Help! Is my car worth saving?

[Pete K]

I am new to this forum and joined because I need some honest advice from experienced bimmerheads.

I have a 96 328i with 146,000 miles on it. I've had it for five years and really like the car. I've taken good care of it and put up with the expensive repairs because I love the way it drives. I've had quite a bit of brake work done, wiper motor, ball joints, tie rods, HVAC interface, electrical gremlins, water pump etc...

But now it failed emissions test and mechanic (whom I trust) says it needs a new cat for $1570 and rear springs for $306 just to pass inspection. On the horizon is an Inspection II at 150,000 miles, and he thinks the clutch is going ($671), the original radiator may not last much longer ($562) and the struts are tired ($635).

So is it worth dumping $4000 into this car? Or should I cut my losses and move on. Just how durable are these E36s? His E30 has over 500,000 miles on it and thinks it's a much more solid car. If I fix this car up will it last 300,000 miles? Or will more and more problems creep up? How long does the timing chain last, for example.

I need to make a decision soon. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Big Daddy]

First off welcome to the board, we are glad your here and trust our advice. A 96 328i is worth anywhere from 6-9 grand, so lets start there. Pelican Parts lists your coverter at just over $600 so who is charging almost $1600? I have no idea what your rear springs have to do with not passing emissions, but I think that repair could wait untill you do. Pelican Parts also lists your radiator at $198 and this can be done yourself. Pelican also sells a suspension refresher kit for your car for $649 that includes all you need to bring your car back to factory specs. I doubt your springs are bad, unless you've been carrying some heavy loads in the car. The car is not an e30, but if you like it and have kept it up as you said I would repair it. If your going to try and sell it you need at least to fix the emissions problem and that is about 1/3 of all the necessary repairs.

 

[newguy]

excellent point on repairs. Unless you dump it "as is", which would be for a lot less, your gonna have to take care of the cat, etc anyway..some of them sound like "right now" repairs, and there are some that may not be. Have you done the sparkplug/high octane gas thing to get it thru emissions testing. We do them in canada, and a load of Sunoco ultra 94 octane, fresh plugs, and a good long blast on the highway is a great healer..good luck

 

[93 325i]

If your in a crunch and don't want to spend $600 even for a cat, I found a place that sells remanfactured and used cats.. 1-800-214-4839- I ahven't used them yet but this is the cheapest prices on the net. Also your O2 sensors could be going out and causing a failed emissions, is your MPG way down? I have heard of E36's lasting up to 250K, the unfortuante thing is the body/ chassis starts to go out before the engine does.. And I believe bimmerworld or turnermotorsports.com sell a "cooling system" kit with all the parts and even coolant for like $300.. So in summary if you search online and get the parts cheap you can cut that $4000 way down..

 

[epj3]

I'd say repair it. If it still drives well and you dont mind putting some money into it, go for it. Don't buy any major parts at the dealer - you'll pay 3x what you'll pay at the alternatives. Dealer is good for nuts, bolts, etc. and that's it. I've never heard of a bmw not passing inspection because of springs... My e30 had it's original springs from 1988 and passed inspection with no problem, so I can't really believe the rear springs on your car are bad.

 

[mybabyM3]

Run Forest, run. That mechanic is not looking out for your best interest but to fill up his wallet with your lack of knowledge. These guys are right on everything so far. If your car is in good shape and has sentimental value then keep it. You can get what you need for a third of your estimate to get past emissions. I would as said above replace the plugs, run high octane gas and Chevron Techron cleaner. I would go ahead and replace the O2 sensor if you haven't done it in the last 25,000 to 30,000 miles. You can have a universal cat. installed at your local muffler shop for around 100 to 150 each. Here they go as low as 80.00 each. For another outlet on good parts go to www.bimmerpartswholesale.com all orders over 50.00 have free shipping. I have gotten several parts there and the service and shipping time are great.

 

[chief]

If you have the time: do the repairs yourself. At the worst, it will take you more hours than the mechanic who has the experience. At the Best: you will learn new skills, know your E36 better than before you started, and appreciate the fact that YOU fixed the quirks.
Good Luck

 

[Pete K]

Thanks everyone for your help.

I talked to a Volvo mechanic friend of mine and he said emission testing in New Hampshire isn't required until March 1, although some places are doing it already. This is brand new in NH, until now we didn't have emissions testing for inspection stickers. So I'm going to fix the springs and have my friend get me a sticker through his shop. I'll worry about the cat next year. By the way, the $1570 quote was for an entire exhaust system installed, not just the cat. A friend of mine at work just went through the same thing with his 97 M3. He passed inspection only because the emissions part wasn't required yet. I think a lot of BMWs with OBD II will start failing these tests.

The more I read and hear about E36s the more it seems that it's the most troublesome BMW ever. No wonder people hold on to their E30s for so long! Shouldn't newer cars get more reliable and durable with each generation? I've heard from a lot of people that the old BMWs, Benzes, Volvos and Saabs are as tough as they come.

 

[Dave8812]

Ya, my e24 six lasted well over 300,000 miles. Probably would still be running if me and my dad haden't have left the oil cap off!!!