Sup

>>17597302
Manual or automatic?

If you bought an an automatic, please promptly KYS.

sell it and buy a mustang gt

>>17597302
You really don't need to do anything extravagant. Just change the oil as necessary and do routine maintenance as the owners manual suggests.

>>17597334
no shit it's manual, performance model

>>17597349
That's good to hear, honestly

>>17597350
Welcome New friend.

>>17597349
What is routine maintenance for a bimmer? I'm interested in a 328i and I'm worried to hell it's gonna bust on me and I'll be spending thousands on repairs

>>17597370
Ty.

>>17597379
You the same guy from yesterday? Don't put so much stock in memes anon, as long as it hasn't had the shit beaten out of it it's gonna be fine

>>17597379
What year? I work for bimmer.

>>17597466
Yeah, probably sound like an idiot making all these posts but after weeks of car searching it's one of the only cars that hasn't stopped catching my eye and just don't want a lemon
>>17597579
2011

Plugs, wires, ignition coil if you really want, serpentine belt, and an oil change

You can do all the fluids if you're feeling up to it

>>17597618
Are there tutorials for all this shit online? What are some tools you need? Have just about every socket known to mankind and a jacklift but that's it

>>17597635
Yes, all of this is very easy stuff. There are easy how to videos from plenty of people on how to do these things. And the cool thing is that even if the car they do it on isn't your specific model, these are all very universal things for any car.

Plugs and wires you'll need a socket wrench, spark plug socket, and an extension. The wires don't actually need any tools.

Your ignition coil should only need a screwdriver and a driver in the size fastener you need. Very likely a torx or torx security bit, probably size 20 or 25.

Serpentine belt you'll only need a breaker bar for.

Oil change you'll need an oil drip pan and a filter wrench. You'll also need a new filter and however many quarts of oil your car takes. I'd say spring for synthetic but it's up to you in the end. You can turn in your old oil and filter at almost any parts store.

The other fluids are pretty easy too. And you can do your fuel filter if you really want to.

But at least consider investing in a good "universal" mechanics set. Not like snap-on stuff but like something that's under $150 and available at a hardware store

>>17597599
You'll be fine. Do you have a job? It'll probably be anywhere between $500-$1200/year. Can be less if you find a good independent shop for fluid shit or just do yourself. Make friends with your local dealer and ask them for help on parts. If you don't act like a retard they'll probably help you out on the cost of the parts. Labor is where people get Jewed because all the service guys are Union Jews.

>>17597599
Good thing that caught your eye and not a 335i or a v8/v10 bmw

Bmw straight sixes, specifically the naturally aspirated ones, are excellent engines. Reliable, smooth power delivery, decent mpg and a wonderful sound once you get rid of the stock muffler.

At 80-90k the car will need cooling system overhauled and/or water pump replaced but it's not an expensive fix and you can diy without much difficulty

At 100k you will likely want to flush the tranny as well. Change oil every 3-5k and not more. Take care of it and it'll take care of you.

>>17597737
>>17597691
>>17597676
All great help thanks guys. Watching some videos on how to replace this stuff and most of it is honestly not nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be.
Is there anything specific I can look for when I go to check the car out? I know I can kind of see whether the water pump is still good or not.

>>17597302
fuck all that gay maintenance shit get a short ram intake and watch the ponies fly

>>17597737
>Good thing that caught your eye and not a 335i or a v8/v10 bmw
Different anon but is there anything wrong with the 335i?

>>17597822
>Is there anything specific I can look for when I go to check the car out? I know I can kind of see whether the water pump is still good or not.

Ask which sensors have been replaced and when, ask about any other electrical problems it may have had. Take a look at the cooling system, check how brittle the hoses are if you can as it'll give you an estimate of how long until they need replacing. Make sure the tranny shifts smoothly and ask when the brake pads were last changed. All in all I'm pretty sure you'll be happy with it unless the car was driven hard as fuck and not maintained well.

>>17597853
You bet there is, lots of problems with the n54/n55 and they are not easy fixes. They are fun cars don't get me wrong but make sure you have money at the ready for when things inevitably go south.

>>17597822
Honestly some of your best indicators is just looking at the Carfax and seeing how much it was driven and the previous owners, etc. Some people think this is stupid, but one of the best indicators of whether a car will be trash or not is if the front driver's seat is all fucked up and if it was a smoker. 99% of the cars we see come through from smokers or fat asses were treated like shit.

>>17597883
Do you have a list of good BMW engines/models that a novice could maintain? I'm honestly thinking about one.

>>17597907
Well, to make a long story short pretty much any bimmer from 1988 to 2011 that isn't a V8/V10 or forced induction. Naturally aspirated straight sixes are BMW's true bread and butter.

I consider 2011 the upper limit because you tend to encounter more and more electronic issues as you get into newer model years (mostly features/sensors put into cars without proper vetting).

I don't recommend the e46 m3 because that is probably the most complicated na straight six they've ever made (for instance, each cylinder has its own throttle body)

Would you guys recommend getting an independant mechanic to do a pre purchase inspection at a dealership? Do I just call around local garages and ask if they do that kind of thing?

>>17597302
>improve reliability in the engine

Rip out the boat anchor of a V6 and ls swap it. You can get swap kits for under 3k.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Trlp3nRdkDI

>>17598032
If you're feeling skeptical about the vehicle history and/or previous owner then yes.

I have always bought from private sellers and that's what I recommend but I'd say an inspection is worth it if you're seriously interested in specific car and don't feel comfortable with the vehicle's past.

>>17598125
The history looks good. Carfax is clean, 2 owners, 90k miles over like 6 years which is average. I don't know if carfax would show everything done on the car. It has a bunch of oil changes and a couple things fixed here and there but nothing major like brakes or anything inside the engine so I am a little worried I'd have to fix a bunch of stuff a few months in. Which wouldn't be awful if it was one or two things.

>>17598241
Brakes aren't a major thing, and no major repairs is a good sign. That means that the car hasn't needed anything major because the previous owners took care of the car and didn't drive it like retards.

See if you can get someone here to check the vin for you if you really want every single detail. Honestly though it sounds like it's in good shape. The only things you'll have to fix soon are the coolant hoses and water pump (not a big deal) as well as replace spark plugs and flush the tranny (standard 100k mile maintenance).

You can do most of these yourself, a good indy shop won't charge much either so it's your call. Leave the tranny to the professionals though you do not want to make any mistakes there.

>>17598294
Thanks and that's good to know. I'll definitely let the serious things to professionals but watching videos I can definitely do stuff like the water pump and spark plugs and such. Really can't wait to go check it out now. Always wanted to know how to fix stuff on my car too so I think it'll be a lot of fun.

>>17598317
Yup no problem, I have a feeling you're going to really enjoy that car. I love these old inline-6 bimmers because they're inexpensive, reliable, so fun to drive and not hard to maintain. One year ago I knew nothing about car maintenance but when you really like a car you feel an urge to learn and take care of it inside and out.

If you treat it like it's your baby it will keep you smiling all the time, that is why I love these cars. Be sure to post pics and stuff after you get it, I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like to see.