Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 15]
Discussion
trooperiziz said:
The problem with the N62 45 engines is that they aren't the same owner experience as other cars when it comes to faults.
Take any other car, they all have a list of common faults. We look at that list as the optimistic fools that we are, and in our mind we know that if we buy a good one, and we look after it, then those faults won't appear. It's the people that don't care and don't maintain that have those faults, or the unlucky ones.
We're lucky, because we put in the effort to stay on top of maintenance, and know to look for the right car in the first place, from the right owner... and a lot of the time that plays out (certainly enough to convince ourselves when we lay in bed at night.) We might get one or two of the issues from the list, but not all of them, and they are all fixable with a bit of knowledge.
The N62 is a different beast, the list of common faults (oil leaks, valve stems, vanos/vvt issues) are not a list a possibiliies, it's a list of things that WILL happen, the only unknown is when. Once you hit 10-15 years old, or over 120k miles then it's a ticking time bomb until it dies. No amount of sensible buying or maintence will make a difference, and the price to fix for some of the issues is thousands each time.
Look at the thread 745i, it spent the majority of its life in the hands of threadists, and it still had all the common problems and died in the end.
We are exactly the right sort of people to run a car like that, and even we couldn't save it...
It makes it ripe for a hands on diy'er? The parts are often inexpensive (gaskets etc) but takes hours of labour to replacement? It's pretty rare for people to be like that these days I know and probably more so with this sort of BMW but every rubber rocket gasket will go, valve stem seal wear is often accelerated by cheap oil and/or extended intervals, so I still think (optimistic head in) you can mitigate some risk. I mean who can't look for oil leaks on a purchase, I looked up loads of mot histories and found evidence of oil leak advisories so you can perhaps see ones that have at least some rectified? Take any other car, they all have a list of common faults. We look at that list as the optimistic fools that we are, and in our mind we know that if we buy a good one, and we look after it, then those faults won't appear. It's the people that don't care and don't maintain that have those faults, or the unlucky ones.
We're lucky, because we put in the effort to stay on top of maintenance, and know to look for the right car in the first place, from the right owner... and a lot of the time that plays out (certainly enough to convince ourselves when we lay in bed at night.) We might get one or two of the issues from the list, but not all of them, and they are all fixable with a bit of knowledge.
The N62 is a different beast, the list of common faults (oil leaks, valve stems, vanos/vvt issues) are not a list a possibiliies, it's a list of things that WILL happen, the only unknown is when. Once you hit 10-15 years old, or over 120k miles then it's a ticking time bomb until it dies. No amount of sensible buying or maintence will make a difference, and the price to fix for some of the issues is thousands each time.
Look at the thread 745i, it spent the majority of its life in the hands of threadists, and it still had all the common problems and died in the end.
We are exactly the right sort of people to run a car like that, and even we couldn't save it...
Bottom line, and this goes for all older cars, is at least you sort of know what you are possibly in for unlike the owners did when they were 3-5 years old and they would almost certainly not have been hands on at all nor would there be any after market solutions for the valley pipe etc.
All the issues are in the back of my mind but so far I've enjoyed driving it more than I thought I would tbh, the soft top is still very refined, it has great nvh compared to most cars I've owned and is reasonably 'sporty' (it's relative!) to the point I'm seriously considering getting a lsd for it.
I'm a massive Japanese fan so this is a odd leap away from that, maybe I'm just happy to embrace some issues after the years of typical Japanese reliability, perhaps I'll regret it one day but not yet!
TyrannosauRoss Lex said:
Bonefish Blues said:
Wasn't the 6 in the 6 series about as good as it got?
I can't remember whether that was the M54 or N54 (or N52? My beard got shaved around that era). The M54 was a fairly good unit I think, but coolant system problems could lead to head gasket failure.Good N62 discussion, have to say it's surprising how bad they really are. I expect most engines to have a fault that needs looking at, but with BMWs it seems like they round then all up.
Engine fitted was the 52. Are the issues similar?
ETA
Paeans of praise here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
ETA
Paeans of praise here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Edited by Bonefish Blues on Sunday 17th November 16:48
The armrest photo is bringing back memories of my X350 XJ which had the rear entertainment package... 
My lease XF goes back early in the new year and I’ve been wrestling with bangernomics vs staying true to my Bargista roots and the LS460 talk is really not helping me in trying to take the sensible path!
Started out thinking a Honda Legend would be a good choice (V6, AWD, anonymous looks and hopefully decent reliability) but an LS460 isn’t that much more, and has two extra cylinders....
My lease XF goes back early in the new year and I’ve been wrestling with bangernomics vs staying true to my Bargista roots and the LS460 talk is really not helping me in trying to take the sensible path!
Started out thinking a Honda Legend would be a good choice (V6, AWD, anonymous looks and hopefully decent reliability) but an LS460 isn’t that much more, and has two extra cylinders....
