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    Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    German car magazine AMS reports in their latest issue that at least 50% of the produced M3 engines have serious problems and have to be fixed. Customers will get (or already got) a notification in the near future.
    I was shocked when I read this.

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    Quote:
    RC said:
    German car magazine AMS reports in their latest issue that at least 50% of the produced M3 engines have serious problems and have to be fixed. Customers will get (or already got) a notification in the near future.
    I was shocked when I read this.



    Haven't heard anything about this, and I own one. There was a lot of trouble with late 2001/early 2002 production some time ago, but I haven't heard of engine problems for probably a year now. Scary development for BMW and us owners if it is true.

    Gary

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    damn it, and i thought this was

    'international engine of the year award 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004' ?!?!?!

    what the hell?

    are you just f*ckin with me RC?!
    (i think RC's trying to make me change my M3 to a Cayenne S )

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    Why shocked??? Since the first year production, M3 engines have been blowing, there iis even a site where every M3 owner reports his blown engine story. I had a friend that bought a used 2002 E46 M3 with 12000Km but with a new engine installed. Well three months ago he blew the second engine. BMW paid eveything.

    By the way, Porsche also have some serious engine problems on their line, just last week I was at Porsche dealer and there was a 03 Carrera with the engine blown. All over the net there are stories of blown 996 and Boxsters engine, we even have some members here that had their engines blown .

    J.Seven

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    i'm not that shocked, i've heard about it before,

    i am shocked at the 50% problematic figure that RC mentioned.

    how the hell did this engine win that many awards...

    or were they all llama awards?

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    Quote:
    J.Seven said:
    Why shocked??? Since the first year production, M3 engines have been blowing, .....



    That's what happen when you implement your F1 technology in the street cars . Looks like BMW is getting good at blowing up engines .

    I knew of a person that got the first series of the M# with SMG and after a few months the engine blew due to delay shifting or something like that .

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    Well, so far no details were announced. It doesn't have to do with the engines in the 2001 models. It is definately a problem but since BMW is very generous about the issue I would be able to deal with that.

    I would still buy the M3.

    By the way, BMW just presented their new 3.0-Inline 6 with Valvetronic intake system. It is presented in the 630Ci and supposed to appear in the 3-series end of this year.
    For the first time they used magnesium for the cylinderhead-cover and the crankshaft housing.

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    under any other circumstances, i would wait till the end of the year to buy the new engine / big improvements,

    however

    1. i doubt the magnesium case will make to this generation M3

    2. i can't wait any longer, i need another sports car and if i wait till the end of the year, i might not be able to justify it, as the Turbo S Cab will be in my garage.

    my problems are relatively simple,. cheers

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    Moogle,

    I say you ask for couple of $$ thousand from your dealer using RC info he came with

    I am suprised Nick didnt recommend his MiniMinor S

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    so im trading in my 1994 Mercedes S320 (W140) tommorow, and i think the dealer is going to rape me on the price,

    thus effectively recouping my successful but in the long term ineffective pillaging of his profit to invoice+$1000 for the M3...

    the car has an assload of problems, and i'm too lazy to take it to the merc dealer to have them turn off the error lights in an effort to hide the problems.

    it is 110k miles, original owner, kelly blue book says 7k for dealer trade in excellent condition, so im guessing he will try to give me 3k.

    but i don't care, i can't be seen in that thing anymore.

    i considered a CLK500, but i was tired of going to the mercedes dealer and dealing with all the room full of C-class owners/C-class people.

    in the end, the very cool and innovative SMG2 tranny, free maintience 4 year /50k (merc recently cut theirs), and generally better /move alive staff/service people sold me into BMW

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    I don't think you're making a wrong decision.

    The magnesium housing won't come into production for the current M3 - I would heavily doubt that. First of all the E46 is in the 2nd half of its production cycle, the new M3 will receive a 400hp - V8 derived from the M5 engine and the magnesium case has to be built around an aluminium inlay, since magnesium doesn't work well with water (water cooling pipes). So don't worry about the money issue.

