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.
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.
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.
@@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
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
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."
“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 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 RUclipsr like you. I definitely want to meet you someday.
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.
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!!
I have an '05 ZHP and I'm learning how to do everything through RUclips and forums. It's really quite easy if you have the tools. Saved myself thousands so far.
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.
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.
@@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.
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.
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 RUclips, 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!
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.
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.
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.
Removing "all that" is 25 minutes of work to take of, clean it for 5 minutes, change the gasket, putt all back in in the remaining 30 min and you're done in an hour. Don't call yourself a Car Wizard when you complain about stuff like this.... Ohw, and 600?! for 1 hour of work? I feel very sorry for that woman because she got ripped off and that Ripoff is documented on video.
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 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.
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.
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.
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$
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 RUclips
I have one of these, a 2004 BMW 325i. This video is very accurate. The headlights on these cars tend to melt into the housing, which means you can't just replace the light, you gotta replace the entire headlight assembly. This cost me $2,500 for both headlights on a car barely worth $5500. I'm getting to the end of my rope and now the oil pan gasket is leaking 🙄
I'll second the above answer, AutoDoc are a AAA+ company, and even if they don't have a part or can't get it to you, they're at least nice enough to provide full part numbers so you can go and hunt for the part closer to you through some other means.....
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.
@@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.
@@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 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.
@@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.
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 👌
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 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.
@@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 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.
Yup I own 2 e46 3 series and there are so many videos on RUclips on how to replace stuff on them and actually it isn’t usually too hard and I’m no certified mechanic
@@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
Oil filter housing gasket on a e46 with m54 is a 40 minute job, one of the easiest Bmws to work on and it does have vanos. To replace pcv and all the hoses you do not need to remove intake manifold
Agree, I did the oil filter housing gasket on my 2004, Z4, 3.0L. (also the M54 engine) I'm no mechanic and it was NOT a big deal. I did NOT have to remove the fan or the belt tensioner or idler. Air box yes (Wow...big job, 2 bolts and a clamp) alternator, yes. I took me more than 40 minutes but I am a backyard mechanic, someone with more experience would probably be able to do the job much quicker than I could. He said himself that he doesn't work on BMWs...perhaps if he did he could have done the job more quickly and without removing as many parts. I'm sure that most if not all cars on the road have cheap parts where the labor to replace them is many times the price of the part...And he knows that as well! Now if he would have been doing the oil pan gasket...I could see where he might cry.
100% correct. Rubbish video. Hurt his credibility with this video. Basically, admitting he overcharges for simple stuff and is afraid to do a little work. That is how it comes across.
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 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!
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.
@@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.
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!
Wizard is a scammer basically ngl super simple job I did this when I first really really got into cars and way! Before I went to college for it and got ase certified
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.
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
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
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.
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.
"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... "
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.
@@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.
@@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.
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.
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
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 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.
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
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.
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!)
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! 🤣
Yeah, this is a pretty easy job for any half competent shade tree mechanic. He’s making a mountain out of a mole hill. Buy a quality part and it will last the next 15 years. Every car has a cheap gasket that leaks somewhere and requires a good amount of labor to replace. It’s not just BMW. There’s no doubt BMW’s require a fair amount of care and feeding...especially older models. Someone of modest means shouldn’t be buying one if they can’t turn a wrench themselves.
@@FixItYerself not sure if there is, i ended up just replacing it with a genuine bmw one as the original lasted about 90k miles. So probably will last the about same again but not in my ownership
@@rueliotube yeah I agree. I managed to do the job in just an afternoon with a hand full of tools, some jack stands, along with following the advice of others on google and youtube.
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.
A good tip is before you hire a mechanic, ask them what is their favorite easy car to work on. If he says the car you have, you have found your guy. I currently have a e46 and had that job done for almost nothing because my BMW guy knew I'd need it eventually, and recommended it since we had the alternator out already. He knew that because he worked on them all the time. BMW, and others, have routines like that, where while you are doing this, do that too. Had a Volvo and 3 shops gave me $500 estimates, found the Volvo guy and back on the road for 75 bucks. Shops that will work on anything are to be avoided in my experience.
