Car decisions
- Thread starter CliffyG
- Start date
Much more so to be honest.
A low mileage FSH example that potentially won’t will cost a lot more than your budget.
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Not worth it, probably won't be a 10% improvement anyway especially on an M54B22.
I never really understand these threads, people always end up doing something totally random. The 2.2 is the worst engine for a Z4 - it has all the running costs of the 3 litre with none of the performance.
I'd imagine someone will have pointed this out had you asked
Well for £200 i didn't think it was bad value even if its not the full 10%.
Yeah i did have something in mind but looking around and seeing what was available diverted my well thought out plan somewhat and i decided i wanted a Z4. It costs a fair bit more to insure anything over the 2.2 and also the cars themselves were more expensive so i compromised a bit of performance to get one in good nick with decent mileage.
Yeah i did have something in mind but looking around and seeing what was available diverted my well thought out plan somewhat and i decided i wanted a Z4. It costs a fair bit more to insure anything over the 2.2 and also the cars themselves were more expensive so i compromised a bit of performance to get one in good nick with decent mileage.
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2004
- Posts
- 7,607
Just wait until when winter arrives properly, and you are skidding around arl ower. 
Not worth it, probably won't be a 10% improvement anyway especially on an M54B22.
I never really understand these threads, people always end up doing something totally random. The 2.2 is the worst engine for a Z4 - it has all the running costs of the 3 litre with none of the performance.
I'd imagine someone will have pointed this out had you asked
Same for most of the 6 pot line-ups tbh. E46 320i uses as much fuel as an E46 330i. E30 320i uses as much fuel as an E30 325i etc.
Makes the lesser 6 pot models seem a bit pointless.
And they are. However a tidy sport manual 330ci / 330i is becoming increasingly rare. Almost wish I haven't sold mine 4 years ago, probably the only car I truly miss.
4k can potentially get you a tidy 330d. I've had one and took it from 90k miles to about 125k miles.
If you are ok with DIY, they are not bad at all. If you want to go to BMW and tell them to "sort it" then run like hell.
Once you buy it, go on replace the two thermostats, all glow plugs and intake manifold gaskets (which you'll take off for the glow plugs anyway). Can easily be done in half a day, with plenty guides around. Parts shouldn't be more than £150, BMW thermostats and gaskets, OEM glow plugs as there's no point in paying BMW prices for those.
Common to popular myths, do not rush to disable the swirl flaps on an e90/e92. These are not as weak as on the old e46 and removing them doesn't do the DPF any favours.
Common fault is the ABS/ DSC pump, it will go at some point. £300 to get it refurbished at a specialised vendor (ecutesting).
Clutches will be tired at that mileage, especially if you're thinking remap. Auto gearboxes will also need servicing, if you find a decent one an oil change will be enough.
4k can potentially get you a tidy 330d. I've had one and took it from 90k miles to about 125k miles.
If you are ok with DIY, they are not bad at all. If you want to go to BMW and tell them to "sort it" then run like hell.
Once you buy it, go on replace the two thermostats, all glow plugs and intake manifold gaskets (which you'll take off for the glow plugs anyway). Can easily be done in half a day, with plenty guides around. Parts shouldn't be more than £150, BMW thermostats and gaskets, OEM glow plugs as there's no point in paying BMW prices for those.
Common to popular myths, do not rush to disable the swirl flaps on an e90/e92. These are not as weak as on the old e46 and removing them doesn't do the DPF any favours.
Common fault is the ABS/ DSC pump, it will go at some point. £300 to get it refurbished at a specialised vendor (ecutesting).
Clutches will be tired at that mileage, especially if you're thinking remap. Auto gearboxes will also need servicing, if you find a decent one an oil change will be enough.
Don't forget CCV, VANOS, DISA, plethora of sensors, cooling system and split hoses etc. All are pretty much guaranteed to need doing at this age. Oh and bushes too, also injectors on dervs.
Whilst it's not massively expensive to do all of the above, the costs would mount up and also the inconvenience/annoyance would also wear most people down.
Nah, not on diesels.
I've had both an e46 330ci and an e92 330D.
