BMW E46 General Maintenance+Things To Do After Purchase
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- Опубліковано 7 вер 2024
- MOST OF THE FLUIDS I MENTION APPLY TO NON - M MODELS!
Welcome to ShoplifeTV!
In this video I start with the fluids that should be changed, I talk about the cooling system, and give tips on which products you should use.
Link to the playlist with e46 tutorials I have on my channel
• E46/E39 Tutorials
Instagram: @ShopLifeTV
Music by Joakim Karud: / joakimkarud
Disclaimer: Not sponsored Disclaimer: The product links provided are often associated with an affiliate. When using any of the affiliate links I may get compensated for any products purchased using the link. This compensation does not affect my views on the product.
all these people down here complaining about how unreliable the e46 is and I'm just thinking about my dad's 400 thousand km e46 touring that took us everywhere and never had any issues
Andrei Buruntia mines bumping 280k miles and still hasn't missed a beat best used car I've bought
@@tadpolebordelon6504 E46 goals! just got my cooling system serviced. 134K miles.
Part of it is a difference in definitions. Some people consider it a reliable car f you don't have to do any maintenance and it lasts forever. Other people thing reliable means if you do the preventative maintenance and it then lasts a long time. I assume your dad did oil changes and regular maintenance, not just drive it.
Same goes for me. By far the most reliable car I've ever driven
my boy got one with 371K
People crack me up. One doesn't buy an old BMW because they are cheap and need little-to-no maintenance. You buy them because you love them, you like working on your car, and you know that properly running, there is no better driving experience. If you don't want to work on or maintain your bimmer, go buy a Honda, stay out of e46 forums, and Stan from a distance.
Is it worth it if you're not mechanically inclined but willing to pay a mechanic to keep it maintained ?
CityKids I wouldn’t consider myself mechanically inclined either but.. I love my car, driving it and taking care of it, and that alone has lead me to appreciate my car and fix it myself whenever possible. Just some UA-cam on a Saturday and it’s extremely satisfying and rewarding.
I’ve alone replaced :
Rims, Brakes, Lights ( Rear, Front ), Antenna, Spark Plugs, Coilovers, Brake Pads, Rotors, Air Filter, Fuel Pump, Convertible Latches....
And I’m not mechanically inclined, at all.
So you can totally do it, but if you want to pay someone and have the money, mazel tov.
@@SFCityKids no... buying anything thats used and you have no clue how to fix it is not worth it because 9/10 times something will go bad almost instantly after the purchase or has already at the point of change and thats why previous owner is selling it.
don't know, i bought it cause it is cheap for 1.8 k spent 800 on fixing, and have no problems with it now. And I am not a car guy at all
That’s why I got an Accord. Still digging that pre-facelift 330i though...
If you do all of this work by yourself, and buy the parts online you can do all of that for a pretty low price! You guys have no idea how much I’ve saved doing all the preventative maintenance and maintenance by myself on my BMW E39... and these cars are pretty simple and straight forward to work on, but you have to enjoy this stuff to which I do. These model year Beamers are very nice and reliable if you maintain them and are a pleasure to own and drive, nothing like driving these ultimate driving machines
For sure i be telling ppl bmw are reliable the older ones if you take care of it like yo wife look after here and replace main shit early
I did everything he did about few months ago even the bushings and the ball joints and it costed me around a good 650$
But the 650$ is worth it asf because I still have no problem with the car and I do the basic maintenance such as the liquids, spark plugs and oil
@@gaz.7887Nice man! Yeah $650 is nothing compared to what the stealership would’ve charged you, probably somewhere close to $2,000. Also just a tip for anyone experiencing misfires or rough idling, it’s most likely your spark plugs and or ignition coils for these vehicles. I just replaced my second set of spark plugs and coils, the coils seem to last you anywhere between 30-40K miles. Car drives like new now, super easy and cheap job to do.
Summary of video : replace everything 😂
what I was thinking
Or dont buy a bmw😂
do it all
Gavin Stoll yes, then live and drive happy !
