| 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
2004 BMW 3-Series repairs by problem area
Engine (42%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (6%)
Brakes and Traction Control (3%)
Suspension and Steering (16%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (23%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (6%)
Other (5%)
Chart based on 751 repairs.
2004 BMW 3-Series engine repair cost distribution
$2500+ (4%)
$1000 - $2499 (13%)
$500 - $999 (18%)
$100 - $499 (34%)
< $100 (30%)
Chart based on 247 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2004 BMW 3-Series
Engine not specified
| 88000 mi US $1000 |
Previously took to Dealer for oil change. Belts were bad so decided to change water pump as well. Dealer did not replace thermostat. Thermostat failed 1 week after. This repair was to replace thermostat |
| 45000 mi | Service light came on. Was told it was caused by a loose gas cap. |
| 215000 mi US $2400 |
Both catalytic converters clogged |
| 55000 mi US $1100 |
Radiator hose, radiator belt and radiator fan were replaced due to some noise and leaks in radiator hose. |
2004 BMW 3-Series 4dr Wagon
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 92000 mi US $1223 |
Replaced valve cover and gasket for oil leak |
| 83700 mi C $3500 |
Fuel pump |
| 101760 mi C $334 |
Replacement of idler arm & belt |
| 108500 mi C $1300 |
Oil seal had to be replaced to repair oil leak |
2004 BMW 3-Series 4dr Wagon
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 28520 mi C $400 |
Replace front rotors and brake pads. Replace exhaust downpipe (defective - warranty) Replace battery (defective - warranty) |
| 31620 mi | Replace defective front resonator (exhaust). Warranty repair. |
| 32860 mi | Exhaust system expanding and vibrating agains heat shield. Repositioned. Warranty repair. |
| 44640 mi C $500 |
Failed thermostat. Known BMW design flaw for this part(fails after 4-5 years due to moisture intrusion). Failed thermostat. Known BMW design flaw for this part(fails after 4-5 years due to moisture intrusion). |
| 89580 mi C $60 |
Leaking gasket. Replaced valve cover gasket and valve cover bolt washers. |
| 89900 mi C $190 |
Replaced valve cover gasket, replaced oil housing gasket, replaced vanos oil return line, replaced tensioner pulley and idler pulley, replaced accessory belt and AC belt. Parts cost only - work performed by owner. |
| 91540 mi C $430 |
Radiator coolant expansion tank failed. Replaced coolant expansion tank, replaced coolant. |
| 84000 mi | Check engine light came on and indicated a thermostat problem. Need to have car examined by dealer. |
2004 BMW 3-Series 4dr Wagon
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed manual RWD
| 73000 mi US $85 |
Thermostat was stuck open; engine would not come up to full temperature. |
| 80700 mi US $53 |
Oil leak from valve cover gasket. |
| 89100 mi US $700 |
Leaking coolant reservoir. Replaced radiator, water pump, hoses, coolant tank as recommended at 90k miles. |
| 96000 mi US $800 |
Car overheating; shop determined low AC charge was responsible. Repair fixed non-functioning AC but did not solve overheating issue. Overheating while stopped in traffic. Shop determined that auxiliary cooling fan had failed. Replaced fan, but did not resolve issue. |
| 96200 mi | Overheating caused by bad temp switch. Replaced switch. |
| 87000 mi US $210 |
Valve cover gasket replaced |
| 101000 mi US $260 |
Misfire no. 5 cylinder. Replaced coil and plug. |
| 105200 mi US $700 |
Oil leak - oil pan gasket replaced |
| 106000 mi US $1050 |
Oil leak - replace valve cover and gasket Oil leak - reseat oil filter holder |
| 117000 mi US $300 |
Replace sticky thermostat |
2004 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
235-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed manual RWD
| 88000 mi US $150 |
Oil filter housing was leaking due to degraded seal. |
| 64000 mi US $50 |
