[Robplumm]

Hey guys...dropping in for some research help.

Part of the VW TDi stuff and will be selling my (well...wife's...) vehicle back later this year. She's always loved BMWs...and the 335D will be at the top of the list as a replacement.

See mostly 2011s out there...which will probably be the main target, but are there any particular issues with 09 or 10 vehicles?

Anything in particular to keep an eye out for?

Extended warranties I'm assuming would be a good pickup? Best place to price them?

Thanks ahead of time for any help I have a pretty good depth of knowledge in the Jeep world, but aside from marrying a German, my knowledge of BMWs is pretty shallow

 

[Ti317]

There are some things to consider. First is that the DEF system has been upgraded so make sure the metering module and tank have been replaced. Depending on your driving service and style, you may have to do walnut blasting of the intake manifold and head ports.
The NOX sensors may need to be changed at about $1400 dealer cost or $300 Rock Auto and DYI.

Now for the pro side:

Decent ride despite the runflats. Awesome torque makes highway cruising a blast as well as acceleration at higher speeds. Low revving engine makes highway speeds relaxing. Try 2100 rpm for 80 Mph speeds.

500 highway miles between fillups at prices 50-60 cents per gallon below premium gasoline and the fact that most diesels have been well tended and not thrashed to death by some 25 year old, make it a good value in my mind.

I love mine.

 

[Robplumm]

There are some things to consider. First is that the DEF system has been upgraded so make sure the metering module and tank have been replaced. Depending on your driving service and style, you may have to do walnut blasting of the intake manifold and head ports.
The NOX sensors may need to be changed at about $1400 dealer cost or $300 Rock Auto and DYI.

Now for the pro side:

Decent ride despite the runflats. Awesome torque makes highway cruising a blast as well as acceleration at higher speeds. Low revving engine makes highway speeds relaxing. Try 2100 rpm for 80 Mph speeds.

500 highway miles between fillups at prices 50-60 cents per gallon below premium gasoline and the fact that most diesels have been well tended and not thrashed to death by some 25 year old, make it a good value in my mind.

I love mine.

Was the def system a recall? And was it upgraded as part of a production year?

Guessing the walnut blast is to remove buildup?

The torque jumped out at me...I think I'm probably more excited than the wife about that. Will be a fun change from the Jetta And the Jetta TDI is a lot of fun to drive if you work the gears right (manual..).

 

[floydarogers]

Was the def system a recall? And was it upgraded as part of a production year?

Guessing the walnut blast is to remove buildup?

There's quite a bit of info in the diesel subforum (jump dropdown bottom right) on the 335d.

There is a lot of talk about "Carbon BuildUp" - CBU. However, it's not universal - I and others are over 100K miles without having problems. Nevertheless, a lot of guys want to remove the EGR - which isn't easy as it will set the SEL so you need a custom tune to pass emissions which means dealers really won't work on the car.

There is a term "ABC Delete", which refers to removing several emissions systems (which have acronyms/abbreviations, hence the generic "ABC"). You'll see that I don't advocate this, while many tuner types do.

The most troublesome system has been the DEF/SCR system. The germans believe that anything they design can't break. But the DEF tanks have so many things (pumps, sensors, etc.) in them that they do indeed need replacement. But they didn't design it for field replacement, which means a new $750+ tank to fix anything.

There was a recall in early 2011 that put in a new DDE (DME) program, new SCR valve, new EGR valve, etc. They should all be up to date at this point (although some people seem to ignore those notices...) There is no reason not to buy a 2009 or 2010 because of that recall. There were around 2500 2009 models, 3500 each 2010 and 2011 sold (total just over 10K), so they're a bit rare, especially in msport. Extended warranties are pricey; you probably won't be able to get a BMW one as they're mostly over 50K miles at this point.

An early 328d might be a better buy; still factory warranty. But of course it's not a hell-burner. Lots of TDI drivers buying them with their buyback; more money but it's also a nicer car and gets exceptional mileage.

