How Hard Is It To Do Repairs On A Bmw 3 Series

BMW 3-series 2006-2011: N52 vs N54 engines, problems, pros and cons

Updated: February 01, 2022

Not many cars can match the style and driving feel of the BMW 3-series. It'due south a small sporty car with a strong engine riding on a classic rear-bike bulldoze platform. The fifth-generation 3-serial comes as a rear- or all-wheel drive sedan (E90), wagon (E92), coupe (E92) or a rear-wheel drive-merely convertible (E93).

2007 BMW three-series interior.

All torso styles are available with a transmission transmission. The 3-serial interior is sporty-tight and nicely-finished. Forepart seats are very comfortable on long trips. Crash-test ratings are pretty practiced. Overall, it's a well-built motorcar, but ownership costs could be expensive. Is this a good reason to pass on this ultimate driving motorcar? Which engine is more reliable? Permit'due south look closely.

Model line-up: For the 2006 model year, the U.S. three-serial line-up consisted of the 325i and performance-oriented 330i sedan and wagon; the coupe and the convertible carried over from the previous generation (E46). For 2007, the 325i and 330i were replaced by 328i and twin-turbo 335i and a fifth-generation coupe and convertible were added. The 335d turbo-diesel was added for 2009. Read too: Pros and cons of ownership a auto with a Turbocharger.

N52 Engine: The North-American 323 (Canada only), 325, 328 and 330 models come with the N52 inline-vi DOHC engine. The Canadian 323i has the 2.5L version (N52B25), while the 325i, 328i and 330i models come up with dissimilar versions of the 3.0L N52B30 engine (UL, M1 and OL respectively).

The N52 is a lightweight high-tech motor with four valves per cylinder, variable intake valve lift and variable timing. Its aluminum cylinder cake is incased into a magnesium beat. It comes with hollow camshafts and an electric h2o pump. This engine has a maintenance-free timing chain; there is no timing belt. Overall information technology's a solid performer.

2007 BMW 3-series inline-6 N52 engine.

The deviation in horsepower between models is achieved by unlike compression ratio, intake manifold design and calculator tuning. The 2006 BMW 325i (215 hp) and the 2007-2011 BMW 328i (230 hp) have a unmarried-stage intake, while the 2006 BMW 330i (255 hp) comes a the iii-stage DISA intake manifold. Does this mean that you can add more than power to 325i or 328i by upgrading to a 3-phase intake and re-flashing the engine computer? Read more below.

N54 Engine: The 306-hp 3.0L direct-injected inline-half dozen DOHC N54 powers the loftier-performance BMW 335i for 2007-2010 model years.

BMW N54 twin-turbo engine. Photo: BMW

The N54 has a pair of pocket-size low-heave (8.8 psi) turbocharges, each powered by three cylinders (123 and 456).
Fuel is injected direct into cylinders by high-force per unit area piezo fuel injectors. Due to its complex design, the N54 could be expensive to maintain when out of warranty, but it has a lot more power. The stock 335i tin can accelerate from 0 to sixty mph in effectually 5 seconds. Read also: Pros and cons of buying a car with Direct Injection.

Fuel Economic system: The diesel fuel-powered 335d is very fuel-efficient (36 mpg or half dozen.v Fifty/100 km on the highway for the 2009, 2010 model) and tin can go up to 435 miles to a tank, withal, it's rare on the used car market. The two most mutual U.South. models, the 328i and 335i (2010 model year) get eighteen/28 and 17/26 mpg urban center/highway respectively on premium gasoline.

Issues: The electronic steering lock is one of the trouble areas mostly in the 2006 and some 2007 models. Initially the yellow or red steering lock warning light might come on and the steering lock tin accept some time to unlock intermittently. Eventually, the lock machinery may fail completely, preventing the car from starting. BMW's recommended repair involves replacement of the steering column, which could be costly ($i,200-$1,500). Plenty of repair information is bachelor online. Some owners reported that reprogramming solved the issue. Try googling ELV E90 repair.

