My E36 Experience

[selespeed]

hmmm BMW is indeed Banyak Makan Wang

i never spent this kind of money with alfa.

 

[Mont-o]

hmmm BMW is indeed Banyak Makan Wang

i never spent this kind of money with alfa.

i spent TON of money on my alfa...never end spending. BMW more reliable than alfa...don't shoot me, it's true

 

[koodiamond]

Yo Anxious and the rest of the UDM bunch,

Greetings! Finally read all 17 pages of yr interesting experience. I too ma looking for a e36 ride. But fortunately i'm in KL. So can slowly look around.

Abt yr insistence of looking at FSH bills... ummm... if i purchase it from a used car dealer sure difficult right? any other alternative sifus?

The best part i like abt yr story is when u wrote "...sent her for service..." you meant yr car right? not yr wife.... lol... any way what do u do? so much money to throw... esp in careful-with-their-money Penang.

I call Penang my kampung too, so i also very kedekut... so looks like i need to measure all my bullock-cart sized 1 sen coins first.


Looking forward to part 2 of yr ride. Hope no more problems.

 

[meetoo]

Anxious, this my first post in your thread. I think your experience is not uncommon for E36 at present. E36 are all 10+ years old. All the good one still running out there are kept like family jewels by enthusiast. All those in the market for sale are bound to have many problem. You're not unlucky, you just choose E36. I choose 3 year old E46 to avoid these problem. Pay more of course but problems maybe won't start so soon.

My suggestion to you is to forget making it perfect and just enjoy it for a few months. Then see how you feel about putting more money into it. Don't put more money into it now when you feels so frustrated. If it runs okay, just let it run for a while bro.

 

[anxious]

Meetoo

Thanks for ur advise. I think the car should be ok now. Still some sound here and there but I think its nothing serious.

Its just when i saw the cylinder head crack, I got very upset. However after changing the head and doing a top overhaul the engine is very smooth. In fact the combustion seems so good that I can feel moisture when I put my hand near the exhaust.

At least I can start to enjoy my ride now.

 

[meetoo]

Then it sounds good lah! Now time to enjoy it and forget the problems for a while. Small small things sure got wan. My E46 also not perfect mah...noises here and there, but what's the BIG deal about that? New E90 owners also got small small things mentioned in these forum. Theirs 300k hole in the pocket woh!

Well done my friend! You're very tabah (dauntless) as someone said. Now enjoy your ride!

 

[Zul_84]

anxious

after learn 17pgs from your experience,
I take a note and make it as my homework,
its like a complete guide for me,

however...
You're very dauntless (tabah) as I said. Please enjoy your ride!




.

 

[anxious]

Yesterday at the workshop I met a forummer. We had lunch while I was waiting for my car.

I asked him why do we stomach all this nonsense from our UDMs.

He asked me a simple Q: Have u driven any other car?

The answer my friend was there...I hv and I dont want to drive any other car.

Therefore "punca ketabahan saya adalah kenikmatan yg saya perolehi setiap kali saya memandu kereta saya dan itulah inspirasi saya untuk terus memilikinya walauapapun cabaran yg dihadapi."

 

[anaksarawak]

Yesterday at the workshop I met a forummer. We had lunch while I was waiting for my car.

I asked him why do we stomach all this nonsense from our UDMs.

He asked me a simple Q: Have u driven any other car?

The answer my friend was there...I hv and I dont want to drive any other car.

Therefore "punca ketabahan saya adalah kenikmatan yg saya perolehi setiap kali saya memandu kereta saya dan itulah inspirasi saya untuk terus memilikinya walauapapun cabaran yg dihadapi."

Well Said my friend!

 

[selespeed]

i spent TON of money on my alfa...never end spending. BMW more reliable than alfa...don't shoot me, it's true

if you compare alfa 33 or 146 with e30 or e36 (4 cylinder), i would agree with you that bmw is more reliable.

but if compare alfa 156 with e46, i will dare challenge you. i will open up all my workshop invoices and expenses which i recorded without fail diligently since 2000.

 

[infinityKL]

i spent TON of money on my alfa...never end spending. BMW more reliable than alfa...don't shoot me, it's true

I will have to go with Mont-O, as i owned a 146ti 1996 for about 4 years[30k]. the bills are scary. Now with 328i E36 1997 for almost 3 years, less than 5k so far.

cheers...