TyrannosauRoss Lex said:
cornershop said:
CharlesdeGaulle said:
TyrannosauRoss Lex said:
I have rear arm-rest envy. Mine is positively DHSS compared to that, with only heated seats for rear occupants to play with. 
Not that I should care really, I only have a front-seat passenger for about 5% of my total driving time, and someone in the rear even less. Still jealous though.
use.
Nice car though dude, ridiculous VFM
cornershop said:
Yes-but, why in the armrest at all and not put the heat controls at the back of the console between the front seats, similar to the X350. Or on the rear doors. My 98 LS400 was the same as yours, BTW, so obvs no one wrote them a stern letter to voice their opinion
I haven't even seen my car for 6 months and have never even sat in the back, but I thought that the heater controls in the 430 are on the back of the console...? I'm going home next week so will have to check (I'm sad like that). Krikkit said:
Coolant system was the big one on the M54, but it does have plenty of other foibles.
The elbows on the hoses were polymer, that was the Achilles heel, same goes for the E46. It was a common sight to see them on the hard shoulder, in a cloud of steam. The HG didn’t appreciate that.
Scootersp said:
It makes it ripe for a hands on diy'er? The parts are often inexpensive (gaskets etc) but takes hours of labour to replacement? It's pretty rare for people to be like that these days I know and probably more so with this sort of BMW but every rubber rocket gasket will go, valve stem seal wear is often accelerated by cheap oil and/or extended intervals, so I still think (optimistic head in) you can mitigate some risk. I mean who can't look for oil leaks on a purchase, I looked up loads of mot histories and found evidence of oil leak advisories so you can perhaps see ones that have at least some rectified?
Bottom line, and this goes for all older cars, is at least you sort of know what you are possibly in for unlike the owners did when they were 3-5 years old and they would almost certainly not have been hands on at all nor would there be any after market solutions for the valley pipe etc.
Normally I'm the biggest enthusiast for self fixery, but all the jobs on the N62 look like a right pain.Bottom line, and this goes for all older cars, is at least you sort of know what you are possibly in for unlike the owners did when they were 3-5 years old and they would almost certainly not have been hands on at all nor would there be any after market solutions for the valley pipe etc.
The VANOS is awful to service, there's the alternator bracket water seal, valley pipe, stem seals, sumps that need subframes removing etc. It sounds like a right bugger to work on, with various awkward jobs and special tools needed.
Anyway, cured a slight rich misfire on my M54 this weekend with new intake hoses and a fuel filter, hopefully the economy will improve from the mid 20s I've been getting.
Greetings fellow bargists!
I have recently returned from a 5 day trip to Scotland in the Land Cruiser which has performed impeccably over the 1200 miles trip. It is the perfect motorway cruiser reaching the heady heights of 20 MPG on the return run to Sussex which I think is very good for a V8 petrol powered brick weighing nearly 3 tonnes.I never got to test it off road while in Argyll and Bute but was sorely tempted to try one of the many forestry trails on my journey.
No issues apart from the AC compressor starting to whine like it's on the way out, hopefully only the pulley. This can wait until the New Year when I plan to book it in with 'the Man' to get the timing belt replaced as well as a service. My £60 Chinese radio infotainment system also worked pretty well, the GPS sometimes didn't register on ignition so needed to restart the engine to reboot the system.
If I can keep on top of the rust the car has many more miles left in it. It's currently sitting at 142,000 miles on the clock which is nothing for a Land Cruiser, here's to many more pleasant jaunts across the UK and maybe Europe.
I have recently returned from a 5 day trip to Scotland in the Land Cruiser which has performed impeccably over the 1200 miles trip. It is the perfect motorway cruiser reaching the heady heights of 20 MPG on the return run to Sussex which I think is very good for a V8 petrol powered brick weighing nearly 3 tonnes.I never got to test it off road while in Argyll and Bute but was sorely tempted to try one of the many forestry trails on my journey.
No issues apart from the AC compressor starting to whine like it's on the way out, hopefully only the pulley. This can wait until the New Year when I plan to book it in with 'the Man' to get the timing belt replaced as well as a service. My £60 Chinese radio infotainment system also worked pretty well, the GPS sometimes didn't register on ignition so needed to restart the engine to reboot the system.
If I can keep on top of the rust the car has many more miles left in it. It's currently sitting at 142,000 miles on the clock which is nothing for a Land Cruiser, here's to many more pleasant jaunts across the UK and maybe Europe.
WoolyFox said:
Greetings fellow bargists!
I have recently returned from a 5 day trip to Scotland in the Land Cruiser which has performed impeccably over the 1200 miles trip. It is the perfect motorway cruiser reaching the heady heights of 20 MPG on the return run to Sussex which I think is very good for a V8 petrol powered brick weighing nearly 3 tonnes.I never got to test it off road while in Argyll and Bute but was sorely tempted to try one of the many forestry trails on my journey.
