[SupremBimmer]

Hello y’all I recently got an E90 passed down to me from family. It’s about to hit 160k miles and she wasn’t really taken care of. So I want to know what kind of maintenance would be recommended since I will be trying to do most of the work. I know it has a gas leak at the moment probably from the fuel regulator. It had a transmission fluid change about a year ago but she shifts hard from 1-2 and 2-3. I don’t know any other maintenance history but any help would be appreciated TIA!

[StradaRedlands]

Get the fuel leak sorted out first. For the trans I'd say find a good shop that can diagnose and recommend a fix. Either a rebuild or swap out for a new (used) one. Gonna' be some $$$ into your free car, but still cheaper than a car payment!!! Don't worry about the high mileage, the car should last a while. It will need some maintenance though. The more you can do, the more you'll like the car!

After the fuel & trans, start to change the remaining fluids like engine oil, brake fluid, coolant, final drive oil. These are all good DIY jobs if you're so inclined. Look for oil leaks around the oil filter housing and if you see any, replace right away as well as possibly the accessory belt/tensioner and Mickey Mouse flange. It can lead to catastrophic engine failure, so no joke on that. The rest is just wait and see. Water pump and valve gasket have probably been done, maybe suspension refresh, tires, brakes. Those are all regular maintenance items to do at some point.

You don't need to buy BMW branded parts, but definitely buy OE parts like Pierburg, Bosch, Lemforder. Don't cheap out.

Read the ton of info available here and find some good YT channels to watch. FCP Euro and Vehicular DIY are my go-tos. They take the time and do it right. Auto Repair Guys are kinda' hacky, but good to see that fast and dirty perspective as well.

Size pictures correctly when you post something, people will be more apt to reply if they can see and read due to proper formatting (The olds don't read this on phones but on computers).

[E93Dude]

I thought I was the only one watching Auto Repair Guys! Yes - goofy, but they seem to have a repair video on everything. Quick and dirty. Earlier Vehicular DIY E9X tutorials taught me a great deal, worth the investment in time to watch. Several other YT folks out there, too. Online parts supplier FCPEuro also has some really professional how-to videos.

One could write quite a tome here for new E9x owners, but I will leave it for others. My one bit of advice earlt is to get a good OBDII code reader. People on this forum can be really helpful, but you have to provide something for us to go on when you have a problem. Fault codes are the easiest, first thing most will ask for. If you can get a hold of the dealer level diagnostic software INPA or ISTA, and install it on a laptop, that is going to be even more helpful. Of course, it also depends on how much you actually want to work on your car versues take it to mechanic.

Like Strada said, there are a bunch of maintenance things you want to take care of first, especially before tuning it, if that is your thing. Well maintained, your car at 160k has A LOT of life left if you want it.

What year is your vehicle? What can you say about its history?

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by E93Dude

I thought I was the only one watching Auto Repair Guys! Yes - goofy, but they seem to have a repair video on everything. Quick and dirty.

Their videos are usually the first to pop up when I do a search! They're pretty good, just best to cross reference with a slower FCP one to get the nuances. I get frustrated by "XYZ will be posted in the description below" to never be posted! Feature, not a bug I guess. :-)

[Bims328i]

I bought a 2008 328i at 73k miles and I have a large list of maintenance items thus far. Currently 115k miles.

Just be prepared to do everything at some point. No spared expense, Vanos solenoids, valve cover and gasket, oil changes, oil pan gasket, oil filter housing gasket differential and bushings, trans fluid and filter plus gasket and additional flushes, DMTL pump, serpentine belt, tensioner, coolant lines and flange upgrades, water pump, expansion tank, spark plugs, coils, tires, power steering fluid flush, pads and rotors, crank position sensor and battery to name a few.

[GoRomeo]

Dang you guys are good!!! 🙌 😂