2009 BMW 328 - My to do list

I need to fix:
Belt n tensioner
Expansion tank n cap
Oli filter housing gasket
Front struts and mounts
4-wheel alignment
Rear shocks

Are you asking permission?

A post was merged into an existing topic: Ask Someone: 2009 BMW 328 #1601133581

Having owned a BMW, I think that if you take this case to the dealer for that list you may as well light the car on fire. A local mechanic is your best bet

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If you visit a BMW owner’s forum, you will discover that other than the alignment, these are all routine tasks that owners of older BMWs do themselves with parts that they buy from on-line vendors. I have owned a number of 3-series BMWs and have done all these tasks. If you don’t like working on your car, an 11-year-old BMW is not a very practical car to own. The only job I would caution you about is the front struts because if you don’t have/rent a really good spring compressor, or buy struts with new springs already installed on them, that can be a dangerous job.

The bad news is that your list is probably a lot longer than you think. While you are doing the belt tensioner and cooling system, you probably need all new tensioner and idler bearings, and new hoses and very likely a new radiator. Be sure to do the oil filter housing gasket while all that stuff is off the front of the engine so you have room to work. A BMW owners forum can give you a good list specific to your model and mileage. It is a big expense but if you drive BMWs 300+k miles like I do, that is what is needed.

As for alignment, that is rarely needed unless you have damaged it. My daily driver is a 2004 3-series with 250k miles and it has never been aligned. I recently sold a beautiful 1997 3-series with 335k miles and the only alignment it ever got was me touching up the tie rod adjustment when I noticed uneven wear on the front tires.

My daughter’s boyfriend had a 2008 3-series and we just finished doing a job like this recently, then some kid ran a red light and totaled the car, because life is like that. No one injured!