SE/M-sport

Edited by DailyHack on Sunday 30th September 21:26

[mattwhite709]

I had them seats in my e46 touring and they were easily the most comfortable seats I have ever sat on. I now have an f30 touring with black leather. It is a shame BMW do not make them for the f30.

[DailyHack]

mattwhite709 said:

I had them seats in my e46 touring and they were easily the most comfortable seats I have ever sat on. I now have an f30 touring with black leather. It is a shame BMW do not make them for the f30.

Glad you agree, they are really comfortable, I can drive all day long and they are perfect, even compared to Saabs famous leather these are up there, I find myself stroking the passenger seat, as it's so smooth

Picked them up for £100 for fronts/rears and door cards - bargain or what! Seems alot of punters want leather these days.

Hardest bit was disconnecting the battery when I was fitting them, it ain't half buried in the back of the E91's

[Mr Tidy]

I've had an E91 325i SE for just over 6 months and am quite happy with the standard seats.

Did a 350+ mile round trip in one day a few weeks ago and they were fine.

And they'll be even better when it gets cold, as they're heated!

Full Lemon leather works for me.

[DailyHack]

Mr Tidy said:

I've had an E91 325i SE for just over 6 months and am quite happy with the standard seats.

Did a 350+ mile round trip in one day a few weeks ago and they were fine.

And they'll be even better when it gets cold, as they're heated!

Full Lemon leather works for me.

Yeah, I put up with the SE seats for a little bit, but the M Sport ones are so much more huggy and supportive and I am a sucker for Alacantra.

I do 350miles a week, so spend alot if time in the dam thing so it made a huge difference

I am particial to that lemon leather though.

[DailyHack]

So, more than a year gone by now, so would be a good time to update you on my E91 318d over the last year.

It is now sitting on 125,560, so a healthy 27,000 in a year.

Really has been business as usual, oil still being changed every 7-8k all good, now buy bulk LL04 oil from Smith&Allan £49 for 20L.

Only things:

- Set of new wipers
- Boot glass replaced due to bird strike!! (Buzzard No.1) (insurance jobbby)
- Passenger wing mirror replaced (eBay) due to bird strike!! (Buzzard No.2)
- Aux drive belt replaced (squeaky/perished 102k)
- Rear pads (original ones! - 110k, they were very rusty)
- X2 driveshafts, not bad, but more preventive (Rusty ABS rings wouldn't budge) (111k)
- Front pads (2nd set - 120k)
- Gearbox/Diff oil refresh (2nd time - 104k)
- Still on the same winter tyres 4.5mm all round, have rotated them (tyres purchased ready when they do go, Riken it seems to be happy with, and I have had various brands over the years)

So will report back in another year with any updates if those are interested

But, still enjoying it as a daily hack/work hack, and is big enough for most things and remarkably very well behaved to run despite their internet histeria around the N47 units.

Edited by DailyHack on Saturday 14th December 11:20

[Mr Tidy]

Definitely interested to see how you get on.

While I was still doing business miles I had a 123d with the N47 engine that was still going strong after 81K miles, but then I discovered N/A straight 6 petrol BMWS.

Anyway my E91 325i with the heated Lemon leather got sold in April on 139K miles, because I found an E90 330i with the split/fold rear seat option (although that was just an excuse really)!

[De Sisti]

DailyHack said:

So, more than a year gone by now, so would be a good time to update you on my E91 318d over the last year.
It is now sitting on 125,560, so a healthy 27,000 in a year.

Blimey. I bought my (2002/3) 320d Touring from my sister in August 2012, it had 93,393 on the clock.
It's now on 119,290. Most expensive stuff I've replaced on it were the:

• Heated rear window, (ouch!)
• Air con unit,
• Clutch/dual mass flywheel,
• Rear brake pipes,
• Front discs,
• Swirl flap blanking plates,
• Two (second hand) replacement front wings,
• Key fob,
• Front bushes,
• Oil pressure sender unit,
• One front window regulator,
• Rear springs replaced twice during sister's ownership.

Alternate between, Inspection 2, oil/filter service, Inspection 1, oil/filter service, Inspection 2.
It's been a pleasure to own and drive and not nearly as expensive as I had originally thought.

[DailyHack]

De Sisti said:

Blimey. I bought my (2002/3) 320d Touring from my sister in August 2012, it had 93,393 on the clock.
It's now on 119,290.

