2006 BMW 330Ci ZHP Convertible MT6 w/72k miles (Fairfield, CT) - $12,863

[ORB0554]

I was considering this one and decided to pass.

Monaco Blue Metallic with Natural Brown Leather interior, heated seats.

2-owners, clean Carfax.
http://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory/p/Report.cfx?partner=DUP_0&vin=WBABW53426PJ97947

http://www.fairfieldautocollection.com/detail-2006-bmw-3_series-330ci-used-13354737.html

[BMWCurves]

Looks to be in good shape. Nice color combo as well with a manual.

[az3579]

I can do a thorough review and report for anyone seriously interested in this car. I am very local to this one.

[ORB0554]

You are very close. Please report back as it is reasonably priced and someone is likely to benefit from your summary.
I was concerned about the infrequent oil changes by first owner, replacement of oil drain plug, and why so many computer module checks?
I would like to know the condition of the paint and any signs of prior body/paint work.
How bad are the scratches along the carbon cube interior trim pieces?
Lastly, any signs of leaks and rust underneath?

[az3579]

You are very close. Please report back as it is reasonably priced and someone is likely to benefit from your summary.
I was concerned about the infrequent oil changes by first owner, replacement of oil drain plug, and why so many computer module checks?
I would like to know the condition of the paint and any signs of prior body/paint work.
How bad are the scratches along the carbon cube interior trim pieces?
Lastly, any signs of leaks and rust underneath?


Are you seriously interested in this car? In your first post you said you decided to pass.
I'm just trying to get a feel for whether you're considering the car lightly. When I go look at a car, I usually spend well over an hour just going over it before I even drive it. My review is extremely thorough...

If you are seriously interested in it, then I will go check it out for you and do a full writeup, and have something to tell the dealer (that I'm not the one looking but instead have a friend from faraway who is interested). :thumbsup

[ORB0554]

No longer seriously considering the car. The dealer was not willing to provide additional photos and I wanted the oil drain plug checked to make sure it was not stripped.

Your service sounds more like a PPI.

Thank you nonetheless, Oscar

[az3579]

No longer seriously considering the car. The dealer was not willing to provide additional photos and I wanted the oil drain plug checked to make sure it was not stripped.

Your service sounds more like a PPI.

Thank you nonetheless, Oscar

Not necessarily. I can't inspect mechanical things since I don't have a lift. I go there and inspect every single inch of the car for scratches, rust, dings, etc. I test every single function of the car; I check all the lights, press every single button and make sure every item works. I document all imperfections with the car as well as do a full writeup to what's good and what isn't. I provide tons and tons of pictures if desired, so the lack of photos shouldn't be a let down. Then I go for a drive and test a variety of things like brakes, suspension, engine, etc (if they would allow me to). If this is a car you really would consider if you had "more info", then I could totally provide you with a ton of pictures and a full report of what works and doesn't work on the car.

I'll give you a ZHP Mafia discount that I give to anyone I check out cars for: Free. :)

[ORB0554]

Your service is superb and now you are tempting me. What is your personal experience about all the "Engine/powertrain computer/module checked" shown on the Carfax (12/30/08, 04/06/10, 08/23/12, and 01/10/14)?
You are right, if I had more information about the vehicle's status would make a difference in becoming a serious consideration in purchasing. The dealer had no clue about VANOS, coolant tank, brake fluid flush, and the like.

I will let you know, Oscar

[bandwagn]

I can do a thorough review and report for anyone seriously interested in this car. I am very local to this one.

I took a leap of blind faith and put down the deposit on this car - not expecting it to be perfect, but should fit the bill. Let me know if you'd like to check it out

[az3579]

I took a leap of blind faith and put down the deposit on this car - not expecting it to be perfect, but should fit the bill. Let me know if you'd like to check it out

I can totally check it out. Please PM me your name (so I can tell them who I'm checking it out for) and I'll give them a call to schedule a showing of the car.

[Vas]

I added the vin to the zhp registery.

[az3579]

Appointment has been made to check the car out tomorrow.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ELCID86]

Not necessarily. I can't inspect mechanical things since I don't have a lift. I go there and inspect every single inch of the car for scratches, rust, dings, etc. I test every single function of the car; I check all the lights, press every single button and make sure every item works. I document all imperfections with the car as well as do a full writeup to what's good and what isn't. I provide tons and tons of pictures if desired, so the lack of photos shouldn't be a let down. Then I go for a drive and test a variety of things like brakes, suspension, engine, etc (if they would allow me to). If this is a car you really would consider if you had "more info", then I could totally provide you with a ton of pictures and a full report of what works and doesn't work on the car.

