question about 02 BMW 330C1

[gonefishing]

hey guys,

i am thinking about buying a 2002 BMW 330CI coupe with 99000Km and i know that maintenance cost is more for these cars. i was wondering how much it usually cost for oil changes , tune ups , etc. And if there are any common problems with these cars. Any input would be much appreciated thanx.

[E46..sTyLez]

Love mine, hasn't cost me much on repairs because the only repair i had done was covered under warranty so it was like 50 bucks or something for me. Oil changes are about $120 but you only have to do them every 25000km's!! I usually do them at about 12000km.

Engine is amazing, I believe it was on the top ten engines in the world for a few years in a row. It has 225hp/214tq stock. If you run into any problems it will most likely be electrical before mechanical. Hope you go for it man, you'll enjoy it.

Ask if it has the sport package, the premium package, and the M package. Those packages make a world of difference, trust me.

good luck :thumbsup:

[benyl]

haha, I would never do oil changes at 25000 kms. Even 12000kms is pushing it. The cost is because BMWs tend to have a large oil resevoir and take 7 litres of synthetic.

In the winter, I find that I go through a lot of windshield fluid as the headlight sprayers are always going off!

[gonefishing]

what other major services should i be expecting or look for to be done with a 330CI that has 99,000kms?

[benyl]

I would look at the manual of one.

Some of the major services are in the neighborhood of $1500.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Does the 330 have the oil filter in the top of the engine bay like the 540? It makes oil changes even easier than they already are to do yourself.

[benyl]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt
Does the 330 have the oil filter in the top of the engine bay like the 540? It makes oil changes even easier than they already are to do yourself.

yes

[97'Scort]

99,000 km's: I would make sure they did the timing belt, and check the serpentine belt for cracks. Make sure all your various stabilizer links and control arm bushings are in good shape and not cracked. Check suspension for excessive wear. Battery should be good, but you could check the charge on that too. Make sure the cats are in good shape.

Expect to replace your brake pads, but rotors should be fine.

Be careful doing oil changes yourself: most of the drain plugs are put in with a very light torque with a crush ring. Unless you have a very small torque wrench, I'd get the dealership to do it.

[benyl]

You don't need a small torque wrench. I used my 1/2" socket driver (torque wrench) with ease.

One other thing you should look out for is the sub-frame issue the e46 has.

[interlude]

Originally posted by gonefishing
what other major services should i be expecting or look for to be done with a 330CI that has 99,000kms?

Right around the 100k mark.. you will be looking at control arm replacements.. its not too expensive, you might get away with it.. but eventually.. you will need to replace them. I think on mine.. I replaced them at 110k

[Weapon_R]

A couple things to watch out for:

1) Thermostat and waterpump. These units have been problematic since the E36, and they continue to use the same ones. You will probably have to change one or both sooner or later.

2) E46 subframe issues. Although statistically rare, they do affect a number of vehicles and is very costly to repair.

3) Control arms, bushings, and ball joints. Luckily, this is usually sold as a package by many good aftermarket companies and can be bought for as little as $400.

4) Try and get a manual version as the steptronic transmission seems to be problematic in some vehicles. Again, rare occurence but it does happen.

5) Alternator tensioner and belts. These again are cheap and simple to fix, but they do tend to wear out over time. This is a bigger issue if you have a mechanical tensioner, as the new ones now have a hydraulic one that isn't problematic (which may be on your car already, not sure).

Otherwise the E46 is a relatively easy car to work on, and there is a huge amount of support to help you along your way. A nice thing to buy is an oil extractor, so you can do your entire oil change standing up. Since the filter is on top of the engine, you never have to get underneath the car although some say its a good idea to drain it once every 3 oil changes.

[gonefishing]

Originally posted by 97'Scort
99,000 km's: I would make sure they did the timing belt

is it due for replacement this early in its life span?

thanks guys for all of your input.

[cloud1314]

the 330 does not use a timing belt. it has a timing chain
no replacement unless noisy/mechanically jammed