E46 M3 Maintenance Costs

[pureco99]

I'm in the market for one of these rockets.

1) What have you had to replace or repair as an ///M3 Owner and what did it cost to you to repair / replace this item?

2) What would you say is the average $$$ spent on annual maintenance?

[kchristopher]

did you notice this thread parked at the top of the forum? http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=672126

or perhaps this one? http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...d.php?t=356345

There is also http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/search.php

[smaglik]

nice.

[BradB]

I have found no surprises (above any other 'nice' car) in the cost of normal maintenance. (oil, filters, brakes, rotors, etc) It is also quite easy for the average DIY.

Go for it!

[RayonRojo]

Front brakes + rotors = $1000.00 USD. Would have been cheaper had I not waited til the last minute and been able to shop the net for rotors. Nevertheless, worth every penny. I get out of my car with a smile on my face everytime

[BradB]

Front brakes + rotors = $1000.00 USD. Would have been cheaper had I not waited til the last minute and been able to shop the net for rotors.

Yes, could have saved over half! Zeckenhausen carries top notch products. I was very happy with all my replacement parts there.

[tmoney11286]

owned for about 5K miles.

replaced serpentine belt-30 dollars
Had inspection 2- 1350 dollars
broken rear shock mount-130 dollars

[jblack]

There are additional costs for owning an M - vs. other BMWs - don't discount it.

As said above - anything "M" specific, like OE suspension, brakes and trim will be more - sometimes pennies, sometimes big time - as demonstrated above in the brake post.

Also - you need valve adjustments - no other BMW 3 series has needed one since the E30. That is not a small expense, and is (usually) not a DIY, as you need to buy/rent/steal a shim kit and a BMW tool to do it to spec.

To give you an idea - from the dealer....

E46 325i front rotor - $66.51
E46 330i front rotor - $85.04
E46 M3 front rotor - $170.36
E46 M3 ZCP front rotor - $188.64
E30 325i front rotor (for fun) - $45.37

[smaglik]

not true on the valve adjustment. the m30 wants one every 15k miles. i believe they still made those till 95 in the e34s.

[jblack]

not true on the valve adjustment. the m30 wants one every 15k miles. i believe they still made those till 95 in the e34s.

Last I checked, the e34 was NOT a 3 series, as I said in my post...

no other BMW 3 series has needed one since the E30

[Ingenere]

I have found my M3 dead reliable, and very cheap to maintain compared to my other cars.

They are also fairly easy to work on, if you are so inclined.

In the 4 years I have owned it, I have had only an SMG pump fail, which was a warranty item. The oil changes have been a DIY at $70 for the oil/filter, every 7500 miles. The inspections have been a mostly DIY job, except for 1 valve adjustment that I was charged ~ $300 for. The various filters have run <$100, and I replaced the F/R brake pads for $250, which took me all of 2 hours.

[smaglik]

Last I checked, the e34 was NOT a 3 series, as I said in my post...

my humble apologies. you dont sound like a very nice person.

[MarqE36]

Since these cars are more reliable than the non-M models and older models, there isn't much 'repairs' to spend on. Maintenance like oil change is $200 at the dealer or $12-16 per quart of motorsport oil Castrol 10w-60. Tires are even more expensive since they ride on 19s with wider/staggered fitment. Valve adjustments alone cost almost $400 not including the inspection I/II which could run as much as $1200+. Most part on the car will be more expensive especially the "M" parts.

[MINIBro77]

You've got some good vendors out there where you can purchase parts for less. Also one of the best investments for you is to join BMW CCA. Your $40.00 or so yearly membership will be helpful (for dealers who honor it) to receive discounts on parts and service from a BMW dealer. You can also benefit of the special buy program for when you would like to buy a New or CPO car from a dealer. They have special rebates through BMW CCA coming from BMW of NA for CCA memebers for this same $40.00 or so a year. Just another way to save moeny and become a member of the biggest car club in the world. Also one of the coolest.

