Thinking of buying a BMW E46, questions

What? Oh Rly!

Not a petrol head at all but I always like the style of the E46 model (2002 model?) Some will say it's boring etc but I like it.

Are bmws around the 2002 year reliable today, any problems with them?

Leonard Hofstadter

They're meant to be a great drivers' car if you're into that kind of thing - a 'proper' BMW unlike some of the newer models which are about the badge rather than being the 'Ultimate Driving Machine'.

The 320d is a money pit though, swirl flaps and turbos are very troublesome, especially turbos. They are likely to give trouble with the DMF (though every diesel does that to be fair). The positive crankcase breather ventilation system needs to be changed at every inspection II IIRC.

I would go for a six cylinder petrol (320i or bigger), much more in keeping with what a BMW is about, although they are rare and tax is high.

The Valvetronic (2.0 litre) 318i has plenty of go and is more reliable than the 320d, and is similar enough on power. Economical too, with an average fuel consumption of around 40 mpg.

1.9 litre 318is are gutless and can be trouble, but 02s and newer should have the much better Valvetronic engines. A 316i is a car for people with more money than sense.

Watch the various suspension components - they can give trouble. Check for any knocks over bumps, potholes etc and make sure the car feels 'tight' rather than 'loose' to drive.

Gophur

captainspeed wrote: »

.......

The 320d is a money pit though, swirl flaps and turbos are very troublesome, especially turbos. .............

A gross exaggeration.

A car with proper servicing is anything but a money-pit.

voxpop

The petrol bmws have DMFs too - they just arent worked as hard as the diesels. Dont know where this myth that only diesels have DMFs has come from.

diesels are known to eat turbos but its kinda accepted that its the breather filter not getting changed that causes it. Alot of places dont change the filter (dealers included)

veetwin

captainspeed wrote: »

The Valvetronic (2.0 litre) 318i has plenty of go and is more reliable than the 320d, and is similar enough on power. Economical too, with an average fuel consumption of around 40 mpg.

I had a 2002 318i for 2 years from new and I really liked it. It was reliable and lovely to drive. I never saw 40mpg though that may have been down to a heavy right foot. A 6 cylinder petrol would be the job but like you say they are fairly rare.

M Sport models look nicer with a decent set of alloys. Leather is desirable as it MFSW.

If I was buying one I'd probably avoid the 320d also. Too many known issues with the turbo and swirl flaps and most will have very high mileage by now.

IMHO its one of the nicest cars of the era unlike the current 3 series which is one of the most boring.

ants09

what mileage is on it ?

before you buy it hook it up to a diagnostic machine to find out if anything shows up

problems with it is
camshaft and crankshaft sensors can go.
rocket cover gasket can go
timing chain may stretch on it depending on mileage
make sure breeding pipes were change when service as if not can cause trouble later on
air con is great but make sure it works
has a life saver wheel instead of normal wheel

What? Oh Rly!

ants09 wrote: »

before you buy it hook it up to a diagnostic machine to find out if anything shows up

Would every garage have this machine and what would generally show up if it had problems?

MetzgerMeister

voxpop wrote: »

The petrol bmws have DMFs too - they just arent worked as hard as the diesels. Dont know where this myth that only diesels have DMFs has come from.

I think there's a mix-up here.

DMF = dual mass flywheel

DPF = diesel particulate filter

DubTony

There's damn all to know really.

I bought a 2000 323Ci on 2006. I drove it hard on motorways, crappy country roads, etc.

Since I bought it I've spent (outside servicing) about a grand on it. That was some front suspension work and a couple of sets of [cheap] tyres. (I lived in the stick for a couple of years and developed a great ability to find every poxy pothole out there. ABS sensor went as well after some "fun" in the snow. That cost €80 to replace last year and was the most expensive part on a full service.

It sat up for 6 months last year and probably as a result I've to replace a brake caliper on the front. The car's got 113,000 miles on it, and it's still a beautiful drive. It had 30,000 on it when I bought it. So I've definitely used and abused it. It's lacking just a little in the ooomph department, but that's no surprise given age and how it's been treated.

The only thing is that the 2.5 litre absolutely loves petrol and the tax is ... well ... we all know about that. At the moment I'm getting 22 mpg according to the computer. (Tiptronic / Steptronic / FuelTronic - whatever they call it ... it's an automatic)

I'd have no hesitation in buying another.

ottostreet

I have a 330ci which looks pretty much identical to your pic OP...but minus the sunroof.

