RE: Shed of the Week | BMW 330i (E46) Touring
Discussion
nunpuncher said:
Why do people that don't understand shedding read SOTW?
Why would it require to be worked on by a specialist? It's a BMW, it's not a Bugatti Chiron... it's not even an M car FFS. Most mechanics will have worked on loads of them and they're not beyond the skills of a relatively competent home mechanic.
Cheap lease or PCP is what, £3k in the first year at the least? So you could buy this, have it blow up, buy another shed, have that blow up, buy another and would still only be in it as much as you'd paid for a f
king boring diesel A class.
You win some, you lose some. That's the joy of shedding.
Bravo!Why would it require to be worked on by a specialist? It's a BMW, it's not a Bugatti Chiron... it's not even an M car FFS. Most mechanics will have worked on loads of them and they're not beyond the skills of a relatively competent home mechanic.
Cheap lease or PCP is what, £3k in the first year at the least? So you could buy this, have it blow up, buy another shed, have that blow up, buy another and would still only be in it as much as you'd paid for a f
king boring diesel A class.You win some, you lose some. That's the joy of shedding.
We inherited a 56 reg Fiesta Zetec a couple of years ago. It's a superb drive, simple to work on and has so far cost peanuts to run.
My wife doesn't really appreciate the purity of the driving experience, but a DAB and a Bluetooth phone hands-free has given her enough gadgets to tolerate it
BFleming said:
But IIRC you still needed to fit the throttle body from the 328i with an adapter plate. Turner Motorsport (amongst others) did them.
Indeed you do. I used a Bimmertune plate when I did the conversion a few years ago. It takes a bit of magic too to reset the throttle adaptions. You need the 330 DISA valve too.MC Bodge said:
I don't know about the 330i, but I once drove a similar era 320d that belonged to my brother in law. I expected great things, but it was less impressive to drive than the Mondeo 2.0 dieseI I had at the time....
Hence this result on Topgear around the track:Edited by MC Bodge on Friday 12th July 19:36
https://youtu.be/ZKWDt9vXHz4
BFleming said:
I had a 2000 330i for a few years; many plusses (great size for a young family, fast, economical) and many minuses - here goes:
Mine has had the same kind of issues, but not the idle issue, just came up with ECU fault and a code, eventually traced it to the Intake boot being split (£10 from BMW and about 30 mins to fit with basic tools) and a faulty MAF.- Rust - mine was limited to the arches (all of them to some degree)
- Gearstick wouldn't centre (on the plus side it was the manual, not the slusher of today's SOTW)
- Suspension components - it was very needy, just like the Alfa 156 that preceded it
- Airbag light - of course sir. Like all of them, mine was the passenger seat occupation sensor, so it got bypassed. I learned BMW coding afterwards, which would have been the better solution (you code out the sensor, then code out the seat belt reminder)
- Erratic idle (as mentioned in the article) - good luck sorting it. Mine had a split intake hose, every vacuum pipe crumbled as I touched it, so everything was replaced. Those caps around the back of the manifold - replaced them. Idle control valve - replaced it, including the grommit it sits in. Oil seperator - replaced it. Vanos rebuilt with new seals - check (not thousands as per the article, just google Mr Vanos). Exhaust camshaft sensor - check. Even the DISA valve. It's actually rarely the DISA valve that's borked. OK, it was a lit better by the time I finished, but there was always some hesitancy there, right to the bitter 2 stroke end. Which leads me on to...
- Oil consumption - I was throwing a litre into it every 500 miles in the end
- Cooling system - the bottom of the bowed radiator crumbled, luckily not far from home, so it got a new radiator. A week later the expansion tank decided it too would split, dumping that new coolant in the work car park. A month or so later, the water pump said 'I'm out' too. And they were a pig to bleed properly every time (nose of the car as high in the air as possible for it to burp out any air locks)
Edited by BFleming on Friday 12th July 10:11
Oil consumption can be cured with a few things, fresh breather system for one, and swapping oil grades from 0w40? which is the recommended grade to 5w40. The other thing is once it's up to temp, thrash on it, take it to redline a few times on a long drive and get it really hot (Trackdays are perfect for this) and I've found that the oil consumption drops off completely post thrashing.
