e60 535d Life Cycle Impulse Jack of All Trades
Discussion
Variety is the spice of life so I always try to keep something interesting on the drive. I've so far owned a couple of tuned Saabs, lots of cheap runarounds (Aygos and IQs), a Ph1 172, a W211 E55 and more recently a remapped E60 530d.
But all of the above had something annoying about them; the Saabs had weak gearboxes and were terrible on fuel (17 mpg), the small hatchbacks were a racket on long drives, the E55 (to be expected) simply deleted fuel and the E60 530d had some great attributes but due to a knackered torque converter, or something along those lines, could barely crack 35 mpg on a run.
So recently I've lusted after something fast, economical, sporty to drive and affordable that I can live with day-to-day and leave anywhere and not worry about it (training for my 2nd marathon so always need to park in random spots!)
LCI stands for, you guessed it, Life Cycle Impulse, in BMW terms this is a mid-model update that happens to every car about three years into its product lifecycle. In the 535d's case this meant a beefier gearbox rated to 700, rather than the previous 600 NM and some revised engine gubbins.
The 535d is a twin-turbo variant of the 530d, making 268 bhp and 413 lb-ft in pre-LCI spec, 286 bhp and 428 lb ft in LCI spec.
However the LCI tend to go for a fair bit more than the pre.
Over the last 2 weeks I've been to look at a couple of 535d in various guises, pre-LCI and LCI. Some were just plain dodgy and some of the sellers were ignorant and rude. But I'm glad they put me off because I found a good'un for a great price! After lots of hunting around and research today I picked up this LCI in sky blue with an 'acquired taste' battleship grey interior:
It's got 12 months' MOT with no advisories, nearly full service history, DPF and EGR removed.
It's great fun to drive with power through the rev range. The LCI interior is lovely and it's so quiet after the Aygo.
The only urgent job is to blank the swirl flaps which are now on order, why this hasn't been done already I don't know but thankfully it's an easy-ish job. Less of a priority on LCI models but still needs doing for peace of mind.
Also the speakers are a bit rubbish so any recommendations for upgrades, I'm all ears.
Following that, a remap to around 370 bhp 520 lb ft.
Oh and as a bonus on the motorway home from collecting it it cracked 55 mpg!
But all of the above had something annoying about them; the Saabs had weak gearboxes and were terrible on fuel (17 mpg), the small hatchbacks were a racket on long drives, the E55 (to be expected) simply deleted fuel and the E60 530d had some great attributes but due to a knackered torque converter, or something along those lines, could barely crack 35 mpg on a run.
So recently I've lusted after something fast, economical, sporty to drive and affordable that I can live with day-to-day and leave anywhere and not worry about it (training for my 2nd marathon so always need to park in random spots!)
LCI stands for, you guessed it, Life Cycle Impulse, in BMW terms this is a mid-model update that happens to every car about three years into its product lifecycle. In the 535d's case this meant a beefier gearbox rated to 700, rather than the previous 600 NM and some revised engine gubbins.
The 535d is a twin-turbo variant of the 530d, making 268 bhp and 413 lb-ft in pre-LCI spec, 286 bhp and 428 lb ft in LCI spec.
However the LCI tend to go for a fair bit more than the pre.
Over the last 2 weeks I've been to look at a couple of 535d in various guises, pre-LCI and LCI. Some were just plain dodgy and some of the sellers were ignorant and rude. But I'm glad they put me off because I found a good'un for a great price! After lots of hunting around and research today I picked up this LCI in sky blue with an 'acquired taste' battleship grey interior:
It's got 12 months' MOT with no advisories, nearly full service history, DPF and EGR removed.
It's great fun to drive with power through the rev range. The LCI interior is lovely and it's so quiet after the Aygo.
The only urgent job is to blank the swirl flaps which are now on order, why this hasn't been done already I don't know but thankfully it's an easy-ish job. Less of a priority on LCI models but still needs doing for peace of mind.
Also the speakers are a bit rubbish so any recommendations for upgrades, I'm all ears.
Following that, a remap to around 370 bhp 520 lb ft.
Oh and as a bonus on the motorway home from collecting it it cracked 55 mpg!
Very nice, that's one of the cars I could never quite justify for various reasons over the years, and it ticks a lot of boxes all round!
