[beamerbb]

Hello BMW enthusiasts

How would you approach this issue?
I currently have a 2015 BMW 320-I5, Body Type 4D that’s been sitting in my driveway for the past 3 years…

Backstory, my younger brother purchased it through Carmax while he was enlisted in the Navy and drove it to and from his home to the base which was a short distance (currently at a little less than 40k miles). He didn’t know to properly maintain the car so he had his friend do manual oil changes and maintenance (must have been a hobbyist with what came next). He continued to use the car and drove through a large puddle during a rain storm. He immediately started to hear a loud knocking noise. Serendipitously there was a BMW location close by and it was taken in with the following results:

Noted upon inspection, found engine making noise internally. Charge battery perform short test, found multiple faults for vanos intake and exhaust, charge pressure faults, oil pump pressure too low, and oil pressure control plaud pressure too low. Check oil level by draining oil and catching into container. Noted found engine only has about 1-1.5 quars of oil. Noted engine has been damaged due to driving with well below minimum oil level for some time. Recommend replacing engine at this point. 



Recommendations from BMW Auto Shop:

New engine: $20,487.52
Wheel Alignment: $189.95
Engine Belt: $219.00
Oil Service: $99.95
Time for cleaning oil: $175.00
Software update: $350.00
Engine Filter: $143.14
Brake Flush: $189.95
Front Brakes Complete: $852.27
Rear Brakes Complete $831.40


This was all in 2019. It is currently 2022 with the full car paid off, a clean title, and a nonfunctioning beamer. 
The car will not turn on. The car has been sitting in our driveway for the past 3 years and now we’re here.
What would be the most sensible/ profitable way to rid of it?
I would genuinely appreciate any constructive ways to go about this situation as we don’t plan on paying the price of how much we paid for the actual car.

Thanks to you all

[beamerbb]

As displayed in the photos, actually jump started and the car does turn on!
Just unable to drive as the engine is shot.

[tracer bullet]

After several years sitting, it'll need a battery, not just a jump.

Anyhow - the engine... Probably worth replacing. But clearly not at over $20,000. You'll need to find a shop that can do it and that will be willing to put in a used engine from a different car that was in an accident.

Others will know far more specific to that.

BMWCCA - if you join, you should be able to get local advice as well. From experts on the cars. Might have an alternate solution / repair option. Or at a minimum can help you find another shop or shops plural to check with.

[DanG]

You are in a position were the repairs will probably cost more than the car is worth. Your best bet may be to sell it to a wrecking yard as a parts car.

[rlou]

Perhaps consider donating the car to charity and using whatever value there is as a tax write off? I believe charities that take used car donations usually pick up with no charge, running or not.

[Mavus]

You have 2 options:

1. Find a good BMW shop and a used engine to try to break even on the value of the car. Then decide if you want to keep it.

2. Sell as is.

Damn poor car …

[1and1]

Is that the N20 engine? (Looks like it...)

They have a semi-common/semi-rare issue with the timing chain tensioner setup that makes for a super noisy engine as a symptom. It's possible to get a kit to replace everything, but if it's really failed, used N20's in decent shape can be had for reasonable and even less-

I've seen em used for ~$2500, and heres a link to a full reman unit for ~$5000
https://www.ghassanautomotive.com/pr...bmw-n20-engine


.

[BobsM3Coupe]

Originally Posted by 1and1

Is that the N20 engine? (Looks like it...)

They have a semi-common/semi-rare issue with the timing chain tensioner setup that makes for a super noisy engine as a symptom. It's possible to get a kit to replace everything, but if it's really failed, used N20's in decent shape can be had for reasonable and even less-

I've seen em used for ~$2500, and heres a link to a full reman unit for ~$5000
https://www.ghassanautomotive.com/pr...bmw-n20-engine


.

Kind of hard to believe that they have the new S68 V8 engine already.