This was absolutely the case with my Saab 9-5. Most mechanics would open the hood and just make twisted, grotesque faces at the engine. I eventually found a guy who owned four Saab 9-5s just like mine and loved them to bits. I don't know how he did it, but he was a legendary Saab whisperer. With even the slightest description of a problem, he knew what it was right away and had it fixed right up. He now works for Air Canada doing maintenance on airplane engines.
a $.25 pin broke in the shifter of my ‘12 e70, which causes it to shift into neutral anytime you hit a bump. they won’t sell you just the pin. you have to buy a $900+ replacement shifter. ended up buying a whole assembly for $125 on ebay. just to take the plastic pin out. last time i ever buy a BMW. Unless it’s an e30.
I’ve owned ‘97 Z3 for almost 16 years. This car has cost me next to nothing to maintain. It’s not my only car, but it’s less expensive to maintain than any Lexus or Toyota I’ve owned.
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 had my E46 for almost 200k . The only thing that was annoying to fix was replacing the CCV. The OFHG isn't that bad to do, prob takes 3 hours. They are expensive to maintain if you pay someone else but not bad if you can do it yourself.
It’s almost easier to work on German cars. There’s pretty much a DIY for anything you need to do, because enthusiasts, and it’s really easy to source quality aftermarket parts At a very reasonable prices from online retailers.
I would love to charge a customer 600 to change a oil filter housing gasket. 300 would be pushing it at my euro shop in the Boston area. And that'd still be a pretty profitable job.
A very good friend of mine just bought a new 2024 Big Money Wasted 420i coupe. He had the thing for 2 months and he had problems with the iDrive. I told him to remember all that prestige that blue and white propeller brought him. GREAT VIDEO!
I was a BMW dealer tech from 1986 to 2013. The cars used to be amazing cars! In 2013 I could not take anymore of there low quality. You are correct when you said the plastics are garbage with not if it fails but when! They are rolling electric nightmares as well and that started with the 2001 e65 .
Is it hit or miss with them? My parents only buy new BMW's from the dealership and they have a 4 series coupe and they just bought a new M4. They have driven all over Europe in the 4 series and never had any break downs or issues. None of their BMW's have ever caused issues. Is that because they only buy new? I had a 3 series that was 11 years old and was non stop breakdowns. My friend has an X3 and had the turbo go but beyond that he has had no problems.
@@northernsegageorge6510 i think that there is a difference between European driving and North American driving. We tend to put a lot more miles on our vehicles in NA due to longer distances. We are also prone to cheap out on maintenance over here.
@@martinliehs2513 Maybe it is the distance. I think my parents do around 10,000 miles per year on a busy year. They drive from the UK through to Germany etc. In Europe BMW is seen as a pretty reliable solid car. For the sheer price of them, I'd expect it to be reliable.
Northern SEGA GEORGE you also have to take in to account highway versus stop and go traffic from lights and crowded streets. If you spend 15 minutes driving down the highway to go more than 10 miles but spend 15 minutes in the city to go 1 mile, your miles may not seem very high but the damage being done from vibration, heat, etc continues as if you had more miles. I’d argue that the city driving is much worse as cars tend to run hotter due to not have 60+ mph of airflow cooling everything down consistently. Luckily electric fans are much better in these cases but don’t solve everything.
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.
12 years of e46 maintenance and love working on these cars, so easy, and unless your replacing a gasket on the top of a engine of course you will have to remove stuff, not like it takes long to remove air box, viscous fan etc
He talks like in other cars he doesn’t have to remove stuff to get to stuff. I had to remove lots of parts to get to the radiator on a MDX. look at the BRZ and other subarus, all the crap that have to be removed to get to a blown head gasket. I have an e39 with the M52, currently 254k and has been pretty reliable. It all dependes who was owning the car, and if they did the preventive maintenance.
The “etc” happens to be way more more than what you first mentioned. By the way, a similar car in annoyance to a newer BMW as far as for me to work on is another of German engineering excellence. An Audi. When you have to remove basically every outer component of a motor to get to something likely to fault, it is engineered garbage. When you are dealing with a large majority of mechanics, they are paid per hour for labor. This is what is specifically being stated here. It has nothing to do with the joy of working on your own car when you are on your time or if you don’t mind being a mechanic and spending extra time fixing something that should cost next to nothing. If he has to spend a couple more hours to replace a $3 gasket that didn’t need to be the way it was, it is very unfortunate not only for his customer but the bmw customer. That said, BMW’s can surely be good cars and if you are capable of working on them yourself even better. I also tend to love their interiors and exteriors.