On the stereo, there's a straight swap sub upgrade available for the 3-series which might fit, SWS-8X, they come up second hand from time to time on ebay. There's a bit of faff and seat unbolting required under both front seats, but not too bad overall.
Wheels: if you want the full fat rears you'll be after 19" spiders, or the ones on the 530d which had fatter rears but were 18" (so more comfortable & better road holding), I think they were 540i-specific.
I don't want to freak you out, but it might be worth checking out how "nickable" these are with the electronic keys - my old E90 had someone give it a try but I had unbolted and moved the OBD port the week before. This was one of the reasons I didn't go for an LCI or any car with an electronic key since ...
On the stereo, there's a straight swap sub upgrade available for the 3-series which might fit, SWS-8X, they come up second hand from time to time on ebay. There's a bit of faff and seat unbolting required under both front seats, but not too bad overall.
Wheels: if you want the full fat rears you'll be after 19" spiders, or the ones on the 530d which had fatter rears but were 18" (so more comfortable & better road holding), I think they were 540i-specific.
I don't want to freak you out, but it might be worth checking out how "nickable" these are with the electronic keys - my old E90 had someone give it a try but I had unbolted and moved the OBD port the week before. This was one of the reasons I didn't go for an LCI or any car with an electronic key since ...
Bootdog said:
Very nice, that's one of the cars I could never quite justify for various reasons over the years, and it ticks a lot of boxes all round!
On the stereo, there's a straight swap sub upgrade available for the 3-series which might fit, SWS-8X, they come up second hand from time to time on ebay. There's a bit of faff and seat unbolting required under both front seats, but not too bad overall.
Wheels: if you want the full fat rears you'll be after 19" spiders, or the ones on the 530d which had fatter rears but were 18" (so more comfortable & better road holding), I think they were 540i-specific.
I don't want to freak you out, but it might be worth checking out how "nickable" these are with the electronic keys - my old E90 had someone give it a try but I had unbolted and moved the OBD port the week before. This was one of the reasons I didn't go for an LCI or any car with an electronic key since ...
Thanks, I could really do with the sound system from your old E60, was amazing!!! This one just doesn't compare.On the stereo, there's a straight swap sub upgrade available for the 3-series which might fit, SWS-8X, they come up second hand from time to time on ebay. There's a bit of faff and seat unbolting required under both front seats, but not too bad overall.
Wheels: if you want the full fat rears you'll be after 19" spiders, or the ones on the 530d which had fatter rears but were 18" (so more comfortable & better road holding), I think they were 540i-specific.
I don't want to freak you out, but it might be worth checking out how "nickable" these are with the electronic keys - my old E90 had someone give it a try but I had unbolted and moved the OBD port the week before. This was one of the reasons I didn't go for an LCI or any car with an electronic key since ...
Hmm that is worrying, is there anything I could do to make that less of a concern?
For the sound system, would you recommend 2 x SWS-8X on the rear parcel shelf and 2x new front speakers? Maybe a trip to Halfords will do the trick.
The SWS-8X if they work the same way as the E90 : unbolt the seats, then unbolt and remove the 2x upwards firing subs under the front seats, replace with the 2x SWS-8X. Check if this works on E60 model though! The main reason the bass is way better in the E60 vs E55 Merc is due to these subs!
For the OBD theft thing, I'm sure there are plenty of hacks out there, you can put in a switch to disable it when you park somewhere dodgy, there are OBD locks (physical lock with a key that goes over the port), or go for a battery disconnect. Another option is a disklok, you see a lot of BMWs with them, you'll protect your steering wheel and airbag as well.
The problem with the E90 (E60 is probably similar) was that the alarm didn't cover the front driver window, so you could smash it without the alarm going off. Then reach in to the OBD port and hook up a laptop, this would be set up to code a random key to the car. Once complete, they use the random fob to unlock the car & drive off with no alarm or immobiliser issues.
For the OBD theft thing, I'm sure there are plenty of hacks out there, you can put in a switch to disable it when you park somewhere dodgy, there are OBD locks (physical lock with a key that goes over the port), or go for a battery disconnect. Another option is a disklok, you see a lot of BMWs with them, you'll protect your steering wheel and airbag as well.
