Why does the CAR WIZARD hate BMW's?!? He explains exactly why on this 2001 325Ci?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 มิ.ย. 2024
- You've heard for months the CAR WIZARD 🧙♂️ hates BMW's, but why? He will fully explain on this 2001325Ci.
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I really get tried of people giving the car wizard bullshit over his pricing. I am a network engineer and people go network wizzard please make sure my network does not get ransomware or please keep my employees from goofying off or please configure this random piece of equipment and then not all but some get upset when I hand them a bill for 2 hours of my time or what ever it is and they get upset and they know my rate is 120 dollars and I am upfront with them on how long it going to take. I have a honest mechcanic like the car wizard here in my home town. I dont question his rates because like me he stands by his work and like me have a business to run. If you can do it in your driveway great your not the type of person who is running a business and if something else breaks even if it not your fault you are not going to go back to yourself and say well you broke this now fix it. Sorry as someone in a service industry I stand by my work and I have nothing against people who do there own work but stop being back seat quaterbacks it stupid and annoying.
Right on the money!!
I've never thought the prices were high, I live in California and car repair here is very expensive.
I live in Greece and car repair here is sorta cheap but the quality of the job is shit. Eg independent = no warranty
His prices seem reasonable. I'd patronize him just for his personality, he seems friendly and knowledgeable. What pisses me off are the exorbitant extra fees most shops tack on. One squirt of WD-40 and a wipe down with a shop towel translates to $8 in BS "shop supplies" fees. This used to come out of their profit, since they always charge book time for jobs that normally take much less. Take your "shop supplies" out of that.
Yes and I'm sure his prices are a lot less than main dealers
I think BMW has learned though. On the new ones, you can take the whole engine out through the grille.
On new ones, you have to.
Literally laughed out loud with this comment,,,,
@@jiggingjerks me too
Jigging Jerks how many have you worked on?
A Todaso Shut up, you’ve never worked on one. You can’t find a simpler modern car. Try doing this work on a Ford and get back to me
Oil passages in the alternator bracket? Reminds me of a quote I saw someone speak about German cars/engineers - "If you threw a German engineer into a deep hole and dropped him a ladder, he'd fashion the ladder into a shovel and tunnel himself out."
personally I think it's a bit of a misnomer. it's not the alternator bracket, it's the oil filter housing (as he says at 3:30). the alternator just happens to bolts to it. the critique is perfectly valid though. it's an absolutely pain to get to, even on the 4cyl m43tu.
it isn’t inherently a bad idea to have a part serve two purposes, but bmw should put a super reliable gasket on hard to get to areas
@@JackMott what's "super reliable" for you? I don't have hard numbers but I think this gasket tended to last like 10-15 years or longer.
@@ElvianEmpire given how hard that is to get to, 200k miles or 30 years would be nice! trade off between size mass cost reliability and serviceability are never easy though
German engineering is famously good for a reason, despite these "quotes" that try to discredit it.
My dad was- mechanic. He was always honest with his customers. I love your empathy for your customers!
If he had empathy he wouldnt charge 600 for this job, it does not take that long and his labour prices are ridiculous. You can do this job at home ive done it myself with manual tools
Honest, intelligent, no hype, I love this guy, tells it like it is, it's refreshing. Thank you
Loving BMWs is like being in an abusive relationship. She beats the hell out of you, yells at you constantly, embarrasses you in public... but she throws it down in the bedroom and keeps you coming back for more.
Nope, it's more like she throws it down in the bedroom and then screams & has a meltdown 20 minutes into it. Not worth it. If you are cool with it, get an Alfa, she is sexier.
@@duerandaggi Alfa would be worse, much worser
"She"?
@@duerandaggi hahahahahahahahahaha, alfa's from the same years as e46 and before, shit.... even after 2005 are the biggest shit cars money can buy. they start to rust by even looking at it, let alone how easy they break down. alfa seems to be doing something right the last few years though
@@duerandaggi your comment was money up until... Alfa..... lol. Straight up crap Italian FCA product, come on dude. I love the Guilia but Alfa’s are straight garbage.
legend says if you say "hooptie" out loud 3 times, tyler appears and buys all your cars for 2x asking price
This is gold man
Every single person, who read your comment just said „Hooptie“ out loud three times, only to be disappointed that Hoovie didn’t appear😂
I think you mean "fancy hooptie". I don't think an average 1995 Corolla with 250K miles would qualify for a Hoovie purchase.
Didn't work. Even said it three times for every hooptie car I've ever had.
Idiot 🤣
I've done this job 3 times. Doesn't take that long, I got scammed on my 1st mechanic so I learned how to work on them myself! Everyone said they're bad cars. But hey 6 years later 3 trips to California the car runs great!!
This is the way. You can literally do the job for $3, a few beers, and a Saturday.
I have an '05 ZHP and I'm learning how to do everything through TH-cam and forums. It's really quite easy if you have the tools. Saved myself thousands so far.
I think you missed the point of the video lol
It's true, that if you know what you're doing, a job like this for 3 hours on a weekend and you're done. There's no special calibration, alignment, or other requirement that leans heavily on long term expertise. It's just removing, replacing, and installing parts. However... the problem is that it doesn't end there. You will face situations where parts replacement requires so much more disassembling. Then there's the fragility of the aging plastic and then the cost of components. The headlights on these cars tend to melt over time and cost $2,500 for a pair.
@@cytherians Nowadays you can find them at any yunkyard lol...
You sure know all about BMW's flaws, and you arre correct about what you said would break, especially the oil separator. Too bad they couldn't uses a $5 PVC valve instead. I have worked on and driven BMWs for the last 15 years. I went from British cars to German, thinking they were much more reliable. Man, was I wrong. Like my Triumphs, owning one is a love-hate relationship. They are fun to drive, but they always break. Also, if you own one of these cars, you are either a mechanic, married to a mechanic, or your best friend is a mechanic! Thanks for sharing. By the way, my 330ci has over 240,000 miles and still runs strong, lucky for me I know how to fix it, otherwise I would be in the poorhouse!
