Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous

qbrozen

Actually, that's a fair asking price for those miles.

1 went through auction in NJ last month with 42k miles for $19,600. Another in Kansas with 33k got $20k. Those were automatics. Probably not ZHP, but most auction buyers probably aren't paying attention to that.

My nit to pick would be "why a vert with ZHP?" Kinda defeats the purpose of getting the top performance version when you cut the roof off.

qbrozen

So I'm suffering from the now infamous "soft wheel" issue on my 135i. Took it to the dealer for its last free service visit a couple of days ago. I gave a laundry list of complaints just to get whatever I could on my last freebee. One of those was a vibration at speed. They called to tell me I've got 4 bent wheels. The quote was something like $3500 to replace all 4 wheels and tires. Ummmm.... let me think about that ..... NO.

tjc78

The quote was something like $3500 to replace all 4 wheels and tires

They told you that with a straight face? I assume you are going aftermarket?

qbrozen

It was on the phone, so I couldn't see his face.

Yes. I'm just trying to find the most reasonable solution. For all new, I'm looking at $1200 to go with 17" wheels and decent tires. I'm trying to seek out used options via Ebay or CL. Found a nice 3-piece BMW set in north jersey that was just listed yesterday. The guy sold them that same day, though.

stickguy

To me, that is ridiculous. I can't believe that owners have not risen up with pitchforks, storming the castle in Montvale, and filing class-action suits.

There obviously has to be a defect/inferior design, and for the kind of money BMW demands for their product, you should at least expect wheels that aren't made out of silly putty.

and it does seem counter intuitive to replace the silly putty with more silly putty.

If I do end up with a BMW soon, it will likely be old school, with normal size (16") wheels with decent size sidewalls. And a real spare!

and given how bombed out the roads are around here, I want as much sidewall height as I can get!

corvette

Look at the list of common problems on pretty much any German car, and you'll find a long list of things that should never, ever break:
Window regulator clips (VW)
Brake light switches (VW)
Instrument cluster display pixels (BMW)
Radio display pixels (BMW)
Seat support cables (BMW)

qbrozen

actually, the display pixels aren't just BMW. Also Benz and Saab, just to name 2 I have experience with.

nyccarguy

I can't believe all 4 of your wheels are bent. If you are so inclined, there is a machine shop here in The Bronx that will re-round the wheels for about $40 each. I had them do it to one of my Prelude rims & it came out fine. All you need to do is to have the tired dismounted & you'll probably have the wheels back by the end of the day. I know you live kinda far down in NJ, but that might be an option.

fintail

MBs can be known for dead pixels and bad window regulators, the former especially in the bad old days of the late 90s/early 00s.

Once on the E55, idiot lights were lit up like a Christmas tree - I was hundreds of miles away from home, but called my local indy mechanic, who said the brake lights probably aren't working as a switch failed. The switch had indeed failed, brake lights worked, but cruise control died, which made the drive home fun. Luckily repair was only around $100 installed.

qbrozen

Thanks. But the problem is I already had 1 wheel repaired that cracked. Now I've got 4 bent? There is just no point in repairing them again at any cost. It would be money wasted.

nyccarguy

I'm sure you're already all over this, but besides feebay & CL check bimmerfest classifieds for someone selling a set of take offs.

I wonder even if the car was CPOd if they would have caught (& replaced) 4 bent rims. I've seen CPO BMWs on lots with minor curb rash, so I don't think a dealer would go through the expense of buying 4 new wheels if they looked good, but were bent on the inside.

Try calling (or writing) BMWNA with the car still under warranty.

breld

Good feedback on the pricing and auction activity - thanks!

I hear what you're saying on the "why a vert with ZHP?" It would fill the gap left from selling the Miata, but in a package my wife would like (she loves the e46 style), whereas the Miata appealed very little to her.

It wouldn't have to be a ZHP - this one just happens to be one, and I'm a sucker for the "exclusive" nature of it.

I'm not overly tempted by it - but any e46 with a stick and such low miles warrants consideration. They're not getting any younger.

qbrozen

Oh, I didn't mean that comment for you. I mean, its there already, so nothing wrong with buying it now. I just don't understand it from a "buying new" perspective.

kyfdx

An E46 vert is sort of a toy car, anyway.. When we leased our '05 (not a toy for us..lol), the ZHPs outnumbered the other 330Cics, about 4 to 1..

If you are dropping $49K, what's $4K more for all the toys going to hurt?

(we leased... daily driver)

ateixeira

Ignition coils for VW 1.8T engines, too.

Local dealers could not get replacements quick enough to people were up in arms that their cars were not even running.

nyccarguy

My sister's ignition coils in her 2000 Jetta GLS VR6 went bad not long after the warranty was up. Not long after that, we wrote to VWNA & were reimbursed. About 18 months after the 1st set of Ignition Coils were replaced, they went bad again. The dealer refused to cover them under warranty because it was past the 12 month/12,000 mile replacement part warranty. VW issued the TSB not too long after calling for their replacement.

isellhondas

Volkswagens got so bad that our General Manager made our UCM wholesale every one we took in as a trade unless it was under warranty. We had nothing but troubles and unhappy customers.

