E46 M3 Question

[mikereynolds]

Quick question, am looking at getting an E46 M3 Cab and just wondered what I would need to budget for yearly servicing costs (will use indies). Also was convinced I didnt want an SMG 11 however am now warming to the idea, any experiences of either long term??

Cheers guys!!
Mike

[fastfishracing]

I've only just got mine, so can't answer your question, but I'm sure it will help to know your estimated mileage.

I'm a manual man myself, but I think most that have the SMG, really like it, even if they were sceptics before...

[adaM3]

I am in EXACTLY the same boat! I'm looking to buy an E46 convertible in the near future. I was convinced I only wanted a manual, but having driven an SMG last weekend I am now happy to have either - I appreciate the benefits of both.

Due to my budget (£20k) the cars I will be looking at I do not expect to have a warranty and therefore I will be using my regular BM specialist for servicing. A general rule of thumb is that independent specialist servicing is half the cost of a main dealer. I have been out the BMW game for a while so I may be wrong, but are we looking at around £500 for an Inspection I and around £800 for an Inspection II? Half those figures if it goes to a specialist indie.

I do less than 10k miles a year and I don't tend to keep my cars much more than a year so cost isn't too much of an issue. I'll just make sure the one I buy isn't due an Inspection II!!

[M5Dave]

The E46 M3 will generally go about 12-15k miles between services. BMW quote about £700 for an inspection 1 and £800 or an inspection 2, the reason it's so expensive is because the valve clearances have to be checked at every inspection on these cars.

That said there seems to be a big variation on prices at different dealers. In the BMW Car Club magazine this month, Cotswold BMW quote fully inclusive prices of £525 for an inspection 1 and £650 for an inspection 2, if your car is more than 3 years old and Stratstone BMW quote £489 for the inspection 1 and £519 for the inspection 2 for any age of car, although Stratstone's ad doesn't say if their prices include VAT etc.

You could probably reckon on knocking about £100 off these prices if you go to an independant.

Edited by M5Dave on Thursday 5th April 14:06

[Mr Whippy]

How often do the inspection 1 and 2 services come along?

Is it time and mileage, mileage, time or a mix of both?

Thanks

Dave

[M5Dave]

Mr Whippy said:

How often do the inspection 1 and 2 services come along?

Is it time and mileage, mileage, time or a mix of both?

Thanks

Dave

The service schedule is oil service, inspection 1, oil service, inspection 2 and so on.

The service indicator calculates when a service is due by the amount of fuel the car has used, so it goes by mileage and the way the car is driven, which usually equates to about 12-15,000 miles, for reasonably driven cars.

I think there is a time limit of two years between services for cars with a low annual mileage regardless of the service indicator.

Edited by M5Dave on Thursday 5th April 16:55

[Mr Whippy]

Ah thanks.

So just for instance, if I do a 15k avg per year and drove it fairly averagely then I'd be looking at how much per year about? (using Indies lets say, also assume I bought and it had just had Inspection 2)

Sorry, but BMW servicing has always confused me a little and a good idea of costs for an M3 would be nice to know

Dave

[darreni]

I've just had my 32k mile 02 cab serviced today, inspection 2 & coolant change @ £830 (+vat for those on the mainland) at my local main dealer. The dashboard Service indicator now shows 15,000 miles to the next service (oil service at £150).

Service also noted that the PDC control unit has failed, the SMG selector switch needs replacing, the lower horn tone failed (two tone apparantly, cant say i'd noticed), diff needs refilling with BMW's up rated fluid. All under warranty, thank f**k.

I'd say buy with BMW warranty, my car has probably had £2k of warranty work in the past 12 months (and a £5k respray paid for by BMW). Thats not to say the car has been unreliable, far from it, more to do with BMW's "replace not repair" thinking.

[M5Dave]

Mr Whippy said:

Ah thanks.

So just for instance, if I do a 15k avg per year and drove it fairly averagely then I'd be looking at how much per year about? (using Indies lets say, also assume I bought and it had just had Inspection 2)

Sorry, but BMW servicing has always confused me a little and a good idea of costs for an M3 would be nice to know

Dave

If you have the car three years, it'll need three services, two oil services and an inspection 1.

If you're using independants, assume ball park figures of £120 each for the oil services and £400 for the inspection 1, so a total of £640 which is roughly £213 per year. Not at all bad for such a high performance machine.

Edited by M5Dave on Thursday 5th April 20:24

[Mr Whippy]

M5Dave said:

Mr Whippy said:

Ah thanks.

