E46 M3 Buying advice
Discussion
Hi All
Have looked at very tidy m3 today.All seems straight body/underbonnet and drives great. But I'm a bit concerned by the service history.
First service at 4300 miles,should this not be done by 1250 miles and if not what damage is done.Car has had new clutch and flywheel at 36000 is the normal or has the car been abused.Does anyone know of BMW Malton, Northwest/Manchester area or have they changed their name.What should 01/y plate 45000 miles without sat nav or 19"wheels be worth.
Many Thanks
F12
Have looked at very tidy m3 today.All seems straight body/underbonnet and drives great. But I'm a bit concerned by the service history.
First service at 4300 miles,should this not be done by 1250 miles and if not what damage is done.Car has had new clutch and flywheel at 36000 is the normal or has the car been abused.Does anyone know of BMW Malton, Northwest/Manchester area or have they changed their name.What should 01/y plate 45000 miles without sat nav or 19"wheels be worth.
Many Thanks
F12
If the car did not have its first service done as perscribed it could impact on any warranty claims or make it difficult to sell on at a later date. May not be an issue on either count on this car but if it were me I would walk away. There are loads of M3's out there right now, for peace of mind I would try and one with a more solid service history, including that first service.
I would estimate such a car to be in the early to mid teens, but I am not expert on resale, and I would want to ensure it has had all of the recalls carried out or else you might be heading for a very expensive bills.
www.bm3w.co.uk and do a search on the forums for buying advice etc.
I would estimate such a car to be in the early to mid teens, but I am not expert on resale, and I would want to ensure it has had all of the recalls carried out or else you might be heading for a very expensive bills.
www.bm3w.co.uk and do a search on the forums for buying advice etc.
Deutscher said:
Do not buy an M3 without that critical first service unless you are prepared to take a big risk.
As above. The M3 is supplied from the factory with a thinner engine oil to allow the components to bed in, that's why it's vital that the running in service is done on time, 1750 miles is the upper limit.If this service isn't done on time then it can invalidate any warranty claims on the engine, and the car can't be subseqently sold as an approved used car through the dealer network, so has a big impact on the car's value.
It seems to be a buyers market for M3s at the moment, there are loads of them in the classifieds, and in the dealer network, so there's no need to compromise on one with an incomplete service history.
A couple of things..
The oil used from the factory is, I am told by BMW, normal TWS Motorport oil and not a thin 'running in' oil as used on cars in the past. Having said this, it still needs changing as perscribed.
The limit of 1,750 is not set in stone either, and there are many cars that were serviced on or around 2,000 miles that still have a valid BMW Warranty. This is due to the fact that sometimes the first service checks were missed by BMW Dealers, who found out they had cars in their second hand stocks that had not had the first service as required!
I know of people who have had M3's with first services done in the 2000's and who have a letter from BMW confirming the validity of their warranty. Having said all of this, I would not touch a car that was not serviced within its limits as this shows more about the owner than anything else. If they can't have a normal service carried out, they probably can't be arsed to let it warm up in the correct manner, or check the oil....
Plenty of nice motors out there, avoid the ones with a dubious history is my advice.
The oil used from the factory is, I am told by BMW, normal TWS Motorport oil and not a thin 'running in' oil as used on cars in the past. Having said this, it still needs changing as perscribed.
The limit of 1,750 is not set in stone either, and there are many cars that were serviced on or around 2,000 miles that still have a valid BMW Warranty. This is due to the fact that sometimes the first service checks were missed by BMW Dealers, who found out they had cars in their second hand stocks that had not had the first service as required!
I know of people who have had M3's with first services done in the 2000's and who have a letter from BMW confirming the validity of their warranty. Having said all of this, I would not touch a car that was not serviced within its limits as this shows more about the owner than anything else. If they can't have a normal service carried out, they probably can't be arsed to let it warm up in the correct manner, or check the oil....
Plenty of nice motors out there, avoid the ones with a dubious history is my advice.
Edited by housemaster on Monday 11th June 12:17
Hiya- I've had similar work done on mine which may explain the clutch & flywheel replacement. Basically the E46 M3 drivetrain was designed with some slack so that when the components heat up and expand (when used properly) it all gels nicely and doesn't create too much friction. However, I complained to the Garage that there was too much driveline shunt when engaging the clutch and also when letting the clutch out fairly swiftly- so the answer was a replacement clutch and flywheel under warranty and this sounds like their standard fix. By the way, this was a used example too from a main dealer and the car had around 46k miles on it at the time of replacement.
On the pricing, I would say something like that age and spec would be something like 15,500-16,000 private, 17000-17,500 in an independent and possibly 18-18,500 from a main dealer? Mileage is good, but it doesn't have massive spec.
Hope that helps.
J
Hi All
Have looked at very tidy m3 today.All seems straight body/underbonnet and drives great. But I'm a bit concerned by the service history.
First service at 4300 miles,should this not be done by 1250 miles and if not what damage is done.Car has had new clutch and flywheel at 36000 is the normal or has the car been abused.Does anyone know of BMW Malton, Northwest/Manchester area or have they changed their name.What should 01/y plate 45000 miles without sat nav or 19"wheels be worth.
