320d Touring (E46) 2001, 150BHP - Buying Tips
Discussion
Wonder if anyone can provide some insight...
Consider buying a <70,000 mile 320d SE Touring and other than all the usual stuff to be aware of on any used car of this age are there any specific issues I should be aware of and how do I spot them. I hear of turbo failure which I would guess would be obvious to detect but could happen at any time post purchase as well :-(
Any other specific faults to look out for ?
Cheers
Consider buying a <70,000 mile 320d SE Touring and other than all the usual stuff to be aware of on any used car of this age are there any specific issues I should be aware of and how do I spot them. I hear of turbo failure which I would guess would be obvious to detect but could happen at any time post purchase as well :-(
Any other specific faults to look out for ?
Cheers
Yes, they're a potential disaster area.
The main problem is the engine grenading when one of the four steel inlet manifold swirl flaps works loose and goes into the combustion chamber - that's a new engine. You can buy a set of alloy blanks to replace the nasty flaps for about £100 and it's quite simple DIY.
Also you must replace the engine crankcase breather assembly on top of the cam cover. About 40 quid snd 30 mins work. Do this every 30k and you might get away without the turbo going pop.
Even better, avoid. Buy a nice low mileage 136 bhp model instead.
The main problem is the engine grenading when one of the four steel inlet manifold swirl flaps works loose and goes into the combustion chamber - that's a new engine. You can buy a set of alloy blanks to replace the nasty flaps for about £100 and it's quite simple DIY.
Also you must replace the engine crankcase breather assembly on top of the cam cover. About 40 quid snd 30 mins work. Do this every 30k and you might get away without the turbo going pop.
Even better, avoid. Buy a nice low mileage 136 bhp model instead.
As said above you'd be best off replacing the crankcase breather and also de-flapping so to speak. You won't need £140 to do it all though.
Some people make the mistake of buying the whole plastic housing when replacing the breather, this does cost £40. You can however buy the new vortex filter on it's own (for about £20) and it just slots into place of the old loo roll filter within the housing. You also get new rubber seals for the housing too so it's a no brainer.
It's also possible to de-flap for a lot less than £100. Doing mine cost me less than £5, 6 M5 bolts, or 4 in this case, and a good quality sealing thread lock. Simply take each flap out of it's housing and replace with an M5 bolt covered in thread lock. Some people prefer the aluminium blanks just for peace of mind but of all the people I know who did it the same way I did, none have had any problems.
Some people make the mistake of buying the whole plastic housing when replacing the breather, this does cost £40. You can however buy the new vortex filter on it's own (for about £20) and it just slots into place of the old loo roll filter within the housing. You also get new rubber seals for the housing too so it's a no brainer.
It's also possible to de-flap for a lot less than £100. Doing mine cost me less than £5, 6 M5 bolts, or 4 in this case, and a good quality sealing thread lock. Simply take each flap out of it's housing and replace with an M5 bolt covered in thread lock. Some people prefer the aluminium blanks just for peace of mind but of all the people I know who did it the same way I did, none have had any problems.
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