First Car

[TheGlyph]

I'm only 17, and I don't have much money.
However, I found this AD, and seriously considered it for a first car!
After finding this site, I was even more intrigued.
I was wondering if you guys would reccomend a 318ti as a first car?
What should my dad and I look for?
I've researched some of the info, but some things conflict each other, such as fuel economy and what type of gas it uses.
Thanks in advance for the help!

Dang it.
Sorry for the double topic.
Lock, delete, do whatever you want to this.

[trikzta]

well dude i just turned 19 and the Ti was my first car which i got at the age of 17, the car is awesome and well i consider it to be a great first car, there is so many things you can do to this cars if you have the time and money even tho is kinda cheap, the gas mileage is really good, it uses gas 89 unleaded and 20 bucks will go a long way even with the traffic down here in miami and as for the things to watch out for well cant really help im not much of a mechanic im just workin my self up there so dont know much, you should ask for all the service records see if its up to date.

-Danny

[Recon427]

Hmmm... for $1600 roughly that sounds like a decent car.

If possible I would spend $3700 and get the one listed on this forum by a mechanic. 1996 year.
http://www.318ti.org/forum/showthread.php?t=31070

Anyways, go take the BMW for a test run. Look at the shocks, struts, subframe bushings, control arm bushings.

Identify if it has an oil filter housing gasket leak. See if the valve cover is leaking.

You need maintenance records documenting general upkeep. Without those documents I would not buy the car. Don't need all of them, but some would be nice.

Take it on the highway. Since it is automatic, put it into "3" and gun the engine. Notice the shift points and observe any bad vibrations. In particular the shifts from 2nd gear to 3rd gear. This will give you a decent evaluation of the transmission/differential plus the subframe bushings.

When were the brakes last done? When was the cooling system last bled? How many miles are on the car? Watch the idle and make sure it is not bouncing. Sit in the car, rev the engine to 4k rpm and then watch the rpm needle drop. Does it drop and come to a steady rpm rate or does it bounce around noticeably before settling?

There is a slew of other things to check, but this would be a starter list that I would run the car through were I buying a 318ti again.

[Recon427]

This is another post to answer some general questions:

Presuming good maintenance done to the car your avg. mpg should be 17 to 22 in the city and 34 to 40 on the highway. If you drive over 75 mph then my figures will be off.

Fuel: It is ok to use 89, however I always ran premium 93 octane.

Having this as your first car:

Absolutely wonderful. The car is easy to work on. You can do many things on your own and it is a great machine to learn the ropes.

Get yourself a Bentley repair manual [contact me if you don't have one].
Buy your parts from www.autohausaz.com

Let me know if you have other questions.

[THAT318]

window regulators, suspention, and leaks are the main things to look for. but as stated before this cars really easy to learn on and work on. i run 87 octane and i dont have a problem. (dont judge me, me and dad turning wrenches for pennys and nickels right now.)
and as far as autohaus for parts.. you guys are still messing with middle men. im opening an account with ssf, as in only sell parts for bimmers and porches, thats where you save money on parts.

window regulators arent really something major to worry about its a real common e36 problem not just ti's suspension is deff. something to look out for, the cars are getting old and tired my strut mount just went bad and its going to be cheaper for me to replace everything with an aftermarket setup than to keep it stock. (everything else is showing signs of going out) leaks arent specific to ti's either its just something to always look out for.

[tylerwillingham]

Bought my TI the first of this month. It's my second car and I love it. Best manual transmission I've ever used (could be specific to my car) and it's just a joy. It's an old car. I went backwards 5 years from my first car but I love my TI and I've already put nearly $400 into it and that's all because I enjoy this car and actually want to spend that money on it, not because I need to for maintenance. I'm hooked on this platform. I'll probably be doing an S50 swap and keeping it as my daily driver while I build another car.

[THAT318]

imo, the ti is not only a good entry level BMW but an overall great entry level car. its got a decent amount of power, unless your used to driving ferraris or m3's. great handling car. only thing id recommend is 5 speed.

