First time BMW owner...E46 325i
Discussion
Picking up my first BMW this weekend, making the switch from Renaultsport’s so it’s all new to me! Looked at a few before finding an Imola Red saloon with 5 speed manual gearbox, was an absolute dream on the test drive and is in great condition for its age (82,000 on the clock, 2003 model). Been doing research on the essentials, so far picked up that the first things needing done immediately are the cooling system and disa valve, will do these along with a good service for peace of mind. Anything else I should be looking out for straight away? I’m aware of the rust issues to keep an eye out for but everything seems ok for now. Also any good owners clubs and E46 specific sites out there? Cheers 
If it ain't broke.................
If the rad isn't bowed out at the bottom, it's fine. If the expansion tank doesn't leak, it's fine. The water pump is probably fine as well.
It's an old car, and it will go wrong at some point but if at present it drives fine, no noises, overheating etc, it's fine. You have oil and coolant level sensors to tell you if all is not well.
Repair it as and when needed. Save your money.
If the rad isn't bowed out at the bottom, it's fine. If the expansion tank doesn't leak, it's fine. The water pump is probably fine as well.
It's an old car, and it will go wrong at some point but if at present it drives fine, no noises, overheating etc, it's fine. You have oil and coolant level sensors to tell you if all is not well.
Repair it as and when needed. Save your money.
Nice car OP. As others have said, whilst there are common areas where an E46 will need attention at some point if you've bought a good car that drives nicely I wouldn't go about changing things for the sake of it to start with. See how you get on and then make decisions if needed.
The E46 is quite an easy car to work on with lots of good information available (E46 Zone etc.).
I've done most of the known jobs on my car over the years. The one pro-active job that made a noticeable difference to my car was the Vanos seal replacement. The car was running fine but I felt it had lost a bit of its low down push. Replacing the vanos seals brought it alive again. I did also do the DISA upgrade (metal flap) which was a peace of mind job. The original holding pin had moved out from its position but wasn't in danger of coming out.
If you enjoy a bit of tinkering yourself these are satisfying jobs to do. The other non mechanical refresh I did was a steering wheel recover from Royal steering wheels and a new gearknob. The steering wheel really freshens up the inside of an older car, the quality is fantastic, OE finish and it's relatively cheap to have done.
Enjoy the car - great colour. Post some pics.
The E46 is quite an easy car to work on with lots of good information available (E46 Zone etc.).
I've done most of the known jobs on my car over the years. The one pro-active job that made a noticeable difference to my car was the Vanos seal replacement. The car was running fine but I felt it had lost a bit of its low down push. Replacing the vanos seals brought it alive again. I did also do the DISA upgrade (metal flap) which was a peace of mind job. The original holding pin had moved out from its position but wasn't in danger of coming out.
If you enjoy a bit of tinkering yourself these are satisfying jobs to do. The other non mechanical refresh I did was a steering wheel recover from Royal steering wheels and a new gearknob. The steering wheel really freshens up the inside of an older car, the quality is fantastic, OE finish and it's relatively cheap to have done.
Enjoy the car - great colour. Post some pics.
Thanks for all the advice, so it would seem that all the stories of doom on the internet over the cooling system are exaggerated , if that’s the case then I will first keep an eye on things and see how the levels etc are over the first few weeks. One thing is that there is no evidence or paperwork for any recent work to either, so with the car being over 80,000 miles and 15 years old now i was thinking it would be a good preventative measure but I suppose if it ain’t broke then don’t fix it. I would be carrying out any jobs like this myself to save on labour costs I should add. Will post up some pics when I collect on Sunday, the steering wheel thing is interesting, the interior on this car is in incredible condition for its age but I did retrim the steering wheel on my old RS Clio 182 and i know what you mean, lifts the whole interior and feel of the car!
My 325ti Compact needed a cooling system refresh within a few months of buying it, but a new radiator, cap, thermostat, expansion tank, alternator belt, coolant temperature sensor, new anti-freeze and labour cost less than £500.
Whereas on my Z4 Coupe an OEM electric water pump cost more than that before it was fitted!
My nephew had a 325ti for a year, but when he became a dad his got swapped for a 325i Sport Touring.
So here is some gratuitous Imola Red, just because:-
Whereas on my Z4 Coupe an OEM electric water pump cost more than that before it was fitted!
Edited by Mr Tidy on Wednesday 4th July 01:23
My nephew had a 325ti for a year, but when he became a dad his got swapped for a 325i Sport Touring.
So here is some gratuitous Imola Red, just because:-
Edited by Mr Tidy on Wednesday 4th July 01:29
Mr Tidy said:
My 325ti Compact needed a cooling system refresh within a few months of buying it, but a new radiator, cap, thermostat, expansion tank, alternator belt, coolant temperature sensor, new anti-freeze and labour cost less than £500.
Whereas on my Z4 Coupe an OEM electric water pump cost more than that before it was fitted!
My nephew had a 325ti for a year, but when he became a dad his got swapped for a 325i Sport Touring.