rough idle w/ AC on; cleaned MAF, disassembled intake and cleaned dirty/stuck idle control valve, DISA valve and throttle body, checked for vacuum leaks and cracked hoses - found none; rough idle has not returned. |
| 90200 mi US $50 |
replaced faulty oil level sensor |
| 102000 mi US $600 |
Oil filter housing leak - replaced gasket. Vanos supply hose leak - replaced hose. |
| 70260 mi C $300 |
Check engine light illuminated, car would not idle and ran roughly. Dealer diagnosed lean lean mixture due to cracked intake boot. Replaced part. |
| 82000 mi | Car would not start, fuel pump replaced. Work took place in July 2008. |
| 98000 mi US $120 |
1 leaky fuel injector caused poor starting. Replaced and all is well. |
| 107000 mi US $15 |
Replaced oil filter housing gasket due to small oil leak. |
| 131000 mi US $110 |
Intake cam position sensor went bad. Replaced to resolve SRC codes. |
| 116000 mi US $30 |
Code P0302 with engine stumble. Replaced ignition coil on cylinder 2 with cheap one from Advanced Auto. New coil fixed the problem |
| 105000 mi US $800 |
Oil filter housing gasket failure |
| 102500 mi US $100 |
Rebuilt / overhauled the DISA unit located in the m54b30 engine intake plenum using a kit sold by German Auto Solutions (GAS). The DISA is a common failure item on BMW's I-6 engines in the e39 and e46 chassis. |
| 58900 mi C $500 |
Engine Light was on for 2974; Oxygen sensor. |
| 94860 mi C $600 |
DISA Valve was broken. They had to install a new DISA valve. |
| 105800 mi US $599 |
replace water pump & coolant hose flush coolant system |
| 109700 mi US $1300 |
Thermostat and water pump were replaced |
| 127000 mi US $3000 |
Lots of cooling components were leaking or about to fail. Replaced a bunch of components. |
| 96200 mi US $200 |
Water pump gasket leaking. Replaced water pump |
| 114000 mi US $700 |
radiator leaking. replaced radiator, water pump, and hoses. |
2004 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
235-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 139000 mi US $65 |
Valve cover gasket leaking Replaced A/C belt and mechanical tensioner |
| 120500 mi US $750 |
Oil filter housing gasket |
| 102700 mi US $2100 |
was told oil filter gasket was in need of replacement car overheated on highway, coolant reservoir cracked and upper radiator hose blew |
| 170000 mi US $1100 |
Fuel sensors Radiator and hoses replaced |
| 174000 mi US $400 |
Overflow reservoir bracket and o rings at transmission cooling line were leaking. Replaced |
| 88000 mi US $100 |
Replaced oil filter housing gasket (leaking). Also did an oil change. |
| 61000 mi US $200 |
Vacuum tube came loose @ manifold. |
| 102000 mi US $4200 |
Oil leak noticed from spotting on driveway. Valve cover gasket leaking and replaced. |
2004 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed manual RWD
| 112000 mi US $90 |
Replaced alternator/water pump tensioner and idler pulleys. Pulleys were squeaking at idle. |
| 139000 mi US $200 |
Replaced leaky valve cover gasket. Strong odor of burnt oil when stopped at a light. Replaced aging CCV (Crank Case Ventilation / PCV) system. Replaced leaking oil filter housing gasket. |
| 146400 mi US $50 |
Replaced leaking VANOS oil line |
| 153000 mi US $75 |
Replaced thermostat due to failed electrical heating element. Replaced thermostat due to failed electrical heating element. |
| 158400 mi US $75 |
OEM Wahler thermostat developed a slow coolant leak where the electrical connector enters the thermostat body. |
| 71000 mi US $880 |
Replaced idler pulleys that mechanic noted were squeaking. |
2004 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed manual AWD
| 114000 mi US $1200 |
Leaking oil pan |
| 120000 mi US $900 |
Water pump |
| 118000 mi US $100 |
Valve cover gasket replacement as I was losing small amount of oil over engine block. Tipped-off by burnt smell post-driving. |
