BMW M6 - advice requested
Discussion
Afternoon everyone,
I'm testing a 2006 M6 on Saturday; it's at a main dealer and apparently has 27k miles left on the front brakes, 25k miles on back brakes, with around 8mm of tread on the tyres. The car has done 40k miles approximately, and as far as the dealer is aware, it hasn't had the clutch replaced (or anything associated such as the SMG pump or flywheel). Next service is due in 12k miles, and it's recently had the brake fluid change as part of the AUC preparation.
The clutch is my main worry. I know it depends entirely on how the car has been driven, and I've read reports of people having to replace clutches when the car has done less than 30k miles, and there are others who say that the clutch can run for 50-75k miles before needing attention. I am trying to go into this with my eyes wide open, but I was surprised to read one post on the net about a £6k replacement cost for the two clutch plates and fly wheel. This sounds like an exorbitant amount of money to me for the work involved, so I wanted to ask whether anyone else has had an experience like this with their M6? I don't want to buy a car that's going to need that kind of money spending on it in 6 months time.
It goes without saying that I know this was an £80k car new (with terrible mpg to boot), so I'm not expecting to run it on a shoe string. I am anticipating £1k annual expenditure on routine stuff (with long interval servicing it may not be this much but the money will be put aside annually), and would have another £2k as a sinking fund for anything major. Is this likely to be enough to cover a dealer prepared car that won't need brakes, tyres etc anytime soon (I do about 4k miles a year, mainly for leisure, and won't be thrashing it around town)?
I picked up the Evo buying guide for starters, and am hoping that the AUC preparation will look at things like door sills, potential roof problems etc, but I've read a few reports of BMW AUC cars needing things like clutches within a short period of time after the sale. Hopefully that won't be the case. I want to go AUC to ge the extendable warranty.
Thanks in advance for any help and advice,
AKA8
I'm testing a 2006 M6 on Saturday; it's at a main dealer and apparently has 27k miles left on the front brakes, 25k miles on back brakes, with around 8mm of tread on the tyres. The car has done 40k miles approximately, and as far as the dealer is aware, it hasn't had the clutch replaced (or anything associated such as the SMG pump or flywheel). Next service is due in 12k miles, and it's recently had the brake fluid change as part of the AUC preparation.
The clutch is my main worry. I know it depends entirely on how the car has been driven, and I've read reports of people having to replace clutches when the car has done less than 30k miles, and there are others who say that the clutch can run for 50-75k miles before needing attention. I am trying to go into this with my eyes wide open, but I was surprised to read one post on the net about a £6k replacement cost for the two clutch plates and fly wheel. This sounds like an exorbitant amount of money to me for the work involved, so I wanted to ask whether anyone else has had an experience like this with their M6? I don't want to buy a car that's going to need that kind of money spending on it in 6 months time.
It goes without saying that I know this was an £80k car new (with terrible mpg to boot), so I'm not expecting to run it on a shoe string. I am anticipating £1k annual expenditure on routine stuff (with long interval servicing it may not be this much but the money will be put aside annually), and would have another £2k as a sinking fund for anything major. Is this likely to be enough to cover a dealer prepared car that won't need brakes, tyres etc anytime soon (I do about 4k miles a year, mainly for leisure, and won't be thrashing it around town)?
I picked up the Evo buying guide for starters, and am hoping that the AUC preparation will look at things like door sills, potential roof problems etc, but I've read a few reports of BMW AUC cars needing things like clutches within a short period of time after the sale. Hopefully that won't be the case. I want to go AUC to ge the extendable warranty.
Thanks in advance for any help and advice,
AKA8
Great tip, thanks for that. Not sure I'll get to red line it in 3rd, let alone 4th(!) but a hill start should give me an idea. I'm not particularly mechanically minded, but just to check, would the alarming signs be juddering and/or drastically more revs than doing a standing start on a level surface?
That's the sort of bill that I'm concerned about getting with this car. It doesn't sound like yours was down to wear and tear if it was covered under warranty, so I'm guessing that the miles you'd covered with that clutch wouldn't give any indication of clutch life expectancy.
Given that the car I'm looking at has 40k miles, I think I should try and push the dealer into getting this work done as part of the sale. They probably won't agree to this, but I'd prefer to try to get the work done at a discount now rather than potentially paying £3k in 6 months time.
Given that the car I'm looking at has 40k miles, I think I should try and push the dealer into getting this work done as part of the sale. They probably won't agree to this, but I'd prefer to try to get the work done at a discount now rather than potentially paying £3k in 6 months time.
AKA8 said:
That's the sort of bill that I'm concerned about getting with this car. It doesn't sound like yours was down to wear and tear if it was covered under warranty, so I'm guessing that the miles you'd covered with that clutch wouldn't give any indication of clutch life expectancy.
Given that the car I'm looking at has 40k miles, I think I should try and push the dealer into getting this work done as part of the sale. They probably won't agree to this, but I'd prefer to try to get the work done at a discount now rather than potentially paying £3k in 6 months time.
Cant see them agreeing to that unless they are desperate to see the back of it.Given that the car I'm looking at has 40k miles, I think I should try and push the dealer into getting this work done as part of the sale. They probably won't agree to this, but I'd prefer to try to get the work done at a discount now rather than potentially paying £3k in 6 months time.
From what I've seen here and on other forums, clutch problems are not that commom (although there is one person who went through several and goes on about it a lot). Mine was quite odd and happened before 10,000 miles - it just started not engaging on upchanges near max revs. It was fine in normal driving.
