Discussion
Picked this up yesterday from a friend of a friend.
They've owned it for the last 12 years and it has a full and fully stamped service history with the main dealer initially then with a local BMW specialist since then.
Couple of very minor wear and tear elements to sort out - not surprising for a 15 year old car - but overall well pleased. The steering wheel trim is worn so a new one is on order (seems to just be a pop off / pop on thing).
Ordered gloss black grilles for it. Might look at lowering it a little at some point.
Seems to be well enough spec'd. Not sure how much of these would have been standard, but it has fully electric seats, electric steering column adjustment, heated seats, Pro NAV, parking sensors front and rear. Most of those would have been options on a 5 series at the time, but dont know if that would be the case on a 6.
It will replace the 330i as our second car. And we have the 2019 M140i as our main car.
Weekend car is still the Z4 Coupe.
They've owned it for the last 12 years and it has a full and fully stamped service history with the main dealer initially then with a local BMW specialist since then.
Couple of very minor wear and tear elements to sort out - not surprising for a 15 year old car - but overall well pleased. The steering wheel trim is worn so a new one is on order (seems to just be a pop off / pop on thing).
Ordered gloss black grilles for it. Might look at lowering it a little at some point.
Seems to be well enough spec'd. Not sure how much of these would have been standard, but it has fully electric seats, electric steering column adjustment, heated seats, Pro NAV, parking sensors front and rear. Most of those would have been options on a 5 series at the time, but dont know if that would be the case on a 6.
It will replace the 330i as our second car. And we have the 2019 M140i as our main car.
Weekend car is still the Z4 Coupe.
d_a_n1979 said:
Great car & what a superb fleet 
The 330i looks a decent car; so no doubts that'll sell easily enough when the time comes
Big fan of the 630i; it could be a possible next car if I ever sell the touring; fancied having one for a while and TBH with having 2 4 door cars (well; the Racing Jazz is a tin can; but a great load space for when its needed)... That's my reasoning anyways
Your E63 sounds like it's got a decent spec; how's the ride etc?
Thanks. Yes the 330i is a great car. Dont really need a four door second car though with having the M140i so thought i'd run with this 630i when it came up. Will be quite sad to see the 330i go as its been a great car. Looks the part and not much money involved. This was a bit more, but still not a ransom for what i was getting.The 330i looks a decent car; so no doubts that'll sell easily enough when the time comes
Big fan of the 630i; it could be a possible next car if I ever sell the touring; fancied having one for a while and TBH with having 2 4 door cars (well; the Racing Jazz is a tin can; but a great load space for when its needed)... That's my reasoning anyways
Your E63 sounds like it's got a decent spec; how's the ride etc?
All good with the car so far. Ride is in line with the other cars we have, with i guess the M140i being quite harsh but this is "reasonable" in comparison. Its on run flats at the minute so thats maybe one i'll ponder going forward as they will definitely make the ride less compliant.
g3org3y said:
Nice 
We're seeing quite a few 630s on the forum of late.
Thanks. Interesting. Thought that might have been the case but wasnt sure.We're seeing quite a few 630s on the forum of late.
Deep Thought said:
Seems to be well enough spec'd. Not sure how much of these would have been standard, but it has fully electric seats, electric steering column adjustment, heated seats, Pro NAV, parking sensors front and rear. Most of those would have been options on a 5 series at the time, but dont know if that would be the case on a 6.
Yes, the E63/4 was much better spec'd than the equivalent E60/1. So that means xenons, electric leather seats and climate control as standard. Pro nav (with the wider screen) was an option as was heated seats.Roboticarm said:
Always liked the 6 series.
How do you decide what to drive though? 3 amazing cars. I'd spent hours on the driveway trying to chose which to drive today
Lol.How do you decide what to drive though? 3 amazing cars. I'd spent hours on the driveway trying to chose which to drive today
Yeah the M140i is the main car so if its at the door then its the one that gets taken. Its driven hard and (relatively, these days) frequently. Its well serviced and well maintained but its not cosetted.
