What Should I Know When Buying a Used E36 M3

What Should I Know When Buying A Used E36 M3?

While they're not the most common car in the world, there are a fair number of M3’s out there. Don't let "igottahavethisone" fever cloud your judgement. Look at the car with a critical eye. Buying a used sports car without really checking it out first can be a very expensive mistake. Many M3’s on the market have been driven fairly hard – Let’s face it, they were made to be driven! This doesn’t mean that they have to be worn out and loose feeling. If the car was properly cared for and had regular and preventative maintenance, they should still handle and feel very tight. While many people shy away from a car that has been modified, a modified M3 MAY not be reason to run. While it probably means the car was driven hard, it also MAY mean the person who owned it was a car fanatic. Hopefully they took care of many of the maintenance items that may have been overlooked by the “doctor or old lady” who just drove the car until it was time to get rid of it. That is a judgment call. Below are a bunch of helpful hints and guideline to make your purchase less painful.

Protect Yourself In A Private Sale

A very simple way to handle the financial end of the deal is to make arrangements to wire transfer the funds to the seller's bank. Speak to an officer there and explain what you are doing, and that they are to release the funds to the seller when you authorize them to do (i.e., when the seller signs the title over to you). The transfer can occur almost immediately, generally costs you nothing, and is fully secure.

Before you do ANYTHING...

Get the car's VIN number and run it through CarFax. I wouldn't bother doing ANYTHING else until I had a CarFax report. It is often worth someone's effort to buy it as a salvage vehicle, rebuild it, and then sell it. Unfortunately the cars are not always advertised as salvaged vehicles. CarFax can be found on the web at www.carfax.com or by calling 1-888-4-CARFAX. Reports are only $19.50 online or $29.50 via phone. Find out current the status of the car's title. Is it free and clear of any liens? Does the bank still hold it or is the car paid off? Once you have a clean CarFax report (or have looked into any problems reported on the report and had them answered to your satisfaction), you can move on...

Do Some Research

There are several weak service life components on an E36 M3. Although most of these are fairly cheap to fix or service, if a bunch build up it can get expensive and also shows that the PO (previous owner) may not have attended to the car properly. Get the service records from the previous owner. If there are missing records, BMW may have records of any warranty or recall work done. BMW can also tell you where the car was originally sold, so you may be able to call the dealership that sold the car and find out some information. The CarFax report you got before you went any further (you DID get it, didn't you?) will tell you everywhere the car has been registered. You can probably call the BMW dealers in those areas and get some service history. BMW has a pretty thorough inspection it performs at dealerships called Inspection I and Inspection II. These are usually done at about 30 thousand miles and 60 thousand miles respectively. Check to see if these inspections have been performed. A list of all things checked in these inspections can be obtained from most friendly BMW dealers. This is a GREAT list to evaluate the fitness of a car.

If the car has been modified, find out who did the work. A reputable speed shop or well respected general performance shop are probably all fine. Someone's buddy installing a turbo charger in his spare time is probably NOT fine. Talk to whoever did the modifications to the car to see if they have any input on the car's condition or history and to get a feel for how well they know the car.

If possible, concentrate on cars coming from a “sunny” climate. Driving a car in ANY salty roads or environment can greatly accelerate wear and corrosion in almost every operating system of the car.

Several of the things that should have been checked or changed on any E36 M3 with greater than 50,000 miles are listed below:

Suspension/Steering:

1. Although the shocks and struts on a new M3 were fairly good, they wore out in about 40 to 50 thousand miles as reported by most owners. If the car has more than 50,000 miles on it, it can be safe to assume new shocks and struts are in order. Most owners upgrade these components because OEM replacements are often more expensive than upgraded ones. The most common replacement that offers close to OE softness with intact handling uses Koni Adjustable shocks/struts paired with the stock springs. These run in the neighborhood of $550 plus installation.

2. Rear Shock Mounts, often referred to as RSM’s, are one of the short service life components that needs to be checked every 25 to 30 thousand miles. It is a good idea to ask the PO if these have been replaced. While it is fairly intrusive to check these (the trunk carpet must be folded down off of the shock tower to expose the mount, which includes removing the outermost portion of the rear seat back), it is important to do so because a failed RSM can result in a torn shock tower. Short story, you don’t want this! If this happens you’ll need to weld a reinforcement plate over the damaged tower. An inspection of the top of the shock tower MAY show signs of a failing RSM which usually shows up as flakes of rubber around the mount. However, it is often not possible to tell if the RSM is good or not unless it is fully removed which involves removing the rear shock. This should not be a deal breaker if they have not been replaced, they are cheap ~$20 each, but it is definitely an important item to check.