The problem with the E90 (E60 is probably similar) was that the alarm didn't cover the front driver window, so you could smash it without the alarm going off. Then reach in to the OBD port and hook up a laptop, this would be set up to code a random key to the car. Once complete, they use the random fob to unlock the car & drive off with no alarm or immobiliser issues.
Aluminati said:
If it cracked 55 mpg, it was downhill on a trailing throttle…
Not at all this was with the cruise control set to 60 mph. The official figures are 31.4 mpg urban, 52.3 mpg extra urban and 42.2 mpg combined so I find it difficult to understand how you think an onboard reading of 55 mpg (perhaps a real 52 mpg) at a cruise isn't true.Bootdog said:
The SWS-8X if they work the same way as the E90 : unbolt the seats, then unbolt and remove the 2x upwards firing subs under the front seats, replace with the 2x SWS-8X. Check if this works on E60 model though! The main reason the bass is way better in the E60 vs E55 Merc is due to these subs!
For the OBD theft thing, I'm sure there are plenty of hacks out there, you can put in a switch to disable it when you park somewhere dodgy, there are OBD locks (physical lock with a key that goes over the port), or go for a battery disconnect. Another option is a disklok, you see a lot of BMWs with them, you'll protect your steering wheel and airbag as well.
The problem with the E90 (E60 is probably similar) was that the alarm didn't cover the front driver window, so you could smash it without the alarm going off. Then reach in to the OBD port and hook up a laptop, this would be set up to code a random key to the car. Once complete, they use the random fob to unlock the car & drive off with no alarm or immobiliser issues.
Thanks for the info, definitely worth upgrading the speakers.For the OBD theft thing, I'm sure there are plenty of hacks out there, you can put in a switch to disable it when you park somewhere dodgy, there are OBD locks (physical lock with a key that goes over the port), or go for a battery disconnect. Another option is a disklok, you see a lot of BMWs with them, you'll protect your steering wheel and airbag as well.
The problem with the E90 (E60 is probably similar) was that the alarm didn't cover the front driver window, so you could smash it without the alarm going off. Then reach in to the OBD port and hook up a laptop, this would be set up to code a random key to the car. Once complete, they use the random fob to unlock the car & drive off with no alarm or immobiliser issues.
helix402 said:
I wouldn’t panic about theft. They really don’t get stolen these days. I’ve never heard of the pre lci box having a torque limit of 600Nm before. Re swirl flaps, it’s not an urgent job. They only leak with age on these, they don’t fall apart.
600NM pre, 700NM LCI: https://5series.net/forums/attachments/e60-e61-par...Leak? I thought they were known for breaking up?
CarPrintGuy said:
600NM pre, 700NM LCI: https://5series.net/forums/attachments/e60-e61-par...
Leak? I thought they were known for breaking up?
Thanks for clarifying the auto box limit. The earlier flaps can break (thought I’ve run an M57 with 220k on the factory swirl flaps), I’ve seen later ones leak, never break. Still got them I’m my 335d (leaking!)Leak? I thought they were known for breaking up?
Ok so that's the swirl flaps removed, new vacuum lines, coolant topup, new inlet gaskets in and oil and filter changed.
Cabin filters were in the wrong way round so tidied and sorted, air filter looks nearly new which is promising.
Thankfully the swirl flaps hadn't broken up at all:
It still runs just as well without them and returned 35 mpg urban on the way back from my trusty BMW specialist chap.
On a fast run down south last week it averaged 40 mpg with a heavy right foot, I take it back - 55 mpg isn't achievable but if I was to set the cruise at 60 mph it could crack 50 mpg with ease.
Next on the list are preventative gearbox oil change and new front discs, they rumble from high speed braking and will need sorting before I take this to Germany or any other big road trips.
Still not sure if it's had a remap, mechanic thinks so as the EGR and DPF had been removed prior to my purchase. Will have to take it to a dyno to find out.
Some annoyances, it doesn't blow much hot air, only cold air, the speakers aren't great and I need to find an iPod to AUX adapter for my Galaxy S10.
Cabin filters were in the wrong way round so tidied and sorted, air filter looks nearly new which is promising.
Thankfully the swirl flaps hadn't broken up at all:
It still runs just as well without them and returned 35 mpg urban on the way back from my trusty BMW specialist chap.
