Sick to my Stomach but I drew a line in sand and won't repair 135i Convertible any mo

[NJCOBRA10tha]

WTF DO I DO NOW - Looking for suggestions

This spring I picked up a 135i Convertible with 72K miles.
I put a ton of money into the car.

What do I do now?
Donate
Scrap
Part it out
Take it to the desert and blow it up? (kidding)

• New Tires
• New Donut spare kit with jack
• New brake wear sensor
• new alternator
• new Front Thrust Arms
• new DMTL Pump
• new Air charge pipe
• new E-Box fan
• new cylinder 1 and 3 ignition coils
• new refurbished DME
• new Map sensor

Things were good after that and it passed inspection and that NJ Inspection is good for over 20 more months.

A couple of weeks ago car went into lmp mode but drove OK.
Next morning it was misfiring like crazy.

I had it towed to Motorworks West in Wyckoff NJ.

Here is what they said:

• High-Pressure Fuel Pump and Fuel Rails
• Replace all fuel injectors and spark plugs
• New thermostat

They said the high-pressure fuel pump and injectors currently in the car are a very old gen, and when replacing the high-pressure fuel pump with the newest gen the injectors will almost definitely kill the original gen injectors.

The repairs are well beyond what I am willing to spend on the car, which is a shame, she looks good and has lowish mile,s 75K.

So what now?
I think I am going to tow it 75 miles (covered by my AAA) to a buddy's house, who was a mechanic and has a lift at his house. He has 3 other old BMW's including a 2011sh M3, but can't work on it until the Spring. I am not even going to buy the parts because the parts cost, even alternatives to OEM, are more than I am willing to put into the car at this point in time.

He may fix it for him. He would never screw me over and give me the profit if he fixed and sold it, but I really think, inevitably, we are going to donate or scrap it.

I guess we could part it out, starting with the brand new spare tire kit, but IDK I am so upset and just don't know what to do.

[tracer bullet]

Off the top, it's fair if you do not want to spend the money for the parts.

HPFP is common, very in fact, so the diagnosis is plausible. I don't know if it would ruin the injectors or not.

water pumps are common issues, thermostats tend to be replaced "while you are there".

I'd sell it as a "mechanics special". Take the market rate for it, drop say $2000 because of the work needed, and see if anyone bites. Then go $3000 off.

HPFP, injectors, water pump, thermostat... $1500-$2000 in parts, and a weekend of work. Other than some oil leaks, you'd cover some of the most common issues and quite possibly get a lot more miles out of the car. the one pic provided makes it look in great shape. It's certainly worth more than $0.

I think it's simply a $'s thing at this point. Give it a few days so you're less mad at it (I get the feeling), then crunch some costs and see where you end up.

[NJCOBRA10tha]

This happened right before Thanksgiving, so I have time to think it over.

The shop I used says that the injectors and HPFP are a very old generation and replacing the HPFP with the new generation will clobber the injectors, if not as soon as they take off lift real soon.

I can't afford to play Russian Roulette every time I drive the car so I have to assume I need to replace the injectors as well.

I'll take offers on the car and just posted it on this forum in the marketplace.

Very open to all suggestions and appreciate the time you put in your reply.

[NJCOBRA10tha]

It serves me right, car was running good for a couple of months and I got tired of having to put the top down to back the car around and into a spot at the train station so I ordered a Type S wireless backup camera set with front and rear cameras and a small monitor.

The very day it came is when the car went into Limp mode.

[dfox]

I'd suggest putting it up for sale at a big discount as a "mechanic's special" and see if someone bites. If not, wait till your buddy is willing to work on it for you, buy the parts and have him fix it, then sell it.

I bought mine fully expecting and prepared for occasional large repair bills. When I first started driving my Dad was paying a ton to keep his older 5-series on the road so I knew not to get into older BMW's unless I was willing to pay. Bought my 135i with 145k on the clock... thankfully it hasn't been too bad but then again it's a bonus car for me and I'm literally only driving it like 3K a year. I'm fine with it just sitting around for a little while as I either work on it or muster up the courage to pay for a shop to do it.

[ShocknAwe]

Don't part it out that car is fine. It just needs standard maintenance. It's ok if you don't want to do it, but if it were me I'd fix the immediate problems and sell it if you regret buying it.