[burnmacs]

I'd also recommend getting the parts yourself (Tischer BMW) and finding a good independent mechanic (if you don't want to do things yourself). In the almost year I've owned mine, the battery is the only thing I've had to do.

[richpsu]

I love driving my 2002 M3, but I've found it considerably expensive to maintain and needing more frequent repairs than other non-"M" models I've owned. Former vehicles even had high mileage ('99 540i and '87 325is). Driving the M3 is a blast. Repairing it has been an unpleasant surprise. No matter what I do, there is always something wrong with the car.

I have owned this vehicle for 1 year and have logged 15k miles (75k through 90k). I've had to perform the following that I consider (except the brakes) outside of normal maintenance for a 8-9 yr old car:

Front brakes (standard maintenance, but the rotors were highway robbery!). Pads were reasonable ~ $100. Rotors are $250/side - they're not even drilled or slotted! If you do have an e46 M3 and are going to get the OEM rotors from the dealer, plan ahead and ask for the euro-spec ones. They're $250/side and are drilled but have to be ordered.

Blower motor resistor for AC/Heat. This is common in these cars. $275 installed at Indy shop

Both exterior mirrors rusted out due to water penetration/rust (a common problem for these cars) $70/side DIY easy install.

Exterior Mirror motor $180. Dealer wanted $350 installed. Job took 10 mins DIY.

The car was making a loud chirping sound behind the dashboard. Turned out to be an electronic component cooling fan going bad. BLOWER WITH COVER PART NO. 12-14-1-437-454 $70. DIY

Headlight lens covers got hazey ($100 each) - buffed them out once, but came back.

Reverse lights cover hazey/faded out ($140 each)

Interior trim - all of the material on the A, B, and C pillars separated from its backing. $100-$200 per unit times 6. This is very common for these cars - I've seen it on most that are 7+ yrs old.

Exterior molding seals over rear windows dry rotted. Didn't leak, but looked bad. $280/side. $100 each on standard E46s

Alternator - apparently these go pretty regularly in these cars due to the 8k red-line. I can appreciate that...as I exercise this feature regularly! $400 plus install. Can be done without removing cooling fan with lots of patience. I do consider this a normal maintenance item for the age of the car, but figured anybody considering a purchase might like to know...

And the biggie... SES light came on and said Catalytic Converters in bank 2 were bad. $4,000 installed! Indy shop and internet forums agree that any aftermarket cats can't handle the engine's output. Thank goodness I found a post on the internet referencing a voluntary recall for this issue. Extended warranty on catalytic converters until 10yrs/unlimited miles for 2002 and 2003 M3s. Dealer re-programmed ECU and light has been off for a few weeks now. Now the car is a ticking time bomb in my opinion...if that cat goes after the warranty, I'm in for a repair that is 1/3 the value of the car!

I'm going to enjoy the car until that catalytic converter warranty runs out in February and then run for the hills. To this car's credit - although I've had headaches with this vehicle, it drives like a dream and I would consider a CPO M3 in the future so BMW fixes it for "free!"

See recall info below for catalytic converters. Best of luck!

BMW Service Bulletin
SI B12 22 08
Engine Electrical Systems August 2009
Technical Service
This Service Information bulletin supersedes S.I. B12 22 08 dated April 2009.PERFORM THE PROCEDURE OUTLINED IN THIS SERVICE INFORMATION ON ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES THE NEXT TIME THEY ARE IN THE SHOP FOR MAINTENANCE OR REPAIRS. designates changes to this revision SUBJECT
Voluntary Emissions Recall 08E-A03: M3 S54 - DME Reprogramming for Catalyst Conversion DiagnosisMODEL
E46 (M3) Coupe and Convertible with S54 produced from 05/01 to 09/06SITUATION
The DME programming, as originally installed, may cause the OBD diagnostic to erroneously evaluate the efficiency of the catalytic converters. Consequently, the "Service Engine Soon" lamp may be illuminated with fault codes 178 ("Catalyst conversion bank 1") and/or 179 ("Catalysts conversion bank 2") stored in the DME control module.This diagnostic software error would not cause any driveability problems.In order to remedy this situation, BMW is conducting a Voluntary Emissions Recall Campaign to reprogram the DME control module (and SMG control module on SMG 2 equipped cars) on all affected vehicles. In addition, for MY 2002 and MY 2003 vehicles up to April 2003 production, the emissions warranty for the catalytic converters of the affected vehicles is extended to 10 years / unlimited miles.

