I bought my dream car!

wombat666 said:
From personal experience with Sofie's M3 (s) and the X5 SUV (not my choice FWIW) dealer servicing is the best way to go.
Basics are more or less straight forward but unless you have access to the right electronic diagnostics it's not for a shade tree mechanic.
:kilroy:
Click to expand...

Not knocking your experience...but the only time that I'd consider dealer servicing would be when the car was still under warranty. The minute the warranty period expires I'd be seeking out a good independent bmw specialist.
I'm not sure about how the dealer service network is in the US or Australia, but if it's anything like it is on this side of the Pond then I can assure you that just because you are getting your car maintained by the manufacturer's network, it doesn't mean that the level of service is any better than when dealing with an independent specialist (quite the opposite in my experience).
It's a myth and a fallacy that the E46 M3 is any more complicated than a modern day specced up family car. On board computers,diagnostics,sensors,ABS,traction control etc is pretty commonplace on even the most mundane auto-mobiles today. Don't take my word for it...ask on the enthusiast forums and the general consensus will be that once the warranty has expired it'd be wiser to have any future work done by a reputable specialist.....unless you want to pay over the odds for the same (or maybe even a lesser) level of service from the dealership.

Just my 2c :)
 
I joined M3forum.com and their consensus is just as you say - only go to the stealership if you have warranty work to do. Otherwise, always find a good indy for work if you can't do it yourself.

Looking at all the DIYs and stuff, it doesn't seem a difficult car on which to work, but parts are expensive as it's a foreign car - however, parts seem plentiful as it's an older model and as popular as it is. The only thing I'm really worrying about is drivetrain (clutch/flywheel) and the VANOS. The Inspection IIs are also a bit pricey, averaging about $1500. Though, if I do the valve timing and other fluid flushes and the like myself, I can bring down the price significantly.

The car is an 05, so I don't have to worry about the subframe issue on the 01-03s, RTABs were just replaced (cheap to replace, relatively) and FCABs are still good. Brakes, as mentioned, new rotors and pads will run me just over $400 to install myself. However, I do have it covered under warranty until 2014 - and it covers lots of stuff.
 
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