BMW Thread

[TouringTeg]

I recently purchased my first BMW. I am impressed so far.

E82 is a great size and 128i 135i and even 1M are quite the bargain for the performance you get. I have always been a fan of smaller size sports cars such as E30, E36 M3, E46 M3.

Feel free to discuss BMW's here!

[trollface]

How often does everything just meltdown and go to shit?

I want to buy a BMW, but I'm not into sadomasochism.

Please advise.

Srs question.

[BIC_BAWS]

A couple of us were using this thread: https://www.revscene.net/forums/5624...r-ride-18.html

[Simplex123]

@TouringTeg Do you still have your ITR? Come to the mainland this summer and we can have a BMW RS Meet/Drive

@BIC_BAWS I forgot if it was this week or the previous but i actually spotted you one morning passing No 1 Rd/Granville Ave

[TouringTeg]

Originally Posted by Simplex123

@TouringTeg Do you still have your ITR? Come to the mainland this summer and we can have a BMW RS Meet/Drive

@BIC_BAWS I forgot if it was this week or the previous but i actually spotted you one morning passing No 1 Rd/Granville Ave

I sold my ITR unfortunately. It was a blast to drive and own.

Perhaps! I have been to the mainland a few times recently but usually my schedule is tight.

[TouringTeg]

Originally Posted by BIC_BAWS

A couple of us were using this thread: https://www.revscene.net/forums/5624...r-ride-18.html

Oooh gotcha. I haven't ventured into the Euro forum. I just click the Vancouver Auto chat

[320icar]

I’ve been out of the bmw game, and don’t think I would ever get back in it. I hate the current brand image and direction.

‘82 320iS turbo, ‘88 535iS, ‘91 318iC, ‘90 325i touring. Don’t miss any of them except maybe the e28. Only bmw I’d even consider owning is an e46 m3 but I’m definitely not giving up my RS for it

[lowside67]

In general, the BMWs I have owned have been quite reliable. They live hard lives as basically pure autocross and track cars for me and really almost all failure I have experienced have been related to that use - bushings, etc.

I try to buy the simplest ones I can - my 128 though has definitely more systems to potentially go wrong. I was doing some suspension work recently and when the car was back on the ground, it had spontaneously lost its coding relating to steering wheel sensor. Not a huge deal, just needed a reset, but cost me $75 and a bit of time. This direction to make cars smarter is not exclusive to BMW but is what worries me about “modern” cars.

In summary, I recommend naturally aspirated 6spd manual BMWs. Skip the turbos with DCT.

-Mark

[BIC_BAWS]

Originally Posted by TouringTeg

Oooh gotcha. I haven't ventured into the Euro forum. I just click the Vancouver Auto chat

i don't even think that thread is active nor that fourm area. Maybe we should just use this one to complain about our eventual BMW problems HAHAHA

[suprasian]

2009 128i 6MT here as well, comfortable ride, handles decently, could use a bit more power. Just be prepared for maintenance costs. Took car in for 3 factory recalls yesterday. Car just hit 100k mark. Dealership told me work required. Oil change, brake fluid flush and filter change $750. Oil leaks which need attention, valve cover gasket, oil filter housing gasket, tensioner needs replacing $3400. I think I've hit the age where the water pump will need replacing as well, so that's going to probably cost another grand. I maybe drive the car 2 months out of the year. The car is solid so far and hasn't let me down, but just the numbers for maintenance items makes me cringe...

[The Producer]

^^ 10 years old - and nothing really catastrophic. I mean, you could just drive a car that leaks some oil.

All of that stuff is still pretty DIY on an E82 which is nice. Stealership is going to be spendy for that stuff - it's their bread and butter.

I still love my E36. I've never owned a car for a longer amount of time. It's totally DIY even for a hack like me. It still looks fantastic to me. THe platform still has great aftermarked support, and while parts aren't cheap - it's peanuts compared to Porsche.

