E36 bmw 323i common issues?
Discussion
Hoping to pick one of these up sometime soon but first i would like to find out some more about them im having trouble finding stuff on the internet so i thought id try here. so far i have ( from my dad ).
Rear arch rust, Headgasket failure due to water pump and headlining sagging. Also would like to know if bmws are really bad in winter as i have heard a lot of horror stories.
Thanks
Rear arch rust, Headgasket failure due to water pump and headlining sagging. Also would like to know if bmws are really bad in winter as i have heard a lot of horror stories.
Thanks
I've had 3 E36's all 6 cylinder models none of which were a 323i, but I had very few problems with any of them. I racked up a combined 65K in all three and the worst to happen was the ECU blew on my last one due to a water leak in the housing. Another issue is Nikasil. Some engines had Nikasil bores which caused problems later in their lives. However there are still many people running them without any issue now so it is a little exaggerated.
As for winter driving, they are fine and quite predictable. I drove mine in the snow many times and although the back likes to break free if you allow it to, it was easy enough to control.
As for winter driving, they are fine and quite predictable. I drove mine in the snow many times and although the back likes to break free if you allow it to, it was easy enough to control.
Well headgasket in them is a bad thing, engines can warp very easily if its an alloy block (M52 engine), other than that easy to work on, parts arent that dear and plenty of specialists about.
I have that engine in my car and I have had a few problems lately but thats because its coming up to 200k miles and it didnt get that well looked after me before that but still smooth and producing good power and good mpg.
In the winter I was driving past stuck 4x4s in the ice and snow in Dublin. A lot of it is down to the driver and tyre choice.
Of course with the same winter tyres a 4x4 wont get stuck as easy as a big old rear wheel drive saloon.
I have that engine in my car and I have had a few problems lately but thats because its coming up to 200k miles and it didnt get that well looked after me before that but still smooth and producing good power and good mpg.
In the winter I was driving past stuck 4x4s in the ice and snow in Dublin. A lot of it is down to the driver and tyre choice.
Of course with the same winter tyres a 4x4 wont get stuck as easy as a big old rear wheel drive saloon.
Can't comment so much on reliability as my 328 coupe was quite new, but it took some abuse for a couple of years with no issues.It was, however, THE worst car I have ever used in the snow, but that was purely down to 18" wheels and rubber band tyres.I'm guessing that's why a lot of people moan about them as a lowered RWD car with wheels like this... / \ is never going to be great on the slippy stuff.
As much as I liked the look, when I sold it, I kept the 18 inch wheels and put the originals back on and when I had my last drive, it reminded me just how good it was and how much better it felt to chuck about.
As much as I liked the look, when I sold it, I kept the 18 inch wheels and put the originals back on and when I had my last drive, it reminded me just how good it was and how much better it felt to chuck about.
I have great memories of that car.We shared a magical moonlit AM trip from Wales back to Kent on extremely clear roads.It didn't take long 
I would just look at general condition if buying one now.Some will be dogs, some will be too expensive, some will be just right.Just look for history, wear and tear etc etc.All the usual stuff really.I would try to avoid modified ones and dozens of owner models if I could.A lot will depend on your budget really.
I would just look at general condition if buying one now.Some will be dogs, some will be too expensive, some will be just right.Just look for history, wear and tear etc etc.All the usual stuff really.I would try to avoid modified ones and dozens of owner models if I could.A lot will depend on your budget really.
I have a '99 E36 323i Coupe which you can have in 6 weeks! It's had only one previous owner to me buying it a few weeks ago and a full BMW Service History. It's done 180,000 miles but it drives amazingly well. It's a standard car in black.
I've bought to drive to use on a charity event in Europe. The car will be fully serviced by a BMW Dealer and will be thoroughly checked over. If you want an unmolested, one owner car, this is the one! Let me know if it's of any interest
I've bought to drive to use on a charity event in Europe. The car will be fully serviced by a BMW Dealer and will be thoroughly checked over. If you want an unmolested, one owner car, this is the one! Let me know if it's of any interest
The E36 has quite a few common problems.
Nikasil. The 6 cylinder cars from the facelift (1995) up to about March 1998 had a Nikasil lined engine block. This had problems right from start with the nikasil wearing off and resulting in a lack of compression and a dead engine. Many engines were replaced under warranty but quite a few weren't so there are still quite a few around. Now you can can take one of two views on this; One is that if the car is still running ok now it's not likely to fail so a Nikasil engine will more than likely be fine. The second is that it is always going to be a potential failure point so search out a late S/T plate car or one that had the block replaced by BMW under warranty. I've been on the BMW forums for quite a few years now and i'd suggest avoiding a Nikasil engined car unless it is cheap enough for you to be able to afford to simply lose the money if the engine goes t*ts up. IMHO the problem was not exaggerated at all and a significant proportion of cars had problems. Things to look out for are an uneven idle, oil consumpsion and a lack of power. Test drive a few cars to get an idea of how they should feel and if you have any doubts walk away. There is a way to check if the car has had the engine replaced so if you want to know then just shout.
