What To Look For When Buying Your E46!

[Steviejay]

The Pro Buying Guide First

Buyers' guide: BMW E46 3-series (1998 to present)

Last Updated: 12:01am BST 28/04/2004

What's good

More comfortable and refined than E36 predecessor. Coupé arrived spring 1999, Touring autumn 1999 and Cabrio spring 2000. Improved suspension and steering from April 2001. Facelift Sept 2001, air-con standard across range, plus sharper steering and suspension for coupés. Facelifted 320d boosted to 150bhp. Improved warranty from Nov 2001. 316i saloon and Touring relaunched April 2002 with UK-built 1,796cc 115bhp Valvetronic. Coupé gets facelift early 2003. From Feb 2003, six-speed manual gearbox and dynamic stability control as standard. Sequential five-speed SMG box on 330CI from Feb 2003. M3 CSL from August 2003, with 360bhp and less weight. BMWs generally had below average warranty repair costs in 2003 Warranty Direct Reliability Index. 1998-2000 petrol cars lowest for breakdowns and faults, average for problems; 2000-2003 average for breakdowns, problems and faults in 2003 Which? survey.

BMW E46 3-series (1998 to present)

What's bad

Replacement due 2005. Heavier than E36, so uses more fuel. Thermostat problem with 318i and some six-cylinder models. Premature front suspension balljoint failure. Spate of snapping rear coil springs. Air-con fault can flatten battery if car left parked for two weeks. Turbo failure on 320d 150bhp.

What to watch out for

Make sure electric radiator fan works – even if it does, a previous failure could mean head gasket trouble. Front suspension clonks mean balljoint or wishbone bush problems. Clonks from the rear mean a coil spring has snapped.

Recalls

1999 (from April 1998): brake pedal can become disconnected; over-sensitive side airbag trigger. 15/12/1999 (Sept/Oct 1999 build): brake light switch may overheat. 1/8/2001 (1,659 cars built 1/2-18/5/2001): radiator fan motor fault could lead electrics to overload and motor to fail. 3/11/2000 (887 cars built 4/9-7/10/2000): inside rims of alloys damaged. 9/11/2001 (built 28/9-24/10/2001): cuts in Continental tyres.

And Now Everyone Else's Views, People That Actually Own The Cars

What should people look at before they buy an E46. List the common problems, and just the normal should dos. When we get a nice list, I'll get it consolidated and ask a mod to park it.

If you are buying a high mileage E46 ask if:

-the water pump, tentioner, belts, and control arm bushings have been replaced. First three should be done by 80,000, second every 45-50,000.

-Is the suspension still original?

-Make sure all the windows go up and down as they should as does the sunroof. Window regulators tend to go out.

-If you are buying an 01 330 be aware of the over boosted steering (it is soft)

-Check all of the vin numbers on the panels to make sure they line up

-Run your fingers along the sides of the panels (inside the door where the sticker is, the ledge where the fenders meet the trunk & hood.) If it feels like fine grain sandpaper, you have found overspray-- the car has been repainted. If you find overspray, tap your fingers on the panel that has been repainted. If it suddenly sounds different, you have found bondo

-Check for rear subframe damage. It will be under the car, between the wheels and around the differential. a torn subframe looks like this:

01 325s have the boosted steering also. dont just have the specific 01 330

Inspect (plastic) fan blades on high mileage cars (>100K???). They've been known to come flying off (although I seem to recall hearing that this was more common on E36s). Example:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...an+blades+hood

Inspect radiator expansion tank. It sometimes cracks and starts leaking.

Edit: Rough idling. I seem to recall that there's a TSB on replacing Bremi coils with Bosch, or something like that. Other causes may include bad sensors (camshaft, etc.), bad VANOS (bad news if it is), bad motor mounts, etc.

Also, although you've touched upon these, you might want to emphasize:

Sunroof clips. The sunroof shade should slide smoothly, without moving from side-to-side. Maybe you should also have a pointer to one of the sunroof shade DIYs (the same goes for the window regulators)?

You should also mention that the windows should not make any click/clack sounds when going up or down, as that is another sign of impending regulator death.

Coupe headliner trim (next to both doors). They're glued on and will often detach (you forgot to mention this -- people new to BMWs may not realize what you meant). Some info on how to use the 3M Super Weatherstrip Adhesive as a DIY would also be good.

