buying a used bmw e46 320i from second owner

[lavert]

am lukin at buying a used bmw e46 320i from a second owner and this will be my first car, what do i need to check on the car beside the normal paperwork? plz help :rollsmile:

 

[Spiro]

take the VIN, go to BMW and check the Motorplan history on the Car... that will be a baseline start... then you can get a more clear picture when you judge with milage and wear on the car...

 

[moranor@axis]

is it facelift for pre facelift? i would stay away from pre FL on this car as the engine is weak as well as the rear subframe issue...

the FL comes with a 2.2l and the body is way less prone to subframe rips

 

[Bavs108]

Check for a tamper dot next to the odometer reading. It gets illuminated when the mileage has been tampered with. Check if the car was serviced on time. On the service history check for items that were were replaced prematurely that would suggest the car was driven hard like brake pads, disks, clutch etc. Although this is unlikely on a 320i. Check for abnormal smoke coming from the exhaust. Check if the wear on the interior is indicative of the mileage and the obvious one, check the alignment of body panels or signs of respray that would suggest accident damage. Good luck:thumbs:

 

[lavert]

:ty:

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is it facelift for pre facelift? i would stay away from pre FL on this car as the engine is weak as well as the rear subframe issue...

the FL comes with a 2.2l and the body is way less prone to subframe rips

am lukin at a facelift model

 

[RAArmstrong]

Very nice first car bud! Good luck!! :thumbs:

 

[moranor@axis]

get the history and if thats right and the car feels nice then get it