E60 M5, AKA the wallet drainer.
Discussion
Jaybmw said:
There fairly well used alright.. are M cars condition based servicing? If so that's what caused that unless your over 170k on the clock ? Good catch. Was it a crazy number doing for the work ?
Yes they are condition based. I had it serviced not long after buying it which may just have saved me. The car has covered 76k miles, but because the services have only taken place when due, rather than at a sensible time is why there is all that wear. I decided that I would service the car every 3k to 4k miles which will be around twice a year when I bought it. You need to be sensible with the servicing schedule on these. Regarding cost, around £1500 which is good value considering the cost of a new crank / engine! I am glad I caught it now. The guy doing the work reckons I was days away from it spinning a shell.
J4CKO said:
76k and it needs new big end bearings, glad you dodged a bullet but that is pretty poor.
At least it’s sorted, guessing it’s a permanent fix with much better bearings.
Cheers! Yeah that's the issue with this engine, it's why there are a lot of horror stories.At least it’s sorted, guessing it’s a permanent fix with much better bearings.
It's not totally permanent but it'll be good for another 70k I imagine.
Disappointing really with the engine. The S85 engine is by far my favourite BMW engine and yet it's plagued with issues like these. Believe VANOS is one thing as well. You would think they ironed it out with the S65 V8 developed directly from this, they suffered more from bearing issues like the ones you have above.
100% would own one of these just for that sound however, nice car OP.
100% would own one of these just for that sound however, nice car OP.
rayyan171 said:
Disappointing really with the engine. The S85 engine is by far my favourite BMW engine and yet it's plagued with issues like these. Believe VANOS is one thing as well. You would think they ironed it out with the S65 V8 developed directly from this, they suffered more from bearing issues like the ones you have above.
100% would own one of these just for that sound however, nice car OP.
Yes it is annoying but then every car has its issues I guess. Oddly 2005 cars do not seem to suffer as badly. The vanos oil line is one of the other issues. 100% would own one of these just for that sound however, nice car OP.
It was the sound for me as well, the V10 makes lovely sounds. Except at idle, when it sounds like a diesel
leglessAlex said:
rayyan171 said:
100% would own one of these just for that sound however, nice car OP.
Exactly this. I would makes excuses for almost any flaws so I could justify owning a V10 M5.TheAngryDog said:
rayyan171 said:
Disappointing really with the engine. The S85 engine is by far my favourite BMW engine and yet it's plagued with issues like these. Believe VANOS is one thing as well. You would think they ironed it out with the S65 V8 developed directly from this, they suffered more from bearing issues like the ones you have above.
100% would own one of these just for that sound however, nice car OP.
Yes it is annoying but then every car has its issues I guess. Oddly 2005 cars do not seem to suffer as badly. The vanos oil line is one of the other issues. 100% would own one of these just for that sound however, nice car OP.
It was the sound for me as well, the V10 makes lovely sounds. Except at idle, when it sounds like a diesel
leglessAlex said:
rayyan171 said:
100% would own one of these just for that sound however, nice car OP.
Exactly this. I would makes excuses for almost any flaws so I could justify owning a V10 M5.Do think our diesel X5 sounds more refined at idle however
Was your E55 modified?
I took one for a test drive many years ago and did not think it was as quick as a E60 M5.
They deliver power in totally different ways though so it can be misleading. The E55 has that great big thump of power low down whilst the E60 M5 feels weak by comparison at low revs then builds to a furious peak high up.
I still miss my E39 M5, not as quick as either of the above but felt just so well balanced for a big car.
You definitely dodged a bullet judging by those bearings! Great shout to get them changed.
I took one for a test drive many years ago and did not think it was as quick as a E60 M5.
They deliver power in totally different ways though so it can be misleading. The E55 has that great big thump of power low down whilst the E60 M5 feels weak by comparison at low revs then builds to a furious peak high up.
I still miss my E39 M5, not as quick as either of the above but felt just so well balanced for a big car.
You definitely dodged a bullet judging by those bearings! Great shout to get them changed.
rayyan171 said:
I think a map would make it as quick as your old E55, however that E55 must have been rapid in the first place. Believe the actual figures for the E60 was 3.9s to 60mph, much faster than the manufacturers claims, so that E55 must have been some weapon.
Do think our diesel X5 sounds more refined at idle however
Hopefully, will find out when I get the car back. Was meant to pick it up today but when he was bleeding the vanos it blew one of the high pressure lines, so it is getting a new one tomorrow. Hopefully pick it up on Tuesday. Do think our diesel X5 sounds more refined at idle however
The E55 was mapped and had a smaller pulley for increased boost. 522bhp and over 600lbft of torque from 2500rpm. Made for quick progress.
Quickest I have seen the M5 is low 4's, but to me it's about 40-100 and the E55 excelled at that.
Lol, that wouldn't surprise me about the X5.
Bright Halo said:
Was your E55 modified?