The petrol did indeed need CCV, VANOS seals rebuild (cheaps as chips but scary to DIY) DISA rebuild, rocker cover gaskets (they were plastic when I got to them haha). And yes, I did end up replacing the majority of the cooling system. Also, don't forget the major leak on the oil filter housing as well.
Another major key point is that the vast majority of M54 engines dring oil at a ridiculous rate, especially if you do the odd short trip and don't drive like a saint. Like... 1L per 6-700miles.
By contrast, the M57 lump did not drink one drop, not even when remapped and "exploited" across Germany at constant 120+mph speeds.
Injectors can be inspected upon purchase, nowhere near a guaranteed failure item on the diesels. Same as turbo and DPF - Find one with decent history, replace oil at 10k and drive them as they should be (not abusing them soley on short trips around town) and they will be absolutely fine.
Also the e46 has front bushes made of chocolate, they will all be a bit tired at that age mileage but are a lot more likely to be dead at an e46 due to the way the wishbone is monted on the chasys.
I've had both an e46 330ci and an e92 330D.
The petrol did indeed need CCV, VANOS seals rebuild (cheaps as chips but scary to DIY) DISA rebuild, rocker cover gaskets (they were plastic when I got to them haha). And yes, I did end up replacing the majority of the cooling system. Also, don't forget the major leak on the oil filter housing as well.
Another major key point is that the vast majority of M54 engines dring oil at a ridiculous rate, especially if you do the odd short trip and don't drive like a saint. Like... 1L per 6-700miles.
By contrast, the M57 lump did not drink one drop, not even when remapped and "exploited" across Germany at constant 120+mph speeds.
Injectors can be inspected upon purchase, nowhere near a guaranteed failure item on the diesels. Same as turbo and DPF - Find one with decent history, replace oil at 10k and drive them as they should be (not abusing them soley on short trips around town) and they will be absolutely fine.
Also the e46 has front bushes made of chocolate, they will all be a bit tired at that age mileage but are a lot more likely to be dead at an e46 due to the way the wishbone is monted on the chasys.
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When driven appropriately (ie - not short town trips, but a healthy dose of motorway driving) they actually are.
The old myth of the "unreliable diesel" does have a source of truth of course, as in the early-mid 2000s when DMFs started being fitted on common cars and later on DPFs they were not doing well on short town trips. Even so, DPF's were hardly a diesel on 6 cylinder engines, mainly due to smarter positioning (always close to the engine) and also because they warmed up quicker. Same with EGR valves, mine were fairly clean on both the M57 and N57 at 100k+ miles and never had an issue. That being said, the old N47 engines with their snapped timing chains were very infamous indeed, and that is for good reason.
"Back in the day" when the comparrison was with a diesel with early stages DMF and DPF, the issues were indeed more likely on the diesels. Add in turbos and injectors and there you go, compared to a NA petrol it was a lot more to go wrong. Modern petrols however also have turbos and DMF's as well and with the improvement of DPFs it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be.
On the other hand, if you you look at modern petrol engines, reliability isn't exactly what it used to be. Whether we're talking epic fails on Ford Ecoboost, snapped chains on 1.4 TSI engines or ridiculous oil consumption on 1.8 TFSI or 2.0 TFSI engines. The supercharged v6 on Audi is a peach of an engine on the other hand.
Overall across all manufacturers the diesels are probably more problematic, especially if not driven in the right conditions. But it's no simple rule for sure, and they certainly need to be taken into account on a case by case basis.
However, a decently maintained M57 or N57 six cylinder is nothing to be scared off, and overall I dare say more reliable than the M54 petrol. I've had all 3 at 100k+ miles and drove 30k+ miles with each across different conditions from central London traffic where I am based to long european trips at Autobahn speeds. The only time I broke down was with a sticking caliper on the F30 330d after changing the rear disc & pads - but that can happen to absolutely any car out there.
The old myth of the "unreliable diesel" does have a source of truth of course, as in the early-mid 2000s when DMFs started being fitted on common cars and later on DPFs they were not doing well on short town trips. Even so, DPF's were hardly a diesel on 6 cylinder engines, mainly due to smarter positioning (always close to the engine) and also because they warmed up quicker. Same with EGR valves, mine were fairly clean on both the M57 and N57 at 100k+ miles and never had an issue. That being said, the old N47 engines with their snapped timing chains were very infamous indeed, and that is for good reason.
