[DCzyzewski15]

Purchasing a 2011 335i xDrive with 50k miles.

- Rotors, pads, and fluid flush replaced
- Water pump replaced
- Thermostat replaced

What else should I check for and replace?
What oil would you recommend to use for oil changes?

[MartinWake]

I would use mobil 1 5w-30 for the oil and I would also check the things they say are replaced..

[tcphoto]

Spend the money on a PPI, it may save you thousands of dollars. Otherwise, test drive it, pull the belly pan, put it up on a lift and look for leaks, worn rubber pieces and irregularities. Any honest seller whether dealer or private seller would welcome the inspection.

[delmarco]

Originally Posted by DCzyzewski15

Purchasing a 2011 335i xDrive with 50k miles.

- Rotors, pads, and fluid flush replaced
- Water pump replaced
- Thermostat replaced

What else should I check for and replace?
What oil would you recommend to use for oil changes?

My biggest lesson with the E90 is learning that low mileage and new age doesn't mean squat when it comes to issues. In past BMWs (E36/E46) the best advice was always to buy the lowest mileage/newest car from whatever series you are looking at. With the E90 here is why this is a myth!

My 2011 335i just passed the 50k mark and I'm having all sorts of silly premature issues that I never got on my previous E36/E46 BMW 3 series before those cars hit 100k miles.

I'm the second owner and purchased my pristine (May 2011-production date) 335i xDrive in Feb 2016 with 40k miles on it at the time.

Like the first owner, I've cared for, and serviced, my 2011 335i well and my only vice is I never have time to drive it so it is parked 5 days to 6 days a week.

Here are my issues. Since the car you are buying will be the same age and mileage as mine.

1. Battery keeps dying. Needs to be replaced ($485 dealership/$300+ Indy) Even if you do it yourself batteries are like $200+ for our cars and then you still have to code it to the car ($40 to $100 depending on who you know). Low mileage cars often translate into a car that was sitting parked for long stretches and you can expect weak batteries that need recharging/replacing.

2. Run Flat Tires…too many issues to list. Dealership wanted $1300 to replace them I declined and switched to Continental DWS06 ($105 a tire) and dropped in a spare donut ($100) in the trunk. If your car comes with them get rid of them.

3. Oil leaks like I’ve never seen before on a pre-50k mileage 5 year old car. At 40k my 335i’s oil filter housing gasket had a mild saturation old stain. Now at 50k every time I start the car the gasket pours out a spoonful of oil directly onto the belts and pulleys below. I also suspect the main gasket is also toast because of the oil around the lower engine block area. My 1995 E36 went up to 150k miles and almost 20 years on the road without a single leaky gasket. My 2001 330i almost went to 100k miles 15 years on the road before I replaced the filter housing and engine cover gaskets. To have my 2011 E90 leak oil like faucet at 40k miles and 4 miles on the road is absurd! Dealership wanted $1200 for this work. $400 to $600 Indy. $15 and 1 - 2 hr DIY-since the price of the gasket is $10 to $15.

4. Tensioner Pulleys failing at 50k Another absurd thing to go out on a such a young low mileage car. Poorly designed pulleys should last 80k to 100k. Good pulleys don't whistle and whine until well after 100k. In fact my belt is still good but the pulleys are not. In what world are you replacing pulleys before belts. SMH!

4. I’ve also gotten the dreaded imminent Water Pump Failure warning on my dash. Again another absurd thing to fail on such a young low mileage car. Especially considering the water pumps on these cars, at $1800 to $2000 ($1000 indy/$500 DIY), are by far the most expensive (and time consuming if you DIY) thing you can replace outside of a full transmission or full engine swap. The lesser engineered and simpler water pumps never failed on my previous two BMW. Being my first BMWs those were cars I’d driven harder to 100k for my E46 miles and 165k miles for my E36 and not one coolant issue. I don't even want to spend money replacing the water pump with another pump which will fail in another 50k/4-5 years of driving!

5. A lot of my gripes mainly come from the fact that I’ve owned older BMW 3 Series and can compare my experiences between the three cars. That said the E90 LCI takes the cake when it comes to BMW cutting corners in production. If you take into account production eras these E90 LCI are not even close to luxury cars they way early BMW 3 series lined up with other cars from their eras. The main saving grace is the N55/N54 engines are a marvel to sit behind especially when paired with one of the best suspension and handling systems (xDrive ftw) compared to the older 3 Series. Fuel economy is also pretty decent much better in fact than my 4 cylinder 1995 318i.

