View Poll Results: Worth getting extended warranty on a CDN 2008 535i?
Voters: 32. You may not vote on this poll
Is it worth getting extended warranty on 2008 535i?
09-21-2011, 03:52 PM
#12
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My Ride: 2008 535xi
I vote no because of the list below - I own a 2008 535i
You have a fully forged engine - BMW switched to cast pistons and shafts at some point around 2009. The 2008 2009 n54 is arguably one of the best built.
Most common parts that may go bad on 2008 535
turbo seals
Has not been linked to turbo, oil, or otherwise; some can fix by switching oils. Can affect brand new turbos- You can buy stock turbos for $600. Put them on yourself if you have access to lift, or pay a shop a few hundred. You can get aftermarket turbos for $2500-$3500 that are good to 20+ PSI.
Stock DP Cats
These may burn out if you run meth for any period time - I want catless dps anyway......
HPFP
Covered for 120000 miles easy and cheap to replace
Stock Coils
Go bad often, especially if running tune - I have a spare set of 6 that were free from take offs. They are $60 each
Injectors
Not super common, but if the car did not get the new ones yet, they need to be changed. They are cheap and easy to do yourself. Downside is you have to have them coded
Sensors in the trunk
Cheap and easy to move into the drivers side wheel well. Damage is from water getting into the trunk. 5 minutes and it is remedied saving you thousands.
Wastegate actuator rattle
Seems to affect 3 series more than 1 or 5. Can be fixed by adjusting wastegate usually. Some aftermarket fixes available. Dealer will want to swap the turbos.
VANOS sensor - not covered under CPO warranty considered a wearable item
Easy and cheap to replace. Can be cleaned and reused in some cases.
Intake gumming from direct injection - not covered under warranty
Needs to be done 50k-60k miles. Find a shop that does walnut cleaning. The intake valves get gummed up from Blow by. Just part of the direct injection design and the EPA regulations.
Oil Filter housing gasket
Not covered - considered a wear item. It is cheap and easy to replace. The turbo engines get very very hot. One downside is it torches this gasket which sits against the block.
I would say that list covers 90% of the problems with the cars. Other items are random. As you can see it is a VERY short list. Half the items are turbo related and the turbos are not that expensive, but the install is. Nearly everything listed above has fixes documented and for the most part the N54 is not a very hard engine to work on at all.
Buy it, tune it, add meth, and enjoy it. Save the warranty money for something else, or for upgraded turbos.
BTW if you really want to get a consensus on the engine and car, this is not the best forum to read. There are forums out there with people who work on their own cars, don't buy warranties, and don't sell their soul to BMW. Find one of those and peruse it. You will feel much better about that car. When i was shopping I was terrified of the turbo car because of this forum. Everything in it reads like the car is a POS. Most of the cars in here are non forced induction or V8s, and 2/3 the post are about how to put M-parts or M wheels on a slow car. Many topics won't even apply to that car.
You have a fully forged engine - BMW switched to cast pistons and shafts at some point around 2009. The 2008 2009 n54 is arguably one of the best built.
Most common parts that may go bad on 2008 535
turbo seals
Has not been linked to turbo, oil, or otherwise; some can fix by switching oils. Can affect brand new turbos- You can buy stock turbos for $600. Put them on yourself if you have access to lift, or pay a shop a few hundred. You can get aftermarket turbos for $2500-$3500 that are good to 20+ PSI.
Stock DP Cats
These may burn out if you run meth for any period time - I want catless dps anyway......
HPFP
Covered for 120000 miles easy and cheap to replace
Stock Coils
Go bad often, especially if running tune - I have a spare set of 6 that were free from take offs. They are $60 each
Injectors
Not super common, but if the car did not get the new ones yet, they need to be changed. They are cheap and easy to do yourself. Downside is you have to have them coded
Sensors in the trunk
Cheap and easy to move into the drivers side wheel well. Damage is from water getting into the trunk. 5 minutes and it is remedied saving you thousands.
Wastegate actuator rattle
Seems to affect 3 series more than 1 or 5. Can be fixed by adjusting wastegate usually. Some aftermarket fixes available. Dealer will want to swap the turbos.
VANOS sensor - not covered under CPO warranty considered a wearable item
Easy and cheap to replace. Can be cleaned and reused in some cases.
Intake gumming from direct injection - not covered under warranty
Needs to be done 50k-60k miles. Find a shop that does walnut cleaning. The intake valves get gummed up from Blow by. Just part of the direct injection design and the EPA regulations.