Well, you can buy a car and leave it until it breaks, it can take one year, two ... you never know, if you replace the necessary stuff immediately after you buy the car, you know, that it is new and can't break. Another thing is that the oil + filters + other stuff from the video should be done when you buy EVERY used car.
Also bear in mind, that the video was uploaded in 2016 ... these days the average age of e46 is approximately 14 years! Last year when BMW was manufacturing this model is 2005, so you expect all the parts will be in 100% condition? I don't think so. The important thing is, that the engines are reliable and well made, especially R6's are amazing.
Have you thought about doing a quick vid about tools every e46 owner should have?
Chance Bogner great suggestion
Good idea!!
This
Step one, own a garage
Facts bmw is specific tools
I was literally taking notes on this video, my car came with no maintenance records and I am basically replacing all of these items mentioned in this video. Great Help Jason. Take care
Good luck man, message me on instagram @ShopLifeTV if you have any questions
Luis Hernandez im did the same im looking to buy a 2004 330xi and its has 178k and im pretty sure it would be a smart idea to do all this that was mentioned in the video to bring the monster back to life.
What's the condition of the car now?
hey luis, do you still have that car? how was it ?
How much did this end up costing you if you dont mind me asking???? I wanna do this for my e46 and im curious
get this.. i bought my 2000 328Ci for $400 Cdn with 150k on it back in 2012 and basically pampered it and maintained every fluid it needs changed and now i have 250k on it and still runs like a charm.. BMW are great when owners are good. it helps too when you it's ok to get grease on your sleeve from time to time to avoid expensive labors... Thanks Jason to all your DIY bimmer videos coz they help a lot ! i'm planning on keeping this 2000 bimmer until 2025 to say it's been well taken cared for.. Cheers =)
Aldwin Cabangon mine has 1500k already
Still going in good shape?
you mean 4000 right not 400
Do you still have the Beamer
@@saulrado6527 just sold it recently... 😁... Ment ro keep it until 2025 but 2024 is good enough...
Initial estimate is about $1,200 in parts/fluids that he recommended assuming a mix of genuine BMW and off-brand items. If you go pure BMW parts then it will be at least 50% more. If you replace the radiator, that is an extra few hundred also (again dependent on off-brand vs BMW). Really not bad considering that can get you another 100k miles, I might add on the subframe reinforcement though.
I watched this video roughly 18 months ago when I got my 325i. It was in a minor front end accident, smashed headlight, bumper, and a very slight bend to the engine frame rail. Took it to a body shop and we put it on a rack and straightened it back out properly. The expansion tank was pushed into the front of the engine so it smashed all the pulleys behind it, replaced all of that, complete cooling system rebuild, thermostat, radiator, water pump, all the hoses, fresh fluids, everything. Then came a mistake on my part, it didn't have wipers on it, just the metal handles, and I wasn't paying attention one day and they were up for some reason, and when I opened the bonnet, they smashed the windscreen, so that got replaced as well, new bumper and headlight, and I'm finally ready to fire her up, dead alternator lmfao I didn't mention, I'm from Trinidad and there is no such thing as fast shipping to here, so there's a few months of nothing happening, just waiting for parts in this story, and the alternator took the longest to get here, 3 months just waiting for it, and it was expensive af, roughly 800usd after shipping and taxes.
Finally, after more than a year of nothing, I installed all the new parts, fresh fluids, bled the cooling system, car doesn't want to start, dead fuel pump. Got a new one locally at stupid expense, roughly $400usd, car starts but won't idle. IAC was clogged up, blasted it with 2 cans of carb cleaner and it was as good as new, reinstalled everything and put in a brand new MAF as well, car started right up and idles smooth as silk, like unbelievably smooth for how much headaches it gave me to get to that point.
