[tonytftc]

Got the car at 94k miles last June. In that time period I have put on around 13k miles. About every 1k miles/month something new happens that needs to be repaired and I take it in just to learn that I have to fix 5 other things. Just took it in the shop a couple days ago and got an estimate of 5.5k to repair it. An oil gasket, new r/f headlight/ tail light bulb replacement/allignment/battery/thrust arm bushings etc. surprisingly only went through one hpfp but everything and I mean everything else seems to fail. As soon as I think I have replaced everything something goes wrong and I get a check engine light. Overall probably have put 15k into this car if not more in repairs over 13k miles. Should I just bite the bullet and sell it or is there ANY hope for it at all because the car is an absolute dream to drive as we all know.

[Underground6t9]

I went through a similar thing, changed pretty much everything even put another moter (I spun a bearing) at this point I might as well keep the car. In the 3years plus of ownership I have spent around 20k in maintaining this car. I am currently at 125k with 90k engine in it. Granted that if I had a garage and tools that repair bill would have been half that cost. Next year I'm looking to get a newer car. I'm never buying a high mileage BMW again. When I bought it, it had 70k miles on it. If you can afford the bill keep it.

[C1Boston]

I would have got rid of it the 3rd time something major went wrong. Also, never buy a high mileage BMW again...especially a 335. If you really love how the car drives and cannot live without a 335 then buy one with lower mileage and with CPO. You'll have ppl tell you that you might as well keep it since you've already dumped a lot on its repairs but personally I think that would be insane.

If you want a piece of mind do a search on the forums and you'll be able to dig up what the average cost of maintenance per X amount of miles is.

[scoale]

Originally Posted by tonytftc

Got the car at 94k miles last June. In that time period I have put on around 13k miles. About every 1k miles/month something new happens that needs to be repaired and I take it in just to learn that I have to fix 5 other things. Just took it in the shop a couple days ago and got an estimate of 5.5k to repair it. An oil gasket, new r/f headlight/ tail light bulb replacement/allignment/battery/thrust arm bushings etc. surprisingly only went through one hpfp but everything and I mean everything else seems to fail. As soon as I think I have replaced everything something goes wrong and I get a check engine light. Overall probably have put 15k into this car if not more in repairs over 13k miles. Should I just bite the bullet and sell it or is there ANY hope for it at all because the car is an absolute dream to drive as we all know.

The repair quote is high. Can you share more info on the other repairs you have made totaling to the 15k you mention? You may be well on the road to a trouble free car depending on what else you've had done. At any rate, putting 15k into a car and then selling it is definitely a financial loser.

Oil gasket is well know issue. Headlights/bulbs not unheard of for your mileage. Suspension bushing are general maintenance at that mileage.

Exhibit A for why BMWs depreciate the way they do.

[scoale]

Originally Posted by C1Boston

I would have got rid of it the 3rd time something major went wrong. Also, never buy a high mileage BMW again...especially a 335. If you really love how the car drives and cannot live without a 335 then buy one with lower mileage and with CPO. You'll have ppl tell you that you might as well keep it since you've already dumped a lot on its repairs but personally I think that would be insane.

If you want a piece of mind do a search on the forums and you'll be able to dig up what the average cost of maintenance per X amount of miles is.

I'm one of those insane people. Investing 15k into getting a good car in working order and then promptly taking a full loss selling it would be my definition of insane. The assumption, of course, being the car is now in good working order. I would want to know if other well-know repairs/maintenance have been performed.

I do agree that you better know what you are doing when buying a used BMW. You certainly better factor the repair & maintenance spend in your calculus! A thorough PPI and comprehensive repair history are a must.

[GATORB8]

5.5k?!? Your repair shop is taking you for a ride, is this a dealer?

Are you really not willing to do anything DIY? Tail light bulb?

Hell, I bet you could get the guy behind the counter at autozone to stick the bulb in for you when you buy the $5 bulb.
http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/tech..._Replacing.htm

Quick search for a RF Headlight (Xenon)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bi-Xenon-Hea...9V-B3D&vxp=mtr

OEM battery is around $200 from the dealer, ask someone to help you register it.

Advanced Automotive in Palatine will align for $80. Guessing they'd install thrust arms for an hour or two of labor.

[TemjinX2]

your repair quote is high...shop around. It should not be 5.5k for those repairs. But yes this isn't a camry, you will have to put money into repairs. If you cannot find a honest shop, then i would diy or trade in the car for a lease or a cpo car.

[absentmathis]

Originally Posted by C1Boston

I would have got rid of it the 3rd time something major went wrong. Also, never buy a high mileage BMW again...especially a 335. If you really love how the car drives and cannot live without a 335 then buy one with lower mileage and with CPO. You'll have ppl tell you that you might as well keep it since you've already dumped a lot on its repairs but personally I think that would be insane.

