What Model BMW?

[17M]

Bimmer owners - I might gift myself with a certified pre-owned BMW sometime next year for the driving experience & the joy of owning one. What 3 or 5 series do you recommend? Reliability is a priority as I have the habit of keeping a car for more than 5 years. Thanks.

[userfriendly]

Sorry for sounding negative, but in my experience BMWs are worthless piece of s**t. They are very expensive to maintain. Parts are freaking overpriced and sometimes they have to be on order basis.

My father has 2 BMs a 2002 model 318 and a 5 series. The 318 has less than 50,000 kms. I already replaced the oil pan gasket. one power window is broken. Did not fix it since we dont normally open it and the part is 8,000 pesos plus labor and vat. The coolant reservior tank blew a few weeks ago. Again per order basis. One key is also dead. I was quoted 15,000 plus plus, order basis also. Dead electronic key = it will open the door but engine wont start.

The 5 series is about 2 years old. Hardly used. Around 15,000 kms only. So far the only prob I encountered was the oil pressure idiot light lit up. Checked the oil and it was low by 1 liter. Dont understand since its full synthetic oil and its a freaking brand new engine. Refilled oil and so far so good.

This is my experience hopefully there are satisfied owners.

[17M]

Tsk, tsk, even my '96 Accord w/c I bought brand new & has raked 90K+ on the odometer did not experience those problems. The oil pan gasket is due for replacement next oil change, it's first, as it's showing traces of motor oil. Have had no problems with the power windows, keyless entry key or coolant reservoir - all still original. I also use fully synthetic & it has not evaporated on me or does it over a longer period of time.

[BlueBimmer]

as with newer bmws, more electrical gadgets will mean more problems in the future.

buti nalang my E36 only has the basic electronics..

[Memphis Raines]

Ang crush ko ngayon is the 531i sedan :2hearts:. Meron kasing mga certified pre-owned available nito. I love those rims and that prestigious look.

Sometimes brand is more important than new

[Horsepower]

A 5-series diesel...

[Flagg]

Our BMWs aren't as problematic as userfriendly's.

I'd suggest a 2001 up 525i.

[17M]

Thanks for the suggestions & comments guys Flagg, any reason why the 2001 up 525i in particular? Memphis, horsepower, why the 5 series? 3 series not good enough? Certified pre-owned 3 series are bang for the buck IMHO. 2004 up 5 series is still pricey, need to wait a couple more years. BlueBimmer, Userfriendly's problems are not electronic except for the car key. That type of key is really expensive. For the '96 accord it will set you back 8.0K according to my Honda SA when he noticed a crack in the handle. I promptly applied black epoxy on the cracks.

[StraightSix]

One key is also dead. I was quoted 15,000 plus plus, order basis also. Dead electronic key = it will open the door but engine wont start.

OT Not to sound condescending, but have you tried doing the programming steps when using new keys (like spares)? IIRC, the ignition will accept up to 4 master keys. So unless all slots have been used, you can still program the car to accept another key.

As for other malfunctions from the remote, there's another set of procedures to re-initialize the remote.

These steps should fix most remote key problems, other than parts failure. I had to bite the price of spare key once but said goodbye to the dealer when they quoted the price for the programming and did it myself.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that you bring your bimmer for a well baby check-up every 10k kms, not 10k kms or 6 months w/chever comes first. That will take me about 10 months use or P50.00/day [15K / 300 days] excluding parts.

The intervals are based on the on-board computer and depends on your driving distance on each trip. Frequent short trips will mean shorter intervals. Some people do an intermediate oil change in-between. In a tropical setting I guess it would help to do more.

[17M]

The intervals are based on the on-board computer and depends on your driving distance on each trip. Frequent short trips will mean shorter intervals. Some people do an intermediate oil change in-between. In a tropical setting I guess it would help to do more.[/quote]







StraightSix, then my figures are off. I only do 25-30 kms/day from home to office in makati & nearby places. We use the van on weekends & out of town trips.

[Horsepower]

I like the 2004+ (E60) BMWs because of the out-of-the-box design. It's radical and free of social pressure on what an exec sedan should be. I don't like the 7-series because it's design is kinda off (or i just don't get it). 3-series (esp the diesels) is good but 5-series is a big car.

