[holtreed]

Choose carefully

[E90_328i]

Thank you so much for the info. I've been looking all over the place for this info just didn't know what to lookup. thanks

Any details on the N51 engine?

[E90_328i]

Thank you so much for the info. I've been looking all over the place for this info just didn't know what to lookup. thanks

Any details on the N51 engine?

[bim_artemis]

Originally Posted by Tyrion

At the end of the day, you can do your best to choose it carefully but as I like to say, never brag with your new second hand car or your new girlfriend. You never know how they will turn out.

Amen brother !

[jps328x91]

Great info.

Thank you

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by BMWCCA1

I ran across this thread just after purchasing a 2007 328xi E90 to replace my wife's recently totaled E82 128i. I agree with just about everything said here.

I really didn't want an E90. I started selling BMWs in 1996 so I've seen a bit of everything. When my wife said she'd had enough 5-series cars and wanted something small, I found her a perfect Sport package 128i automatic (arthritic left knee) which she loved. After its loss, it became nearly impossible to find a nice E82 without paying double what we paid for the first one. We tried. We traveled, We scoured the Internet. And then an X3 M40i I had ordered for an old customer came in and when he arrived to pick it up I remembered his trade-in and for a brief minute wondered why I shouldn't just buy it for my wife and move on.

So, she is now driving a one-owner, clean Carfax 2007 328xi 4dr with Sport, Convenience, Premium, Xenons, Cold Weather, Navigation, and Logic7 that has been garaged all of its life and maintained better than the book. It has 84k on it and is beautiful Monaco Blue with wonderful Gray leather sport seats. It has nearly everything her E82 had with the exception of PDK, and some things hers did not have (Comfort Access). We weren't really looking for xDrive but it can't hurt with our 1/4-mile long drive and nothing other than RWD to get us out in bad weather. This probably makes BMW Number Twenty in our current collection, including the salvage of her E82 and my daily-driver 128i M-sport 6MT.

So, here it is, and thanks for producing this helpful thread:

The E28 looks clean! 528e or 535i, maybe even is???

[Vertrx7]

First post and I'm learning about these cars:

I'm presently looking at a 2013 328i hardtop convertible. So E93 if I understand the nomenclature correctly

Has the straight 6 which I read about in the first post. Nice looking car with no accidents and clean title (Carfax)

It does have a service light on at the present time and the owner wants to take it in to have the checked out. Has a 104,000 miles on it. I'm not sure what to expect from the service facility and waiting on the results.

It has the Xenon lights, sport seats, M Suspension, M Body cladding as I understand it, the M steering wheel, M pedals, etc. It has several other options which are of interest as well but some I'm still trying to decipher.

I'm worried about the mileage being high and its obviously out of warranty. I'm buying from an individual so maintenance warranty isn't possible I think.

I have a variety of cars and try to work on my own stuff as opposed to sending the work out. This would be a learning experience and having read all 15 pages, I think that working on them myself will be a requirement.

[4 Doors]

Originally Posted by Vertrx7

First post and I'm learning about these cars:

I'm presently looking at a 2013 328i hardtop convertible. So E93 if I understand the nomenclature correctly

Has the straight 6 which I read about in the first post. Nice looking car with no accidents and clean title (Carfax)

It does have a service light on at the present time and the owner wants to take it in to have the checked out. Has a 104,000 miles on it. I'm not sure what to expect from the service facility and waiting on the results.

It has the Xenon lights, sport seats, M Suspension, M Body cladding as I understand it, the M steering wheel, M pedals, etc. It has several other options which are of interest as well but some I'm still trying to decipher.

I'm worried about the mileage being high and its obviously out of warranty. I'm buying from an individual so maintenance warranty isn't possible I think.

I have a variety of cars and try to work on my own stuff as opposed to sending the work out. This would be a learning experience and having read all 15 pages, I think that working on them myself will be a requirement.

Sounds like a nice find. A helpful resource for looking up options on a BMW would be: MDecoder.com website. You can look up vehicles by VIN and see the options that were selected from the factory build.

As for maintenance, there are many useful DIY guides through these forums. You should be able to do most of the work yourself after reading through the guides. Most of the issues with the N51/N52 are gasket related and easily fixed yourself. As for the N54, things can get a little more complicated, but still DIY-worthy.

Good luck with the search and purchase.

[Vertrx7]

Thank you for the quick response.
I did do one of those VIN searches, I think I found it on the first page. It gave me a host of options this car has. Very interesting. Some, I did not know what they meant so more exploration necessary.

At this time, waiting on the results of the PPI or at least what the shop finds in terms of the CEL.

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by Vertrx7

First post and I'm learning about these cars:

I'm presently looking at a 2013 328i hardtop convertible. So E93 if I understand the nomenclature correctly

Has the straight 6 which I read about in the first post. Nice looking car with no accidents and clean title (Carfax)

It does have a service light on at the present time and the owner wants to take it in to have the checked out. Has a 104,000 miles on it. I'm not sure what to expect from the service facility and waiting on the results.