Hoovie: "It could be worse" the voice of experience
I bet he was thinking of the Mercedes
Or the e60
@@Codeman785 or the bloody Bentley! 😆
@@thesalamander121Fr
Nah it was the Bently Turbo R
Hoovie: "I'm offended when you make those happy noises when I bring you cars"
Wizard: "Haha, okay"
"Yep, I guess I do, don't I?... " 😄😄
Hoovie has owned a dealership and has bought enough different models of high end and medium end cars to know better. That and I think of Hoovie's Garage as a public service warning about good deals without a mechanic going through the vehicle first.
Just to put a little light at the end of the tunnel, BMW never wanted to be a car company, They made airplane engines which have to be maintained at all times. The only decent engines from BMW actually comes from BMW Motorrad, Motorcycle engines. They have been given the freedom to make what works. BMW needs to remove its head from its back side when it comes to cars. YOU ARE NOT MAKING PLANES ANYMORE, make something that works for the normal driver. Come'on.
reliability
Speaking of being German, most BMW's on our roads in germany are like a low budget honda civic. America does not get the low budget cars on purpose.
Seriously though, He talks all this shit about BMW and never looks at the motorcycles. He buys stupid bikes that are uncomfortable to ride and then sells him because he says he is to old.
You could see the car wizards eyes turn to money symbols for a momemt.
dude i did this job in like 2 hours and it cost me about 10 bucks in parts. $600 bucks is insane.
What kind of overhead do you have? Do you have employees?
He is a shop..... This is not his personal car....
I did this same seal on my e85 Z4, same motor/gasket as the e46. This was not a big deal for me to replace. $600 is steep for removing a few things
I thought this too. How much does this man charge for a day rate?
I've had a total of 3 BMW's in the UK and I've driven them all past 100k miles, and I never paid 600 quid to replace a seal.
The water pumps are usually rubbish and need replacing with a 3rd party one, and the wiring and sensors are what let you down.
I owned a e39 530i with 260 k miles, Great car. Easy to work in general.
He charges a fortune on labor
@@jonc2914 yup and then blames it on design and pretends to be “sorry” for the customer; while he nails them for triple time labor.
Hes probably at 150$ an hour. My shop is 120$ an hour and this looks like it would take about 3 hours without checking AD or mitchells. So at 150*4 for diag and cleanung the oil boom 600$
Look how much more relaxed Hoovie is when it is not his money that is being spent, he looks like he is genuinely enjoying himself!!
I'm pretty sure he is not in the garage simply for video bombing 😂 I bet he spent at least 10K+ that day to fund Wizard's lavish lifestyle 😆
Why was Hoovie there that day? Dropping off his own money pit for repair?
That deal between the Wizard and the Ninja sounds more like a prisoner exchange! 😆
@Upcycle Shoes That would be JR.
**brings in a Eunos Cosmo, watches Wizard and Car Ninja cry**
It pays ninjas a fortune fixing those German cars.
Like exchanging prisoners of war during WW2!
Oil filter housing gaskets are not that bad on e46’s. I did mine yesterday along with a new housing itself, vanos line, both sensors on the housing, tensioners, pulleys and threw in a catch can. Thought it was going to be a nightmare 6+ hour job, took less than 3 as an amateur garage mechanic and I wasn’t rushing whatsoever. Car crossed 250k on my way home from work tonight, in the last 70k it’s probably cost 800 in maintenance. That’s just over half of what I paid for it 2 years ago. Normally paying 50% of the purchase price after 2 years of maintenance is a bad sign, but since it was $1500 I’m not really stressed, considering the suspension it’s sitting on cost more. Ignoring a few thousand in mods, I’ve been able to do nothing but beat on the thing 365 days for 2 years with less than a week of down time. Total for purchase and cost to keep it running is sitting around $2300 currently. I couldn’t be more happy with the car and I never get tired of beating the piss out of it. It will always hold a special place in my heart and I hate to admit it, but it’s better in every way than my m3 swapped e30 which has cost 8x more. I couldn’t recommend e46s or 36’s enough to anybody looking for a cheap, fun, balanced rwd platform. My only stipulation is do your homework on the car and don’t buy the first acceptable one you see. Non kid owned is the biggest challenge now that they’re so cheap, but it makes all the difference in the world. Apologies for the novel but go buy an e46 and if you aren’t afraid of getting your hands dirty, it will never disappoint you
ok
Great episode, Wizard. I own a 2003 530i and I concur with every thing you said about BMW. I dream of smacking some of their so-called engineers when dealing with this kind of problem, and I have done this very same job on mine. But, I would also like to shake the hands of BMW's real engineers. When the car is running right with no leaks, it is a joy to drive. After 20 years, it still looks and performs as well as most new sports cars and it still puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. It's a love hate relationship for me but the love part trumps the hate part. The irony is that so much of the BMW maintenance on their newer cars is not even the serious stuff like bent valves or cracked heads. Its the nickel and dime plastic stuff that comes with a good size labor bill. Before plastic, BMWs seemed much more reliable, although not quite as refined.
BMW used to engineer for reasonable servicing. But after the 1990's, they took a hard turn into simplifying construction at the cost of service labor. They also began to rely upon parts made with inferior plastic that holds up long enough to survive the warranty period, then begins to decay. My 16 year old Audi A3 has plenty of plastic parts in the engine bay that are still tough and flexible. There's just no excuse for BMW to cut corners like this, given the prices they charge.
Most popular BMW model “BMW Courtesy Car” across the rear window
Seriously! I know a guy who’s Dad bought him a 2020 X4M. Now, aside from the financial circumstances of this, the rear tailgate had a paint defect and there were some other issues. Every other week he’s in the dealership’s I3 donor car. For $84,000, it’s unacceptable.
@@k.c.slawncare6046 i always hear these horror stories but i don't actually know anyone who had these issues. i'm on my 3rd BMW myself and aside from taking the car for its' annual maintenance, i don't even go to the dealership. i know other people with BMWs and no one had problems either.
@@solomonshv I know what you mean. Another guy I know has an older 3-series and it hasn’t had any issues. Same thing with every car manufacturer though. People complained about the 9-speed transmission in Cherokees and the 3.2 Pentastar burning oil, but I drove my Dad’s 2017 for a year before moving into town after wrecking my car. After putting 30,000km on it, (mostly highway), it never had any issue.
@@solomonshv they really aren’t bad. I had an E46 like this, only it was the 330ci, and it was mechanically fine for the 7 years I owned it. Sure, things break now and again, but when you own a car made in 2001, you expect it to happen. They’re no more unreliable than anything else unless you’ve got one that’s been abused, not serviced or badly repaired. But again, name another car that can survive being shat on without having to fix bits.