2004 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed automated manual RWD
| 187000 mi US $150 |
Replaced coil packs (connected to spark plugs) and pre-cat oxygen sensors. |
2004 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 57000 mi US $230 |
Performance. Air filter replaced. |
| 61000 mi US $350 |
New thermostat. Car was not heating. Thermostat fixed the problem. |
| 68200 mi US $2100 |
Valve cover, brakes and major tune up |
2004 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 150000 mi US $230 |
fuel pump stopped working, replace pump & fuel filter |
| 188700 mi US $1000 |
engine mounts |
| 211000 mi US $570 |
replace leaking radiator |
| 201000 mi US $345 |
CCV components replaced due to excessive oil consumption |
| 102600 mi US $100 |
Rattling at idle from valve in muffler/tailpipe |
| 125000 mi | Service engine soon light illuminated on a cold morning, but no driveability symptoms. Check of code revealed too lean condition. Reset code/light and did not reappear in >500 miles of driving. |
| 26140 mi C $600 |
Replaced camshaft. |
| 141000 mi US $200 |
Rough idle due to a leak in the vacuum system. It turned out to be a leaky MAF upper boot and a broken vacuum line from VANO to the CCV unit. Need a smoke machine to find the leak. |
| 146000 mi US $30 |
Coolant leaks. Replaced upper radiator hose. |
| 150000 mi | Secondary Air pump to valve hose replaced |
| 158000 mi US $200 |
Replaced water pump tension pulley and A/C pump tension pulley. |
| 22000 mi | The SES light came on, it ended up being the engine thermometer that went out. Result was a coolant change and a replacement of the part. While there, the car went in for a voluntary oil service which was not covered under maintanence. |
| 72000 mi US $800 |
valve cover leak, replaced gasket second time, out of warranty |
| 74000 mi US $977 |
replace valve cover plus oil & filters change and replace power steering hose |
| 87000 mi US $500 |
replace fuel pump cam sensor code |
| 97000 mi US $2000 |
replaced thermostat, |
| 87000 mi US $3000 |
oil pan leak, thermostat, coolant tank, intake hose. |
| 70000 mi US $10 |
burning oil, quart every few thousand miles |
| 76000 mi US $300 |
spark plugs replaced |
2004 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 6-speed automated manual RWD
| 10592 mi | Ignition Coils Replaced Warranty/Recall Annual Oil Service |
2004 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 75000 mi US $167 |
vacuum leak cracked upper air intake elbow. |
| 109740 mi C $246 |
Vanos tubes replaced |
| 91080 mi | Coolant Leak |
| 69520 mi | Burnt smell from under hood. Can't tell if it's burnt oil/fluid or electrical. Has gone away for now but was never fixed. Happed only during cold weather so far. |
| 65984 mi C $265 |
oil filter housing gasket,2 ccv hoses,valve cover gasket. |
| 84700 mi C $500 |
Fuel pump |
| 92380 mi C $300 |
Full CCV replacement. |
| 102249 mi US $265 |
Replace Air Pump Valve |
| 122382 mi US $110 |
Replace Crank Case Hose (Valve > Dipstick) |
| 127641 mi US $573 |
Purchased 3 Ox Sensors online - paid shop to install 2 of them that were hard to access and beyond my skill level. I installed the other one. |
| 139362 mi US $1205 |
Oil-leak Gasket and Washer replacements, hoses, belts; oil change. |
| 139362 mi US $195 |
Replaced oil filter housing gasket. |
| 102000 mi US $2500 |
Radiator coolant level sensor replaced |
| 148300 mi US $647 |
Diagnosis of Check Engine Light. MAF sensor replaced. CE Light and trouble codes cleared. |
| 73200 mi US $190 |
Upper belt tensioner making noise - bearing going out. Both tensioners replaced as well as serpentine belt. |
| 81000 mi US $150 |
Coolant expansion tank cracked and oil cooler thermostat broke during replacement. Both were replaced as well as a coolant system flush and refill. |
| 82000 mi US $22 |
Camshaft Position Sensor error message - intermittent failure. Found a close-out deal (regularly $120 for BMW part) and installed in 20 minutes. |
