Thoughts on an E90 with 100K on the clock?

[FPJK]

Currently looking/thinking about a M3 that is for sale locally. I have been looking at M3's for almost a year, E90/E92 is one of my dream cars. As I am on the younger side I cannot justify buying an F80, however the E90 could suit me perfectly. This particular M3 is a 2010 with 102,XXX miles. From the pictures the car is very clean. I have asked the dealer for service history as I am aware of rod bearings and other major issues these cars have. Anyone else buy an E9X with higher mileage, how has your experience been? I have consulted many forums I would just like some personal stories that are more recent as a forum post from 4 years ago does not necessary give me much confidence. Thanks for the help!

[Richbot]

My car has needed the following major or minor repairs since I had the rod bearings changed at 102,300 miles in late 2017:




Not too bad. Currently has just under 115,000 on it.

Now, I've owned it since new, so I knew all of the history prior to 102,000, but yeah. It's had zero (0) issues since 102,000 miles. Plenty of stuff I've done this past year because I felt like it, like coilovers, a catted x-pipe, or I've got the Karbonius intake ordered, but nothing other than oil changes since 102k. I set a sort-of budget for "If repairs aren't above this, I'm doing ok vs. buying a new car" of $5k every year. If I don't use up the budget, I spend some of it on mods. I've been able to spend a lot of money on mods, or wheels, or whatever. It's been really damn reliable.

If you don't have history I'd do rod bearings, all the belts and idler/tensioner pullies, coil packs, plugs, and fluids and rock and roll. If you do have history and those things haven't been done, do them. Especially the belts/pullies, as at this age and mileage they've seen a lot shit and need to be retired

If it's a DCT you'll want to look at the pan and check for leaks

[Ab28]

I've had two E9x cars, both 08s and both 1 owner cars.

The first was a 33k mile example. I did quite a lot to that car...exhaust, tune, test pipes, different wheels, etc. I did the RBs, TAs, brakes all around amongst more. Some of it was required and other just was preventative. The prior owner seemed to trade the car right around the time it needed a good dose of servicing. Didn't have a problem with that as I knew what I was getting into.

Second car was a 107k mile example that was in amazing shape. The first and only owner took really good care of the car. In the last 3k miles I've only done a few things:
oil and diff fluid, spark plugs, motor mounts (quicker wear items on E9x cars)


I only did those things above to start a new baseline.
----------------------------
Both cars felt just as tight as one another despite having 3.2x the mileage between them. What I'm getting at here is that if properly taken care of, mileage shouldn't be the concern. I saw cars with 50-60k miles that were neglected and abused.

My close friend also has an E90 with 97,xxx miles. After a round of new fluids and an alignment its roaring along just fine.

The RB issue is definitely not a myth. I do think it's blown out of proportion, but it certainly exists.

Good luck in your search. My E90 is for sale by the way.

[s14_kev]

I bought my second E90 M3 with 106k on the clock last spring. It was in great condition for the age / mileage and I got a clean PPI on it so I jumped on it. I did the rod bearings ASAP and some other minor maintenance like spark plugs, diff/trans fluid (6MT), motor mounts, etc.

Since then, I have also had to replace the fan blower motor (replaced under recall), the high frequency horn, passenger side auto dim mirror glass, valve cover gasket and timing cover gasket (minor oil leaks). I will also need to replace the battery soon.

One larger item that became apparent soon after my purchase was that I will probably be needing to replace the transmission soon (it is verrrry notchy, even with new fluid). While I'm at it, I'll probably do the clutch and flywheel too. It is on the to do list, but I can live with it for now. It will likely be an expensive repair.

I would say in addition to RBs, be prepared for a couple other small surprise items. If it is DCT, a fluid flush will be on the expensive side. I hope you have better luck than I did with the transmission either way. See if the dealer will let you get a third party PPI at a local trusted shop. Good luck!

[MrGatsby]

As I'm sure you've heard before, its not so much mileage you want to look out for. Rather, its in the details where you can confirm the car was taken care of.

I would start with service history and Carfax, if all is well there, get a pre-purchase inspection. I would under no circumstances buy a 100k+ mile car without a proper inspection; or any M3 for that matter.

If all checks out from the PPI, start looking at the car. Inspect the condition of the drivers side bolster, the shift knob, and steering wheel leather. Check the undercarriage for signs of leaks. Look at the condition of the brakes. If there's excessive wear on the pads, it could mean they drove pretty hard. If there's curb rash on the wheels and scratches on the body, it means they most likely kept the car outside under harsher conditions. Inspect the panels for unusual gaps or seams. Look for overspray or lines in the paint. Really give the car a thorough once over and don't be afraid to walk away. Keep your head above your heart when inspecting.

If all looks well, I wouldn't hesitate to buy the vehicle after doing your proper due diligence. these cars are tanks when well taken care of. Enjoy your new M!

