BMW MECHANICS! What is the constant maintenance everyone is talking about?

There will be a lot. BMW requires quite a bit of maintenance. Folks like to call them crap for that....but when you get superior performance, you have to keep up the maintenance.

I hope you have a very well equipped garage with lots of tools. You need to check whether this particular 6 cylinder uses manualy adjusted valves or it uses hydrolic followers (the followers will never require any maintenance, only replacement after some time). Most 6 cylinders (except for M models) did not use the hydrolic followers, so you will have to adjust the valves ever 12 to 15K miles or every year.

This will require all spark plug removal, valve cover removal. Then you will need to go 1 valve at a time using a feeler gauge. You will need to read on this on user forums or in BMW Bently manual.

If it is an automatic, it will require additional maintenance that the dealership actually does not offer (unless you pay an additional price, warranty or BMW maint programs do not cover it). You will need to drop the Pan and clean out the particle magnets, replace the internal filter. This is done every 20K miles.

You have to check if you have a limited slip differential. If you do, then you have to drain the rearend completely every 12K miles (and no more than that or they will fail). For a non limited slip, the fluid changes can be done every 20K miles.

Then you will need to replace your suspension bushings and steering ball joints. I normally do this every 10 to 15K miles or so (depending on a particular joint or bushing). This job will require a lot of tools and a good space in the garage. I find it easier to replace the entire control arm rather then getting individual bushings out - a lot less work but much more expensive since you have to buy a new control arm.

Then you will need to service your ignition system every year. Replace plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor. (This runs ~$500 in parts).

Breaks are usually replaced every 18 months or so with normal driving. You will need to replace all 4 disks and pads and flush the system. On BMW's you cannot re-use the same disks unless you re-surface them, but its not recommended.

Everything apart from things listed above is minor stuff. All around I spend about ~$3000 per year on basic maintenance, but I like to drive it on the track sometimes (track maintenance is not included in the cost, but it causes more additional regular maintenance due to extra stress). If you are a good mechanic and like to work on cars, you will like working on your BMW. It has a great layout in the engine bay and good access meant for routine maintenance.

What can I say that hasn't already been said? Even an older one just plain drives better than 95% of anything else on the road. It's almost something you can't describe. It's a precision. You point the car a direction, that's where it goes, precisely, no fuss. You enjoy commuting (or driving all over town all day, as my job requires) so much more because you get the chance to drive your Ultimate Driving Machine. They don't just make that slogan up. They have earned it, in the way they bring everything a car should be, together. Front engine, rear wheel drive, 50/50 weight distribution, ridiculously strong bodies, often an inline 6, the list goes on... The inline 6 is the perfect engine design, with perfect first and second order harmonics, look it up if you don't know what that means. It's a smoothness you can feel. I enjoy mine every day. Like any car it has a few weak spots (cooling system lol) but I do my own work and replaced all of that and now she's ready for the next 150k. Like so many have said, once you drive one, you may never drive anything else. I'm thinking of what my second one might be, but for now I've got a lot of enjoyment left in my e46.

BMW's have their share of mechanical and maintenance woes which I would say is pretty much the same as most other cars (maybe a little bit more but not much).

But understand that these cars have a lot of control modules, sensors,

actuators and software that can go south.

It is not elbow grease that you would need with these cars but a lot more of the gray matter inside your head, plus patience in diagnosing

problems, plus of course the inevitable scanner/code reader.

And definitely a little more money. Yet most owners specially those who love cars, those people who love the driving experience and not just going from here to there, love BMW's.

it tends to be more difficul to work on, but its worth it( proud owner of a 1995 318is)