Also:

Supposedly, E46 vehicles produced between March 1, 2003 and July 21. 2003 may have a problem where the battery can be quickly discharged when the car is not used for a couple of days. Basically, changing two or more air conditioning or heater settings in a single ignition cycle can result in 800mA being drawn when the car is off, which can drain a battery in a couple days or so. The service information bulletin on this is "SI B 61 11 03 October 2003" (I don't know if a newer one exists). Reference: post #2 of:

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...=battery+drain

Supposedly, some steptronic transmissions produced by GM between 2002(?)-2004(?) have a problem where, if the car has been sitting unused for 24 hours or more, the transmission can slip (car won't move) when the car is started, put into reverse, driven in reverse for a short distance, and then placed into drive. The slip time can be anywhere from a few seconds to up to around 40 seconds. Reference:

http://forum.bmwboard.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8461

Not really related to buying an E46, but what about the CDV? Should that be mentioned?

E46s built between 2/2001 and 4/2001 could have a defective engine aux/cooling fan, which could result in overheating, smoldering of fan circuitry, and a possible fire. BMW should have notified affected owners of this.

Reference (note: original website appears to be dead -- the following is from the wayback machine):

http://web.archive.org/web/200304130.....;/tech_tsb.html

Ah, here's the NHTSA bulletin:

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/pr...intVersion=YES

Here are some more interesting items. Fortunately, the number of affected cars seems to be fairly low. Note that this is NOT a complete list (sorry for the caps, but these are just cut-and-pasted from the NHTSA website):

2001 325i/330i. Potential Number Of Units Affected : 1914

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE MACHINE USED TO MOUNT AND INFLATE THE TIRES ON THE WHEELS AT THE ASSEMBLY PLANT MAY HAVE DAMAGED THE INNER RIM FLANGE OF THE WHEELS.

Consequence: THIS COULD LEAD TO A SUDDEN LOSS OF AIR FROM THE TIRE AFFECTING HANDLING AND VEHICLE CONTROL.

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 00V383000

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/pr...intVersion=YES

2002 325i/330i. Potential number of cars affected: 4672.

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, DURING THE STRUT MOUNT MANUFACTURING PROCESS, THE THRUST BEARING WAS NOT PROPERLY POSITIONS AND SECURED. IF THE SUSPENSION IS FULLY UNLOADED, THE FRONT STRUT COULD SEPARATE FROM THE UPPER MOUNT.

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 02V057000

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/pr...intVersion=YES

2002 325xi. Potential number of cars affected: 799

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A PROBLEM IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF THE REAR BRAKE ROTORS MAY HAVE RESULTED IN THE CREATION OF A CRACK WHERE THE BRAKE DISC AND THE PARKING BRAKE DRUM MEET. FURTHER CRACKING OF THE ROTOR COULD OCCUR DUE TO BRAKING TORQUE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN AND THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. THE BRAKE DRUM, CONNECTED TO THE WHEEL HUB, WOULD COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM THE DISC.

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 02V088000

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/pr...intVersion=YES

2003 325i/325ci/330i. Potential Number Of Units Affected : 13100

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE WINDOW LIFTING ANTI-PINCHING DEVICE MIGHT NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY.

Consequence: OCCUPANTS COULD BE PINCHED BY A WINDOW THAT IS BEING CLOSED.

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 03V160000

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/pr...intVersion=YES

2003 325i/325ci. Potential Number Of Units Affected : 1056

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER AND SPORT WAGON VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, AND THE VEHICLE AT REST, AN INCREASE OF ENGINE IDLE SPEED (UP TO 1,300 RPM) MAY OCCUR.

Consequence: IF A GEAR IS SELECTED, THE DRIVER MAY FEEL AS IF THE VEHICLE IS BEING PUSHED.

Door handles...lol...check the door handles and see if they've been repaired, and by who. From what ive been searching for online (since mine had an issue late last week that has since been fixed) the door handles tend to have issues on some E46's.

Also, on the 01 330's and 3 series, the door opening gaskets tend to come loose.

This causes the gasket to hang from the top of the door opening and the rear of the door opening. This is a common problem and is more noticeable in southern climates. The door gasket is the piece of fuzzy trim material that goes around the inside of the entire door opening, except for the floor area.

It is replaceable through the dealer for about $200 dollars and easy to install, however, it's a very annoying problem and no good way to fix it, besides replacment.