It has the Xenon lights, sport seats, M Suspension, M Body cladding as I understand it, the M steering wheel, M pedals, etc. It has several other options which are of interest as well but some I'm still trying to decipher.

I'm worried about the mileage being high and its obviously out of warranty. I'm buying from an individual so maintenance warranty isn't possible I think.

I have a variety of cars and try to work on my own stuff as opposed to sending the work out. This would be a learning experience and having read all 15 pages, I think that working on them myself will be a requirement.

Depending on the service light (service due, or check engine light), go for it! IMO 100-150k miles is the sweet spot to purchase. Presuming you can get records and the valve cover and oil pan gaskets have been done, you're mostly good to go. Only thing left is the water pump/'stat. I've found that gets put off (myself included). Bonus if suspension has been done, but don't plan on it. Go and do all the fluids right away, but that's kind of obvious. Those are easy & cheap. If none of the above can be documented, plan on having to do them and factoring into transaction price. Everything else is just kind of random and may or may not need replacing.

My $.02

[Vertrx7]

That is good information. I am not confident Ill get records...so worst case scenario, water pump and T-stat. I will look at the gaskets as well. But, I saw no leaks from up top in terms of oil.

Since it has that M suspension, I tried to find some information on it, but I don't know what is included on that option. Are the springs special or is there something I should put in place? I guess coilovers may be an option but those do get pricey. I just installed them on my NC Miata and they do make a difference in handling, but the ride suffers a bit...at least at the setting I have them on. Fun though.

Shocks, the usual? Koni, Bilstein? I will look at the MeisterR coilovers there if they make them for this platform. The thing does have new, yeah, just replaced run flats. I couldn't believe it when the seller told me. Also, some sort of look alike chrome BBS lookalikes. Not my style but I asked if they were aluminum or steel and he didn't know. I would absolutely hate having all that unsprung weight on the 4 corners. That might have to be first replacement.

Thank you for any thoughts or help.

[E92kidd]

This helps a lot being that I just bought one, luckily with all the service records since 40k so good reference to look back on to.

[andy727]

Just got this one! 2011 w 47k miles. I'm a long time BMW guy, but my first wagon.

[dryest]

i bought E91, 318i , perfect car, but had troubles with rear screen wiper, is no back to garage,, eletrical cabling issue.. but will be fixed

[reggie01se]

Just bought an 06 325i 6MT with 95k based on this sticky. Thank you!

[doomfull]

thank you

[MilesPNZ]

Originally Posted by Mike K

This excellent post and group helped me find my 2011 e91 RWD. My second 3 Series as I had a nice e30 years back.

We named our “new to us” e91 "Kestrel" after the small but fast and powerful falcon that can take down prey twice its size..


Thanks all!

On first glance I thought that was an E60 wagon.

I love the colour and wheels in combination with the wagon. Looks slick.

[MilesPNZ]

I had a little impulse buy last weekend.

Backstory is that my wife and I are moving back to New Zealand (currently live in Hong Kong) and I have been quietly watching the car market.

In New Zealand there are a huge amount of BMWs on the market, however, most of them are imported from Japan and have no history whatsoever.

I was browsing on Sunday and saw that a 2012, E90 LCI, 320D had hit the market. The car had a full documented service history from BMW and only 94,000kms (58,000 miles) on the clock with only two owners from new. I had never actually considered the E90 as I was looking more at the F30.

So I called the owner and had a chat to him about his reasons for selling and the specifics on the car in terms of recent maintenance etc. I ended up doing a deal over the phone then and there for 10.5k NZD (7k USD).

The only thing that it has which I am not happy with is the base audio system which I am going to upgrade.

Photo and vin decode below for the nerds.

https://bimmer.work/vin/n257ed846506...659a416ec2328/

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by MilesPNZ

On first glance I thought that was an E60 wagon.

I love the colour and wheels in combination with the wagon. Looks slick.

Thanks alot Miles for your kind words and good luck with your new ride. She looks pretty damn sweet too! Same interior as mine only the mirror image!

It's technically not you car until you leave some of your DNA on her. I've now done that plenty since April 2021. I've DIY'd the valve cover gasket, plugs & coil packs, Vanos solenoids and filter cleaning, 2 Liqui Moly engine flushes & Motul oil changes, aimed the headlights, removed all the wheel liners and belly pans and power washed, and changed the crumbling Mickey Mouse flange with the up-rated aluminum one. But that's for a petrol burning N52 and I see your e90 is a D.

I also am learning coding/diagnostics with BMW Standard Tools and a $100 laptop. The coding forum is deep indeed.

This online group rocks hard and makes these cars actually attainable and maintainable via vast DIY knowledge and beyond. I look forward to learning about your new ride soon!

[mmemanuel]

Extremely helpful, thank you very much.

[fun-traditional]

Great- thanks for the comprehensive info!

[lamboPete]

Hello, Anyone knows where the headlight fuse located for E90?