I'm pleased to hear clutch problems aren't that common. I live in central London and would be using it more as a second vehicle so it wouldn't get much exposure to traffic jams and inner city driving. It sounds as if it would be a bonus to find one that's had the work done but not a deal breaker if it hasn't.
Maybe I'm being naive, but I'd be surprised if a main dealer sold me a car that needed a new clutch imminently...
Maybe I'm being naive, but I'd be surprised if a main dealer sold me a car that needed a new clutch imminently...
Having done a mass of research earlier in the year on the M5/M6 clutch I'd like to input a litte bit of advice.
Clutch problems are not rare. What's rare is BMW telling you what the actual reason for failure was. For sure most fail due to useage but a good percentage fail due to Release Bearing faults. The thing is we are in the habit of listening to the stealers too much. I fought the case and I won, infact there are a few on here now who also won because of the research.
Eddie
Clutch problems are not rare. What's rare is BMW telling you what the actual reason for failure was. For sure most fail due to useage but a good percentage fail due to Release Bearing faults. The thing is we are in the habit of listening to the stealers too much. I fought the case and I won, infact there are a few on here now who also won because of the research.
Eddie
I may regret typing this, but, I might sell my M6!!!
They are fantastic cars, but I've only done 300 miles in last 4 months - wife & 2 kids worth of clobber means lack of use.
Mines done 35k, black with black leather & piano black inlays. I've had front & rear lights updated to later leds (not cheap!); it's just had service & majority of idrive service items have around 20k to go. I have the extended warranty, so for the right price could put a year on it. I've also just put a new set of PS2s all round & again, for the right money I have a set of winters too. Alloys have no curbing or dodgy repairs.
I'm not trying to sell the car & haven't spoken to 'the boss' yet (wife!), Car has been maintained to highest level, with keeping it in mind, although, we're all guilty of thinking of changing from time to time??
Good luck with your search, they are amazing cars, even if you're not interested in mine - get one, you'll not regret it.
They are fantastic cars, but I've only done 300 miles in last 4 months - wife & 2 kids worth of clobber means lack of use.
Mines done 35k, black with black leather & piano black inlays. I've had front & rear lights updated to later leds (not cheap!); it's just had service & majority of idrive service items have around 20k to go. I have the extended warranty, so for the right price could put a year on it. I've also just put a new set of PS2s all round & again, for the right money I have a set of winters too. Alloys have no curbing or dodgy repairs.
I'm not trying to sell the car & haven't spoken to 'the boss' yet (wife!), Car has been maintained to highest level, with keeping it in mind, although, we're all guilty of thinking of changing from time to time??
Good luck with your search, they are amazing cars, even if you're not interested in mine - get one, you'll not regret it.
the AUC preparation on mine did not pick up the broken illuminated sills, so I had a bit of a wrangle to get them changed as at first they wanted to classify them as seals.. Make sure that you check the BMW assist if fitted works OK, as mine was hosed and had to have a lot of diagnostics done & finally a new unit ordered specifically coded to the vehicle - I have read of a few similar cases. As for the clutch..I think Eddie is the expert here, and his research resulted in me confidently booking mine in and getting it done under warranty at 43k. The problem wasn't with slipping, I actually think the clutch plate itself would have lasted quite a lot longer, but with juddering at take off once the car was thoroughly warmed up. TBH this would only happen after I had been driving around London for an hour or so, so it rarely presented itself, but I got a bit paranoid & decided to try and get it sorted on warranty. The quotes I received were around £2700, but Sytners would have done it for 15% less than that.
Other than that don't worry too much, main expenses are brakes & tyres and sounds like you are sorted for those. You will need winter tyres IMO, just bite the bullet and get them before trying to negotiate a hill in the PS2's. I got Pirelli Sotto-Zeros in stock sizes, and just get them changed by a mobile fitter onto my normal alloys. I would be happy to have some dedicated wheels, but they are non existent on the second hand market! The Sotto Zeros are plentiful on ebay in the front sizes, but you will probably have to stump up for the rears new.
I commute in London in mine everyday, and its been great, with minimal costs for a year and a half. Just the winter tyres, a £250 oil service and a Xenon headlight bulb.
Other than that don't worry too much, main expenses are brakes & tyres and sounds like you are sorted for those. You will need winter tyres IMO, just bite the bullet and get them before trying to negotiate a hill in the PS2's. I got Pirelli Sotto-Zeros in stock sizes, and just get them changed by a mobile fitter onto my normal alloys. I would be happy to have some dedicated wheels, but they are non existent on the second hand market! The Sotto Zeros are plentiful on ebay in the front sizes, but you will probably have to stump up for the rears new.
I commute in London in mine everyday, and its been great, with minimal costs for a year and a half. Just the winter tyres, a £250 oil service and a Xenon headlight bulb.
Guys, thanks very much for all your input.
It sounds like they're not necessarily a nightmare to run, but it's worth having £3k put aside just in case the clutch needs work in the future.
From what I understand, and I've love to be corrected(!), the warranties aren't transferrable between owners if the car changes hands outside the BMW network. Is that definitely right? I really want to be able to extend the warranty on this, just for peace of mind.
It sounds like they're not necessarily a nightmare to run, but it's worth having £3k put aside just in case the clutch needs work in the future.
From what I understand, and I've love to be corrected(!), the warranties aren't transferrable between owners if the car changes hands outside the BMW network. Is that definitely right? I really want to be able to extend the warranty on this, just for peace of mind.
Zod said:
take a look at PH Classifieds next week 
Just what I need, another wheel set in my garage! No room for the car soon. Actually, do pm me if you would when you get round to selling them and let me know how much you're asking? I'm only round the corner. Finally come to terms with letting go of the M5 then?Gassing Station | M Power | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff