F50 with N63 - service light
F50 with N63 - service light
Author
Discussion

Projectblue51

Original Poster:

257 posts

110 months

Friday 28th January 2022
quotequote all
Hello,

I'm looking to change out of a nice but steady E350 Merc into an 2011 Alpina B5. I've always loved Alpina and prefer them over the M5. The car I'm looking at is mint, has all the work done that would appear to be faults with this engine (valve seals, injectors etc) but when I came to seal the deal I was told about the service light being on, even though the car had been serviced.
I insisted that the light be extinguished prior to purchase as even though the car was cheap for what it is, it's still substantial money.

I spoke to my local indy BMW specialist Paddocks who looked after my e46 M3 and they mentioned the electronic service book being up to date.

All the corrective work & servicing has been done by BMW/Alpina specialist BMR in Crawley.
Good history, excellent matching Michelin Pilot Sports, seemingly well cared for and in beautiful condition.

My worry is the dealer has offered to research getting the light reset but believes it may be something more substantial. E.g. if it's just been in to be serviced (and at a specialist) how is it that the light hasn't extinguished? And should I be worried? Clearly it's something that would be an issue for a future buyer, but if it's reflected in the purchase price is it still a reasonable bet?

Appreciate it's like guessing the weight of fog reading this, but any observations from more experienced/knowledgeable people would be ace. Thanks


AlpinaB5

88 posts

95 months

Friday 28th January 2022
quotequote all
Surely if it has been serviced at BMR they should have extinguished the light with the service or at least checked the fault code. I’ve never used them but only ever heard good things about them.

I have a 2013 B5. It was my dream car but has been a nightmare with engine problems ( oil usage ). So be careful! They are horrendously expensive to repair.

Absolutely awesome to drive though.

naturalaspiration

639 posts

113 months

Saturday 29th January 2022
quotequote all
I wouldn't touch that engine with a barged pole. Fundamentally flawed design just like any other hot-vee V8, but N63 is infamous for being troublesome. All to do with emissions...my suggestion is I6. Anytime over a meltdown V8

https://www.eeuroparts.com/blog/bmw-n63-hot-vee-ho...

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.hotcars.com/here-...

Edited by naturalaspiration on Saturday 29th January 15:16


Edited by naturalaspiration on Saturday 29th January 15:24