Opinions prior to purchasing 2003 330xi 6spd

[leveldeeper]

Hi all,

Thank you for taking a look at this post! I'm in need of some semi-last minute advice. After doing a bit of research on E46s, I'm getting close to pulling the trigger on an '03 330xi/6spd. I'm wondering if there are any other considerations I should take into account before making a final decision. I'm paying to have a pre-purchase inspection next week, so I figured I'd do this in parallel to get as much info as possible. Here are the details, and some questions will follow below that:

Asking price: just under $7k
Past owners: 1, a middle aged lady who seems to have taken nice care of the car and not abused it.
Mileage: ~120k mi
-Interior: 8/10
-Exterior: 8/10

Common E46 330xi and general failure parts that have been replaced:
-Since 100k miles: vacuum hose, valve cover gasket, oil sensor, tensioner and idler pulleys, drive airbag (from recall, I believe)
-Before 100k miles: axle boots, rear coil springs, starter, expansion tank, coolant hoses, temp sensor, water hose

Common E46 330xi and general failure parts that have NOT yet been replaced:
-DISA valve, front axles, control arms, control arm bushings, water pump, VANOS/seals, clutch, intake boot, rear shocks, front struts

-Engine bay: superficially speaking, it's spotless

-No rust.

-No apparent leaks from suspension, under the car, or in the engine bay

-Test drive: felt amazing. No rattles or noises during steering/acceleration/deceleration/etc. All 6 gears (and reverse) shifted like butter. Steering tracks straight.

-Electronics seem good (minor exception: full auto window function was not working on one or two windows, but if held down, it worked normally, just not full auto).

-Factory stereo/head unit replaced with Alpine (steering wheel volume control not connected, she said). This is the only non-stock item on the entire car.

-I noticed the car has a donut spare tire, not a full size wheel. Just looked up and looks like all E46s came with a donut?


-----QUESTIONS-----

-Does the asking price seem fair? (assuming PPI doesn't turn up an issues)

-I'm planning on having ~$2.5k backup budgeted for part failures within the 8-12 months. Is this roughly a good amount? I don't drive a lot (7k-8k miles per year about), and not particularly aggressively (certainly much more conservatively than when I had a 1990 535i/5spd, which became a money pit)

-Are there any other common part failures I should keep an eye out for? The ones I listed above seemed to come up most frequently in searches on AWD E46s.

-Other random concerns?

-For reference, my own comfort level with repairs would be with smaller parts like intake, water pump (based on videos and current tools available), hoses, etc, but I'd probably take it to an independent reputable shop for clutch or suspension work.


MANY THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR ADVICE! I'm really eager to get back to the driver's seat of a Bimmer, but I just want to have reasonable expectations before doing so.

Cheers

[Pelican Parts]

BMW recommends spark plugs every 100k miles, so if you do purchase it; make sure to get those changed asap (if they haven't been done already). I'm not sure on pricing, but based on the previous owner and the fact that she drove it less than 10k miles a year seems like a big positive to me. Watch out for minor electrical issues (all BMWs have them) like fuses needing replacement. The PPI report should give you a pretty clear indication of it's overall condition. I've also attached a link to our site's DIY tech articles - very helpful and will save you tons of money in the long-run. Best of luck!

BMW 3-Series E46 Technical Articles


-Dmitry

[feels1]

My 2001 330Ci needs to perform 80% of the known repair in this wiki

http://www.bimmerfest.com/wiki/index.php?title=BMW_E46

DIY is a one time CAD$3000 investment, which will last 5-8 yr, but yours looked like already covered 50% of them. Therefore, USD$2.5k of budget for DIY is more than enough.

If job is done by mechanic, then USD$2.5k might be enough to cover 3-5 failures, and will need CAD$1.5k/year.

In summary, E46 is only feasible for DIY. If you are sending to mechanic, then E9X, or F3X have less known maintenance issue, IMHO

[Mless5]

I don't know where on the west coast are you, but avoid AWD models (xi) at all costs if it isn't critical to you.
7K will land you a nice-ish zhp around here.

[MayerBrand7]

I just bought a 2003 330xi 6 speed last week with 220k miles.

Previous owner didn't know how to tight lugs.. or use correct tire size.
Incorrect Size (Equipped): 225/50/17
Correct size: 205/50/17

Tire pressure dash light lit and after about 360 Miles it kicked me into LIMP mode. I disconnected negative battery cable for 5min to reset part of ECM n be able to drive.

Exterior 6/10
Interior 7/10
No leaks , clutch solid , gears are ok R,1-6. M3 crap all over

Previous owner maybe thought airfilter changes itself, he stated spark plugs were done recent. .

Yet I have P0306 - cylinder 6 misfire

Other code P0604 - internal control module RAM issue

Hopefully related to the transmission being upset about the wheel tire diameter.

Or the extra security system with remote pager installed by God knows who causing electrical supply/ground/short issues.
Or a nice easy wire(s) or fuse

No clue where to start really so if theres any guidance to keeping the awd 6 speed going please let me know

Cooling system seems good.
OSV kit on its way -I hear a high pitch vacuum.

Then maybe the Flex Disc/Guido kit

Vanos upgrade Triton kit ~a bday gift to myself maybe

[TonyAngel]

Honestly, I haven't done a bunch of work on a 330, but I do have an '01 325i. Assuming that an E46 is an E46, a couple trouble spots that you are going to have to address are the cooling system and suspension, plus whatever else the PPI uncovers. The biggest problem I've seen with cars that have been driven relatively little, is that even well intentioned owners begin to neglect their car once the warranty/service contract has expired. What this means to you is that preventive maintenance is rarely done, leaving you do have it taken care.

If you get the car, the first order of business should be to completely refresh the cooling system. Water pump, thermostat, all hoses, radiator and expansion tank plus all related hardware (to include all pulleys). Also check control arm bushings, ball joints and shocks.

I've also avoided all wheel drive. I'd say, don't get it unless you need it. It just adds weight, eats horsepower, is more to go wrong and makes working on the car more difficult; not to mention that you have to pay for it. I also think the price is too high, but 330s in good shape are becoming increasingly hard to find.