Bay Area 02 | Features | Buying a new 2002 Part 2

Buying a 2002 Part 2
What to look for when buying a 2002
by Vince Strazzabosco

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Rust and body damage
In part one we talked about finding a 2002, making the deal and basic tips of what the differences are between the kinds of '02s out there. I also touched on rust as something to look out for on these cars. The main thing to be wary of with buying a 2002 as with all old cars is rust. Of course, if you're looking for a beater or just something to drive around daily, maybe rust won't be such a high priority. On old vehicles, there seem to be two classifications of rust: Structural rust, and Cosmetic rust.

Structural rust will affect the structural rigidity of the car and usually isn't as visible, whereas cosmetic rust is very visible, but doesn't affect the rigidity of the car. Structural rust is found mostly in cars that have seen usage in snow or on salted roads.

This is a good example of rust on the wheelwell near the shock tower.
Photo courtesy of www.2002bmw.com.

The most common places to find structural rust in a 2002 are driver's and passenger's side floorpans, the front subframe rails near where they join the body, the rear subframe (hit it soundly with a hammer to check it), the rear shock towers/wheelwells, the rocker panels (the part under the doors) and the trunk floor/gas tank frame. Most of this can be pretty expensive to replace, and it's far too easy for a shop to bungle major rust repairs like these.

Cosmetic rust can be found elsewhere, wherever water can sit without draining. Often it first appears as tiny bubbles in the paint. Common places to find cosmetic rust are in the rear section of the front and rear fenders, the lower sections of the doors, the area inside the front fender, near the front turn signals, around the windshield/rear window seals, around any trim attaching mounts or clips, in the nose panel where the lower edge of the radiator support is welded in, the spare tire well and in the edges of the hood and trunk.

Rust bubbles near the bottom trim and door.
Photo courtesy of www.2002bmw.com.

These areas can be quite expensive to repair due to the labor involved. The doors, hood and trunk, are easy to replace. But finding replacements in decent shape, with no dents or rust can also be fairly expensive. Don't forget shipping costs to get that part to you. In general, a little rust that's visible to the eye means a lot more rust that you can't see, especially if the car was recently painted and the rust wasn't properly repaired.

Body damage can be as expensive as rust to repair. Look closely at panels that don't align well or have been repainted. It's a good idea to check the inner section of the panel if you can see it. Fortunately, the most commonly hit areas are the hood, doors, and trunk. Opening these will allow you to see evidence of body repairs. Few body repair shops seem to do a really nice, neat job of repairs, so check for rough edges, paint overspray, and anything else that looks out of place.

Under the hood

Engines

Cooling system

Carburetor and fuel injection

Smog

Engines
The engines in these cars can go for a long time and are very durable. Most of the areas needing repair are in the cylinder head. The most serious problems to look for are strange noises and/or smoke. Most noise can be described as minor or major. A minor and common noise is valves that are out of adjustment and cause a rattling sound. A major noise is a knocking noise, which can indicate a rod bearing going bad, necessitating removing the engine for proper repair. There are lots of other noises that can be caused by a car simply being out of tune.

Cooling system
2002s have a reputation for having cooling system problems that is simply not true if the car is maintained properly. True, the water pump is best replaced every once in a while, and along with it, the thermostat is next in line. Also check the drive belt; is it full of cracks? But the radiator is the big one, though, and is often old enough that it's cooling properties have been reduced. A good cleaning out or recoring usually takes care of the problem. A quick look inside the radiator should tell you something. The coolant inside should be a bright color rather than a watered down or brownish color.

This is a downdraft carburator with an aftermarket air filter.
Photo: Mike Bruce still from video.

Carburetor and fuel injection

On the top of the engine, problems with the carburetors can be the result of a multitude of ills. Many people have done away with the little one barrel Solex that came with the older cars, even though it's quite durable. With a rebuild, it can often be made to work surprisingly well. The later cars have the two barrel Solex, and these seem to cause more problems and usually end up being replaced with a Weber. The round factory air filter housing can be modified to fit the aftermarket carburetors, and it usually works better than the undersized chrome units as it's designed to flow more air at higher rpms, which is how these engines were designed to work.
Find out more in our article Carb Chat

A look under the hood of a 2002 tii. The black cylindrical object in the foreground is the air filter housing.
Photo: Mike Bruce still from video.

The tii, on the other hand, has the Kugelfischer injection pump, and it is very well engineered. Most problems with a tii injection system are usually due to the car being allowed to sit for a long period of time or the injection system being out of tune. Sitting is not good for an injection system, as the rubber seals will dry and shrink, and corrosion can form on delicate parts. If the injection system is running well, a good rule of thumb is to leave it alone and concentrate elsewhere on the car. Many mechanics are not familiar enough with mechanical fuel injection to tune it properly. The factory tii airbox is desirable to have on the car, since it's specifically designed for the engine and most replacements do nothing to help the performance.

