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Thread: E61 Question - Am I insane

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    E61 Question - Am I insane

    Hey guys. Looking for some E61 advice. I have a line on a very rare car up here in Canuck land. It’s a 2008 535xiT 6MT model but the catch is it’s higher mileage (212,000km). The current owner and I have been back and forth and the service records are spot on. Most everything known to go wrong has been addressed. Including the turbos, HPFP, transfer case and the auto tailgate. My guts tell me this is a good buy (it’s listed around $13K USD) but I also know I don’t want a lemon. For reference I am currently splitting my winter and summer duties between a very well maintained E91 (141,000km) and an equally well maintained E34 M5. This purchase means the E91 has to go for sure and maybe the E34. Which is fine I suppose.

    The current owner spent great care while he owned the car and had it dealer serviced for everything. I know I am likely up for a clutch soon but based on my research that is about it. I could look for a lower mileage car without the auto but I like shifting.

    Thoughts ?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
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    Dirty Jersey
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    2008 BMW 535xi
    Post a few pics after you get it home.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
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    New England
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    F90 M5; E36 M3 Turbo
    I have an 08 535xit with 130k miles. Had it for 8 years and 100k of those miles. Figure it is worth about $8k USD now. We will keep it for a few more years. I have done all the work since the extended warranty expired in 2014. They have a set of known issues. Hopefully most have been taken care of on your car. Great cars if maintained and sorted out. Buy a JB4 to wake it up.
    Last edited by pbonsalb; 04-14-2018 at 06:57 AM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
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    In the end I chickened out. It was actually the last repair that scared me the most. Water ingress into the trunk about a month ago. From what I have read that leads to all kinds of funky module failures. The deal breaker was likely having to part with my very well sorted E91 and my E34 M5 all so I could shift gears. I will stay on the lookout for a good one (likely with an auto trans and lower mileage) there is one closer to me that has been for sale for a while. Maybe take a look at it.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
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    New England
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    F90 M5; E36 M3 Turbo
    The water in the trunk is from clogged sunroof drains. There was a class action lawsuit over this. It is well known to enthusiasts. Very easy preventable maintenance. Can be very expensive damage if the drains clog and flood the trunk.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
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    Plainville, CT, USA
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    '89 535-GTS,'10 535xit
    I had an 11 e91 m sport with the 6 speed and replaced it with a 10 e61 m sport with an auto. It wasn't a willing choice. The 3 was totalled. And I wasn't able to find a manual, so this is my first auto. This was 2 years ago.
    I still miss driving the 3. It's a more enjoyable drive. Other than that, the 5 is better in every way. More room, more power, more comfortable, better gas mileage (which baffled me). I have two little kids and dealing with them in the 5 is easier plus it holds way more of their stuff (and we also have an Odyssey)
    I bought the 5 with 98,000. It had minimal repair records and everything was original. It now has 126,000. Other than the water pump failing my first week, I haven't been stranded. Once in a while it acts up, but runs fine after clearing the code. Besides a walnut blast and a vanos solonoid the engine has been fine. (Although I have refrained from a tune since I feel it could speed up a failure).
    I wish I could have found a manual. So I think you might want to reconsider. They are not all bad cars.
    BTW, I also have a e34 for fun drives.

    Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk

    2000, 2001, 2002, 2011, & 2020 One Lap of America Race Team Follow Redfive Racing on Facebook
    1989 535GTS-S5S, 2010 535xit M sport wagon

  7. #7
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    Jul 2016
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    Yah I will probably regret not picking this one up. The owner is showing it today to a couple other people and i would imagine it will sold by end of day, he seems like a real straight shooter. It was the $5-7K premium over an auto that I am struggling with. One other 6MT sold up here this week in a day for similar money so I guess that's what they go for. There is an 08 that is close-isa to me. I would like to drive it first before I buy. There are also a couple of M-sports for sale in the colour I would want. I will keep looking but likely will end up with an auto and save myself $5K on the asking price up front. I also have the E34 for fun drives then.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by pbonsalb View Post
    The water in the trunk is from clogged sunroof drains. There was a class action lawsuit over this. It is well known to enthusiasts. Very easy preventable maintenance. Can be very expensive damage if the drains clog and flood the trunk.
    Which is what had just happened and he had just had a module replaced because of it. I got more worried that this would lead to more failed modules. As it did not note that drains had then been cleared.

