opinions about e46's

[el_gringo]

the other day at a BMWCCA meet there was the only 700whp boosted horsepower freaks e46 m3. i have always liked them, and for a daily i would buy it. i wouldnt let maintenance bother me, as most people these days are rolling bmws for the name, not the experience.

[SpecM]

i'd rock a 330i zhp.

oh yes me too

[dsobering47]

e46s arent bad...if you keep up the maintenance, just like any other car.

things to look for/ get done:
-oil leaks
--valve cover gaskets
--oil filter housing gaskets
--oil pan gasket
--crankcase vent valve and all hoses
-air intake boot cracking
-cam position sensors (mikeedler said)
-control arm bushings
-window regulators
-brakes usually only last about 30-40k
-rear brake light assemblies have shitty grounds, so eventually the pins will burn through and the whole thing has to be replaced/rewired

granted all this stuff is easy to replace and keep up with, but you just need to keep it up. if i had the money, i'd rock a 330i zhp.

[mikeedler]

cant forget the cam pos. sensors too! they love to go out.

[jflip2002]

F the window regulators. I gotta get mine done, instead of pushing it up with my hand lol. Only $70, but such a PITA.

[mikeedler]

if you take your car in for any kind of "normal" services- they will be able to see the rear subframe problem. I have serviced well over 500 e46 cars in the last 2 years here in Germany- and have come across 3 with stress cracks where the bushings mount to the floorboards.--2 were coupes( the most prone) and 1 was a wagon. never actually seen or heard of a subframe coming out of a car--
and-- all of the subframe problems that we did were all covered by BMW.

window regulators/ swaybar links/ rear springs are the major problem points.

I have driven over 145,000 km on my e46 320d touring- has 206,000 on it now- and think it is a great daily- and hasnt let me down yet.

[SpecM]

-I like e46 (looks and driving) and would strongly consider one as a family car / DD. Saw a pre-facelift 328i sedan, five-speed, about 80k for $8500 at a local Honda dealership. Almost bought it too!

-As said, not connected like an e30, but comming down in price and not bad to work on!

[Hallen]

I think they're good daily drivers. Comfortable, good features, nice handling, relatively cheap(now), but at the same time have a lot of little annoyances. My mom drives a 01' 325ci and it's been a pretty solid car considering nothing has been done to it, until recently, except oil changes and air filters for the past 120k miles.

Now that it's getting older, problems are starting to arise though. Her door passenger door lock actuator went out about a year ago, so the driver has to get in first, and reach all the way across to pull the handle twice(coupe with autolowering windows) then the passenger has to pull it while driver is holding their second pull. Also, expect window regulators to fail (although my mom's haven't yet). Misc trim pieces/headliners will droop if you live in a hot climate.

Parts are considerably more expensive than e30 parts, so be prepared for that as well(spark plugs costing 60 bucks instead of 6). Honestly, I like the car, but if you're not prepared to pay ridiculous amount of money to have problems fixed(or DIY, which is slightly more difficult as cars become more computerized), I would look at other options. But if you can pay to play(or you find one with extensive records) you'll enjoy it.

There are parts that are more expensive, but honestly, I don't find that much of a difference between the E30 and E46 prices. They really aren't that much more complicated to work on, honestly. The suspension stuff is very similar. The engine does have VANOS so you have that complexity and it does have individual coil packs that run $50 each. But there is a lot of stuff there that is exaclty the same as the E30.

There are some fit and finish problems. The regulators are supposedly fixed now so if you do have to replace them, it should be the last time you do.

The subframe cracking is something to look out for in a car you are going to buy, but it isn't something to worry about after that. It is really pretty darned rare in the first place and is more prevalent in the higher powered models. Newer models (2003?+) do seem to be less susceptible to it as well, so BMW may have done some fixing on the problem.

[brandondan1]

I think they're good daily drivers. Comfortable, good features, nice handling, relatively cheap(now), but at the same time have a lot of little annoyances. My mom drives a 01' 325ci and it's been a pretty solid car considering nothing has been done to it, until recently, except oil changes and air filters for the past 120k miles.

Now that it's getting older, problems are starting to arise though. Her door passenger door lock actuator went out about a year ago, so the driver has to get in first, and reach all the way across to pull the handle twice(coupe with autolowering windows) then the passenger has to pull it while driver is holding their second pull. Also, expect window regulators to fail (although my mom's haven't yet). Misc trim pieces/headliners will droop if you live in a hot climate.

Parts are considerably more expensive than e30 parts, so be prepared for that as well(spark plugs costing 60 bucks instead of 6). Honestly, I like the car, but if you're not prepared to pay ridiculous amount of money to have problems fixed(or DIY, which is slightly more difficult as cars become more computerized), I would look at other options. But if you can pay to play(or you find one with extensive records) you'll enjoy it.

[DLag]

Thanks for all the input guys! That subframe problem really scares me. I have read on e46fanatics that there were a few that had this happen to their car..

Anyways my parents have a few in the list.
here they are:
2004 330i

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/ctd/847637141.html

2003 325i one owner clean

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/850127951.html

2003 325i one owner

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/844593885.html

You can probably tell by looking at these ad that my parents want a face-lifted, 4-door, automatic, and low miles e46..

[De //m3]

Yeah the self-adjusting clutch is pretty bad...I got the UUC SS Clutch Line, and a Sachs Motorsport Pressure Plate, Un-Sprung Clutch, and JB GA-Spec Flywheel, the difference is huge.

The biggest difference I've noted in the car, and one that I didn't think would make much change at all, was the weighted ZHP shift knob. It is unbelievable to me how changing to a shorter, heavier knob can make that big of a difference in the feel of the car, even with shift speed and engine power completely unaffected. The car seems to shift more smoothly and easily, althought here is always something to be said for the mental habit of thinking its better so it seems better...

[andyman2487]

Clutch delay valve. Need I say more?



Modded, they aren't too terrible. My friend has an '01 325ci with the H&R cup kit, UUC sways, UUC rear control arms, Urethane TAB's, and a UUC magnesium strut bar. Apart from the gay ass clutch, it's a pretty damn fun car to drive. Oh yeah, they interior is awful as well.

[Jon325i]

If I had to roll in a E46, I would make mine a 330. My sister-in-law used to own a 2002 model - 5 speed, sports package - pretty nice car right out of the box. My brother swapped in some H&R springs and some 18" factory wheels to sharpen things up. It's no E30 as far as nimbleness is concerned, but its a capable car nonetheless. Plus the torque of the 3.0L is real nice.

The ultimate non-///M version to get is the 330i with ZHP package.

[Julien]

I owned a 323i that I loved... but many of them seem to have all the typical problems... be ready to put some $ into it especially around the 80k mile mark

[mattdk318i]

LOL, notsomuch anymore. All E46's are used now so we poor, non-snobish enthusiasts can own them. E90/92 owners are mostly snobs now.:D

yea, you're right. The snobs are moving up in the ranks. I imagine original E30 owners were pretty snobby.