Potential Purchase: 2009 335i LCI facelift

[Benoire 1]

Hi,

I'm new here so be nice :-)

My brother in law is looking to sell his 2009 335i and importing from the UK where he lives is quite good value, even if I pay for the car. We already own a 1997 Subaru Legacy RSB 2.0l twin-turbo so used to the cost of turbo engines, but I'm not sure how much a 335i will cost to maintain so looking for some pointers.

Is someone, who owns one here in Auckland, able to tell me how much a normal service costs at say a non-official BMW mechanic vs. taking it to a BMW franchise? I'm expecting to service the car every 12 months, even though it may be on long life servicing.

Also, the car has done around 75,000kms; what larger expenses (bar normal servicing) are likely to come up? I realise that this will be an expensive car to own and so that isn't a problem, its more to allow me to get the budgets in the right place.

Any help or guidance would be great.

Cheers,

Chris

[KwS 2425]

Step one is to make sure you can comply the car when it is imported to NZ.

[Benoire 1]

Importing is not going to be a problem, anything post 2007 from Europe appears to be compliant automatically (its not a modded car) and will be professionally cleaned before shipping to meet biosecurity standards.

I guess I just want an idea of how much these cars cost to maintain for normal services and then what the major services are like in terms of bills.

Chris

[RobD 41]

I imported my 2007 335i after I moved back here from an 8 year stint in London. I paid to have it in its own container as opposed to being parked on a ro-ro. The container was around £1,300 plus around £300 for insurance. GST is payable on converted vehicle cost, shipping and insurance costs. Compliance cost varies but mine was $500 at Coventry Motors in Glenfield. Be prepared for them to nitpick though as they are giving the car its very first WOF. Nine had just had a clean MOT in London a few weeks before it shipped and I still needed to have all new rotors and pads fitted.

In terms of running costs, I drive mine (manual) pretty gently 95% of the time and with a mixture of motorway and city driving my combined average is 9.8 litres/100km. I only ever run it on 98, and so should you if you buy it.

A regular oil and oil filter change at Burgers Motor Works is usually around $220+ GST. For parts, your best bet is to buy online from places like ECS Tuning and import them back here.

[RobD 41]

In terms of major repairs you do have a few things to be very conscious of. As yours is an N54 engine, be aware that the wastegates on the turbos are prone to rattling on deceleration, usually from 3,000 rpm downwards. BMW has acknowledged the problem but their fix is software based and in some cases results in a feeling of loss of low end torque. Replacing the turbos is a major job and I believe in this case an engine out affair. Secondly, the N54 uses high pressure piezoelectric injectors that are prone to failure. Easy repair job but several hundred dollars per injector. Coils are also prone to failure. Only about $60 each but again there are six of them and labour costs to factor in. Further, the high pressure fuel pump is a known fault but more common in the USA because the composition of their fuel is different and eats away at the pump seals which can in turn accelerate the injector problems. Electric water pumps are almost a guaranteed failure item. Mine was $1,250 including labour. Lastly (at least that I can think of) is the DSC hydro pump. They are around $500 to have rebuilt. Quite a common problem and results in a series of malfunctions with the stability control, ABS and traction control. Idrive will tell all!

Still excited? Don't let that list put you off. Most cars have known faults. Some cheap, some not so cheap. It is a complex engine and when it's on song you will love it. I've had mine a year and have had to do one injector, the DSC hydro pump and the electric water pump. Total cost including two services has been about $3K. Thankfully both turbos and three other injectors were replaced under warranty so that's peace of mind for me!

[Benoire 1]

Thanks for the replies, sound encouraging.

I'm expecting costs, after this is a 225KW straight 6 3.0l twin turbo, you don't expect 1.1l costs with an engine AND car of this type.

Having run a 17 year old 206KW twin turbo as our main car for nigh on 9 years now, we know they cost but the fun they offer far outweighs the mundaness of a 320d for example, or even worse a modern legacy :-(

Still excited? Don't let that list put you off. Most cars have known faults. Some cheap, some not so cheap. It is a complex engine and when it's on song you will love it. I've had mine a year and have had to do one injector, the DSC hydro pump and the electric water pump. Total cost including two services has been about $3K. Thankfully both turbos and three other injectors were replaced under warranty so that's peace of mind for me!

I'll add these to the questions, see if he has this work done on the car or not, either way we've spent a lot over the years on the legacy and now my partner was asking what it would cost to get the engine rebuilt so she certainly isn't adverse to the costs either!

