School Me on E46

[MattBimmer]

First off I searched (poorly) for a thread like this so if this is repost I apologize, and a mod can delete this thread and ill get the hint.
BUT if not I am interested in the E46... I dont know much to anything about them besides basic stuff like engine size etc. What I am MORE interested in is what breaks on them, (stuff like E36 rep. with shotty interiors) are they overly computerized or are they still okay for someone to do a decent bit of backyard mechanic work. What are they notorious for? Overheating? etc. Thanks in advance, I have always wanted one, but the idea of the more electric goodies scares me.

[89AlpineM3]

https://WWW.E46fanatics.com

[Buzztt]

Check out e46 forums if you are serious about them

[Wh33lhop]

Crash course:

-Suspension is very similar to E36 so they have the same bushings that go out frequently (CABs, RTABs, RSMs)

-Cooling system is also near identical to E36 with slightly better control. Recommended you just replace the whole thing every 60k. Rads will leak, expansion tanks will leak, even bleed screws will leak (through the middle, don't ask me why). I have an extra bleed screw and expansion tank lying around just in case, even though mine are pretty new. M54 is aluminum, so don't fuck around maintaining the cooling system unless you like warped heads.

-Subframe carrier is an issue. Expect to have to have this welded up at some point and CHECK for cracks or fissures before you buy the car. I have a very small crack that I didn't find while I was looking before I bought mine. Not a huge deal; I love the car, but it was disappointing. Reinforcement kits are $150, there are shops that will do it for $900-1200 or you can drop the subframe, drop the tank and DIY if you can weld.

-A lot of the bixenon cars came with ZKW projectors. These projectors have reflector bowls made of plastic and the reflective coating actually burns causing extremely poor light output. Solution is to either replace the entire assembly with Bosch/AL units which are great lights ($700ish per side) or retrofit the ZKW assemblies with the Bosch/AL projectors which requires some dremeling and minimal wiring. You can also retrofit the ZKW projector lenses onto the AL projetors for a much sharper cutoff.

-If they haven't been done, do Vanos seals/rattle kit from Beisan Systems and replace CCV (crankcase ventilator/oil separator) and all associated hoses. Doing Vanos seals typically gives you a small bump in economy and a noticeable increase in low-end. CCV symptoms are oil consumption, vacuum leaks and a weird wookie noise. It is somewhat normal for the 3.0s to consume oil.

-Fuel pumps also go out. Sometimes they "soft" fail giving an indicator of an impending failure. New pump is $130 shipped from BMA and takes 10 minutes to swap out.

-Window regs go out. Don't slam the doors, especially when the windows are down.

-Tail light grounds are usually easy to fix--symptoms are dim lights and/or temporarily fast turn signals--easy to check. Trunk wiring fatigues (much like in E39 and E36) and will break causing some weird stuff to happen. Either splice in new wiring or replace the harness.

-Stereo is not bad but not great. Even the premium HK system sounds veiled and has a few big holes in the frequency response, but at least bass extension is decent for a stock system.

Also, the '04-06 330s got the ZHP 6 speed transmission and the ZHP 650/651 steering rack. I picked up an '04 330i 6 speed and love it to death. Perfect DD as long as you can deal with all of the above. If you cannot do preventative maintenance, do not buy this car.

[Apps]

Crash course:...

Bravo! I'm curious now to see your similar summary for the e30

[Wh33lhop]

Bravo! I'm curious now to see your similar summary for the e30

Replace timing belts, adjust valves, change oil and invest in a drip pan.

[slammin.e28]

Replace timing belts, adjust valves, change oil and invest in a drip pan.

This should be a sticky, mandatory for newblets to read.

[cheapthrills]

Crash course:

Agree with all of the above. To reiterate: if you are not comfortable doing all the work yourself, this car will destroy your wallet. Parts aren't crazy expensive, but there are lots of jobs that'll cost you tons in labor.

My E30 is a rollcaged (still street legal) track car, and my DD is an '04 330ci 6-speed coupe. I believe it to be one of the greatest daily drivers I'll ever own. The facelifted coupes and convertibles ('04-'06 non-M) are, IMO, the best-looking modern BMWs. The interiors are extremely nice as well (though most have wood trim which I hate; my car is black leather with aluminum trim). Highway ride is quiet. 6-speed cars get really good highway gas mileage: I get 31-33 mpg.