This is why I became a BMW tech, one of the best paying brands out there. Bring More Wallet
So true
I’m a BMW tech snd my best days were working on the E 46 and E53.
Me too! Lol..
You guys a bottom feeding leeches.
Damn, I'm just getting into fixing cars. I'm gonna specialise on bmw too😂
That’s Break My Wallet for the owner……. Although not as bad as the 2 LR’s I had.
The e46 is my favourite BMW. Had one for years. Faults? Oh, yes. But still I love it!
When they are properly maintained they are amazing cars
I like when Hoovie makes guest appearances
When the child comes to visit daddy.
Who?
Yeah, but I hear his theme music, even when it isn't playing!
It’s like Hoovie gets to be us watching for once
I don't
The funny thing is that the BMW's back in the early eighties were easy to repair although the parts were expensive then. I learned that from my father, the car wizard from Andalusia. Mercedes, BMWs, Hondas, Toyotas, Opels and VWs, (European ones) they were always good to go at. I learned the trade from those. Especially the air cooled VWs. Land Rovers (the Spanish or the English ones), Alfa Romeos Alfasuds and Ford Grenadas (the ones available in Europe in the early 80s) stay well clear from them. We learned our lesson from those. Nowadays, car manufacturers take the fun out of car mechanics DIY. Respect David Long, how you take on all these cars, no matter what the age and the manufacturer. And doing a great job at it and sharing it with us.
I've been driving BMWs for over 50 years. The best car I've ever driven for road feel and handling.
An absolute horror at many service shops who enjoy ripping people off.
I currently have a 2002 330ci Convertible ; )
The only reason
I can keep it in top shape is because I have a particular independent technician Who knows the cars inside and out and takes great pride in maintaining the car at minimal cost.😮
I have a few BWM's, and I payed $400 after 8hrs of work to change the starter on my e36 M3. It was a bit complicated but I won't have to change it again any time soon. The car has over 200k miles, its a joy to drive, people pay the dumbest amounts to change belts on Ferrari's. So yeah I agree is key to have a knowledgeable independent BMW mechanic. Just bought an 2002 325CI with 36k miles smells like new and I'm loving it!
Hey dude, not everyone can buy a new car every 5 years like you.
@@williamko4751 then get a good old quality German car :P
@@escapematrix-xb8rg those thing exist?
@@williamko4751 Yes, If you really want something you need to create it. Think of what you want not what you lack.
11:47 "BMW and plastic, why can't they figure it out?"
BMW = We have and that is why it breaks easier and sooner!
I wonder which ingredients they’re saving money on when they mix up their laughable plastic mixture at the factory 😂
@@davidescobedo1317 It is not in the savings via production but rather stimulating new car sales and new parts sales rather than 2nd hand parts that never break.
Example 40 - 60 year old air intake or air box cleaner etc from muscle car era which had no plastics or 20 to 30 year old Japanese cars with little to no obsolecence like a 90's Honda plastics never deteriorates.
Plastics incapable of infinite life is reducing 2nd hand parts market and 2nd hand car market.
Bmw stimulates (by forcing) new car sales and new parts sales.
Sooner? Car is 20 years old!
@@jellyd4889 20 yrs is nothing to infinite, think Glass.
Plastic Motor Works
I used to work for a retired doctor. He came home from having maintenance done on his BMW. He was so angry. He was about to sell it to me for $2,000, what he had just paid for 'routine maintenance', to which I had to explain that I don't have $2,000. He said, "just as well, it's gonna need another $2,000 brake job". A week later, he's driving a brand new Lexus.
Buying that lexus was the best decision he made
He lost probably ten thousand driving the new Lexus off the lot. Amazing that somebody who graduated medical school can't do basic math.
@@wudntulike2no32 so then why was he worried about a two thousand dollar brake job? A job that an independent BMW mechanic could have done for much less.
@@petrosaguilar8916 I think he would rather lose money on depreciation but have a new very reliable car than lose money on repairs on an unreliable car he hates. Especially because he knows there will be more repairs coming up
@@Bernhard_Schmidt - I can see somebody not wanting to deal with repairs and hence drive a new car. However, the way OP worded his post it sounds as if first the doctor was not happy about the $2k maintenance bill and then equally upset with a brake job coming up for the same amount. In other words, it sounded like spending money was the only gripe here rather than doing the repairs or reliability.
Not even talking about obviously getting ripped off by the dealer for a moment, the guy screwed up big time if his objective was to save money.
We did a coolant reservoir on a Armored V12 Mercedes S Class. It took 4 hours and we had to remove the radiator to get to it. They're cool cars, but they're so complex that I don't enjoy working on them at all. I find now that the more simple a car is, the more I enjoy it.
Edit: before anyone says it, I know it's not a beamer, but we did a 4cyl BMW starter and we had to remove the intake manifold to get to it. They're just too complicated to be decent cars.
I always had a good experience with my MB's, I had a E300, E300TD (6cycl. turbodiesel), 500SL, and the best cars were an E420 (sold at 230k mls.) and the outstanding ML430 for towing duty and off-roading. The ML was just a monster, never opened the engine, and never touched the transmission. I changed one coil pack and the (beautiful - machined impeller!) water pump (at 180k) and the crankshaft sensor - easy to do! The boat was 2.5t (27 ft. - and the ML handled it with no issues. Except for melting the plastic wheel housing covers (only cosmetic issue inside the engine bay) because the exhaust was glowing red, HWy 50 to lake Tahoe - I flogged it having to take over all the cars uphill on the 4 lane sections. My daughter totaled it at 185 k mls (250 000 km) - it was one foot narrower after being broadsided by a truck and still ran as on the first day. An absolute monster.
My 2006 530i has only a little over 120 k - I changed the PCV valve (broke all the hoses) put new hoses, changed the oil water cooler gaskets, and just cleaned the Valvetronic hydraulic actuators. In short, its not an older MBZ but it runs sooo smooth. The engine itself is bulletproof, and the suspension is amazing. But if you are not mechanically inclined.....
If I had a lift I would change the shift valves on the xmission as it shifts (for my taste) to hard into 1st when stopping. Oh, yes the oil pan gaskets need changing (subframe off etc.).