1. Rear lower control arms! Why is it that every redneck tow truck driver has to hook J-hooks on these flimsy things?!, but seriously it happens a-LOT so look at em, it affects alignment

2. Modifications: let's face it BMW isn't perfect, but whoever decided before you that they knew more than the countless droves of anal-retentive engeneers that designed the car, is most likely an idiot. so make sure that all parts are original or "tastefully" modified and not Autozone Crap

3. Cam position sensors. They go bad... nuf said

4. Ignition coils. okay these get tricky cause you can't really bust open the engine covers to check, but the original BREMI pencil coils are trash if they have the plastic bodies, the updated ones will have a metal shielding. YOU WILL GET MISSES EVENTUALLY WITH THE OLD BREMI'S

5. Service checklist. I'm a tech, so sue me, but there is nothing like having a car that a bunch of money ungr techs look over at every service. if the car has a long service list, the prior owner probably bought all the stuff too, which means less to worry about.

6. front lower control arm bushings. That annoying "clunk" you hear every time the brakes are applied is the sound of the Lower control arm bushings deteriorating, Trust me REPLACE THEM IF THEIR BAD, the consequences of letting them go too far are expensive.

7. right and left frontal underbody covers: every dits that has run over a parking lot bumper in a parking space risks tearing off these parts. they will house the exterior temp sensor and the heated washer nozzle temp sensor (the long skinny one is exterior temp) and if the Ext temp sensor is missing, guess what, you have no A/C.

8. Main Belt tensioner: this one get's tricky to explain. the regular mechanical tensioner is spring loaded to hold tension on the belt, the UPDATED tensioner is hydraulic and act's like a shock. the mechanical type will over time make a horrific howling noise.

9. Strut mount Pins: Okay this one is iffy. there are pins in the strut tower from the factory that require "punching out" before an alignment is performed, so if they are missing, the car MAY have been in a wreck, it is not sure fire, but it should raise your eyebrows if they are missing

10. Harsh 2-1 downshift: this is a software issue in the EGS(transmission) module, with a reprogramming from your local Bimmer dealer it can be easily fixed. note there MAY be other problems, this is just the quickest fix, and is not uncommon

11. Blown Cig lighter fuse. not huge, just to note BMW's official stance is that the Cigarette lighter is ONLY for the lighting of Cigarettes, and other devices like Cell phone charges may blow the fuse, and don't be an idiot, put the same damn size fuse back in the holdster, otherwise you fry the wiring

12. Seat belt tensioners: just a common problem that develops with age, it will cause the SRS light to come on

13. Sun roof shade. Okay, the shade comes apart due to the slide in the roof, so If you see the shade is a little loose BACK AWAY FROM THE CAR, this is an expensive customer pay job. if it is still warranty, your in the green, but you are looking in the thousands to do this job if it is coming from your own pocket

14. Various burnt bulbs and sockets. in the front turn signals the socket and bulb burns, it's 20-30 bucks to fix per side. nothing huge

15. Door seals on Coupe's. These seals are known for pealing off at the edges, they are farily expensive @ $200 for one seal not including labor, but it happens. so if your buying a coupe, get ready for this repair

16. Window Regualtors. One of the most predominant problems with bimmers. These regulators are a light weight design and break often. if you hear a tell-tale clicking in the window when moving up or down, it's gonna need a regualtor soon

This covers the most predominant concerns on an E46 that I have done so far. These cars are great when taken care of and a burden if left uncared for. hopefully this will aid you in purchasing that E46 of your dreams.

bulging strut towers. they're a weakpoint in the e46 engineering and could drastically effect the handling of the car, should they be compromised.

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...87&postcount=4

turner motorsports produces a reinforcement kit that i would strongly advise anyone to purchase... also, if your car did not come with a strut tower brace... i would make that your FIRST purchase/mod for the car.

All panels connecting to each other should be absolutely flush. If not the car may have been in a wreck. Also check for any small bubbles or loose paint on bumpers it may have been painted over after being hit.

Some of these problems are covered with a dealer-certified car and others are not. While the obvious is true (e.g., you must do oil changes or the warranty expires, the drive train is essentially covered but tires, brakes, belts, batteries, clutch are not) have them go over the fine PRINT with you. I emphasize PRINT because if they just tell you what's covered and what isn't, you won't get the whole story and if you did you probably couldn't retain all details. If instead, they SHOW you a written policy, you can go over it line by line, ask your questions, and generally get the right answers.