Spoiler!

secret: the e36 drives better than the 996 too. This isn't isolated to one car, I've had 2 996's and driven several more of the same era

[BIC_BAWS]

Originally Posted by suprasian

2009 128i 6MT here as well, comfortable ride, handles decently, could use a bit more power. Just be prepared for maintenance costs. Took car in for 3 factory recalls yesterday. Car just hit 100k mark. Dealership told me work required. Oil change, brake fluid flush and filter change $750. Oil leaks which need attention, valve cover gasket, oil filter housing gasket, tensioner needs replacing $3400. I think I've hit the age where the water pump will need replacing as well, so that's going to probably cost another grand. I maybe drive the car 2 months out of the year. The car is solid so far and hasn't let me down, but just the numbers for maintenance items makes me cringe...

If you've got time VCG, water pump and cooling overhaul is something you can definitely do.

For my BMW bros who don't know, look into rockauto for cheap parts delivered right to your door covering duties. Look into FCP Euro for lifetime warranty on all parts. Or just grab the PN and do a search on eBay.com

Originally Posted by Simplex123

@BIC_BAWS I forgot if it was this week or the previous but i actually spotted you one morning passing No 1 Rd/Granville Ave

Sorry! not me Tho, I think i spotted you a couple of times on Bridgeport

I think it's this guy: https://vancouver.craigslist.org/rch...922739492.html


This would be me:








Peep the broken bumper that I should have gotten a replacement for track day pics

[dn53]

ex bmw tech here, and I love driving my e90 335i. it's a special edition in ruby black. I havent owned mine for too long, but I would be lying if i said BMW's were reliable.

ps, doing a water pump on the ground on a e70/e90/e82 is one of the most annoying things ever. make sure you have the proper extensions, picks, and u joints (6mm 1/4 u joint socket reccomended) to get those clamps and hoses off.

[suprasian]

Well that's the thing, mileage does not really justify the amount of maintenance required on the vehicle. I mean I would hate to see the bill of a catastrophic failure! Thanks Bic Baws for the website. If anyone wants a project and get paid in the process, please feel free and PM me. Cars going in hibernation soon and you can take your time working on it.

Anyone swap their DISA manifold with a tune on their 128?

[The_AK]

e90 330i (former e46) owner here, drove mine to LA and back for bimmerfest last month and madding it the entire way with friends. I'm at 183,000 kms, bought it at 90,000 almost 4 years ago. At the end of the day you take care of the car and it will take care of you.

[gramser57]

Recently traded in my E90 330i that had 120K km and outside of oil changes and brakes i've had to fix/replace the electronic water pump, oil leaks, and fan blower motor. I would say if you are curious about jumping into BMW with no condom, aka warranty, check prices on rockauto for affordability.

[vexor]

Well I don't have a BMW car but I do have a BMW bike. Does that count?

I have a 2017 S1000RR and on the bike side of things, it's been good. It has seen 2 trackdays at the Ridge and had 2 scheduled services and so far it's nothing but smooth sailing.

Unfortunately it only has about 5,000km on the odometer as I haven't had much time to ride it with all the press media vehicles that I get but one of my friends had the S1000R for a while and he put about 25,000km on it with no major issues. The only issue he had were of his own doing because he kept pulling wheelies. So some suspension bushings had to get replaced.

But for those thinking of going to a BMW bike, I'll keep you posted on this thread of any issues I have with mine.

Our bikes

[Badhobz]

Friend of the wife is trying to get her first car. Since we had a pretty good experience with her 128 I told her that she should get a 128 or a 328 minus the xdrive and werido trannys. Just plain Jane base with automatica is probably the least headache.

It's crazy how you can find 08-2011 328i for like 6-10k all day long with 120,000kms on it. Seems like a great buy to me.