Home stretch right? Wrong. It's overheating if it runs for more than 15 min. In fixing the front end, I had accidentally vented the AC refrigerant, so the AC was empty. Little did I know at the time, if your AC isn't properly charged, your electric fan will NOT turn on, regardless of whether or not you are overheating, which is baffling logic, but apparently that's the way it is. So I recharged the AC system and boom, the fan kicks on immediately. So that's the overheating problem solved right? Wrong. So I'm thinking it has to be air in the system, so I jack up the left side of the car and I fully bleed the cooling system and took it for a drive, still overheating.
I'm noticing the electric fan isn't running all the time, and the car is overheating, the fan is turned on by a signal from the coolant temperature sensor on the lower radiator hose, so I'm thinking that must not be working properly, so I buy a new one and replace the old one, which looked like it went through hell. Took her for a drive, still overheating, this shit makes no sense. I'm starting to suspect a headgasket leak. So I got a spill proof funnel, filled up the coolant and watched for bubbles, and fuck my whole life, it's constantly bubbling. (This is an example of why this is not a foolproof test for a headgasket leak and I was just scaring myself, I did not in fact have a blown headgasket or a lifted head) So I'm thinking I'm screwed, so I'm just constantly rethinking everything that happened, trying to puzzle everything out, and I kept coming to the same conclusion, but I really didn't want to believe it could be that.
So even on the highway, it still overheats, if you're smart, you figured it out already. I couldn't believe it would be that, because I put a brand new one in, but those are the symptoms of a stuck closed thermostat. Not wanting to believe the obvious conclusion, I decided to test it, the thermostat is supposed to open at 95c, so it should pop right open in a pot of boiling water, and even after 15 minutes in the boiling water, that brand new Mahle thermostat never budged.
Fresh thermostat (A Premium lmfao I got it locally and I was impatient so I just bought it) installed a little over a week ago and the car is running perfectly, zero issues whatsoever, *knock on wood* UA-cam decided to randomly recommend me this video again for some reason so i thought I'd drop by and say thanks, your videos have really helped me a lot in my journey with this car, without you and others here on youtube, I don't know if I'd have ever gotten this car fixed, and for sure not as inexpensively as it ended up being. The maintenance parts really aren't that expensive and everything in this car is actually fairly straightforward to work on, and the car drives really nice, it doesn't have the most power in the world but it's still nice, definitely worth saving and keeping around.
Good advice. This is most of everything I did w/my used BMW, fluid and cooling are the must do. You can chase down the oil leaks when they appear.
I bought my self 330 ci clubsport on 160 th miles 3 years ago,used it daily now 179 th miles , I only change the engine oil ,service and tyres since I bought it , never have a problem, car still pull like a beast.
For markets with Diesel versions (318d and 320d) you eventually will have to replace the turbo. Intake manifold is advised to either remove flaps or add stronger ones, replace injector tips if the car is "smoking" and with excessive consumption and check dual mass flywheel for manual gearbox models as this can be a costly repair (flywheel + clutch disk).
Excellent advice @ShopLifeTV! For others, if you don't love fixing your own car, and you are not a competent DIYer, never buy a used BMW. They're fun to drive, easy to work on and rewarding engineering masterpieces.
Thank you. Your channel is a necessary staple in my E46 ownership. I appreciate you so much.
Glad to help! Thanks for supporting!
I can't stress enough your point on checking the DISA valve. I replaced my MAF sensor, both 02 sensors, and intake boot before I realized that the flap on the inside was cracked. Rough idle solved after the DISA was changed.
Very nice vid thanks! I like your approach regarding preventive work, its just common sense. Just got my first ever BMW, E46 323ci. 185,000 miles. $200!!. Virtually nothing has been done to it other than basic servicing, just! But she runs very sweetly! Making the parts shopping list now!
Mark Davis 200? wow
blown out Yep helped that it was my brothers! BMWs are pretty cheap in the UK. It’s common for them to be taken to Mainland EU for track cars or for breaking for parts.
