[MadDog89]

Hello Everyone,

I am heading out tomorrow to take a look at a 2007 335i with 96k miles. I have a daily driver, but want something I can play around with. For a year I've been looking and doing a lot of reading and 335i is just what I need. Only thing that is making me think twice is the turbo replacement procedure, I would consider myself mechanically inclined and I have tools, but being on my back with a car that I've never worked with is going to be tough.

Any advise or words of wisdom before I make this purchase?

Thank you

[lowrydr310]

Originally Posted by MadDog89

Hello Everyone,

I am heading out tomorrow to take a look at a 2007 335i with 96k miles. I have a daily driver, but want something I can play around with. For a year I've been looking and doing a lot of reading and 335i is just what I need. Only thing that is making me think twice is the turbo replacement procedure, I would consider myself mechanically inclined and I have tools, but being on my back with a car that I've never worked with is going to be tough.

Any advise or words of wisdom before I make this purchase?

Thank you

There are lots of threads covering this topic. I started a similar "how unreliable is the N54/55" one recently and feel kind of stupid for doing so. It comes down to this - if you don't care about the extra power and want simplicity (no turbos to think about) then just get a 325/328. If you want a lot more power with option for even more and you have tools and are mechanically inclined, and can afford new turbos and/or high pressure fuel pump, then don't hold back and just go for it. Turbo replacements are not difficult if you have tools and time.

I personally like the idea of a 96K mile 335. That's low for an 07. With the common failure items addressed early on you'll have one hell of a ride that will last a long time.

[MadDog89]

Originally Posted by lowrydr310

There are lots of threads covering this topic. I started a similar "how unreliable is the N54/55" one recently and feel kind of stupid for doing so. It comes down to this - if you don't care about the extra power and want simplicity (no turbos to think about) then just get a 325/328. If you want a lot more power with option for even more and you have tools and are mechanically inclined, and can afford new turbos and/or high pressure fuel pump, then don't hold back and just go for it. Turbo replacements are not difficult if you have tools and time.

I personally like the idea of a 96K mile 335. That's low for an 07. With the common failure items addressed early on you'll have one hell of a ride that will last a long time.

Definitely want more power, Carfax has good maintenance record on it, serviced at the same BMW dealer.

[Gamb1t]

One should always be somewhat of a wrencher if one are to buy a used German car. Older 335i is more so than typical euro cars...time and money. With this car i'd look at maintenance and repair history over mileage and Carfax.
Buying private allows you to suss out any smoke and mirrors ownership care by asking pointed questions..and look him in the eye!
With the n54 your primary goal is to take care of the survival items before taking on anything else.

[MadDog89]

Originally Posted by Gamb1t

One should always be somewhat of a wrencher if one are to buy a used German car. Older 335i is more so than typical euro cars...time and money. With this car i'd look at maintenance and repair history over mileage and Carfax.
Buying private allows you to suss out any smoke and mirrors ownership care by asking pointed questions..and look him in the eye!
With the n54 your primary goal is to take care of the survival items before taking on anything else.

I went ahead and got it for $5000 from a middle aged woman, a very nice lady. She kept referencing back to all the paperwork she had logged every time I asked her a question. One thing she did mention is that I need to add coolant every month per BMW technician, is that typical on 335? Fine with me, but i'd rather find where its leaking from, I have a dye kit I can use.

I also plugged my OBD and a P0171 came up along with service engine soon light, no CEL. I see there is a lot of information and fixes here for P0171 so that'll be my first project to get to know this car a little better. Also there is a small rattle when you first start the car, I figured it might be the turbo waste gates... Either way, I am happy with this purchase. Looking forward to replacing those Turbos

[tcphoto]

You should not have to add coolant every month, I would start looking for the leak. The lean code may be as simple as a vacuum leak, a smoke test would be my suggestion. Enjoy you car and post pictures when you have a chance.

[MadDog89]

Originally Posted by tcphoto

You should not have to add coolant every month, I would start looking for the leak. The lean code may be as simple as a vacuum leak, a smoke test would be my suggestion. Enjoy you car and post pictures when you have a chance.

I'll definitely post some photos, going to clean her up tomorrow. Car does have the wastegate rattle, I noticed it more driving next to a wall at slow speeds. Going to order new once next week

[tlow98]

Bring some 4loco. Bout to get wild

[mweisdorfer]

Originally Posted by MadDog89

Hello Everyone,

I am heading out tomorrow to take a look at a 2007 335i with 96k miles. I have a daily driver, but want something I can play around with. For a year I've been looking and doing a lot of reading and 335i is just what I need. Only thing that is making me think twice is the turbo replacement procedure, I would consider myself mechanically inclined and I have tools, but being on my back with a car that I've never worked with is going to be tough.