3. Rear Trailing Arm Bushings, RTAB’s, are part of the rear suspension that can fail within 50 thousand miles depending on how the car was driven. While these are also not easily diagnosed, symptoms of worn bushings are a feeling of ‘wandering’ of the rear end especially in corners and/or under hard acceleration. These also are an important item because failed RTAB’s may also cause tearing of the cars suspension mounting structure. These too are fairly cheap ~$25 per side, although the labor to replace them can be as much as $500. 4. Tie-rods – these should generally be replaced at around 100 thousand miles. Signs of worn tie-rods can be play in the steering wheel, or the car pulls to one side when the wheel is let go or under braking. If the car is on a lift, grabbing the wheel at 3 and 9 o’clock and forcefully trying to turn the wheel (like the car steers) should yield zero play. If any play is felt, inspect the tie-rods closely.

Cooling System:

1. Water-pump - Up until about mid 1996, BMW used a plastic impellor on their water pumps that was prone to break. It is a good idea to check to see if a new water pump has been put in if the car has more than 50 thousand miles on it.

2. Radiator – the OEM radiators that BMW used on E36 M3’s have a service life of around 80 thousand miles as reported by many owners. The top neck of them is prone to cracking leading to loss of coolant, overheating… you get the picture. It is advisable to replace the radiator and hoses every 75 thousand miles as preventative maintenance.

3. Thermostat – As with any car, this is probably the most common failed component in the cooling system and should be evaluated. The M3 came with a plastic thermostat housing that was also prone to crack on occasion. Many owners replace it with an aluminum one which can be had for around $25.

Inspection

It's generally a poor idea to buy a used car sight-unseen unless maybe you are working with a broker or dealer in whom you place a great amount trust. If the car you're thinking of buying is located far away, it may be worth flying out to look at it. In many cases you can find another M3 owner through this forum who lives nearby and can do an initial inspection and test drive for you. That will help eliminate wasted trips to look at cars in poor condition. If you're not a "car person," bring someone who is along with you. They'll probably find things you would have missed.

In addition to everything below, it's also a good idea to have the car checked out by an certified mechanic or at a BMW service center. It'll only cost $60-$80.

See the Checklist for an itemized list of things to go over.

Exterior

EVERY panel on a BMW has an original matching number sticker placed on it at the factory. This can be a very quick check to see if all panels are original. Do not attempt to inspect the paint inside a dealer showroom, in a garage, or anywhere there is a lack of direct, very bright 100% white light. Inspect the paint in bright sunlight from both up close and from several yards away. Make sure the color is exactly the same between panels. Look for any paint drips, waviness, or roughness. The factory paint on these cars is very good; any of the above are indications of paint work. Inspect the paint again in direct sunlight towards sunset. If possible, also check it under BRIGHT fluorescent light. Also look for door dings and hail damage.

If the car has tens of thousands of miles on it, there should be some minor rock chips. Even if they were touched up they should be visible upon close inspection. If a nose mask was used, check around the side air intakes - they tend to attract rock chips. A car with several tens of thousands of miles and absolutely no rock chips has probably had recent paint work.

Spray a little clean water on the car. If the car is properly waxed, the water will bead right up. If the owner was really picky, water sprayed on parts of the painted surface that are normally not exposed will also bead up. Those areas will also be clean if the owner is picky.

Check all the glass for scratches, chips, etc. Some "sand blasting" is normal on the front windshield for a mid to high mile car. Excess glue around the edges of the windshield or rear window probably means it has been replaced.

Check to see if the spare tire has been used and assure it is inflated. The spare tire on an E36 is actually an impact absorbing mechanism for rear end collisions. Thus, it is important that you have one for reasons other than a flat tire.

For any model year, check the struts that hold up both the trunk lid and the engine hood. These struts tend to die after 4-5 years. Replacement is around $80 per pair with labor, or an easy do-it-yourself job if you want to save $30 bucks.

Check out the engine compartment, beyond the surface stuff. Look down at the base of the engine, near the exhaust manifold, under the air box, etc. Really well maintained cars tend to have very clean engine compartments.

Make sure all the body panels line up correctly and evenly. If a panel is crooked, uneven, or does not line up with the other panels, the car has probably been damaged and fixed. The M3 fit and finish from the factory is generally excellent and the tolerances are tight. Your panels should all line up nicely.

Remove the tow hook cover on the front of the car and look at the tow hook. Does it look like it's ever been used? If so, find out why.

Put the car on a lift and inspect the underside. It is common to lightly "bottom out" such a low car occasionally if it's used as a daily driver, but there shouldn't be anything more than light scrapes. If someone nailed a raised railroad crossing at full speed, it should be obvious. Also look for any oil leaks or leaking fluid from the brake system, cooling system, shocks, or transmission. Note that it is NORMAL to see some original factory paint overspray underneath the car - it's on the undercoating on both sides below the rocker panels. This is not evidence of repainting.

Check the tires. The fronts tend to wear faster on the inside edge, but wear should be about even between the left and right tires. If not, it could be a minor alignment problem or a more serious suspension problem (or even a bent frame).

Check the wheels for scratches. If the wheels are not factory, find out what offset they are and whether or not they are hub-centric.While you're checking out the wheels, look at the tires, rotors and brake pads too and see if they're in good shape or will need replacement soon.

