[03.patrickk]

this is my first ever post on any forum so please do not judge me, anyway i recently have bought a e90 328i and have loved it so far and now doing more research i want to get a project car, specifically a 335i, i don’t mind at all doing labor myself and have worked on a few vehicles before, i came across this 335i on offer up and it seems pretty solid except for 3 codes,p0171 system too lean (bank 1), code p0456 (evap leak) and code p0302 (cylinder 2 misfire). The seller claims that he has changed the spark plugs and coils but the but code p0171 still hasn’t went away, this is the code i’m mainly worried about. as for the evap leak he says he doesn’t have a gas cap so it’s most likely that the code is coming from that. But i’ve seen a post on the forum that someone fixed they’re system being too lean from they’re gas cap having a leak. i’m not sure what to do but i’m going to check it out on monday and just looking for any tips on what to look out for and if this is even worth taking a chance on. the car is pretty good condition though has pretty flawless interior and exterior looks good just dirty from sitting for a little while.

[StradaRedlands]

Hey neighbor, it just depends on the price. Low enough and you can justify the work.
Big question marks about why it doesn't have a gas cap though... that's just weird.

[03.patrickk]

Originally Posted by StradaRedlands

Hey neighbor, it just depends on the price. Low enough and you can justify the work.
Big question marks about why it doesn't have a gas cap though... that's just weird.

Yea it is a bit weird something i’m definitely going to have to ask him about. about the price, he posted it for $3500 and after messaging him he quickly went down to $2800 which has me thinking he will probably go lower. He was saying how he’s just not in the spot financially anymore to be able to support the car which is understandable. also the car does start and run he says so i’ll be able to forsure do some more investigating. what’s a price you think i should shoot for? i’m hoping to get him to around $1500

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by 03.patrickk

Yea it is a bit weird something i’m definitely going to have to ask him about. about the price, he posted it for $3500 and after messaging him he quickly went down to $2800 which has me thinking he will probably go lower. He was saying how he’s just not in the spot financially anymore to be able to support the car which is understandable. also the car does start and run he says so i’ll be able to forsure do some more investigating. what’s a price you think i should shoot for? i’m hoping to get him to around $1500

For $1500 presuming good interior, paint, and tires... go for it! What could possibly go wrong... :-) You could sell it to LKQ for that I think, so literally no money lost.

Even up to $2500 probably fine. I hope someone else can give you some insight on those codes. If it's all as simple as a missing gas cap... deal of the year right there!

[03.patrickk]

Originally Posted by StradaRedlands

For $1500 presuming good interior, paint, and tires... go for it! What could possibly go wrong... :-) You could sell it to LKQ for that I think, so literally no money lost.

Even up to $2500 probably fine. I hope someone else can give you some insight on those codes. If it's all as simple as a missing gas cap... deal of the year right there!

yea forsure would be an amazing deal. hopefully everything goes well when i go to check it out and can get it for the price im going for, if he hasn’t changed a lot of things then i can forsure haggle the price down a lot. hopefully i can get one of my dream cars 🙏

[sl550buckleuplol]

Just get a mercedes brother, save yourself the blood sweat and tears.

[03.patrickk]

Originally Posted by sl550buckleuplol

Just get a mercedes brother, save yourself the blood sweat and tears.

that’s in the future w204 c63 is what i want if i get a mercedes, one of the best sounding v8’s imo

[lowrydr310]

Sounds like a project. If the evap leak was "just a gas cap" the seller can get a new one for under $20 and fix that code.

The lean code could be a number of things, nothing too crazy to fix.

The misfire is tricky. It might be as simple as an inexperienced DIY repair where the coils connector wasn't seated all the way (I did it once) or worst case a cracked piston/ring or a stuck or broken valve. If you aren't afraid of a project and have the budget, and the rest of the car is good, it sounds like a good deal.

[03.patrickk]

Originally Posted by lowrydr310

Sounds like a project. If the evap leak was "just a gas cap" the seller can get a new one for under $20 and fix that code.

The lean code could be a number of things, nothing too crazy to fix.

