E46 models to avoid

[TW]Fox · 11 Aug 2009 at 13:01

iaind said:
Anyway, the point was the thread was asking for BMW specific advice - nothing wrong with pointing out that thats not BMW specific..

What possible benefit was there in pointing out that some of the advice was not BMW specific? Do you really think people need you to point out to them that 3 different brands of cheap tyres is a pointer for cost cutting on Fords as well as BMW's? :rolleyes:

iaind · 11 Aug 2009 at 13:03

[TW]Fox;14656376 said:
What possible benefit was there in pointing out that some of the advice was not BMW specific? Do you really think people need you to point out to them that 3 different brands of cheap tyres is a pointer for cost cutting on Fords as well as BMW's?

Not everyone is as familiar with cars as you are - it was just worth pointing out.

Its called conversation

[TW]Fox · 11 Aug 2009 at 13:04

You didnt point out, you asked a rhetorical question.

Do you have anything to add about buying a 3 Series?

iaind · 11 Aug 2009 at 13:10

[TW]Fox;14656412 said:
You didnt point out, you asked a rhetorical question.

Do you have anything to add about buying a 3 Series?

Which is a valid way of making a point, isnt it?

I've already added my opinion and expressed it as an opinion, is that not what a discussion is about?

paradigm · 11 Aug 2009 at 13:17

[TW]Fox;14656202 said:
Only some of the x30d's have swirl flaps and I can't remember which ones - the manual 530d doesn't but the automatic 530d does but I cant speak for the 330d.

For the e46 330d:

Manual 184BHP (5-speed) ones have no flaps
Automatic 184BHP ones DO have flaps
All 204BHP ones DO have flaps (be they auto or 6-speed manual)

[TW]Fox · 11 Aug 2009 at 13:20

Is it true that the diesel ones go dagagadagdagdagadgadagdagdaga and take horribly smelly fuel and that people with the petrol ones are therefore more attrctive to girls?

iaind · 11 Aug 2009 at 13:21

Is it not possible to remove them? I know people do it on Mondeo petrols and I'm sure I've seen reference to it being done on some BMWs too

[TW]Fox · 11 Aug 2009 at 13:22

Yes it is possible to remove them. They appear to be there for annoying emissions reasons.

Scania · 11 Aug 2009 at 13:25

[TW]Fox;14656589 said:
Yes it is possible to remove them. They appear to be there for annoying emissions reasons.

And do thus modded examples still pass the MOT?

Having driven a 520d, I'd happily have one sometime, but, I think the flaps would be out as soon as I got her home.

Hmm, that sounds like my youth....

OllyM · 11 Aug 2009 at 13:27

paradigm said:
For the e46 330d:

Manual 184BHP (5-speed) ones have no flaps
Automatic 184BHP ones DO have flaps
All 204BHP ones DO have flaps (be they auto or 6-speed manual)

Yep, and when it comes to the 320d I believe that the 136bhp versions don't have swirl flaps but all the 150bhp later revision engines do.

paradigm · 11 Aug 2009 at 13:27

[TW]Fox;14656574 said:
Is it true that the diesel ones go dagagadagdagdagadgadagdagdaga and take horribly smelly fuel and that people with the petrol ones are therefore more attrctive to girls?

The 4-pot ones go dagadagadaga, the 6-pot ones only do that on idle. It's a great excuse to give it some beans.

As for the girls thing, my GF has no complaints with the derv

Wicksta · 11 Aug 2009 at 13:37

paradigm said:
The 4-pot ones go dagadagadaga, the 6-pot ones only do that on idle. It's a great excuse to give it some beans.

As for the girls thing, my GF has no complaints with the derv

Yes but what if a handsome guy with a 6 cylinder petrol BMW turns up, you're history dude.

casanova · 11 Aug 2009 at 13:41

I have been thinking about getting a BMW 330 or 530 with a manual box for a while now.
I have to admit I always thought the running costs would be huge but reading this thread has opened my eyes.

