[whippinallblack]

Hey all -

So I am new here. I just drove home my new (to me obv) 07 328xi. I absolutely LOVE the car - I searched a long time to find one with relatively low mileage (92k) and it has had two previous owners who consistently had it maintained at the dealership. It runs and drives like a dream but here are some things I've noticed, would love any input. I'm taking it into my local BMW specialist asap.

-lifter tick, but as I've researched this is typical and no big deal
-water pump has not been replaced yet
-blower motor sounds like it's on its way out
-slightly loud PS sound, esp with wheel cranked

-**failed emissions a few days ago, but it had been sitting not being driven for some time. I'm a bit worried about this, hope it is nothing serious.

Car runs quite noisily for the first few minutes when starting up, but goes away as car warms up.

This is my first European car - I've always been a Subaru or Honda driver, and this car is my favorite of all I've had - just a magnificent feel. I plan on keeping it well maintained. Any tips or advice is appreciated as I am new to BMWs.

[tlow98]

Lifter tick do an oil change with the approved oil and once the engine is warm stretch its legs. No need to put huge loads on the motor, but run a gear lower for the day and keep the revs up. Also, some OE manufacturers used to run half a quart of auto trans fluid just before an oil change. Not sure if people do that on these power trains?

Blower motor can be removed and easily oiled to extend its life. Google “pelican parts e90 blower motor” to see how it’s removed. Pretty easy.

Water pump on the N52 motor can last 100k+. It’s not as failure prone as the n54/55, but you might buy the kit to keep in your garage for peace of mind.

Power steering - how’s the fluid level? Takes a special pentosin fluid (ch11?) so don’t use run of the mill stuff. Your car is xi- they’re known to have stuffed steering.

Annnnd, welcome!

Outside of the normal oil leaks and some typical failures you can plan on owning your 328xi for some time.

Do you DIY? Doing so will cut your costs immensely.

[whippinallblack]

Thank you so much for this valuable info!

Will check power steering in AM.

I don't have a whole lot (if any) experience with DIY but I'm definitely interested to learn. My husband is a car nerd and he does some DIY so I'll get him to help. It's great to know that these cars are not as difficult to DIY as on would think.

[whippinallblack]

Oh and any thoughts on the emissions issue?

[ctuna]

Google Mike Miller BMW for old school maintenance schedule
and read.

See lifter tick sticky at the top of the page.

running it on the highway at over 3k rpm could get some
oil back up in the lifters and cure the noise.

New oil never hurts.

At this point I would be changing all the lifetime fluids
and filters and plugs.

[tlow98]

Agree with Ctuna. You are at a good time to change some fluids. Doing so will extend the life of the transmission and transfer case. If you have it done it won’t be cheap ($750 at an independent shop), but would be a wise move.

With regard to the emissions, we really need to know what codes the car is throwing and what reason did the emissions agency say?

More than likely it’s an oxygen sensor.

[Captain comic]

Regarding failed emissions - it may be that it just needs to be driven more to get all monitors to "ready" status (takes about 3 days in normal driving cycle including highway and cold starts)
If issue is in something else - then there should be some error code that you can read and see what is the problem. To be able to easily read such codes (and much more than that) you can invest in this tool: http://www.mycarly.com/product/bmw-app/
It will save money in the long run

[Efthreeoh]

Welcome to the Forum. Thanks for asking us for some help.

The valve lifter tick is known issue, but a non-issue as well; it does not harm the engine. Engines make mechanical noises. The engine in your car probably just needs some decent run time. Being you bought it used and I'll assume not from a BMW dealership (but maybe?) I'd have the oil changed using BMW LL-01 spec oil at the correct weights of either 5W-30, or 5W-40 and use a BMW brand or aftermarket MANN oil filter HU-816. I've recently read BMW's branded oil has switched to 0W-30, though I've not yet verified it. I bought a used Z4 coupe from CarMax in 2014 and they used an aftermarket oil filter that did not fit correctly, which is why I recommend either the BMW OE or MANN oil filter and getting the oil in your engine changed if a non-BMW dealership or technician changed it last. I've only ever used BMW's oil and filter in my E90 for the last 335,000 miles.

