Info on e36
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DanPromote
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there is no guarantee that a 97 onwards gives less trouble, it all depends on the condition of the car and not the year. The age of a car is only a plus point. Don't presume that if you get a newer car it will guarantee better condition without having it thoroughly checked before purchase. Case to note, my friend's co. new e60 5series has gone to the workshop 17 times in the last 3 months due to problems with the i-drive. So problems also occurs in both new and old cars.
Here's a rough market price guide for e36 when I checked (no price difference on engine capacity) :-
1992 - RM40-45k
1993 - RM45-50k
1994/95 - RM50-60k
1996/97 - RM60-70k
1998-99 - RM70-80+k
jsen,
I've been following the forum, time I made a posting i guess. It's not easy to get a bank loan for a 12 year old car, there are all sorts of conditions involved - the biggest among them is you gotta go thru a car dealer. Also the repayment period is less than other newer cars- abt 5 years if I'm not mistaken. You can try BOC or PBB.
Btw, I just got myself a 95 325 just b4 CNY!! Great car!!
I've been following the forum, time I made a posting i guess. It's not easy to get a bank loan for a 12 year old car, there are all sorts of conditions involved - the biggest among them is you gotta go thru a car dealer. Also the repayment period is less than other newer cars- abt 5 years if I'm not mistaken. You can try BOC or PBB.
Btw, I just got myself a 95 325 just b4 CNY!! Great car!!
DanPromote
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g'day folks!
just signed up yesterday.
am in the process of selling my current car.
thinking of getting a good car for highway driving to work so i'm thinking of the 328i e36, maybe '97 onwards. definitely has to look like m3.
my question is, what is (or are) the 'archilles heel' of this model, if there is any. something that tends to break, leak, etc. every 1-2 years or so?
car to share?
thanks bros!
just signed up yesterday.
am in the process of selling my current car.
thinking of getting a good car for highway driving to work so i'm thinking of the 328i e36, maybe '97 onwards. definitely has to look like m3.
my question is, what is (or are) the 'archilles heel' of this model, if there is any. something that tends to break, leak, etc. every 1-2 years or so?
car to share?
thanks bros!
Lee36328
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Good choice of year. There is some facelift on that year, digital aircond, gearknob, front grill, etc.
Overall, nice choice, esp for highway cruising, which will give you better mileage.
Archilles heel? PLENTY.
Firstly, this is a very high-torque car. So, the first thing to go is the gearbox (presumably auto cause manual was not sold in this country, unless you go for conversion). Check that the gearbox is in good condition. Overhaul at around 150k km mileage and above is unavoidable.
Next, water pump. If it is still using plastic impeller, have it changed (the current spare parts are all metal alloy.) Plastic is notorious for breaking up and causing big problems in the engine water jacket.
Fan clutch, best to replace. It fails without warning. Lots of cars have overheated as a result.
Aircond cooling coil and compressor would also start to go at this age. But can be sorted out quite easily by aircond specialist outside (lots of thread in this forum on this aircon topic.)
Steering rack is probably out too - get a good recond replacement.
The rest from what i can recall are minor and standard wear and tear stuff like suspension, bushings, mounts, etc.
And the cabin noise will drive you crazy. You'll get really proficient with WD40. For highway cruising, get the car nicely soundproofed.
So, in summary, to save yourself a lot of heartache, look for a well-maintained specimen w maintenance records if possible. That way, you'll know what is due next, and when.
If you can get over all that, you'll love the car. If you love it, it will love you back.
Good luck.
thanks a lot lee3628
any idea how much (roughly) these will cost to repair/replace?
1) auto gearbox overhaul
2) water pump
3) fan clutch
4) aircond cooling coil & compressor
5) steering rack
p/s - i didn't know that cabin noise is a serious issue in conti cars
any idea how much (roughly) these will cost to repair/replace?
1) auto gearbox overhaul
2) water pump
3) fan clutch
4) aircond cooling coil & compressor
5) steering rack
p/s - i didn't know that cabin noise is a serious issue in conti cars
Lee36328
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check the e36 maintenance thread on this forum; it will give you a detailed picture of the costs involved in most of these items.
Now, don't get me wrong. Didn't mean to scare you or discourage you.
You don't need to replace all these items from day 1. Just watch out for signs of failure and replace them when they are due. And obvously, if you find a well-maintained car, you save yourself a lot of cost and heartache.
Remember, a 97 car is almost 10 years old. Some parts are simply not designed to last that long. Otherwise where will bmw find new business?
Yes, squeaks in cabin is a typical e36 trait. Scan any bmw forum, and you'll usually find this topic. You'll find lots of thread on why people luv their e36 as well.
FYI, re squeaks in conti cars, sat in a current-model S-class, also squeaks. How?
The major items are :
1. gearbox - abt 4k to rebuild
2. steering rack - abt 2k for a good recond unit
3. others - can't remember - check the thread
Overall, if you budget RM10-20k, you will be running quite a good-to-almost-perfect car.
If you budget less, still can. It's a question of how fussy you are and what you can tolerate...
