BMW E46 M3 problems

goodstuff!

I was thinking of purchasing a 2001 M3 and was wondering is there any mechanical problems with them?
What are the SMG boxes like? Are they fast at changing gear or would i be better with a manual one?

Gumbo

go to BMW Drivers Forum for info also.

2001 M3's are at the bottom of the ladder now and there are alot of lemons out there. you must remember a 100k might be 8-9k now, but it still has the running and maintainance costs of a 100k car!

they have to get a run in service at 1k, make sure thats done, then check for all the usual things that you'd check buying any car such as finance, crash, damage, paint etc etc etc

an M3 has to come with full history, doesnt have to be 100% main dealer but main dealer for first 5 years would be nice, then indy's after that. Verify mileage by checking service book then ring each garage to confirm they had that car in for the service thats in the book.

loads more things to check but theyve been covered a few times on bmw driver, so i suggest you take a gander over there.

Plug

These can be expensive to look after and are not the most reliable things but they are a cracker car. Some of the things that go in these are:
-Vanos in the engine(expensive)
-Diffs(in the csl anyway not sure about the standard M3)
-Rear springs crack and break.
-Engines are prone to head gasket failure but only if they are running really hot for long -periods(Again this would be a bit more common on the CSL but it seems rare enough anyway)
-Where the rear subframe is bolted up to the under body it can crack around here(on the car not the subframe). If its not spotted in time it can cause lots of damage. Thats an example down below. Subframe down etc.



Just remember these are rare problems so if you have the money go for it. Series car!

realdanbreen

As an aside, I'm thinking of buying a '98 BMW 316, anything I should be looking out for? its NCT'd until mar12.Are they heavy on petrol?

realdanbreen

realdanbreen wrote: »

As an aside, I'm thinking of buying a '98 BMW 316, anything I should be looking out for? its NCT'd until mar12.Are they heavy on petrol?

Well, are they?

Gumbo

realdanbreen wrote: »

Well, are they?

big car, low powered engine, so my guess would be yes, heavy on fuel for what you get.

Idbatterim

the rear subframe can also be a big problem on there and its a 1k job! dont touch an m3 without getting it checked by an independent specialist OP, I can recommend several... just noticed the subframe has already been commented on!

MetzgerMeister

Cyrus on here will be able to give you the full low-down. He's an M3 enthusiast and has owned more than one IIRC.

ondafly

some really good points by Plug and I'm glad you pointed out that they are rare, so thought I'd throw in my experience too

I'm on my second M3 and neither have given me nasty surprises. The clutch replacement however was €1K

-Vanos in the engine(expensive)

plenty of scare mongering over this, loose bolts on the vanos gears is now believed to be the real issue here. Also Drvanos.com does a swap facility for refurbed and upgraded vanos units.

-Diffs(in the csl anyway not sure about the standard M3)
the Diff in mine was rebuilt at 90K - defo something to watch out for.

-Rear springs crack and break.
Agreed !

-Engines are prone to head gasket failure
never heard of this ?

-Where the rear subframe is bolted up to the under body it can crack
This happens rarely, however its not just unique to the E46 M3, every model of E46 is prone except for the convertibles (they have additional strengthening on the rear, and I don't think any cases have been reported for them failing at the subframe). Also the pic you posted, looks like the owner had installed bone crusher rear suspension, as in the standard setup, the springs and shocks on the rear are seperatly installed, shocks as pictured, but the spring is on a different perch between the trailing arm and car. I'm not surprised the subframe failed in that setup. I think I know the car as well ? as theres not too many with rear AP racing pots on the back.


They are a great car overall, and I love mine to bits. They are prone to stone chipping easily (which really bugs me). Also check the connections between the backbox and mid pipe, I've seen these rust quite badly on a few uk imports. Also a fantastic motor if you want to run a nice wide dished rim on the rear :cool: thanks to those wide stone chipped arches :pac:

On a more serious note, confirm all recalls have been completed and if its an SMG model, confirm software updates installed for the gearbox, also might be no harm investigating how many times launch control was used.

ants09

realdanbreen wrote: »

As an aside, I'm thinking of buying a '98 BMW 316, anything I should be looking out for? its NCT'd until mar12.Are they heavy on petrol?

kceire wrote: »

big car, low powered engine, so my guess would be yes, heavy on fuel for what you get.

well your guest be wrong as lovely car to drive and not as heavy as the newer models E46's

like any bmw driving in town and driving long journeys you notice a difference but you get around 33mpg in town driving if you aint heavy on the foot.

Mr.David

The SMG box is awful.......for the love of God get yourself the manual.

listermint

Mr.David wrote: »

The SMG box is awful.......for the love of God get yourself the manual.

Awful how ?



Mines a manual btw. But I could happily live with SMG. Ive driven a few.

Gumbo

Mr.David wrote: »

The SMG box is awful.......for the love of God get yourself the manual.

how so?

If i was buying an E46 tomorrow i'd be looking for SMG as part of the no quibble options.

ie. i could live without heated seats, or the rear blind but SMG, TV/Nav, HK and bluetooth would be my main requirements.

goodstuff!

Mr.David wrote: »

The SMG box is awful.......for the love of God get yourself the manual.

I was thinking for the likes of track days, would the smg have a quick enough change or is the elbow a better option!?
I've never driven a SMG, so reading up on it and saying its actually a manual box is fairly confusing to me. I suppose i'd better drive one before i decide!!

x in the city

realdanbreen wrote: »

As an aside, I'm thinking of buying a '98 BMW 316, anything I should be looking out for? its NCT'd until mar12.Are they heavy on petrol?

:eek:


dont bother..!

and yes, heavy on petrol.

kdevitt

goodstuff! wrote: »

I was thinking for the likes of track days, would the smg have a quick enough change or is the elbow a better option!?
I've never driven a SMG, so reading up on it and saying its actually a manual box is fairly confusing to me. I suppose i'd better drive one before i decide!!

For track days, the SMG will have a quicker change, and will be easier to drive quick for the hamfisted - unless you're already decent with your heel and toeing. The SMG is technically a manual box though, and is very well regarded. (The E46 M3 actually has SMG II, the E36 had SMG - which was indeed craptacular)

That said, I have a manual and have no desire to ever own an SMG one - I enjoy working the cogs myself, and the manual box is bullet proof. Issues with the SMG box can cost quite a bit - theres not much expertise in them in the country, so your labour bill can be made up of a lot of investigative hours. Engine wise, the E46 M3 is exceptionally reliable for a high performance car - especially in comparison to the 3.2 Evo it replaced.

Subframe issues are common on 99 and 00 323i's and 328i's - not M3's. So while it might happen, its by no means a common issue, neither is the head gasket. Coilpacks can give hassle - especially the Bremi ones, they were replaced with Bosch units in later models.

Issues I've had are a coil pack going, brake caliper seizing, rear trailing arm bushes going, battery dying and the front wishbones needed replacement. Have a general module fault too which can make the central locking play up - which I'll have done soon enough. Clutch needs doing now too actually - car has 65k on the clock or so. Thats all thats really been done in 4 years of ownership or so.