328i - What have I done?
Discussion
This week I found myself needing a cheap car for a few weeks while I wait for BMW to build my new M-Lite. So I searched, like you do, for a small Japanese hatchback advertised locally that I could move on easily when I needed to, and spent quite a bit of time entering <£1000 and <10miles searches into gumtree etc.
It always amazes me how willing people are to suck the value out of their car though abuse and neglect. After viewing several possible candidates (a Mini, a Polo or two, a Ka, and a Yaris/Micra - I forget which) I was beginning to lose the will to live - and run out of time. Would be vendors presented me with a collection of broken seat backs, errant warning lights (I’ll come back to that….), filthy smoke ridden interiors, wafer thin brake discs, flat or bald tires, missing spare wheels, crenelated rims, and each short test drive revealed clunks, thumps, rattles and wobbles.
I was heading home last night from another wasted effort viewing a cheap heap, when I realised I was passing the location of the last possible candidate on my list. I called the seller and 5 minutes later was outside a comfortable home in the only nice part of a dodgy local town. It was dark, and had been raining, and lurking at the kerb in-between street lights was the sort of tired old 3 series a down-at-heel junk dealer might smoke around in. Only the membership badge of a smart local golf club in the windscreen suggested that a tap at the window and the offer of a £20- note wouldn't result in a small bag of illicitness.
The owner was an elderly lady, the seller her son. Neither were what you would call car-people. The old BMW had only been in their possession for a couple of years – I suspect she’d been landed with the car, a 2000-on-a-W 328i SE automatic, when an equally aged friend gave up driving, and now it was her turn. Even under the street lights I could see that under the dirt, every panel was dented, there was rust under the front arches, and a big chip of paint was missing from the C-pillar. With a push of the key and a clunk of the locks the driver’s door groaned open – it wouldn’t stay that way though, but at least the interior didn’t reek of nicotine (or worse). With the bonnet open, the engine started willingly enough, and idled smoothly with a lovely refined hum.
A quick (well, slow) run around the block revealed that the brakes worked, the gears changed, the lights/windows/radio etc all functioned, it more-or-less steered, the water temp gauge stuck to the middle of the range, and it moved down the road with typical stolid German refinement and an almost complete absence of interior rattles. Effective damping was long gone, and I didn’t try it at any speed – mainly because the operation of the accelerator was so stiff at first I thought I was shoving on the inner wheel arch, but you couldn’t help be impressed by the car’s feeling on solidity and it’s ability to soak up 20 years neglect. Was the first decade of the 21st century peak car I wondered? And oh yes, an airbag warning light was on.
Inside the house I was presented with the holy grail of the private car purchase; a lovely thick wodge of service history.
Except that apart from the first few years of bills and stamps, there was no evidence whatsoever of any actual servicing. Every MOT was there (revealing a steady 4000 miles p.a in recent years), there were recent bills for ditchfinders, brakes, bits of front suspension and fuel pipes, but nothing to indicate any actual servicing. The very nice old lady and her son looked confused, and she explained that every month she took the car to the nice man at Quikfit who for a tenner checked her oil, along with tyres and water level, so it must have been done. Shirley, I thought, it’s not possible to completely ignore the red strip of service lights that pop up on the dash board?
I went back out to the car with the son and we peered into the dark of the underbonnet. I could see no signs of overheating, and no obvious oil leaks, there was coolant in the tank and even something approaching oil at the end of the dip-stick.
So I swallowed hard, looked the son in the eye, commented on the absence of an history, apologised for any offence and offered him several hundred pounds under the already low asking price. He said he needed to talk to his mother, returned to the house, and rather too quickly for my liking returned to tell me I’d just bought an old BMW.
I handed over a deposit before either of us changed our minds.
Driving home, I remembered I’d got 10l of new high quality oil BMW-spec lubricant in my garage left over from an abortive attempt to change the oil in my M135i, and I knew a friend of a friend who is an independent BMW trained technician. I also vaguely recollected reading about some common issue with the passenger airbag producing false warnings.
