BMW reliabilty?

[Ek9Max]

how are these cars? Lemons? tanks?

I'm thinking of an E36.....

[ugotahondaeh?]

if you're looking to buy one, PM me... I have one for sale.

[C4S]

YES ! E 36 3 series are very realiable .. especially 96 to 99 :)

93 - 95 are OK too .. but then .. still 10 yr old car ... and 328i is nicer then 325i .. ^_^

go take a look ..

http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/reviews.aspx?modelid=184&trimid=-1&src=VIP&tab=4

I was driving E36 for ... 6 yrs ( E30) before .. they are super realiable ... even compare to most Acura or Lexus ....

You may expect small issue, such as all kind of sensors, bulbs .. power windows .. etc ... but nothing major, and they are so cheap to keep .. ( most their parts cost less then a Toyota Camry V6 ! )

If you are looking for 5 or 7 series ..then .. may be more concern, but not 3 series. ( if you can find a good local one with full history.)

[Ek9Max]

good to hear!

[ecstasy_civic]

what about the camaro:dunno: :rofl:

[ryder_23]

Originally posted by C4S
( most their parts cost less then a Toyota Camry V6 ! )



Sigh...:( its true

I've even found compared to my friends 98 e36..that gettin parts take usually the same amount of time, and price is similar thats forsure

[lint]

I've got an 82 e21, and aside from a leaky head gasket, no real problems. These things can run forever.

[Ek9Max]

damn lookslike teh 92-93 are the worst.. wel engien wise

[C4S]

Originally posted by Ek9Max
damn lookslike teh 92-93 are the worst.. wel engien wise

yeah .. no " VANO" yet on 92 and some 93 .. :nut: and first model yr .. we all know that .. any first yr model .. r not realiable .. especially German !

[Ek9Max]

anybody have hookups on M3 engines?

[rage2]

Originally posted by Ek9Max
anybody have hookups on M3 engines?
Tunerworks can get 'em. Alpine Autowerks can install 'em. I can tune the TEC3 standalone for the M3's if you decide to boost it.

[Ek9Max]

so nobody has any horror stories on bmw's?

[bighead411]

i love the 3 series......onlyl conern for me is maintaince problem too.........plus everything is computerwise.......not like Honda or Lexus....can erase the error yourself........i may change my mind of all u guys telling is true tho............

[Zephyr]

Originally posted by Ek9Max
so nobody has any horror stories on bmw's?

my 5 series after the warranty was over. the chip broke so car almost overheated, uhh my trunk no longer works it just decided to brake but still can be opened with key thats pretty much it from my bmw experience...1997 528i

[three.eighteen.]

i have a 92 318...parts are expensive, DIY is usually knucklebusting, some electrical gremlins, but relatively reliable

[bighead411]

100% as perfect..........how much will u guys give?

[C4S]

Well .. my first BMW ... 1990 5 series ... that I got many yrs ago .. :( not even one thing is good..... for realiability .. :( however ..still damn nice to drive ! especially comapare to any car in 1990 time ! nothing even came close ! :burnout:

[Ek9Max]

hmm so there's one guy saying they are crap.

[D'z Nutz]

When they're good, they're good, when they're bad, they can get expensive.

If you're looking at getting an E36, if they're in and around 100,000 km or more, a few things you want to check for are ball joints, the o2 sensor, and water pump. The water pumps for the E36's were made of plastic and tended to fall apart around 100K, so if it hasn't been replaced yet, it's probably a good idea to do so soon.

[Ek9Max]

cool, thakns for the tip!

[three.eighteen.]

yeah check the rear trailing arm bushings and rear shock mounts too those tend to fail at around 100000k

[pookie]

The moment you buy a BMW, you HAVE to get the timing chain replaced.

It's a few hundred dollars and is worth it.

[Ek9Max]

why?
just in case?

[bighead411]

any water leaking from roof or firewall something like that? i heard alot of euro car(not just bimmer)have leaking problem after certain yrs.......is that true?? assume the car without accident

[three.eighteen.]

mine leaks a bit around the weather stripping, but its kind of expected if its old and the windows dont have a frame

[bighead411]

yea.........i reallly hate the car's window without the frame....if the car getting old(even quicker u always park your car outside). it will start leaking..........sucks sucks..............sucks..........

[Tuner1]

Originally posted by pookie
The moment you buy a BMW, you HAVE to get the timing chain replaced.

It's a few hundred dollars and is worth it.

Most newer BMW engines use timing chains not belts and do not require replacement until you get a zillion miles on them. The old M20 engines (E30 + others) were most notorious for timing belt failure, or rather the failure of OWNERS to replace the timing belt at the specified intervals ;)

Rob