  8. #8
    Join Date
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    '89 535-GTS,'10 535xit
    Wow, that's quite a selection. It took me a year of searching most of the country to find my e91 and I didn't have much time to find a replacement and got really lucky to find an m sport. I was searching the whole country at the time and there were like 3 manuals, all way over priced compared to the autos. So my plan was to swap my car to a manual with the extra money I got. But that cash went to medical bills from my accident and I had to learn to like the auto.
    I may still swap it if the auto goes...

    Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk

    2000, 2001, 2002, 2011, & 2020 One Lap of America Race Team Follow Redfive Racing on Facebook
    1989 535GTS-S5S, 2010 535xit M sport wagon

  9. #9
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    I just started "looking" a couple weeks ago. My E91 is fine for sure. I like it. If I have time in a couple weeks I am going to test drive a 535 of some sot and see if I like it better than my current ride. If I do I will find the right E61 for me. The M-sport is appealing. I am looking for White-Beige/Black or Silver/Beige-Black preferably M-sport and preferably with maintenance records and less than 100K miles (160,000km). If I find what I am looking fro I will fly out and drive back. Likely June-Aug when I can actually do that. Right now life won't allow it. Most of the cars I am finding have 135K miles (200,000 km) which is a little high for my liking.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
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    F90 M5; E36 M3 Turbo
    The sport package on the AWD E61 535xi is just black trim and sport seats and 18 inch wheels. No suspension changes, no staggered wheels. Ours is sport. You could black out the trim yourself and buy aftermarket wheels.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
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    Monroe, CT
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    423
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    2007 530xi 6 spd.manual
    At $13k, it was overpriced for a 10-year-old car with that many miles, rare or not. You made the right choice. There are others ones out there. You just need to be patient.
    2007 530xi, Black Metallic Sapphire, 6 speed manual, Sport package, Cold Weather Package, Premium Package, Premium Sound Package, Sirius Satellite Radio, MTech front bumper, Replica Style 166 wheels

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
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    Oregon
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    2000 Z3 2000 750iLP
    Jason--my 2007 E61 530XiT with a 6 speed manual is currently on Bringatrailer with less miles and currently a whole lot less money.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
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    Brandon
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    That one sold for a lot more money ! Not to despair. I have located and locked up a 2006 530xiT 6MT with M sport. I went and checked it out in person today. Lots of pep for any driving i do. And all the gadgets I was looking for. The only thing it didn’t have that I really wanted was Sirius (and it never came with either). I will drive it for a bit this summer and see if I like it and then will decide on keeping it or the E91. It was a pretty decent deal even though it’s higher mileage. Very well cared for by the last owners. Looking forward to driving it

  14. #14
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    Congrats on the purchase, I'm sure it will be fun!

  15. #15
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    Well got it home and man it drives nice. Two days later and I went to check Things out to do the belt drive and tensioner as the seller had recommended to him from a previous oil leak. And to my surprise there is fluid everywhere. Oil. I let the car sit for a few days and took the air box to look around. Initially I thought it was the front crank seal but when I fired the car up it was oil from the OFHG. This was previously repaired (like 300km ago) by the previous owner. He did the repair on his own. Obviously did not get the gasket to seat right. I know it has to come apart to do this job but I am now contemplating draining the coolant as well to do the job right and in the meantime replace my cooling hoses. All in about $500 for me to do it. Not a really challenging job, just a couple afternoons making a mess in the garage. I could just try and get the gasket seated properly and get the oil leak taken care of for now. I won’t change the oil as that was just done as well.

    Thoughts ?

  16. #16
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    Fix it properly, a new seal is less than $10. Existing seal probably pinched and will never lay flat in the channel.

  17. #17
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    I would do it and anything else failure prone made easier to change by having that side of engine clear. Common issue on I6 BMW motors.

  18. #18
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    Well I finally decided to tear into this after procrastinating on it for a few days. I found the leak pretty easily and it looks like a new oil filter housing and oil cooler gasket for me to re install. I also noticed a green (not blue) coolant in there so I will address that too. When I drain it I think I will change the rubber hoses at the same time as some of them are looking worse for wear and have had oil all over them. First things first I will get this oil leak dealt with and the engine cleaned back up, then the tensioner, pulley and belt. Then will plan out a cooling system refresh. Did one last year on my M5 (E34) and it wasn’t that bad. Just messy.

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