Tell me about E39s
Discussion
We had a 528i and it was a great car.
We bought with 39k on the clock and covered 176k before my dad blew it up.
Main bolt sheeted off end of engine which was powering water pump, radiator fan and air con. Rather than wait to be rescued he drove back 3 miles in the red and fried the Pistons.
Other than that the car never broke down. Standard put out 224bhp on a rolling road. Was comfortable and delivered around 30mpg over our tenure.
I don't think the cooling system is that weak. It just requires renewal of components after about 100k.
For me the sport suspension and seats is a must as these are about the last BMW where it actually improved the ride before they lost there way with suspension.
The 6 cylinder cars have much better steering then the v8's the ultimate of them all being the Alpina b10 3.3 which was available with a manual box. You might need to double your money to get one, but on the other hand you will probable get this back when it comes resale time.
The worst rust spot on them is the jacking points where water gets alongside the plastic side valance and the chassi rail. Prod any prospective car wth a screw driver on the jacking points. If there is any crunch it's a basket case regardless of mileage.
Any other rust is more superficial.
6 cylinders are basically bullet proof bar cooling components needing replacement
V8's have issues with water ways in between the v's which are expensive to fix.
Hope this helps
We bought with 39k on the clock and covered 176k before my dad blew it up.
Main bolt sheeted off end of engine which was powering water pump, radiator fan and air con. Rather than wait to be rescued he drove back 3 miles in the red and fried the Pistons.
Other than that the car never broke down. Standard put out 224bhp on a rolling road. Was comfortable and delivered around 30mpg over our tenure.
I don't think the cooling system is that weak. It just requires renewal of components after about 100k.
For me the sport suspension and seats is a must as these are about the last BMW where it actually improved the ride before they lost there way with suspension.
The 6 cylinder cars have much better steering then the v8's the ultimate of them all being the Alpina b10 3.3 which was available with a manual box. You might need to double your money to get one, but on the other hand you will probable get this back when it comes resale time.
The worst rust spot on them is the jacking points where water gets alongside the plastic side valance and the chassi rail. Prod any prospective car wth a screw driver on the jacking points. If there is any crunch it's a basket case regardless of mileage.
Any other rust is more superficial.
6 cylinders are basically bullet proof bar cooling components needing replacement
V8's have issues with water ways in between the v's which are expensive to fix.
Hope this helps
Not sure whether to broaden my horizons and consider an auto. My heart says manual would suit me best, but as has been pointed out there are less around. If considering autos also there would certainly be more to choose from. In reality what is the difference in fuel consumption on say a 528 or 530 auto vs manual?
E-bmw said:
As opposed 530i Sport manual, heavy right foot, 29.6 over 3 years of ownership.
Matches my experience - 533i sport manual (ahem, Alpina B10 - details in profile) - 20K miles average standing at 30.1 (and trust me, it gets used - but 34-35on the motorway is easily attained; amazing, really)I loved my E39 540iA Sport far more than the F10 535d MSport I had. Sold it a few years ago due to electrical gremlins (battery discharging due to car alarm going off), rear wheel arch rust as well as inside the fuel flap, plus a noticeable jolt when changing into top gear. Think it had reached 112,000 miles and everything else was working perfectly.
Very comfortable, quick and good looking cars IMHO
Very comfortable, quick and good looking cars IMHO
PoleDriver said:
bmwmike said:
Buy an auto and convert to manual ? Apparently not that hard to do.
I have a manual box available! 
If you go down this route, you obviously also need a full pedal box, which wasn't too bad on the Senator as I had manual next to the auto. But don't forget you also need the flywheel and the correct pilot bearing.
When I did mine, I didn't know about the pilot bearing & had to remove the gearbox again!!!!
I bought my 530i after owning two M5s, and I think it cost me more to run than both of those combined!
A good one is excellent, a not so good one can be a real PITA.
Mine never let me down but despite only 2 owners, full BMWSH, 77k, lots of maintenance receipts, all old MOTs etc it definitely wasn't one of my more memorable cars.
Some of the costs were down to bad timing - clutch and dual mass flywheel needed replacing after a year, and that was around £700. But there were a seemingly never ending series of niggles - sticking calipers, drivers electric seat switch failed, a lot of suspension bits needed replacing, brake discs warped (though caliper issues made that hard to pin down), drone from exhaust, oil leak from cam cover and another emerging from the sump (big job).
There was a good car underneath but it was not viable to realise it. Unless old Beemers have been cherished with a level of expenditure that goes beyond their place in the market, they are a bit of a lottery.
I'd either get a cheap shed which might exceed expectations or spend the extra and get a really good one.
I6s are the way to go, 528 or 530 best bet for performance and economy (up to 37-38 on a run)
A good one is excellent, a not so good one can be a real PITA.
Mine never let me down but despite only 2 owners, full BMWSH, 77k, lots of maintenance receipts, all old MOTs etc it definitely wasn't one of my more memorable cars.
Some of the costs were down to bad timing - clutch and dual mass flywheel needed replacing after a year, and that was around £700. But there were a seemingly never ending series of niggles - sticking calipers, drivers electric seat switch failed, a lot of suspension bits needed replacing, brake discs warped (though caliper issues made that hard to pin down), drone from exhaust, oil leak from cam cover and another emerging from the sump (big job).
There was a good car underneath but it was not viable to realise it. Unless old Beemers have been cherished with a level of expenditure that goes beyond their place in the market, they are a bit of a lottery.
I'd either get a cheap shed which might exceed expectations or spend the extra and get a really good one.
