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BMW 3-Series Maintenance and Repair

5349 messages,  Last post on Apr 30, 2013 at 3:31 PM

You are in the BMW 3-Series Forum.

What is this discussion about? BMW 3 Series, Sedan

    
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Messages Page 494 of 535

#4931 of 5349 Rule # 1 and Rule # 2 by rfl

Jan 13, 2011 (2:25 pm)

Rule # 1 NEVER BUY A CAR WITH A TURBOCHARGED ENGINE!
 
Rule # 2: Never buy or keep a BMW after the warranty (or extended warranty) runs out. They are WONDERFUL automobiles....until yu have to fix one. I have owned 11 of them...never one after the warranty period (or it's extension) as in a CPO car or two tht were part of my collection. My total cost to repair has been $0 for all eleven cars (not including tires, state inspections and oil). I have never had one longer than the warranty period and (before you think I am a total nut case) the cost to replace the car (depreciation) is generally less than the anticipated overall repair costs. And the new car smell just can't be beat.
 
I went through 3 HPFPs on my 2008 335XI which caused lots of angst but NO MONEY. BMW ate the costs and, finally, the Car itself.

#4932 of 5349 Re: Rule # 1 and Rule # 2 [rfl] by shipo

Jan 13, 2011 (2:41 pm)

Replying to: rfl (Jan 13, 2011 2:25 pm)
Hmmm, I love cars with turbocharged engines; I've already had two and am hoping my next one will have the turbo treatment as well.

#4933 of 5349 Re: Rule # 1 and Rule # 2 [rfl] by jimbres

Jan 13, 2011 (2:51 pm)

Replying to: rfl (Jan 13, 2011 2:25 pm)
NEVER BUY A CAR WITH A TURBOCHARGED ENGINE!
 
Pretty much agree.
 
Never buy or keep a BMW after the warranty (or extended warranty) runs out.
 
Don't agree. I have an '01 330i purchased new in June of that year, which means that the factory warranty ran out in June, 2005. Never bought an extended warranty - EWs are for people who can't manage their finances, which has never been my problem.
 
IOW, my car has been out of warranty for 5 1/2 years. During that time, I've had one major repair - a control arm had to be replaced at a cost of $1200. This was my fault; I wasn't paying attention & drove into the biggest pothole on the East Coast. I doubt that an EW would have paid for this in any case.
 
Figure it out. The cost of keeping my 330i after the warranty ran out amounts to $18.18 per month. I spend more than that in a week at Starbucks.
 
I've done the math. In the long haul, it's cheaper to buy what you like, take good care of it & drive it until the wheels come off. If you're not a DIY guy - I'm not, unfortunately - don't go back to the dealer after the factory warranty expires. Find a good independent mechanic instead.
 
If you follow your own rule #1, you'll find that rule #2 doesn't apply. A 328i equipped, as God intends, with a stick will do 0 to 60 in a hair over 6 seconds. That's plenty fast enough for a good time. You'll save a few thousand up front & you'll also save on repair costs in later years. That's win-win, if you ask me.

#4934 of 5349 Re: Rule # 1 and Rule # 2 [jimbres] by roadburner

Jan 13, 2011 (6:37 pm)

Replying to: jimbres (Jan 13, 2011 2:51 pm)
I'm with you jimbres. My 1995 3er and 2004 X3 have proven to be extremely reliable and not all that expensive to run. Aside from tires and scheduled maintenance I've spent a total of $1344 on repairs over the 15 years and 127,000 miles I've owned my 3er. You can check post #4920 for the details on the X3; in short it needed a passenger seat SRS sensor under warranty and other than that it's only needed one set of brakes and two sets of tires in 107,000 miles...

#4935 of 5349 Re: Rule # 1 and Rule # 2 [rfl] by qbrozen

Jan 13, 2011 (7:41 pm)

Replying to: rfl (Jan 13, 2011 2:25 pm)
Rule # 1 NEVER BUY A CAR WITH A TURBOCHARGED ENGINE!
 
Why??
 
I bought my first turbo car 10 years ago. It was the best car I've ever owned. I've now had 5 and never a problem with any of them related to the turbo.

#4936 of 5349 Re: Rule # 1 and Rule # 2 [qbrozen] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jan 13, 2011 (9:00 pm)

Replying to: qbrozen (Jan 13, 2011 7:41 pm)
This prejudice rightly comes from early turbos in the 1980s, which exhibited lag, were very peaky, coked-up, and failed early. But turbos and supes have come a long long way since then.
 
On the other hand, not everyone (me, for instance) likes the way a turbo car responds---some prefer supercharging. And that's a legit concern IMO, although a subjective one.

#4937 of 5349 BMWs... by kyfdx HOST

Jan 13, 2011 (9:04 pm)

When you have an engine like the inline-6 of a BMW, and you know they can get 330 horsepower out of 3.2 litres without turbo-charging ('01-'06 M3), then you have to wonder.... WHY?
 
I'll take a sweet BMW inline-6, normally aspirated... any day..
 
Turbos have their place... I just see better options...

#4938 of 5349 Re: BMWs... [kyfdx] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jan 13, 2011 (9:09 pm)

Replying to: kyfdx (Jan 13, 2011 9:04 pm)
Well they do it because they want it to be faster than a Mustang V-6 I guess
 
Turbos, in my humble opinion, work best on V-type engines, in pairs, and on higher displacement engines. For smaller displacement, I prefer a supercharger, because it gives a better low end power to relatively torque-less engines. If you ain't got displacement, you ain't got torque...they go hand in hand.
 
BMW was one of the "turbo pioneers" for passenger car use, so I think they know what they're doing.
 
But yeah, BMW is also known for their engines---that's what they do better than just about anybody--it is their forte.

#4939 of 5349 Re: BMWs... [Mr_Shiftright] by qbrozen

Jan 14, 2011 (4:32 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jan 13, 2011 9:09 pm)
I've never had a supercharged engine, but I must say that VW and Volvo have both done great jobs getting low-end torque out of small engines with turbos. Granted, both my T5s with the automatic had a lag off the line, but at near 250 lb-ft at just 1800 rpms, it was a very brief lag. The VW with the stick is far better. Just 2 liters and a real-world 220 or so lb-ft available pretty much immediately.
 
I also don't know about the general statement that it is better suited to V-type engines. I think any Toyota 2JZ owner would have to disagree.

#4940 of 5349 Re: Rule # 1 and Rule # 2 [roadburner] by srs_49

Jan 14, 2011 (4:54 am)

Replying to: roadburner (Jan 13, 2011 6:37 pm)
Well, my '87 325 that I acquired in 1999 with 127,000 miles on the odometer has cost me $5300 in routine maintenance and repairs over 11.5 years. That included a couple a sets of ties, brake pads/rotors, the usual water pump & timing belt changeout shortly after I got the car, control arm(s) and/or bushings, exhaust, headlights, wiper blades - everything.

Messages Page 494 of 535

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