BMW 3 series Why so cheap?

Nearly 4 weeks I have had this car

Tax is cheaper. Insurance is more expensive (290 quid).. however i am getting slightly better fuel consumption from this 2ltr diesel than the 1600 petrol astra (taking into account astra over 100k and a bit knackered)

All in all over the yr without repairs its not going to cost me more to run.. which is massive :)

I took it to kwik fit for a free check that they do (only cus its close to me and free).. the trackings out at one side but not a problem and wont get worse... the front tyres have 4k left in them the back nearly new... all under car looks good.. all other stuff check all looks good

So as the body work is just about perfect and the cars running well.. and not costing more to run.. my main thought is... why didnt i get one yrs ago..

Its a complete and utter joy to drive :)

Only downside.. the boot.. its big enough but the opening is too small.. i cant open the peli case properly while its in the boot... but thats it..

love it!
 
KIPAX said:
I took it to kwik fit for a free check that they do (only cus its close to me and free).. the trackings out at one side but not a problem and wont get worse... the front tyres have 4k left in them the back nearly new... all under car looks good.. all other stuff check all looks good
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Im in shock here. someone took a car to kwik-fit for "free" check and they didnt find :

Leaky shock absorbers?
Brake pads on their last 2mm?
Exhaust hole?

Well done sir! I still wouldnt touch em with a barge pole but nuff respect.
 
Glad you're enjoying it Kipax!

Is that insurance £290 or £290 on top of the old insurance? Guessing it's all in. I know my wife's insurance has risen by £70/year but that was an upgrade from an MX-5 to an XK-8 - she now faces a £400/year bill (but it is a 4litre car compared to a 1.8...)

I was surprised when I found my car is more economical than the old one - the old Picasso 1.6 petrol turned in under 40 on a long run while the XF (3 litre diesel) gives me just over 40 (and is more economical at a touch over 70 on the clock than it is at 70 on the clock - I guess turbo 2 kicks in and helps out!)
 
KIPAX said:
Bought it! :)

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15 months later.. Worked perfect.. done thousands of miles.. amazing on fuel at around 90 miles per ten quid... not a thing wrong or a dodgy sound... Until this weekend :(

Got blue/white smoke billowing out the exhaust.. still got good kick of power so not turbo as first thought.. Its at the garage and hes having a look in the morning.. fingers crossed its not terminal or too expensive to warrant fixing... 15 mths later the cars only worth 1500 quid so I would have to decide on the merits of spending.. or the thought of chucking money at it... This as mentioned was never meant to be a life car but a pleasant working car.. loved every minute and got attached to it.. wanted it to last 2 yrs at least...

Signed...worried of Accrington...
 
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had a 320i ,the wife hated it so did i ,it lasted 3 months with us overrated
 
the black fox said:
had a 320i ,the wife hated it so did i ,it lasted 3 months with us overrated
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petrol, small inside but oversized outside, rear wheel drive - everything I wouldn't want for my wheels
 
I have a 1 series (an M135 to be exact) and I absolutely love it. I needed something bigger than my JCW Mini hatch and this was just about right. I tried an S3, Golf GTi, even an AMG A55, as well as a Focus ST (had one of this e before, the new one is nicer) but this came out on top. I've now had it 9 months, it's the first auto I've ever had, and I'd forgotten how great it is to have a rear wheel drive car.
 
Probably the oil seals in the turbo. If giving it the message then turning the engine off straight away the seals will still be hot but as you've turned the engine off the oil is no longer flowing to cool the seals down and this can damage them. Common problem with the MPS unless you let the engine idle for a minute after booting it.

But then there are a couple of other things that can go wrong with the ultimate driving machine: http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/bmw/3-series-e46-1998/?section=good

Not sure if this is your specific model but check out this if it helps:

"320d M47 150bhp models gained a reputation for repeated turbo failure, possibly due to extended oil service intervals. After replacing turbo, ECU needs to be reprogrammed. Also instances of injector failure. BMW says that only EU3 320d engines built before October 2003 are affected by the turbo problem. EU4s not affected. NOTE that losing power on hills and burning oil (blue smoke) may not be a symptom of turbo bearing or turbo bearing oil seal failure. One reader was charged £575 to rectify this by replacement of air mass meter (£252), fuel filter (£76), oil separator (£64) and replacement of intake pipe (£47), remainder VAT and investigation."
 
