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Thread: M5 advice

  1. #1
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    M5 advice

    I'm considering buying a 2006 M5. Dream car material.

    There's one hold up on my mind. They just recently put an aftermarket exhaust on it, and claim the check engine light is on because of this. The claim is that it is an exhaust gas temperature warning, and it will go away as the car learns the new exhaust.

    Is this a thing I should trust? I tried to search online about this and found nothing.

    Otherwise it is in amazing condition.

    Thanks guys.

  2. #2
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    OH, HELL NO !!!!

    You MUST insist on taking the car to a BMW specialist shop, and getting a PrePurchase Inspection !

    This is CRUCIAL! It's the best ~$150-200 you'll ever spend.

    Any given failure on this (magnificent) car can cost you MANY thousands of dollars. The engine, reman from BMW, without installation, is $39,000.....

    DO NOT BUY THIS CAR WITHOUT A P.P.I. !!!!! It's only a dream car, until it becomes a nightmare.

    By the way, even if we are willing to assume that the CEL is on because of EGT readings, there's no way that the light's going away because the computers learn to live with bad EGT readings. THAT is BS !

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  3. #3
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    I can't tell you thing one about the fault code on that car, but I sure as hell wouldn't buy a car with a CEL on the promise of the seller. If it were me I'd tell them to drive it until the computer learns enough to turn off the light, then call me back. Or better yet, arrange for a third party BMW specialist to perform a pre-purchase inspection.

    EDIT: Chris types faster than I do.





    Life's tough. It's tougher when you're stupid.
    -John Wayne

  4. #4
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    Oops, sorry, the reman engine from BMW is only $27,000; a new engine is $39,000:

    http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/...on=11000443598

    You CAN actually buy that new engine for only ~$30,500, with good research:
    https://www.getbmwparts.com/parts/in...&siteid=214672


    in other words, CAVEAT EMPTOR.


    EDIT: And for ANYBODY, on pretty much any BMW:
    Get a P.P.I., will you please?
    You can utilize the findings to negotiate the price. It's the best money you'll ever spend on your car.

    Don't believe the seller, unless it's a very special circumstance. Even if it's a very special circumstance, damn, get a PPI ! You need a very knowledgeable third party to look at the car. !!!

    YOU want to buy the car.
    Seller wants to sell the car.
    Pro BMW Tech wants to tell you what's broken, and about to break.

    So, just as a tiny "for-instance":

    You get a list from a reputable BMW shop...
    ...it says you've got throttle body codes, catalyst codes, and EGT codes.....
    And you buy the car, on the seller's word:

    and now you need thousands of dollars in throttle motor assembly, and a new front exhaust (cats and headers), just to pass inspection.
    Or maybe the oil hasn't been changed except every 15,000 miles, and you really need an engine.

    Or....
    ....well, I could make a FOREVER list....
    ....OR, I could tell you that I can't find a damned thing wrong with it.
    THAT is up to how well maintained the car is.

    Word of warning: on a car such as this, with the somewhat questionable "word" of the seller. I'd highly recommend asking the technician to specifically find out WHEN the codes were last cleared. He might not otherwise think to be suspicious.

    IF the codes were cleared 10 miles ago, you MUST expect something's being hidden, also.
    Last edited by bmwdirtracer; 11-14-2017 at 10:08 PM.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  5. #5
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    How about a printout of all the errors thrown? Way too sketchy.


    This is a very expensive car to maintain and upkeep, even more so if you have to fix preexisting issues. The S85 is an amazing engine, but it's meant to be a high strung performer, which comes with a large maintenance bill.
    -Abel

    - E36 328is ~210-220whp: Lots of Mods.
    - 2000 Z3: Many Mods.
    - 2003 VW Jetta TDI Manual 47-50mpg
    - 1999 S52 Estoril M Coupe
    - 2014 328d Wagon, self-tuned, 270hp/430ft-lbs
    - 2019 M2 Competition, self-tuned, 504whp
    - 2016 Mini Cooper S

  6. #6
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    Thanks for the sound advice, everyone. All I was hearing was the beautiful clatter of the 10 cylinders firing.

    The car is going on for a pre purchase inspection tomorrow. Whether I buy it or not will depend on their report.

    I can live BMWless longer if this is not the one.

  7. #7
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    The car has an issue, or the exhaust has an issue. A properly designed exhaust will not cause any check lights.

    Keep us up to date with what the shop says and what you do after the PPI!

  8. #8
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    The technician can tell you, by using a good BMW diag tool, how long ago the codes were cleared, how many times the oil's been changed, the brake fluid flushed, as well as the codes in every computer (DOZENS!)

    Service records should also be included, with such a car. How many miles? Have you done a carfax?

    What tires are on the car? This can tell you a lot about the owner, and how the car's been treated. If the tires are LingLong or Ironman, the car hasn't been treated with the respect it needs.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by bmwdirtracer View Post
    What tires are on the car? This can tell you a lot about the owner, and how the car's been treated. If the tires are LingLong or Ironman, the car hasn't been treated with the respect it needs.
    chris - just wanted to 100% agree with you on this point. since i'm the "car" guy in the office, and, also the "bmw" guy to boot - i get asked to render opinions on used bmw's all the time. i've actually found this to be one really reliable test as far as first impressions go. it's often hard to tell anything from photos (typically on craigslist), but that's one thing you can usually spot.

