[gtvr6]

Hi Everyone,

I've been a long time member but mostly lurk and once in a while chime in. Today I need some advice. I have 2007 BMW 335i that I love driving. Haven't had major problems but in the last 6 months I've noticed oil drips on my driveway (my recently paved driveway). It's annoyed me and I know about all the normal causes (valve gasket, oil filter housing, oil pan). Had most of those addressed, thought it was good. Get home, park, next day I notice oil again (WTF). Turbos are leaking. so now what.

I'm handy but I've busy and had to have my indy do the other leaks. The Turbos are outside my skill level (I can probably do it, but it'll take me too long and I don't have the time). Now I'm shopping quotes to replace the turbos and I am hearing 16 hrs labor and the turbos, I'm looking at a bill of between $3500 - $4k. The car has 70k miles on it and I'm sure the clutch is next....where I'll replace the RMS since it's leaking too. Based on the book value of the car ($7,500 for a sorted example) the math doesn't equate.

I like my car, I really do, but is it time to pass the torch to someone else? I'm tempted to find a newer ('15 F30) and trading mine in. If they gave me something "reasonable" towards my car as a trade, does it make sense?

To add insult to injury, the day I found out about the turbos, a window regulator went - talk about wanting to ram the car into a tree.

Thought's from the group.

[Bimmer_Engineer]

I think it’s all up to you...drive an f30 first and see if you like it.

I think if you’re going to own a car this old you shouldn’t make decisions based on the book value of the car. You’ve already bought the depreciation and you should rather just pay what it takes to keep driving it as long as you can afford it...

[srey]

If you no longer enjoy the car and can afford to replace it maybe you should start shopping around. The biggest thing that will keep me in my 07 335i if I ever get to the point of wanting to replace it is that the trade-in and resale value on ut is so low. It makes it hard to want to put a bunch of money into it since one fender bender will total it. In my case, it's not my only car, so I can afford to have it sit on jackstands for a week while I work on it here and there when I have time. Good luck. If you start shopping around let us know what kind of trade-in offers you get.

[lowrydr310]

As badly as I want a e90 335 with manual transmission, I can't help but factor in the cost of turbo replacements when shopping and that's usually a deal breaker for me. I don't have the ideal garage however I do have the skill to do it and could make it work (have replaced/upgrades turbos myself on a few 4G63 Mitsubishi engines) but like you I don't have the free time to tackle that job right now.

Unfortunately you may not get anything 'reasonable' for a trade, certainly not what the car is really worth. You might fare OK trying to trade at a dealership for another BMW if the leaky turbos go unnoticed, but they'll still be low balling you.

If I had your car that had this issue (335i with manual transmission and only 70K miles, that's too nice to let go) I'd try to find a way to get them replaced, by doing it yourself, enlisting the help of a friend, or getting lucky and finding a reputable shop with low labor rates. It's really not that difficult of a job, it just involves a lot of steps. There are several posts around here that describe what's involved, here's one of them.

[robthewrench]

Everyone is a little different in how long they stick with a car, how much they can afford, etc...

For myself, the window is around 5-7 years. After I've had a car for that long, I start thinking about moving to something else. Your window may be different. Another thing that impacts my decision is how often the car is a headache. Is in in the shop or needing me to provide DIY repairs more than 2 or 3 times per year (outside of oil changes, tires, etc....).

Only you can make the decision between repairs vs. new. I don't disagree with your comparison of the turbo cost vs the total value of the car.

[hassmaschine]

you'll probably pay more than $4000 in taxes alone on a new 340i (or whatever the equivalent is).

Plus depreciation and a monthly payment.. assuming you own your 2007 335i outright, I don't see how that makes more financial sense than fixing the turbos, even if it's half the 'book value' (which is completely meaningless).

[Jesda]

I'd say get rid of it if this is your daily driver.
That said, the F30 is bland.

[ziddak]

Take the car to a detail shop. Have them clean the engine and engine bay to clean up the obvious leaks. Also detail the entire car. THEN go trade it in on a new ride.

[Bali]

It’s way way way cheaper to fix your 335i than go buy a newer car. Way cheaper!

[Efthreeoh]

At 70,000 miles, I'd replace the turbos and call it a day. There is plenty of life in the rest of the car. The E9X chassis lasts a very long time. You'll trade the car in, get a shit price for it, someone else will buy it and replace the turbos and drive the car another 10 years and 100,000 miles. You own it, so all it costs you is the turbo replacement. The math works in your favor.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by ziddak

Take the car to a detail shop. Have them clean the engine and engine bay to clean up the obvious leaks. Also detail the entire car. THEN go trade it in on a new ride.

Left out the part about....

and fuck someone else over.

[gtvr6]

I appreciate everyone's advice and fixing it is definitely on the table. I can afford to fix it and agree that the cheapest route is to fix what I have. Up to this year, it's been great and I've had the car for 10 years and while I do have to do things annually to keep it fresh, I expect it. (Injectors, suspension etc.) This is my daily driver and need it to be reliable. When I got it, it was also my fun weekend car but now I have a weekend toy, so I just need something that I can daily (note, I enjoy driving, so this does not mean I want to get into a Camry).

I just don't want to get upside down and this is the first year that I've felt as if I spent money on it and it's still needs more. I love the way it drives, handles and feels. I know the book value isn't everything but I'm an accountant and I have to think of the math. Spending $4K on the turbos, a car worth $8 (if that much) makes me wonder. The fact that when I talk to my shop (and a few other shops) they ask me the same question: "How attached are you to this car?"

