Ahmedsinc 414 Report post Posted March 6, 2013 Hi all. Looking at moving into an E46 318i or 320i wagon. Currently tooling about in a 1.8T Passat which I'm becoming increasingly grumpy with. Am slowly bringing the mrs around to the idea of a BM, however she is unwilling to go for anything bigger than a 2 litre. Would love to go for something like a 528 but she's not so happy about the idea of managing a big car in the city with a baby & an unruly dog to contend with at the same time. So. Any common electrical or mechanical issues with the M43 & N42? Drivetrain, suspension or interior issues? I'd be much happier looking for an E36 but they're pretty thin on the ground. Have found a couple of examples well within our price range, but I'd really appreciate your thoughts & experiences. TIA Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eagle 1526 Report post Posted March 6, 2013 Olds have had their E46 318i motorsport spec with the M43B19 since 40,000km, they've done another 40,000 on it and its still going strong. Apart from being next level slow the M43 is a pretty solid motor and gets real good fuel economy for a heavy car, probably from all the electrical engine components it seems to have. Interior is far better quality and than E36 Had to replace the DISA valve and FSU for blower motor both of which are common issues buts that all besides basic maintenance. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ahmedsinc 414 Report post Posted March 6, 2013 Yeah, the slow factor is gonna suck but it's not like the VW is a rocketship. Plus if I want faster that's what the project 325 is for I have noticed a fair few M40 E36's popping HGs once they reach higher Ks, is this something that has carried across to the next model? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Smac01 12 Report post Posted March 6, 2013 My personal experience is the M43 is better than the N42 engine (reliability wise). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ahmedsinc 414 Report post Posted March 6, 2013 My personal experience is the M43 is better than the N42 engine (reliability wise).I had heard anecdotal evidence along those lines - good to hear it confirmed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Allanw 1051 Report post Posted March 6, 2013 E39's aren't much biger than an E46, but you could always get a 325i or 330i touring and not tell her the engine size. They aren't super hungry, once you fix the common faults (DISA, Vanos etc) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarinD 8 Report post Posted March 6, 2013 How much are you looking to spend? Have a manual facelift 320i that I'm going to part with soon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ahmedsinc 414 Report post Posted March 7, 2013 (edited) How much are you looking to spend? Have a manual facelift 320i that I'm going to part with soon Kinda stuck between a rock & a hard place. On a good day it looks like we'd get about 8 grand for the VW (low mileage for year etc) so it's not gonna get us a whole lotta car. In saying that there have been a couple of examples that have shown up in the 6-7k bracket. All 318s though. What sort of $ do you have in mind? Edited March 7, 2013 by Ahmedsinc Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ahmedsinc 414 Report post Posted March 7, 2013 E39's aren't much biger than an E46, but you could always get a 325i or 330i touring and not tell her the engine size. They aren't super hungry, once you fix the common faults (DISA, Vanos etc) she's already looked at a couple E39s and puts them in the same size category as the big Aussies Plus she's wise to the badging to engine displacement ratio so there's no sneaking a M52/54 past her unfortunately. Have already been busted on that one Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Allanw 1051 Report post Posted March 7, 2013 she's already looked at a couple E39s and puts them in the same size category as the big Aussies Plus she's wise to the badging to engine displacement ratio so there's no sneaking a M52/54 past her unfortunately. Have already been busted on that one Bummer... You know an M54 powered E46 with just an M badge may be just the thing then Or a 318i badge Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ahmedsinc 414 Report post Posted March 7, 2013 Bummer... You know an M54 powered E46 with just an M badge may be just the thing then Or a 318i badge Haha, I like the way you think! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