Faulty frazzle-side hydraulic valve lifters (HVA) can cause a ticking noise afterwards the engine is warmed up in some 2006-2008 models with the N52 engine. Some owners reported the noise temporarily disappeared after a long highway drive or switching to a different blazon of engine oil. As per 1 of the BMW service bulletins (SIB), the 12 exhaust side lifters must be replaced with updated parts ($one,200-$2,000 repair). In some cases the cylinder head besides had to be replaced to completely resolve the trouble. This mail service provides some more info. Some owners choose to live with the trouble rather than spend coin on repairs.

2009 BMW 3-series sedan. Photo: BMW

A failed electric h2o pump tin crusade overheating. Some other symptom could be the radiator fan staying on at high speed for a long time. This repair should be done as before long as possible, as overheating can cause more than engine problems down the road. Usually a thermostat is recommended to be replaced along with the h2o pump. The repair could cost from $800 for a water pump only to $1200-$1800 with the thermostat.

Oil leaks are very mutual. The virtually often reported source is the valve cover gasket ($550-700), and the oil filter housing gasket ($370-$600). Transmission pan and the connector sleeve may leak too.

A failed ignition coil may cause the engine to misfire and run rough. Ignition coil replacement is not very expensive. If the spark plugs oasis't been replaced in a while, it might be a good idea to supervene upon the spark plugs too.

In the N54 engine, the high force per unit area fuel pump is a commonly mentioned problem. Symptoms include long get-go (long creepo), reduced engine power and Service Engine Soon lite. Even so, there was a recall in 2010 and according to some sources, the warranty has been extended. Read this post. This page on BMW United states of america website allows you to check for recalls. Issues with turbochargers and wastegates are mentioned often.

Sticky door handles are frequently mentioned. Some owners study that sticky door handles can exist resolved by lubricating them. Spotter this video.

A failing blower fan motor tin produce a squeaking noise. Some owners were able to go rid of the problem by lubricating the motor bearings, just in many cases the heater fan motor had to be replaced ($550-650). It's not a very difficult chore. Here is the thread at E90post.com

A diddled fuse can cause the power lock function to stop working, although in many cases, it could be caused by a failing door lock actuator that will demand to exist replaced. See too: How to test a fuse in a car. Read this thread for more info.

Other issues include faulty VANOS solenoids, leaking headlight washer jets, cracked rubber cooling system hoses and suspension bushings, faulty window regulators.

2022 BMW Frozen Black Edition M3 Coupe. One of only 20 sold in the U.S. Photo: BMW.

BMW M3: For the 2006, the E46 M3 carried over. The 4-th generation E9x M3 became available for 2008, as a sedan, coupe or convertible. The M3 has rear-bike drive and comes with a naturally-aspirated 414-hp 4.0L V8 S65 engine. The 0 to sixty mph time is around 4.v seconds. The M3 comes with a vi-speed manual or 7-speed dual clutch automatic transmission.
Information technology might be difficult to notice a used M3 in an "old-lady-driven" status and it won't be cheap: at the time nosotros did our research for this review, the average toll in the U.South. for a 5-year onetime M3 was around $39,000.

How well does the used 3-series BMW concur its value?

BMW depreciation chart

We accept researched U.Due south. prices and information technology looks like the biggest drop in the value of the 3-series BMW happens in the commencement four years of ownership (see the chart). This means that you volition lose less money in depreciation if y'all buy a iv-5 year old or older Bimmer. While the new BMW iii-series MSRP is in the $xl,000-50,000 range, an average retail price for a 9-twelvemonth erstwhile used vehicle is around $eleven,600.

Pros: Styling, excellent handling, comfortable ride, strong engine, rich interior, status-based maintenance residual, diverseness of available mods and enthusiast back up, plenty of owner forums and exercise-it-yourself information.

Cons: Requires premium gasoline, expensive to maintain, potentially-costly problems, tight interior space, run-apartment tires, no spare tire.

