Bmw 323 I 2004

[johnfb]

I have been offered a BMW 323 i , 2004 , silver, 16,000 kms i good condition for 1.425 million baht.

I really want a 3 series BMW....Can those of you that know more about the car market in Thailand than me tell me :-

1) I am curious - the 323 i BMW was sold in 2004 in Thailand ? On one Thai website it only shows these for sale up until 2003. Was this model sold here in 2004 ? The seller is sure this was a 2004 car.

2) Does the price seem right ? Does it sound like a good deal ?

3) Is there anything obvious to look for ?

4) Was this model sold here with the CD multichanger as standard ? - I cannot see one in this car.

Thank you.

[terdsak_12]

Sounds reasonable, probably a late registered car, make sure it's got full service history, the service book will tell you when it left the showroom.

Nice motors.

[johnfb]

I have been offered a BMW 323 i , 2004 , silver, 16,000 kms i good condition for 1.425 million baht.

I really want a 3 series BMW....Can those of you that know more about the car market in Thailand than me tell me :-

1) I am curious - the 323 i BMW was sold in 2004 in Thailand ? On one Thai website it only shows these for sale up until 2003. Was this model sold here in 2004 ? The seller is sure this was a 2004 car.

2) Does the price seem right ? Does it sound like a good deal ?

3) Is there anything obvious to look for ?

4) Was this model sold here with the CD multichanger as standard ? - I cannot see one in this car.

Thank you.

Thank you Terdsak....you are always there with amazingly speedy advice !! Do you know if it should have a multi- changer CD ? The prices of 2003 323 i are all 1.5 million + baht in the car tents which made me suspicious. At 1.425 million ( it has the balance of the 5 yr BMW warranty left ) it seems a very good price to me.

It is showing on the dash as needing an oil change in 2000 kms time - should I get a full service or just an oil / quick service ?

[Thaipwriter]

The 6 x CD player was an optional extra on all E46 models in UK. if its not sitting in the boot on the left hand side then it does not have one.

The service indicator on the control panel will show "OIL" for an oil only service and "Inspection 1" or "Inspection 2" service. always follow the required service plan for BMW as the service history is integral to its residual value. Inspection 2 service is the most expensive, but as labour is cheap here dont expect any big shock.

I would be interested to know which motor this car is running. the M52 2.5 liter unit was used for European based 323 E46 units up to year 2000. Then the 323 badge was dropped and 325 took over, an uprated engine was fitted, the M54. This had about 10% more power and torque and better fuel economy.....A much better option. I owned both of these models in the UK at different times.

I know of a 2004 model listed and 1.525 million so your price seems good but proceed with caution, as always.

THe main thing to check with these cars is electrical accessories. They were blighted by failures of things like temperature guages and fan speed controls. This is not a widely known fact becuase BMW quietly replaced all failures free of charge. I had several issues and was always surprised by my local dealers willingness to replace stuff free with little fuss. Even on vehicles that were three years old or more!

[johnfb]

The 6 x CD player was an optional extra on all E46 models in UK. if its not sitting in the boot on the left hand side then it does not have one.

The service indicator on the control panel will show "OIL" for an oil only service and "Inspection 1" or "Inspection 2" service. always follow the required service plan for BMW as the service history is integral to its residual value. Inspection 2 service is the most expensive, but as labour is cheap here dont expect any big shock.

I would be interested to know which motor this car is running. the M52 2.5 liter unit was used for European based 323 E46 units up to year 2000. Then the 323 badge was dropped and 325 took over, an uprated engine was fitted, the M54. This had about 10% more power and torque and better fuel economy.....A much better option. I owned both of these models in the UK at different times.

I know of a 2004 model listed and 1.525 million so your price seems good but proceed with caution, as always.

THe main thing to check with these cars is electrical accessories. They were blighted by failures of things like temperature guages and fan speed controls. This is not a widely known fact becuase BMW quietly replaced all failures free of charge. I had several issues and was always surprised by my local dealers willingness to replace stuff free with little fuss. Even on vehicles that were three years old or more!

Thanks Thaipwriter....it is listed as a 2300 cc engine but I think that it is just under a 2.4 l engine...does that sound right ? Iwill see the car again today and check the electric gauges and fan speed etc.,. It is definately the 323 i and not the 325 model which is why I asked if the 323 i could be a 2004 car. ( this one is advertised as a 2004 323 i model ) I drove a 1999 323 i BMW in UK and loved it. In my rush to move here I had to give it away price wise. I test drove this car last week in Bangkok and it drove well....it looks genuine.

[Hog Head]

The year in the registration book quite often has no relationship to the year of manufacture. There is an international code for VIN numbers since around 80 or so, and the 10th digit is the year.

I used this bit of knowledge to bargin down the price of a new Mazda Protege when they introduced the Mazda 3. The dealer claimed it was a 04 car, but the VIN was from 02. Also claimed that it did not matter until I pointed out that it would matter when I wanted to sell. After quite a bit of barganing on a now new "old" car I got a 100,000 discount on an already discounted price to move out the old models to make room for the 3 series cars.

Valuable info that has allowed me to negogiate a 87 Porche down to 1980, avoid buying a MGA with doctored VIN plate from a MGB, Beetles with no VIN plate at all, classic cars that do not have matching numbers etc.

Check the VIN on the car to determine the year.