RE: Shed(s) of the Week: BMW 5 Series x2

[Blackpuddin]

Maldini35 said:

Bangbox said:

It seems Robert Kearns patented intermittent wipers in 1964, not Nagashima who would have been nine years old at the time. Nagashima later attended Wayne State University where Kearns was a professor, hence the connection. Apparently Kearns had a huge licensing battle with the big US car firms and there is even a film about it - one for the Christmas Stocking maybe...

Proper PH reply this

Top work

Of course, he could have been a child prodigy.

[Richard-390a0]

This shape is aging really rather nicely. I liked them new & they still look good now & certainly better than the one that replaced this.

[Triumph Man]

This is mine, 530i SE manual, bought about a year ago for slightly less than the new shed budget, and I've done 19,000 miles since. I will freely admit there is no such thing as a cheap E39!! However it is a lovely car and has an amazing feel good factor.

[cib24]

Triumph Man said:

This is mine, 530i SE manual, bought about a year ago for slightly less than the new shed budget, and I've done 19,000 miles since. I will freely admit there is no such thing as a cheap E39!! However it is a lovely car and has an amazing feel good factor.

What kind of servicing or maintenance surprises did you have to deal with after buying?

[Triumph Man]

cib24 said:

Triumph Man said:

This is mine, 530i SE manual, bought about a year ago for slightly less than the new shed budget, and I've done 19,000 miles since. I will freely admit there is no such thing as a cheap E39!! However it is a lovely car and has an amazing feel good factor.

What kind of servicing or maintenance surprises did you have to deal with after buying?

Rear subframe bushes (car rattled when setting off and creaked over bumps), A/C fan inoperative, Oil filter housing gasket leak (one of the many oil leaks that can plague an M54 engine!), Thermostat, and noisy viscous fan (previous owner fitted a cheap one that made it sound like a truck!). TBH none of those were "show stoppers" but still good to be done.

I'd like to point out that apart from the stat it was pretty good when I bought it!!

Oh and the airbag light sometimes comes on when somebody sits in the passenger seat, due to a dodgy sensor mat that is sewn into the seat base. You can get a bypass box but I'm not sure of the quality.

If I'm being really picky the driver's side lumbar pump is pretty much dead so I need a new one of those.

ETA: Don't let that put you off!!

Edited by Triumph Man on Friday 1st December 10:13

[rallycross]

I have had a few of these 6 cylinder E39's solid and well made but just dull to drive, these are starting to look very old now.
I've got a set of black leather door cards for an estate model if anyone wants to freshen their interior up.

[givablondabone]

Back in 2008 I was looking to replace my 1998 Saab 9000 2.0 lpt Anniversary (with Abbott mods) and I looked a t a E39 530d M Sport. In metallic blue it was ruddy lovely but, alas, just out of budget at the time. Funny how I still think about that car from itme to time.

Bought a MK1 Octy vRS instead. Which was ruddy good too.

[grumpy52]

Always wanted one , then one popped up locally and we did a deal .
It was all working and had been looked after mechanically, needed a good valet and new headlight lenses and all the football fan tat removing .
God it was boring!!
525 auto , I expected a nice waft about and not too bad MPG .
It was just so MEHHH !
Put it up for sale and it was snapped up within a couple of days , they buyer said it was the best that he had found of the dozen he had looked at .
Made a profit and moved on to a Volvo C70 t5 .
Maybe the big engined models would have suited me better .

[helix402]

Leaking injectors? Never seen one with leaking injectors. N series engines yes, but not the good old M52/4.

[Shakermaker]

helix402 said:

Leaking injectors? Never seen one with leaking injectors. N series engines yes, but not the good old M52/4.

Didn't they switch from the M to the N series engines on later E39s?

[Luca Brasi]

Shakermaker said:

Didn't they switch from the M to the N series engines on later E39s?

No, even early E60's still had M54 engines.

[Cheapstraitsix]

Picked this up for shed money yesterday.





Early impressions are good, it’s high mileage but the last owner was an older chap that maintained the car well.

Il be happy even if I only get a year out of it.

[-crookedtail-]

A lot of them are tired now, I mean they're getting on a bit after all but they're still one of the best cars ever created imho and not just by BMW. I never had the same desire for the E60 or F10 generation cars, despite the much more modern tech.

A different price point to the sheds obviously but there is often an Imola red M5 by Stamford brook tube, bloody lovely looking thing!

[Triumph Man]

How do the E60 and F10 compare? Anyone owned an E39 and one of them? An LCI E60 or F10 would both be contenders for my next car, but I would hate to be disappointed. Although arguably anything that doesn't rust would be a bonus...

Edited by Triumph Man on Friday 1st December 12:55

[alorotom]

Triumph Man said:

Yes, but it's the fact that on pretty much every thread about the E39 you pipe up spouting that they are all awful and go wrong all the time. Perhaps add why? I do recall actually asking you once...

there is a thread somewhere with it all in actually.

I havent ever said they go wrong all the time, I have said that I dont get the reason they are treated like gods gift to motoring

mine was a 530i SE manual, it wasnt quick, it really wallowed along, is wasnt particularly comfortable (for a mid range barge), switch gear and fittings are lacklustre, they arent particularly easy to work on, the pixel issue on the dash is laughable, economy was shocking (it wasnt bought for this reason in any way-shape or form, but it equaled a previous RX8 on economy terms which was impressive in a negative way)

I dont believe they have aged very well at all (appreciate thats very subjective) and seriously dont understand how the E39 has attained a level of hallowed brevity on these forums - its quite amusing really and a miracle of marketing by someone, somewhere

Anyway, let the love-in continue ...

[sparks_E39]

I miss my old 530i Sport, despite the high running costs I loved it.

[MadDog1962]

I've always liked the E39, especially when it comes with an inline 6, although I've never owned one. Much nicer looking than the hideous E60 that followed.

Nice sheds by the looks of things. I wouldn't mind either of them.

[jbrisley]

I'm currently running a 1998 535i, the unloved V8 one, and other than suffering from 5 series shimmy, it'll do 22 mpg no matter how I drive and warms up ever so quickly, which is handy at the moment!

[cannelldocam]

This is my 530i Sport Manual, had it two years, the mileage has just ticked over 90k. Had a couple of teething issues with the inevitable hedgehog replacement, plus the alternator, other than that is has just been wear and tear type items such as brakes.

I don't get why people think they are boring to drive, it is pretty well behaved with the traction control on but turn it off and there is lots of power sliding fun to be had. The only slight criticism I have on that front is that the soundproofing is so good that it is super-quiet and therefore doesn't feel as if you are going very fast.

As a successor to my Senator B 3.0 24v I am pretty pleased. And I think the shape is superb, it still looks fresh, mostly because it avoids the crap gimmicks they put on the E60 such as the fugly wrap around headlights.

[hardworker]

Never owned one but I always liked them back in the day straight 6, manual, rear wheel drive, a nice size too. Disagree "they still look fresh", they were handsome in their day but even the newest ones are 15 years old now, they look old when you see one on the road.