Overall: It'southward no surreptitious that a used BMW will exist more expensive to maintain than a Honda or Toyota, which ways you have to have spare greenbacks available. Buying an aftermarket extended warranty with proficient coverage is an option. The twin-turbo 335i volition demand more than expensive repairs in the long run, while the 2009-plus 328i is a more sensible choice. Every bit of February 2022 Consumer Reports rates the 2006-2011 iii-serial poorly for reliability, more often than not for engine and cooling system problems. A repair shop that specializes in BMW is your all-time option for servicing. If you like working on your car, finding DIY information won't exist a problem, thanks to many BMW enthusiasts.

Overall, the 3-serial is an first-class automobile to drive. If you know what to expect and are ready to deal with potentially expensive repairs, at that place is no other reason why they should be overlooked. We strongly recommend having the vehicle inspected by an independent dealer or BMW specialist before buy. After an inspection, enquire a mechanic what problems to expect in the hereafter.

Related reviews:
Honda Accord 2008-2012 review
Used Toyota Camry 2007-2011 review
Used Mazda half-dozen 2009-2013 review
Acura TL 2004-2008 review

What to look for when buying a used BMW 3-series: Check the service history if available. Has the steering column already been replaced? Any repairs to hydraulic valve lifters? Were the oil changes done regularly? Has the auto been severely overheated? Avoid if yes. When inspecting the car on the lot: Whatsoever signs of an blow repairs? Do all the door handles, locks, windows, wipers work? Any alert lights? Any alarm low-cal has to be properly diagnosed and repaired before purchase, not but reset.
Is there burnt oil scent in the engine compartment (this is unremarkably a sign of oil leaks).
During a examination-drive: In the N52, the ticking racket at idle could be caused past a faulty lifter. In the N54, watch out for noisy turbochargers and wastegate rattles. There are several YouTube videos that demonstrate various types of noises. Test the manual shift mode of the automatic transmission, some owners report a problem with the tranny that prevents it from going into manual shift. Read more than: Signs of problems to watch out for when test driving a used car.
Before buying, have the motorcar inspected by an contained BMW specialist or a dealer.

3-stage intake upgrade for the 325/328: This thread at E90Post provides a summary. This mail describes the upgrade process and the results. This upgrade won't exist cheap, but the results are interesting.

Run-flat tires vs conventional: The advantage of the Run-Flat tires is that they can be driven temporarily at express speed even without pressure. Yet, cars equipped with run-flat tires take no spare tire. In that location is an ongoing debate on run-flat vs. conventional tires, with many BMW owners lament near the rough and noisy ride and replacement cost of run-flats. Some owners chose to switch to conventional tires. This post describes a clever mode to store the spare tire and the jack in the trunk. The run-flat tires can exist recognized by a snail-similar symbol.

Maintenance: According to the 2008 3-series owner's manual, the iii-series requires High Functioning Synthetic Oil; 5W-thirty or 5W-40, depending on climatic conditions. BMW doesn't specify oil modify intervals; instead, the Condition Based Service (CBS) shows current and time to come maintenance requirements on the Service Interval Display. There is a disagreement about whether to stick to CBS oil modify intervals (around fifteen,000 miles for E90) or have the oil changes done more often. Some owners prefer changing oil at 7,500-10,000 miles, which seems more reasonable at higher mileage, especially because that 2022 and newer BMW switched to 10,000-mile CBS intervals. In the N54 as in any turbocharged engine, oil is subjected to higher temperatures and degrades even faster.
BMW engines are known for oil consumption, which means the oil may need to be topped up once in a while. For this reason, it might be a good idea to go on a spare bottle of engine oil in the car.

BMW United states of america Owners - download an electronic copy of the owner'south transmission and check for rubber recalls (VIN - number required)
BMW Service and Warranty Books - download Service and Warranty Guide. It includes maintenance requirements for items not covered in CBS (spark plugs, oxygen sensor, automatic transmission fluid, etc.).

How Hard Is It To Do Repairs On A Bmw 3 Series,

Source: https://www.samarins.com/reviews/bmw-3-series.html

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