Suspension. Front ball joints are a common MOT failure, rear suspension are bushes wear out and cause the back end to feel loose, rear springs snap. The car should feel tight, have no nasty bangs or knocks and should feel confidence inspiring when cornering. If it doesn't then it will have suspension wear. If it's simple just needing a new set of rear buches that isn't too bad but it it's just tired in general then you could spend over £1k getting it sorted. If the back end of the car feels wayward and like it has a mind of it's own in corners then the rear bushes are f**ked.
Tramlining and wheel alignment. When replacing suspension components it's wise to get the wheel alignment checked. All 4 wheels need doing and to get it done properly can cost up to £100 so many people don't bother. This can result in tramlining (where the car tries to follow the camber of the road excessively). If you are constantly having to adjust the wheel to keep the car in a straight line then the alignment needs checking. This can also be cause by worn out suspension.
Water pump impeller. The original was made of plastic and has been know to fall apart. This causes the car to over heat and will result in the alloy head and or block warping. head gasket failure can cause the same thing and essentially means the engine is junk. Any car with any signs of head gasket trouble (mayo under the oil cap, dirtly coolant that smells of oil/petrol) avoid like the plague. Also be careful buying a car that has had it's head gasket done.
Front windows. The coupe can have problems with the front windows that drop a little when the door is opened to disengage the glass from the rubber seal. When the door is closed the windown should go up 5mm or so. If it doesn't this needs looking at.
Rear light clusters. Problems with these are common and can result in dodgy errors on the computer is the car has one fitted.
Rust. These cars are all 12 years old or more now and they do rust. Wheel arches are the worst spot but it can appear everywhere.
Nikasil. The 6 cylinder cars from the facelift (1995) up to about March 1998 had a Nikasil lined engine block. This had problems right from start with the nikasil wearing off and resulting in a lack of compression and a dead engine. Many engines were replaced under warranty but quite a few weren't so there are still quite a few around. Now you can can take one of two views on this; One is that if the car is still running ok now it's not likely to fail so a Nikasil engine will more than likely be fine. The second is that it is always going to be a potential failure point so search out a late S/T plate car or one that had the block replaced by BMW under warranty. I've been on the BMW forums for quite a few years now and i'd suggest avoiding a Nikasil engined car unless it is cheap enough for you to be able to afford to simply lose the money if the engine goes t*ts up. IMHO the problem was not exaggerated at all and a significant proportion of cars had problems. Things to look out for are an uneven idle, oil consumpsion and a lack of power. Test drive a few cars to get an idea of how they should feel and if you have any doubts walk away. There is a way to check if the car has had the engine replaced so if you want to know then just shout.
Suspension. Front ball joints are a common MOT failure, rear suspension are bushes wear out and cause the back end to feel loose, rear springs snap. The car should feel tight, have no nasty bangs or knocks and should feel confidence inspiring when cornering. If it doesn't then it will have suspension wear. If it's simple just needing a new set of rear buches that isn't too bad but it it's just tired in general then you could spend over £1k getting it sorted. If the back end of the car feels wayward and like it has a mind of it's own in corners then the rear bushes are f**ked.
Tramlining and wheel alignment. When replacing suspension components it's wise to get the wheel alignment checked. All 4 wheels need doing and to get it done properly can cost up to £100 so many people don't bother. This can result in tramlining (where the car tries to follow the camber of the road excessively). If you are constantly having to adjust the wheel to keep the car in a straight line then the alignment needs checking. This can also be cause by worn out suspension.
Water pump impeller. The original was made of plastic and has been know to fall apart. This causes the car to over heat and will result in the alloy head and or block warping. head gasket failure can cause the same thing and essentially means the engine is junk. Any car with any signs of head gasket trouble (mayo under the oil cap, dirtly coolant that smells of oil/petrol) avoid like the plague. Also be careful buying a car that has had it's head gasket done.
Front windows. The coupe can have problems with the front windows that drop a little when the door is opened to disengage the glass from the rubber seal. When the door is closed the windown should go up 5mm or so. If it doesn't this needs looking at.
Rear light clusters. Problems with these are common and can result in dodgy errors on the computer is the car has one fitted.
Rust. These cars are all 12 years old or more now and they do rust. Wheel arches are the worst spot but it can appear everywhere.
Oddly, they don't display engine error codes anywhere. Not sure if this is normal but if, for example, the car you were looking at had a dodgy crank sensor or lambda sensor, even if the computer had recorded an error you would have no indication of it. It will even still display 'check clear' on the computer. Other ODBC cars tend to give an engine management light if there is a recorded error.