[maranello455]

For me its no really maintenance,but the joy of getting my car upgraded to the max,thats what really counts!.

[5spotme]

I'm also looking into the E46 M's. Its good to see the lowdown on maintenance. The post by richpsu is the reality to really consider. $4000+ and other issues are not to be taken lightly when one's wallet is involved.

Hmm, but dang, the look of the Ms are top notch...temptation.

[smaglik]

That is the nature of owning an older BMW, though. For the most part, these things are built pretty well. Things break, electronics and the like, but there are not too many catastrophic failures. However, you do need to be prepared for that 4-5k repair bill that always could happen. It's just part of the equation.

[actofgod22]

Dealer just tried to jack me for $1,500 to fix one of my headlights. Doing it myself for under $300

[pureco99]

wow

[geargrinder]

you do need to be prepared for that 4-5k repair bill that always could happen. It's just part of the equation.

While I COMPLETELY agree w/ Smaglik...

Dealer just tried to jack me for $1,500 to fix one of my headlights. Doing it myself for under $300

This is DEFINITELY part of the equation and you need to watch out for that. There are all kinds of Dealers and Indys:
- Indys or Dealers who don't know E46 M3's or BMW's and everything takes more time and effort cuz they are trying to figure it out and don't know what they doin.
- Indys or Dealers who know the cars but charge a premium because they believe they are mechanical gods and M3's deserve to cost more
- Indys or Dealers who are solid stand-up guys AND experts and therefore take less time to fix things but they only charge you for what it takes. I'm lucky to have 2 or 3 Indys who I would trust in my area who fit that bill.

The post by richpsu is the reality to really consider

I still totally agree with the possibility of a $4k bill lurking at any time even if your Indy or Dealer is straight up.. but... Some of those numbers in richpsu's post are a bit steep.

Not saying he's BS'ing and that's not what his bills say but for instance Euro Cross-drilled Rotors from Turner are $350 a pair. Not $500.

More random price checks - yes new alternator is probably $400 but a rebuilt alternator $200 or less (BTW DIY alternator replacement pretty easy except for the pulley nut which does suck ass - but if you take it to a corner garage with an impact wrench they probably pop it off in a second for a coupla beers).

The story about $4k for cat replacement is totally misleading. First of all the story is there WAS NOTHING WRONG with the cats (and I've never heard of OEM cats being any kind of consistent common problem). The whole thing was a software bug that was fixed, end of story, so there's no "ticking timebomb" which is misleading.

Second, even so, that $4k price sounds like a real gouge. I know 2 good Indys who would do the job for $600-800 labor max and that's if they ran into trouble. And then re: the parts - there are TONS of low miles used OEM take-off cat-headers FS all the time since so many guys go headers and/or euro and/or race cats. For example one guy posted a WTB on M3Forum and looks like he was flooded with replies including these for $110, SHIPPED! So even IF this was a real problem, post-warranty is a non-issue for that IMO. I'm not sure where the "internet forums agree aftermarket cats can't handle the engines output" comes from thats just silly. Yes cheapo aftermarket cats that suck probably do suck but lotsa guys doing fine with quality 200 cell cats and/or Euro cats. Not to mention that many guys if they DID have OEM cats go bad would just go Euro or aftermarket headers and Euro or aftermarket cats anyway and be done with it with a power mod as a bonus, and even then you can get it done for $4k all-in if you shop smart. But basically there's nothing wrong with the cats and they are not known to fail so not really worth talking about this much anyway.

