Going to view a BMW 320d - any tips?

spank_inferno

Hi guys

as the title says, going to look at a BMW tomorrow, 2ltr diesel.

Has anyone any advise as to what to look out for?
If anyone has any feedback on owning one of these it would be appreciated.

car is: 2002, 120,000 miles - E46, SE trim


Many thanks

davdvn

dont know much about the beamer in question, but i spent a bit of time looking on line for a bmw coupe and travelled to quite a few dealers. what you see in the photos doesnt always relate to what you see in real life. most had been run into the ground and the interior wear and tear tells its own story.
good luck with your car.

Gumbo

check service history, double check VIN munber on service receipts against the actual car to confirm the service history is from the car your looking at.

at 120k check for evidence of a turbo change or oil breather/separator filter being changed every 2nd/3rd service.

check for rattling exhaust hanger, usually under the car approx where the gear selector is above it as such within the cabin. its a comon problem and is a relative easy fix but dont let the noise turn you off the car, it should only rattle at idle.

check for excessive black smoke from the exhaust while reving it.

no need to worry about timing belts as theres a chain in there.

check that all the electrics work including PDC, air con, windows etc

do an online check to make sure it hasnt been wrote off etc

thats all i can think of now, i'll post more as it comes to me.

rebel.ranter

When checking service history the service book is not the place to look. Ring the servicing garage directly to get the history. These days mist modern cars don't even have a book.
I would like to see regular oil changes at a slightly smaller interval than recommended for a 320D.

Weak points on e46 BMW include:
- front wishbone bushes, shimmy under braking could indicate wear (or less likely warped discs).
- "hedgehog" resistor pack failure that causes battery to run flat (also called final stage resistor), it controls the Aircon system
- worn balljoints, look out for uneven tyre wear across the width of the front tyres
- Airbag light stays on due to someone kneeling on front seats (this breaks the mesh sensor in the seat, only fix is a new seat base)
- lots of these are UK imports, not a problem as long as you check out the history with motorcheck.ie or similar service. Just in case. It's a cheap way of avoiding a clocked/crashed car
- check all the electrics, e.g. If it has parking sensors it should not beep when you first homonym reverse. If it does beep it indicates a fault (assuming you are not near an obstruction!)
- make sure it doesn't pop out of 2nd gear if manual when you push on a bit (accelerate) in 2nd
- check wear on brake discs/pads, just to factor in for your bargaining
- turbos are the Achilles heel, web is full of horror stories.
There are a few jobs I would do once I bought the car:
- new thermostat
- new water pump
- pressure test radiator
- coolant pipe thorough check
- coolant change
- brake fluid change
- gearbox oil change
- final drive oil change

www.parkers.co.uk will probably have a few more things to look out for.

spank_inferno

Thanks for your feedback guys... much appreciated.

Regarding the much read horror stories regarding turbos.
Would having the turbo filter replaced/cleaned eliminate the likelyhood of a failure?

kenny1977

better thing to bring it to mecanic to check it by laptop

kenny1977

i have bmw if u need hand

bazz26

Turbo failure was a major problem on the 150bhp from late 2001 to early 2004 320d. If the turbo was replaced I would expect to see receipts for the work otherwise you could be looking at a major bill down the road.

Gumbo

kenny1977 wrote: »

better thing to bring it to mecanic to check it by laptop

what will the laptop tell?

spank_inferno wrote: »

Thanks for your feedback guys... much appreciated.

Regarding the much read horror stories regarding turbos.
Would having the turbo filter replaced/cleaned eliminate the likelyhood of a failure?

yes the problem is that this filter blocks up and prevents oil reaching the turbo or the swirl flaps breaking apart. so replacing this at every 20k or maybe even 30k should keep it in check, although theres a swirl flap removal mod out there that eliminates the problem alltogether.

testarossa40

Possibly repeating some excellent tips above, but from my own experience have a knowledgeable mechanic inspect &/or run service diagnostics for:

• Turbo for any give in bearings/shaft etc (one of a couple of possible signs it's about to go)
• Oil breather is not clogged and that it's evident it has been replaced at all. Walk away very fast if not. (related to above - non-replacement/prolonged clogging strongly implicated in most cases of premature turbo failure)
• Injector fault codes/smokey moderate acceleration (Common Rail diesel engine injectors don't take too well to cheap/poor quality diesel - a few hundred each to replace and then best replaced as a set of 4...)
• No clutch shudder/high bite point etc indicating imminent failure - E46 clutches require a few more labour hours than average to replace due to awkward location.
• If 150bhp version (ie facelifted) check that manifold swirl flaps have been removed or blanked. No biggie if not (at least you'll know whether they have been done OR NOT) but get it done yourself ASAP if otherwise happy with the car for peace of mind as the flaps are reportedly flimsy quality, prone to breaking off and dropping straight down into the combustion chambers, making useless toast of your engine in the process.
• Rear light cluster electrical connection points are not corroded/corroding - known issue.
• Radio reception is good across the whole FM range with the heated rear window on - the rear window heating elements double as the radio aerial so any reception flakiness may mean replacement rear screen!
• All dash warning lights work as they should during startup selftest - in particular any airbag lights.
• Ventilation/heating works at all fan speeds - otherwise you may have a hedgehog problem - and aircon provides decent cooling.
• You don't tramline over uneven/rough roadway - otherwise could be worn front wishbone brushes or linkages
• You don't hear a knock or thump from the rear boot area just when you come to a stop after braking - could be worn rear shock mounts (or of course a loose object in the boot!)

Desirable options? Imho:

• MF Sports Steering wheel (would have Cruise Control included)
• Leather
• Climate control
• Split Rear Seats
• Multi CD changer
• Aux-in for MP3 etc

Best of luck, and if you find a good'un & look after it it will serve you very well.