Thinking about purchasing e46 330ci.

[Will0940]

I’m looking at buying a e46 post face lift with the sports package 330ci. My only issues is while it is cheap it’s an auto as manuals are seemingly very hard to find in good condition. Also, being a coupe I’m worried about the room in the back. Anything I should look out for when inspecting it or any suggestions?
(Has 128k miles,3 owners ,clean title , and is being sold from a dealer)

[MarcoZandrini]

You’re looking to buy a 15-20 year old car? You’ll need deep pockets. There’s no such thing as a cheap BMW. What year is the car?
1. Does the car have maintenance records?
2. It’s an automatic so have the transmission fluid and filter been changed twice
3. The car has 128k miles on the clock. Has the cooling system been overhauled USING high quality* parts?
4. Of the car is a 2001 or a 2002 have chassis re-enforcement plates been welded to the chassis when it mates with the rear subframe?

The must undergo a full pre-purchase inspection performed by a reputable indie shop that specializes in bimmers. Try www.bimrs.org to find a in your area.

* Thr installation of aftermarket cooling system parts is strictly verboten!

[jclausen]

Pre purchase inpection

[curry]

If you're not good with a wrench and don't have a lot of good quality tools save your money. These cars an get spendy fast if you can't do the work yourself.

[Matt330LS]

If you do go forward with the purchase I'd look at all the suspension bushings, motor mounts, cooling system, rear subframe mounting points and I'd look at the electrical and make sure it's not all hacked up. Seals around doors, windows and trunk. Oil seals.

Also make sure you get the title history. I say this from experience. I bought my 330Ci (manual car) knowing I wanted to engine swap and track it eventually. I still wanted a clean title car to start with and I bought one with a clean TN title. Long story short a lot of flags popped up after I started getting in to the car. I moved to WI and got a new state title that showed the car was actually a flood salvage in GA initially. It had apparently been moved to TN and re-titled clean. Needless to say I was a bit upset as I would have negotiated the price down much farther. Do your homework on these cars!

[elfer]

It's over a week since you asked so maybe you've bought or passed on it already, but buying an E46 I'd assume certain things will need changing if there are no service receipts for them having recently been done, and I'd cost them up and budget accordingly:

Cooling: Water pump, thermostat, expansion tank, cap, hoses, rad (if bowed) and fresh coolant.
Suspension: Front control arm bushes (or complete control arms if ball joints are worn too), sway bar drop links. Possibly bushes at rear too.
Engine: Valve cover gasket and oil filter housing gasket
Service: Engine oil and filter, air filter, cabin filter, spark plugs, transmission oil, diff oil.

That's assuming there's nothing out of the ordinary wrong with the car. Ideally the seller would let you read fault codes too (after a drive, in case they were reset just before you got there) but many may be reluctant to let strangers off the street plug into their car. I know I would be, not knowing their level of competence with what they were plugging in.

[Will0940]

First off, thanks for everyone’s suggestions and input, it really means a lot. I did end up passing on it as I really want to get something with a manual gear box. I noticed lots of you suggested getting a pre-purchase inspection and which while it’s smarter in the long run, I believe I’m knowledgeable enough to spot issues and make sure everything is in working order. I have since found a 2001 330xi with 110k miles. Though it’s a little pricey compared to others I’ve looked at It is better suited for what I need. What I mean by that is its awd and a sedan. I live in a snowy climate and have to haul around friends frequently. Also, I believe the higher price may be more worth it considering in the listing(from a reputable Dealership) it mentions a 100k mile restoration. During this "restoration" they have claimed it had the following done- valve cover gaskets, oil filter housing, plugs, all new OES fluids including complete coolant flush and differential. One question I do have is; it being a 2001 model how I tell if its a post face lift model. I know that any made after the second half of 2001 are post face lift. So, how are ways I can tell? In conclusion, I am a very indecisive person and have been searching for a e46 specifically for a couple months. So, any reassurance or advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

[elfer]

Simplest way to tell if it's a facelift is from the front bumper. The design changed quite significantly with the facelift. Other cues are front and rear lights. Or you can get the build date by entering the last 7 digits of the VIN into bmwfans.info or realoem

It's good that those two gaskets have been done already (my guess would be they failed and had to be replaced) and the fluids have been changed (proof would be nice though). I don't know about in the US but, here in the UK, so many independent dealers will prepare a car for sale by buffing the paint shiny as a mirror but not address any previously deferred maintenance. I'd be trying to feel for worn bushes in the test drive, and ideally would be allowed to lift the car to look for any play. Other than that and the usual checks, be aware that the M54 engine in the 330i can consume oil - a quart every 1,000 miles is not unheard of. It's not a big issue in itself, and various internet theories exist as to why, and but the relevance here is that a previous owner might have let it run low, so maybe ask that the car is not started until you get there so you can listen to it idling from a cold start.