So just for instance, if I do a 15k avg per year and drove it fairly averagely then I'd be looking at how much per year about? (using Indies lets say, also assume I bought and it had just had Inspection 2)

Sorry, but BMW servicing has always confused me a little and a good idea of costs for an M3 would be nice to know

Dave

If you have the car three years, it'll need three services, two oil services and an inspection 1.

If you're using independants, assume ball park figures of £120 each for the oil services and £400 for the inspection 1, so a total of £640 which is roughly £213 per year. Not at all bad for such a high performance machine.

Edited by M5Dave on Thursday 5th April 20:24

No thats not bad at all really, considering even my current car requires maybe £75 of parts and my own labour in that time anyway.

As Darreni points out though, there may well be lots of other work that just needs doing anyway, but every car is the same again, so as long as your not blind to the idea of a few expensive bits it's not so bad...

Thanks for answering my questions!

Dave

[northernboy]

mikereynolds said:

Quick question, am looking at getting an E46 M3 Cab and just wondered what I would need to budget for yearly servicing costs (will use indies). Also was convinced I didnt want an SMG 11 however am now warming to the idea, any experiences of either long term??

Cheers guys!!
Mike

Well, let's look at my bill today.

Oil service £270,
Coil springs fitted, £450
Seat adjustment repaird £400
Two small scrapes to the primer froma car park £1700

So, it adds up...

[derin100]

Just out of interest a couple of questions:

Darren, the respray? (and paid for by BMW!) What was the reason for that?

And Northernboy...the new coil springs? Was that just because you were having some different coil springs fitted or was there a problem with the originals?


Cheers

[M5Dave]

northernboy said:

mikereynolds said:

Quick question, am looking at getting an E46 M3 Cab and just wondered what I would need to budget for yearly servicing costs (will use indies). Also was convinced I didnt want an SMG 11 however am now warming to the idea, any experiences of either long term??

Cheers guys!!
Mike

Well, let's look at my bill today.

Oil service £270,
Coil springs fitted, £450
Seat adjustment repaird £400
Two small scrapes to the primer froma car park £1700

So, it adds up...

£270 seems a bit steep for an oil service, even at a main dealer, and to be fair the other problems you mention could just as easily occur, and cost a similar amount to put right, on a lesser 3 series car.

[CommanderJameson]

northernboy said:

mikereynolds said:

Quick question, am looking at getting an E46 M3 Cab and just wondered what I would need to budget for yearly servicing costs (will use indies). Also was convinced I didnt want an SMG 11 however am now warming to the idea, any experiences of either long term??

Cheers guys!!
Mike

Well, let's look at my bill today.

Oil service £270,
Coil springs fitted, £450
Seat adjustment repaird £400
Two small scrapes to the primer froma car park £1700

So, it adds up...

£270 for an oil service? Even for an M car, that's incredibly steep. £270 gets me an I2 on my 528 at my local specialist (which would be £330 at the local man dealer). (To expect specialists to be in the region of half as much as a main dealer for servicing is optimism. But they will be cheaper)

Edited by CommanderJameson on Saturday 7th April 05:12

[darreni]

derin100 said:

Just out of interest a couple of questions:

Darren, the respray? (and paid for by BMW!) What was the reason for that?

And Northernboy...the new coil springs? Was that just because you were having some different coil springs fitted or was there a problem with the originals?


Cheers

Sorry for the delay in replying, just back from easter in france.

The respray was due to lacquer flaking off all over the car, not sure why. There was also a small amount of filler found near the petrol cap on the o/s rear wing, due to a minor scrape.

The BMW bodyshop refused to try & relacquer, stating that they would then have to warranty the finish & if they were to do that it would only be if they had prepped & sprayed the car as well. BMW agreed. I know that main dealers take a slating, but they will stand by the car should you have a problem. In future i would only buy something like an E46 M3 from a main dealer/ or with full warranty.
Its not like my old E30 M3 any more, where any compenent ametuer could look after the car, the game has moved on & the E46 could be fearsomely expensive without a BM warranty.

[derin100]

Thanks Darren...and a good thing to look out for! Cheers!

[mustard]

Derin, E46's (particulary M3's) along with Z4's have a reputation for breaking coil springs even at surprisingly low miles (sub 30k!) ... they dont make 'em like they used to

[vixpy1]

Mine has had a new coil spring in its history.

And a new diff

[derin100]

Thanks Mustard...good to know.

As you may see or have seen already...that's me done 'here'...but you've got my e-mail addy anyway.

"BYE" to everyone else!

[vixpy1]

Where ya going?