Purchased First BMW

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#1340863 10-Jul-2015 20:45

blakamin: Nice colour!

Yea! It's one of those weird ones, where you swear it's green from a distance in the sunlight, but when you're opening the door, it's definitely black!

Geektastic

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#1340895 10-Jul-2015 22:01

DravidDavid: Purchased first BMW, for the chick.

1998 BMW 318ti M-Sport

86,000KM on the clock
10 years of service records. Purchased from a lady who used it as a a shopping car who purchased it NZ new at 24,000KM.

Aware of all the cooling issues, so we'll definitely be keeping an eye on that. She was going to get a Corolla, but hates the numb feeling they produce when driving. She calls it "a driving simulator" as she feels detached from the car. She said this is a dream to drive, nice and tight on the road. Dealer level diagnostic scan came up clean and had a fresh WOF end of last week. Paint is in excellent condition!

Purchased it for $2,600 so she's pretty happy. I've already taken the time to sign up to all the appropriate forums. Any advice for new 3 series owners would be appreciated. What I do want to find, is a dealer that will be able to use the VIN and pull all the records I don't have and add them in. Records from BMW from when it was still under warranty in the 90's. I've heard that can be done, but not 100% sure.

Features as per the VIN checker:

- M SPORT PACKAGE
- M SPORT SUSPENSION
- M LEATHER STEERING WHEEL
- SLIDING/VENT ROOF, ELECTRIC
- AUTOMATIC STABILITY CONTROL+TRACTION
- AIRBAG FOR FRONT PASSENGER
- FLOOR MATS, VELOUR
- REMOTE CONTROL FOR CENTRAL LOCKING
- REAR WINDSCREEN WIPER
- GREEN STRIPE WINDSCREEN
- WINDOW LIFTS, ELECTRIC AT FRONT
- WARNING TRIANGLE
- SMOKERS PACKAGE
- SPORT SEATS F DRIVER/FRONT PASSENGER
- FOGLIGHTS
- AIR CONDITIONING
- SPEEDOMETER WITH KILOMETER READING
- RADIO PREPARATION
- CD CHANGER I-BUS PREPARATION
- WHITE DIRECTION INDICATOR LIGHTS
- JAPAN VERSION
- MAIN BATTERY SWITCH
- HOT CLIMATE VERSION
- ACOUSTIC BELT WARNING
- INFRARED REMOTE CONTROL
- SHIPPING PROTECTION PACKAGE
- TYIRE CONTROL

Advice? What, like "buy a Mercedes Benz next time?" ;-)

DravidDavid

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#1468965 13-Jan-2016 10:24

ludez: You know when you get a car and those little things are already creeping in that are super annoying that even bigger things are on its way.Wifes mum had exact same model.I refused to drive or work on it hated the thing.It started with the service panel dying then the windows.Then the seats started falling apart.Then the abs,the bushings everything.She spent 40k on it(overcharged) naive.Then another 35k in fixing it...........

Well, you were right.

10,000kms later and after two weeks on TradeMe, it decides to stuff out on me. We're not even sure what is wrong and our mechanic is having a hard time with diagnosis. We had it scanned and it all comes up fine and dandy.

It started with the old "hard to start" situation, which turned in to an ever-so-slightly rough idle which turned in to not starting at all. I went on an epic adventure including picking my girlfriend up, driving back to the car, and having an extraordinarily scary drive back to New Lynn from Orewa last week and then a 3 hour bus ride back.

It puurs like a kitten, but add throttle or drive for a while and the power drops, RPM dips and you need to feather the throttle to keep it going. All the while, the automatic transmission is going nutty trying to work out what it needs to do. The power would drop, I'd feather the throttle and then all of sudden on the motorway it would backfiring like crazy.

We got it to the mechanic who drained the fuel tank and found black file shavings inside. A lot of them. the better half filled up somewhere different to where she usually does (BP with 95) the last time she did and that's when the problems started. We're not sure if the fuel pump has been stripping itself from the inside and backflowing crap in to the tank (which is plastic by the way) or if it was bad fuel. I have no idea where else we'd be getting metal shavings in a plastic tank from.

Drained tank, new fuel, new fuel filter. It ran like a dream, or at least for a little while. I don't think I'm going to be able to get it all out of the system without flushing lines, replacing injectors, cleaning the tank and replacing the fuel pump, pump filter and of course the fuel filter again.

We're on the lookout for a second hand Camry. The car I wanted her to buy in the first place. The BMW forced exercise upon me far too much and for that it can rot in the corner until I decide I have enough energy to fix it.

Eventually, I'll get a second hand pump from a wrecker and try that. It is possible the pump is stuffed and there is something wrong with it electrically. It is definitely fuel starvation for sure.

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#1468999 13-Jan-2016 11:32

I feel for you. I've never been able to afford a new ish euro I want and always heard horror stories of cheap euros (fully maintained with impeccable history is probably different).

I'd say cut your losses and don't bother with it.

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#1469001 13-Jan-2016 11:36

If she doesn't want a numb feeling driving it ... I'm sure there are other Japanese marquees that make drivers' cars.

Although i have a Subaru powerhouse but on the open road i can't hear myself speak. In certain bits of town my brains fall out of my ears from the harsh ride.

MikeB4

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#1469005 13-Jan-2016 11:43

DravidDavid: Purchased first BMW, for the chick.

