M Reg 318 SE spec’s and issues

thats a good price there !!!

i saw an e30 one go on ebay for 210 quid !!!!

You will see around 11hp on the 318i and it will make the car far more lively and willing to accelerate.

you can call me on 07815-501867 or go to my site www.chippeduk.com

Cool.

Out of interest, on average how much of an increase of bhp can you expect by chipping?

 

There are loads of different filters around, a simple K & N panel filter might suit, or a piper cross induction kit. I had a piper x on my old E30, and they look and sound nice.
Apexi induction kits are supposed to be good, but dont think they are made for BM's.

also, as mentioned before, get it chipped. It's a cheap mod, and you'll notice the difference.

More BHP already!

You could try an air filter and a chip. There's a guy who uses this forum called ChippedUK who should be able to help you with a chip. Send him a Private message.

I would go for some BMW alloys. You can get 15, 16 or 17" alloys that should just go straight on.

As for shocks Bilstein have a good reputation. I have them on the front and will be putting some on the back next year.

Hope you enjoy your new purchase

According to BMW UK it is just a 318i not an 318i SE. Makes no difference as i have bought it because it drove very well, it is is excellent nick, it does have a FBMWSH and above all i liked it.

What are the differences between the 318i and 318i SE, same engine and bhp but just with extra's or ???

 

Just been to see it and it looks really tidy. Body work has no rust on it and the arches are clean and solid. The garage hadn't valeted it so the engine was still in the original condition, the block is a little tarnished but there is no visible signs of oil or any other kinda liquid on any part of the engine.

You can here a very quiet tapping from quiet, i forgot to listenm to it after taking it for a spin but it ran for 5 mins before we took it out and the tapping was still there. It is a very quiet tapping.

Handles fine, has plenty of vroom and no rattles etc across bumpy roads and pushing down hard on the suspension gave a fair bit of resistance and bounced back nicely.

Looking through the invoices and receipts it hasn't had any major work to it but it did have its rear shock mounts replaced early this year.

It growls quite a bit on acceleration, is that normal? I guess i'm used to 16v these days. It's a nice sound and is very smooth through the gears. The clutch  is nice and stiff too so i guess that's fine.

108k on the clock and 2.3k ....a good deal do you think?

Thanks for everyones advice on what may be my first BMW

OH...it had private plates so the garage doesn't have the V5 documents at the moment. Anyway to tell that the car is what they say it is 318i SE and that the engine is a M43?

Edited by wald

wald wrote: I know it's a subjective question and depends on the wear and tear over the years, but should i be expecting a few years of troubel free driving if i keep it serviced. I just scrapped a car i bought as a second car as it was a disaster and not worth the cost to put it all right and i'm feeling once bitten twice shy.

Whether you have a couple of years of trouble free motoring or not will depend on how good the car you buy is. If it has a FBMWSH then that's a very good start. The trouble with BMWs is that if something does go wrong it can be expensive.

Make sure things like the clutch are not on the way out and that the exhaust, especially the cat, are in good condition. Things like brake disks and pads are not too expensive to replace, but if they are worn they use this to negotiate. This goes for all consumble items like dampers etc

The other thing is to find a friendly independant BMW speciallist, unless you want to get your own hands dirty like me!, as BMW servicing can be expensive.

 

 

residual value...

citreons will drop like a stone

its that dodgy reputation they (deservedly) had in the past, unforunately, rightly or wrongly, it clings on

you pay more for a bmw but it is worth more when you sell it, swings and roundabouts, you go for "fleet" stuff like fords and vauxhalls, because they are mostly bought by companies who flood the secondhand market with them after a couple of years, the values nosedive - you buy cheap, you sell cheap

thanks :)

the chain is generally attention-free, and in theory would never need to be replaced but they can get noisy and rattly with age and thats a sign of impending failure.  on the old ford 2.0 DOHC engines a tensioner used to take up the slack so the chain never got noisy, but it would just break.  some other manufacturers, like saab, recommend the timing chain be replaced at a certain high mileage.

best thing i would suggest is give your local bmw dealer a phone in the morning and ask to speak to the service dept, they're usually very helpful, and ask if or when the chain needs replacing as a general rule of thumb as  i cant find any reference to mileage for chains on the TIS and ETK (official BMW factory parts and service CD-ROMS)

Edited by stephenperry