dimsim 1 Report post Posted April 7, 2011 Hi, first time here pretty much and was hoping for some advice with my 1998 E46 328iA4. The car has a NZ dealer service history from new , now done 160ks and I was wondering if there was anything I should check/test at this age/mileage and also if you think its worthwhile purchasing mechanical insurance? I have a mate in the industry so can get the insurance for wholesale which saves a few hundred but is still just under $1k. I think its through the AA. I read in the Dog and Lemon guide that the transmissions were only built to last 150k's and as they were sealed it was a replacement job if anything went wrong. Does anyone have any experiecne with major faults on these? Are the cooling systems still a bit dodgy (leading to overheating, cracked heads etc) or is this model more immune from the earlier 3 series cooling issues? Any experience people have with one of these would be muchly appreciated. I am an ex BMW registered technician but havent been near the spanners for a couple of decades (but am looking forward to having a tinker once again Thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Greg111 13 Report post Posted April 8, 2011 Cooling systems are made from recycled plastic unfortunetly so they aren't the best, expansion tanks crack, plastic fittings break etc. These bits don't usaully give a sign till it's too late. The car has a temp gauge so best it gets used, all the time! The trans usually gives up the ghost around 200k mark, this can be avoided with regular servicing of the transmossion, (oil and filter), if this is done the trans will be sweet. The moral is, yes get a mechanical warrenty, expensive but it more than likely may be used. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jjs 60 Report post Posted April 8, 2011 Surely as an ex-mechanic you wouldn't trust the Dog and Lemon guide?! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dimsim 1 Report post Posted April 8, 2011 Surely as an ex-mechanic you wouldn't trust the Dog and Lemon guide?! lol....i trust everything i read unless it's written by a man in a white suit but seriously ...ive never really read anything from the dog and lemon guide before and was simply offered this as a freebie with a carjam report. although the language in the overview was a little colourful, i though the inclusion of all the various vehicle recalls were quite informative...but are they universally thought of as rubbish? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dimsim 1 Report post Posted April 8, 2011 Cooling systems are made from recycled plastic unfortunetly so they aren't the best, expansion tanks crack, plastic fittings break etc. These bits don't usaully give a sign till it's too late. The car has a temp gauge so best it gets used, all the time! The trans usually gives up the ghost around 200k mark, this can be avoided with regular servicing of the transmossion, (oil and filter), if this is done the trans will be sweet. The moral is, yes get a mechanical warrenty, expensive but it more than likely may be used. nice one thanks...but i thought the trans was sealed? are some of them able to be serviced? or is this another dog and lemon fable? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Greg111 13 Report post Posted April 8, 2011 nice one thanks...but i thought the trans was sealed? are some of them able to be serviced? or is this another dog and lemon fable?By saying "sealed" they mean the fluid is lifetime and there is no need to go near it. The trans still has a fill bung and a drain bung, remove the trans pan to access the filter. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dimsim 1 Report post Posted April 9, 2011 By saying "sealed" they mean the fluid is lifetime and there is no need to go near it. The trans still has a fill bung and a drain bung, remove the trans pan to access the filter. Thanks for clearing that up - from memory this was done every Inspection II service or 80k's is that about right? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
*Glenn* 854 Report post Posted April 9, 2011 (edited) We always recommend doing it at 100,000km Edited April 9, 2011 by *Glenn* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
central3 31 Report post Posted April 10, 2011 The BMW dealer I use periodically was adamant that the transmisson should be left alone saying the fluid was in there for life - I have to say that the quote ($600) for the fluid alone made my mind up. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smiddy 76 Report post Posted April 10, 2011 Friend of mine did his at 90k, said oil was very dark and looked dirty. Also stated gear changes became silky smooth. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Greg111 13 Report post Posted April 10, 2011 The BMW dealer I use periodically was adamant that the transmisson should be left alone saying the fluid was in there for life - I have to say that the quote ($600) for the fluid alone made my mind up.Clearly they want a big sum of your money when the trans shits itself, cause it will! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
