[lowrydr310]

I'm looking to pick up another E90 and found a nice low mileage 2006 330i but when running the VIN I found something that caught my attention. The build date is June 2005. This is one of the very early E90s first sold in the USA.

I'm just wondering if there are any particular issues unique to the early builds. I read a few reports of some head bolts snapping off or VANOS adjuster unit bolts backing out, which were allegedly addressed in later builds. Is there anything else I should be looking for? And just how big of a deal is this camshaft bearing ledge issue? I'm aware of it but it really seems like an extremely uncommon issue.

The car I have now is a June 2006 build 325i and didn't have any broken head bolts or loose VANOS adjuster bolts when I last inspected them almost two years ago. I also haven't experienced any other unique issues beyond the common N52 quirks.

[lab_rat]

My current E90 330i has a build date of June 2005. I bought it from the original owner last October, and it has an extensive history of dealer maintenance, and the car had none of these issues/concerns. I also had another E90 330i with a build date of August 2005, and it never had any of these issues. The only issues I've encountered were 'normal N52 issues' (VCG, OFHG, OPG, etc) as you are already aware.

I think many of the specific cases of failures in early build E90s are often over represented on the web, so while it is something to look out for, it's not a big deal - especially at this age/mileage...those issues are most likely resolved.

IMO, if it otherwise checks out okay...I say purchase and enjoy it. The 330i is a great car, and an absolute sweet spot in the E90 lineup.

PS: Keep us updated if you do buy it, there are quite a few 330i fans on the forum. Good luck!

[Efthreeoh]

If this was 2007, then I'd have a concern. Being the car is 14 years old, like any BMW, the common problems appear and get fixed by previous owners. If the VANOS bolts were going to back out and the headbolts break off, they would have done it way before now and have been repaired.

My 2 cents.

[E92William]

One issue to keep in mind is it being an 06/05 car the disa flaps are still an early revision and are quite a bit weaker than the revised ones in 07 and such which basically rule out the chance of them breaking off in the intake.

The head bolt issue as far as I'm concerned is very rare. Either way if it is indeed broken you can just go when you're checking out the car and reach for it behind the oil filter housing, that's the one that often snaps. If it's loose then you already know, though 99% of the time it can just be removed and a replacement bolt put in and good to go.

Cam bearing ledge imo is basically a nonexistent issue as long as the car is properly maintained and not ragged when cold. Pop the oil cap and run your nail over the cam lobes if theres no discernible wear the ledge is probably good too. Vanos bolts backing out is for the newer N52s I believe late 09 and up.

[alfazrus]

Mine is 05/05. I hit the lottery and the bolt behind the oil filter housing was broken. But it was super easy to fix. Need to move the manifold a little. I fixed it when I did the housing gasket so I had more room.

[lowrydr310]

I forgot about the DISA flaps. I actually have a pair of clean and functional flaps and a 3 stage intake that I pulled from a 330i at the salvage yard that I considered installing on my 325. The flaps look way too new and clean so I'm assuming they're the newer replacements. Is there any way to confirm the manufacture date or to distinguish between the early and later revisions?

[E92William]

They have a part number on the side by the connector which you can double check against the different revisions in realoem. Take pictures of the top part of the shaft where it meets the housing you can usually tell from there. Ideally you want the last pn which ends in 114 for the large one, that one has the least chance of developing shaft play or 537 because it's a through shaft at least. Small one if it ends in 538 you're in the clear. Always test them with inpa though.

[smass]

I have owned 3 early build 2006s. All 3 had broken valve cover and oil pan bolts. 1 had the broken head bolt behind the oil filter plus another inside by the timing chain (which is super rare). All other early build issues are probably update by now. The metal thermost was probably replaced many years ago with updated the plastic one.

Vanos bolts are not an issue with 2006. They were a later build issue. The main difference between a pre and post 9/05 build is the ability to turn on/off things like daytime running lights from the trip computer stalk. Pre 9/05 (without i-drive) need coding to do that.

