BMW parked for 3years - what to do

capefear

Hi guys looking for some advice,

need a car asap and the neighbour has an 01, 316 bmw with 63k on the clock, it hasnt been driven since 2009 but was looked after up until 2009. It has no NCT or tax and has been left at the back of his house with no protection from the elements. I took the battery out (he replaced the battery in 2011) and recharged it over night and it starts fine.

It needs a good clean but is there anything i should look out for, besides getting it cleaned and serviced.

Is it worth a punt? or would I be better off getting a Saab on bangernomics:)

I dont no anything about cars, so any advice would be brillent. Thanks

clearodara

Best thing you can do is bring it to Nct first, then if it fails bring it to a local mechanic for a checkup, he'll tell you if there's any problems or fix anything that needs fixing. You can check online how much it'll cost to tax and insure, then your laughing.

ongarite

Check the condition of the tyres. They could have cracked and perished from being left out in the elements and possibly going flat.

colm_mcm

Depends on the price.id be thinking tyres, coolant change, service,

166man

is your neighbour giving it to you for free or whats the story with how much he's looking for it?

GreeBo

how is all the visible rubber/seals etc?
around the windows and doors is probably pretty manky with moss..it might just need a clean but may have degraded

capefear

clearodara wrote: »

Best thing you can do is bring it to Nct first, then if it fails bring it to a local mechanic for a checkup, he'll tell you if there's any problems or fix anything that needs fixing. You can check online how much it'll cost to tax and insure, then your laughing.

does it not need to be taxed first before it can be nct? Would it be safe to drive after been parked for afew years?

ongarite wrote: »

Check the condition of the tyres. They could have cracked and perished from being left out in the elements and possibly going flat.

Tyres are flat but will check to see if they ok at the week end Ill put air in them and see.

166man wrote: »

is your neighbour giving it to you for free or whats the story with how much he's looking for it?

I have helped him and his family out over the years and it has result in them getting nice refunds every year for the last 8yrs and also help him secure 10K from his last employer, free of charge. So the only thing the car wil cost me is to get it up and running, tax insurance etc.

GreeBo wrote: »

how is all the visible rubber/seals etc?
around the windows and doors is probably pretty manky with moss..it might just need a clean but may have degraded

the doors and windows are manky but I checked the car out after heavy showers and its dry inside just pongs abit, but a good clean wil sort that out.

ba_barabus

It doesn't need to be taxed to be NCT'd.

I'm currently in the process of putting an E46 back on the road after being off for over 18 months.

You'll need to do a full service (all fluids and filters) and don't forget the pollen filter which will be mouldy. Two seconds to change and worth it. Next up give it a good hard drive to loosen everything up. I'm not sure if the 316 has a t/belt fitted but it would be perished and a risk to leave it fitted.

You'll probably need to get a full interior valet including a wet dry vac to remove the smell inside. Place some large bags of silica inside to dry it out full and some in the boot.

You'll need new tyres as the old ones will probably be cracked or have flat spots on them. New brake pads also and probably dics will need to be changed.

Nothing expensive.

Rear coils on mine had snapped, a common and not expensive fix.

Next up the batteries in the sealed keys will be dead. BMW will try sell you new ones (about €200 each)but there are guides to help you replace them yourself. The batteries are easy to get only but try and get ones with the connectors on the battery in the 'ten to two' position for ease of fitment.

Personally I think it can all be done for less than 1000e if you are careful. Mine is working out less than that including the NCT and I haven't done all the work myself.

Doing the keys myself was a HUGE saving however. I also fitted Bridgestone tyres. You can save money here and there easily enough.

dgt

If damp inside, look for wonkey electrics

capefear

Thanks for all the replies guys appreciate it.

The rear coils I think were replaced on its last service. I think I saw that on some of the invoices.

when you put the key in the door it opens and closes the door but when you press the lock button on the 2 keys it dont open or lock the door, so need to get that sorted as well.

so you think it could be done for less than a grand thats not so bad as Im on a really tight budget, can it be done in stages or does it all need to be done before its put on the road sorry if stupid questions but I have no idea about cars at all.

I know the car was look after when it was been used,but then it was just left outside and never driven.

ba_barabus

I'd say the batteries in the keys are kaput.

Full service and all filters, tyres and brakes really ought to be done before driving and doing the NCT.