| 87000 mi | 1) Coolant leak - Haven't yet identified the exact location, but looks like at the connection at the top of the radiator. 2) Oil leak - Looks like a leak at one of the sensors at the front near the coolant thermostat housing. |
| 87000 mi US $274 |
Valve cover gasket leak. Oil Filter Housing gasket replacement. |
| 98000 mi US $60 |
Check engine light came on. Determined a problem with cylinder 4. Replaced coil pack on #4 and all spark plugs. |
| 101000 mi US $700 |
Car began running rough and occasionally would blow a cloud of white smoke from the exhaust indicating the Crank Case Vent valve was getting clogged. It got progressively worse and the Check Engine light came on. Replaced CCV and hoses. $220. Small coolant leak for quite awhile near radiator/hoses/expansion tank. Replaced radiator, expansion tank & auto trans thermostat, upper & lower hose, thermostat & housing, water pump and fan clutch. $480. |
| 135000 mi US $595 |
The valve cover gasket began leaking (again). The same shop repaired it less than 50K miles ago. The oil had damaged the lower radiator hose, so it was also replaced. The driver's window regulator also went out (AGAIN), so they replaced it with a genuine BMW part. I can only hope it lasts. Car died and couldn't be started. Towed to shop and was told there was no fuel pressure. The fuel pump was replaced. |
| 141000 mi US $150 |
Coolant leak - replaced expansion tank |
| 159000 mi US $250 |
Yet another expansion tank. It cracked (again) and the usual place and started leaking. |
| 119000 mi US $500 |
Check engine light on, engine starts fine but with a little hesitation. |
| 88000 mi | First issue was an oil leak. Required two trips to fix. |
| 90000 mi US $400 |
Leaking coolant. Replaced thermostat and o-ring on temp sensor. |
| 99000 mi US $86 |
Replaced purge control valve after car repeatedly threw codes. |
| 115000 mi US $500 |
Fuel pump died. |
| 122500 mi US $1385 |
Intake Manifold Adjuster and associated hoses replaced. Oil separator and attaching parts replaced. Also discovered failing water pump which was replaced. |
| 65000 mi US $1000 |
Valve cover gasket repair |
| 69000 mi | Cracked intake boots Pulleys were making terrible squealing noise, bearings were shot Spark plugs worn out |
| 95000 mi US $80 |
Thermostat was stuck open. Replaced it. |
| 118000 mi US $500 |
Evap pump. |
| 119000 mi US $1200 |
Fuel tank leak a couple weeks later. Sealed stainless steel had crack and leaked. Had to replace entire tank & enclosed fuel pump |
| 133900 mi US $72 |
Fuel Evap diagnostic module set check engine light. No drivability issue. Replaced DM-TL. |
| 159300 mi US $8600 |
Fuel Pump Repair (requires replacement of entire fuel tank on M56 ULEV model $7100 parts $1500 labor |
| 183500 mi US $37 |
Coolant Temperature Sending unit leak |
| 218000 mi US $1640 |
Check engine light was for Cracked Intake Hoses & Leak Detection Pump. Power Steering Exchange. Replace oil filter housing. Did Oil Filter change. |
| 167000 mi US $200 |
Coolant reservoir cracked and failed. Thermostat failed. Replaced both. |
2004 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 78500 mi US $400 |
vanos variable valve system. Replaced the valve cover gasket and spark plugs also. |
| 93000 mi US $200 |
coolant recovery tank and tranmission sensor |
| 106000 mi US $165 |
water pump , second time |
| 120000 mi US $75 |
gasket to oil filter mount |
| 173000 mi US $5000 |
Blown Head gasket |
| 38000 mi US $350 |
SEL code called out bad thermostat sensor. Had thermostat, housing and sensor replaced. |
| 57300 mi US $1200 |
Replaced leaking valve cover gasket. Replaced transfer case support mount |
| 151300 mi US $1900 |
Leaking oil as indicated by oil gauge light coming on (no obvious evidence like oil in driveway.) Was diagnosed as an Oil Pan leak. Dealer replaced but it did not fix the problem as light came back on 4 weeks later. |
