E36 328i maintenance

[Powerhouse71]

Hi everyone

I'm new here and I'm not at all familiar with the use of this forum, however I see it fit to register or subscribe here. I'm a student and I want to have an e36 328i manual as my first car in the near future. I ran this past my brother and a friend of his who's a mechanic said I should stay away from old Beamers as they are very high maintenance and are not easy on your pocket, he also mentioned that I would most likely regret buying a beamer because of such issues. I really love the 328i and somehow the mechanic's comments made me think twice. Is it really expensive to maintain a old beamer? If so please let me know of how much one can expect to pay for a service and any other maintenance costs.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Gizmo]

Use the search button, this has been discussed many times before. E36 328i is one of the most popular cars among enthusiasts as they are known for their reliability. Maintaining one is cheap too compared to a modern BMW.

 

[danieljames]

Buying a car is easy. Regular maintenance on any car can become expensive. Take your time and find a good one. Do a bit more research on common problems. Call a few spares shops and get prices. Doing work on the car yourself will save you loads. Regular maintenance and using decent parts will give you many miles of happy motoring. I have a 95 325I as a daily.....And sometimes some expensive things do creep up.

And it'll obviously be cheaper to have a 1300 tazz......But honestly.....which would you rather live with?

If you're buying a Beemer the assumption is that you enjoy the experience of driving.... climbing into my e36 is an occasion every time. I drive hard for myself, not anyone else.....And man.....Do I love my exhaust.

Only thing that really hits my pocket is buying 7 litres of oil every 10 000 kms.(haha)

Take care of your car and she'll take care of you.

At the end of the day....the decision will always be your own.

Good luck and welcome to the forum


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[Gizmo]

For a student who doesn't earn money, its not the car to have. Once you have a job, then get a BMW.

 

[Budleigh]

Depends what your budget is, doesn't it?

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[Straight six]

@Powerhouse

there's a e36 325i Cab for sale on the forum

Its been sold by SPLINT (who so happens to sell the cleanest cars out there)

So you would getting something that will treat you well for the next few years..

With a BMW ...Keep her cooled and oiled properly...she will serve you well

 

[revred]

I agree with gizmo,

As a student I think you should get something that is cheaper to maintain and run. The fuel consumption is also is an issue (on a student budget).

My advise is to go for a new a car with a small capacity engine that is less than 2l. Like a corsa, polo, yaris, runx etc

I know its boring but you should rather save up for something special when you start working

 

[moranor@axis]

it really depends on how much of a petrol head you are?

If you have extra money for fuel and maintenance an e36 is a perfect 1st car for a petrol head then it will be worth the extra money spent

 

[Donovan2412]

it really depends on how much of a petrol head you are?

If you have extra money for fuel and maintenance an e36 is a perfect 1st car for a petrol head then it will be worth the extra money spent

+1

When searching for my first car I too considered a Polo or similar.

So glad I chose E36 :rollsmile:

 

[Woodies]

it really depends on how much of a petrol head you are?

If you have extra money for fuel and maintenance an e36 is a perfect 1st car for a petrol head then it will be worth the extra money spent

+1

When searching for my first car I too considered a Polo or similar.

So glad I chose E36 :rollsmile:

Blerry good advice! My e36 was my 2nd car. But in my student days I couldn't afford jack, so my trusty escort served my well. If you can afford it and are prepared to spend a bit more of fuel you get a lot more car in the beemer.

 

[Powerhouse71]

Paying for fuel n a bit of maintenance from time to time isn't much of an issue. I've got a mk2 1800 carb golf waiting for me at home n I want something way better, I really love the e36 328i in particular. I should be buying it by June and I'm really looking forward to it. Thanks for the advice guys . I'm still looking for one that's in good condition n fairly priced , I must say Its quite difficult to find a manual transmission one, most really well looked after ones are autos.

---

Quick question, how's the e36 328i's fuel consumption compared to the e46 328I n 330i?

 

[Gizmo]

E46 is way better on fuel in comparison to e36.

 

[flyhid]

328 consumption in traffic....

F


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[Donovan2412]

328 consumption in traffic....

F


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That's pretty decent actually.

 

[flyhid]

328 No traffic and it drop...
This is driving at 120km on the highway.

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[M3_devil]

Around town I get bwt 9 and 11 l/100km. All depends on my mood:cartel:

On long road at 120 to 140 she averages around 7.8 l/100km.

 

[444YYY]

328 consumption in traffic....

F


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+1
I get the same.

Probably from 320i to 328i the consumption is the same.. might as well have the 328i. Maintence on all 6 cyclinder will be the same too!

---

Flyhid, is that consumption for a 328 cabriolet? If so, it's very impressive, considering the weight and aerodynamic (softop) disadvantage.

My consumption figures are for a 328 sedan..

 

[Powerhouse71]

I was test driving a e36 328i manual a few days ago n noticed that it didn't have cruise control, however when I check online there's quite a lot of Auto e36 328Is with a cruise control. Did Bmw at the time only reserve that particular feature for Autos only?

 

[Gizmo]

Cruise control was an option at the time. Most auto buyers selected that option.
If you have all the bits needed then you can add cruise control, plug and play. I have added cruise control to a few e36s already. Even Ettiene's 318is had a cruise control retrofit done by me.

 

[flyhid]

328 consumption in traffic....

F


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+1
I get the same.

Probably from 320i to 328i the consumption is the same.. might as well have the 328i. Maintence on all 6 cyclinder will be the same too!

---

Flyhid, is that consumption for a 328 cabriolet? If so, it's very impressive, considering the weight and aerodynamic (softop) disadvantage.

My consumption figures are for a 328 sedan..

---

Hi

Yes this is on the convertible .



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