razza

Hey guys, I was just thinking about the cost of maintaining my e36 recently and was wondering if it was comparable to the average maintenance cost of the equivalent e90. They've come down in price quite a bit and it sorta makes sense to spend the money and get an e90 if the maintenance costs are the same . I assume that the e36 and e46 have similar costs. If you dont DIY and take your car to an independent specialist (e.g. BM Workshop, Botany Motor Worx) for nearly everything I would think that proper routine & some preventative maintenance would cost $2000-3000 yearly more or less. Is this also true for the e90, or is it more?

Hi guys, I've been occasionally browsing the forum for a few years, but only recently opened an account and this is my first post! I'm after a BWM E36, and I just had a look at one today. It was in good condition overall but there was just one strange thing. When I checked the oil dipstick there was hardly any oil on it. I repeated the test a few times and still nothing. Unfortunately, when the owner backed the car out of the garage he rode over a nail so I couldn't test drive it, but when he started it there were no funny noises or smoking. Its most recent oil change was in February, and the owner claims it has just been sitting since, and that could be why. Is that possible? Would the engine have to be run at operating temperature after its been sitting for a little while for oil to show on the dipstick? Sorry if that's a stupid question but I'm not the most technical when it comes to cars. The car is NZ new and is a 1993 325i, if that makes any difference. Its only had two owners, and had its early service history at Team McMillan and then subsequently at the local mechanic (Eastern Beach Motors). Cheers, Raz