| 153000 mi | Sold car with oil loss problem not fixed. |
| 102700 mi US $1000 |
Oil leak |
| 115200 mi US $200 |
Exhaust pipe crack |
| 81220 mi C $701 |
A plastic cylinder cracked, leaking coolant. Both pieces had to be replaced. |
| 82320 mi | heavy white smoke coming out of the exhaustrnParts: crank vent valve kit, intake boots, valve cover gasket kit, intake manifold gasket kit, ignition coil |
| 150000 mi US $780 |
Fuel pump failed while on a road trip. No dealer in vicinity so repair was done by independent shop. |
| 171800 mi US $300 |
Lazy thermostat causing engine to run cold in cold weather. Replaced thermostat. Replaced leaking valve gaskets. |
2004 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed manual RWD
| 38486 mi C $1120 |
Air bag light on again. Replaced sensor(cable assy.) at battery terminal. Squeel when engine cold again. Replaced bothe belts, tensioner, and water pump. Also discovered coolanbt expansion tank leaking-replaced. Rusted heat shield rattli |
| 74280 mi C $150 |
Thermostat stuck open. Replaced thermostat |
| 79360 mi C $125 |
Replaced leaking valve cover gasket |
| 82240 mi C $350 |
Reprogrammed ECU to correct stuttering at 2500-3000 RPM |
| 96720 mi C $800 |
Replaced muffler and one tire |
| 206000 mi US $300 |
Replace (weld in) rusted exhaust flange |
| 32000 mi | Squeal when started- belt and tensioner replaced. |
| 13232 mi | ignition coil failed. |
| 67000 mi US $55 |
"Service engine soon" light came on. Problem was engine oil separator. Replaced part and accompanying tubes and hoses. Problem may result due to moisture freezing in the part causing failure. Thermostat failed in the open position. Engine coolant temperature wasn't getting up to normal level. Dealer replaced thermostat with new one, drained old coolant,and added new coolant. |
| 99000 mi US $300 |
vanos oil reservoir replaced |
2004 BMW 3-Series 4dr Sedan
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed manual AWD
| 251000 mi US $40 |
Front camshaft potion Sensor |
2004 BMW 3-Series 4-door
4-cylinder automatic 2WD
| 59200 mi A $55 |
check engine light, only reset it, seems to have fixed the problem |
2004 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
333-horsepower 3.2L I6 6-speed manual RWD
| 31000 mi US $35 |
O-ring went back around temperature sensor, replaced sensor. |
| 115000 mi US $1000 |
Serpentine belt replaced due to wear |
| 86000 mi US $400 |
Water pump impeller failed. Replaced water pump. Replaced thermostat housing seals. Replaced water pump gasket. |
| 86000 mi US $65 |
CEL came on during morning drive into work. Engine was difficult to keep revs in low RPM range. Pulled engine codes. Codes specified misfire in cyl 3. Replaced coil for cyl 3. Test drove car, checked codes. |
| 104000 mi US $800 |
Rear Main Seal leaking. Remove and replace. |
| 138 mi US $1500 |
Replace VANOS timing gear. Known issue with failure. |
| 96000 mi US $900 |
Leaking coolant. Replaced lower radiator hose and outlet coolant temp sensor. Engine oil leaking from oil pressure release valve under exhaust manifold on the engine block. Replaced constant pressure valve. |
| 33720 mi C $220 |
Fuel pump |
| 63240 mi | Replacement of various hoses and seals. |
| 105300 mi US $1600 |
Clutch progressively would not disengage. Initially replaced hydraulics myself with no improvement. Shop found lining separated from disk and replaced disk, pressure plate, & throw-out bearing. |
| 109000 mi US $150 |
Oil leak due to Constant Pressure Valve o'ring. Replaced valve and o'ring and leak is fixed. |
| 123900 mi US $375 |
Idler bearing failed. Replaced both tensioners and idler as well as the both drive belts. |
| 125900 mi US $20 |
Stuck bypass valve causing drivability issues. Also replaced fuel cap. Valve cleaned for now - will replace if repeats. (Wasn't sure it was the problem but it was). |
| 127100 mi US $115 |
