Long-termer 318d E91 N47

[DailyHack]

Bought as an ex lease/company vehicle from photographic company.

Was an auction buy so got it at a steal 1 year and half ago.

It's a 2012 E91 ES 318d (one of the last registered I believe before the F'series came along) don't know why it was badged a 320d...bit of a odd one.

Bought with 56,000 miles on, it's now on 98,000.

As soon as I got it it went straight in for an oil service and gearbox and diff oil change, being on BMW long life since new, that won't be happening in my ownership (every 8k for engine oil now, I know the achilles heal the N47 has for chains)

Then it was a hunter 4 wheel alignment. It was waaaay out almost crabbing, felt like such a different car when done - £80 well spent!

So other than that, its been business as usual, oil/filter...repeat. It's flexi pipe on exhaust blew a hole, so went under the knife for a new one, welded and put in place.

It's such a great workhorse, being the 318d it ain't going to set the world speed record but it's got a decent shove mid range and its perfect - swallows all my equipment easy, coming from ex-photographer also the top rear bumper lip it's little grazed due to unloading all the time.



Recently added some style 308 alloys, and had my winter tyres put on, I really like the look of these, why didn't they ever create a estate version ED, just need to lower it a little

Edited by DailyHack on Saturday 6th April 21:11

Edited by 757 on Saturday 31st December 08:43

[DailyHack]

Yeah toyed with that idea, see how I get on, it's not bothered me the power, it sits at 65 all day long with cruise, I'm never in a rush TBH

Does like to hustle along the a roads, just such a great poised car the E90's to drive.

Retrofitting of M sport Alacantra seats has made a huge improvement over the shallow SE seats, also added cruise aswell, so it's kind of a hybrid ES/SE/M-sport

Edited by DailyHack on Sunday 30th September 21:26

[DailyHack]

mattwhite709 said:

I had them seats in my e46 touring and they were easily the most comfortable seats I have ever sat on. I now have an f30 touring with black leather. It is a shame BMW do not make them for the f30.

Glad you agree, they are really comfortable, I can drive all day long and they are perfect, even compared to Saabs famous leather these are up there, I find myself stroking the passenger seat, as it's so smooth

Picked them up for £100 for fronts/rears and door cards - bargain or what! Seems alot of punters want leather these days.

Hardest bit was disconnecting the battery when I was fitting them, it ain't half buried in the back of the E91's

[DailyHack]

Mr Tidy said:

I've had an E91 325i SE for just over 6 months and am quite happy with the standard seats.

Did a 350+ mile round trip in one day a few weeks ago and they were fine.

And they'll be even better when it gets cold, as they're heated!

Full Lemon leather works for me.

Yeah, I put up with the SE seats for a little bit, but the M Sport ones are so much more huggy and supportive and I am a sucker for Alacantra.

I do 350miles a week, so spend alot if time in the dam thing so it made a huge difference

I am particial to that lemon leather though.

[DailyHack]

So, more than a year gone by now, so would be a good time to update you on my E91 318d over the last year.

It is now sitting on 125,560, so a healthy 27,000 in a year.

Really has been business as usual, oil still being changed every 7-8k all good, now buy bulk LL04 oil from Smith&Allan £49 for 20L.

Only things:

- Set of new wipers
- Boot glass replaced due to bird strike!! (Buzzard No.1) (insurance jobbby)
- Passenger wing mirror replaced (eBay) due to bird strike!! (Buzzard No.2)
- Aux drive belt replaced (squeaky/perished 102k)
- Rear pads (original ones! - 110k, they were very rusty)
- X2 driveshafts, not bad, but more preventive (Rusty ABS rings wouldn't budge) (111k)
- Front pads (2nd set - 120k)
- Gearbox/Diff oil refresh (2nd time - 104k)
- Still on the same winter tyres 4.5mm all round, have rotated them (tyres purchased ready when they do go, Riken it seems to be happy with, and I have had various brands over the years)

So will report back in another year with any updates if those are interested

But, still enjoying it as a daily hack/work hack, and is big enough for most things and remarkably very well behaved to run despite their internet histeria around the N47 units.

Edited by DailyHack on Saturday 14th December 11:20

[DailyHack]

De Sisti said:

Blimey. I bought my (2002/3) 320d Touring from my sister in August 2012, it had 93,393 on the clock.
It's now on 119,290.

Yeah its a busy car, never rests only when I need to rest.

Hoping to take it to a minimum of 200k in next 2 years or so. Doesn't owe me anything and actually pays for itself when used for business mileage

Interesting list of things you have had to fix, nothing out of the ordinary though. Still on existing clutch/DMF on mine, so need/have budgeted for this in the future if it ever comes.

Then again yours is a little older being a E46 I am guessing, not had much to do with these, compared to the E90's for longevity of parts.

Swirl flaps don't exist on the 318d's so that is something I don't have to worry about either.

[DailyHack]

Mr Tidy said:

Definitely interested to see how you get on.

Cool, will keep this up then - I document everything with my cars, find it rather satisfying in a weird way.

[DailyHack]

BFleming said:

Did you ever wire up the side bolsters?

Sorry, only just seen this, no side bolsters are still unwired, never felt the need to do these yet.

[DailyHack]

Update to this thread, the car has been moved on to my wife now, her mini first was getting abit leggy for a mini - the beamer is still racking up the miles though, currently on 129,000 miles now, I still drive it alot.

