[djgandy]

Basically it is impossible to tell. He must understand that there is a risk, maybe only slightly higher than a lower mileage for the n54. However with such high mileage the bigger risk is the lack of goodwill from BMW if something does go wrong. If it has a full BMW service history maybe they will give generous contributions to parts in the event of failure. I think i'd rather know that up front though. If they would do that then I don't think it is such a bad car to buy. If they won't then you are on the line for every penny on the repair bill as getting a warranty with that mileage is hopeless.

[dxb335d]

It's got that far for a reason..

Because this particular 335i is reliable.. Obviously

[phil200tdi]

Originally Posted by briers

But aren't we talking mess in the cylinder head which is primarily caused by moisture and fuel mixing in with oil and gelling due to cold short journeys. The mileage suggests the car is run at optimum temperatures for long periods of time which would burn off moisture and fuel so it wouldn't leave as many deposits.

I have no doubt there would be sludge in there but perhaps not as much as a 180k 10+ age car. Providing it has had regular maintenance which would be mileage not months in this case the synthetic oil they use should help prevent excess sludging.

Direct injection means the head is likely to be in a horrendous state after 180k miles.

My car is always run upto temperatures on mainly long journeys. Everytime I take the chargepipe off I'm shocked by the amount of oil in there. That's on a car with a modded crankcase vent valve, oil catch can and meth injection.

On a car with that mileage big bills are far more likely. Ask me how I know:

Valve cleaning - £600
Turbos - £2000
Clutch - £1200

[Greg330]

Tough one, tempting to save money now but might cost more longer term?!

What's the history like?

[bmvee]

I think the question really comes down to what type of person he is. If he's a DIY kind of guy and knows his way around a e9x, it's definitely a cheap fixer upper. NOW, if he's a busy type, doesn't have much time, or particular about certain things, he should just stay away from 180k for the sake of headaches.

I'm the latter, so I just stick with low miles if possible. That doesn't always mean that the car is in good shape, so always check and double check everything before you buy.

[Observer1122]

Originally Posted by djgandy

And by the time you have done the above you could have just spent the 3k repair costs and got one with 80k

That's exactly what I was thinking. It is a risky one and if it goes wrong would certainly be an expensive lesson. I agree that these engines can do some mileage, however if you going to spend nearly 7k, personally I would say just save a little more money and buy one with less mileage.

[SteveC]

with so much mileage everything in that car is subject to fatigue related failure. Its been through a jillion heat cycles, rubber hoses, gaitors and plastics are becoming brittle, bearing and seals will be coming to the end of their design lifetimes, steering and suspension components may be worn, clutches, brakes in whatever condition, sensors approaching their design duty cycle limits.

No extended warranty company will cover such a high miler for good reason....high failure rates.

My biggest concern would be breaking down somewhere inaccessible so as a minimum, roadside rescue and towing cover would be mandatory.

Resale will become a problem and is probably the point you'll give some of the upfront savings back....there's only a very small market for 200k+ mile cars. Also the risk that a major failure would mandate scrapping and therefore 100% depreciation

Personally, I'd prefer to pay a little more and buy more lifetime

[m1bjr]

Originally Posted by briers

But aren't we talking mess in the cylinder head which is primarily caused by moisture and fuel mixing in with oil and gelling due to cold short journeys. The mileage suggests the car is run at optimum temperatures for long periods of time which would burn off moisture and fuel so it wouldn't leave as many deposits.

I have no doubt there would be sludge in there but perhaps not as much as a 180k 10+ age car. Providing it has had regular maintenance which would be mileage not months in this case the synthetic oil they use should help prevent excess sludging.

With respect mate, I don't think you understand the issues with the Direct Injection and the N54 in particular.

(Audi and other marques are suffering similar issues too btw on their DI petrols).

The carbon build-up is not a function of cold running, and we are not talking about some sludge here.

It is a design issue, pure and simple.

I was horrified at the state that my 75k N54 engine was inside, particularly the intake tracts and valves.
Hard and deep deposits around the inlet stems looked to be about 3mm thick or more.

And most are like it by this mileage.

You need to get the inlet apart to be able to see it, but believe me it has a serious impact on engine smoothness and efficiency.

Search on these forums - there are some good photos.
Try under Walnut Shell blasting....

[phil200tdi]

Just cleaning the intake valves is a quick fix.

Full head off, strip down, port and polish would be the best approach to ensuring the sludge is removed. I toyed with the idea of selling to avoid some more big bills, but the car is worth sweet FA and with my mods is difficult to beat without spending £30k+

[doughboy]

Originally Posted by SteveC

with so much mileage everything in that car is subject to fatigue related failure. Its been through a jillion heat cycles, rubber hoses, gaitors and plastics are becoming brittle, bearing and seals will be coming to the end of their design lifetimes,

EVERYTHING is coming to the end of its design life.

Modern euro cars all have a design life of 10 years/300,000km (186,000miles) where they design the major non-service items to last this long at least. i.e. engine / gbox / transmission / electronics / suspension / steering rack etc.

VAG / BMW / GM / Peugeot-Cit / Fiat etc etc they all work to it.

This means at 180k the whole damn thing is at the end if its design life. Sure it might keep running, but it's a slippery slope.

Forget it IMO.