"Back in the day" when the comparrison was with a diesel with early stages DMF and DPF, the issues were indeed more likely on the diesels. Add in turbos and injectors and there you go, compared to a NA petrol it was a lot more to go wrong. Modern petrols however also have turbos and DMF's as well and with the improvement of DPFs it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be.
On the other hand, if you you look at modern petrol engines, reliability isn't exactly what it used to be. Whether we're talking epic fails on Ford Ecoboost, snapped chains on 1.4 TSI engines or ridiculous oil consumption on 1.8 TFSI or 2.0 TFSI engines. The supercharged v6 on Audi is a peach of an engine on the other hand.
Overall across all manufacturers the diesels are probably more problematic, especially if not driven in the right conditions. But it's no simple rule for sure, and they certainly need to be taken into account on a case by case basis.
However, a decently maintained M57 or N57 six cylinder is nothing to be scared off, and overall I dare say more reliable than the M54 petrol. I've had all 3 at 100k+ miles and drove 30k+ miles with each across different conditions from central London traffic where I am based to long european trips at Autobahn speeds. The only time I broke down was with a sticking caliper on the F30 330d after changing the rear disc & pads - but that can happen to absolutely any car out there.
Caporegime
- Joined
- 21 Jun 2006
- Posts
- 38,363
welcome to the club cliffy @CliffyG
i will likely be getting rid of the z4 in 3 years if it lasts that long and going for the new one most likely. should launch early next year.
weak points - roof motor get it relocated into the boot for as cheap as £60 on the z4 forum. steering motor get it loosened there is a huge thread on it. if it overheats it will burn out meaning a HUGE bill. upgrade the DISA valve - £60 and is a DIY job. if you want to improve mpg, oil consumption and power lower down in the rev range then get the VANOS seals changed to newer made for life parts. the old ones shrink and turn hard more like plastic than rubber. is a £250 job and will improve the car a lot.
make sure the wire to the fan to give it the signal to what speed it runs at is replaced. these turn to dust with time and the fan stops working because no signal even though it has power. can use any cheap copper wire to replace the original. i used some high quality speaker wire i had left over. it's a £2 job.
i have a set of 18" 108's I need to sell at some point. they are in what i would call 9.5/10 condition. 1 small scuff and a few tiny marks. would come with 1 new tyre and 3 used with enough tread to use for a while. looking for around £450
i will likely be getting rid of the z4 in 3 years if it lasts that long and going for the new one most likely. should launch early next year.
weak points - roof motor get it relocated into the boot for as cheap as £60 on the z4 forum. steering motor get it loosened there is a huge thread on it. if it overheats it will burn out meaning a HUGE bill. upgrade the DISA valve - £60 and is a DIY job. if you want to improve mpg, oil consumption and power lower down in the rev range then get the VANOS seals changed to newer made for life parts. the old ones shrink and turn hard more like plastic than rubber. is a £250 job and will improve the car a lot.
make sure the wire to the fan to give it the signal to what speed it runs at is replaced. these turn to dust with time and the fan stops working because no signal even though it has power. can use any cheap copper wire to replace the original. i used some high quality speaker wire i had left over. it's a £2 job.
i have a set of 18" 108's I need to sell at some point. they are in what i would call 9.5/10 condition. 1 small scuff and a few tiny marks. would come with 1 new tyre and 3 used with enough tread to use for a while. looking for around £450
Why get the roof motor moved? What's the chances of the steering motor burning out? I have a friendly ex-mechanic who can do the work for free for me. Just had to get an oil service done so any improvements will have to wait until I sell my old car.
Because where it's located from the factory fills with water and ruins it. The family E85 has had two roof motors because of this in the last 10 years.
Bit of a thread revival. Car has been solid since I've had it other than a couple of fuel injectors and have stuck a fair few miles on. Had the roof down for the first time since last year earlier in the week and it's really slow opening, so much so i had to help it up. What's odd is that it shuts the same speed as always so i don't think it's the motor. The cloth seems to be bunching up on the passenger seat on the way open too but i need to help it along well before it gets to that point.
Probably the fabric is just stiff from not being used. There may be some sort of conditioner you can get, I’ve no idea!