Any E34 or E46 BMW owners here?

Communities Vehicles & Mobility
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About to buy a “new” car to replace my current crapbox. I have been looking at a few BMW’s and if anyone here owns or has owned previously one of the ones I’m looking at could you let me know if it was reliable, common problems or any big issues you ran into

E34 540i auto
E39 540i auto
E34 535i manual (the 6 not the 8)
E46 325i manual (can prob get this for 4 grand)

These are all around the 4 - 6k mark (AUS dollars) and similar km’s - 180k - 220k

I have also seen a few high mileage E34 540i around the 3k mark but with 310k on the clock.

I drive interstate twice a year every year so Im after a good highway car for running Canberra to Tassie and back. I dont do much city driving so im really only interested in highway fuel economy.

For any US drivers that would be a round trip of 1600 Miles, at approx 70 MPH

Also feel free to suggest other cars - I am also considering a VY SS commodore (5.7 LS1 gen 3 think its marketed as a Pontiac GTO in the USA)

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I’m in the US so some things may be different between my E46 and one you may buy down in upside down land. Also I have an M3 so some things (mainly engine issues) don’t apply if you go with a more standard model.

Overall, the E46 is a generally reliable car. Engines, trans, overall drive train is pretty good. However there are some pretty important things you should watch out for.

Window Regulators: They are shit and can fail meaning your windows will stop working. They will usually make a loud clicking sound when they are having problems so it is easy to tell.

Power Steering Pump: Less common but it can fail. If you hear a growling like sound on full lock stay away. Check your fluids.

Cooling" The water pump and other components can fail spectacularly leading to near instantaneous loss of coolant and overheating. Relatively rare but can be disastrous.

Tail Lamps: Recall was issued over the wiring and failures there

Rear Subframe Cracking: This is a biggy. BMW was sued over this and lost. Many E46 BMWs had their rear sub frame crack or tear essentially ruining the vehicle. Be aware of loud noises, scraping or clunking/creaking when driving over moderately rough roads. It is rare but something to watch out for.

Suspension Bushings Known to wear very quickly and near replacement

That is pretty much all of the known major problems. The M3 has VANOS issues that aren’t found on the lower models so don’t worry about that. All of those issues mentioned, other few minor ones, are known problems. I know it seems scary but get it checked out and once repaired (if necessary as not all cars have issues) they are excellent vehicles. Handle well and are fun to drive. Any car over ~140K km should be gone over with a fine tooth comb at an experience BMW shop or dealer before you buy.

Just note what you’re getting into here. You’re buying an old German luxury/sports car. They require care and maintenance. That care and maintenance, parts, ect is expensive. If you really don’t have much to spend on buying one, can only afford a high mileage one, or not to maintain it then don’t buy it. The E46 is the best 3 Series BMW ever made and one of their best cars of all time, if not the best, and they are incredibly rewarding. You do need to put in effort though.

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Thanks for the advice @DerKrieger

The E46 325i that I have been looking at has 207 220 kilometers on the dial, but looks to be in fantastic condition. I am taking it for a test drive later in the week. The car yard that is selling it is prepared to haggle on price (they want 4.5k) and they are supplying a full roadworthy certificate and a 12 month warranty. It is a 2002 model manual.

Are there any other things to look out for? As far as I know from talking to the dealer this particular car has not been molested in any way and is 100% stock. With that in mind would there be anything worth replacing before it wears out? Such as exhaust, suspension etc. Dont get me wrong - Im not looking to ‘hot it up’ or chase horsepower - I just want a NICE car that will look after me if I look after it.

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Is this 320d (2001) the e46? If yes then: 220000Km

my experience the last 7 years: All four engine heaters failed,had to change both front stabilizer and main engine stabilizer,flex on the branch exit,two buttons next to the transmission shift knob, rear wiper,corrosion is starting to appear on the rear door it’s small but it’s starting,the main windshield cracked had to replace it,air bag alert won’t turn off, one of the injectors was leaking or smoking whatever,front left window is starting to fail the right one failed and my main engine radiator had a leak the other day.

I expect i guess the turbine,various engine belts,electrics,alternator,suspension and the main “chain” (the thing that transmits the power to the rear wheals to fail.

Sorrs for my bad English

But i still love the car but i plan to use it until i am no longer able to repair it… $$$$$$ :frowning: if i could go back in time i would get a loan and get the newest cheapest 1 series

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Don’t know how much cars tend to rust in AUS, but the E34 is know to be prone to rust. The E39 has a few regular spots, while the E46 doesn’t have any problem AFAIK.
Both the 6c and 8c are known for being long lasting, i’ve know of some E39 and E38 (7 series) V8 that went up to 1 mil km. The auto box on the E34 i belive isn’t problematic, while the E39 can be, mostly because BMW put “lifetime” oil in it that didn’t need changing. If the car had it oil changed in the 150kkm to 200kkm i should work just fine. VANOS can be a bit of a problem, single VANOS more than double, but that’s mostly due to abuse (revving the car high when cold) so a lot of engines eat oil if that’s the way it was treated. On the E39 you also have to expect to change the front wishbones more regularly, due to the weight on the front wheels.
Personally i’d go with the E39, mostly cause right behind the 7 series, it’s made for long drives on the highway.
As far as parts goes, yes they are expensive. Though it good to look at forums, since a lot of parts can be had for a lot cheaper if you skip on the BMW stamp, so buying directly from the manufacturer who made the parts for BMW instead of buying at an official dealer.

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Also Rust is a very common problem with the E36 / E46 and E34.
Automatic transmissions i would skip on those, because you dont realy want any issues with that.
Oil leakage E46.