180k miles, shuld I skip it

[coyotefreek]

180k miles, shuld I buy it or skip it

I am looking at getting a 94' 325ic, I found one with 180k miles on it but everything else is perfect. The car is in great shape and has been dealer serviced all its life. It is the original owner and he is giving a big discount. He has records of everything.

What should I look for and what might need to be replaced if it hasn’t already? I know already from carcus's tread that the electrical, and radiator are a problem, but is there anything else major?

 

[andreyiv]

Auto trannys like to die between 80k and 120k miles, so if it is an auto it may be the second one and be ready to die. Otherwise you know about most of the problem areas, atleast to my knowledge.

 

[carcus]

What price is he offering? That will help me give more info. Have the trans checked and serviced...they can flush it and check for metal shavings with the hyd pump that takes out the fluid from the converter if it is an automatic....I call them A4. If it is a manual, make sure the clutch pedal is tight. Sometimes these cars are pampered....sometimes neglected by users who trade them in for a newer model each year and neglect to service them, or some people thrash them and sell them when something brakes.....leaving you with a used BMW and a high dollar bill once the dealer sells you the car. Not trying to scare you....Mercedes really bent me over with a Star Marked ML320.....I still feel the ass pain.

This board is great, I learn every day and help when I can. It has high miles on it, post the price and options, we will hook you up with the info. Even a pretty car sucks when it is broke and stuck awaiting repairs. Main thing to check.....take it home for a day, put cardboard under it, put it on a lift, check the electrical gremlins, I almost bought a 5 series 7 years ago....had a electrical meltdown. BMW has alot of pretty gadgets.....they tend to brake and cost a bit to repair. If it has electrical quirks.....stay away, if the trans slips, stay away.....CHECK ENGINE LIGHT....RUN!!!!!!!!!!!

Just my 2 cents and follow up on my post with the users quirks and problems. The 3 series is a great car, has been in the 10 best for years. Fun to drive, but learning from the owners, I learn every day, will tell you what to look out for. That is why we are here.

 

[coyotefreek]

Well it is a 94 325ic, fully loaded, and he wants 8k for it but he said he is somewat fexable on the price. I am an amazing negoatiator so I definitly think I could get it down under 7500. Unfornitaly the car is 100 miles away, luckaly my sister is down there. She is going to look at it friday morning (tomorow) and tell me how it runs. If she says it is good then I know a mechanic down there that can look at it. If all checks out I will probably take the train down there on Sunday.

I am very recluctent however to get a car with that many miles on it, espcially when I will probably rack them up myself.

The 94 convertable in general is more then I can aford, I wonder if I am kidding my self to find one for under 8 grand. Maby it is time to look at a 95 camaro z28 convertable, something I can actualy afford, and the camaro has an extra 100 horses.

 

[skandalous]

180k is quite a bit for a '94. However, I have 190k on my '92 and it still runs great. In my experiences, which I have to admit aren't very comprehensive b/c it's the only car I've ever had, the transmission and electrical system are two biggies to look out for. I've had the transmission replaced twice, but the first one was from a little incident (my fault, I was 'hot-dogin' you could say) and the second one was b/c the guy screwed up putting the first one in. I've also had an electrical system failure that wasn't very fun. The interior is another problem I have. Pieces don't like to stay put, but rather fall off, and for some reason those aren't cheap either.

The good thing is that I love my car and it runs great now. Even with so many miles, it goes down the road like a dream.

The price, for me (maybe I'm wrong), seems average. Go for it if it's in good condition, especially if you can talk him down $500 or so. Good luck. Happy driving.

BTW, Camaro's aren't bad cars. Just my 2 cents. I had a friend with one and we had tons of fun it.

 

[coyotefreek]

The 94 convertible usualy is around 9 grand. 7.5 is already the top of my range. Also I know the camaro isnt a bad car but it aint no BMW.

 

[mikev]

180k on a '94 sounds to me like the miles are all highway or interstate, rather than around town. that means that most of the miles put on are stress free so not a huge ammount of engine wear will have occoured. however the suspension components will be worn unless they have been replaced recently.

 

[coyotefreek]

Well I plan on replacing the suspension anyway. Thanks for all your help, ill keep you all posted.

 

[carcus]

I would take the Camaro LS1 vert hands down, lots you can do with it, plus it is a vert. Cheaper to mod and maintain. Just my 2 cents....than again, my wife owns a 94 Camaro, and I had a 98 Z28 LS1......was so fun, really miss that car, easy to work on also.

 

[coyotefreek]

I will probably drive both before I make a decision.

 

[manuel]

holy crapola! 9k for a 94?! ouch. personally id look at salvage. from experience with my car, not all salvaged cars are crap. i got my salvaged 96 328is for 7,500 and 106k on the ODO. get the camaro...i know i would.

 

[coyotefreek]

Well, I drove the camaro today. It was the best car I ever drove, I wanted it right after I turned the key and heard that great corvette engine. I now know what car to shop for, and this is a car I can actually afford.

 

[andreyiv]

carcus, the auto tranny may slip because it's low on fluid, but that's only when you break harder then normal and then accelerate right away. I had that problem, I knew it was the oil because I read about it on the PelicanParts website, I called a few tranny shops and they all wanted for me to leave the car for a day so they can run the diagnostics on it, but then this one shop agreed to just add the oil. Long story short, after 10 bucks and about 10 minutes of waiting the problem was gone. Even when braking so hard that the ABS kicks in, it still didn't slip a bit. BTW they added very little oil, my conclusion from it is that the bimmer trannys are very sensitive, then again the liquid was too hot for a level check. I still don't know where the oil went thought. Anyway, I don't really care since the problem is gone and doesn't seem like it's coming back and if it does, 10 bucks is not enough to worry about.