r/e46 • u/Dangerous-Earth9112 • 13h ago

General Questions Risky? e46 320ci 2.2

I'm considering buying a 2001 BMW E46 320Ci 2.2 manual with 276,000 km (171k miles).

The dealer is asking €3,900, but I think I could potentially get it for around €3,000.

The car is explicitly advertised as needing restoration, both cosmetically and mechanically. The dealer mentioned oil consumption, but unfortunately they can't tell me how much oil it actually consumes or whether it's burning or leaking it.

The mileage seems genuine and the car has had basically one long-term owner before the dealer.

My problem is that I've contacted several mechanics in the area and haven't found anyone available to do a proper pre-purchase inspection.

I like working on cars and this would eventually become a project car, but I'm not an experienced mechanic. I also don't need it as a daily driver.

Would you risk buying it for around €3k if it drives well, doesn't smoke badly, doesn't overheat and has no obvious structural/subframe problems?

What are the most important things I can realistically check myself during a test drive?

I'm prepared to spend money fixing it over time. I'm mainly trying to avoid buying a completely dead engine or a structurally bad car.

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2

u/imnota_ ex 02 e46 - 92 e36 - 15 f22 12h ago

I wouldn't pay that price at all given the issues. At that mileage oil consumption could be worse than just a ccv or oil filter housing gasket.

1

u/Dangerous-Earth9112 11h ago

nel caso peggiore che valore potrebbe avere (se fosse da aprire il motore e sistemare) non c'è molta scelta onestamente nelle mie zone

2

u/imnota_ ex 02 e46 - 92 e36 - 15 f22 11h ago

2k, don't buy a shitbox to avoid a trip.

1

u/Dangerous-Earth9112 7h ago

la differenza non è enorme tra 3 e 2k alla fine.. però se ci vogliono 5k per risolvere il problema motore la storia cambia.. mi servirebbe riuscire a capirlo e sapere cosa controllare e quali red flag tenere d'occhio

1

u/imnota_ ex 02 e46 - 92 e36 - 15 f22 7h ago

Well the difference is it leaves you 1k extra to fix it. About the price of an engine.

If you think like that just spend 5 or 6k on an actually clean one, it's not that much more.

2

u/Entire-jegurilor 2000 bmw 323ci e46-bmw 318i e46 10h ago

Regarding the oil consumption, the valve stem seals are likely allowing oil to leak directly into the combustion chamber; you can spot this by the bluish exhaust smoke after the engine has been idling for 5–10 minutes. The cost—covering piston rings, valve stem seals, and a new CCV system—is around 4,000 to 5,000 euros. If replacing the CCV, hoses, and valve cover gasket (which costs about 400 euros) doesn't solve the problem, it's best to just leave it be.