 

[Zoggee]

Monto,Anxious,Selespeed...

I spent big big mountain of money on BMWs. And my toyotas is way more reliable then both my E30 and my bro E36 combined.

 

[anxious]

Ok guys it has been more than a week since my last post on this thread.

Glad to report that the car seems to be running well. Of course there are some sounds here and there but I have come to accept that it is unavoidable on a 12 yr old car. I hope to slowly sort them out.

I must say the car is a pleasure to drive. Drove it to Ipoh and back to Pg over the weekend, very smooth.

Fuel Consumption seems to still be a bit high.

After the top overhaul and replacement of cylinder head my FC improved a bit.

I got about 400km b4 the light came on.(50% highway 50% town)

This week (after changing the air filter & Tyres) I got about 450km (75% highway 25% town)

Ideally shouldnt I be getting 450km town & 600km highway?

My concern is not the cost but whether my car is running optimumly or whether there is still something wrong?

 

[anaksarawak]

I presume it cost you RM100 from fuel warning light start to full tank. Then it is about 50liters

My car can reach 570km - 620km on that amount when I drove to Lumut (85% highway 15% KL)

In KL 100% in City Half tank 280KM only!!! about RM65 fuel.

On my suspect list of faults in my car, vacuum problems, ICV, O2 sensors.

Guess for 325, 6 potters your fuel C. is OK... Others may share

 

[Mont-o]

Monto,Anxious,Selespeed...

I spent big big mountain of money on BMWs. And my toyotas is way more reliable then both my E30 and my bro E36 combined.

Lorrr zoggee, if compared to TOYOTAs hmmmmmm you maintain 20 TOYOTAs is equal to maintain 1 BMW. larrr.hehehe

 

[Mont-o]

if you compare alfa 33 or 146 with e30 or e36 (4 cylinder), i would agree with you that bmw is more reliable.

but if compare alfa 156 with e46, i will dare challenge you. i will open up all my workshop invoices and expenses which i recorded without fail diligently since 2000.

Alfa 156 compared to E46...E46 more reliable, that why 156 2nd hand price is dirt cheap nowdays. I will go with E46 anytime....shoot me.

 

[selespeed]

Alfa 156 compared to E46...E46 more reliable, that why 156 2nd hand price is dirt cheap nowdays. I will go with E46 anytime....shoot me.

wrong! i wll shoot you. 156 is very reliable and LESS expensive to maintain! throughout my 4 years, there has not been a single time it would not start. there's only once the selespeed failed to engage!

2nd had price of a car is determined more by demand or want rather than reliability. a nd had bmw is not without problems but because of the brand that commands higher value.

2nd hand price of 156 is not due to reliability but rather due to BAD reputation of Alfa in the past, ence affecting its resale value. so, even though 156 is better it too suffers from bad resale value because generally buyers would not even want to find out. bad reputation is sure difficult to improve. therefore, buyers will not want to give alfa 156 a chance a second look!
low demand results in low resale value.

i drove one for 4 years and before that a 33. and so i know the reliability and its maintenance.

have you driven one? or yours is based on hearsay?

 

[Mont-o]

wrong! i wll shoot you. 156 is very reliable and LESS expensive to maintain! throughout my 4 years, there has not been a single time it would not start. there's only once the selespeed failed to engage!

2nd had price of a car is determined more by demand or want rather than reliability. a nd had bmw is not without problems but because of the brand that commands higher value.

2nd hand price of 156 is not due to reliability but rather due to BAD reputation of Alfa in the past, ence affecting its resale value. so, even though 156 is better it too suffers from bad resale value because generally buyers would not even want to find out. bad reputation is sure difficult to improve. therefore, buyers will not want to give alfa 156 a chance a second look!
low demand results in low resale value.

i drove one for 4 years and before that a 33. and so i know the reliability and its maintenance.

have you driven one? or yours is based on hearsay?

Hmmm so typical...okay. your salespeed 156 are great, especially the salespeed tranny . I couldn't find salespeed in good runing condition, most of them barai...that why i don't drive it. cheers mate.

 

[fabianyee]

this is not Alfa vs BMW thread... All marques have their percentage of 'lemon' cars. If you have a good reliable car then you're spared the headaches, if not, then pop a few chilled ones and chill....

 

[anxious]

Guys, I am sure this can be discussed elsewhere.

Thanks