BMW E 46 - shite?

[Bren]

Are these as shit as I am led to believe?

 

Not interested in diesel - seen a 51 plate 318 se touring for £1295 with 116k on the clock. This is at a garage.

 

Aware of head gasket issues, rust -anything else?

[Cavcraft]

Oil leaks on the four cylinder ones, not especially fast (4cyl), moderately heavy on fuel if you welly them, the airbag light WILL be on (wire under driver's seat gets caught by rear passenger's feet) and the rear disc protector 'things' (thin metal plates) rot away.

The 6 cylinder ones certainly seem a better bet, my old 323 couldn't half go some.

[spike60]

Just sold the Lady's 53 318ci on Ebay for £1290, 11 months test, 5 tax, immaculate black, 104k. Aside from a taste for fully synthetic it was a nice thing, 1 coil in 17k/11months. Well poised on the road. Got well upset if oil cap not replaced properly which was harder than you'd think, brings EML light on. Had front/back brake pipes for test, usual German stuff.

[cort16]

[EssDeeWon]

Yep if your looking at an E46 go for a 6 pot, very good cars with pretty much bullet proof lumps.

 

My 318is (E36) appears to be GR9 in every department but only because its been pampered from new, 'normally' I wouldn't go for a 4 pot BMW.

[Pete-M]

My 318iS E36 was a likeable thing.

[Spiny Norman]

I quite like them, but to me, a BMW isn't a BMW without a nice straight 6. The 320 with the 2.2 probably isn't that much dearer to run overall and is a much nicer thing to drive.
 

[cort16]

The later straight six engines 2.2, 2.5, 3.0 aren't as robust as the the earlier ones. They leak oil from the filter housing, rocker cover gasket and if you're really unlucky the crank seal, which requires the box to come out. Have a good look at the under tray through the engine bay to see if there's any oil sitting.

 

The 316 and 318 are the same engine just with a different ecu. They're old 8v donks and pretty tough an go okay but they're not rapid. I think post 2001 the 4 bangers got a 16v motor, which is much more prone to poo itself and not the one fitted to the e36's. Basically pre-facelift ones are more robust. The 320i is probably pointless so got for 323i or a 328i.

 

For the love of god avoid the diesels!

[Mike D]

Ive got a 330ci clubsport as my daily and I absolutely LOVE it. My advice is go for the 330, all the 6's seem to be about the same on fuel, and I get more to the gallon from mine than my mate does out his 325. Typically, with my hefty boot, 27 round the doors, and 34/36 on a run.

 

If it feels a bit wooly at the front, it's more than likely the front wishbone rear bushes, not a particularly bad job to change, and that's about it. They sound ace, ride well, look good and for me are the whole package.

 

If you can get one with the upgraded Harman Kardon stereo too do it, it makes a big difference and sounds fantastic.

 

I <3 them

 

 

[Mike D]

Oh, and the only issues I've had are the alternator shat itself at 90 odd K, and it broke a rear spring. Full set of Eibachs were 160 quid though so no biggy. It's on 96K now, I've done 21K in it and haven't got bored yet

[EssDeeWon]

Nice. I had a 330ci M-Sport until May and had the front control arm bushes replaced, genuine BMW items are about £100 the pair plus fitting, IIRC.

 

For Bren an early E46 323i or 328i would be the best bet for around a grand.

[cort16]

Apparently the alternators in the x5 are water cooled. I bet that's expensive .

[saucedoctor]

Apparently the alternators in the x5 are water cooled. I bet that's expensive .

 

About 350 quid from what I've heard. Sounds expensive, but a TDCi Focus one is about he same.

[spike60]

Apparently the alternators in the x5 are water cooled. I bet that's expensive .

I think it's all the later V8 engines so 5 series as well, big Mercs too.

[gordonbennet]

E46 coupe one of the most handsome cars made in recent times.

 

It's finding one that Barry hasn't pissed about with thats the difficult part...oh and do not be tempted to fit ditchfinder Chinese shit tyres, family 320 compact nearly caught me out despite its electronics, full soddin unprovoked oversteer in the wet, daughter's tyre bloke had recently fitted two shitto wan king tyres to the arse end, i slung them buggers out and put some Vredesteins on it, sorted that little problem out.