Another place to look (especially if you're a tuner) is the diesel M57 subforum on e90post.

 

[Ti317]

I think the recall also involved the tank heater or some other subsystem. Mine was done as a recall and I see no reason they wouldn't all be covered.

I would not want a 328d but my last few cars have been a 540i, an Audi S4 and I still have an e46 330 manual with an Active Autowerk tune, exhaust system and suspension mods.

I am even thinking to do an ECU tune on my 335d to get up to and exceed 335i acceleration.

You may still be able to get a few cpo if you got to BMUSa.com and search nationwide for one.

 

[Robplumm]

Not going to quote that one . Thanks for the thorough reply. Will definitely peruse the diesel forum.

Being in VA with their inspection standards...yeah..don't see anything being deleted.

I figure there will be a run on these come November when buybacks start going out. Think I'm looking at 1 November turn in.

Buddy of mine said to focus on 11-13 models. Why I asked if there were issues with 09-10 ones. Seem to be some good deals on fairly low mile 09s.

Really no interest in the 328d...doesn't seem like enough gain for how much power you lose.

 

[Ti317]

Last year is 2011 model year with a few having in service dates in 2012. The prices on these are pretty competitive right now.
Try and I mean try to find a cpo model

 

[Thecastle]

Last year is 2011 model year with a few having in service dates in 2012. The prices on these are pretty competitive right now.
Try and I mean try to find a cpo model

I'm a current 335d owner. The reason why 2011s are the most common is that was their best selling year, more 2011s were sold than 2009 and 10s

These cars have a lot of mechanical trouble spots.
Carbon build up, common issue and nearly all cars sub come to it in the 50k-100k range. Cleaning has become routine, and is about 1500 most places, it's not as cheap as a gasoline car. This is a common issue on all modern egr diesels, yes the new 535ds have it too.

The dpf are fine, but there have been a lot of scr failures, and BMW has gone throug a lot of revisions on the tanks, and no they've not been replaced as part of a recall.
fortunate for emissions failures, and cbu, there are after market fixes.

Damper failures, glow plugs, boost hose, injectors, are somewhat common issues especially as the miles build, and of course all of the other common e90 issues.

So, my advice is buy a car with a service history that shows few if any dealer repairs. Budget 250 a month on top of your car payment for maintenance and repairs you should be good. A new dpf is 2500, scr tank is 3500, injectors are 500 each. These are great cars and more reliable than a typical turbo BMW, but be prepared to spend a lot at the dealer if you can't day the repairs.

Some cars are great, others can't spend more than a month out of the dealers service bay.

 

[oilverland]

Hmm, I like the idea of a 335D but maybe it's too much of a parts monster? I've read some of the threads on carbon build up, kinda discouraging. I used to have an X3 but now drive an '08 Grand Cherokee with the Mercedes OM642 V6 3L diesel option*, 150,000 miles, no mods, runs like new, hasn't used a lot of parts, mostly Jeep chassis parts. So I was hoping another German diesel might be as solid as the Merc engine (and Merc tranny, also in the Jeep).

What is "SCR"?

The 335D is twin sequential turbo?

Some X3's had problems with the 6-speed auto when it first became available, something to do with not engaging 1st gear. Any complaints with it in the 335D?

Maybe I should spend more and get the 328D (used); it has enough oomph and much better mpg. Is carbon buildup a problem with them?

Where is that link to the diesel part of this forum?

*Why something as poor handling as a Jeep you might ask? I needed a better snow car, iDrive seemed more dry land oriented; and I am fond of diesels. I also wanted the 7200 lb towing capacity, and I like the low range for the occasional steep forest service road. A diesel sedan would be a second car. I'm thinking of a cross country jaunt next year, I'd love to do it at 80 mph and 30+ mpg.

 

[floydarogers]

...
What is "SCR"?

The 335D is twin sequential turbo?

