Can I do my own servicing on a 320d E46?

rover416i said:
As long as it's a fairly solid lump that'll see out 150-200k with good maintainence, it's good enough for me. I just don't know a lot about BMW engines :(
Click to expand...

It's not too uncommon for 320d engines to blow turbo's in only 40k or so miles, or swirl flap failure to cause total engine failure. So, budget for an engine replacement and 4 turbo's and associated IC/hoses. In fact, throw in the cost of replacement injectors and fuel pump for good measure, these don't tend to last that long on a modern diesel engine.
 
rover416i said:
I do about 30k a year, I tend to go travelling around the UK to explore and go walking, and so need a nice cruiser. Also like something thats a bit fun on the twisties :)

Basically, as I commute 10 miles and sit in traffic for that, I figured something nice and comfy like a relatively high-spec 320d would be a move forward, especially with my UK-wide driving and high miles.

Just need to know that basic servicing and bits and bobs can be un-broken by me if needs be, and that it'd be reliable enough for my commute as public transport here is totally appaling :(

Edit: Cupholders are what's missing from my life. :(
Click to expand...

Then you're in for a shock, cup holders have to be retrofitted in the E46 afaik and even then they suck...hard.
 
[TW]Fox;13283120 said:
No, nothing at all. Bar the ultra high pressure injection system and the failiure prone turbocharger system both of which wont see change from a grand for a repair, that is.
Click to expand...

there not your basic servicing items on that engine though are they
which is what i was talking about
your normal everyday service that you would take it to a garage for, that engine is nothing special
thats what is meant by nothing special
 
rover416i said:
I am after a reliable, bulletproof motor, and thought a derv E46 would be one. I shall continue on my search, worth a try :)
Click to expand...

The engine in the 320d / 330d isn't a bulletproof motor. Loads of things go wrong with them, which a basic spanner monkey won't be able to diagnose, let alone fix.

rover416i said:
As long as it's a fairly solid lump that'll see out 150-200k with good maintainence, it's good enough for me. I just don't know a lot about BMW engines :(
Click to expand...

It's not a fairly solid lump that'll see out 150-200k with good maintainence. You'll be looking at a lot of replacement parts and diagnostic costs within that 150-200k lifespan.

rover416i said:
I do about 30k a year, I tend to go travelling around the UK to explore and go walking, and so need a nice cruiser. Also like something thats a bit fun on the twisties :)
Click to expand...

So for 30k a year, you'll be planning to run the car in the ground presumably?

Interestingly, you don't say what your budget is, or the age of the car which you're looking at.

ShakenNstirred said:
there not your basic servicing items on that engine though are they
which is what i was talking about and what he was asking about.
Click to expand...

He's not talking about basic service items. Anyone can change the oil, air filter etc. He's asking about things that can go wrong and which he can fiddle and FIX. The things that tend to go wrong aren't likely to be things he'll be able to diagnose and fix. Well, not unless he's a ex-BMW technican or an indie with garage full of equipment. You only have to have a look at the usual BMW forums to see the number of problems that can occur with these engines, particularly the 320d.
 
Last edited:
To sum up, yes, you can do your own servicing on an e46 320d, however, there will be certain jobs that will require a dealer / indy with the correct tools & know how.

Despite the many forum posts of issues of problems with the 320 & 330d engines, don't forget that for every car with a major failure I think you will find many more that have had no issues at all.

The internet is great for forming warped views about a given cars reliability.
 
[TW]Fox;13280980 said:
It's not a car you run on a budget. Replacing turbochargers and high pressure injectors is not the sort of thing best done by somebody who once had an old Rover and a copy of a Haynes manual. The BMW Commonrail turbodiesels are very complicated cars.
Click to expand...
I am not a mechanical genius, but I am fairly sure that both of those parts are in fact simple to replace, the injectors are simply a swap them over job as is the Turbo.
 
jamoor said:
I am not a mechanical genius, but I am fairly sure that both of those parts are in fact simple to replace, the injectors are simply a swap them over job as is the Turbo.
Click to expand...

I think its a tad more complicated than that, but even if it isn't, the cost of the parts is pretty huge - huge enough to wipe out the 'omg diesel' economy savings and scare somebody who wont use a garage in order to save money half to death.
 
This is the problem really. As these cars depreciate they are going to end up being completely useless. I'll try and explain this without coming across as snobby or offensive because thats NOT my point...

Somebody buying a car for, say, £2000 has different criteria to somebody buying a car for £10000, who has different criteria to somebody buying for £30,000, etc. I think we can all agree this.

Generally speaking, if somebody has a budget of we'll say £2000 for a car, then they are looking for certain things - fuel economy will be important (Hence the choice of a diesel), reliability will be important as well, or in the absence of reliability, simple and cheap to fix parts will suffice. They want to run the car on a low budget - hence the low amount of money to spend on it in the first place. This is fine, different people have different priorities and budgets.

But the problem with more complex cars like say a BMW 330d is that the running costs do not tend to fit the requirements of your average budget car buyer. Where is the sense of a car that does 40mpg and saves you £300 a year in fuel if it has a 60% chance of dropping a £1000 bill on you anyway? How many people who only have £2000 for a car have £1000 lying around for car repairs anyway? My usual rule of thumb with BMW's is to keep a grand in a bank for problems but whilst this is perfectly practical with £10k to spend its far less easy with £2k, its 50% of the car value!

So people don't tend to want these cars as they get older. They therefore begin to depreciate even heavily and start popping up for some bargain prices. When this begins to happen, people will buy them with little regard to the running costs - 'OMG LOOK A CHEAP 40MPG BEEMER'. Then they start going wrong. Things get bodged. Things get ignored. They skimp, then they realise it's a nightmare to run and they sell it. Even if they did think about the running costs somebody on the internet will invariably pop up and say 'OMG ITS ALL CRAP I ran a 330d for 20 years and 500k and it never broke' so they'll think this is the norm and buy it anyway.

The market for this sort of car at lower prices then tends to get flooded with shabby, abused examples run by people who could afford the purchase price but didn't appreciate the running costs. It becomes even more hard to buy a good one.

What I'm trying to say is that if you are cost concious enough to want something economical that you can service yourself, it's highly unlikely something that was once £30,000 and at the head of its game is the right choice for you.
 
jamoor said:
I am not a mechanical genius, but I am fairly sure that both of those parts are in fact simple to replace, the injectors are simply a swap them over job as is the Turbo.
Click to expand...

I would have thought any piezo electric injector would need to be coded to the car. Not necessarily saying that the new injector wouldn't inject fuel but the likelihood it wouldn't be injecting fuel in exactly the right amounts. Not sure I'd want to take the 'plug and hope' approach, particularly to a component that runs to such fine tolerances. Probably wouldn't stop the car running but then again, neither do offset wheels and tracking that's out of alignment.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom