[testingtesting123]

Hey yall! just a newbie here and I'm looking to buy a particular 328i that I test drove and went and saw at the dealer. The car was relatively cheap, and it has 139,000 miles on it. I just made this account and after reading the rules and a couple of threads, I'm deciding to ask for help from the great beamer sages
I really love the way the car handles and looks and I'm pretty much dead set on it but my question is, what parts should a high school senior first take care of in terms of preventative maintenance to make sure the car lasts me? I know that Bmw cars need to be maintained and after servicing it what do you guys think I should swap out to make sure they stay good.

[marvinstockman]

If the car is at a dealer, he can give you the Carfax for the car, which should tell you whether the car has been wrecked, or maybe has had 15 owners. In most cases, it will also show a service history, which is a very, very good thing to have.

Also, you really need to get a prepurchase inspection by someone who knows BMW's. If they won't let you do that, walk away. No, run away!

Finally, a prepurchase inspection is not a state inspection, which is only for safety related items.

[solo118]

Looking for a E92 328i as well! I wish you luck!

We have a great thread here which has helped me know what to look for. https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1517476


For the most part, these cars are pretty reliable you just need to stay on top of the oil leaks. VCG, oil pan, oil filter housing, etc. Generally, these are cheap parts but expensive for a shop to do the work. The oil leaks also lead to other issues like the serpentine belt melting away and doing some big damage.

When I check out a car, even though I am not too savvy under the hood I just look for oil leaking anywhere around the engine or under the car. I listen for any weird sounds, and I ask for service records.

Oh yeah, do not forget that water pump! They go every 50-60k!

[colorado.e9x]

There's a sticky thread you can find on here about buying an E90 by Nicko43. Read up on that! Otherwise I'd say check for oil leaks from: OFHG, VCG, PCV/CCV, oil level sensor (next to drain plug, also these cars don't have dipsticks)

[Smgs1992]

If you have any plans to add power. Dont buy a 328i theres minimal mods for it. The 335i is a better option and im only pointing this out bc the numerous theeads of people who buy a 328i and want to make it faster shortly after

[colorado.e9x]

Originally Posted by Smgs1992

If you have any plans to add power. Dont buy a 328i theres minimal mods for it. The 335i is a better option and im only pointing this out bc the numerous theeads of people who buy a 328i and want to make it faster shortly after

He's a hs senior, I don't think he'll want the cost of owning a used N54. Besides a 328 has plenty get up and go to be satisfactory for most teenagers

[lookalikehuuh]

Ensure you have the car looked at by someone who is knowledgeable with BMWs. There are common issues that can be quickly noticed by someone and can quickly add up to pretty high costs.

Items to look for:
1. Valve cover Gasket Oil Leak
2. Oil filter Housing Gasket Leak (pretty dangerous)
3. Oil Pan gasket leak
4. Motor mounts
5. Coil pack failures/misfires
6. Water Pump/thermostat
7. at 140K checking shocks/struts is a good idea

Probably other crap I'm forgetting.

Also do yourself a favor and do not drive a 335i because you WILL want one of those, but those come with A LOT more issues that cost a lot of money to fix.

[Smgs1992]

Originally Posted by colorado.e9x

He's a hs senior, I don't think he'll want the cost of owning a used N54. Besides a 328 has plenty get up and go to be satisfactory for most teenagers

I missed that part skimming through. However i imagine there will be threads shortly after asking how to make it faster. Never fails and then disappointed owners finding out there isnt much to be done to a N52 gaining maybe 20-30hp tops

[hassmaschine]

Originally Posted by Smgs1992

I missed that part skimming through. However i imagine there will be threads shortly after asking how to make it faster. Never fails and then disappointed owners finding out there isnt much to be done to a N52 gaining maybe 20-30hp tops

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by solo118

Looking for a E92 328i as well! I wish you luck!

We have a great thread here which has helped me know what to look for. https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1517476


For the most part, these cars are pretty reliable you just need to stay on top of the oil leaks. VCG, oil pan, oil filter housing, etc. Generally, these are cheap parts but expensive for a shop to do the work. The oil leaks also lead to other issues like the serpentine belt melting away and doing some big damage.

When I check out a car, even though I am not too savvy under the hood I just look for oil leaking anywhere around the engine or under the car. I listen for any weird sounds, and I ask for service records.

Oh yeah, do not forget that water pump! They go every 50-60k!

OP, don't listen to this post. The N52 water pump does not fail every 50,000 to 60,000 miles. The water pump was updated by BMW in 2008 and is very reliable. After my WP died in 2011 at 149,500 miles, the replacement pump, a BMW OE part, has lasted 240,000 miles since then and has yet to throw a trouble code.

The serpentine belt doesn't "melt away". If it gets heavily soaked in oil, it eventually stretches and loses some tension. In combination with an aged belt tensioner, an old worn out, oil impregnated belt can possibly slip off the pulleys and can possibly get chewed up behind the crank pulley, and damage the crankshaft seal. It doesn't always happen, but it is known to happen.