@@Lo0die3 sadly with all cars , cheap to buy gaskets reside everywhere in the engine, so sometimes one can be a lot more involved to change that another, only so much they can engineer for ease of maintenance and the larger the engine the more gaskets and less room to access. Best to replace all at once if possible and makes more sense financially and time wise
I own a 2004 330, have it for about 7 months now, when I first got it, I instantly overhauled the cooling system, new ccv, new intake gasket, fixed the oil line leak, and my only issue now for the past few months is that it burns a little bit of oil. I take her out for 2-3 hours every night and she has been nothing but a dream of a car
This is so funny to me. I'm from the Czech republic and I've been driving e39 520i for the past 6 years. It's slow but comfortable and I actually enjoy working on it compared to VW and other VAG brands as they just seem to put things in the most inconvenient places. The difference is don't get paid for it and I pay nobody for the work and also being in europe there are many more old BMWs and the spare parts are readily available so even if I don't make ton of cash it's not that difficult to maintain in. Although to be honest for most non-essential parts (brakes and safety) I just don't use OEM parts as even a pair of new xenon headlights costs more than the car is worth.
@@aldinhadzic1727 yep. He must cost 600-1200$ per hour in labor. Sad to see he doesn’t go by shop rate and just charges what it takes him. Since everyone else can do it in an hour or under not rushing.
The wizard has come along way! I remember the beginning days when he didn’t even know how to look at the camera. Just stared in daze and didn’t know what to do.
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 :/
@@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.
@@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.
Agreed. If it takes 2-3 hours for an average joe to do it, then it should be about $300 labour at $100 an hour. I drive a 24 year old Lexus and I also had to learn how to do a lot of repairs because shops charge a lot of money these days when all you need most of the time is a good set of tools, elbow grease and a few beers on a Saturday night.
I really love my 2004 BMW 325ci conv. Just changed the Vanos seals. All gaskets needed. Runs great. 150k now. 5 speed. I put alum rad and changed all hoses, thermostat, Stewart pump and new expansion tank.
Yeah but man you gotta be a bmw mechanic. I know for a fact that the vanos installation tool set is nothing less than $2000… unless you got a bmw buddy that has it.
@@rossilake218 I understand that. I also understand after being a mechanic for 30 plus years now that the specialty tools required to make repairs on several of the European vehicles are astronomical in price as well as most of the labor times. Like 15 hours to do valve covers on an 2015 750i.
It is not simple. There’s a crossmember in the way preventing removal of the bolts. Everyone saying this is a 2 hour job is not a working mechanic. I know this would be a 3-4 hour job realistically, so $600 isn’t bad at all.
@@memiyago8246 even a 3 to 4 hour job here would only cost 160€ in labour so yeah $600 is a rip off unless in the US mechanics charge the same as brain surgeons do LOL.
@@memiyago8246 it is very simple. Ive done over 100 of these repairs, and can do them pretty effortlessly in less then an hour. Including spending a few minutes degreasing everything.
@@legohead6 Well mate you better go start your own shop then because appearantly you can undercut wizard by half and still make 300 buckaroonies an hour. Except this is real life and running a shop isn't the same as hacking around on your own beater on a sunday afternoon.
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
@@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.
Honestly the e46 is my favorite body style, especially the e46 m3 6 speed. I know the e46s inside and out. Parts are cheap on those since they're so old. Once I saw what was removed I immediately knew u were replacing the oil filter housing gasket.
😂 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.
We'll agree to disagree Wizard! My Buick from the same era runs coolant through the alternator bracket and incredibly fragile plastic parts. My Mazda Miata had the oil cooler gasket go (very common on those Ford engines) which required a similar amount of finessing to replace. It seems like any engine made past the 2000s will have one or two "b*** parts" where a questionable engineering decision results in a $2 part that requires removing most of the accessories to get to it. Great video as always man! I still love wrenching on my E46.
