finally got a 3 series

[rooster]

i purchased a 1995 325 is with 211k on it runs and drives great for 3900 what do i need to pay special attention to and what special care do i needs to look after car also what problems has anyone ever had with these cars thank you also selling 88 735i with 140k impeccably maintained- always an arizona car 3900 obo 520 219 1873 mike

[ElSupremo]

First thing you'll want to do is make sure all the routine maintenance things are taken care of. Give it a tune-up.
Check out the suspension and make sure you have good bushings, front and rear. If in doubt, replace them as you can afford it.
Has the H2O pump been replaced? If so, how long ago? It might be worth changing out, along with giving the coolant system a good flush, refill, and bleed. Change hoses if they haven't been changed for awhile.
Hell, it wouldn't be a bad idea to change out all the fluids if you're not sure if it's been done.
Other than that, check out the FAQs at the top of this forum for a lot of good threads, and also check out the DIY thread to learn how to do it yourself and save a lot of money, and learn about your car also.
Congrats on the purchase.

[410225]

i purchased a 1995 325 is with 211k on it runs and drives great for 3900 what do i need to pay special attention to and what special care do i needs to look after car also what problems has anyone ever had with these cars thank you also selling 88 735i with 140k impeccably maintained- always an arizona car 3900 obo 520 219 1873 mike

Do you have service history on this vehicle? If not, I would suggest looking at cooling system and suspension first.
1. Waterpump - Metal impeller
2. Thermostat & aluminum housing(not plastic black ones)
3. Radiator - Coolant flush would help. Also check fan for broken blades.
4. Check shocks, RSMs(Rear Shock Mount).
5. Good tune up (make sure not to use antiseize on sparkplugs)
6. Air & fuel filter
Have lots of fun!! congrats on the new purchase!! :buttrock

[rooster]

if i was lazy and had bmw mechanic do all this stuff how much approx$$

[410225]

if i was lazy and had bmw mechanic do all this stuff how much approx$$

I have approx ball park on part pricing but it may vary from store to store.

Waterpump - $40
Thermostat & aluminum housing - $50
Radiator - $150-$200 Coolant $20 Fan Blade $30
Shocks - set of four bilstein HD $500-$600 Maybe coilover $700-1200
RSM ($40)
Tune Up - sparkplugs (NGK stock $5ea need 6 = $30)
Air filter - K&N $40 Stock $16
Fuel Filter - $20

I do not know how long it takes mechanic to do all of the above but not cheap. Waterpump, Thermo+housing, Radiator, coolant flush, Fan blade can be done at once probably 4hour labor?

Shocks - depends on how rusted bolts are to be removed but all four, probably 3-4hours?

I have done above myself except the fuel filter(not done yet), radiator(no need to replace), front struts(no need to replace) on my 95 325IC with 149k miles and it took me good one weekend.

BMW maintenance gets expensive if you decide to bring everything to the stealer or mechanic and part of the fun is maintaining your own BMW ald learning the parts and mechanics of the parts.

Maybe it is time to invest on Bentley Manual and good set of mechanics tools and start maintenance one by one.

Good luck and if you have questions, this is the great forum for help. I don't know if I could have done my own maintenance without this forum and Bentley manual.