Previous drivablility problem returned. Replaced purge valve with new OEM part (previously had only cleaned it). Throttle position sensor failed causing ECL light and limp mode. Shutdown/restart and occurred again. Read codes, replaced part, OK since. |
| 135000 mi US $200 |
Also replaced muffler supports. |
| 142000 mi US $180 |
Ignition coil failed. Replaced all coils since appeared to be original. |
| 79000 mi US $400 |
The sensor developed a slow oil leak. Drove it for almost two years before getting it repaired. |
2004 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
333-horsepower 3.2L I6 6-speed automated manual RWD
| 90000 mi US $600 |
Ignition coil failure on one cylinder. Replaced all 6. |
| 92000 mi US $410 |
Cracked expansion tank |
| 93000 mi US $480 |
f&^%ing clip holding a valve cover arm not touched by me during the preceding maintenance randomly came off inside the valve cover and circulated around the cams like a fork in a blender that's turned on, necessitating a g*d&^n tow and big repair bill. so mad. car universe unhappy with me for some reason. |
| 135000 mi US $60 |
Throttle Position Sensor replaced. Took less than a minute to replace. |
| 138000 mi US $42 |
Bad coil #6 |
| 155000 mi US $140 |
Idler pulley broke and left me stranded. I replaced both belts and thermostat while I was at it. |
| 159000 mi US $70 |
Throttle Position Sensor |
| 192800 mi US $1600 |
Waterpump failing- replaced pump and thermostat Check engine light- diagnosed as failing fuel pump. Replaced fuel pump & filter. |
| 201700 mi US $300 |
Oil leaks- tighten bolt, replace crush washer, replace crankcase ventilation valve |
| 230200 mi US $125 |
Replaced cooling fan clutch |
| 260000 mi US $3500 |
Oil pump chain tensioner bad, rod bearings replaced (bad), VANOS rebuild (noisy) and new cam bolts |
| 263000 mi US $300 |
Pre-cat oxygen sensor failure bank 2- replaced both. |
| 276000 mi US $800 |
Variable Valve timing (VANOS) electrical problem- replaced solenoid unit |
| 287000 mi US $550 |
3 ignition coils failed- replaced all 6 |
| 306000 mi US $50 |
MAF sensor failed, replaced with new one |
| 312000 mi US $750 |
Single fuel injector became intermittent. Replaced all 6 due to age. |
| 74300 mi US $30 |
check engine light pointing to coolant problem. filled with coolant and will wait to see if it's a thermostat or water pump issue later. |
| 80000 mi US $280 |
Noticed an oil leak. Constant Pressure Valve (aka Oil Relief Valve) needed to be replaced. |
| 90000 mi US $400 |
Valve cover gasket, fan belt |
| 90000 mi | Water pump |
| 39800 mi US $1600 |
The Vanos on this S54 engine had broken hub tabs and the Vanos Solenoid went bad as well. At just 44,000 miles this is ridiculous. Weak design by BMW engineers. |
| 45000 mi US $1400 |
Issue with the Double VANOS. Bolts on the exhaust side came loose and the VANOS pistons seized. Has to replace the entire VANOS unit costing $1400 dollars at Dr. Vanos in Austin, TX. |
2004 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
235-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed manual RWD
| 78000 mi US $40 |
Replaced secondary rubber air intake hose due to crack and not able to pass CA smog. |
| 106000 mi US $600 |
Replaced leaking oil filter housing gasket |
| 110000 mi US $800 |
Fuel pump died, leaving the car unable to start. |
| 54000 mi | Hesitation at 2700 rpm. completely gone after software update. |
2004 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
235-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 65000 mi US $51 |
Check engine light came on. Scan said O2 sensor bank two sensor 1 was at fault also lean fuel. Turned out to be a hole in intake bellows throttle body to plastic coupling. |
| 46500 mi US $313 |
replaced leaking valve cover gasket |
| 50000 mi US $300 |
replaced oil filter housing gasket |
| 50000 mi | replaced thermostat and housing |
| 59000 mi US $700 |
Leaking water pump seal |