People whinge about the expense of old BMWs because they want to fix and keep driving them. If you're given a 600 buck bill on a 25 year old camry, you cheer as you bin it because you got sick of it 10 years ago
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.
i had a 2002 325ci coupe, so same as this car with a hardtop, black on black. i bought it used, four years old with 20k miles on it! the original owner put an m3 front bumper, oz vela ll staggered rims on it and lowerd the suspension. it looked great inside and out all the way to the end, i got many compliments. i had it dealer serviced the entire time i owned it. by 125k miles it was consuming a quart of oil about every 14 days!!! i still don't know why that engine just s'ed the bed for no apparent reason. nice while it lasted but i thought it should/would have lasted longer than 125 k miles!
A cousin of mine fell in love with BMWs when he worked as a parking valet in high school. He bought his first, a 318i if I remember correctly, around 1983 or 1984.shortly after that he moved to NYC and left the car at his parents’ house most of the time. When he wanted to drive the car he would almost always have to take it to the local European car specialist and spend $400-$500 to get it running right. He still drives one, at least now he has enough money to have a garage space in the city.
After watching this video. I have to say I wish I worked at a shop like this. The man obviously has a heart for people and cares about the work he does. If I lived in kansas id apply to the car wizards in a heart beat. After 21 years in the industry it would be a very pleasant change......
So true! I've owned an E46 325i and now an E92 335i and it's all about doing your own maintenance. How much would this fix cost us enthusiasts? A Saturday afternoon and about $3.... These cars and their parts aren't usually very expensive, but the labor sure is. The Wizard doesn't hate BMWs, he hates dealing with the clueless people that own them. I can only imagine their reaction when he has to explain that a $3 seal requires $600 of labor, as I doubt it's pleasant.
I think it's easy to talk shit on any 20 y/o car. Plus remove a rubber gasket from it and say it's cheap. Goes over to '57 Chevy rotting in field: "Look at that hole in the floor board, cheap steel."
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.
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?
@@glenerickson358
Yup indeed
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
@@zesprixxher dad was your mechanic? Why don’t you fix it yourself😂
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
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.
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!
Honest, intelligent, no hype, I love this guy, tells it like it is, it's refreshing. Thank you
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.
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 RUclipsr 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
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'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 RUclips 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.
Certain mechanics are very dramatic and love exaggerating the cost to remove things.
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.
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
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 🤣
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.
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 RUclips, 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 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
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.
Removing "all that" is 25 minutes of work to take of, clean it for 5 minutes, change the gasket, putt all back in in the remaining 30 min and you're done in an hour.
Don't call yourself a Car Wizard when you complain about stuff like this....
Ohw, and 600?! for 1 hour of work?
I feel very sorry for that woman because she got ripped off and that Ripoff is documented on video.
😂 u r right. Her in Iraq it tooks 50 bucks to do same job. It is not big issue
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.
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.
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 :)
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$
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 RUclips
I have one of these, a 2004 BMW 325i. This video is very accurate. The headlights on these cars tend to melt into the housing, which means you can't just replace the light, you gotta replace the entire headlight assembly. This cost me $2,500 for both headlights on a car barely worth $5500. I'm getting to the end of my rope and now the oil pan gasket is leaking 🙄
You have the bi xenon?
Both headlights for my 03 e46 325ci for £160..... from Auto Doc in Germany . Actually they were £120!!
I'll second the above answer, AutoDoc are a AAA+ company, and even if they don't have a part or can't get it to you, they're at least nice enough to provide full part numbers so you can go and hunt for the part closer to you through some other means.....
If you actually paid 2500$ for e46 headlights you don’t deserve money. This is how shit mechanics make money, off stupid people.
@@bradwinger8199 agreed, I replaced my OEM headlights off my e36 with DEPOS for literally $170 dollars.
When they are properly maintained they are amazing cars
all things wear out, even properly maintained machines.
@@larrybud true!
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 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.
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.
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.
Next on Hoovie's Garage: I bought the cheapest BMW convertible in the entire state of Kansas ...
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.
I love how Hoovie is like "$600, huh? Not that bad" LOL
It's not really tasty bad Karen.
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 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 RUclips 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
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...
Oil filter housing gasket on a e46 with m54 is a 40 minute job, one of the easiest Bmws to work on and it does have vanos.