Yeah its a busy car, never rests only when I need to rest.

Hoping to take it to a minimum of 200k in next 2 years or so. Doesn't owe me anything and actually pays for itself when used for business mileage

Interesting list of things you have had to fix, nothing out of the ordinary though. Still on existing clutch/DMF on mine, so need/have budgeted for this in the future if it ever comes.

Then again yours is a little older being a E46 I am guessing, not had much to do with these, compared to the E90's for longevity of parts.

Swirl flaps don't exist on the 318d's so that is something I don't have to worry about either.

[DailyHack]

Mr Tidy said:

Definitely interested to see how you get on.

Cool, will keep this up then - I document everything with my cars, find it rather satisfying in a weird way.

[BFleming]

Did you ever wire up the side bolsters?

[DailyHack]

BFleming said:

Did you ever wire up the side bolsters?

Sorry, only just seen this, no side bolsters are still unwired, never felt the need to do these yet.

[DailyHack]

Update to this thread, the car has been moved on to my wife now, her mini first was getting abit leggy for a mini - the beamer is still racking up the miles though, currently on 129,000 miles now, I still drive it alot.

I am running a 2011 SAAB 9-3 as a work car/business use (see readers rides if Interested..)

But, the 3series is doing good, oil service is due soon @ 130k.

Seem to be having intermittent "Auto/Stop/Start" exclamation mark appearing on the dash, aswell as the radio being funny.

Having owned a 2008 118d with an AGM battery, I fear this is time to get it replaced for new and coded, so maybe next months job, being still on the original battery at 9 years old I feel it's done a good job tbh.

[redandwhite]

these recently caught my attention as good value (the chain issue) - they get decent MPG too i bet

[De Sisti]

De Sisti said:

Blimey. I bought my (2002/3) 320d Touring from my sister in August 2012, it had 93,393 on the clock.
It's now on 119,290. Most expensive stuff I've replaced on it were the:

• Heated rear window, (ouch!)
• Air con unit,
• Clutch/dual mass flywheel,
• Rear brake pipes,
• Front discs,
• Swirl flap blanking plates,
• Two (second hand) replacement front wings,
• Key fob,
• Front bushes,
• Oil pressure sender unit,
• One front window regulator,
• Rear springs replaced twice during sister's ownership.

Alternate between, Inspection 2, oil/filter service, Inspection 1, oil/filter service, Inspection 2.
It's been a pleasure to own and drive and not nearly as expensive as I had originally thought.

Update:
Yes, it is an E46. In January's Mot/Inspection II identified a faulty glow plug and coil pack.
All four glow plugs and coil pack were replaced. Forgot to mention a battery that was changed
four years ago. So in reality, it's been a pretty good car. I intend to keep it long as possible.

Edited by De Sisti on Thursday 12th March 05:46

[DailyHack]

redandwhite said:

these recently caught my attention as good value (the chain issue) - they get decent MPG too i bet

Yep they are very good value for money, yes the chain is their "internet Achilles heal, if you Google it" but serviced correctly should be fine, I stopped worrying years ago about that.

Recent trip to Chamomix, I did 880 miles on one tank (Cheshire to Chamomix) so pretty good for a heavy"ish fully laden estate.

[Mr Tidy]

DailyHack said:

Seem to be having intermittent "Auto/Stop/Start" exclamation mark appearing on the dash, aswell as the radio being funny.

Having owned a 2008 118d with an AGM battery, I fear this is time to get it replaced for new and coded, so maybe next months job, being still on the original battery at 9 years old I feel it's done a good job tbh.

That's impressive - the battery on my 123d with stop/start didn't manage 5 years/55K miles! Which was disappointing as AGM ones aren't cheap, and need to be coded after fitting. Sytner wanted just over £300, but I got it done by a BMW Indy for £250. Mind you when mine was dying I got an amber warning light with a battery symbol each time I used the car. (The "ordinary" cheap uncoded battery in my 325i lasted almost 13 years).

Then the starter motor died before it got to 7 years/77K! Stop/start got turned off every time I used it after that!

Still it's good to see your car is happily racking up miles.

[BFleming]

My 525d still has the original 7 year old battery, starting motor and timing chain at 143,000 miles. Some cars just buck the trend I suppose.