[R3dLeader]

Hi all,

Looking for some advice on purchasing a certain 2008 E93 N54 6MT near me. I have inspected the car and taken it on a 20 minute test drive. Very fun car and I am nearly sold on it if I can get it for the right price. Sport package, Logic 7 sound, convenience, and I believe Xenons. That's about it. Pre-LCI obviously.

If you all are nice to me, maybe I'll stick around Looking for any advice, tips, or recommendations on how to proceed.

I've done a fair amount of research on this platform, so here we go:

Car has 82k miles. It was an early 08 build which has me very concerned regarding the power steering pulley on subframe carnage. On the Carfax I see at 5700 miles/November 2008 "front axles replaced/repaired". This car is RWD so it does not have front axles! Any idea what this could be? I called the BMW dealership but they wouldn't tell me anything due to personal information. I don't see how repair details are personal. I will try again. I just want a verbal readout of the repair narrative.

Was there ever a recall or field action to swap out the subframe on early builds? Could this be it? Wishful thinking I know.

Other notable Carfax findings:

1st owner: Dealership serviced regularly.
Sold/traded-in after 3 years and 25k miles. Seems likely to be a lease ending since it was 3 years exactly. Vehicle was then sold CPO by the same BMW dealership it was purchased from new. Good sign, right! However just at the end of this ownership, Carfax states "fuel injectors replaced." Good? Common issue I know. Should I expect these 2011 year fuel injectors to serve me well?

2nd owner: Dealership serviced regularly.
Kept it for what appears to be only 8 months and 10k miles. At the end of his ownership the Carfax states "power steering pump replaced" at 32k miles. Vehicle offered for sale at 34k miles.

3rd owner: Dealership serviced regularly.
Kept it for 5 years (2012-2017) but the mileage only went from 34k to 56k. Only notable Carfax items other than standard maintenance are steering/suspension checked, 4 wheel alignment at 46k and again at 54k.

4th owner: From 2017 to end of 2020 mileage went from 56k to 83k. Only 1 dealership visit for "maintenance inspection" and "engine checked" at 64k. Other oil changes and such were done at no-name "Service centers" however they were regular.

That's it. Seems like all the oil changes were regular

Now on to the current seller: he has a seemingly reputable lot with good Google and Yelp reviews. Nice guy. Has been here for 17 years. Mostly BMW but offers other makes as well. He said he got this car from a dealer only auction, his reconditioning work included:
-New OEM fuel pump
-New OFHG
-New belt tensioner and belt

I personally inspected the valve cover gasket and it seems good. The engine bay is clean, no engine oil leaks. Power steering cap is leaking, but that's an easy fix.

Test drive was smooth however the car did not warm up very fast at all. After the drive I scanned it for codes and found P0128. This indicates the thermostat is stuck open and coincides with the car not warming up. I am OK to purchase in this condition if you all agree, and will DIY a thermostat/waterpump right away. Hopefully I can get the price down due to this.

I checked the turbo wastegate by hand and while it does have a little play, it seems OK. I cannot hear rattle when the engine is idling or coasting. The wastegate spring setting seemed weak compared to my current car, I could easily open the wastegate by hand. Is this normal?

How do we all feel about the front axle replaced/repaired at 5k miles? What does this even mean lol. Power steering pump replaced at 32k miles? Fuel injectors replaced at 25k?

Steering on this car felt a little looser than I expected. Got a little vibration in the steering wheel after bumps. Tire pressure was low. I wouldn't be surprised if I have to DIY a few control arms or front suspension components, which I am willing to do.

Being an early 2008, I am paranoid about the belt hitting the subframe.

I have always dreamed of owning and wrenching on an N54. Being new to the Southwest, the E93 would be tons of fun. This vehicle grew up in Arizona. I am in California.

Cosmetically the seats are great except the driver seat has some moderate wear. Driver door trim panel scratched. Windshield cowl plastic is rotting away (sun damage, I've seen it on many BMWs around here). Headlights are rock chipped (I will replace lenses), paint seems OK but maybe a little sun damaged.

The price is a little high, $13500. I am not paying this but I think there is room to come down.