Some X3's had problems with the 6-speed auto when it first became available, something to do with not engaging 1st gear. Any complaints with it in the 335D?

Maybe I should spend more and get the 328D (used); it has enough oomph and much better mpg. Is carbon buildup a problem with them?

Where is that link to the diesel part of this forum?

Selective Catalytic Reduction. That's where the DEF hits the catalyst and reduces the NOx into N2 and O2. There are two catalytic converters on the diesels - the other is in the same canister as the DPF.

Small and big turbo, not really sequential. Small spins up rapidly for low-rpm grunt.

The 335d has a completely different transmission; hasn't been problematic at all.

No one knows if CBU will be a problem on 328d - not enough miles. But guesstimate is not, as small engine runs hotter since is loaded more. Even X5d (same engine as 335d) has apparently had less problems since is loaded a bit more by larger car. Also it has a low-pressure EGR in addition.

Look, the diesel subforum is, as I said, accessible from the navigation link, bottom right. But here it is anyway. Be sure to read the pdf documents that talk about the engine.
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=154

And since you can't find something in this forum, here's a link to the e90post diesel subforum: http://www.e90post.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=377

 

[Ti317]

I'm a current 335d owner. The reason why 2011s are the most common is that was their best selling year, more 2011s were sold than 2009 and 10s

These cars have a lot of mechanical trouble spots.
Carbon build up, common issue and nearly all cars sub come to it in the 50k-100k range. Cleaning has become routine, and is about 1500 most places, it's not as cheap as a gasoline car. This is a common issue on all modern egr diesels, yes the new 535ds have it too.

It seems driving style is a big factor along with type of service (long runs, short traffic hops). Walnut blasting is droping in price as more shops offer it. The price is now below a grand in south Florida.

The dpf are fine, but there have been a lot of scr failures, and BMW has gone throug a lot of revisions on the tanks, and no they've not been replaced as part of a recall.
fortunate for emissions failures, and cbu, there are after market fixes.

Mine was done at the dealership for a total cost of zero. The car was under warranty but the service manager told me there was a recall of the entire system.
https://www.*************.com/auto-news/bmw-diesel-recall/

Damper failures, glow plugs, boost hose, injectors, are somewhat common issues especially as the miles build, and of course all of the other common e90 issues.

So, my advice is buy a car with a service history that shows few if any dealer repairs. Budget 250 a month on top of your car payment for maintenance and repairs you should be good. A new dpf is 2500, scr tank is 3500, injectors are 500 each. These are great cars and more reliable than a typical turbo BMW, but be prepared to spend a lot at the dealer if you can't day the repairs.

Some cars are great, others can't spend more than a month out of the dealers service bay.

That is great advice but I would go one step further and insist on a CPO car. There are a few available nationwide and shipping can be arranged.

edit; The link didnt post but you can search it

 

[Thecastle]

It seems driving style is a big factor along with type of service (long runs, short traffic hops). Walnut blasting is droping in price as more shops offer it. The price is now below a grand in south Florida.

Short drives, etc. are not a factor, nor is fuel, etc, it's an unproven theory. Cbu in the d is a cocktail of pm, combined with oil from the ccv and heat. Why some cars have more Cbu, could be bad ccv, or just a bad car.. It just seems certain cars are prone to Cbu, and no one has a real root cause. Cbu cleaning is more expensive for diesels a lot of places quote the gasoline price, and have never done a diesel. In general It's gonna be a 1500-2000 job unless you diy. Lots of shops quote you a gasoline cbu cleaning, diesel cbu cleaning is pricey, but a 50--100k thing. Erg block is the cure.m My car had cbu cleaning at 21k milestone I drive 30k a year, some make it to 50k and a few make it to 90k. I live in Texas with 48 centane fuel, and don't do short trips most of.p mine are 30 or more miles, plus lots of long trips.

There are lots of failure points on on the 335d, harmonic damper, boost pipe, glow plugs, cbu, scr, injectors, etc.