I collect it at the weekend, the plan is to get my new friend the tech to give it a quick look over, decide if its worth doing any more than changing the oil and filter, and hope that it won’t let me down when turned to daily commuting duties. Fingers crossed.
Watch this space.
SS7
It always amazes me how willing people are to suck the value out of their car though abuse and neglect. After viewing several possible candidates (a Mini, a Polo or two, a Ka, and a Yaris/Micra - I forget which) I was beginning to lose the will to live - and run out of time. Would be vendors presented me with a collection of broken seat backs, errant warning lights (I’ll come back to that….), filthy smoke ridden interiors, wafer thin brake discs, flat or bald tires, missing spare wheels, crenelated rims, and each short test drive revealed clunks, thumps, rattles and wobbles.
I was heading home last night from another wasted effort viewing a cheap heap, when I realised I was passing the location of the last possible candidate on my list. I called the seller and 5 minutes later was outside a comfortable home in the only nice part of a dodgy local town. It was dark, and had been raining, and lurking at the kerb in-between street lights was the sort of tired old 3 series a down-at-heel junk dealer might smoke around in. Only the membership badge of a smart local golf club in the windscreen suggested that a tap at the window and the offer of a £20- note wouldn't result in a small bag of illicitness.
The owner was an elderly lady, the seller her son. Neither were what you would call car-people. The old BMW had only been in their possession for a couple of years – I suspect she’d been landed with the car, a 2000-on-a-W 328i SE automatic, when an equally aged friend gave up driving, and now it was her turn. Even under the street lights I could see that under the dirt, every panel was dented, there was rust under the front arches, and a big chip of paint was missing from the C-pillar. With a push of the key and a clunk of the locks the driver’s door groaned open – it wouldn’t stay that way though, but at least the interior didn’t reek of nicotine (or worse). With the bonnet open, the engine started willingly enough, and idled smoothly with a lovely refined hum.
A quick (well, slow) run around the block revealed that the brakes worked, the gears changed, the lights/windows/radio etc all functioned, it more-or-less steered, the water temp gauge stuck to the middle of the range, and it moved down the road with typical stolid German refinement and an almost complete absence of interior rattles. Effective damping was long gone, and I didn’t try it at any speed – mainly because the operation of the accelerator was so stiff at first I thought I was shoving on the inner wheel arch, but you couldn’t help be impressed by the car’s feeling on solidity and it’s ability to soak up 20 years neglect. Was the first decade of the 21st century peak car I wondered? And oh yes, an airbag warning light was on.
Inside the house I was presented with the holy grail of the private car purchase; a lovely thick wodge of service history.
Except that apart from the first few years of bills and stamps, there was no evidence whatsoever of any actual servicing. Every MOT was there (revealing a steady 4000 miles p.a in recent years), there were recent bills for ditchfinders, brakes, bits of front suspension and fuel pipes, but nothing to indicate any actual servicing. The very nice old lady and her son looked confused, and she explained that every month she took the car to the nice man at Quikfit who for a tenner checked her oil, along with tyres and water level, so it must have been done. Shirley, I thought, it’s not possible to completely ignore the red strip of service lights that pop up on the dash board?
I went back out to the car with the son and we peered into the dark of the underbonnet. I could see no signs of overheating, and no obvious oil leaks, there was coolant in the tank and even something approaching oil at the end of the dip-stick.
So I swallowed hard, looked the son in the eye, commented on the absence of an history, apologised for any offence and offered him several hundred pounds under the already low asking price. He said he needed to talk to his mother, returned to the house, and rather too quickly for my liking returned to tell me I’d just bought an old BMW.
I handed over a deposit before either of us changed our minds.
Driving home, I remembered I’d got 10l of new high quality oil BMW-spec lubricant in my garage left over from an abortive attempt to change the oil in my M135i, and I knew a friend of a friend who is an independent BMW trained technician. I also vaguely recollected reading about some common issue with the passenger airbag producing false warnings.
