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I have heard that the cooling system can give trouble if not looked after, but what else can go wrong with them. I'm planning on selling my e46 once it has a fresh nct and I was planning on getting a 520i. So any help and info would be great.
Thanks
Johny.
If they've boiled, then the M52 and M54 is likely to be no better than a large paperweight. If not, then a little extra care to ensure that the rad, water pump and thermostat is a good precaution. What year is the car? Is it 2.0 or 2.2?
Any ones that iv seen and liked are 2.2
Piston ring wear with excessive oil consumption is common on the 2.2 is well for the tiny tax increase I'd go 2.5 !
They have weak points for rust; rear arches, boot lid around the lock and a few other places.
Vapour seals is another slightly weak point - they prevent water getting into the car....so check the carpets in all the foot wells, if they are wet, the door card has to come off and the plastic seal, needs to be re-fixed; DIY job with Tech7 or similar.
Suspension will be well on at this stage too.
If possible, try buy off an enthusiast; these cars are at the age and price that they've passed through a fair few hands, or the wrong hands, so its best to buy one with a service history / known to be well looked after.
Buy one off a well established member from here. Or buy one cheap as chips and spend two grand plus replacing the whole cooling system. Pipes themo rad pump (upgrade to a STEEL turbine water pump, not bmw original plastic turbine) ,all the sensor, ( bmw or oem) and the maf ( semeins vdo ) and seals !!! Every fcuking seal ( BMW seals, except the vanos seals. Stay away from BMW vanos seals)... And that's just the engine. All suspension oem equipment. ( lemforder, ) dont waste your time on "first line,Febi" crap. ... Once the car is over 80 thousands miles ALL THESE PARTS WILL START TO FAIL. ... guarantee IT. .... rant over
+1 on the above e39 can chew through the cash but don't let it put you off they can also be incredibly reliable nothing to add Dave has it pretty much covered don't worry about rusty lids it's a design flaw and effects them all sooner or later
I think a group buy on bare bootlids is in order somewhere down the line
Myself wouldnt get anything less than a 2.5 but I know nothing about your budget.
Service History is most important .
Cooling system contains many parts made of plastic which after 10 + years of service go brittle and are prone to failure. Expensive
Auto gearboxes can give trouble as oil is never changed. Expensive
Suspension components front and rear again at this stage 10 + years will be showing there age. Parts are expensive.
Interior dash buttons are delicate and often damaged.
Rust is a big one too now. Around sills. Watch out for rust under mudflaps. Around rear wheel arches and the back boot loves to rust around keyhole and along its bottom edge.
A service history/ receipts for work carried out can help allay your worries as regards a lot of this might have been looked after along the way.
Would try to find one with as high a spec as possible.
Im sure people will add more.
..... Oh ya..... Vacuum pipes... God dam vacuum pipes.... Sweet Jesus...
Thanks for all the info lads, looks like I'm gona have to be carefull when buying one of these. Could turn into a moneypit.
http://cars.donedeal.ie/view/9994197 looks a good one
Absolutely nothing wrong with Febi. Stuff is quite good. Owned by BilsteinQuote:
Originally Posted by Mr.burns
Oil leaks are common too in the m54. Rocker cover gasket and oil filter housing are to be checked
Agree with the above iv had zero issues with febi as a brand no brand snobbery here although bilstein is a seperate company to febi bilsteinQuote:
Originally Posted by eamo
Yes lemforder is the best but the price also reflects this just look at tyres you don't have to buy pilot super sports to get a bit of grip toyos hankook vreds etc will easily do the same job
If your handy with the spanners there no worse than any other car that is in or around 15 years old (common issues as above). If you have to pay someone they are a potential moneypit. Parts themselves are very cheap. I also recommend getting a good diagnostic setup 40 euro on eBay for disc and cable. Pick a good one an happy days.
Would there be a huge difference in mpg if i was to go for a 525????
No, none.Quote:
Originally Posted by Johny14586
Parking sensor can be gotten off eBay cheaply
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-X-BMW-PARKING-SENSOR-PARKSENSOR-E39-E53-E60-E61-E64-E65-E83-MINI-R50-R52-R53-/191550770489
Thanks a million lads, great help as usual.
To add to the above, the e39 is still the best all-round car I've owned. I also wouldn't bother with the 2.2, the 2.5 is barely any more on tax and suits the car better. The 3.0 petrol is the pick of the range for me but you have to be willing to foot the tax bill.
Try and buy on condition rather than mileage, and as has been said try and buy from an enthusiast or at least a low owner car. When I was looking I also tried to find the highest spec possible (no manual air con etc) but at this stage you might have to take a cut on the spec to get the right car.
Are you tired of the e46 already Johnny? I loved mine back in the day. I still think they look cracking for a 10-12 year old car!
Just not feelin it Nige, theres nothing wrong with it doh they are a nice car lovely to look at. But I just dont have the same love that I had for my e36 haha. Do you still have the m3 havent seen you around in a while????Quote:
Originally Posted by nige
Any bmw is gonna cost you so just bring someone with you that knows the cars
I do indeed Johnny, at this stage I don't think I'll ever sell it. Let me know when you're selling the e46 as a guy I work with is looking for one!Quote:
Originally Posted by Johny14586