The reason for high oil consumption is the oil rings on the pistons, they can stick if you just cruise around all the time and don't rev the engine right out to redline and get it nice and hot.
Rust is a problem for this version, but catch it early and have a good bodyshop deal with it by grinding it clean, and using Raptor paint to protect the arches, it shouldn't come back.
Suspensnion components, agreed the stock bushes go soft, I've swapped to Powerflex items and done over 50k miles on the RTA and lolipop bushes with track days / nurburgring trips, never had any problems since.
DISA valve, there's a rebuild kit LanceRS found, and both him and myself have fitted the kit, reasonably simple to do with basic tools and removes any problems or chances of failure.
Cooling system is a pain agreed, but a radiator change / water pump swap isn't too difficult, it's the bleeding.
If you set the climate to max heat / max fans, (32C on the display) and nose high on ramps. you top off the coolant, the trick i found to 'burp' the system is have someone raise the revs to 1500 / 2000 once it's hot and the system will burp SO much quicker and easier, Works every time i've done mine.
I've been pretty happy with mine, though i've gone through and either upgraded or trawled RealOEM to see what factory parts can upgrade the original components, so a few parts have been borrowed from other models (M3 or such)
I've had my E46 coupe for 2 years now, bought as a commuter barge. 53 plate with 163k on the clock. Very tidy with just a tiny bit of rust on two arches starting to come through.
The only jobs I've done myself out of necessity are fit a new radiator and intercooler.
Jobs done at the specialist out of necessity are a couple of new brake pipes fot the mot.
Jobs I've chosen to do myself to keep it nice are fit new front and rear dampers, fit new wishbone bushes and transmission bushes. Fit new front offside wing as it had a dent in it that wouldn't pull out. Refurbished all 4 alloys.
I've spent more than I needed but I really like it and it's still a very very cheap car next to the girlfriends 2 series GT.
Looks good and feels solid.
There's a reason my indy reckons these are the best BMW ever made
The only jobs I've done myself out of necessity are fit a new radiator and intercooler.
Jobs done at the specialist out of necessity are a couple of new brake pipes fot the mot.
Jobs I've chosen to do myself to keep it nice are fit new front and rear dampers, fit new wishbone bushes and transmission bushes. Fit new front offside wing as it had a dent in it that wouldn't pull out. Refurbished all 4 alloys.
I've spent more than I needed but I really like it and it's still a very very cheap car next to the girlfriends 2 series GT.
Looks good and feels solid.
There's a reason my indy reckons these are the best BMW ever made
I had an E46 330 Touring with a manual box for a while. To be honest, I didn't really like it that much. The steering seemed awful compared to the E36. The ride was pretty crap on the 18" wheels mine came with. The gearshift was vague and the self centring was broken which is a common issue involving a 50p spring but requires the gearbox to be removed to rectify. The wheels corroded on the rear edge meaning that the tyres couldn't retain pressure for more than a few days. The cooling system was made of paper. Everything from the rear door shuts backwards was susceptible to rust. It ate through bulbs for some reason and drank oil horrendously. It was quite a nice car to drive and the engine is a great but I just found the car generally unreliable and quite disappointing after the E36, E34 and E39's.
Like most E46's, it's a tired on thing. For £350 it'd be okay to drive until it went terminally wrong. The reality of running old BMW's like this is 24 mpg, waiting for a window regulator to snap or the gearbox to sh*t itself or *PING* another warning light to add to the collection.
Not even for a grand, sorry.
Not even for a grand, sorry.
Edited by Touring442 on Saturday 13th July 18:30
Old E46s can be wonderful!
In 2014 I bought a 52 plate E46 325ti on 80K miles, and kept it for 3 years until 103K miles.
Admittedly within 6 months it needed a cooling system refresh due to the "banana" radiator issue, and a year or so later a PAS pipe split, but no other non-routine issues.
But my Indy said it would need some major attention in the next year or so as it was getting crusty on the underside, so I sold it and got an E91 - now replaced by an E90.