[Ferra]

Originally Posted by Badhobz

Friend of the wife is trying to get her first car. Since we had a pretty good experience with her 128 I told her that she should get a 128 or a 328 minus the xdrive and werido trannys. Just plain Jane base with automatica is probably the least headache.

It's crazy how you can find 08-2011 328i for like 6-10k all day long with 120,000kms on it. Seems like a great buy to me.

Had a 09 335i m-sport with 170K on it.
shits keep breaking...can't even get $6K trade in on it
swear not touching any old bimmer again

I guess they are a great buy if you work in this field or can do a lot of the work yourself
I did my own oil change & spark plug, o2 sensor etc, but things like coolant leak, oil pan gasket leak, waterpump, wheel bearing, etc aren't stuffs I can do myself. Each time I get a bill from $500 - $1500 and they really add up...

Leasing a 18 M2 for $680+tax now...($0down, 48month)
Fun car to drive, but it is really noisy and bumpy compare to the old e90 or even a GTI.

Monthly payment is low enough I don't feel like I am wasting too much money on it and I don't have to deal with any repair. (Most bimmer I had drives great for 3-4 years, before they hit 60k)

[Badhobz]

thats why im scared of any 35i's. I really think the base 3.0 inline 6 n52 is pretty damn reliable.

[320icar]

It’s worth saying though, just had a base model 1997 318i in the shop. That car still feels tight as ever. Kind of like buying a bone stock mk3 golf of the same era. If maintained they still feel better build than brand new cars

[Vulgate]

I have an N55 E82 135i, Its a love-hate relationship for me. l love the way it drives but I hate common issues which I drag fixing. I have fixed the OHFG leak, changed waterpump and thermostat in a cold December night, and replaced expansion tank leak all done by myself in the garage. Maintenance is not fun, but the car is. You better know what you are getting or have 3rd party warranty.

[TouringTeg]

My N54 1M had a whole lot of recent maintenance at 129kms.

Some failures some preventative. Charge pipe (plastic) exploded which is a common problem. Replaced with Cobb metal pipe. CEL for injector failure (also common) dealer replaced all 6 injectors. Carbon cleaning done. Oil pan gasket leak. Gasket replaced and a bolt snapped which meant drilling and tapping and dropping the oil pan a second time.

Then all the regular maintenance such as spark plugs, brakes, tires, battery, air and cabin filters, all fluids.

Add in refinished wheels and both bumpers and around $17k has been spent on my 1M in the last year before my ownership.

[Badhobz]

I keep reading about this water pump thermostat failures. How much is that to repair from the dealership ?

[TOPEC]

Originally Posted by TouringTeg

My N54 1M had a whole lot of recent maintenance at 129kms.

Some failures some preventative. Charge pipe (plastic) exploded which is a common problem. Replaced with Cobb metal pipe. CEL for injector failure (also common) dealer replaced all 6 injectors. Carbon cleaning done. Oil pan gasket leak. Gasket replaced and a bolt snapped which meant drilling and tapping and dropping the oil pan a second time.

Then all the regular maintenance such as spark plugs, brakes, tires, battery, air and cabin filters, all fluids.

Add in refinished wheels and both bumpers and around $17k has been spent on my 1M in the last year before my ownership.

N54 is a good engine but plague with a lot of issues, most common are HPFP, carbon build up, water pump, injectors. N55 is a lot better but is still not without its issues. The new B58 seems to be very good, but still too early to tell. Seems like oil and gaskets r a very common issue among any euro cars, not just BMWs, re: oil pan, transmission pan, oil filter housing.

Had a 2011 335is, the only major issue i had were the injectors dying at around 55,000KM, 1 month after warranty expired. Dealer replaced 3/6 injectors and good will 70% of the bill, still had to pay over $1000 lol, was a bit surprised the injectors died first rather than the HPFP. Transmission pan was also leaking 3 years into ownership but that was replaced under warranty, engine oil pan was "seeping" but the dealer deemed it is not bad enough to warranty the gasket.