2008 135i Manual - things to watch out for?

[sr2223]

Hi All

I'm interested in buying a manual 2008 135i from VIC. Does anyone know what factory options were available for 2008 models?
Can anyone tell me things I should be wary of since they are no longer covered by warranty.

I have read about the HPFP and Injector issues which is making me paranoid, as dealers don't seem to have a clue when you mention this to them. Is it normal to have a ticking noise coming from near the front of the car at idle? I've spoken to some dealers and they are pushing extended warranty through a third party at a cost of a couple of grand for 3 years or so, is this worth it? Also what are the service intervals, I'm not too sure when the major service is due or what it involves?


The car I am looking at appears to already have aftermarket exhaust and JB4 installed, I'm not too clued up about how JB4 works. Would you guys recommend a stock car over JB4 for reliability?
Lastly what tires would you guys recommend to replace the stock run flats at reasonable price?

Sorry for all the questions guys haha, maybe me just being paranoid

[UR25IO]

How much KMs does it have on the clock?
Usually if its coming up to the 60000km+ mark you may see a run of issue or parts need replacing due to wear and tear.

Oil and head gasket, plugs, coolant (expansion tank), Timing belt, HPFP, Battery cable (recall), Charge pipe.

JB4 is a piggy back ecu that is found in the ecu box which you have leads coming out connected to your air/temp sensors. Reliability no issue just increase in HP

Most common great street tyres are Michelin PS2, PS3 or PSS I would say.

It can be a head Fxxk but I personally have no regets in purchasing sportish and stylish car.

[sr2223]

It just hit the 65,000 km mark Are most of these items DIY?
I guess it would be worth having a BMW workshop inspect the car.

[OzJustin]

I would be getting the oil changed once every 12 months or 10 000km (whichever comes first) at worst. Change spark plugs every 30 000km if tuned. Transmission, diff and power steering fluid are 'lifetime' which typically means 100 000km but change it earlier if you notice clunking, notchiness etc. Coolant and brake fluid probably every 2 years. That should keep the car performing well.

In terms of additional maintenance/failure items - consider water pump and thermostat which can go from about the 50 000km mark (but some are fine 100 000km+). As mentioned, high pressure fuel pump, injectors and coil packs are also common failure items. You will get long cranks at startup to give you some warning however. Replace when necessary.

The only other thing to watch are the wastegates on the factory turbos which have a habit of getting noisy/rattly, especially if worked hard. If they get bad enough the turbos may require replacement. This can be $1500-2000 in labour.

Re the most desirable options on 2008 model - CCC iDrive (the BMW LCD screen/entertainment system), there are three stereo options (base (6 speaker), HiFi (base with underseat subs) and Professional (HiFi with tweeters)), heated seats, comfort access (ie keyless).

Don't let the above maintenance scare you. Yes there are some common trouble areas on the N54 engine platform but these are fantastic luxury sports cars with a silky smooth inline six that makes effortless torque from virtually idle. Good luck in your search.

[DR-JEKL]

Just get it checked out by a bmw specialist (independent would be best, generally more real world practical knowledge!) and set aside a few thousand for possible issues.

A lot of the common issues cannot really be found until the fail on most occasions though.

My 335i has been the best car ive owned in terms of owner enjoyment, albeit definitely the most 'unreliable' (it has let me down once when it wouldnt start, they just require a bit of maintenance and parts replaced to keep it maintained especially when you're tuned and the engine is putting a strain on the cooling/ignition/fueling systems)

I've replaced the following in 10k kays of ownership in 2 years or so of ownership:

battery earth bolt (car wouldnt start bmw had it towed to my local dealer)
battery (these need to be coded when a new battery is installed, bmw wanted $700 ish, i bought a bosch S5 for $150 ish and had advan code my battery to suit the S5 specs)
spark plugs (like all turbo cars they require good/fresh plugs)
coils (like all turbo cars they require good/fresh coils)
hpfp (hadn't failed but i was just about to run an E85 tune so put in a fresh pump)
valve cover gasket and valve cover (oil leaks)
oil filter housing gasket (oil leaks)
vanos soleoids (had stumbling acceleration at low revs and had vanos error codes during logging on an agressive tune)
pre cat 02 sensors (had stumbling acceleration at low revs and lambda sensor error codes when logging)
waterpump, hoses and thermostat (hadn't failed but advan recommended changing at 80k kays)
Had a new drop in lpfp and sensor to run E85 (upgraded fuel pump)
upgraded the charge pipe (the oem item is plastic and is prone to cracking due to extra boost induced by a tune)

The only thing really left for me that i think I need to replace is the injectors...

[imske3000]

Got my car with 74,000kms, it's now 85,000kms. I've done quite a few mods but replacing worn out parts...
- water pump & thermostat
- ignition coils
- sparks
- oil filter housing gasket.

[totti84]

Make sure you put $500-600 aside to get your intake valves cleaned or walnut blasted, a must have with any N54's over 50,000km's

[Weezy]

Originally Posted by totti84

Make sure you put $500-600 aside to get your intake valves cleaned or walnut blasted, a must have with any N54's over 50,000km's

Is anyone aware of anyone who can do this in Adelaide, South Australia?

[sr2223]

Thanks for all the replies guys very helpful.
does anyone know where you can get the walnut blast done in perth?

[Nugget]

Galvsport.

[Simonnn]

I've got a 2008 manual for sale.. PMed!