The only German car that ever left me stranded was a 2006 ML350 (front differential locked due to failed seal) what a piece of crap that car was.
BMW makes the best engines - the straight 6 is just perfection.
I had many other cars .... including a LS400, ZX280, VW GTI, Passat, Bus (excellent), Fiat, Ford Aerostar & Escape (I love the old Cologne 4 l V6), Toyota, Peugot (in Africa) ...
The worst car was Audi ..... (had two, straight 5 engine and V6) the best was the ML430.
I still have my ML430. Generally a pretty good car. However, now I get random occurrences where the car just slams on the brakes for no good reason. It almost got me rear ended at 50 miles per hour the first time. MB dealer could not find a reason - just gave me a laundry list of possibilities, some of which involve parts in the $2000-$4500 range, and some of the possible parts are no longer made. The wheel sensors checked out fine. I've got some suspension parts that need to be replaced and am doing that once they arrive. Then it's a matter of either finding the culprit or taking my chances.
Mercedes engineering is definitely better than BMW when it comes to ease of service and repairs.. no need to remove five things to get to the one you want,
and not as many plastic parts either.
Am I the only one who has noticed how much closer these boys have gotten over last few years.....it's a absolute pleasure to watch 2 friends become even better friends over time.
Hoovie brings Wizard a ton of business also Hoovie's business couldn't exist without the Wizard . Those factors create a tight and lasting bond.
Yes, strange how money creates friends....Wealth makes many friends, but the poor is separated from his friend. Proverbs 19:4
They're joined at the wallet ...
I'll be friendly to anybody who's purposely brings me a bad car to work on
Gotten?
I like BMW and that’s why I learned how to work on them, so I don’t have to pay the wizard 600 dollars for 3 hours of work lol
Yup I own 2 e46 3 series and there are so many videos on TH-cam on how to replace stuff on them and actually it isn’t usually too hard and I’m no certified mechanic
I concur
@Joe The Fifth BS, you have no idea what you're talking about
@Joe The Fifth I am curious what you pay for a job like this on average in the US?600 dollars sounds to me like she is buying a 2nd hand one.
@@lobmin no everything that other commentor said is true, you're the one who doesn't know what you're talking about. I was an ASE certified master auto tech for 9 yrs and worked at various dealerships including BMW. This job would take a decent mechanic about 1.5 hrs to complete. It's up to the shop if they charge full flat rate time on this or not. Before you call others BS, learn about the subject
I owned a e39 530i for 10 years, Great car, same motor as this one in video, absolutely love the driving experience. Never done a tune up yet, only AC belt, fan clutch a MAF in 10 years plus. 260 k Miles.
I have owned a e46 brought from Germany, e34, it was okay car.
I noticed this way back with a 2002 I had. They think they are clever and do things differently from everyone else. Then when there is a problem, they are the only source of parts, so they are expensive and there was no reason to do things different in the first place. My 2002 had some kind of fancy exhaust manifold made of sheet metal with a baffle inside that commonly rusts and falls down and blocks the exhaust from exiting down the exhaust pipe. When mine went the part alone was $600 new, and I may have picked up a used one, can't remember. Never again.
The reason Wizard laughs gleefully and rubs his hands together is HOOVIE KNOWS BETTER
Or SHOULD know better 😂
lol Hoovie acting as if he isn't a rich bastard that can afford all of the bills from his BMW repairs and then make some money on them because of TH-cam
Bottom line: if your on a low budget stay away from ALL luxury cars and drive within your means.
Absolutley!
An old Ford or Toyota can nickle and dime you into the poorhouse too.
if you want luxury buy a lexus they are owned by Toyota so you get that same Toyota relability
@@petrosaguilar8916 not as much as bmw and other bs cars most repairs on a toyota is cheap and rather easy/simple so wont cost you a liver to get done, plus once fixed and properly maintained the damn thing will keep going down the road and literally outlive you, theres a reason toyotas and lexus keep their value even if its 30+yrs old because the damn cars outlive the first and second and third owners. most other brands dont last longer than 5yrs but a toyota will see you from cradle to the grave and be on the next person that got it from your dead ass
@Prof Steel only if you won't do your own work.
I enjoy working on cars. It a hobby of mine in my spare time.
So these kind of repairs cost me pennies and a fun weekend day.
The phase "fine German engineering " is a myth, perpetrated by the Germans. Worked on several BMWs. Only company that I've ever seen that will create a clip, and a bracket, and a special weird piece, where a simple nut and bolt would work just fine..
I have a 2013 328 xdrive sport package. Bought in 2015 with 18000 miles. I now have about 80000 on it. The repair costs over the years have been slightly above average, they are definitely more expensive to repair and that is why so many are in poor shape on the used market. If something needs maintenance, do it right away, find a good mechanic. It drives beautifully and I have enjoyed owning it. I did an elective repair on the timing chain before it caused any issues as I planned on keeping it. Very costly job, but way cheaper than a new car at the time. Suspension repairs will be pricey as well, brakes not so much.
Regular oil changes and maintenance pay off in a big way.
I'm from the UK and I have an 08 e92 325i and I spent just over 2k (about $3k) with 160k miles on it. I have to say buying this car I was really sceptical about owning one because of the unreliable BMWs on TH-cam, however I feel like the American market for these European cars is horrible which makes people shudder at the idea of owning one. The previous owner looked after it (mechanically) and now all the maintenance is done by me when necessary.
I think since the two years of ownership the only thing I've had to fix or change (other than regular services) is an ignition coil, nitrogen nox sensor, and fixing a tyre puncture.
I don't know who really cares about this comment lol but if you're reading this here, have a wonderful day!
Kudos. If you can work on your own car these are great as you con buy cheap
Also you have to keep in mind Euro parts are a lot more expensive over here, too. Plus there's not usually a lot of aftermarket options due to how specific some of these parts are. Let's say, for example, I have a Honda in the shop. It needs a new drive belt, tensioner, and idler pulley. I can call three different parts stores and pretty much all of them will have everything I need in stock and for dirt cheap. Now, let's say I need the same 3 things on a Mercedes. If I'm lucky one of those three parts stores might have one thing in stock, while another one might have another. What's more likely, however, is that they won't have any of them and I'll have to call up the dealer. Oh look, it's on backorder. 2 weeks out. It's like I imagine getting parts for something like a Camaro in the UK would be.
