Bestow BMW E39 info on me!

"Snuze: Needs another Swede" (markg) 08/27/2015 at 21:12 • Filed to: None

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So I’ve mentioned before, my sister and brother-in-law are moving to Germany for a few years. Well, actually, he’s over there already, she’s still here because she’s in a friends wedding and will be moving over in a couple weeks.

Anyways, he’s looking for a car for them to use. The big requirement, oddly enough, is that he wants gasoline. He’s a military contractor and able to purchase gas on base significantly cheaper than buying diesel in town, enough so that it’s not worth getting a diesel car.

He originally talked about buying a new BMW or Merc or something like that, then looked at some other cars. Now he’s thinking about this:

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If you can’t click the link, the rundown is - 2002 BMW 530i, 137k miles, Silver, Black leather, automatic transmission, sunroof, heated seats. Looks very clean from the pics, has an April 2015 inspection (not sure how european inspections work). The owner wants $6500 US Dollars for it.

Is this a good deal? Looking at some local Craigslist cars with similar miles and years, I’m seeing them for $4,900 to $10,000, so this seems reasonable to me. Also, are there any particular issues with this chassis/engine/transmission/etc.?

Here’s an awesome BMW for your time:

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > Snuze: Needs another Swede 08/27/2015 at 21:22

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Looks pretty solid to me. The 530i is a pretty sweet riding car. Smooth yet compliant in the corners. The engine sounds glorious when you’re on the throttle. Steering is SUBLIME. Don’t seem to recall any glaring issues the e39 straight 6 engines had. The main issues were with the carbon buildup on the v8s (notably the e39 M5).

AM3R shamefully returns > Snuze: Needs another Swede 08/27/2015 at 21:29

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Price isn’t great. There’s a 2002 525i with 98k near me for $5500. The price isn’t really BAD though..

Why not get something a little more fun if gas is gonna be cheap?

iSureWilll > Snuze: Needs another Swede 08/27/2015 at 21:32

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Those engines should last a very long time. I haven’t seen anything major go.

Water pumps and thermostats (2-3 hour job. Not very technical) Originals were plastic, you want the metal ones.

Oh... And he may want to have a couple spare cup holders around. Those break a lot!

911e46z06 > Snuze: Needs another Swede 08/27/2015 at 21:48

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Ive had a bunch of i6 e39s and never had issues with under 200k on the clock. Its the best handling sedan Ive ever driven by a country mile, including various m5s. Super practical, great mileage, looks amazing, plenty of power. Your brother has made a fine choice. Let me know if you have specific questions.

LeadfootYT > Snuze: Needs another Swede 08/27/2015 at 21:57

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Buy mine! http://burlington.craigslist.org/cto/5187099885…

I’m exhausted right now, but in a few words, here’s the verdict on these cars (I’ve had two 530is). They’re great vehicles. Extremely pleasant and comforting to get into at the end of the day, or for a long trip, and especially for a late-night cruise gazing over the red-lit gauges. They are extremely well-designed (the only flaw I know of is that the M54B30 was paired with a 5-speed in this car rather than the 6-speed in the 540, but it’s a BMW engine, and although it turns 3k rpm at 80 mph, it’s an engine that can handle it).

That said, they DO require frequent attention to maintain. The rewards are often worth it, but make sure you get one with a solid history of on-time, preventative maintenance, and be prepared to plug a new leak as soon as an old one is repaired.

Also, do not get the 540i, unless you can find one that has under 70k miles AND has had all the rubber hoses replaced (because low mileage cars have obviously had to sit for a while to achieve that). The V8 is a disaster to maintain over 120k (and arguably under, although it’s almost worth it then), and has quite a few achilles heels that will compromise the integrity of the entire motor.

So yes, the 530i is the way to go.

$6500 is a fair price IF all the maintenance has been done. I expect to sell mine for $6k-6500, but that’s also at a premium for the Topaz color (which is quite rare) and sport package, thus negating the mileage difference. In a standard color with around 130k-140k, you should be able to get a cherry for $5500.

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC 08/27/2015 at 22:09

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The S62 v8 only get carbon build up. M62s are ok and he’s dodging a ticking time bomb by going for a 530i.

AddictedToM3s - Drives a GC > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) 08/27/2015 at 22:22

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Now that I didn’t know. Thanks for clarifying! Now I want a 530i even more :(

itranthelasttimeiparkedit > LeadfootYT 08/27/2015 at 22:31

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Was the blue interior trim like that a factory thing? My 540 has the dark wood (with black) and I think it looks like shit, I would love to find something like that...

Snuze: Needs another Swede > LeadfootYT 08/27/2015 at 22:54

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Thank you for all the information and experience, I’ll pass it along to him.

