ALL About BMW 3 series (ALL generation)

[Rayoflight]

Bro wish I can, two kids in tow very hard to just pop out for meets leh Next time if opportunity arises.

 

I saw the blue chrome M4 before on the street very eye catching The exhaust tones on the M4 is super sweet, love that rumbling

 

 

 

 

 

Do you reckon modders make up 40% of the bmw owners?

40% only meh?

 

Wt know bro already said no mod no life

 

Got a 335i running 800over hp.. Damn scary one..

 

The n54 potential is really scary

Edited May 15, 2016 by Rayoflight

[Mercury1]

Wah u all so bad say I no life, dun like that lah ! 

[Angcheek]

Wah u all so bad say I no life, dun like that lah !

Maybe after mod , really no life .

[inlinesix]

40% only meh?

 

Wt know bro already said no mod no life

 

Got a 335i running 800over hp.. Damn scary one..

 

The n54 potential is really scary

That auto box can Tahan or not?

[Mercury1]

800 is nuts man, surprise the GB can take it 

 

40% only meh?

Wt know bro already said no mod no life

Got a 335i running 800over hp.. Damn scary one..

The n54 potential is really scary

 

Haha deep down I also wanna play around with a few things but I also scared engine chut pattern. Anyway need to watch the wallet, once kanna poison thats it liao never ending.

 

Maybe after mod , really no life .

[inlinesix]

800 is nuts man, surprise the GB can take it

 

 

 

Haha deep down I also wanna play around with a few things but I also scared engine chut pattern. Anyway need to watch the wallet, once kanna poison thats it liao never ending.

For me, I will mod intercooler, charge pipe & rubber hose. Once car running at lower temp, 95% of stated power can be unleashed

[Rayoflight]

For me, I will mod intercooler, charge pipe & rubber hose. Once car running at lower temp, 95% of stated power can be unleashed

All done already thats why decided to go further.

 

800hp n54 twin turbo.. Should have already considered abt the gb liao.. Dare to play so big.. Gearbox should have already been strengthened i guess.

[Rayoflight]

800 is nuts man, surprise the GB can take it 

 

 

Haha deep down I also wanna play around with a few things but I also scared engine chut pattern. Anyway need to watch the wallet, once kanna poison thats it liao never ending.

 

@mercury1 bro.. u control your wallet not your mods control your wallet.. lol

 

frankly, your car already got all the goodies.. no need mod liao la.. exos i think u might not appreciate a noisy one.. however the bassy growl is quite music to the ears. 

[Alvin01]

Should I renew my COE?

 

Hi everyone

I am currently driving an E90 325, having bought it second hand 3 1/2 years ago. The COE is expiring next month and I had intented to renew the COE as it's the best Bimmer I've ever owned.

I brought the car for an inspection at one of the recommended workshops a couple of weeks ago. It was not as favourable as I had hoped - the inspection showed issues with the engine and gearbox and I was advised to look for another car as it may not be economical to renew the COE.

A brief description of the couple of problems I have experienced with the car:-

1. On some occasions when I do a fast start from the lights, I hear a fast tapping sound from the engine followed by a huge plume of white smoke. The engine will vibrate and feel weak but it will revert to normal after I have turned it off and parked the car for a while.
2. On some occasions when I drop gears to execute a fast overtaking move, I hear a "crunching of the gears", followed by a loss of power and a "coughing" and "asthmatic" engine. Again, the car recovers after a while.

On the advice of the workshop, I have started to look another used car - I've restricted my search to E90 325s as I really like this model. The trouble is there are not many 4-door units available for sale - an overwhelming majority are 325 coupes and convertibles. To date, I have not found one to my liking.

My intention is to find a car with 2-3 years of the COE remaining, with a view to renewing the COE. My question is: will I be faced with the same decision when the time comes to renew the COE? What is the likelihood that if I am able to find a good unit that it will not need an engine overhaul and gearbox rebuild if I want to drive it for a further 10 years? Or are the repairs unavoidable for any COE renewed 325?

Given the lack of available 325s in the market, the option remains for me to renew the COE on my current car having regard to the costs involved. In broad terms, the COE renewal for my current car will set me back in the region of $100k ($50k COE, $28k PARF lost, $15-18k for engine overhaul and gearbox rebuild) or $10k depreciation per year for the next 10 years. In comparison, a used 325 will have depreciation upwards of $14k per year.

I am not looking to buy new as they don't make BMWs like the E90s anymore, at least not in the price range I can afford.

Apologies for my lengthy post but I would really appreciate any comments or advice on this.

