Things you wish you had noticed before buying your M

[m3f_firedancer414]

What are the biggest things that you whiffed on when buying your M? I was really focused on big mechanical issues when I was buying my car and totally missed a few things. I guess some of them are cosmetic but now that I own the car they drive me nuts.


For me, it's the front of my car. Lots of scratches + rock chips that go deeper than the clear coat and some really bad swirl marks. The car was missing the underpanel when I bought it (it came up during the PPI), and I didn't think much of it. However, when I had the headlights off this weekend, I noticed that both fenderliners, the brake ducts, etc. were all hanging on by a thread.


Anyone have other major things? Airbag lights and check control problems that didn't really mean a whole lot to you when you were a newb? Missing pieces or functions? Embarrassing stories?

[m3f_Zoomzoom951]

actually buying an e36.

[m3f_Roland H]

The car.


Should have started with an E30 or my 2002. Would be club racing by now.

[m3f_fitchesbass]

When I bought the old E36 I was happy for it to have problems because I was trying to haggle a good price and I knew I could fix things myself as a poor college student.


I bought my original car which needed lots of help including having crack windshield and headlight. It had 125k miles when I bought it in 2003 which for then was a lot of miles.


It all depends on what your buying the car for. If you are mechanically inept than, yeah, find the right car with the mechanical stuff taken car of.

[m3f_M3cosmos95]

that it had backwards facing directional tires

[m3f_Porschetech]

the engine

[m3f_12v]

The Vaders... I don't know who the hell could possibly destroy vaders the way mine were. They are better now, but I wish my front seats were in better shape.

[m3f_Herbert]

Rear wheel bearing and cel. I drove the car for over an hour before I bought it, got about 20min down the highway and the CEL came on, still haven't got it fixed. The wheel bearing was thought by me to be just some brake rub (new breaks), and BMW Roswell didn't have any mention of it when I talked to them about the new subframe bushings that I was told was done, but the RTABs were what was done - that dealer is inept.

[m3f_salty]

the engine

I thought it would rev out like an M car should. I also noticed that my left arm was wanting some padding on the door arm rest.

[m3f_das borgen]

Rear wheel bearing and cel. I drove the car for over an hour before I bought it, got about 20min down the highway and the CEL came on, still haven't got it fixed. The wheel bearing was thought by me to be just some brake rub (new breaks), and BMW Roswell didn't have any mention of it when I talked to them about the new subframe bushings that I was told was done, but the RTABs were what was done - that dealer is inept.

great half-ass job of spelling there. You were halfway there with your talk of brakes

[m3f_Aaron 4.6]

Mine had a number of little items that added up.



1. Had to rewire the power mirrors.

2. Replace lots of broken door card clips

3. Replace transmission selector switch due to massive Coke spill (I think that's what was in there)

4. Replace passenger seat occupancy sensor.

5. Failed OEM subwoofer



And in the course of the first 6 months of ownership:



6. discovered radiator leak at end-tank when doing fan delete mod.

7. Had to un-do fan delete mod when AUX fan failed.

8. Discovered fan clutch had failed once I re-installed the manual fan.

9. New fans all around.

10. Inspection II

11. Lot of time chasing CEL for Large EVAP leak which the previous owner knew about and chose not to disclose. Grr.

12. Tires.

[m3f_das borgen]

I wish I had noticed ....................well nothing actually


I don t regret a single thing about my purchase at all. There were no surprises at all for me. If anyhing "bad" I wish I had known the waterpump was replaced not long before getting my car. But I got some money for it from a local pastor who had his 325i's pump blow up on him


sorry to disappoint you guys


((


Aaron, you didn t notice any of numbers 1-5 when you got the car?

[m3f_Zoomzoom951]

I thought it would rev out like an M car should. I also noticed that my left arm was wanting some padding on the door arm rest.

YES! I just remembered how much this bothers me, espeacially on a hot summer day.

[m3f_Aaron 4.6]

Aaron, you didn't notice any of numbers 1-5 when you got the car?

Bleh. Not really. I never thought to check the mirrors. They were more or less in the right spot on the test drive. That was a no cost repair, at least. I knew the tranny switch felt a little squishy/wonky but it correctly selected sport mode. Not until later did I realize that it wouldn't re-select economy mode. The door cards and subwoofer fell into the category of 'didn't know what to expect'. The cards seemed a little wiggly and I had no feel of how much bass I should or should not be getting out of the stereo.



The airbag light, however, was hard to miss.



To be fair, I was committed to buying this car. The paint was 100%, with new leather and a new top. Short of windowing the block on my test drive or suffering catastrophic electrical problems it wouldn;t have affected my decision. It was just a PITA.

[m3f_M3n00b]

The black spot in the gauge cluster is pretty much the only thing I missed....due to it being daytime.