Interior

In general, really get in there and fiddle around with stuff. Push all the buttons, twist all the knobs, pull all the levers. Make sure the power windows work, make sure the stereo (and CD player if there is one) work, test all the lights, open and close the fuel filler door and glove box, honk the horn, check the rear defroster and power mirrors, etc.

For a low-mile car (under say 50,000 miles), check the wear on the drivers side left bottom seat bolster. It shouldn't show much wear. Also check the brake pedal. It should not show much wear either. If either one is worn, it is a warning sign that the car may have more miles than are on the odometer. Do some more checking.

Check all the carpeting. Pull the floor mats and trunk mat out and check the carpeting underneath. While you've got the trunk open, check the toolkit under the trunk lid. If there are any empty spaces in the tray, there are missing parts of the toolkit. Look for any moisture or musty odors in the trunk or any other part of the car (there shouldn't be any!) - they could indicate a rainwater leak or flood-damaged car.

Check all the interior leather and vinyl for wear, cracks, or damage. It should be soft and supple to the touch, not brittle.

Check the shocks. If you press down on a bumper corner, the car should bounce back crisply and stop. It should NOT bounce. Be careful where you're pressing down; pushing too hard on the sheet metal could dent it.

If the seller claims the car hasn't been smoked in, check for cigarette ash, burn marks or odor. Run a white cloth through the ashtray and see if there's any ash residue. Try any OEM accessories such as keyless entry or factory phone as well as any after- market accessories such as an alarm or built-in radar detector.

Test Drive

Start the car cold (hasn't been started overnight). It should start easily. Listen to the engine for a minute to make sure everything sounds OK. Hold a white towel in front of the exhaust for a minute. It should get a little sooty, but there shouldn't be oil shooting out of the exhaust. There shouldn't be any serious smoke.

After you start driving, the car should get up to normal operating temperature within a few minutes of driving. If it takes a while (say 15 minutes), the thermostat that controls the cooling system may be bad. Focus on the car - do not let the seller distract you. If the seller is along for the test drive, don't talk to him. If he keeps talking, explain politely that you're trying to concentrate on the car and ask he please be quiet. You can talk to him all you want before or after the test drive. Likewise, do not play the radio while you're doing the test drive other than just to make sure it works and the CD player (if there is one) doesn't skip. Once you've done that, turn the radio off. You're not out for a cruise, you're evaluating a vehicle for purchase. Use the quiet to listen to the engine and for any "bad" noises the car might make as you drive.

Check the clutch. Make it isn't slipping by accelerating hard through a couple gears and watching the tachometer, then drop it to around 30 MPH, shift into 5th gear, and floor it (keep watching the tachometer.) The engine should bog down (it's not good to do this on a regular basis but won't hurt it for a minute to test the clutch). The tachometer should NOT climb out of relation to the speedometer or be jerky at all. If driven correctly the clutch lasts a long time. The clutch should work smoothly and there should be no grinding between gears with the clutch fully disengaged (pushed down). Grinding could indicate a clutch out of adjustment or bad synchros.

The steering should be very tight and responsive and should not pull to one side. The car should be ROCK SOLID, even at very high speeds. Period. If it feels "floaty, " "twitchty," or "vague" at any speed, something is wrong. Most likely it's something minor like being out of alignment, but do NOT buy the car until it is fixed and feels rock solid at high speed in case the problem is something more serious.

If there is any vibration in the steering wheel (other than from the road of course) at any speed, there is most likely a wheel out of balance. But it could also be a bad or damaged tire or a BENT wheel. Do not buy the car until the vibration is gone. If it's just a wheel out of balance, it's cheap and easy for the seller to fix. If it's a bad tire or wheel, it could cost hundreds.

Drive over some bumpy roads and listen for rattles (hopefully few or none) and suspension noise (there should be none).

Make sure the AC works well. Ask the owner how often he used the AC. When not used on a regular basis (every few weeks at least), the seals can start to dry out and you can end up with a freon leak. AC problems can be expensive. Try the heat too! At some point after the car has gotten really warmed up, stop for a couple minutes, shut the car off, and then re-start it while it's still hot. Do the white cloth test on the exhaust again (be careful - it's hot now!). While you're stopped, check the parking brake too. Try the cruise control and all related buttons (on/off, accel, decel, resume).

The shifter should be smooth and quick. There should be no grinding, though it may be difficult to engage 1st gear if you're going more than 10 MPH and do not rev-match the shift. Make sure you try reverse too!

Do some hard braking. The car should stop smoothly. If there is shudder, the rotors are warped. If it pulls to one side, there may be a sticking caliper piston, etc. The brakes should not fade at all under reasonable street driving. A few 80-20 runs should heat them up pretty well. Also, activate the ABS system a couple times and make sure it works OK. ABS systems can be expensive to fix.

After the test drive, sniff around the engine compartment and make sure nothing is smells like it's burning (oil, for example.) Also, check the oil. If it's low or very dirty, there is a serious lack of attention to one of the most basic and crucial maintenance items, and the rest of the car has probably been neglected as well.

Credit: Casebrius, Bimmerforums.com Thread: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=323985