The misfire is tricky. It might be as simple as an inexperienced DIY repair where the coils connector wasn't seated all the way (I did it once) or worst case a cracked piston/ring or a stuck or broken valve. If you aren't afraid of a project and have the budget, and the rest of the car is good, it sounds like a good deal.

sheesh i thought the misfire would’ve either been like you said the coil pack or even maybe a fuel injector since i know if you don’t have index 12’s they can go bad pretty easily. is a cracked piston/ring or a valve hard to diy? never have seen anyone say a misfire because of that

[lookalikehuuh]

Originally Posted by 03.patrickk

sheesh i thought the misfire would’ve either been like you said the coil pack or even maybe a fuel injector since i know if you don’t have index 12’s they can go bad pretty easily. is a cracked piston/ring or a valve hard to diy? never have seen anyone say a misfire because of that

Dude a misfire can be caused by so many things and you are over here worried about a lean condition. I would be worried about that misfire.

I *could* be a cheap coil pack or spark plug, but if its an injector that alone for an OEM injector is $400, just for the part. Then you have to use the special injector tool to pull it, and code the car to the flow characteristics of the new injector. And no you can't just get a used injector from eBay and throw it in, there is like a 99% chance that eBay injector will be fake and blow up the engine.

All of that assumes there isn't a major mechanical issue like a bent/broken valve, loss of compression, failed piston ring, bad head gasket etc.... I would venture to guess you don't own a machine shop at home so almost none of these are going to be "DIY" jobs.

I think you have to realize that this cheap car could turn into a huge moneypit and fast, especially if you aren't BMW knowledgeable. If you are ok with that then I would say go for it, the 335i engines are crazy good when well taken care of.

[Mgh024]

I would see if there is a local shop that will do an inspection, might be worth 2-300$ for the piece of mind. As mentioned, it could be a simple fix, and often is, but it could also be a larger problem.

[03.patrickk]

welp boys little update for anyone that cares but i ended up getting the car for $1900. has the problems he said but i think the misfires might be fixed after i change the valve cover gasket and the oil filter housing gasket, which is going to be done this weekend. the diy doesn’t look to bad. but other then that everything else checked out and hopefully everything turns out well!

[03.patrickk]

Originally Posted by 03.patrickk

welp boys little update for anyone that cares but i ended up getting the car for $1900. has the problems he said but i think the misfires might be fixed after i change the valve cover gasket and the oil filter housing gasket, which is going to be done this weekend. the diy doesn’t look to bad. but other then that everything else checked out and hopefully everything turns out well!

forgot to add this but he was definitely an interesting seller he didn’t know much about the car it was gifted to him by his dad and he thought it wouldn’t be able to pass smog because of a muffler delete and also didn’t even know it has a resonator delete. sounds insane could maybe even be custom piping?? seen videos of muffler and resonator delete and it sounds different but maybe i could be trippin lol

[oVeRdOsE.]

if the compression test is fine on all 6 cyl, this is a good price. The engine alone can worth the money. and better if the injectors are higher index.

have fun in your new project, dont forget to post pics

[StradaRedlands]

Yep, at that price it's worth taking a chance. You could re-sell and come out even at worst.

[03.patrickk]

Originally Posted by StradaRedlands

Yep, at that price it's worth taking a chance. You could re-sell and come out even at worst.

definitely could, it’s all worth it in my eyes but could also me being delusional 😂

[03.patrickk]

Originally Posted by oVeRdOsE.

if the compression test is fine on all 6 cyl, this is a good price. The engine alone can worth the money. and better if the injectors are higher index.

have fun in your new project, dont forget to post pics

thank you man definitely will post some pics! did some digging today in the engine bay and found out that from the valve cover gasket leaking some oil is leaking into where the spark plug and ignition coils are so this weekend i’m going to be cleaning all that out along with the fuel injectors and hopefully that gets rid of the misfires

[Cloverdale]

Originally Posted by 03.patrickk

thank you man definitely will post some pics! did some digging today in the engine bay and found out that from the valve cover gasket leaking some oil is leaking into where the spark plug and ignition coils are so this weekend i’m going to be cleaning all that out along with the fuel injectors and hopefully that gets rid of the misfires

Curious how this turns out? That's an incredible price. Were you able to drive it?
Post some pics. Valve cover leaks were responsible for all my misfires requiring injector replacement (all remedied with used injectors of varying indexes).