Advice pls on used 320d

[Cadencoetsee]

Hi All. I’m thinking of buying my first car. I have found a bmw 320d 2011 with 250000 km and full service history by agents. Seems to be well loved. No work has been done on the engine yet so I’m wondering what parts I will or may have to replace quite soon ? Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks Caden 18.

 

[MR_Y]

As a first car, I would recommend something Japanese, manual, 4-cylinders and naturally aspirated.
320d E90s are brilliant cars, but not as a first car - especially if you are paying for maintenance yourself.

 

[SubLoaded]

Suspension is probably wrecked and costs quite a penny to refresh. Then comes the other potential issues or things to attend to...

 

[Kyle]

They are great cars, however as with any BMW... "normal" service history just isn't enough. It just depends on what the current owner has done in terms of maintenance.

 

[Cadencoetsee]

Thanks so much for all the replies? I do however have my heart set on a BMW and my dad has agreed to aid the cost to help me with that maintenance thankfully. Besides the suspension, can your advise me on any other issues that may come about? And also, do you guys have any idea of the rough cost of a new suspension? Once again thanks for your time!

 

[Kyle]

Thanks so much for all the replies? I do however have my heart set on a BMW and my dad has agreed to aid the cost to help me with that maintenance thankfully. Besides the suspension, can your advise me on any other issues that may come about? And also, do you guys have any idea of the rough cost of a new suspension? Once again thanks for your time!

I would suggest taking the car to a reputable shop for a full checkup and take it from there, having said that a safe amount to set aside is R20k.

With regards to mechanical reliability the 2011 320d will have the N47T engine which is said to be more reliable than the older ones. I would suggest doing an oil change immediately after getting the car since BMW don't do this nearly regularly enough during the standard service intervals.

 

[tman]

What's your budget

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[Captain_Stealth]

250000km is a lot of KM

Great car I would look for something with less mileage

 

[Cadencoetsee]

What's your budget

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Thanks so much for the reply? Around R125000

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Captain_Stealth250000km is a lot of KM

Great car I would look for something with less mileage

thanks so much for the advice??

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Thanks so much for all the replies? I do however have my heart set on a BMW and my dad has agreed to aid the cost to help me with that maintenance thankfully. Besides the suspension, can your advise me on any other issues that may come about? And also, do you guys have any idea of the rough cost of a new suspension? Once again thanks for your time!

I would suggest taking the car to a reputable shop for a full checkup and take it from there, having said that a safe amount to set aside is R20k.

With regards to mechanical reliability the 2011 320d will have the N47T engine which is said to be more reliable than the older ones. I would suggest doing an oil change immediately after getting the car since BMW don't do this nearly regularly enough during the standard service intervals.

Wow, that was an amazing response!! Thanks so much? I will definitely look into that!

 

[Captain_Stealth]

Have you considered looking at a 120d E87 or E82. They are in that price range for a nice one


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[Salt]

I believe in waiting for the right time and not forcing something. I know you really want a BMW - and so did I for a long time but I had to wait till the time was right. Buying one now just because you want one is not necessarily the right time. When one has to compromise on things like price and mileage in order to get what you want often that tells me its not the right time. Buying your first premium brand car with 250 000km on is not the best idea in my opinion. I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news but is what it is. And just cause your dad agrees to help pay doesn't mean that is your safety net. Rather get something with better mileage and a later year and wait till the time is right. Good things comes to those who wait has often never rang more true to me than in these types of situations. I could be completely wrong and you could be buying the diamond in the rough but its a risk I won't take.

 

[momo1]

Nothing wrong with your first car being a BMW and especially the 320d as they are solid cars, at that mileage youl want to study the service records properly and see if the vibration damper pulley has been done, oil services were regular, and if its an auto the gearbox oil service has to been done as that would be a pre requisite at +/- 150,000km, this would be a big ticket item if gearbox fails, youl also need to budget around +/-20k if the suspension parts if weren't changed, Control arms and tie rod ends are about R6000 , a new set of shocks depending on the make is also about 10k+.

 

[SubLoaded]

Thanks so much for all the replies? I do however have my heart set on a BMW and my dad has agreed to aid the cost to help me with that maintenance thankfully. Besides the suspension, can your advise me on any other issues that may come about? And also, do you guys have any idea of the rough cost of a new suspension? Once again thanks for your time!

Take your dad's money and invest it. Buy a shit box, and drive it until you can get a BMW, that will not break the bank... And if it breaks the bank, then you have investment funds to repair it. Win-Win. Don't be a fool as stated above in many other words.

Good luck with your search.

 

[sash]

IF your heart is set on a BMW, worst case scenario could be
Damper pulley and associated belts
Boost pipe seals
Intercooler clean/replacement
Turbo service
DPF clogged
Front suspension refresh
Shocks replacement
Battery replacement
Cooling system work (radiator, coolant, thermostats, water pump)
EGR clean/replacement
vacuum pipes replacement
gearbox service (overhaul if wear is past a certain point)

Now i doubt everything will need to be done in one go, or that everything will need to be done soon after purchase, but as they guys have mentioned, it is worth knowing which (if any) of the above have been done and at what mileage.

 

[henriZA]

Think of how, 2 years from now you have a 320d, you spent R28000 on repairs, it now has 294000kms and you still need to spend another R17000 to get it at least sufficiently enjoyably drivable. You'll feel kak for having to ask your dad for money, you'll try to sell it but all you will get are low-ball offers. Which are 100% fair for the condition it's in. Then you'll think back to this post and know, I should've waited a little bit.

I'm with Subloaded.

 

[TurboLlew]

Don't buy this car.

Apart from the advice above on preventative and deferred maintenance there are other basic maintenance items that are going to add up as well. Fuel is only one element of being cheap to run. These are only reliable if properly maintained... and many are not. People have very creative definitions of "well maintained"... you will end up hating BMWs getting something like this as your first car IMHO.

If it had 100000 less km then different story. You are gonna hear from the diesel brigade about how reliable their car is after 300000km... which may well be true, but they also acquired these cars at far lower mileage and put them on proper maintenance regimens long before 200000km. This puts you in a position to then tackle eg suspension refreshes, various preventative maintenance items, gearbox and diff services etc in a phased way as opposed to you buying a lucky packet of timebombs... You buying a car at 250000km and someone nursing a car to 350000km having owned it for almost its whole life are two totally different things.

 

[MR_Y]

Tell us your budget and we can recommend alternatives

 

[THass]

Good day

Also need some advice on my 320D. 2018 model.

I am struggling to transfer music from USB. I just cannot find the option. I did a software update recently.

Has anyone had the same issue?

 

[AshG108]

Good day

Also need some advice on my 320D. 2018 model.

I am struggling to transfer music from USB. I just cannot find the option. I did a software update recently.

Has anyone had the same issue?

Hi there bud,

I suggest you start your own thread, you will be sure to get more responses rather. Right now, it will be overlooked by most in this thread.

 

[THass]

Thanks very much