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Thread: new owner

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Queens,Ny
    Posts
    2
    My Cars
    1999 328i

    new owner

    New owner here. A 99 328i was giving to me and I'm looking forward to getting it on the road and get some mods going. Any input and information to where to start would be great. Thanks.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Chicago, IL
    Posts
    431
    My Cars
    2001 330i and 2005 330i
    Welcome to the club.
    Unless you have verifiable maintenance history, assume no maintenance was performed. Change the engine air filter and cabin filter. Change all fluids, including brake fluid. Replace all the replaceable cooling components such as the hoses, expansion tank, thermostat, and possibly the radiator itself. Replace the valve cover gasket (with grommets) and the spark plugs. If it's an auto trans, flush and re-filter it. Drain and refill the differential oil. Replace the fuel filter under the car. Check the hoses coming from the secondary air pump. Replace both sections of the intake boot. Check the DISA valve action. Clean the idle control valve and throttle body (without moving the butterfly). Be prepared to replace the oil separator system (CCV kit); if you live north of the Mason-Dixon, get a cold-weather version.
    You want to get to a good starting point. If you know the maintenance history, you can prune the above list as needed.
    Johnny
    Johnny Murray

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Queens,Ny
    Posts
    2
    My Cars
    1999 328i
    Quote Originally Posted by johnjmurray View Post
    Welcome to the club.
    Unless you have verifiable maintenance history, assume no maintenance was performed. Change the engine air filter and cabin filter. Change all fluids, including brake fluid. Replace all the replaceable cooling components such as the hoses, expansion tank, thermostat, and possibly the radiator itself. Replace the valve cover gasket (with grommets) and the spark plugs. If it's an auto trans, flush and re-filter it. Drain and refill the differential oil. Replace the fuel filter under the car. Check the hoses coming from the secondary air pump. Replace both sections of the intake boot. Check the DISA valve action. Clean the idle control valve and throttle body (without moving the butterfly). Be prepared to replace the oil separator system (CCV kit); if you live north of the Mason-Dixon, get a cold-weather version.
    You want to get to a good starting point. If you know the maintenance history, you can prune the above list as needed.
    Johnny
    Well I planned on plugs and oil change as soon as I got plates on it. But the rest of that I had no clue about. Thanks for the info

    Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Arlington, VA
    Posts
    9,933
    My Cars
    2018 BMW M240i
    Buy a Bentley manual for the car. Do not buy a Hanes manual as it’s worthless. Try eBay. Join E46Fanactics. That’s the definitive site for the E46.

    The cooling system is the Achilles heel of the E46. It needs to be overhauled at 100k miles using INLY parts made by the suppliers to BMW.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Norwich, Connecticut.
    Posts
    486
    My Cars
    E46 wag. E36 convertible
    While I agree mostly with johnjmurray....I believe differently than he on a few. Many here may suggest recommendations, most will be accurate. You have to take the bull (BMW) by the horns. BMW cars, so I have come to learn, require a level higher of maintenance, and frequency for such, than do a majority of ordinary world produced cars...today.

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