Appreciate any insight, experience, opinions. Thanks for sticking with a long post!

[3PedalJake]

The only thing in the front that's remotely axle like is the hub/bearing assembly which only gets replaced as it's non-serviceable, so there's plenty wrong with that description. I'm all for the RWD 6MT convertible with any engine, but I've never wrenched on a N54 so no help there. I'm sure you're right about the tons of fun tho, good luck!

[Mosaud1998]

4 owners? Idk how I feel about that.

A clean engine imo is never really good thing. Could've been leaking oil or whatever and now that the engine is nice and clean you won't even notice.

[E92William]

There's a whole thread here on this forum that deals with the origami e93 top, I'd be concerned about its functionality. I believe it's the pump that is expensive on those.

These cars don't have loose steering, it will need control arms in the front for sure, even if it felt good it would based on age. N54 subframe and ps pulley issue only really seems to happen once the cars engine mounts begin to get soft over time, I would upgrade to 335is engine mounts and if you want to be anal about it maybe trim the subframe down a bit by the pulley but it's unnecessary I think.

Thermostat failed and luckily it did on the fail safe open position, wouldn't surprise me if the pump is nearing the end of its life too.

Do yourself a favor and take off the vanity engine cover and check the index number on all injectors, if you see mismatched ones with some being super early and some late but not index 11/12 you know it's been worked on and likely had some used ones put in. Also good tell sign is when a few are clean and others aren't.

There's a reason that car was traded in somewhere and then bought by a dealer and he fixed what he needed to get it running good enough to sell, end of the day he's there for a profit you know. I'd budget for all that. I don't like to see the little cone filters on a used n54 car, does that one have them?

[R3dLeader]

Originally Posted by E92William

I don't like to see the little cone filters on a used n54 car, does that one have them?

The entire car seems to be completely stock, no cone filters.

The roof works great and is quite the piece of art, but yea I cringe at the thought of repairing that. I will look into it, thanks!

The fact that the injectors were replaced at a dealership under original factory warranty is a good sign, but I will pull the engine cover and look into those.

I tried to pull the engine cover last night but the sales guy said he would have to also remove the rear plenum to get the back of the cover out. I'll be sure to bring my own tools and get it off next time. I'm going to call a few shops tomorrow to try to get a PPI scheduled.

[E92William]

Removing the cover is no big deal at all. Got some 8mm screws at the filter, then two 8mm bolts on the side and it lets you see all the hex bolts for the cover, should be a couple minutes at most. If I was selling a car I would certainly let the interested party have a look. PPI would be worth it if you're settled on it for sure

[Vivek.]

Originally Posted by Mosaud1998

4 owners? Idk how I feel about that

4 owners is no big deal; it's a 13 year old car and people often keep cars for 3-4 years (especially cars like these, not because they're unreliable but because they're premium items and the owners move on to a newer/better one--just check the other sections of the forum and you'll see people upgrading from '17-'18 model years already).

OP it looks like you've done your research. I'd replace thermostat and water pump right off the bat, don't want to risk overheating if the pump fails and its at the age/mileage where it's liable to crap out.

13.5 is about what I paid for my IS with ~8k less miles, but the market is crazy now and I got a very good deal that's unlikely to be repeatable. Pay what you're comfortable paying while accounting for the repairs it will need.

The folding top from what I've read is generally reliable.

[R3dLeader]

Indeed the market is crazy now, as KBB value has this car at $11.2.k including a $2k premium for the low mileage.

I took a closer look tonight and found some oil underneath on both O2 sensor wires right near the downpipe connection to midpipe. This freaked me out, as it may be the oil pan gasket.

However car had new OFHG and belt due to oil leaks from there. Is it possible to be residual oil from the OFHG? Either way, I think this requires a PPI to get a better look at it.

The roof seals are also a little sketch, as the rear window is missing most of the seal around it due to sun damage. This car has definitely baked in Arizona for a while. However we verified that it doesn't leak water! Mechanically the roof opens and closes very well.

[Mosaud1998]

Watch this:

It'll give you more things to look for.