Your advice is very beneficial. I love the old BMW's. I used to have an E46 and now have a E90 and E39 and did everything you mentioned before I put the car on the road. One thing though, I don't recommend that transmission fluid for automatic GM cars. I would still to the BMW transmission fluid made for GM transmission.
I put Dex3 conventional fluid in, myself
Yo bro I just got my 3rd e46. I have also a 2000 328i with 302,000 miles looks great rides and runs great. But I just paid $7599 for an 02 e46 325i with 33,000 miles on it and I'm beautiful shape inside and out!
Yeah bruh my E30 M3 has 713,000 miles on it. Rides like a dream! Workhorse engine.
@@jakeblack2487 wtf 700k
That’s crazy I’m looking to get one friday
@@jakeblack2487 damn 700k?? My 04 330xi rubs like a champ at 222k thought it would die soon .. Good news to know they last long
Happy to see you mention other fluids such as diff fluids. I feel like a lot of people just forget about anything besides oil and wiper fluid… or well maybe spare coolant with these
Thanks for the video. I have done most of these repairs that you mention on my 2003 330i that I purchased in 2012. You are not kidding about the vacuum line, I had a hose that was deep in the engine that was pinched and causing me problems. Once replaced, however, everything was back to normal. More videos, please!
recently torn 330 apart, rings, bearings, exhaust valve guides, at 200k km's
finally the oil burning is gone ;)
How much was it?
I have to admit this young lad knows what he's talking about. I'm a a big e36 coupe vert enthusiast. But I also have a s54b32 vert, the last 1 of the production line. Fully loaded.
nice job with the tips on maintenance of fluids.
also don't forget that the power steering reservoir tends to leak so it's good to replace it and the hoses when doing the oil filter housing gasket
+BarberKid Most of the time, you can just replace the factory clamp at the power steering reservoir with an adjustable clamp (Oetiker) and it will stop the leaks. The rubber gets soft and compressed a little and begins to leak. There is also an over flow hole in the cap. ATF will get hot and drained down the side of the reservoir making it look like a leak. The hoses may leak because ATF will slowly eat them but is usually they get soft and restrict flow and you can get a squealing noise from the pump due to cavitation,
+BarberKid Exactly what MrCuckoobox said, and the reservoir does have a built in filter so it would be a good idea to replace that and the hoses if they are very soft.
I got a great deal on an e46 recently. 190000km, full service history. Previous owner brought from a used car dealer in 2014. Since 2014 she had only driven the car 5500km and in the time she wasn't driving it, it stayed serviced, garaged and cleaned. Auto transmission, cream leather, no woodgrain 320ci. 2.2L i6
I always keep coming back to this video, your channel combined with e46fanatics really helped me out. I'm on my 3rd e46 right now
Dexon , worth it? I’m on my first e46 328i with over 280,000km. Love the car though! The inline 6 feels solid compared to the Subaru’s I’ve owned.
@@dayandnight2115 just bought my E46 330i a few days ago, 214km's on it, water pump and oil pan are leaking but other than that it runs perfectly
The people from BMW must love this guy....All he does is talk you out of buying one!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please keep at it with these videos! Very informative and immeasurable value in addition to reading forum posts
Very informative and spot on to new comers. I've had two e46's myself and love them both. They're great cars IF you take care of them!
Just bought a 2003 330i, only two things really wrong with it was valve cover gasket and evap system. Both replaced from seller before purchase! Think pulleys may be bad because it whines but great reliable car other than that and picks up real good.
I bought a northern e46. 328i. I had to literally replace everything from wheel bearings, inner and outer tie rods, sway bar bushings and links, calipers, rotors, pads. Needed alignment and wheels balanced. Valve cover gasket/grommets, washer fluid pump, it needs new struts, plugs. Coil packs where fine. Much more to come I’m sure.
Man, your videos have been such an amazing help to me. I've got to know a lot more about my E46 thanks to your videos. Thanks for doing an awesome job!