Any advise or words of wisdom before I make this purchase?

Thank you

Unless the turbos are blown, I wouldn't worry about replacing them for now. If you have wastegate rattle, I'd try turning the wastegate actuator bolt 2.5x in the rear and doing the no 8 washer trick in the front.

The turbo install is probably one of the hardest DIY's on this forum yes. The rear main seal probably being no 1., at least in my book.

You definitely don't want to get caught off guard by not having the right tools etc. ECS TUNING has a nice video on the procedure on YouTube.

The car being at 100k, probably has had a new water pump installed in the last 25k and a new OFHG as well. It may have had a VCG done too. Those three usually go between 75 - 100k.

The rear main seal won't be long

You will have a laundry list of items that you have to replace at the 100k mark in order to keep her running at tip top performance.

Soon enough you will have to deal the Oil Pan Gasket. I'd say probably by 125,000 miles. That might be the time you do new downpipes, O2 sensors, & turbos, in addition to 1.75" inlets.

[lowrydr310]

Originally Posted by MadDog89

I also plugged my OBD and a P0171 came up along with service engine soon light, no CEL. I see there is a lot of information and fixes here for P0171 so that'll be my first project to get to know this car a little better. Also there is a small rattle when you first start the car, I figured it might be the turbo waste gates... Either way, I am happy with this purchase. Looking forward to replacing those Turbos

Congrats! Great price on it too, especially for that mileage. What part of CA do you live?

The "Service Engine Soon" light *is* the Check Engine Light on these cars. That means you won't be able to pass the smog check and get it registered in your name right away. The good news is that is usually just a vacuum leak code. A smoke machine is the easiest way to find it. I'm guessing it might be a cracked crankcase vent hose, but I could be wrong. The only reason I say this is because they're brittle and most likely to crack. Search around here and you'll see the crankcase ventilation system on these cars is somewhat complex with several tubes.

Now is the time to invest in a bimmer geeks cable (~$45) and download all the software so you can read all the BMW specific codes!

[MadDog89]

Originally Posted by mweisdorfer

Unless the turbos are blown, I wouldn't worry about replacing them for now. If you have wastegate rattle, I'd try turning the wastegate actuator bolt 2.5x in the rear and doing the no 8 washer trick in the front.

The turbo install is probably one of the hardest DIY's on this forum yes. The rear main seal probably being no 1., at least in my book.

You definitely don't want to get caught off guard by not having the right tools etc. ECS TUNING has a nice video on the procedure on YouTube.

The car being at 100k, probably has had a new water pump installed in the last 25k and a new OFHG as well. It may have had a VCG done too. Those three usually go between 75 - 100k.

The rear main seal won't be long

You will have a laundry list of items that you have to replace at the 100k mark in order to keep her running at tip top performance.

Soon enough you will have to deal the Oil Pan Gasket. I'd say probably by 125,000 miles. That might be the time you do new downpipes, O2 sensors, & turbos, in addition to 1.75" inlets.

Based on paperwork they provided me, water pump has been replaced recently, so was the VCG. All 6 plugs and coils have been replaced

Originally Posted by lowrydr310

Congrats! Great price on it too, especially for that mileage. What part of CA do you live?

The "Service Engine Soon" light *is* the Check Engine Light on these cars. That means you won't be able to pass the smog check and get it registered in your name right away. The good news is that is usually just a vacuum leak code. A smoke machine is the easiest way to find it. I'm guessing it might be a cracked crankcase vent hose, but I could be wrong. The only reason I say this is because they're brittle and most likely to crack. Search around here and you'll see the crankcase ventilation system on these cars is somewhat complex with several tubes.

Now is the time to invest in a bimmer geeks cable (~$45) and download all the software so you can read all the BMW specific codes!

I am thinking its a vacuum leak also, car is registered and good to go. Not sure when the light came on but it had smog certificate that was within the last 90 days. I will be working on it this weekend, oil change etc. Probably pull some plastic off and see what hides underneath. Ordered the Cable. Also is there a way I can program certain perimeters to disable the seat belt assist without pulling the fuse?? ohh and I am in OC

[MadDog89]

Here are some pictures I wanted to share, lights were a bit yellowed out. Did a quick clean up and buffed them out.

[bimmerguy1210]

Looks really clean congrats! Love the color and wheels.