After awhile, the rule would get forgotten and if an especially nice VW was traded, we would take a chance and keep it. Almost always, it would bite us in the rear and our UCM would get reminded by the GM not to keep any.

The same REALLY applied to Land Rovers. They wre so bad, the warranty companies refused to sell aftermarket warranties.

In second place for problems were Volvos and Audi's. The troubles and unhappy customers weren't worth the profit we might make selling them.

BMW's were usually just fine but when they were trouble, we paid dearly!

corvette

My 1999.5 VR6 had a coil pack and wires instead of ignition coils. The wires from the coil pack to the plugs would go bad about every 40k and the engine would start running rough. Incidentally, 40k was the replacement interval for the plugs, but VW didn't tell you to replace the wires at the same time.

Kind of like how they didn't specify replacing the timing belt tensioner on the TDI when you replace the timing belt--which cost my dad pretty dearly.

Sheesh, just writing this makes me want to dump my BMW. I've already resolved to begin driving it less frequently, at least until I get the brake fluid and transmission fluid changed.

nyccarguy

Then I'm sure my sister's VR6 Jetta had the same coil pack as your 1999.5. Thought they were one in the same. Hers 1st went way before 40K!

stickguy

even with all this talk about furrin cars! And I like the price.

http://torchlightmotors.com/newandusedcars/5241/1900412/aa92abda-ecdc-4811-9ba6-- 05e906302073/none/2007-Saab-93-Parlin-NJ-08859.aspx

bolivar

Car and Driver has a long term BMW, a 5 series I think, and it has bent at least one wheel.

qbrozen

yeah, it was several wheels and tires, too.

roadburner

On Monday I found a Montego Blue 2009 328i Sport mit der stick at Dreyer in Indianapolis. Xenons, CWP, H-K, and NO Premium Package(Manual seats! Yes!). The Carfax said that Dreyer had had it for over 30 days, and I was going to be up at Indy already so I was going to look at it today. Wouldn't you know that it sold last night... :mad:

ateixeira

The wires from the coil pack to the plugs would go bad about every 40k and the engine would start running rough

That's not too bad, my NA Miata would eat wires every 30k. They were cheap, but you had to do 'em.

I owned it long enough that I replaced them twice.

ateixeira

yeah, it was several wheels and tires, too.

I believe they had to replace 6 wheels or tires. Unbelievable.

Edit: here's the article:

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2011-bmw-535i-long-term-road-test-review

I apologize, I was way off. It was far more than 6....

To recap: While the 535i was with us, we replaced two wheels (one front, one rear) and six tires (four worn, two damaged), and we repaired four wheels. The total bill for this, not including installation (which runs $163 for a full tire swap): $4474.


Deal killer of an article, don't read it if you're a BMW fan.

fintail

Maybe wheels for non-tuned cars really are getting too big. Roads aren't getting any smoother, time for taller sidewalls, I guess. Either that or they were beating the hell out of that car.

rayainsw

So - as I close in on 10,000 miles, I must be lucky
with no issues - 225/40x18 fronts and
255/35x18 rears....
- Ray
Declined the 19" even lower profile option...

kyfdx

For the money, I'll take this one...

2006 M3 vert, under 40K miles.. $26,500

kyfdx

'88 M3 with salvage title... low miles... a little rust... but, just $11K

And.. close to me. :surprise:

qbrozen

Huh. So after I just had my car in for service 2 days ago ... part of which was them replacing the plugs because (1) they were due and (2) I had a couple of instances of misfires ... I had some problems with the car this morning and drove straight to the dealership. About 2 miles from the shop, I felt like I lose 2 cylinders again.

They are replacing the fuel pump now. This will be the car's 2nd in 48k miles.

stickguy

once again in honor of Jolie, I will take Memorial day.

qbrozen

Ha.

My wife texted me "maybe you should trade it in a new one."
hahahahahaha. Yeah, right. Like we could afford that. I was just thinking yesterday how much I love this car.

I just purchased these wheels, BTW.

Oh, so the dealer loaned me a 2012 328xi coupe. It is rather nice. It has iDrive and auto trans (of course). It is a big sluggish off the line (lots of lag, it seems like), but I'll say that its pretty peppy once its rolling. And it is darned smooth, too. I think the 4-cyl turbo is smoother than the I6 in the 2011 128i they loaned me last time. As usual, I don't fit comfortably without the sport pack, though.

stickguy

$279 for a set of 4? if they are good quality (as in, not silly putty like the OEMs) that seems like quite a deal.

Do you already have winter tires for this car? If not, and they OEMs are not really causing problems, could be useful for that.