On a fast run down south last week it averaged 40 mpg with a heavy right foot, I take it back - 55 mpg isn't achievable but if I was to set the cruise at 60 mph it could crack 50 mpg with ease.
Next on the list are preventative gearbox oil change and new front discs, they rumble from high speed braking and will need sorting before I take this to Germany or any other big road trips.
Still not sure if it's had a remap, mechanic thinks so as the EGR and DPF had been removed prior to my purchase. Will have to take it to a dyno to find out.
Some annoyances, it doesn't blow much hot air, only cold air, the speakers aren't great and I need to find an iPod to AUX adapter for my Galaxy S10.
CarPrintGuy said:
Ok so that's the swirl flaps removed, new vacuum lines, coolant topup, new inlet gaskets in and oil and filter changed.
Cabin filters were in the wrong way round so tidied and sorted, air filter looks nearly new which is promising.
Thankfully the swirl flaps hadn't broken up at all:
It still runs just as well without them and returned 35 mpg urban on the way back from my trusty BMW specialist chap.
On a fast run down south last week it averaged 40 mpg with a heavy right foot, I take it back - 55 mpg isn't achievable but if I was to set the cruise at 60 mph it could crack 50 mpg with ease.
Next on the list are preventative gearbox oil change and new front discs, they rumble from high speed braking and will need sorting before I take this to Germany or any other big road trips.
Still not sure if it's had a remap, mechanic thinks so as the EGR and DPF had been removed prior to my purchase. Will have to take it to a dyno to find out.
Some annoyances, it doesn't blow much hot air, only cold air, the speakers aren't great and I need to find an iPod to AUX adapter for my Galaxy S10.
If it's not flagging an EML with the EGR and DPF removed, it's been mapped.Cabin filters were in the wrong way round so tidied and sorted, air filter looks nearly new which is promising.
Thankfully the swirl flaps hadn't broken up at all:
It still runs just as well without them and returned 35 mpg urban on the way back from my trusty BMW specialist chap.
On a fast run down south last week it averaged 40 mpg with a heavy right foot, I take it back - 55 mpg isn't achievable but if I was to set the cruise at 60 mph it could crack 50 mpg with ease.
Next on the list are preventative gearbox oil change and new front discs, they rumble from high speed braking and will need sorting before I take this to Germany or any other big road trips.
Still not sure if it's had a remap, mechanic thinks so as the EGR and DPF had been removed prior to my purchase. Will have to take it to a dyno to find out.
Some annoyances, it doesn't blow much hot air, only cold air, the speakers aren't great and I need to find an iPod to AUX adapter for my Galaxy S10.
Cold air probably your thermostats, there are 2. Get a code reader or Bluetooth dongle and app on it to see temps.
I had a 530d LCI mapped, a friend had a stock 535d LCI both were brilliant and nigh on the same performance after my remap.
My 530d had low temps so had the thermostats changed and the EPF suddenly started to regenerate. If the DPF has been removed , it might be because it was blocked due to thermostat and they just fixed the symptom.
I also had my EGR disabled as it was faulty causing no errors but unsmooth acceleration. In fact that is why I got it remapped. I also removed the swirls.
When you get the auto box oil changed make sure you get a full kit with new sump and built in filter, the garage will also need to reset the adaptations after.
They are cracking cars, I miss mine dearly.
I had a 530d LCI mapped, a friend had a stock 535d LCI both were brilliant and nigh on the same performance after my remap.
My 530d had low temps so had the thermostats changed and the EPF suddenly started to regenerate. If the DPF has been removed , it might be because it was blocked due to thermostat and they just fixed the symptom.
I also had my EGR disabled as it was faulty causing no errors but unsmooth acceleration. In fact that is why I got it remapped. I also removed the swirls.
When you get the auto box oil changed make sure you get a full kit with new sump and built in filter, the garage will also need to reset the adaptations after.
They are cracking cars, I miss mine dearly.
joropug said:
Cold air probably your thermostats, there are 2. Get a code reader or Bluetooth dongle and app on it to see temps.
I had a 530d LCI mapped, a friend had a stock 535d LCI both were brilliant and nigh on the same performance after my remap.