GOOD NEWS:
Oil Changes are only $70 at the BMW Dealership and they will wash and vacuum the interior for free and offer free diagnosis of things you may need done. Which you will then want to decline when you hear the outrageous pricing of $172 for an Air Intake Silencer ($10 air filter that takes less than a minute to pop in yourself), $520 for spark plugs, $1300 for tires, $2153 for water pump, $1200 for oil filter gasket, or $483 for a battery, etc…

Also the E90 is said to be the last true “drivers” 3 series due to its Spartan engineering and simple driver to engine to road connection when compared to the F30.
So dive in and buy one. However don’t expect these cars to be DIY friendly and keep $5,000 stored in your savings account for BMW repairs.


Knowing what I know now would I buy my car again? Would I buy it now-like you are? NO I would not. My best part of owning BMWs were having the ability to DIY stuff and fix things myself. The E90 doesn't really allow this (unless you literally have a well stock auto shop in your garage at home complete with Floor Plate Car lift since most of the service DIY things from changing fog lamps and some headlamp bulbs to water pump replacement will have you working under the car for hours at a time.

I also measure driving pleasure against ownership pain when it comes to BMWs and the E90 with it's premature failings of basic wear and tear items tips the scale towards ownership pain in my experience.

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by tcphoto

Spend the money on a PPI, it may save you thousands of dollars. Otherwise, test drive it, pull the belly pan, put it up on a lift and look for leaks, worn rubber pieces and irregularities. Any honest seller whether dealer or private seller would welcome the inspection.

This.

Also any BMW LL-01 approved oil would work great. My personal favorite is Castrol Euro 0w40 because it is cheap and easy to find at WalMart.

[delmarco]

Originally Posted by tcphoto

Spend the money on a PPI, it may save you thousands of dollars. Otherwise, test drive it, pull the belly pan, put it up on a lift and look for leaks, worn rubber pieces and irregularities. Any honest seller whether dealer or private seller would welcome the inspection.

My car passed the PPI at 40k miles 2 years ago. PPI basically only tells you that "yeah you can drive the car home".

However no PPI will tell you what is to come down the line.

Everyone buying cars worry about paint condition, oil changes, brakes and tires.

Those are the least of your problems with an E90 BMW.

[Pladi]

Originally Posted by MartinWake

I would use mobil 1 5w-30 for the oil and I would also check the things they say are replaced..

Why are you saying that ?? Thats not BMW approved oil. With so many approved options.

[Pladi]

Originally Posted by delmarco

My biggest lesson with the E90 is learning that low mileage and new age doesn't mean squat when it comes to issues. In past BMWs (E36/E46) the best advice was always to buy the lowest mileage/newest car from whatever series you are looking at. With the E90 here is why this is a myth!

My 2011 335i just passed the 50k mark and I'm having all sorts of silly premature issues that I never got on my previous E36/E46 BMW 3 series before those cars hit 100k miles.

I'm the second owner and purchased my pristine (May 2011-production date) 335i xDrive in Feb 2016 with 40k miles on it at the time.

Like the first owner, I've cared for, and serviced, my 2011 335i well and my only vice is I never have time to drive it so it is parked 5 days to 6 days a week.

Here are my issues. Since the car you are buying will be the same age and mileage as mine.

1. Battery keeps dying. Needs to be replaced ($485 dealership/$300+ Indy) Even if you do it yourself batteries are like $200+ for our cars and then you still have to code it to the car ($40 to $100 depending on who you know). Low mileage cars often translate into a car that was sitting parked for long stretches and you can expect weak batteries that need recharging/replacing.

2. Run Flat Tires…too many issues to list. Dealership wanted $1300 to replace them I declined and switched to Continental DWS06 ($105 a tire) and dropped in a spare donut ($100) in the trunk. If your car comes with them get rid of them.

3. Oil leaks like I’ve never seen before on a pre-50k mileage 5 year old car. At 40k my 335i’s oil filter housing gasket had a mild saturation old stain. Now at 50k every time I start the car the gasket pours out a spoonful of oil directly onto the belts and pulleys below. I also suspect the main gasket is also toast because of the oil around the lower engine block area. My 1995 E36 went up to 150k miles and almost 20 years on the road without a single leaky gasket. My 2001 330i almost went to 100k miles 15 years on the road before I replaced the filter housing and engine cover gaskets. To have my 2011 E90 leak oil like faucet at 40k miles and 4 miles on the road is absurd! Dealership wanted $1200 for this work. $400 to $600 Indy. $15 and 1 - 2 hr DIY-since the price of the gasket is $10 to $15.

4. Tensioner Pulleys failing at 50k Another absurd thing to go out on a such a young low mileage car. Poorly designed pulleys should last 80k to 100k. Good pulleys don't whistle and whine until well after 100k. In fact my belt is still good but the pulleys are not. In what world are you replacing pulleys before belts. SMH!