OK, if that was the only issue, you can hang onto the car.

speaking of the wife (mine, not yours...), I texted yesterday that I felt like car shopping this weekend (it is for her afterall). And she answered back that she was now afraid to tell me that the refund from our old mortgage/escrow (we just refi'd) came in the mail, since it might tip the scales!

stever

lol, we may have a twofer for Memorial Day.

qbrozen

ASA is a pretty well-known name, so I hope they are good. They are used, hence the low price. And the price is the only reason I went with 18s again. Now I just gotta find some tires.

I do have All-season tires and will be doing exactly what you said ... mounting them on the stock wheels and keeping them around. Honestly, I could live with the way it is right now, but I know it will never be allowed during my upcoming track days in 2 weeks to have the vibration above 80mph. And no telling how bad it will be at 130mph.

We have a bad habit of buying on memorial day, too. Both my Infiniti G35X and 540 were purchased on Memorial Days. Probably more I don't remember.

kyfdx

Are you sure that's a new 2012 with turbo? I didn't think the AWD 3-series was out, yet..

qbrozen

Oh no? I don't know. It tells me on the rental agreement it is a 2012. I didn't pop the hood.

kyfdx

Well... they are two different body styles... so...

I'd guess either you have a RWD 2012 (but not if it says X-drive by the door..lol), or it's a 2011...

I have yet to see even a 2012 RWD model, except at the dealer... I'm going next Friday for the "Drive" event, so I'll see if they have any '12 AWD models in stock....

michaellno

IIRC only the sedans have the 4-cyl turbo in them. I was at the BMW dealer in the Springs last weekend and they had 4-5 coupes on the lot ... all with the inline 6.

kyfdx

Didn't think about that.... Did he say it was a coupe?

Those 2012 coupes are all the previous model (E92).. and, as you mention, have the same I-6 as the 2011....

Good catch!

michaellno

q's post:

Oh, so the dealer loaned me a 2012 328xi coupe. It is rather nice. It has iDrive and auto trans (of course). It is a big sluggish off the line (lots of lag, it seems like), but I'll say that its pretty peppy once its rolling. And it is darned smooth, too. I think the 4-cyl turbo is smoother than the I6 in the 2011 128i they loaned me last time. As usual, I don't fit comfortably without the sport pack, though.

kyfdx

Well.. there you go!

You should have beat me to it! slacker...

ateixeira

Those wheels look nice.

Same as OEM size?

I'd be curious to see how much they weight (vs. OEM) and how durable they turn out to be.

I think it's the huge rims combined with the stiff suspensions that are causing these issues, so I wonder if aftermarket will be any better.

I hear complaints on other threads with huge rims but they usually have to do with replacement cost for the tires.

michaellno

I hear complaints on other threads with huge rims but they usually have to do with replacement cost for the tires.

The wife's CX-7 has 19" wheels and the awful Bridgestone Dueler tires on them (at least, the ones that we had on our two Saturn VUE's were awful).

However, after almost 20K miles, there is still a fair amount of tread left. When we got the car, I priced out replacements on Tire Rack .. almost $1K for some decent non-OEMs. There is a Discount Tire in my town and, when the time comes, I'll check with them as to what they offer.

ateixeira

Duelers on my '98 Forester sucked, too. Couldn't wait to replace them.

Of course, back then one issue was they had HUGE sidewalls, 70 series tires, so I actually went with a Plus One. That gave me a much better selection of tires (60 series).

Nowadays on some cars I would go in the opposite direction, to get a little more sidewall. DC potholes are terrible with the sleet and freezing rain we get.

I have 17"s on my Miata and some times I wish I'd gone with the 16"s. It's just that I wanted the Torsen LSD.

roadburner

I know a little about that car, it's pretty nice overall. I wish I could afford to have a dedicated track toy- that car would be perfect. You wouldn't feels so bad if you rolled it or smacked the armco...

qbrozen

yes, it seems this loaner had the I6. It was smooth. I can only think the 128 loaner I had a couple of months ago was ... I dunno... broken?

Wheels aren't exactly OEM size. The stockers are 18x7.5 front and 18x8.5 rear. These will now be 18x8 at all 4 corners. I just ordered tires. 255/40 rears and 235/45 front. Yes, I know the overall diameters aren't exact, but it is close enough. I'm going about 6% taller overall, which will, on one hand, give more sidewall flex, and, on the other, bring the notoriously optimistic speedometer more in line with reality.

The stock wheels are problematic, yes, because of the low sidewalls and runflat stiffness, but they are also forged and cut thin (according to wheel expert). Cast wheels, in this case, should hold up better. These ASAs are $164 ea on tirerack. They weight 24 lbs each. stock weights are 24.25 lbs front and 26 lbs rear.

nyccarguy

The fact that I've owned my2001 Honda Prelude Type SH for 10 years is probably shocking to most of you :shades: . Check out my READERS RIDES submission.

corvette

Nice writeup and nice car (it still looks great), but you're going to get banned from this board for keeping a car that long! :P

qbrozen

nah. Only if he keeps all his cars that long. I had my Alfa for about 10 years, but all the other cars came and went quickly during that same period.