You could get a used HPFP and replace the injectors with new. I'd argue that you should replace the injectors with index 12s regardless, the shop is right.

[NJCOBRA10tha]

Originally Posted by ShocknAwe

Don't part it out that car is fine. It just needs standard maintenance. It's ok if you don't want to do it, but if it were me I'd fix the immediate problems and sell it if you regret buying it.

You could get a used HPFP and replace the injectors with new. I'd argue that you should replace the injectors with index 12s regardless, the shop is right.

Fixing the immediate problems will cost over $8,000 for thermostat , high pressure fuel pump & rails and 6 new injectors with labor.

Even if I found another shop that was 1/2 price I am not spending $4,000 more on the car. That's the point of my post - what do you do when you are done throwing good money after bad.

[NJCOBRA10tha]

Mechanic's special $5K - do you think that is a reasonable starting price?

Any suggestions where to post it for sale?

[jwolf]

You can't buy a 135i and not expect to immediately replace the cooling system and the HPFP. Honestly, if you can't wrench, these cars can be $10k underwater with one check engine light. Those n54 fuel injector prices are insane. I can't imagine owning one.

[tracer bullet]

Originally Posted by NJCOBRA10tha

Fixing the immediate problems will cost over $8,000 for thermostat , high pressure fuel pump & rails and 6 new injectors with labor.

You don't have difficult jobs listed and the parts aren't that much. It's not an $8000 job. Anyone quoting you that hopes you're a sucker.

Originally Posted by tracer bullet

HPFP, injectors, water pump, thermostat... $1500-$2000 in parts, and a weekend of work.

You can DIY these things without crazy tools. If you aren't a DIYer, ask your buddy what he'd charge. And then go research the parts.

Bit late now, but in the future if you aren't a DIYer don't buy old BMW's. They are kind of exclusively for DIYers. I'm not trying to give you crap, but this is how it goes.

[xwx88]

Some years ago mine started going into limp and misfiring once it got into operable temps (70-90c) and it ended up being the ignition/coil ground cable not being properly screwed into place. Coils, spark plugs and injectors were replaced while trying to figure out the issue.

[Piper1]

As others have said with these items are typical maintenance it just sucks at the taxing cost of it.

My brother in-laws going through the exact issues minus the thermostat with his ‘13 328. He’s up in arms about it too and depending now what the bill will come to will pay and sell or just sell it as well as a mechanic special selling as is he hasn’t decided yet besides sure he’s selling it. After being at an Indy that didn’t know what they’re doing it’s now at the stealership for their quote.

If you’re not in love with it or planned to keep it forever when you got it don’t obligate yourself to fix and keep. I told him that too. It’s something you just cut your losses on.

My 128 is my winter/salt season car with a usable back seat. If I have to pay for a single bill more than I paid for it it’s time to move on. Standard maintenance comes with ownership but something catastrophic it’s time to move on.

My 03 z4 roadster and my 07 z4 coupe get money budgeted yearly over my 128. My 03 has had the insane amount of money for the car put in to it, more than I paid for it. Paid 15k in ‘11 for it, over the years it’s had 9k total maintenance (a mix of me doing the work and shops when it’s beyond my capability or time constraints) and over 20k of performance. It’s a love affair that will get past on to the kiddo when he’s ready and can take the Z4s in tandem to track once he’s ready for that as well. Those are the cars I don’t care how much it takes or costs I’ll find a way to get it done.

[jdog006]

It's a beautiful car. But this is not the car that you want. Take a day or two to remove yourself from the immediate emotional response. This car needs to belong to someone who is willing to do the brakes, coils, plugs, etc themselves. I don't think that is you since you put 'new brake wear sensor' in your original post. They are like $5 for a pair on Amazon. I am guessing that whoever ends up owning this car is going to get it repaired for pennies on the dollar. But honestly, you were probably going to find yourself at this point sooner or later. It's better to get it over and done with now.

[moose09876]

[QUOTE=But this is not the car that you want. Take a day or two to remove yourself from the immediate emotional response.[/QUOTE]

Agreed, really any 15 yr old european car doesn't seem to fit your tolerance for repair costs.

[nevetstoj]

Originally Posted by moose09876

Agreed, really any 15 yr old european car doesn't seem to fit your tolerance for repair costs.

