What should I look for!

[kirbykirbykirby3]

Hmm,

I'm so close to getting this Ti, I can almost feel it, but I don't wish to buy a lemon.

So, I'm currently making a Cheat Sheet what to look for list, So far I got,

Banging noise from rear of car = Rear Shock mounts need replacing, Cost to repair not that much (Correct?)

Since, I'm aiming for a 96' I will be getting the m44 engine, I don't have the M42 profile gasket failure?

Windows Regulators on all models (I don't see this as much as a problem, it seems like a pretty easy fix).

Peeling tape on B pillars (1995-1997) (I have no clue...)

Headliner (Not much of a issue I can see)

Water Pump Replacement (Much like a premenative replacement, correct?)

Thermostat/Radiator (Pretty much Premenative unless needed )

And of course the usual "normal" things.

[cooljess76]

DON'T BUY AN AUTOMATIC!!!

[kirbykirbykirby3]

My Mom is making me get an automatic! :'( She thinks it's safer!

[cooljess76]

Down shifting in conjuction with heavy braking has saved my ass in many near death experiences. Use that one to win her over on manuals. I'm just saying that it only takes 10 minutes and about a week of practice to learn how to drive stick. You'll have the car much longer than that and if you get an automatic, you'll regret it for the entire time that you own the car. And before you or anyone else chimes in, No, tranny swaps are by no means fun or easy so get those ideas out of your head. You'll find the right one guy, it just seems like it's taking forever and you have to be patient. It might even be worth your while not to limit your searches to local listings and be willing to travel a thousand or so miles if the right one pops up elsewhere. The Ti wasn't a very popular car and they're getting kinda scarce, but I promise you'll find the right one and you'll know it is when you do. Good luck!

[kirbykirbykirby3]

Oh, I already know how to drive stick =] Just in my area I only have 2 auto's near me, so hard to find a stick (or I would've jumped at it already and played cheaper price card to get it within my grasp).

But, I can't get a stick, my mom has the idea the insurance agent I think put into her, that automatic's are safer and more cheaper on insurance for a new driver (me), and shes the kind of mom which will take more than god to get her to change a decision, sadly... I tried on many occasions and 5 minutes into a discussion we're yelling about something irrelevant to the point (I swear, I don't know how she does it).

Oh, and I know swap's are like hell, I don't plan on doing one IMO it'd be easier to sell the car and get a new Stick friendly one =].

But, so far the list I made up is right?

[cooljess76]

Yeah, unfortunately my mom's the same way. I guess since I'm 30 she's let off a little, but she still gives me a hard time about my motorcycle It doesn't help that she's seen me doing wheelies and crazy stuff my whole life

As for your list, you're pretty much right on. M44's are not excluded from the headgasket and cooling system issues. That's kinda hit and miss with our cars. You could look for signs if the car has been overheated such as discoloration in the engine bay, white stains on the insulation under the hood and around the radiator hoses, perhaps a new radiator and thermostat housing, etc. Even if it has a new radiator and the dealer says he just changed it for prevetative maintenance, he's probably lying.

Also, make sure the cooling system is bled properly, it may read full when you look in the radiator expansion tank, but the system might just be full of air. So when the engine is cool, unscrew the little bleed valve next to the radiator fill cap and then unscrew the radiator fill cap and check the level, if it drops when you unscrew the bleeder, you know there's air in the system.

There's two plastic coolant lines that are prone to breaking and will cause your car to dump it's coolant and overheat. One is located underneath the intake manifold and runs parralel with the valve cover. The other is shaped like a "Y" and is mounted on the backside of the engine between the firewall and the engine block, just below the valve cover. It's a good idea to replace both of these along with your thermostat, waterpump, radiator and perhaps your valve cover gasket if you remove it to get to the "Y" duct behind the motor.

Using a dime or quarter, remove the plastic cover that says BMW in the center of the valve cover. This will expose your plug wires. Pull each wire off of the spark plug and look for oil in the hole around each plug. If there's a collection of oil in any of the holes, make the dealer fix it or knock a couple hundred bucks off of the price and then replace the seals yourself.

I know it sounds like a lot, but it's really not that bad. You could replace all of these parts for less than $300 and DIY in a weekend. Considering the damages that could occur from overheating ie; a blown headgasket, it's worth it. Anyway, hope this helps.

I almost forgot, if possible go to Autozone and check out their OBDII scantool. Underneath the dash in the drivers side footwell, there's a small panel labeled "OBD" Open it up using a dime or quarter and remove the cap covering the plug. With the engine off and the key in position 3, connect the lead from the scantool and read the codes. Fault codes are stored in the vehicles ECU even if the check engine light is not illuminated. This will tell you if the car has or has had any recent problems.

[kirbykirbykirby3]

Awesome!

