View Full Version : E46 M3 buying tips?
I know a few on here have them and Rich has sold hundreds, so what do I need to check has been or not been done to one before buying?
Cheers in advance!
Not crashed is good (unless you want a bargain), not stolen also. If they're anything like previous BMW's (E34) any wheel wobbles will be expensive ally wishbones gone! Not sure if that's too early for the idrive system, but on that if you press it down there's a menu to check when all the service parts were last done incl brake pads etc.
peester
29-08-11, 08:14 PM
previous m3 was an e36...
previous m3 was an e36...
A previous M5 would be an E34, which is what I know for a fact has problems with said wishbones, and there's a good chance is a design feature that they passed onto later models, in much the same way a corsa C runs a similar system to a nova.
I can find cheaper running cars than you can buy crashed m3's so salvage is a complete nogo on them.
Thanks for tip about i-drive will look up when it came in.
Oh another thing I noticed on my dads (57 whatever E number that is, obviously much later but tyres are tyres lol) really loud road noise seems normal for run flat tyres/the firmer BMW ride if it has those fitted, I thought it had a dodgy wheel bearing at first as I was expecting it to be silent.
Given they would have been caned to death I'd listen to a few engines too so you know what a good one sounds like, I'm on the lookout for an E34 atm, and the engines are surprisingly quiet normally, so any kind of tick etc is bad news when I might have expected it a bit if I hadn't listened to a couple. Obviously most engines shouldn't have any ticks etc but there is variation between manufacturers/models and BMW are on the quiet side.
Novasport
29-08-11, 09:04 PM
One word of advice, do not buy an SMG.
One word of advice, do not buy an SMG.
The temptation to fire light automatic weapons from an M3 is too much??
the SMG's are terrible and hideous cars to try and drive slowly or fast :(
Means you are in the manual game which usually holds better money/less choice.
Ball joints are part of the wishbone, which is a £250 part from an indie and nearer £500 from bmw :s but they dont tend to go toooo frequently.
Basically a pretty pricey car to run given most wont have been looked after properly due to the 'type' of douchebags that tended to pick them up new when it was the fashion.
No iDrive on E46
Check Serv History, make sure the 1st service at 1000 or 1500 miles was done. If it wasn't done, or done late, walk away....
Rear springs can snap. Brakes are poor. Vanos systems are EXPENSIVE! As above, avoid SMG, eat clutches.
Average 22MPG..... go for 18s over the 19s for better handling..
Good cars otherwise, just typical ///M Servicing costs..... LOTS!
Handle great, go like stink, sound awesome!
Rick Draper
29-08-11, 10:08 PM
Check the boot floor.
Oh, listen for knocking from the rear at low speed/tight turn situations.
Forward or reverse. That's the diff on its way out.
I do believe they estimate approx £1500 a year on average to keep on the road. A comprehensive service history is a must but the Vanos problems are overated as not as many go wrong as people would lead you to believe. As Rich said smg boxes are pap so Id definately go for a manual. The older ones tend to suffer from dirt inclusions in their e coat on the lower half of the body/bootlids and will have had warranty paintwork bacause of it so check for poor work their. But all said and done they are a cracking car that will tick most boxes. You can get a really well spec'd car for your money nowadays. My previous M3 was one of the most enjoyable cars Ive owned and gave me no problems whatsoever in two years of ownership.
Check the boot floor.
I think thats more on the older models really Rick.......... Particulary the ZM coupes as they used to tear the boot floor from the legs. We used to do many warranty claims because of it. Ive never seen an E46 with the same issue though.
Nick.
Novasport
29-08-11, 10:36 PM
We have seen a couple of boot floors on E46's but I have never seen it on an M3.
They are a cracking car and when I was at BMW we looked after a couple of really high mileage ones. They had both done over 100k and one was at 160k last time I saw it about a year ago and was still going strong. The engine is pretty bullet proof, not bad for a throttle bodied, 100bhp per tone road going race engine.
Just buy the best you can afford, ideally with full main dealer service history.
Vanos failure on E46's are very rare, it was the E36 that was affected. Early engines starting spinning bottom end bearings, a recall sorted this and no more problems after. Jst make sure it has been done.
If I could justify the cost for the limited miles I would do in it then I would have one definately.
Servicing is every 2 years or approx 15,000 miles and service pattern is Oil Service - Inspection I - Oil Service - Inspection II - Oil Service etc. Approximate main dealer servicing costs are Oil service £250, Inspection I £950 & Inspection II £1100. Front brake discs & pads are about £500. No timing belt to worry about.
Rick Draper
29-08-11, 11:03 PM
I think thats more on the older models really Rick.......... Particulary the ZM coupes as they used to tear the boot floor from the legs. We used to do many warranty claims because of it. Ive never seen an E46 with the same issue though.
Nick.
Nick, Dan off here had his boot floor replaced under warranty on his E46 M3. Searching the net its mostly the pre01 cars that were effected but i am sure dans was newer than that.
Nick, Dan off here had his boot floor replaced under warranty on his E46 M3. Searching the net its mostly the pre01 cars that were effected but i am sure dans was newer than that.
Thats fair enough Rick, Id just never come across an E46 M3 with that issue myself which I thought I would have done considering the age of some of them nowadays! Thinking back the only one Ive remembered was an E46 touring. You learn something new everyday I guess! :)
Nick.
Thanks for advice guys, looking at spending around £10k which I'm looking at around 2003 with around 60k miles.
