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Crustashio posted:If you're getting an O2 sensor code consistently, chances are it's bad. As velocibacon said, look at that first along with MAF. Something is messing up when the engine goes into closed loop. Just to add to this the ECU in the e34 seems to handle switching over to closed loop really badly if something is wrong. I had a bad o2 sensor and it did something similar on every start, right around the quarter mark on the temp gauge.
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Feb 15, 2014 03:45
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Keyser S0ze posted:It's a huge drawback to the 4, they didn't upgrade any of the interior bits over the 3 but are still asking for a premium. The tablet styled nav is also ugly as well as the boomerang thing and the connected to the grille headlights...I'm gonna agree with the 5 series yuppie snobs on Bimmerfest that you have to be in at least a 5 for the interior to really be where it needs to be in a $50k+ car. So I just picked up stripper 335ix with the sport package back in December and man was I disappointed when I saw the 4GC come out. It's a lovely looking car and it fixes some of the little things I don't like my 3.
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Feb 15, 2014 14:21
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Went to cars and coffee today and a dude just received his E30 M3 white on red interior. Only 70,000 miles and it is amazing! I snapped a photo, I'll upload one later. What made it perfect was a 190E Costworth showed up shortly after, it was a boxy German party
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Feb 15, 2014 19:48
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Hey guys. I'm a very light-weight car-person so I could really use your advice here. I'm moving into the city and I won't have much need for my 1999 323i any longer and I would love to sell it. It's been very assiduously maintained ever since I got hold of it in 2008, but it's obviously still an old vehicle and a few to-be-expected repairs are coming up: I'm told by my trusty BMW shop that the manual transmission, the cooling system and one of the wheel bearings are going to have to be replaced within the next 3k miles (about 5+ grand worth of repairs). Additionally the car a couple of windshield chips and has been damaged on one side my limescale dripping down and not really coming off because it's on the paint. I've never sold a car before, so I don't know what I should be aiming for. Right now this seems to go for about 5k on the local market, so I'm thinking I'll start mine at 4k and potentially get negotiated down to 3.5, but I'm also not sure anybody will even bother buying it considering that it's a bit of a project. I don't really know what to do. I'd love to get as much as possible for it, but I understand it's potentially a tough sale. Advice? DreadCthulhu fucked around with this message at 21:25 on Feb 15, 2014 |
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Feb 15, 2014 20:13
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DreadCthulhu posted:Hey guys. I'm a very light-weight car-person so I could really use your advice here. I'm moving into the city and I won't have much need for my 1999 323i any longer and I would love to sell it. It's been very assiduously maintained ever since I got hold of it in 2008, but it's obviously still an old vehicle and a few to-be-expected repairs are coming up: I'm told by my trusty BMW shop that the manual transmission, the cooling system and one of the wheel bearings are going to have to be replaced within the next 3k miles (about 5+ grand worth of repairs). Additionally the car a couple of windshield chips and has been damaged on one side my limescale dripping down and not really coming off because it's on the paint. 1) Do you have the records for your assiduous maintenance? How many miles on the car, amigo? 2) Is it the E36 or E46 body style (99 was a change-over year): E36:  E46:  3) Cooling system and wheel bearings are things that the next owner should expect to replace. Is the manual transmission slipping (or are there any symptoms of failure)? Assuming you've got an E46, I'd take it to a good professional detailer, have them remove the limescale and give it a thorough interior detail (~$200), then I'd price it at $4500 firm. Stardotstar fucked around with this message at 00:24 on Feb 16, 2014 |
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Feb 16, 2014 00:22
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Stardotstar posted:onal detailer, have them remove the limescale and give it a thorough interior detail (~$200), then I'd price it at $4500 firm. lol what? MINT 323s are 4k cars on a good day if you find the right logo buyer. One with a broken transmission, in need of cooling system maintenance and wheel bearings is nowhere close. If it genuinely needs a new trans and not a clutch, pray that someone is crazy enough to give you 2k for it. If someone told me "well maintained" and said it needed a cooling system I'd probably laugh at them since that is always the one thing you need to keep in good shape.
