BMWs are 100% reliable, if you fix everything that breaks.
That sage advice comes from our old friend, Rennie Bryant of Redline Bimmer, a longtime South Florida repair shop.
This phrase really captures the reality that BMW generally builds stout, capable, well-engineered cars capable of lasting hundreds of thousands of miles–but that there are also some disasters waiting in …
If it makes you feel better, a friend lost a Subaru motor to this same failure mechanism.
Nathan JansenvanDoorn said:If it makes you feel better, a friend lost a Subaru motor to this same failure mechanism.
Nice to see other companies adopting cutting edge German engineering techniques.
And now you know why I no longer own a BMW.......or ever will again. Probably.
"BMW's are 100% reliable, if you fix everything that breaks." Sad, truly sad. How much are we paying for these cars again? At what point do you say it's just not worth it?
We have a 2014 X3 X-drive and after 140k miles, the a/c whines, the transfer case has a leaking seal, the rear diff is toast and the rear wheel bearings are howling. The transfer case wouldn't be so bad except BMW won't let you replace the seal; you have to replace the transfer case. $7000!!!
And I'm typing this next to this headline: Surprise: Our BMW 435i broke a belt during its first track day.
Talk about irony!
In reply to jerel77494 :
Wait until you hear about the part that’s NLA for our E46 M3. (Still gotta write it up as we just got everything sorted.)
jerel77494 said:"BMW's are 100% reliable, if you fix everything that breaks." Sad, truly sad. How much are we paying for these cars again? At what point do you say it's just not worth it?
We have a 2014 X3 X-drive and after 140k miles, the a/c whines, the transfer case has a leaking seal, the rear diff is toast and the rear wheel bearings are howling. The transfer case wouldn't be so bad except BMW won't let you replace the seal; you have to replace the transfer case. $7000!!!
And I'm typing this next to this headline: Surprise: Our BMW 435i broke a belt during its first track day.
Talk about irony!
Everything you said is true.
But it's a testament to just how fun and satisfying they are to drive that we put up with all this and still lust after them.
jerel77494 said:We have a 2014 X3 X-drive and after 140k miles, the a/c whines, the transfer case has a leaking seal, the rear diff is toast and the rear wheel bearings are howling. The transfer case wouldn't be so bad except BMW won't let you replace the seal; you have to replace the transfer case. $7000!!!
Sounds like it's time for a Cayman-transaxle-style unofficial fix...
Nathan JansenvanDoorn said:If it makes you feel better, a friend lost a Subaru motor to this same failure mechanism.
The parts Outback I purchased needed headwork because an accessory belt failed. The accessory belt took out the timing belt, which resulted in a bunch of bent valves. Good thing I only wanted the short block.
Except that I made the mistake of opening it up, so of course I found a bunch of bearings that were about an hour away from a catastrophic failure. Only part I ended up using from that car was the block.
jerel77494 said:"BMW's are 100% reliable, if you fix everything that breaks." Sad, truly sad. How much are we paying for these cars again? At what point do you say it's just not worth it?
We have a 2014 X3 X-drive and after 140k miles, the a/c whines, the transfer case has a leaking seal, the rear diff is toast and the rear wheel bearings are howling. The transfer case wouldn't be so bad except BMW won't let you replace the seal; you have to replace the transfer case. $7000!!!
And I'm typing this next to this headline: Surprise: Our BMW 435i broke a belt during its first track day.
Talk about irony!
Call these guys, they probably have the seal you need. BMW did not make that tcase, its used in many cars:
https://cobratransmission.com
Also looks like BMW sells the seals and a new unit is $3800. You need a better indie mechanic.
My wife had a 2002 328i and I could not ever figure out how and why they make the cooling system so complex on these cars. Just how many O-ring joints are there?? How much do they cost?? Why wouldn't a safe, thick, molded rubber hose do the same trick at a fraction of the cost?? I will admit that they are great cars to drive and even better when they are running well, LOL, but I think they are eventually doomed to the junkyard due to their prohibitive parts and repair costs, or to become drift machines from engine swaps.
The '76 530i I bought new back in the day cured me of BMWs. Great when all was right...but that was not often. It would overheat and be low on coolant. Simple problem, no. Several dealers and a BMW race shop in NC, Miller and Norburne (?) or similar, all gave up on finding a cause.
The 'solution'... keep your eye on the gauge and carry a few gallons of coolant in the trunk.
DavyZ said:My wife had a 2002 328i and I could not ever figure out how and why they make the cooling system so complex on these cars. Just how many O-ring joints are there?? How much do they cost?? Why wouldn't a safe, thick, molded rubber hose do the same trick at a fraction of the cost??
The rubber hose and clamp probably costs more. It's more labor intensive to install on the assembly line, and has a higher chance of leaking because it requires a degree of craftsmanship.
Quick connect hoses, you snap together and move on to the next step. QC is similarly easy.
Pete. (l33t FS) said:DavyZ said:My wife had a 2002 328i and I could not ever figure out how and why they make the cooling system so complex on these cars. Just how many O-ring joints are there?? How much do they cost?? Why wouldn't a safe, thick, molded rubber hose do the same trick at a fraction of the cost??
The rubber hose and clamp probably costs more. It's more labor intensive to install on the assembly line, and has a higher chance of leaking because it requires a degree of craftsmanship.
Quick connect hoses, you snap together and move on to the next step. QC is similarly easy.
I was going to answer, but then I thought it was not worth it lol. I am glad Pete steped in.
First of all, there was no 328 in 2002 ... it was probably a 323 or 325. It only two o-rings, one on the upper and one on the lower radiator hose ... but people like to complain about stuff they do not know or they don't even fix ... Its not that complex:
Most of these issues, like the one MauryH above have can be attributed to subpar mechanics ... take your car to someone like Pete and problem solved. That e12 has what is considered, along with the M54, one of the most reliable straight sixes BMW makes ... the M30. It had a blown head-gasket probably, no need to carry water ... just diagnose fix and then take care of the car properly.
The E12 530i was plagued with issues related to the thermal reactor emissions system, which ran extremely hot and was placed too close to the head, resulting in a tendency toward all sorts of heat-related problems, up to and including cracked heads. The 528i that followed had a catalytic converter in a more remote location, and had no such issues.
I've had BMWs for decades, and while they do demand maintenance more vehemently than some other makes (and punish you for ignoring it with similar enthusiasm), they tend to be pretty easy to work on (at least until about ten years ago), so they're well-suited to DIY, which in turn makes the costs much more palatable.
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