Hello from London! Aspiring to be a 530d owner
Discussion
th3h1ghlander said:
Tourer is better for convenience but I think the saloon looks better.
I am the other way and I think the tourer looks better but I still like the saloon though and the tourer did come in handy for my Labrador, I miss mine for its practicality and if I had gone for the 530d instead of the 520d I think I would still have it now. 
cerb4.5lee said:
I am the other way and I think the tourer looks better but I still like the saloon though and the tourer did come in handy for my Labrador, I miss mine for its practicality and if I had gone for the 530d instead of the 520d I think I would still have it now.
I thought Labradors preferred driving, Fords!!! 
cerb4.5lee said:
th3h1ghlander said:
Tourer is better for convenience but I think the saloon looks better.
I am the other way and I think the tourer looks better but I still like the saloon though and the tourer did come in handy for my Labrador, I miss mine for its practicality and if I had gone for the 530d instead of the 520d I think I would still have it now. Only reason I sold it was due to child number 3, not wide enough in the back when they are all in some kind of child seat. I'm still not sure they're great for 3 in th back even when they're older.
When the youngest progresses to a booster then I'm looking at the 7 series. That or just admit defeat and get an smax.
dave_s13 said:
cerb4.5lee said:
th3h1ghlander said:
Tourer is better for convenience but I think the saloon looks better.
I am the other way and I think the tourer looks better but I still like the saloon though and the tourer did come in handy for my Labrador, I miss mine for its practicality and if I had gone for the 530d instead of the 520d I think I would still have it now. Only reason I sold it was due to child number 3, not wide enough in the back when they are all in some kind of child seat. I'm still not sure they're great for 3 in th back even when they're older.
When the youngest progresses to a booster then I'm looking at the 7 series. That or just admit defeat and get an smax.
cerb4.5lee: that is a lovely motor and I would consider one for me like that if it was the 3.0l TD and had cream leather and wood trim 
(actually, almost exactly like this one but with lower milage and a M-Sport model, not the SE:
http://www.raccars.co.uk/used-bmw/5-series/details... )
smuler: I will keep an eye on the AU. There is not much of interest to me at the moment on Autotrader/ebay/motors.co.uk/vcars/raccars .There are one or two to consider but a lot of the good ones I was keeping an eye on are gone. There is always another eh?
Labs prefer Fords, French Bulldogs prefer BMWs (M4s to be specific )
Wills2: Pot noodle? Don't you mean a Ginsters or Rustlers? XD
(actually, almost exactly like this one but with lower milage and a M-Sport model, not the SE:http://www.raccars.co.uk/used-bmw/5-series/details... )
smuler: I will keep an eye on the AU. There is not much of interest to me at the moment on Autotrader/ebay/motors.co.uk/vcars/raccars .There are one or two to consider but a lot of the good ones I was keeping an eye on are gone. There is always another eh?
Labs prefer Fords, French Bulldogs prefer BMWs (M4s to be specific
)Wills2: Pot noodle? Don't you mean a Ginsters or Rustlers? XD
Here is a stupid question for all of you following this thread. Anyone attempted a 5-series turbo replacement on their own? I can see there are plenty of companies offering a turbo rebuild or replacement turbos, and the replacement instructions do not seem too difficult (although there are a lot of caveats). I have been told by others that you need full diagnostic equipment and rolling road to tune ecu to a new Turbo but I am sceptical.
Likewise, anyone done DPF replacement? It looks pretty easy, DPF is around £300 and yet I hear that people pay around £3k to get them replaced. Shouldn't they just bolt out and in on the exhaust coupling? (also just unplug and re-plug the sensors)
Likewise, anyone done DPF replacement? It looks pretty easy, DPF is around £300 and yet I hear that people pay around £3k to get them replaced. Shouldn't they just bolt out and in on the exhaust coupling? (also just unplug and re-plug the sensors)
Edited by th3h1ghlander on Saturday 26th September 22:31
Not quite dead. I've just started reading it. I've had my current car (E46 330ci petrol) from new in 2001, now with 170k miles. Never cost me much in maintenance at all. I've spent not more than £1500 for all non-consumable spares outside of routine servicing in all that time. The most expensive items were a new radiator and a refurb steering rack. A proportion of that was for a new pair of Xenon bulbs after 13 years. Just because it's a BMW, it doesn't need to cost the earth to run. I don't think £100 a year in parts is much to worry about.
