[Cabgrl16v]

Update: this particular car sold shortly after I made this post. We are checking out some new ones now. I still need and appreciate input, so new thread is here: https://www.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=2173940

Hello! So, I have zero experience with BMWs. However, I was a VW enthusiast back in my life before kids (that’s actually how I met my son’s dad) and I’ve always loved German cars. I had to sell my mk2 16V cabriolet when I had my son 16 years ago (though I just revived the old screen name to register here &#128514, then drove a Mini CooperS until my family outgrew it, then an Audi A3, until the family outgrew it, and then sadly acquired minivan mom status. Now it’s time for my son to get his first car. Sadly, his father (now remarried) has lost his love of cars and has taken to using his new wife’s quote “wheels are wheels” and would be content getting him any old car with low mileage. Wheels are not wheels, imo. I’m trying to balance style, safety, and reliability- on a tight budget. So here I am, hoping someone can offer some advice 🙏

Today we looked at a 2011 328i xdrive w/ 107k miles. It’s pretty dang clean inside and out, engine sounds normal (not that I know how a BMW engine should sound), rides smooth except the pesky vibration at 60mph+ (hopefully remedied by balancing the tires), fuel economy is shit though- 14.5mpg- and the obd scanner kicked out a list of codes 😭 which unsurprisingly include codes for o2 and camshaft sensors. Tell me, how bad is this list and are any covered under any recalls? Should I just walk away? I’m also assuming it’s going to need a timing chain within the next year. Oh, and the carfax showed it written off as a total loss in 6/2021 from an accident with mild-moderate damage, but the title is NOT a salvage or rebuilt title.

I can buy it for $3000. I assumed it would require some work… but I don’t have $2-3k for immediate repairs. (Inspection will be due in 2 months). How much of this can I DIY with my kid with help from here and YouTube? I told my son, prior to seeing the list of codes) that it would be fun to work on together and also it would be a good exercise in learning how to save money and budget for future maintenance/ repairs. That budgeting lesson is kind of lost though if it needs a couple thousand dollars or repairs upfront 😬

Sorry for rambling!!! If you made it this far, thank you! Please be brutally honest with any advice.

[Dirtleg]

I will be brutal and honest.

It's probably a saveable car.

Before going any further, make sure the battery is fully charged, clear the codes and see what comes back. These cars hate low voltage and most extreme code dumps are due to that if it has been sitting at all.

If all of them come back, move on. If some, or any of them come back, you might still need to move on depending on what it is.

And I don't know about your state, but it is illegal to sell a car in mine without all recalls being completed. You can search for recalls on the BMW site with the VIN number.

The qualify my opinions. My son's first car was an 06 325i we bought for cheap. I was about 3k in repairs (parts only) before it was fully corrected.

These cars are great for a teenager especially will the airbags and air curtains. My insurance only took a $25 month hit when he was added.

Good luck, and I applaud you for looking out for your son, and not subjecting him to the wheels whatever mentality.

[ppointer]

+1 on the dirtleg post. I was going to say run away until I saw the $3k price.

You can get a lot of good advice from this forum. You'll find a lot of good videos on youtube that can walk you through many of the typical maintenance and repair items.

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by Cabgrl16v

... Today we looked at a 2011 328i xdrive w/ 107k miles... the obd scanner kicked out a list of codes 😭 which unsurprisingly include codes for o2 and camshaft sensors... I can buy it for $3000. I assumed it would require some work… but I don’t have $2-3k for immediate repairs...

IF there is NO issue with the "VANOS Bolts", as to which there was a Recall on that model, it would be a good bet for a 1st car, IF your son & You are willing to learn something about DIY Diagnosis, Repair & Maintenance. This Forum can help.

You need to obtain the full 17-character VIN (lower-left of Windshield) and enter it at the following site to see if it has had Recall 23V707 performed (VANOS Bolts):
https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls

The "RCRIT" for that recall is attached, showing Details of recall. A $20 USB Endoscope, plugged into a laptop, inserted through the oil filler cap, can determine if any INTAKE VANOS bolts are broken, WITHOUT removing the Valve Cover or any other parts. ALL FOUR (4) of your VANOS fault codes relate to the INTAKE Cam. The Exhaust VANOS bolts are much harder to view.

An E9x Series 3 BMW can be an excellent first vehicle, IF the purchaser will take the time to LEARN how to Diagnose & DIY. Parts are reasonably-priced & available. Diagnostic Software (INPA or ISTA) can be obtained FREE if you ask the right folks. All you need is a $50 K+DCAN Cable if you have a Laptop.

Get the VIN, determine if Recall 23V707 performed, & have INTAKE VANOS Bolts inspected with Endoscope. Check back with findings.
George

[BMW Guy]

Be weary that xdrive is a lot harder to work on and requires more maintenance.