Re: all those exterior and interior trim related items - those are hugely dependent on ownership wear and tear and storage. For the same amount of mileage and age, a minty pristine garage kept car driven by a doctor on the weekends by himself will have much better luck w/ rubber seals and headlight covers and interior trim than one kept on the street driven by a college kid 7 days a week with his buddies piling in and out and going to clubs and whatnot. I could show you exactly the same thing with two 1995 Audis I know of with very close miles - one is thrashed and worn out in every way including rubber gaskets and paint etc. etc. , the other has hardly any of the same problems. All based on lifetime indoors/outdoors and ownership.

To be fair, 90k miles is usually in the big repair zone for any car let alone a high strung performance car so I fully believe everything richpsu says, it just that 1. some of those examples are way more than the pricing I've found or how I perceive the cost of repair, and 2. I've seen a lot of higher mileage E46's that haven't had any kind of list of a laundry list of issues like that. Yep don't buy this car if you can't afford something to go wrong, it ain't a Honda... but neither is it a Lambo.

[wildmark]

I'm in the market for one of these rockets.

1) What have you had to replace or repair as an ///M3 Owner and what did it cost to you to repair / replace this item?

2) What would you say is the average $$$ spent on annual maintenance?

Not for the faint hearted...but worth it!!!

[richpsu]

Hello Folks,

Just realized how pessimistic I sound in my original post - not my intent. Unfortunately, I don't think I portrayed anything incorrectly. You can definitely find cheaper, non-BMW parts for the car, including used headers with catalytic converters - but I wasn't crazy about dropping $600-$800 in labor to install a used part with no guarantee. The stock rotors for the car are $250/side (and are not drilled or slotted - ask the dealer for the euro-spec ones and you get drilled - buh!). A rebuilt alternator can be found for under $200...I know first hand because I installed one and it didn't work - so buy/install at your own risk/wate of time!

I do think the geargrinder is probably right - if you find a garage-queen M3, you might not experience some of the issues I have... Unfortunately, didn't opt for a garage queen. I found an M3 at a used car lot with a pristine interior and some minor exterior blemishes. Given my previous positive experiences with BMWs, thought it was a safe bet, could throw a couple $100's at it in minor cosmetics and it'd be good to go. I would encourage anybody in the market for one to find that garage-queen and pay a little more on the front end and maybe save some headaches with the seals, lens covers, etc...

Having said that...update:

My SES light did come back on and the dealership says the catalytic converter is definitely bad. Dealer quoted me $2,700 to replace - surprisingly far less than my independent shop at "around $4k." I'm currently in a back and forth with my local dealership on whether or not the service will be covered per the bulletin. It seems like my ticking time bomb fear was valid as well as the fact that there is something wrong with the cats on '02 and '03 M3's with the S54 engine.

Look, I love the car - it's the most fun car I've owned and I'll never regret purchasing it. I'll probably brag to my kids about how fun it was some day. Today, however, I'm venting! Since I've purchased the M3, I've met a number of other owners who have had the same issues. Being the owner of two other used BMWs (one previously well maintained and one poorly previously maintained and 20+ years old), I was surprised by 1.) the price premium over "normal BMWs" for all M-parts and 2.) some of the build-quality issues (seals, mirrors, components, etc...). I didn't see any posts with information like this prior to purchasing - had I, I might not have been so surprised and may have opted to buck up and spend more on a better example.

Again, love driving the car... I don't want this post to dissuade anybody from buying one. Just informing folks of my experience. The M3 is not as expensive to maintain asa Lambo but the bills are not for the faint of heart. And for the car enthusiast with modest means, can add up quickly. But...going ~ 105 in 3rd gear never gets old!

I'll re-post after I get the CAT situation squared away - we'll see if the bulletin stands up!

[dworthy]

There is a guy who is selling euro cats for 1300 shipped, m3e46freak is his handle. Look him up on the member list and PM him. If he tells you that somebody has spoken for them, tell him that dworthy would rather give them to you instead, I can find another set later.