    OP - good luck on the PPI - let us know what they say!
    '95 325iS - auto to manual swap done!

  10. #10
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    Well guys, I don't have the report back, but I talked to the mechanic.

    The answer is no. It's not terrible, but there's a few bad things that make it not worth my time. It needs new cats soon, and they are stupidly expensive.

    One bit of good news. The shop was honest. The aftermarket exhaust was tripping the cel, and it went away on it's own. In fact, the inspection revealed that the exhaust was perfectly installed. The other problems are things they would likely not have known about. Good guys, probably.

  11. #11
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    I think I would opt for the E39 M5 instead...

    Looking for an E39 belly pan , passenger front inner fender liner …

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by bmwdirtracer View Post


    What tires are on the car? This can tell you a lot about the owner, and how the car's been treated. If the tires are LingLong or Ironman, the car hasn't been treated with the respect it needs.
    Not sure if you made these names up or not but there really is one named Ironman. Sadly, a friend just bought a second hand work van wearing these and yes there were a few surprises. Ling Long? Really? How could one even try to sell these with a straight face?
    Anyway your point is so true, if the owner chiseled on the tires you know he did the rest too.
    Last edited by ross1; 11-17-2017 at 10:20 AM.

    If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

  13. #13
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    No Joke.

    LingLong is Chinese, Ironman is Vietnamese. Neither is a country from which I'll ever buy tires. (There are quite a few Chinese and Taiwanese brands, and there's even Achilles, from Indonesia. None will ever be on my car, although I freely admit to using Kumho race tires and even a few Hankooks (South Korea). Certainly, I'm comfortable with Bridgestones, Toyos, Yokohamas, and other Japanese tires, except maybe Sumitomo.

    I buy a lot of tires. I drive 100 miles a day to work and back, and also beat hell out my M5 on track. The Subaru snow beast runs Bridgestone Blizzaks, because they can climb an ice-covered tree. My old E34 M5 ran them in winter, too. The E39 M5, I try to keep out of the snow in winter, but I just bought a set of Continental DWS6's to get me through the next five months, in case I get caught in the weather, away from the Subie. In March, I'll fit the usual Michelin Pilot Super Sports for summer and track use.

    I don't treat my cars gently, but I do feed them well. None of those tires are cheap, nor do they last very long.

    Cheap tires are for people who don't understand that EVERY single transaction between a car and the earth happens through those 4 small patches.

    And, if someone who owns an E60 M5 puts LingLong tires on it, that person really doesn't deserve the car; he needs a moped.


    Anyone heard about the upcoming Tesla sports coupe? 0-60 in 1.9 seconds, 8.9 quarter mile, 250 top speed,,,,,and oh, are you sitting down? 7300 ft/lbs of torque. No, that is NOT a typo.
    Ten thousand NewtonMeters.

    Bet it comes on Michelins.


    EDIT: A short review on LingLongs, courtesy of TireReview and Car and Driver:


    “But that was seemingly not the case for the Chinese-branded Ling Long tires tested by Car and Driver magazine. The Ling Longs wore a tread pattern identical to that of a popular Yokohama tire, a visible semblance that could cause consumers to assume similarity of performance.

    That assumption would be wrong. The magazine found the braking distances and cornering grip were much worse for the Ling Long tires than for any others in the test, requiring an extra 22 feet – one and a half car lengths – to stop from 50 mph than the best tires.

    “Chinese-branded tires are a whole different world,” reported Car and Driver technical director Dave VanderWerp. “You absolutely get what you pay for, which, as we found in our test, is capability that is nothing short of scary. The Ling Longs in our test scored less than half the performance-based points than even the next-best, eighth-place tire. That’s how far they are off the pace.”
    Ling Long tire as good as a Michelin?” asked Smith. “No. If you want a Michelin, buy a Michelin,” he said. “It depends on the consumer and what they are willing to pay.”
    Last edited by bmwdirtracer; 11-17-2017 at 10:19 PM.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  14. #14
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    Michelin FTW!

  15. #15
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    I love this overly detailed rant about tires. The M5 had Nitto NT555 tires on it. Which are distinctly okayish... The rears were pretty low on tread, so I would have had to replace them soon anyway.

    I have Michelins on my Genesis Coupe because self respect.

    And if I could find a e39 M5 in good condition, that might honestly be the mistake for me. I have a 540i shaped hole in my heart. I had one, timing chain rails bent one day and I had four pistons hitting the valves. It was a bad time, I had no money and they wanted $9k to fix the engine.

  16. #16
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    You can buy an m62tu for around $600.

    Looking for an E39 belly pan , passenger front inner fender liner …

  17. #17
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    Yeah, but on that six hundred dollar motor, there's a conrod that's 1/2" shorter than the rest, and it needs a timing chain, all the rails, rings and a valve job.