[R3dLeader]

Oh and I got a look at the injectors. THe rear bank are all revision 12, while the front bank has revision 6, 8, and 6. Carfax states that injectors were replaced under factory warranty at a BMW dealership in 2011 @ 25k miles. I guess they only replaced the rear bank?

[EyeGuy]

I personally would not pay over 10k for this vehicle. Also, have a nice reserve account for when things start inevitably breaking. Fuel pump, chasing down oil leaks, starter, alternator, sensors, hoses, injectors, coils, plugs, carbon cleaning and turbos are the usual suspects.
Aaa is a good idea as well because this vehicle will leave you stranded.

[R3dLeader]

Originally Posted by EyeGuy

I personally would not pay over 10k for this vehicle. Also, have a nice reserve account for when things start inevitably breaking. Fuel pump, chasing down oil leaks, starter, alternator, sensors, hoses, injectors, coils, plugs, carbon cleaning and turbos are the usual suspects.
Aaa is a good idea as well because this vehicle will leave you stranded.

Haha damn! I have a reliable daily driver so this 335i would be a weekend/project car. I would definitely be tuning it. I am fairly good at DIYing and could do most things myself.

I did offer 10k yesterday and he said no way. Best he would do is $13k. Don't forget, I am paying a California premium price here. Everything is expensive. Used car market is heavily inflated these days as well. There are pretty much 0 6MT e93 with red leather for sale nationwide. KBB value is $11.2k.

I would be doing waterpump/thermostat ASAP as well as coils, plugs, filters, coolant flush, trans oil, diff oil, and engine oil. Eventually I would do carbon cleaning, have already done it on my daily driver.

Turbos seem to be quiet and in good shape.

The seller bought from an auction and put a new HPFP, OFHG, belt, and tensioner on it. It runs strong and without any hiccups at the moment.

You think it will be that unreliable? Starter and alternator are things I have not read about going bad on this platform.

I am most concerned about that roof since it is pretty much impossible to fix. However they do seem to hold up well with proper maintenance which I would be doing right away (cleaning and conditioning seals, lubing the joints, and checking condition/replacing those strings).

[Mosaud1998]

Originally Posted by R3dLeader

Haha damn! I have a reliable daily driver so this 335i would be a weekend/project car. I would definitely be tuning it. I am fairly good at DIYing and could do most things myself.

I did offer 10k yesterday and he said no way. Best he would do is $13k. Don't forget, I am paying a California premium price here. Everything is expensive. Used car market is heavily inflated these days as well. There are pretty much 0 6MT e93 with red leather for sale nationwide. KBB value is $11.2k.

I would be doing waterpump/thermostat ASAP as well as coils, plugs, filters, coolant flush, trans oil, diff oil, and engine oil. Eventually I would do carbon cleaning, have already done it on my daily driver.

Turbos seem to be quiet and in good shape.

The seller bought from an auction and put a new HPFP, OFHG, belt, and tensioner on it. It runs strong and without any hiccups at the moment.

You think it will be that unreliable? Starter and alternator are things I have not read about going bad on this platform.

I am most concerned about that roof since it is pretty much impossible to fix. However they do seem to hold up well with proper maintenance which I would be doing right away (cleaning and conditioning seals, lubing the joints, and checking condition/replacing those strings).

You always wanna get under or at KBB. So, $13k is overpriced.

Yeah, he did some work but that work doesn't get added to the value really.

[EyeGuy]

Originally Posted by R3dLeader

Haha damn! I have a reliable daily driver so this 335i would be a weekend/project car. I would definitely be tuning it. I am fairly good at DIYing and could do most things myself.

I did offer 10k yesterday and he said no way. Best he would do is $13k. Don't forget, I am paying a California premium price here. Everything is expensive. Used car market is heavily inflated these days as well. There are pretty much 0 6MT e93 with red leather for sale nationwide. KBB value is $11.2k.

I would be doing waterpump/thermostat ASAP as well as coils, plugs, filters, coolant flush, trans oil, diff oil, and engine oil. Eventually I would do carbon cleaning, have already done it on my daily driver.

