elmarco

"Buyer fee of $150 applies, payable to the franchise for documentation costs, change of ownership etc" WTF is this bullshit? The buyer pays for change of ownership not the seller... I smell a scam.

Don't these have the electric steering lock like the E90? If so, it may have failed. Or it may have been the reason for the big accident in the first place....

Therein lies the problem. I looked for 6 months for a good E46 330i m/sport and couldn't find one I wanted after owning the 330ci. Then my E90 came along at the same price as the E46 and while it's a perfectly acceptable car, I f**ked up. I really should have bought a Golf GTi, or just sprung for a second kids seat for the coupe..... I do miss the 330ci.

They definitely aren't as well built as the E46 in my opinion.... My 320d gets up and boogies OK, but it's the little things that bug me like rattles in the dash, watching the headlights bounce up and down when you hit a bump, the tinny feeling of the doors, and oddly the radio sometimes freezes and it does have a crappy sound. Oh, and there's the sheer lunacy of no temperature gauge, no spare wheel (or spare wheel well), glove box won't hold the service book, an electric steering lock (which scares me) and none of the E46 accessories like roof racks, towbars or ipod connections will fit. I think the best way to describe it is that the accountants got hold of the design team and told them to find another 30% cost savings - and it has really made a big difference. There are some good parts: the sport seats are comfortable (not that the E46 weren't), ISOFIX mounts are std, the switch gear for indicators feels better, front parking sensors as well as rears and at least they aren't as ugly as the X3/F20/F30.... From memory the 320i manual needed to be given a bit of the right boot to get it going, but was OK when you were up to speed (last time I drove one was the autobahn in 2007 so memory is a bit hazy now).

Its bullshit. My E90 is on std tyres & there is no space for a spare. No issues at WoF time.

And there's your answer - they won't give a mechanical warrantee on them as they know it will cost a small fortune to repair.... Better you than me.

Yep - long gone...

sh*t that's far from the worst atrocity I've seen on Trademe.... While I wouldn't be buying it myself, it still looks pretty sharp if you ask me. 10x better than that E36 - which is only one step above the Datsun Insult if you ask me.

Paul at Milland will be able to sort you for the control arms and bushes - I think the ones he sells are the Meyle HD which seem to be better than the OEM ones.

Starter solenoid, starter motor or wiring?

Where were you when I wanted one of these....

Depends on a lot of things... I would suggest you talk to a car painter. Some painters will want to paint the panels next to the ones in question as well depending on the colour, so you could be looking at damn near half the car.

Word.

There you go - result!

Really? More practical than a sedan, better looking than the wagon (actually better looking than almost all the current range) & smaller than the large cars (5/6/7). I like it. Would I buy one over a VW Tiguan? Probably not, but would I take it over the 4 door sedan? Yes.

A rattle in the A/C compressor that isn't simply the tensioner sounds pretty catastrophic to me... Past experience with an E46 A/C compressor (and I believe they are similar if not the same for E39's) front seal replacement suggests that $500 is on the very cheap side - especially if there are more parts than a simple seal required. Ironically I think the OE supplier is Denso (who are or were at least part owned by Toyota)... You could try Civic Wholesale for a new part.

What's the stuff all over the side? That tyre looks pretty munted to me. I'd be telling them to fix it - nobody else has removed it from the rim from your explanation. Beaurepaires left the wheel bolts finger tight on both LHS wheels on my wifes car 2 years back - we only realised after a week of motorway commuting. I won't be going back to them for anything - they could have killed someone.

Did you change the belt as well?

Water in the fuel tank? Dirty fuel filter?

I could be in the market for the old ones at the right price...

Original bumper cover from a 328ci (non-m/sport) - not an aftermarket knockoff. Some scratching under the bottom as shown in photos, and minor scuffs, but no cracks. Just needs painting. Includes the grille as shown. Should fit any pre-facelift E46 coupe (318ci, 320ci, 325ci, 323ci, 328ci, 330ci) from 1998 to around 2004. Linky

Unmarked boot lid off a 2002 M3 with spoiler. No dents, scratches, rust or other imperfections - just bolt it on. Comes as shown in the photos with the genuine M3 spoiler, badge & roundel. No lights, lock or rubbers etc. Colour is a metallic grey - it won't even need paint if your car is the same colour (just a bit dusty). Should fit any E46 coupe (318ci, 320ci, 325ci, 323ci, 328ci, 330ci, M3) from 1998 to around 2005. Linky

Factory BMW roof racks to suit E46 3 series and E39 5 series. Comes with ski & snowboard holders and puzzle nut tool - they do have locks but no keys unfortunately (I'm guessing you could get these cut if needed). The sticker says they fit any 4 door versions, but I used them on my E46 coupe with no problems. Linky

You had an offer of help from Ray at HellBM above....

Isn't it the controller, recoding & getting the intake manifold off the killer, as opposed to the glow plugs themselves? Think the ones in my 320d were only around $60 each.