So here is some gratuitous Imola Red, just because:-
I've only seen that picture 100 times !Whereas on my Z4 Coupe an OEM electric water pump cost more than that before it was fitted!
Edited by Mr Tidy on Wednesday 4th July 01:23
My nephew had a 325ti for a year, but when he became a dad his got swapped for a 325i Sport Touring.
So here is some gratuitous Imola Red, just because:-
Edited by Mr Tidy on Wednesday 4th July 01:29
330ti said:
I've only seen that picture 100 times !
Well that's strange - I doubt I have posted it more than 10 times! 
And on a thread about an Imola Red 325i it doesn't seem that inappropriate to me, but whatever.
You could always try to add something positive at some point.
BTW apologies to the OP for getting off-track here - I hope you have a great weekend once you have picked yours up.
You may find this a useful place:- http://forum.e46fanatics.com/Edited by Mr Tidy on Thursday 5th July 01:18
Edited by Mr Tidy on Thursday 5th July 01:20
iSore said:
If it ain't broke.................
If the rad isn't bowed out at the bottom, it's fine. If the expansion tank doesn't leak, it's fine. The water pump is probably fine as well.
It's an old car, and it will go wrong at some point but if at present it drives fine, no noises, overheating etc, it's fine. You have oil and coolant level sensors to tell you if all is not well.
Repair it as and when needed. Save your money.
Totally agree with this. Nothing has gone wrong on the cooling system on mine and I've owned it for 6+ years.If the rad isn't bowed out at the bottom, it's fine. If the expansion tank doesn't leak, it's fine. The water pump is probably fine as well.
It's an old car, and it will go wrong at some point but if at present it drives fine, no noises, overheating etc, it's fine. You have oil and coolant level sensors to tell you if all is not well.
Repair it as and when needed. Save your money.
Points that have failed on my 330 in this time has been the brake lines, sticking calipers, airbag control unit, leaking washer fluid. Oh, and rust, lots of it now!
I have never replaced a water pump on any of my 3 BMWs, each driven well above 200k+ miles. Only had to replace bent radiators and weeping top hoses - plastic hose ending below the bleeding valve invariably developing a hairline crack after 12 years or so - easily caught on time so a non-catastrophic issue. In case you do notice suspect noise emmanating from the fan area do check if the pump's bearing is on its way out - not with engine running!😀 Ignore this and the pump may ultimately disintegrate, sending off the spinning fan down the path of destruction.
Mr Tidy said:
My 325ti Compact needed a cooling system refresh within a few months of buying it, but a new radiator, cap, thermostat, expansion tank, alternator belt, coolant temperature sensor, new anti-freeze and labour cost less than £500.
Whereas on my Z4 Coupe an OEM electric water pump cost more than that before it was fitted!
My nephew had a 325ti for a year, but when he became a dad his got swapped for a 325i Sport Touring.
So here is some gratuitous Imola Red, just because:-
Lovely pair of Imolas there, only a couple of days now til I go and collect mine...in the meantime I have done the VIN decoder online to have a look at the options and see if there’s anything I missed during viewing, here’s the results:Whereas on my Z4 Coupe an OEM electric water pump cost more than that before it was fitted!
Edited by Mr Tidy on Wednesday 4th July 01:23
My nephew had a 325ti for a year, but when he became a dad his got swapped for a 325i Sport Touring.
So here is some gratuitous Imola Red, just because:-
Edited by Mr Tidy on Wednesday 4th July 01:29
Vehicle options
L812A National version Great Britain
S210A Dynamic stability control
S226A Sports suspension settings
S249A Multifunction f steering wheel
S302A Alarm system
S338A M Sports package II
S411A Window lifts,electric,front/rear
S428A Warning triangle and first aid kit
S431A Interior mirror with automatic-dip
S438A Fine wood trim
S441A Smoker package
S473A Armrest front
S481A Sports seat
S494A Seat heating driver/passenger
S495A 3-point belt and headrest, center rear
S508A Park Distance Control (PDC)
S520A Fog lights
S534A Automatic air conditioning
S550A On-board computer
S661A Radio BMW Business (C43)
S692A Preparation, BMW 6-CD changer I-bus
S710A M sports steering wheel, multifunction
S716A Aerodynamics package
S760A High gloss shadow line
S775A Headlining anthracite
S785A White direction indicator lights
S789A BMW LA wheel, Individual
S832A Battery in luggage compartment
S850A Dummy-SALAPA
S853A Language version English
S863A Retailer Directory Europe
S877A Delete cross-pattern operation
S880A On-board vehicle literature English
Can anyone good with these things tell me if they know the difference between S226A and S338A, as I seem to have both and they both look like suspension options? And where would S428A (Warning triangle and first aid kit) be located as I must have missed that when looking!
Ok nice one, il take you up on that if it’s not there! Will have a look in the boot when I collect it anyway, any idea where should I be looking in the boot? Under carpet with the spare, or by the side etc.? Right ok then take it the 2nd option must relate to the sport body kit or something along those lines then.
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