I collect it at the weekend, the plan is to get my new friend the tech to give it a quick look over, decide if its worth doing any more than changing the oil and filter, and hope that it won’t let me down when turned to daily commuting duties. Fingers crossed.
Watch this space.
SS7
E-bmw said:
helix402 said:
You need a new throttle cable. Enjoy the 328.
Is the e46 throttle not FBW?Curiously and I never found the answer but WOT is only 85% or so, the throttle plate not fully open (so technically not WOT ). I adjusted mine to 100% but it never ran properly.
Edit. By never ran properly, I mean it was popping and farting at idle and didn't really run at all. And this was the 2.5 version m52tub25.
bmwmike said:
E-bmw said:
helix402 said:
You need a new throttle cable. Enjoy the 328.
Is the e46 throttle not FBW?Curiously and I never found the answer but WOT is only 85% or so, the throttle plate not fully open (so technically not WOT ). I adjusted mine to 100% but it never ran properly.
Edit. By never ran properly, I mean it was popping and farting at idle and didn't really run at all. And this was the 2.5 version m52tub25.
There's a M140i on order; the BMW double-ender is available for immediate delivery unless you go for special paint.
SS7
SebringMan said:
Looks like a good buy.
The airbag light can only be reset using a diagnostic machine. I have INPA if you are based near Warwickshire which I've used for a couple of guys here.
Sorry.. don't mean to disagree but mine extinguished itself after I resolved the fault. In my case I disconnected the yellow connector under the seat, cleaned with electrical spray and put it back together. Light cleared after a couple of restarts.The airbag light can only be reset using a diagnostic machine. I have INPA if you are based near Warwickshire which I've used for a couple of guys here.
The sad thing is the 328 e46 in good order would probably run rings around the m140i for 'ultimate driving machine' sensations.
After a good drive out in my Z4 today the manual gearbox and NA motor are just so good.
Yes 'progress' but that ZF8 and turbo sogginess just are not what make an ultimate driving machine.
I'd also agree the pre-08 cars are the ones to get. After that I think the 'inverse inflation' has eaten away at the quality of newer cars.
I'm now pondering a V8 4dr M3. It is probably the last true drivers car BMW made.
After a good drive out in my Z4 today the manual gearbox and NA motor are just so good.
Yes 'progress' but that ZF8 and turbo sogginess just are not what make an ultimate driving machine.
I'd also agree the pre-08 cars are the ones to get. After that I think the 'inverse inflation' has eaten away at the quality of newer cars.
I'm now pondering a V8 4dr M3. It is probably the last true drivers car BMW made.
Mr Whippy said:
The sad thing is the 328 e46 in good order would probably run rings around the m140i for 'ultimate driving machine' sensations.
After a good drive out in my Z4 today the manual gearbox and NA motor are just so good.
Yes 'progress' but that ZF8 and turbo sogginess just are not what make an ultimate driving machine.
I'd also agree the pre-08 cars are the ones to get. After that I think the 'inverse inflation' has eaten away at the quality of newer cars.
I'm now pondering a V8 4dr M3. It is probably the last true drivers car BMW made.
Agree! Very fond of e46. Miss my old one (with new bootfloor) when properly sorted they are great. It looked great in cosmos black sat on eibach springs and in stalking the MOT page shows its still on the road. I have a heap of new e46 parts here I've been trying to shift (anyone in south East Wales DM me).After a good drive out in my Z4 today the manual gearbox and NA motor are just so good.
Yes 'progress' but that ZF8 and turbo sogginess just are not what make an ultimate driving machine.
I'd also agree the pre-08 cars are the ones to get. After that I think the 'inverse inflation' has eaten away at the quality of newer cars.
I'm now pondering a V8 4dr M3. It is probably the last true drivers car BMW made.
My current steer has a nasp engine (n53) with zf8 makes for quicker changes and no discernible lag though. The weight of the f10 makes it crashy in pot hole lanes but surprisingly nimble in twisties. The e46 was much lighter and possibly better balanced car overall though.
