gjm

A little background: I drive from just outside Clevedon (east of Papakura, south of Auckland) to work in Hamilton. Around 120km each way, so we'd been looking for an economical, practical, reliable and yet potentially fun to drive car, for as little money as possible. I was almost resigned to a Peugeot 406HDi when I was told about a friend of a friend who knew someone who was selling something like this: It is the high-mileage (very nearly 225,000 miles, 360,000km) ex-UK 320d Touring in Topaz Blue (Topasblau) Metallic that was listed on TradeMe - it looks very much like the one shown above, with the obvious exception of having the steering wheel on the right... Interior is an Anthracite Jacqaurd cloth which looks pretty good without rips, tears or holes. (Curious how the steering wheel is in the right place in this pic, from the same source.) The seller is a really nice guy, very helpful. There is a whole heap of history with it, including many invoices for work carried out at UK BMW franchised dealers before expatriation. WoF expires in April next year. As far as I can tell, very little if anything by way of modification has been done. Standard wheels are still fitted, for example, and there are no 'extra' holes in the dash or any interior panels. It does have a towbar, which according to an NZ receipt was a custom fit. It drives well, doesn't smoke, and is currently returning just over 62mpg (about 4.5 litres per 100km, or 22km per litre) on my commute. The economy was a major consideration, so these numbers are a Very Good Thing. There are some marks on the paintwork but nothing significant. No obvious major repairs, no sign of any crash damage. The interior is a bit grubby but not terribly so. Nothing to write home about. There are some unknowns, such as the status of swirl flaps. In the maintenance forum I mentioned that one of the NZ invoices details glow plug replacement, and comments on one of the inlet flaps being missing. In the interests of ensuring I'd not missed anything significant, I took it to a BMW specialist for a PPI - post purchase inspection. I used Greg Hantz Autos in Hamilton who have the huge advantage of being about 5 minutes walk from work, so very convenient. Nice bloke, seems to know what he is talking about. The results: Needs new rear pads and discs Engine oil level sender (the yellow oil can occasionally displays on the dash) r/f window regulator noisy: the window is very slow to wind up A/c belt is cracked (it is a 4PK-968; I'll try a belt wholesaler) r/f door check strap not working: the door doesn't stay open Original battery fitted l/r tyre worn almost to limit Front brake hoses beginning to crack Undertray held with cable ties (isn't that normal for a 10+ year old car, assuming it still has an undertray? ) rear diff bush beginning to perish transmission oil leak (appears to be from sump) slight damage to l/f bumper support (probably caused by a steep kerb or similar impact) oil leakage noted in r/f intercooler pipe Couple of fault codes cleared: exhaust gas recirculation (do I need the EGR?) rail-pressure monitoring on engine start Most of this I had identified (except hoses and diff bush) and I plan to change the ATF ASAP. I also noticed the centre console sliding cover is broken (might be p/n 51167039184), and there is a smooth noise from either a rear wheel bearing, or from the diff. All in all, a good result. I've bought 2 litres of Castrol 75W-90 full synthetic gear oil for the diff (it needs about 1.1 litres), and visited the local BMW franchise to get a couple of washers for the diff fill and drain plugs. While there, I picked up a new oil separator (vortex type), set of manifold gaskets, and a dealer-only service kit (fuel filter, air filter, micro filter and oil filter). Very helpful (as you'd hope, but is so often not the case) and gave me a good discount. I'm sure there could be some savings by shopping around, but having the items quickly was the aim. And, of course, there are no postage costs involved. And so, tomorrow is Saturday. I have diff oil, and will replace that first. And remove/refit the inlet manifold to see what is (or isn't) in there. Is it possible that the swirl flaps were removed, but no blanking plates fitted? I need to check the gearbox to find which filter/sump gasket I need as there appear (according to RealOEM) to be two types, possibly differentiating between the A5S360R and A5S390R GM transmissions. Regardless, I think BMW has ceased production of 'their' ATF and that Dexron VI should be used - I was thinking of using Penrite ATF DX-VI Full Synthetic. Other servicing will follow. Engine oil, brake fluid flush (when I change the rear discs and pads, and front hoses), power steering fluid flush (can I use the DX-VI for that, too?), and working my way through the list above. I'll probably look for a good part-worn tyre to replace the worn one to begin with. Curious as to why one tyre should be worn... Alignment? Anyway, I may look at fitting 17" rims later and get a full suspension alignment done at that time. Or when I put new tyres on all 4 rims. Driving... Steering seems perhaps a tiny bit 'notchy' around straight ahead, but given the car has done 32000km per year, it has probably spent a lot of time on a motorway. It's really not an issue, and I only mention it because I'm struggling to find fault. Sometimes it seems to fidget a little when on the road. Road surface issues, or alignment? One, the other, or both? I'll find out in due course. The transmission fluid needs changing and so might the gearbox thermostat - it's a bit sluggish off the line, and there can sometimes be a slight rise in engine revs without any appreciable increase in rate of forward motion. Under harder acceleration, there is a sound from the engine that in a petrol car I would attribute to pinking or pre-ignition. In a diesel...? Dunno. It's not what I would describe as a usual diesel 'knock'. Hopefully it isn't a swirl flap, flapping! Lots of maintenance has been done, including replacement of the engine thermostat, lower front arms and so on. I suspect oil changes haven't been frequent enough (for me) and have been done according to the oil change indicator. That'll change. The indicator shows around 10000 miles and I think they typically start at around 20000, so it's probably already overdue (in my opinion). I'm thinking of using Penrite Enviro+ 5W40, a BMW LL04 compliant fully-synthetic. 5.5 liters... Do manufacturers deliberately require a tiny bit more oil than you can buy in one container? So a bit of servicing, a wash and interior shampoo, and let's see how we get on! Any thoughts and advice would be very welcome. It's our first E46. Cheers, Graham