2004 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed manual RWD
| 67000 mi US $270 |
CCV (oil separator) failed causing stuttering acceleration. Also found lower intake boot torn. |
| 108000 mi US $2 |
Car misfired due to dirty air mass sensor. Removed and cleaned. Replaced. Ops check good. |
| 38000 mi | idling problem – required re-programming of ECU, a known problem |
| 158000 mi £200 |
Vacuum leak from the DISA valve O-ring. Engine management light came on and rough idling. Found by spraying carb cleaner on various parts of the intake. DISA valve also broken internally, so replaced with new part from BM dealer Loss of coolant and coolant level light came on. Losing coolant from the bottom of the expansion tank. Replaced expansion tank and upper and lower radiator hose. On closer inspection, appeared that expansion tank had broken apart inside |
| 167000 mi £150 |
Car developed a significant exhaust leak. Turned out to be rusted out flanges between the downpipe and centre section, as the flanges are cast iron (the rest of the system is stainless steel), so are notorious for rusting through. Managed to find a specialist exhaust shop which was able to weld in new flanges, otherwise the only other option would have been a whole new exhaust system, which would have been £1,000+ |
| 152000 mi US $60 |
Fuel tank breather valve replace. Check engine code generated |
| 159000 mi US $400 |
Found plastic water pipe under the intake leaking. Removed intake and replaced, also replaced a few items as preventative measure; rubber hoses, vacuum lines, crankcase vent valve. Price is parts only. Work performed by me. |
2004 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed automated manual RWD
| 49000 mi | Service Engine soon light, diagnosed as faulty Mass Air Flow sensor. To be replaced when part comes in. |
| 50000 mi | Replaced Mass Air Flow sensor under original factory warranty. |
| 53000 mi | Engine misfire. Called dealer immediately and set up appt. Towed to dealer. Dealer could not replicate the problem. No charge. |
| 62000 mi US $50 |
Also investigated issues with engine software, not resolved because of 5 day lead time to send ecm to BMW. |
2004 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 118176 mi US $600 |
Replaced DMTL pump, tank vent valve, exhaust cam sensor |
| 36000 mi US $300 |
Replace valve cover gaskets. Very minor. |
2004 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 43000 mi US $75 |
Oil burning smell from car, worse after longer trip. Found oil leaking from valve cover gasket onto exhaust system. Replaced valve cover gasket. Gasket is made of rubber and was hard and brittle at 43k miles! Engine has never been hot. Engine oil leak at oil filter housing base. Replaced o-ring type gasket to repair. O-ring was brittle and hard at 43k miles! Engine has never been overheated. Bearing noise from alternator area of engine. Replaced both idler pulleys in area for very rough inner bearings. Replaced with new pulleys but noise is still there. Will post when car is repaired. Engine service light on with code p2237. Engine has miss at highway speeds under load only. Runs fine at slower speeds and also when wide open. Trying to get appt at bmw dealer. Dealer not so much fun! |
| 99100 mi US $300 |
Thermostat was failing. Replaced |
| 127300 mi US $200 |
Fan/clutch was sounding bad so the service guy advised it be replaced. |
| 143000 mi US $2800 |
o2 sensor, both maf boots. engine mounts. |
| 84000 mi US $1000 |
and replaced the coolant system thermostat housing. |
| 74000 mi US $200 |
Valve Cover Gasket was leaking oil onto exhust headers causing burning oil smell. Valve Cover Gasket replaced. Additional maintenance performed included Vanos seals replacement, Serpentine and AC belts replaced. |
2004 BMW 3-Series 2dr Coupe
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed manual RWD
| 178000 mi US $150 |