[lowrydr310]

Originally Posted by E92William

They have a part number on the side by the connector which you can double check against the different revisions in realoem. Take pictures of the top part of the shaft where it meets the housing you can usually tell from there. Ideally you want the last pn which ends in 114 for the large one, that one has the least chance of developing shaft play or 537 because it's a through shaft at least. Small one if it ends in 538 you're in the clear. Always test them with inpa though.

I just checked and the larger flap is the newer one - 11617579114. The small flap is the older part 11617522928.Both tested fine in INPA, opening and closing smoothly. I'll keep this in mind when I go to look at this 330i.

[lowrydr310]

I looked at this car last night and was terribly disappointed. Early build problems were the least of my concerns. It was an 6/05 build 330i 6MT with just over 100K miles on it. Photos in the ad looked great, very clean and freshly detailed. I was willing to pay close to the asking price.

When I arrived I couldn't believe what I saw. Those photos must have been taken two years ago when the car was last washed. Paint was faded pretty badly - not even sure if polishing could have restored it. Tons of leaves under the hood and trunk edges from sitting under a tree. Windshield gasket and trunk gasket dry rotted badly, worse than my car. All four tires were worn down to the cords and unsafe to drive more than a few miles at a time. The windshield had a huge crack down the center from top to bottom. One tail light was cracked. Headlights and fog lights in need of restoration. The interior was better but still had issues - sport leather seats needed some cleaning but were otherwise OK. The rear seat had a huge tear from something puncturing it with the foam exposed. LCD pixels broken on the stereo. There were a few common interior things broken too like a broken cupholder that was stuck, rear ashtray wouldn't close, and broken vents. Both rear window regulators were broken and one door lock actuator was broken.

The good thing is that it had low mileage and the engine sounded great so I was willing to look past that, however when I checked the oil it was already showing that it was at least a quart low. Who knows how long the owner neglected that. I opened the oil fill cap to look inside and see the condition of the oil and cam and oh boy it was a disgusting crusted black mess.

The low miles really had me excited about this car, but there were way too many issues that needed to be fixed. I'm not afraid of a project, in fact I bought my 06 325i as a project with many of the same cosmetic issues (broken trim pieces, cracked bumper, broken vents, door lock actuator and window regulator problems) and some mechanical problems (bad coils/plugs, leaking valve cover gasket, leaking oil filter housing gasket), however my car was priced appropriately. The seller of this 330i was just asking way too much money considering what it needed. The tires and windshield were the deal killers for me, but then I started to think just how neglected that car is, especially that oil situation. I know the N52 is pretty robust, but it was a disgusting mess under that oil cap that I've never seen before even on some of the filthy junkyard E90s I've salvaged parts from.

[freakystyly]

It's sad when things get that neglected. Good thing you were able to make the call and run away, sometimes people can look over the little things but that one sounds like it had way too many little things. IMO it's easier to do one or two big repair projects than 100s of little finicky things like vents and seats.

Hope you find what you're looking for!

[ctuna]

ELV problem
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showt...&highlight=elv
All N52 and N51 engines
The usual oil leaks the water pump
N51 has added problems the biggest being the Fuel Lines in the Gas Tank self
disconnect and BMW wants to put in a New Tank for this problem. They had
this problem in the e46 version to. People think the 15 year warranty is the thing
but getting them to honor it may be hit or miss.

The thing that will take out your Engine.
broken belt
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho....php?t=1231881
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpo...3&postcount=23
https://www.oxwerkzperformance.com/
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1477111
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1305990

Valve Cover Gasket Bolts, Head Bolts not so much haven't seen that many of them
here (or any). My Valve Cover Bolts did not break but I did have the VCG oil leak so they
got replaced with that.

Good idea to check under the oil Cap for sludge.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by lowrydr310

I looked at this car last night and was terribly disappointed. Early build problems were the least of my concerns. It was an 6/05 build 330i 6MT with just over 100K miles on it. Photos in the ad looked great, very clean and freshly detailed. I was willing to pay close to the asking price.