Ok chaps BMW parts in the UK are overpriced breakers are cashing in bigtime
I suspect the US market is bad because US BMWs are made in different factories from the BMWs sold in Europe. I'm looking to buy an E46 330ci and the difference between US and UK testimony on their reliability is night and day.
It's always interesting to see how different brands are received in different nations. For example in my region the US Fords are regarded as cheap and often unreliable. Meanwhile in Uruguay, where my wife is from she always tells me Fords are regarded as a top tier brand, even over many Japanese and European car makers. I still think it all has to do with exactly what model and year as well as care taken in assembly.
I am your fan in Korea. I am doing car maintenance in Korea. I'm always learning a lot while watching your cool videos. I'm a Korean car maintenance TH-camr like you. I definitely want to meet you someday.
Are Korean vehicles more reliable than, let's say, European cars?
I hope South Korea and not North. Otherwise big Kimmy J will have you strung up and gutted for even considering such thought crimes.
I watched a few of your videos with the translate to English function and they were great! Keep up the good work
So HE'S the one fan in Korea ...
Nice videos man
I love watching your videos Mr. Wizard. Thank you.
You are absolutely correct 👍🏾
Thank you for your honest and factual comments.
I've told friends repeatedly that want to buy old BMW's, if you can fix it yourself it's workable, if you expect to pay a shop to fix it, it will bleed you dry.
And make sure they understand it's not limited to "small" jobs like this, losing the transmission or blown head gaskets are likely in their future... And God help them if they live in an area that requires emissions system testing, because the catalytic converters are guaranteed to fail, and they cost $4000 just for the parts, and no the cheap weld in ones won't work!
@@finish_my_projects what BMW model has four thousand dollar catalytic converters?
I'm glad someone actually gets Bemmers lol
Good advice, as I'm working more on mine I'm getting to know it better and at least put some trust into the work that's being done.
@@finish_my_projects In a lot of places you can get a waiver for non-economic repair cost.
Next on Hoovie's Garage: I bought the cheapest BMW convertible in the entire state of Kansas ...
😂 I knew it was going to be an oil filter relocation bracket seal. You gotta use a 32mm socket when changing the (incredibly conveniently located) oil filter. I got lazy and used channellocks. I changed one on an e53 we used to own. Only issue I ever had out of that vehicle until a tree fell on it.
I would blame the tree on that one though🤣🤣🤣
Enjoy your channel - have a question. I have a 2011 RR Sport SC. I took it to the dealer for the “flange” recall, which I am sure you are familiar with. However, I can still smell gas vapors. There are no leaks. Have you seen/smelt 14:08 this before? I do a lot of the work my self but would it be possible that it needs a new canister or purge valve? I actually think they are together as one piece . It is throwing the P0442 code. I think I will take it back to the dealer to double check their recall work . I would appreciate your thoughts!
As a 10+ year e46 owner, I gotta say that this is a 1 hour job at best and he didn’t have to take the fan off or the front of the intake shroud. Regardless, I’ve done almost every common failure job on my e46 and I have to say that if I was paying a mechanic, I too would be broke.
I call BS
That doesn't look like a 600.00 job.
e46 former owner as well... did you have to do the sub frame stuff?
@@fsflip3111 like the reinforcement? No. Bushings are on my list though
Agreed. And the oil separator etc that everyone complains about was a less than 2 hour job, no need to take off the intake.
It's a shame, because all those e46's drive beautifully when they are running right
I did 75k on my last E46 325i in 8 years and very little went wrong.
Most were quite simple as well. E46/38/39 were the last of the easy, simple BMWs.
@@bigpjohnson I prefer the E34, that thing was built to last much better build than my E39... In my opinion of course.
That's why Rolls, Bentleys and Jags are so cheap used......I stick with American, Korean or Japanese
Personally I think the proper maintenance schedule keeps the wolf from the wallet...I have a 328i with 356000km on the clock still going strong...
I looked for this video, as a BMW owner and amateur mechanic, I can attest to the "There are few things more expensive than a cheap BMW." That being said after 7 years of owning a 2003 X5 4.4 this thing is great, BUT, they are only as good as their maintenance. If they are properly maintained, they will run forever. Proper maintenance requires a lot more than just oil changes periodically. Rubber and plastic gaskets and parts will only last so long regardless of what car they're in. Replacing worn rubber and plastic hoses will save your entire car, not just the engine.
I work on my friends 1999 E46 for Free and for fun and practice before doing anything on mine. He never maintained it properly so it's a chore replacing everything one at a time but nothing has been very difficult at all. And the prices most mechanics charge are WAY too high. Thanks for these videos though, you are very thorough.
I love how Hoovie is like "$600, huh? Not that bad" LOL
It's not really tasty bad Karen.
When my cars stop leaking oil I know it's time to add more oil...
That was we used to say about British cars. No leaks = no oil.
@@6ettinold If there's no oil on them, there's no oil in them. :)
@Hermann Froh 😂
Next thing to go will be the window regulator. Then the water pump, then suspension/ brake updates. Then the blower motor resistor. Don’t forget about the leaking washer bottle.
😂😂 everything you mentioned i had to fix on my e53 x5 i got tired of working on it every weekend i sold it and got a honda
@@jorgereyes3241 Mine was an E53 X5 also! 😆 Great vehicle otherwise, but very frustrating to own. Hondas are the best!
Theyre 25 year old cars what do you expect? 😂
We’ve had a lot of BMWs. E39 530d, E60 530d, E90 325d, E90 318d, F30 318d and we currently have a G30 520d. All of them have been very reliable and are amazing cars. If you know how to buy the right one and look after them then they are great.
I’m a retired Audi/VW tech so I’m used to working on German cars,daughter-in-law has had three BMW’s and I was always working on them or being called roadside to help out. I got her a used Honda Civic with 237’000 kilometres and she drove it two years with only maintenance and rear brakes. She decided that she wanted a new car and replaced it with a brand new Civic Si, I now am fully retired as the car never breaks down.
I’m in the market for my first car and I keep hearing the names Honda and Toyota over and over again. Your comment helped me make my decision.
@@Broyale26 Although they maybe the most reliable cars people have, still very important to get one that's been loved and well cared for so it lasts long and serves you well.
