quick q about 318Ci

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Im looking at one 2001 bmw 318CI it has nct mileage is 100k,2l engine.But wondering is there any known faults with these models especially concerning engine that i look out for when viewing it.thx.

listermint

Relatively good engine, make sure it has complete service history with it, They can suffer from Cam sensor issues and are known to drip oil from gaskets, keep an eye out for oil leaks at the front of the engine under the various plastic covers. At this mileage you probably need to have the coolant system refurbished as the hoses and radiator tank can have problems, hoses perish from affore mentioned oil leaks and radiator expansion tank is a weak point.

These engines run at a relatively high tempreture /pressure so you can sometimes see some gunk under the oil cap, nothing to be concerned about majorly.

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thx for response,as recently i went to one dealer to check out the coupe he was selling 02 82k miles and it was lifted up,the bottom was clean under i came to see under the engine oil stains,then he started going as the head gasket is being replaced and cap rubber was worn off.Altough when he put the car down you wouldn't see any stains of oil at all,under all that plastic.So this made me a bit vary.How would i go about checking the hoses you mentioned and what did you mean it has its gulps of oil around cap or so ?ty
Now im looking at this one:http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/3652018 131k miles on it.

delly

I have an '01 op, with the same 4 cylinder 1.9 engine linked to above, the 6 cylinder 2.0 came in at the end of 2001 and it has better performance than the 1.9. I'm not sure which has the better reliability though. The cooling overhaul is something which I might consider though, after the points made above.

I have a slight seep from the oil filter housing, which is something that you might want to keep an eye on, but I'll get it sorted when next serviced but oil levels need to be watched especially if the oil level sensor is not working, which is common.

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delly wrote: »

I have an '01 op, with the same 4 cylinder 1.9 engine linked to above, the 6 cylinder 2.0 came in at the end of 2001 and it has better performance than the 1.9. I'm not sure which has the better reliability though. The cooling overhaul is something which I might consider though, after the points made above.

I have a slight seep from the oil filter housing, which is something that you might want to keep an eye on, but I'll get it sorted when next serviced but oil levels need to be watched especially if the oil level sensor is not working, which is common.

that would worry me,is there easy way to check sensor without draining the oil.ive had many cars in the last 5 years but my first German car golf mk4 1.4l had a burning oil issue,which everyone knows about and since that time,anything to do with engines burning oil is what i dont want to run into again,as in most cases its cheaper to scrap a car then try to fix seals or pistons rings.Wouldnt know much about head gasket price change either.Also is the 2l chain driven or t-belt ?

Neilw

Check the rear subframe is not hanging out of it.

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/t-gallery-e46-subframe.aspx

delly

If the sensor is faulty, the oil light stays orange for 20 seconds after the engine is started, so you will know if it is faulty.

The issue with the filter is related to o rings needing to be replaced, so no biggy. I have topped up a litre of oil after 7k miles, and I oput that down to the seep.