Mr Whippy said:
The sad thing is the 328 e46 in good order would probably run rings around the m140i for 'ultimate driving machine' sensations.
After a good drive out in my Z4 today the manual gearbox and NA motor are just so good.
Yes 'progress' but that ZF8 and turbo sogginess just are not what make an ultimate driving machine.
I'd also agree the pre-08 cars are the ones to get. After that I think the 'inverse inflation' has eaten away at the quality of newer cars.
I'm now pondering a V8 4dr M3. It is probably the last true drivers car BMW made.
Funnily enough, the M135/140's drive train is the car's strongest suite. There's nothing at all soggy about the way it howls up to 7000rpm - it's 4pot opposition (and replacement) cannot possibly match it for delivery or aural kicks - even taking into account the slight sound assist. The car's worst feature by far are the dreadful electric steering system, which lacks almost all feel and is bizarrely non-linear in response, and a chassis which has to be softened to gain traction - due to BMW's refusal to fit a lsd - meaning it rapidly runs out of ability on a typical British B road.After a good drive out in my Z4 today the manual gearbox and NA motor are just so good.
Yes 'progress' but that ZF8 and turbo sogginess just are not what make an ultimate driving machine.
I'd also agree the pre-08 cars are the ones to get. After that I think the 'inverse inflation' has eaten away at the quality of newer cars.
I'm now pondering a V8 4dr M3. It is probably the last true drivers car BMW made.
M-Lite aside, I'm encouraged my the comments above and I'll search out the warning light widget. I also need to find a BMW specialist down here on the West Sussex coast as the old Beemer Wizard I had in mind is spending the next 6 months on a lucrative contract overseas....
SS7
On Saturday I stuffed a wad of £20s and went to collect the 328i, with my expectations well under control. I mean, this is a whole car for a 50th of the price of a new M140i, how could it possibly be anything but bad?
Actually it could be not bad at all. After handing over the readies, and receiving the ‘history’ and V5 in return, I approached the car lurking under trees at the back of the driveway. It started readily enough – the sound of the starter reminiscent of the old 535i – and sat idling while I faffed around inside. Hey, what I thought was a steering wheel that adjusted for rake also adjust for reach! And this time I lowered the seat and bingo - a decent driving position! A bang on door handle (the lock’s a bit sticky) and the door thumped closed, and I drove off through busy Saturday afternoon traffic to the motorway.
Accelerating up the slip road passed 50mph and I noticed a bad vibration through the seats and steering wheel, increasing in severity with speed. It got worse past 60mph, so I cruised slowly homewards nursing dark thoughts about little old ladies, out of balance wheels and gearbox or propshaft meltdowns. I needed to stop for £60 or so of fuel, and while at the services checked the tyres. All 30-32psi, except the front right at 18psi. Re-inflated, I re-joined the dual carriage-way, and this time at 60mph smoothness reigned. The wipers wiped, 2 of the 4 washer jets jetted, and the dash all looks good - bar the airbag light and the clock, the display of which was blank: - -|- - .
Even the aircon seemed to blow cold air – although the ambient was only 4 degrees. Coolant temperature looks low though – perhaps the thermostat has seized open. Another for the fix list.
After getting it safely home, I set about the interior plastics with a damp soapy cloth, and Hoovered mud and old lady dust out of the car. I also cleaned the glass inside and out and took another peek under the bonnet. In the daylight, the oil in the dipstick looked clean (on starting the dash indicates that an oil change will be needed in 8,000 miles - dunno when that suggests the last one was) and the coolant level was perfect. There was even a full tank of screen-wash – a very Bavarian 5.4 litres. However, in the corners of the bonnet and boot recesses where the hinges mount were several years accumulation of leaf mould (sycamore if I’m not mistaken) – a veritable pot plant’s worth. Getting it all out was a messy job, there was not room for my fat fingers so the wet mulch was extracted with various long thin implements. I’m amazed there was no corrosion at the bottom. Talking of which, whereas I remembered rust under every wheel arch lip, only the front nearside is poor, with a little additional scabiness at the back of the rear arches where a wet muddy poultice has been allowed to form. After a couple of hours of labour I called it a (bitterly cold, drizzly, gloomy) day.