To replace pcv and all the hoses you do not need to remove intake manifold
Agree, I did the oil filter housing gasket on my 2004, Z4, 3.0L. (also the M54 engine) I'm no mechanic and it was NOT a big deal. I did NOT have to remove the fan or the belt tensioner or idler. Air box yes (Wow...big job, 2 bolts and a clamp) alternator, yes. I took me more than 40 minutes but I am a backyard mechanic, someone with more experience would probably be able to do the job much quicker than I could. He said himself that he doesn't work on BMWs...perhaps if he did he could have done the job more quickly and without removing as many parts. I'm sure that most if not all cars on the road have cheap parts where the labor to replace them is many times the price of the part...And he knows that as well! Now if he would have been doing the oil pan gasket...I could see where he might cry.
They’re making a tragedy over something easy.
Imagine, that . If they open an engine, they took 1 month to assemble it back!😂
Best engine bmw ever made and they bitch. M54
@@FanniCSIe92
Open engine?
4000 Dollar Job buddy
100% correct. Rubbish video. Hurt his credibility with this video. Basically, admitting he overcharges for simple stuff and is afraid to do a little work. That is how it comes across.
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 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.
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.
Didn't know Action Bronson is a car mechanic. Man this dude got it all
Underrated comment
@McDung lmaoo
Hip-hop head detected👊👊
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.
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.
Nice to hear a mechanic who likes looking after their customers - respect Wizard.
What ??
Car Wizard is so honest and wholesome. Best mechanic ever!
I think it is too much, even for croatian car mechanic
His kind are becoming a rare breed these days sadly.
lol 600 dollars for that easy job it's not "honest"
@@pier11francesco Why isn't it honest? What should it cost?
@@ozzierabbit587 150 would be reasonable it's literally a 1 hour job I don't know how he can charge 600
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!
Wizard is a scammer basically ngl super simple job I did this when I first really really got into cars and way! Before I went to college for it and got ase certified
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
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
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.
The e46 is my favourite BMW. Had one for years. Faults? Oh, yes. But still I love it!
"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!
"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.
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?
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 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
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 ended up doing mine myself. Had to buy a flat spanner and fan lock out bar to be able to remove the fan assembly. But parts wise it wasnt bad at all
do they make a silicone gasket that doesn't fail?
Yeah, this is a pretty easy job for any half competent shade tree mechanic. He’s making a mountain out of a mole hill. Buy a quality part and it will last the next 15 years. Every car has a cheap gasket that leaks somewhere and requires a good amount of labor to replace. It’s not just BMW. There’s no doubt BMW’s require a fair amount of care and feeding...especially older models. Someone of modest means shouldn’t be buying one if they can’t turn a wrench themselves.
@@FixItYerself not sure if there is, i ended up just replacing it with a genuine bmw one as the original lasted about 90k miles. So probably will last the about same again but not in my ownership
@@rueliotube yeah I agree. I managed to do the job in just an afternoon with a hand full of tools, some jack stands, along with following the advice of others on google and youtube.
$10 Park bicycle headset wrench fits
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.
A good tip is before you hire a mechanic, ask them what is their favorite easy car to work on. If he says the car you have, you have found your guy. I currently have a e46 and had that job done for almost nothing because my BMW guy knew I'd need it eventually, and recommended it since we had the alternator out already. He knew that because he worked on them all the time. BMW, and others, have routines like that, where while you are doing this, do that too. Had a Volvo and 3 shops gave me $500 estimates, found the Volvo guy and back on the road for 75 bucks. Shops that will work on anything are to be avoided in my experience.
This was absolutely the case with my Saab 9-5. Most mechanics would open the hood and just make twisted, grotesque faces at the engine. I eventually found a guy who owned four Saab 9-5s just like mine and loved them to bits. I don't know how he did it, but he was a legendary Saab whisperer. With even the slightest description of a problem, he knew what it was right away and had it fixed right up. He now works for Air Canada doing maintenance on airplane engines.
@@newcarpathia9422 those are the guys I search the car forums for
And this is why you don't buy pizza from a Chinese food restaurant
@malcolm Bekei....excellent point. Never thought about it that way.
@Art Vein And that's why you don't buy a car from a country known for sausage and beer.
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
a $.25 pin broke in the shifter of my ‘12 e70, which causes it to shift into neutral anytime you hit a bump. they won’t sell you just the pin. you have to buy a $900+ replacement shifter. ended up buying a whole assembly for $125 on ebay. just to take the plastic pin out. last time i ever buy a BMW. Unless it’s an e30.
My rule is I only buy them brand new or very old. Very old are easier to work on and brand new they fix everything for free.
