High-mileage E65 745i; how much of a money-pit will it be?
Discussion
If internet folklore is to be believed, then these engines are notorious for oil leaks, however I don't believe any of them are a massive issue i.e. It'll be unlikely to fail an MOT.
Mechanically they are no worse than a 5 series of the era, but there will be more electronic control modules etc. There are quite a few companies out there who repair such modules, and you can swap them out yourself and recode them yourself if you so desire with cheaply available diagnostics kit (I paid £80).
As long as you are prepared to keep on top of things and spend the few hundred quid here and there every so often then it'll be wonderful. If your going to grudge such bills then look elsewhere imho.
Mechanically they are no worse than a 5 series of the era, but there will be more electronic control modules etc. There are quite a few companies out there who repair such modules, and you can swap them out yourself and recode them yourself if you so desire with cheaply available diagnostics kit (I paid £80).
As long as you are prepared to keep on top of things and spend the few hundred quid here and there every so often then it'll be wonderful. If your going to grudge such bills then look elsewhere imho.
Cheers. Researching the airbag warning light it seems to be a pretty common issue across most BMs (someone said there's more out there with the light on than not...! :haha
but I'm wary of big bills as it'd effectively write the car off if, for example, the gearbox goes kaput. One of the things I like about the E36 is that it's modern enough but without too many electrical bits that it needs plugging in to a dealer diagnostic to work on it for example.
I've been looking at something up to around £3k and had been looking more at E46s and E39s. However this 7 drops under that mainly due, I suspect, to the fact it's done nearly 170k. However my 328i is on 163k and drives superbly so I'm not scared by mileage, I'd buy more on condition. I also suspect that the miles on the 7 are probably mostly motorway given its age and I quite fancy wafting about for a bit. My mileage is pretty low (I do about 7k a year) and it's mostly just trundling along the coast to the office and back so nothing too strenuous.
I'm just going in eyes open and with due diligence...!
but I'm wary of big bills as it'd effectively write the car off if, for example, the gearbox goes kaput. One of the things I like about the E36 is that it's modern enough but without too many electrical bits that it needs plugging in to a dealer diagnostic to work on it for example.I've been looking at something up to around £3k and had been looking more at E46s and E39s. However this 7 drops under that mainly due, I suspect, to the fact it's done nearly 170k. However my 328i is on 163k and drives superbly so I'm not scared by mileage, I'd buy more on condition. I also suspect that the miles on the 7 are probably mostly motorway given its age and I quite fancy wafting about for a bit. My mileage is pretty low (I do about 7k a year) and it's mostly just trundling along the coast to the office and back so nothing too strenuous.
I'm just going in eyes open and with due diligence...!
In terms of reliability, the N62 unit in the 745i isnt great. Look out for oil leaks as well as coolant leaks. The coolant transfer pipe is notorious for failing and can cost a fortune to put right.
Valve stem seals will be worn if it hasn't been serviced properly causing blue smoke out of the back. The best way to check for this is to get it warmed up (20min drive) then let it idle for around a minute then give it a good hard rev. Look for blue smoke.
The main gripe i have with the E65 is the gearbox. I've come across dozens with unsmooth gear changes, failed/failing torque converters (seems to affect the 3.0 diesels more). Avoid the earlier models (51-03). If i were you, i'd go for an E60
Valve stem seals will be worn if it hasn't been serviced properly causing blue smoke out of the back. The best way to check for this is to get it warmed up (20min drive) then let it idle for around a minute then give it a good hard rev. Look for blue smoke.
The main gripe i have with the E65 is the gearbox. I've come across dozens with unsmooth gear changes, failed/failing torque converters (seems to affect the 3.0 diesels more). Avoid the earlier models (51-03). If i were you, i'd go for an E60
I would be very wary about this, IME even trivial seeming jobs on the engines of these cars can take forever, especially the strange fluid leaks that spring forth from the front cover area.
IIRC fuel tanks are prone to dropping down, radio/info displays failing along with the usual worn bushes, corroded inaccessible brake pipes and random ABS faults that old BMWs are prone to.
Fine if you have the time and skills to fix it yourself but bank breaking when you are paying for labour.
IIRC fuel tanks are prone to dropping down, radio/info displays failing along with the usual worn bushes, corroded inaccessible brake pipes and random ABS faults that old BMWs are prone to.
Fine if you have the time and skills to fix it yourself but bank breaking when you are paying for labour.
Hi there, thought I'd post something brief....
RE the person who mentioned gearboxes being unsmooth..... Almost always 1 of 2 issues..... The guibo joint or worn dampers within the gearbox (both of which have been done on mine).... The actual gearbox itself is considerably more reliable than the old 5 speed ones and big failure is almost unheard of, especially if one has done oil changes at not too high miles.
Brake pipes corroding..... They are not that unaccessible but I had mine done not long ago when I got my (inaccessible!) suspension lines replaced.
I've spent loads on mine, much of it preventative and I could have run it for much, much less money..... But then what's the point in having an expensive car like a 7 series that doesn't run or drive how it's supposed to?
So far this year I've done 6k miles and it's coat less than £300 including an MOT which it passed without any advisory notices.
RE the person who mentioned gearboxes being unsmooth..... Almost always 1 of 2 issues..... The guibo joint or worn dampers within the gearbox (both of which have been done on mine).... The actual gearbox itself is considerably more reliable than the old 5 speed ones and big failure is almost unheard of, especially if one has done oil changes at not too high miles.
Brake pipes corroding..... They are not that unaccessible but I had mine done not long ago when I got my (inaccessible!) suspension lines replaced.
I've spent loads on mine, much of it preventative and I could have run it for much, much less money..... But then what's the point in having an expensive car like a 7 series that doesn't run or drive how it's supposed to?
So far this year I've done 6k miles and it's coat less than £300 including an MOT which it passed without any advisory notices.
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