[jtang84]

I'm looking to buy a 1996 BMW 328i. Is it expensive to maintain a 1996 BMW 328i? Are there garages in Lower Mainland, B.C. that maintain/repair e36s for the price of maintaining/repairing a Japanese car?

[bcrdukes]

I'll just leave this here - *Clicky Clicky!* (http://edgemotorworks.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=55)

[asian_XL]

Water pump, coolant leak, gasket, valve cover paint peeling, wacky electronic.
Other than that, the engine is rock solid.

No local store will carry cheap parts. I used to order stuff from http://www.bimmerparts.com/ a little bit cheaper

[Fappin]

I own a 1996 3 series and from experience their coolant system are common to breakdown around 100,000kms. If they do breakdown, everything in the coolant system is recommended for replacement. Inspect the engine and coolant system carefully. Parts are expensive as well if repair is needed.

[!Aznboi128]

yes in the next 3 years your prob going to spend more to fix it then to buy it

[toyota86]

to add to the list
subframe bushings
diff mount
front lollipop
door panels unfurling
idle control valve
water leaks into dme area
rear shock mounts
water pump impeller
leaky rad and overflow tank
vanos
losing pixels on dash, obc, climate control

maintenance is relatively cheap compared to other bmw models. parts are plentiful used or new. and ya, buy parts from the states. with taxes, gas money, shipping, its still at least 1/3 cheaper than buying locally. nothing is really difficult to do for the diy'er. i've been to every local bmw specialty shop in town. i would not recommend any of them to anyone. the only place i would take my car is park shore bmw or comptech but i diy almost everything so rarely do i visit either of them. pm me if you want my opinion on where not to go and why. i don't want to start anything here.

[dogeatcookie]

Maintaining a BMW, regardless of the year or model, will never be as cheap as maintaining a Japanese car. You might want to searchbcbimmers.com (www.bcbimmers.com)for more info about the car and local shops and mechanics who do work at more reasonable rates than dealerships.

[Nlkko]

Old Euro cars are never cheap to maintained--replacement parts are expensive and they have more parts (due to advanced and complicated engineering) than a standard Japanese cars.

[325isMSPORT]

make sure its standard bmws have GM transmission if auto.
um i just got a 325is and ive spent like 2- 3k fixing it up so far

[nosaj]

if you are using it as your family car/ dd....then no, do not get it.
if this is your weekend car and you got spare time and money for it, then yes.

we had a 96 320i as our first family car and finally got rid of it a couple years ago....lets just say we were happier than sad that its gone

[asian_XL]

to add to the list
subframe bushings - never happened to me
diff mount - never happened to me
front lollipop - never happened to me
door panels unfurling - never happened to me
idle control valve - never happened to me
water leaks into dme area - never happened to me, my car was chipped
rear shock mounts - $30 + labour
water pump impeller - $120 installed
leaky rad and overflow tank - never happened to me, but I spent $100 to changed the hoses
vanos - never happened to me
losing pixels on dash, obc, climate control - $3 per bulbs changed them all by myself


maintenance is relatively cheap compared to other bmw models. parts are plentiful used or new. and ya, buy parts from the states. with taxes, gas money, shipping, its still at least 1/3 cheaper than buying locally. nothing is really difficult to do for the diy'er. i've been to every local bmw specialty shop in town. i would not recommend any of them to anyone. the only place i would take my car is park shore bmw or comptech but i diy almost everything so rarely do i visit either of them. pm me if you want my opinion on where not to go and why. i don't want to start anything here.

There are several shops that fix BMW in East Richmond like Advance or Acutech.

Well, it's hard to define CHEAP and EXPENSIVE. I found it reasonable if you spend time to do your research on price. There are things like dash light bulbs or lose panels that some people could live with it.

If I had a E36 again and extra cash, I would strip the fuck out of it. Drop a new engine, new suspension, and rollcage in it. :fullofwin: no need to worry much about electronic and 90s design.

[Rich Sandor]

I've got a 99 528i with 330,000km. The engine is gutless, but rock solid reliable. Non-maintenance parts are expensive. Belts, rollers, water pump, radiator, brakes, pads, etc are cheap if you buy online, like EAC-Tuning.com. Some parts, like the ABS brain, are really expensive ($1300 at dealer, but $480 online) so you can save $$$ if you are smart.

If you maintain it and treat it nice, it will last a long time without costing you much.

If you buy a cheap car that has been shit kicked for any portion of it's life, it will cost you a shit load to fix up.

Odds are, if the car is really, really clean cosmetically, the owner was probably anal and serviced it as well as he cleaned it and looked after it. Pay a little extra for a nice one, and it should give you years of driving pleasure.

This advice holds true for ANY car, but it's especially true for german cars, because they are expensive to fix unless you DIY or have a good mechanic who doesn't charge 100+/hr.

[Eff-1]

I never seen anyone post as many "I'm thinking of buying ______. Is it cheap to maintain?" threads as this guy.

[godwin]

Quit trolling! You always post stupid thread like this every once a while.

http://www.revscene.net/forums/search.php?searchid=2202033