If you want a piece of mind do a search on the forums and you'll be able to dig up what the average cost of maintenance per X amount of miles is.

It's 'peace' of mind that you're after, but the mileage on your bimmer won't give it to you. Some of the best bimmers I've had have lived into the hundreds of thousands of miles before I passed them on in strong running condition. It's not about miles.

[tonytftc]

Originally Posted by GATORB8

5.5k?!? Your repair shop is taking you for a ride, is this a dealer?

Are you really not willing to do anything DIY? Tail light bulb?

Hell, I bet you could get the guy behind the counter at autozone to stick the bulb in for you when you buy the $5 bulb.
http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/tech..._Replacing.htm

Quick search for a RF Headlight (Xenon)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bi-Xenon-Hea...9V-B3D&vxp=mtr

OEM battery is around $200 from the dealer, ask someone to help you register it.

Advanced Automotive in Palatine will align for $80. Guessing they'd install thrust arms for an hour or two of labor.

Yes, took it to BMW Barrington. Might as well go there as I live 2 minutes away from that AA in Palatine.

[GATORB8]

Originally Posted by tonytftc

Yes, took it to BMW Barrington. Might as well go there as I live 2 minutes away from that AA in Palatine.

A&L is right there too, very highly regarded. They use Advanced for their alignments and that's how I found out about them. Have A&L give you a number. Seventh Gear in Schaumburg isn't too far from you either.

I wouldn't mind giving you a quick hand registering the battery if you can't find anyone to do it for a decent price, I'm just over in Arlington Heights. My normal rate is 2 beers per hour.

Consider joining the Windy City BMW CCA facebook group. Tons of knowledgeable guys, the owners of A&L and Seventh Gear are active as well as several others.

[tonytftc]

Originally Posted by scoale

The repair quote is high. Can you share more info on the other repairs you have made totaling to the 15k you mention? You may be well on the road to a trouble free car depending on what else you've had done. At any rate, putting 15k into a car and then selling it is definitely a financial loser.

Oil gasket is well know issue. Headlights/bulbs not unheard of for your mileage. Suspension bushing are general maintenance at that mileage.

Exhibit A for why BMWs depreciate the way they do.

My ECU completely blew at 105k miles and with it came the bank 1 fuel injectors (4.5k)
Oil pan gasket at 102k (1.2k)
at least 10 sensors throughout the 13k miles ranging from 250-750 for each one.
HPFP (dont recall how much, went out when I just bought the car)
LPFP (went out with hpfp)
Water pump(^)
Transmission (again, so long ago don't remember)
Suspension (^)
The seat was de railed on the passenger side (2.5k)
Left headlight at 101k (2.3k)
Blew my power steering at 102k (forget how much it was)
New brakes and rotors at 98k
4 wheel allignment 3 times in my time with the car
Replaced Injectors 2 or 3 times also.

Definitely have had more replaced than just this, can't seem to recall what else there was.


Might as well be cheaper to just buy a lower mileage 335i and sell mine

[GATORB8]

Originally Posted by tonytftc

My ECU completely blew at 105k miles and with it came the bank 1 fuel injectors (4.5k)
Oil pan gasket at 102k (1.2k)
at least 10 sensors throughout the 13k miles ranging from 250-750 for each one.
HPFP (dont recall how much, went out when I just bought the car)
LPFP (went out with hpfp)
Water pump(^)
Transmission (again, so long ago don't remember)
Suspension (^)
The seat was de railed on the passenger side (2.5k)
Left headlight at 101k (2.3k)
Blew my power steering at 102k (forget how much it was)
New brakes and rotors at 98k
4 wheel allignment 3 times in my time with the car
Replaced Injectors 2 or 3 times also.

Definitely have had more replaced than just this, can't seem to recall what else there was.


Might as well be cheaper to just buy a lower mileage 335i and sell mine

Holy Crap. If you're going to continue to use the dealer for service at that rate, you may as well lease a new M4.

How have you paid to replaced injectors that many times? The dealership should warranty their work for at least a year.

What year is your car? Some of the injectors and HPFP were covered by an extended warranty. Enter your VIN here: http://www.bmw-rp.com/production/isg...bmw_portal.nsf

[absentmathis]

Originally Posted by tonytftc

My ECU completely blew at 105k miles and with it came the bank 1 fuel injectors (4.5k)
Oil pan gasket at 102k (1.2k)
at least 10 sensors throughout the 13k miles ranging from 250-750 for each one.
HPFP (dont recall how much, went out when I just bought the car)
LPFP (went out with hpfp)
Water pump(^)
Transmission (again, so long ago don't remember)
Suspension (^)
The seat was de railed on the passenger side (2.5k)
Left headlight at 101k (2.3k)
Blew my power steering at 102k (forget how much it was)
New brakes and rotors at 98k
4 wheel allignment 3 times in my time with the car
Replaced Injectors 2 or 3 times also.

