Going to view this on Friday what do people think??

[1991 starlet owner]

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=271314271018

I'm going to look at this bmw 330d on Friday and I really like the sound of it. What do people think?? The advert says the auto box has already been done so hopefully won't need doing again(£2000 I won't have to worry about).

Thanks, Tom.

[Aamir]

Lovely car for a fair price mate. Mileage isn't very high either as others are 150k+. Looks like its been well looked after. Do these have a DPF filter?

[ady2k5]

Better off buying a remapped VW Golf GT TDI (around 170bhp), it will be just as quick or not quicker, better mpg and save yourself £1k - £2k.

The guy selling the car seems to be on the lookout for a VW Golf Diesel too with the MPG on the BMW being a possible reason for selling the car.

[Addymk2]

Better off buying a remapped VW Golf GT TDI (around 170bhp), it will be just as quick or not quicker, better mpg and save yourself £1k - £2k.

The guy selling the car seems to be on the lookout for a VW Golf Diesel too with the MPG on the BMW being a possible reason for selling the car.

That's like chalk and cheese. 2 completley different cars tbh, same principle as me buying my e36 328 m sport or a VW golf VR6. That shape bimmer drives impeccably well and regardless of the remap on the golf the beemer will still be a smoother pulling better drive

[MARC MOSS]

Check the history as the high pressure fuel pumps are what go about this milage

[1991 starlet owner]

Check the history as the high pressure fuel pumps are what go about this milage

Are they expensive or hard to fit??

Thanks, Tom.

[yaristurbo]

Even if the box has been done its not bullet proof, I had a to in one of these other day with a map on, amazing drive and be good for towing a track car

[Liam_D]

I personally wouldnt touch a diesel BMW with a barge pole. They single handily keep me in business! Mainly the 320D but still do massive amounts of Diesel BMW turbos and they are always really badly choked up with excessive carbon. Heard a lot of horror stories of engine related problems too.

Also a friend has a 330d just like the one advertised and his recently needed a oil pump changing and a few other parts. Cost in the region of 2k to fix.

If its really what you want though, just make sure its been serviced as and when its needed it and hopefully it'll be okay.

[kavan-k]

I had a 320 and it did drive great, but got rid as the milage was quite high! My cousin had a 320 too and had to replace a sensor among other things like the fuel pump (as mentioned above). Parts are absolutely extortianate for these things its rediculous. Good cars but parts prices are brutal!! And i like to stay away from motor factors lol

[dazstarlet]

"Are they expensive"

Tom, nothing is cheap in BMW world if it's genuine! I can testify to that. Ignore the VW comparison as at the end of the day VAG diesels are good workhorses no doubt, but VW's are not anymore reliable than BMW's. I've had several of both and so far BMW ownership has been far more reliable by a bloody mile than some of the tat VW shove out. And there is no way the pride of ownership is the same I can assure you ;)

As for performance, well if you check the MK5 170hp GT TDI it's officially only 0.60 7.9 and the 330 will pound that into the ground. Evo mag loved it, and said that conservatively it was 7.2 for that same benchmark. And yes BMW performance figures are well known to be conservative. If you wanted to upgrade it well you have plenty of options. Have you thought about a 320 or 120D? They can be wound up with a single (+ surprisingly not too expensive) official BMW Performance upgrade to near Golf GTI performance without risking warranty (if it has any). A 120 M sport is a nice motor in Le Mans blue for example.

But back on topic, you will love the 3'er i'm sure, but make sure it's got very good history and get it checked by expert (RAC inspection or whatever). A friend had a 320D and grumbled at having a £250 warranty renewal from BMW come through the door. He told them to stuff it. A few weeks later he had a glow plug failure and got a £2100 repair bill from a dealer! Yes, they can be that expensive, and although independents can save on labour, the parts if genuine are always going to be £££££.