    The problems with the engine also don't seem to be too much of an issue if you don't go for redline everytime. And since you have a 4year-warranty you should go for that choice.

    By the way, you have a 2 year warranty in Germany and free maintenance might only be an issue for marketing reasons at Daewoo or Daihatsu... So call yourself lucky!

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    yea not to mention their govt allows the company to void your warannty after 15 launches w/ the 'easter egg'

    i plan to get the euro software installed in my m3, so it revs to 5000 instead of 2500 when launching, do it a few times for fun, thats it.

    good thing US is consumer oriented

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    Oh, there is a different software for the Racing-launch in the U.S. versions? Didn't know that!

    I would additionally install a carbon airbox, similiar to the one on the CSL. Great engine sound!

    Even if you might have any problems with the M3, you coud sell it after three or four years!

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    i'll probably trade it for the new M3/4 (whatever they're going to call it) about a year after it comes out.

    i need a car of this level/usability for everyday use.

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    Quote:
    Moogle said:
    i was tired of going to the mercedes dealer and dealing with all the room full of C-class owners/C-class people.




    As opposed to the A-class people who own A-class MB cars in Europe?

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    In Antwort auf:
    tdf360 said:
    In Antwort auf:
    RC said:
    German car magazine AMS reports in their latest issue that at least 50% of the produced M3 engines have serious problems and have to be fixed. Customers will get (or already got) a notification in the near future.
    I was shocked when I read this.



    Haven't heard anything about this, and I own one. There was a lot of trouble with late 2001/early 2002 production some time ago, but I haven't heard of engine problems for probably a year now. Scary development for BMW and us owners if it is true.

    Gary



    Well Gary, if it's true you should get some mail from BMW soon...

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    Quote:
    fritz said:
    As opposed to the A-class people who own A-class MB cars in Europe?



    we don't have the A class here, so your argument is null and void

    but i think it may only be a matter of time, when i was in brussels, all i saw were A-class commuter cars, and E-class taxis ((still shaking from that experience))

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    I have some info on the '05 M3, that I will post later.

    C-class people? You're about to become a 3-series person, which is more or less the same thing. In California, we have M3's lining the roads. I can understand if the young people annoy you, but there are CL owners in San Diego that show up like they came from the beach (t-shirt, sandles, shorts) and they are actually nice people. Character makes the class, not the money.

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    Quote:
    Moogle said:
    and E-class taxis ((still shaking from that experience))


    Here (in holland/the netherlands) they use all sedan mercs as taxis, from a class to the s 400 cdi and i've seen a bentley arnage as a taxi too . Before they use to have the 7 series as well (the previous version). Reason being is that as a taxi drivers you can get special deals and discounts from mercedes.

    Shin,

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    Quote:
    Justin said:
    I have some info on the '05 M3, that I will post later.

    C-class people? You're about to become a 3-series person, which is more or less the same thing. In California, we have M3's lining the roads. I can understand if the young people annoy you, but there are CL owners in San Diego that show up like they came from the beach (t-shirt, sandles, shorts) and they are actually nice people. Character makes the class, not the money.



    i was implying that mercede's formerly porsche/rolls royce rivaling image has been ruined by people buying into the image through their lower end models hence dilluting the over all prestige of the marque.

    the kids only annoy me sometimes, myself i am 18, so...

    my point was that in yesteryear, buying a lower mercedes didn't mean you were getting a lesser car, just smaller car with a smaller engine, however the shoddy reliability/engineering has really cause people to question the LONG term longevity of mercedes' brand image.

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    This explains BMW's cheaper-than-E55 pricing on new M5! Great engine until it blows up.... With reliability like this from BMW, why is anyone surprised that MB gave up on building reliable cars?

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    You are not serious about being 18, are you...?