Best regards

Alvin

[Detach8]

Should I renew my COE?

 

Hi everyone

 

I am currently driving an E90 325, having bought it second hand 3 1/2 years ago. The COE is expiring next month and I had intented to renew the COE as it's the best Bimmer I've ever owned.

 

I brought the car for an inspection at one of the recommended workshops a couple of weeks ago. It was not as favourable as I had hoped - the inspection showed issues with the engine and gearbox and I was advised to look for another car as it may not be economical to renew the COE.

 

A brief description of the couple of problems I have experienced with the car:-

1. On some occasions when I do a fast start from the lights, I hear a fast tapping sound from the engine followed by a huge plume of white smoke. The engine will vibrate and feel weak but it will revert to normal after I have turned it off and parked the car for a while.
2. On some occasions when I drop gears to execute a fast overtaking move, I hear a "crunching of the gears", followed by a loss of power and a "coughing" and "asthmatic" engine. Again, the car recovers after a while.

On the advice of the workshop, I have started to look another used car - I've restricted my search to E90 325s as I really like this model. The trouble is there are not many 4-door units available for sale - an overwhelming majority are 325 coupes and convertibles. To date, I have not found one to my liking.

 

My intention is to find a car with 2-3 years of the COE remaining, with a view to renewing the COE. My question is: will I be faced with the same decision when the time comes to renew the COE? What is the likelihood that if I am able to find a good unit that it will not need an engine overhaul and gearbox rebuild if I want to drive it for a further 10 years? Or are the repairs unavoidable for any COE renewed 325?

 

Given the lack of available 325s in the market, the option remains for me to renew the COE on my current car having regard to the costs involved. In broad terms, the COE renewal for my current car will set me back in the region of $100k ($50k COE, $28k PARF lost, $15-18k for engine overhaul and gearbox rebuild) or $10k depreciation per year for the next 10 years. In comparison, a used 325 will have depreciation upwards of $14k per year.

 

I am not looking to buy new as they don't make BMWs like the E90s anymore, at least not in the price range I can afford.

 

Apologies for my lengthy post but I would really appreciate any comments or advice on this.

 

Best regards

 

Alvin

 

What you have described sounds like a small head gasket leak. When you get on the gas hard, the coolant gets sucked into the cylinder then gets burnt to steam hence the smoke.

 

I had two E90s in my family. My advise is to ditch the car and buy something else. The E90 is one of the most unreliable BMW around. 325i is just slightly better than the 320i, but not by much. This car is not worth keeping beyond 10 years because the engine and transmission falls apart after around 100K, and the interior after 8-10 years. I'm pretty certain there are peeling plastics in your car, and soon you will have the roof lining fall off, and many other plastics falling apart. If there's a car to keep, it would be an E46 3-series. That generation of BMWs were solid.

 

To spend $15-18k on a repair bill is close to insane. You can get a perfectly working whole car for that money. I just bought a MX-5 for $18K. Try looking for a Mercedes E240 (W211) or even a Volvo S40/V50 (2.4i or T5) to renew COE... those would be way more reliable. Don't buy the E90... really.

Edited May 16, 2016 by Detach8

[Alvin01]

What you have described sounds like a small head gasket leak. When you get on the gas hard, the coolant gets sucked into the cylinder then gets burnt to steam hence the smoke.

 

I had two E90s in my family. My advise is to ditch the car and buy something else. The E90 is one of the most unreliable BMW around. 325i is just slightly better than the 320i, but not by much. This car is not worth keeping beyond 10 years because the engine and transmission falls apart after around 100K, and the interior after 8-10 years. I'm pretty certain there are peeling plastics in your car, and soon you will have the roof lining fall off, and many other plastics falling apart. If there's a car to keep, it would be an E46 3-series. That generation of BMWs were solid.

 

To spend $15-18k on a repair bill is close to insane. You can get a perfectly working whole car for that money. I just bought a MX-5 for $18K. Try looking for a Mercedes E240 (W211) or even a Volvo S40/V50 (2.4i or T5) to renew COE... those would be way more reliable. Don't buy the E90... really.

 

Thanks for your comments.

 

My experience is perhaps a little different.  I've had the E46 318 for the whole ten years and I can attest that the E90 325 is a much better car.  I've been driving the 3-Series for more than 15 years and would like to continue that driving experience for as long as my finances and patience allows.  So that narrows my scope considerably - I have no doubt of course that Mercedes and Volvo make fine cars.  