You know it's a problem when you're picking between a replacement window switch or a used Golf
Just stay permanently away from those pieces of junk
@aero and true lol
I’ve owned ‘97 Z3 for almost 16 years. This car has cost me next to nothing to maintain. It’s not my only car, but it’s less expensive to maintain than any Lexus or Toyota I’ve owned.
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 had my E46 for almost 200k . The only thing that was annoying to fix was replacing the CCV. The OFHG isn't that bad to do, prob takes 3 hours. They are expensive to maintain if you pay someone else but not bad if you can do it yourself.
It’s almost easier to work on German cars. There’s pretty much a DIY for anything you need to do, because enthusiasts, and it’s really easy to source quality aftermarket parts At a very reasonable prices from online retailers.
Same. Took me about 3 hours. First ever diy job. 50skid’s video helped a lot.
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 😂
I would love to charge a customer 600 to change a oil filter housing gasket. 300 would be pushing it at my euro shop in the Boston area. And that'd still be a pretty profitable job.
For real I thought he was charging way to much lol I’d take 200 it’s a pretty straight forward job, 600 is just too much
I agree its a bit much for the job, it doesn't seem to tight of a space...
This is overpriced like he is some educated man, and this is small work, how much he will charge engine change, ridiculous
If you ever worked on any e46 the job is fucking cake same on the m3 the hard part is getting fan shroud and air box out
What’s the book time on this job?
A very good friend of mine just bought a new 2024 Big Money Wasted 420i coupe. He had the thing for 2 months and he had problems with the iDrive. I told him to remember all that prestige that blue and white propeller brought him. GREAT VIDEO!
I was in Germany in the 90's, and it seemed like the early 90's 3 and 5 series were really good and easy to work on.
The early cars are good.
They didn’t use as much plastics in the engine
@@floridaman7 probably right, it's been 20 years or more so my memory isn't clear on it.
not 90s, like 85 to 91. the 1993 and later when they redid the look of the 3 series are not so reliable.
E30 and e36 are really great cars, e46 is where it went south, HARD.
Remember when the car wizard was the awkward presenter. Oh how the tides have changed...
Agreed. He’s a natural.
Your honesty and integrity is profound and appreciated.
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 was a BMW dealer tech from 1986 to 2013. The cars used to be amazing cars! In 2013 I could not take anymore of there low quality. You are correct when you said the plastics are garbage with not if it fails but when! They are rolling electric nightmares as well and that started with the 2001 e65 .
Is it hit or miss with them? My parents only buy new BMW's from the dealership and they have a 4 series coupe and they just bought a new M4. They have driven all over Europe in the 4 series and never had any break downs or issues. None of their BMW's have ever caused issues. Is that because they only buy new? I had a 3 series that was 11 years old and was non stop breakdowns. My friend has an X3 and had the turbo go but beyond that he has had no problems.
@@northernsegageorge6510 i think that there is a difference between European driving and North American driving. We tend to put a lot more miles on our vehicles in NA due to longer distances. We are also prone to cheap out on maintenance over here.
@@martinliehs2513 Maybe it is the distance. I think my parents do around 10,000 miles per year on a busy year. They drive from the UK through to Germany etc. In Europe BMW is seen as a pretty reliable solid car. For the sheer price of them, I'd expect it to be reliable.
Northern SEGA GEORGE you also have to take in to account highway versus stop and go traffic from lights and crowded streets. If you spend 15 minutes driving down the highway to go more than 10 miles but spend 15 minutes in the city to go 1 mile, your miles may not seem very high but the damage being done from vibration, heat, etc continues as if you had more miles. I’d argue that the city driving is much worse as cars tend to run hotter due to not have 60+ mph of airflow cooling everything down consistently. Luckily electric fans are much better in these cases but don’t solve everything.
@@northernsegageorge6510 It's the distance. My wife and I probably put 15K miles a year on our Volvo and closer to 20K a year on our Hummer H3.
My general rule for BMW model-years is where the hood hinge is, if it in front (the hood opens 'backwards') then it is a good one.