330CD Msport is a great motor.

http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/48793/bmw_3series.html

Edited November 12, 2013 by dazstarlet

[MARC MOSS]

Great cars and no lol the diesel pumps are a walker and I can't do it

[1991 starlet owner]

Thanks for all the replies guys! If anytime is a good time to buy one of these for me it's now as the fiancée and I haven't moved in yet where she's still at UNI so hopefully won't go wrong but money's a little easier! I really like the sound of this one and if she looks and drives the part on Friday I think I'll be leaving a deposit.

Thanks, Tom.

[1991 starlet owner]

Also, is it worth getting the swirl flaps removed??

Thanks, Tom.

[Idrees]

Yes, I would get them removed for peace of mind. It's not a difficult task. I removed mine from my old E46 330D and E60 530D. Great cars by the way

No doubt you'll get bored in this a lot quicker than you would in a Starlet Turbo.

[Ep'd]

Very expensive for a old shape facelift

[1991 starlet owner]

Lovely car for a fair price mate. Mileage isn't very high either as others are 150k+. Looks like its been well looked after. Do these have a DPF filter?

What's a DPF filter?

Tom.

[Idrees]

Diesel Particulate Filter aka DPF aka pain in the ass.

This car won't have one anyway.

[Zeldoz]

My uncle had one, and got rid with 6 months. Had pump problems, sensor problems and then the turbo blew.

I loved the shape, the drive (when it was working fine) and everything else, bar the reliability. Just my 2p.

[1991 starlet owner]

Aaaahh righty, but and hope for the best then! I won't have it forever whatever car I get, perhaps a year or two and then sell on hopefully with nothing wrong with it:D

Tom.

[Zeldoz]

Aaaahh righty, but and hope for the best then! I won't have it forever whatever car I get, perhaps a year or two and then sell on hopefully with nothing wrong with it:D

Tom.

To be honest it already sounded like you was set on buying regardless of our opinions, Seems abit pointless asking haha

[1991 starlet owner]

Yeah I am well keen on it to be fair, but also wanted to know peoples thoughts on past experiences with parts and problems etc.

Thanks for all the replies!!!

Tom.

[1991 starlet owner]

Ooohh also, If I'm going to negotiate a price reduction for the swirl flap removal, how much should I try to get knocked off??

Thanks, Tom.

[WallaceGlanza]

There seems to be lots of "horror stories" about diesel beemers but the most are regarding the 320d, the 330d is much more reliable. I've had mine for a year and half and 30k miles with no major problems, there are a few "preventative" maintenance things to do though.

I would do the swirl flaps for peace of mind, it costs £25 for the blanks and they're easy to change, you also want to change the oil separator for the newer "vortex" type as the old style gets blocked and kills the turbo, also a good idea is to bypass the egr valve instead of filling the inlet with exhaust crud, it will bring up a light on the dash but never bothers me, or you can get it mapped out whilst getting a remap. I would recommend a remap by the way! It makes them obviously more powerful, a lot torquier and smoother, makes them rev more like a petrol and improves the economy, for £250 it's a no brainer.

The thermostat went on mine but was a £40 fix and I think I have a cracked exhaust manifold at the moment which is a problem with the 2004 models, the manifolds of that year appear to be made by toyosports! As with any car that age the bushes will also be getting past their best but the wishbone ones are the worst - which he has had done so bonus.

The wheels are awful for corroding so check the insides of them, mine weren't holding air, also the front wings rust badly just above the wheels so check for bubbles, if they're not rusted and you buy the car whip them off and underseal them - they're a water trap so will rust otherwise.

They're very good cars imo, comfortable cruisers, quick and good handling not the same excitement as a wee turbo hatch but mine would still keep up with a lot of them!

[rmsnoel]

Ok 330d horror stories the injectors constantly stick on them and as such break down constantly. BM-troubleU

On the plus for 6months til 1year of ownership it will be great it has enough power to fishtail up any highstreet

[dazstarlet]

Bottom line, 99.9% of all other cars compared to the Starlet are going to seem unreliable But it isn't an Alfa or a French car you are buying. Take a look over at Bmwland forum, and ask some questions there. There is a German chap on that (UK) forum who just knows everything you could need to know.