What to look for in buying a 01/02 M3

Going through all the forums I have kinda gathered alot of info about the things that may potentially be wrong with the E46. I am well aware of the rod bearing issue and will be looking for build dates between oct 01- feb 02. Anyway i am looking for a 01/02 M3, and being used I am just trying to get some ideas on what i need to expecially look out for in a used m3.

Any enthusiasts know any things to look out for?

Originally Posted by jluo458

Going through all the forums I have kinda gathered alot of info about the things that may potentially be wrong with the E46. I am well aware of the rod bearing issue and will be looking for build dates between oct 01- feb 02. Anyway i am looking for a 01/02 M3, and being used I am just trying to get some ideas on what i need to expecially look out for in a used m3.

Any enthusiasts know any things to look out for?

Have you seen the new "service action" letter? The actual span of build dates for which BMW is doing bearing replacements is actually much broader than this. Moreover, with the new service action, I wouldn't necessarily exclude the build dates you mention.

Originally Posted by jluo458

Going through all the forums I have kinda gathered alot of info about the things that may potentially be wrong with the E46. I am well aware of the rod bearing issue and will be looking for build dates between oct 01- feb 02. Anyway i am looking for a 01/02 M3, and being used I am just trying to get some ideas on what i need to expecially look out for in a used m3.

Any enthusiasts know any things to look out for?

Personally... the first thing I would look for in any potential 01/02 used M3 to buy is its service record at the dealer. I would not even pay attention to what the seller could tell me about the car until I see it from an authorized dealer in paper, that all the required recalls, TSB's, all the necessary service has been performed and documented. There are too many critical engine and overall mechanical issues all the way to the 03's that it is not funny anymore.

What do you think would be the reason behind a 01 m3 with about 13k miles showing up for sale at a dealership? On one hand I begin to think that the origional owner loved his car but I can't help thinking that the situation is a little awkward since you can find many 01's with about 45k miles on it for the same price.

Yea, service records is something that I would def look for in any pre owned car. But I am so close to getting a used M3, all this mechanical problems are starting to scare me, but i can't help to think that these issues would be just the same with any other car brand.

I purchased an 02 M3 back in May. I've been to the dealer for 5 separate warranty issues in that time, including the bearing replacement. I personally would not buy one unless it has a large part of the warranty left on it. Since you are looking at older M3's I highly recommend purchasing a certified preowned car from a BMW dealership. That way you get the 6yr/100k CPO warranty. Also, even though it is a CPO car, I still recommend having an independent BMW service center perform a used car check out. The quality of the CPO inspection varies greatly from dealer to dealer. Hope this helps.