[PiperCub]

All good info as I'm off to see a 323 saloon tomorrow for my next winter car! It's at some car dealers place and seems very tidy but is a bit over-priced so we'll see.

[EssDeeWon]

All good info as I'm off to see a 323 saloon tomorrow for my next winter car! It's at some car dealers place and seems very tidy but is a bit over-priced so we'll see.

 

If it has FSH it could be a good buy, but without that I wouldn't bother even at sub grand. 

 

Plenty of nice ones about for around £1k

[PiperCub]

The sales place wants about 1.6K - no chance, not off me anyway, looks very tidy from the photos (don't they all) has 119K up, allegedly has a fish (although I've heard that before!) and only a couple of owners - the last possible giffer-type. As it's a px'er, I'm going to lowball him with the 'cash-under-the-nose' routine if it's what I hope it is and see where we go from there.

[cort16]

For 1600 quid it'd need to be something very special

[EssDeeWon]

Yep I had a nosey at some E46 Saloon adverts recently before buying the 318is and £1295 seems to be the going rate for a tidy and well kept 323i Saloon between 1998 and 2001.

 

Most saloons look tidy because Barry and Kev prefer the Coupe models.

 

Take the oil filler cap off with the engine running make sure it doesn't stall.

[PiperCub]

Hadn't heard the oil-cap tip, thanks

The 323 is a V-plater, 1999 and is standard, no stupid wheels or other such bell-endery is visible.

 

I'm right in thinking the engine is chain not cambelt??

[cort16]

The problem with them is they're not as good people think they are. While they're well made they are over engineered which causes issues when then they go wrong.

Also front wings are a service item because of rot.

[PiperCub]

Aware of rust issues on the less well looked after ones, but the car aien't a keeper, it's just a hack (keep the GTi & 5 out of the shit) for about 6-8 months, then pass it on for what I paid.

[EssDeeWon]

Never a major issue with any of my straight sixes (323, 523, 330) but I only buy well kept examples with FSH.

 

Yep a chain driven engine, no cambelt worries 

 

£1600 is defo too much for a V plate 323 saloon unless its 'Extremely' good. Privately that should be about a grand, fuck dealers they get on my nerves, they probably paid £600 for it last week.

[Cavcraft]

Those coupe ones look a nice motor, quite fancy a six pot one before too long. Tayne has one, though I've forgotten what engine it is, 2.8 possibly.

[EssDeeWon]

Tayne has a 330ci Sport, same as I had until May. Highly recommended but you need to sort through Barry and Kevs shite examples to find a good one.

[Cavcraft]

Isn't there some issue with rear subframe mounts on the bigger engine earlier ones?

[320touring]

TBH, the e46 is not a patch on the e36, which is not a patch on the e30.

 

For a daily driver that is relatively reliable, easy to get parts for, and a bit of a boon to drive, you could do worse than an e36 328i.

 

The e46 is ok, but its super complicated for what it is, which is a small family saloon. That 320d I had was needlessly complicated in some areas (1hr to get the fucking air filter off) and barely suitable in others (1 bolt holding the damper onto the hub)

[spike60]

Isn't there some issue with rear subframe mounts on the bigger engine earlier ones?

Isn't that the E36? Or as well? I have 2.8 Z3 which is a E36/7 and I thought they were known for it too.

[cobblers]

Nah, the e46 does the subframe mount cracking thing too, a kid at work had his 330d off the road for a month while he fucked about welding stuff up cos hes a bit of a bufty.

 

Anyway my mother threw 4k at a trader for a metallic beige soft top auto 4 pot one of these a few months ago. It's slow as shit but it's better on juice than her old mk3 golf auto, and it drives really well. 

She bought it on a fucking credit card to see her through while she gets a mobility motor sorted, I was trying to talk her into a 330 Coupe so that I could rob it off her once she was sick of it, but an auto 318 floppytop is absolutely no use to me.