My point is might be worth taking an engine code reader (standard ODBC 2) with you, otherwise it could have all sorts of issues you wouldn't be aware of.
Faulty climate control isn't usually a problem, you can get the computers from flea-bay or a bit of soldering will usually have it fixed.
ETA mine is on 15inch wheels and was fine (and great fun) in the snow 2 winters ago. One day I was one of only 2 people who made it in.
My point is might be worth taking an engine code reader (standard ODBC 2) with you, otherwise it could have all sorts of issues you wouldn't be aware of.
Faulty climate control isn't usually a problem, you can get the computers from flea-bay or a bit of soldering will usually have it fixed.
ETA mine is on 15inch wheels and was fine (and great fun) in the snow 2 winters ago. One day I was one of only 2 people who made it in.
Edited by varsas on Tuesday 16th August 13:35
I have owned several E36s, mostly six cylinder models..and have never had any issues. A couple of years ago I had a 140000 miler W(2000) Reg 328 Convertible and it was in standars spec with one previous owner and 17 main dealer stamps. It drove like a new car. These cars although the youngest are now 11 years old drive and feel just like a modern new car if they have been looked after reasonably well. I always say that a good one is 90 percent of the experience of a new BMW with 10 percent of the cost.
Look for the usual things. Such as full stamped history(BMW dealer/specialist), low total owners, who you are buying it off and where they live, standard factory spec, original dealer plates/tax disc, full sets of keys inc master, original service pack, toolkit & torch, first aid kit & warning triangle in place, old MOTs kept (no advisories), old tax discs, every receipt kept,
The rust on the rear wheel arches and the older nikasil engines are the main generic things to look for regardless of general mechanical condition
also check with BMW on their info line before you buy the car
I am selling my 99 323i Convertible Mtec at the moment. It is a lovely car, and I would keep it but I want to buy a car I used to own with sentimental value that has become available.
Really great modern BMWs that seem (from my experience) to suffer from a lot fewer faults than more recent Beemers!..
Look for the usual things. Such as full stamped history(BMW dealer/specialist), low total owners, who you are buying it off and where they live, standard factory spec, original dealer plates/tax disc, full sets of keys inc master, original service pack, toolkit & torch, first aid kit & warning triangle in place, old MOTs kept (no advisories), old tax discs, every receipt kept,
The rust on the rear wheel arches and the older nikasil engines are the main generic things to look for regardless of general mechanical condition
also check with BMW on their info line before you buy the car
I am selling my 99 323i Convertible Mtec at the moment. It is a lovely car, and I would keep it but I want to buy a car I used to own with sentimental value that has become available.
Really great modern BMWs that seem (from my experience) to suffer from a lot fewer faults than more recent Beemers!..
I've done 22k in mine and have had to replace
Water Pump
Radiator
Rear Springs/Shocks/Mounts
4 Tyres
And that's about it. It has never let me down and has always been a joy to drive. Plus there is nothing better waking up on a drizzly grey Monday morning to be greeted by that six-cylinder symphony. They really do sound brilliant, remarkably frugal too. I'm currently commuting 80 miles a day in my 328i and it's getting around 35MPG .
It's going to need some money spending next month for its MOT (front control arms and new brake pipes), however I'm going to keep running it, as its pretty much all I want in a car. I'd probably keep it over an E46/E90 as well.
Water Pump
Radiator
Rear Springs/Shocks/Mounts
4 Tyres
And that's about it. It has never let me down and has always been a joy to drive. Plus there is nothing better waking up on a drizzly grey Monday morning to be greeted by that six-cylinder symphony. They really do sound brilliant, remarkably frugal too. I'm currently commuting 80 miles a day in my 328i and it's getting around 35MPG .
It's going to need some money spending next month for its MOT (front control arms and new brake pipes), however I'm going to keep running it, as its pretty much all I want in a car. I'd probably keep it over an E46/E90 as well.
g3org3y said:
This.
The '28 is deceptively quick. Feels like a lazy engine (esp when compared to the earlier M5025) but look down at the speedo and you'll be surprised.
I agree. I had an E36 328 a few years back and on one occasion I provided the driver of a Cooper S with a lesson in accelleration. The '28 is deceptively quick. Feels like a lazy engine (esp when compared to the earlier M5025) but look down at the speedo and you'll be surprised.
Devil2575 said:
g3org3y said:
This.
The '28 is deceptively quick. Feels like a lazy engine (esp when compared to the earlier M5025) but look down at the speedo and you'll be surprised.
I agree. I had an E36 328 a few years back and on one occasion I provided the driver of a Cooper S with a lesson in accelleration. The '28 is deceptively quick. Feels like a lazy engine (esp when compared to the earlier M5025) but look down at the speedo and you'll be surprised.
328 at Castle Coombe
I hope the owner of that race-prepped Clio isn't planning on taking on 6cyl BMW's any time soon...
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