It is my favourite car ever. I can't find a fault with it apart from being expensive to run (15-18mpg around town, 25-28mpg on open road). It just makes me smile every time I get in and drive it.

ants09

What? Oh Rly! wrote: »

Would every garage have this machine and what would generally show up if it had problems?

not every garage would have this but i say most would and well the E46 has a lot of sensors etc so would show up if they needed changing also would show up if anything wrong with the engine like engine coils

to be honest in the long run it will save you money as it be a few quid well spent and bmw's are performance cars so have to be look after propertly

Nissan doctor

It depends on what engine you want to get. The main problem with the smaller engined models(316/318) is that once they are a few years old they get bought by people who see the badge as meaning something but can't afford to maintain them properly. This means there are plenty of dogs out there as they are fragile if not maintained properly.

You would be well advised to have any car you are considering buying inspected properly by someone who knows what they are looking at.

voxpop

einheisserschre wrote: »

I think there's a mix-up here.

DMF = dual mass flywheel

DPF = diesel particulate filter

Well if you buy a petrol car with a DPF your in trouble , whereas many petrol cars can and do have DMFs

mkdon05

I have the e46 320i, its a fantastic car. Never a days trouble and 6 cylinders for a great sound from the engine. I sometimes turn off the radio just to listen to it on a journey! (is that sad?) If you can live with the associated cost of one, you'll love it. Don't bother with the 316 or 318's they aren't half the car!

MetzgerMeister

voxpop wrote: »

Well if you buy a petrol car with a DPF your in trouble , whereas many petrol cars can and do have DMFs

Yes I completely understand that but I was pointing out the difference between the 2 as it looked to me as though they were being mixed up

Leonard Hofstadter

Petrol BMWs have DMFs as well (and have had them for many years), but they don't give trouble.

In fairness a NA engine is not going to put the flywheel under any kind of stress.

@mkdon05: not surprised to hear that, BMW's six cylinder engines are brilliant, and even the non M models sound brilliant when worked hard! They certainly make the car live up to its "Ultimate Driving Machine" billing!

Yakuza

I had an E46 320i saloon for 4 years, sold it to a fellow Boardsie last year due to the impending arrival of child #3. It is a great car, fantastic engine and great handling. It is expensive to tax, though, €820 for the year or something like that, and MPG isn't great around town. But they're not good enough reasons not to buy one

The only work I had done at about 74k miles was something on the intake valves (not enough petrol was getting into the cylinders (or something like that - I'm not too up on the details), I had that done by AC cars) which can tend to happen after 70k miles or so.

Juan Pablo

Check the rear sub frame mounts, expensive fix if they need to be rewelded as the fuel tank has to come out.

listermint

OP head over to www.bmw-driver.net There are good used examples for sale there in fact I might be selling my own fairly soon. Moving on to M3 pastures.


Best of luck. You will love this car. Washing it is a joy.

FreudianSlippers

I had an e46 330ci and it was probably one of the best cars, all around, that I've ever owned.

Loved every bit of it.

e46fanatics.com is a US site, but the best place for e46 knowledge!

What? Oh Rly!

mkdon05 wrote: »

I have the e46 320i, its a fantastic car. Never a days trouble and 6 cylinders for a great sound from the engine. I sometimes turn off the radio just to listen to it on a journey! (is that sad?) If you can live with the associated cost of one, you'll love it. Don't bother with the 316 or 318's they aren't half the car!

What type of costs? I presume petrol & tax ?

CoDy1

I have had an '02 e46 for the last 3 yrs and I absolutely love driving it. Haven't had much trouble, but have replaced the front bushings and MAF sensor which are common problems. Great car OP.