At the time my Indy had a 51 plate E39 530i which seemed like a good endorsement.
I'd love to find a clean E46, but there are hardly any left and this Shed certainly isn't one of them! And it's an Auto, so not for me!
In 2014 I bought a 52 plate E46 325ti on 80K miles, and kept it for 3 years until 103K miles.
Admittedly within 6 months it needed a cooling system refresh due to the "banana" radiator issue, and a year or so later a PAS pipe split, but no other non-routine issues.
But my Indy said it would need some major attention in the next year or so as it was getting crusty on the underside, so I sold it and got an E91 - now replaced by an E90.
At the time my Indy had a 51 plate E39 530i which seemed like a good endorsement.
I'd love to find a clean E46, but there are hardly any left and this Shed certainly isn't one of them! And it's an Auto, so not for me!
Touring442 said:
Water Fairy said:
There's a reason my indy reckons these are the best BMW ever made
I bet he says that every time you swipe your credit card......The E90 was, in reality, a better quality vehicle. The body quality is now where Peugeot were 20 years ago so they don't rot for fun, window regulators and electric window switches are far more robust, front wishbones don't wear out often and the boot floor doesn't crack. Of course they have their own issues, but 14 years after launch, it's still not a car you see piling up in scrapyards like you did with hordes of rotten old T reg 318i saloons ten years ago.
By the same token, I have to laugh when E39 owners/apologists claim theirs was the last properly built 5 Series. It wasn't. It was a rust prone heap that ate suspension and cooling bits, rattling along with the dash pixels vanishing into thin air. The E60, whether you like them or not, was vastly superior.
By the same token, I have to laugh when E39 owners/apologists claim theirs was the last properly built 5 Series. It wasn't. It was a rust prone heap that ate suspension and cooling bits, rattling along with the dash pixels vanishing into thin air. The E60, whether you like them or not, was vastly superior.
Touring442 said:
The E90 was, in reality, a better quality vehicle. The body quality is now where Peugeot were 20 years ago so they don't rot for fun, window regulators and electric window switches are far more robust, front wishbones don't wear out often and the boot floor doesn't crack. Of course they have their own issues, but 14 years after launch, it's still not a car you see piling up in scrapyards like you did with hordes of rotten old T reg 318i saloons ten years ago.
By the same token, I have to laugh when E39 owners/apologists claim theirs was the last properly built 5 Series. It wasn't. It was a rust prone heap that ate suspension and cooling bits, rattling along with the dash pixels vanishing into thin air. The E60, whether you like them or not, was vastly superior.
Have driven/owned both, and the E90 is a dull car in comparision, but a nice place to sit.. The E46 lacked toys, well the one I had did. I'd have another E46 in a heartbeat. 80k and 7 years, all round the country Wales, Devon, Scotland, Brighton. All it needed was brakes, tyres, servicing, couple of bushes and a few wear and tear items. Nothing unexpected from a 16yr old car approaching 200k. Radiator failed at 192k.. So a fair innings. I did replace both front wings also for £60 rust free in the right colour.By the same token, I have to laugh when E39 owners/apologists claim theirs was the last properly built 5 Series. It wasn't. It was a rust prone heap that ate suspension and cooling bits, rattling along with the dash pixels vanishing into thin air. The E60, whether you like them or not, was vastly superior.
E39 vs. E60 I completely agree. My E61 is a fantastic thing! Just needs some bluetooth music and a stereo upgrade..
About 4 years ago I bought a 190K mile E46 330i Touring...for £850!
It had a short MoT and needed a rear wheel bearing....
However, mine is a pre-facelift SE manual (5 speed) version with heated sports leather interior, sun/moonroof, HK soundsystem on 17" wheels...it also has winter pack (heated mirrors, washer jets), auto dimming mirror, ran sensing wipers
It is now on 260k miles and is still going strong as an everyday driver and towcar.
