qube 3568 Report post Posted July 10, 2014 Hi guys, Im looking at buying a e46 328ci non motorsport version. its done 100k miles! (170kms ish) cluster is in miles and kms (wonder where the cars from?) anyways, ive owned a couple of these cars before but its been a while.. i found the steering and accelerater pedal to be quite heavy? coming from a e46 330i sedan msport m54b30 there is a huge difference. drives nice, apparently radiator, thermo, water pump done as preventative maintenance, engine sounds great, regular oil service every 6 months. just got a new steering rack fitted as there was a small leak apprently and has a steering pump in the boot that needs to be replaced too. any advice on what to look for? its been so long i cant remember. drives okay despite heavy steering and pedal (has 20 inch wheels... which will come off if i do buy it) cheers team looking to buy asap so quick reponses appreciated. kyu Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elmarco 56 Report post Posted July 10, 2014 The 3 litre is much lighter in the steering than the lower models - its normally criticised the other way around in th 330 doesnt have as much feel... Most likely a UK import if its in miles. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qube 3568 Report post Posted July 10, 2014 looks like jap import. built in germany resenburg? cant find much info... JM20068 last 7 of vin.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KwS 2378 Report post Posted July 11, 2014 Thats not normal, it is indeed a JDM car, and the build sheet even specifies a KM speedo. Does everything else match the specs (colour, options etc)? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
westy 614 Report post Posted July 11, 2014 328 for best steering/proper cable accelerator, 330 for best engine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qube 3568 Report post Posted July 11, 2014 i spent 30 mins trying to decode vin but cudnt get a single website to work properly. used to use RUBMW.RU somethign something but came up with error. can any1 help? vin here : WBABM52080JM20068 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KwS 2378 Report post Posted July 11, 2014 http://www.bmwarchive.org/vin/jm20068.pdf http://www.bmwarchive.org/vin/bmw-vin-decoder.html Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qube 3568 Report post Posted July 11, 2014 cheers. seems good, dont know why cluster is in miles.. the speedometre shows miles and kms on the inside and the trip meter is in miles too.. oh on a side note, the panel in the cluster that shows the gear the car is in doesnt seem to be working. simple bulb replacement? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BM WORLD 1264 Report post Posted July 11, 2014 Carjam will tell you which country it is from , uk is normally in miles etc, also some Older hong kong cars Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Matth5 471 Report post Posted July 12, 2014 Yea heavy steering and pedal is normal in the 328s. You learn to love it that way. It makes everything else I drive feels like a kids toy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qube 3568 Report post Posted July 13, 2014 Ive had THREE 328cis before and this felt unsually heavy. Maybe cuz its been so long since but yea. Car ia from japan! Womder why it has miles cluster??? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BM WORLD 1264 Report post Posted July 13, 2014 Ive had THREE 328cis before and this felt unsually heavy. Maybe cuz its been so long since but yea. Car ia from japan! Womder why it has miles cluster??? worn out ps pump , 3 turn quick rcak fitted , old ps fluid , very wide tyres . does it say JPN in the middle of the cluster , maybe some one swapped it out ?? trying to be cool??? millaged dropped . check carjam 165,170 Km Odometer decrease of -16,175 Km 2014-Mar-31 WOF Inspection 181,345 Km 29 Km/day 2013-Jul-02 WOF Inspection http://www.carjam.co.nz/car/?plate=WBABM52080JM20068 someone swpping the speedo due to a faulty one maybe ?? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qube 3568 Report post Posted July 13, 2014 Ah hah! That sounds about right. Decided not to go for it. Just didnt feel "right" Funnily enough had bimmersport decals on the rear quarter windows. Decided to wait for something else thanks team. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
handgrenade 189 Report post Posted July 14, 2014 Good job mate. When test driving a car you have to ignore almost everything and just drive it. If you've owned fast or modified or even similar cars before then you can quickly tell if the car is solid and a good buy or if there is something off about it. Whether its a high milage car or a modified car .. Just trust the seat of your pants. When it feels right and you're happy with it, then odds are it will be a good purchase. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qube 3568 Report post Posted July 14, 2014 it felt good and bad at the same time. hard to describe really. its been a few years since ive owned and driven a 328ci so i forgot how it felt especially coming from a e46 330i sedan msport and now a mb.. it seemed like a solid car good handling and ride despite 20" wheels. it was basically just the steering stiffness and the heavy pedal that didnt even "recognise" anything until it was maybe 70% on the floor. will be very careful if i decide to go e46 as they are getting quite old now and there are heaps that would have been neglected! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