[TW]Fox;14652732 said:
It's purely performance, really. Why buy a slow BMW? Why buy a 320i with 330i running costs but without the 330i performance?

Oil service: £140ish
Inspection 1: £200-£250
Inspection 2: £250-£350
Discs and pads all round not much change from £400-£600

Are these prices from a main dealer or indipendant fox? Also does it say in the service manual which type of service it has had last, and how does the service routine run. Like is it oil service, Inspection 1, Inspection 2, then back to oil service for example?

I have just been looking around autotrader and have seen these two cars, both different price ranges but manual 530i sports seem to be few and far between. Does the 330ci seem a fair price?

Cheers

330ci
http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-u...cleYearOfManufacture=2002&vehicleRegLetter=02

530i
http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-u...icleYearOfManufacture=2000&vehicleRegLetter=X

[TW]Fox · 11 Aug 2009 at 13:45

casanova said:
Are these prices from a main dealer or indipendant fox? Also does it say in the service manual which type of service it has had last, and how does the service routine run. Like is it oil service, Inspection 1, Inspection 2, then back to oil service for example?

Main dealer prices, frankly I cba with independants for servicing as they are barely any cheaper.

It goes..

Oil
Inspection 1
Oil
Inspection 2
Oil
Inspection 1

etc

330ci
http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-u...cleYearOfManufacture=2002&vehicleRegLetter=02

530i
http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-u...icleYearOfManufacture=2000&vehicleRegLetter=X

330Ci seems like a nice example but be aware it's not a Sport. That 530i looks pretty shabby to me.

Kingy · 11 Aug 2009 at 13:47

casanova said:
I have been thinking about getting a BMW 330 or 530 with a manual box for a while now.
I have to admit I always thought the running costs would be huge but reading this thread has opened my eyes.

Are these prices from a main dealer or indipendant fox? Also does it say in the service manual which type of service it has had last, and how does the service routine run. Like is it oil service, Inspection 1, Inspection 2, then back to oil service for example?

I have just been looking around autotrader and have seen these two cars, both different price ranges but manual 530i sports seem to be few and far between. Does the 330ci seem a fair price?

Cheers

330ci
http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-u...cleYearOfManufacture=2002&vehicleRegLetter=02

530i
http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-u...icleYearOfManufacture=2000&vehicleRegLetter=X

Oil
Inspection I
Oil
Inspection II
Repeat

Ought to be able to get a main dealer to service it on 4plus for the prices mentioned. The car tells you if it needs an Oil Service or an Inspection service. They're roughly 15k apart, although this is variable, and it tells you when it needs a service...

Are the headlights on that 330 standard? Maybe it's just the photo, but they look like an angel eye conversion to me... Seems expensive for a non sport model...

EddScott · 11 Aug 2009 at 13:55

casanova said:
I have been thinking about getting a BMW 330 or 530 with a manual box for a while now.

This is a 530D sport auto. Looks lovely but the ride is probably a little hard.

http://forum.bmw5.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=85&t=41537

[TW]Fox · 11 Aug 2009 at 14:00

He's been on that forum for absolutely years and paid a small fortune for that when he bought it. There is no doubt in my mind that that particular 530d is the poverbial needle in the haystack and would make an excellent buy.

Wicksta · 11 Aug 2009 at 14:02

[TW]Fox;14656889 said:
He's been on that forum for absolutely years and paid a small fortune for that when he bought it. There is no doubt in my mind that that particular 530d is the poverbial needle in the haystack and would make an excellent buy.

The wheels and ICE would put me off.

[TW]Fox · 11 Aug 2009 at 14:03

Wicksta said:
The wheels and ICE would put me off.

Wouldn't put me off, the ICE install he did was brilliant. The sub in the boot looked factory.

paradigm · 11 Aug 2009 at 14:04

Wicksta said:
The wheels and ICE would put me off.

So, the two things that can easily be returned to stock would put you off an otherwise completely mint standard car that has never been abused and has always been looked after?

How odd.