 

I've also thought about the new F30 but am concerned about the heat generated by turbo charging, the switch to electric power steering, accounts of poorer noise insulation and the lack of a more affordable 6-cylinder option.  Plus the fact that I don't particularly like the idea getting a loan again for a new car having cleared the debt for the old one.

[Newbie26]

Take the advice of the workshop

There is a reason why they do not want to earn your money

If they think it will cause u recurrent trouble in the future, they are probably right

Engine/gearbox change for a 10 year old car does not equate to an overhaul such that it will behave like a brand new car.

Do not need to be a mechanic to understand that there are many parts to the engine and various connections to their parts. In due time, there is a high risk that some of the other parts will spoil and affect the engine transmission

 

Not so simple to compare between 10k/depr a year for very old car compared to 14k/depr for a new car

The repair and holding costs are much higher plus others

In the end this gap will be too close to call

 

Time is more important than money

Unless you are a retiree and enjoy regular workshop visits

[Alvin01]

Take the advice of the workshop

There is a reason why they do not want to earn your money

If they think it will cause u recurrent trouble in the future, they are probably right

Engine/gearbox change for a 10 year old car does not equate to an overhaul such that it will behave like a brand new car.

Do not need to be a mechanic to understand that there are many parts to the engine and various connections to their parts. In due time, there is a high risk that some of the other parts will spoil and affect the engine transmission

 

Not so simple to compare between 10k/depr a year for very old car compared to 14k/depr for a new car

The repair and holding costs are much higher plus others

In the end this gap will be too close to call

 

Time is more important than money

Unless you are a retiree and enjoy regular workshop visits

 

Thanks for the reminder.

 

I accept that there are risks to holding on to an old car.  The workshop didn't mention that there will be recurrent problems - it actually said that any faults can be made good but it is only a question of whether one deems it worthwhile spending the money.

 

The $14k depreciation is not for a new car but for an equivalent 7-8 year old 325.

 

Perhaps I should also ask in my original post if there is anyone out there driving a COE-renewed 325 what his experience is so far - someone who has been there and done that.

[Detach8]

Thanks for your comments.

 

My experience is perhaps a little different.  I've had the E46 318 for the whole ten years and I can attest that the E90 325 is a much better car.  I've been driving the 3-Series for more than 15 years and would like to continue that driving experience for as long as my finances and patience allows.  So that narrows my scope considerably - I have no doubt of course that Mercedes and Volvo make fine cars.  

 

I've also thought about the new F30 but am concerned about the heat generated by turbo charging, the switch to electric power steering, accounts of poorer noise insulation and the lack of a more affordable 6-cylinder option.  Plus the fact that I don't particularly like the idea getting a loan again for a new car having cleared the debt for the old one.

 

318i has a tiny engine and is equivalent to an E90 320i.. You have a 325i which is a much larger engine and the reliability tends to be generally better. Also since you have owned a BMW previously, you probably learnt some lessons from E46 know how to take care of your E90 now.

 

I understsand your financial standpoint. I have no comments with regards to that.

 

If you really like your E90, then I think it would be hard to find anything similar (sporty sedan, decent handling, RWD) except for a Mercedes. There aren't many 325i sedans around either. BUT spending 15~18K on repairs doesn't make sense at all too. I'd be looking to switch to a different type of car -- maybe a cabriolet or a SUV just for the experience if I had to fork out that kind of money.

 

F30 is a really nice car. It does ride a little soft... and for those coming from the E series, a suspension upgrade should fix. What I really like is the very nice and useable torque from the new turbo engine for our city drive and the ZF8 transmission... they are fantastic. Reliability is still a little bit of a question mark.

 

If you are going to fork out cash for COE + cash for repairs + forgo your OMV, at $100K cold hard cash, I think you do not need to take a loan to get a fairly new car.

Edited May 16, 2016 by Detach8

[Alvin01]

318i has a tiny engine and is equivalent to an E90 320i.. You have a 325i which is a much larger engine and the reliability tends to be generally better. Also since you have owned a BMW previously, you probably learnt some lessons from E46 know how to take care of your E90 now.

 

I understsand your financial standpoint. I have no comments with regards to that.

 

If you really like your E90, then I think it would be hard to find anything similar (sporty sedan, decent handling, RWD) except for a Mercedes. There aren't many 325i sedans around either. BUT spending 15~18K on repairs doesn't make sense at all too. I'd be looking to switch to a different type of car -- maybe a cabriolet or a SUV just for the experience if I had to fork out that kind of money.

 

F30 is a really nice car. It does ride a little soft... and for those coming from the E series, a suspension upgrade should fix. What I really like is the very nice and useable torque from the new turbo engine for our city drive and the ZF8 transmission... they are fantastic. Reliability is still a little bit of a question mark.

