Lots of woes, and no serious replies.

Hi all,

Sorry to hear about your car. What I would try to do is buy an extended warranty from BMW.  Say nothing about the problems, get a warranty, leave it a month, then go back.

I know that BMW warranties can still br brought for cars that have been out of the dealer loop, under certain conditions.

Ring up your local dealer and in a roundabout way, sniff out what the score is.

I have a 98 Evo convertible. Your perception of speed is different in this car than your old turbo fait. I also have a twin turbo supra, and turbo driving is different as the power comes in at different stages.

The M3 engine has all the power straight off, through the rev range.  Also, remember, its a convertible, so isnt going to be as quick as the coupe due to the weight.  Also, your vanos sounds [edited] ! that rough idle !! Well, IVe had that twice, on two previous `duff` vanos units.

Sounds like you've brought a problem there. Surely your dealer has given you some sort of warranty ?? If it was a private buyer ? mmmm your [edited] !! In that case, I would get it roughly going, dump it !!! Sell it on.  First lost is your least !!!!!  Vanos units = £1200 !!!!

SBK

edited to remove objectionable language, please read the forum guidelines, and the pm you have regarding this.

Although I've never had any experience of the BMW warranty, my understanding is that it should cover any faults the car has. At the very least you should take it in to a dealer and get them to have a look at it.

If the engine is running a bit rough then it may be a bit down on power which may explain why it doesn't feel any faster than your fiat.

If its a BMW warranty you have nothing to worry about, take her along to your local dealer and they will put everything right apart from the servicable items. I wouldnt complain about the discs and tyres etc as that should have came up when you agreed the purchase price.

if your not noticing much difference from your Fiat then the engine cant be running sweet. When its sorted you will notice a difference I can assure you.

Regards Mark.

Thanks for everyone's interest, and yes it's the bona fide BMW warranty.

I am based in Aberdeenshire and, over many years of 2nd hand complex hi-performance cars, I have a built a healthy disrespect of main dealers. I think nothing of driving a couple of hundred miles to be disappointed by yet another "expert." The (glorious and reliable) Fiat Coupe was driven 150 miles to see a non franchised "carer." But, realising a) I have the warranty, b) that keeping the FBMWSH is probably a good idea, and c) having already a very average experience with BMW Aberdeen, I will try Eastern in Edinburgh (home town anyway) who by web posted accounts have a very fine reputation, but are damn expensive!

I just wish someone could tell me if they've had experience of the electrical gremlins. 

SBK,

Thanks, as I said already, it's a genuine BMW warranty which I renewed myself, as soon as I bought the car........I have the card etc etc.

Your record of replacement parts is not simply "not good" it's absolutely shocking, and certainly not what any knowledgeable car buyer would imagine about an M-tech BMW.

I have to say that I went into the M3 purchase with my guard down. Normally a buyer of performance Italians, I am usually, & justifiably, extremely cagey, but a BMW, who'd have thought they could be this bad? There was the urge to go back to RWD and the Elise is too uncomfortable for my mileage.

As I mentioned, I am getting the picture, and will book the car into Eastern in Edinburgh - who the websites say are very very good - and get an overview.

At least you can be content that you didn't purchase it from a 'nice little wooden barn' in the Home Counties, as 'mansfa' points out, pity though you could have joined the 'club'!

I haven't had any electrical issues with my vehicle, only mechanical. I do believe that once they are sorted you will be impressed with the vehicle.

Happy Motoring

SBK,

Thanks. I believe my one cost around 44k new, what with the hard-top etc. I also believe that original cost should, as much as anything else, be guaranteeing some reliability.

I have started to enjoy the car, after initial reservations regarding its weight and the weight of the clutch particularly, and sure, I do have the hood down at the first opportunity - currently daily if it's not raining. Having some back problems, I have taken weeks to get the seat comfortable. 

I am interested in what you did with the sound system. I am a big digital radio fan, and I would have liked to have thought there was a way to switch to that, but it seems not, (DAB sorts out the crackles). So, what's an "amp/song?"

I will get it all fixed, I am sure, it's just getting to that decent dealership. I am not afraid to spend the money. I like cars to be at least functioning perfectly.........so there's a bit of a list. After all it's eventually headed for a life in the sun!

TKS

215DMX wrote: Brucey, "EAT MPV TO CARE" what good is it going to do, for him to tuck into ford galaxy? . . .

-mmm, tasty Galaxy....   bit too surreal for a wednesday evening, that....

-However, this thread plus others does rather beg the question 'are modern cars just too complicated????'. I for one am disappointed but not surprised when I have electrical gremlins on an older car- everything is well-past its sell-by date. But there are lots of people who seem to have seemingly intractable electrical problems on much newer vehicles, and I think this is pretty inexcusable.

cheers

Rmaxibiza,

Hi again.  "Amp/song" is meant to be "amp/sony".  Your soon get used to my poor written english. 11 years working on unix systems has totally made me iliterate and only able to write simple commands :-)

If you are planning to upgrade your m3's stereo, I would very much comfirm with the company you plan to use, that they have done an M3 CAB before.  I didnt, and my installation cost me £3K, and its was rubbish.

I have a rockford amp, sub in the boot, which is usless due to the huge sheet of metal running across behind the rear seats. You just cant hear it.  Yeap, you can remove the ski hatch, but not much better.

Due to the size of the speakers and holes in the rear cards, you really cant get big speakers in there either.  Fronts are upgradeable, tweaters in the doors, and speakers in the footwells.

As my M3 id my second car,  I live with the problem wit hthe stereo / radio, as I listen to Trance via cd's all the time.  If it was my main car, then I would sort the radio out with something better.

Sitting here, I really cant think of anything that has blown or gon wrong, electrically.  Mind you, Im quite good with the spanners and have totally rip out the interior, when I re-routed the stereo amp wires. Internally, the M3 is just a basic 3 series. Dash, etc all comes out easy. 

Funny you said about the seats, 6 years dow nthe line, I still cant honesty say my car is comfortable. I wish the steer wheel had in/out adjustments, aswell as the up and down. Also, wish I spec'ed for electric seats for that fine adjustments.   This is why Im in the market for an electric drivers seat. Also, looking for some 18 inch schnitzer wheels.  I also find the steering wheel too thin, doesnt feel sporty. My mates' got a R32 golf, and his steering wheel feels lovely.

SBK