I am running a 2011 SAAB 9-3 as a work car/business use (see readers rides if Interested..)

But, the 3series is doing good, oil service is due soon @ 130k.

Seem to be having intermittent "Auto/Stop/Start" exclamation mark appearing on the dash, aswell as the radio being funny.

Having owned a 2008 118d with an AGM battery, I fear this is time to get it replaced for new and coded, so maybe next months job, being still on the original battery at 9 years old I feel it's done a good job tbh.

[DailyHack]

redandwhite said:

these recently caught my attention as good value (the chain issue) - they get decent MPG too i bet

Yep they are very good value for money, yes the chain is their "internet Achilles heal, if you Google it" but serviced correctly should be fine, I stopped worrying years ago about that.

Recent trip to Chamomix, I did 880 miles on one tank (Cheshire to Chamomix) so pretty good for a heavy"ish fully laden estate.

[DailyHack]

Mileage 131,000

Update on my E91, the auto stop start issue warning bong was sorted with a salvaged "Brake Vacuum Sensor" had it fitted whilst it was in for it's MOT, thought I would get it in before every other person wants it, passed flying colors of course.

Stop/start now works again, so that shows the sensor was buggered, not that I ever use stop/start it's a gimmick!

First impressions always point to the AGM batteries on these, not this time - battery still good after 8 years

[DailyHack]

135,000 miles

So a year has past, mileage has been stagnant due to CV19.

The E91 has been used as a loyal family wagon for our 3 month old, it's doing a great job....still much prefer driving my SAAB 9-3 though

But, MOT is next week and right on time the front windscreen wipers stop squirting from just being a dribble for the past few weeks to nothing, still hear the pump.

So, tried a sterile tablet (my usual trick)...didn't work, then a pin in the nozzles...didn't work.

So, it was time to get the infamous inline filter looked at, in the pump in the bloody wheel well!!!



Look at the gunk in this!!!!



I did fit a new pump aswell, but the new one didn't even work! Ah well was only £10. So refitted the old original one and it was fine, cleaned up the filter and works a treat.

Hardest bit was fitting it back together, pretty cool windscreen bottle design I have to admit.

[DailyHack]

g3org3y said:

What kind of screenwash have you been using?

All sorts over the years

[757]

140,000 miles

Thought would do a quick update on the family bus. Now the V60 has gone, we are down to a one car family, so this is being shared about like rag doll now, taking it in its stride. I am on the look out for a shed car soon, so will get a thread going once I know what I am doing.

Anyway, oil service and filter once again. Gets done every 7/8,000 miles on this N47 engined beast, running superbly as usual, washer jets havent blocked up again (wont be looking forward to that job anytime soon again).



My mechanic mate had a look around while she was up in the air, utterly solid as you can imagine these E91's....but ah, the rear was sagging ever so slightly and yep as diagnosed, absolutely knackered rear shocks, so bad the oil is everywhere - so its booked in next week (earliest availability) to get these done - so off to ECP for the discount code sale

Hmmm, also when the misses said she got stuck in a car park a few weeks back.... apparently she didn't hit anything?..not too sure...#shedlife

[757]

redandwhite said:

Nice thread, i have recently bought one myself (thread on here) and compared to the XC70 it replaces, it drives excellent, parts are reasonable and they are DIY friendly (i had the same blocked pump filter issue as you did).

Cheers, yeah they are pretty good buses these E90's if looked after mechanically, heading into bangernomics territory now tbh, mine won't be going for along time yet.

Mine doesn't even have a single creak or squeak in all its miles, quite remarkable.

They do drive very well, and can really hustle - if abit souless at times.

[757]

Court_S said:

Sounds like it’s largely treating you well.

Yeah its a good bus for us, not massive and has been tested a little with 1 year old. But it keeps on trooping, I have an aero roofbox that gets deployed for longer stints away, so works well.

Cant imagine what to replace it with, as it drives so well and is relatively cheap to run being the 318d variant - better the devil you know and all that.

Just need to find myself a 'shed/banger' run about to run alongside it soon - as trying to share a car is becoming quite tiresome.

[757]

So rear dampers arrived, was thinking of doing this myself but decided against, mainly because I'm lazy, but I have began to strip ALL the amount trim and paneling in the boot.

Just so the mechanic can go straight in and fit the shocks, so should save me at least hours labour of his time fitting then refitted the stuff in the boot

Here are the shocks as present, NSR is the offender, but it's at 140,000 miles and I know these are the original dampers from factory, so way over due a pair I think.

[757]

helix402 said:

I hope you have new bump stops and upper and lower mounts too, they will all be expired!

Yeah got dust kit to go on that includes bump stops, just hope they get here in time before next week, otherwise it's using the old ones again

Edited by 757 on Friday 12th November 14:38

[757]

redandwhite said:

fit them yourself, you have already done half of the job

Ha yeah think I will....like your say half way there.



Done for the evening, soaked the bolts underneath overnight, as they will be tight when I get to them!

Can get to the top mounts now easily enough, probably lost some screws somewhere in all this trim, not really to fussed

[757]

Done! Car feels alot better, funny how you grow into how a car feels, trim all back in and remembered what screws go where

Anyway, bike on roof off for a ride.