My 530d had low temps so had the thermostats changed and the EPF suddenly started to regenerate. If the DPF has been removed , it might be because it was blocked due to thermostat and they just fixed the symptom.
I also had my EGR disabled as it was faulty causing no errors but unsmooth acceleration. In fact that is why I got it remapped. I also removed the swirls.
When you get the auto box oil changed make sure you get a full kit with new sump and built in filter, the garage will also need to reset the adaptations after.
They are cracking cars, I miss mine dearly.
Thanks, it's more to do the fact that there isn't any power when it's supposed to be blowing hot air, but there is when it's cold air.I had a 530d LCI mapped, a friend had a stock 535d LCI both were brilliant and nigh on the same performance after my remap.
My 530d had low temps so had the thermostats changed and the EPF suddenly started to regenerate. If the DPF has been removed , it might be because it was blocked due to thermostat and they just fixed the symptom.
I also had my EGR disabled as it was faulty causing no errors but unsmooth acceleration. In fact that is why I got it remapped. I also removed the swirls.
When you get the auto box oil changed make sure you get a full kit with new sump and built in filter, the garage will also need to reset the adaptations after.
They are cracking cars, I miss mine dearly.
I can imagine the mapped 530d LCI was quick, I had a mapped pre-LCI 530d before and it was great fun although compared to the 35d the power would tail off at 4k. You could always change up to solve that though!
I thought DPF removal was standard on these as they run better without them.
Thanks re gearbox, will make sure I get all the required gubbins.
Pistonheader101 said:
How can it have 12 months mot with the dpf removed?
Very easily if it's not visually obvious.MOT tester's aren't allowed to remove undertrays or anything, so if it's been gutted and well done, it would be visually difficult to detect.
A pal of mine had a 535d F10 until very recently which was Stage 2 mapped, DPF, EGR and swirl flaps deleted, and worked for the council so got one of the lads to chuck it on the emissions machine. It passed well within all limits.
joropug said:
When you get the auto box oil changed make sure you get a full kit with new sump and built in filter, the garage will also need to reset the adaptations after.
The adaptions do not need to be reset when servicing the box. It can cause more harm than good and there's a clear warning about carrying out the adaption reset for the gearbox in ISTA.All you need to have done is the fluid drained, the sump / filter replaced (one unit) and when the box is refilled the level must be checked when the fluid is at the right temperature as the viscosity changes. You can either use ISTA for this if you're getting it done at a BM indy, or you can use an infared thermometer.
D4MJT said:
The adaptions do not need to be reset when servicing the box. It can cause more harm than good and there's a clear warning about carrying out the adaption reset for the gearbox in ISTA.
All you need to have done is the fluid drained, the sump / filter replaced (one unit) and when the box is refilled the level must be checked when the fluid is at the right temperature as the viscosity changes. You can either use ISTA for this if you're getting it done at a BM indy, or you can use an infared thermometer.
Hmm no expert but both independent specialists I got quotes from I trust and both said it without me even asking about it. All you need to have done is the fluid drained, the sump / filter replaced (one unit) and when the box is refilled the level must be checked when the fluid is at the right temperature as the viscosity changes. You can either use ISTA for this if you're getting it done at a BM indy, or you can use an infared thermometer.
Mine was really harsh on some gear shifts and was significantly better after it (100k I think I got
It done)
DPF is nearly always removed for extra power or because of a problem. That said another friend had an LCI 530d with the same map as me but with the DPF removed and mine was faster, could be other variables but his was newer and lower mileage than mine.
In fact between my immediate group of friends I think we have had at some point:
2005 530d Manual stock
2007 530d LCI auto remapped
2007 530d LCI auto stock
2007 535d LCI auto stock
2009 530d LCI auto remapped and DPF
Plus countless other variants , 3 series etc.
Really are the best all round cars
Funny, I was looking at these about 10 mins ago on autotrader... I got rid of a E60 lci 535d 4dr in boggo se spec back in 2010 and I'm sure it made about 10k. That really would have been a low depreciating car should I have held on to it! Currently running a new 840i and old e85 z4 and with the move to an on-order GR Yaris next year I think a 535d touring would make a decent counterpart. The torque on offer is just fabulously addictive and I do remember a fairly swift 3 car overtake on a national speed limit... whilst towing a caravan!
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