Oil Filter housing gasket
Not covered - considered a wear item. It is cheap and easy to replace. The turbo engines get very very hot. One downside is it torches this gasket which sits against the block.
I would say that list covers 90% of the problems with the cars. Other items are random. As you can see it is a VERY short list. Half the items are turbo related and the turbos are not that expensive, but the install is. Nearly everything listed above has fixes documented and for the most part the N54 is not a very hard engine to work on at all.
Buy it, tune it, add meth, and enjoy it. Save the warranty money for something else, or for upgraded turbos.
BTW if you really want to get a consensus on the engine and car, this is not the best forum to read. There are forums out there with people who work on their own cars, don't buy warranties, and don't sell their soul to BMW. Find one of those and peruse it. You will feel much better about that car. When i was shopping I was terrified of the turbo car because of this forum. Everything in it reads like the car is a POS. Most of the cars in here are non forced induction or V8s, and 2/3 the post are about how to put M-parts or M wheels on a slow car. Many topics won't even apply to that car.
Wow. This should be stickied. I am on 80k miles and have had not many issues. I would say go for it if you plan to keep the car for another few years. If you are keeping it 1-2 years, then maybe not.
09-21-2011, 05:33 PM
#13
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"
BTW if you really want to get a consensus on the engine and car, this is not the best forum to read. There are forums out there with people who work on their own cars, don't buy warranties, and don't sell their soul to BMW. Find one of those and peruse it. You will feel much better about that car. When i was shopping I was terrified of the turbo car because of this forum. Everything in it reads like the car is a POS. Most of the cars in here are non forced induction or V8s, and 2/3 the post are about how to put M-parts or M wheels on a slow car. Many topics won't even apply to that car. "
+1
BTW if you really want to get a consensus on the engine and car, this is not the best forum to read. There are forums out there with people who work on their own cars, don't buy warranties, and don't sell their soul to BMW. Find one of those and peruse it. You will feel much better about that car. When i was shopping I was terrified of the turbo car because of this forum. Everything in it reads like the car is a POS. Most of the cars in here are non forced induction or V8s, and 2/3 the post are about how to put M-parts or M wheels on a slow car. Many topics won't even apply to that car. "
+1
09-21-2011, 07:52 PM
#14
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My Ride: 2008 535i | Black Sapphire | Black Nasca Leather | Sport Package | Heads Up Display | Navigation | Lane Departure Warning | Electric Rear Sunshade | Logic 7 Sound System | USB audio | Heated Rear Seats | Ventilated Seats |
Picked up: February 25, 2008
HPFP
Covered for 120000 miles easy and cheap to replace
Stock Coils
Go bad often, especially if running tune - I have a spare set of 6 that were free from take offs. They are $60 each
Injectors
Not super common, but if the car did not get the new ones yet, they need to be changed. They are cheap and easy to do yourself. Downside is you have to have them coded
Wastegate actuator rattle
Seems to affect 3 series more than 1 or 5. Can be fixed by adjusting wastegate usually. Some aftermarket fixes available. Dealer will want to swap the turbos.
VANOS sensor - not covered under CPO warranty considered a wearable item
Easy and cheap to replace. Can be cleaned and reused in some cases.
Intake gumming from direct injection - not covered under warranty
Needs to be done 50k-60k miles. Find a shop that does walnut cleaning. The intake valves get gummed up from Blow by. Just part of the direct injection design and the EPA regulations.
Oil Filter housing gasket
Not covered - considered a wear item. It is cheap and easy to replace. The turbo engines get very very hot. One downside is it torches this gasket which sits against the block.
Buy it, tune it, add meth, and enjoy it. Save the warranty money for something else, or for upgraded turbos.
BTW if you really want to get a consensus on the engine and car, this is not the best forum to read. There are forums out there with people who work on their own cars, don't buy warranties, and don't sell their soul to BMW. Find one of those and peruse it. You will feel much better about that car. When i was shopping I was terrified of the turbo car because of this forum. Everything in it reads like the car is a POS. Most of the cars in here are non forced induction or V8s, and 2/3 the post are about how to put M-parts or M wheels on a slow car. Many topics won't even apply to that car.
Covered for 120000 miles easy and cheap to replace
Stock Coils
Go bad often, especially if running tune - I have a spare set of 6 that were free from take offs. They are $60 each
Injectors
Not super common, but if the car did not get the new ones yet, they need to be changed. They are cheap and easy to do yourself. Downside is you have to have them coded
Wastegate actuator rattle
Seems to affect 3 series more than 1 or 5. Can be fixed by adjusting wastegate usually. Some aftermarket fixes available. Dealer will want to swap the turbos.
