Still on the lookout for a cheap diesel for about £2k.

I've ruled out the 1.4 TDCI Fiesta as it's a Peugeot engine.
The 1.3 CDTI Corsa has a Fiat engine.

Left with the Focus and Mondeo, both around the year 2001, buth TDCI engines.

Anyway, came across a few E46 320D BMW's.

They have about 120k miles on in my price range. What are they like? Reliability?

Thanks,

Nick.

Something like this -

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...ge/1?logcode=p

 

My mate at work had one for a few years and didnt have any problems with it but with any BMW, they are pretty solid just make sure its been maintained IMO.

The only other car that might be for you, in your spec is a Passat.

 

Thanks Irvatron.

I've been looking at Passats butthen started looking at the Golf and Bora 1.9 TDi's. They seem to get a bad review for reliability though! Mmmm!?

 

E46 320d's need the swirl flaps removed - otherwise due to them being weak they end up going into and destroying your engine. Big bills ! Later 2L BMW diesels had the flaps redesigned. They are not expensive / difficult to remove and have no effect on the way the car goes AFAIK.

If you Google 320d problems I am sure it will be top of the list.

 

I remember my mate Steve who used to be on here and owned an S, mentioning this John. Is it something to do with the manifold?

He did it himself, and said it was easy to do.

 

Any Pre 04 production (not plate..) 320d is a time bomb.

The issues with the swirl flaps are well documented. As are the issues with the turbos.

I bought one as an Approved Used from a main dealer. An 03 plate with 42k miles.

In the first 12 months of ownership, it had over 7k in bills under warranty, including:

Fitting of a New Turbo
Oil Separator (twice, once because it broke and once because it needed doing after the turbo)
New tail light assemblies
New boot release and reg plate light assembly
New rear suspension (after the springs sheared - another common one on the E46)

I sold it after 14 months to a chap at work - who ran it happily for 6 months before being landed with another 6k bill. Something to do with the vacuum pump failing, starving the turbo of oil. And the cam chain snapped.


By this point, it was a 60k mile car with FULL Main Dealer history.

The E46 itself is a fine car, and when the engine is working, the 150bhp 2.0d is a great engine (smooth, quiet, powerful) but the problems are well documented and I would never advise anybody to buy one.

 

No idea ... don't think it is difficult though there is a firm somewhere that specifically markets itself doing swirl flap removal ...

I bought an E92 320d which doesn't have the problem. It still has swirl flaps AFAIK but they were redesigned. I have now moved on to a 330d ... same thing. They are apparently there but redesigned so no issue ... I hope !

 

Just avoid Bosch MAPs, turbos & the rear subframe collapsing at big mileages. But the M3 is worse for that.

The turbo conundrum; how can it be faster if you have to sit there for three minutes letting it cool down when you arrive? I suppose one might take up smoking & use it as a justification for sitting there like a lemon. Unless it's a company car; the Nazis would frown on that...

 

Yes check the Flywheel - or check it was done recently.

On these cars flywheels costs mega bucks - more than the clutch due to the damping mechanism.

And as mentioned Turbos.

 

Have a look at honestjohn as I think that documents quite well when the engine had serious flaws.

As for waiting for turbos to spool down, welcome back to the 1990s