E46 M3 for £19k - wise?
Discussion
No doubt been done to death but when i search for anything to do with engine problems the only hits I get are TVR (predictable) and Porsche (which i know oh too well). When checking the service history of an M3 what are the recalls that should have been done?
I had two family members with 330's from around 00-02 have their engines go pop (both replaced under warranty). I'm not adverse to a bit of risk as i currently drive an early porsche boxster s (que hairdresser gags etc).
Rather than slating me for being a pauper and driving a girls car I'd like some serious advice. If its brutal and buying a £19k m3 is a bad idea then i'd rather be told (I've looked at some dogs so far)!!!
Thanks
I had two family members with 330's from around 00-02 have their engines go pop (both replaced under warranty). I'm not adverse to a bit of risk as i currently drive an early porsche boxster s (que hairdresser gags etc).
Rather than slating me for being a pauper and driving a girls car I'd like some serious advice. If its brutal and buying a £19k m3 is a bad idea then i'd rather be told (I've looked at some dogs so far)!!!
Thanks
Some E46 M3s had a major issue which in some cases necesitated the replacement of the whole engine. Make sure the work has been done (is is filed as an ‘enhancement’in the car’s history and wasn’t a recall - just carried out as needed) or that the car was manufactured after the issue had been resolved (not sure when this was), otherwise insist on the BMW warranty. This costs £1,050/year for cars with less than 60K miles and £1,800 for cars with more than 60K miles. It also carries an excess of £250 I believe. Alternately buy a 996. Just as good, more exotic image and the warranty is much cheaper.
MitchT said:
Some E46 M3s had a major issue which in some cases necesitated the replacement of the whole engine. Make sure the work has been done (is is filed as an ‘enhancement’in the car’s history and wasn’t a recall - just carried out as needed) or that the car was manufactured after the issue had been resolved (not sure when this was), otherwise insist on the BMW warranty. This costs £1,050/year for cars with less than 60K miles and £1,800 for cars with more than 60K miles. It also carries an excess of £250 I believe. Alternately buy a 996. Just as good, more exotic image and the warranty is much cheaper.
M3 engine problems are few and far between, which cannot be said for the 996, which is becoming notorious in middle-age.
OPC warranty isnt hugely cheaper than the £1050 for an m3. Do you have to put the M3 through the equivilant of OPC 2 million (ok exageration) point check first? As for the 996 idea having lived with rms issues I'm not sure I want to buy a car that'll soon be un-warrantiable (if thats even a word) due to age.
Edited by histonpead on Tuesday 1st May 10:35
deutscher said:
M3 engine problems are few and far between, which cannot be said for the 996, which is becoming notorious in middle-age.
I agree about the problems being far and few between, but then so are plane crashes. While it's unlikely you'd be affected you wouldn't want to be one of the few that are, so you'd want the warranty. Okay on sub-60K milers (though I don't agree with having to pay an excess) but the price for 60K+ milers is simply extortionate. To my mind the cost of protecting onesself from the possibility (however remote) of one of these problems puts the annual cost of the 60K+ miler E46 M3 up to a level where far more exotic machinery becomes an option. The cost of the warranty and the presence of an excess is the reason that I'm not driving an E46 M3.
The way I see it is that there are horror stories about most 'performance' engines if i'dve listened to all the tales of woe re the rms on boxters/996 engines i'd never had bought mine. Then again only a mug buys something without knowing the likely issues, hence I'm asking the questions. I'd be interested to find out the dates for the most likely engine issues (if there is one).
MitchT said:
Some E46 M3s had a major issue which in some cases necesitated the replacement of the whole engine. Make sure the work has been done (is is filed as an ‘enhancement’in the car’s history and wasn’t a recall - just carried out as needed) or that the car was manufactured after the issue had been resolved (not sure when this was), otherwise insist on the BMW warranty. This costs £1,050/year for cars with less than 60K miles and £1,800 for cars with more than 60K miles. It also carries an excess of £250 I believe. Alternately buy a 996. Just as good, more exotic image and the warranty is much cheaper.
Agreed mate. Remember, Porsche Warranty is £895 pa with no excess and cover is applicable to 9 years/125k miles. (BMW is unlimited age, but 100k miles).
I would not consider a E46 M3 without a BMW Warranty PERIOD.
histonpead said:
The way I see it is that there are horror stories about most 'performance' engines if i'dve listened to all the tales of woe re the rms on boxters/996 engines i'd never had bought mine. Then again only a mug buys something without knowing the likely issues, hence I'm asking the questions. I'd be interested to find out the dates for the most likely engine issues (if there is one).
Like you say, listen to the stories, find out just how true they are, do your homework, work out what level of risk you can tolerate, then take the plunge. I'm not sure exactly how many E46 M3s could potentially suffer the big end baring shell failure. All I do know is that there is no record of cars that have recieved the 'enhancement', cars that have had a replacement engine, or cars that were produced after the enhancement became part of the production process, being problematic. To all intents and purposes the issue is resolved, however, if I were to buy an E46 M3 I'd make sure it wasn't one of the ones that fell within the potentially faulty batch before risking running it without the warranty.
baz1985 said:
histonpead said:
sorry for my ignorance but like porsche can you slap a BMW warranty on a car thats fallen out of warranty previously?
I am afraid you can't.
Histonpead - you comment that a Porsche needs a 'few million point check' before a warranty is issued. Does this just apply to cars that were without a Porsche warranty prior to the Porsche warranty being purchased, or does a Porsche that has been kept under warranty from new have to have this check every year before another year's cover will be approved? Also, do Porsche impose massive increments upon their warranty prices? I have a '99 T BMW 318is which first had its warranty renewed in May 2002 at a cost of £399. In 2003 it was £454 (an increase of 13.7%) and in 2004 it was £510 (an increase of 12.3%). In 2005 they wanted £720 (an increase of 41%
) at which point I decided enough was enough and let it lapse. One of my main concerns therefore is that if I were to buy an E46 M3, or a Boxster, or a 996, that I could find myself with a car that I wouldn't want not to be under warranty, but then held to ransom over a massive price increment. This is one of the main factors in my decision not to bother with any of these cars.milu said:
there must be a record of cars that have had recall work.
when i bought mine a couple of months ago ,i contacted BMW and asked if there was any outstanding recalls,there was...engine...so i had it done FOC and without question.so where's the risk?
mike
when i bought mine a couple of months ago ,i contacted BMW and asked if there was any outstanding recalls,there was...engine...so i had it done FOC and without question.so where's the risk?
mike
The big end baring shells weren't done as a recall. BMW repaired them as the cars broke and filed it as 'enhancement' to try to play down the issue as much as possible. BMW Customer Services will have a record as to whether the work has been done on any specific vehicle though, so a quick phonecall with the chassis number should sort it. IF the car has had the 'enhancement', or a new engine, or was producded after the fault was eliminated from the production process then give the car the all clear!
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