E92 M3 common engine faults
Discussion
Casting my eye through the classifieds and I keep getting drawn to the E92 M3 2010-2013.
After selling a X5M and today having to scrap the handy 2nd car (a Jaaagg) due to MOT failing rust, I'm debating putting £20k into something.
There are a couple of AUC that fall into the bracket but how reliable are they in the event it's purchased outwith the network.
A bit of googling leads to throttle actuators and bottom end bearings. As with most BMW alloys the diamond cut lacquer peel which can be easily rectified with a refurb.
Anything else ?
After selling a X5M and today having to scrap the handy 2nd car (a Jaaagg) due to MOT failing rust, I'm debating putting £20k into something.
There are a couple of AUC that fall into the bracket but how reliable are they in the event it's purchased outwith the network.
A bit of googling leads to throttle actuators and bottom end bearings. As with most BMW alloys the diamond cut lacquer peel which can be easily rectified with a refurb.
Anything else ?
There are some other faults common to the E9X platform, but IMO Rod Bearings are the only really bad one as they can write the car/engine off.
The ABS/DSC units can fail. £1500 from BMW but can be refurbished for £200-300. Car still drives fine just no ABS or traction functions.
Idle control valves can fail, think they are around £200 to fix. Also O2 sensors.
I've had mine for almost 2 years. Had a new blower motor fitted under warranty and that's it.
I'd suggest having a look at the for sale section on M3 cutters, some people there put some serious work into those cars and then sell at market prices.
Buying from BMW gets you the warranty and you may be able to negotiate 2 years. That said, if you're planning on getting the insured warranty after then you want to be under 60k miles as the price of the warranty over 60K is pretty expensive.
I'd also suggest having a think about modifications. I bought mine completely standard, but if I were buying now I'd try and get one with all of the modifications I'd want to do and just get the bearings replaced.
The ABS/DSC units can fail. £1500 from BMW but can be refurbished for £200-300. Car still drives fine just no ABS or traction functions.
Idle control valves can fail, think they are around £200 to fix. Also O2 sensors.
I've had mine for almost 2 years. Had a new blower motor fitted under warranty and that's it.
I'd suggest having a look at the for sale section on M3 cutters, some people there put some serious work into those cars and then sell at market prices.
Buying from BMW gets you the warranty and you may be able to negotiate 2 years. That said, if you're planning on getting the insured warranty after then you want to be under 60k miles as the price of the warranty over 60K is pretty expensive.
I'd also suggest having a think about modifications. I bought mine completely standard, but if I were buying now I'd try and get one with all of the modifications I'd want to do and just get the bearings replaced.
I've had mine coming up to 5 years now - LCI 2010 model. Purchased as an AUC at the time.
Within 500miles had actuators fail, replaced under AUC warranty.
Two years ago had EDC fault, they were stuck in stiff setting, initially took it to main dealer - despite researching the likely culprit being the module in the boot they said it was a leaking front damper onto the connectors, agreed to let them replace them £2k parts and labour - it worked for about a week after that then returned. Took it to a specialist and confirmed it was the EDC module, replaced for £200.
Only other issues i've had is a ABS sensor fail (think it was £150 at indy) then last month seized calliper was around £300 for new one and new pads. These aren't M3 specific issues though.
So outside of routine services/tyres ~£2.5k in 5 years and 25k miles not bad going. Plus the added benefit of pretty much £0 depreciation going forwards.
Personally i'd never purchased a main dealer used car before, but with these I feel like the AUC warranty just to get the early issues ironed out was worth it. I didn't extend though as felt like it wasn't worth the cost.
Within 500miles had actuators fail, replaced under AUC warranty.
Two years ago had EDC fault, they were stuck in stiff setting, initially took it to main dealer - despite researching the likely culprit being the module in the boot they said it was a leaking front damper onto the connectors, agreed to let them replace them £2k parts and labour - it worked for about a week after that then returned. Took it to a specialist and confirmed it was the EDC module, replaced for £200.
Only other issues i've had is a ABS sensor fail (think it was £150 at indy) then last month seized calliper was around £300 for new one and new pads. These aren't M3 specific issues though.
So outside of routine services/tyres ~£2.5k in 5 years and 25k miles not bad going. Plus the added benefit of pretty much £0 depreciation going forwards.
Personally i'd never purchased a main dealer used car before, but with these I feel like the AUC warranty just to get the early issues ironed out was worth it. I didn't extend though as felt like it wasn't worth the cost.
Rod bearings are the only serious thing that can go wrong as another mentioned. Failures are very hit and miss but if you are purchasing a car that is approaching 70k miles then I would definitely factor getting them changed into your budget. This will cost around £1500.
I had actuators go on mine which cost £700 to put right by Rebuild.org who warranty them for life once installed. This is for both left bank and right bank.
Other than that I've had a fan belt snap, an ignition coil fail and the thermostat fail which cost about £200 all in to put right. Other than these and actuators, I have had no other unscheduled maintenance costs in the five years that I have owned the car so far.
£900 on unscheduled maintenance in five years is pretty decent going I think.
Of course I have replaced a whole load of other things in that time but that was for modification and pre-emptive maintenance but I plan to have this car a while so I thought I might as well invest in it a bit.
Some people like to keep them standard but in my opinion it's when you modify them that they really come alive.
I had actuators go on mine which cost £700 to put right by Rebuild.org who warranty them for life once installed. This is for both left bank and right bank.
Other than that I've had a fan belt snap, an ignition coil fail and the thermostat fail which cost about £200 all in to put right. Other than these and actuators, I have had no other unscheduled maintenance costs in the five years that I have owned the car so far.
£900 on unscheduled maintenance in five years is pretty decent going I think.
Of course I have replaced a whole load of other things in that time but that was for modification and pre-emptive maintenance but I plan to have this car a while so I thought I might as well invest in it a bit.
Some people like to keep them standard but in my opinion it's when you modify them that they really come alive.
Just clocked 132k miles here. Rod bearings done 1000 miles ago, both actuators done before my time. These engines seem pretty reliable ... yes actuators will fail at some point but if you use rebuild.org, the guarantee them for life. Rod bearings are really down to the individual but it is advised to get them done. Its a high revving NA engine and its previous owners may not have warmed it up ad diligently as they should have resulting in excessive wear. My car had had same owner for 99% of its life and was used as a daily driver ... at 131k miles, they changed as a precaution which turned out to be a good decision as far as I was concerned ... some of them were pretty worn which is what you'd expect.
Some buyers insist on it but thats the risk you take. I don't think failures have been statically that high but with a £8k - £10k bill, but the general view is that people want peace of mind.
Value's seem to have crept up in the past 12 months. Engines are only going one way and IMO this was the pinnacle in M3 guise .... the noise and thrust at 5-8k is utterly intoxicating.
Some buyers insist on it but thats the risk you take. I don't think failures have been statically that high but with a £8k - £10k bill, but the general view is that people want peace of mind.
Value's seem to have crept up in the past 12 months. Engines are only going one way and IMO this was the pinnacle in M3 guise .... the noise and thrust at 5-8k is utterly intoxicating.
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