What should I look out for on test drive

[Kprad12]

Hi all
I'm test driving a 2009 e92 M3 manual (67,000 miles)on Friday. I was wondering if there was any issues that I should check (already know major things like rod bearing and throttle actuators). I've already looked into a couple threads but just making sure I'm covering all my bases.
Thanks
Karthik

[GRM Scott]

Good ideas for checking any used car:

Bring a BRIGHT flashlight (MagLight etc.) so you can check out the darker areas of the engine bay, behind the wheels and under the car. Check the condition of the various unpainted nuts and bolts to see if they're still rust-free and in good shape; this is a good indicator of whether the car was exposed to rough environments (lotta folks drive on or near the beach in Florida, for example, and salt hates cars). If you can see rust in these obvious areas, there's a much higher chance of rust in places that are hard to see.

Using the same light, try to get a peek at how much pad material is left on the brakes, check for signs of cracking or abuse on the drilled rotors due to heavy use).

There's bound to be a few dings or nicks, check for evidence of touch-up or care; paint is a wear item, but if the previous owner cared enough to touch things up, it's a good sign that they cared in general.

Check the driver's side seat bolster for signs of heavy wear and tear from ingress/egress; There's likely to be some fading/wear from use, but heavy cracking or tears might indicate a general lack of interior cleaning/leather care.

Make sure the A/C blows cold, the condenser under the dash is known to leak. The part is cheap, the labor is a nightmare since it requires full disassembly of the dash. That said, just because it blows cold doesn't mean it's not leaking slowly.

Check all four wheels for curb marks etc. (Again, was the previous owner careful?) Are the tires crap replacements or did previous owner spend proper money on maintenance items?

From higher speed, give the brakes a good go with hand nearly off the wheel to check for pulling left/right and vibration. Try to get 'em a bit warm before doing this test. If the test drive giver doesn't mind, try for ABS engagement as well to ensure the system works.

From idle, let the clutch out super slowly and check for smooth clutch disc/pressure plate engagement without hitting the gas. (Plenty of torque to prevent stalling).

Not applicable to M3 since no spare, but on most cars, worth checking to see if the spare has ever been used by seeing if the mold pokie-outie things are on the tread face.

Check to see if the car has wheel locks, and if so, make sure they wheel lock key is in the car somewhere. (Learned this one the hard way and had to learn the theiving arts to remove locks from my wife's van.)

Check the fluid level in the power steering reservoir, since this doesn't have a warning light and could indicate a general lack of maintenance if low.

That's all I got for now.

[neilum]

Originally Posted by Kprad12

Hi all
I'm test driving a 2009 e92 M3 manual (67,000 miles)on Friday. I was wondering if there was any issues that I should check (already know major things like rod bearing and throttle actuators). I've already looked into a couple threads but just making sure I'm covering all my bases.
Thanks
Karthik

I think outside the major issues that you already mentioned, nothing will be obvious to the naked eye.

Check where car was parked for leaks, do your normal due diligence and take your time.

Also, my .02 is I strongly prefer to buy a car like this from a private party so you can meet the person and get a feel for who you are buying it from. Hate to judge but you generally want to buy a car from an adult, who you can tell has a good job, keeps a clean garage, has a nice house and/or just overall looks like he/she has their life in order.


I know some of this is obvious but this has all worked for me over the years.

Also PPI is a must, I wouldn't buy a used M3 without one. Can't hide shit when its up in the air.

[kimiraikkonen]

Originally Posted by Kprad12

Hi all
I'm test driving a 2009 e92 M3 manual (67,000 miles)on Friday. I was wondering if there was any issues that I should check (already know major things like rod bearing and throttle actuators). I've already looked into a couple threads but just making sure I'm covering all my bases.
Thanks
Karthik

Pay for a engine compression test when you do your PPI.

[msan]

Definitely run the AC at full blast for a while. You do not want a car with an evaporator leak...

[Ngilbe36]

-Check the under the front of the car to make sure the "felt" under-tray is still in one piece and present. If it is not and you want the car to be stock, that's a $300 + part(s).
-Check not only the tire tread depth, but also how even they are wearing.
-Check the VIN to make sure you arent missing anything (I recall seeing a thread lately where VIN said Mineral White and car was painted Alpine...or something)
That's all I got that I didn't already see mentioned.

ENJOY!

[Kprad12]

Thanks for the responses guys. Unfortunately someone placed a deposit on the car before I could get a test drive in. Hoping the guy drops the car but it would be a shame if I didn't get the car as it seemed very clean and well maintained in pictures. Here's hoping for another gem or by some miracle the other buyer doesn't pick it up.

