Older 330d any good?

[Mark300zx]

Considering an early one year 2000, are they any good chipped and are there any buying guides around?

[Gallen (BPH)]

I have a 530D Sport Auto... Great car, and powerful as standard.

The 530 & 330D (as do the 320D 4 cyl) Autos have problems with swirl flaps. Do a search. I've removed mine and no probs.

[roofer]

They like a turbo as well...and injectors.

[Mark300zx]

Swirl Flaps sounds sexual!!!!

[BMW-SPORT]

Swirl flaps are butterflies in the ports of the intake manifold, they create turbulence in the chamber to aid combustion, they can disintegrate and end up getting sucked into the chamber with disastrous results. I took my manifold off and cleaned the flaps with oven cleaner, it takes carbonised deposits right off.

The other thing to watch out for is the crankcase breather filter.

[Liam79]

You will get no problems with these as long as they have been serviced regualar and looked after. Mine has had no problems at all and once i had it re-mapped it makes a huge difference. Sets the engine up as it should be in my opinion. Mine is for sale atm, looking to get an M3.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/776430.htm

[BMW-SPORT]

How do you get 40mpg?
I only get about 29 from my 530d and its not that much heavier.

Damn my auto box!

[mpm1987]

BMW-SPORT said:

How do you get 40mpg?
I only get about 29 from my 530d and its not that much heavier.

Damn my auto box!

I've seen 36mpg on a motorway run,
currently averaging 29mpg too, thats in a 330d sport

[ipwn]

330d mpg

Watching mpg counter - 55
General motorway driving in lane 2/3 90mh - 40
Pacing around - 36
Hammering like there is no tommorow - 32

53 plate 330d m sport stock auto.

Edited by ipwn on Friday 12th December 20:09

[roofer]

BMW-SPORT said:

Swirl flaps are butterflies in the ports of the intake manifold, they create turbulence in the chamber to aid combustion, they can disintegrate and end up getting sucked into the chamber with disastrous results. I took my manifold off and cleaned the flaps with oven cleaner, it takes carbonised deposits right off.

The other thing to watch out for is the crankcase breather filter.

I thought it was the spindles the flaps rotate on that gave up the ghost? The later manifold has bigger pins for this reason.

[Mark300zx]

Thanks guys,

I want one to bomb around london in, the 0-60 stats and mpg figures interest me, but the constant gear changes probably don't, any advice?

[Doctor Bone]

Get a 330i sport petrol. Pretty much get 35mpg combined, can get 40mpg on a sensible run and 0-60 is consistently 6.5s or so. Cheaper to run overall if you don't do the miles. Sound awesome! Can pick them up for peanuts at the moment.

[ipwn]

Doctor Bone said:

Get a 330i sport petrol. Pretty much get 35mpg combined, can get 40mpg on a sensible run and 0-60 is consistently 6.5s or so. Cheaper to run overall if you don't do the miles. Sound awesome! Can pick them up for peanuts at the moment.

Would like to add that the chances of you getting a higher spec/ newer one is higher too.

[Goughie]

I've got a 2000 330d with 173K on the clock. Just changed engine mounts a few months ago but apart from that no real issues to get hot under the collar about. Only thing I've found in mine is the mpg faling off a cliff from high 30's to high 20's/low 30's (and yes it's regularly serviced by a stealer). AFAIK the swirl flaps are more of an issue on the 4-cyl 320d or the facelift 330d's. Solid car imho.