Thinking about purchasing a 545i or 335i

[bigfwop]

Hey everyone. I currently have been driving an E39 530i and am In the market again for something with newer character.
I actually used to hate the e60 body style but it really grew on me and now I want it bad!
I've been doing a ton of research and understand that both of these cars come with their own set of completely wild problems.

Both cars must be a manual
but I would really like to understand from anyone's experience how MASSIVE these common issues are.
I have decent experience working on my own e39 and am comfortable replacing the majority parts that fail.
Valve stem seal replacement is a little out of my comfort zone and turbos are obviously very expensive on a 335i

Current concerns

e60 valve stem issues
e92 335i turbo issues.

How has owning either car been for you with 100K+ mileage.
Any and all advice is appreciated

Thanks!

[pbonsalb]

How about an E60 535i? We have had our 08 E61 535xi wagon for 7 years and 100k miles. Had 130k on it. Great car. But like any 10 year old 100k mile car that cost $65k new, it requires maintenance and sometimes needs repairs and they won’t be based on the $8k you pay for the used car but rather on the $65k cost of the new car. We have done no major repairs but I have done a lot of preventative maintenance. I love the turbo power and don’t mind paying for it. I have cleaned vanos solenoids, tightened wastegates, changed 02s, changed trans fluid and pan and mechatronics sleeve, diff fluid, transaxle fluid, brake fluid, p/s fluid, brake rotors and pads, all filters, plugs, coils, belts and tensioner, coolant and thermostat and pump, valve cover gasket, battery, both frintbcontrol arms on both sides, front sway bar end links, oil filter housing and cooler gaskets, etc. over the years. I also pulled the intake and scraped the goo out and blasted the carbon.

I would be more worried about a 545i or 550i due to the valley pan gasket issues that often occur with age. It’s a big job to fix and not a lot of DIYers can do it.

[jtbgonesailing]

The biggest area to look at, coming from a e39, would be the number of electronic modules. I have an 05 e60 with no fewer than 33 electronic modules, read computers. The e92 would be loaded with the modules as well. A new skill set is required for diagnostics/maintenance.

[bigfwop]

Thank you. I'll be looking at a manual 545i this weekend with 180k. The seller wants 4,500 for it so I think its a pretty good deal pending inspection.

[Johnbennett103]

I have had a 545i. You will know if there is a valve stem problem if the car smokes at idle. Other than that, ask for service records. You do not want to buy any BMW that hasn't been maintained.

[White94RX]

I hope to God you didn't buy a 545 with 180k. Not unless you got $10k worth of maintenance records including valve stem seals and secondary air passages cleaning.

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[bigfwop]

lol I haven't bought anything yet. I consider myself decently mechanically inclined. Enough so to be comfortable using AGA's kit that they sell for the stem seals.
Yes the common issues appear to be very pHUCKED up but aren't impossible.

[White94RX]

Valve stem seals with the AGA tool doesn't fix the secondary air passages that clog. That's why I tell everyone to skip the 545 and jump to the 550. They eliminated the secondary air system.

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[pbonsalb]

As a BMW mechanic, which do you think is more reliable, the 535i or 550i? You can get 550i power or better from a 535i with a $500 JB4 tune.

[White94RX]

That's a tough call really. A 550 is going to be prone to oil leaks, which can be costly. The auto tranny sucks, but if you get a manual, that eliminates that. A 550 will eventually need valve stem seals. A 535 may need an injector or coil replaced here and there if they haven't already been done. We don't do a whole lot of turbo's any more, mainly because not many of them are under warranty and they don't come to the dealer. That's really a tough call. You could do valve stem seals and every single gasket on a 550 all at one time (big $$$) but then theoretically you wouldn't need to touch it for another 100k miles. If a 535 already has injectors with index # 12, and the updated coils, you may not have to do much to it at all. It will need a valve cover gasket, oil filter housing gasket, and a water pump by 100k or earlier if it hasn't already been done.