4. I’ve also gotten the dreaded eminent Water Pump Failure warning on my dash. Again another absurd thing to fail on such a young low mileage car. Especially considering the water pumps on these cars, at $1800 to $2000 ($1000 indy/$500 DIY), are by far the most expensive (and time consuming if you DIY) thing you can replace outside of a full transmission or full engine swap. The lesser engineered and simpler water pumps never failed on my previous two BMW. Being my first BMWs those were cars I’d driven harder to 100k for my E46 miles and 165k miles for my E36 and not one coolant issue. I don't even want to spend money replacing the water pump with another pump which will fail in another 50k/4-5 years of driving!

5. A lot of my gripes mainly come from the fact that I’ve owned older BMW 3 Series and can compare my experiences between the three cars. That said the E90 LCI takes the cake when it comes to BMW cutting corners in production. If you take into account production eras these E90 LCI are not even close to luxury cars they way early BMW 3 series lined up with other cars from their eras. The main saving grace is the N55/N54 engines are a marvel to sit behind especially when paired with one of the best suspension and handling systems (xDrive ftw) compared to the older 3 Series. Fuel economy is also pretty decent much better in fact than my 4 cylinder 1995 318i.

GOOD NEWS:
Oil Changes are only $70 at the BMW Dealership and they will wash and vacuum the interior for free and offer free diagnosis of things you may need done. Which you will then want to decline when you hear the outrageous pricing of $172 for an Air Intake Silencer ($10 air filter that takes less than a minute to pop in yourself), $520 for spark plugs, $1300 for tires, $2153 for water pump, $1200 for oil filter gasket, or $483 for a battery, etc…

Also the E90 is said to be the last true “drivers” 3 series due to its Spartan engineering and simple driver to engine to road connection when compared to the F30.
So dive in and buy one. However don’t expect these cars to be DIY friendly and keep $5,000 stored in your savings account for BMW repairs.


Knowing what I know now would I buy my car again? Would I buy it now-like you are? NO I would not. My best part of owning BMWs were having the ability to DIY stuff and fix things myself. The E90 doesn't really allow this (unless you literally have a well stock auto shop in your garage at home complete with Floor Plate Car lift since most of the service DIY things from changing fog lamps and some headlamp bulbs to water pump replacement will have you working under the car for hours at a time.

I also measure driving pleasure against ownership pain when it comes to BMWs and the E90 with it's premature failings of basic wear and tear items tips the scale towards ownership pain in my experience.

Let me say that i am one of the most outspoken critic of BMW reliability. And i totally agree with you for everything you have said except for DYI. BMW are actually surprisingly friendly DIY platforms. Lots of documentation and tools to diagnose. And replacing parts is not bad at all. Easier than Japanese in my opinion.

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by delmarco

My car passed the PPI at 40k miles 2 years ago. PPI basically only tells you that "yeah you can drive the car home".

However no PPI will tell you what is to come down the line.

Everyone buying cars worry about paint condition, oil changes, brakes and tires.

Those are the least of your problems with an E90 BMW.

I disagree with that. It really depends on where you go, and only a shitty PPI would tell you that.

A good PPI makes all the difference, and I get mine done at the local dealer because you KNOW a dealer will find every problem they can possibly sell to you.


FWIW I had my car up on stands and knew the condition of it from top to bottom before taking it to the dealer for a recall. Their inspection was spot on with everything I saw while I was under it.

Of course two things apply here:

1. Not all shops are the same obviously. Some are just idiots who shouldn't touch a car, and others are just so busy they might not care or be thorough enough. It is up to the buyer to find a good reputable shop for a PPI.

2. Just because the car is given the all clear doesn't mean nothing will happen in the future. Every BMW owner should open the hood once a week, as spotting potential issues that could happen will save thousands.

[Gamb1t]

I'd avoid N54 engine e90s altogether unless you feel that you want to fund your indie's kids college tuition.... and vacation....and boat.... and new franchise.

[Fritzer]

Originally Posted by delmarco

GOOD NEWS:
Oil Changes are only $70 at the BMW Dealership and they will wash and vacuum the interior for free and offer free diagnosis of things you may need done.

$70 for an oil change? At a dealership? That is ludicrous I have never seen or heard of such a low price at all the dealerships I've ever been around. They can't be making more than $30/oil change profit at that price, considering at wholesale the filter, gaskets, and oil is probably costing them $40-$50. How can they afford to do that and cover their labour costs? I guess if they have one guy cranking out multiple oil changes at the same time, but still.

I would only recommend BMW Genuine 5W-30 or maybe LiquidMoly 5W-30 for a bone stock vehicle.

[Fritzer]

Originally Posted by Gamb1t

I'd avoid N54 engine e90s altogether unless you feel that you want to fund your indie's kids college tuition.... and vacation....and boat.... and new franchise.

I think normal consumers who are dealership lifers should stay away from the N54 at this point in the engine's life cycle. But if you enjoy wrenching, learning, and building a really sweet engine that is capable of a lot, I would say that the N54 is great for enthusiasts.

