BMW E46 3 series - What to look for

[Kickstart]

Hi

Possibly looking at one of these. Probably a 318 (2 litre). Hopefully with the optional extra indicators.

Reading around and the only consistent thing that I have found to be an issue so far is the window regulators.

What else goes wrong? Where do they rust?

All the best

Keith
____________________
Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Nb]

I expect you've probably already seen this. Good cars on the whole, but ive had a few e46 n42 engine cars in at work with low miles on that have broken timing chain tensioners.

https://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=1007722
____________________
Cbr1100xx blackbird gone, mk4 golf gt tdi chav now
Colin1 wrote 'Im grateful for what i can get, which isnt all that much.'
Columbus travel insurance are crap!! Do not use!

[daemonoid]

[Kickstart]

[arry]

These things:

https://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk301/arryR32/Picture166.jpg

Specifically, rather than just the whole arm (although balljoints will likely be shot anyway), the lollipop bush. Good quality replacement whole arms like those in the pic are £250 the pair. You can polyflex the lollipop for about £60 but they still 'oval' after time giving a judder at speed / light braking situations. They kick them out every 30k motorway miles or so.

Rust wise they go front and rear arch lips as the liners collect crud big time. Otherwise, fairly solid.

Early cars had issues with rear subframes cracking but mainly the higher power/torque variants and it was only early cars from what I can work out. Mine's an early 330d and doesn't have this issue.

Rear springs have been known to snap

Front occupancy sensor mat which controls the air-bag deployment for passenger seat / side impact bags can fail sending the airbag light on and rendering the whole system inoperative - about £400 for a new one OR you can go pikey like I did and stick a £10 resistor pack in there; bypasses the mat to suggest the passenger seat is always occupied - downside, all airbags go off in an accident.

Not sure on the 318's specifically as I've not owned a BM of petrol variety of that era but I know the petrols suffer with faulty and therefore very noisy DISA valves. Seems an easy fix, but another thing to listen for (plenty of youtube videos).

They've a minor tendency to have ABS / DSC faults but I'd say no more than any other car.

I think that's about it really.

[Northern Monkey]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Are the arms easy to change? Presume easy enough but you never know.

Had an Alfa 156 so fairly used to occasional suspension arms being replaced (upper arm on those are a doddle, lowers are a bit of a pain).

All the best

Keith
____________________
Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[arry]

[defblade]

[spikenipple]

The head gasket is known to go on the N42 B20 engines if the cooling system isn't looked after. I'd suggest fitting a new coolant level sensor so you know that yours isn't playing up...sometimes it comes on for no apparent reason, sometimes it doesn't come on when it should...

I had to replace the head gasket on mine and it's a pig of a job!! That, however, was thanks to some mickey mouse garage fitting a straight bit of silicon hose between the block & thermostat housing where the original is a profiled piece. The pipe kinked and the engine overheated horribly.

Again, seat occupancy sensor on the passenger side, and the seatbelt sensor wiring underneath the driver's seat breaks after some time, especially if you move the seat about a lot. The original kidney grille clips will break eventually, they're about £30 for a set of (non genuine) on ebay.
____________________
C50 > GN250 > XJ600 > SV650S K7 > 2001 RSV Mille R > MT-09, XR400R > 2005 Fireblade (trackbike) + 2022 MT-09 + ZXR400 race bike

[Kickstart]

Hi

Just to follow up on this, we landed up buying a 318. Does the job and has a half decent unbraked towing capacity.

Although to be honest it is a bit meh as a car.

All the best

Keith
____________________
Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[bEN_]

I've got a 316i e46, currently sat on ramps, the cooling system on them is very poor and fragile ( as i'm sure you already know )

first the expansion tank went ( small crack ) then the thermostat, which i just removed and left it as is, meh.
then the aux fan died, and all this was happening while going to work and back every day

oh and also a prev owner had stuck a shit ton of radiator sealant in it so some of the pipes were clogged up, i'm still discovering things wrong with it while it's not going anywhere
____________________
2010 Ducati 848 Dark

Lamp Post Enthusiast

[P.]

Brother in law used to work at BMW as mechanic.

As far as he is concerned, he would not touch a 4 pot BMW. When I was looking at a 318 he advised me to steer clear and sent me photos of holed pistons, blown head gaskets, cracked bores and a chewed, swarf filled engine cover where the cam chain had chewed into the block.

I bought a 323Ci instead After an E36 328i, I never rated either of them.

[bEN_]

I'm going to part ex mine and go for a 320d or something, it's the most i've ever spent on a car ( usually would never go above £500 ) and this one has been the most unreliable by a long way
____________________
2010 Ducati 848 Dark

Lamp Post Enthusiast

[STONEY!]

Hmmm just bought a 323ci on a bit of a whim, think I done ok its very tidy has a years mot and full service including water pump 126000 runs drives sweet bog standard £500.

What should I look out for (should have asked before I bought it really lol)

[defblade]

[Kickstart]

[Vracktal]

My experience so far (E46 facelift 320i estate)

Front arches rust like buggery, they're triple skinned and if grit/dirt clogs up in between them it traps water and they corrode from the inside out. If yours looks like this, assume the worst.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-zVPkvXHUgo8/UnUW5Bmi6mI/AAAAAAAAA2o/eshzCbQlifA/s720/20131102_150458.jpg

I'd check inside the front arches on yours Keith, just for peace of mind.
____________________
2007 BMW R1200R: On road
2009 BMW G650X Challenge: On road
1975 Norton Commando 850: Off road, awaiting recommissioning

[dodsi]

I bought my 323ci in june for £1200 with 78k miles and FSH. So far has been so good. Not exactly fuel efficient and has some rusting on one of the front arches.

But as a 'throw away' carits comfortable and fast enough and nice to just waft around in.

Non car People also assume you are loaded when you drive one, which I find odd.

[Kickstart]

Hi

Car is misbehaving. Running REALLY badly. Plugged EOBD fault code reader in and it reported P0300, P0301, P0302 ad P0304. That is multiple cylinder misfire, misfire on 1, misfire on 2 and misfire on 4 (although given it manages to run, probably not all at once).

Found a crumbling small hose which comes off the main intake hose from the airbox to the MAF sensor, but nothing else. And it is a complete git to get the airbox back on.

All the best

Keith
____________________
Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[bEN_]

[Kickstart]

Hi

It is trying to get the intake pipe onto the airbox, while also getting the small air box (comes off the intake hose) located as well. Would have been far easier if the lid came off the airbox easily from above as you could then just locate the pipe from the inside.

All the best

Keith
____________________
Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[spikenipple]

Can you upload a picture of the pipe in question?
____________________
C50 > GN250 > XJ600 > SV650S K7 > 2001 RSV Mille R > MT-09, XR400R > 2005 Fireblade (trackbike) + 2022 MT-09 + ZXR400 race bike

[Quornholio]

Holy shit!

A subject Kickstart doesn't know about!!!
____________________
https://i.imgur.com/fMrhZnH.jpg?1
Everyone give this dood green karma pls --> https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=4045389#4045389
XxXxX

[Kickstart]