Turbos seem to be quiet and in good shape.

The seller bought from an auction and put a new HPFP, OFHG, belt, and tensioner on it. It runs strong and without any hiccups at the moment.

You think it will be that unreliable? Starter and alternator are things I have not read about going bad on this platform.

I am most concerned about that roof since it is pretty much impossible to fix. However they do seem to hold up well with proper maintenance which I would be doing right away (cleaning and conditioning seals, lubing the joints, and checking condition/replacing those strings).

This vehicle will not be reliable, think opposite of your lexus. Also a code reader is a must to track down all the weird gremlins that go wrong. If certain censors go bad, the car will not run. I follow the mike miller maintenance schedule for my 08 to a T and couldn’t avoid issues.

These particular models have really bad resale values. My 2008 335xi with 70,000 miles in excellent condition had a trade in value of $5k from 2 dealerships. Check the value from nadaguides.com which is what a lot of dealerships use.

[Mosaud1998]

Originally Posted by EyeGuy

This vehicle will not be reliable, think opposite of your lexus. Also a code reader is a must to track down all the weird gremlins that go wrong. If certain censors go bad, the car will not run. I follow the mike miller maintenance schedule for my 08 to a T and couldn’t avoid issues. These particular models have really bad resale values.

My 2008 335xi with 70,000 miles in excellent condition had a trade in value of $5k from 2 dealerships. Check the value from nadaguides.com which is what a lot of dealerships use.

Nada or MMR.

OP, if you have the vin of the 335 I can run a Carfax and MMR value on it

[Chappers 71]

If the oil filter & valve cover gaskets were leaking than so will the sump gasket. Most people don't brother replacing & just live with it, although I did have mine renewed when I had the tubs replaced. The ofh & vcg were replaced at around 90,000 miles.
If you're intending to keep it long term the tubs will eventually need replacing, although the original turbo's did last until 106,000 miles

I've owned my 35i for over eight &a half years & I suspect if I added all that I've spent on maintaince,repairs & mods it'd be close to what I originally paid for it.

[R3dLeader]

Originally Posted by EyeGuy

This vehicle will not be reliable, think opposite of your lexus. Also a code reader is a must to track down all the weird gremlins that go wrong. If certain censors go bad, the car will not run. I follow the mike miller maintenance schedule for my 08 to a T and couldn’t avoid issues.

These particular models have really bad resale values. My 2008 335xi with 70,000 miles in excellent condition had a trade in value of $5k from 2 dealerships. Check the value from nadaguides.com which is what a lot of dealerships use.

Was your 08 335xi a cabriolet? A 6MT? Those increase the value.

Automatic e90s are much cheaper.

I already have a code reader and that's how I confirmed the thermostat is stuck open.

I have a lot of experience diagnosing cars and working on them. I would be totally ok to replace the turbos a few years down the road. Hopefully not anytime soon tho!

I've read about many n54s still on stock turbos over 100k miles.

[E92William]

There was no xdrive e93 so likely an e90 or e92. That would be one heavy beast an xi automatic n54 with the hardtop convertible lol

[Mosaud1998]

That guy is smoking dick

He probably paid around $6,875 or less for the car at auction. Add $1,500 parts+labor for the HPFP, $200 for a full detail job (the dealership I used to work for got cars detailed for $75 ) I doubt he paid $200 for a detail). Bust out $300 parts+labor for the OFHG (part cost $66 off fcp). $378 parts + labor for the belts, pulleys, etc ($122 for the kit off fcp). I'm roughly calculating the labor rate. He either had his mechanics replace those parts or replaced them himself.

The total cost to the seller is roughly around $9,253. Again, the things I listed are roughly priced out. I doubt he got a $200 detail job. Or paid that much to get those things replaced

You still have to do the plugs and coil $221 off fcp (plugs and coils) and water pump which is $418 (for the whole kit). If you diy the water pump great. If you get it done, that's another $800ish spent.

Probably have to change out the trans fluid and diff if those haven't been done. I'd do an oil change just to be on the safe side. So, I think $10-$11k is a good deal. If he doesn't budge, show him all this shit I posted. If he still doesn't budge, then fuck him

He has the car listed so high because of the color combo and that it's a manual.