When I arrived I couldn't believe what I saw. Those photos must have been taken two years ago when the car was last washed. Paint was faded pretty badly - not even sure if polishing could have restored it. Tons of leaves under the hood and trunk edges from sitting under a tree. Windshield gasket and trunk gasket dry rotted badly, worse than my car. All four tires were worn down to the cords and unsafe to drive more than a few miles at a time. The windshield had a huge crack down the center from top to bottom. One tail light was cracked. Headlights and fog lights in need of restoration. The interior was better but still had issues - sport leather seats needed some cleaning but were otherwise OK. The rear seat had a huge tear from something puncturing it with the foam exposed. LCD pixels broken on the stereo. There were a few common interior things broken too like a broken cupholder that was stuck, rear ashtray wouldn't close, and broken vents. Both rear window regulators were broken and one door lock actuator was broken.

The good thing is that it had low mileage and the engine sounded great so I was willing to look past that, however when I checked the oil it was already showing that it was at least a quart low. Who knows how long the owner neglected that. I opened the oil fill cap to look inside and see the condition of the oil and cam and oh boy it was a disgusting crusted black mess.

The low miles really had me excited about this car, but there were way too many issues that needed to be fixed. I'm not afraid of a project, in fact I bought my 06 325i as a project with many of the same cosmetic issues (broken trim pieces, cracked bumper, broken vents, door lock actuator and window regulator problems) and some mechanical problems (bad coils/plugs, leaking valve cover gasket, leaking oil filter housing gasket), however my car was priced appropriately. The seller of this 330i was just asking way too much money considering what it needed. The tires and windshield were the deal killers for me, but then I started to think just how neglected that car is, especially that oil situation. I know the N52 is pretty robust, but it was a disgusting mess under that oil cap that I've never seen before even on some of the filthy junkyard E90s I've salvaged parts from.

Wow. Either a bait and switch with early pics of the car from years ago, or flat out fraud. So it sounds like an owner somewhere down the line was a typical Roundel hound that had no business owning a BMW because they lacked the financial resources and/or technical skills to keep the car in good running condition. I'm sure it was some semi expensive repair, perhaps a rack of coils and plugs that sent the car on its spiral of death by neglect.

This is why I never by cars sight unseen. I had a similar experience with an E21 in 2003. It was within an hours drive, I went and looked at it. It was clean and straight inside and out, but had some mechanical/technical issues to be worked out. Nothing terrible and the price was in line with those issues. I had the cash in hand, but the seller said after I got there he had just put it on the internet (Craig's list IIRC). I was going to pay the $3K he wanted, but he said he wanted to see what the internet brought. I tracked the sale, the car went for $5,500. It wasn't worth that much.

Good you passed on the E90. obviously. Sad such a rare car was killed by neglect.

[E92William]

That's the beginning of the process.. The car already looks like a piece of junk on the outside and inside. However it runs good so some shithead with 5 bucks to his name buys it to flex, can't afford maintenance so just runs it as it will, car breaks down, can't afford to fix it/it isn't worth fixing and can't sell it because it looks like it's worth a case of beer. Then you see it at the junkyard a few months later with a seized sludged up engine.

Nice call passing on it. Early car build issues are only a concern if the car is good otherwise. If I go see a car that looks like it's owned by someone that can't afford it I don't touch it. Sorry for anyone that thinks appearances aren't a big deal.. they are if you can afford to have it in good shape you won't have stained ass interior and an engine with its whole exhaust side coated in old leaked oil and a thousand light out warnings on the cluster

[lowrydr310]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Good you passed on the E90. obviously. Sad such a rare car was killed by neglect.

I also forgot to factor in the cost for a new muffler. I'm not a big fan of the 'muffler delete' modification, especially on a NA BMW. Though I see OEM mufflers at the salvage yard all the time.

There were no major oil leaks on the car, that was surprising, just a bit damp around the oil pan gasket. Valve cover and OHFG looked good.

