Want an E39, reliability issues for high mileage?

[e36rok]

I currently own 3 bmws, an E36, E46, and E53 (X5)... The X gets taken on family and business trips, the wife gets the E46 and is still mint (28K miles), but my E36 is my commuter car and gets a lot of mileage. I'm at 356K and only lately it's been costing me a lot in repairs. Stupid little things cost me a fortune because I get it done at the stealership and things like alternators ($800), wheel bearing ($400), rear diff work ($500) are killing me.

I am looking into E39's either 528i or 540i, I would love a manual but don't mind auto. How reliable are these cars with high mileage? I'm asking because I see many 97-99 528i for $5-7K, and 540i for $7-9K. They are all 200-250K (km, so 120-150K miles). What are common issues and is it worth it to buy a cheaper high mileage E39? I don't want to start driving the X5 it's a 2001 and has 32K on it so I want to keep it low mileage.

Any help is appreciated, thanks!

[dbruce]

If you are used to BMW's, then the following should be no surprise......especially if you own an X5.

http://edgemotorworks.com/index.php?...d=27&Itemid=55

[SurfdogCP]

I'm running strong at over 180k. I haven't had really any expensive issues.

Common issues are cooling system problems and the failure of catalytic converters. So check and see if these things have already been done on any high-mileage car you are thinking of buying.

[Gumbi4u]

A nice search will give you the info you need. So much resource. Especially with2 similar threads right on the first page.

[DogSled]

I absolutely love my E39. It is perfect combination of comfort, luxury and performance and is a great compliment to my E36. Why not consider the 530i more power than a 528 and alot less gas consumption than the 540 (as well as alittle less $$$ to maintain)especially if that's going to be your commuter ride. Just my 2 cents. Good luck

C.

[Rayban]

they are very reliable, my 97 528 has 210,000miles and going strong.

you mentioned you love a manual transmission, good choice. the automatics are failure prone and best avoided!

if you get one with 200-250km on it, will be good for another 100,000km easy!

do it, best car ever

[e36rok]

All sounds good but I see all these threads with 'You know you drive an E39 when... you get an oil change and the mechanic tells you it needs $4000 in work' I get a little skeptical.

A high mileage manual 530i sounds like a decent choice and I've priced out a few around $7000. I read through that Edge Motorsports page outlining all the work needed at 75K and all of the ones I'm looking at have around 150K. I'm also assuming because they are on the cheaper side of the spectrum these things haven't been taken care of? This means another $3K in maintenance alone. Opinions?

[e39dream]

it's no different than any other bmw. You want to play? Prepare to pay.

That said a 530i is an excellent choice and should provide years of reliable service if properly maintained.

[dbruce]

his means another $3K in maintenance alone. Opinions?

If you do the work yourself.....you're looking at 3k. Have someone do it for you, and the price will go up drastically.

Vanos (most don't touch this....but engine performance suffers) 1500.
Suspension, at 150k.....everything must go and parts alone will be at least 1k to 1500.
Cooling, 1k in parts and who knows in labor.
Various electrical crap that you won't realize till a month of ownership (FSU etc).....????

Plastics degrade rapidly also.......so miscellaneous stuff will require replacement (HVAC buttons, sunvisor clips, door handles snap off). This isn't to scare you....just put things in perspective.

I'm in for 6k in work on a car that I got with 70k in mileage. I don't have the time to do the work myself......so labor has killed me.

[Junaid]

Not necessarily, i got a 2003 Volvo with 184,000KM and until the day i sold it i didn't invest in parts just regular maintenance items like oil and filters so IMO get newer year and higher km because most executives use them as business cars and get all the work done at the dealership regardless of the cost, because company pays for it.

[e36rok]

I'm getting mixed responses here, and I believe perfect e39s can be bought that won't need problems but they cost $15-20K, I'm looking at something around $5-$7K so I know maintenance will kill me.