Thanks a lot for making this vid man, I think this will help a lot of us to get our cars straight. I'm sure that I am going to be referencing this vid a lot over the next few weeks
Thanks for sharing this video. I am in the process of getting all of this done . I have a 2000 323i
Absolutely great tutorial !!! Keep doing that great work with the E46 model. Great car and many people would appreciate to see tutorials and greatful infos. Thanks
Just got my e46 for 4K with 110000km or 68000m really happy on the purchase super great condition
Man all your videos are so in-depth, I appreciate all your content
Subbed. Nice stuff. Still have my 2000 323i with 106k miles and in excellent physical and working condition. Still turns heads
Couple of things to point out. The oil viscosity really depends on your climate and do u have a diesel or petrol car. U should switch every filter in your car, defenetly the diesel filter if u have diesel one. Automatic transmission should have filter replaced and ALL the oil change. Thats more then one can
I recently picked up a nice 2002 silver 318i SE e46 here in the UK for £1200, only 98k miles too. The dealership included a free service and MOT, these cars here go for good prices
Fuel filter, Ive had my e46 since new and I've changed it 2 times going on the third I have a 192,500 miles and done basically everything else. And with the more miles I usual do 5w40 and one 15w50 depending on where and how I'm driving that little bit helps a lot
I recently bought a 325i 99,000 miles I’ve been watching your channel I learned quite a bit. Subscribed. FYI he’s not lying change the whole cooling system if not you’ll be stuck like chuck waiting for a tow truck. 250.00. Stupid tax.
Don't forget to change fuel pump also... It's cheap $150 for the original (VDO) and easy to do yourself it's right under the back seat on the passenger side
this channel > JR garage
love how you actually talk and explain things to your viewers rather than just show us 3 of same porsche 944's....
oh one has an ls swap. so cool. so fast. sike.
idk if im weird but i really like the beginning and end watching the car drive. its just such a good looking model. reasons i love my baby but hate the maintenance
Just bought 2005 tourer 2.5 Ltd 325i water pump went within weeks turns out was electric pump much dearer than expected, warranty covered it but agree change them before they go. This one has only done 83,00'miles or 133,575k
Good video thanks
replace water pump and t-stat every 60k and all belts, all pulleys and tensioners and fan clutch on auto trans model every 80k, auto trans fluid 60k and 30k if you drive in stop and go city driving, use valvoline max life trans fluid from walmart, red jug . power steering reservoir has a filter built inside so it should be replaced every 80k and put the maxlife trans fluid from walmart in the power steering. change engine oil and filter every 3 to 5 k, depending on how you drive city or highway to keep engine seals and gaskets soft, and keep timing chain well lubed. seals in the vanos from leaking. 5w30 or 5w40 full synthetic oil. 0w40 may be fine for europe, or minnesota maine wyoming, may be to thin for texas arizona florida, australia hot climates. all vacuum hoses replaced, every 10years. radiator and hoses should be replaced every 100kmiles. one piece of info you need to know. donot let the engine run hot or overheated. if your temp gauge starts going past the halfway mark theres something wrong , get it checked out. if your e46 overheats stop driving and have it towed do not keep going, it will ruin the engine.
Good info especially about the engine running hot. But honestly lots of the advice depends on where the car has lived. A 14 year old California car generally is much different than one that experiences harsh winters with salt or extreme heat of south west. Just small examples but it does vary the wear and tear especially on plastic and rubber parts.
ive always wanted an e46, but in the US, they just had hella miles. found one in tokyo 4 months ago: 2000 320i with 31k kilometers on it, 21k miles. so it doesnt need much of the stuff you mentioned. had to replace the rotted intake duct, which was creating a massive vacuum leak and causing it to stall. i also had to replace both cam position sensors. ive driven it 10k kilos in 4 months, way about the 7k kilos which is the japanese yearly average. what a steal that car is. and i only paid 120,000 yen, around 1100 bucks. the only problem is, parts are uber expensive here in japan. belts, pulleys, thermostat and housing in Japan is about 1200 bucks. got them at oemimmer.com for 200 bucks, shipping is 30 bucks. oh, one of the window regulators in the back went out since i got it. but i was expecting that. i heard that window regulators fail regularly in the e46s.
