Am i getting a good deal here?

Klipzs · 02-29-2012, 10:40 PM

I am a student and will be buying my first car.
I was looking through craigslist/kijiji and ran into this ad:
http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehi...AdIdZ358957701

I called the guy and will meet up with him some time this week to test it out.
Apparantly its only got 18,000km on the engine because it was replaced.
Signaling lights are burnt out (both), needs new brakes and the trunk lock needs to be replaced.
Overall, am i getting a good deal?
When buying the car, what are some things I should look out for?
thanks for reading!

propr'one · 02-29-2012, 10:46 PM

its an OK deal. The market here in calgary is strange for bmw's.

Both signal lights is likely an elecrtical issue vs bulbs being burnt out. If the rear turn signals work though, its probably not a huge deal.

If the engine was replaced by a dealer with paperwork i'd say its deal worth considering, but i'd probably get him to move 10% on price.

Lots of people will tell you to stay away from early e46's. Personally, i've never had/seen them having that much more issues than late e36's/post 2001 e46's.

Vitek's BMW in calgary is a really great shop for repairs or a pre-purchase inspection, owner was a foreman at BMW calgary for 10 years before he quit to start his own shop.

Eurostyle · 02-29-2012, 10:51 PM

I would not buy a car from someone who post an ad like this, period. Also too lazy to replace signal bulbs (5 min job!) or brakes. Unless he spent $10K at a new engine from BMW, this is some kind of rebuild, which i would stay away from. Finding even a used 12 year old engine with 18K is also impossible.

Klipzs · 02-29-2012, 11:01 PM

And are electrical issues expensive to fix? And would it still be an electrical issue if one of them burns first then the 2nd burns after and not at the same time?
Thanks for the help

propr'one · 02-29-2012, 11:22 PM

Just bring bulbs with you if you're going to go see the car. Change them for him. (bulbs cost like 2-3$ each.

Klipzs · 02-29-2012, 11:34 PM

Ok but i guess I would have to bring to a mechanic to check whether there is electrical problems or not right?

jabela · 03-01-2012, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eurostyle

I would not buy a car from someone who post an ad like this, period. Also too lazy to replace signal bulbs (5 min job!) or brakes. Unless he spent $10K at a new engine from BMW, this is some kind of rebuild, which i would stay away from. Finding even a used 12 year old engine with 18K is also impossible.

+1 avoid this car. Definitely something wrong with the car if the seller can't be bothered to replace the burnt out lights. In some cases, the bulb fixtures would melt/short (BMW even had a recall in the USA for this). Replacing the fixtures at the dealer would likely be $300+
Engine swap also sounds fishy.

You can get a 2002-04 E46 between $5-8K these days with better histories that this car (at least in Ontario).

Here's his info, which you may already have.
Zaibullah Nyeazi (403) 272-4228
606 Saddlecreek Way NE Calgary AB T3J4A4

damameke · 03-01-2012, 01:23 PM

Real lamp fixture melt/short, there is a Canadian recall too, I received the recall, need to make an appointment to get it looked at.

I would not consider buying the car you are interested in, be patient searching, something better will show up...elecrical issue(at times hard to diagnose)

Klipzs · 03-01-2012, 02:33 PM

Are engine swaps bad? I was told it was a brand new engine. He also told me that he is the 2nd owner and the body has around 25k and the new engine has only 18k. This seems a bit too good to be true but i think i might buy a car report. I was told he has all the service records as well though.
I'll take a look at it tonight and let you guys know.
I also heard this car is really unreliable over the internet. Anyone have an opinion on this?

jabela · 03-01-2012, 05:18 PM

E46's are no more unreliable than any other car.
There are some common failures, which can be mitigated by preventative maintenance.
Most common are coolant failures (expansion tank leaks, water pump failures, etc.) Most of these are considered standard maintenance after 120K km
Also common, especially with colder climates, are CCV/oil separator failures. More common when used on short trips in cold weather (oil doesn't get over 100'C to boil off water buildup, CCV freezes, then valve cover blows. Best fix it to get an oil pan heater and install enhanced cold weather parts.
Other problems are the rear subframe tears, which seems to affect years before 02. This is a big costly repair, which can sometimes be covered by the dealer, but only if the suspension has not been modified.

Klipzs · 03-01-2012, 08:40 PM

Thanks for the reply jabela.
How much would i be looking to spend on fix all of those if it does happen excluding the subframe tear?

jabela · 03-01-2012, 09:44 PM

I've only had my water pump go, and that was $200 at a local indie shop. If I proactively did it, it would be $60 in parts from the USA and a relatively easy DIY install.
BMW repairs are pretty cheap if you can DIY them and get parts from the USA online sellers. Local dealers are 2-4 times more expensive.
Forums like maxbimmer, e46fanatics, bimmerpost, etc. are great resources for troubleshooting and DIY tutorials.

Expansion tank is about $70 and DIY'able.
Subframe depends on the damage and type of repair. Could be hundreds if you can weld yourself. Probably $1000 at an indie shop, and $2-3000 at a BMW stealership. However, if you are persistent enough you can get them to fix it for free.

Other things I've done are the thermostat (easy), cracked intake tube (easy), coupe door trim gluing (easy).

Klipzs · 03-01-2012, 09:53 PM

Well I have almost no knowledge about cars. Only thing i know how to do is change a battery, do an oil change and change tires. Is it hard for me to fix the above things you mentioned including your other post for someone that no experience in fixing things?

I'm having second thoughts on getting an e46 now =/
maybe il move on to the 5 series. I just like the 3 series look alot better though imo.

Eurostyle · 03-01-2012, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Klipzs

Are engine swaps bad? I was told it was a brand new engine. He also told me that he is the 2nd owner and the body has around 25k and the new engine has only 18k. This seems a bit too good to be true but i think i might buy a car report. I was told he has all the service records as well though.
I'll take a look at it tonight and let you guys know.
I also heard this car is really unreliable over the internet. Anyone have an opinion on this?

So let me get this staight; the car blew up an engine at 7K km, someone spent $10K+ to fix it (new engine alone is about that price), and they have service records of what....3 oil changes, if that much in 18K...

Things just dont add up.

jabela · 03-01-2012, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Klipzs

Well I have almost no knowledge about cars. Only thing i know how to do is change a battery, do an oil change and change tires. Is it hard for me to fix the above things you mentioned including your other post for someone that no experience in fixing things?

I'm having second thoughts on getting an e46 now =/
maybe il move on to the 5 series. I just like the 3 series look alot better though imo.

5 series will be even more trouble and more expensive.
If you're patient and willing to learn than you can do it.