The car started easily the next morning, and I set off to the Sunday job some 40 or so cross-country miles away. On give and take ‘A roads’, the stiff accelerator became more of an issue. A leisurely gathering of speed was easy to obtain at around 1/3 of travel, but push harder and the resistance grows until I shove through the obstruction and reached the stop, whereupon the gearbox is triggered into a pointless kick-down into 2nd or third gear. And of course, like all slush boxes, it’s programmed to pick the highest gear at all times. I did try the option of manually selecting gears, but the shift is counter-intuitive (forward = up) and the ‘box responds only slowly.
In fact, it had me re-thinking my choice of auto for the M140i. Imagine leaving a village limit, and heading downhill towards a corner where the road winds back up hill. As you accelerate past the NSL sign the ‘box shifts down a gear or two with a slight jerk and heads for the bend. You then ease off the gas in preparation for the corner, whereupon the car picks 5th once again. Turn in and squeeze the gas. Nothing happens, the car sluggish at 1500rpm in top. Squeeze harder and, too late, it shuffles down a gear. Now through the meat of the corner and heading uphill - fourth still not enough, so another shove produces another jerky downchange and a flare of revs – probably too much. With a ‘stick’, I’d leave the village in 4th, pick 3rd for the corner, and accelerate through the corner, chassis nicely loaded and in the fat of the torque curve for the hill; all smoothness and without physical or aural excitation. Someone tell me that more modern auto-boxes can read my mind…..
After a busy day at work I drove up to collect some bits from the family barn(3 tonne trolly jack, my big Kercher jetwash, 17mm 1/2" socket, torque wrench, breaker bar, 7 litres of BMW approved engine oil, paper towels, Waxoyl – you know, the usual) and to visit the old dear for a cup of tea.
The 60 mile drive home later was a lope along deserted roads, the surfaces cold but dry. By this stage I’d got stations on the radio pre-selects, a time on the clock, and sensible sounds from the speakers – although the dash now showed the temperature in Fahrenheit. By the time I arrived home the DIS was showing a touch under 30mpg and I was beginning to fall for the old thing.
This week, I've arranged for the local old-skool garage to change oil and filters, the local new skool garage to see if the car's computer can explain the warning light, and started searching ebay for a spare Type 44 alloy+decent tyre.
For how long will it go on?
SS7
PS My Australian mate sent me some pics:
Actually it could be not bad at all. After handing over the readies, and receiving the ‘history’ and V5 in return, I approached the car lurking under trees at the back of the driveway. It started readily enough – the sound of the starter reminiscent of the old 535i – and sat idling while I faffed around inside. Hey, what I thought was a steering wheel that adjusted for rake also adjust for reach! And this time I lowered the seat and bingo - a decent driving position! A bang on door handle (the lock’s a bit sticky) and the door thumped closed, and I drove off through busy Saturday afternoon traffic to the motorway.
Accelerating up the slip road passed 50mph and I noticed a bad vibration through the seats and steering wheel, increasing in severity with speed. It got worse past 60mph, so I cruised slowly homewards nursing dark thoughts about little old ladies, out of balance wheels and gearbox or propshaft meltdowns. I needed to stop for £60 or so of fuel, and while at the services checked the tyres. All 30-32psi, except the front right at 18psi. Re-inflated, I re-joined the dual carriage-way, and this time at 60mph smoothness reigned. The wipers wiped, 2 of the 4 washer jets jetted, and the dash all looks good - bar the airbag light and the clock, the display of which was blank: - -|- - .
Even the aircon seemed to blow cold air – although the ambient was only 4 degrees. Coolant temperature looks low though – perhaps the thermostat has seized open. Another for the fix list.
