Buying a 2nd Hand 3 Series

Re: Buying a 2nd Hand 3 Series

xiaofoggy;928744 said:
as bro mrball asked- does anyone know if gearbox solenoid is claimable under lemon law from used car dealers, or is considered wear & tear?

i m anticipating my gearbox to hv issues soon =(, been delaying 1 sec before engaging reverse.



Hi Xiaofoggy, i saw your avatar picture posted on the web just wondering isit you previous ride.
 
Re: Buying a 2nd Hand 3 Series

invaz;941198 said:
Hi Bro do you know how much would BVO charge for such an evaluation and how comprehensive is the assessment?

Are BVO and MA the only workshops that carry out such evals? By the way what does R2D stand for? :)

Comprehensive enough to know what are the imminent problems that require immediate remedy, and what you have to watch out for in the coming months. With this, you will know whether or not you are going to buy/have bought a lemon. Don't have expectations of a flawless evaluation report (especially for a used bimmer), but if the resulting fixes is beyond the financial benchmark you have set out for the purchase of the vehicle, this will help you think twice.

There are many workshops apart from BVO and MA that do such evaluations. You can check out them out under the Site Sponsor sections for Workshops & Servicing. R2D is in there. There are also other specialised workshops out there who are not necessarily Site Sponsors here but do offer the evaluation assessment for your bimmer. The last I recall when I sent in mine for the evaluation was less than a hundred dollars.

As mentioned by many here, do not rely solely on STA/Vicom regardless of what they grade your bimmer. ;)
 
Re: Buying a 2nd Hand 3 Series

skip STA , save the money
Go direct to one of our site sponsors
 
Re: Buying a 2nd Hand 3 Series

skip STA , save the money
Go direct to one of our site sponsors
 
Re: Buying a 2nd Hand 3 Series

marcus28;941223 said:
hi bro, share share abit.. which sponsors is the best? r2D?

Yes I would recommend R2D, have sent mine
ride to him
But note that he is more or less running it
alone
Don't expect cozy lounge , free shuttle service ,
Starbucks etc
 
Re: Buying a 2nd Hand 3 Series

Hi bro,

Cost-wise i am not sure but $100-$200 estimate as it's a long time since i did mine. Why don't you just call them all up (one by one) to ask, since they are all forum sponsors here or better yet, go down and talk to them. You will eventually need a reliable workshop to service your bimmer once you buy so might as well survey them out now.

Typically, they would look at the usual suspects, i.e. oil leakage, water leakage, auto transmission, suspension known issues with your particular make and should typically take not more than 1-2 hours. Workshop to workshop would vary, so best you confirm that you agree with their checklist before you book the particular workshop to do evaluation.

Besides the sponsor workshops here, i am sure there are others out there, but i have not used them so can't comment on them. Perhaps others has used them and can comment here.

R2D is one of the forum sponsor here, short for R2D Autoworks Pte Ltd. A very highly rated and competent "boutique" bimmer workshop by many bros here, located at Unity Centre, Bukit Batok.




invaz;941198 said:
Hi Bro do you know how much would BVO charge for such an evaluation and how comprehensive is the assessment?

Are BVO and MA the only workshops that carry out such evals? By the way what does R2D stand for? :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Re: Buying a 2nd Hand 3 Series

Agree, very competent car doc (Dr Rod) and you can trust your bimmer to be his good hands.

ozipo;941397 said:
Yes I would recommend R2D, have sent mine
ride to him
But note that he is more or less running it
alone
Don't expect cozy lounge , free shuttle service ,
Starbucks etc
 
Re: Buying a 2nd Hand 3 Series

Jus got my 06 320i. As a newbies, i Send over to BVO to have an evaluation. Was told engine flywheel nd to be change, front absorbers mounting, rear brake rotor and pad. Bonnets stand etc.. Was wondering, should I change my 4 absorber at one go??... No doubt they didn't mention abt my absorbers... Any expertise .. .??? Pls advice. Thank you fellow bros...
 
Re: Buying a 2nd Hand 3 Series

canuck78;941404 said:
Hi bro,

Cost-wise i am not sure but $100-$200 estimate as it's a long time since i did mine. Why don't you just call them all up (one by one) to ask, since they are all forum sponsors here or better yet, go down and talk to them. You will eventually need a reliable workshop to service your bimmer once you buy so might as well survey them out now.

Typically, they would look at the usual suspects, i.e. oil leakage, water leakage, auto transmission, suspension known issues with your particular make and should typically take not more than 1-2 hours. Workshop to workshop would vary, so best you confirm that you agree with their checklist before you book the particular workshop to do evaluation.

