Picked up a 2000 528i Sport, need some help fixing a few things

[olegd88]

Hey guys,
I currently have an 01 M5 and just picked up a 2000 528i Sport that needs a little fixing.

Here are the problems that I have seen so far.

1. On a cold start, the engine revs down from normal RPM (as if its about to stall, then back up to normal) ... sparkplugs?

2. The temperature guage fluctuates really quick, will go up to red and the light will come on, then 10-20 sec later back to the exact middle normal spot. ... bleed coolant? thermostat?

3. Oil leak in valve cover gasket .. how hard is this to repair and what parts are needed?

Car has 130,000

Thanks for the help.

[kaineb]

Hey olegd88,

(1) This is your (Double) Vanos causing the issue. Visit Beisan systems (http://beisansystems.com/products.html) for replacements.
(2) Likely your engine temp sensor, cheap and easy fix.
(3) Need a valve cover gasket set (http://www.rmeuropean.com/Part-Number/Valve-Cover-Gasket-Set-NOTE--Also-use--%2815%29-11-12-1-437-395-valve-cover-nut-seal-__11129070990_VIC_CA4918F1.aspx) & 15 Grommets (http://www.rmeuropean.com/Part-Number/Valve-Cover-Nut-Seal-__11121437395_VIC_CA4918F1.aspx), easy afternoon repair.

[SleekBMW]

your at a 130k it might not be a bad idea to just to do the cooling system overhaul at this point, the e39s have a bad cooling system design. Unless of course you know everything was replaced prior to buying.

[ganzibye]

valve gasket is a pretty easy and simple straight forward job..
took me about an hour to do the job on mine...u will need to take out the igntion connector and u might as well replace the spark plugs too.

[fudman]

If you replace your Vanos seals, you can replace the VCG as part of that job (2 for 1).

[FlipredE36]

1. Vanos seals.
2. Try bleeding first.
3. Pretty easy with normal tools. Toughest part is moving the vacuum lines and taking out the coil packs/harness. Might want to get some extra vacuum lines to replace the old and more than likely rotted ones.

[pleiades]

The engine temp spikes might be due to a bad t-stat.

These cars had a defective factory thermostat that BMW issued a recall for. If the one in your 528i was replaced by a dealer, there should be a label detailing that somewhere in the engine compartment, perhaps on the shock tower. T-stat or not, obviously you can't drive the car until that is fixed or you could end up needing a new engine.

As others have already noted, the poor idle is probably your Vanos system; the piston seals wear out, rendering the system useless. Fix that along with the valve-cover gaskets (cover has to be removed to get to the vanos unit).

--Oh yeah....

As recommended by Fliprede36, try to bleed the cooling system first. Could just have a big air bubble in there somewhere....

[olegd88]

How sensitive are BMW's to the type of antifreeze used? What kind of antifreeze should be used?

I used to have an Acura Legend and I know they are very sensitive to the type of antifreeze used and you could only use the dealer type for the car.

[kaineb]

Use a coolant that says "safe for all vehicles" on the front. Its very common now, available at Walmart even. There is an additive that isn't good for certain engines in some brands of coolant different than above. You don't need $25 gallon BMW coolant.

[FlipredE36]

How sensitive are BMW's to the type of antifreeze used? What kind of antifreeze should be used?

I used to have an Acura Legend and I know they are very sensitive to the type of antifreeze used and you could only use the dealer type for the car.
I used to have a Legend as well, with a Type II swap. Trust me, that "only use OEM coolant" was hype. Even people who wasted their money on OEM coolant still ended up with seeping or blown head gaskets. I used regular coolant but flushed it yearly. Never had a head gasket issue.

You will be fine with regular coolant as long as you maintain it properly.

[olegd88]

Hmm, I guess. Well I have 3 Legends, a 95 L Sedan, 95 GS and 95 LS Coupe 6 Speed ... after the first one went with a blown headgasket im cautious of these things. I have now moved on to BMW's, but I still love the Legends

Thanks guys.