"Tekamul" (tekamulburner)
09/16/2013 at 16:57 • Filed to: None
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"Tekamul" (tekamulburner)
09/16/2013 at 16:57 • Filed to: None | 0
| 10 |
Ok, I'm doing some shopping over the next few days for an E90. I'm looking at both 328xi's and 335xi's. What are the biggest gotchas to watch out for?
So far on my list :
335 -
Make sure it has an oil cooler (varied by year and equipment)
Look for history of fuel pump issues
vacuum check valve
328 -
Check for hydraulic lifter tick
Everything else I see on forums pretty much looks like whining. SO what else should I keep an eye out for?
Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
> Tekamul
09/16/2013 at 16:58 |
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any particular reason for the all wheel drive?
Brian, The Life of
> Tekamul
09/16/2013 at 17:00 |
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Out of warranty repairs?
philipilihp
> Tekamul
09/16/2013 at 17:04 |
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Pay for extended warranty. I bought 2008 E90 335i 2 years ago, had 2 HPFP replaced, thermostat, waterpump, turbo wastegate, etc. so the warranty will pay for itself very quickly.
In general look to see if major components like turbos have been replaced, because that will be the main costly issue.
In terms of driving experience the 335 and 328 are two completely different animals, but I can highly recommend the 335.
I have had a lot of issues, but I still look forward to opening the garage every morning and turning the car on.
Party-vi
> Tekamul
09/16/2013 at 17:05 |
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With the available traction control I don't think you're going to need all wheel drive - plus without AWD the maintenance will be less expensive and you won't chew up drive train parts as often. That being said it is a second-hand car and turbos don't last forever. I would stick with a 328i or even find a nice 2006 330i if you want a bit more power.
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Tekamul
> Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
09/16/2013 at 17:12 |
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Yeah, I'm in VT, and finding a 4-door within 500 miles that doesn't have bullet hole damage is practically impossible, as the last 4 months have shown me.
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Tekamul
> philipilihp
09/16/2013 at 17:14 |
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I'll have to see what's available. I'm not going through a dealer, but private party. Supposedly the HPFP issue was resolved by march 08, meaning any build date after that should be ok, which I believe the first one I'm shopping is.
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Tekamul
> Brian, The Life of
09/16/2013 at 17:16 |
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Yes, they terrify me. Particularly with the 335
Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney
> Tekamul
09/16/2013 at 17:25 |
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HPFPs are covered by a 10 year, 120k mile warranty anyway, so no need to worry about that other than the inconvenience of potentially having to take it in to have it done.
N51fanatic
> Tekamul
09/16/2013 at 18:49 |
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I went through this same ordeal. The N54 is very tunable, but also problematic. The HPFPF is a real thing. Yes they have extended the warranty to 10/120, but an out of warranty N54 is probably going to be a maintenance nightmare for everything else.
Also, I see you are looking at the xi's. Be advised that the xi's even with the sport package, dont actually come with the sport package suspension on the non awd models. You'll get a plain jane non sport package suspension. That might be an issue f you're going to swap the suspension anyway, just giving you a heads up. The 328 auto is a dog, strongly advise against that. That being said, Turnermotorsports sells an N52 330 intake manifold upgrade kit for 1200-1500, will bring a stock N52 from 230hp to the 330's 260hp. BMW swapped manifolds in order to manipulate hp for the different price points.
Good luck
Architect
> Tekamul
09/16/2013 at 20:43 |
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I just recently sold a 2007 328i. I sold it due to repeated issues with engine and drivetrain likely caused by an undisclosed accident history. My biggest gripe was a leaky valve cover gasket that would puke hot oil onto the exhaust manifold and fill the cabin with nasty smoke. Look for oil leaks around the valve cover; the aluminum bolts on N52s tend to break and let oil seep out little by little.