I took one for a test drive many years ago and did not think it was as quick as a E60 M5.
They deliver power in totally different ways though so it can be misleading. The E55 has that great big thump of power low down whilst the E60 M5 feels weak by comparison at low revs then builds to a furious peak high up.
I still miss my E39 M5, not as quick as either of the above but felt just so well balanced for a big car.
You definitely dodged a bullet judging by those bearings! Great shout to get them changed.
Yes it was. Remap, TCU map, smaller pulley and secondary decat. The E55 is all low down, but at 70mph it would quickly fly up to 71mph I took one for a test drive many years ago and did not think it was as quick as a E60 M5.
They deliver power in totally different ways though so it can be misleading. The E55 has that great big thump of power low down whilst the E60 M5 feels weak by comparison at low revs then builds to a furious peak high up.
I still miss my E39 M5, not as quick as either of the above but felt just so well balanced for a big car.
You definitely dodged a bullet judging by those bearings! Great shout to get them changed.
. The M5 feels less eager without dropping a few gears, which is fine tbh. I kind of prefer the E55 way of delivering power in the midrange, but not it's low down as it was difficult to get the power down from low speed. I miss my E39 M5 as well, but not the rust. Definitely a better looking car than the E60, but the V10 makes up for it.
I definitely did, I'd have been crying had one of them spun. Then I'd have been buying a new engine or crank and having it built subject to bank approval lol. I had always planned to get them done early into ownership. A month and 1 week in. Anyone who owns a non warrantied E60 M5 should consider getting them done.
Your experiences are definitely "bearing" out the conceived wisdom of E60 M5 vs E55 ownership.
I suppose the main difference is the engine, largely bombproof Supercharged V8 vs highly strung V10.
There should be belts issues like in martial arts to those who buy and run a given car for a year !
I suppose the main difference is the engine, largely bombproof Supercharged V8 vs highly strung V10.
There should be belts issues like in martial arts to those who buy and run a given car for a year !
J4CKO said:
Your experiences are definitely "bearing" out the conceived wisdom of E60 M5 vs E55 ownership.
I suppose the main difference is the engine, largely bombproof Supercharged V8 vs highly strung V10.
There should be belts issues like in martial arts to those who buy and run a given car for a year !
I suppose the main difference is the engine, largely bombproof Supercharged V8 vs highly strung V10.
There should be belts issues like in martial arts to those who buy and run a given car for a year !
Yeah I am definitely getting a taster of the full experience
Life would be dull though if we didn't take the odd risk TBF, the S85 isn't that highly strung. 100bhp per litre is nothing these days when you have Golf R's around the 185bhp per litre mark (remap). The M113k is pretty robust, but it does it's own issues and expenses. At least I only need to replace 10 spark plugs, there are 16 on the E55 lol.
TheAngryDog said:
rayyan171 said:
I think a map would make it as quick as your old E55, however that E55 must have been rapid in the first place. Believe the actual figures for the E60 was 3.9s to 60mph, much faster than the manufacturers claims, so that E55 must have been some weapon.
Do think our diesel X5 sounds more refined at idle however
Hopefully, will find out when I get the car back. Was meant to pick it up today but when he was bleeding the vanos it blew one of the high pressure lines, so it is getting a new one tomorrow. Hopefully pick it up on Tuesday. Do think our diesel X5 sounds more refined at idle however
The E55 was mapped and had a smaller pulley for increased boost. 522bhp and over 600lbft of torque from 2500rpm. Made for quick progress.
Quickest I have seen the M5 is low 4's, but to me it's about 40-100 and the E55 excelled at that.
Lol, that wouldn't surprise me about the X5.
Bright Halo said:
Was your E55 modified?
I took one for a test drive many years ago and did not think it was as quick as a E60 M5.
They deliver power in totally different ways though so it can be misleading. The E55 has that great big thump of power low down whilst the E60 M5 feels weak by comparison at low revs then builds to a furious peak high up.
I still miss my E39 M5, not as quick as either of the above but felt just so well balanced for a big car.
You definitely dodged a bullet judging by those bearings! Great shout to get them changed.
Yes it was. Remap, TCU map, smaller pulley and secondary decat. The E55 is all low down, but at 70mph it would quickly fly up to 71mph I took one for a test drive many years ago and did not think it was as quick as a E60 M5.
They deliver power in totally different ways though so it can be misleading. The E55 has that great big thump of power low down whilst the E60 M5 feels weak by comparison at low revs then builds to a furious peak high up.
I still miss my E39 M5, not as quick as either of the above but felt just so well balanced for a big car.
You definitely dodged a bullet judging by those bearings! Great shout to get them changed.
. The M5 feels less eager without dropping a few gears, which is fine tbh. I kind of prefer the E55 way of delivering power in the midrange, but not it's low down as it was difficult to get the power down from low speed. I miss my E39 M5 as well, but not the rust. Definitely a better looking car than the E60, but the V10 makes up for it.