I'd easily buy it for the right price and take the chance on it. I even offered him around $1000 more than what the car is actually worth but he said no. He's apparently been trying to sell this car for over a year and made some comments that "there aren't too many buyers looking for a manual" and "people must be afraid of buying old BMWs."

I just realized that a bright purple or green wrap would solve the faded paint issue and would be the perfect complement to that muffler delete!

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by lowrydr310

I also forgot to factor in the cost for a new muffler. I'm not a big fan of the 'muffler delete' modification, especially on a NA BMW. Though I see OEM mufflers at the salvage yard all the time.

There were no major oil leaks on the car, that was surprising, just a bit damp around the oil pan gasket. Valve cover and OHFG looked good.

I'd easily buy it for the right price and take the chance on it. I even offered him around $1000 more than what the car is actually worth but he said no. He's apparently been trying to sell this car for over a year and made some comments that "there aren't too many buyers looking for a manual" and "people must be afraid of buying old BMWs."

I just realized that a bright purple or green wrap would solve the faded paint issue and would be the perfect complement to that muffler delete!

The current owner is an idiot. The 2006 330i manual is probably one of the most desired versions of the E90 for BMW enthusaists. He has a car in poor shape, priced it far over its value, then blames other people for not being interested. Lol.

[freakystyly]

It's true.. do a search on your favorite car shopping site with the following filters:

RWD
6-cyl
Manual
4 Door

see what comes up, likely more ads that don't even meet those criteria

[smass]

You may want to shop outside of LA. https://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/c...175673193.html

[hassmaschine]

Originally Posted by smass

I have owned 3 early build 2006s. All 3 had broken valve cover and oil pan bolts. 1 had the broken head bolt behind the oil filter plus another inside by the timing chain (which is super rare). All other early build issues are probably update by now. The metal thermost was probably replaced many years ago with updated the plastic one.

Vanos bolts are not an issue with 2006. They were a later build issue. The main difference between a pre and post 9/05 build is the ability to turn on/off things like daytime running lights from the trip computer stalk. Pre 9/05 (without i-drive) need coding to do that.

you can do that? how?

03/06 build here - don't know if you'd consider that an early build, but I haven't had a lot of problems that many others have described. Some obvious/wear item ones, sure, but none of the edge cases.

[hassmaschine]

Originally Posted by freakystyly

It's true.. do a search on your favorite car shopping site with the following filters:

RWD
6-cyl
Manual
4 Door

see what comes up, likely more ads that don't even meet those criteria

99.9% of ads listed as "MT" end up having 2 pedals.. so frustrating when looking for a car.

[E92William]

While it is rare I don't think it's worth enough to go out of your way and overpay for what is quite similar to a sport package 328 with a manual. I've seen a few down here usually overpriced by owners and rarely well taken care of. Last one I tried to buy the guy didn't take my 4K for it then a month later it was still for sale now at 3800

[lowrydr310]

Originally Posted by E92William

While it is rare I don't think it's worth enough to go out of your way and overpay for what is quite similar to a sport package 328 with a manual. I've seen a few down here usually overpriced by owners and rarely well taken care of. Last one I tried to buy the guy didn't take my 4K for it then a month later it was still for sale now at 3800

I agree, and wouldn't mind a 328i with sports package (especially since I have two extra three stage intake manifolds in my garage) though the prices around Los Angeles are hit or miss. I've been looking for the past year or so and most are misses. Most of the cars are trashed, neglected, or have some underlying issue. Automatics are a dime a dozen and clean ones usually sell for around $4000-5000 sometimes less, but all the manuals I've seen have been junk with a few exceptions.

There was a guy on this forum who sold his 06 330i not too long ago for around $5500 and it was in immaculate condition - black on black with nearly every maintenance item or common wear item already replaced. I passed at the time because I wanted to save money and get a 328. Then another guy had a 06 325 6MT with 250K miles that he sold for $2200. I was so tempted but the tan interior and lack of sports package kept me away from that one.