BMW motors? any good?
 

i usually dont bother looking at cars over 70k but im after a 318 e36. a pretty old car by today standards and as predicted nearly every one that i've seen for sale is 90k+ on mileage

i know what to look out for but its this sort of mileage that head gaskets tend to go ect so was wondering is this high for a beemer? what's the expected life left in a motor around the 100k mark? things along those sorts of lines

tar

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

yes they are good but they are all driven by complete nobs. so you'll look good in one just fine :smt040

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

Most german engines gav will do way over 100k if they have been serviced properly.
My friends audi a4 v6 has just had valves done at over 200k and runs perfect.

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

Be careful what you pay for one.BMWs hold their value well for a long time but what you are looking at is probably just about to topple off the "desirable motor" shelf into "old banger with high mileage" dustbin so you could lose a lot on it.

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

Like all tcars, they may last forever as long as they are looked after. A work colleauge hada 318ti which he bought with 140k on the clock, had it for 4 years and put anohter 90k on the clock and it let him down once, and that was a battery. That said my mate Terry, had a 98 328iMsport with less than 70k on the clock and its last service was the best part of 1500 quid. So you really cant tell.

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

is lozzo not selling a beemer atm
least you know the previous then

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

What?You know its been owned by one of those dodgy loons who frequent SV forums?;)

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

I'm not so sure thats the case now. In order to shift them BMW lowered the price of their new cars which in turn put a big dent in resale values. I looked at 3 series for a while before we settled on our Audi.

318 is that a 4 or a 6 pot engine ? If its a 4 pot I wouldnt part with money for it only BMW worth buying has a 6 pot or more under its bonnet. But like Viney says it depends on how its been looked after as to what it'll be like TBH.

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

6 cylinder beemers are great. Mine has just passed the 150k mile marker. The four pots are more stressed though and more fragile.

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

all the 318 are 4 pot i think

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

Yarp, google agrees with you.

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

hmm, booger

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

BMW used 4-pot high mileage blocks for their turbo F1 engines in the 1980s.
Ended up getting more than 1000bhp in qualifying trip.
http://www.gurneyflap.com/Resources/DSC06001.jpg

The actual engine looks quite - er - puny!

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

my choicehttp://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/cro...2-1_460x0w.jpg



you'd look a knob in anything else.

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

My old pal got stung a grand for repairs on his Audi A3.

That's reliable for you.

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

All the blocks they used were from 1502 engines that had did at least 100k in road cars, they actually advertised for owners to get a free engine. All because they figured the internal stresses would all have been "worked out" :)

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

BMW's seem to all have problems with steering to the left as when on dual carriage ways and motorways they sit in the right hand lane even when both left hand lanes are clear, thie problem seems to have started to affect Audi's too....

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

No thats an optional extra, much like indicators

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

as some folk have said have a look at some 6 cylinder ones. 320 (or 323?) upwards have these engines. Also, this website will have all the answers you need -
http://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/

have a look in the e36 section there as that will give you a good flavour of common problems with the e36 and how easy they are to fix.(you will have to register or you will only be allowed to read a few threads beofre being locked out).

if a bmw engine has been looked after and serviced properly it should keep going and going

edit - oh, and if you do get one and need work done, stay away from beemer stealerships. they really do make your nose bleed. go to a decent independent with bmw/merc/audi servicing abilities. just as good but a lot less cost.

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

I had an E36 316i for nearly 2 years and it was faultlessly reliable - it had 130k on when I bought and 148k when I sold it. One thing they do suffer from is head gasket woes so if you do go for one watch out for that.

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

taken note then, looks like i'll be looking for a 320. The 325 and 328 would be to thirsty i think

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

Not much in the MPG between the 320 and the 325 tbh - the 320 is less powerful but does similar MPG - lose-lose! :smt120

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

I have just scrapped an N Reg 318is (1.9L 4-Pot, 140bhp) with 160K on the clock. If it was not for the clutch failing and a broken spring at the back, I would have kept it, but for the replacement parts, it wasnt worth keeping. I had that car for 5 yrs and covered 100K faultlessly. The MPG was about ave. 40mpg to and from work (80mile round trip). I have had 5 BMW's since 1994 and still have 2 and I have to say they have all been (and still are) great motors. Currently have an M3 E30 and an E46 325i Sport.

If you are going for a 4-pot, I would highly recommend the 318is, preferably an S or T Reg if you can afford it as it has the newer type engine.

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

Get the 325, you'll love it. And Audi drivers are the new Bee Em drivers. Never let out a junction by an audi driver!

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

OMG...that is my dream car! one day I will have one.

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

Gav - pm me if you're interested in a late 2001 (facelift 2 litre) 120K mile 318i SE in Topaz Blue. I bought it couple of months ago but need a 2002 onwards car to put my personal plate on. Has brand new Avons, I'm servicing it myself because being a 4 pot it's easy to do. This is the later model with the 143bhp engine, it does an average of 33mpg in my hands and handles quite sweetly. It'll have 12 months ticket when it's sold. There's a full BMW main dealer service history as well up to the last service.

Being the SE it has all the toys except leather, I mean 6 cd changer, alloys, climate, cruise all the extra courtesy lights, reverse parking sensors, multifunction steering wheel, remote cdl, thatcham alarm, 4 door leccy windows etc. Still has the tools and triangle in the boot, and the little torch in the glovebox

There's pics here

http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=118946&page=60

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

Cobblers.

Sorry, but you're talking out of your ar5e. The 4 pot motors are just as well engineered as the 6 pots. There are literally hundreds of good 1600, 1800, 1900 and 2 litre 4 potters around with well over 100K miles and still going strong - mine is quiet as a mouse and runs perfectly and economically. You just have to be choosy about which one you buy and always get one with a full BMW service history. The disadvantages of the 6 pots are high fuel consumption and much higher insurance, and in the case of the 2.2 fitted to the 320i, not a great deal more peformance over the 2 litre engine I have.

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

Reading that back its wrong, apologies lozzo. I must drink less when posting. I meant because the 4 pots are cheaper to insure a chav may have owned it and stressed it more :). Whereas a 528 like mine is more likely to be owned by someone who can face 250 miles for £70 of unleaded round the doors, and it'll be less stressed as thrashing it costs too much :p.

Any well serviced beemer should be fine, as you say just have to be choosy.

Re: BMW motors? any good?
 

A mate of mine has got an E30 convertible for sale. Think its a 2.0l but not sure. Its a really tidy motor. PM me for details if interested.