Hi there,
This is such a lovely service and its been very useful to me. My wife has been looking at buying a BMW for the last 4 weeks. We test drove the E 46 model with a 2.8L engine. Drove well. Seller has had it for 9 months and is looking to move to a wagon as kids are on the way
Car drives very good but seller has pointed out two issues- gearbox is jerky moving from 1st to 2nd when its cold. As it warms up it shifts well. It shifted smoothly when we drove it but being a Japanese import it has the Jatco gearbox. Seller has assured me that Caspar Transmissions have said this is common on this unit and it will not get worse but at 145K it needs a service soon
The other issue the seller told me about is that the ASC light comes on sometimes when driving. During the test drive this didn't happen but she told me it has happened before and she has stopped the car, turned it off again and lights have been cleared. Is this something to worry about as it could be a failed wheel sensor or steering angle sensor ( this is what the mechanics have told her). As she is changing the car she hasn't had this work done. How much is this likely to cost?
The pros of this particular car is that it has had in its service history
- cooling system overhauled incl. waterpump, expansion tank and all hoses done as preventative maintenance
- new radiator
- 4 newish tyres
- suspension arms and bushes replaced in last 12 months
- regular oil and filter changes
- tidy exterior
Cons
-ASC light
- Trans blowing up?
- Uncomfortable seats
So looks like quite a bit of work has been done already on the car but its just the ASC light which is holding me back
Also how are these cars in terms of reliability? Can we keep this to 200K or will there be some more electrical issues to come?
Phil