I'm not going to buy a new 3 Series - I'm thinking more in the 3 to 4 year old range. Honestly, how bad are the F30s? I know everyone complains about the steering but are we talking light like the 2001 E46 steering or light and lifeless like a late '80 Cutlass Ciera? I know I will drive one to make my own decision but just wanted to see if others have made that decision and how they've felt after.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by gtvr6

I appreciate everyone's advice and fixing it is definitely on the table. I can afford to fix it and agree that the cheapest route is to fix what I have. Up to this year, it's been great and I've had the car for 10 years and while I do have to do things annually to keep it fresh, I expect it. (Injectors, suspension etc.) This is my daily driver and need it to be reliable. When I got it, it was also my fun weekend car but now I have a weekend toy, so I just need something that I can daily (note, I enjoy driving, so this does not mean I want to get into a Camry).

I just don't want to get upside down and this is the first year that I've felt as if I spent money on it and it's still needs more. I love the way it drives, handles and feels. I know the book value isn't everything but I'm an accountant and I have to think of the math. Spending $4K on the turbos, a car worth $8 (if that much) makes me wonder. The fact that when I talk to my shop (and a few other shops) they ask me the same question: "How attached are you to this car?"

I'm not going to buy a new 3 Series - I'm thinking more in the 3 to 4 year old range. Honestly, how bad are the F30s? I know everyone complains about the steering but are we talking light like the 2001 E46 steering or light and lifeless like a late '80 Cutlass Ciera? I know I will drive one to make my own decision but just wanted to see if others have made that decision and how they've felt after.

The argument about book value... the thing is your car is not worth 8K if the turbos are shot lol. IMHO.

[neilvan]

Agreed. Your best bet right for the most money atm is clean it up and trade it in. Selling used someone is going to check it out/get a shop to go over the car and going to lowball you hard. The question is can you get a better car for the same money (even after maintenance).

My winter beater is a turbo Volvo wagon. The thing keeps going along and driving as it should; High KMs on it and its worth 0 according to the book/used market. But just regular maintenance and I get an awesome reliable car that is worth more to me than anyone else.

FYI last year when my old car got written off I decided to buy a newer daily (4-5 years old) but only 6spd and rwd. I checked out a 2012 335 M-sport and was very very disappointed. Remembering how well the 135 I test drove with a friend a while back, I checked out some 135s/335s and M3s. Ended up settling on a 335 M sport and I even preferred it to the M3 (sedan and I6/turbos made more sense for a daily and the price difference wasn't worth it).

Absolutely drive one before coming to conclusions.

[Bimmer_Engineer]

Hmm...you could drive it into a ditch...the insurance company won’t know the turbos were going...

[catcher22]

What's wrong? All I read is that you have an oil leak and your window regulator went bad. No big deal.

Your car still drives, right? Your turbo's still work, right? A little wastegate rattle?

Stop freaking out, drive the thing, and save up for new turbos and other repair items when they go bad.

From what I read, your car still has relatively low miles, and is drivable.....so I don't really see why you would get rid of it.

[gtvr6]

Originally Posted by TheMidnightNarwhal

The argument about book value... the thing is your car is not worth 8K if the turbos are shot lol. IMHO.

It would take $4k to get make it an $8k car. If a dealer would give me $5.5k towards something else, I've made money. I think $5 would be a deal, no one will give me $8k.

[gtvr6]

Originally Posted by Bimmer_Engineer

Hmm...you could drive it into a ditch...the insurance company won’t know the turbos were going...

.....but when my window regulator went, I was tempted.

[Unknown_Car]

Change the turbos and hold on to the car. You won't get nothing that drives better, unless you want to spend some good amount of money. I went single turbo last year. It look me 1 day to get my turbos out and install my single turbo. Also don't remove the subframe like people say.

[Unknown_Car]

Originally Posted by ziddak

Take the car to a detail shop. Have them clean the engine and engine bay to clean up the obvious leaks. Also detail the entire car. THEN go trade it in on a new ride.

And then some one will buy it, and 3 month later will have all this problems without a warranty right? It shows what kind of person you are.

[gtvr6]

Originally Posted by catcher22

What's wrong? All I read is that you have an oil leak and your window regulator went bad. No big deal.

Your car still drives, right? Your turbo's still work, right? A little wastegate rattle?

Stop freaking out, drive the thing, and save up for new turbos and other repair items when they go bad.

From what I read, your car still has relatively low miles, and is drivable.....so I don't really see why you would get rid of it.

...from my Turbo. It's either the oil feed line or the turbo itself. I suspect the Turbo. I will get a second opinion when work slows down a bit but I'm pretty sure it's a blown turbo and honestly, if it is only the oil feed line, the labor to get to it is the same, so I would replace the turbos for piece of mind. Car runs /drives fine although it feels a little sluggish but that could be my imagination. Honestly, I can drive it like it is for now, keep an eye on my oil level.

I can pay to replace the turbos but is it worth it is what I'm wondering out loud.

As for the window regulator, that's been fixed - If I could get to the turbo's as easy as I could the window regulator, this would be a non-issue.

[gtvr6]

Originally Posted by Roma_335i

Change the turbos and hold on to the car. You won't get nothing that drives better, unless you want to spend some good amount of money. I went single turbo last year. It look me 1 day to get my turbos out and install my single turbo. Also don't remove the subframe like people say.

I'm wondering if getting to the turbos is really that big a job and requires the sub-frame from coming out. I might be stupid enough to try it.....Is there a way to do it without removing the cradle. Is it still from the bottom or the top?

As an aside, shop said 16 hours labor (15.7) but the DIY posted said 8? That's a big difference.

How do you like the single turbo.