What has gone wrong...plenty...but all (fairly) easy fixes:
It's had:
rear wheel bearing
discs and pads and caliper service all round
front trailing arms/bushes
steering rack
power steering pump
alternator
radiator (twice)
expansion tank (twice)
water pump (twice)
thermostat and housing
passenger seat occupancy sensor bypass
fuel pump
yaw sensor
Since I've had it I've fitted a removable towbar and electrics, upgraded the headunit from the cassette player to the single CD unit and fitted an aux 3.5mm input.
The parking sensors don't work, the folding mirrors have stopped working and the (2) remote keys no longer lock the doors and the dash CD player has stopped playing disks.
But it is very reliable having only broken down once (when the fuel pump died on a Sat afternoon whilst towing the caravan on the A30 near Oakhampton...about as far from any spares shop with parts and train station as it is possible to get in England!
It had a short MoT and needed a rear wheel bearing....
However, mine is a pre-facelift SE manual (5 speed) version with heated sports leather interior, sun/moonroof, HK soundsystem on 17" wheels...it also has winter pack (heated mirrors, washer jets), auto dimming mirror, ran sensing wipers
It is now on 260k miles and is still going strong as an everyday driver and towcar.
What has gone wrong...plenty...but all (fairly) easy fixes:
It's had:
rear wheel bearing
discs and pads and caliper service all round
front trailing arms/bushes
steering rack
power steering pump
alternator
radiator (twice)
expansion tank (twice)
water pump (twice)
thermostat and housing
passenger seat occupancy sensor bypass
fuel pump
yaw sensor
Since I've had it I've fitted a removable towbar and electrics, upgraded the headunit from the cassette player to the single CD unit and fitted an aux 3.5mm input.
The parking sensors don't work, the folding mirrors have stopped working and the (2) remote keys no longer lock the doors and the dash CD player has stopped playing disks.
But it is very reliable having only broken down once (when the fuel pump died on a Sat afternoon whilst towing the caravan on the A30 near Oakhampton...about as far from any spares shop with parts and train station as it is possible to get in England!
Sounds like you're useful with a spanner - and that's essential with an old car.
I do hear (still) the good old 'E36's drive better that the E46' fable which is of course a load of bks. For its faults, the E46 rides and steers much better, much nicer turn in etc.
Once you've fixed a problem with decent quality bits, that's normally the last you hear of it.
I do hear (still) the good old 'E36's drive better that the E46' fable which is of course a load of b
ks. For its faults, the E46 rides and steers much better, much nicer turn in etc. Once you've fixed a problem with decent quality bits, that's normally the last you hear of it.
Touring442 said:
Sounds like you're useful with a spanner - and that's essential with an old car.
I do hear (still) the good old 'E36's drive better that the E46' fable which is of course a load of bks. For its faults, the E46 rides and steers much better, much nicer turn in etc.
Once you've fixed a problem with decent quality bits, that's normally the last you hear of it.
I realise it's subjective but I cannot fathom how anyone could prefer the E46 steering over the E36. The E46 always felt horribly over assisted and lacking in any meaningful feedback. The ride depends on the spec, but my SE on 18" wheels rode terribly compared to any other BMW I've driven.I do hear (still) the good old 'E36's drive better that the E46' fable which is of course a load of b
ks. For its faults, the E46 rides and steers much better, much nicer turn in etc. Once you've fixed a problem with decent quality bits, that's normally the last you hear of it.
Gad-Westy said:
Touring442 said:
Sounds like you're useful with a spanner - and that's essential with an old car.
I do hear (still) the good old 'E36's drive better that the E46' fable which is of course a load of bks. For its faults, the E46 rides and steers much better, much nicer turn in etc.
Once you've fixed a problem with decent quality bits, that's normally the last you hear of it.
I realise it's subjective but I cannot fathom how anyone could prefer the E46 steering over the E36. The E46 always felt horribly over assisted and lacking in any meaningful feedback. The ride depends on the spec, but my SE on 18" wheels rode terribly compared to any other BMW I've driven.I do hear (still) the good old 'E36's drive better that the E46' fable which is of course a load of b
ks. For its faults, the E46 rides and steers much better, much nicer turn in etc. Once you've fixed a problem with decent quality bits, that's normally the last you hear of it.
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