The best day of you life will be when you buy a d, and again when you sell it. I'm just saying it's not a cheap car to own. I should know, mine has has had in 1 year of ownership, 1 egr valve, 3 egr coolers, exhaust pressure sensor, o2, maf, and nox sensors, windshield Washer pump, now boost hose.

Love the car, but the car is high maintence and expensive as they age. I owned a GTI with k04 before, and it was far cheaper and more reliable.. BMW is a different game

 

[oilverland]

And since you can't find something in this forum...

Well, maybe I was being impatient, but in my own defense I'll note that the forum is not well designed. I used to work in a Web design group. Some of the stuff done here is pretty lame, the use of navigation links on the bottom of a page being an example. If this were a Web site that was selling stuff it would get fixed pretty quickly.

 

[floydarogers]

Well, maybe I was being impatient, but in my own defense I'll note that the forum is not well designed. I used to work in a Web design group. Some of the stuff done here is pretty lame, the use of navigation links on the bottom of a page being an example. If this were a Web site that was selling stuff it would get fixed pretty quickly.

I can see that; however most/many forums use vBulletin, and it's a standard feature offered by the skeleton. If it were specifically designed, maybe. Part of it is how the admins have chosen to arrange the subjects...

Note that the Site Sponsers get their own menu item on the menu ribbon.

 

[soroco1136]

Hey guys...dropping in for some research help.

Part of the VW TDi stuff and will be selling my (well...wife's...) vehicle back later this year. She's always loved BMWs...and the 335D will be at the top of the list as a replacement.

See mostly 2011s out there...which will probably be the main target, but are there any particular issues with 09 or 10 vehicles?

Anything in particular to keep an eye out for?

Extended warranties I'm assuming would be a good pickup? Best place to price them?

Thanks ahead of time for any help I have a pretty good depth of knowledge in the Jeep world, but aside from marrying a German, my knowledge of BMWs is pretty shallow

I am the original owner of a 2010 335d. I now have 135k miles on it and it drives like new. Yes, I love the car but it costs a boatload to maintain it.
Every issue I have had (I can assure you I have had every emissions problem there is and I am currently dealing with a $2400.00 SCR tank replacement.).
I will never buy another diesel- too many problems. I know when I fix the SCR tank I will get another SES light.
Do yourself a favor- don't buy a diesel.

 

[fpayson]

+1 on everyone commenting on service issues. Finding a CPO would be a great idea. I bought mine CPO and I know it has saved me thousands of $$$. In my 3 years of owning my 2011, I've had about 6 CELs, 4 of which were fully covered by warranty and 2 were covered by extended warranty ($50 deductible).

My advice would be to read reviews of your prospective bmw service dealership and talk with service managers to determine what will be covered. For example, my current service manager tries to get everything covered under the emissions warranty because so I wont have to pay a deductible. My car will be at the dealership for a week to clean carbon buildup but luckily will be covered under my extended warranty ($50).

Owning a 335D is definitely a great feeling, but expect to spend parts of the year without your car.

 

[oilverland]

To follow up on my on reply about my considering a 335D, this thread and others convinced me not to. In fact it made me reluctant to consider any BMW diesel.

Instead I got a 328i GT xDrive, a used 2014 with a year of warranty left. Highway mileage may be comparable (just got 34 mpg in a 240 mile trip on secondary highways) but torque is not. I didn't even know the GT existed until two weeks ago, but it's a great package for my needs and driving style. Some reviewers are disappointed in it's handling, but it's more than enough for me. I have some long road trips in mind for next year.

I've kept my fairly rare '08 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the Mercedes diesel for winter use, and next year will refurbish it (155,000 miles, various oil leaks and some minor body and paint work) while I enjoy the GT. Yes the GT is AWD but winter here is hard on paint (sanded roads), and I'm in a rural area where plowing may be delayed or I may be too lazy to clear my own driveway, so I need the extra ground clearance of an SUV.