I've decided to get a Mk4 Jetta 2.Slow as a daily commuter since they are cheap at $3K for one in good condition, I can get parts for next to nothing even a new motor, and I can do all the work myself on vw's (time permitting). But small maintenance to make sure the car is up to par is not a problem.

Thanks for the help guys this thread can be closed, unless someone else wants to convince me otherwise.

[ezbmr]

Your family will hate you and your dog will disown you for the VW....My 528i has 138k on it, it has been a great car, you really need to stop giving it to the dealership...

[e36rok]

My family will love me, along with the other 2 vw's I CURRENTLY own, I've owned over 10 so I know how easy they are to wrench on. I have to give my BMWs to the dealership since I'm afraid of screwing everything up on a $50K car.

[yellowltd]

My family will love me, along with the other 2 vw's I CURRENTLY own, I've owned over 10 so I know how easy they are to wrench on. I have to give my BMWs to the dealership since I'm afraid of screwing everything up on a $50K car.

That's ridiculous. Seriously. Don't discount your abilities. If you can wrench on a modern VW, you can wrench on a BMW. If you have experience wrenching on water cooled VWs, I guarantee you'll find the BMW easier to work on. The handling may be magic, but the mechanicals aren't. Buy the best 528/530 you can afford and don't let the dealership touch it. You'll be fine.

[e36rok]

I have a '79 and an '85 vw. I am no stranger to prying apart motors but anything suspension/cooling/tranny related I don't touch, and most of the E39 problems seem to be suspension and cooling. If it was piston rings that would be a different story.

[Gumbi4u]

Actually Bimmers are VERY easy to work on.

[Scuba2001]

I'm coming from VW's also...
'98 Passat 1.8T
'06 Jetta GLI 2.0T FSI
'87 GTI 2.0L 16v (swap, track car)
'96 Passat Wagon VR6

I've worked on them all, and I can agree that working on some of the late 80's, mid to late 90's VW's is quite simple if you take your time. Cooling systems, mechanical jobs, etc were of no match for me. Give me a weekend and a few cold Coke's, and I'm a happy guy. A 2.0L 8v is a dog of a car, but mechanically they're bullet proof. The electrical side of things is the shortfall of those cars. Slap a turbo on the back of that head, and you have a reliable 200hp fwd car with little money put into it.

[e36rok]

^^^ Exactly, I have a 16V built to the tits N/A I'm putting down 172whp on a 1600lb car, and an 8v I'm going to be tearing into when I find the time. The difference is these motors cost $100 so I don't care, and I also get other people to do my electrical/cooling plumbing/suspension components because I've never tried and I'm certainly not about to on a BMW.

Although, I was reading through that Edge Motorsports page again and the issues don't seem to be that big, there are just a lot of them. I'm thinking the cheapest e39 I will find can't have ALL those issues, maybe half of them worst case scenario? I can attempt to fix most of it myself and if need be see a mechanic.

One more question: how much more notorious are the 540i's maintenance-wise. I'm being told buy a 528i or 530i not a 540i because it will kill me. The thing is the 540i's are plentiful here the market is flooded and I can get one for $5K with ~250xxx km.

Reconsidering this, help me out people.

[RevB96]

I would not worry about it too much. I have had two BMW's in the past 8 weeks (lots of experience ), and both them had 160k plus when I bought them. I did pay $35 to local shop I trusted to inspect them. I did want to make sure I was not getting something that was totally in the dumps.

I think you can pick a make and model of your choice, domestic or import..and between 75k and 150k (miles) things get replaced and fixed. Always...no, but a better chance than not. You will be replacing water pumps, radiators, belts, seals, brakes, filters, oil.

I have had to put a thermostat and oil change on my 97 540i/6 in the two weeks I owned it. But again, I think if you go and a "great" deal on 10+ yr old chevy/ford/dodge, it is going to have high miles and need something too. So far all of the parts I have purchase and priced have been no more, generally speaking, than the same part for a domestic. I put new belts (from stealership) on my e34...and they were cheaper there by more than 10% than my local shop. I say go for it!