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Feb 16, 2014 00:32
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Stardotstar posted:1) Do you have the records for your assiduous maintenance? How many miles on the car, amigo? 130k miles. 1. Yes, I have every single record of maintenance for the past 6 years. 2. It's an E46, the new style at the time. 3. The clutch isn't slipping yet, but I'm told it's going to get there in the next 3k miles if not sooner. Ok that's interesting, $4500 firm, I can work with that. Edit: it's specifically the clutch that's worn off, just to clarify. Question: is it actually reasonable to expect to be able to remove limescale from paint for cheap if it's pretty much stuck on there? I've heard some outrageous quotes up to thousands of dollars to get that taken care of, where they'll take the doors off and repaint them etc etc. Am I being ripped off? DreadCthulhu fucked around with this message at 00:36 on Feb 16, 2014 |
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Feb 16, 2014 00:34
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Stardotstar posted:Assuming you've got an E46, I'd take it to a good professional detailer, have them remove the limescale and give it a thorough interior detail (~$200), then I'd price it at $4500 firm. Yeah no. Sure BMWs tend to command a premium but not a chance. DreadCthulhu posted:3. The clutch isn't slipping yet, but I'm told it's going to get there in the next 3k miles if not sooner. So what is their reasoning for thinking it's on the way out if there is no slipping? DreadCthulhu posted:Ok that's interesting, $4500 firm, I can work with that. As Crustashio said, it's not even close to that price with 130k miles and a potentially bad transmission. Popete fucked around with this message at 01:00 on Feb 16, 2014 |
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Feb 16, 2014 00:57
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Popete posted:So what is their reasoning for thinking it's on the way out if there is no slipping? They said that when a mechanic at the shop sat behind the wheel and moved the car he could tell the clutch was on its way out, so they double-checked and it turned out to be heavily worn-out. I didn't notice anything, but then I also 100% don't have any other point of reference besides my own car. Popete posted:As Crustashio said, it's not even close to that price with 130k miles and a potentially bad transmission. Ok so what am I looking at then? 2k? DreadCthulhu fucked around with this message at 01:10 on Feb 16, 2014 |
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Feb 16, 2014 01:07
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DreadCthulhu posted:They said that when a mechanic at the shop sat behind the wheel and moved the car he could tell the clutch was on its way out, so they double-checked and it turned out to be heavily worn-out. I didn't notice anything If it's got a slipping clutch that's a service item, probably no more than $1k all together if you do absolutely none of the work yourself.
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Feb 16, 2014 01:18
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They're either feeding you a line to get you to pay for a clutch replacement you don't need, or they've already done 99% of the labour necessary to replace the clutch, since 'double checking' the clutch would imply they've already dropped the transmission out to inspect the friction plate and flywheel, in which case there's no extra work needed to just put it back together with the new parts instead of the old ones. If they're telling you this and they have not pulled apart the bellhousing to physically inspect the pressure plate, and your clutch isn't currently slipping, then it's fine and they're full of poo poo. Edit: And gotta agree with Crustashio, that's maybe a $2k car if you find the right buyer; it's a base model, it's not worth much. Militant Lesbian fucked around with this message at 02:47 on Feb 16, 2014 |
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Feb 16, 2014 02:44
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DreadCthulhu posted:Ok so what am I looking at then? 2k? You can do what you want, but I have lost count of how many BMWs I've bought and sold over the past 10 years. Maybe it's a regional thing, but you could absolutely get $4500 here in the PNW. Good records = $500-$1000 on top of whatever BS KBB price. As for the rest of it, seriously, caveat emptor. The clutch and wheel bearings are service items, just like brake pads/rotors or air filters. poo poo wears out periodically. If someone can't do the math to figure out that a 130k BMW that's 15 years old might need a clutch, well I guess they should shop at a dealership and pay $5000 more for exactly the same car. I'm not saying you guys are wrong about what *we* would pay for it, but I think you seriously underestimate the marketplace. A shiny car with good records is pretty much always worth $5k to someone, especially if it has less than 150k miles.
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Feb 16, 2014 02:53
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You would notice a slipping clutch. There is a fairly simple test - at slow speed (20-30mph) put it in 5th and floor it. If the revs spike AT ALL, the clutch is worn. If it slowly accelerates at a consistent rate the clutch is fine and you need a new mechanic.