Sorry for the long post, just trying to help a brother out

[EyeGuy]

Originally Posted by R3dLeader

Was your 08 335xi a cabriolet? A 6MT? Those increase the value.

Automatic e90s are much cheaper.

I already have a code reader and that's how I confirmed the thermostat is stuck open.

I have a lot of experience diagnosing cars and working on them. I would be totally ok to replace the turbos a few years down the road. Hopefully not anytime soon tho!

I've read about many n54s still on stock turbos over 100k miles.

E92. Good luck

[georgewny]

Originally Posted by R3dLeader

Was your 08 335xi a cabriolet? A 6MT? Those increase the value.

Automatic e90s are much cheaper.

I already have a code reader and that's how I confirmed the thermostat is stuck open.

I have a lot of experience diagnosing cars and working on them. I would be totally ok to replace the turbos a few years down the road. Hopefully not anytime soon tho!

I've read about many n54s still on stock turbos over 100k miles.

So R3dLeader
You obviously are very well informed and are way above the skill set of the average BMW owner.
Sounds like you not only know how to do most if not all the standard maintenance and mechanical issues the E90's N54's have.
So fixing and maintaining this E93 Mt6 will not be any issue for you, and I suspect you will even enjoy the DIY tasks.
I know I do...

Than being said it all comes down to how bad you want the car.
You live in a highly desirable area where fun performance convertibles sell at a premium.
If you live in say, Opossum Trot Kentucky, yeah for sure the price would be far less then sunny California.

And it sounds like this will be your weekend fun car... so even better since you have a dependable Dailey Driver.

I too went through similar decision several years ago...
My DD is a '11 335ix, with just 60k miles on her now, and I, like you do most if not all of the maintenance on her, so my costs are very low.
I do not wait for something to fail, I just kinda follow the Mike Miller maintenance schedule and replace before it brakes...
Sound like you are of a similar mind set, so this E93 will not be a burden to you.

Since my BMW is very well maintained, my costs are very low!

I too went looking for a fun weekend convertible.
I had always wanted a Mercedes SL hardtop convertible with a V12.
So two years ago I bought my 2004 SL600 V12 twin turbo, knowing full well that maintenance cost/repairs would be higher then my BMW...

Bottom line is, I spent more then KBB on my weekend toy, and I feel that it was the best move I've made.
I have my dream car that I enjoy.
So I paid more the KBB...
Life is short...
The extra grand I may have paid is little compared to the fun factor that the car of your dreams brings to you.

I do not view cars as an investment.
I view them as a necessity(your DD) and also fun/excitement/vacation kind of mind set for the fun car (Your E93 mt)

As you are well aware, it may be a long time before you see another one near you come up for sale,
so is paying an additional 1K or more worth spending on it?
For someone like you whom knows and enjoys DIY, I say, YES it's worth purchasing...

Just my thoughts
Good luck to you
and please let us all know what you decide

[Vivek.]

Originally Posted by R3dLeader

Was your 08 335xi a cabriolet? A 6MT? Those increase the value.

Cabriolet does not increase value over a coupe. Maybe over a 4-door but definitely lower value than a coupe. MSRP is higher but resale isn't

Originally Posted by R3dLeader

Haha damn! I have a reliable daily driver so this 335i would be a weekend/project car. I would definitely be tuning it. I am fairly good at DIYing and could do most things myself.

I did offer 10k yesterday and he said no way. Best he would do is $13k. Don't forget, I am paying a California premium price here. Everything is expensive. Used car market is heavily inflated these days as well. There are pretty much 0 6MT e93 with red leather for sale nationwide. KBB value is $11.2k.

If you really want the red interior, it's worth a 1.8k upcharge. I tried and failed for a full year to find a red interior for mine.

Originally Posted by Mosaud1998

The total cost to the seller is roughly around $9,253. Again, the things I listed are roughly priced out. I doubt he got a $200 detail job. Or paid that much to get those things replaced

So you expect the dealer to sell the car for $747 more than he paid?