Definitely have had more replaced than just this, can't seem to recall what else there was.


Might as well be cheaper to just buy a lower mileage 335i and sell mine

This makes no sense whatsoever. I'm sorry but you got taken on a lot of this.

[tonytftc]

Originally Posted by absentmathis

This makes no sense whatsoever. I'm sorry but you got taken on a lot of this.

Not even going to disagree with you there lol

[tonytftc]

Originally Posted by GATORB8

Holy Crap. If you're going to continue to use the dealer for service at that rate, you may as well lease a new M4.

How have you paid to replaced injectors that many times? The dealership should warranty their work for at least a year.

What year is your car? Some of the injectors and HPFP were covered by an extended warranty. Enter your VIN here: http://www.bmw-rp.com/production/isg...bmw_portal.nsf

Exactly, might just finance an m4 it would save me a lot of money. I have an 07, however I had my hpfp and injectors replaced at Arlington performance. I seem to be the only 335i owner spending this much money on repairs

[Bob Shiftright]

Using a new car dealer for maintenance and repairs of a high-mileage European car paves the road to financial ruin.

Once the warranty has expired, my cars never see the tastefully decorated, clean and WiFi equipped dealer service departments except for recalls.

The standards to which I would maintain an automobile with 100K miles if I am paying for repairs are not the same as the standards to which I would maintain an automobile with 10K miles if the manufacturer is paying for repairs.

Some years ago, I owned a SAAB and SAABs of that era were notorious for weak manual transmissions. The car began popping out of reverse. I asked my indy to look at it and he diagnosed a chipped reverse gear said the "fix" was to replace the transmission, but also said something brilliant, which was, "How much time do you spend driving your car in reverse?". He had a point. So for the remainder of my ownership, I just held the lever in place when I needed to use reverse gear, cost $0. I considered the gear popping part of the car's "character". The car had at least 2 more owners and close to 300K on the odometer when we finally lost sight of it.

I think we all know what a new car dealer would do to fix the problem.

Suggest finding a tame independent mechanic, and buying a basic set of metric tools as well as a shop manual.

[Socket]

Originally Posted by tonytftc

Exactly, might just finance an m4 it would save me a lot of money. I have an 07, however I had my hpfp and injectors replaced at Arlington performance. I seem to be the only 335i owner spending this much money on repairs

Certainly some big numbers there mate
Seriously I have no mechanical skills at all, I use to take it to workshops and get ripped and half the time the work they did was dodgy as. I finally had enough and decided to do stuff myself.

Is actually pretty easy, most of it is unbolt this, unscrew that and put in a new part. DIY is not only cheaper but you know it is done right. Grab a socket set a battery charger and low profile jack and there not much you can't do

[TomD335xicoupe]

Don't think they will help but I would gather all of the records from the Stealership , they have them if you did not maintain a file, and send them to corporate with a scathing commentary. That is so far out of the norm they should buy that car from you just to find out W...T..F... is going on.

[El Cheapo Loco]

I would've dumped the car the second time it needs new injectors. What kind of car needs 3 sets of injectors at 125k?

[GATORB8]

Originally Posted by TomD335xicoupe

Don't think they will help but I would gather all of the records from the Stealership , they have them if you did not maintain a file, and send them to corporate with a scathing commentary. That is so far out of the norm they should buy that car from you just to find out W...T..F... is going on.

I would think you could at least get something for the injectors they charged you for multiple times. Service work paid for outside of the manufacturer's warranty normally carries a year or two guarantee.

[S4NoMore]

Echoing what has been said, I agree it would be unwise to sell it after you've (over)paid for so many new parts.

However, you need to be a little more resourceful in order to not get the run around from dealer service or even indy service for that matter. You don't seem like the person who's a good fit for keeping up with these nuanced cars as they age.

I mean come on, you say you don't remember how much these big-ticket items cost because it was "so long ago" but you haven't had the car for a year yet?? You don't know what you paid for a transmission to be replaced? To me it sounds like these costs don't really matter all that much if you don't even remember them.

[tonytftc]

Originally Posted by S4NoMore

Echoing what has been said, I agree it would be unwise to sell it after you've (over)paid for so many new parts.

However, you need to be a little more resourceful in order to not get the run around from dealer service or even indy service for that matter. You don't seem like the person who's a good fit for keeping up with these nuanced cars as they age.

I mean come on, you say you don't remember how much these big-ticket items cost because it was "so long ago" but you haven't had the car for a year yet?? You don't know what you paid for a transmission to be replaced? To me it sounds like these costs don't really matter all that much if you don't even remember them.

You tend to forget how much "big-ticket items" cost when your car is in for repairs every month with 5 new things wrong with it. I'd be fine paying these costs every once in a while if that meant my car would actually run fine 90% of the time. My question was asking if there is any hope my car will run normally in the near future, or do I sell it, not "am I unfit to own a 335"?