Oh man... this one brings back memories... One of my first GFs drove an Integra that looked almost exactly like that (except for the interior being black or gray, instead of tan. But another GF had an Integra with a tan interior.)

Damn... :ifyouknow:

oil filter housing leak is something that needs to be looked at once in a while

Don't the electric water pumps sometimes go bad as well?

yep. they always go bad.

So do the cooling systems on these later BMW's (especially the 3 series).
Best to replace everything cooling related while it's apart (water pump, thermostat, rad, overflow tank etc.).

Just because you replace it doesn't mean its good. Everything is a maintenance item. Will explode at regular intervals. Doesn't matter if its oem or aftermarket equivalent. The fundamental designs of these cars are meant to fail. bmw likes to use seals and gaskets that are under spec for the temps and conditions the engine produces. they crack, get brittle, or fail from exposure to coolant or oil. Same holds true for all the plastic and hoses that surround the engine. They also like to use quick connect hoses that goes from plastic to plastic. Easy to break one or both sides if seized. Creates a chain failure. So you have an engine that is constantly leaking oils and coolant. These fluids leak into things that are not suppose to get wet. Oils will destroy rubber things. Coolant kills electronics. Lots of compound failure. C fried because B leaked because A cracked. A lot of the plastics are meant for only so many heat cycles. Life expectancy shortens when constantly exposed to oil and coolant. They usually all let go conveniently when warranty ends. So even when you replace it, you are going to at best get 3-4 years out of the new part. These are general observations regarding fluids from owning too many bmw cars over the years.

Sounds...reliable? :lol

i don't get it, if you got burned by your 2nd your 3rd bmw, why let it go to like #17 or whatever

wouldn't you rather be driving it instead of cursing at it hands and arms all twisted/sore/cut

do you own the car or does the car own you?

Its part of the bmw ownership experience. The downtime make you appreciate the run time more. But I gave up eventually. I don't have the time nor the energy to become a software engineer to fix the current generation of cars.

Sadomasochists do exist, even in car form

Let's not forget about the eccentric shaft sensor that is eventually bound to go GUARANTEED, that's found INSIDE the damn valve cover so even if you just did a complete valve cover gasket refresh, when your eccentric shaft sensor fails guess what, you'll be doing another valve cover gasket job! You'll also need new valve cover bolts too cause they're aluminum either bend or crack when taking them out.

But I still love my car. Nothing drives like an E9x/E8x, NOTHING.

is it impossible to have something as reliable/rugged as 4Runner but like the size of Grand Vitara about 10 years old in LHD that doesnt return atrocious city fuel econ?

https://vancouver.craigslist.org/nvn...060605084.html

E46 m3 rare colour and hartge aero pieces. Only 61k kms too. Sadly smg trans though. -23900

I mean all of this does sort of sound like a nightmare but it’s her first car and it’s the car she wanted vs my suggestion to her (Corolla, tsx or IS). Yeah it’ll probably blow up at some point but we’ve told her in advance that’ll probably happen and she can have a contingency fund.

Is there anyway to permanently solve these issues ? Plastic water pump fine, do they make a metal one ? All those gaskets and seals, can we use a higher grade one that won’t need replacing every few years ? I figured the e90 engines and issues are pretty well documented at this point and there might be better solution than oem parts.

2008 M3

https://vancouver.craigslist.org/rds...059183819.html

Everyone says they're ok with repairs until it happens over and over and then they somehow blame you or keep asking you for help to find parts or what they should do because they don't realize how expensive it gets.

Do yourself a favour and don't go down this road.

Asked about this one, but the rod bearings were replaced with stock ones. Gives the engine new life but doesn’t necessarily fix the issue. Could probably drive for another 50k safely without worry.

I think the question is if you think its worth it. Say you have a 06 325i worth roughly 4k retail on the market. Is it worth it to spend 1500 for a high end all aluminum rad and all the hardware to mount it or is it better to just throw in the cheapest rock auto $100 no name rad and hope it's at least as good as the oem plastic. Car is still only worth 4k with the aluminum or with the cheapo rad. It really comes down to how much do you like the car. I find that it gets tiring and expensive when I have to make this call over and over again as these cars fall apart often. I got rid of my euros and got back into toyotas. I now mod because I want to, no more fixing because I have to.

very true. both me and her boyfriend warned her. we tried in vain for months to get to buy a sensible, older, lexus/acura but to no avail. FailFishFailFish

ahhh girls, what can you do. My wife's the same too.

Anyone set on buying used BMW/Mercs as a daily to "save face" or look cool is a moron.

My dad had a few collegues at work whos kids were looking to buy a first vehicle, similar situations. He said you better buy a Toyota/Honda and be done with it, however, their kids wanted to look cool and ended up buying sub 10k BMW's

Both cars blew up mechanically within the first year to the point where they werent worth fixing. Doesnt help when you barely even know how to check the oil..

I tell people this but with old "classic cars". People that have never changed an air filter in their life or own a socket set wants to daily a 70's Alfa convertible which they will eventually "restore".

Uh huh...

@ Badhobz - Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Let's see how long you guys are friends for. :lol

hhahah ill let you guys know :D

What I find strange is they ask people with knowledge in the subject for their opinion. Then when the opinion does not fit their original view, they ignore it.

Purely seeking validation only.

totally. that being said, im sure most of us have bought cars based on emotional rationalization instead of logic. So i cant really fault her on that.

If we were all logical, everyone here would only buy toyota's and nobody would have need for a 400hp+ vehicle.

I aint gonna rag on her too much, i understand it. I bought an almost 200k maserati for fuck sakes, who am i to say shit to her about being practical, reliable, and sensible.