I'm SO glad I went for the largest engine option at the time, bar the M3. I'm sure it's cost me at the petrol pumps, but the bigger engine has made the car entertaining to drive every day and perhaps that's why I've never felt the need to change it for something else despite being something of a petrolhead. Get the biggest engine you can afford!
One question I have - reading the the thread, I've seen it said that the 525d has the same lump as the 530d but detuned. If it's detuned in software alone, then would a remap get it up to the same spec as a mapped 530d?
I'm SO glad I went for the largest engine option at the time, bar the M3. I'm sure it's cost me at the petrol pumps, but the bigger engine has made the car entertaining to drive every day and perhaps that's why I've never felt the need to change it for something else despite being something of a petrolhead. Get the biggest engine you can afford!
One question I have - reading the the thread, I've seen it said that the 525d has the same lump as the 530d but detuned. If it's detuned in software alone, then would a remap get it up to the same spec as a mapped 530d?
Edited by Sushifiend on Monday 28th September 11:51
Smuler: Going further adrift (120 miles) this weekend to see one from a private seller. Is a little bit further than I would normally drive and the car is higher mileage than I was looking for but after speaking with the owner it has been VERY well cared for so is worth considering. Still aiming for 530d.
Sushifiend: I considered the 535d with dual turbo but I want to keep a little more economy and a little less maintenance, the 530d will suit me fine. The pre 2005 530d is 218bhp and the post 2005 is 231bhp and post 2007 is 235bhp (I think, recalling from memory). I am glad that your experience has been a positive one. Truth be told I prefer the looks of the E46 but wanted something a little more modern.
On the 525d I believe that the early ones (2003-2007) were actually a 2.5l lump (M57TU2D25) but the post 2007 model had the same 3.0l lump (M57TU2D30UL) as the 530d just detuned, may be other differences as the engine model number is slightly different.
dave_s13: You may be right, there may be other components that are different but the 525d available are not any different in price than the 530d so as you said I may as well stick with that and consider a remap from there
Sushifiend: I considered the 535d with dual turbo but I want to keep a little more economy and a little less maintenance, the 530d will suit me fine. The pre 2005 530d is 218bhp and the post 2005 is 231bhp and post 2007 is 235bhp (I think, recalling from memory). I am glad that your experience has been a positive one. Truth be told I prefer the looks of the E46 but wanted something a little more modern.
On the 525d I believe that the early ones (2003-2007) were actually a 2.5l lump (M57TU2D25) but the post 2007 model had the same 3.0l lump (M57TU2D30UL) as the 530d just detuned, may be other differences as the engine model number is slightly different.
dave_s13: You may be right, there may be other components that are different but the 525d available are not any different in price than the 530d so as you said I may as well stick with that and consider a remap from there
Quick question for anyone familiar with the 5-series: Do you know where to look for the engine model and serial number? Presumably it is accessible on the engine block without much difficulty? Is it on a label on the inside of the engine bay as well to confirm engine has not been swapper out?
Cheers!
Cheers!
Little difference in maintenance over 525/530/535d, had the last two as tourers, still have 535d lci.
As others have said, buy on condition and service history. Dirty oil kills engines and turbo, change every 8-10k miles.
Gearbox oil change every 80k as per ZF maintenance schedule. Thermostats, £100 from Bmw, 2hrs to change.
Motorway run every couple of weeks will keep dpf in health. Apart from that, nothing much to worry about.
Buy an lci, better built, dpf is also moved so no longer an internet issue.
Just came back from a 3k European jaunt, full load, 35 cases wine, roofbox, 800 miles in 10 hrs, 34mpg, job done.
As others have said, buy on condition and service history. Dirty oil kills engines and turbo, change every 8-10k miles.
