BMW 3 series owners

[clawhammer]

Hey guys,

I often heard from people that maintainence for the BMW's would cost a bomb since we always need to get back to Auto Bavaria. How true is this ?

How much does it cost to maintain a BMW 3 series ? Is it costly since the car is fully computerized ?

Thanks guys :)

 

[HidSeller]

No worry mate .....
Just remember Bring More Woman and forget about Banyak Masuk Workshop & Banyak Makan Wang :P .....

 

[clawhammer]

Heh, thanks :D
Hmm, are the cost of maintaining this car way higher than Honda ?

 

[gti88]

its not as expensive as you think, pretty reasonable.

Cheers

 

[HidSeller]

Depand how u treat ur car lor .....
and the year make also .....
One two year car should be ok, but not too old .....
esp those E36 ......

 

[xtracooljustin]

not really much if u r careful wif the choice of car...so be picky when u buy a car...as long the car is treated wif tender loving care... maintenance wont b much

age does not matter.... look at my E28.... 20 years old n it doesnt cost much... in fact the only maintainace for me is topping up oils... b it engine oil, ATF etc...

however as wif all cars, as car ages the fuel consumption will suffer... but im happy wif the consumption of my 528i... its even better than my E34 520i, i would say it gives better economy than a Kelisa that travelled the same amount of distance...

 

[k3nny]

I can tell u this.

It cost less in fact for me.

The BMW DME will tell u when to service your car, normally around 20k.

U service your car every 20k, which means normal Honda or Toyota, its every 5K or 10K depending on oil.

So BMW service 1 time, Honda or Toyota 2 times or maybe even 4 times.


Really, the cost of spare parts can be mad, but hey, its a pretty tough car and nothings broken down so far... you have warranty from AB too remember?

Computerized? Depends on how u look at it i supposed. Not everything is computerized.. :)


Anyhow, my 2004 E46 has cost me less to maintain than my 1996 R33 Nissan Skyline..

Skyline

-Redline gearbox oil -RM300..

just beacuse the gears were crunching while dragging..

-Blown head gasket

all these things also cost in a japanese car u know..

a car is a car.. BMW or jap, its the parts and what they cost..
Bmw's tend to cost abit more when it comes to parts but hey, they last and are strong...

 

[HidSeller]

Originally posted by k3nny@Oct 16 2004, 02:23
I can tell u this.

It cost less in fact for me.

The BMW DME will tell u when to service your car, normally around 20k.

U service your car every 20k, which means normal Honda or Toyota, its every 5K or 10K depending on oil.

So BMW service 1 time, Honda or Toyota 2 times or maybe even 4 times.


Really, the cost of spare parts can be mad, but hey, its a pretty tough car and nothings broken down so far... you have warranty from AB too remember?

Computerized? Depends on how u look at it i supposed. Not everything is computerized.. :)


Anyhow, my 2004 E46 has cost me less to maintain than my 1996 R33 Nissan Skyline..

Skyline

-Redline gearbox oil -RM300..

just beacuse the gears were crunching while dragging..

-Blown head gasket

all these things also cost in a japanese car u know..

a car is a car.. BMW or jap, its the parts and what they cost..
Bmw's tend to cost abit more when it comes to parts but hey, they last and are strong...

Hey bro ur Bimmer gear oil cost more then skyline ....
I don't have bad exp with Bimmer but just remember u drive that car gentle it give u an gentle feedback ....
If go back Bavaria for service, they will change those thing that near expiry date (that cost) .....
Brake pad u need to change with the sensor ...
Just don't go for too old bimmer ......

 

[tsk]

k3nny
What engine oil are you using - I am using Mobil 1 fully synthetic and the final green light goes off at 11k ?
I'm using E36 but it should not be so much difference.
Cheers

 

[SiGNAL]

Originally posted by k3nny@Oct 16 2004, 02:23
Anyhow, my 2004 E46 has cost me less to maintain than my 1996 R33 Nissan Skyline..

Skyline

-Redline gearbox oil -RM300..

just beacuse the gears were crunching while dragging..

-Blown head gasket

all these things also cost in a japanese car u know..

a car is a car.. BMW or jap, its the parts and what they cost..
Bmw's tend to cost abit more when it comes to parts but hey, they last and are strong...

Not against BMW or what, i'm also an M3 fan. But the way u put it, it's not very fair for the R33.