In case you didn’t look at the link, the car is in Stuttgart, Germany, which is also where he is currently residing. So I’m not sue how european used car prices compare to US, but I’m thinking it’s a fair price as well.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > 911e46z06 08/27/2015 at 22:55

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Thanks! I’ll pass the info along. I’m not super knowlegable on BMWs, and have no practical experience with them, and of course he’s half a world away now trying to buy a car in a foreign country. It’s quite an experience, I’m sure, so I’m just trying to support him in any way I can.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > iSureWilll 08/27/2015 at 22:57

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Thanks for the info, I will pass it along. It’s a german car, I’m not even sure if it has cup holders.. I know the US spec cars didn’t have them until the mid-2000s or something?

Snuze: Needs another Swede > AM3R shamefully returns 08/27/2015 at 22:58

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Well the car is in Germany, I have no idea how german used car prices compare to US used car prices. But it seems reasonable compared to what I’m seeing around me (DC area).

911e46z06 > Snuze: Needs another Swede 08/27/2015 at 23:08

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Youre a good brother. Its really all about making sure you get a good one, then maintaining it. So tell him to drop a few bucks to have a bmw joint inspect it before he buys. With a well sorted, well maintained e39, your only real weak points are going to be window regulators and the radiator neck. Until it hits 200k that is, then everything will break.

911e46z06 > Snuze: Needs another Swede 08/27/2015 at 23:13

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They make an aftermarket one that goes in the center console. Way better than those shitty can holders that come stock.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > 911e46z06 08/27/2015 at 23:13

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Awesome, thanks again for all the info. I think getting a BMW shop to inspect it is a good idea.

911e46z06 > AM3R shamefully returns 08/27/2015 at 23:14

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Doesnt get much more fun without sacrificing practicality

AM3R shamefully returns > 911e46z06 08/28/2015 at 00:05

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That's what the M5 is for ;)

AM3R shamefully returns > Snuze: Needs another Swede 08/28/2015 at 00:06

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Hey neighbor, I'm in the NoVa area. I was assuming that the market in Germany is like that in the UK, where performance cars are pretty cheap because the expensive insurance + petrol. Just an assumption so I could be wrong.

911e46z06 > AM3R shamefully returns 08/28/2015 at 00:38

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For thrice the money.

911e46z06 > Snuze: Needs another Swede 08/28/2015 at 00:39

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Absolutely essential

AM3R shamefully returns > 911e46z06 08/28/2015 at 00:41

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My knowledge on the German car market is pretty limited... I'm assuming that like many other European countries those older performance cars are decently cheap because high insurance prices and gas prices.

911e46z06 > AM3R shamefully returns 08/28/2015 at 00:45

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It’s possible. But even so, the straight-6 is way more reliable and way better on gas.

LeadfootYT > itranthelasttimeiparkedit 08/28/2015 at 10:38

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That was a wrap by the previous owner, but I’ve been meaning for a long time to cover it in some kind of alcantara or pseudo-suede (ZHP-style).

Snuze: Needs another Swede > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) 09/20/2015 at 11:27

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So, it looks like they bought a car... 1999 535Ai, so it has the M62BU35 (3.5L V8 with VANOS) I recommended getting the I6 but they said this is the only car they could find, in their price range, that wasn’t completely trashed. They actually need to get a car soon because they have to return the company car.

It seems like you are familiar with the BMW V8s, so, any thoughts or information I should pass along?

Snuze: Needs another Swede > LeadfootYT 09/20/2015 at 11:28

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So... apparently they just purchased a 535Ai. It’s got the M62TUB35, which is the 3.5L version of the M62 V8 and puts out a healthy 241HP. It sounds like you’re familiar with these engines, anything to lookout for?

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > Snuze: Needs another Swede 09/20/2015 at 12:09

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I need to know the mileage. Within 150k to 190k they need timing chain guides. This is just for the m62tu bx motors. The alternator is liquid cooled so they are expensive. Vanos seals get old and make diesel like noises, it’s no mechanical issue just owner preferance. Valve cover gaskets leak every 100k. Water pumps are the usual bmw service interval. They’ll leak oil too.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) 09/21/2015 at 08:40

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Thanks for all the info. My BIL says the car has 118k miles. I asked him if it has a service history, so I’ll try to figure out what, if anything has already been done. Waterpumps are about 100k mile item, right?

You seem to be quite knowledgeable on these cars... are you a BMW tech or independent mechanic and specialize in BMW? Or just have a lot of ownership experience?

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > Snuze: Needs another Swede 09/21/2015 at 13:09

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Water pumps every 80k if you’re lucky for them to last that long. I’m not a tech, I just read about the issues and own a non vanos e38.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) 09/21/2015 at 14:13

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Gotcha. Well again, thanks for all the information, its a great help. I passed it on to my BIL and he’s going to look into it. He said the head gaskets have already been replaced, and hopefully the water pump as well. They are only going to have the car for 2 years, and they have a lot of options for public transit, so the car probably won’t get driven that many miles. I think the hope is they will be moving back to the US and selling the car before they get up into that 150k + range and have to deal with more major issues (guides, another water pump, etc.)