She prolly didn’t take care of it
@@Broyale26 having owned a Honda Accord V6 for 12 years, they are very reliable. I put 350K miles on it and now my two daughters have put another 30K on it. The heads and transmission have never been off/out of it. Does not burn oil and still runs great. The timing belt/water pump and pulley change at every 100K hurts ($800) but otherwise a superb vehicle.
@@jakef8x715 I was always on to her about preventive maintenance. BMW’s are like dating a super model,they look and feel good but are high maintenance.
I want to see the Wizard on a V10 Audi RS6, explaining how the whole engine has to come out (or at least that's what the manuals say) just to change a $2 gasket on the oil/water pump.
Exactly, this is benign compared to VAG products where step 2 seems to frequently be remove engine.
@@Onizukachan915 Step 2 is ALWAYs remove the engine. If it's not that it's remove the whole front clip and cooling system even for something that has nothing to do with the cooling system.
I believe he owned one around the time he started this channel
Wait. Oil/water pump? That’s a thing?
Dont buy cars with big engines shoehorned into them if ease of repair is your priority.
these cars can be very convenient to run from daily driver to race car setups of you know how to deal with them but maybe it doesn’t apply to US
some parts you can get from salvage others can be upgraded aftermarket, there are also parts designed to fix issues like intake manifold flap mod. you also need software for diagnostics and even tune. Then properly maintained you can push them to the redline everytime you want to.
A friend of mine has spent over $11,000 out of pocket to have repairs done on his three different BMW convertibles over the years that he buys as returned lease vehicles when they are three years old. He loves them.
he pays $155 a month for these aftermarket extended warranties, the list of things they don’t cover is larger than the things that they do…
Power window control center in drivers door, not covered
convertible top would not go up or down, not covered
The automatic transmission manual shift mode, lever, a very widespread common problem, so much that the parts were on back order and salvage yards were even sold out of used ones, not covered…
drivers seat frame, Broke-not covered
So my friend has spent over $18,000 for that extended warranty bullshit Over the 10 years he has owned those three different BMW convertibles, and he has paid over $11,000 above that for the repairs that we’re not covered by that insurance..
so be honest and tell him he's a moron LOL
Hoovie must be so relaxed when he just gets to drop by on someone else’s channel. And someone else’s BMW.
Very good video.
Sure seems that way-doesn’t it 😜?
It is not his money 🤣🤣🤣
for once it doesn't cost him money to talk about cars :)
This is a very easy job,cant believe that a mechanic can cry that is complicated. Ive done it once,and it took a little over an hour to take everything apart and put it back together. Pretty straight forward and simple.
I know right? Car Ninja removed the entire engine from an M5 in maybe six hours.
its crazy it only takes an hour to pull out, but he charged by the book probably 6hrs to do the job, the $600 charge...
It equates to sales for BMW and an easy fix for a decent hobbyist.
Service sets repair cost above the cost of a deposit on new vehicle.
Sales ropes them in but offers nothing for trade in.
I go to private sale and pay 25 cents on the dollar for a perfectly fine luxury car that needs a $4 gasket.
Max Headroom, wheeling & dealing 😂
Wizard: Replacing this 3 Dollar gasket will cost her 600 Dollars
Hoovie: Could be worse
I mean hoovie isn’t lying it could be a lot worse. Im used to paying more expensive costs to maintain German cars, I currently own 2 Mercedes, one of them costed me $850 the other day to have the oil changed and the trans serviced. Which I thought was fine because the dealer would charge double or more
"Could be worse. Could be a Bentley Turbo R."
I dont know his hour rate but thats at max a 3h job with cleaning The engine. Have done The same to my engine and first time it took 1.5 hour without cleaning The engine.
@@hampuspettersson5388 iv tried telling his “fans” this but they don’t listen
@@lee2217 I am sure book time is setting the hours for the job
"German Engineering" is the best marketing ploy ever! My English translation for "German Engineering" is "take something simple and make it as overly complicated as possible... "
True!
The more parts the better. Ja!?
You ever replace spark plugs in a Pentastar mounted in a Wrangler? Take intake manifold off, unbolt half a dozen things, use bungees to hold hoses out of your way, replace 6 intake gaskets. God help you in you need to replace the oil cooler (prone to go bad) which is beneath all of the above and bolted to the block in the middle of the V. Oh, wait, that was designed during Daimler-Chrylser days...never mind.
Mercedes engineering issues tend to come more from incompetence, bmw's engineering issues tend to come from negligence and volkswagon/audi's engineering issues always come from outright malice.
@@TheDirtCreature Don't tell me It, Drips Oil and Drops Grease Everywhere!
Great info thanks for sharing and best wishes for 2024 👍
I was finishing up this job this past week and, as I was finishing up, the filter housing cracked at the idler pulley. So I had to source another housing, take apart everything again, and start over. I have to finish it on Monday. Every tool I’ve used is covered in about an inch thick coating of oil and grime from years of neglect. Which sucks. Cause e39s are awesome if they’re maintained.
I’ve really grown to enjoy the car wizard channel, he’s very down to earth and just talks to you and tells you how it is. No clout chasing or building up hype here just straight facts from real life experiences he’s seen first hand. Keep up the good work car wizard 👌
Yep Unlike that crackpot Scotty Kilmer
Getting almost half a million subs in a year has a direct connection to what you just said
I like how he gets to the point and doesn't talk too much
I'd genuinely like to see what the 'trollkarl' has to say about working on old rusted out volvo 744's.
ya i stopped watching a lot of scotty kilmers videos cuz he has some very click baity titles to his vids.
Honestly BMWs are very "reliable" in terms of job security. Every inline 6 leaks valve cover, oil housing, oil pan, leak detection pump 😍
at least you know what's wrong with them and are predictable, unlike Audi and Benz
@@ColinPopoviciu eh Audi is so far the easiest. Benz is complicated for sure. So i use dealer scanner
As a first time car owner I like my e46 because I can fix it myself even if its enoying I still have fun with it because its all new to me
Yes, way too many brittle plastic bits and I found that the interior quality wasn’t up to the task as well. My e36 was a 2005 with 150,000 k’s on it
I cant see why this cost $600, I literally got this job done in not even 2 hours on a 2001 525i.. if you have the right tools it makes all the difference.
It’s literally like working on anything else. And I’m not just talking about cars. People only think it costs more because it’s a BMW or a Ranger Rover
Probably goes off book time to repair it
@@williamparker7823 I can understand that but you cant charge book time on something you can probably have done in just an hour, then complain about having to charge the customer the whole $600. I just cant fathom someone paying $600 for this job.