[Chihuahua]

Originally Posted by DanG

You are in a position were the repairs will probably cost more than the car is worth. Your best bet may be to sell it to a wrecking yard as a parts car.

Originally Posted by rlou

Perhaps consider donating the car to charity and using whatever value there is as a tax write off? I believe charities that take used car donations usually pick up with no charge, running or not.

Either of these is a good option, I'd look into both in the above order. That car isn't worth saving, there's nothing special about it. Charities will take any car on donation but you'd probably do better selling it on your own. Call a couple of local salvage yards, or contact LKQ Corporation. Good luck.

[sspade]

Sad to see a car abused like that. Here's hoping she lives to drive another day. Plenty of people out there that would have given their left arm to have had the opportunity but such is life!

[jcss812]

Price out a used motor and labor, than make a decision based on if you will be underwater or not.

[Charles B]

You're in Jersey. Call Steve Vicari at Vicary BMW repair. His shop is on Rt 202 in Bridgewater just south of Wegmans.

[KevinC]

1. Insure fully
2. Fill tank with gas
3. Park on street in Newark or Paterson, or at any convenience store - idling
4. Poof!

[02M3ForMe]

Get quotes from independent BMW shops for replacing the engine with a used one from a junkyard or wherever.

If you don’t want to invest further, list it on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace as a “mechanic’s special” and price it accordingly (market value minus $5k or so is probably a good place to start). There are tons of people who will happily take your car and fix it themselves on the cheap.

[Germanauto]

It's a base model F30, probably the most disappointing BMW of all time.

I say get rid of it. Not worth saving this. My E90 was an awesome driver's car but also became too much of a headache relative to the value of the car. It's not like it was the M3 version which would be worth upkeeping.

[jcss812]

Originally Posted by KevinC

1. Insure fully
2. Fill tank with gas
3. Park on street in Newark or Paterson, or at any convenience store - idling
4. Poof!

Lmao...

I know someone that's done this before but it worked out for him.

[Stück]

4 cylinder F30's are absolute garbage cars, and you are in the situation that all owners will eventually find themselves in., That said you are way ahead of the pack at your mileage, but nothing new that point aside...

Donate the car and take the charitable donation tax write-off, its the least worst option when it comes to losing a car.

[yousefnjr]

Originally Posted by Germanauto

It's a base model F30, probably the most disappointing BMW of all time.

I say get rid of it. Not worth saving this. My E90 was an awesome driver's car but also became too much of a headache relative to the value of the car. It's not like it was the M3 version which would be worth upkeeping.

Agreed completely. I had the recent misfortune of getting stuck with a loaner F30 and it was an absolutely steaming pile of crap. You would think there’s some redeeming quality — maybe it would be light up front and handle well. Not at all. Slow, numb, and really buzzy. I’ll spare you my diatribe on the interior. I swear to god I’m not a guy who thinks the only great BMWs are expensive. 325i’s, 328i’s etc from the e30 through e90 are a joy. Miss my i3 everyday. That F30 is hot garbage though, a turd that was panned widely in the media and rightfully so. I’d sooner take the bus than have to crawl into that POS again.

Apologies to any owners. I’m not usually this negative but I have a seething hatred (well-earned) for this model, and not big on the F-gen cars in general. Sorry OP I don’t have any practical advice to provide. Hopefully it’s out of your driveway soon.

[KevinC]

About 10 years ago, BMW & MBZ were in a tight race for the sales crown for USA. BMW came up with a clever tactic - they got dealerships to buy these poverty-spec 320i's and put them into their loaner fleet. Each one counted as a sale. They wound up eeking out the title that year over Mercedes. My local dealership had literally about 30 of them in their loaner fleet - you could easily get a loaner any time of the day, with a bunch of them still available. After a year or so, they'd go to the used car lot, CPO'd, an easy sale to the badge seeker who couldn't afford a proper new BMW.

I stand by my earlier recommendation. Let the thing disappear. I wouldn't invest 1c into getting this turkey back on the road.