I wouldn't touch an smg anyhow, I detest auto's. I'm in no rush, I might save a few more k and move up a couple of years or look for a csl. I will probably do 1500 miles a year in it anyhow.
Bit odd, just checking insurance on one and been quoted £800 fully comp but went back and added a tracker to it and it increased the quote to £900!
I guess the stats of those stolen/smashed up with trackers are greater than non trackerd ones lol
iirc there was only about 5 PROPER CSL's sold in the UK, the rest were just over priced normal M3's with radio's/carpets etc lol
dhdev (Oli)
01-09-11, 04:33 PM
I wouldn't touch an smg anyhow, I detest auto's. I'm in no rush, I might save a few more k and move up a couple of years or look for a csl.
Good luck with finding a manual CSL ;)
I don't understand the SMG bashing, I have driven a CSL and thought the SMG was great. I appreciate the shift ferocity is remapped slightly in that, but general functionality is the same. I also have a friend who owns a standard M3 SMG2 and he loves it. I'm currently looking for an e46 M3 and intend to get an SMG!
Boot floors are definitely a problem on the M3s, BMW will only carry out a goodwill repair on cars upto 10years old, after that the very large bill is your own.
You can afford to be fussy, the market for sellers is ****e at the moment.
Saloony
01-09-11, 06:07 PM
As above, dont care for the cars much at all, just shocking at how thin the metal is on the underside allowing the rear subframes to break free from the car. Seen thicker metal on a rusty nova.
I wouldnt bother with one tbh - go for a E90 diesel - they are awesome. You prob cant quite get a 330d though, let alone a 335d, which would prob show up an E46 M3 anyhow (with a remap)
The M3's running costs and fuel consumption are epic (for the wrong reasons) and whilst they go and corner quite well, they arent that fast - and if I were spending ££ per year keeping something on the road, I would want something to show for it...
My mate had one for 7 months - he loved it for about 2 of those, but then had it serviced (including disks and pads), then couldnt afford to keep it! lol
paul080803
01-09-11, 10:43 PM
Boot floor is a problem on E46 M3s right up to 06 plate. However with full dealer history and a standard car you can get it done under goodwill by BMW for cars under 10 years old.
SMGII is fitted to the E46, much better than the SMG fitted to E36. However it is not unheard of going wrong. They are not auto's, it is a automatic clutch on a manual box. They are quicker than a manual.
Spec is massively important for resale value. Sat Nav is ok, Harmen Karden is ok but add good value when you come to sell it.
I had a 02 convertible for 9 months, it was great, not the quickest but returned 27mpg over those 9 months. Servicing is not that expensive, BMW do great deals on cars over 4 years, but you need to ask for it.
If you dont like attention then do not get one. If you dont like everyone on the road trying to race you dont get one, and I mean everyone. If you dont like getting stopped by the police dont get one!!!!!!
If you can afford a CSL then that is what you need, more power, lighter and just completely fantastic. I was lucky enough to drive one and it was brilliant.
Wasnt the CSL only lighter in pure off the shelf trim, before most people added back in what the normal M3 had?
A friend of mine was hunting for a normal M3 in manual without the shatnav and it took him months to find one (and paid over the odds) as there was only a handful in that spec and half of them were in that gash piss yellow colour lol
The CSL had carbon roof, carbon airbox, carbon trim and recaro pole positions with no rear seats.
Even with extras re-added, it weighed less than a full fat M3, and boy do they sound good!!
There porn, but can be beaten by a xe nova lol
That gash yellow is the best colour! Or black with red leather.
Novasport
02-09-11, 10:33 PM
Slightly rarer CSL....
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C249915
Gotta love the size of the intake on CSL's
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/363/dsc03683fb3.jpg
Slightly rarer CSL....
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C249915
I'll take 2 :)
The csl is a no go for me, forgot they were only 2 seaters. Will go test drive a few see how I get on!
dhdev (Oli)
03-09-11, 02:47 PM
CSL is 4 seater.
There porn, but can be beaten by a xe nova lol
That gash yellow is the best colour! Or black with red leather.
Beaten by an XE Nova?? lol
If it had TBs and a 50 shot perhaps...
Ben, join up on m3cutters website, alot of false info on this thread!, they can suffer from many faults most of which are costly, I would not buy another one that's for sure. Problem is people can afford to buy them now but forget this was a 40k car, the parts are still the same price.
In 2 years of ownership myne split a powersteering pipe, £200, cracked boot floor, got this done under warranty, you don't need fbmwsh to get it done, new alternator, new springs as rear cracked. Then to top it off it dropped a bearing in the vanos unit and wrecked the engine, wanted 5k to sort, worrying thing is most are common faults that they can all suffer from, it's pot luck!
Alot also have blown head gaskets but don't know it, you get no obvious symptoms other than a slight metallic rattle low in the rev range under load.
Beaten by an XE Nova?? lol
If it had TBs and a 50 shot perhaps...
Maybe not beaten, but i know you can keep up with one.
You can stay on it's ass in 2nd, 3rd and a part of 4th gear with a 172hp xe nova..
Power to weight ratio is almost the same.
The CSL had carbon roof, carbon airbox, carbon trim and recaro pole positions
with no rear seats.
CSL is 4 seater.
so is the csl a 2 seater or a 4 seater, a little bit of contradiction going on!
Possibly a REAL CSL has only two seats..... but the type of person who rocks up to a dealer demanding the top of the range car, to then realise its got no creature comforts soon adds in the parts that shouldnt be fitted lol
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