2001 330xi--warranty runs out soon.

[lawman330xi]

The car has 76,500 miles on it, mostly from highway driving. My extended warranty will run out on 6-15-07. My dealership has always been good to me and said that they would inspect and repair anything that needed it. All scheduled maintenance has been done to the car.

Is there anything specifically that I should focus on? (The brakes were replaced 10,000 miles ago at 60,000+ miles.) The car runs beautifully but after reading the post about the 2001 330ci, I'm a bit apprehensive, especially since I know absolutely nothing about cars

My plan is to keep the car as long as possible. Any suggestions?

 

[Bmw 325i 7803]

That guy is not only located in some foreign country, but he also probably abused and did not maintain his car. As is evidenced by his ignorance of the problems his car had, he clearly was not being attentive to the vehicle.

As for what can go wrong, that is hard to say, but chances are if the car has been reliable thus far, it wont break in the future... If you love the car, I would keep it and pay the maintenance at 90k... If you were to sell it, how much do you hope to get for a 6 year old car with 75k on it... $12,000?

 

[Average Jae]

Hey Cary, nice to see a fellow michigander. i live in Troy.
do you go to Erhard? i wonder if we have the same advisor, mine's Chen, he's really cool.

anyway, recently i've been thinking about this, and came to the conclusion that: if you are thinking about selling your car because of future troubles, you should think about what car you want to get into and money involved.

i assume your car's all paid off, so until the major fix, you are riding your car for free. (so to speak) minus maint fees. if you opt for a nice new ride, you'll have the piece of mind, but with a payment plan. i think repairs and such w/ used cars are a crap shoot. it may last you a long time, it may not. i leave the tough part to you, i'm just here to provide background noise.

 

[BBARON]

Stop worrying about your car. I put 173000 miles on my 2000 323 without any trouble. The automatic transmission started to slip at that point so I sold it. My 2003 530 has 209000 miles on it and still going strong. These cars will run a long time if properly maintained. Since your car is 4 years old, you will need to have the coolant changed soon. Also, considering the smooth roads that you have in Michigan, you will probably need new tie rod ends and lower control arms sooner or later. At 100,000 miles you will need new spark plugs and a new oxygen sensor. None of these are good reasons to get rid of the car unless you just really want a new car.

 

[lawman330xi]

The goal here is to keep the car....

Guys, I appreciate your help. I don't want to buy a new car for many reasons:

1. My car is equipped with Dinan equipment (chips, exhaust, throttle, cold air return) and it runs great.

2. I do not like the new BMW body styles.

3. This car is paid off!

I posed the question, not because I don't trust my service rep or the dealership(Chen at Erhard BMW), but because I want to aware of what may be needing replacement or attention at this time. I know keeping a "used" car is a crap shoot, but this car is truly special. I just want to keep it that way.

So far, I have learned a few things that may need checking. Recirculation filters, thermostat housing, water pump and coolant change. Anything else.

Did I mention that the car is terrific? Probably did.

Thanks,

Cary

 

[Average Jae]

Cary, in my 1 am banter, i may have missed your question ^^;

I'm coming up on my 4th year, with warranty set to expire, i decided to get a second opinion about my car. i took her to munks they are located in waterford, and is a reputable shop amoung bmw and porsche owners. i found out about them from getting inspected for track days. (local bmw and porsche clubs do tech days there for free, to do basic checkups for track worthiness) anyway, the complete inspection cost me hair under $200. now i have something for Chen to look at when i take my car in next week.

if what i wrote even hinted at questioning trustworthiness of your SA, then that was not my intention. did you know that Chen's going on vacation for two weeks after next week? his schedule is already crammed, i barely got my appointment in for next week.
my advice would be to get your car checked out by a reputable local mechanic, and if they find something that could be repaird under warranty, schedule something with Chen for early part of June. instead of waiting until couple days before the warranty expires. also keep in mind that loaners at erhard are at least 2 to 3 weeks out.

also post some pics when you get a chance

 

[Detrich]

if the car runs fine and u love it, then there's nothing wrong wanting to keep it.

i've had my 99 323i since 1998 and just had 90k service done. other than that it eats light bulbs for lunch and is getting slightly rattling here-and-there a bit, it still runs great and is fun to drive. and, i plan to keep it. ever since my 3-year warranty was up, i've been taking my car to my trusted local (non-dealer) service shop. and, it's saved me a lot of money over the years.

the only thing tempting me these days is a RWD manual Lexus IS 250... <lol> well- i love BMW- esp my own 323i. but honestly, nowadays the pricing is getting a bit ridiculous. mid $40k's for a 3-series? seems steep compared to what i paid back in the day...