[CHhuBby619]

Hey guys, so I am in the market for a 335d and have narrowed it down to two of them. One with 39k miles and one with 49k miles. Both stock as I need it to pass the emission laws here in Colorado.

I need some advice on what I should be looking at before purchasing. Both cars are in different states. One being in Oregon and one being in California. If purchased, the car will be driven to my home state.

I do know about the CBU of these vehicles and have kept that in mind. Thinking of just getting it cleaned if need be once I get it back home. But since I’ll be driving back, I don’t want the vehicle to leave me stranded somewhere in the middle knowing I could have checked it before.

I’ve never owned one, but have done as much research as I can. I know I don’t have all the knowledge needed. So I’m turning to this forum to get more insight.

Unfortunately, I am not able to look at these vehicles in person, since I’d have to fly out there to check them out and my schedule doesn’t really support that type of travel back and forth. So I’m going based off of the service records provided by carfax. If needed I can provide the Vins or dealership names.

Thanks a lot!

[E85 Sport]

Carfax is full of errors and omissions.

Dealer records are helpful but only show what was performed at that specific dealership.

To know the true condition of a vehicle, you need a pre-purchase inspection from a shop that works on BMWs. They can identify and resolve any issues you’re not able to DIY before the trip.

I’ve bought lots of cars long distance and a thorough PPI has saved me many headaches.

[CHhuBby619]

Awesome. I will look into that. Never thought about doing that!

Thanks!

[E85 Sport]

Shops typically charge $150 - $250 for a pre-purchase inspection. They’ll pull codes, put the vehicle on a lift and inspect the underside, perform a short road test and confirm all buttons and switches function properly. Then they’ll summarize their findings and give you a quote for any needed repairs.

[CHhuBby619]

Awesome. I’ll have to get one scheduled. Thanks for that! That helps out a lot

[lnxguy]

CBU isn't going to leave you stranded. I'd be worried about the emissions equipment (DPF, SCR, etc)

[CHhuBby619]

That is true. I have heard the stories of the Def fluid message popping up. Is there a way to check the levels before driving off? And how long should I be topping that off?

[E85 Sport]

DEF consumption depends on various factors but it’s not something to worry about. You could drive across the country multiple times without needing a refill.

I use www.BimmerLink.app to display various sensors. It can probably display Tank Level for Active Tank and Passive Tank, respectively. Same with other OBD2 gauges/apps. But I’ve never bothered to look.

Don’t overthink this. The owners manual has pictures showing how to refill.

Many owners just add a couple gallons to the passive tank each time they do an oil change.

[CHhuBby619]

Awesome. I think I’m just being over cautious since it’ll be my first diesel car. Thanks a lot man. You have been a great help. I’ll definitely have to check out that link you posted to see what I can do with it. Might be helpful!

[BB_cuda]

Those both are very very low miles considering age. I would warn of a “short tripped” car.
They are more apt to have lots of CBU. My 2011 was a short tripper until deleted at 32,000 miles in 2014. I pulled the EGR valve off and cleaned it a few months before deleting to stage 2. I cleaned the intake when I did the deletes as I also put in blanking plates for swirl flap ports.

You lead off post shows your up for the cleaning. Be careful with the small round ports when blasting as that’s plastic. Good luck and you’ll enjoy the car. Bummer you can’t delete it.

[CHhuBby619]

Awesome. I will definitely keep that in mind when cleaning. Last thing I want is to blast off something I need.

I am considering moving to a different state in the near future so deleting it is the plan at some point. What companies have y’all used for delete kits and tunes?

[E85 Sport]

Look at the "sticky" threads atop this forum. On mobile you might have to press a button to display them. Loads of info on M57 Tuning, etc.