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Feb 16, 2014 03:16
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Crustashio posted:You would notice a slipping clutch. There is a fairly simple test - at slow speed (20-30mph) put it in 5th and floor it. If the revs spike AT ALL, the clutch is worn. If it slowly accelerates at a consistent rate the clutch is fine and you need a new mechanic. That's not the best test. You need to sweep peak torque in the tallest gear that you can legally do that in. Punching it in top gear at low speeds gives the clutch an easy job of holding most of the engine torques. You want to see if it can hold ALL the torques. 
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Feb 16, 2014 04:02
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so my 2000 540I 6-speed has a problem. the abs, traction control and brake light keep coming on together (all yellow) and the abs and traction control stop working. I have checked the fluid and it is fine. how can I determine what the problem is? it is going to be snowing for the next few days and I would really like those systems to function.
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Feb 16, 2014 05:05
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Test wheel speed sensors. It can also be the ABS control unit. See: Why are my Traction Control (ASC/DSC), ABS and Brake lights illuminated?
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Feb 16, 2014 05:11
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Ziploc posted:That's not the best test. To add to this, just put it in 3rd gear at 4000 rpm and floor it while you're left foot braking to maintain the same speed. If the revs increase and your speed doesn't you need a clutch.
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Feb 16, 2014 05:44
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Popete posted:Yeah no. Sure BMWs tend to command a premium but not a chance. HotCanadianChick posted:Edit: And gotta agree with Crustashio, that's maybe a $2k car if you find the right buyer; it's a base model, it's not worth much. It's a $7500 car here, and he could price it for $6500 for a quick sale if he lived where I did. Used car prices vary by area. If DreadCthulhu has done his research and says that in his area it's a $5000 car, then it's not a $2000 one, and he should discount it depending on how eager he is to sell. The other option is a dutch auction and drop the price by $200/week or something. Captain Postal fucked around with this message at 07:41 on Feb 16, 2014 |
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Feb 16, 2014 07:18
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Has anyone done the power steering lines on a E39 540i? A local shop I *somewhat* trust says they only usually do the reservoir, and the two non-pressure lines going to it. They say the pressure line is rarely replaced. That being said, occasionally, especially when parking my steering has gotten a bit tougher. I've made sure to keep the level up, but perhaps if the pressure line is going, that could explain the steering. I looked up prices on pumps and I will do everything I can to avoid THAT option. Through pelican, I can get the two low pressure lines and the reservoir for less than $200 which sounds good. Anyone done this?
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Feb 16, 2014 07:42
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Deceptor101 posted:Has anyone done the power steering lines on a E39 540i? A local shop I *somewhat* trust says they only usually do the reservoir, and the two non-pressure lines going to it. They say the pressure line is rarely replaced. That being said, occasionally, especially when parking my steering has gotten a bit tougher. I've made sure to keep the level up, but perhaps if the pressure line is going, that could explain the steering. I looked up prices on pumps and I will do everything I can to avoid THAT option. Through pelican, I can get the two low pressure lines and the reservoir for less than $200 which sounds good. You really just need to see if it's leaking somewhere. Replacing return lines that aren't leaking and the resivoir if it's not damaged or leaking is pointless. Get under the car and inspect the rack, or pay someone else to. It's true that the pressure lines are very rarely replaced in any vehicles. Are you having to keep putting PS fluid in to keep it topped off properly?
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Feb 16, 2014 07:46
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Deceptor101 posted:Has anyone done the power steering lines on a E39 540i? A local shop I *somewhat* trust says they only usually do the reservoir, and the two non-pressure lines going to it. They say the pressure line is rarely replaced. That being said, occasionally, especially when parking my steering has gotten a bit tougher. I've made sure to keep the level up, but perhaps if the pressure line is going, that could explain the steering. I looked up prices on pumps and I will do everything I can to avoid THAT option. Through pelican, I can get the two low pressure lines and the reservoir for less than $200 which sounds good. If a pressure line has a leak you will notice in a big huge holy poo poo my car is gushing litres of fluid onto the pavement every minute sort of way.
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Feb 16, 2014 08:08
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8ender posted:If a pressure line has a leak you will notice in a big huge holy poo poo my car is gushing litres of fluid onto the pavement every minute sort of way. E46 here: Mine was just a damp connection at the joint on the high pressure side. It was slow enough that I only had to top up the reservoir every month or two. I replaced the hose with a wrecker one, and it lasted a few months before having the same issue. A new hose fixed it. Now the only leak is on the pump inlet hose clamp.
