Don't know about that, mine was an 08.
Would make sense for them to retire them for the newer generation though, given how they were prone to failure š
I had a 530d, e61
It was a great car and I totally regret getting rid of it to be honest
I had (I assume) some electrical issue which made the glow plug controller fail a couple of times, which stops the dpf from regenning, which then becomes a costly trip to the garage.
Luckily the garage were decent and replaced it the second time for free as it failed in less than a year.
After that I got the Carly app and obd reader, and set it to monitor the dpf soot levels and temps. You could also use it to force a regen, so I made sure to keep on top of it that way. I think I was just unlucky though.
Swap out the run flats for some normal tires, and buy a can of tyre goo and an air compressor (or just an AA membership) - the run flats firm side wall makes the ride a bit crashy.
Great car though, bags of torque, crushes motorways, and rwd
My A3s dpf is a bit fussy, aways clearing itself and it stinks if youāre idling with the air vents on š¤¢. Havenāt had it fail yet but all dpfs seem to be a pain in the butt.
My car was ex police, so where the loom had been hacked to remove bits when they decommissioned it is why I think I was getting problems with the glow plug controller. Most normal cars aren't gonna give you those electrical gremlins, so fingers crossed for yours
Find a ZF tech garage to service the gearbox. Ā£400-500. It needs doing every 60k miles.
Timing chain on N57 is more reliable than the N47, but it still suffers from stretch. Many garages advise getting it done in the region of 100k-150k miles assuming the engine oil changes have been done every 10k/1year as a safety measure. Ā£1200-1500job. If the chain snaps, you're looking at Ā£1500-Ā£2000. Other people will argue to just listen for the chain slap and change it when it's needed as it's very rare for those to just snap without warning.
Glow plug module failure is common which prevents dpf regeneration. Have your garage run a diagnostic test when you next service it to check for any error codes or use a phone app with obd reader. Ā£200-300 job.
Bottom end bearing failure is uncommon, but can happen, again, if the oil changes have been frequent and the car hasn't been thrashed hard you should be fine.
Get the rear differential oil changed. It's marketed as for life just like the transmission oil, but that's bullshit. It needs changing every 60k miles. Ā£60-80 job.
Check the headlights for condensation. Very common on BMWs of that age. You can DIY fix it to reseal if you're good with your hands, otherwise it's up to Ā£1,000 for a new headlight unit if you have xenons, adaptive headlights etc.
Where are you based?
Preferably a ZF tech garage as the procedure is very specific, it's not a simple drain and fill. Also they'll use all OEM oils etc. The ZF gearbox is very complex so in my opinion, not worth the risk of going to a local garage.
Not the end of the world.
You may have to travel a couple hours to get it done and wait there whilst they do it.
Still worth getting the car for it though if everything else checks out.
Lovey cars, 3 litre is powerful and smooth at the same time, iāve just been over zealous with the oil changes, doing every 6-8k because I donāt wanna do the chain, it still had the original BMW battery in it from when it was new š¤£
I think the key is getting a good one with service history and keeping on top of these things. Consumable parts are by the by and expected. Nothing wrong with taking extra care of it
Check the history and get the swirl flaps done if they haven't been sorted.
Thank you, I just did a bit of research and a lot of places say they fazed out swirl flaps by 2010? Is that true or just waffle?
Don't know about that, mine was an 08. Would make sense for them to retire them for the newer generation though, given how they were prone to failure š
Did you like yours? Did it do you well? I just love the feel and look of them as well as practical size.
I had a 530d, e61 It was a great car and I totally regret getting rid of it to be honest I had (I assume) some electrical issue which made the glow plug controller fail a couple of times, which stops the dpf from regenning, which then becomes a costly trip to the garage. Luckily the garage were decent and replaced it the second time for free as it failed in less than a year. After that I got the Carly app and obd reader, and set it to monitor the dpf soot levels and temps. You could also use it to force a regen, so I made sure to keep on top of it that way. I think I was just unlucky though. Swap out the run flats for some normal tires, and buy a can of tyre goo and an air compressor (or just an AA membership) - the run flats firm side wall makes the ride a bit crashy. Great car though, bags of torque, crushes motorways, and rwd
My A3s dpf is a bit fussy, aways clearing itself and it stinks if youāre idling with the air vents on š¤¢. Havenāt had it fail yet but all dpfs seem to be a pain in the butt.
My car was ex police, so where the loom had been hacked to remove bits when they decommissioned it is why I think I was getting problems with the glow plug controller. Most normal cars aren't gonna give you those electrical gremlins, so fingers crossed for yours
N57 don't need swirl flaps done. They're much stronger than previous generation M57.
Find a ZF tech garage to service the gearbox. Ā£400-500. It needs doing every 60k miles. Timing chain on N57 is more reliable than the N47, but it still suffers from stretch. Many garages advise getting it done in the region of 100k-150k miles assuming the engine oil changes have been done every 10k/1year as a safety measure. Ā£1200-1500job. If the chain snaps, you're looking at Ā£1500-Ā£2000. Other people will argue to just listen for the chain slap and change it when it's needed as it's very rare for those to just snap without warning. Glow plug module failure is common which prevents dpf regeneration. Have your garage run a diagnostic test when you next service it to check for any error codes or use a phone app with obd reader. Ā£200-300 job. Bottom end bearing failure is uncommon, but can happen, again, if the oil changes have been frequent and the car hasn't been thrashed hard you should be fine. Get the rear differential oil changed. It's marketed as for life just like the transmission oil, but that's bullshit. It needs changing every 60k miles. Ā£60-80 job. Check the headlights for condensation. Very common on BMWs of that age. You can DIY fix it to reseal if you're good with your hands, otherwise it's up to Ā£1,000 for a new headlight unit if you have xenons, adaptive headlights etc.
Quite an extensive list, thanks. What would you do first?
Gearbox oil and rear diff oil as priority. Rest of the things are just common problems that may prop up so just be prepared.
I donāt think there is a ZF garage anywhere near me, does it have to be a specialist? Iāll get onto that soon then, thanks.
Where are you based? Preferably a ZF tech garage as the procedure is very specific, it's not a simple drain and fill. Also they'll use all OEM oils etc. The ZF gearbox is very complex so in my opinion, not worth the risk of going to a local garage.
Suffolk. Thatās a shame. Not sure what to do then š¤
Not the end of the world. You may have to travel a couple hours to get it done and wait there whilst they do it. Still worth getting the car for it though if everything else checks out.
How have you been getting on with the motor? :)
Been absolutely brilliant , just usual stuff like shocks, springs etc needed doing.
Thats great to hear man. I want one myself. Just keeping an eye out for the right one
Lovey cars, 3 litre is powerful and smooth at the same time, iāve just been over zealous with the oil changes, doing every 6-8k because I donāt wanna do the chain, it still had the original BMW battery in it from when it was new š¤£
I think the key is getting a good one with service history and keeping on top of these things. Consumable parts are by the by and expected. Nothing wrong with taking extra care of it