Regarding the water pump. It's an expensive repair, about $900. When you take it to your Indy, have him scan the car for water pump codes. If no codes are present then leave the pump alone. There is no reason to preemptively replace the water pump. Many WP's last years and miles past 100,000. Failures (if at all) are totally dependent upon vehicle use and statistical quality control of the manufacturing process of the pump. If your husband is a capable DIY'er my recommendation is to buy a BMW-specific scan tool and periodically scan the car for any type of codes. I suggest getting a scan tool that accesses both OBDII and BMW-specific trouble codes. ECS sells such a scan tool and so does the manufacturer of the ECS's branded tool. The manufacturer of that scan tool is Foxwell. There are tons of other scan tool options as well.

Owning a BMW is far different than owning a Japanese car. Do not make the mistake of correlating price of the vehicle with reliability. Your BMW will give you fits if you expect it's reliability (random problems that crop up) to be equal or better vs. your Subie or Honda experience based on the BMW price. I'm not trying to scare you off or anything, just trying to set expectations. This forum is an excellent source of information to keep sane regarding BMW ownership. I've seen many people over the years in my personal experience who where Japanese car owners switch to BMW only to become extremely dissatisfied with the BMW ownership. All and all BMWs are great cars, and can last a long time, but require maintenance and repairs along the way. I speak from deep experience here. My oldest BMW in the fleet right now is 20 years old as of this past February (we've owned it since new and just ripped off a 5,300-mile road trip in it this past September). The newest is the 2008 Z4 so it's coming up on 10 years old soon. My advice is with the mileage your car is at, spend the money on required maintenance for spark plugs (they are due at 100,000) and change all the driveline fluids (transmission, transfer case, and differentials, and coolant) rather than a water pump. It's good you understand the importance of having a BMW serviced at a BMW specialist. That is a key understanding to a good BMW ownership experience.

The emissions failure is a bit concerning. Did you take it in with the Service Engine Soon light illuminated? If not, then please espouse on the reason for the failure. If the SES light wasn't on, and most states now just check for emissions codes in the OBDII system, if the OBDII shows one of the self-diagnostics tests had not yet been completed (which doesn't trigger the SES light) that needs to be looked into right away. It could be an issue that you may need to go back to the dealership you bought it from and make an issue of it.

Good luck with the car.

[whippinallblack]

Thanks so much everyone for all of this info.

I am fully aware a BMW is not a Japanese car, and I'm prepared to do the maintenance it needs - I plan to have it a long time. Will be changing lifetime fluids asap.

I did buy the car at an auto broker not specialising in BMWs, but according to the carfax, prior to that it had been serviced at the BMW dealership very regularly its entire life. A huge reason I chose this particular car over some others I looked at.

I do not know what codes were showing in terms of the failed emissions. I just noticed on the carfax that it failed on 10/20 (before I bought it) at an inspection station, with no explanation as to why. There are no service engine lights on at all.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by whippinallblack

Thanks so much everyone for all of this info.

I am fully aware a BMW is not a Japanese car, and I'm prepared to do the maintenance it needs - I plan to have it a long time. Will be changing lifetime fluids asap.

I did buy the car at an auto broker not specialising in BMWs, but according to the carfax, prior to that it had been serviced at the BMW dealership very regularly its entire life. A huge reason I chose this particular car over some others I looked at.

I do not know what codes were showing in terms of the failed emissions. I just noticed on the carfax that it failed on 10/20 (before I bought it) at an inspection station, with no explanation as to why. There are no service engine lights on at all.

Usually trouble with the emissions system shows up with a SES light and associated code. Again, if the car is not passing the several self-tests that the on board diagnostics system is programmed to do, and the state uses the OBDII system to evaluate the emissions operation of the vehicle, they usually do not pass the car for emissions. I'd be a bit concerned over this because it is a used car. Replacing exhaust system parts can get pricy on BMWs or any car for that matter. Did the dealer you bought it from get the car registered and licensed for you, or do you have to do that yourself? Most states will not tag the vehicle if it doesn't pass emissions.

[whippinallblack]

I registered the car myself as it was out of state. In MA I will need it to pass emissions to pass inspection.

Brought it to AutoZone and had them run a diagnostic, and the code P0456 came up - very small leak in the EVAP Control System. Which could mean a number of things.