I wanted a few bits'n'pieces for the E46, and went to BMW. Ended up paying less than I might have elsewhere (thanks to some discounting - be nice to them, it helps!) and had the parts in my hand there and then.

I'd hoped to try sourcing manifold gaskets today, but it was not to be - far too busy. I'l try again tomorrow. Don't really fancy pulling the inlet manifold and then finding the gaskets are torn or otherwise damaged!

No-one will know I'm looking! Interesting on the kms vs miles bit. I knew of RUC, and built a spreadsheet to help me (being from the UK) convert between mpg, km/litre and liters per 100km, for petrol and diesel engines with appropriate fuel-associated costs. It's a bit academic, but clearly shows substantial savings by using an economic diesel over even a moderately reasonable petrol-engined car. I estimate I'm saving $60 per 1000km (less than one weeks' driving!), even after RUC is accounted for.

The RUC payment is a potential concern. I've not yet been through the RUC payments to see what has been paid, how much and when. Probably should make that a priority, right behind changing ATF and diff oil.

Thanks Ray.

It was well over 2 years ago, quite possibly more than 3. If it's still running now, and returning 4.5l/100km (the computer suggests over 64mpg, but may be a little optimistic), I'm guessing whatever happened wasn't terminal. Or it was fixed, and I don't have the receipts for the work. I may try giving the workshop a call but whether they'll remember after all this time is questionable. Ho hum. Frankly I'm amazed at the receipts I do have. They go back to sometime before the car left the UK.

Sorry to hear you were involved, but sounds as though it turned out well. The bizzarest (is that a word?) thing happened. After searching for so long, and particularly given I was assured there was no work in IT in Hamilton, I was offered three jobs in less than a week. Datacom turned me down for the role I applied for, but the PMO Director asked to see me personally, offering me a choice of full-time role or directly contracting with them. A small IT services company in Hamilton practically begged me to join them, and Dimension Data offered me a job as a Senior PM. I took the DD job. They offered me a really good salary (especially for Hamilton) and a friendly lower pressure working environment. The other services company looked fabulous but could only immediately offer a short-term contract. Nothing against Datacom, but having tried the into Auckland commute a couple of times, I really didn't fancy it. Hamilton is only about 10-15 minutes further, despite being 3 times the distance. Datacom have asked me, more than once, how I'm getting on and invited me to contact them if I want to change.

Nope... No other receipts for that sort of work, or indeed any significant dismantling or replacement of anything. I'm not sure I want to take it apart and check!

