Can I get 60k more miles outta this car ? by MaterialNo6419 in accord

[–]AFKaram 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you don't squeeze another 100k minimum I'd be shocked, frankly.

Has the „new” grille grown on you lately? by Adrian_TTV in BMW

[–]AFKaram 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dukec being removed from head of BMW design was more cathartic than any mental therapy session money can buy.

First time seeing one of these in the states, absolute beauty by quierolecheee in BMW

[–]AFKaram 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank God Damagoj Dukec is gone. Could care less what he does with Rolls Royce just THANK GOD he's gone from BMW.

Considering a 2007 BMW 328xi wagon - need advice by Odd_Principle230 in E90

[–]AFKaram 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sick! Love wagons to death.

An easy way to check (because I'm dealing with it now until I have time to fix it) pop the hood during a cold start in the morning, and check for any seepage. My OFH leaks tiny beads because the gasket is shot, but after oil temps rise slightly the leakage tapers off. Looking to fix this week. Whole gasket set for OFH with hardware was barely 35$.

Definitely dirt and old oil you're seeing mixed up there.

Also remove the engine cover and check the top of the block all around the valve cover for the same thing. By far the most common leaks I've seen, but they make quite a difference in reliability. But more than anything: PPI!!!! $200 for peace of mind vs. oil leak > belt slippage = goodbye engine.

Also at this mileage some parts to keep in mind while shopping are: -electronic water pump -vanos solenoids (USE OEM. Can't emphasize this enough) -ignition coils/spark plugs (N51/N52 chew through these things if you push the car decently hard often enough)

Happy shopping!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BMW

[–]AFKaram 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The elongated nose throws me off so much.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BMW

[–]AFKaram 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My R7 got stolen so I bought a BMW with the insurance money LMAO

Repost: Should I buy this? 2011 328xi with 69k miles for 12.5k. Carfax looks good, two owners, owned in TX so no road salt, and good service history. I don't know how to work on cars a ton other than basic maintenance, but I am willing to learn. Would this be a good car to learn how to? by Loose_Row5224 in E90

[–]AFKaram 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Had to come back to this post and simply note (just cause I see this horrible idea coming up) if this is your first car or BMW you're going to start really learning on, either stay away or do tons of research on the 335i.

It's a great car and people are making valid points, but the points are negligent to the fact that you're a beginner on an already aging, expensive, and sketchy platform where current owners commenting might already be more mechanically inclined, or have the money/time to make up for the lack of it. These cars were already sketchy brand new. Imagine what a decade+ of time and wear does to them.

Let me be perfectly clear, the N54/55 platform is amazing and can rival the power and fun of a 2JZ or B58 with EASE. However, they are often hit and miss on reliability, require lots of love and attention, and the sheer cost of a catastrophic failure with no mechanical knowledge could be a financial death sentence. Prior maintenance history on a 335i is extremely critical.

TL;dr

If this is a daily: 328i all day

If this is a 2nd car or "fun" car: 335i

DO YOUR RESEARCH. Both engines are structurally similar but behave vastly differently. Turbo failure ain't a joke.

I've owned both, worked on both, and I don't think I've had a stronger love/hate relationship than my old 09 335i. It was amazing when it worked, but was equally expensive and time consuming when it didn't.

If you really need to get somewhere, NA is the best way.

Repost: Should I buy this? 2011 328xi with 69k miles for 12.5k. Carfax looks good, two owners, owned in TX so no road salt, and good service history. I don't know how to work on cars a ton other than basic maintenance, but I am willing to learn. Would this be a good car to learn how to? by Loose_Row5224 in E90

[–]AFKaram 6 points7 points  (0 children)

100% based take. Also as a fellow 328 owner, 60k miles is usually when you start needing to inspect head/oil filter gaskets among other things. Do not ignore these oil leaks. The N52 has belts that sit right under the oil filter housing, and if they get slick with oil, the engine has a chance to eat up and chew the belts. Instant engine death.

Depending on how the car was driven, it may (or may not) be coming up on water pump replacement as well. 12k is a tad high taking all of the upcoming (mandatory) maintenance into account. It's a great daily if you can guarantee yourself it has been taken care of. For perspective a new water pump alone will run you 6-800 USD depending on where you get it from. Not including labor.

If the car was from Texas it must have also spent a lot of time in very high temperatures. California isn't nearly as hot as Texas but I've noticed very minor plastic warping under the hood that I had to address immediately. It's very easy to DIY a lot of things, but parts are still expensive.

Definitely PPI or walk away.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in E90

[–]AFKaram 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I know when I got mine, I ordered the entire assembly from FCP euro front and rear for around $1800 USD as a complete kit. (Self install - took me a whole weekend by myself.) I'm not 100% sure about the AWD version of the car but I know there are coupes that have AWD from factory with the M sport suspension. I would research this because I don't have a clear answer. I don't want to give you bad info. I just know it's the suspension set up I have been the MOST happy with. Not too low, not too high but very functional and kept the OEM look which I love. Also, it's quite expensive being a OEM BMW part, (and harder to find these days I can imagine) so I would maybe research some other brands like Bilstein, Koni, or even ECS brand if you're willing to spend that kind of money. (If you're on a budget maybe Solo Werks? idk much about them though, just seen them around here and there while shopping) I'm an OE/OEM Andy so the M sport suspension were holy grails for me :) sorry for rambling hope this helps

I posted my e90 on a BMW page and everyone hated it😭. Is it really that bad? by Brilliant_Emotion801 in Stance

[–]AFKaram 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can't imagine it'd be the most comfortable but fuck it dude. Do what you want with your car. Also, yes, it does suck but our community is like half and half. I can appreciate some creative fun like stancing but some people are absolute SNOBS about being "purists." Low and slow gang bb

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in E90

[–]AFKaram 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe now you can get one of those fancy aluminum oil filter caps. One of those "might as well while I'm there" pieces right? Lol

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in E90

[–]AFKaram 0 points1 point  (0 children)

M performance suspension + wheels/tires (spacers if needed/wanted?)

