BMW 3 Series e46 problems and buying advice

BMW 3 Series E46 technology, problems and buying advice

The BMW E46 is the fourth generation of the 3-series and was to surpass the E36. This model was available as a sedan, coupe, touring, compact and convertible. The first year of production was 1997, but the first delivery was in 1998. The E46 received a facelift in 2001 and was taken out of production in 2006 with the arrival of the E90. This 3-series was expected to become the benchmark in the D-segment. As the Audi A4 and the Mercedes C-class had been on the market for several years when the E46 was introduced, the BMW had a head start on these competitors. This lead made the 3-Series the benchmark in the D-segment. It actually only lost on the aspect of interior space. This is because BMW always strives for ideal weight distribution, which means that the engine is placed further back, at the expense of the interior space. Despite this shortcoming, the E46 became a huge sales success.       

The design of the E46 

The design of the E46 was not very daring; the car had to have good aerodynamics and an aggressive nose. Compared to the E36, this 3 series had more rounded lines and was more oriented towards the twenty-first century. After the facelift in 2001, the E46 got new lights, the bonnet was modified and the rear lights were redesigned. An outlier in the design was the compact model. It had a completely different nose and was a hatchback with folding rear seats. Many people did not like the compact and its sales were disappointing. The facelifted sedan and touring model, on the other hand, sold very well. 2002 was even the best year for sales of this BMW 3 series.     

The technology of the E46    

The predecessor of the E46, the E36 had the difficult task of succeeding the popular and very reliable E30. Although the E36 sold reasonably well, it was not a resounding sales success. The E46 was meant to be. The wheelbase was longer and the E46 had a lower standard ride height. In addition, this generation received adaptive headlights, more airbags such as side airbags and the possibility of a built-in navigation system.   

The engines of the E46

BMW is known for offering a huge range of engines with each model. The E46 is no exception. The first engine was the 316i, which produced 105 hp and had a capacity of 1,895 cc and was also used in the E36. This engine was also in the first generation 318i and produced 117 bhp through the modified DISA intake system. There were also the well-known 6-cylinder in-line engines that were also used in the E39. The smallest six-cylinder produced 150 bhp, and although this was not a streamer, it did deliver a nice constant power output over the entire rev range. 

The diesels delivered by BMW in this period were immediately the benchmark, fast, economical and quiet. Even the entry-level M47D20 It had a top speed of more than 200 km/h and with normal driving, almost 1 to 20. I myself had an E39 with this engine, sometimes it seemed impossible to empty the tank. If I drove a lot of motorway kilometres, the fuel consumption was 1 to 20, very impressive. What many people don't know is that this engine (the first generation) has no common rail system but is equipped with a unit injector. Besides this four cylinder diesel, there was the well known M57D30, this six cylinder was the fastest diesel on the market at the time and showed that a diesel could indeed be sporty, the torque of the engine seemed to go on forever and the top speed was over 220 km/h.      

The first E46 M3 was delivered from 2000 onwards. This icon had a six-cylinder engine with a capacity of 3,246 cc. The power was impressive, 338 hp and that without turbocharging! 

After the facelift, a few new engines were introduced. The 316i and 318i were replaced by the more modern N Series engines. These had more power and were more economical. 

Driving characteristics of the E46

The E46 was also the benchmark in the D-segment in terms of handling. The rear-wheel drive three-series was solid on the road and remained neutral for a long time. It has to be said that the suspension of the E46 was quite sporty, which not everyone could appreciate. A Mercedes C-Class for example was much more geared towards comfort, but in the corners it was no match for the E46. The driving part and the engines are fine, but the gear change mechanism falls short in my opinion. In my opinion, there is far too much space in the manual gearboxes and the strokes are long, which doesn't do justice to the character of the car. 

I have owned three different E46s, a 318i sedan, a 318td compact and 330d touring. And now you will probably be surprised, but I found the 318td compact to drive the best. This car is so stiff that (with the right tyres) it can go through the corner incredibly fast. The 330d touring has a great engine, but the nose is also quite heavy because of this engine. This pushes the nose a bit more to the outside. Finally, good shock absorbers (preferably original) are crucial for good handling.  

Common problems with the E46

An E46 is in comparison with, for example, a E60 reasonably "bulletproof", complicated electronics were not yet used in this 3 series. However, it is not completely faultless.
The overview below lists the most common errors:   

• In petrol engines (especially the 4 cylinder engines), the valve cover and more specifically the valve cover gasket sometimes leak. You notice this by high oil consumption and an oil smell in the interior or under the bonnet. The part, the gasket, is not expensive, but a mechanic will spend a few hours on this job. Therefore, depending on your garage, it can be a costly repair. Most gaskets last about 60,000 km, so ask when you buy one when it was done.   
• The window mechanism sometimes gives up the ghost. To fix this, the door panel has to be removed and sometimes a new motor has to be installed.
• Coolant leaks are a regular occurrence with the E46. This is almost never caused by a head gasket leak. Usually there is a leak near the expansion tank. This expansion vessel can explode in exceptional cases, due to blockages. If this happens, it is important to stop the car immediately and not to continue driving. Installing a new expansion tank is not very expensive, but continuing to drive without coolant can cause your engine to die. This problem can also be caused by not replacing the water pump on time. It is not replaced frequently on BMWs, because they are driven by a distribution chain instead of a gearbox. timing belt. The water pump is often also replaced when the belt is changed, but this is not the case with BMW.  
• Front suspension arms wear out faster than other models. If you drive over a threshold, you can hear it clearly
• Wind noise at the front doors can indicate worn door rubbers. 
• The air mass meter breaks down above average. You will notice this when the car runs irregularly and when it accelerates unevenly in certain revs. 
• The E46 is not extremely susceptible to rust, but the wheel arches can suffer from it when they get older. Fortunately, there is plenty of sheet metal available and replacing a front mudguard is not very complicated.  
• Especially the 320d from after the facelift sometimes gets problems with the turbo. Regular oil changes and letting the car cool down after a heavy load are crucial for the life of the turbo. 
• The automatic gearbox can have problems with high mileage. This is especially true of the high-horsepower and high-torque variants, the 330d being an example. 

E46 buying advice  

Of course, there are a lot of clichés about buying a used car. Such as filled service books, not too many owners, no ones and twos on the number plate, etc. But as described, the E46 is (apart from a few blemishes) "bullit proof". 

Of course, every car needs maintenance after a certain period of time, and this is no different for an E46. There are also certain types of engines that experience more problems than average. The petrol versions from after the facelift have more problems with leaking valve cover gaskets. You can smell the oil in the interior or under the bonnet, and if there is a lot of oil leaking, the car may start to smoke. 

Try to find one in original condition, a 3 series with aftermarket parts like bumpers, sideskirts19 inch rims are often less well maintained. Finally, maintenance invoices are leading, completed maintenance booklets are not always representative.