The second car - so now this 630i - is my runabout if the M140i is away (should the Mrs have it at work or whatever), and for leaving at the airport (normally work in London 3 days a week and fly over), so thats what it'll be mainly used for.
Z4C is the weekend toy. Just something to take out in nice weather. I've had it a year now and its never been washed as it never gets dirty. Just sometimes a very light chamois down if its got a little dusty. Kept in a garage under the cover. Some would say it should be driven daily but i like the fact that when i just want to go out for a drive its always clean and ready to go.
Court_S said:
Looks like a cracking addition to the fleet. The 6 has aged really well. I wasn’t sure at first primarily because of the bootlid which I thought was a bit awkward at the time but Father Time has been very kind to the car overall. Looks to be in good shape too.
Indeed yes. Pleased with it. It has a real presence about it. Surprises me how big it feels compared to say a 3 series coupe - which of course it should.Court_S said:
Steering wheel will be a piece of cake to remove; disconnect the battery, pop the airbag off using a screwdriver through the holes / flaps in the side, unplug it and it’s a 16 or 17mm nut holding it in place. The springs that hold the airbag in place can be little buggers to engage.
The trim itself looked like it was clip on? Was hoping it didnt require an airbag off type activity, but if thats what its going to take...I found a you tube clip that elaborates visually on what you were describing so all good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee-WUReX1tQ
Edited by Deep Thought on Friday 30th April 16:15
Court_S said:
Deep Thought said:
The trim itself looked like it was clip on? Was hoping it didnt require an airbag off type activity, but if thats what its going to take...
I found a you tube clip that elaborates visually on what you were describing so all good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee-WUReX1tQ
The trim will be held on my a torx bolt either side. I’m a dab hand having swapped the ones on my other half’s cars so many times now. I found a you tube clip that elaborates visually on what you were describing so all good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee-WUReX1tQ
Edited by Deep Thought on Friday 30th April 16:15
Not brave enough to leave the battery attached like the boys at RSW did when they fitted my wheel (felt a bit silly getting them to do it when I saw how easy it was).
Only other thing is a bit of corrosion on the drivers door mirror on the aluminum base. Its sprayed black but corroding underneath.
g3org3y said:
Court_S said:
Looks like a cracking addition to the fleet. The 6 has aged really well. I wasn’t sure at first primarily because of the bootlid which I thought was a bit awkward at the time but Father Time has been very kind to the car overall.
Agreed. I've had nothing but positive feedback about mine.Deep Thought said:
Indeed yes. Pleased with it. It has a real presence about it. Surprises me how big it feels compared to say a 3 series coupe - which of course it should.
Yes, rear sticks out of spaces in Tesco!Deep Thought said:
Only other thing is a bit of corrosion on the drivers door mirror on the aluminum base. Its sprayed black but corroding underneath.
Quite a common issue iirc.Its good though. I didnt want two cars that were too similar.
Yes, just need to work out how to get the mirror off. Hoping its not too complex
Court_S said:
Deep Thought said:
I'll give it a go then. The trim should be here some time next week.
Only other thing is a bit of corrosion on the drivers door mirror on the aluminum base. Its sprayed black but corroding underneath.
Can’t help with that one. My friends E61 is suffering the same but his paint has mostly flaked off exposing corroded and pitted aluminium.Only other thing is a bit of corrosion on the drivers door mirror on the aluminum base. Its sprayed black but corroding underneath.
Assuming the E63 is the same-ish setup as an E60 it looks like a doorcard off job.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooRaR-RFmPg&ab...
This is the E63 specific door card removal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afGEONHqNG0&ab...
Putting these in here in case i cant find them later...
W201_190e said:
Really lovely looking 630i, I absolutely love these. Not sure if there would be a premium to run one of these over a 5 Series. Maybe a car on my radar when I can bring myself to get out of my current shed.
