1998 BMW Serie 3 problems

• M52TUB20, 2.0 litre (150 hp; 1998-2001)

  150 hp · M52TUB20, M52B20TU

  It does not suffer the Nikasil problem, but the sources still cite the cooling, VANOS and crankcase ventilation, the latter especially on the TU. Buy with the circuit renewed.^[3][4]

  With caution

• M52TUB25, 2.5 litre (170 hp; 1998-2000)

  170 hp · M52TUB25, M52B25TU

  The same reservations as the M52TUB20: no Nikasil, but the cooling, VANOS and CCV need checking.^[3][4]

  With caution

• M52TUB28, 2.8 litre (193 hp; 1998-2001)

  193 hp · M52TUB28, M52B28TU

  No Nikasil; the sources recommend checking the cooling, VANOS and CCV and renewing the cooling circuit at high mileage.^[3][4][5]

  With caution

Faults that affect 1998 cars

• High severityFrequency: CommonCoolingCooling system failure (expansion tank, thermostat, pump and radiator)The most cited weak point of the M52: the expansion tank, the thermostat housing, the pump impeller and the radiator tanks are plastic and crack with age. If coolant is lost and the engine overheats, the cylinder head can be damaged.Appears at around 97,000 km
• Medium severityFrequency: CommonTimingWorn VANOS sealsVANOS, the M52’s variable valve timing, loses sealing when its internal seals harden: rough idle, lack of low-rev pull and higher consumption appear. It is repaired with a seal kit, but special tools are needed.Appears at around 97,000 km
• Medium severityFrequency: CommonLubricationOil leaks from the rocker cover, oil filter housing and other gasketsWith age the M52’s rubber gaskets harden: the most cited are the rocker cover gasket and the oil filter housing gasket, and on some M52TUs the plastic cover itself cracks. They should be watched so the oil level does not drop.
• Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalLubricationBlocked crankcase ventilation valve (CCV) and oil consumptionThe crankcase ventilation valve (CCV) and its hoses clog or break over the years: the engine uses more oil, the idle becomes rough and vacuum leaks can appear. Enginescope sees it mostly on the M52TU.Appears at around 130,000 km

• M47D20 116-136 hp (1998-2001)

  116–136 hp · M47D20

  It predates the introduction of the swirl flaps, the M47's best-documented problem, and we have not found a serious fault specifically documented for this first rotary-pump version; even so, given its age, the turbo and injectors should be checked as on any diesel more than 20 years old.^[6][7]

  Buy

Faults that affect 1998 cars

• High severityFrequency: CommonTurboLoss of power and turbo faultsThe M47's turbo does not usually fail suddenly, but it loses power gradually as carbon builds up in the variable geometry; the 150 hp variant built between September 2001 and November 2003 also accounts for turbo faults documented by specialist workshops.
• Medium severityFrequency: CommonClutchDual-mass flywheel wear (manual gearbox versions)On BMWs with the M47 engine and a manual gearbox, the dual-mass flywheel can wear with mileage, especially with a lot of urban use or long spells in high gears at low revs; typical symptoms are vibrations, a metallic rattle at idle and jerking when pulling away.Appears at around 150,000 km
• Critical severityFrequency: RareOtherOil leak from the brake vacuum pumpA BMW specialist workshop documents that the seals of the M47's vacuum pump, which generates the vacuum needed for brake assistance because a diesel does not produce it naturally, can wear and let oil through, which can end up stiffening the brake pedal.
• Low severityFrequency: OccasionalIntakeFaulty air flow meter on the BMW M47 (loss of power)On the 2.0 M47 diesel the air flow meter appears among parts that can fail with age and cause loss of power or judder. It is fixed by replacing the sensor; other causes must be ruled out first.Repair (garage): €100–€300

• M43TUB19, 1.9 litre (105 hp; 1998-2002)

  105 hp · M43TUB19, M43B19

  Same base as the rest of the M43: durable mechanically, with plastic cooling parts and gaskets as the points to check; Enginescope and an owners’ forum also cite the leak from the front cover gasket on the M43TU.^[10][11][12]

  With caution

• M43TUB19, 1.9 litre (118 hp; 1998-2002)

  118 hp · M43TUB19, M43B19

  Like the rest of the M43, durable mechanically; check the cooling, the front cover gasket, the idle and the noise from the DISA valve.^[10][11][12]

  With caution

Faults that affect 1998 cars

• High severityFrequency: CommonCoolingFailure of the plastic parts in the cooling systemOn the M43 the expansion tank, water pump, thermostat, radiator and plastic flanges become brittle with age and crack. The priority is to avoid the engine overheating: Autohints advises switching the engine off if the gauge rises above halfway.
• Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalIntakeDISA intake manifold valve with play and noiseThe DISA intake manifold flap on the M43 can develop play and rattle. Autohints warns that if it is left alone, broken pieces can end up in the intake; Enginescope says it is fixed with a repair kit or a new valve.
• Low severityFrequency: CommonLubricationOil leaks from gaskets (rocker cover, front cover and crankcase breather)Over the years the M43’s gaskets harden and seep oil: the rocker cover gasket, the filter housing, the front cover (especially on the M43TU) and the crankcase breather valve. It is a common fault and, according to the sources, a minor one.
• Low severityFrequency: OccasionalIntakeRough idle from the idle valve, intake boot or air mass meterThe M43’s idle becomes rough, or the engine stalls, when the idle control valve clogs with carbon, the rubber boot between the air mass meter and the manifold cracks (letting in false air), or the air mass meter fails. Cleaning the valve is usually enough.
• Low severityFrequency: OccasionalIgnitionMisfires from worn coils, leads and spark plugsOn a high-mileage M43 the spark plugs, leads and ignition coil wear and cause rough running, judder and occasional misfires. These are wear items that are renewed as part of maintenance.

• Critical severityFrequency: OccasionalAirbags and safetyCampaigns over the Takata gas generators in the front and passenger airbagsYes: the 3 Series E46 is included in several successive BMW campaigns (between 2014 and 2026) over the Takata gas generators in the driver and passenger airbags, which can degrade over the years and throw metal fragments when they deploy. The most recent ones cover cars built between 1998 and 2006.Repair: €0
• High severityFrequency: OccasionalSuspensionCracks in the rear subframe mountingsOn the oldest cars (before March 2000, according to gebrauchtwagenberater.de), cracks can appear at the points where the rear subframe is mounted to the body, especially on six-cylinder versions; BMW offered a preventive resin sealing as an alternative to a full repair.
• Medium severityFrequency: CommonSuspensionWear of the suspension bushes, ball joints and bushingsWith mileage, the suspension arm bushes, ball joints and bushings wear and cause vibrations, noises and less precise steering; fiches-auto.fr describes it as very recurrent between 60,000 and 180,000 km.Repair (garage): €300–€600Appears at around 60,000 km
• Medium severityFrequency: CommonElectrical systemCentral locking and immobiliser failure due to worn relaysThe central locking can become intermittent or stop responding to the remote, and the immobiliser can fail sporadically when starting; gebrauchtwagenberater.de attributes both faults to wear in the relays of the control modules, and fiches-auto.fr records numerous testimonies of unreliable locking.
• Low severityFrequency: Very frequentElectrical systemBreakage of the plastic tabs in the electric window regulator mechanismIt is one of the most frequently cited non-engine faults of the E46: a small plastic tab in the window regulator mechanism breaks with use and the window stops going up or drops on its own, on any of the four doors. fiches-auto.fr records more than 80 testimonies of this fault.Repair (garage): €150–€250Appears at around 140,000 km