    The only reason you guys don't have Mercedes Taxis is because the guy who imported Mercedes in the 50ies didn't want to have the Marque's luxury image dilluted by taxi versions seen everyday.

    In Europe Mercedes has quite a long tradition as a taxi supplier because of their reputation in durability and diesel technology - something that is going down the drain right now.

    Oh well, they will be back!

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    Quote:
    Ferdie said:
    In Europe Mercedes has quite a long tradition as a taxi supplier because of their reputation in durability and diesel technology - something that is going down the drain right now.



    not in the netherlands, so far 70% of the taxi's i see nowadays are the new e class, it's been a real hit here

    Take care,
    Shin

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    Well, I hope that the SBC flaws are sorted out by now. Anyways, it is quite interesting that they switched back on the regular system on upcoming models. The answer for this was the ability to adapt most of the SBC's technical features on the std. system...
    I suppose they did know that three years ago already.

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    I really dont understand why 996 TT cant be used for daily driving. I drive it every day, winter or summer, rain or snow. And when I think about a second car which I do, I am thinking for a car that I will drive some times aside my TT. So I am thinking about Lotus or STI. Porsche there is just no substitute.

    How you can choose M3 to drive more, when you walk into your garage and see TTstanding near it...

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    I think it is subconcious, the TT-S Cab came to 170k after options and tax, and sometimes I go to places that I just don't feel comfortable driving that to.

    and the boxster S, i installed speedster humps on it, and it looks so good i don't want to take them off except to wash it... so i can't drive that in the rain...

    yea...

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    Quote:
    rossi said:
    Quote:
    tdf360 said:
    Quote:
    RC said:
    German car magazine AMS reports in their latest issue that at least 50% of the produced M3 engines have serious problems and have to be fixed. Customers will get (or already got) a notification in the near future.
    I was shocked when I read this.



    Haven't heard anything about this, and I own one. There was a lot of trouble with late 2001/early 2002 production some time ago, but I haven't heard of engine problems for probably a year now. Scary development for BMW and us owners if it is true.

    Gary



    Well Gary, if it's true you should get some mail from BMW soon...



    The more I hear about this, the more I think it is the same problem BMW dealt with over a year ago in the US but is just now acknowledging in Europe. And I think the 50% figure is for those cars manufactured within the 10/01 - 02/02 time frame (when the bad run of bearings were installed), so nothing new here. There have been isolated incidents of M3 engine failures in the last year, but nothing extraordinary, probably close to Porsche figures from what I hear.

    Gary

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    Quote:
    lev said:
    Moogle,

    I say you ask for couple of $$ thousand from your dealer using RC info he came with

    I am suprised Nick didnt recommend his MiniMinor S



    Lev, do not, repeat, do not, let your wife test drive a mini. The Cayenne would be mothballed in a matter of seconds.

    While I am at it, you probably should avoid test driving one. Your Porsche may also be jettisoned.

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    nberry, its really THAT good? or is it just more anti 911 sentiment from you

    Re: Serious problems with BMW M3 (E46) engines?

    Quote:
    I think it is subconcious, the TT-S Cab came to 170k after options and tax, and sometimes I go to places that I just don't feel comfortable driving that to.




    Moogle,

    I moved to Canada from Boston, MA so what places you are talking about? New England is a nice area

    Dont tell me you are going to cruise in Bronx every night, and even so I am sure the car would be thought to belong to local gang leader or something

    Seriously, I play bball every week in pretty much unsafe area with a lot of folks who are in 20's who come to play with $2k cars and I am not really interested to know what they do for living. However they always being really nice about my car and I never had any problem parking and leaving it there for couple of hours. And so in another places. Bad things can happen to you anywhere and in every car, I dont think that somebody wants to harm you because you driving a nice car (suppose you have money) it will be such big difference between Porsche TTS and BMW M3...Actually Porsche may make some people to think twice

    Anyway I think it's just a matter of attitude...

     
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