I'll give you a ZHP Mafia discount that I give to anyone I check out cars for: Free. :)

This man is thorough without a doubt. I have used his services before. You will not none disappointed.
(I also paid for a PPI and recommend everyone do as well).

Could be a great car. I love the colors.




Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[jwalther]

I took a leap of blind faith and put down the deposit on this car - not expecting it to be perfect, but should fit the bill. Let me know if you'd like to check it out

Hope it works out for you. Love the color combo!

[bandwagn]

Now just have to get it from CT to NE. Does anyone have any recommendations for a shipper (or horror stories to avoid)?

[fredo]

What ... The deal is done ? Congrats, man ! Hey, I was hoping to see BP comments about the car here.

[az3579]

Now just have to get it from CT to NE. Does anyone have any recommendations for a shipper (or horror stories to avoid)?

Haha, get me a plane ticket back and I'll drive it cross country for you if you want! lol

[az3579]

This morning I stopped by Mercedes of Fairfield to take a detailed look at the Monaco Blue on Natural Brown ZHP convertible.

The salesperson I dealt with was Vinny. He is a very nice guy and is easy to work with. He understood that I was there to look at the vehicle on someone else’s behalf, and was very cooperative and understanding of the amount of time the inspection took.



General Information

Build Date: July 24, 2006 (this is amongst the last E46’s produced before E46 production ceased)
Exterior Color: Monaco Blue Metallic (Paint Code: A35)
Interior Color: Natural Brown Dakota Leather (Upholstery Code: N6NG)
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Production Plant: Regensburg, Germany

Please see attached file for a list of standard and optional equipment installed on this vehicle:
18530



Notes

While I did take lots of pictures, I didn’t cover every single square inch of the car. The vehicle was quite dirty as it hadn’t been washed yet (it will be prior to delivery, I’m told). For the most part, the pictures tell the story of what each panel looks like.

Also, I didn’t do much mechanical inspection because I do not have access to a lift. What I did was purely visual from easily accessible locations, such as the engine bay. Suspension components and anything underneath the vehicle will require a lift or some method of jacking up the vehicle, which I did not have access to, so those items will not be covered.

During the inspection of the car, I had my camera in full auto mode. Sunlight was harsh and there were some areas that wouldn’t focus properly (and it doesn’t allow me to manual focus when in Auto mode). In the interest of saving some time, I let the camera focus the best it could and took a picture good enough to get the point of the picture.

I did ask Vinny if I could hook up my computer running ISTA/D to scan the vehicle’s modules for errors, but due to liability issues, I wasn’t allowed to do so. From what I could tell, all of the modules in the car appeared to be functioning according to my tests and there was no Check Engine light, so I would have to assume that there aren’t any significant codes stored in the modules.



Exterior

The one thing that is apparent with this vehicle is that it clearly wasn’t previously owned by enthusiasts. There is a large amount of clearcoat scratches on the vehicle, and every single body panel is affected by them. The vast majority of them should come out with a thorough paint correction, and there is only one scratch that I could actually feel with my finger. This scratch is outlined in one of the pictures below with a caption. The paint seems very nice otherwise; I do feel that with a proper paint correction, this car’s exterior could truly shine.

There is no physical damage that I could see on any of the body panels. The rear bumper may need a little adjustment as in one of the pictures you can see that it isn’t quite clipped properly. There are a couple of spots where I noticed some nicks in the paint. The front had some standard-issue rock chipping for 71k miles, nothing serious. The rear diffuser has some fading and a scratch towards the right side of it, and the exhaust tips are in need of polishing.

The driver’s side mirror glass is starting to form rusty looking edges. The passenger side is not afflicted by this. The housings have some small scuffs on the side of the housings on both sides of the car.

The wheels on this car are in pretty good shape for the most part. Two of the wheels look new, as though they were refurbished, as even the insides of them look new and clean. The other two have some imperfections on them, though they are not major imperfections.

This ZHP’s convertible top appears to be in excellent condition on the outside, albeit a bit dirty due to sitting outside. There are no rips, tears, or fraying that I could see. The rear transparent panel appears to be in decent shape.