Initial thoughts - it "feels" more complex. Maybe thats just the extra equipment it has but it does feel like the extra refinement / size / extras on it over the 330i could bite me at some point. Couple of wee nigly things need sorted. Could be a few pounds, could be a few hundred. That starts to add up....Maybe i just need to build confidence in it over time. Get to know it.
Thats maybe not an issue on one of these new / nearly new so you'd just drop it back to the main dealer under warranty, but theres a lot of tech in there thats 15 years old now and would be "painful" if it went wrong / stopped working.
And no, its not an M5 v10 or a supercar but it definitely feels a level "up" in terms of maintenance.
We'll see.
mattman said:
Nice looking car OP. Had a 645 cab a few years back and loved that car - still looks modern and a lot more expensive than it actually is.
Pretty rapid too when you want it to be
Pretty rapid too when you want it to be
5mileofdeath said:
Lovely set of cars their OP.
Those Z4 Coupe's are growing on me.. There's one for sale near me, 3.0si black with CSL alloys looks the muts nuts..
Those Z4 Coupe's are growing on me.. There's one for sale near me, 3.0si black with CSL alloys looks the muts nuts..
cerb4.5lee said:
That is a lovely new addition to your fleet for sure. 
Enjoy it.
Enjoy it.
Mr Tidy said:
I wasn't too sure about the 6 Series back in the day, but every time I see one they just seem to look better!
Love your fleet too.
Thanks. Yes, its another one of those cars you just rarely see any more. Cant recall the last time i saw one out and about. And they do seem to suddenly feel "right".Love your fleet too.
sdh2903 said:
Car looks nice, I'm a couple of months in now of e63 ownership and I the car has really grown on me.
I too have corroded black trims mainly around the windows but a bit on the mirror base aswell. I have seen someone had them wrapped rather than repainted and they looked really good. I really don't fancy removing them all. Following how you get on with it.
I think i'm going to bite the bullet, take it off, sand it down and spray it. I too have corroded black trims mainly around the windows but a bit on the mirror base aswell. I have seen someone had them wrapped rather than repainted and they looked really good. I really don't fancy removing them all. Following how you get on with it.
I'd an electric sander "mouse" type thing and a dremel with all the sanding bits so hoping to make short work of the corrosion between the two of those. Must look in to aluminium rust eater, primer and the best gloss black top coat.
Edited by Deep Thought on Sunday 2nd May 00:05
g3org3y said:
Mechanically pretty much a 5 Series underneath.
I asked a similar question a number of years ago. Another very useful thread here.
The N52 3.0 petrol is a known quantity and fairly robust. The later N53 has the niggly issues with injectors and HP FP. Autoboxes are ZF 6HP units. BMW say sealed for life, ZF disagrees and suggest service every 60k.
The interior build quality on these is excellent. They do feel a massive step up over a 3 Series and notably nicer than a (E60) 5 Series and as I mentioned earlier in the thread, the 6 has much more kit as standard and seemingly more likely to be optioned with goodies such as the heated seats, Panoramic Roof, Pro Hifi (fantastic sounding BTW) and HUD.
Out of curiosity, how would you know if that had been installed? The sound system seems much better than how i recall the standard sound system sounded on my 2007 535d.I asked a similar question a number of years ago. Another very useful thread here.
The N52 3.0 petrol is a known quantity and fairly robust. The later N53 has the niggly issues with injectors and HP FP. Autoboxes are ZF 6HP units. BMW say sealed for life, ZF disagrees and suggest service every 60k.
The interior build quality on these is excellent. They do feel a massive step up over a 3 Series and notably nicer than a (E60) 5 Series and as I mentioned earlier in the thread, the 6 has much more kit as standard and seemingly more likely to be optioned with goodies such as the heated seats, Panoramic Roof, Pro Hifi (fantastic sounding BTW) and HUD.
sdh2903 said:
If it has a centre speaker on the dash and speakers in the rear quarters is a visual indicator. There's also a graphic equaliser menu in I drive for the upgraded stereo.
