Finding a Used BMW 325i Engine in Pretoria: Which One Fits

"325i" is a badge, not an engine. BMW used it on the E30, E36, E46 and E90 3 Series, and the engine under the bonnet changed each time. So the first step in finding a used 325i engine is pinning down which 325i you have; the second is checking the engine you are offered before it goes in.

South Africa also had a 325i variant the rest of the world did not: the 325iS, the "Gusheshe", which BMW South Africa describes as "the iconic South African manufactured BMW 325is" (BMW Group PressClub South Africa, October 2020). Its engine is different again.

Which 325i engine does your car have?

Unless another source is named, the outputs below come from BMW's media information "40 years of the BMW 3 Series" (May 2015).

Generation	What BMW says about the 325i engine	Our parts page
E30	Six-cylinder, 126 kW/171 hp, with digital engine electronics	E30 parts
E30 325iS (South Africa)	2.7-litre six developed with Alpina, 145 kW and later 155 kW, 265 Nm (CAR magazine)	see E30
E36	Twin-camshaft, four-valve six-cylinder, 141 kW/192 hp	E36 parts
E46	One of three six-cylinder models from model year 2000, with the 320i and 330i	E46 parts
E90	2.5 litres, 160 kW/218 bhp and 250 Nm, launched spring 2005 (BMW press release)	E90 parts

The E90 figures are from BMW's 2005 launch release for the new 3 Series (BMW Group PressClub Asia). The 325iS details are from CAR magazine, which notes that South Africa did not get the first M3, that the 325iS was essentially a local upgrade of the 325i, and that it famously raced against Opel's Superboss in Group N production-car racing (CAR magazine, May 2018).

A note on the 325iS

A genuine 325iS engine is a different thing from a standard E30 325i engine: a 2.7-litre unit developed with Alpina, making 145 or 155 kW where BMW quotes 126 kW for the standard 325i.

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What to check on a used 325i engine

Whoever supplies the engine, these checks protect you:

1. Match the engine code to your car, not just the badge.
2. Ask for a compression test, or have one done before fitting.
3. Check the cooling parts that come with it. An older engine's water pump, thermostat and hoses are cheap to replace while the engine is out, and expensive to replace later. Our guide to BMW water pump, thermostat and radiator faults explains what fails and why.

4. Find out what is included: the bare long block, or the engine with its intake, alternator and wiring.
5. Ask about the donor car: what happened to it, and whether the engine was running before it was stripped.

Keep the replacement engine healthy

Overheating is worth taking seriously on any older 325i, because plastic cooling parts age: HELLA notes, for example, that plastic water-pump vanes can become brittle with age (HELLA technical information, coolant pumps). If yours is still running and you want to keep it that way, our overview of the BMW cooling system covers the parts that wear.

In the 12 months to 18 October 2026, engines were named in 5 of the 40 BMW part requests that came through our request form, more than any other single BMW part.

What to send us for a 325i engine

Our engines and parts are stripped from accident-damaged vehicles and tested, and we have been stripping and selling used parts for over 15 years. To get a price, send:

• the year and generation (E30, E36, E46 or E90),
• the engine code from the block or the service book,
• the VIN from your licence disc,
• whether it is manual or automatic, and
• whether you need a complete engine or a long block.

Or start from our used BMW parts page and pick your model.