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What is the maintenance $ on a 3 series - READ ONLY

15 messages,  Last post on Oct 09, 2003 at 10:07 PM

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What is this discussion about? BMW 3 Series, Sedan

Messages Page 2 of 2

#6 of 15 by q45man

Oct 04, 2003 (5:41 am)

The other part of the equation is to remember that factory service intervals are created to just get the car thru the warranty period with minimal cost to factory!
Maintenance for the long haul [say 200k] is something else. Equating maintenance vs replacement......will annual fluid exchanges [besides oil]increase component life.

#7 of 15 by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Oct 04, 2003 (10:40 am)

I like to use my rather shopworn "bank account" analogy.
 
If you own a new car, and you make "withdrawals" (use) without making "deposits" (maintenance) you will eventually be bankrupt.
 
How much you deposit to keep the balance operative depends on the car itself and its requirements.
 
On the one hand, labor rates are about the same for all makes of cars, but complexity might require more labor in one car than another; also, a part for a BMW is going to cost more than for a Chevrolet (usually) so that's a factor, too.
 
So we have a Rolls Royce on one end of the maintenance spectrum ( the horrifying end) and maybe a Corolla or Sentra on the other end of the spectrum. A BMW is probably on the high end of middle but certainly not "up there" with Ferrari or even Benz I don't think. Maybe the V-12 would be, but not a 3 Series.
 
I bet $100/150 a month is pretty close to reality over the course of a couple years.

#8 of 15 Shifty... by kyfdx HOST

Oct 04, 2003 (2:48 pm)

If its only mechanical repair and routine maintenance, $150 might be about right. But, if you are going to add in tires and brake pads, I'm betting its going to be closer to $200/mo. Most 3-series go through $600-700 sets of tires about every 25K miles. Most people coming from a Honda or Toyota have little idea what they are in for. I'm not saying its not worth it, its just a shock for most people.
 
regards,
kyfdx

#9 of 15 by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Oct 04, 2003 (4:19 pm)

Well tires are going to be $$$ on any "performance" type car, because that's how cars like Corvette or G35 get their great handling numbers.
 
If you drive aggressively you are going to eat up tires, especially on a somewhat heavy car (as opposed to a Miata) and if you drive a lot you are going to eat up brake pads.
 
some taxi cab companies replace brakes every 6 weeks!

#10 of 15 Mr_Shiftright by gordonwd

Oct 06, 2003 (12:38 pm)

>If you drive aggressively you are going to eat up tires, especially on a somewhat heavy car (as opposed to a Miata) and if you drive a lot you are going to eat up brake pads.
 
I don't know -- my Audi A4 has almost 50K on it and I'm on the original brake pads. I keep asking about them on every service, and they keep saying they don't need changing yet (and I'm sure they would like to replace them if they could). They did say that manual trans cars are easier on the brakes because the drivers tend to use more engine braking.

#11 of 15 by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Oct 06, 2003 (9:42 pm)

Hmmm...certainly all drivers are different and have different ideas of what fast hard driving means and what is appropriate. I would never get 50K out of a set of brakes. On my Saab turbo I used to get about 8K on a set of front tires and maybe 15K on brakes.
 
I've calmed down a bit since then.

#12 of 15 Also, the model by armtdm

Oct 08, 2003 (6:51 am)

An M3 for example uses the 10W60 oil which they charge $$$$/quart. Also have to deal with the arrogance of the BMW service dept with their know it all attitude.

#13 of 15 by q45man

Oct 08, 2003 (9:18 am)

Hopefully, the factory schooled technicans learn from the factory instructors, what the factory engineers know about the car they designed.
 
Arrogance? Or forcing you to do maintenance when you don't want to pay? And all they are trying to do is get the car to last FOR YOU.
 
Wish performance car buyers were forced to attend a 7 day 18 hour per day intensive school before being ALLOWED to buy! That's arrogance not using a special oil.

#14 of 15 E46 ownerships costs by fowvay

Oct 08, 2003 (9:51 am)

I know that you're asking about a older model but I just want to share my personal experiences. I have a 1999 E46 323i that was put into service in november of 1998. It's coming upon 5 years old. Even though BMW offered "free" maintenance for the first 4 years I have been reluctant to return my machine back to the dealership. I simply don't trust them.
 
My ownership costs over the past 5 years have amounted to practically nothing. I have done my own maintenance but even following the service intervals the costs have been miniscule. I have done two brake fluid flushes, one coolant flush, one air filter, one cabin air filter, and after several samplings of the motor oil I have settled on 5000 mile oil drain intervals with Mobil-1 10W-30.
 
The only part that I've had to replace other than normal maintenance items was a plastic slider hook that holds the sunroof interior panel in its track. This part cost me $14 from my local dealership. They would have replaced it under warranty but wanted me to leave my car for 3 days which was foolish considering it was a 30 minute replacement.
 
In all fairness, at the 5 year mark and the 50,000 mile mark I am ready to replace the original tires and the front brake pads and rotors. I have already priced Jurid pads and Balo rotors on the internet and my front brake replacement will cost me less than $125. The rear pads and rotors are still serviceable. I have not decided on which tires I want to buy but I'm looking at no more than $80 per tire from the tire rack.
 
So in all fairness to the marque, you can own a very nice German car for not a whole lot of money. In fact, I'm averaging 25 mpg on my city driving course and have gotten as high as 34 mpg on the highway. The key is to stay on top of maintenance items before they become problems.

#15 of 15 by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Oct 09, 2003 (10:07 pm)

I was thinking of a totally out of warranty car when I was coming up with estimates and likelihood of repairs, so we may not eactly be on the same page but both correct in our ballparks. I'm really 100% behind a totally pro-active maintenance plan for a fine car like a BMW.
 
I don't turn rotors and I don't wait 10 miles past the valve adjustment period. MOre expensive? Yes and no. Yes in the beginning but now with a couple hundred thousand miles on my car I'm enjoying a "like new" car that's all paid for and runs great.

Messages Page 2 of 2

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