Purchasing 2010 335d; what to look for?

[lps]

I have been looking at 335ds for some time now, and finally found two that have merited further investigation. My wife and I are taking a 5.5 hour drive tomorrow to take a look at them (it will be in our m3, so it will be an extended joy ride). Both are 2010s, and both have virtually every option. One is alpine white with a black leatherette interior, and the other is space gray with a chestnut brown leather interior. Both have right at 50K miles. The gray one has a CPO warranty (but the car fax shows "moderate" damage from a rear ender, but it was repaired pre-CPO), and the white one has a clean car fax, but no warranty. I'm leaning towards the gray one, as I like the leather interior (though the white one has wood grain trim, which I prefer over the brushed aluminum trim in the gray one). Asking price for the gray one is $30,900 and for the white one is $29,900.

The service histories on both show proper maintenance. But the gray one shows some problems with the DDE control unit, and the SCR converters (?) after the car was certified. Those were covered under warranty.

Is there anything in particular I need to look out for on these vehicles? I know the 335i has a high pressure fuel pump issue, but I'm not sure the diesels have the same problem (I suspect not since it's a different engine altogether). This will be my 6th BMW (3 e39s, 1 e46 m3, 1 e46 330), so I'm not unfamiliar with BMWs. I'm not necessarily asking for opinions on price, as I've shopped around enough to know that the asking prices are okay (I'm a negotiator, so asking price is just a starting point.) Obviously, if you have an opinion on the price, I won't ignore your opinion, but I'll pay more attention to your opinion if you either just bought one, or have one for sale (particularly if you're within 5 hours driving distance of Northeastern NC). I'm more interested in common problem areas, and upcoming maintenance issues and costs for cars of this vintage/mileage. If you have a 335d, I wouldn't mind hearing about your experience.

Lars

[floydr]

The service histories on both show proper maintenance. But the gray one shows some problems with the DDE control unit, and the SCR converters (?) after the car was certified. Those were covered under warranty.

Is there anything in particular I need to look out for on these vehicles? ... I'm more interested in common problem areas, and upcoming maintenance issues and costs for cars of this vintage/mileage. If you have a 335d, I wouldn't mind hearing about your experience.

Except for the engine, these cars are no different than a 335i for any system problems. One thing you must realize with the 335d/X5d: It's my (and the rest of the diesel community) opinion that BMW was using the US market as a test bed/beta site for the new emissions controls, so that they don't have to pimp the European market in 2014.
1) Haven't heard about many DDE failures. These are a new unit, not used anywhere else (except the new N57.)
2) Recently completed recall: EGR valve replacement, SCR mixer (injector) replacement, DDE reprogram (EGR/SCR and PDF burnoff). Make sure they're done (probably, but still.)
3) SCR injector has been ongoing; although it seems that latest is ok.
4) Carbon buildup on valves due to EGR badness. Not sure if it's solved by recall.
5) HPFP has not been a problem, it's not even close in design to the gasoline one.
6) There have been a few "adaptation value" problems with injectors (DDE needs to be reset.)
7) SCR transfer pumps failed initially; haven't seen many lately.
8) Early problems finding a mechanic, EVEN AT DEALERS, that was competent with these engines.

The thing you will notice is a bit of lag or hesitation upon step-off. This is just the way it is, due to turbo spooling/throttle programming/transmission programming (usually starts in 2nd) to keep you from spinning the tires all the time. I currently have snow tires on mine, and can spin the tires on the 2-3 and 3-4 shifts on wet roads here in Seattle. Most 335d's get about 5-8 mpg better than 335i.

There are quite a few in the SE; one of the early guys had a blog - he was covering 50K a year (but he hasn't posted in a year.)

There are a couple of other forums with better diesel coverage. e90post has a forum for M57/N57, has good info, but it's focused on tuning. You'll have to Google to find the other (PM me if needed.)

[lps]

Thanks for the reply!

I don't have the service records, but my service person at the BMW dealership that I use pulled them up and read off the "highlights." He couldn't send them to me due to privacy issues. But I'm wondering if the DDE/SCR issues on the service record were related to the recall. I know that sometimes when they reflash the computer, it can cause some problems (when through that with a recall on my m3.) In any case, the car is under warranty for another 3 years, and 50K miles, so that's certainly comforting.

Glad to hear there aren't any common major problems. I do 90% of my own maintenance, and prefer to keep it that way. Of course, with the CPO warranty, I'll likely be more inclined to use the dealership for some of the maintenance.

[rayaapp2]

Following this thread.
Im looking at purchasing a 335D in the next month or so depending on if one pops up with my wants and needs.

Appears with the packages I want and under 25K miles in my area the price runs between $34K and $39K for comparison.

[lps]

So we pulled the trigger! My wife (and I) are the proud owners of a space gray, fully loaded, 2010 335d! It is an awesome vehicle. Averaged right at 36 mph on the drive home (highway miles.) it's got the sport, premium and winter packages, premium sound, etc, etc.

[floydr]

Very nice, congratulations.:drink1