First time bmw owner

[yllennodmij]

Hi guys! So i saved up for about 2 years and for my 19th birthday I bought myself a 2000 528i 5spd manual with 87k miles. It's awesome! I bought it with a few wear items i knew I would need to replace.

First off: tires, does everyone use tire rack? any other sites i should check out? Also, how do I know what size and type is best for me? I live in pennsylvania and we have snowy winters and rainy springs.

Oil: what filters and brands do you guys use? This car has under 100k miles and I want it to last to 300k. I plan on doing a lot of self maintenance. Open to advice!

Preventative maintenance: What should I ask my mechanic to check for me when i get it inspected? How can i get the longest life out of this car?

Audio: I plan on putting in a new radio and a sub in the trunk. Again, I'm open to cautionary advice and tips on this topic.

Any other advice and tips are welcomed and appreciated! Im excited to join this website!

Jim

[Rudolph320i]

I use tirerack for my tires, Im also in PA and not far from Philly. Tire size and such will be in your driver's door jam on a sticker. Make sure you confirm you have stock size rims before using that sticker to buy tires, though.
For oil filters I use Mahle or Mann. One of the big deal maintenance items on these cars is the cooling system, 10 years or 100k and itll need a refreshing, you dont want to overheat that engine.
Im not a huge radio guy but others here should be able to give you some insight. welcome to the forum as well as the bmw addiction.

[yllennodmij]

Being that it is a 14 y/o car, you would recommend replacing the cooling system?

[Rudolph320i]

Being that it is a 14 y/o car, you would recommend replacing the cooling system?

Find out if its been done, but if not its certainly time. also, check out the e39 subforum. thats where all of you people meet up haha. But they will have more specific info on your car.

[yllennodmij]

Thankyou!

[MonkeyWithAGun]

Preventative maintenance: What should I ask my mechanic to check for me when i get it inspected? How can i get the longest life out of this car?



you could take it to the guy i went to if you wanna know EVERYTHING wrong with your car.... but be prepared.

I would ask about cooling and suspension - those two seemed to come up a lot when i first started reading things about my car. And you can check out common e39 problems on the google machine.

also, great find!

[bmw42ofus]

Welcome to the "Ultimate Driving Machine" and yes, the BMW addiction as stated above. Good going on a 2000 with 87K-----sounds cool. Smart about tackling the maintenance items before any paint etc...
E39 forum provides a lot of info------but as stated above the cooling system and front end should be checked first. Having things as the bushings/tie rods and control arms looked at as you may not be sure that state of being. Brakes is another good thing to look at as when I bought mine with 67K (2002 330ci) the rotors were shot and previous owners did a slap shot repair by only replacing the pads. Depending on what you want to do, maybe a good time to look at slotted/drilled if that's your preference. Doing simple DIY maintenance will save you some $$$$$. Get to know who around your area works on BMWs and has a good reputation----that's the guy will save you money if they truly love working on these great machines! As you move forward, pics please!

[montaillou]

First off: tires, does everyone use tire rack?
If you're after a specific tire that Tire Rack doesn't carry, and you can always compare prices. I buy about 2/3 of my tires through Tire Rack. Do they have a Discount Tire where you live? They try to compete with Tire Rack on price, usually the shipping charge from Tire Rack is about the same as the sales tax from a place like Discount Tire.


Also, how do I know what size and type is best for me? I live in pennsylvania and we have snowy winters and rainy springs.
Your manual should list oem tires, you can also look this data up on oem.com If you don't have the manual, google can probably help there. PDF versions are available from various sources. You can also check out the sub-forum here for your car and the other sub forum for your area and see what those people recommend.

You should also know that sites like these will refer more to the car's designation, ie: 5 series and/or the model codes, usually beginning with and E.

[peakesshou]

Depending on what you want to do, maybe a good time to look at slotted/drilled if that's your preference.http://finanziellede.de/6k.jpg

[yllennodmij]

Depending on what you want to do, maybe a good time to look at slotted/drilled if that's your preference.http://finanziellede.de/6k.jpg
what does slotted/drilled mean?

[yllennodmij]

If you're after a specific tire that Tire Rack doesn't carry, and you can always compare prices. I buy about 2/3 of my tires through Tire Rack. Do they have a Discount Tire where you live? They try to compete with Tire Rack on price, usually the shipping charge from Tire Rack is about the same as the sales tax from a place like Discount Tire.


Your manual should list oem tires, you can also look this data up on oem.com If you don't have the manual, google can probably help there. PDF versions are available from various sources. You can also check out the sub-forum here for your car and the other sub forum for your area and see what those people recommend.

You should also know that sites like these will refer more to the car's designation, ie: 5 series and/or the model codes, usually beginning with and E.
no manual ): however the door jam had my tire size[emoji41]

[SpeedsterBek]

Welcome to E39 ownership. I hope you have some mechanical aptitude and don't mind getting your hands dirty.
Knowledge related to anything about the E39 is well documented and it should be a simple google search away. Also, you can buy a print copy or download a pdf version of Bentley Manual.
Check out the E39 sub-forum http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?202-1996-2003-%28E39%29
Also, visit http://e38.org/e39/ for owners manual download.


Since you just got the car, I'd suggest doing Inspection II for a peace of mind. Here is the sample checklist: http://e38.org/bmw_service.html


For tires, do comparison shopping. Tire rack and discount tire direct is the main ones I use, but sometimes a local tire shops or big box stores might have a better deal too.
Maintenance items:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/SuperCat/0360/BMW_0360_BASFLT_pg1.htm