"nah, I don't mind taking the money" 😂😂
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? 😂
12 years of e46 maintenance and love working on these cars, so easy, and unless your replacing a gasket on the top of a engine of course you will have to remove stuff, not like it takes long to remove air box, viscous fan etc
He talks like in other cars he doesn’t have to remove stuff to get to stuff. I had to remove lots of parts to get to the radiator on a MDX. look at the BRZ and other subarus, all the crap that have to be removed to get to a blown head gasket. I have an e39 with the M52, currently 254k and has been pretty reliable. It all dependes who was owning the car, and if they did the preventive maintenance.
The “etc” happens to be way more more than what you first mentioned. By the way, a similar car in annoyance to a newer BMW as far as for me to work on is another of German engineering excellence. An Audi. When you have to remove basically every outer component of a motor to get to something likely to fault, it is engineered garbage.
When you are dealing with a large majority of mechanics, they are paid per hour for labor. This is what is specifically being stated here. It has nothing to do with the joy of working on your own car when you are on your time or if you don’t mind being a mechanic and spending extra time fixing something that should cost next to nothing. If he has to spend a couple more hours to replace a $3 gasket that didn’t need to be the way it was, it is very unfortunate not only for his customer but the bmw customer.
That said, BMW’s can surely be good cars and if you are capable of working on them yourself even better. I also tend to love their interiors and exteriors.
@@Lo0die3 sadly with all cars , cheap to buy gaskets reside everywhere in the engine, so sometimes one can be a lot more involved to change that another, only so much they can engineer for ease of maintenance and the larger the engine the more gaskets and less room to access. Best to replace all at once if possible and makes more sense financially and time wise
I own a 2004 330, have it for about 7 months now, when I first got it, I instantly overhauled the cooling system, new ccv, new intake gasket, fixed the oil line leak, and my only issue now for the past few months is that it burns a little bit of oil. I take her out for 2-3 hours every night and she has been nothing but a dream of a car
This is so funny to me. I'm from the Czech republic and I've been driving e39 520i for the past 6 years. It's slow but comfortable and I actually enjoy working on it compared to VW and other VAG brands as they just seem to put things in the most inconvenient places. The difference is don't get paid for it and I pay nobody for the work and also being in europe there are many more old BMWs and the spare parts are readily available so even if I don't make ton of cash it's not that difficult to maintain in. Although to be honest for most non-essential parts (brakes and safety) I just don't use OEM parts as even a pair of new xenon headlights costs more than the car is worth.
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
@@Birdhouseboi810yep... I do it in like half and hour to one hour if I do not rush it...
@@aldinhadzic1727 yep. He must cost 600-1200$ per hour in labor.
Sad to see he doesn’t go by shop rate and just charges what it takes him. Since everyone else can do it in an hour or under not rushing.
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.
We need more info on that Case in the background!
What's next on your car?
Looks like franks case from digginok channel
Engine swap into what, an armoured personnel carrier?
The wizard has come along way! I remember the beginning days when he didn’t even know how to look at the camera. Just stared in daze and didn’t know what to do.
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.
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....
Agree 2 hour job by an experienced mechanic.
My mechanic works on my E46 and they also owns one. $ 250 WOULD BE A FAIR PRICE.
Agreed. If it takes 2-3 hours for an average joe to do it, then it should be about $300 labour at $100 an hour. I drive a 24 year old Lexus and I also had to learn how to do a lot of repairs because shops charge a lot of money these days when all you need most of the time is a good set of tools, elbow grease and a few beers on a Saturday night.
I really love my 2004 BMW 325ci conv. Just changed the Vanos seals. All gaskets needed. Runs great. 150k now. 5 speed. I put alum rad and changed all hoses, thermostat, Stewart pump and new expansion tank.
Yeah but man you gotta be a bmw mechanic. I know for a fact that the vanos installation tool set is nothing less than $2000… unless you got a bmw buddy that has it.
@@davidsmith687 You are on RUclips. Probably the best invention after libraries. Research and watch the videos. Cleanliness is paramount!
@@rossilake218 I understand that. I also understand after being a mechanic for 30 plus years now that the specialty tools required to make repairs on several of the European vehicles are astronomical in price as well as most of the labor times. Like 15 hours to do valve covers on an 2015 750i.
This is honestly a super simple repair. I did this and don't remember taking out half that stuff.
@Joe The Fifth and don't forget the revenue this video will make nearly at 500k views
It is not simple. There’s a crossmember in the way preventing removal of the bolts. Everyone saying this is a 2 hour job is not a working mechanic. I know this would be a 3-4 hour job realistically, so $600 isn’t bad at all.