The technical stuff i like about it is the engine (I'm interested with the diesels than the petrols though) because of the tremendous torque you can use in overtaking and high speed runs.

[v6dreamer]

Bimmer owners - I might gift myself with a certified pre-owned BMW sometime next year for the driving experience & the joy of owning one. What 3 or 5 series do you recommend? Reliability is a priority as I have the habit of keeping a car for more than 5 years. Thanks.

5 (540, 545), 6, 7 series are the true BMW. The rest of the lesser bimmer are made in whatever country. So make sure that 5 series start w/ 540(older model) 545 (newer model) if is not, think hard of your buck. Like they said, your paying for an ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE and what youve got is not an ULTIMATE at all. GO HONDA.

[empy]

it may be useful to post your budget. i may be tempted to suggest the E39 M5, but i'm not sure if you'd be willing to spend that kind of dough ;)

anyway, the e46 3-series has a classic, timeless design and great performance. i know i'm biased, but i'm very happy with my purchase. it has been very reliable, but the cost of ownership has been very high. if you will have a problem with high maintenance costs and expensive parts, DO NOT buy a BMW.

too many people buy these cars and not expect to ever have to fix or replace anything...or get upset at the cost of the parts. that's the price of owning these cars, and it is up to you to decide whether the pleasure of owning one is worth the expense.

5 (540, 545), 6, 7 series are the true BMW. The rest of the lesser bimmer are made in whatever country. So make sure that 5 series start w/ 540(older model) 545 (newer model) if is not, think hard of your buck. Like they said, your paying for an ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE and what youve got is not an ULTIMATE at all. GO HONDA.

not true at all. yes, some BMW's are made in South African factories, and X-series are made in the US. but most of the 3 series and 5 series are made in German factories in Dingolfing, Leipzig, Munich and Regensburg (my car's birthplace). plus, i've never seen any study anywhere that BMW's made in different countries have different levels of quality...maybe you could enlighten us?

[17M]

[quote=empy;957639]it may be useful to post your budget. i may be tempted to suggest the E39 M5, but i'm not sure if you'd be willing to spend that kind of dough ;)

anyway, the e46 3-series has a classic, timeless design and great performance. i know i'm biased, but i'm very happy with my purchase. it has been very reliable, but the cost of ownership has been very high. if you will have a problem with high maintenance costs and expensive parts, DO NOT buy a BMW.

too many people buy these cars and not expect to ever have to fix or replace anything...or get upset at the cost of the parts. that's the price of owning these cars, and it is up to you to decide whether the pleasure of owning one is worth the expense.





Empy, My budget is for the a 3 or 5 series [w/out the 'M']. If one of the 3 series can give me the driving experience & feel of a bimmer then that's what I'll buy. But I'll get a 5 if that's what it takes. I like driving & I'm alone in the car most of the time. The driver is with the wife & kids all the time.

I can go for either diesel or gas as I have both vehicles now.

I understand that owning a bimmer will entail higher PMS & spare parts cost. Well baby check-up is about P12k every 10k & P25k every 20k [Pls correct me if I'm wrong]. What I can't accept are bimmers that will turn out to be service intensive, problematic & prone to premature parts failure. I don't what to buy a headache. I want to enjoy the ownership & I want to keep it for a long time.

[17M]

[quote=empy;957639]it may be useful to post your budget. i may be tempted to suggest the E39 M5, but i'm not sure if you'd be willing to spend that kind of dough ;)

anyway, the e46 3-series has a classic, timeless design and great performance. i know i'm biased, but i'm very happy with my purchase. it has been very reliable, but the cost of ownership has been very high. if you will have a problem with high maintenance costs and expensive parts, DO NOT buy a BMW.

too many people buy these cars and not expect to ever have to fix or replace anything...or get upset at the cost of the parts. that's the price of owning these cars, and it is up to you to decide whether the pleasure of owning one is worth the expense.





Empy, My budget is for either a 3 or 5 series [w/out the 'M']. If a 3 series can give me the driving experience & feel of owning a bimmer then I guess that's it. But I'll get a 5 if that's what it takes. I like driving & I'm alone in the car more often than not. The driver is with the wife & kids all the time.

I can go for either diesel or gas as I have both vehicles now.

