just bought a bimmer, need advice

[Pirtle 3]

my dad bought me a bmw for graduation, it is in pretty good condition but has alot of miles on it.

95 325is auto
129,000 miles

my question is what are the first things i should do to it to make sure it last for as long as possible? im sure this is a stupid question and im sorry for taking all of your time but i dont really know where to start

[Cruzin 323is]

tune up and constant oil changes every 3000 miles...

if u see a problem arising, get it fixed asap.. or it will make it much worse...

BTW...


lets see some pics??

[SpeedInfusion]

Inspection 2

[walshja]

what you need to do is visit a mechanic and have them change ALL the fluids in the car: oil, transmission, coolant, brake fluid. that will protect your brake system, cooling system, and drivetrain.

that's the best thing you can do for your car, and it will set you up for the next few years, and you will know exactly when they have been changed. do not assume they have been changed recently or ever.

then start changing your filters: air filter, cabin filter, fuel filter and transmission filter (if automatic).

let us know what you do !!

[e36surge]

Welcome to the board. INSPECTION 2 (YES) and welcome to the following repairs that will arise in the next few months (if they haven't been replaced already)

1) rear shock mounts
2) rear bearings
3) rear trailing arm bushings.
4) front bushings, bearings and tie-rods.

Try to take a look underneath the car. Do an exhaust inspection (visual) and check to see if the heat shields are peeling off (shiny things between exhaust pipes and bottom of the car.

I got my 1995 325is with similar mileage last may and the above mentioned issues arose for me. I AM NOT SAYING THIS WILL HAPPEN TO YOU but just advising you that these issues may arise.

Good luck, great car. HAVE THE TRANNY OIL CHECKED ASAP.

[Teh Prof]

Replace the water pump using one with a metal impeller. The stock pump has a plastic impeller that fails suddenly and causes huge overheating problems.

Replace the thermostat and thermostat housing; make sure the new thermostat housing is an aluminum one.

Consider replacing the coolant overflow tank, its holes tend to get clogged over time and cause reduced coolant flow and therefore cooling efficiency. The plastic neck on your radiator may one day crack; if so, replace it with a radiator that has an aluminum neck. If you have the cash, you might even replace it pre-emptively.

Go to auto-rx.com, and run their treatment.

You treat your bimmer right, and it will treat you very well. Treat it badly, and you'll have nothing but problems.

[Pirtle 3]

thanks for all the quick replies, sorry i havent replied in a couple days ive had a very busy work schedule. Thank you very much for all the info, i will try to get all of that done as soon as possible money allowing. Also i will put pics up asap. e36surge, thank you for the imput and i sympathise with you lol, hopefully i wont have to go through the same thing

[catalyst.]

Originally Posted by Pirtle 3

thanks for all the quick replies, sorry i havent replied in a couple days ive had a very busy work schedule. Thank you very much for all the info, i will try to get all of that done as soon as possible money allowing. Also i will put pics up asap. e36surge, thank you for the imput and i sympathise with you lol, hopefully i wont have to go through the same thing

Theres really on doubt that you will.

The suspension is tight on bmw's and therefore wears out quickly, replacing the control arms, control arm bushings, tierods, trailing arm bushings, etc, needs to be done periodically (anywhere from 10k miles to 50k miles depending on how aggressivly you drive) to create a tight and smooth ride, they should be considered *wear* items such as brakes.

[///M Power]

Originally Posted by M3UOND

Replace the water pump using one with a metal impeller. The stock pump has a plastic impeller that fails suddenly and causes huge overheating problems.

Do this first.

[e36surge]

LOL my suspension *wears* a lot faster than my brakes...