Fuel pump quit super easy install and inexpensive parts on pelican parts.com |
| 180000 mi US $150 |
Fuel filter, lower intake boot and cabin filter |
2004 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible
333-horsepower 3.2L I6 6-speed manual RWD
| Gas guage not reading - fuel level sensor replaced. | |
| 55974 mi US $1514 |
replace drive belts, alternator tensioner |
2004 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible
333-horsepower 3.2L I6 6-speed automated manual RWD
| 139000 mi US $3500 |
O2 Sensors failed, resulting in low power output ('limp mode' for engine). Replaced all O2 sensors. Also performed preventative maintence, replacing cooling system, water pump, and radiator. |
2004 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible
235-horsepower 3.0L I6 6-speed manual RWD
| 120000 mi US $1100 |
Radiator replaced |
2004 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible
235-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 47100 mi US $600 |
Oil leak |
| 50000 mi US $1200 |
Oil leak |
| 54000 mi US $250 |
Replaced valve cover gaskets. |
| 64000 mi US $25 |
Tear in a rubber intake hose. Replaced hose. |
| 94300 mi US $30 |
Oil filter house gasket leak. |
| 96300 mi US $225 |
Failure of 2 spark plug coil packs. |
| 120000 mi US $75 |
Replaced leaking valve cover gasket. Replaced torn intake pipe/boot. |
2004 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 53000 mi US $50 |
Gasket on oil filter housing leaking. |
| 59000 mi US $102 |
Replacement of faulty DISA Valve also referred to as Adjuster unit, for the intake manifold. Fault occurred exactly one month after end of factory warranty. Dealer paid for part. I paid for labor |
| 14000 mi | check gas cap light on. gas cap replaced. |
| 76000 mi US $925 |
Fuel pump failure. Even though this is a very easy DIY to replace, the car is my daily driver, so I had it towed to a shop. They gouged me over $1000 to fix a $250 DIY job. |
| 71000 mi | Gasket valve cover replacement Thermostat replaced |
2004 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible
225-horsepower 3.0L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 55300 mi US $100 |
Valve cover gasket had small oil leak, remived & replaced valve cover gasket |
| 57000 mi US $825 |
The plastic power steering pump pulley broke and shredded the serpentine belt, rendering the vehicle inoperable (no cooling, power steering, or electricity from the alternator with no serpentine belt), $100 |
2004 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 152700 mi US $1000 |
Expansion Tank crack - leaking fluid - cost $500.00. 2nd time in 4 years had to replace expansion tank lower radiator hose leaking fluid |
| 124000 mi US $1400 |
Check engine light, rough running intermittent. First trip replaced valve cover gasket, outside air temp sensor, plugs, gaskets. Reset light. After initial repairs, light came on after 2 days. Catalytic converter was indicated, and was replaced. Repair successful. |
| 126000 mi | Catalytic converter died, resulting in check engine light. No pass smog check. |
| 28000 mi US $500 |
Automatic transmission needed to be reprogramed (per factory TSB) so that slippage would be eliminated when engine/transmisssion was cold. |
| 133000 mi US $450 |
Oil pressure light flickers at low rpm and hit engine. |
2004 BMW 3-Series 2dr Convertible
184-horsepower 2.5L I6 5-speed manual RWD
| 54000 mi US $300 |
Replaced thermostat. |
| 62000 mi US $525 |
Oil level sensor went bad and was successfully replaced. Leaking valve cover gasket successfully replaced. |
2004 BMW 3-Series 2-door
6-cylinder manual 2WD
| 30000 mi US $525 |
Oil line failure, resulting in severe oil leak. |
2004 BMW 3-Series 2-door
6-cylinder automatic 2WD
| 35000 mi | A ticking was occurring in the engine on hard accelerations - replaced mechanical belt tensioners with hydraulic tensioners. |
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