1998 BMW 318ti M-Sport

86,000KM on the clock
10 years of service records. Purchased from a lady who used it as a a shopping car who purchased it NZ new at 24,000KM.

Aware of all the cooling issues, so we'll definitely be keeping an eye on that. She was going to get a Corolla, but hates the numb feeling they produce when driving. She calls it "a driving simulator" as she feels detached from the car. She said this is a dream to drive, nice and tight on the road. Dealer level diagnostic scan came up clean and had a fresh WOF end of last week. Paint is in excellent condition!

Purchased it for $2,600 so she's pretty happy. I've already taken the time to sign up to all the appropriate forums. Any advice for new 3 series owners would be appreciated. What I do want to find, is a dealer that will be able to use the VIN and pull all the records I don't have and add them in. Records from BMW from when it was still under warranty in the 90's. I've heard that can be done, but not 100% sure.

Features as per the VIN checker:

- M SPORT PACKAGE
- M SPORT SUSPENSION
- M LEATHER STEERING WHEEL
- SLIDING/VENT ROOF, ELECTRIC
- AUTOMATIC STABILITY CONTROL+TRACTION
- AIRBAG FOR FRONT PASSENGER
- FLOOR MATS, VELOUR
- REMOTE CONTROL FOR CENTRAL LOCKING
- REAR WINDSCREEN WIPER
- GREEN STRIPE WINDSCREEN
- WINDOW LIFTS, ELECTRIC AT FRONT
- WARNING TRIANGLE
- SMOKERS PACKAGE
- SPORT SEATS F DRIVER/FRONT PASSENGER
- FOGLIGHTS
- AIR CONDITIONING
- SPEEDOMETER WITH KILOMETER READING
- RADIO PREPARATION
- CD CHANGER I-BUS PREPARATION
- WHITE DIRECTION INDICATOR LIGHTS
- JAPAN VERSION
- MAIN BATTERY SWITCH
- HOT CLIMATE VERSION
- ACOUSTIC BELT WARNING
- INFRARED REMOTE CONTROL
- SHIPPING PROTECTION PACKAGE
- TYIRE CONTROL

You purchased a car for a young Hen?
It wont be able to reach the pedals or see over the steering wheel.

jonathan18

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#1469008 13-Jan-2016 11:50

joker97: If she doesn't want a numb feeling driving it ... I'm sure there are other Japanese marquees that make drivers' cars.

Although i have a Subaru powerhouse but on the open road i can't hear myself speak. In certain bits of town my brains fall out of my ears from the harsh ride.

Yeah, I agree - from the apparently "ultimate driving machine" to a Camry does sound cruel in regards to the handling stakes. I've heard the very latest Camry is a bit more interesting to drive, but the previous few models I've driven have not been exciting cars (read boring).

Also - it's a decently large vehicle, and substantially larger than a 318; a great family car, but unless that's space is needed there'll surely be some smaller Japanese cars out there that are more interesting.

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trig42

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#1469015 13-Jan-2016 12:03

Get her a higher range Mazda3/Axela (SP25 or MPS, or anything but the base model)
She will love it.

Smithy100

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#1469048 13-Jan-2016 13:09

Change thread title required...

Purchased Last BMW.

Coil

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#1469074 13-Jan-2016 13:28

Smithy100: Change thread title required...

Purchased Last BMW.

Audi A3.
Good little car, Same as a VW golf just nicer to look at and be in.

Batman

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#1469094 13-Jan-2016 14:43

Lol Tim you want to bankrupt him?

Geektastic

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#1470121 13-Jan-2016 15:36

My Land Rover Discovery is 10 years old, has just over 30,000 genuine KMs and goes and looks like new.

"old" cars can be very good buying.

blakamin

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#1470253 13-Jan-2016 18:53

Damn... I'm still going hard on my 20yo V8 7 series... 30,000kms in the last 1.5 years... mmmm comfort

DravidDavid

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#1470340 13-Jan-2016 20:40

I'm torn.

Other large expenses that have kicked off my oh-so-happy new year means we're in a pretty terrible position to deal with this kind of thing. So an Alexa is off the cards I'm afraid. They are awesome cars though!

Something Skyline with an RB motor could be more interesting and just as spacious as the Camry too. We'll just have to see what's out there. For now, I can't really can't see any point trying to fix it. I'll sell it on Facebook as is for cheap or something I'm sure. Failing that, I'll pull the pump out and see if I can make it fault outside of the tank or something. Perhaps find a pump from a wrecker and install it.

DravidDavid

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#1477163 23-Jan-2016 01:33

Sold the BMW today in broken condition. Just wanted it gone. Apparently there was more wrong with it than I first thought. I sold it as I diagnosed the fuel pump as the issue. Guy comes with new pump, drives away just fine, tells me some other sensor might need replacing.

Not three hours later I found a 1997 Toyota Chaser 3.0L 2JZ VVT-i with 195K on the clock and just bought it.

Not only does it have 5 bajillion times the power, but it sits so much better on the road and has the best suspension I think I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Digital dash, electric seats, frameless doors, full size spare, some weird magical electromagnetic suspension (sounds like a money bomb to replace it if it breaks) and surprisingly that awesome euro CLUNK when you shut the door.
All of this at half the price I purchased the BMW for and WAY more creature comforts. We did the same thing as last time. Drove it through the night to the nearest Countdown. We wound down the window and and it didn't break, so I like it already.

I'm super jealous she gets to drive it daily and not me.

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