[notasensei]

Looking to pick up an E36 318i with about 120k mi for a daily. Car has 1 owner (!) and from carfax looks like control arms and bearings had been replaced recently. For those who's had experiences, what should I be looking out for before buying? is there a way to tell if water pump and timing belt have been replaced? A little skeptical but it is only or a few thousand bucks. Appreciate any input!

[RoundelMatt]

Originally Posted by notasensei

Looking to pick up an E36 318i with about 120k mi for a daily. Car has 1 owner (!) and from carfax looks like control arms and bearings had been replaced recently. For those who's had experiences, what should I be looking out for before buying? is there a way to tell if water pump and timing belt have been replaced? A little skeptical but it is only or a few thousand bucks. Appreciate any input!

My E36 328i had 140k and felt more solid than my E90 at 40k, before a tree fell on it that is. Do they have records? Take it to an indie before you buy.

[cuiter23]

Originally Posted by RoundelMatt

My E36 328i had 140k and felt more solid than my E90 at 40k, before a tree fell on it that is. Do they have records? Take it to an indie before you buy.

lol @ the tree falling

E36's are built bulletproof and hands down the best looking M3 sedans in my opinion.

[BaseM3]

I've owned an e36 325i and M3 for over 10 years. Although not a 318i which i believe has a 4 cylinder the cars a pretty reliable. What I've seen fail is the water pump and plastic thermostat housing. I would replace the whole coolant system including the radiator if it hasn't been done already, shouldn't cost over $300 if you do it yourself including hoses. On the 2.8 or 3.0 engines the vanos can be noisy after a while and they will have slow valve cover leaks which is about a $30.00 fix in 30 minutes. There is no timing belt it is a chain.
It the car is tracked or dogged the rear trailing arm bushings will wear out over time.
The lower power steering hose can develop a slow leak.
Other than that check the e36 Bimmerforum they are super friendly.

[jon_335]

E36s are solid! I just sold mine with 203k miles on it … and I'm sad about it. The biggest issues are the cooling system. If you don't know the history of it, replace it. New radiator, thermostat, water pump, expansion tank, and hoses. At its age and mileage, you'll want to think about suspension bits - bushings, control arms, struts, shocks, etc. But I wouldn't automatically go down that road unless the car really needs it. The fittings on the power steering hoses tend to loosen causing some leakage. Some replace the hoses, others just replace the fittings/clamps. Wouldn't hurt to replace the VANOS seals with the Besian system seals. You should replace the valve cover gasket and seals. Spark plugs would be smart, too. O2 sensors are supposed to be replaced every 100k miles.

This isn't meant to scare you and the majority of these items can be replaced as you have time/money. Do the cooling system and be done for a while. My e36 never had the power steering fittings replaced nor the O2 sensors. Also, the e36 is soooooo much easier to work on than an e9x. A full cooling system replacement will take a day at most. Valve cover gasket and plugs an hour or two.

Do it! e36s are great!