After getting it safely home, I set about the interior plastics with a damp soapy cloth, and Hoovered mud and old lady dust out of the car. I also cleaned the glass inside and out and took another peek under the bonnet. In the daylight, the oil in the dipstick looked clean (on starting the dash indicates that an oil change will be needed in 8,000 miles - dunno when that suggests the last one was) and the coolant level was perfect. There was even a full tank of screen-wash – a very Bavarian 5.4 litres. However, in the corners of the bonnet and boot recesses where the hinges mount were several years accumulation of leaf mould (sycamore if I’m not mistaken) – a veritable pot plant’s worth. Getting it all out was a messy job, there was not room for my fat fingers so the wet mulch was extracted with various long thin implements. I’m amazed there was no corrosion at the bottom. Talking of which, whereas I remembered rust under every wheel arch lip, only the front nearside is poor, with a little additional scabiness at the back of the rear arches where a wet muddy poultice has been allowed to form. After a couple of hours of labour I called it a (bitterly cold, drizzly, gloomy) day.
The car started easily the next morning, and I set off to the Sunday job some 40 or so cross-country miles away. On give and take ‘A roads’, the stiff accelerator became more of an issue. A leisurely gathering of speed was easy to obtain at around 1/3 of travel, but push harder and the resistance grows until I shove through the obstruction and reached the stop, whereupon the gearbox is triggered into a pointless kick-down into 2nd or third gear. And of course, like all slush boxes, it’s programmed to pick the highest gear at all times. I did try the option of manually selecting gears, but the shift is counter-intuitive (forward = up) and the ‘box responds only slowly.
In fact, it had me re-thinking my choice of auto for the M140i. Imagine leaving a village limit, and heading downhill towards a corner where the road winds back up hill. As you accelerate past the NSL sign the ‘box shifts down a gear or two with a slight jerk and heads for the bend. You then ease off the gas in preparation for the corner, whereupon the car picks 5th once again. Turn in and squeeze the gas. Nothing happens, the car sluggish at 1500rpm in top. Squeeze harder and, too late, it shuffles down a gear. Now through the meat of the corner and heading uphill - fourth still not enough, so another shove produces another jerky downchange and a flare of revs – probably too much. With a ‘stick’, I’d leave the village in 4th, pick 3rd for the corner, and accelerate through the corner, chassis nicely loaded and in the fat of the torque curve for the hill; all smoothness and without physical or aural excitation. Someone tell me that more modern auto-boxes can read my mind…..
After a busy day at work I drove up to collect some bits from the family barn(3 tonne trolly jack, my big Kercher jetwash, 17mm 1/2" socket, torque wrench, breaker bar, 7 litres of BMW approved engine oil, paper towels, Waxoyl – you know, the usual) and to visit the old dear for a cup of tea.
The 60 mile drive home later was a lope along deserted roads, the surfaces cold but dry. By this stage I’d got stations on the radio pre-selects, a time on the clock, and sensible sounds from the speakers – although the dash now showed the temperature in Fahrenheit. By the time I arrived home the DIS was showing a touch under 30mpg and I was beginning to fall for the old thing.
This week, I've arranged for the local old-skool garage to change oil and filters, the local new skool garage to see if the car's computer can explain the warning light, and started searching ebay for a spare Type 44 alloy+decent tyre.
For how long will it go on?
SS7
PS My Australian mate sent me some pics:
It will go on for a very long time. As long as it has new rear brake lines. Would you like a huge improvement in handling for a minimum outlay? Simply swop your 15mm rear anti roll bar for an 18mm one. Which conveniently I will shortly be selling after removing it from my 330d.
If you’d like the bar when I’ve removed it (for a small fee) drop me a pm. If you want more 328 tips have a look at my old thread from when I owned a 328, lots of helpful advice contained within.
If you’d like the bar when I’ve removed it (for a small fee) drop me a pm. If you want more 328 tips have a look at my old thread from when I owned a 328, lots of helpful advice contained within.
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