@@memiyago8246 even a 3 to 4 hour job here would only cost 160€ in labour so yeah $600 is a rip off unless in the US mechanics charge the same as brain surgeons do LOL.
@@memiyago8246 it is very simple. Ive done over 100 of these repairs, and can do them pretty effortlessly in less then an hour. Including spending a few minutes degreasing everything.
@@legohead6 Well mate you better go start your own shop then because appearantly you can undercut wizard by half and still make 300 buckaroonies an hour. Except this is real life and running a shop isn't the same as hacking around on your own beater on a sunday afternoon.
I have a gravel drive and oil keeps the dust down
I love my 94 BMW 530i it’s my daily driver
They made em great back then
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 ...
Should probably do the whole pcv system under the intake manifold while you’re in there.. vacuum leaks galore!
Honestly the e46 is my favorite body style, especially the e46 m3 6 speed. I know the e46s inside and out. Parts are cheap on those since they're so old. Once I saw what was removed I immediately knew u were replacing the oil filter housing gasket.
I agree with you own a 2006 E46 convertible and have worked on myself
do you think 600 dollars was a reasonable price LOL? I feel bad for that poor lady
@@pier11francesco I think so, I did that job when I had mine, still took a few hours.
Totally agree. It’s really easy to work on as well.
E46s you need to work on yourself or you will be in a lot of trouble.
😂 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🤣🤣🤣
We'll agree to disagree Wizard! My Buick from the same era runs coolant through the alternator bracket and incredibly fragile plastic parts. My Mazda Miata had the oil cooler gasket go (very common on those Ford engines) which required a similar amount of finessing to replace. It seems like any engine made past the 2000s will have one or two "b*** parts" where a questionable engineering decision results in a $2 part that requires removing most of the accessories to get to it.
Great video as always man! I still love wrenching on my E46.
I hate Mazda B platform is so cramp in there.
People whinge about the expense of old BMWs because they want to fix and keep driving them.
If you're given a 600 buck bill on a 25 year old camry, you cheer as you bin it because you got sick of it 10 years ago
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
Everything he said made sense - until he said he loves Range Rovers :)
Underrated comment
Bmw with british heratege.
i had a 2002 325ci coupe, so same as this car with a hardtop, black on black. i bought it used, four years old with 20k miles on it! the original owner put an m3 front bumper, oz vela ll staggered rims on it and lowerd the suspension. it looked great inside and out all the way to the end, i got many compliments. i had it dealer serviced the entire time i owned it. by 125k miles it was consuming a quart of oil about every 14 days!!! i still don't know why that engine just s'ed the bed for no apparent reason. nice while it lasted but i thought it should/would have lasted longer than 125 k miles!
A cousin of mine fell in love with BMWs when he worked as a parking valet in high school. He bought his first, a 318i if I remember correctly, around 1983 or 1984.shortly after that he moved to NYC and left the car at his parents’ house most of the time. When he wanted to drive the car he would almost always have to take it to the local European car specialist and spend $400-$500 to get it running right. He still drives one, at least now he has enough money to have a garage space in the city.
After watching this video. I have to say I wish I worked at a shop like this. The man obviously has a heart for people and cares about the work he does. If I lived in kansas id apply to the car wizards in a heart beat. After 21 years in the industry it would be a very pleasant change......
I watched for a little while. Love my 08 335i. I do my own work or I wouldn’t own one!
Same here. If you learn to fix most stuff on an e46 yourself you can keep them cheap enough.
So true! I've owned an E46 325i and now an E92 335i and it's all about doing your own maintenance. How much would this fix cost us enthusiasts? A Saturday afternoon and about $3....
These cars and their parts aren't usually very expensive, but the labor sure is. The Wizard doesn't hate BMWs, he hates dealing with the clueless people that own them. I can only imagine their reaction when he has to explain that a $3 seal requires $600 of labor, as I doubt it's pleasant.
Yep and as enthusiasts we would do this job for others for £ $ 200 max. Easy DIY.
I think it's easy to talk shit on any 20 y/o car. Plus remove a rubber gasket from it and say it's cheap.
Goes over to '57 Chevy rotting in field: "Look at that hole in the floor board, cheap steel."
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.