[mweisdorfer]

Originally Posted by MadDog89

Based on paperwork they provided me, water pump has been replaced recently, so was the VCG. All 6 plugs and coils have been replaced

I am thinking its a vacuum leak also, car is registered and good to go. Not sure when the light came on but it had smog certificate that was within the last 90 days. I will be working on it this weekend, oil change etc. Probably pull some plastic off and see what hides underneath. Ordered the Cable. Also is there a way I can program certain perimeters to disable the seat belt assist without pulling the fuse?? ohh and I am in OC

You can use Carly to disable the gongs you get for not having the seatbelts latched. You will still see the red seatbelt sign on the dash, the car won't be yelling at you 😉

[mweisdorfer]

Originally Posted by MadDog89

Based on paperwork they provided me, water pump has been replaced recently, so was the VCG. All 6 plugs and coils have been replaced

I am thinking its a vacuum leak also, car is registered and good to go. Not sure when the light came on but it had smog certificate that was within the last 90 days. I will be working on it this weekend, oil change etc. Probably pull some plastic off and see what hides underneath. Ordered the Cable. Also is there a way I can program certain perimeters to disable the seat belt assist without pulling the fuse?? ohh and I am in OC

Sounds good. At 60k, you'll probably be looking at doing a break job front & back in about 10-15,000 miles.

[MadDog89]

So far the car has been great a few things I did notice that may or may not be a problem.

1. Idle fluctuating between 600-700rpm on cold start (AC Off)
2. White smoke when cold (I think that is normal)
3. Slight rattle on the left side just after starting the car, cold or warm (sounds like exhaust pipe vibrating on something.
4. Wheel tends to steer left or right at low speeds if I don't provide input (I'll have to check if that happens on completely flat road).
5. Humming from the right side when applying brakes (could be glazed rotors).
6. Speedometer reads higher than actual speed.

Other than that the car is great, exhaust sounds absolutely awesome; I actually wonder if its stock. Changing oil this weekend and take care of the vacuum leak throwing P0171 & P0174.

Burger Tune JB4 on its way along with Charge Pipe, I don't think I will do anything else to it besides that.

[E92.Dom]

Speedometer thing is normal I'm pretty sure all of ours do it, and the exhaust rattle is simply the exhaust flap opening and closing to limit the noise output

[macheff03]

Looks great! And good mileage too

[MadDog89]

Originally Posted by kens

#2) Not normal?
#4) Normal, needs alignment maybe
#6) I've been feeling like my car does this too

Also, JB4 and charge pipe coming soon? Lol this guy "that's all" Go look at MHD and xHP, let's see how long it lasts DDD

For #3, someone else said it's probably the exhaust flap. Our cars are 'valved' stock, but it's behavior isn't fun like other sports cars and the rattle on start up annoying.

Unplug the valve entirely, you get a shadow code but no one cares and dealerships ignore it. Open the trunk and on the left you will see a cover for the rear light housing, remove that and there's a simple plug there to unplug. You will be happy you did, if it's too loud plug that right back in (I do it sometimes when I don't feel like being a loud annoying fucker, which is rare.) Our dual exhausts sound pretty good for stock, It's sad BMW neutered it with that valve. I've seen people put remote switches back there, thinking of doing the same.

Follow this

Thanks for the reply and video, I will go ahead and disconnect mine too.

#2 I should have added that white smoke does go away after a bit, its not a lot but I can see it. I know it could be several different things.

I hear folks get hooked on adding mods, I got a K+DCAN arriving today maybe I'll plug my laptop in and see what I can screw up.

[Nickco43]

Originally Posted by MadDog89

Thanks for the reply and video, I will go ahead and disconnect mine too.

#2 I should have added that white smoke does go away after a bit, its not a lot but I can see it. I know it could be several different things.

I hear folks get hooked on adding mods, I got a K+DCAN arriving today maybe I'll plug my laptop in and see what I can screw up.

https://mega.nz/#F!zw5V0IrD!08GgdgH0AtxZcWh62_76xA

[MadDog89]

About to do my first oil change, picked up 7 quarts of BMW 0W-30 Oil, Filter and Plug. Filter cap wrench won't be here until tomorrow so I will try to use the universal rubber one.

I going to pull plugs too and see what they look like, check oil if milky, inspect rubber where I can. Won't be able to do a smoke test today but will do the blunt method later.

Stand by for some pictures and a video

[MadDog89]

Originally Posted by Nickco43

https://mega.nz/#F!zw5V0IrD!08GgdgH0AtxZcWh62_76xA

Thank you sir, would you by any chance have a tutorial to code and disable the seat-belt butler?