CHECKPOINTS
ENGINE
The high-revving, naturally aspirated V8 is unique to the E90-series M3 and one of the great BMW M engines, but it’s not without issues, as Munich Legends’ Stuart Draper explains.
A common issue is failure of the throttle actuators. ‘It happens to them all at some point,’ says Stuart, ‘usually after about 30,000 to 40,000 miles, either electronic failure or the nylon gears wear out. But rather than replace them, most people now have them overhauled, which costs about £400 for the pair rather than £1400 for new ones, plus about three hours’ labour. Once they’ve been uprated, they shouldn’t give any problems.’
Less common but potentially far more serious, as V8 M3s reach higher mileages (generally 80,000-plus) specialists are seeing an increasing number of bottomend engine failures where a bearing shell has been spun, in the worst cases requiring a rebuild with new crankshaft, rods, etc, which can cost as much as seven grand.
‘How carefully the car was run-in and how meticulously it’s been serviced play a part,’ says Stuart, ‘but driving the car hard from cold seems to be the main culprit. There’s a reason why M-cars have an oil temp gauge, and it’s the most important gauge in the car.
‘At every V8 service, we send an oil sample to a lab to check for metallic contaminants. If it comes back clean and if you’re a careful driver and warm the car up before driving it hard, then you’re unlikely to suffer any issues. For a high-performance engine, it is actually remarkably reliable. I’ve got a customer with a car that’s done 130,000 miles and there’s no sign of an issue, but he’s a really careful owner.
‘It is becoming more of a problem and people tend to be wary of high- mileage cars unless they’ve had a shell replacement. A lot of people now budget to have the shells replaced – about £1700 – then you know it’ll be totally reliable.’
A warranty could be a good investment. BMW charges around £100 a month for full coverage, and more affordable alternatives are available.
TR ANSMISSION
The manual ’box isn’t the sweetest. ‘It tends to be particularly notchy from cold,’ says Stuart, ‘and you have to be very precise with it, otherwise you can mis-select a gear. That said, it’s a totally reliable gearbox.’ If the clutch needs replacement it’s a five-hour job. Including a flywheel, reckon on about £1400 all-in.
‘The DCT is a good system and incredibly reliable,’ says Stuart. ‘ We’ve never done a clutch on a DCT and we look after hundreds. Check underneath though – the one thing they do suffer
with is oil leaks from pipes and gaskets. It can be a problem if they run low on oil, but most people notice well in advance.
‘Prop joints can wear and become noisy, but usually it’s cars that have been tracked. We’ve also seen the odd diff failure on high-mileage cars. Both are expensive if they fail. Listen for constant rubbing noises from the prop; a failing diff will graunch on tight turns or make a humming noise like a wheel bearing.’
SUSPENSION, STEERING, BR AKES
No real issues here. ‘The EDC suspension is incredibly robust and most people find the non-edc ride too harsh for everyday use,’ says Stuart. As is often the case with M-cars, the brakes are not this M3’s strongest suit; AP Racing discs and calipers, Pagid pads and braided hoses are all common upgrades. OE tyres were either Michelin Pilot Super Sports or Conti Sport Contact 3s.