What to look out for when buying a E46 BMW 320I 2.2ltr 125kw AUTO

[Kamikazi]

Howzit Guys,

New to this forum...

I am in the process of looking for a car for my wife. I have been looking for the E46 320i 2.2ltr 125kw spec in auto. I have a viewing today for one 2002 model with 71,000 kms mileage fsh - what are the things to look out for when inspecting this car?

:ty: in advance

 

[DXXL]

Hey man

I had an 03 model. By 90 000kms, the vanos system had to be replaced. That model has the double vanos system, and apparently quite prone to failure.

Second issue I had were the electric window mechanisms. Had to replace the rear window and drivers mechanisms a couple of times. I think this is more a general E46 issue as I had the same with a 325i M.

Other than that, the car ran smooth.

 

[Legacy]

"What to look out for when buying a E46 BMW 320I 2.2ltr 125kw AUTO?"

A 330i Auto :biglol:

 

[moranor@axis]

you should consider a larger engine for an auto it will be lighter on fuel...

Vanos is not such a big problem i have Beisan Systems repair kits that solve the trouble with the bmw parts...

 

[msm]

you should consider a larger engine for an auto it will be lighter on fuel...

+1

IMHO, the 2.2 engine with an Auto box is a bad combo. A manual is fine, but if you want auto, try to go for the 325i/330i.

The reason for this is that the 2.2 engine does not have enough low down torque. Hence, with the auto box, you end up rev'ving the sh!t out of the car to get going. In normal day-to-day driving conditions a 330i auto will probably be much lighter on fuel too.

 

[Kamikazi]

Howzit Gents,

I just test drove the car and it goes very smooth - I felt that the power is lacking though...felt like a 318i to be honest! So i'm thinking that the VANOS will most probably be need to be replaced.

Car is very mint though - How would i know if this is in fact a 2.2ltr 125kw because itr felt quite a few pony's short of 125kw :thumbdo:

@ Legacy :biglol:

---

How do I post pics of the car?

---

you should consider a larger engine for an auto it will be lighter on fuel...

+1

IMHO, the 2.2 engine with an Auto box is a bad combo. A manual is fine, but if you want auto, try to go for the 325i/330i.

The reason for this is that the 2.2 engine does not have enough low down torque. Hence, with the auto box, you end up rev'ving the sh!t out of the car to get going. In normal day-to-day driving conditions a 330i auto will probably be much lighter on fuel too.

thats exactly what i was doing stretching the gears to get her to come alive abit :biglol:

I initially wanted the 330d but i was really worried about maintenance and if like the turbo goes it will cost a fortune on repairs :nonono:

 

[msm]

How would i know if this is in fact a 2.2ltr 125kw because itr felt quite a few pony's short of 125kw :thumbdo:

With an auto box, you need an engine which produces more low down/mid range torque, not high end power .... use it, don't use it.

 

[Kamikazi]

How would i know if this is in fact a 2.2ltr 125kw because itr felt quite a few pony's short of 125kw :thumbdo:

With an auto box, you need an engine which produces more low down/mid range torque, not high end power .... use it, don't use it.

ok i'm with you. Any input/advice would be appreciated buddy.

How is maintenance on a 325i then? Would that be a better buy?

 

[msm]

How is maintenance on a 325i then? Would that be a better buy?

Maintenance between all the E46 6 cylinder petrol models is almost identical. 325i would be much better option, or if your budget can stretch to it, look for a 330i.

 

[Philip Foglar]

With the E46 in general - budget for lower control arm bushes and maybe one or two window mechanisms. Lots of aftermarket options so don't have to throw lots of money out at the agents. Things like power steering pump tends to get noisy, but flushing the fluid does help! Pre-tensioner pulleys become noisy after a while, but are cheap and relatively easy to replace.

My Wife has the same car but with the manual gearbox and loves it!! Her car has 165k km on the clock, 71k km is low mileage for the one you are looking at! The PCV had to be replaced and one of the coil packs was faulty and needed to be replaced. Valve cover gasket tends to leak after time on E46 I6 engines - must still replace this on my Wife's car. Coolant system is also a general weakness on E46's, so consider eventually having to replace the typical items, radiator, water pump, thermostat, expansion tanks and various pipes etc...

Not sure about the auto, but fuel consumption is pretty good - and my Wife does have a heavy foot. From what I have heard, these 2.2l I6 engines are really good overall and pretty bulletproof! But if you could, a 325i or 330i would obviously be better and even fuel consumption should be a bit better.

Best is to take it for a drive and see how you find it! :thumbs:

 

[moranor@axis]

the M54 Vanos referb is very easy and by far the most cost effective way to ensure your Vanos is working correctly...

