who has the highest mileage e39?

[XAlt]

I'd say it is, mine has over 305k miles without a fluid change and still works as it should.

Pretty surprised.

[txkawboi]

230k miles on the original engine and tranny.

[Knownworldwide]

230k on my '01 540i. Just replaced the stock clutch at 228k. Timing chians and guides done at 151k

[dannyzabolotny]

185k miles on my 2000 540i Touring. Bought it with 174k miles last July, so I've put on about 11k miles in less than a year. Not bad, especially when you consider that I daily drove a Range Rover and then an X5 4.6 for two months.

[f355spider]

Great thread, appears the M62 and M62tu can definitely go the distance....timing chain guides being the only area of concern.

[dannyzabolotny]

Great thread, appears the M62 and M62tu can definitely go the distance....timing chain guides being the only area of concern.

Yeah, once the chain guides are replaced the M62tu is just as long-lived as an M52/M54. It's just that most people ditch their cars when the guides go instead of fixing them.

[Tenn740il]

I have a 1998 540I 6Speed, Original Motor and timing guides I am at 300,020 miles...I flush the engine each oil change at 7000miles and use straight synthetic oil. Also changed the Timing chain guide tension rod about 30k miles ago...She is still running strong...

[dannyzabolotny]

I have a 1998 540I 6Speed, Original Motor and timing guides I am at 300,020 miles...I flush the engine each oil change at 7000miles and use straight synthetic oil. Also changed the Timing chain guide tension rod about 30k miles ago...She is still running strong...

That makes sense— you have the non-Vanos M62 where the guides can easily go to 300,000+, and the 6-speed lasts pretty much forever, all you have to do is change the clutch every once in a while.

[computiNATEor]

That makes sense— you have the non-Vanos M62 where the guides can easily go to 300,000+, and the 6-speed lasts pretty much forever, all you have to do is change the clutch every once in a while.

A local dismantler had one of those for sale a few years back for like $2k. Needed some serious interior cleaning, but mechanically it was awesome. I regret not picking it up...

[Royt]

1999 528i Touring done just over 414,000 km. = 258,000 miles all on New Zealand roads, not motorways or interstate highways. O bought it off the second owner with 402,000 on it. Motor still strong ,handles great but have electrical issues with the tailgate lock and rear lights warning comes on randomly. Occasionally rus on 3 cylinders, chug chug but just need to stop turn off and on again and away. Seems related to light throttle use.
I spent a few hours on the rear locks today tp no effect so i joined the forum.

[philly98540]

That makes sense— you have the non-Vanos M62 where the guides can easily go to 300,000+, and the 6-speed lasts pretty much forever, all you have to do is change the clutch every once in a while.

Not always true. My non Vanos center U guide failed with 120K on the clock. The plastic liner didn't crumble into pieces, it just slid up to the drivers side. There is a tiny little plastic tab on the bottom or the liner that locates it on the metal. That little tab broke off and allowed the liner to slide. My car was bone stock and well cared for at that point in time and never had any rattles. Just another data point.

[cnsorial]

Not always true. My non Vanos center U guide failed with 120K on the clock. The plastic liner didn't crumble into pieces, it just slid up to the drivers side. There is a tiny little plastic tab on the bottom or the liner that locates it on the metal. That little tab broke off and allowed the liner to slide. My car was bone stock and well cared for at that point in time and never had any rattles. Just another data point.

Thanks for the data point, Philly.

My 97 has been impeccably maintained and driven mostly highway miles. With 150k on it, part of me wants to just go ahead and tear it down and do like a partial rebuild (perhaps pull the heads and do a head job--new valve seals, head gasket, any rubber parts, etc.) and obviously the guides.
The other part of me says the car runs beautifully, no rattles, pulls like a train to redline and that I should leave it alone till guides go.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[computiNATEor]

Thanks for the data point, Philly.

My 97 has been impeccably maintained and driven mostly highway miles. With 150k on it, part of me wants to just go ahead and tear it down and do like a partial rebuild (perhaps pull the heads and do a head job--new valve seals, head gasket, any rubber parts, etc.) and obviously the guides.
The other part of me says the car runs beautifully, no rattles, pulls like a train to redline and that I should leave it alone till guides go.

Drive it 'til it breaks, fix it, and drive it some more!

[cnsorial]

Drive it 'til it breaks, fix it, and drive it some more!

I don't use it as a daily. Next year I plan to go to dental school (don't know where yet) and fear of the guides failing at a time when I do not have the capacity to replace them or don't know of a shop with the competence to do them either.

More worried about age than mileage at this point.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bullard123]

I just hit 172,000 miles today

[Gunslinger42]

Maybe not the highest number of miles, but...
I bought my 2003 530 4 years ago at 120,000 miles with unknown maintenance/service history, just passed 212,000, and almost all of those 92,000 miles are using her for pizza delivery in Texas, so constant stop/go in sometimes 100+ degrees. Love this car!

[computiNATEor]

^ Whoa, that's a lot of deliveries!

[dannyzabolotny]

Maybe not the highest number of miles, but...
I bought my 2003 530 4 years ago at 120,000 miles with unknown maintenance/service history, just passed 212,000, and almost all of those 92,000 miles are using her for pizza delivery in Texas, so constant stop/go in sometimes 100+ degrees. Love this car!

Good thing you have a 530i... if you were doing those deliveries in a 540i you'd make pretty much no money. I get well under 14mpg in city driving.

[XAlt]

Good thing you have a 530i... if you were doing those deliveries in a 540i you'd make pretty much no money. I get well under 14mpg in city driving.

A guy I met was somehow running Uber with a 2003 540iA. Can't blame him, why spend the money on another car?

[dannyzabolotny]

A guy I met was somehow running Uber with a 2003 540iA. Can't blame him, why spend the money on another car?

I mean, if the car is fully paid off and well-maintained then it's not the end of the world. Uber isn't as hard on a car as pizza delivery— you keep the engine running and the trips tend to be longer.

[Onetwobit]

01 530i Auto with 186k. Engine and tranny original. Tranny starting to give torque converter codes.

[silverE39]

Brought in the 5er for the airbag recall at BMW of SF. Had a few techs and service guys asking me how nice my ride is and blown away by the mileage..... 306,XXX.

[auaq]

You're at 306k miles in your 530i? Nice.

I bought my 03 530i back in 2011 at 111k miles and then sold it mid last year at 236k miles.

Brought in the 5er for the airbag recall at BMW of SF. Had a few techs and service guys asking me how nice my ride is and blown away by the mileage..... 306,XXX.

[Gunslinger42]

^ Whoa, that's a lot of deliveries!

Yeah-I average about 4500 deliveries per year!

[Gunslinger42]

Good thing you have a 530i... if you were doing those deliveries in a 540i you'd make pretty much no money. I get well under 14mpg in city driving.

And "delivery driving" is MUCH worse than normal city driving. I get 16-17 mpg on deliveries. Good thing I deliver in a nice neighborhood, at least $5 per delivery average tip