[summilux]

Use the turkey baster method to change the PS fluid a few times. A full can of Pentosin should do the trick. That's about 3-4 times worth of emptying and refilling the reservoir. If it's still noisy, the next step would be to change out the PS reservoir and its integrated filter. Very easy DIY and replace the crimp hose clamps with standard screw type. If that doesn't quiet things down then PS pump is likely on its way out.

Close to 100k miles is time for spark plug replacement. Air filter too if that hasn't been done in a wile. Maybe that could help with emission failure?

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by whippinallblack

I registered the car myself as it was out of state. In MA I will need it to pass emissions to pass inspection.

Brought it to AutoZone and had them run a diagnostic, and the code P0456 came up - very small leak in the EVAP Control System. Which could mean a number of things.

So that is generally the code for when someone fuels the car and leaves the gas cap off. The E90 has an actual loose gas cap icon in the gauge cluster, it looks like a little symbol of a light bulb. Once the gas cap has been closed and the EVAP system does it's self check the light will go off, but the code remains in the ECU (engine computer). So if Autozone didn't so it, you should clear the code. It is currently not present or else the SES light would be illuminated. So get an OBDII code reader ($50), or scan tool (they are more expensive), or whatever phone App and cable you want and clear the code. Then monitor the car to make sure it doesn't reappear. It really could just be a faulty gas cap; it's been known to happen on the E90.

Now if the code comes back, then you have an EVAP system leak. The most efficient and cost effective way to chase down an EVAP leak is to have a qualified BMW shop run what is called a "smoke test". A smoke test is a vacuum/intake system test where a machine that develops smoke is used to pressurize the EVAP (vacuum) system and if the smoke leaks out somewhere, that indicates where the vacuum system has a leak and why the EVAP code comes up.

Good luck with it.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by summilux

Use the turkey baster method to change the PS fluid a few times. A full can of Pentosin should do the trick. That's about 3-4 times worth of emptying and refilling the reservoir. If it's still noisy, the next step would be to change out the PS reservoir and its integrated filter. Very easy DIY and replace the crimp hose clamps with standard screw type. If that doesn't quiet things down then PS pump is likely on its way out.

Close to 100k miles is time for spark plug replacement. Air filter too if that hasn't been done in a wile. Maybe that could help with emission failure?

It's actually easier just to remove one of the banjo bolts on the power steering rack and let the fluid drain out of the hose. All you need to do is buy two new aluminum crush washers. It wastes a lot less fluid than the turkey baster method and a lot less harder on the system when it momentarily runs dry (air in the system) and self purges. Just my 2 cents.

[whippinallblack]

Efthreeoh - thank you! Going to get that code cleared today so I can get it inspected.

[whippinallblack]

Update - code went away on its own after third day of driving.

[ctuna]

Actually you are more likely to get air in the system draining
from the bottom . If you use the turkey baster method the reservoir
is never empty(you suck out an fill it right away ) . Its not as professional or complete as using the the opening the banjo bolt and wastes fluid though . Getting to the bolt is the problem.

[tlow98]

Also, if you do have an actual catalytic converter failure (extremely rare) just buy used ones sourced here on the forums. They're cheap and typically have very low mileage on them. People upgrade them to catless and take off their stock units.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by whippinallblack

Update - code went away on its own after third day of driving.

Excellent news. It probably was just a loose gas cap after all. Keep an eye on it though.

[jatc2016]

Originally Posted by whippinallblack

Hey all -

So I am new here. I just drove home my new (to me obv) 07 328xi. I absolutely LOVE the car - I searched a long time to find one with relatively low mileage (92k) and it has had two previous owners who consistently had it maintained at the dealership. It runs and drives like a dream but here are some things I've noticed, would love any input. I'm taking it into my local BMW specialist asap.

-lifter tick, but as I've researched this is typical and no big deal
-water pump has not been replaced yet
-blower motor sounds like it's on its way out
-slightly loud PS sound, esp with wheel cranked

-**failed emissions a few days ago, but it had been sitting not being driven for some time. I'm a bit worried about this, hope it is nothing serious.

Car runs quite noisily for the first few minutes when starting up, but goes away as car warms up.

This is my first European car - I've always been a Subaru or Honda driver, and this car is my favorite of all I've had - just a magnificent feel. I plan on keeping it well maintained. Any tips or advice is appreciated as I am new to BMWs.

You see Foxwell NT510 works on BMW E90 328xi. Here a full car list