its burning the oil away.. theres a filter with the turbo needs replacing.. 80 quid.. this eats up the oil and it olso gets everywhere.. is going to replace but says will take a week or two depending on milage to clear as oil got in exhaust etc..so needs to burn off.. but new filter to fix the job..

yes all the signs of turbo gone bar the fact that it kicks like a mule when you hit the gas :)
 
I've got a 320ed 11 reg, 60k miles so far and no issues at all. Road tax is only £20/year and I get in the upper 50s mpg often in the 60s for a long trip. Even driving it hard I still get mid 40s.
The only drawbacks I have is that the boot is small and the back seats don't fold down. (It also doesn't have indicators, but then we BM drivers don't use them anyway :) )

Have you considered leasing or contract hiring a new one for 4 or 5 years.
 
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KIPAX said:
its burning the oil away.. theres a filter with the turbo needs replacing.. 80 quid.. this eats up the oil and it olso gets everywhere.. is going to replace but says will take a week or two depending on milage to clear as oil got in exhaust etc..so needs to burn off.. but new filter to fix the job..

yes all the signs of turbo gone bar the fact that it kicks like a mule when you hit the gas :)
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Well that's a result I'd say! :)
 
KIPAX said:
its burning the oil away.. theres a filter with the turbo needs replacing.. 80 quid.. this eats up the oil and it olso gets everywhere.. is going to replace but says will take a week or two depending on milage to clear as oil got in exhaust etc..so needs to burn off.. but new filter to fix the job..

yes all the signs of turbo gone bar the fact that it kicks like a mule when you hit the gas :)
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Keep an eye on your oil breather, if it gets clogged up it can cause turbo failure. Also with that year and model there is a problem with the swirl flaps in the inlet manifold. The pins that hold them sometimes come loose and the engine ingests the metal flaps, potentially writing the car off with 6k+ engine repair bills. If you buy and fit blanking plates on Ebay for the swirl flaps then you will never have that worry of them failing. They are about £30 for all four and it will be on the safe side if you were to get them if it's not already had them fitted. Apart from that they are good cars and have a friend with one over 200000miles on now.

forget buying new cars I say lol too much money loss and I'd rather buy an older model that has had common problems sorted rather than a brand new one you know nothing about.
 
4 weeks ago traded my 3 series 54 reg M Sport coupe in. It had just 40k on the clock. The book price was £2500 but it was in need of wanting £2000 spending on it (wheel refurb etc) so decided it had to go. Bought a 13Reg Citreon DS3 , 8500 miles,to replace it, I am still morning the loss of my BMW. I have owned 4 3 series coupe's and loved everyone of them. Not sure how long I will keep the DS3.
 
swiftflo said:
4 weeks ago traded my 3 series 54 reg M Sport coupe in. It had just 40k on the clock. The book price was £2500 but it was in need of wanting £2000 spending on it (wheel refurb etc) so decided it had to go. Bought a 13Reg Citreon DS3 , 8500 miles,to replace it, I am still morning the loss of my BMW. I have owned 4 3 series coupe's and loved everyone of them. Not sure how long I will keep the DS3.
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I'm picking up a 2007 330D M sport estate soon. Must admit I can't wait because those engines are just a pile of torque, but not looking forward to servicing bills lol.
 
CaveDweller said:
I'm picking up a 2007 330D M sport estate soon. Must admit I can't wait because those engines are just a pile of torque, but not looking forward to servicing bills lol.
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You going manual or auto?
 
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gman said:
You going manual or auto?
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Manual all the way for me. Would never have an auto (no offense to people who like them), I just like to have full control over my cars. well..as full control as the more modern cars let you have lol.
 
CaveDweller said:
Manual all the way for me. Would never have an auto (no offense to people who like them), I just like to have full control over my cars. well..as full control as the more modern cars let you have lol.
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I felt the same until I tried the BMW auto's, they are very good. Plus, getting stuck on the M42 twice in 2 weeks and having a manual Mini made me decide that an auto was the way forward. I quite often drive mine in manual mode anyway, especially when I'm in Sport or Sport +. I don't think I'll ever go back to a manual again, although the Mrs has a manual Mini One which I drive from time to time.
 