The E90 is a great car to own. It lasts a very long time if well taken care of. But as with any used car, the prior service history and treatment by previous owners is key to the experience you will have with your car if you buy it. As with any used car, approach it with caution and try to ascertain as best as possible, the condition and history of it.

You'll need financial commitment to owning a BMW at that age and miles driven. It's best to be an accomplished DIY'er.

[solo118]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

OP, don't listen to this post. The N52 water pump does not fail every 50,000 to 60,000 miles. The water pump was updated by BMW in 2008 and is very reliable. After my WP died in 2011 at 149,500 miles, the replacement pump, a BMW OE part, has lasted 240,000 miles since then and has yet to throw a trouble code.

The serpentine belt doesn't "melt away". If it gets heavily soaked in oil, it eventually stretches and loses some tension. In combination with an aged belt tensioner, an old worn out, oil impregnated belt can possibly slip off the pulleys and can possibly get chewed up behind the crank pulley, and damage the crankshaft seal. It doesn't always happen, but it is known to happen.

The E90 is a great car to own. It lasts a very long time if well taken care of. But as with any used car, the prior service history and treatment by previous owners is key to the experience you will have with your car if you buy it. As with any used car, approach it with caution and try to ascertain as best as possible, the condition and history of it.

You'll need financial commitment to owning a BMW at that age and miles driven. It's best to be an accomplished DIY'er.

Sorry if there was wrong info in my post, but this is what I read over and over. I was unaware the WP has been updated in 2008. That being said, are most 2008 models safe from WP issues? Or is it after a certain build date? Just curious how to check, as I am looking into several E92's.

Thank you as always for your awesome posts.

[colorado.e9x]

I just passed 145,000 miles on a potentially original water pump. Looks like I'll be having a fun DIY this winter..

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by solo118

Sorry if there was wrong info in my post, but this is what I read over and over. I was unaware the WP has been updated in 2008. That being said, are most 2008 models safe from WP issues? Or is it after a certain build date? Just curious how to check, as I am looking into several E92's.

Thank you as always for your awesome posts.

Your post struck a nerve. Back in 2011, I was the first E90 Forum member to post about the water pump having "trouble codes". I discovered the trouble codes in May 2011 a few months after first got my Bavarian Tech scan tool in late 2010 (IIRC). I found the 2E81 slow speed code, but at the time had no understanding of what it meant; no one did. Below are my notes from my maintenance spreadsheet that led me to understand the codes are an early warning sign of pump failure (for the N52). Back in 2011, the only info on the E92 water pump was a post by JamesUK who did a quasi DIY on replacing the pump. Once my pump had failed in July 2011, I posted a full DIY on replacing the WP and T-stat under my old forum account "Eninty" in August 2011. My T-stat had started throwing the 2EF4 code as early as October 2010; I eventually replaced the T-stat in February 2011 a few months before the WP died.

Like I stated, the revised pump has lasted in my car nearly twice as long as the original part. What is more important, is my E90 is part of my daily fleet (I drive it now only twice a week) and I've run the same, long commute for almost 13 years with the car, so as a "test bed", my car a good example for evaluating E9X failures. Meaning I've run the new pump pretty in the exact same commute scenario as the original pump.

Regarding the WP P/N, all you need to do is go to realoem.com, look up the WP p/n and then review the superseding part numbers information. It shows the pump was revised in April 2008 (going from memory).

[solo118]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Your post struck a nerve. Back in 2011, I was the first E90 Forum member to post about the water pump having "trouble codes". I discovered the trouble codes in May 2011 a few months after first got my Bavarian Tech scan tool in late 2010 (IIRC). I found the 2E81 slow speed code, but at the time had no understanding of what it meant; no one did. Below are my notes from my maintenance spreadsheet that led me to understand the codes are an early warning sign of pump failure (for the N52). Back in 2011, the only info on the E92 water pump was a post by JamesUK who did a quasi DIY on replacing the pump. Once my pump had failed in July 2011, I posted a full DIY on replacing the WP and T-stat under my old forum account "Eninty" in August 2011. My T-stat had started throwing the 2EF4 code as early as October 2010; I eventually replaced the T-stat in February 2011 a few months before the WP died.

Like I sated, the revised pump has lasted in my car nearly twice as long as the original part. What is more important, is my E90 is part of my daily fleet (I drive it now only twice a week) and I've run the same, long commute for almost 13 years with the car, so as a "test bed", my car a good example for evaluating E9X failures. Meaning I've run the new pump pretty in the exact same commute scenario as the original pump.

Regarding the WP P/N, all you need to do is go to realoem.com, look up the WP p/n and then review the superseding part numbers information. It shows the pump was revised in April 2008 (going from memory).

Thank you for the great info! Thankfully WP is less of a worry now and I can focus on those oil leaks! Hopefully checking out another 2 E92's on Monday!