I will say that none of these issues put me off. We have money to spend on a car and quite frankly mundane ones bore me and if I don't get what I want I will always be disappointed inside, even if it is a decent low km car that has good resale value.

Thanks for the replies and keep them coming!

[RobD 41]

I love my 335i and honestly can't think of what I'd replace it with. Personally I think it's pretty economical and the engine is just a peach. In stock form it's plenty powerful enough. Quoted power is 225kW but most agree it's a little more. But it's the torque that I love. 300lb/ft available from 1,500 rpm and all the way to almost 6,000 rpm in one big flat plateau. It's just a fantastic engine. It's smooth and refined and most importantly has so much tuning potential. Quite easy to get 400 bhp from a reflash alone, and more again with downpipes and a larger intercooler.

[Benoire 1]

In general you will pay less for service at a non BMW garage because you are getting less - your choice if you want to indulge in this false economy.

Independent BMW garages charge similar rates to most mechanics and KNOW what they are doing, plus they buy parts at a better rate - so for the same work you generally pay less.

As for the comment about BMW's and turbo cars being expensive to own, my repair bills have halved since I swapped from Subaru to BMW

Good to know. Sorry what I meant by maintenance was either independent BMW mechanic or BMW showroom mechanic. We currently take the Subaru to a specialist on the shore so would do the same for the BMW.

[RobD 41]

Good to know.  Sorry what I meant by maintenance was either independent BMW mechanic or BMW showroom mechanic.  We currently take the Subaru to a specialist on the shore so would do the same for the BMW.

If you're on the North Shore, Burger's Motor Works is a great option. Certainly not a glitzy workshop but when you see the number of European awards the owner has won you will rest easy. I think he charges $90 per hour which is a reasonable amount less than JC BMW or Team Mac. There are others you can try but I only have experience with Burgers so can't comment on them.

[Benoire 1]

Nope we're not, but we take our legacy there as we trust them and that's what they manly do. We live out west so a closer option is always good but I will take the car to wherever it is best to take it, so appreciate the option!

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

Compliance cost varies but mine was $500 at Coventry Motors in Glenfield. Be prepared for them to nitpick though as they are giving the car its very first WOF. Nine had just had a clean MOT in London a few weeks before it shipped and I still needed to have all new rotors and pads fitted.

It should be a set cost for the compliance part - it's a standard NZTA check, the only variable should be in terms of the cost of the work that will need to be done to pass. Pads and rotors is a common item, if you look on a rotor it will have the words "Recommended Minimum Thickness" or similar stamped into it, and they measure against that thickness. Will still pass a MoT or WoF at well below that measurement but won't meet compliance which is annoying, but part of the game, if you're keeping the car for a long time, just hold on to the rotors. With pads they look for a quality standard "MEETS EC:XYZ" if there is nothing written on them, then again they get failed. Shouldn't be anything major for a car of this age, if it's been maintained properly.

If you are getting the car cleaned in the UK, make sure you get a certificate that MAF accept, even if the car is spotless without the certificate they will still steam-clean the car here. There are places in most UK ports that can do it.

[RobD 41]

It should be a set cost for the compliance part - it's a standard NZTA check, the only variable should be in terms of the cost of the work that will need to be done to pass. Pads and rotors is a common item, if you look on a rotor it will have the words "Recommended Minimum Thickness" or similar stamped into it, and they measure against that thickness. Will still pass a MoT or WoF at well below that measurement but won't meet compliance which is annoying, but part of the game, if you're keeping the car for a long time, just hold on to the rotors. With pads they look for a quality standard "MEETS EC:XYZ" if there is nothing written on them, then again they get failed. Shouldn't be anything major for a car of this age, if it's been maintained properly.

 

If you are getting the car cleaned in the UK, make sure you get a certificate that MAF accept, even if the car is spotless without the certificate they will still steam-clean the car here. There are places in most UK ports that can do it.

I had a few varied quotes, but they were all around the $500 mark. It is both necessary and a bit of a money grabbing exercise. The compliance centre issued the car with its first WOF, yet, when I came to renew it, it failed because the centre rear seatbelt receiver was buried under the seat squab. No one had ever sat in the back seat since the car was complied. So how could they issue a WOF? A bit silly really.

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

Hmm, ok I guess if all the quotes were around the same figure. Like a WoF that some places will do for $20 to try and find other work to do on the car.

Agree totally that it is necessary, and I am more than happy it is tougher than a warrant and to the letter of the law.

Seat belt is an odd one, might have just missed it. I had a similar warrant fail on a centre belt on a Scooby until I showed the guy where it was and how it worked??