First time I tried an auto was a big old datsun.. nearly went through the windscreen at the first junction.. never tried one since.. I love driving and always have.. I love every part of it including my control.. dont want the car taking anyhting away from me :)
 
I've just bought a 323i SE Touring, 1998 (E36) with 118k miles, full history, previous owner is a part-time motoring writer so all jobs needed were done at mate's rates including new suspension at the front, two spare tyres included (he was given them by the first owner), properly fitted DAB radio, leather and air con options from the factory and a tow bar. It drives beautifully, the engine's smooth and it hasn't needed a drop of oil so far. There are a few rust spots that need rubbing back and blowing over before they spread further but as it cost £950 I'm ok with that :)
 
I never buy a car with a tow bar as you never know what it's been pulling! lol But sounds like you got lucky :)
 
gman said:
I never buy a car with a tow bar as you never know what it's been pulling! lol But sounds like you got lucky :)
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I wouldn't buy a car for that money and then have a tow bar fitted because you can spend up to half as much as the car cost to have it done if you want it done properly. The clutch was fine on the test drive and the engine doesn't sound as though it's ever been allowed to labour so I was happy enough. I agree that if you don't know much about cars then it's more of a risk but then I wouldn't recommend bangernomics to someone who doesn't know anything about cars anyway.
 
gman said:
I never buy a car with a tow bar as you never know what it's been pulling! lol But sounds like you got lucky :)
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Are you posting that from 1955

Modern cars don't fall apart because they've towed 800kg of caravan about
 
You don't know what they've been towing, i prefer to pass.
 
wack61 said:
Are you posting that from 1955
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haha I am gulty of this type of thing.. not buying used cars with tow bars was instilled into me and somehting thats stuck.. but your right.. nowerdays not so much a problem..
 
I'm still of the opinion that it can depend on the previous driver and how competent they were. They could have been towing above the safe towing weight of the car (about 85% of the max. kerb weight) such as a boat or large fully loaded caravan. Obviously the clutch is the main worry and not always a cheap fix, but there's also the extra stress on suspension. If you are going to tow and know what to check for when buying then I agree it makes more sense to buy one with a towbar already fitted. I don't tow, so I don't want to have to remove a towbar!

It's bad enough seeing how people go over speed bumps and pot holes without a care never mind having to factor in towing lol
 
Yves Geza said:
Generally budget for engine repairs sooner rather than later at 6 figure mileages. Of course individual cars may differ - for example our 175,000 mile Renault Laguna dog-taxi has perfect working electrics - but that would be the reputation of a £1000 BMW
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LOL that must have been the prototype as we all know French Car and Electrics are only said by Auto sparks as they upgrade there home and tell the bank manager how they will fund the loan:D


TRUE
 
I bought an Escort with a tow bar, 47,000 miles on the clock.

Had to replace both rear wheel bearings within 10,000 miles due, I suspect, to immersion in salt water launching a boat.......
 
Not sure if all car manufacturers conduct the same test, or even if aftermarket towbar manufacturers carry out anything similar, but at work they hook the car up to a steel post buried in the ground. The car is connected up to sensors measuring the loads on suspension and body as the car is driven away until it takes up the slack in the cable, then monitoring everything under load.
 
gman said:
I never buy a car with a tow bar as you never know what it's been pulling! lol But sounds like you got lucky :)
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I always do as it saves me getting one fitted.
 
gman said:
I'm still of the opinion that it can depend on the previous driver and how competent they were. They could have been towing above the safe towing weight of the car (about 85% of the max. kerb weight) such as a boat or large fully loaded caravan.
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The towing weights are listed in the handbook and/or on the chassis plate. It is a function of many things - engine power, gearing etc., not just the weight of the tow vehicle. Traditionally they were the weight that could be started up a 1 in 8 hill.

85% is a recommendation from the Caravan Club, it means nothing. A Land Rover (towing weight 3500kg) does not weigh 4117kg!
 
Good to know, thanks for that. Although Land Rovers and similar are a little more specialised when it comes to towing than your regular car.
 
@LASTOLITE et al - the Renault Laguna estate you laughed at, came to me for free with 143,000 miles on the clock and a towbar on the back. I'm fairly sure that was why the rear axle bushes and rear dampers were tired and were soon replaced.

I know I still live in 1955, but so do my engineering principles :D
 
Yves Geza said:
@LASTOLITE et al - the Renault Laguna estate you laughed at, came to me for free with 143,000 miles on the clock and a towbar on the back. I'm fairly sure that was why the rear axle bushes and rear dampers were tired and were soon replaced.

I know I still live in 1955, but so do my engineering principles :D
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Nowt wrong with 1955 engineering!! But there is something wrong with a french car with that mileage and reliability.....sure its not a Honda underneath..:D
 
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