    (I've received that cheap engine on several occasions, it has been ugly. Caveat emptor. You'll put a thousand dollars into install parts, and end up sending the engine back, and redoing the job. )

    As for the E39 M5: A magnificent beast. I bought mine for cheap, lots of miles. Exploded the engine 6 days later....on track; no one to blame. Spent a huge amount of money installing a 60 k miles motor with upgrades and renewals.

    The E39 M5 isn't really any faster on track than my E34 M5 was. But on the street....oh, good God, the E39 spits out anything in its way. Having driven the E60 M5 many times, yeah, it might well be faster, but it's not nearly as friendly, has too many computers, and really doesn't sound nearly so sweet.

    If you decide on the E60, I advise the full manual gearbox.

    Chris Powell
    Racer and Instructor since, well. decades, ok?
    Master Auto Tech, owner of German Motors of Aberdeen
    BMWCCA 274412
    German Motors is hiring ! https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...1#post30831471

  18. #18
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    S85 is an incredible motor. It easy to afford to buy the car that is heavily depreciated because repair costs can be devestating to some owners. You have to be prepared to maintain an $80k car not the $25k you paid for a used one, and accept a $15k motor swap in the worst case. I have the little brother S65 and there are over 100 motor failures reported on just one forum and most rod bearings that are preventatively changed look bad.

  19. #19
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    tesla!

    Quote Originally Posted by bmwdirtracer View Post
    No Joke.

    LingLong is Chinese, Ironman is Vietnamese. Neither is a country from which I'll ever buy tires. (There are quite a few Chinese and Taiwanese brands, and there's even Achilles, from Indonesia. None will ever be on my car, although I freely admit to using Kumho race tires and even a few Hankooks (South Korea). Certainly, I'm comfortable with Bridgestones, Toyos, Yokohamas, and other Japanese tires, except maybe Sumitomo.

    I buy a lot of tires. I drive 100 miles a day to work and back, and also beat hell out my M5 on track. The Subaru snow beast runs Bridgestone Blizzaks, because they can climb an ice-covered tree. My old E34 M5 ran them in winter, too. The E39 M5, I try to keep out of the snow in winter, but I just bought a set of Continental DWS6's to get me through the next five months, in case I get caught in the weather, away from the Subie. In March, I'll fit the usual Michelin Pilot Super Sports for summer and track use.

    I don't treat my cars gently, but I do feed them well. None of those tires are cheap, nor do they last very long.

    Cheap tires are for people who don't understand that EVERY single transaction between a car and the earth happens through those 4 small patches.

    And, if someone who owns an E60 M5 puts LingLong tires on it, that person really doesn't deserve the car; he needs a moped.


    Anyone heard about the upcoming Tesla sports coupe? 0-60 in 1.9 seconds, 8.9 quarter mile, 250 top speed,,,,,and oh, are you sitting down? 7300 ft/lbs of torque. No, that is NOT a typo.
    Ten thousand NewtonMeters.

    Bet it comes on Michelins.


    EDIT: A short review on LingLongs, courtesy of TireReview and Car and Driver:


    “But that was seemingly not the case for the Chinese-branded Ling Long tires tested by Car and Driver magazine. The Ling Longs wore a tread pattern identical to that of a popular Yokohama tire, a visible semblance that could cause consumers to assume similarity of performance.

    That assumption would be wrong. The magazine found the braking distances and cornering grip were much worse for the Ling Long tires than for any others in the test, requiring an extra 22 feet – one and a half car lengths – to stop from 50 mph than the best tires.

    “Chinese-branded tires are a whole different world,” reported Car and Driver technical director Dave VanderWerp. “You absolutely get what you pay for, which, as we found in our test, is capability that is nothing short of scary. The Ling Longs in our test scored less than half the performance-based points than even the next-best, eighth-place tire. That’s how far they are off the pace.”
    Ling Long tire as good as a Michelin?” asked Smith. “No. If you want a Michelin, buy a Michelin,” he said. “It depends on the consumer and what they are willing to pay.”
    OMG, yes I heard this story!, a CAR is now faster than a crotch rocket, never thought it could happen!

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by bmwdirtracer View Post
    Yeah, but on that six hundred dollar motor, there's a conrod that's 1/2" shorter than the rest, and it needs a timing chain, all the rails, rings and a valve job.

    (I've received that cheap engine on several occasions, it has been ugly. Caveat emptor. You'll put a thousand dollars into install parts, and end up sending the engine back, and redoing the job. )

    As for the E39 M5: A magnificent beast. I bought mine for cheap, lots of miles. Exploded the engine 6 days later....on track; no one to blame. Spent a huge amount of money installing a 60 k miles motor with upgrades and renewals.

    The E39 M5 isn't really any faster on track than my E34 M5 was. But on the street....oh, good God, the E39 spits out anything in its way. Having driven the E60 M5 many times, yeah, it might well be faster, but it's not nearly as friendly, has too many computers, and really doesn't sound nearly so sweet.

    If you decide on the E60, I advise the full manual gearbox.
    I so want an E39 M5 or E34 M5...

    Looking for an E39 belly pan , passenger front inner fender liner …

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