What should I do? - United Bimmer Community

**mullethunter3** · 04-13-2006, 03:45 PM

Okay, the time has come to sell my car. It hates me. I think it is slow (4 cly. auto, geez). Problem is, at the time, the 318 market is shit unless you have a convertible. I paid $4000 a year and a half ago for it and now they only go for $2000. Wtf.

What are all the problems with it you may ask? I have some sort of magical electrical problem where two of seven electrical components are grounding out and draining the battery. (It's impossible to find.)

I took those fuses out. Secondly, I have absolutely no rear shocks, I changed the rear shock mounts and the shock literally fell into the cylinder. Yeah. Third, I need brakes. Fourth, I need belts. Stat. Tomorrow actually. Fifth, my headliner is falling down, my door panels are trying to bubble off. Sixthly, one of my rims is bent to shit. Yay! Also, a couple days ago, my car decided to pop off the main hose to the idle control between the time I parked it on Sunday and attempted to start it on Friday.

This caused my car to not start and then make whiny coughy noises. I think it is just trying to fuck with me. There are so many other things, but those are the main ones.

Anyway, everytime I fix something, I find three new problems.

And now I hear from my boyfriend's dad, a 60 year old foriegn car mechanic, that the 318 engine is not reliable in any sense of the word.

Looks like I'm fucked. Unless I can con some stupid girl into buying it, I have no hope.

I have my heart set on a BMW, but for $2000, it looks like it won't happen. Even though I have a sweet hook-up to the Auto Dealer's Auction, I still can't afford something that doesn't hate my guts.

Your thoughts?

**jybute** · 04-13-2006, 03:50 PM

Ohhh thats too bad, hopefuly you can get another bimmer. Have you thought about an e30?

**mullethunter3** · 04-13-2006, 03:52 PM

oh yeah, i forgot to mention that I do not like e30's however, I am leaning towards a e34, stick shift is a nessessity. i was dumb to buy an auto.

**xsperf** · 04-13-2006, 04:13 PM

i dont know what the blue book value is(i guess it depends on your area) but if you get it to a dealer, they usually are very fair, in terms of blue book value, so you can trade it in(they dont take it for a test drive), they wont find out about the suspension, electrical components,(as long as the car runs), and they will probably take it to an auction... but in any case, if you can trade it in to a BMW dealer, or someone who has a car that you are willing to buy, b/c if you try to sell it to the dealer w/out buying a car from him, he'll give you crap for it

witeshark · 04-13-2006, 05:34 PM

I'm so sorry to hear. I know how you feel. My car has been perma parked for a third water pump replacement

**Dudesky** · 04-13-2006, 05:48 PM

I think you should wrench that 318 into submission. Think about it: nothing you mentioned is really that uber hard or too expensive to fix. One by one, you can get it all done, probably in time for summer

My car was garbage until I took out 6 or so months to replace virtually every suspension component, little by little. Notwithstanding the fact that my tranny will most likely crap out in a few months, the car runs beautiful now.

Once you've done all that, just think . . there can't be much else that can go south on it. I'm just saying consider that before you get yourself in more debt with another car

**mullethunter3** · 04-13-2006, 06:24 PM

Granted, I could get it fixed up, but the thing I am most worried about now is the reliablity of the 318's engine. Right now, I am not in debt at all, and if I buy a car I won't go in debt because I won't spend more money than I have. However, if the engine dies (which it commonly does) I will be in $3000 worth of debt. So right now, I am trying to cut my losses before I put too much into this car and I don't get out of it what I put into it.

**BMWLotAttendant** · 04-13-2006, 06:34 PM

Sounds like you need to buy a Camry.

Yup, no way you're going to find a bimmer for what you want without going into debt buying used or fixing it up.

Some advice, don't go into debt.

How long has it lasted you?