[StradaRedlands]

Welcome aboard, I think E90s are great first cars! Reliable, safe, decent power, nicely built! They will spoil the kid though, and they'll never want a cheap penalty box car after this!

Everything said above is good advice, so I don't have too much to add! The big thing is to please get a pre-purchase inspection from a qualified Euro/German/BMW shop (Nicks in your area looks well regarded). The $250 or whatever you have to spend will tell you to walk away, or give you a punch list of things to do!

The big question is the VANOS recall. If the recall is completed and clear, then clear the codes and see what comes back. Those timing gears can self-destruct due to the bolts shearing off/backing out (hence the recall). The timing chains themselves on these don't go bad, so probably just a sensor. But could be the actual gears working loose in an attempt to destroy themselves. IF caught early enough, then BMW will repair it and maybe get you a new valve cover in the process!

So that's your big question... if you can have that addressed, the rest of it is probably a great car! E90s have tons of minor issues, mostly with leaking fluids and degrading rubber bits. They are fuel hogs though... the MPG you noted isn't that far off from what an iX in-town driving MPG could be. On the low side for sure, but 16-18MPG isn't unheard of. It'll get close to 30mpg on the open highway holding it at 75MPH though!

So tl;dr welcome, get an inspection, report back with your findings, stick around, post stuff!

[Efthreeoh]

Walk away. "Tight budget" and any BMW with 100,000 miles and above are not compatible terms. If you are budget constrained don't get a used BMW with 100,000+ miles. BMWs with 100,000 miles and an arms length of codes are for an enthusiast who wrenches on his own cars and can afford the parts, has the tools and workspace, and can do without the car while he is working on it.

And you really should scan the car with a BMW scan tool, not just an OBDII tool. But the codes possibly just point to dirty VANOS solenoids (assuming the VANOSbolts are not at issue). The cats codes could just be O2/ Lambda sensors, but it could be the cats are bad. The vibration could be the iX front driveshaft.

Really though, the car is going to be a headache for you. It was totaled. Why didn't it go to the scrapyard?

[bmw325i]

The 0012 error can be more complicated than expected. Mine was the vanos solenoid which is simple. But it could be the cam bearing ledges are worn out (unless the oil wasn’t changed enough probably not at those miles), vanos bolts could be broken which is more common on the newer years than older. If the oil filter cap is missing a piece it can cause that also. I think it would be under recall for the bolts since it’s a 2011.

[tsuintx]

Usually the saying is that there's nothing more expensive than a cheap BMW. With some caveats, of course. Biggest one being the ability and having the budget to DIY things. If you need to pay somebody to do the work, a cheap old BMW will nickle and dime you like nobody's business.

[tsuintx]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

It was totaled. Why didn't it go to the scrapyard?

Because one of the two most common things happened:

1. Insurance company paid the owner, sold it at an auction (Copart, IAAI etc.) and the buyer (a body shop or an individual) fixed it and sold it.
2. Owner took reduced payment from the insurance and kept the car. Then fixed it and sold it or kept on driving until sold.

[Captain Buumer]

First car should be something like VW polo, golf 4, some older car not too powerful.
or some older tank Volvo.

It will be ruined, probably crash the BMW because can't tame the power and even fatal.

My first car was Audi A3 1999 year and damn good 1.9 tdi car (it was also my younger brother first car) and now it is uncle daughter son first car.

I crashed it 3 times. Parts were super cheap to fix, yearly maintenance cost probably less than BMW fuel filter.

And you can put used motor oil into the fuel tank and don't need haul it into the special places that collect them.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by tsuintx

Because one of the two most common things happened:

1. Insurance company paid the owner, sold it at an auction (Copart, IAAI etc.) and the buyer (a body shop or an individual) fixed it and sold it.
2. Owner took reduced payment from the insurance and kept the car. Then fixed it and sold it or kept on driving until sold.

Right, and because it has a Roundel on the hood, someone thought it was a good idea to repair it, when it may not have been, but they knew they could find an unsuspecting buyer for it. That's my point, and even more reason, with a limited budget, to walk away from it.

[Leucosticte]

Please don't buy salvage title cars for your kid.

[Cabgrl16v]

Wow! Lots of advice, and warm welcomes, thank you 💗 I thought I would get an email notification of replies, but I didn’t, so I thought no one responded 🤦*♀️ I’m glad I checked back!

Seller sold it to someone else right after I posted. I was kicking myself in the ass for being slow, but the responses here made me feel better.

I’ve found someone local (like 10 minutes from me) selling an 06 330i. I’ll create a new post about that. It’s not perfect, but it’s the seller’s baby (girlfriend pressured him to sell bc it’s taking up space and he hasn’t had the time to finish working on it) He wants it to go to someone who will love and appreciate it, and likes the idea of it being something that my son and I can bond over. He’s willing to go over the remaining work to be done and pull codes via a bmw scanner to make sure he didn’t miss anything, and most importantly, let me research as well to make sure I’m comfortable with buying it. I’ll link the new post here after it’s done.

