1990 BMW 3 Series review from North America

There are two instances that this car had failed to do its purpose and that it needed immediate work. First is that the car didn't start. It didn't even crank so I had to call a tow truck. Cause: the starter motor burned out. That was unpredictable. That costs about $600 from the BMW dealership to have it replaced. Second is the coolant leaked out of the throttle body. It was still drivable, but I had to go straight to a mechanic. They did a temporary fix, but eventually leaked again and I fixed it myself by putting some silicon sealant or gasket maker to seal the connection. The connection by the way is pitted or corroded. The reason for that pinhole. As you know, coolant is under pressure and a pinhole is enough to have all the coolant leak out. Cost to fix the leak is $0.99, a tube of silicon gasket maker and some elbow grease.

The car I got is in very good condition, maybe because it only had 80,000 miles on it even after 14 years. Sometimes I wonder if this cars odometer reading is true. Other ways to find out is by the condition of the car like the seats, steering wheel, shift knob pedals, etc. All seems to be within reason. Leather seat has no cracks, steering looks good, rear seats looks like new.

The only stuff that needed replacement is the typical stuff that requires replacement, like:

Flex Disk

Transmission Mount

Front control arms and bushings,

Brake pads,

Shocks, shock bushings

Belts and timing belts.

But overall I like the car, but we all know eventually something will require fixing or replacement that will cost more than the value of the car. I think that will be the auto trans. So I don't know what I'll do. I either have it fixed for about $2000 or sell it for $2000. But who'll buy a $2000 car if it requires $2000 to make it run.