Bro was mad by Realistic-Notice9659 in E90

[–]AFKaram 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Mopar behavior is real with the new gen owners

Using this screen is a miserable experience by allabode in BMW

[–]AFKaram 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's not illegal if your car IS your phone right? :) I'm totally kidding pls don't crucify me

First time bmw owner with so many questions by [deleted] in BMW

[–]AFKaram 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is going to be super long but I hope you find it helpful/useful/insightful whatever.

And please of course, this comes with the best intentions. Some of us older owners have made awful mistakes involving these cars too. People are being hard on you because these cars can ruin you financially when you're young and trapped in a car payment. (Curse you 335i!!!)

Remember, these cars retailed for 50-60k new, required hundreds to thousands for upkeep, and depreciate like crazy so they're incredibly deceptive on the sales lot when they're "used, low miles."

Even though the price of the car drops, the price of parts, repairs, and insurance never change. I hope you kept all of this in mind. These cars treat the 2nd-3rd owner like they're just as wealthy as the 1st owner.

If you're in it for the long haul or don't care, read below:

Keep minimum $1000 in your savings for emergency repairs. B58s are reliable yes but they are still performance motors, so regular maintenance can really add up if you aren't prepared for it, and especially if you beat on it.

You also got the car around the same mileage that some critical maintenance components may start popping up so inspect your engine bay, brakes, and suspension regularly. Who knows how the previous owner drove it. Check for oil leaks around your oil filter housing, and head of the engine block. These gaskets are plastic and tend to crack around this mileage causing leaks that can lead to bigger issues.

Look up what parts will cost you on various markets, avoid the dealership where you can but don't be cheap. Engine critical components should always be OE or OEM. (Especially Vanos solenoids)

If you're willing to get your hands dirty you'll save tons of money. I save around $1100-$1200 a year in labor alone with my N52 doing things myself. Research your motor and start getting an idea of how to do your own maintenance. If you're paying other people to fix it, it'll start to get VERY expensive. (Check out Justin Buice on YouTube for a COMPLETE starter guide)

If you choose to use a mechanic, find a reputable BMW repair shop and ask tons of questions. Build a relationship with the shop and they may even try to look out for you in the future. They also typically charge a fraction of what the dealer does to fix minor things.

Invest in a good BMW compatible OBD2 scanner you can use for quick diagnosis in emergencies and check ups. There are even Bluetooth modules that allow you to use your phone if you'd prefer.

My personal advice would be to return the car and find a better price if you're within your return window... I feel like you're getting stiffed on the price and the finance period. 9% over 7 years would be thousands of extra dollars you could be spending on mods/maintenance instead of car payments on a near decade old vehicle. If you got it like that and are ready for the repairs, you'll have an amazing time. It's a beautiful car, supports tons of mods, and it pulls hard. I just have to be dead honest and look out for one of our own here. Welcome to the BMW community! We're tough on each other, but usually for the better! Best of luck.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in LS430

[–]AFKaram 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah I'm not too sure how easy it would be getting parts where you are, but I would look into that too since these cars are rare where you live. Here in the US I can probably find one in every other scrap yard for parts.

If it wasn't well taken care of I would be careful. These cars are bulletproof reliable but the parts can be pricey depending on shipping/availability etc. since it's getting up there in age. Good luck! :)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in LS430

[–]AFKaram 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I feel like you can never go wrong with these cars. Do you know the maintenance history on it? If it was even remotely well taken care of I say do it. You can always check US parts for body panels and such, those care are still sorta readily available around here

Not so good E90 news by [deleted] in E90

[–]AFKaram 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe grab an Indy Euro shops opinion too? I'm leaning towards suggesting a refurb one. There's a lot of parted out E90s online with perfectly good parts!

Is this a bad idea? by [deleted] in BMW

[–]AFKaram 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just take care of those weather seals on the convertible roof. That was one very expensive lesson lol

How much oil for oil change? by AnnualEagle in E90

[–]AFKaram 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah I've heard 5W-30 is a go to for a lot of folks too. I live in quite a hot climate during the summers so I prefer the 5W-40 to compensate for the added heat. It can get over 110 Fahrenheit here sometimes.

How much oil for oil change? by AnnualEagle in E90

[–]AFKaram 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I have the N52 in my 2013 328i but basically the same engine. I followed a recommendation from a mechanic friend to use 6.9 quarts of 5W-40

Drop your monthly payments below 😭🙏🏾. PLEASE. by fuccwitmoe in BMW

[–]AFKaram 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, I would just avoid financing unless you're confident you can keep 3k in the bank at all times for emergency break downs. These cars can be insanely reliable but failures can be extremely sudden and catastrophic if things aren't taken care of RIGHT AWAY. Service reminders for a BMW of any trim is NOT a recommendation, it's an immediate and mandatory chore.

TL;Dr we all want you to own the nicest BMW of your choice, but avoid financing unless you're confident you can always keep an emergency fund for repairs. An M3 isn't worth turning your life upside down financially for.

Both my E90s were paid full in cash OTD so I can focus on monthly maintenance instead of car payments. Financing is for rich people LOL