=] Thanks for the neat additions! Especially the OBD2 scan tool trick

[cooljess76]

No Prob, that's just a good place to begin. If you can try to get atleast the front of the car off of the ground and look under it. Florida Cars shouldn't have rust, but more importantly, look at the catalytic converter. Make sure it's an OEM cat. You could tell because it should be old and discolored. Aftermarket cats don't tend to work well on our cars and usually fail within a month or so of installing them. OEM cats cost about $1500 at the dealer and it's illegal for junkyards to sell used ones.

While you're under there, try to look at all of the rubber bushings around your suspension and steering components. More than likely, they're probably worn and going bad. Shake the front wheels to see if there's any play. If you move the wheel in or out by hand the other should move with it. With the car back on the ground, rotate the steering wheel from left to right and check for excessive play and listen for noises when the car is running and you move the steering wheel back and forth.

There's no way to check the RSMs without tearing out the interior, so when you're test driving it, try to go over a few bumps. Listen for any knocking coming from the rear. Also while you're driving it, on a flat level road, check the allignment. Let go of the wheel and gently apply the brakes to see if it pulls to one side. Feel for wobbles at all speeds up to about 90mph.

Make sure that the temperature guage goes to 12 o'clock and stays there even when you accelerate to about 80mph. Check all of the lights. Check the service lights around the odometer when you first start the car. There should be a few green dashes followed by a yellow and red dash. Make sure that the yellow or red dash isn't illuminated. If they are, the car is due for an inspection/service. Check the key. Make sure it works in the trunk and the glove compartment. BMW's also have whats called a vallet key which only works in the doors and ignition. Master keys cost about 60 bucks. Check the hood and hatch struts, make sure they're strong enough to hold the hood and hatch up. Every once in a while my hatch falls on my head when it's cold outside. Look for a little orange dot next to the mileage. If there is a dot, it means that the cluster or ecu has been changed and the mileage has been tampered with. There shouldn't be a dot. With the engine idleing, turn on every electrical component including the A/C, dome lights, hazards, high beams, radio, wipers and check for fluctuations in your idle. If it starts reving irradically, the alternator might be bad.

I'm sure there's much more I left out but you seem to have a good head on your shoulders and you'll be able to spot the obvious. If you find any of the symptoms that I listed above, use them as leverage to lower the price.

[kirbykirbykirby3]

Hmmm,

http://www.carfax.com/viewEmailRepor...f3BjXjPEWOzhjU

It had one accident, but seems to be okay...

[AE86]

cooljess76, i wish i read all that before i bought my TI! especially the part about the dot next to the odometer.

please do us all a favor and gather up all that [and any additional] info, mark it for either m42, m44, or both.. make a new topic, and make that topic a stickY!!!

thnks

[zboot]

Help convincing your mom a MT is safer/better.

1) You have more control over what the car is doing.

2) On average, you have to spend more time/attention/hands on the car. You'd have a hard time carrying on a conversation on a cell phone and drinking a soda while driving a MT. Pretty much, you need both hands and need to pay some attention to what the engine is doing (or sounds like).

3) Manual transmissions are typically cheaper (and easier?) to service than autos.

4) On this particular vehicle, you're going to have a higher resale than the same identical one in an AT.

[Portsmouth]

tell your mom to sit down and shutup. then calmly explain to her, "you're wrong! wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. what part of that don't you understand?"

Anyone with half a brain recommends a stick-shift car for a beginner driver. It teaches the driver to pay attention. The stick will keep you from being bored, and from moving into ridiculous [lazyboy style] seating positions. Stick-shift is like riding a bike, after an annoying few days, you will learn it and never forget. So if you take a vacation abroad and have to drive a car, you won't make an ass of yourself.

A stick shift will teach you about complicated physics in a car, even better than any video game simulator. And it will open up many techniques, such as engine braking, down shifting. In an automatic you have absolutely no feeling of what is going on and you can drive for 100years and not learn a thing.

If she thinks it will make you race more, she's wrong. All a 5-speed will make you do is enjoy the corners more, enjoy learning the car and its limits... so you will be less tempted to be a high-speed adrenaline junkie. Its true, when I borrow someones automatic luxury car, I always go much faster than I do in my ti.


If your mom's the comparison type..
Germany has probably the safest drivers/roads in the world, and 90% of them drive stick, is that a coincidence? The only reason people get automatic is if the brand new car doesn't come in stick anymore (VW DSG, or 7 series/S-class and all that I-Drive fancy computerized bs..)

If you can't convince your mom to let you get a stick, don't get a Ti, its as simple as that. Either get a more expensive automatic, run away, sell it, and buy a stick Ti , or get a really cheap automatic (like a Mazda 626/Mx6 turbo or Toyota Corolla) and have fun messing up the tranny by downshifting and hitting the over-drive and all that good stuff. Or just get a NICE car like a 4 door 325i or a Toyota Cressida or a Subaru SVX.

318ti automatic is worthless. WORTHLESS! you might as well get an auto miata or porsche..