Learn me up on early BMW 335s?

[speeder]

Anyone can give me the skinny on early, (2007), BMW 335i cars? I vaguely recall something about turbo failures or something? Maybe something worse? I never paid much attention because I never planned on owning one but now I might have one dropped into my lap for an "offer I can't refuse".

Thanks guys.

[Nostril Cheese]

You don't want one. Really.

[ninelevenick]

Does it have a manual transmission?

[Chocaholic]

"Learn me up"? Really?

[RANDY P]

turbo replacement looks like good times.

rjp

[RANDY P]

2008 BMW 335i Base Coupe - Turbos & SuperChargers - Page 1

Yea buddy!! x2 and at least 8 hours on a lift.

rjp

[puddy]

My wife had one, was a great car, tonnes of torque & fun, traded it in well before any problems arose.

[biosurfer1]

High Pressure Fuel Pump's are an Achilles heal

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by biosurfer1

High Pressure Fuel Pump's are an Achilles heal

This. A local CCA guy had his strand him three times before his hit 20k. He traded it in on a normally aspirated X3.

[speeder]

Thanks. I should have titled this, "anyone actually own one of these or work on them for a living?"

Pretty sure I'm going to buy it because I could part it out and make nothing but money. I'll drive it for a while, though. It does not have I-drive or nav, which is a plus. All of the normal maintenance and repair stuff is easy DIY, (brakes/suspension/fluids/etc.), and for what I'm paying I can pay really good people to do repairs I don't want to do.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by Snipernick

Does it have a manual transmission?

No, two door coupe automatic w/ 100k miles. Needs a little care to be brought back to top condition but should clean up nicely. Good colors, black w/ dark tan seats.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by biosurfer1

High Pressure Fuel Pump's are an Achilles heal

Don't have to worry about that one for at least the next two years, they are warranteed for 10 years/120k miles regardless of number of owners:


Dear Valued Customer,
BMW is committed to delivering the ultimate in product satisfaction to you, our
customer. Our interest in your vehicle doesn't stop with its sale; rather, it
continues throughout the vehicle's warranty period and beyond.
BMW has become aware of a potential problem that could affect the durability
of the high-pressure fuel pump of certain MY 2007/2008 BMW automobiles
equipped with a 3.0 liter engine. We estimate that only a small percentage of
vehicles will actually develop a problem. Vehicles affected may have the
Service Engine Soon lamp illuminated. Also, the affected vehicles may
experience an extended engine starting time ("long crank***8221 or reduced engine
performance when the high-pressure fuel pump malfunctions.
As a commitment to our customers and to demonstrate our confidence in our
product, BMW will extend the emissions warranty for the high-pressure fuel
pump to 10 years or 120,000 miles, whichever comes first. The emissions
warranty extension for this component applies to your vehicle and is
transferable to any subsequent purchaser of your car. All terms and conditions
of the California Emissions Warranty, the Federal Emissions Defect Warranty,
and the Federal Emissions Performance Warranty apply to the extended
warranty. Warranty coverage for all other parts is not affected. Warranty terms
and conditions can be found in your warranty booklet.
The integrity of our products has been essential to our reputation, our success,
and our customer's trust. We hope this extension of the emissions warranty
will further enhance your ownership experience and satisfaction. Should you
have any questions, please call us toll-free at 1-800-831-1117.
In the unlikely event that the high-pressure fuel pump of your vehicle shows the
above symptoms or any other problem, please feel free to call the nearest
authorized BMW dealer for an appointment. All authorized BMW dealers will be
informed of this warranty extension via a Service Information bulletin.
Please be assured that we at BMW are totally committed to the highest
standards of product excellence and owner experience, and are determined to
maintain a level of service that exceeds your expectations.
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by RANDY P

2008 BMW 335i Base Coupe - Turbos & SuperChargers - Page 1

Yea buddy!! x2 and at least 8 hours on a lift.

rjp

Ok, so turbos retail for $800 each. No surprise there. Not sure why they would fail under normal operation, though.

[ddbach]

I have owned mine since Memorial Day weekend 2010.