Ya that's why most mechanics are ripoffs and i fix my car myself and i don't care how long it takes me I'll fix it just out of principle alone .
600$ in tools ...
It baffles me that the wizard won't spend 3 hours on a bmw but will gladly spend 100 hours on hoovies bentley chasing a stupid misfire 😂
Well it's easier to spend money on a car you actually like. He just doesn't like bmw
bentley is a bmw
@@amirkazemi2517 bentley is vw...
@@amirkazemi2517 i think rolls royce is bmw
@@boosted.Z Audi, BMW, Rolls, VW , .....share lots of bin parts, frames etc.
I would really like to know how you feel about the new BMW B48 B58 and S58 engines, and also which one you think would be the most reliable. Salute.
Dude must have been married to a BMW and it left him for someone more knowledgeable. Now he's taking it out on all BMWs. Hehehe
OH NO NOT HOOVIE IN ANOTHER WIZARD VIDEO UGH...
Cracks me up when you make some joke that catches Wizard off-guard or makes him momentarily uncomfortable :D
Hoovie: "The wife and the girlfriend get along, which is good for me!"
Wizard: *pause* "...there's none of that happening."
He is always lurking around hoopties
These videos are the best
😄😄
“BMW and plastic” - I think it’s the EU regulations preventing dopants in the plastics that would keep them durable but have negative environmental issues.
I think you're overdoing the extremeness of the work involved. I have four E46's and I have NEVER paid $600 to have that oil gasket replaced, and I live in Boston where prices are relatively more expensive than other parts of the country.
I just replaced my alternator a few months ago in my '04 325i. If anybody charges $600 to go a little further to replace that gasket, I'd call them a ripoff and a thief. It's not difficult.
@@juergenhaessinger4518 That's what I'm talking about.
I have a E46 with 95,000 miles on it I wanted to know what’s some of the most common issues with these models? I’ve had it for a few months so far so good
@@dukedollas4848 Check out ShopLifeTV channel. Great channel for E46 issues, maintenance and repairs
@@dukedollas4848 cooling
Thank you, Wizard!!
I bought my 2012 BMW 320I back in 2017 with 100,000km on odo for 12k $ Canadian and aside from regular maintenance plus breaks and tires I did not spend a penny on it and now in 2024 it’s 230k on odo.
This is my personal experience with my one and only BMW I ever owned. I’ve had many different brands throughout 34 years of driving experience but BMW will standout as most reliable in my books.
P.S. if I was to sell my car today I can still get almost same moneys what I paid for it 7 years ago 😊
Nice to hear a mechanic who likes looking after their customers - respect Wizard.
BMW"S and Cadillacs die in poor communities . Because these cars are often bought by some who trying to be something they are not.
I don't know about that man it's a piece of shit driven by another piece of shit.
I think more so that poor people would like to have a nice car for themselves.
That's racist
edit: it's a joke people. Kinda like joe bidens 'Poor Kids Are Just As Talented & Just As Bright As White Kids'
No one said anything about race? Lmao
They die in poor communities because scummy used car dealerships wash them up real pretty and talk through nose about how great of a car it is. Meanwhile it was sold to the dealership for a reason. People end up paying way too much for used BMWs and don’t have $$ left over to *pay someone else* to maintain them. The last BMW I bought was THIS EXACT CAR (but not convertible). Private owner was asking $2500. After I looked over the car and told him all the stuff that was wrong with it, I paid $1260 for it. That was 4 years and 50k miles ago. I just bought some nice used rims and put new tires on it three months ago because it’s literally worth it. Wonderful 230k+ mile machine.
@@wudntulike2no32 the culture of living in excess keeps the smart people better off in society so we can't complain I guess
Ive had two BMW's. Good looking cars and fun to drive. They break down often and are very expensive to repair. I now drive a Suburban.
I love your videos Wizzard!
"I don`t mind taking a money" - Car Wizard 2021
Ripping people off for years in my opinion
He says it in the future?
Wait, what!
@@rhodrihow959 Never understood you people who come to every Wizard video to complain about something when you clearly have some kind of misguided vendetta with the guy.
@@johnkilo3 no vendetta but let’s face it he fucker over the bmw owner on a 2 hour job
@@lee2217 The reason it goes up in price for "just a 2 hour job" is because of the risks he mentioned with the cheap and brittle plastic. If he accidentally breaks any of the weak plastic he will have to repair it out of pocket and to save guard against this he charges that "what if" scenario and adds it to the price. Every repair trade does this as an insurance. Like people who install a door charge double for what the door is worth in case anything goes wrong.
When you go to the parts store, and the parts custs under $100, you know it's going to take you 15 hours to do the job.
If it costs $500, you'll be done in 10 minutes.
Balance!
Way to determine BMW parts costs: take what it would cost for a Toyota, double that cost, then double it once more...sometimes twice more! ($900 alternator, etc!)
Lmao true. I needed to spend $500 on a new radiator and it took me a half-hour to install.
I would rather pay expensive parts and easy job
100% truth!
Oil cooler thermostat, $80... Took 5 hours to fit
Automatic transmission switch, cost $590, took 15 mins to fit...
Cannot agree with you more! 🤣
I had a 2008 E-90 and can attest to the brittle plastics. I also had a leak on the oil filter adapter and a failed Teves ABS module and pump that I had to send to England for repair. I also had a new 1984 318i that had constant A/C issues. No more BMWs for me.
In 2017 I drove a 3 month old BMW with 3100 miles on it to my detail shop. It was leaking oil on my floor when I went to detail it.
That was the newest and closest to brand new one I've driven.
I've driven quite a few over the years. I've never driven one that didn't have a defect that would drive me crazy for the money.
Wizard's integrity is so refreshing! Never change!
Exactly, and bash this overrated brand: high on image and low on quality. Puuuh
Yeah nothing like charging a customer 300 bucks an hour for labor
@@Dziugenonas -Is that what he charges?? If so,screw him.
Not the “Ultimate Driving Machine.” The “Ultimate Money Disappearing Machine.”
Yeap I’m a BMW fan but gosh a broken door handle off the X5 every quarter...another thing to fix on the old E65 745...did me in. I agree with them both, early 90s BMWs were much more durable. These newer ones seems to be designed to fall apart e.g plastic pipes. Wife’s always said BMW Big Money Wasted.
