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BMW 523 I Auto or Merc CLK 230?!

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    #32
    Mr.Diagnostic
    Registered Users Posts: 937 ✭✭✭Mr.Diagnostic


    grandmaster wrote: »
    Is there any way to know when you go to see a BMW if it has the Nikisail issue or is it something that you'd need a mechanic to check out?

    Due to the cost involved very few people paid to get the issue sorted themselves. Any that were done by BMW would be documented. if you give the last 7 digits of the VIN (chassis number) to a dealer they can tell if that car had the engine changed or not.




    Tails142 wrote: »
    Just buy a 99 or newer if you're worried about nikasil.
    The problem with that is that you could be walking away from a car with a low mileage factory exchange engine in favour of one a year newer with loads more mileage.
    I bought a documented 15k miles engine out of a 98 520 with 120k on the clock 2 weeks ago in the UK. That engine is going into a 98 car here next week.


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    #33
    unkel
    Registered Users Posts: 65,429 ✭✭✭✭unkel
    Chauffe, Marcel, chauffe!


    Tails142 wrote: »
    any 98 car or older, at 10 years of age, would have shown up the nikasil problem already if its going to.

    Indeed. I forgot to mention that. If a Nikasil candidate passes a leakdown test now, it will not suffer in the future

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    https://www.adverts.ie/member/5856/ads



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    #34
    Eoin
    Registered Users Posts: 21,257 ✭✭✭✭Eoin


    I'm going to post this link again, because it's worth a read and contradicts a few of the posts here.

    http://www.bavarian-board.co.uk/nikasil.htm


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    #35
    unkel
    Registered Users Posts: 65,429 ✭✭✭✭unkel
    Chauffe, Marcel, chauffe!


    eoin_s wrote: »
    I'm going to post this link again

    Thanks, Eoin. It is a great article and pretty comprehensive. The only thing in it that's not consistent with what I've read over the years is that it states the Nikasil issue might occur at any time in future even if a leakdown test now is negative. My take is that if a test now is negative, the issue will not arise in future.

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    #36
    Eoin
    Registered Users Posts: 21,257 ✭✭✭✭Eoin


    Of course you can avoid all the NIKASIL worries and get a 525.

    http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/BMW/525/car/1071241/


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    #37
    G-Money
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,199 ✭✭✭G-Money


    Nice post Eoin, cheers.

    I assume this Nikasil issue only affects older models and isn't present in cars made after 2000?


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    #38
    Eoin
    Registered Users Posts: 21,257 ✭✭✭✭Eoin


    hi there - that's a safe enough assumption, but if you are going for a 2000 then the 525 is a better engine anyway.


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    #39
    givyjoe81
    Closed Accounts Posts: 690 ✭✭✭givyjoe81


    eoin_s wrote: »
    Of course you can avoid all the NIKASIL worries and get a 525.

    http://www.carzone.ie/used-cars/BMW/525/car/1071241/

    Cheers for the link! Is that your garage?! Nice car but the thing is im looking for something similar but has to be leather upholstery and an automatic!

    Cheers to everyone so far for all the helpfull posts. Just one question, it is possible to check if a car has been used as a taxi in the past isnt it?! I just cant remember where.


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    #40
    Eoin
    Registered Users Posts: 21,257 ✭✭✭✭Eoin


    givyjoe81 wrote: »
    Cheers for the link! Is that your garage?! Nice car but the thing is im looking for something similar but has to be leather upholstery and an automatic!

    Cheers to everyone so far for all the helpfull posts. Just one question, it is possible to check if a car has been used as a taxi in the past isnt it?! I just cant remember where.

    I don't have a garage!

    I got a 525 M Sport a few weeks ago and I'm delighted with it. It is an auto which is a lovely drive, but half suede / cloth seats rather than leather. I really wanted leather, but it's not too bad. Maybe it's just because the 528 I test drove was a bit tatty, but the 525 really doesn't feel much slower.

    www.cartell.ie will tell you if the car has been used as a taxi.


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    #41
    givyjoe81
    Closed Accounts Posts: 690 ✭✭✭givyjoe81


    If i could trouble you guys for some more advice..

    Basically i rang the dude regarding the CLK230 and i was a little suspicous of the chap i have to say, nothing to do with the fact the guy wasnt irish, but more so because, he avoided questions using the language barrier. the main reason being he has only had the car since february, so why on earth would he want to sell it so quickly?!

    Anywho, i googled the mobile number and another add for an audi came up, this time from the buy and sell, in fairness he did mention this on the phone and said he sold his other car, the audi some time ago. Still the whole convo had me wary and the only thing stopping me from knocking this one on the head is that i really like this car plus it has a service history, so just how dodgy can it really be?!

