E36 Inspector

Post Tue Jul 03, 2012 4:58 pm

I hope to pick up a 316i (Auto/Compact) in the London area in the next few weeks. Don't suppose anyone on here does car inspections?

There seem to be quite a few out there to choose from

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170680333533? ... 136wt_1270

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-3-Series- ... 059wt_1270

Post Tue Jul 03, 2012 5:02 pm

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-moto ... tem-full-2

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-moto ... tem-full-1

Post Tue Jul 03, 2012 5:28 pm

Can't help with an inspection I'm afraid but I've owned a couple of M43 turds and they nearly always need a head gasket around 100K. BMW in their infinite wisdom built them with no coolant level sensor. Make sure there are no misfires and that everything heats up as it should. The temperature needle should stay dead centre once its warmed up.

Other than head gasket issues (which is a reasonably simple fix on these) they're fairly bulletproof. Some higher mileage examples suffer from crank end float and others from the infamous M43 sticking throttle.

Good motors overall, cheap to run, decent low down torque and will do an easy 250K with regular maintenance. Mine were saloons so can't comment on specific Compact problems but they seem more immune to rot that their larger 4 door, coupe and touring siblings. The autos are a GM box iirc that's quite a good unit. Sealed for life but a specialist can easily change the oil and filter screen.

Post Tue Jul 03, 2012 7:16 pm

darkchild wrote:Can't help with an inspection I'm afraid but I've owned a couple of M43 turds and they nearly always need a head gasket around 100K. BMW in their infinite wisdom built them with no coolant level sensor. Make sure there are no misfires and that everything heats up as it should. The temperature needle should stay dead centre once its warmed up.

Other than head gasket issues (which is a reasonably simple fix on these) they're fairly bulletproof. Some higher mileage examples suffer from crank end float and others from the infamous M43 sticking throttle.

Good motors overall, cheap to run, decent low down torque and will do an easy 250K with regular maintenance. Mine were saloons so can't comment on specific Compact problems but they seem more immune to rot that their larger 4 door, coupe and touring siblings. The autos are a GM box iirc that's quite a good unit. Sealed for life but a specialist can easily change the oil and filter screen.

thanks for that

Post Tue Jul 03, 2012 10:22 pm

Give me a shout Neil. Compact autopsies are my speciality !

The main issue, apart from the fact that they are old cars generally owned by impoverished (read tight) council types is the afore mentioned head gasket dramas , usually hastened by poor maintenance and weeping plastic coolant housings. A bill for a recent proper head job with new housings/ thermostat etc is a major plus.

They also love a window regulator or three

Outer balljoints and wishbone bushes are a really common issue as well. Aftermarket E30 style balljoints and M3 bushes mean that job does not need doing any time soon.

The later '99 onwards cars have the 1.9 engine which is better bedfellow for the auto box than the rather anemic 1.6. The later cars also have the added bonus of rear discs instead of nasty drum wrongness.

Rusty sills by the often missing jacking pads are becoming more common as they get older but you will seldom see a hanging 'pact unless it is some grim northern/ Scottish turd.

Compact interiors are a bit low rent but as long as you stick to anthracite cloth or black leather they are pleasant enough. The lighter colours always tend to look like they have done 14 rounds with an incontinent 90 year old

Post Tue Jul 03, 2012 11:01 pm

pacerpete wrote:Give me a shout Neil. Compact autopsies are my speciality !

will do thanks

Combing the internet as we speak for one worthy of sharing the microfiber set with the E12

Post Tue Jul 03, 2012 11:46 pm

really liked my 1.6 compact.

ok, so it was dog slow off the line, but once up and moving it was more sprightly than you'd think they should be.

mine broke the plastic coolant elbow off the front of the head at approx 110,000 miles (luckily spotted straight away so no harm done) and the thermostat stuck open shorthly after.

both were cheap and easy to fix, but both could have caused a headgasket to go if not spotted in time, or the stat had stuck closed intead of open.

other than that it was very solid and reliable. a mate still has it.

oh, i had a window pop out too, tried opening it when frosty and it pulled the peg out of the plastic clip. if you get one it could be well worth whipping the door cars off and cleaning out the old grease and putting some fresh stuff in. usually if they stick they twist the regulator arms.

an easy repair, but still a pain and pretty much guaranteed to go wrong exactly when you dont want them to

Post Wed Jul 04, 2012 9:58 am

I would avoid the 316i altogether and go for a 1.9 318Ti Auto - there are a few about and the engine is just better for reliability, performance and the economy is no worse. The M43TU 1.9 isn't that great. They all seem to piss oil from the filter housing (a boring job), the MAF's seem to fail on a monthly basis and you have the spectre of head gasket failure. They have an electric fan as well, good but I'd rather have a viscous. They're alright, but the M44 is better.

