Might buy a 96 328is - need some help

[hpservertech]

I'm a Porsche guy, but thinking about getting a 328i. Found one that is in pretty good condition. Was hoping there could be a few pointers of things I need to look at/check when looking at the car. Besides the typical used car items, are there things about these that I need to pay special attention to or ask specific questions?

Any advice or guidence would be great.

thanks!

[crazeetowntatto]

get a 95 or older, thy have the obd1 system after 96 its obd2. alot of people say the obd2 is harder to work on

[Manolito]

There are some great compilations of all the common problems with e36s (radio displays, climate control computers, etc. but I can't seem to find any of them right now. One is out on RoadFly somewhere. These cars are relatively easy to work on, and you can get parts on line for very reasonable prices.

I like the OBDII better, but my two e36s are completely stock. If I were buying one to modify, I would probably look for an OBDI car.

Several years ago someone asked what to expect as annual maintenance, and I posted the following:

Lets see, we have put 100k mi on my wife's e36 in the past 7 years. I should be able to tally up the approximate total for the maintenance from memory. Oil and filter changes depend on miles driven - you can figure those.

2 radiators @ $185 ea_____________$370
1 water level sensor________________$40
All heater and radiator hoses_________$70
Two sets of front brake pads________$120
One set of rear brake pads___________$50
One set of parking brake shoes_______$40
Trans Oil and filter change___________$80
Three sets of spark plugs____________$60
Set of 4 oxygen sensors____________$640
New AIR blower motor______________$120
Set of PEAKE tools_________________$320
NEEDs front pads and rotors_________$300
Two new sets of Michelins_________$1000
Wheel alignment___________________$90
New Windshield___________________$100 (deductible)
Hood Support Struts_______________$120
Other stuff I can't remember________$500
TOTAL $4020
Remember that I did EVERYTHING except the alignment and the windshield. If you pay to have the work done, you more than double the cost. There have been numerous small repairs like replacing the capacitor in the climate control and light bulbs in the dash and resoldering tail lights that didn't cost much but took some time.

Total cost for parts was about $575 per year, or about half what I pay for insurance in California. This is a LOT less than our friends pay to keep their SUVs on the road, but they don't do their own work.

I have said many times that I like my two e36s better than my wife's e46 (2004 330i), but I have to admit that the 330 has gone 60k miles with virtually zero maintenance other than consumables (oil changes, filters, brake pads, and a set of tires). Every part of that car has worked perfectly since day one. The e36s were not that trouble-free in the first 60k miles.

[Jeron]

Has there ever been a cooling system problem, what happened, how long did it overheat.

If its an auto, has the tranny been serviced, how often and by whom, any problems with it.

If its a manual, has the clutch been replaced and how does the clutch feel on a high rev launch.