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Feb 16, 2014 10:24
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So I replaced the cap o-ring, cleaned everything up and now am only getting oily mess on the hoses below the reservoir. It looks like just the hose clamp areas going to the reservoir are leaking slowly. I read a guide that involved cutting the hose back to a non-clamped portion and using that, but I can't see that lasting very long. The reservoir swap was mentioned as a good idea as you can't replace the filter inside, but I did see that you can remove it and clean it with gasoline. I was thinking along the lines of, doing everything that's likely to need doing while I'm in there, but it's kind of right there, so the only thing I lose when working on it is ATF (which I'm already losing anyways)
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Feb 16, 2014 19:00
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8ender posted:Just to add to this the ECU in the e34 seems to handle switching over to closed loop really badly if something is wrong. I had a bad o2 sensor and it did something similar on every start, right around the quarter mark on the temp gauge. So I drove it to a 5k run yesterday and all was well. I replaced the other o2 sensor a few months ago. I guess I should have done both. Thanks for the advice. Bimmerfest was no help.
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Feb 16, 2014 20:39
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8ender posted:Just to add to this the ECU in the e34 seems to handle switching over to closed loop really badly if something is wrong. I had a bad o2 sensor and it did something similar on every start, right around the quarter mark on the temp gauge. So I drove it to a 5k run yesterday and all was well. It'll probably be back to its shot self tomorrow. I replaced the other o2 sensor a few months ago. I guess I should have done both. Thanks for the advice. Bimmerfest was no help.
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Feb 16, 2014 20:48
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I'm interested in getting a BMW for my next car. I've always wanted one, and I've found that you can get an E46 for ~5-7k. I am wary, however, of the maintenance costs. What is the average you could expect to put into a early 2000's 3 Series that has over 100k miles? What are some good things to look out for while I'm browsing (red flags and hidden deals, etc.).
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Feb 16, 2014 21:49
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A bit of an embarrassing question - does anyone know how far into the master cylinder I should push the small plastic connector that the line from the reservoir connects with? I get it in under what seems to be the first lip of the rubber grommet, but all of the pictures I have seen looks like it is installed deeper... The car in question is a 1992 325i. The master cylinder is the longer one that goes through the firewall and the small connector (BMW part #21521161628).
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Feb 16, 2014 22:41
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Stumpus posted:I'm interested in getting a BMW for my next car. I've always wanted one, and I've found that you can get an E46 for ~5-7k. I am wary, however, of the maintenance costs. What is the average you could expect to put into a early 2000's 3 Series that has over 100k miles? What are some good things to look out for while I'm browsing (red flags and hidden deals, etc.). It depends ENTIRELY on the car you wind up buying, which is why most of us preach about not looking at mileage but look for someone with a stack of maintenance records and ALWAYS get a PPI from a shop that deals in primarily BMWs or german cars. It also very much depends on how much you intend to DIY. Also the automatic transmissions tend to poo poo themselves around then, but on the bright side, the manuals are practically bulletproof. This is a good start for your reading if you're looking to buy an e46. (Some of this is slightly overkill to me, but it's good to know anyway) Assuming you start from a worst case example (Roughly off of the top of my head): GOD drat COOLING SYSTEM ($400-500) Tensioners/Belts ($200) Control Arms($300) Rubber poo poo under the hood ($100-200) Full Fluid/Filter Change ($200-ish) Shocks/Struts/springs ($1000-ish) Normally though, if you buy a good example maintenance isn't too bad. The cooling system and tensioners you'll want to take care of right away if they haven't been done or it's unknown when they last were done. Brakes run around $300ish to DIY with quality stuff. Oil changes are around $80, again DIY. It's not as cheap as a Honda or other driving appliance, but it isn't outrageous like some other luxury brands, especially if you are willing to do your own work.
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Feb 16, 2014 22:58
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Deceptor101 posted:Has anyone done the power steering lines on a E39 540i? I didn't replace any lines (probably should have), but I did replace the PS pump on my '97. While you are in there, make sure that all three nuts/bolts for the PS pump (two front one rear) are reinstalled with a dab of blue Loctite. They are known to back out, it happened to me and fragged my pump.