I definitely did, I'd have been crying had one of them spun. Then I'd have been buying a new engine or crank and having it built subject to bank approval lol. I had always planned to get them done early into ownership. A month and 1 week in. Anyone who owns a non warrantied E60 M5 should consider getting them done.
But, the better power and torque would have made the E55 faster by default. The S85 is a torque-less engine, just isn't as much as you would need. Effect however was much worse in the E92 M3, they really had little torque in the lower parts of the rev range.
Good to know about the bearings, highlights the things to do if one becomes a future purchase
Good move getting the bearings done, it’s not an expensive job as far as maintenance goes on these cars. A set of tyres and discs/pads together would cost more!
I loved my one, as said in other posts by me I much preferred it to my E39 M5, it was a step up in performance and more toys. My mate bought his at the same time as I bought mine, his had done 65k, he got the bearings done at 95k only because I told him about the issues. I met up with him at Brands on Saturday and it’s coverec 133,000 miles now. He is driving to Rome next month and a trackday at Monza, racks up the miles in it. Only paid 14k for it back in 2013. He replaced the clutch and fly at 70k as well but other than that just general maintenance, discs etc.
I loved my one, as said in other posts by me I much preferred it to my E39 M5, it was a step up in performance and more toys. My mate bought his at the same time as I bought mine, his had done 65k, he got the bearings done at 95k only because I told him about the issues. I met up with him at Brands on Saturday and it’s coverec 133,000 miles now. He is driving to Rome next month and a trackday at Monza, racks up the miles in it. Only paid 14k for it back in 2013. He replaced the clutch and fly at 70k as well but other than that just general maintenance, discs etc.
rayyan171 said:
Blimey. Considering the fact that the E55 is supercharged, it really does sound quicker than the M5 just from those numbers. Understandably, the SMG was simply a faster gearbox when executing changes at the top of the rev limit, even considering its an automated manual. Jerky it was, but when it came out it was about the fastest gearbox on the road. DCT's were just emerging then. Add to that the fact that the M5 screams to 8250rpm, and it makes sense that the M5 has a faster overall 0-60.
But, the better power and torque would have made the E55 faster by default. The S85 is a torque-less engine, just isn't as much as you would need. Effect however was much worse in the E92 M3, they really had little torque in the lower parts of the rev range.
Good to know about the bearings, highlights the things to do if one becomes a future purchase
The 5 speed auto in the E55 is very strong, but also very slow. Mine had the gearbox remapped but it still wasn't very quick at changing, and still dimwitted around town.But, the better power and torque would have made the E55 faster by default. The S85 is a torque-less engine, just isn't as much as you would need. Effect however was much worse in the E92 M3, they really had little torque in the lower parts of the rev range.
Good to know about the bearings, highlights the things to do if one becomes a future purchase
The M5 box has shorter ratio's low down I think to make best use of the 8250 rev limit and also to reduce to "lack of torque" effect. The SMG can change quicker than I could when pressing on. Not so much when driving around town. I think the V10 with DCT would have been epic, but I think it may have lost some of its soul. I think it needs the SMG3 "flaw".
The E55 midrange is immense. But some of that is negated by being in the right gear in the M5. When I get it back (hopefully tonight or tomorrow now as now hose arrives today) I will be able to get it mapped. I am considering going for sports cats as I don't fancy the extra noise from decatting it.
Yeah the bearings are a must, and that that kind of money, is a bargain really.
PurpleTurtle said:
I love these, following with interest! Nice car OP.
Cheers! 
cosworth330 said:
Good move getting the bearings done, it’s not an expensive job as far as maintenance goes on these cars. A set of tyres and discs/pads together would cost more!
I loved my one, as said in other posts by me I much preferred it to my E39 M5, it was a step up in performance and more toys. My mate bought his at the same time as I bought mine, his had done 65k, he got the bearings done at 95k only because I told him about the issues. I met up with him at Brands on Saturday and it’s coverec 133,000 miles now. He is driving to Rome next month and a trackday at Monza, racks up the miles in it. Only paid 14k for it back in 2013. He replaced the clutch and fly at 70k as well but other than that just general maintenance, discs etc.
It had to be done. I wouldn't have felt unhappy had the bearings been perfect condition, as I was living in the unknown. Now I have BE bearings I know it is sorted and shouldn't give me any issues in the time I own the car.I loved my one, as said in other posts by me I much preferred it to my E39 M5, it was a step up in performance and more toys. My mate bought his at the same time as I bought mine, his had done 65k, he got the bearings done at 95k only because I told him about the issues. I met up with him at Brands on Saturday and it’s coverec 133,000 miles now. He is driving to Rome next month and a trackday at Monza, racks up the miles in it. Only paid 14k for it back in 2013. He replaced the clutch and fly at 70k as well but other than that just general maintenance, discs etc.
I agree, it is a step up from he E39 in many ways, but I still think the E39 is the better looking car. Good news about about your mates car, fills me with confidence for mine!
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