Congrats on the e46! Fix it up and keep on top of maintenance!
Great video and thank you for posting. Recently just purchased an 03 325i, and with the mechanical background I have, plan to do everything myself. The fluids you went over helped a lot with choosing which to go with, only thing I've had trouble finding is the Pentosin MTF2, the advanced near me didn't have it so I'll just have to order it online. Ran an OBDII scanner on the thing and pulled some codes like P0313, P0171, P0174, P0491, and P0492. Since I pulled these and going over your video I plan to do the vacuum and Cooling systems immediately before using the car. Also got some OEM NGK plugs for the thing and a few various other things I plan to put in. Hope to use some of your other DIY vids to my advantage here. Thanks again!
I just did all these in 2024 on a 323i very helpful stuff here
Thanks so much man , always giving great tips and information that saves all of us lots of money. When ever you get the time you should post about the common areas of oil leaks on e46's. Thanks again bro!
+Randy Sorto No problem man, and definitely will have a video of common oil and vacuum leaks as well as suspension basics.
You're a lifesaver, thank you for this video. I'm about to buy myself a 3.0 diesel :D
multiestonian Still got it? :)
just did the cooling system refresh. heat works really well now! Thermostat was stuck open and the engine would not stay warn in the deep winter at speed. #cold. going to do fluids next spring or if I get a warm day here. Did oil a couple months ago. #frozennorth
its videos like this that prove i truly bought more than i could handle😂
You are my hero. Thankyou in keeping my 325xi now
i'd also add a new engine temp sensor when doing the cooling system. it's cheap and easy fix while you're already in there.
Things to when you get your pre facelift e46 step 1. Hit a speed bump as hard as you can to test the rear subframe
Loving these videos.. Brand New to the e46 family highly recommended
Basically replace everything, got it 👍🏼
First thing i had to fix on my e46 was my thermostat, i havent gone to the extent of what was said tho. then again i just found this channel.
As long as you stay on top of the maintenance the car will treat you very well and should not leave you stranded. Message me on Instagram @ShopLifeTV if you have any questions. Enjoy the car!
Lil tip from when I had an e46 coupe. If you double press the unlock button an straight away open drivers door the window will roll down so you can get in the car easier if some douche has parked too close to you ;-
a aluminium expansion tank and aluminium cooling parts would be nice so they never need replacing lol
I feel like I'm one of the luckiest people in the world every time I here somebody say what they paid for there car, I paid £300 for my e46 with 96000 miles on the clock!
1497lilboy wow that's a deal
You paid too much for an automotive turd, pure ttash. Get a Lexus
I paid £600 for my 1999 323i it only had 3 owners in the last 20 years it has full BMW service history up to 118k miles and it is on 126k now the car is spotless the last owner had it for 15 years
just bought a E46 and leave in the Caribbean but it's working ok for now but we'll change all the stuff thanks bro
Would you be able to do a tutorial on how to replace the cooling system?
I was going to comment about the CCV delete, but you got it dude! Great video! Thank you 👍🏽
Knock on wood, I got my m52 e46 like a year and a half ago. Bought the car knowing it needed a clutch so I replaced that and an alternator eventually and that’s basically it. I daily and drift it best car I’ve owned
Good vlog. Just bought a 05 330xi. Want to do the maintenance. Was well maintained as a fleet car. Want to figure out what to do to get the most out of it without changing it to much. It's automatic but that's ok in west L.A. traffic. Thanks for the vlogs though.
This is why you ask for receipts and service history when you buy it. You can get a feel from the seller, if he/she doesn’t know or care much about the car and none of The aforementioned info isn’t available, be like this guy and assume it hasn’t been done for 5 years
2001 E46 for $750...sheared off upper bolt on alternator side belt tensioner..gonna be an easy fix. Wouldn't have bought the car if I hadn't watched your videos. Subscribe to this channel...best wishes
You have great helpful videos. I have a E46 2000 323ci. All the best
Hey Jason! I recently bought an e46 for myself and wheat ahead and ordered everything for the cooling system. Thanks for the tips! I'm going to attempt a DIY so let's see how this goes.