[9krpmrx8]

I have a 2011 E90 335i with 98,000 miles on it and the only thing that has left me stranded was a failed plastic coolant hose at the oil filter housing gasket and a failed cooling fan (fairly rare part to fail but it happens). There is an aluminum replacement for the hose that should never fail again. Replacing the fan sucked because it's $550+ and there is no suitable aftermarket replacement.

Other than that, being in South Texas where we get 130+ days of 100F+ weather, at around 80,000 miles I replaced the radiator, cooling hoses, water pump, coolant reservoir (twice), and the tstat. I also have replaced the plugs once and the coils once but they were also working fine, I just did them since at around 75k I went MHD stage 2+ and FBO (was just BMW PPK tune and catback prior to that).

When I installed my Bilstein coilovers at around 75k, my stock struts were blown and the front upper shock mounts were bad.

Last weekend I noticed my oil pan gasket is leaking so that will need to be changed and I plan on doing a walnut blast at the same time.

And it probably sounds like a lot and in addition I have done a lot of other stuff like trans fluid changes and diff fluid changes, etc. but to me the car has been very reliable and a lot of the stuff done could have waited. But my backup car is a 2002 Camry with just over 200k and I have replaced a bunch of things on that car as well so to replace things at almost 100k on a BMW seems fine.

And these things are easy to work, anyone who says different just doesn't have a lot of experience working on cars.

[BeaterM3]

Originally Posted by tcphoto

Spend the money on a PPI, it may save you thousands of dollars. Otherwise, test drive it, pull the belly pan, put it up on a lift and look for leaks, worn rubber pieces and irregularities. Any honest seller whether dealer or private seller would welcome the inspection.

Or you can be like me, get a PPI done; get an A-Okay and 3 weeks later, the radiator is leaking coolant and the crankshaft pulley and transmission cooling lines were bent LOL

[MartinWake]

Originally Posted by Pladi

Why are you saying that ?? Thats not BMW approved oil. With so many approved options.

bmw changed their approved oils many times from what I have researched mobil 1 is a good brand to use

[9krpmrx8]

And the LL01 spec means nothing unless you are letting the BMW CBS system tell you when to change your oil.

[Pladi]

Originally Posted by 9krpmrx8

And the LL01 spec means nothing unless you are letting the BMW CBS system tell you when to change your oil.

Oh yeah? ok ill take your word.

[rsyed07]

I actually find the N54 easier to work on then the M54 on my E46 .

The E46 had the CCV which was a problem child and replacing the water pump/thermostat wasn't fun.

In the N54, water pump and thermostat were very easy with step by step Youtube DIYs. OFHG was also easy with the DIY plus the right tools.

[yrodin]

Originally Posted by Fritzer

$70 for an oil change? At a dealership? That is ludicrous I have never seen or heard of such a low price at all the dealerships I've ever been around. They can't be making more than $30/oil change profit at that price, considering at wholesale the filter, gaskets, and oil is probably costing them $40-$50. How can they afford to do that and cover their labour costs? I guess if they have one guy cranking out multiple oil changes at the same time, but still.

I would only recommend BMW Genuine 5W-30 or maybe LiquidMoly 5W-30 for a bone stock vehicle.

Both of my local dealers charge $99 plus tax

[9krpmrx8]

Originally Posted by Pladi

Oh yeah? ok ill take your word.

Don't take my word, educate yourself.

[Pladi]

Originally Posted by 9krpmrx8

Don't take my word, educate yourself.

I will just go ahead and follow BMWs specifications. I dont like to re-invent wheels.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by delmarco

[B]
Knowing what I know now would I buy my car again? Would I buy it now-like you are? NO I would not. My best part of owning BMWs were having the ability to DIY stuff and fix things myself. The E90 doesn't really allow this (unless you literally have a well stock auto shop in your garage at home complete with Floor Plate Car lift since most of the service DIY things from changing fog lamps and some headlamp bulbs to water pump replacement will have you working under the car for hours at a time. .

I have to completely disagree on this.

Everything I've done on the car yet has been DIYed, except downpipes. This car is not difficult to DIY, just long. Yes for sure it's not as easy as older cars maybe, but it's most definitely doable. I learned from nothing just watching videos and forums are great resource.

As for tools, all I own is a basic complete socket set that has a lot of variety that I bought at crappy tire for 300$ on sale about 3 years ago for my other car. The only additional sockets I've had to purchase was oil filter wrench, bigger torx sockets and a spark plug socket.

You don't need a lift at all. Floor jack and 4 jack stands a creeper and you're good to go for under car work. Although I completely agree a lift is much easier and takes ~ 20 minutes less, but once you get used to the lifting sequence it goes faster.