FreudianSlippers

Oh, I should say the only problem I had on my e46 was the thermostat... went out twice, but BMW were happy to replace it the 2nd time for free!

matt-dublin

i recently got a 04 318ci 2.0 valvetronic, personally i have to say probably the best day to day driving experience ive ever had.

the msport has very solid suspension, good handling, good fuel economy (when driving economically )

in the facelift models the back light leds are prone to going and require a full lamp replacement.
as with most of the 3 series the bushes and wheel bearings are prone to going
the four cylinders tend to have pourris heads as wel but i believe they're tougher in the e46s.
airbag sensors in the seatbelt pretensioners and seats themselves sometimes tend to go faulty but a faily easy enough fix so im told

as with buying any second hand car there's always gonna be some problems with it, but IMHO definitly get one cost they just look and feel great.

just to note the one you have in the picture is the facelift model and you won't find one earlier than a late 2003 or early 2004.

mkdon05

What? Oh Rly! wrote: »

What type of costs? I presume petrol & tax ?

Yea thats it spot on. tax is 832 per year and the mpg is around 23-26mpg depending on city/motorway driving. I think mine may be up for grabs shortly:(

mkdon05

this is for sale now if your interested.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1961916

MetzgerMeister

mkdon05 wrote: »

this is for sale now if your interested.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1961916

Have you no shame?? :pac:

Idbatterim

Op a few questions, are you interested in the coupe or saloon? the picture you uploaded is of the facelift, which came in around 03... No point whatsoever in getting diesel if you are only doing regular mileage. Id go for atleast an 02, as they have the more powerful, more fuel efficient engine. Get the car checked out prior to purchase, preferably by an independent bmw specialist. Since I have had my 318ci (nearly 3 years), I have had to replace a rear spring, front brake pads and discs, sensors, thermostat, waterpump, control arms on both sides, DMF, oil gasket housing etc. A neglected one, or one which is about to require alot of work could cost a fortune. One other thing, alot of people will tell you to get a 6 cylinder, and yes if cost wasnt an issue I would prefer one obviously! But with 1. the cost of fuel where it is, 2. the road tax 3. the pathetic amount of extra hp you get from going from the 02+ 318ci (143 bhp)to an 01+ 320ci (168 bhp).ie 25bhp, for a not very considerable increase in bhp, the increase in alleged combined cycle fuel consumption figures according to those provided on autotrader.co.uk is pretty poor. Also for every one 6 cylinder 3 series with the coupes atleast, there will be 15-20 318's to choose from... the msports in my opinion atleast are a much nicer looking car...

NJCC

What? Oh Rly! wrote: »

Would every garage have this machine and what would generally show up if it had problems?

Have one don't like them:mad::mad::mad:

NJCC

I have a 316i with head gasket problems...

NJCC

What? Oh Rly! wrote: »

Not a petrol head at all but I always like the style of the E46 model (2002 model?) Some will say it's boring etc but I like it.

Are bmws around the 2002 year reliable today, any problems with them?

Nice lloking car

challengemaster

captainspeed wrote: »

The 320d is a money pit though, swirl flaps and turbos are very troublesome, especially turbos. They are likely to give trouble with the DMF (though every diesel does that to be fair). The positive crankcase breather ventilation system needs to be changed at every inspection II IIRC.

Have you had one or where'd you get that it's a money pit from?

The only trouble with swirl flaps is that they kill your engine That said, It's ~€100 preventative maintenance to get them blanked and never have to worry about it again.

Turbos go early due to bad maintenance, and incorrect maintenance. Wrong oil / late oil changes / not changing the breather filter all add up to a dead turbo. That and wear and tear. People forget turbos do just wear out eventually. The main killer is the breather filter though.

Again, it's just a case of preventative maintenance. Which most people don't do. Most of the 320d's you can replace the very flawed breather filter with a plastic oil separator which never clogs and never needs changing. And it's about ~€60-70 for a once off. If the car is an early one, you might not be able to do this, so it means changing the breather filter regularly. Big deal? No. Just look at it like another service item.

The main problem with the E46 overall is suspension. Control arms and control arm bushes in particular. The bushes wear out over a very short period of time. The control arms require full replacement (expensive) every time they go. Rear springs prone to breaking. Rear shock mounting points are weak. And probably more I can't think of now.

Are there ways to resolve most of these issues if you do your homework? Yes.

ba_barabus

challengemaster wrote: »

Have you had one or where'd you get that it's a money pit from?

Just to echo that.

At the very least the newest ones are approaching 8 years old. They're going to need maintenance no matter how you look at it. I loved mine.

The rear coils aren't expensive. In fact I found most jobs fine.

biko

Old thread lock
If you want info or discuss the e46, feel free to start a new thread. Maybe one of the posters in this one have changed their minds