I'm seriously considering to get a mid 90's pre-owned E36 (318i - 325i). Many people have told me that owning a BMW requires high maintenance. One guy posted in Autoworld forum stated that I may need to spend 1k - 1.5k every 2 months on servicing or repair.I would like to hear it from you guys who are driving a BMW now. Is this true?
Mid 90's E36 - High Maintenance
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Lee36328
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Hi Noobie.
There is an excellent thread on the cost of maintaining e36 in this forum that you should check out.
My opinion, the cost of maintenance would vary depending on the condition of the car.
A well-maintained, good conditioned car would not cost much in maintenance. What becomes a money-pit are those cars which have been thrashed and/or neglected.
Every component in any car has a known lifespan (aircond, gearbox, etc, - search the forum for more details). Get these sorted out when the lifespan is reached, or it will lead to failure in other parts, overall costing more when it is eventually sorted out. These become the "constant repair" cars you heard about.
Your best bet, get a car from a fellow enthusiast who have been keeping it in good shape, paying a bit more if you have to (this saves you money in the long run, so its works out cheaper). Getting a car from a 2nd hand car dealer is the riskiest approach, as you do not know the owner's habits and maintenance record.
Many cars end up for sale because a major repair/maintenance is due. Be aware of this. That's why maintenance records are invaluable.
Good luck.
There is an excellent thread on the cost of maintaining e36 in this forum that you should check out.
My opinion, the cost of maintenance would vary depending on the condition of the car.
A well-maintained, good conditioned car would not cost much in maintenance. What becomes a money-pit are those cars which have been thrashed and/or neglected.
Every component in any car has a known lifespan (aircond, gearbox, etc, - search the forum for more details). Get these sorted out when the lifespan is reached, or it will lead to failure in other parts, overall costing more when it is eventually sorted out. These become the "constant repair" cars you heard about.
Your best bet, get a car from a fellow enthusiast who have been keeping it in good shape, paying a bit more if you have to (this saves you money in the long run, so its works out cheaper). Getting a car from a 2nd hand car dealer is the riskiest approach, as you do not know the owner's habits and maintenance record.
Many cars end up for sale because a major repair/maintenance is due. Be aware of this. That's why maintenance records are invaluable.
Good luck.
what lee36328 say, ada betul jugak! but i bought my car from a secondhand dealer and till now three repair needed to be done and it's consider a common repair due to its age. kena tukar, disc rotor/pad, oil pump and the other only few days ago, a/c fan assy!
secondhand car mana ada maintenance free! sikit sikit mestilah kena buat!
itupun kira nasib kalau dapat dealer or seller yang kaki kelentong!
kalau takut, buy new! the best kancil 660, i hav one and hav not service the car for a year and half since drove out from the showroom. been to segamat many times! now car given to my brother, and he only change black oil!
some BMW owners will sell a bit high cause ada cosmetic make-up! but that cosmetic will still consider secondhand value when you buy, tapi must still see the market value of the car! if a little bit high should be ok, but to high, ain't worth it! no matter what, you will still need to repair the car but no that teruklah! choice terpulang pada you. this is just my opinion!
secondhand car mana ada maintenance free! sikit sikit mestilah kena buat!
itupun kira nasib kalau dapat dealer or seller yang kaki kelentong!
kalau takut, buy new! the best kancil 660, i hav one and hav not service the car for a year and half since drove out from the showroom. been to segamat many times! now car given to my brother, and he only change black oil!
some BMW owners will sell a bit high cause ada cosmetic make-up! but that cosmetic will still consider secondhand value when you buy, tapi must still see the market value of the car! if a little bit high should be ok, but to high, ain't worth it! no matter what, you will still need to repair the car but no that teruklah! choice terpulang pada you. this is just my opinion!