Also, do you think you could get a video up for another common e46 failure? Window Regulators lol
Haha the regulators do go out way too often. I suggest buying replacements from FCPEuro because of their lifetime warranty. Will make a video on this when mine go out. Thanks for watching man!
I have done almost everything you talked about except the manifolds removal and vacuum line..I have a 2001 330 ci convertible with 128 thousand manual trans I have no issues. When should I do the vanos seals…and the clutch both have given me no issues
What do you recommend. ? I would have someone do the clutch..do I wait for problems
PS a thankyou for what you do you have helped me
Just replace the engine with a new one it's cheaper.
Mad Scientistsami word.
still need oil for the new engine....
When you think about it.....Yes, just buy a low milage engine if the bodies good and job done. 😁
How much is a new engine
Do you really think it is cheaper to do that? Just got a 2004 in amazing shape with 97k. Well maintained. Garage kept. I know of the common problems. Seems like if the E46 wasn’t regularly serviced, or even if so, it’s a gamble.
I bought a e46 back in April of 2018, and it wasn't till 8 months later that I got it running. My total went for 7.5k. And just last week, the rack and pinion snapped while removing a tie rod
Thanks Jason, your tips are very helpful ! Bravo to you
very informative video, thanks...I just got a 325xi, love her but work is being done
Thanks for all the videos you make . You sure make your viewers feel like the belong. I am a UA-camr and I am subscribed. Ryan
If the clutch fan is the least bit loose Change It while you're changing the water pump. If it let's loose $$$$$$.
Nice. Thanks!
Was just putting together a todo list to refresh my ZHP.
Just discovered this and im so happy to have found it, nice info
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback
As a 2 yr bmw e46 330i it comes handy to see what could be potentialy a repair and how to donit myself
“You can get a e46 for 3-4000$” lol I paid 900$ for my 330xi and ran and drove, just needed serpentine belts, which he had new, has 234k as well..
I'm buying a 325 ci convertable nxt week am I gonna need to do all this it has dne 116k miles full services runs smoothly
Thanks so much!!! I love my 2002 325ci and this is a fantastic video and helps a lot!
Great video! I'm about to pull the trigger on a 100k mile E46. Had a thorough PPI done by a reputable German indy shop. The guy there told me he would buy this car (which is a good sign lol). I have basic wrenching experience but nothing too crazy, brakes, exhaust, air-box, spark plugs etc... am I going to regret this being my first summer toy I "maintain myself" ? lol
dude same boat! got a clean 328i but i'm terrible at wrenching so we'll see lol
Some comments.
Oil filters&Oil
All E46 models do not use same oil filter.
For oil my recommendation goes for 5W-40 oils when we are speaking about M54 or M52/TU engines. Any good quality full synthetic will do job fine.
Power steering fluids
There is also E46 models with CHF 11S powersteering fluid which is yellow. In my country E46 was sold CHF11S fluids in.
There is green sticker in power steering fluid reservoir which says chf 11s only. So you should not ever use ATF in CHF system. Or CHF in ATF. simple.
Valve cover gasket
When you have valve cover off for gasket replacement, it is already half way done for vanos seal replacement. Again ,easy job and lot of benefits. Cannot really recommend enough. Worn seals will cause all kind of problems and lack of low end torque.
Good comments and tips. You should always use the fluids that are recommended in your users manual or on top of the fluid containers in your car. Vanos seals are also very important to do. Thanks again for the comments!
Like he said Coolant system overhaul i repeat Coolant system overhaul!! This will save you BIG money in the long run for owning a E46!!
one upgrade u need to consider, replacing or retrofitting projectors in the headlight unit if there not already fitted as standard. my god just done my headlights & there a million times better then halogen bulbs... next it's main beam & fogs
Where can I buy the xenon headlights? I have a 2003 320I but it only has the halogen bulb headlights, also will it cause any warning lights on the dash?