I6s are the way to go, 528 or 530 best bet for performance and economy (up to 37-38 on a run)
JD2329 said:
I bought my 530i after owning two M5s, and I think it cost me more to run than both of those combined!
A good one is excellent, a not so good one can be a real PITA.
Mine never let me down but despite only 2 owners, full BMWSH, 77k, lots of maintenance receipts, all old MOTs etc it definitely wasn't one of my more memorable cars.
Some of the costs were down to bad timing - clutch and dual mass flywheel needed replacing after a year, and that was around £700. But there were a seemingly never ending series of niggles - sticking calipers, drivers electric seat switch failed, a lot of suspension bits needed replacing, brake discs warped (though caliper issues made that hard to pin down), drone from exhaust, oil leak from cam cover and another emerging from the sump (big job).
There was a good car underneath but it was not viable to realise it. Unless old Beemers have been cherished with a level of expenditure that goes beyond their place in the market, they are a bit of a lottery.
I'd either get a cheap shed which might exceed expectations or spend the extra and get a really good one.
I6s are the way to go, 528 or 530 best bet for performance and economy (up to 37-38 on a run)
Mine was fantastic for most of its life but began to get like this. It actually ended up within 10% of the cost per mile of its replacement - an F10 530d!A good one is excellent, a not so good one can be a real PITA.
Mine never let me down but despite only 2 owners, full BMWSH, 77k, lots of maintenance receipts, all old MOTs etc it definitely wasn't one of my more memorable cars.
Some of the costs were down to bad timing - clutch and dual mass flywheel needed replacing after a year, and that was around £700. But there were a seemingly never ending series of niggles - sticking calipers, drivers electric seat switch failed, a lot of suspension bits needed replacing, brake discs warped (though caliper issues made that hard to pin down), drone from exhaust, oil leak from cam cover and another emerging from the sump (big job).
There was a good car underneath but it was not viable to realise it. Unless old Beemers have been cherished with a level of expenditure that goes beyond their place in the market, they are a bit of a lottery.
I'd either get a cheap shed which might exceed expectations or spend the extra and get a really good one.
I6s are the way to go, 528 or 530 best bet for performance and economy (up to 37-38 on a run)
The deep pockets thing worries me. I guess any car of this age has the potential to require quite a lot of upkeep, but with a 5 series BM that upkeep could be considerably more expensive than others. I am finding myself going off the idea somewhat. An old complex car is probably not where I should be looking for my next steed. Perhaps a re-think is on the cards.
I have recently acquired an early facelift 530i SE manual with 144k miles. Mileage didn't faze me at all, as its probably the lowest mileage BMW I've owned so far.
On the motorway with cruise on, I've had 38.1 mpg which was very pleasing compared to my previous M535i. My car has 17" wheels, factory M sport suspension and sports leather, which were all reasons why I bought it, as I much prefer the ride set up like this.
I think the key to buying an E39 is condition and service history. I would ignore age and mileage if the car is corrosion free and has had good maintenance, but having said that, I will only do 3k miles per year in mine. Great cars, I would definitely recommend one: My personal preference with the 3.0i would be manual, as I think the auto box takes away some performance and economy.
On the motorway with cruise on, I've had 38.1 mpg which was very pleasing compared to my previous M535i. My car has 17" wheels, factory M sport suspension and sports leather, which were all reasons why I bought it, as I much prefer the ride set up like this.
I think the key to buying an E39 is condition and service history. I would ignore age and mileage if the car is corrosion free and has had good maintenance, but having said that, I will only do 3k miles per year in mine. Great cars, I would definitely recommend one: My personal preference with the 3.0i would be manual, as I think the auto box takes away some performance and economy.
TBH, if you buy spares carefully, and with a minimum of iagnostic eqpt/tools, the E39 is a doddle to keep running. And it is easy, very easy, to work on; that, and a weather eye on the (relatively-few, and well-known weaknesses) and it'll serve you as long as you like.
No old-good car can be run without maintenance; the upside is - no depreciation. And GSF does >40% off most weekends if you are on the mailing list. And as a car it is easy, very easy, to work on...
Seriously, you could spend more keeping a nasty 8yr old Focus shed merely on the road (I've a colleague who has!). Get a grip, and do the right thing!
No old-good car can be run without maintenance; the upside is - no depreciation. And GSF does >40% off most weekends if you are on the mailing list. And as a car it is easy, very easy, to work on...
Seriously, you could spend more keeping a nasty 8yr old Focus shed merely on the road (I've a colleague who has!). Get a grip, and do the right thing!
100% agree.
3 years of ownership.
Year 1.
Full suspension bush kit £160 ish & a few hours under the car (knew I was going to do it when I bought the car)
ASC+T ECU £350 + £80 to get coded.
Year 2.
Usual cooling upgrades/fixes £200
Everything else was just servicing/consumables.
Best car I ever owned.
3 years of ownership.
Year 1.
Full suspension bush kit £160 ish & a few hours under the car (knew I was going to do it when I bought the car)
ASC+T ECU £350 + £80 to get coded.
Year 2.
Usual cooling upgrades/fixes £200
Everything else was just servicing/consumables.
Best car I ever owned.
If you are handy with the spanners then I imagine it is quite a frugal car to own. I'm not handy with the spanners and my 530i cost me thousands to run over three years. £1000 easily spent on fixing rust. And it wasn't a lemon, it was just the usual maintenance they require. Tyres were painful, £500 for all four.. combined with a thirsty 3 litre petrol engine mine was not cheap motoring. I loved it dearly and I really do miss it...
Yes E39's do rust.. awfully. Check everywhere you can.
Yes E39's do rust.. awfully. Check everywhere you can.
Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff