things about E36's, funny but true!

m44

Hey, gotta tell you i love the E36 body style! it's classier than any model since! that's one fine looking car - at least in the coupe or convertible. My first BMW was a used '96 318is - never had a problem with it. then i couldn't pass up the deal of a lifetime. for $20K, i bought one of the last E36s made - 1999 - same year they started building the E46. bought it (convertible) from my wife's 75-year old uncle who had it for 4 yrs - and put just 6000 miles on it and kept it in the garage! obviously, my first concern was that seals might be brittle and some things may need replacing but everything was OK. however, i did nearly shed a tear when i saw some deep scratches practically thru the clear coat on the hood and asked him about them - he had taken an SOS pad to it to remove some dried on bugs! couldn't buff them out so they're still there but not that noticeable unless you look close; silver paint hides them pretty well. but hey, i basically had a new car! popped for a hard top and some summer wheels as well. i now have 72,000 miles on it and have had no problems at all - but i do maintain it. only major item in the last 5 years i've had it has been to replace worn rotors a few months ago, but that's it.

Originally Posted by bobby515

wow i just turned it my o6 lease car..after all that posted knowed problem's. i better get a toyota. i really like this 96 328ci conv 82k. but??????it it worth it..??????? you have created dougt.
bob

ive got a 92 e 36 with almost 200000 miles and havent had that many problems haha.

and i push my car hard everywhere and do about 1200 miles a month

AHHAh man great post!!some of those things i have to check out with my mechanic bc they seem to be happening

How come this issue is not on the list?

- Your door panels will start bubbling, plastic rivets will go bad, it is just a matter of time when next time you try to close your door, the whole panel will come right off.

Originally Posted by e36unleashed

How come this issue is not on the list?

- Your door panels will start bubbling, plastic rivets will go bad, it is just a matter of time when next time you try to close your door, the whole panel will come right off.

What about being branded a yuppie!?

I am a victim to the gas cap one. I had just replaced the oxygen sensor and then the check engine light comes on again! A trip to the dealer and $93 later they tell me about the gas cap...

Amazing. Just bought a BMW and thats really great to know.

Originally Posted by e36unleashed

How come this issue is not on the list?

- Your door panels will start bubbling, plastic rivets will go bad, it is just a matter of time when next time you try to close your door, the whole panel will come right off.

+1 on the door panel bubbling..

Agreed on the door paneling. The week after I got mine it I couldn't even get out the driver's side door because all the clips had broken and I couldn't engage the gear in the panel. Dealership fixed it for free, had no problems since with the exception of it being generally loose and the handle rivet falling off every other day

the whole list is so intersting but is it all really true i can hardly believe

The button under the shift knob, on automatics, stops working or looses it tension after 100K.

Originally Posted by bobby515

wow i just turned it my o6 lease car..after all that posted knowed problem's. i better get a toyota. i really like this 96 328ci conv 82k. but??????it it worth it..??????? you have created dougt.
bob

So did you end up going with the BMW? Didn't mention earlier, but I just switched from Toyota to BMW. If you care about performance and elegance of the lines and overall manufacture, go with the bimmer. Toyotas are still great, hold a place in my heart, but lets face it -- they have just as many issues, and to me the pro's don't really outweigh the con's when deciding btwn a 'Yota and a BMW.

Originally Posted by e36unleashed

How come this issue is not on the list?

- Your door panels will start bubbling, plastic rivets will go bad, it is just a matter of time when next time you try to close your door, the whole panel will come right off.

+1. Pain in the rear. Ulcer-inducer. But fixable! Not a major failure, like "prone to spontaneously combust." That would worry me.

34000 view

Good post!
What about the driver side window which goes half way up and then half way down ...
It should have been a part of this too..

The backlight for the odometer will burn out on the way to the dealer for service @~ 80k miles.

The onboard trip computer/check status display will always say you have a burned out tail light if you are driving a convertible with the top up and the headlights on.

The segments on the onboard trip computer/check status display will individually burn out in a random pattern at no discernible intervals - eventually causing you to totally ignore it.

Never date anyone who does not know what an idiot light is - your repair bill will be frequent and large.

The BMW Business Radio cassette player will fail within 1 month of buying an XM radio for the car that uses a cassette adaptor.

Your convertible rear window will split, rip, and tear as you pull into a high pressure car wash.

+1 for the torque wrench and Bentley manual
+1 gas cap / check engine light

Reading this thread is such a deterrent to buying a BMW!! Everyone I know has always thought of Bimmers as being the epitemy of well manufactured, reliable cars.... Maybe they just like Australia's climate more

Originally Posted by scoopy_loopy

Reading this thread is such a deterrent to buying a BMW!! Everyone I know has always thought of Bimmers as being the epitemy of well manufactured, reliable cars.... Maybe they just like Australia's climate more

All cars have issues and with as many people as are on this forum, we are bound to come up with just about every issue the cars have. Also, remember these cars are between 9 and 18 years old now. They are still the ultimate driving machine, yet there are things that need attention.

BTW, I love my car and always will. I'd rather fix my BMW that drive anything new from Ford, GM, or Dodge...

amen lol

i love my e36 because bmws have tighter tolerances than american and japanese cars

so is that why english people call everyone "nobjockeys?"

haha. this is a priceless list of things and they are so true lol.... i had like half those problems.

Don't forget... the yellow corner lights look like crap and the clear ones look awesome

and...

definitely paint your side skirts the same color as the car if they came in black.

Originally Posted by 98bimmer318

so is that why english people call everyone "nobjockeys?"

lol.

Relevance?

haha, im on my first e36, and yea, you put alot of money into it, but you just cant help it, just an fyi, never ever add up all your receipts, you'll want to shoot yourself, and yea, my orig pump lasted 104k but now the starter is going, so is the cvv, already did the driveshaft, yea, you can say i love my car lol