New BMW Purchase Maintenice questions

[manhands78]

Hi i am looking to buy a 95 318ti with 132k on it from a used car lot. I think there has been one owner. But i'm looking for you guys to tell me what is it like to repair these cars is it ridiculously expensive or not that bad. I'm a mid 20's university grad without lots of cash. If i can get a powertrain warranty for a year from the dealer (which i am thinking of getting) what else not covered by warranty might cost me alot. I am on the east coast of canada without a bmw dealer in the city but a few places that service beamers. let me know :) Also any repair sites that i might find helpful in getting an idea regarding costs. I am looking for a general maintence costs oil changes etc. and the odd thing that I might need to replace due to failure or wear and tear.

[TiPerformance]

not that bad at all on costs to repair, if you can do alot of the work yourself. I would say no more expensive than any GM vehicles that I have ever owned.

[manhands78]

Thanks. I am not looking to do the work myself. probably take it to mechanics , either specializing in BMW's or any mechanic not a dealer

[GDB]

Well I've only had mine for 6 months, but so far the only thing I've had to change is the oil and wiper blades (brakes to be done soon).

[aceyx]

i've only got experience with the m44 engine (the 95 has an m42 motor) but maintenance should be about the same. it's not much more than any car; fluid changes, tire rotation, blah blah blah. the only thing to really worry about is the window regulator (search this forum for threads about this).

do you plan on doing much/any of the maintenance yourself? it's easy, if you're willing to learn. also, how much driving do you do in a year, and what type? i can produce a rough estimate for you with that information (based on my experience).

[manhands78]

i'm an apartment dweller. I don't have the tools to do much myself. I do'nt need the car for work because i live right down the street from work. I will use the car for getting around and pleasure. I don't have the $$ for any mods. I have my heart set on a beamer and I am learly of used cars. I just don't want to get myself into a money pit. I am scared about getting this car because all i hear from my friends is that it will be expensive to maintance and fix. I can't afford to buy a new beemer so i am looking at a used. I don't want to buy a domestic or a civic i want something different but don't want to go broke keeping it on the road. thanks for the information guys :)

[GDB]

yeah, the whole idea that bimmers cost an arm and a leg to keep on the road or repair is a common misconception. For the most part, they are very reliable cars and parts are not that expensive if you just shop around. Stay away from autozone type places, they will charge more than the dealer for BMW specific parts (trust me, I work at autozone).

[manhands78]

thanks guys i love this site. One other rumor i heard is that bmw parts are so wierd that ordinary parts can't be used so they need to ship them from germany and the mechanics have to be specialists

[manhands78]

i hate to follow my own post but i have another thing on my mind. electronics ... everything in the car is electronic .... is that a nightmare waiting to happen. windows door locks ... etc

[1996 328ti]

The ti doesn't have near the amount of electronics in today's cars.
Things will wear out quicker than say a Toyota. Hell, I got almost 200,000 miles on my brakes on my 1990 Mazda MX6. Things wear out because things are so much tighter. There is so much slop built into other cars.

Even an apartment dweller can do some basic stuff. I'm in a townhouse and am limited too but I manage to change brake pads and oil. I usually don't make an entire day of working on the car. Otherwise neighbors start to get suspicous.

It really depends on who you buy it from. If someone hasn't taken care of the car, sure you can be in for a lot of money. Same is true on any car. Bimmers are not that expense to repair. You just need to find a good local independent shop and rely on the message board to keep it running.

[aceyx]

hop on to bimmerforums and inquire about a good service shop near you. pay them to inspect it. there were a few recalls (a/c valve and weatherstripping are the only things i can remember) so make sure these were taken care of. while you're at this shop, take the time to get to know these people. i'm on very good terms with a few garages, and that pays off if you need something done quick. join bmwcca for the 10% parts discount ($40/yr).

brakes do go a little more quickly in the ti than other cars, but the thing also stops a lot faster than other cars.


electronics are just like any other car. my current ti is at 130k miles, with no incidence of electronic issues except the window regulator (which is really mechanical) or things that i've broken myself. this is a known problem for 3ers.

will it cost more than other cars? possibly, but only because you're actually taking care of it. a lot of people don't take care of their cars, whatever the make.

and don't listen to your friends, unless they own bimmers.

[manhands78]

Thanks guys. I am going to get it looked at by a mechanic and get him to pay close attention to the brakes. and look into the window regulator. I am sure that i will be using this forum to help out. thanks again guys

[1996 328ti]

With the window, as you lower the window you might see a bulge on the door panel.
There really is nothing else to do. It either works or doesn't. You can't tell if it is going.

Brakes is a normal wear item. I'm sure he will also look at the rotors.

[manhands78]

do the 95 ti's have the one push window up feature?? i.e. one push of the button the window goes all the way up. Another question if the window goes up and down smoothly i guess there is no problems right??

[Guy Massey]

I don't find the 318ti too expensive to maintain. Mostly it is still a reasonably simple car to work on. Oil changes are easy and brakes pad changes are not difficult. Most routine maintenance can be undertaken by a competent DIYer.

I also find it a very reliable car. We recently drove to Paris and spent four days in France. On the autoroute we were cruised at 90 mph with the engine at about 3500 rpm and the car never missed a beat.

So long as you change ALL the oils regulary (engine oil every 6000 miles; gearbox and diff at least every two years) and don't let the engine get hot, you shouldn't have much trouble.

Also, you are likely to find the the 318ti holds it value better.

[1996 328ti]

do the 95 ti's have the one push window up feature?? i.e. one push of the button the window goes all the way up. Another question if the window goes up and down smoothly i guess there is no problems right?? The windows are one touch up and down. The sunroof is one touch open but you need to hold the button to close it.

The window goes up and down smoothly until the plastic clips break.:shakefis:

[manhands78]

I recently looked at the car i have in mind. I am going to get it looked at by a mechanic friday. The driver side window has a bow in it when it come down (almost looking like it comes out of the track just a hair on the way down. ) when you try to put the window up it some times hesitates (goes up then stops and then down a few inches ( you have to play with the button some times to get the window to come up. ) let me know what you think of that.

also when i was test driving it the tachometer quite (just stayed at zero) does that sound like and electrical problem or a fuse? Other than those two items the car runs amazing it has great speed, acceleration and very little wind noise.

I want to know everyones opinion i love the site !!

[1996 328ti]

It sounds like the plastic clips in the window are broken and the regulator might be bent. Keep in mind that just about any ti you look at will have this problem it seems. It is an inherent problem and don't be discouraged by it.

Don't know about the tach. Usually when one thing doesn't work other things don't work either. There are 3 <I think> connectors on the back of the instrument cluster. I doubt if any are loose. Could be a fuse but why did the fuse blow in the first place since I don't recall anyone ever mentioning a dead tach before. Both things should not be a deal breaker but the dead tach would have be concerned.

[manhands78]

if the dead tach isn't a fuse thing do you think it would be wiring?? and to fix dash wiring would that be expensive to fix?