By year, u should already know the R33 is older than ur 2004 E46. Common sense it's cheaper since it's THAT new. And i'm sure any car wouldn't break if u dont trash it... no? dragging any car will break something and tend for more $$. If u drive ur R33 like normal, I think u wouldn't have to change head gasket or gearbox oil.

Just a food for thought. :)

 

[clawhammer]

So the conclusion is ? BMW parts aren't that expensive after all ? It's merely more costly than Honda/Toyota/Nissan parts only ?

 

[ramsink]

Originally posted by clawhammer@Oct 22 2004, 09:09
So the conclusion is ? BMW parts aren't that expensive after all ? It's merely more costly than Honda/Toyota/Nissan parts only ?

Yup, just 10-15% more than Honda but still cheaper than Merc's parts

 

[xtracooljustin]

overall i would say that BMW parts cost slightly more than Mercs... cos my dad owns both BMW n Mercs... so i can verify that

so clawhammer, wat 3 series ur planning to buy?

 

[zaki]

BMW = brings me women...

 

[mr_freak]

Originally posted by zaki@Oct 22 2004, 10:15
BMW = brings me women...

BMW = brings me women change to BMW = Be My Woman
:lol:

anyway Alvin,good luck in finding a good one.I'm sure with your driving style,the car would serve u great :) :P

 

[HidSeller]

Originally posted by zaki@Oct 22 2004, 10:15
BMW = brings me women...

Bring More Woman

 

[awp]

anybody looking for e36????

got 1 for sale .. BMW 328i (A) 1997

interested pm me .....

BMW= Bring MOre Women :P

 

[crymson]

Originally posted by ramsink+Oct 22 2004, 09:31 -->

QUOTE (ramsink @ Oct 22 2004, 09:31 )

--QuoteBegin-clawhammer

@Oct 22 2004, 09:09 So the conclusion is ? BMW parts aren't that expensive after all ? It's merely more costly than Honda/Toyota/Nissan parts only ?

Yup, just 10-15% more than Honda but still cheaper than Merc's parts [/b][/quote] And the parts will last longer. The reason why they may appear expensive (parts and maintenance) is because you went back to the authorised dealer. There are many independent and professional bmw mechanics around.... and believe me they do not cost as much as what authorised dealer would charge. And, depending on your driving style and where you usually drive to ... you only need to service every 10k (for older models. approx 25k for new models) as oppose to every 5k.

 

[fabianyee]

let's assess based on the 4 generations of 3 series...

E21
pretty old, in fact, it's a classic... No problem with engine or suspesion components but rust is an issue for this 1st gen 3er.. it's a fun car to drive but do need extra 'anchor' to stop the car.. :)

E30 (Pre 89)
Metal bumper. and non-galvanised body.
Engine is not an issue, the M10 1.8 and M20 2.0 & 2.3 are very reliable and hardy. Rust can be an issue though.

E30 (Post 89)
Plastic bumper. Mostly CKD 318i. The M40 1.8 is pretty reliable too and pretty low on maintenance.
Body panels are galvanised, so it's very rust resistant unless there's been big accident and repair work not done properly..

E36
Grown bigger than the E30 and more refined. More of a cruiser if compared to the E30.
The 318i's are pretty low maintenance. most parts are still pretty cheap and very afforadble
The 325i's are a little more expensive to maintenance - more spark plugs and more engine oil. the local GM 4-speed auto gearbox are not that hardy compared to the import model 5-speed ZF auto gearbox.

E46
due to more recycleable components, there are more aluminum body parts. And bcos of this the replacement parts are more expensive. And also there are more electronic gadgets. And oso the fact that the newer continentals are no longer made to last a lifetime unlike the earlier cars. so the total running cost of the car in ITS own lifetime is higher. This is not so pronounced in countries where new car prices are still 'low' compared to Malaysia.

 

[gOdspEed]

Originally posted by fabianyee@Oct 24 2004, 13:55


E30 (Post 89)
Plastic bumper. Mostly CKD 318i. The M40 1.8 is pretty reliable too and pretty low on maintenance.
Body panels are galvanised, so it's very rust resistant unless there's been big accident and repair work not done properly..

a car with an attitude!!!!!

hahah yup.. very low maintenance... and economic....

that's why...i'm lovin' it!!! heheheh