Interior

The interior of this car needs some TLC. There are numerous nicks in the driver’s side door panel in the lower sections, as well as some ink marks on the leather and scuffs all over the black cube trim. There is a screw cover missing from inside the door handle area. The speaker cover also has some wear. Creaking and looseness is not an issue when pulling on the door handle to close the door; it is quiet and firm feeling for both driver and passenger sides. The mirror switch functions as it should; both left and right side mirrors adjust with the switch in every direction. Tilting functionality is fine with the passenger mirror, and both mirror motors have full range of motion with no binding. There is a fair bit of white staining on the cover where the tweeter would be on a sedan on the driver’s side panel, which will most likely come off with a good scrub cleaning. The leather arm rest pads on the door panels are in excellent condition and don’t appear frequently used, though some of the natural leather texture is slightly rubbed off towards the front part of the pad on the driver’s side. Regardless, the pads are still in very nice shape otherwise.

Door sills are in good overall condition. They aren’t perfect, but that can’t be expected since it’s a high traffic area. They are not physically damaged.

The driver’s side front seat leather is in good overall condition for the age of the vehicle. The bottom part of the seat has some light cracking in the side bolsters, which is normal for a car of this age. The cracks appear worse than they are because the seats need to be cleaned with a good leather cleaner and conditioner as the leather is a bit dry overall. Once the seats are cleaned and conditioned, the cracks will barely be visible. There is some wear on the upper bolster, which also needs a good cleaning and possibly a re-application of dye in that small section. The plastic piece on the side of the upper seatback that houses the seat tilting mechanism has seen better days; the soft-touch material is coming off around the edges and it has numerous scratches. The tilting mechanism functions properly, as do the buttons to aid in sliding the seat forward or back for rear-passenger entry/exit. Both front seat belts function properly.

There are floor mats installed in every corner front and back. These are the BMW Carpet mats.

The dead pedal to the left of the clutch pedal is exhibiting a crack, indicating a replacement being required soon.

The light switch and black cube trim surrounding it are in excellent condition. The switch has nice, firm clicks and every position initiates the correct action from the lights. This LCM should be a higher software version since this is a late 2006 build, so it should have additional functionality that older 2005’s and below do not have. The auto light functionality works properly. Parking lights come on as they should in the parking light position and both low beams function properly when turned on. Low/high beams are AL Bi-Xenon lights, which function properly both in low beam mode and high beam mode. Both front fog lights also function properly, as do the front corner lights, sidemarkers, and all functions of the rear LED lights and third brake light. There are no dead LEDs in the tail lights and trunk-mounted third brake light. Reverse lights function properly as well as both license plate lights. The interior light dimmer switch correctly adjusts the interior illumination brightness. This vehicle does not have Daytime Running Lights enabled.

The turn signal stalk is in great shape; the symbols on it aren’t worn and are still very clearly visible. All functions of the stalk are in operating order; turn signals left and right, flash-to-pass, and permanent high beam functionality are good. The BC button for the on board computer functions as well.

Telescopic steering wheel controls are installed on this car and are functional. There is what appears to be a microphone integrated into the top plastic of the steering wheel column cover. It is very nicely installed with good fit and finish.

The windshield wiper and washer control stalk is also in good condition with clearly visible markings. All functions of the stalk are operational; auto/intermittent (couldn’t test auto since it wasn’t raining), position I and position II, as well as single wipe and windshield wash. I have not tested the headlight cleaning system as there wasn’t much washer fluid left in the reservoir to test with since it only activates every 5th wash.

Interestingly the instrument cluster “window” is all hazed up. From what I could tell from a little rubbing with my finger, it should clear up with some cleaning/polishing, but I do not know why it’s like that. Indicator lights that stayed on while the car was running: washer fluid level low. The pictured BRAKE and seatbelt lights are due to the handbrake being up and seat belt not connected, respectively, so those are not issues. The two knobs on the cluster are functional as well as all gauges and lights on the cluster.

There are some scratches in the leather on the steering wheel. The controls look like they’re in great shape as well as the steering wheel trim around the buttons and on the bottom. The leather is in pretty good shape minus the scratches. All buttons that I could test on the steering wheel functioned well.

This vehicle is equipped with OE navigation. I have tested all of the buttons on the navigation unit and they all perform as expected. There do not appear to be any dead pixels or any overall issues with the unit. The black cube trim around the nav is in very good condition.

All of the buttons on the HVAC controls function properly. Heat blows very hot and AC blows very cold. The slider for temperature control in the center vent stack functions properly as well as all of the 0/I sliders on all of the vents in the cabin. This car does not have the usual crack that appears in the upper left hand corner of the center vents like in some E46’s.

