OT...tried to buy a STI today, ended up like April Fool
#16
Rennlist Member
Biggest thing with E36, E46 BMW's is cooling system... Radiator hoses, plastic fittings, and especially water pump. Also, early E46's had problems with rear subframe mounting locations cracking.
Stay on top of the cooling system and you should be pretty reliable drive-train wise.
Stay on top of the cooling system and you should be pretty reliable drive-train wise.
There is no subframe or control arm bushing problem with the AWD models although the front drive shafts wear out to be replaced with OEM only. The Crank Case Vent valve (Air oil separator) do go bad and you just end up burning a qt of oil in 300 miles until you replace it. E46fanatics is a good DIY site after you wade through the 17yr old BS.
I like the BMW oil filter housing located on top of the engine. The filter gets changed every 4K miles and oil gets changed every 8K miles.
#17
Rennlist Member
Ken,
I've got friends in AZ and visit several times a year. You are going to want that AC... Unless you are only going in snowbird season. I'd think Cab to enjoy the weather there, but you won't be using it much during the summer, as you bake rather quickly. How insulated are the cab tops? You have the "heat getting in" problem as much as the "cold AC getting out" to deal with.
As you allude to, this is not a bad problem to contemplate, versus the OP's snow issues.
I've got friends in AZ and visit several times a year. You are going to want that AC... Unless you are only going in snowbird season. I'd think Cab to enjoy the weather there, but you won't be using it much during the summer, as you bake rather quickly. How insulated are the cab tops? You have the "heat getting in" problem as much as the "cold AC getting out" to deal with.
As you allude to, this is not a bad problem to contemplate, versus the OP's snow issues.
But the idea is to NOT be anywhere near the place from post-spring training until sometime after Labor Day.
And the plan is to mix/match what I've already got. Latest hairbrained idea is to mate the 4S with the yellow car, in addition to the not-yet-started Ruby guts into '73 "RS" shell project. Which leaves a pretty decent street driveable Targa left over.
#18
Drifting
I have a friend with one and he loves it and has good luck with it. The day I sold the last one, the windshield washer reservoir decides spring a leak minutes before the buyer shows up to get it and there I am with the hood open messing with water everywhere. From the day I bought it to the day I sold it I was constantly working on it. Couldn't wait to see it go.
#19
Naturally, my best cost savings come's from a TDI estimating 40mpg. That cuts my monthly more than in half. My problem here in Central New York is...well, real winters. I have NEVER, NEVER in my adult life...driven anything but 4wd, or AWD in winter. The last 20+ years with dedicated winter rubber to boot-Nokian's naturally.
Biggest thing with E36, E46 BMW's is cooling system... Radiator hoses, plastic fittings, and especially water pump. Also, early E46's had problems with rear subframe mounting locations cracking.
Stay on top of the cooling system and you should be pretty reliable drive-train wise.
Stay on top of the cooling system and you should be pretty reliable drive-train wise.
That's so true. And it's been that way ever since '06 when I first joined it.
My experience with that generation BMW was not the best, had two 325iTs. To the point I was so pissed I swore off any more BMWs. By 60k miles, the last one, an 03, needed tons of stuff like a new alternator, radiator, VANOS seals, the seal on the oil filter housing leaked and took forever to figure out where it was coming from, control arm bushing, just on and on.
I have a friend with one and he loves it and has good luck with it. The day I sold the last one, the windshield washer reservoir decides spring a leak minutes before the buyer shows up to get it and there I am with the hood open messing with water everywhere. From the day I bought it to the day I sold it I was constantly working on it. Couldn't wait to see it go.
I have a friend with one and he loves it and has good luck with it. The day I sold the last one, the windshield washer reservoir decides spring a leak minutes before the buyer shows up to get it and there I am with the hood open messing with water everywhere. From the day I bought it to the day I sold it I was constantly working on it. Couldn't wait to see it go.
#20
Rennlist Member
I have a 2004 TDi that I drive daily, 33 miles one way. The commute is about 95% freeway with little traffic so I get 48-50 mpg. But diesel costs 60 cents to a dollar more per gallon. So that put's me in the same fuel cost range as a gas car getting around 38 mpg (regular gas). And the initial cost of the TDi was about $2k higher. When I bought the car I calculated I would drive about 75k miles before I recovered the car cost differential (2004 gas vs diesel prices) I'm going to drive the car into the ground so I plan to save a bit of money over gas with the expected life of the engine.
I live in Utah where we get significant snowfall and I do make regular trips to the mountains in winter. I have not had a problem with the front wheel drive only.
I too love the 04 R! I can't justify the cost for a commuter. If I had more space in the garage ... .
I live in Utah where we get significant snowfall and I do make regular trips to the mountains in winter. I have not had a problem with the front wheel drive only.
I too love the 04 R! I can't justify the cost for a commuter. If I had more space in the garage ... .
#21
Rennlist Member
My experience with that generation BMW was not the best, had two 325iTs. To the point I was so pissed I swore off any more BMWs. By 60k miles, the last one, an 03, needed tons of stuff like a new alternator, radiator, VANOS seals, the seal on the oil filter housing leaked and took forever to figure out where it was coming from, control arm bushing, just on and on.
I have a friend with one and he loves it and has good luck with it. The day I sold the last one, the windshield washer reservoir decides spring a leak minutes before the buyer shows up to get it and there I am with the hood open messing with water everywhere. From the day I bought it to the day I sold it I was constantly working on it. Couldn't wait to see it go.
I have a friend with one and he loves it and has good luck with it. The day I sold the last one, the windshield washer reservoir decides spring a leak minutes before the buyer shows up to get it and there I am with the hood open messing with water everywhere. From the day I bought it to the day I sold it I was constantly working on it. Couldn't wait to see it go.