IT AIN'T AN ASIAN CAR

So for god sakes the ZONE would like to say..................avoid one that looks like this:

If the car looks good in person, don't forget to have a mechanic give you a pre-purchase inspection, also run a carfax. A clean looking car can still have a dirty past.

[joey_d]

Words! So many scary words! Mine is out having an inspection II at the moment. I have a dodgy idle and they suggest the camshaft sensor - lets see what the diagnostic says. 75K miles and I think the control arms may not be as they once were either.

I hope German engineering overcomes

[muly]

Good sticky stevie, although it does make the e46's sound a terrible car for problems lol

[Steviejay]

Good sticky stevie, although it does make the e46's sound a terrible car for problems lol

LOL anything mechanical will have problems of one kind or another.

Just thank your lucky stars its not a Rover or Fiat Buying Guide!

[stringy93]

Good thread stevie. Im regreting buying an e46 now

Certainly explains the passenger side window clicking

[Dicky]

Mate that is a good guide, good for those on the look out and those who may have any of the symptons above

[jayla]

i bought my bmw privately did not get it checked buy mechanic. did not knw the person as well. car only had 19k miles on the car and mosty alll bmw service. and he gav me hpi report. hmm car is like 6 years old.

[Dirty Tool]

Lower Control Arm Bushing Failure

Common symptoms for torn or cracked lower control arm bushings are undesired front toe changes during cornering, vague and rubbery feel in the steering, and vibration experienced while braking at freeway speeds. Early model bushings are replaced with the larger late-model bushings for longer life.

Rear Differential Mount Failure

If you have a thunk from the rear of your E46, it may be a bad rear bushing. At this point, mileage has varied on Diff Mount failures, but we are seeing them more and more frequently. This failure can stress the subframe mounting points and contrinute to their failure, so we recommend replacing them at the earliest sign of failure.

Tie Rod Wear

Symtoms include: steering shimmy, clunking during steering input and inability to hold proper alignment. If any of the ball joint boots is cracked (you'll see grease coming out) then expect that component to need replacement. All components should also be checked for excessive play, and replaced if out of BMW spec.

Worn or Blown Shocks and Struts

Factory BMW shocks work great for about 30k. By 60k they are completely shot. Most folks who have been driving their cars since new hardly notice the deterioration as it is gradual. Symptoms include:Diving under braking and acceleration, excessive lean and suspension compression during cornering. Bouncy and uncomfortable ride. Shocks and struts may visibly leak shock oil. EDGE generally recommends replacing the factory units with quality shocks from Koni whenever possible. When replacing shocks and struts, keep in mind it is a great time to install lowering springs or freshen up other areas of the suspension. You will be amazed at the difference a good set of shocks can make in both comfort and performance!

Worn or Failed Swaybar Endlinks

Worn swaybar endlinks can compromise handling. A worn swaybar can sound like a metallic clicking noise. There is no critical danger in a failed swaybar endlink, but the handling of the car is severely compromised.

Torn Rear Trailing Arm Bushings (RTABs)

E46's are prone to the same RTAB failure as the E36. In fact, since they are heavier cars, they tend to wear faster on the E46. If the rear of the car feels strange during cornering or you have excessive rear tire wear, expect that your RTABs are shot. Typical mileage for the E46 is around 35-45k. Failure to replace could lead to torn subframe and costly repairs. EDGE recommends replacement with factory units and RTAB limiting shims. The shims prevent excessive movement and can double the life of the bushing.

Torn Rear Shock Mounts

Torn or destroyed rear shock mounts will produce a very pronounced clunk during any sort of suspension movement, and could possibly just tear right through the trunk carpeting into the passenger cabin. Sloppy and erratic handling and excessive rear suspension play are common symptoms of a RSM failure.

Torn Subframe and Subframe Bushings

Torn subframe bushings could lead to subframe failure. Common symptoms of subframe failure are erratic handling and unidentified clunks and bangs from the rear of the car. Early detection of a torn or cracked subframe bushing can prevent costly subframe repair and welding. We see subframe issues mainly appearing in tracked and autocrossed E46's, but we have swapped out cracked bushings in higher mileage E46's as well.