Gearbox oil change every 80k as per ZF maintenance schedule. Thermostats, £100 from Bmw, 2hrs to change.
Motorway run every couple of weeks will keep dpf in health. Apart from that, nothing much to worry about.
Buy an lci, better built, dpf is also moved so no longer an internet issue.
Just came back from a 3k European jaunt, full load, 35 cases wine, roofbox, 800 miles in 10 hrs, 34mpg, job done.
You sound as though you've made your mind up but to be honest if you gave me £5-7k to buy a car to do 18k miles for 10 years I wouldn't be looking at E60 BMWs, as you have seen you will start with a lot of miles and while the car is indisputably capable of doing a few hundred thousand miles with the correct maintenance and repairs, it's going to need an awful lot of rather expensive work to do that.
HustleRussell said:
You sound as though you've made your mind up but to be honest if you gave me £5-7k to buy a car to do 18k miles for 10 years I wouldn't be looking at E60 BMWs, as you have seen you will start with a lot of miles and while the car is indisputably capable of doing a few hundred thousand miles with the correct maintenance and repairs, it's going to need an awful lot of rather expensive work to do that.
What would you buy then?bigdom: Yeah, I figured the first thing to look at would be the receipts for work and the oil change history. I have read that there is a issue with the older design for oil separator/breather so I may look at whether that has been replaced as well (even read about minor issues with the newer vortex style separator). I will be looking for replacement of items like the thermostats as well. Car I am looking at had a recent DPF replacement from BMW so all should be dandy (if this has died from soot then I would be inspecting the inlet manifold and swirl flaps asap)
HustleRussell: I have made my mind up (I thought about other vehicles but I kept drifting back to the 5 series), and I did say up-to 18k because it depends on whether I am commuting to London by train/tube or commuting by car to other cities (purely work dependant). Either way I would be doing long hall drives every couple of weeks. If I was just looking for another utilitarian vehicle for £5-7k I would probably get an estate golf or focus (cheap and easy to service and replace parts, fairly reliable and not uncomfortable) but I am looking for a little more in the "fun" and comfort department while not drifting too far from sensible.
HustleRussell: I have made my mind up (I thought about other vehicles but I kept drifting back to the 5 series), and I did say up-to 18k because it depends on whether I am commuting to London by train/tube or commuting by car to other cities (purely work dependant). Either way I would be doing long hall drives every couple of weeks. If I was just looking for another utilitarian vehicle for £5-7k I would probably get an estate golf or focus (cheap and easy to service and replace parts, fairly reliable and not uncomfortable) but I am looking for a little more in the "fun" and comfort department while not drifting too far from sensible.
RWD cossie wil said:
HustleRussell said:
You sound as though you've made your mind up but to be honest if you gave me £5-7k to buy a car to do 18k miles for 10 years I wouldn't be looking at E60 BMWs, as you have seen you will start with a lot of miles and while the car is indisputably capable of doing a few hundred thousand miles with the correct maintenance and repairs, it's going to need an awful lot of rather expensive work to do that.
What would you buy then?I dunno probably a £4k diesel Mondeo, Accord, Passat etc and then another 4/5 years later. OP is going to end up racking up nearly 300,000 miles in total in the E60, with all the repairs it brings.
Of course if you do fewer miles starting off with a higher mileage car isn't such a disadvantage.
HustleRussell said:
RWD cossie wil said:
HustleRussell said:
You sound as though you've made your mind up but to be honest if you gave me £5-7k to buy a car to do 18k miles for 10 years I wouldn't be looking at E60 BMWs, as you have seen you will start with a lot of miles and while the car is indisputably capable of doing a few hundred thousand miles with the correct maintenance and repairs, it's going to need an awful lot of rather expensive work to do that.
What would you buy then?I dunno probably a £4k diesel Mondeo, Accord, Passat etc and then another 4/5 years later. OP is going to end up racking up nearly 300,000 miles in total in the E60, with all the repairs it brings.
Of course if you do fewer miles starting off with a higher mileage car isn't such a disadvantage.
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