I've been going through old invoices (some people keep them!) and have found one from 2010 where the inlet manifold was removed in order to access the glowplugs (which were replaced). However, in the job notes it reads "Cylinder 4 flap missing." It goes on to say "Removed remaining flaps from manifold." No mention of whether the flaps were the later plastic ones, or metal, or whether the actuating rod was also removed. I actually have invoices going back to time in the UK, and there's no mention anywhere of inlet manifold replacement, something I gather BMW did as a recall. I'll see if I have time this evening to pull the plastic covers and try to find a part number on the manifold. It's probably underneath in which case I may be unlucky!

I'll spend a bit of time collecting my thoughts and start a(nother) "I've got a new car" thread.

Picked it up last night. Something I noticed then, and again this morning, is just the slightest notchiness in steering around straight ahead. Could be alignment, or could be indicative of having spent a lot of time on the motorway. It's not significant, and I doubt a problem.

You're absolutely right. The 2.6 was the largest engine fitted to the W201 190E (if you ignore the AMG and Carlsson versions). But it is the M103 engine, and was fitted as a 2.6 and 3.0 in the W124 E-class, and (typically) as a 3.0 in the W126 (although some countries got the 2.6, too). However, the block is identical in terms of appearance. Short of checking the engine number, it is impossible to tell a 2.6 and 3.0 block apart. Yup.... Mine (now) has a 3.0 block. It may get the crank from a US-market 350SDL in due course, at which point it'll become a 3.4. :D The Merc is definitely more luxurious than the BMW, be it a E30, E36 or E46. It is so easy, so comfortable, and generally so nice to drive... On a road that isn't too twisty or demanding. That's when the BMW steps in. Both will be sorted ASAP. The gearchange, up and down is pretty smooth, but I've seen what can happen when those fluids aren't sorted.

It's a little more complicated than that in the short term, but yes - we will look to move. We have a 13-year old daughter who is at school here and in trying to minimise disruption to her education (again) we're likely to stay where we are for another 9 or 10 months. In the meantime we're looking at schools for teenage girls in the Hamilton area (an activity which sounds so much worse when I write it down) and having decided where she'll move to, we'll plan where we will live around that. Unfortunately that may mean we need room for a horse or two, a couple of dairy beef, chickens, an orchard, a large barn (or two - can't have enough barns), great views, and so on. So I'm saving up.

The battery change would wait a while... I was told that if you leave the car for a week or so, it can be slow to crank. Of course, this could just point to a 'leak' somewhere, but I suspect that a BMW-badged battery may be an old one. I was wondering if someone may have simply taken the number from the odometer and used that when paying RUC. Naughty, if so, but among the paperwork are several RUC sheets. I'll check them; the car really does appear to have a few thousand kms to go before it needs doing again. Transmission fluid and filter are things I'll also look at changing ASAP. There's no mention of it ever having been done, and the seller tells me a garage effectively dissuaded him from having it changed, citing "sealed for life" and "it's your risk", or similar. Sounds like a job they didn't want to do.

Since posting, I've done some more reading and there's a suggestion that buying a replacement breather from a BMW dealer will achieve the same end - there's been a redesign at some point. I don't know enough to be able to say. I will do, eventually. Almost a concern is having found blanking plates for the EGR as fitted to a M47TUD20. Oh well. It's early days.

Thanks Jon. I found someone in Dublin (Ireland) who is selling the 22mm versions, which I anticipate I'll need, complete with all gaskets and so on for about the equivalent of NZ$75 inc 'International Priority Shipping'. The 'vortex' engine breather - similar source?

Errmm... Yes. Well, tonight. I'll 'fess up. I registered because I'd seen it and hoped for some more info, then saw it listed in the TM section. It looks to be in generally good condition, and the description appears very fair, with the possible exception of the potentially misleading distance travelled info. (Why do we measure in kms, and talk about mileage?) The odometer is in miles, not kms. (I wonder how that fits, or has fitted, with RUC...?) I wasn't quickly or readily able to check swirl flaps or engine breathers, hence my question in maintenance. The battery probably needs replacing - it's a BMW battery and could possibly even be original. The centre console cubby sliding cover is broken. The rims are a little curbed. The drivers door window is a little slow to rise. But that is about it. Yes, it is a high mileage car, and frankly I'm a little concerned about the service intervals - I get the impression that the service indicator has been adhered to, which in my opinion is not often enough. But it's a reasonably eyes open purchase and the price leaves enough for a turbo rebuild if necessary. Everything seemed to work. It sounded a bit like a tractor, but a 3-year old 320d that I drove in the UK sounded very similar. Driving it isn't an isolated environment like, say, a Mercedes or an Audi A6, but road and engine noise isn't especially intrusive. There's no smoke that I could see, no real lag, and it feels eager when driven. Huge pile of receipts, including details of a recent ecu replacement, front lower arm replacement, and much other stuff. Actually, I found details of at least two if not three instances of front lower arm or bush work. It drives well, brakes to a standstill in a straight line, doesn't rattle or bang over bumps, doesn't shake or unduly vibrate, and there are no odd knocking noises. Fingers crossed!