    My thoughts were that he perhaps is buying cars at auctions hence the quick sale turnaround time, any ideas advice on what to ask/lookout for when viewing the car? Did knock a couple of hundred off and hopefully will get him even closer to 8k.


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    #42
    Eoin
    Registered Users Posts: 21,257 ✭✭✭✭Eoin


    You'll see this on every thread about buying a car: It is a buyer's market. If you have a bad feeling about a car, then just walk away. There's plenty more out there.


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    #43
    Mac 3
    Registered Users Posts: 511 ✭✭✭Mac 3


    There are plenty of NIKASIL engined cars in Ireland still, and many of them are probably running just fine.

    I have a 1997 320i, same engine that goes into a 520i and it suffered from nikasil woes about 3 years ago.(109K on the clock) When I went to the dealers, they were dismissive of it, "yeah, thats wear and tear, how do you know its a factory problem?" That only happened in the UK....BTW, my car was an original supplied irish car and bought from a BMW dealer with full BMW service history with a warranty.

    Between the jigs and the reels, I took it to a UK Dealer who was a bit more clued up on the problem, they performed the compression tests and said its well down on Compression. They faxed the findings to BMW and I had a call the next day to say that the engine would be replaced free of charge. BMW stopped the goodwill gestures a few years ago.

    Even at that time, plenty of people were saying that if the car was going to have nikisil trouble, it would have raised its head well before that. I'd only be comfortable buying something produced after that "batch" or something that has had the replacement carried out. Anyway my case had a happy ending.

    (BTW I'd choose the 5 Series)


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    #44
    givyjoe81
    Closed Accounts Posts: 690 ✭✭✭givyjoe81


    Roysh, one final question regarding my purchase, all of the BMW's iv been looking at seem to be gone at this stage (why the foook dont dealers ever update the cars on carzone, grrrrrrrrrr!) and just went to take a look at the Merc posted in thread there today.

    Guy seems genuine, contrary to my initial fears over the phone, he's selling the car as he's got kids(munchkin in the back when i met him) and the coupe doesnt suit, il accept that. He bought all new tyres back in feb which can be seen on photo.

    Thing is its listed as full service history, on book, now there are TWO services on book, one from 00 and one from 05, now thats not a full service history is it, surely?! When he bought the car, had it checked out himself and was told it was fine, im just bemused as to why previous owners wouldnt put everything ever done on the book.

    Now of course im gonna have it checked out before and if i buy it, was just wondering what peoples thought's are on it? I'm not walkin away just yet as have my heart set on it.


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    #45
    quarryman
    Registered Users Posts: 7,496 ✭✭✭quarryman


    givyjoe81 wrote: »
    I'm not walkin away just yet as have my heart set on it.

    you need to think with your head a bit more here.

    The fact that you really like the car will cause you to dismiss faults and negatives, you could regret this in the long term.

    Regarding the service history; if it was me, I would walk away. There are plenty of cars out there that will have a complete history. You need to consider re-sale, are you going to hang onto the car? You might not mind about the FSH but the next buyer might.

    Is there any hurry to get a car. Why not hold out for a 523i as you'd first hoped for?


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    #46
    givyjoe81
    Closed Accounts Posts: 690 ✭✭✭givyjoe81


    quarryman wrote: »
    you need to think with your head a bit more here.

    The fact that you really like the car will cause you to dismiss faults and negatives, you could regret this in the long term.

    Regarding the service history; if it was me, I would walk away. There are plenty of cars out there that will have a complete history. You need to consider re-sale, are you going to hang onto the car? You might not mind about the FSH but the next buyer might.

    Is there any hurry to get a car. Why not hold out for a 523i as you'd first hoped for?

    My first choice was always the Merc, only really stumbled accros the 5 series was taken in by the price etc. Certainly not dismissing the faults or negatives, thats why i brought the FSH up, the book is ridiculously small, in my opinion anyway, not leaving a whole lot of room for details, beside the point thought.

    im really looking for suggestions as to why this doesnt have more entries in it. I mean why on earth would previous owners not get everthing in the book, just lazy?

    Now the guy im buying it from hasn't put on the book that fact that he bought 4 new tyres, which i could see for myself.

    There are indeed plenty of cars with service history's and that's great, but doesnt make a car any more attractive or enhance it's features, and it's still only a record of done to date, cant prevent from catastrophic faults in the future.

    Haven't seen too many nice cars in my price range to be honest, which is about 9 max ten k.