A wet vac on the interior would be a good idea to remove the damp smell.

As for the damp on the electrics............only time will tell.

It's worth the risk I think

Cee-Jay-Cee

If the car hasn't moved in 3 years them chances are all 4 brakes will be seized and it may take a bit of work to free them especially the rears if the handbrake is on. You may have to factor in the cost of new discs and pads all round to get the car in order

The key may just need a new battery to get the remote locking working again.

ba_barabus

CJC999 wrote: »

The key may just need a new battery to get the remote locking working again.

Yep, but if it's the rechargable battery in the diamond shaped key it's a sealed key and technically can't be opened (or so BMW will tell you).

A quick google reveals a guide of how to do it however. Takes about half an hour including reprogramming the key

capefear

CJC999 wrote: »

If the car hasn't moved in 3 years them chances are all 4 brakes will be seized and it may take a bit of work to free them especially the rears if the handbrake is on. You may have to factor in the cost of new discs and pads all round to get the car in order

The key may just need a new battery to get the remote locking working again.

How much would you b talking to you think?

Matt Simis

What Id do:

- Replace engine oil and filter
- Bleed and flush brake fluid
- Drain coolant and replace (BMWs are sensitive to corrosion if coolant not correct at the best of times)
- Replace all 4 tyres, outdoors sitting on one spot isnt good for them
- Get an AC smell killer bomb thing from Halfords (the smell is bacteria, its dangerous)

Once you fliush and bleed the brakes you will know if you need to do anything further with the braking system.

djimi

If you dont know much about cars then your best bet is to take it to a local mechanic (or take the mechanic to it) and let them have a look at it and tell you what needs doing. Explain to them that you are on a budget and get them to tell you what needs doing immediately to get it on the road and what can be done in stages afterwards.

MetzgerMeister

> Oil & filter change

> Brake fluid flush (best to change pads and discs if necessary once all the fluid is drained) & refill. Don't worry about surface/flash rust on the discs, after a few braking procedures, it will be gone.

> Coolant flush & refill

> If there's any cracks in the tyre sidewalls, replace them without question. These can leak air and increase the chances of a blowout if they are bad enough.

> Have the car checked over by a mechanic paying particular attention to rubber hoses/belts in the engine aswell as bushes.

> Windscreen wash reservoir - this more than likely has mould growing in it. Remove it and clean it all out.

> Get the interior steam cleaned. Any odd smell means bacteria and you do NOT want to be in the car breathing this in. Also get the whole fan/blower system treated. Elite Auto Clean have all the chemicals for doing these jobs properly.

Elite Auto Clean
36-40 Upper Dominick Street
Dublin 7
Phone: 01-811-79-88, 085-209-96-30
E-mail: info@eliteautoclean.com

homeless student

if you on a tight budget you should buy an opel corsa 1 litre for about 2 grand, cheap to run, fix, tax etc i wouldnt bother with the bmw, more trouble than its worth imo.like the bmw is going to cost what 6 or 700 euro to tax? 1 litre corsa is 180 euro to tax.

example

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4449779

aujopimur

The timing belt if it has one, no matter how little mileage is on it should be replaced, they often snap from being idle.

arleitiss

aujopimur wrote: »

The timing belt if it has one, no matter how little mileage is on it should be replaced, they often snap from being idle.

E46 have timing chain afaik.

Leinster

If your neighbour isn't willing to get it NCT'd first, why dont you fork out the money to have it done. Then when it fails you'll be in a better bargaining position. Worth a punt.. for €55. It'll obviously need ALL of the above but why not have the 'experts' rubber stamp it first.
On another note, I think there's a timing chain in there but could be wrong.

jenniferalan

homeless student wrote: »

if you on a tight budget you should buy an opel corsa 1 litre for about 2 grand, cheap to run, fix, tax etc i wouldnt bother with the bmw, more trouble than its worth imo.like the bmw is going to cost what 6 or 700 euro to tax? 1 litre corsa is 180 euro to tax.

example

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4449779

You really are mad about Corsas!

homeless student

jenniferalan wrote: »

You really are mad about Corsas!

lol im a fan alright, just dont see why other people think they are so unreliable?

arleitiss

homeless student wrote: »

lol im a fan alright, just dont see why other people think they are so unreliable?