[POBEP]

Originally Posted by testingtesting123

Hey yall! just a newbie here and I'm looking to buy a particular 328i that I test drove and went and saw at the dealer. The car was relatively cheap, and it has 139,000 miles on it. I just made this account and after reading the rules and a couple of threads, I'm deciding to ask for help from the great beamer sages
I really love the way the car handles and looks and I'm pretty much dead set on it but my question is, what parts should a high school senior first take care of in terms of preventative maintenance to make sure the car lasts me? I know that Bmw cars need to be maintained and after servicing it what do you guys think I should swap out to make sure they stay good.

testingtesting123 below is my E91 maintenance & repair log.
It is single datapoint, but may give you some idea on the cost of E9X N52 ownership.
There is no WP or thermostat in my log just yet.

[nsjames]

if you're serious, buy a proper diagnostic cable and tool right now to check any prospective cars with before you buy.

I'd recommend the bimmergeeks dot net

[hassmaschine]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Your post struck a nerve. Back in 2011, I was the first E90 Forum member to post about the water pump having "trouble codes". I discovered the trouble codes in May 2011 a few months after first got my Bavarian Tech scan tool in late 2010 (IIRC). I found the 2E81 slow speed code, but at the time had no understanding of what it meant; no one did. Below are my notes from my maintenance spreadsheet that led me to understand the codes are an early warning sign of pump failure (for the N52). Back in 2011, the only info on the E92 water pump was a post by JamesUK who did a quasi DIY on replacing the pump. Once my pump had failed in July 2011, I posted a full DIY on replacing the WP and T-stat under my old forum account "Eninty" in August 2011. My T-stat had started throwing the 2EF4 code as early as October 2010; I eventually replaced the T-stat in February 2011 a few months before the WP died.

Like I sated, the revised pump has lasted in my car nearly twice as long as the original part. What is more important, is my E90 is part of my daily fleet (I drive it now only twice a week) and I've run the same, long commute for almost 13 years with the car, so as a "test bed", my car a good example for evaluating E9X failures. Meaning I've run the new pump pretty in the exact same commute scenario as the original pump.

Regarding the WP P/N, all you need to do is go to realoem.com, look up the WP p/n and then review the superseding part numbers information. It shows the pump was revised in April 2008 (going from memory).

I've posted this a couple times, but I can make the pump errors trigger a CEL, instead of being hidden unless you scan the car. I've done this for my own cars as well as every one I've tuned. So at least when the pump is starting to fail, you have a warning - rather than it seemingly being a sudden failure, which it it not. There are signs and warnings, and the DME tracks pump performance constantly.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by hassmaschine

I've posted this a couple times, but I can make the pump errors trigger a CEL, instead of being hidden unless you scan the car. I've done this for my own cars as well as every one I've tuned. So at least when the pump is starting to fail, you have a warning - rather than it seemingly being a sudden failure, which it it not. There are signs and warnings, and the DME tracks pump performance constantly.

I've seen your posts on code the CEL ("SES" in BMW speak). Of the several admirations I have of you, other than grafting the N52 into the E30 (my dream car), your depth of coding the ECU and other control units is beyond reproach. I stall as a mechanic when it comes to coding, only because my fear of bricking my ECU far out weighs my need to have a CEL notification of the water pump (though I'd love to have the option).

In my thread on the water pump I posted in 2011, I delved into BMW's engineering theory as to why they did not code the software to trigger the SES when the pump begins to degrade. I can only imagine a scenario where a customer comes in for service to check and the SA informs them the water pump needs to be replaced at a cost of $1,200, with no evidence of an overheating event. A SES light would help greatly in convincing the customer the water pump was failing.

The DME tracks pump performance to implement the four different cooling profiles used to control engine temperature against load requirements balanced to fuel consumption and emissions performance. Based on that criteria the SES should be triggered for a failing water pump, but I'd proffer that a failing water pump is not in the standard OBDII trouble code definitions, which are used to trigger the SES light. Perhaps now is the time for manufacturers to implement a manufacturer unique " MIL" trouble code light to notify drivers of other chassis issues other than OBDII emissions trouble codes.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by solo118

Thank you for the great info! Thankfully WP is less of a worry now and I can focus on those oil leaks! Hopefully checking out another 2 E92's on Monday!

I'd find a friend with a BMW scan tool or get one before I'd go BMW shopping. Good luck with the search.

[solo118]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

I'd find a friend with a BMW scan tool or get one before I'd go BMW shopping. Good luck with the search.

At the moment, I have an Amazon "Launch CR319" scan tool, which definitely will be useless.

However, from my days with a '17 750i, I bought a wifi VGate obd2 scanner, along with the apps BimmerLink and BimmerCode. Problem is as far as I know they do not work on 2007 cars (I tried it last week on one I checked out)

Would any other iphone app be acceptable as a scanning tool? I am checking one '07 out and one '08.

[nsjames]

bimmergeeks protool.

[lab_rat]

Originally Posted by Smgs1992

If you have any plans to add power. Dont buy a 328i theres minimal mods for it. The 335i is a better option and im only pointing this out bc the numerous theeads of people who buy a 328i and want to make it faster shortly after

Nah, the bestest option is to own one of each:

E90 330i w/ZSP/ZPP/6MT
E82 135i Msport w/DCT