I understand that owning a bimmer will entail higher PMS & spare parts cost. Well baby check-up is about P12k every 10k & P25k every 20k [Pls correct me if I'm wrong]. What I can't accept the bimmer I'll end up with turn out to be service intensive & problematic. I want to enjoy the ownership & keep it for a long time.

[userfriendly]

OT Not to sound condescending, but have you tried doing the programming steps when using new keys (like spares)? IIRC, the ignition will accept up to 4 master keys. So unless all slots have been used, you can still program the car to accept another key.

As for other malfunctions from the remote, there's another set of procedures to re-initialize the remote.

where can i find the reprograming/re-initialize steps?

17M,

Good luck on your purchase. The car's computer will tell you when it needs servicing. If you don't drive a lot, have it serviced at least once a year.

You do, A) oil service B) inspection 1 C) inspection 2 then back to oil service. Ball park figure for oil service is 6,000 pesos. Inspection 1 is around 14,000 pesos.

Word of caution on some BMW service centers:

BMW Autohaus in Libis is a STEALERSHIP! When my dads 318 leaked oil, we brought it there. The service adviser quoted 32,000 ++ He claimed that the oil pan gasket, crankshaft seal, transmission gasket, valve cover gasket, and some other gaskets and seals need replacement. I explained to him that its not possible cause those seals and gaskets are in different parts of the engine. What he wanted was almost a complete overhaul. He insisted that thats the proper procedure. After arguing for a few minutes, he admited that its just the oil pan gasket thats leaking. I pulled out the car. Went to BASICS a few meters away and had it fixed for less than 8,000.

BASICS is not as bad as Autohaus. After my inital good experience, I bought the same car for a brake warning light on the dash. They said they need to replace the brake pads, sensors and rotors. I knew that the rotors are good. Asked them to just do the pads and sensors. They declined, claimed that the rotors are shot.

Good thing about Basic, their parts are not as expensive as Autohaus.

Brought the car to Speedyfix for a 2nd opinon. Turned out I was right. Rotors are good. Got Speedy to change the pads, sensors, clear the dash idot light plus do an oil service.

I wonder if the service advisers from Autohaus and Basics came from Rapide

[StraightSix]

where can i find the reprograming/re-initialize steps?

It's in the Owner's Handbook (re: Keys). But I just browsed the online handbook for the US version and can't find the same info. It seems that the user-programming feature of the Euro E46's immobilizer isn't on the ECU of the US E46. From the wiring diagram I know that the ECU's are different ... I just didn't expect this bit. Let's just hope the function is there.

From the E46 Owner's Handbook:

Whenever you have been handed a replacement key, insert it into the ignition lock and turn it once to position 2 (ignition switched on), then back to the home position, so that the electronic immobilizer "accepts" the new key.

As for re-initializing the 3-button remote (BMW logo/button in the middle); from the E46 Service Manual:

1. Open the centrol locking system (ZV) using the key.
2. Get into the car and close all doors.
3. Using the car key, switch the ignition lock briefly to ignition position 1 and then switch off again. The switching time must remain under 5 seconds, otherwise the system is not ready for initialization.
4. At the radio transmitter: Press button 2 and hold in.
5. Press button 1 three times (in a space of 10 seconds). Button 2 must remain held in.
6. Release button 2.
7. The ZV signals by means of "Locking" and immediate "Unlocking" that a radio transmitter has been successfully initialized.

Note on remote buttons:
Button 1 - Arm/Door lock
Button 2 - Disarm/Door unlock
Button 3 - Unlock luggage compartment

---

Good job there by Speedyfix ... maasahan talaga.

[ronw123w124]

where can i find the reprograming/re-initialize steps?

17M,

Good luck on your purchase. The car's computer will tell you when it needs servicing. If you don't drive a lot, have it serviced at least once a year.

You do, A) oil service B) inspection 1 C) inspection 2 then back to oil service. Ball park figure for oil service is 6,000 pesos. Inspection 1 is around 14,000 pesos.

