Are used BMW's expensive to maintain and repair?
I'm thinking of purchasing a used early 2000 BMW 3 series and would like some opinions on costs of owning a used BMW. Do they frequently need maintenance? How costly is maintenance and repairs for BMW's? Any other important things to consider when buying a used BMW?
What's the strongest hull when it comes to a Blue Water sailboat?
I want something strong enough to hold up in every condition.. There are a few different types I've seen from Composite, Fiberglass, and Steel hulls.. Which is the best for Ocean passages? Maybe some advantages/disadvantages would be great too.. Thanks!
My BMW 740il has a red battery indicator light on...how do i fix this?
Based on the sound you mention it may be a problem in either the belt (including the idlers and tensioners) or the alternator. Try to pinpoint the sound. If it's the belt system, then replacement won't be too bad. A competent mechanic should be able to handle it OK (although I'd still suggest a BMW specialist). If it's the alternator, it's probably the bearing, which demands that the unit be disassembled (or replaced), either of which require the alternator to be removed. The E38 740 is a little unusual in that the alternator is water-cooled, so it does make this task more complicated. Additionally, it makes replacement alternators more expensive. I would suggest that you find a BMW specialist (use the website bimrs.org to find one close to you), and if it's the alternator, see if you can also locate a competent electrical rebuilder to send your alternator to for rebuilding. Your local BMW guy may know one already, but if not, use this website to find one: http://www.electricalrebuilders.org/scri... It'll be much cheaper than getting an exchange unit from BMW.
What kind of person drives a BMW?
A lot of these answers say that rich people are the ones who drive BMWs. But I'm sure as hell not rich and I drive one. I bought my 1997 740i for $10,000 last December. If you think 10 grand means I'm rich then you'd best get a reality check. And as for that whole "expensive repair" thing, it really isn't that bad. I'm 17 years old and I pay for the loan, repairs, and insurance on the car. It's actually been really reliable for me. The only thing I've had to replace was the water pump at $580 which really wouldn't be any different for other cars to get fixed. You can't just stick a label on all people who drive BMWs considering you can buy them for many different reasons. Sure, some people buy them because they're rich...but so what? If you're rich why NOT spend the money and get a nice car? Rich people who buy them eventually sell them, and then average people have the opportunity to buy a really nice used car for an affordable price. I bought one because not many cars in my price range offer exceptional performance, classic good looks, and every-day practicality. When it comes time for me to buy a new car, I'll probably buy another BMW because I like mine so much. Hopefully some day I can afford a brand new one.
Hello My Toyota Prius is having some trouble?
The second generation had a trouble spot in the inverter pump (that and the 12 volt battery are the only important trouble spots in it). With the battery state-of-charge displaying normally there is no reason you would be one of the very few second generation Prius owners to need a replacement hybrid battery... it is more likely you need a replacement technician. P3190 is a rather generic code saying the gasoline engine did not perform as expected. P3193 is a "ran out of fuel" indicator which (assuming you actually did not run out of gas) probably points to a problem in the gas tank. P0171 agrees: the engine was running too lean, which will happen with a fuel delivery problem. P0300 says the engine is misfiring randomly (still makes sense in terms of bad fuel delivery). Finally, P0A80 is the code that accuses the hybrid battery... but with known engine problems resulting in uneven power delivery, P0A80 can easily be a sympathetic code. Go for the fuel delivery problem first. EDIT - a fuel pressure gauge on the injector rail will reveal fluctuations in fuel pressure. It should be stable. Historically, Toyota has resorted to just replacing the entire fuel tank when any fuel delivery problem was encountered and the reason was usually laid to "contaminated fuel in the tank." There is some logic to that: the pump, regulator and (if memory serves me) the fuel filter are internal to the tank, at least the bladder version sold in North America. More to the point, replacing the tank has a high success rate. However, there is one service I recommend with or without those symptoms - throttle body cleaning. The first generation originally had trouble with hybrid warnings caused by dirty throttle bodies due to reflux of exhaust gas. Toyota's solution was to replace the ECUs (they were not "flashable") with ones that cranked the engine longer. In my experience all Prius engines should have throttle body cleaning every 30K miles. If throttle body cleaning does not straighten it out you are probably looking at a new fuel tank. Collect more of those codes between the cleaning and replacing the tank, though. Adding a bottle of DryGas to the tank is not a bad idea, either, in case there is water in the tank. That would certainly cause your problems.