VANOS sensor - not covered under CPO warranty considered a wearable item
Easy and cheap to replace. Can be cleaned and reused in some cases.
Intake gumming from direct injection - not covered under warranty
Needs to be done 50k-60k miles. Find a shop that does walnut cleaning. The intake valves get gummed up from Blow by. Just part of the direct injection design and the EPA regulations.
Oil Filter housing gasket
Not covered - considered a wear item. It is cheap and easy to replace. The turbo engines get very very hot. One downside is it torches this gasket which sits against the block.
Buy it, tune it, add meth, and enjoy it. Save the warranty money for something else, or for upgraded turbos.
BTW if you really want to get a consensus on the engine and car, this is not the best forum to read. There are forums out there with people who work on their own cars, don't buy warranties, and don't sell their soul to BMW. Find one of those and peruse it. You will feel much better about that car. When i was shopping I was terrified of the turbo car because of this forum. Everything in it reads like the car is a POS. Most of the cars in here are non forced induction or V8s, and 2/3 the post are about how to put M-parts or M wheels on a slow car. Many topics won't even apply to that car.
HPFP - I called in BMW NA and they said based on my VIN, my car isn't affected but if I have the dealer take a look at my HPFP and they deem it to be similar, it could be added to the "list" and the extended warranty on that part will apply. Now I gotta make a trip there.
Stock Coils - What's "running tune"? How do I know this is shot/broken? I do notice if I go over a bump, say a curb, it makes this bump sound that almost sounds as if it rattled for a split second
As for the rest, how do I know when to change injectors, wastegate actuator rattle, VANOS sensor, intake gumming from direct injection, and oil filter housing gasket?
LOL, I had no idea about this forum. I only stuck with it since our family purchased the 535i cuz of it's clean UI. I suppose I'll check out other forums.
09-22-2011, 05:24 AM
#15
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Sorry for being a n00b. Some questions and comments:
HPFP - I called in BMW NA and they said based on my VIN, my car isn't affected but if I have the dealer take a look at my HPFP and they deem it to be similar, it could be added to the "list" and the extended warranty on that part will apply. Now I gotta make a trip there.
HPFP - I called in BMW NA and they said based on my VIN, my car isn't affected but if I have the dealer take a look at my HPFP and they deem it to be similar, it could be added to the "list" and the extended warranty on that part will apply. Now I gotta make a trip there.
A tune is an aftermarket part to "tune" the car for more power and torque. Some models are JB4, Vishnu, and Cobb (new to the N54). The Cobb is a true non-techincal install. JB4 made by burger tuning has been proven with many more cars in the 11's than the other two to date.
I run a JB4 with integrated meth.
PM me and I'll give you some links. I'm not going to post them in here because it's slightly off topic.
09-22-2011, 08:09 AM
#16
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My Ride: 2008 535i:
(8/07 Build) Metallic Bronze, Beige NASCA Leather, Ventilated Seats, Sport Pkg, Cold Wxr Pkg, Logic-7 Sound, HUD, Night Vision, PDC, Split Rear Seats, NAV, Premium Pkg, Comfort Access, HD Radio, Sport Auto Trans
Current mods: M-Aero Kit, JB4, Motorcepts 6000k HID Foglamps
Umnitza ICE-Lite 10w LED 6000k AE's
1992 Camaro RS:
Fully Restored w/Custom Interior, 5.0L V8, T-tops, OEM Z28 Foglamps, Inst Cluster, & Spoiler, Custom Sound, Too many engine mods to list
Look at it this way:
Can you afford to make a $600 monthly payment (assuming you bought used and have good credit) and a repair payment that can cost at least 1k simultaneously?
If your answer is yes then you don't have to worry about an extended warranty.
Can you afford to make a $600 monthly payment (assuming you bought used and have good credit) and a repair payment that can cost at least 1k simultaneously?
If your answer is yes then you don't have to worry about an extended warranty.
09-22-2011, 08:26 AM
#17
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09-22-2011, 09:00 AM
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My Ride: 2012 535i X-driveSpace Grey/Black Dakota, Fineline Anthracite Trim; Executive Package (Rear View, Lumbar, Nav, Voice, SIRIUS, HiFi Pro) Technology Package (Hi Beam Assist, Lane Departure, Blind Spot Detection, Surround View) BMW Apps (Apps, Smart Pho
Model Year: 2012
HPFP - I called in BMW NA and they said based on my VIN, my car isn't affected but if I have the dealer take a look at my HPFP and they deem it to be similar, it could be added to the "list" and the extended warranty on that part will apply. Now I gotta make a trip there. .
.