Yes, just checked there and it does indeed have the centre speaker on the dash. Must have a look for the graphic equaliser menu next time i start it.Well pleased with that.
Just did a VIN check and it also has comfort access which i hadnt picked up on.
Edited by Deep Thought on Sunday 2nd May 11:58
Court_S said:
Deep Thought said:
Initial thoughts - it "feels" more complex. Maybe thats just the extra equipment it has but it does feel like the extra refinement / size / extras on it over the 330i could bite me at some point. Couple of wee nigly things need sorted. Could be a few pounds, could be a few hundred. That starts to add up....
Maybe i just need to build confidence in it over time. Get to know it.
Thats maybe not an issue on one of these new / nearly new so you'd just drop it back to the main dealer under warranty, but theres a lot of tech in there thats 15 years old now and would be "painful" if it went wrong / stopped working.
And no, its not an M5 v10 or a supercar but it definitely feels a level "up" in terms of maintenance.
We'll see.
Whilst obviously not a simple beast, there are a lot of how to’s and guides for fixing stuff online if you’re willing to give it a go. I’ve only really bothered in the last couple of years but it can take s the sting out of stuff.Maybe i just need to build confidence in it over time. Get to know it.
Thats maybe not an issue on one of these new / nearly new so you'd just drop it back to the main dealer under warranty, but theres a lot of tech in there thats 15 years old now and would be "painful" if it went wrong / stopped working.
And no, its not an M5 v10 or a supercar but it definitely feels a level "up" in terms of maintenance.
We'll see.
At least the N52 is a known quantity.
I'm fortunate in that theres a really good BMW indy a mile up the road from us who looks after our other cars, and 4 miles the other direction is the BMW indy who has looked after this car since it was 3 years old.
As you say, they're a known quantity so i cant imagine i'll ever hit a problem that there isnt a known fix for.
g3org3y said:
Nice, enjoy!
Pro HiFi:
From all the 630s I looked at, it seemed Comfort Access was actually a very uncommon option.
Anything else revealed on the spec you weren't aware of? (Active Steering, Dynamic Drive, Adaptive Lights etc?)
Seems otherwise to be inline with expectations. Heres the list from the VIN checker.Pro HiFi:
From all the 630s I looked at, it seemed Comfort Access was actually a very uncommon option.
Anything else revealed on the spec you weren't aware of? (Active Steering, Dynamic Drive, Adaptive Lights etc?)
205,Automatic Transmission
216,Servotronic
2C7,L.-a. Wheels Star Spoke Runflat/mix T.
302,Alarm System
320,"Model Designation, Deletion"
322,Comfort Access System
414,"Stowage Net, Passenger Side"
423,"Floor Mats, Velour"
428,Warning Triangle
430,Interior And Exterior Mirror Packa
431,Interior Rr Vw Mirror W Aut Anti-d
434,Interior Trim
441,Smokers Package
442,Cupholder
459,"Seat Adjustm., Electr. W. Memory"
481,Sport Seats F Driver/front Passenger
494,Seat Heating F Driver/front Passenger
502,Headlight Washer System
508,Park Distance Control (pdc)
522,Xenon Light
534,Automatic Air Conditioning
540,Cruise Control
563,Lights Package
5AC,Autom. High-beam Headlights Control
609,Navigation System Professional
612,Bmw Assist
620,Voice Input System
633,Prep.mob. Ph. Business Bluet.interf.
676,Hifi Loudspeaker System
698,Area-code 2
710,M Leather Steering Wheel
760,Individual High-gloss Satin Chrome
775,Individual Roof-lining Anthracite
812,England Version
850,Add Fuel Tank Filling For Export
853,Language Version English
863,Europe/dealer Directory
877,Deletion Cross-over Operation
880,English / On-board Documentation
8SA,Country Spec. Release Of Navigation
8SM,"Vin, Visible From Outside"
8SP,Cop Control
g3org3y said:
Looks to me that you don't have the ProHiFi. I think all the E63 dashboards have the grill for the speaker, but only Pro HiFi has the speaker underneath.