No issues apart from the AC compressor starting to whine like it's on the way out, hopefully only the pulley. This can wait until the New Year when I plan to book it in with 'the Man' to get the timing belt replaced as well as a service. My £60 Chinese radio infotainment system also worked pretty well, the GPS sometimes didn't register on ignition so needed to restart the engine to reboot the system.
If I can keep on top of the rust the car has many more miles left in it. It's currently sitting at 142,000 miles on the clock which is nothing for a Land Cruiser, here's to many more pleasant jaunts across the UK and maybe Europe.
Very cool. The Amazon is one of my favourite ever carsI have recently returned from a 5 day trip to Scotland in the Land Cruiser which has performed impeccably over the 1200 miles trip. It is the perfect motorway cruiser reaching the heady heights of 20 MPG on the return run to Sussex which I think is very good for a V8 petrol powered brick weighing nearly 3 tonnes.I never got to test it off road while in Argyll and Bute but was sorely tempted to try one of the many forestry trails on my journey.
No issues apart from the AC compressor starting to whine like it's on the way out, hopefully only the pulley. This can wait until the New Year when I plan to book it in with 'the Man' to get the timing belt replaced as well as a service. My £60 Chinese radio infotainment system also worked pretty well, the GPS sometimes didn't register on ignition so needed to restart the engine to reboot the system.
If I can keep on top of the rust the car has many more miles left in it. It's currently sitting at 142,000 miles on the clock which is nothing for a Land Cruiser, here's to many more pleasant jaunts across the UK and maybe Europe.
g3org3y said:
@ The E63 6er owners - what is the rear seating like? It seems to me the 6er appears to have even less leg room than the E92/E92.
I'm tempted because they look great. I think they've aged amazingly well. Would probably go for the 630i for an easy life though.
Well that really depends on if you want to use the seats for people with legs that are over about 5’5”.I'm tempted because they look great. I think they've aged amazingly well. Would probably go for the 630i for an easy life though.
I’m 6’2” so people couldn’t really get in behind me without my seat being in an uncomfortable position, if you have a short passenger front and back it’s ok.
Better still if you just want to use them for a jacket or something they make a good shelf.
WoolyFox said:
Greetings fellow bargists!
I have recently returned from a 5 day trip to Scotland in the Land Cruiser which has performed impeccably over the 1200 miles trip. It is the perfect motorway cruiser reaching the heady heights of 20 MPG on the return run to Sussex which I think is very good for a V8 petrol powered brick weighing nearly 3 tonnes.I never got to test it off road while in Argyll and Bute but was sorely tempted to try one of the many forestry trails on my journey.
No issues apart from the AC compressor starting to whine like it's on the way out, hopefully only the pulley. This can wait until the New Year when I plan to book it in with 'the Man' to get the timing belt replaced as well as a service. My £60 Chinese radio infotainment system also worked pretty well, the GPS sometimes didn't register on ignition so needed to restart the engine to reboot the system.
If I can keep on top of the rust the car has many more miles left in it. It's currently sitting at 142,000 miles on the clock which is nothing for a Land Cruiser, here's to many more pleasant jaunts across the UK and maybe Europe.
That's cool as f*ckI have recently returned from a 5 day trip to Scotland in the Land Cruiser which has performed impeccably over the 1200 miles trip. It is the perfect motorway cruiser reaching the heady heights of 20 MPG on the return run to Sussex which I think is very good for a V8 petrol powered brick weighing nearly 3 tonnes.I never got to test it off road while in Argyll and Bute but was sorely tempted to try one of the many forestry trails on my journey.
No issues apart from the AC compressor starting to whine like it's on the way out, hopefully only the pulley. This can wait until the New Year when I plan to book it in with 'the Man' to get the timing belt replaced as well as a service. My £60 Chinese radio infotainment system also worked pretty well, the GPS sometimes didn't register on ignition so needed to restart the engine to reboot the system.
If I can keep on top of the rust the car has many more miles left in it. It's currently sitting at 142,000 miles on the clock which is nothing for a Land Cruiser, here's to many more pleasant jaunts across the UK and maybe Europe.
Used the Lexus for about 40 miles today - had to visit family. It behaved well
It always takes time for me to get confidence in the reliability of a car so hopefully the next few weeks will be fine. The car interior could do with a deep clean (it's far from bad) but I have already gone over it with some anti-bacterial cleaner....just need to go over it with some proper car stuff now. The only niggle interior-wise is when the dealer cleaned the interior he washed the seat belts and didn't leave them clipped in....so they stayed damp and have a small amount of mould on them. I may need some stronger cleaner to clean them properly.Just going to sort out a day to get it booked in to get the gearbox oil done and a few other very minor issues (like making the door mirror a bit less rattly). Otherwise it is a lovely place to be, and very quiet. Does go well when you want it to as well
I must say it is so nice and refreshing to drive a car I actually like again after 3+ years of Corolla ownership.
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