Many Thanks
F12
On the pricing, I would say something like that age and spec would be something like 15,500-16,000 private, 17000-17,500 in an independent and possibly 18-18,500 from a main dealer? Mileage is good, but it doesn't have massive spec.
Hope that helps.
J
Hi All
Have looked at very tidy m3 today.All seems straight body/underbonnet and drives great. But I'm a bit concerned by the service history.
First service at 4300 miles,should this not be done by 1250 miles and if not what damage is done.Car has had new clutch and flywheel at 36000 is the normal or has the car been abused.Does anyone know of BMW Malton, Northwest/Manchester area or have they changed their name.What should 01/y plate 45000 miles without sat nav or 19"wheels be worth.
Many Thanks
F12
[/quote]The M3 is supplied from the factory with a thinner engine oil to allow the components to bed in, that's why it's vital that the running in service is done on time, 1750 miles is the upper limit.
If this service isn't done on time then it can invalidate any warranty claims on the engine, and the car can't be subseqently sold as an approved used car through the dealer network, so has a big impact on the car's value.
I enquired about a Z4M today and the dealer admitted to me that it went 2,200 before this happened but they would offer in writing a guarantee that they'd cover any problems associated as a result, why is this on the AUC list then?
Deutscher said:
paoloh said:
Don't buy an M3 without comms pack in my opinion. REsale will be very difficult!!
As the cars get older, condition and mileage becomes much more important than the toys.taffyracer said:
If this service isn't done on time then it can invalidate any warranty claims on the engine, and the car can't be subseqently sold as an approved used car through the dealer network, so has a big impact on the car's value.
I enquired about a Z4M today and the dealer admitted to me that it went 2,200 before this happened but they would offer in writing a guarantee that they'd cover any problems associated as a result, why is this on the AUC list then?
The AUC warranty is administered by BMW UK, and repair costs are covered by them. If the dealer is saying they will cover any repairs to the engine, then they will be doing this because BMW won't, although I don't know where this will leave you if the dealer goes out of business or loses the franchise.
When I bought my car, from a BMW dealer, it was them who told me that M cars of this era, mine's a 2001, came from the factory with a thinner running in oil, and that is why there's such a song and dance made over it being changed on time. Maybe the newer cars are different, I don't know.
NEVER rely on a ANY car dealer to give you any, some or all of the facts would be my advice, do the research where you can, it has save me £1000's over the years. Most of them in my experience will tell you what they want you to hear at any given time, and this may vary depending on who you ask or when you ask them, or more importantly if it will influence your willingness to spend money...
Still, there is no excuse not to have the first service done as it is FOC.
Still, there is no excuse not to have the first service done as it is FOC.
paoloh said:
Deutscher said:
paoloh said:
Don't buy an M3 without comms pack in my opinion. REsale will be very difficult!!
As the cars get older, condition and mileage becomes much more important than the toys.Metallic paint was standard on M3s. The original buyer would have had to deliberately choose a non-metallic colour and there are very few of these about.
Deutscher said:
paoloh said:
Deutscher said:
paoloh said:
Don't buy an M3 without comms pack in my opinion. REsale will be very difficult!!
As the cars get older, condition and mileage becomes much more important than the toys.Metallic paint was standard on M3s. The original buyer would have had to deliberately choose a non-metallic colour and there are very few of these about.
The current M3 has been out since 2001 and the guide does differentiate between ones with comms and met paint and those without!
As i'm currently looking for an M3 - how common are the comms pack, and what exactly does it give you...is this the bluetooth ready bit of an advert.
Satnav seems to add about 2k on the price of otherwise similar cars...does this sound right, and if you have sat nav, does it automatically come with TV?
Sorry to ask so many questions, but not followed these from new, so not sure what the options were...
Satnav seems to add about 2k on the price of otherwise similar cars...does this sound right, and if you have sat nav, does it automatically come with TV?
Sorry to ask so many questions, but not followed these from new, so not sure what the options were...
Let me try and help people here...
The Sat Nav system was, as I recall, £2,200 on a new car. I bought 2 brand new M3's and never specc'd the option on either, both of which I traded in when I bought my next car, with NO problem!
If your car, or the car you are looking to purchase does not have Sat Nav you will sell it or buy it cheaper than a car with it, somewhere between £1000 and £2000, depending how and who you are buying from.
So, if you REALLY want Sat Nav then buy a car with it, if you don't, the don't. When you come to sell the car it will be very slightly easier to sell the car with Sat Nav, as more options are always good on an older car, but in my EXPERIENCE you will always find someone who is happy to take the car without.
What the guides say is one thing, but it comes down to the deal at the time and the guides are just that.........a guide!
The Sat Nav system was, as I recall, £2,200 on a new car. I bought 2 brand new M3's and never specc'd the option on either, both of which I traded in when I bought my next car, with NO problem!
If your car, or the car you are looking to purchase does not have Sat Nav you will sell it or buy it cheaper than a car with it, somewhere between £1000 and £2000, depending how and who you are buying from.
So, if you REALLY want Sat Nav then buy a car with it, if you don't, the don't. When you come to sell the car it will be very slightly easier to sell the car with Sat Nav, as more options are always good on an older car, but in my EXPERIENCE you will always find someone who is happy to take the car without.
What the guides say is one thing, but it comes down to the deal at the time and the guides are just that.........a guide!
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