**catalyst** · 04-13-2006, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mullethunter3

Granted, I could get it fixed up, but the thing I am most worried about now is the reliablity of the 318's engine. Right now, I am not in debt at all, and if I buy a car I won't go in debt because I won't spend more money than I have. However, if the engine dies (which it commonly does) I will be in $3000 worth of debt. So right now, I am trying to cut my losses before I put too much into this car and I don't get out of it what I put into it.

Im not sure how you are coming to this conclusion that the m42 is an unreliable engine...?

Its not at all.. it has timing chains, and a forged crankshaft, if anything it is actually built stronger than the inline 6 engines.

What dudesky is talking about is doing your own work obviously, the cost of paying someone to bring an old car back to spec is outragous, think about the hours it takes to do everything.. taking off the door panels, cleaning the throttle, cleaning the icv, replacing hoses, filters, sparkplugs, ignition coils, suspension bushings, balljoints, shocks, springs, replacing rotors, pads, flushing the brakes, bleeding the brakes and the clutch slave... the list goes on and on and on.. you cannot possibly pay someone to do all these little things...

My dad actually has a close friend (extremely wealthy) that can afford to do stuff like that, and he has an old 635CSI that he just spent 8,000 dollars on replacing everything in the car at the dealer.

I understand your a woman so this makes the situation tough if you cant or wont wrench on a car... so i dont know what to tell you, either sell it out right with the problems it has, or tough up and have the car brought back up to spec for a huge sum...

**Dudesky** · 04-13-2006, 08:15 PM

^^^Actually, I was saying that because if memory serves me right, Amanda's gotten her hands dirty before. I have faith in her . . about the hardest thing she mentions is the rear shocks, but seein' as she'd already replaced the RSM's, why not give it a try? If not, that boyfriend ought to come in handy

And I agree with Catalyst: unless you see internal problems already with that motor, these 4cyl engines are pretty tough.

nick_318is · 04-13-2006, 08:25 PM

Yea my m42 is still running strong (16 years old) its a good engine and I have not heard too many complaints about it. You might be allright wrenching on the car to get it back to good. Good luck with your decision.

**BaLAnCe17** · 04-13-2006, 08:44 PM

i would trade it in to a dealer...sounds like too much is going wrong w/ it and you should get out asap

**mullethunter3** · 04-13-2006, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catalyst

I understand your a woman so this makes the situation tough if you cant or wont wrench on a car... so i dont know what to tell you, either sell it out right with the problems it has, or tough up and have the car brought back up to spec for a huge sum...

I'm sorry? You were saying that because I am a woman I can't possibly fix a damn thing? For your information, I have worked on not only my cars (318is and a fuckin 92 Saturn) but also Porsches, VWs (the Thing and Beetle), dune buggies, golf carts, four wheelers and many other "man" mechanical things. I am studying to be an engineer (and pulling off a 3.4 while doing it) and I am by no means a helpless woman as you or some other people may think. I have worked very hard on trying to break free from that image, and it upsets me when people classify me as such.
Who teaches all the girls on my floor about cars, guns, knives and electronics? Oh wait, that's me.

Quote:

Amanda's gotten her hands dirty before. I have faith in her . .

Dudesky, thank you for backing me up. If I can't pull off this massive repair by myself, my boyfriend and the use of his father's car shop (with a full tower car lift and air hammers and all kinds of fun toys) will help me.

Oh, and I was told by my boyfriend's father that the 318 is unreliable because he has had to replace engines from a 318 many a time in his 50 year career. He is not a dumb man and I do not doubt that he is right.

Catalyst, I am not directing my hate of the "woman can't do shit" arguement towards you, merely at anyone who thinks that I can't be just as good if not better than men.

**BaLAnCe17** · 04-13-2006, 09:20 PM

lol! hell ya!

**94bmw325i** · 04-13-2006, 09:54 PM

amanda the 318 motor is one of the most reliable motors that BMW makes, maybe you got a lemon one? I am just asking because whenever I see threads on BMW motors the 318's always seem to be voted as the most reliable.

Would you be doing a lot of mods? You could probably get a nice 328is, or a 535. I think devinwu is selling his, he has some mods and takes good care of it.