[tylerwillingham]

Originally Posted by THAT318

imo, the ti is not only a good entry level BMW but an overall great entry level car. its got a decent amount of power, unless your used to driving ferraris or m3's. great handling car. only thing id recommend is 5 speed.

i've only driven 5 speeds. i learned on one and i firmly believe that it makes you a more conscience driver and as a result a safer driver.

[hues]

Totally agree with Tyler.

My ti has been great to me. At around 200K the engine just died. So I'm taking the time to pull the motor out and put in a new one. Beware of door hinges when you're looking a one. Also window modulators. Other than that, it's been good to me and fun to drive.

[tylerwillingham]

Look at those 2 things, but also look at the headliner, check the sunroof and look for any leaking around the hatch. Check for your spare too. My car didn't come with one.

[hotmilk400]

roll down the driver side window. get out of the car, and give it a good slam when he isnt looking. (Or if he is) chances are, it will fall off track. if it doesnt, then u have nothing to worry about, if it does, roll up the window and it will stop half way and look totaly messed up. he will probally take $300 off right away.. haha. they have a common problem. the windows fall off the track very easy when the window is all the way down, and the door is shut. its an easy fix, but a pain to do all the time. if the clips break, they are like $9, but normally they dont break, it just falls of track.

better to check now then later.

[Sandino]

Originally Posted by Recon427

This is another post to answer some general questions:

Presuming good maintenance done to the car your avg. mpg should be 17 to 22 in the city and 34 to 40 on the highway. If you drive over 75 mph then my figures will be off.

Fuel: It is ok to use 89, however I always ran premium 93 octane.

Having this as your first car:

Absolutely wonderful. The car is easy to work on. You can do many things on your own and it is a great machine to learn the ropes.

Get yourself a Bentley repair manual [contact me if you don't have one].
Buy your parts from www.autohausaz.com

Let me know if you have other questions.

great post. made me want the car i'm looking at even more!

[Sandino]

Originally Posted by hotmilk400

roll down the driver side window. get out of the car, and give it a good slam when he isnt looking. (Or if he is) chances are, it will fall off track. if it doesnt, then u have nothing to worry about, if it does, roll up the window and it will stop half way and look totaly messed up. he will probally take $300 off right away.. haha. they have a common problem. the windows fall off the track very easy when the window is all the way down, and the door is shut. its an easy fix, but a pain to do all the time. if the clips break, they are like $9, but normally they dont break, it just falls of track.

better to check now then later.

does this usually happen to all of them? (no matter what year) ?

[hotmilk400]

not sure what years it is common for, but i know its a problem for 98's. both my ti and my aunts Z3 has/had that problem. the problem is that the track the window slides on is really thin metal, and bends over the years. if you bend the track back, you are fine, but most people/dealers are to lazy to fix it the correct way, and just replace parts (and never fix the bent tracks) .

the window then stays on track for a few more months, but after a few good slams, its off track again. it only really does it if the window is all the way down, since it is barley on the track at that point.

if it doesnt do it after a few slams, it either was fixed, or it never had the problem.

if it does fall off track, its an easy fix. u just need to remove the door panel, and remove the window. bend the track back, and replace the $9 plastic clips if they are broken/worn out. that is really all thats to it, and it might get u some bucks off, or its going to really piss of the guy that u "broke" his window. haha

[Sandino]

Originally Posted by hotmilk400

not sure what years it is common for, but i know its a problem for 98's. both my ti and my aunts Z3 has/had that problem. the problem is that the track the window slides on is really thin metal, and bends over the years. if you bend the track back, you are fine, but most people/dealers are to lazy to fix it the correct way, and just replace parts (and never fix the bent tracks) .

the window then stays on track for a few more months, but after a few good slams, its off track again. it only really does it if the window is all the way down, since it is barley on the track at that point.

if it doesnt do it after a few slams, it either was fixed, or it never had the problem.

if it does fall off track, its an easy fix. u just need to remove the door panel, and remove the window. bend the track back, and replace the $9 plastic clips if they are broken/worn out. that is really all thats to it, and it might get u some bucks off, or its going to really piss of the guy that u "broke" his window. haha

lmao.

if you don't mind would you take a look at the thread I just made about the car im looking at? would love to have your opinion. (and sorry if this is a little off topic).