Smog
One area on the engine that's easy to forget is the smog equipment, especially on later cars (1974-1976). If the state you live in doesn't require emissions testing, you probably won't need to worry too much. If you are cursed with having to pass strict emissions tests, you will have to deal with finding all the proper parts and having them in working order. Many states with strict requirements require the car to be tested when it is registered or sold.

Exhaust and Smoke

Exhaust system

Since we're in the back of the car, let's think about the exhaust system. For most people, a factory exhaust will work fine, fit better, last longer, and offer better performance than many aftermarket exhaust systems. The original exhaust system lasts many years, which is good because it's not cheap to replace with a new factory item.

This muffler needs replacing. Even if it isn't noisy, you will smell exhaust in the cab of your car.
Photo courtesy of www.2002bmw.com.

Aside from rusting out, most exhaust system problems stem from broken or missing rubber hangers and plastic spacers near the muffler. Another problem that occurs often is of the exhaust system not being adjusted properly at the front downpipe. Sometimes the problem is that the bracket that attaches to the transmission is missing. Other times, it's just not adjusted correctly and it causes the other end of the exhaust to hit the body or suspension in the back of the car.

Smoke
A lot of 2002s smoke. Two types of smoke are usually found: bluish oil smoke or whitish steam. Whitish steam can be sort of sweet smelling, and means that coolant or water is getting into the combustion chamber, usually through a cracked head or leaking head gasket. A head gasket or a cracked head is not a cheap repair, no matter how you look at it.

Oil smoke is common in 2002s, especially with high (100k) miles. If the smoking happens upon deceleration it is usually the result of old valve seals and worn valve guides. If the oil smoke happens more on acceleration, then the piston rings are probably worn out. As long as the oil level is checked regularly and kept full, there is no major problem that needs to be attended to right away.

A good indication of the engine's internal condition is to look inside the oil filler cap. If the engine parts inside are fairly shiny and clean looking, then the rest of the engine is probably in pretty good shape and the oil has been changed regularly. If you see lots of black areas or everything seems to have been painted black, then chances are good that the oil wasn't changed very often, and the engine will probably use a bit of oil. This is a good indication that maintenance on other parts of the car was neglected as well.

Transmission - Differential

Transmission and driveline

Moving right along, the transmissions are very durable and can take years of abuse, though they tend to develop leaks with age. By far the most common transmission problem with a 2002 is the shifter lever and mounting bushings. These wear out with time and are not always fun to replace due to their being hidden in a dark and greasy area under the car. If the shifter lever flops around like a dead fish or scrapes the driveshaft, it's bushing time. If the transmission itself moves around freely, the lone support bushing under the rear of the transmission has loosened up or become soft. A 320 or 318 part works well as a replacement.

The original four-speeds usually need some work by now. If they make noise and are difficult to shift into the lower gears, it's probably bearings and synchronizers. The original 2002 close ratio five speeds are rare and hard to find. More likely, if you find a car with a five-speed, it will have come from a 320 and will have an overdrive fifth gear. This is really nice to have if you want to drive over 70 mph, get decent fuel economy, and carry on a conversation.

2002 Transmission
Photo courtesy of www.2002bmw.com.

On high mileage cars worn driveshaft u-joints can cause a number of different noises and vibrations. Connecting the driveshaft to the transmission is the flex joint, or guibo. When it starts to crack or separate and cause vibration it needs to be replaced. In the middle of the driveshaft is the center bearing, which sometimes needs replacement. You'll know by the howling or grinding noise it will make when the car is moving.

Rear differential
Going all the way to the back, the rear differentials come in three types: long, short and limited slip. Long differentials were used in the early cars, mostly the 1600s and the pre-1970 2002s. Parts can sometimes be hard to obtain. The short differentials were used in the rest of the 2002s. Factory 2002 limited slip differentials are rare, and most of the limited slip differentials found in 2002s today are from a 320is, as the 320is is commonly found in junkyards. The common problems with any differential in a 2002 are usually seal leakage or whining noises, neither of which seems to be cause for replacement or rebuilding. On occasion, a gear will start to break, and the sound of the teeth grinding themselves up will not be easy to ignore if the car is still drivable. While a good driveline or race shop can rebuild a differential, the easiest way to solve the problem is to install another differential from a different car. For performance or track usage, lots of people prefer to use a limited slip differential as it does a better job of transferring the power to the ground, but a regular differential is fine for normal street usage.

Brakes and wheel bearings

Going around the car, the brakes are another area of concern. When properly adjusted and maintained, the brakes on a 2002 are surprisingly good despite being designed in the 1960s, but when they're out of whack, they can be pretty bad. Check the fluid in the plastic reservoir, and if it's dark or murky, it's old and really needs to be changed. If it's clear and clean looking, then been changed recently. A good brake pedal should feel firm, and not sink to the floor easily.

