RE: BMW 540i (E39) manual: Spotted

[magic torch]

pSyCoSiS said:

And £8k for that modified one is ridiculous!

One man's MX5 is another man's XR3i Cabriolet...

Since when did PH start knocking its own income source?

[hornetrider]

theJT said:

Can someone who's driven both compare the 6 speed in this to the one in the 330? I tried a 330 with a 6 speed manual in it not long ago and it was a horrible gearbox. 1st seemed to go on forever and there was nothing to work with in either 5th or 6th. I imagine with an extra 50 or so BHP to work with the top end of the box would be more bearable in this?

I owned an E39 530i Sport Touring with an auto box and fancied a V8. A 540 Touring with a manual box and about 90k miles popped up down London way so I went to test drive it. The gearbox was poor imo. I felt that the throw was quite long and the box sloppy, it didn't feel precise at all. Contrast that with the manual box on my E61 550i which feels snappy and tight with a relatively short shift.

[dave_s13]

I had a 540i Touring for a while.

Bought in a gush of appreciation after it was posted on the bargain barge thread a few years ago.

It was very low spec and although only 50k miles the rear tailgate was rusted to buggery. 18mpg was a bit much too.

Still liked it though.

[TIGA84]

Surely 10k on an E39 would be better spent on this:

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...

or this.

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...

[dirty_dog]

I very nearly bought a 540i sport touring, still pretty rare to find a tourer in sport trim, but it had too many issues to make me comfortable. Ended up with a 530i instead and its a nice car but that extra 50 odd horsepower in the 540 made it feel a lot quicker.

[llyrowenjones]

My friend is currently driving a later auto 540i M Sport. Really is quite something for little money. I was also attacked by an early 540i in South Wales and they really do shift, even if they do weight around 7 tonnes. Decent sound, but it would benefit doing something to get a little bit more noise from the exhaust. Other than that, it's a great car if you want to be different.

[only1ian]

Would rather buy another Alpina B10 of similar E39 underpinnings

[walsh]

If I recall correctly, the gearbox on the 540i is the same as the one in the M5? Wonder if it is better than mine.

I have a manual e39 (528i vintage), and its just the wrong 'box. Gearing is way too tall in the low gears (48 mph in first..), and the throw is very, very long (lean forward, move whole shoulder, hurray second), and it's vauge. That may just be my car, it has done 160k.

Clutch on mine is also a bit of a bd. Easy enough to use, but getting of the line quickly can be annoying, apparently to do with the clutch delay valve. Sometimes it feels like its sliping, then it engages in an elastic fashion. Sometime it doesnt, engages very quickly, and bogs. More throttle, and it either sounds like a cvt, or transfers all the rubber of the inside wheel to the road in a james bond smoke screen. I have given up trying to "launch", get it rolling at walking pace and properly engaged, then apply power.

Its a non-issue in most driving, expept it also makes crawling in traffic jerky. Or perhaps I simply cant drive. Either way, I think to live with I would rather have the 540i auto.

[Itsallicanafford]

llyrowenjones said:

My friend is currently driving a later auto 540i M Sport. Really is quite something for little money. I was also attacked by an early 540i in South Wales and they really do shift, even if they do weight around 7 tonnes. Decent sound, but it would benefit doing something to get a little bit more noise from the exhaust. Other than that, it's a great car if you want to be different.

Ouch, make sure your jabs are upto date.

[Lowtimer]

Motorrad said:

You'd have to be insane this is M5 money.

It is not 20,000 mile full-history spotless M5 money, though. A comparable M5 is £20k now.

[RDMcG]

Bought one new, silver with pale grey leather and the optional seats with adjustable bolster and articulated half way down the back .Most comfortable seats I have ever had. It was a wonderful car, beautiful six-speed gearbox, properly quick. lovely V8 burble. Virtually perfect.

[plenty]

hornetrider said:

I owned an E39 530i Sport Touring with an auto box and fancied a V8. A 540 Touring with a manual box and about 90k miles popped up down London way so I went to test drive it. The gearbox was poor imo. I felt that the throw was quite long and the box sloppy, it didn't feel precise at all. Contrast that with the manual box on my E61 550i which feels snappy and tight with a relatively short shift.