There’s a big difference between people who buy a 1/335i knowing exactly what kind of high-maintenance circus they’re signing up for, and people who just like the idea of the car, like my buddy.

He takes his in for tiny fixes, and every time the shop turns it into a “since we’re in there…” situation. Couple grand here, couple grand there, on a car that’s realistically worth 10–15k.

These cars are great if you buy them cheap and expect to get your hands dirty. But paying full shop rates on them....?

Love the cars, just being real.

[JustAnotherSportsCar]

In reading through your list of repairs to date, and current repair needs, I do not really see the need for panic. I do not mean to dismiss your concerns, but you have an opportunity here to enhance your wrenching skills and learn a lot. I would suggest that this vehicle not be your only car. You should pick up a cheap beater to get you around while your 135 is in the garage.

If you get a chance, search my posts. You will see how much money you can spend. I am of the type that while I am in here, I might as well replace it. This way of thinking drove my costs up, but now I have a car that runs and drives like it did when it left the showroom, and it has 105,000 miles (purchased with 93,000 miles). To each their own, but I like keeping my vehicles mostly factory, with mild upgrades and factory performance options.

If you can bring yourself to do 75% of the wrenching, and only fix what needs fixing, then you will save yourself a lot of money. I suggest picking up a Foxwell NT530 or NT530 Plus code reader with the pre-installed BMW software. Or, a similar code reader that can give you detailed code information and reset all codes. You can also add software to the NT530 from other brands as you go, for a fee. The reader helped me find an issue that was causing a limp mode, which ended up being the crankshaft position sensor. Maybe pick yourself up the E9X repair book. It has a lot of crossover information and a lot of torque specs.

I've had just about everything in the engine bay ripped apart. Trust me, it isn't as intimidating as it seems from the onset. If it can come apart, it can go back together.

Good luck!

[GoRomeo]

Great feedback from al of you folks. OP I feel yur pain. I also purchased an E88 over 2 yrs ago. I bought it for fairly cheap I think. What made me buy it was the fact it had the HPFP replacement sticker umder the hood. I also knew about the tranny issue. I was hopimg it was a minor issue but it was not. I ended up rebuilding it whole. Its great now after $2k 🙄🤣. But I also do some wrenchimg here and there. I replaced spark plugs coils vanos and crankshaft sensor on my own.

Anyways, love the car not sure since its convertible, love the color and power. Its more like a weekend car. I also read about how expeensive theese injectorrs are and sometimes I think I should sell it before it get to deal with it?
Cheers

[sliebhard]

Just some thoughts op - as everyone has already said, these repairs are the big ones but not uncommon. Unfortunately this is the crucible that all n54 owners must endure.

Cost wise - you can rebuild the hpfp if you want to save money. Reach out to Island Road over on the 3 series forum for prices on Index 12s and new HPFPs. You will get much better pricing than FCP/ECS if he has any sets.

Good luck.

[ShocknAwe]

These are nice cars. Never buy a car as an investment or to get a return on it on sale.

The cost to repair vs cost to buy the car argument is nonsense. This is cost of ownership. I still think this is an emotional response and you should shop around a little and get it fixed.

That is if you like the car and appreciate it. If you don't then yes cut your losses and lose the 5-7k you probably paid selling it as a mechanics special and buy a Toyota.

[MParallel]

HPFP, Injectors.
Is this N54 engine?

[echinsue]

You have to research what items will need service and replacement as the car gets older and 80k to 100k mileage. You currently have a few, there more to come. Budget $2k a year to fix items as this is when they will start to act up. Keep a list, check them off. Brakes, Coolant system, valve cover and oil pan gaskets, fuel system, belts and hoses, struts and control arms, injectors and vanos items, fluid flush and transmission flush, all necessary to take you into the next 100k miles. The car has to be maintained. Also 5k oil changes. It will be trouble free once each known item is replaced either prior to failure or when it occurs. Unfortunately, this is the mileage they start to occur. I am at 100k, most have been done by the same shop and they tell me I am good to go after the transmission flush. Since 2018, the list has been long, average $2k a year. I parked for 2 yrs and now I have it using as a daily drive. Drives and sounds like the day I got it from the show room floor in 2010. Best of luck!

[Cannonfodda101]

i mean if it makes you feel any better i live with one in australia just getting a waterpump here is almost 2k injectors are 4.5k a set haha i would slap a used pump in and sell