Besides the sponsor workshops here, i am sure there are others out there, but i have not used them so can't comment on them. Perhaps others has used them and can comment here.

R2D is one of the forum sponsor here, short for R2D Autoworks Pte Ltd. A very highly rated and competent "boutique" bimmer workshop by many bros here, located at Unity Centre, Bukit Batok.

Thanks for the huge amount of info bro. I called BVO earlier today and was quoted $80+ for the evaluation. He mentioned roughly the same items as what you said, and would take an hour. Next step is basically to confirm my ride!
 
Re: Buying a 2nd Hand 3 Series

Zinkool;941585 said:
Jus got my 06 320i. As a newbies, i Send over to BVO to have an evaluation. Was told engine flywheel nd to be change, front absorbers mounting, rear brake rotor and pad. Bonnets stand etc.. Was wondering, should I change my 4 absorber at one go??... No doubt they didn't mention abt my absorbers... Any expertise .. .??? Pls advice. Thank you fellow bros...

BVO should be able to advise on your suspension condition. If no mention then I guess your shocks still in relatively good condition.

In any case, to test just use your strength push down each corner of your ride. It should not re-bound excessively. Seat 3 adults at the back seat and go thru a hump at 20~25km/hr. If the load hits the chassis "kok" sound, the rear's gone.
 
Re: Buying a 2nd Hand 3 Series

Good to hear, $80+ is quite cheap and most imply BVO pretty good too:)

invaz;941586 said:
Thanks for the huge amount of info bro. I called BVO earlier today and was quoted $80+ for the evaluation. He mentioned roughly the same items as what you said, and would take an hour. Next step is basically to confirm my ride!
 
Re: Buying a 2nd Hand 3 Series

Why fix it when it ain't broken? If it's broke, am sure you will feel it, ie car sick. Lol

But seriously, you can change in a pair (front or back) if you really want, or all 4 would be best case.

Zinkool;941585 said:
Jus got my 06 320i. As a newbies, i Send over to BVO to have an evaluation. Was told engine flywheel nd to be change, front absorbers mounting, rear brake rotor and pad. Bonnets stand etc.. Was wondering, should I change my 4 absorber at one go??... No doubt they didn't mention abt my absorbers... Any expertise .. .??? Pls advice. Thank you fellow bros...
 
Re: Buying a 2nd Hand 3 Series

canuck78;941676 said:
Why fix it when it ain't broken? If it's broke, am sure you will feel it, ie car sick. Lol

But seriously, you can change in a pair (front or back) if you really want, or all 4 would be best case.

Thanks bro, for the advice. Will take note and keep in view..

Cheers...
 
Re: Buying a 2nd Hand 3 Series

canuck78;941676 said:
Why fix it when it ain't broken? If it's broke, am sure you will feel it, ie car sick. Lol

But seriously, you can change in a pair (front or back) if you really want, or all 4 would be best case.

Thanks bro, for the advice. Will take note and keep in view..

Cheers...
 
Re: Buying a 2nd Hand 3 Series

Saosin;941636 said:
BVO should be able to advise on your suspension condition. If no mention then I guess your shocks still in relatively good condition.

In any case, to test just use your strength push down each corner of your ride. It should not re-bound excessively. Seat 3 adults at the back seat and go thru a hump at 20~25km/hr. If the load hits the chassis "kok" sound, the rear's gone.

Thank you bro, will try it out and do a road test. Haha..

Cheers,
 
Re: Buying a 2nd Hand 3 Series

Can any Bros share where can we get the key fog (Leather case for our remote)??? Looking for a decent and nice one. Keep searching but just cant find any.

If any bros have any idea where to get, please let me know.

Thank you very much and deeply appreciated..

Cheers!!!!!
 
Re: Buying a 2nd Hand 3 Series

you may want to find a customized key fog for our fseries. nice leather.


Zinkool;941889 said:
Can any Bros share where can we get the key fog (Leather case for our remote)??? Looking for a decent and nice one. Keep searching but just cant find any.

If any bros have any idea where to get, please let me know.

Thank you very much and deeply appreciated..

Cheers!!!!!
 
Re: Buying a 2nd Hand 3 Series

marcus28;941900 said:
you may want to find a customized key fog for our fseries. nice leather.

Where to customize bro.. cn share the location. Tq..
 
Re: Buying a 2nd Hand 3 Series

Have you tried PML, eng soon, montblanc, Braun Buffel or search online in US e-storesetc ?

Zinkool;941889 said:
Can any Bros share where can we get the key fog (Leather case for our remote)??? Looking for a decent and nice one. Keep searching but just cant find any.

If any bros have any idea where to get, please let me know.

Thank you very much and deeply appreciated..

Cheers!!!!!
 

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