Opinion on Purchase of 2000 BMW 323i Sport Wagon

[Gebo]

I've never had a BMW. Only had Lexus, Hondas and Toyotas. My son is considering selling his '89 Prelude and buying this 2000 323i wagon for work. It has 182K on it.

I have Invoice Summary for work done from 47K to current mileage of 182K. Transmission rebuild at 96K. RR and RF window regulators replaced. New driveshaft, Lower Control Arm bushings, expansion tank, expansion tank, T-Stat assembly, new oil line and oil filter housing seal done at 101K. Belts and tensioners, fuel filter and Crank Case Vent Kit done at 117K. Upgraded front brakes to 330i with stainless steel brake lines and new front and rear rotors at 118K. Bi-Xenont HID headlight conversion at 124K. New Bilstein front struts and rear shocks, polyurethane bushings and new lower control arms at 150K. Belts and tensioners, Expansion tank, Both radiator hoses, water pump, electric fan conversion and coolant flush at 169K.

Some of these OCI's blow my mind. 15K between oil changes????

The previous owner said the crank case vent kit was very important.

Do you have opinions as to the value of this vehicle? Is $5,000 a ridiculous asking price? The body and paint look perfect. Toyo Versados only have 5K on them. Drives like a charm.

I am a little concerned about the reliability of BMW's. Sure seems like a lot of things have been replaced already.

 

[eljefino]

Previous owner does sound like a fan of the car, a positive.

Remember NHHEMI hating the tire kickers on craigslist, even though he could prove he spent a bunch of money and rebuilt the tranny? This is the opposite angle of the same situation.

 

[Gebo]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Previous owner does sound like a fan of the car, a positive.


He has been very upfront. He asked me what kind of driveway had (theirs is gravel) because it drips a little oil. He showed me the cardboard he had placed under the car for 3 days to let me see how much it drips. 3 little teaspoons. They are selling because his wife can't get out of it any more.

 

[Gebo]

Can I go to BMW and get service records?

 

[SatinSilver]

A Prelude to a station wagon for your son? Maybe a newer Prelude that hasn't been modded, An RSX - CarMax has them, Even an Accord coupe - V6 for performance. Kind of a newer version of the Lude. I'd skip the wagon.

 

[Gebo]

He's 28 and very responsible. He wants a wagon for work. This would be his second vehicle. His real ride is the 2009 IS350 in my sig.

 

[RooflessVW]

I'd do it, sounds like the car was enjoyed and cared for. You should be good to go for a while.

15k on oil is just fine with LL01 and OEM quality filter. The oil leak is probably the filter housing gasket or valve cover gasket, easy DIY. If it's the oil pan gasket, just let it leak.

 

[Rolla07]

Used BMW with 182k miles on it. No thanks.

 

[Gebo]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
I'd do it, sounds like the car was enjoyed and cared for. You should be good to go for a while.

15k on oil is just fine with LL01 and OEM quality filter. The oil leak is probably the filter housing gasket or valve cover gasket, easy DIY. If it's the oil pan gasket, just let it leak.


The cardboard indicated the leaks are left front and right rear from the driver's seat.

 

[RooflessVW]

Yep, valve cover leaking at the rear of the head and oil filter housing gasket leaking from the front are what I would suspect. Factor about $35ish in parts and 3 hours for your first time.

 

[Gebo]

Originally Posted By: Rolla07
Used BMW with 182k miles on it. No thanks.


I would normally agree with you 100% but this one looks fantastic. It's not really for sale "sale". The owner's son was installing a mirror on my Mom's car and said his Mom was gonna have to sell her car because she can't get out of it which started the whole conversation. I don't even like BMW's. LOL

The exterior and engine and interior look brand new. Driver's seat is worn.

 

[Gebo]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Yep, valve cover leaking at the rear of the head and oil filter housing gasket leaking from the front are what I would suspect. Factor about $35ish in parts and 3 hours for your first time.


The local BMW expert sprayed something all underneath it (leak detector???)and told them not to worry at all about the leaks. that's why they didn't fix them.

 

[JC1]

Originally Posted By: Gebo
I've never had a BMW. Only had Lexus, Hondas and Toyotas. My son is considering selling his '89 Prelude and buying this 2000 323i wagon for work. It has 182K on it.


Do you and your son Do you own repairs? Get ready to go from a cheap to maintained vehicle to something that can possibly cost much more to fix.

While I will admit those German cars to scream luxury, the practical side of me says no way.

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted By: Gebo
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Yep, valve cover leaking at the rear of the head and oil filter housing gasket leaking from the front are what I would suspect. Factor about $35ish in parts and 3 hours for your first time.


The local BMW expert sprayed something all underneath it and told them not to worry at all about the leaks. that's why they didn't fix them.


Well, a valve cover gasket leak is a vacuum leak, so I would fix it if it's leaking.

The oil filter housing gasket can fail quite spectacularly. Makes quite a mess.

I would do both if you purchase the car just because they are common points of failure and they're cheap to fix. If you don't want to do it preventatively blast the engine down with some brake cleaner and see if you can pinpoint the leak.

 

[Gebo]

I do all the basic maintenance. Oil, transmission, brakes, coolant, plugs, filters, etc.

 

[Gebo]

Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Originally Posted By: Gebo
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Yep, valve cover leaking at the rear of the head and oil filter housing gasket leaking from the front are what I would suspect. Factor about $35ish in parts and 3 hours for your first time.


The local BMW expert sprayed something all underneath it and told them not to worry at all about the leaks. that's why they didn't fix them.


Well, a valve cover gasket leak is a vacuum leak, so I would fix it if it's leaking.

The oil filter housing gasket can fail quite spectacularly. Makes quite a mess.

I would do both if you purchase the car just because they are common points of failure and they're cheap to fix. If you don't want to do it preventatively blast the engine down with some brake cleaner and see if you can pinpoint the leak.


I think the local BMW mechanic did what you are suggested. I'll see him Monday. There are no BMW dealerships local and this guy is known by everyone as the "expert." The current owners are older and didn't know what he said exactly. They only know he said to not worry bout the leaks.

 

[rustypigeon]

Originally Posted By: Gebo

Is $5,000 a ridiculous asking price?


I would not pay $5000 for a 16 year old BMW with 182,000 miles on it. $3000-$3500 is more like it. I watch BMW's often on craigslist. If someone was asking a firm $5000 for the vehicle you described, it would likely be listed for months without selling.

This past spring I bought a cosmetically clean 2000 323i 117,000 miles, with a bad transmission and check engine light on for $1200. I put about $800 into it and now runs like a dream.

Most 2000 323i's came with a ZF transmision. These very often break their reverse drum... likely the reason for the rebuild on the car you are talking about. When I rebuilt mine, I could tell that someone was in there before making a previous reverse repair. They did not do it properly, which it why I was the second person rebuilding it in only 117,000 miles.

The crank case vent that was replaced is a common problem in these cars. The one I bought had a cracked hose in the CCV system causing a vaccum leak. About $120 in parts if you can do it yourself. Small hands help.

 

[RooflessVW]

Ah, makes sense. I really like the wagon; I hooked a local kid up with some 17s for his:

 

[andyd]

Only trouble is all that cooling system stuff is due for replacement. I think these have delicate window bits. What is the chassis? E-39, E 46. Many E 28 enthusiasts complain about the flimsiness of newer BMWs compared to E 28s.

 

[RooflessVW]

If you read his post, the cooling system was taken care of about 15k ago. Like I said, he's all set on maintenance, and it'll probably be trouble free for quite some time.

It's an E46.