[Helmsman]

Have to move fast once you spot a good example of these E9xM soon to be classics...

[Rajmun340]

chances are, when you do a testdrive open the window 1/4 down to listen to the engine when going through gears you will be enthralled by it no matter what imperfection you may find otherwise.

Regarding the AC issue. My car is proof that BMW's condensers (also called evaporator) are defective right out of the factory. After factory delivery it took nearly 4 years of complaining to the stealer about it (under factory warranty!) they finally replaced it not without putting several damages to the interior which took another six month of battling to get repaired. The new condenser proved to me that the original part was clearly defective from day 1. BMW NA never made up for it and was counter productive in getting the dealer to repair the interior damages they caused replacing the condenser. Lesson learned is never buy a BMW new again (or at all) so you don't have to deal with bmw NA, horrible customer service company.

[Ggeezer]

Originally Posted by Rajmun340

chances are, when you do a testdrive open the window 1/4 down to listen to the engine when going through gears you will be enthralled by it no matter what imperfection you may find otherwise.

Regarding the AC issue. My car is proof that BMW's condensers (also called evaporator) are defective right out of the factory. After factory delivery it took nearly 4 years of complaining to the stealer about it (under factory warranty!) they finally replaced it not without putting several damages to the interior which took another six month of battling to get repaired. The new condenser proved to me that the original part was clearly defective from day 1. BMW NA never made up for it and was counter productive in getting the dealer to repair the interior damages they caused replacing the condenser. Lesson learned is never buy a BMW new again (or at all) so you don't have to deal with bmw NA, horrible customer service company.

How could you tell it was going bad?

[DSilk]

I would caution against opening the window initially on your test drive. Something that you should be listening for on a test drive are rattles and squeaks, grinding or rubbing noises, wind noise, etc. Pretty much any sign that things are loose, worn, or coming in contact with things thay shouldn't be contacting. This is why you NEVER test drive a convertible with the top down.

[Solo_M_Tech]

Pedestrians, curbs, small shrubberies......

[Rajmun340]

Originally Posted by DSilk

I would caution against opening the window initially on your test drive. Something that you should be listening for on a test drive are rattles and squeaks, grinding or rubbing noises, wind noise, etc. Pretty much any sign that things are loose, worn, or coming in contact with things thay shouldn't be contacting. This is why you NEVER test drive a convertible with the top down.

I agree but a potential buyer might not have experienced a high revving NA v8 and it is good to evaluate both the pros as well as the cons of a potential buy. As an owner the engine has contributed to my enjoyment of the car and has helped me look beyond issues i had with the car and abysmal bmw NA customer service during factory warranty. If you testdrive you should open the windows for a minute you'll still have plenty of time to hunt for noises. Also sport cars tend to make more benign noises of all kinds so don't expect it will be quiet like a limousine. I can speak from experience owning the car since it had 4 miles on it from the factory.

[Rajmun340]

Originally Posted by Ggeezer

How could you tell it was going bad?

The AC cooling power was poor right from the BMW factory when i took delivery from BMW. The air was just about cold but not icy and after a few year it would blow lukewarm air for the first minutes and after that the cabin would stay lukewarm instead of hot.
By comparison my old Honda blows icy air in less than a minute (seconds in fact) no matter how hot it is outside. It came to a point where driving the m3 in the summer became really uncomfortable. After the repair i experienced icy air coming out of the BMW vents for the first time in nearly 4 years since i factory bought the car.
I don't think sth like this would ever happen with any japanese cars, much less a top of the line like an M car.

[XKxRome0ox]

How is the original clutch in the e9x m3?
Is the catch point pretty high?
I just test drove one today and I had to get used to the clutch
There is almost a click feel/sound when depressed all the way
The clutch doesn't take much effort

Edit -
Okay it is more to do with how much resistance there is to the clutch
The e90 m3 clutch took no effort to step on so it felt weird
My 2016 f30 328i clutch has a lot more spring to it, more resistance

Is this normal?

[Ngilbe36]

Originally Posted by XKxRome0ox

How is the original clutch in the e9x m3?
Is the catch point pretty high?
I just test drove one today and I had to get used to the clutch
There is almost a click feel/sound when depressed all the way
The clutch doesn't take much effort

Edit -
Okay it is more to do with how much resistance there is to the clutch
The e90 m3 clutch took no effort to step on so it felt weird
My 2016 f30 328i clutch has a lot more spring to it, more resistance

Is this normal?

Not sure exactly how it compares with an F30, but I have driven a E90 330i and it is exactly how you describe. The non-M is much "springier".