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Feb 16, 2014 23:37
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Stumpus posted:I'm interested in getting a BMW for my next car. I've always wanted one, and I've found that you can get an E46 for ~5-7k. I am wary, however, of the maintenance costs. What is the average you could expect to put into a early 2000's 3 Series that has over 100k miles? What are some good things to look out for while I'm browsing (red flags and hidden deals, etc.). I've never really disagreed with Viper as we tend to be the welcoming chorus but I would advise against a 46 in that price range as your first experience in the marque. If you're buying this as a "status car" well, you've missed the boat by a decade. These are getting on 12+ year old cars with sometimes frustrating electronics. You must be willing to DIY or it is absolutely not worth it to own one. Most of us drive these cars because we love them, the way they drive and/or we hate ourselves. Perhaps the first question you should ask yourself is why you want a beem in the first place. (and, nothing against you, Viper, I went back and re read your post and its DIY-advice heavy, op just seemed like he wanted to buy because "BMW.") SuperDucky fucked around with this message at 02:50 on Feb 17, 2014 |
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Feb 17, 2014 02:46
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Echoing the above post, if your not ready, just wait till bmw does one of those 299 lease deals. Otherwise you will end up with sheer frustration.
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Feb 17, 2014 03:11
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What is the enthusiast opinion on the E46 330i "M Performance Edition"? Is it a big enough step up from the 330i to be worth the price? Might as well get an M3?
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Feb 17, 2014 03:32
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I assume you mean the ZHP package. Its a great car. It really shouldn't be much more in price than a regular 330 but people do like to ask ridiculous prices just because of the package. Do you want a stiffer suspension and 100 more horsepower? (along with much higher maintenance/tire costs?) Then get the M3.
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Feb 17, 2014 03:35
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Do you mean the ZHP package? It's a nice set of upgrades but not always worth the premium that certain sellers expect.
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Feb 17, 2014 03:37
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I'm not seeing ZHP anywhere - here's an article and here's a CL ad for what I'm referring to. e: 10 more hp and 8 more ft/lbs of torque hardly seem like much of a performance gain.
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Feb 17, 2014 03:42
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Yeah thats a ZHP. I assume it goes by a different name in Canada much like in Europe.
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Feb 17, 2014 04:02
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VelociBacon posted:I'm not seeing ZHP anywhere - here's an article and here's a CL ad for what I'm referring to. It's far more than that, don't forget that it has a better differential drive ratio too.
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Feb 17, 2014 04:11
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Viper_3000 posted:It depends ENTIRELY on the car you wind up buying, which is why most of us preach about not looking at mileage but look for someone with a stack of maintenance records and ALWAYS get a PPI from a shop that deals in primarily BMWs or german cars. It also very much depends on how much you intend to DIY. Also the automatic transmissions tend to poo poo themselves around then, but on the bright side, the manuals are practically bulletproof. Here's one that just popped up in my area. Aside from the rims, which I'm not a fan of, it looks pretty legit. Is this around the price you would expect? http://www.ksl.com/auto/listing/1113581?ad_cid=3
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Feb 17, 2014 04:13
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VelociBacon posted:e: 10 more hp and 8 more ft/lbs of torque hardly seem like much of a performance gain. It's not, really. Performance is pretty much the same as a normal sport package 330i, though they do feel a bit sportier due to the slight suspension differences and shorter final drive. The ZHP package is US only, but Canada got more or less the same thing under that M-performance package moniker. They're nice if you can get a good deal on one, but don't overpay too much on one, they don't really add significant performance (I own and love my ZHP, but I got it for a decent price).
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Feb 17, 2014 04:26
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Stumpus posted:Here's one that just popped up in my area. Aside from the rims, which I'm not a fan of, it looks pretty legit. Is this around the price you would expect? I'd keep looking. Ugly wheels, bad tires, smoked tail lights, weird shift knob thing on an auto (and make no mistake, autos before the e90/e92 ZFs are really not very good), K&N filter, probably cheap rotors/pads, the list goes on. Only thing it really has going for it is a cooling system refresh, but if it was done by a dealership it may be using bad parts again anyway. If it were me, I'd look for a stock example, that has maintenance records. I'd also think about finding one that has factory xenon lights and premium package at a bare minimum. I never realized how much a difference it makes in night driving until I got a car with them. I'll never buy another car without them again. Also uh, it says that it has a sunroof and maybe it's some weird reflections or something but I don't see one on the roof.
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Feb 17, 2014 04:31
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