Word of caution on some BMW service centers:

BMW Autohaus in Libis is a STEALERSHIP! When my dads 318 leaked oil, we brought it there. The service adviser quoted 32,000 ++ He claimed that the oil pan gasket, crankshaft seal, transmission gasket, valve cover gasket, and some other gaskets and seals need replacement. I explained to him that its not possible cause those seals and gaskets are in different parts of the engine. What he wanted was almost a complete overhaul. He insisted that thats the proper procedure. After arguing for a few minutes, he admited that its just the oil pan gasket thats leaking. I pulled out the car. Went to BASICS a few meters away and had it fixed for less than 8,000.

BASICS is not as bad as Autohaus. After my inital good experience, I bought the same car for a brake warning light on the dash. They said they need to replace the brake pads, sensors and rotors. I knew that the rotors are good. Asked them to just do the pads and sensors. They declined, claimed that the rotors are shot.

Good thing about Basic, their parts are not as expensive as Autohaus.

Brought the car to Speedyfix for a 2nd opinon. Turned out I was right. Rotors are good. Got Speedy to change the pads, sensors, clear the dash idot light plus do an oil service.

I wonder if the service advisers from Autohaus and Basics came from Rapide

Hay naku..... sinabi mo pa... I have experienced the same thing with Autohaus back when it was known as Prestige cars Libis. I brought my car (316i E36) for the usual inspection service, then when the service was done the SA called me up informing me that the car is ready for pick up but mentioned that there was a whining noise on my alternator. So I asked him what his recommendation is, so he told me that the bearings in the alternator are on their way out hence the whining noise and that there would be no other option for me but to replace my alternator which costs roughly 40-45,000 at that time. Then I told the SA that I know for a fact that you can open up the alternator and replace the bearing only, then he insisted that BMW alternators are "sealed type" that once you open it up it cannot be put back together so the guy WAS really insisting that the alternator be replaced. Smelling something fishy, I pulled the car out of Autohaus then brought it to the place where we have our Benzes fixed (Manhattan Motors in Pasig) and have them inspect it and upon seeing it, the mechanic immediately said we only need to change the bearings and that it can be done in about 2-3 hours. So when it was opened up there were 2 bearings and 1 was on the way out but they advised me to change both bearings since we were already at it and that the cost would be negligible. When everything was done, I spent a total of 900 pesos, 600 for the bearings and 300 for labor. Did I really need to replace the alternator??? Go figure.

[17M]

17M,

Good luck on your purchase. The car's computer will tell you when it needs servicing. If you don't drive a lot, have it serviced at least once a year.

You do, A) oil service B) inspection 1 C) inspection 2 then back to oil service. Ball park figure for oil service is 6,000 pesos. Inspection 1 is around 14,000 pesos.

Word of caution on some BMW service centers:

BMW Autohaus in Libis is a STEALERSHIP! When my dads 318 leaked oil, we brought it there. The service adviser quoted 32,000 ++ He claimed that the oil pan gasket, crankshaft seal, transmission gasket, valve cover gasket, and some other gaskets and seals need replacement. I explained to him that its not possible cause those seals and gaskets are in different parts of the engine. What he wanted was almost a complete overhaul. He insisted that thats the proper procedure. After arguing for a few minutes, he admited that its just the oil pan gasket thats leaking. I pulled out the car. Went to BASICS a few meters away and had it fixed for less than 8,000.

BASICS is not as bad as Autohaus. After my inital good experience, I bought the same car for a brake warning light on the dash. They said they need to replace the brake pads, sensors and rotors. I knew that the rotors are good. Asked them to just do the pads and sensors. They declined, claimed that the rotors are shot.

Good thing about Basic, their parts are not as expensive as Autohaus.

Brought the car to Speedyfix for a 2nd opinon. Turned out I was right. Rotors are good. Got Speedy to change the pads, sensors, clear the dash idot light plus do an oil service.

I wonder if the service advisers from Autohaus and Basics came from Rapide [/quote]


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Userfriendly; Thanks for the heads up on those "Stealerships". Did I understand you correctly - there are reliable "Non-Casa" shops out there for BMW parts & service?

Haha...had same experience w/ Rapide. Unusual sound front suspension of my van & Rapide wants to change everything including front shocks for 30k++. Went elsewhere for 2nd opinion. Turned out to be the stabilizer link & paid about 2K, tsk tsk

[17M]

Userfriendly, approximately how much for inspection 2? Thanks.