[Cabgrl16v]

Originally Posted by BMW Guy

Be weary that xdrive is a lot harder to work on and requires more maintenance.

Good to know!! That helps me feel better about getting RWD. I was very hung up on getting a xdrive because my only RWD experience was my 85 Toyota MR2, and I imagine the mid-engine doesn’t really make the handling comparable to a standard RWD vehicle. However, someone suggested getting winter tires for the rear and throwing some weight into the trunk once next winter rolls around. That seems reasonable. I’m in southern PA, so we do get snow and ice, but nothing too insane- usually.

[Cabgrl16v]

Originally Posted by Leucosticte

Please don't buy salvage title cars for your kid.

Salvage title isn’t an automatic no for me, but I would definitely need details about why and when it was declared a total loss.

I’ve owned 2 salvage title VWs. I bought them straight from the junkyard, where they had apparently been abandoned like elderly dogs at a shelter. Neither one had body damage and neither needed any work to pass inspection.

I’ve noticed a lot salvage titled cars up for sale. There was an increase in vehicles marked as total losses from 2020-2022 due to the inflated cost of parts and length of time to receive them. My Odyssey was a total loss in 2022 and the shop said almost everything was being totaled by the insurance companies for the above reason. My ex and his wife both work at body shops and concurred. That being said, there are still cars that would have been written off even if part prices were normal, so I am skeptical of any salvage that isn’t being sold by the person who owned it at the time it was declared a total loss.

[lordnikon]

Total loss doesn't necessary mean Salvage but the reverse is true.

[Efthreeoh]

The requirements for issuance of a salvage title varies by state. In my state if the vehicle is within 5 years from the current model year (i.e. 5 years old or newer) and has an economic repair cost of 75% of the car's retail value, or the retail value of the vehicle is more than $10,000, it requires a salvage title. If the vehicle is over 5 years old and is totaled by the insurance company, it does not get branded as "salvaged" or "rebuilt" if it is repaired. I know this from first hand experience.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Cabgrl16v

Good to know!! That helps me feel better about getting RWD. I was very hung up on getting a xdrive because my only RWD experience was my 85 Toyota MR2, and I imagine the mid-engine doesn’t really make the handling comparable to a standard RWD vehicle. However, someone suggested getting winter tires for the rear and throwing some weight into the trunk once next winter rolls around. That seems reasonable. I’m in southern PA, so we do get snow and ice, but nothing too insane- usually.

That's not the best advice, great for a 1970 283ci Nova, but bad for a RWD BMW.

A RWD E90 has near perfect 50/50 weight balance, so in inclemate weather the chassis is quite neutral, meaning it doesn't oversteer nor understeer. In that case it is best then to get a set of four (4) Winter-rated (snow-rated) tires. Adding weight to the rear of an E90 throws off its perfect weight balance and will cause it to oversteer (the ass end will swing around the front end). Equal grip at all four corners is the best way to combat spins on slick pavement with a RWD E90. Besides, the E90's stability control is very very good at preventing spins.

[Cabgrl16v]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

That's not the best advice, great for a 1970 283ci Nova, but bad for a RWD BMW.

A RWD E90 has near perfect 50/50 weight balance, so in inclemate weather the chassis is quite neutral, meaning it doesn't oversteer nor understeer. In that case it is best then to get a set of four (4) Winter-rated (snow-rated) tires. Adding weight to the rear of an E90 throws off its perfect weight balance and will cause it to oversteer (the ass end will swing around the front end). Equal grip at all four corners is the best way to combat spins on slick pavement with a RWD E90. Besides, the E90's stability control is very very good at preventing spins.

Thank you! That’s even better advice ❤️

[Leucosticte]

Originally Posted by Cabgrl16v

Salvage title isn’t an automatic no for me, but I would definitely need details about why and when it was declared a total loss.

I’ve owned 2 salvage title VWs. I bought them straight from the junkyard, where they had apparently been abandoned like elderly dogs at a shelter. Neither one had body damage and neither needed any work to pass inspection.

I’ve noticed a lot salvage titled cars up for sale. There was an increase in vehicles marked as total losses from 2020-2022 due to the inflated cost of parts and length of time to receive them. My Odyssey was a total loss in 2022 and the shop said almost everything was being totaled by the insurance companies for the above reason. My ex and his wife both work at body shops and concurred. That being said, there are still cars that would have been written off even if part prices were normal, so I am skeptical of any salvage that isn’t being sold by the person who owned it at the time it was declared a total loss.

Those scenarios seem different from buying some random E90 that could've had some absolutely botched repairs done. Me personally, I wouldn't buy one without putting it up in the air and taking a very close at all of the body/suspension.

[POBEP]

If that would be me, I'd get this one instead: https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2170165

I got my 16yr old same one and he loves it