Both heated seats work, though they do not warm up nearly as much as they do in my car. In this convertible, they only felt slightly warm on the strongest setting (three green bars). The car was sitting for quite a while with the heated seats turned on before I sat in the seat, and the car was fully warmed up before I went for a test drive, so that should have been plenty of time for the seats to warm up. I do not believe they will get hotter if you let it sit. The convertible top open/close buttons work properly, as does the convertible top. It does not bind in either form of operation, and the windows open/close/adjust as they should while the top is doing its thing. I have tested the DSC button and it works as it should. I could not test the TPMS button since the indicator for TPMS was not active at the time. I also did not test the cigarette lighter since I didn’t have any items to test with on my person.

The vehicle is equipped with Park Distance Control, but unfortunately the audible noise starts coming on right after switching into reverse even if nothing is behind the car. I feel that one or more rear sensors need to be replaced in order for the system to function properly.

Other seat functions also work as expected. The seats were adjusted front and back, up and down, etc. to test the motors, which are all smooth and did not bind in their full range of motion. Lumbar support functions are also in working order, as well as seat memory settings for the driver’s seat.

The shift knob is not a standard ZHP shift knob, but instead an M3 style one with a separate shift boot. The boot leather is in excellent condition, as is the shift knob and emblem. During the test drive, shifts felt vague; the car could probably use some new shift bushings and perhaps a transmission fluid change, as the usual notchiness that I’m used to in my car is not present. Shifting didn’t feel bad, it just lacked precision. Throws are the standard distance for a ZHP, so it does not have an aftermarket shift kit installed. All of the buttons around the shifter for window controls function, though I did notice an oddity. All of the window switches have dual-stage click for the windows to go down, but the passenger front window switch was the only one that had the dual-stage click to pull the window up as well. The others would only engage stage 1 of the switch so you had to hold the switch to pull the windows up in every other corner. I found this quite odd as I know that auto up/down can be changed with coding, but the switches should still at least reach Stage 2 of the click even if they’re coded for non-automatic operation. In this case they did not reach that second click; only the passenger front switch achieved that position in the switch. The all windows up/down switch (exclusive to convertibles) functions as it should. There are numerous scratches on the shifter trim surround.

The hazard light and door lock control switches work as intended. The cupholders look fine visually so they should work for holding cups in. There is an integrated coin holder, which rotates properly (sorry, no change in there!). There are some minor cracks in the leather armrest which aren’t obvious unless you’re looking for them, but overall it’s in acceptable condition. The armrest goes up and down without issue. There are numerous scratches in the handbrake area where peoples’ nails touched the plastic. The handbrake leather boot is in excellent condition.

This vehicle is equipped with BMW Assist, so it has an SOS button in the rear-view mirror. I could not test the HomeLink buttons as I don’t have a garage to test it with, but I was able to test the auto-dimming function. Automatic dimming worked properly when I placed my finger over the front sensor to block out all light. There are no “undimmed” spots on the mirror so it does not look like it needs to be rebuilt just yet.

Overhead lights function properly for both driver and passenger, as well as the center button for overall interior lighting. There is some random scuffing above the sunvisor areas which should easily be removed with some cleaning. Neither visor has a light for the mirror glass, but the sliders do function properly for the glass.

The passenger-side dash black cube trim piece is in good overall condition with the exception of a minor blemish on the extreme right edge of the trim. The glovebox opens and shuts as it should, though if you leave the glovebox to its own devices when opening, you’ll be sitting there for a long time while it opens, so I would recommend you open it by hand after you release the latch. The glovebox light appears to work.

The passenger seat is in excellent condition, though there is some minor wear on the seat bottom. It appears that some of the leather’s grain has been worn away in one half of the bottom cushion. It is very hard to spot and is not a problem at all. Otherwise there are no cracks or any kind of wear on the side bolsters. There is a small dimple in the bottom passenger seat cushion as well as the rear seats (pictured). The rear seats are a bit dirty and need a good cleaning.

Oddly enough there appeared to be some unusual looking staining on the convertible top on the inside above the rear headrests. It appears the staining should come off with some cleaning, but I can’t be sure unless I try.