"Endless money pit" like a certain mechanic would say.
They are easy cars to work on and after market parts are cheap.
No they did and do offer a pretty great driving experience. They just don't describe the rest of the ownership experience which is dropping the engine out and constant wheel alignments
As owner of two e46s - How about both?
In europe mechanics are used to work on bmws and price for fixing is not cheap but sure as hell aint 600 for a gasket
600 dollars would be labor for big service,whole chain,water pump etc.
Am greatfull that i live in europe where owning german cars will not bankrupt you :)
I think the Wizard is brilliant! You can save thousands by listening to him. Thank you Wizard!
Didn't know Action Bronson is a car mechanic. Man this dude got it all
Underrated comment
@McDung lmaoo
Hip-hop head detected👊👊
Lol as a previous 323i owner I knew exactly where this was going. I did this repair myself as well, it really wasn't too terrible as a DIY.
Worth paying 600?
@@xiukn8 It's not difficult as a DIY at all.
@@xiukn8 its really not hard yea it takes a couple hours but nothing is physically difficult about it. I would tackle the job yourself.
@@xiukn8 its not worth paying 600 dollars at all... if you're completely incompetent its a 2.5 hour job and costs 4 dollars.
Same here... Not a very hard DIY... Same with the water pump. The fan and shroud take 20 seconds to remove... Usualy I'm with the wizard on his opinions,but this time I have to disagree... Had the 323ci E46 for 8 years,and loved it. If you only replace gaskets and interior trim on a 20 year old car,you shouldn't feel bad about it.
People complaing about the shop rates for the Car Wizard have zero clue regarding the difference between "book time" and actual job time. Customers get quoted based on the "book time" listed for that job in the database. If a mechanic is good, they can usually get the job done faster. So a 4 hr "book time" job, might actually get done in 1 hr. But the quoted rate to the customer is based on book time, and that's what they agree to before any work is performed.
I bought a 2013 BMW 328i with 103k miles on it in September. So far I havent had any issues at all and ive put 20k miles on it (4 oil changes).
If I would have wasted so much time in changing this seal, so my boss had to charge the customer 600$ in labor, I would have been fired instantly.
If it takes longer than 1.5 to 2 hours you’d be fired lol
As a mechanic I would never own high end cars if I couldn’t fix them myself
I tell this to a lot of people. As a tech people always ask what my opinions are on higher end brands. I tell them all the same thing. I only recommend them if you make a lot of money or your a mechanic. Simple as that.
many mechanics don't have time to fix their own car they rather use that time to fix customer's car and earn money.
e46 especially with a manual trans are very good cars.
Had to change the alternator on my 2001 540 once. Found out they routed the water jacket around the "internally mounted" alternator. Along the way, had to fashion my own belt tensioner tool to remove the belt. After securing a brand new rebuilt alternator for $300, I managed to get the job done.
Bmw in the day before electronic and electric crazy. I had a 1983 320. Imports are dif but same basic engineering. As a mechanic i wish i still had her. 5 speed did same milage per gallon as compared to modern hondas
I owned a European spec 2003 BMW E46 320i for 5 years. Bought it in 2013, low mileage car with 30,000 miles. I had to invest a lot into from the very beginning just to replace everything that hadn't been bothered with in the 10 years it had been around and man, what a money pit it became. Great car when everything was working right. I was able to do a lot of minor repair work myself but it was always one thing right after another. I decided to let it go after the PLASTIC sides of the radiator crapped out and I recovered from the shock of the repair shops replacement cost. They drive and handle great but will 100% nickel and dime you right into the poor house.
Radiator is cheap around $100 if you shop around
Bollox
Well yeah of course it was good when everything worked. I’m sure those 20 miles were great driving
I don't know who is running BMW into being like this but they better get their act together and make better quality cars or they'll be going like Fiat Chrysler
Don't buy a piece of junk you morons even the most reliable merc or Toyota is gonna fall apart if you buy it from somebody who doesn't take care of it
Former Norwegian car shop manager here. I used to tell my costumers to get rid of the BMW/Mercedes, because it would kill their wallet (electronics, suspension, motors etc). If you don't like to work on your own car, get something else. If your a fan, learn how to fix it. And yes, I have had BMWs myself :/
Hi, which car would you recommend in terms of reliability and durability?
@@HeinerStorch Depends on what your need is. But if you go for a grandpa/grandma car, with a good service history, you should be pretty safe. Remember the task for a car, is to get you from A to B.
@@tiwaz14ify I never came across the brand "grand pa/ma car" by now. So I understand that you don't know, too, which car ( brand/model) is reliable and gets you from A and B every time you want to.
@@HeinerStorch Toyota Corolla
@@chetmyers7041 I believe you are right. We sold an Corolla e12 a year ago, now daily driving around in a e12. Both troublefree go anywhere at anytime, eachtime.
I feel like an IDIOT. I have a 260k mile bmw 328. 3 valve cover gaskets in 4 years. Starter, alternator, total transmission service, battery, 2 front crankshaft seals, 2 computers I fried trying to jump the damn thing... It still needs an RMS and a PCV valve which requires a whole new valve cover. Thankfully that's only 100 more than another CCG but still. Come on man. Engine mounts! I've put over 11k into this car going into my 4th year and it still has issues. I'm not a smart man, but what sucks about Bmw's is that they're so amazing to drive when they run! They feel great, look great, and the ride is amazing. I love that car, and will never stop loving that damn car.
Key to bmw ownership: proactive maintenance. Sadly, buying a used one usually means spending a small mint in catch-up maintenance.
"nah, I don't mind taking the money" 😂😂
I also have an affinity for the E46 so I am able to overlook their flaws...as you stated at 13:10 concerning the Land Rover. Changing the Oil Filter housing gasket, as shown in this video, is one of the most time consuming jobs on the engine...but everything else is relatively easy and the M54 is an incredibly reliable engine and with proper maintenance can easily pass 300k and keep going. Just keep the coolant system healthy and the oil changed and you are good to go. I have owned four E46 models. I currently own a 2004 330ci Convertible and do all the work myself. As a mechanic , I find them easy to work on, parts are cheap and most people that have issues are usually guilty of ignoring the maintenance schedule......like most car owners these days.