The end of my rope

Philboski · 09-30-2010, 03:24 PM

Well, I think that I am hitting the end of my BMW tolerance. The car flunked emissions today (blew over on the NOX), and I apparently need a new center link. This is on top of the other issues (cooling system is due, rear ball joints, replacement of the struts after 50K kms, etc). Thinking it's time to give up the ghost before something really expensive happens again. I love driving it, but it would be nice to have a car where everything worked for once.

carjoe · 09-30-2010, 03:36 PM

Shitteh. Sorry to hear that P. I hate to admit but I've been feeling that way too. I keep thinking my E36 didn't need this much work and it had over 250k.

To do on my car:
Shocks/struts
tranny fluid change
Summer tires
possible rear main
paint front bumper, fix rust on trunk and lower doors
and I think my VCG is leaking again only a hell of a lot this time around

I've been eying a ginormous SUV in the last couple of weeks. A Durango or Expedition would be pretty awesome.

Philboski · 09-30-2010, 04:29 PM

It would haul all of your BMW parts!

I have been eyeing an Acura TL or going the other direction and getting a Mazda3 (both used). They don't feel as "special," but then they likely won't feel like a never ending pain in the butt either.

richie_s999 · 09-30-2010, 04:45 PM

Take a look at what your new car payments and maintance will be over a year and then compair it to what repair and maintance cost is, new or used it's usually about 5000 a year, and I beleive Quebec has cheap ass insurance compaired to Ontario so car costs per year are alot less.

parm · 09-30-2010, 04:57 PM

A used Durango or Expedition? you wll cry and crawl back from where you came from, Remember e36's and e39's are getting old! Never mind the e30's and e34's (not the mint ones booting around).. The ones for sale on used car lots.

Philboski · 09-30-2010, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richie_s999

Take a look at what your new car payments and maintenance will be over a year and then compare it to what repair and maintenance cost is, new or used it's usually about 5000 a year, and I believe Quebec has cheap ass insurance compared to Ontario so car costs per year are a lot less.

I don't buy new cars -- I'd be looking at used.

I live in Ontario, so I get reamed on insurance like the rest of the province. Maintenance costs? I have spent a frightening (well, to me anyway) amount of money on this car. It wouldn't match up with new payments but it's pretty bad. Close to half of what I paid for the car, anyway.

It goes back to the age old problem -- I don't mind working on cars but I am tired of dealing with this car. I am sick of repairs that pile up endlessly, waiting for me to have the time, to deal with them. Or worse, get so frustrated that I pay someone else to deal with them.

I might change my mind, but this feels like a last straw to me.

zarbat007 · 10-01-2010, 10:55 AM

Damn, time to sell and get a something more reliable. Acura parts, especially TL can be really expensive, but I'm sure they are generally more reliable than a BMW.
Mind posting some pics of the E39?

Quote:

Originally Posted by carjoe

Shitteh. Sorry to hear that P. I hate to admit but I've been feeling that way too. I keep thinking my E36 didn't need this much work and it had over 250k.

To do on my car:
Shocks/struts
tranny fluid change
Summer tires
possible rear main
paint front bumper, fix rust on trunk and lower doors
and I think my VCG is leaking again only a hell of a lot this time around

I've been eying a ginormous SUV in the last couple of weeks. A Durango or Expedition would be pretty awesome.

Why is VCG leaking so soon again?

Philboski · 10-01-2010, 11:34 AM

Here is a pic of my Bimmer during better times.

I think that I might have sorted out the reason for my high NOx reading -- my coolant was low (I have a leaking expansion tank). This is one of the reasons I saw listed on my web research, so I might be able to coax a pass by changing that tank, or just topping up the coolant, and doing some stuff like cleaning the MAF and changing the air filter. I blew comfortably clean on everything else.

I am going to look at a couple of cars today. I know the TL is more reliable than the Bimmer -- apparently the only thing that goes wrong on them regularly is the auto transaxle, and I buy manuals. And most of the hard parts on the TL are Honda Accord parts.

The problem for me right now is money. I have a bunch of bills coming up (all centred around my cottage) and some expenses coming up on my house. I need a car, but am having a hard time getting around my aversion to paying for necessities

. And with my build, being a man-whore is completely out.

Bullet Ride · 10-01-2010, 11:49 AM

The E39's, especially the V8's are definitely costly when it comes to maintenance, my father has an M5 so I can understand your pain. Our 2002 530i has been pretty good to us though, it's around 160,000km and the only parts replaced so far are a front and rear sway bar link, a front right brake caliper, and a cam sensor. Recently though the power locks and power windows have been flaky, probably some accessory module that's crapping out. The M5 is only at 75,000km though and it needed the water pump done this year

Quote:

Originally Posted by carjoe

I've been eying a ginormous SUV in the last couple of weeks. A Durango or Expedition would be pretty awesome.

The Durango is a lemon (at least the ones in the early 2000's were) they were so bad that people were talking about class action law suits against Chrysler. Don't sell your BMW and buy one hoping that it's going to be an amazingly reliable vehicle....

everlast · 10-01-2010, 12:44 PM

Philboski, go to NAPA and get a can of seafoam. Pour half in your nearly empty tank and suck the other half up an intake vacuum line while the car is running. My numbers in the E30 went from marginally passing the year before to passing like a new car. It will work.

PinkieMoscow · 10-01-2010, 02:37 PM

never be discouraged as it leads to giving up. Take your car and manhandle it into working properly. Spend a good long weekend working on your car 24/3 and it'll be like new.

everlast · 10-01-2010, 02:41 PM

That said, my E30 was having troubles one day, so I had to take my E34. When I pulled out of the driveway there was a 5' oil slick. The diff emptied.

I pulled back in the driveway, got out, threw the keys at the drivers side window and yelled "**** YOU" at the E34. I leased a new car a few days later. I feel your pain.

However, in retrospect, I feel I made a hasty decision.

carjoe · 10-01-2010, 03:19 PM

Meh, I love this car. I had a great ride today...I just need to get the shocks and struts done and redo the silly VCG. It's probably an installation error. You know, since I did it.

InfiniteDice · 10-01-2010, 04:09 PM

That's why I stick to a car I can fix and not have to deal with emissions. I pay the government enough of my money as it is.

HavocSteve · 10-01-2010, 10:58 PM

You guy would hate my E30 beater

The only thing that I think isn't wrong with it is me driving ahaha....

Oh well.. I needs a better car next year!