 

If you are going to fork out cash for COE + cash for repairs + forgo your OMV, at $100K cold hard cash, I think you do not need to take a loan to get a fairly new car.

 

Thanks, you give very sensible advice.

 

I will keep your comments in mind.

[Douglam]

Thanks for the reminder.

 

I accept that there are risks to holding on to an old car. The workshop didn't mention that there will be recurrent problems - it actually said that any faults can be made good but it is only a question of whether one deems it worthwhile spending the money.

 

The $14k depreciation is not for a new car but for an equivalent 7-8 year old 325.

 

Perhaps I should also ask in my original post if there is anyone out there driving a COE-renewed 325 what his experience is so far - someone who has been there and done that.

I think after a few advice that others have provided (against the idea), you have to realize what you are going after is a passion, and that is hard to put a value on it. And when it comes to passion, it's not always logical. :)

 

So if you really love the car and you are OK with the repair and maintenance costs and the hassle of downtimes, why not just go ahead? Life is short.

 

To find another used 325 that is less problematic, it really depends on luck. You might end up with one that is worse!

[_h_r_]

Should I renew my COE?

 

Hi everyone

 

I am currently driving an E90 325, having bought it second hand 3 1/2 years ago. The COE is expiring next month and I had intented to renew the COE as it's the best Bimmer I've ever owned.

 

I brought the car for an inspection at one of the recommended workshops a couple of weeks ago. It was not as favourable as I had hoped - the inspection showed issues with the engine and gearbox and I was advised to look for another car as it may not be economical to renew the COE.

 

A brief description of the couple of problems I have experienced with the car:-

1. On some occasions when I do a fast start from the lights, I hear a fast tapping sound from the engine followed by a huge plume of white smoke. The engine will vibrate and feel weak but it will revert to normal after I have turned it off and parked the car for a while.
2. On some occasions when I drop gears to execute a fast overtaking move, I hear a "crunching of the gears", followed by a loss of power and a "coughing" and "asthmatic" engine. Again, the car recovers after a while.

On the advice of the workshop, I have started to look another used car - I've restricted my search to E90 325s as I really like this model. The trouble is there are not many 4-door units available for sale - an overwhelming majority are 325 coupes and convertibles. To date, I have not found one to my liking.

 

My intention is to find a car with 2-3 years of the COE remaining, with a view to renewing the COE. My question is: will I be faced with the same decision when the time comes to renew the COE? What is the likelihood that if I am able to find a good unit that it will not need an engine overhaul and gearbox rebuild if I want to drive it for a further 10 years? Or are the repairs unavoidable for any COE renewed 325?

 

Given the lack of available 325s in the market, the option remains for me to renew the COE on my current car having regard to the costs involved. In broad terms, the COE renewal for my current car will set me back in the region of $100k ($50k COE, $28k PARF lost, $15-18k for engine overhaul and gearbox rebuild) or $10k depreciation per year for the next 10 years. In comparison, a used 325 will have depreciation upwards of $14k per year.

 

I am not looking to buy new as they don't make BMWs like the E90s anymore, at least not in the price range I can afford.

 

Apologies for my lengthy post but I would really appreciate any comments or advice on this.

 

Best regards

 

Alvin

 

Mileage is more relevant than age. I had an E90 before and it was a nightmare because I drive ~30000 KM a year. On average, it was in the workshop once every month. Coolant leaks and engine oil leaks were the most common as there are many parts that are made of rubber that cause these leaks. Even if you replace 1 or 2 parts, the other parts start to fail. Window regulators and door actuators will also all eventually fail. Generally, continental cars are a lot less reliable than Japanese cars. I have driven Hondas and Toyotas up to 10 years old and they generally do not fail at all.

 

I know someone who changed his transmission fluid and filter for his E90 every 40000 KM, but the transmission still failed at 150000 KM. According to the BMW specialist mechanic, the head gasket will eventually fail at around 200000 KM and transmission at 150000 KM.

Edited May 16, 2016 by _h_r_

[Alvin01]

I think after a few advice that others have provided (against the idea), you have to realize what you are going after is a passion, and that is hard to put a value on it. And when it comes to passion, it's not always logical. :)

 

So if you really love the car and you are OK with the repair and maintenance costs and the hassle of downtimes, why not just go ahead? Life is short.

 

To find another used 325 that is less problematic, it really depends on luck. You might end up with one that is worse!

 

That sounds exactly like my heart talking.

 

The thing is my head won't let go and I think the bout will go on for few rounds yet.