Discussion
Hi Guys I would like an honest opinion, I have been running a BMW E39 525i petrol for fifteen years which is getting tiered and have got the chance to buy a E60 530i petrol on a 2007 plate only done 9500 miles it is all legitimate with full history and a just had mot, but I have been doing some homework which says that they are prone to injector fail,coil pack fail,spark plug fail and fuel pump fail can a car of this calibre really be so bad because despite the age of the car it is a lovely example and I am very tempted to buy but am a little confused about the things that I have read i would appreciate opinions of people that have had one or with knowledge of them many thanks.
E39 you say!?
https://www.bimmerfest.com/threads/2003-bmw-525i-e...
Everything has problems, they don't sound catastrophic, the 630 I think have the same engine and are 'safer' than the 645's and the N62 V8's.
E60 is old enough now to have all these issues well documented and all the fixes documented too though, nothing sounds horrific, who ever has looked after your E39 I'm sure can look after a E60.
If you are worried then, googled down on each issue, coil pack/spark plug stuff can't be that expensive and straight 6 access can't be hard either. Even injectors whilst more of a faff can't be terrible. They haven't got a bad rep overall just known weaknesses which to me are better than as yet unknown ones!!
https://www.bimmerfest.com/threads/2003-bmw-525i-e...
Everything has problems, they don't sound catastrophic, the 630 I think have the same engine and are 'safer' than the 645's and the N62 V8's.
E60 is old enough now to have all these issues well documented and all the fixes documented too though, nothing sounds horrific, who ever has looked after your E39 I'm sure can look after a E60.
If you are worried then, googled down on each issue, coil pack/spark plug stuff can't be that expensive and straight 6 access can't be hard either. Even injectors whilst more of a faff can't be terrible. They haven't got a bad rep overall just known weaknesses which to me are better than as yet unknown ones!!
33Beamer77 said:
Hi Guys I would like an honest opinion, I have been running a BMW E39 525i petrol for fifteen years which is getting tiered and have got the chance to buy a E60 530i petrol on a 2007 plate only done 9500 miles it is all legitimate with full history and a just had mot, but I have been doing some homework which says that they are prone to injector fail,coil pack fail,spark plug fail and fuel pump fail can a car of this calibre really be so bad because despite the age of the car it is a lovely example and I am very tempted to buy but am a little confused about the things that I have read i would appreciate opinions of people that have had one or with knowledge of them many thanks.
Worth posting in the BMW forum.IIRC 2007 was the year the N53 3.0 6 cyl was introduced (replacing the N52). Main issues include coil packs and injectors. They can be pricey to replace but otherwise the engine is considered fairly robust. If the injectors haven't been replaced with the latest versions, do factor this in to your budget. Might be a case of 'when' rather than 'if' for these.
High Pressure Fuel Pump is also a known possible issue.
Plenty of very happy N53 engine owners posting on here. Some really good info re N52 vs N53 in this thread.
I've got an E61, 3.0 petrol on 95k miles, absolutely love it.
If it's on run flats, ditch them, I'm running 16" wheels nice big profile tyres, lovely.
I have recently replaced injectors and a couple of coil packs, wasn't cheap, but will now keep the car long term to get my moneys worth.
My wife absolutely adores it, which was surprising and my young kids call it my 'super fast car'. It's obviously not super fast but fast enough for our needs and better on fuel than our CRV it replaced. It is getting old but still drives beautifully and after having the latest 5 series for a weekend I can't justify upgrading, a proper head unit with bluetooth connection is the only thing I'd like to add to mine.
If it's on run flats, ditch them, I'm running 16" wheels nice big profile tyres, lovely.
I have recently replaced injectors and a couple of coil packs, wasn't cheap, but will now keep the car long term to get my moneys worth.
My wife absolutely adores it, which was surprising and my young kids call it my 'super fast car'. It's obviously not super fast but fast enough for our needs and better on fuel than our CRV it replaced. It is getting old but still drives beautifully and after having the latest 5 series for a weekend I can't justify upgrading, a proper head unit with bluetooth connection is the only thing I'd like to add to mine.
pilsdoughboy said:
I've got an E61, 3.0 petrol on 95k miles, absolutely love it.
If it's on run flats, ditch them, I'm running 16" wheels nice big profile tyres, lovely.
I have recently replaced injectors and a couple of coil packs, wasn't cheap, but will now keep the car long term to get my moneys worth.
My wife absolutely adores it, which was surprising and my young kids call it my 'super fast car'. It's obviously not super fast but fast enough for our needs and better on fuel than our CRV it replaced. It is getting old but still drives beautifully and after having the latest 5 series for a weekend I can't justify upgrading, a proper head unit with bluetooth connection is the only thing I'd like to add to mine.
Similar to me, i picked up a 2009 n53 525i estate recently. Solid inside with no rattles and low road noise. SE suspension is comfy, but still a nice drive and to me at least still feels premium.If it's on run flats, ditch them, I'm running 16" wheels nice big profile tyres, lovely.
I have recently replaced injectors and a couple of coil packs, wasn't cheap, but will now keep the car long term to get my moneys worth.
My wife absolutely adores it, which was surprising and my young kids call it my 'super fast car'. It's obviously not super fast but fast enough for our needs and better on fuel than our CRV it replaced. It is getting old but still drives beautifully and after having the latest 5 series for a weekend I can't justify upgrading, a proper head unit with bluetooth connection is the only thing I'd like to add to mine.
At some point I will get an Android or Andream head unit, and maybe a sport steering wheel (to lose the SE plastic affair)
Not so good on the fuel front tbh, but that's what 520ds are for.
It was a bit daunting perhaps, but at the end of the day it's still just a big head of car parts fastened together in a particular way. The biggest differences I've found so far with online support are:
- you really need to get on top of laptop diagnostic tools (I am not yet on top of this)
- the forums contain more than their fair share of utter cretins (compared to Alfa, Toyota and motorbike forums I've been on), but good info is out there if you hunt it down.
The BMW "doctor" Dean is also worth a laugh on YouTube
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