ProHiFi option is 677 = "HiFi System Professional DSP".
Option 216 Servotronic = Active Steering
Option 5AC Autom. High-beam Headlights Control = Looks like High Beam Assist.
Info re the Servotronic/Active Steering option:
You;re right. I went out and had a root about under the seats. No speakers under there. Still pleasantly surprised with the system thats in it irrespective.ProHiFi option is 677 = "HiFi System Professional DSP".
Option 216 Servotronic = Active Steering
Option 5AC Autom. High-beam Headlights Control = Looks like High Beam Assist.
Info re the Servotronic/Active Steering option:
Edited by g3org3y on Sunday 2nd May 13:33
Will have a watch at that video, thanks
sdh2903 said:
Are you sure as even the standard hifi system has woofers under the seats in the coupe? They aren't massively obvious when looking but when you crank the volume you can feel it.
Mine is an lci and has a bit of a mish mash of both setups. As far as I can tell I have the standard stereo but I do have a centre dash speaker. It's a really good system though.
Yeah there was something there but they didnt look that big. I assumed they werent the upgrade. Also no rear quarter panel speakers.Mine is an lci and has a bit of a mish mash of both setups. As far as I can tell I have the standard stereo but I do have a centre dash speaker. It's a really good system though.
Court_S said:
Deep Thought said:
Yeah i guess i just need to bond with the car.
I'm fortunate in that theres a really good BMW indy a mile up the road from us who looks after our other cars, and 4 miles the other direction is the BMW indy who has looked after this car since it was 3 years old.
As you say, they're a known quantity so i cant imagine i'll ever hit a problem that there isnt a known fix for.
And learn to trust it. Took me a while to trust the 125i we bought in January. Her previous 116i 2as easy to trust because her mum and dad had owned it since 2008.I'm fortunate in that theres a really good BMW indy a mile up the road from us who looks after our other cars, and 4 miles the other direction is the BMW indy who has looked after this car since it was 3 years old.
As you say, they're a known quantity so i cant imagine i'll ever hit a problem that there isnt a known fix for.
Did some updates / refreshes in the last week or so.
Was getting three "pings" every time i started it and every time i stopped it and the i-drive helpfully told me it was rear number plate bulb out and parking light bulbs front. Those are the angel eye bulbs so took the opportunity to upgrade them with LED white light replacements. These get well rated on the forum groups..
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282566046659
Will see how they look this evening when it gets dusky.
Rear number plate light replaced.
Replaced the centre console trim which had got a bit scratched.
Ordered a new CD player knob (has faded to pale grey).
Ordered a new genuine BMW gear knob.
Think there might be a slight water leak so while its at my mechanics checking that hes doing the steering wheel trim.
Getting the 330i ready for sale. Swapped the regs over, new number plates made up. Need to get the wheels swapped off too. Still looks a very impressive car IMHO. Will be quite sad to see it go
Was getting three "pings" every time i started it and every time i stopped it and the i-drive helpfully told me it was rear number plate bulb out and parking light bulbs front. Those are the angel eye bulbs so took the opportunity to upgrade them with LED white light replacements. These get well rated on the forum groups..
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282566046659
Will see how they look this evening when it gets dusky.
Rear number plate light replaced.
Replaced the centre console trim which had got a bit scratched.
Ordered a new CD player knob (has faded to pale grey).
Ordered a new genuine BMW gear knob.
Think there might be a slight water leak so while its at my mechanics checking that hes doing the steering wheel trim.
Getting the 330i ready for sale. Swapped the regs over, new number plates made up. Need to get the wheels swapped off too. Still looks a very impressive car IMHO. Will be quite sad to see it go
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