+Oscar Storey online, Amazon , eBay, some local car parts shops etc, some advertise as BMW specific "canbus ready etc" I've avoided these especially the high price tag went for 50-55watt?!? HID bulbs & not the lower power type. then bought the projector units separately... depending where u buy from u could save money & buy as a complete package.
no I've had zero bulb warnings show up, I've had HID's on my Bmw for over a yr now
just make sure u buy the same bulb size as ur Bmw is originally fitted, my 04 has H7 on all front lights (main + headlights)fitting the projector unit I found easy enough to leave the headlight units inplace... only needing to remove the air filter & washer bottle from the engine bay to gain better rear access
it's dead easy to do & is millions of times better then basic/normal bulbs
Applying this to my e39 😎
Yes, people can find these used cars at very affordable prices because, as they age, their original owners don't want to spend more and more money in maintaining these cars. This is especially true if they are not do-it-yourselfers and rely on the dealership.
Great vid! Would love to see a vid or a series of vids doing this maintenance!
Hey dude would it be possible to add a list in the description of all the things needed for both the manual and the auto versions? It would help :P
+Augustus V I will do so when I get a chance. Thanks for watching!
+ShopLifeTV Thanks a lot man!
picked up an e46 328i 4 door...
20" rims and only 170,000 kms. $1000 and it runs ;D hahahaha needs a service though, helpful video for all the maintenance I need to do
Alex From Ajays update?
I bought my 2004 E46 Coupe recently from a childhood friend. He did all the maintenance regularly, every single year, and there is a record about it in one of the books. So basically he was maintained really good. But when i bought it and went to the mechanic, to do all the things you mentioned in the first step, he said "There is a recommendation by BMW to not change the transmission fluids" and it literally says that when you open all the covers underneath the car. It says "Lifetime oil" something like that.
I also didn't change oil in the differential, cause he said it shouldn't be the problem...
About the differential i will change it next summer, but what about the oil in transmission? Should i not listen to the BMW engineers? Gotta mention it again, my close friend really did all the maintenance regularly, cause he is a "car and Bmw fanatic".
Ik this dude wont read this but if you have the same question, yea replace the transmission fluid, BMW basically said that the fluid lasts forever (it doesn’t) and so after 100k its a must preferably before
@@Personal_CMA i have read it, thank you. Yes i changed it long ago and nothing bad happened. Thanks anyway
What I don't understand is why would you put a very light oil into a high mileage car. Normally brand new cars, straight from factory would run 0w40 to break them in a little bit, surely for an e46 with high mileage 5w40 or 10w40 would be better than 0w40.
Just The Video I Needed ! Thank You Bro !
in my country the standart e46 still cost about 8000$/9000$
I bought on me from the second owner for 2500 and he had everything maintained
1800€ - 5000€ in Slovakia
in germany an e46 330ci cabriolet costs arround 8000€
gentil79 well road legal is realy not the highest standard right? xD
1500-2500 eur in Lithuania
*I used Pentosin NF and distilled water to top off my coolant, works great also*
Yessir, the pentosin should be available at almost all auto parts stores, the BMW coolant is still cheaper though.
That expansion tank to transmission oil cooler doesn't break you have to pull the clip I'm done it so many times and it never broke I keep seeing people saying that it breaks
If you're not able to judge what's bad do all these. If you are able to judge you can skip half of these and do them later. A lot of that stuff isn't necessary if you're able to figure out what's good and what's bad around the car. Going round and just replacing everything is the safest, but definitely not the best way to go about it. All fluids must be changed along with the brakes (pads and rotors if necessary), but when it comes to just about everything else if it's not on it's way use it. Except the cooler tank and hoses take care of that immediately plastic cracks like crazy on these things.
Should I replace the car as well?