Torn or Cracked Transmission Mounts

Torn transmission mounts could lead to the dreaded 'money shift,' or mechanical overrev and the possible (and likely) destruction of the car's motor. Worn transmission mounts allow for an excess amount of transmission movement. Symptoms can be hard, notchy and forced shifting during cornering, excessive shifter jerk during hard acceleration and braking, and muddy shifter feel.

Stock replacements are just "OK" we recommend replacing them with stronger aftermarket units.

Ripped or Failed Guibo

A torn guibo (Flex Disc) will result in a perceivable 'drivetrain elasticity.' Acceleration will be preceded with a loud clunk as the guibo bolts bind together.

Electronic Thermostat Failure

E46's use electronically controlled thermostats which are prone to failure every 60k or so. When they fail, they will throw an SES light. In "failed" mode, the engine will run about 10 degrees hotter than normal. Fuel mileage will suffer.

Water Pump Failure

Water pump failure is without a doubt the easiest way to cause extensive and expensive damage to your BMW. The main symptom will be a rapidly overheating motor. What occurs is that the bearing or impeller on the stock pump, breaks, completely disabling the cooling system. If you ever see the temperature gauge on your BMW climb above the 3/4 mark,

TURN THE CAR OFF IMMEDIATELY AND CALL A TOW TRUCK!!

We can't stress this enough. Failure to catch the overheating motor in time can result in a warped head or even more severe engine damage. We recommend changing out the waterpump in six cylinder cars every 60-80k.

Cracked Radiator Necks

BMW loves their plastic radiator tanks....Unfortunately...The plastic around the radiator necks become brittle and crack with age, often without warning (see warning above.) Radiators should be thought of as 80-100k mile wear items. Trust us, this is cheap insurance!

Electric Fan Failures

Early E46 manual transmission cars have no engine-driven fan. They rely solely on the electric fan which is prone to failure. If you see the temp climbing, PULL OVER and CALL A TOW TRUCK. Trust us.

Fan Clutch Failure

Most fan clutches fail between 80 and 100k miles. They provide the primary cooling for your car, and are easy for us to diagnose.

Accessory Belts and Tensioners

Worn tensioners and idler pullies will make a squealing noise from the engine bay. Belts should be inspected for cracks regularly. If a belt happens to snap, the cooling system will fail as the water pump will cease to operate. Power steering and the alternator will also fail to work. Again, pull over and shut the car off immediately should you suspect a belt failure or see the temperature gauge rise past the 3/4 mark.

Valve Cover Gasket

Prevalent on all BMWs, a burning oil smell could indicate a leaky valve cover gasket. If the condition continues unchecked, oil can seep into the spark plug holes and damage the ignition coils, resulting in costly replacement. Replacement of this inexpensive gasket is a good idea when changing sparkplugs as the coilpacks will already be out.

O2 Sensor Failure

Poor mileage, poor idle and flat spots in the power curve could be caused by bad O2 sensors. Even if your car isn't throwing a check engine light, they may not be performing optimally. BMW recommends replacing the O2 sensors every 100k miles. Extended high-RPM running/racing and high-performance chips may shorten the replacement cycle.

Oil Separator

Non M cars. If you have a poor idle and periodic Check Engine lights, you may have a bad oil seperator. This valve tends to go bad and introduce a vacuum leak which produces the above symptoms and will eventually strand you somewhere. Typical mileage seems to be around 80k. The good news is that the part is only around $75..the bad news is that the labor runs about 4 hours, depending on the year of the car.

Power Steering Lines

ALL BMWs!!! The swedged ends on the BMW lines start seeping and eventually leaking heavily. Check your fluid often and look for leaks. When its time, replace all of them AND the reservoir as it contains the filter for the system.

Clogged/Dirty Pollen Filter

If the flow of air out of the air conditioning and heater system is not as strong as it used to be, it strongly suggests the pollen microfilter of your car has become dirty and clogged over time. A damp and musky smell can also indicate a dirty filter. This is a service II replacement item.

http://edgemotorworks.com/index.php?option...5&Itemid=55

[sprintman]

Words! So many scary words! Mine is out having an inspection II at the moment. I have a dodgy idle and they suggest the camshaft sensor - lets see what the diagnostic says. 75K miles and I think the control arms may not be as they once were either.

I hope German engineering overcomes

If you think LCA (ball joints) and FCAB's last 75,000 miles you living are in la la land!

[Whitebits]

Great tips, prevention is better than cure, so once you buy it get it checked and serviced regularly, small niggles usually turn into larger ones if ignored!