Air con is a very common fitment on later Compacts such as the 1.9 316i, whether it works or not is another story.

Does it have to be a Compact? A mate has a steel blue E36 318i Touring Automatic on a T plate. I've just done the head gasket on it as well.

Post Wed Jul 04, 2012 11:37 am

The motor is for his bird, she is young and has just passed her test !

I assume insurance may be an issue

Post Wed Jul 04, 2012 12:08 pm

pacerpete wrote:The motor is for his bird, she is young and has just passed her test ! I assume insurance may be an issue

..just a late learner

I'll check the insurance figures, if the Ti is rarer maybe less people have totalled them recently

Her indoors seems set on a hatchback, the main car based question is, 'is it small'

Compact was the only proper germanic hero wagon that seemed to pass muster on that score. (It'll be stored in a typical crapola Austin A40 sized garage too, so I guess having a little 'un probably makes sense)..

Post Wed Jul 04, 2012 1:32 pm

318Ti Auto insurance is actually less than 316i Auto

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-moto ... /105960212

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-moto ... /105470955

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-moto ... /105232698

Post Wed Jul 04, 2012 5:34 pm

The first one (green X reg) needs buying for a grand or £1100 at a push. It looks to be a decent thing and won't hang around long. The second one is a £300 shitheap and the third one okay.

Really, it the car starts on the button, idles nice, doesn't overheat, has coolant and not tap water in the rad, oil up to the level etc it's probably okay. The gearbox should be dry underneath (no oil leaks) and shift up and down the gears okay. Suspension knocks and rattles mean new balljoints which aren't dear. On the rear axle, make sure there is a gap of at least 5mm between the outer beam bush and the lower metal plate. If there's no gap, the bushes are shagged and that's a pricey job on a Compact. If the windows work okay and the car drives well, get it bought.

Post Wed Jul 04, 2012 6:54 pm

Agreed, the first looks like the only contender out of that motley crew. Though the seller does appear to have a bit of an attitude and I have never known of a chap called 'yaz' to sell a decent car.......

Post Wed Jul 04, 2012 8:26 pm

Yaz, and it's on Scumtree!

Post Wed Jul 04, 2012 9:48 pm

Andyboy wrote:Yaz, and it's on Scumtree!

..I'll drop him (her?) an email and see what comes back

There don't seem to be many out there at the moment. The home counties gravel drive set seem to have been a bit mean speccing up their compacts in 1996, going for povo spec 316s

Post Wed Jul 04, 2012 9:53 pm

I'll keep my eyes open up here. Worth it though as a good 318ti auto is a sweet car.

Post Wed Jul 04, 2012 10:00 pm

Andyboy wrote:I'll keep my eyes open up here. Worth it though as a good 318ti auto is a sweet car.

thanks

Post Sat Jul 07, 2012 7:04 pm

I know its a bit late and executivey , how about this ?

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... c&t=223291

I have seen and driven it and it is very together

Post Sun Jul 08, 2012 4:31 pm

...spotted this one on Friday, and just bought it

Seems to be fairly altogether, Burton Deakin supplied, 60,000 miles FSH, yuppie first owner in canary wharf by the look of things, anthracite cloth, parking sensors, bit grubby inside, electric mirrors, BMW alarm, dicky passenger electric window, 'untested' air-con, few parking dings. Chaps, the missus will be dropping by when convenient for the full post-mortem

Post Sun Jul 08, 2012 5:48 pm

Very nice!

Post Mon Jul 09, 2012 12:35 pm

The rear wiper looks to be not in the corrct position, otherwise it looks tidy!

Post Mon Jul 09, 2012 1:21 pm

Zerotonine wrote:The rear wiper looks to be not in the corrct position, otherwise it looks tidy!

..yep, think that wiper is on the wonk. I've got to try and resist the temptation to peado this one as it's the missus's first car

. As soon as I saw it, I was contemplating getting a PDR quote and getting new repro's of the BMW Alarm stickers made up on the rear windows as one has peeled off slightly