Photo courtesy of www.2002bmw.com.

Common brake maladies with a 2002 are warped rotors in front, which cause the steering wheel to shake while braking, old and internally swollen front caliper hoses which cause a car to dart in one direction or another, and poorly adjusted rear drum brakes and parking brake. Basically, the '02 brake system is simple and easy to repair if it's not rusted together.

The wheel bearings are not usually seen, but they can cause a number of noises when the car is moving. The fronts are easy to replace if you have the right tools, but the rears can be difficult. Best way to check is to jack the car up and try to rock the tire back and forth from side to side. A little play should be evident in the fronts, but no play at all equals too tight bearings which will fail early. The rears should not have any play.

Suspension and steering

The 2002 suspension is where most of us get our jollies --it's what makes the car handle well. With age, however, the great handling suspension begins to suffer. Like all old cars, the rubber bushings in the suspension tend to dry out and crack, or, if there's oil leaking onto the bushing, the bushing will absorb the oil and become soft. A quick look with a flashlight will tell you what kind of shape the rubber is in. When planning any suspension upgrades or repairs, also do the corresponding rubber bushings, and you'll notice a world of difference.

A set of racing style coilover shocks and struts.
Photo courtesy of www.2002bmw.com.

2002s have MacPherson struts in the front, and shock absorbers in the rear. How do you tell when they're ready for replacement? Easy, the car will be easy to bounce, or will make a bumpy road feel like a waterbed. Different brands of replacements are available, but the most commonly used ones are Bilstein, Boge, Tokico, and KYB.

Springs are a common subject of discussion among enthusiasts. By now, the stock springs on many '02s are old and have begun to sag, especially the rears on some of the big bumper cars ('74-'76). Aftermarket replacement springs are available, but many of them will lower the car a little bit, and may cause problems with tires rubbing if you have larger than stock wheels and tires on the car (and who doesn't?).

Swaybars are another popular upgrade, and they simply help to reduce the amount of body lean in a turn. Lots of people have added bigger sway bars (22mm front, 19 mm rear) and harder (usually urethane) bushings.

To enjoy the suspension you have to steer. The steering is often forgotten on these cars, unless the car has wide tires and a small steering wheel. Then you'll be reminded of the steering every time you park the car. Replacing the big "bus" steering wheel with a smaller one is a common upgrade. But it may make the car harder to steer in parking lots for some folks. The steering boxes last many years, but they do get old and need adjustment and rebuilding. A rebuilt steering box isn't cheap, nor is it the easiest to install.

Interior

Lastly, we come to the part of the car you'll see the most, the interior. Most '02 interiors are pretty simple, but a good cleaning really helps to make them look good again. The seats often become lumpy and uncomfortable because the padding (aka gummihaar) disintegrates and ends up on the floor as brown fibers. The vinyl seat covers often harden and crack with age.

The headliner, in addition to being white, collects dirt easily and can be very difficult to replace if it's torn. The door panels have cardboard backing, and if this gets wet, the panel becomes wavy and begins to separate. Good door panels are very hard to find, even at a high price. Doors that don't want to stay open indicate door brakes that need replacing.

A clean original interior, note the large "bus" steering wheel.
Photo courtesy of www.2002bmw.com.

The dashboard is prone to developing cracks if the car sits in the sun for long periods of time. The odometers often work erratically or not at all, but can be repaired fairly reasonably. Sunroofs and door windows can become hard to open, but these are easily repairable. Carpeting usually is best replaced, since by now it will be worn out, dirty, or faded.

The sealing rubber trim around the doors is a good candidate for replacement by now, as it will have shrunk in areas and will cause a poor fit between the doors and/or windows. In general, the interior of an '02 usually needs a good cleaning, then some minor repairs, but nothing major.

That covers a fairly basic but detailed look at the major areas of concern on a 2002. Here is a check list of points to remember when looking at a 2002 for sale.

Bring a flash light along.

Look for rust on the floorpans, front sub frame rails, rocker panels and shock towers.

Look closely for signs of panels that don't align well or have been repainted.

Check the inner section of the panel if you can see it.

Listen for strange noises.

Check for smoke when starting up and while test driving.

There are two types of smoke, bluish oil smoke or whitish steam.

Look inside the oil filler cap to see if the engine parts inside are fairly shiny and clean looking.

Look at the coolant inside the radiator, it should be a bright color and not look watered down or brownish.

Check fan belt and water pump belt for cracking.

Does the exhaust pipe rattle on start up?

Check the shifter for sloppiness.

Check the fluid in the plastic reservoir.

A good brake pedal should feel firm, and not sink to the floor easily.

The car needs new struts if the front of the car yields to your weight easily.

Resource list

That covers a fairly basic but detailed look at the major areas of concern on a 2002. Here is a check list of points to remember when looking at a 2002 for sale. Also check our resource list below.