I tried an admittedly tired 540i a few years back and the gearchange was horrible - like stirring porridge with a snooker cue. Combine that with the recirculating-ball steering and I found the 540i primary controls a real let-down. On the other hand the higher-geared steering and Getrag shift on the E39 M5 are a joy to use (particularly with a short-shift installed).

Edited by plenty on Tuesday 19th August 14:45

[will261058]

dirty_dog said:

I very nearly bought a 540i sport touring, still pretty rare to find a tourer in sport trim, but it had too many issues to make me comfortable. Ended up with a 530i instead and its a nice car but that extra 50 odd horsepower in the 540 made it feel a lot quicker.

Its not all about power though, the 530i is a better steer thanks to having a rack rather than a steering box as the 540i does.

[Lowtimer]

walsh said:

If I recall correctly, the gearbox on the 540i is the same as the one in the M5? Wonder if it is better than mine.

I have a manual e39 (528i vintage), and its just the wrong 'box. Gearing is way too tall in the low gears (48 mph in first..), and the throw is very, very long (lean forward, move whole shoulder, hurray second), and it's vauge. That may just be my car, it has done 160k.

Clutch on mine is also a bit of a bd. Easy enough to use, but getting of the line quickly can be annoying, apparently to do with the clutch delay valve. Sometimes it feels like its sliping, then it engages in an elastic fashion. Sometime it doesnt, engages very quickly, and bogs. More throttle, and it either sounds like a cvt, or transfers all the rubber of the inside wheel to the road in a james bond smoke screen. I have given up trying to "launch", get it rolling at walking pace and properly engaged, then apply power.

Its a non-issue in most driving, expept it also makes crawling in traffic jerky. Or perhaps I simply cant drive. Either way, I think to live with I would rather have the 540i auto.

Yours is a completely different box from the 6-speed 540i / M5 box.

My manual 530i has a similar box to yours. Sounds like your linkage is fairly worn out, though they are not the quickest change. As for the ratios: it does the same in-gear speeds as my Porsche 944 Turbo, 40-something in first, 60+ in second, 95 or so in third, about 125 in fourth and 150+ in fifth. So there is a gear for every situation especially as it will pull smoothly from 1200 rpm. As with an early 911 Turbo you do have to be prepared to take bottom gear on the move from time to time if you want to make rapid progress up narrow windy mountain passes.

Your troubles with the clutch are shared by many people: when everything is new and shiny they are fine (if slightly odd), and when they are old and worn and cantankerous they are stroppy. I suggest when you next get it serviced, take out the clutch delay valve. If they have the car up in the air anyway it is a 30 min job max.

[chungasarnies]

will261058 said:

Its not all about power though, the 530i is a better steer thanks to having a rack rather than a steering box as the 540i does.

Can anyone who's actually had both tell us how big a difference there really is, or is this just something people on the internet say?

[323ti]

I don't get this at all.
A medium-sized V8 in a large heavy car is nice for wafting. I mean I love a first gen Lexus LS400 as much as the next senior citizen, but come on, horses for courses.
A sporty steer it will never be. It weighs the same as a Nissan GT-R but has half the grunt.
Yes it's got a manual. In a car like this, who cares? I don't want the LS400 with a manual either.

An E-30 318iS has better turn-in and handling than the 325 with the heavier six-pot.
A manual 530 will be a better steer than a 540 for the same reason.

And lastly, even the E-39 M5 had recirculating ball steering IIRC. Not as good as rack and pinion.

[ManOpener]

magic torch said:

pSyCoSiS said:

And £8k for that modified one is ridiculous!

Since when did PH start knocking its own income source?

Take it you've never seen the "Horrors in the PH classifieds" thread then...

[anonymous-user]

I have a 540i Sport albeit it Auto

Absolutely love it, one of (if not the) best cars I have ever owned, it just does everything well and is surprisingly agile for a car of its size

[Seb d]

Here's a pic of my 540i auto - started out as a standard SE but as you can see it's had a few mods since then

[Motorrad]

Lowtimer said:

It is not 20,000 mile full-history spotless M5 money, though. A comparable M5 is £20k now.

Who gives a fk. One is an M car the other is just another E39. The manual boxes are horrible anyway I know, I own one.