Oh the irony.
I had corsa, and now I changed to Exactly same car the OP is talking about. 2001 318i petrol

I liked corsa for learning, but once I passed my test, I sold it the next day. I am 19 and I want something a bit cooler than corsa (no offense) I hate hatchbacks and anything other than Sedan/Saloon and Coupe cars.
With corsa I had lots of problems, fuel gauge, some weird fuel consumption, speedometer was acting weird (turns out I was flying around 140 km'h on motorway in 120 km/h zone because speedometer showed I am driving 80 km/h no matter what, so I thought ah may as well accelerate). Good car but not number one to go unless you are learner.

Sorry mis-read. OP is talking about 316 I am talking about 318. Close enough though.

homeless student

arleitiss wrote: »

Oh the irony.
I had corsa, and now I changed to Exactly same car the OP is talking about. 2001 318i petrol

I liked corsa for learning, but once I passed my test, I sold it the next day. I am 19 and I want something a bit cooler than corsa (no offense) I hate hatchbacks and anything other than Sedan/Saloon and Coupe cars.
With corsa I had lots of problems, fuel gauge, some weird fuel consumption, speedometer was acting weird (turns out I was flying around 140 km'h on motorway in 120 km/h zone because speedometer showed I am driving 80 km/h no matter what, so I thought ah may as well accelerate). Good car but not number one to go unless you are learner.

Sorry mis-read. OP is talking about 316 I am talking about 318. Close enough though.

i just like it because of its cheap tax,fuel consumption etc thinking bout getting a corolla now though.

arleitiss

homeless student wrote: »

i just like it because of its cheap tax,fuel consumption etc thinking bout getting a corolla now though.

For me, I had Corsa 1.2L 2001. I ended up spending 70 euro every week for fuel on it, got only like around 250 miles out of 40 litre filled up tank, which is quite low. Even now I spend less on fuel.

homeless student

arleitiss wrote: »

For me, I had Corsa 1.2L 2001. I ended up spending 70 euro every week for fuel on it, got only like around 250 miles out of 40 litre filled up tank, which is quite low. Even now I spend less on fuel.

did you look after the car? or were you driving her hard? 250 miles is rubbish for a full tank

arleitiss

homeless student wrote: »

did you look after the car? or were you driving her hard? 250 miles is rubbish for a full tank

I kept it well and serviced on time (only once, when I bought it). As I said, speedometer/fuel gauge was weird.

homeless student

arleitiss wrote: »

I kept it well and serviced on time (only once, when I bought it). As I said, speedometer/fuel gauge was weird.

and do you think you were just unlucky or did you hear of other people with problems with corsa's?

arleitiss

homeless student wrote: »

and do you think you were just unlucky or did you hear of other people with problems with corsa's?

Apparently after some research on many forums, fuel gauge failure/malfunction is pretty common on corsas.

Cungi

homeless student wrote: »

if you on a tight budget you should buy an opel corsa 1 litre for about 2 grand, cheap to run, fix, tax etc i wouldnt bother with the bmw, more trouble than its worth imo.like the bmw is going to cost what 6 or 700 euro to tax? 1 litre corsa is 180 euro to tax.

Terrible, terrible advice. Why spend 2 grand on a pos nuns Corsa when you can get a free Bimmer and get it goin for under a grand?

Tax,shmax.

The Corsa wont get OP teh sex whereas the bimmer will have teh ladies droppin their kacks left, right & centre

MetzgerMeister

Cungi wrote: »

the bimmer will have teh ladies droppin their kacks left, right & centre

Yeah because that works :rolleyes:

challengemaster

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Yeah because that works :rolleyes:

Well it doesn't if the driver looks like you :pac:

MetzgerMeister

challengemaster wrote: »

Well it doesn't if the driver looks like you :pac:

I was actually referring to you ya clown!!

You know I'm beautiful :P

Stheno

challengemaster wrote: »

Well it doesn't if the driver looks like you :pac:

Cungi

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Yeah because that works :rolleyes:

I was over exxageratin a little. My point being id much rather look out my window and see the BMW than see the Corsa in my driveway

challengemaster wrote: »

Well it doesn't if the driver looks like you :pac:

:pac:

TouchingVirus

Is it located on the northside in a housing estate by any chance?