[matboye46]

So i bought my first bmw yesterday at 20. i got a 2000 e46, light blue, fully loaded, sport package, 17 inch rims, in perfect condition body wise. however the value gasket common oil leak is starting to happen. paid 2650 for it in amazing condition. it was garage kept its whole life. it has 136,000 on it. only a check engine light because of a down steam 02 sensor. today i bought 870 bucks of parts today. just wondering what you guys think? stupid move or smart? once again no rust or rot and under the engine looks band new. will upload pics later.

genuine bmw Value gasket cover and gasket- 387
Return Hose
Fuel Filter
Air Filter
Coolant Expansion Tank
Expansion Tank Hose
Radiator - Manual
Cabin Filter / Fresh Air Filter
Rear Koni Shock Absorber - Pair

thanks guys

 

[matboye46]

new e46 328i 5 speed owner questions

So i bought my first bmw yesterday at 20. i got a 2000 e46, light blue, fully loaded, sport package, 17 inch rims, in perfect condition body wise. however the value gasket common oil leak is starting to happen. I paid 2650 for it in amazing condition. it was garage kept its whole life. it has 136,000 on it. only a check engine light because of a down steam 02 sensor. today i bought 870 bucks of parts today. just wondering what you guys think? stupid move or smart? once again no rust or rot and under the engine looks band new. will upload pics later.

genuine bmw Value gasket cover and gasket- 387
Return Hose
Fuel Filter
Air Filter
Coolant Expansion Tank
Expansion Tank Hose
Radiator - Manual
Cabin Filter / Fresh Air Filter
Rear Koni Shock Absorber - Pair

thanks guys

 

[tim330i]

Looks like you're on track for maintenance, good job! Eventually you'll need new front control arms and control arm bushings as well as rear trailing arm bushings. You rear shock mounts are probably gone, I would replace those with the rear shocks.

Tim

 

[FredoinSF]

Good list of parts and nice to see someone spending money on maintenance and common failure parts instead of inordinately huge wheels, angel eyes, and stereos that don't fit.

I would add water pump and thermostat to complete the cooling system refresh, give it new belts since they have to come off for the pump anyway, then start with clean fluids in trans and diff.

Welcome and congrats on new to you car.

 

[Fast Bob]

Here`s the steps to a successful BMW ownership:

Study the E46 Wiki, and read some bits and pieces of this Forum, in order to educate yourself about these cars.

AFTER you have a fair idea about what`s going on, then it`s time to start spending money on parts. People here are pretty savvy about getting good deals on parts, so don`t be afraid to ask....

Good luck ! :thumbup:

 

[matboye46]

more parts add

just added thermostat and its gasket. my family mechanic said dont change it till its leaking... what you think?

 

[FredoinSF]

I think your family mechanic is out of his league when it comes to this car.

There are mainly three things that kill these cars:
1. Insurance co declares total loss
2. Cooling system failure due to lack of preventive maintenance
3. Auto trans failure due to lack of maintenance

Do yourself a favor and do a complete overhaul of the cooling system with quality parts. The last thing you should do is wait for a part to fail before you replace it. Change the expansion tank, the radiator, hoses, water pump, thermostat. Refill with half BMW coolant and half distilled water, follow proper bleed procedure and do not overfill the ET.

 

[Fast Bob]

just added thermostat and its gasket. my family mechanic said dont change it till its leaking... what you think?

Your family mechanic has obviously never experienced a BMW that has a failed cooling system, and a fatally-wounded multi-thousand-dollar engine as a result....:tsk:

 

[matboye46]

So I should only use BMW coolant ? Not one that say "for all" ? And yeah had a feeling about that. Going to change it. And I'm buying all my parts for Ecs. Good place to buy parts?

 

[GoForthFast]

So i bought my first bmw yesterday at 20. i got a 2000 e46, light blue, fully loaded, sport package, 17 inch rims, in perfect condition body wise. however the value gasket common oil leak is starting to happen. paid 2650 for it in amazing condition. it was garage kept its whole life. it has 136,000 on it. only a check engine light because of a down steam 02 sensor. today i bought 870 bucks of parts today. just wondering what you guys think? stupid move or smart? once again no rust or rot and under the engine looks band new. will upload pics later.

genuine bmw Value gasket cover and gasket- 387

Rear Koni Shock Absorber - Pair

thanks guys

And why did you buy a new valve cover??? I missed that reason.

And what kind of Koni's did you purchase, and why not the front?

You replace the thermostat because they slo fail and run the temperature too low. Check your real running temperture with the OBC hidden functions. While driving.

 

[marcozandrini]

Did the car come with maintenance records? Has the fuel pump ever been replaced? If not, replace it as it's likely to fail soon. Buy an OEM Siemens/VDO pump. There are several venders that sell this pump for less than $150. Replace the filter at the same time.

Has the cooling system been completely replaced? If not replace everything. Make sure you buy OEM cooling system parts only. This includes BMW blue coolant. Mix it with DISTILLED water at a 50/50 ratio. DO NOT BUY AFTERMARKET COOLING SYSTEM PARTS. Go to E46Fanatics and read and heed Mango's excellent sticky on cooling systems.

 

[matboye46]

I did the value cover and gasket because it makes more sense to just replace it all. Yeah it's a extra 350 bucks in parts, but in the long run it be worth it. Also I been reading people have the leaks reappear, by just changing the gasket . And shock in front are fine. Change them down the road.