The trunk area is a pretty standard affair. There is a BMW DVD slot for the navigation DVDs in the back as well as a wind deflector that appears to be included in the sale just lying in the trunk. The driver’s side rear light cover is off for some reason, stowed in the tiny plastic cubby along the wall of the trunk. This is not the case on the passenger side as that cover is installed properly and the light on that one works. I pulled open the “trap door” to reveal the factory jack and the cover for the donut spare. I didn’t take the cover entirely out, but I did see the donut spare with what appeared to be “new” levels of tread.


Tires

The tires are all matching Nokian WRG3 all-season tires in 235/40R-18 size all around. They all appear to be very close to new as there is lots of tread on all four corners. During the test drive, the ride was nice and quiet and there were no vibrations caused by the tires/wheels on the short drive on the highway at a speed of 60mph.



Brakes

Brakes appear to be new all around. None of the rotors have lips on the outer edges and all of the brake pads appear to be near new thicknesses as well. I do not know what brand rotors and pads are used. During the test drive, the brakes had very good initial bite and performed consistently throughout pedal travel. Numerous stops were made around town, as well as coming off the highway and there are zero issues to report with regards to pedal feel. ABS functions properly. Occasionally I did feel some steering wheel movement left-to-right on braking (no braking pedal pulsations, however), but I was told by Vinny that it’s the road causing that. He went on to say that he even feels that in his car, which is a relatively new Audi S6. I believe his statement because it did not do this on every road we drove on, only a select few. Most of the time the steering wheel stayed perfectly straight upon braking with my hands off the steering wheel with no pulsations found in the brakes. If this was an issue with the brakes, I would have felt the issue consistently.



Suspension

On the test drive, the suspension did not exhibit any clunking or looseness. There was no pulling on the steering wheel when driving down a straight level road, nor did it exhibit any pulling while braking on a good quality road. The vehicle absorbed bumps gracefully and steering response was excellent off-center.



Engine

After a visual inspection of the engine bay, I could not find any apparent leaks. A lot of the components “looked” new, though I don’t know if that’s because they were replaced or because they were cleaned. I didn’t see any cause for concern in the engine bay. Brake fluid levels were at the max. The windshield washer reservoir had fluid levels around where the sensor is, so I do not know if this is just because levels are low or if the fluid is leaking out (like on my car). It appears dry in the surrounding area, though mine appears dry as well so that’s not a good indicator. Hoses looked pretty good with no cracks that I could see. I did not see any remnants of coolant explosions anywhere, so that’s a good sign. There is a little bit of rust on something though I don’t know what this part is (pictured below). Paint was chipping off a bit where the bumper extends past the gasket where the hood seals with it (see pics below).



Conclusion

Overall this car needs some TLC to bring it up to weekend car/show car standards. If cosmetics is something that doesn’t bother you much, this would be a pretty nice acquisition. Mechanically solid, this car doesn’t need any work to resolve functionality issues, only preventative items need to be addressed at this point. I can see this car being a stunning looking vehicle with proper care. It is very well optioned, is a rare color combo, and is quite exclusive as a result. For the price paid for the vehicle, I believe this car has the potential to make you happy!



PICTURES!

Pictures can be found in my Flickr Album here:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsk9gvwi8

[bandwagn]

Haha, get me a plane ticket back and I'll drive it cross country for you if you want! lol

For the quotes I have so far, I'd get you a plane ticket a steak dinner and send you back with a suitcase full of Omaha steaks.

[az3579]

For the quotes I have so far, I'd get you a plane ticket a steak dinner and send you back with a suitcase full of Omaha steaks.

Not sure how a suitcase full of Omaha steaks would smell after not being refrigerated for so long. :biggrin

EDIT: Holy crap, I finished the review just in the nick of time! Couldn't have timed it better... just finished it 10 minutes ago and now I'm leaving the house to go to league. lol

[danewilson77]

Damn BP.

"No flamesuit required"

[bandwagn]

Holy ship, that's a review - Vinny said BP was comprehensive, but this is beyond anything I have ever seen


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[wsmeyer]

BP's not allowed within 5 feet of my car.

[danewilson77]

BP's not allowed within 5 feet of my car.
Mine either. :shifty

10 feet though.

"No flamesuit required"

[az3579]

BP's not allowed within 5 feet of my car.


Mine either. :shifty

10 feet though.

"No flamesuit required"

:rofl


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[Simmsled]

Love it.

Attention to detail.

[ELCID86]

For the quotes I have so far, I'd get you a plane ticket a steak dinner and send you back with a suitcase full of Omaha steaks.

Do it!