[FPJK]

Originally Posted by lat77

I've had two E9x cars, both 08s and both 1 owner cars.

The first was a 33k mile example. I did quite a lot to that car...exhaust, tune, test pipes, different wheels, etc. I did the RBs, TAs, brakes all around amongst more. Some of it was required and other just was preventative. The prior owner seemed to trade the car right around the time it needed a good dose of servicing. Didn't have a problem with that as I knew what I was getting into.

Second car was a 107k mile example that was in amazing shape. The first and only owner took really good care of the car. In the last 3k miles I've only done a few things:
oil and diff fluid, spark plugs, motor mounts (quicker wear items on E9x cars)


I only did those things above to start a new baseline.
----------------------------
Both cars felt just as tight as one another despite having 3.2x the mileage between them. What I'm getting at here is that if properly taken care of, mileage shouldn't be the concern. I saw cars with 50-60k miles that were neglected and abused.

My close friend also has an E90 with 97,xxx miles. After a round of new fluids and an alignment its roaring along just fine.

The RB issue is definitely not a myth. I do think it's blown out of proportion, but it certainly exists.

Good luck in your search. My E90 is for sale by the way.

I'm listening.....

Sent you a PM!

[fatalelement]

Originally Posted by FPJK

Currently looking/thinking about a M3 that is for sale locally. I have been looking at M3's for almost a year, E90/E92 is one of my dream cars. As I am on the younger side I cannot justify buying an F80, however the E90 could suit me perfectly. This particular M3 is a 2010 with 102,XXX miles. From the pictures the car is very clean. I have asked the dealer for service history as I am aware of rod bearings and other major issues these cars have. Anyone else buy an E9X with higher mileage, how has your experience been? I have consulted many forums I would just like some personal stories that are more recent as a forum post from 4 years ago does not necessary give me much confidence. Thanks for the help!

I bought mine with about 84k and I'm at about 91k and going into a first "inspection," though with a full powertrain/suspension warranty, which makes me less scared.

I've done:

Both TAs
Thermostat

I will need to do (as in, these are actually a problem):
Valve cover gaskets (both are leaking)
RBs after warranty runs out
Suspension has something rattling somewhere up front, fairly seriously
Spark plugs
Engine mounts


However, even without the warranty, really all we're looking at here is a couple Gs in work on a high-performance car with almost 100k miles. The TAs and Tstat are common failures at high mileage (or lower, even).

My recs would be, since you can't check your TAs or Tstat and the RBs can be checked but for a cost that is almost the cost of replacing them:

1. Make sure they've looked at the valve cover gaskets (or you have)
2. Make sure they've looked at the DCT pan/gaskets
3. Be prepared to do engine mounts and spark plugs if they haven't been done in a while, the plug interval on these engines is short and the engine mounts just come apart pretty quick.

Generally it would be nice to check the service history and see if the oil changes were done regularly (~5k per change) but that's not always easy to verify.

Luckily, the suspension on our cars isn't extraordinarily expensive and neither is the transmission (a DCT with 60k miles is less than 2k), so the engine is really the thing to worry about and check on.

In any case, I redline the car at least 10 times literally every single time I drive it, and the majority of these miles were added at over 5k RPM, so I'm pretty happy with it so far for a german high-performance car. The maintenance on the M3 has been cheaper than the maintenance on my E46 wagon that I had previously, with 150Kish miles.

[InnerBlueSkies]

I bought a one owner with 61k on the clock. Its an '08 6 speed, all Ive done mechanically is change the differential oil. I plan on doing a majority of what others have suggested mechanically with the car. Im somewhat at ease as I can tell by the condition of the car (absolutely zero modifications), the miles, I even believe it has the original tires that the car will last long. Im conservative as well with my driving habits and only occasionally have it without my 5 and 6 year old in the back.

[drrust]

My E90 has 146K on it now, bought it with ~92K. Minor things I've had to address have been the fuel tank breather valve and windshield washer pump. Major has been rod bearings, addressing a stripped oil pan. I've also replaced spark plugs, lower control arm bushings among other things. Had to replace the brakes too. That is something to have checked because at 100K you're likely to need new rotors. Also oil changes add up even if you do it yourself. Tire and wheel condition is important too as new rubber can be costly.

[commedeschatons]

Originally Posted by fatalelement

I bought mine with about 84k and I'm at about 91k and going into a first "inspection," though with a full powertrain/suspension warranty, which makes me less scared.

which warranty do you have?