2007 335i coupe 6MT purchased CPO with 32K miles as my daily driver, I am now at 150+K miles.
The HPFP was an early issue which took 2 or 3 tries on BMW's side to get the part durable. I replaced it once as part of the recall the first summer I owned it at no charge.
I replaced a waterpump (failed) and oil filter housing (leaking) at 115K eighteen months ago.
People also talk about needing to have the valves walnut shell blasted as it is DFI. Mine has not needed this yet. It may be that I have an extended drive on the freeway and few stop and go traffic miles as my commute which makes a difference.
I get between 27and 31mpg on my commute depending upon the weather. In winter this drops by about 2mpg. I have winter tires for the car and have not had problems with winter driving even though it is rear wheel drive.
Early 335 sedans did not always have the oil cooler in the front passenger wheel well. I think you needed the sport pkg. Those cars were subject to power loss with overheating so later years both coupes and sedans have the oil cooler standard IIRC.
The Nav system in it's first iteration is apparently not user friendly. I don't have it so I can not verify or refute the statement. As usual for BMW the screen on the stock radio fades out when the ambient temperature is more than mildly warm per WI standards.
I did not chip mine for added HP/TQ. I am left with the impression from others that the wear rate increases with this for things like the turbos.

I am still happy with mine.

[speeder]

Thanks a lot. That's the kind of data I was seeking.

[fumanchu]

We have a 2010 335i with the N54 engine. 48k miles and the 4th fuel pump was just installed last week.

I knew about these before the purchase but it has been ridiculous really. Our dealer is pretty lame and customer service really sucks. This is our 5th BMW, we may be going japanese after this.

The fuel pump is mechanical and operates at 2600 psi. Pretty easy to change and about 350 dollars.

I wouldnt worry about turbos, not a problem.

The 2 door manuals have a good following.....shouldn't be hard to flip.

[911SauCy]

On the early ones, I don't believe it occurred with many, but was a known issue. Cam bushings/housings would fail and well, you know what happens then.

Close friend of mine is a BMW Master Tech, he has seen it more than 10 times. FWIW

[speeder]

Originally Posted by fumanchu

We have a 2010 335i with the N54 engine. 48k miles and the 4th fuel pump was just installed last week.

I knew about these before the purchase but it has been ridiculous really. Our dealer is pretty lame and customer service really sucks. This is our 5th BMW, we may be going japanese after this.

The fuel pump is mechanical and operates at 2600 psi. Pretty easy to change and about 350 dollars.

I wouldnt worry about turbos, not a problem.

The 2 door manuals have a good following.....shouldn't be hard to flip.

Originally Posted by 911SauCy

On the early ones, I don't believe it occurred with many, but was a known issue. Cam bushings/housings would fail and well, you know what happens then.

Close friend of mine is a BMW Master Tech, he has seen it more than 10 times. FWIW

Thanks. This one is an automatic but it's pretty quick. I should stop by e dealer and talk to some experienced techs, I'm sure they have a lot to share.

[911SauCy]

Originally Posted by speeder

Thanks. This one is an automatic but it's pretty quick. I should stop by e dealer and talk to some experienced techs, I'm sure they have a lot to share.

That's a great idea.

Before I dove into my e39 ownership, I spoke at length with my friend. Having him as a resource was the tipping point of making the decision for the car.

If I didn't have his brain, expertise, and proprietary tools at my disposal, I would still be in an Altima.

[speeder]

Here's the thing; remember Schumi's thread asking whether he should buy an old MB SL600? Everyone, (including me), told him to "Run, Forrest, run!"

But it was so cheap that he knew he could just part it out at the first big mechanical explosion so he just bought the beast and drove it for quite a while. He might even still have it(?)

The 335i that I'm considering is not the cleanest one in town and has some bumps and dings that I'd have to spend some $$ to correct. It will never be a top-tier car but it will clean up pretty well. If I was specifically looking for an 8 year old BMW, I'd be seeking a 9 or 10 on the scale of maintenance/records/condition but sometimes life just hands you a deal you can't refuse. My 996 comes to mind, which was an awesome car other than cosmetics.