Vanos seals
Vanos Rattle

 

[Sportpack]

And lets not forget the ever "reliable" water bottle (expansion tank) for the coolant system...heck...replace the whole coolant system asap. One other issue I had with mine was that the central locking would some times not unlock the car. I could use the key for the driver door, but the other doors were "deadlocked"... couldnt even open from the inside. My mech told me that it was a problem related to the GM5 module failing...and that module is not cheap for a relay switch

 

[SP33DYV]

Another common issue on the e46's, the final stage resistor. This thing can kill your battery overnight.:thumbdo: And it's a crap job to replace it.:yuck:

 

[m20boy]

Another common issue on the e46's, the final stage resistor. This thing can kill your battery overnight.:thumbdo: And it's a crap job to replace it.:yuck:

pls shed some light u got me worried:fencelook:

 

[Prev]

I have the 2002 E46 320 Individual auto for 8 years now - at the point of purchase she was all I could afford. She is doing 195000 odd km's and has been off m/plan for the last 4 years. From the time she has been off m/plan I have replaced power steering pump, water pump, control arms, shocks, alternator and 1 window mechanism. I still need to do vanos refurb and valve cover gaskets. Given the service and reliability of this car she is definitely good value for money imo.

Whilst it is not the quickest off the line, it is a great daily drive and still feels solid on the road. The e46 is a great looker even after 10 years. My daily commute to work and back home is 46 kms round trip with most of that being in traffic and I average 10.9 litres per 100 km's. On the open road she is an excellent cruiser.

It basically comes down to what you require the car for and what your affordability is.

 

[Legacy]

Another common issue on the e46's, the final stage resistor. This thing can kill your battery overnight.:thumbdo: And it's a crap job to replace it.:yuck:

pls shed some light u got me worried:fencelook:

The final stage resistor controls the flow of air from your aircon system to the cabin of the car. The older versions of the resistor was prone to failure and symptoms would include erratic flow of air, the air con does not turn on and when you turn the car off the fan would still blow air. The last one causes your batteries to die quickly and is also extremely irritating.

To fix this you need to install the later version or upgraded version of the FSR (also called the hedgehog resistor). The FSR is located in the drivers side footwell and is a female dog to remove but with some patience it can be DIY'ed in about 30 minutes.

The bottom one is the old failure prone one and the top one is the newer spec one. These new ones can be had for around R650 from Goldwagen.

 

[ASH]

Hey Kamikazi, good find to find an E46 with under 100000kms. Where the pics at btw? Is it a sport pack or exclusive?

I dont agree with some comments about the bigger engine. I drove all three models 320i, 325i and 330i and found the 320i not outdone by its more powerful siblings. The motor in this car is newer than the one in the 325i, and similar to the 330i engine, though smaller displacement, pistons and ecu, and has better responsiveness characteristics over the 325i, which I found a bit lazy. The 330i does have a higher average fuel usage in any circumstances.

If it is a sport pack, then the car will have a shorter rear axle ratio, which makes the acceleration a bit better of the line, unique to the sport/individual
E46s. To me the E46 320i is a good balanced buy, however one needs to take into account where the car is going to be used, if you are at the coast, then you will find the performance adequate, if you in JHB, then there will be a drop off in performance, but you will still outrun cars like the E90 320i. :thumbs:

 

[Philip Foglar]

Hey Kamikazi, good find to find an E46 with under 100000kms. Where the pics at btw? Is it a sport pack or exclusive?

I dont agree with some comments about the bigger engine. I drove all three models 320i, 325i and 330i and found the 320i not outdone by its more powerful siblings. The motor in this car is newer than the one in the 325i, and similar to the 330i engine, though smaller displacement, pistons and ecu, and has better responsiveness characteristics over the 325i, which I found a bit lazy. The 330i does have a higher average fuel usage in any circumstances.

If it is a sport pack, then the car will have a shorter rear axle ratio, which makes the acceleration a bit better of the line, unique to the sport/individual
E46s. To me the E46 320i is a good balanced buy, however one needs to take into account where the car is going to be used, if you are at the coast, then you will find the performance adequate, if you in JHB, then there will be a drop off in performance, but you will still outrun cars like the E90 320i. :thumbs:

Yep, thoroughly impressed with my Wife's car - very eager and balanced engine! Has a very nice overall characteristic and no slouch!!

 

[Tlvivo]

Hey Kamikazi, good find to find an E46 with under 100000kms. Where the pics at btw? Is it a sport pack or exclusive?

I dont agree with some comments about the bigger engine. I drove all three models 320i, 325i and 330i and found the 320i not outdone by its more powerful siblings. The motor in this car is newer than the one in the 325i, and similar to the 330i engine, though smaller displacement, pistons and ecu, and has better responsiveness characteristics over the 325i, which I found a bit lazy. The 330i does have a higher average fuel usage in any circumstances.

If it is a sport pack, then the car will have a shorter rear axle ratio, which makes the acceleration a bit better of the line, unique to the sport/individual
E46s. To me the E46 320i is a good balanced buy, however one needs to take into account where the car is going to be used, if you are at the coast, then you will find the performance adequate, if you in JHB, then there will be a drop off in performance, but you will still outrun cars like the E90 320i. :thumbs:

Spot On Ash!! My 2.2L 320i is auto has a 3.91 ratio diff, a loud a$$ custom exhaust and has some real voooma in it. It helps if you know how to drive it also - Sports Drive all the way... :joy: Of course it all depends on how the previous owner kept the car, most of the guys here have mentioned most of the common issues. Preventative maintenance is the way to go especially after 100k km's.

Good luck mate!