[wfdeacon88]

Had mine since 96K in September and Currently at 102K.... items I've opted to do or had to do:

Complete:
BE bearings & new mounts - $2600 all in
Spark Plugs - ~$450
Underbelly Pan/parts - ~$450
Oil (Liqui Moly)/Diff Fluid Changes - ~$450
OEM Taillight Replacement - $108 total (DIY)
Remove Clear Bra on hood (~10 hours of misery)

Need:
New coolant hose (Have a leak)
Valve Covers/gaskets are now leaking... (FML) probably $1000-2000 depending on if I go for new covers..
LED running lights are crapping out
some paint work and a correction
DCT service (Preventative?)

overall, not too bad on mandatory stuff, my PPI didn't mention valve covers which pisses me off, but hopefully after these next few items I can be done for some time... all still worth it assuming I couldn't have found my spec e90 that was in phenomenal shape for the mileage.

[fatalelement]

Originally Posted by commedeschatons

which warranty do you have?

I bought mine from an Audi dealership where the original owner traded it in, and so I got a Penske warranty. They're very easy to deal with and the contract is worded poorly enough that it says that when you submit a claim their repair liability can't be more than the cash value of the car, but it doesn't say "aggregate" or "total," and since I'm a lawyer I'm happy to take them to court if they tried to back out if my engine blew because I got all sorts of shit fixed beforehand. The way I read it, the repair at any given bill can't exceed the total, but there's no limit on lifetime repairs as long as when I submit a claim I ask for less money than the car's worth.

The warranty was also $3k for 3yrs/30k powertrain (engine, transmission, diff, axles, etc) and suspension. I'm very happy with that math, since it's already almost paid for itself.

[s14_kev]

Originally Posted by wfdeacon88

my PPI didn't mention valve covers which pisses me off

I had a similar experience with my PPI, the missed the valve cover gaskets and some other minor issues which I was able to DIY. I eventually got my money back for the PPI and compression test, but it took a few back and forth emails/calls with the shop owner.

To the prospective buyer, be careful about choosing who you have look at the car for the PPI. I didn't have the luxury of taking my car to the shop of my choice because I purchased it from out of state.

[fatalelement]

Originally Posted by kevin///mlee

I had a similar experience with my PPI, the missed the valve cover gaskets and some other minor issues which I was able to DIY. I eventually got my money back for the PPI and compression test, but it took a few back and forth emails/calls with the shop owner.

To the prospective buyer, be careful about choosing who you have look at the car for the PPI. I didn't have the luxury of taking my car to the shop of my choice because I purchased it from out of state.

Me too. My PPI didn't mention valve covers at all, even though they were absolutely leaking. The seller cleaned the engine bay spotless before I ever got my hands on it, so I guess I'm not surprised this didn't show up. But I noticed very soon after the first 1k miles when I went to clean the bay again (and put in more oil).

[FPJK]

Thank you all for the advice. Taking advantage of the "snow" storm moving through the south and my day off tomorrow to possibly go and check it out. Will let y'all know!

[FPJK]

Just got back from checking the car out. It was in rough shape compared to the photos online, the engine was making a light ticking noise which I can only assume was the RB's. Interior was clean but in total the car needed a lot of work. Sad because the combo was awesome. Onward with my search Thank you all for the help and insight, it is great to have a community like this to reach out to!

[Shiza]

Originally Posted by FPJK

Just got back from checking the car out. It was in rough shape compared to the photos online, the engine was making a light ticking noise which I can only assume was the RB's. Interior was clean but in total the car needed a lot of work. Sad because the combo was awesome. Onward with my search Thank you all for the help and insight, it is great to have a community like this to reach out to!

You'll notice as you check out more and more E9x's that the S65 makes a lot of weird and loud noises. It's normal. Rod knock from a spun bearing is a very distinct noise and a deeper knocking sound rather than a ticking.

Reference this thread for what's normal and what's not.
https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=512258

Good luck on your search!

[Richbot]

Mine has been ticking since it drove off the dealer's lot

No surprise it presents better in pictures than in person. Really no way to be certain without very hi-res photos or putting your hands on it

[FPJK]

Maybe I'm just new......but it did not sound healthy at all, almost like a metal on metal sound. The salesman was telling me their mechanic was in the process of replacing a few things, check engine light was on as well. After consulting the RB posts, wasn't the RB's but had to have been something. No way to be sure without getting under the car. Regardless the car was in bad shape cosmetically. Again thanks to all for reaching out, will probably be reaching out again as my search continues.

[Richbot]

I will never understand why dealers will post a car for sale with known issues especially CEL's. Buyers who know what they're looking at will walk and buyers who don't will see a light on the dash, waste all day haggling with you, and then still walk, both potential leads who will likely now never set foot in your dealer again

Back in 2010, looked at a ti silver '02 M5 for sale at a dealer that is part of a large network of dealers in the area, it had interior parts falling off and water in the footwells, and tons of cosmetic issues, and pretended they were nothing when I asked about them. Bye forever, shady dealer, and your entire network of dealers! Another car that presented well in photos but in-person...gah