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    #47
    quarryman
    Registered Users Posts: 7,496 ✭✭✭quarryman


    My first choice was always the Merc, only really stumbled accros the 5 series was taken in by the price etc. Certainly not dismissing the faults or negatives, thats why i brought the FSH up, the book is ridiculously small, in my opinion anyway, not leaving a whole lot of room for details, beside the point thought.

    a service log generally consists of service stamps indicating milaege and maybe whether it was a major or minor service history. A service history is the log plus receipts for anything done on the car.
    im really looking for suggestions as to why this doesnt have more entries in it. I mean why on earth would previous owners not get everthing in the book, just lazy?

    maybe it wasn't serviced?
    Now the guy im buying it from hasn't put on the book that fact that he bought 4 new tyres, which i could see for myself.

    I've never seen that in a service log, someone might have a receipt for it but why bother, you can take one look and tell if they are new.
    There are indeed plenty of cars with service history's and that's great, but doesnt make a car any more attractive or enhance it's features, and it's still only a record of done to date, cant prevent from catastrophic faults in the future.

    Agreed. But I'd like at least some evidence that work was done. It also shows a considerate owner. Also as I mentioned above, when re-selling it will add value to the car.
    Haven't seen too many nice cars in my price range to be honest, which is about 9 max ten k.

    keep shopping. Why not go over to the UK before the July deadline? You will be guaranteed to get something in better condition than here and almost definately, a FSH.


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    #48
    JHMEG
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,686 ✭✭✭JHMEG


    Mac 3 wrote: »
    They faxed the findings to BMW and I had a call the next day to say that the engine would be replaced free of charge.
    That's pretty impressive given the mileage.


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    #49
    Andrewf20
    Registered Users Posts: 3,193 ✭✭✭Andrewf20


    givyjoe81 wrote: »

    Thing is its listed as full service history, on book, now there are TWO services on book, one from 00 and one from 05, now thats not a full service history is it, surely?! When he bought the car, had it checked out himself and was told it was fine, im just bemused as to why previous owners wouldnt put everything ever done on the book.

    Id walk away. Evidence of only 2 services in 8 years is shocking. Anybody with any clue should service the car regularly and have receipts to prove it.

    When going from a car like the Punto to a nice Merc or Beemer, it can be easy to get romantic towards a potential purchase. (Iv been there!). Let the head make this decision, not so much the heart. Romantics goes out the window when you looking at thousands of pounds in repairs.


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    #50
    givyjoe81
    Closed Accounts Posts: 690 ✭✭✭givyjoe81


    Andrewf20 wrote: »
    Id walk away. Evidence of only 2 services in 8 years is shocking. Anybody with any clue should service the car regularly and have receipts to prove it.

    When going from a car like the Punto to a nice Merc or Beemer, it can be easy to get romantic towards a potential purchase. (Iv been there!). Let the head make this decision, not so much the heart. Romantics goes out the window when you looking at thousands of pounds in repairs.


    Eh its actually ten years!! its a 98!! I was just looking at the guy going, "wtf?, this thing has two services on it?!

    Thats the answer I was looking for really. Depressing all the same, staring into weeks more driving with the punto. :(


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    #51
    quarryman
    Registered Users Posts: 7,496 ✭✭✭quarryman


    Stop being so impatient!

    A few weeks is nothing, you will have the car for YEARS!

    When you find the car you'll know 100%. Keep shopping, loads of deals out there.

    What about going to the UK as I suggested above?


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    #52
    givyjoe81
    Closed Accounts Posts: 690 ✭✭✭givyjoe81


    quarryman wrote: »
    Stop being so impatient!

    A few weeks is nothing, you will have the car for YEARS!

    When you find the car you'll know 100%. Keep shopping, loads of deals out there.

    What about going to the UK as I suggested above?

    Not impatient, well not not much anyway! Iv done my time with the punto, now i want out!

    As regards Uk, the farthest i'd go is up north, wouldnt be into going all the way over, doesnt appeal to me at all. As i mentioned before even if i got one with a service history, not much good to me over here as regards warranties etc. And doing all my searching now while i have time, before i start the new job.


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    #53
    Eoin
    Registered Users Posts: 21,257 ✭✭✭✭Eoin


    givyjoe81 wrote: »
    Not impatient, well not not much anyway! Iv done my time with the punto, now i want out!

    As regards Uk, the farthest i'd go is up north, wouldnt be into going all the way over, doesnt appeal to me at all. As i mentioned before even if i got one with a service history, not much good to me over here as regards warranties etc. And doing all my searching now while i have time, before i start the new job.

    Going to the UK will take a day - all the prep work can be done online and over the phone. By going up to Norn Iron, you're saving a few hours only.


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