Where in NZ should I go for parts like the swirl flap blanking plates, and replacement breathers (vortex breather)? Available via eBay, of course, but it'd be nice to know where to get the parts should I need them in a hurry. Ta.

E31s are great cars. I forgot earlier to mention I had an E34 M635CSi - the 8-series was a good successor, in my opinion. Neither is something I'd want to consider, from an economy perspective, for a daily 250km round trip, though! I've managed to get my W201 Mercedes down to 9l per 100km, but it'd be incredibly hard to better that, in that car. Having spoken to a former owner of an E46 320d (saloon) I'm likely to better 5l per 100km; maybe it was a tall story, but he claimed he had once seen below 4l per 100km. That'd be nice, but I'm not holding my breath! Regardless - many thanks for the welcome.

Aye... Seemed like a good idea at the time! It's the little things that cause problems. Y'know, rent, petrol, food, electricity... Fingers crossed that's all behind us now.

If anyone would like it looked at, let me know. It's nearly opposite where I work. They have another BMW in there that I'd not touch. It must be the 320i but I thought it was a brownish colour; it' s advertised as gunmetal. Sounded like a bag of nails when I walked past earlier. Many of their cars are ex-Japan imports. Obviously not the object of the OP, though.

Just walked up to Greg Hantz - he's maybe 10 minutes alk from work. He was very helpful. Several BMWs of different ages around including an E23, couple of E36s, and an E34 (might have been an E39 - I didn't look closely enough) Touring. Other cars including a Mk 5 or 6 Golf, and a Japanese SUV. So, a BMW specialist, but not exclusively BMW. Makes sense. Happily spent a few minutes chatting and giving me some pointers.

I pass SD twice a day... Definitely an option. Servicing and similar in Hamilton has benefits as I'm here all day, every day. However, I've no plans to sell the Merc so it could be used if a BMW is 'in' somewhere in Auckland. (Mrs M has seen a 318i Touring that she rather fancies - we'll need to get some money saved first, though.) On the Hamilton end, I found details of European Specialists Ltd at 7B Tasman Road, Hillcrest Auto Services at 50 Riverlea Road, and Greg Hantz Autos at 36 King Street. I've not gone looking for Auckland-based specialists yet.

Hi all, We arrived in NZ at the end of June last year, staying at a friends house for a few weeks before renting near Clevedon, south-east of Auckland. We're long-term German car fans having had many Mercedes, BMWs, VWs and Audis. My first BMW was an E21 323i, followed later by a 840Ci. (My brother had the 850 - interesting comparison.) My wife drove an E30 320i coupe for several years. Work for me was very slow to be sorted. We didn't want to jump into daily life straight away but after a few months here, we decided it was time. And Telecom laid off 140 or so IT Project Managers... My field. That didn't help at all, and marked the start of a long slog, and money worries, before I found work in Hamilton. It's a nice drive south, but quite a distance, and my Merc really isn't suitably economical! I've been looking for cheap (try living for 14 months with no income!), economical, sensible, practical yet fun wheels for a while and have found a 2002 E46 320d Touring which would suit. (A 520d might be better, but beggars can't be choosers.) I'm aware that there can be a number of issues with the M47TUD engine, but also that it is a good engine provided it is looked after. So, it's an older car. It will doubtless need some attention. So the first of (doubtless) many questions is: who are the good guys for looking after 10-15 year old BMW diesels? I've been on many forums in the past, especially while in the UK, so 'normal' rules apply - let me know the good'uns here perhaps, but PM (in confidence) details of anyone to avoid! Long term I may look to make some minor changes to the car and engine, but these will be more around maintaining reliability and power, and increasing economy. I know it could be tuned and tweaked, but 120km each way to work means this isn't really a car to 'play' with too much. Thanks folks. Graham