If you're going to buy one, don't cheap out. Spend an extra $1-2k for a well-maintained one. I bought mine 10 months ago with 130k miles and some serious neglect, and have spent a good amount of time and about $1500 in maintenance and repairs (plus $950 for a set of snow tires). It has about 157k miles now.

Common issues I've dealt with:
-Rear subframe issues were mostly taken care of in later model years, but it's always a possibility. My car has no issues there.
-The bearing on my water pump failed, causing a mean leak through the weephole. The rest of the cooling system has been fine.
-Vacuum leaks are common. My car had several, which threw check engine codes.
-Oil leaks are also common. My car had the valve cover gasket (slow drip onto exhaust manifold), and oil filter housing gasket (slow drip that then developed into a quart-a-day spray onto the serpentine belt).
-Differential mounting bushings all crack. Driveshaft guibo and CSBs fail the same way E30s do.
-The sunshade often breaks and causes the sunroof to go all kaput.
-Many people have ABS/DSC problems. I've never had any issues, and personally love the system.

The engine bay is a lot tighter, has covers over everything, and uses a lot of plastic that gets brittle. The car is much more of a pain to work on than the E30.

The electronics were intimidating coming from the world of E30s and 90's Japanese cars. Do some reading about the CanBUS system and get a basic grasp. There are no simple switch/relay/motor circuits: everything is controlled by modules that all talk to each other in a very complicated way. This makes things scary but also allows many really cool features to work.

Connecting a computer to talk to newer BMWs is a well-documented and free process. The factory software is readily available and extremely useful. My car had a bad engine stutter that I solved by updating the DME software. I can pull and clear engine, airbag, ABS/DSC, and other error codes; view live sensor data; and avoid going to the dealership.

[broke30]

I think cheapthrills and wh33lhop hit on just about everything. My girlfriend has a 2001 325i that was overheated and I had to rebuild the head but luckily the block (being aluminum), didn't warp. Other than that, window regulators, entire cooling system, ccv, transmission flush (hers is an auto) have all been done. One thing not yet mentioned is that the GM5 module (lock module) is another common failure. The remote on the key will not work as well as other small quirks. However, I just picked up the replacement for my last e30 which I love, its a 2005 330i ZHP 6spd with alcantara interior. Its a fantastic car that was well maintained and is my daily driver. As stated above, so long as you aren't frightened of quirky failures, they're great cars.

Max

[Wh33lhop]

-Rear subframe issues were mostly taken care of in later model years, but it's always a possibility. My car has no issues there.

The late models had an improved support, but it is still insufficient. It is less common but not nonexistent. I went into my E46 expecting to reinforce the subframe anyway (I drive hard and want the peace of mind) so it was not such a huge deal when I found a crack as I didn't have to change plans.

Bottom line, the best way to feel the car is dependable is if you replace and fix everything that fails before it does. If you don't want to be left stranded, replace the cooling system and fuel pump. If you don't want the subframe to rip out of the car (this does not just happen overnight but still) check it and have it reinforced. If you want the car to be running tip top, do Vanos seals, CCV, fix vacuum leaks, replace air and fuel filter (FPR is integrated into it), change trans fluid, etc.

Also, do NOT buy a SULEV car. Only the 325i's came in SULEV but they are problematic and completely nonmoludlar. Half the solutions to problems that arise in that car are to replace the (very pricey) fuel tank.

[Bimmerman325i]

Just a side note: ONLY California 325i models came with the SULEV option, they were not offered elsewhere. If you do manage to find one outside of CA, buy a non-sulev. You'll be glad you did when you realize it's $3k to replace the fuel system when only the pump went out.

[aablown]

your question is subjective depending on how well the car was taken care of. I have roughly 60k on mine. Nothin mechanical or electrical has ever failed. Although im anal about maintenance and keep a binder with everything that was ever done or bought for all my cars. One of my techs has the same E46M3 vert with about 110k, nothing has ever went wrong with his either. All good points to check out above if you dont know the maintenance history though. I would watch out for the earlier model E46s, if you are interested in one, check the recall history. Do maintenance ahead of schedule and youll be okay.

[JBird]

Zhp!!!!!!

[wholethingoff]

Crash course: ...

I'd love to read one for the F02 when it gets old enough to run out of warranty.

[R3Z3N]

^^^Replace entire car.