Edit: SOLD
Edit: pics and more details.
For sale 2003 540i 6 speed 178k miles. Asking $3,000. Black Sapphire w black interior. The timing chain guides just let go and I am ready to let someone else take on the project. Car has a handful of other issues beyond the guides. There is some rust in the drivers side rear door sill and fender, and a bit of bubbling under the paint in the top of the rear fender arches. It is the full 2003 M-Tech II package. Dampers were replaced with Bilstein PSS ~5 years ago anyway, and the M-style bumpers both have some cracks in one corner. Original clutch and flywheel are still good, no slip at full throttle. Except for above mentioned rust paint is in good shape, as is the interior, no stains/tears minor creasing in driver bolster. I have had the car for 12 years and 100k miles, and am ready to move into something newer.
Timing chains failed with little warning, not driven at all once failed. There was the slightest bit of a whine/whir coming from the driver side front of the engine that started about 50 miles before TCG failure. Not sure if it was related. Planned on bringing to shop for a checkup assuming it was like an alternator/pulley/bearing thing. A few days before I was to go the shop I start it up to leave from work. I got a check engine light. No other noise, and still running fine. Drive car home ~14 mile trip. Still no noises. Scan it, P0011. Car sits for a few days, then bring it to shop. Still no noise except the whir. Park at shop. Car sits for ~20 mins off. Start it up with mechanic friend with his head under the hood. Blam thats when they let go. Car started and idled fine, but the guide failure chain rattle noise was immediately obvious. I shut it down after ~3-4 seconds. He said he only heard noise in the front of the engine, and nothing that sounded like earth shattering engine internal failures. I have not started it since, and I am not going to turn it over ( or warm it up ) to do compression tests.
As for the rest of it.. Oil changes every ~8k miles with Mobile 1 5w30. Most recent oil change was 1500 miles ago with "high mileage" Moble1 5w30.
100k / 10 years ago - cooling system so its due again
116k new power steering pump
136k new alternator
141k Valve cover gaskets, 8 new ignition coils, fuel filter, sway bar links and thrust arms, trans and diff fluid changed
150k Bilstein PSS / B14 installed
154k Sunroof clips and headlight adjusters replaced, Backstone oil analysis shows everything looked good.
159k FSU
160k Brakes, Zimmerman Z-coated rotors, Cool Carbon pads, fluid flush, new front wheel bearings, all 4 O2 sensors, and exhaust manifold gaskets.
165k MAF
175k New H8-DLG battery, master and slave cylinder replaced, fluid flushed.
Engine always ran wonderfully, always a blast to drive, had it for 12 years. I am just ready to graduate to something newer/faster. Was getting mentally prepared to sell it in another year or two anyway, but with the TCG failure the time is now.
Edit: more details. AC ice cold, heated front seats working 100%, no missing pixels in dash, 1 line of pixels starting to go on the radio display.
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Last edited by agentrnge; 01-11-2019 at 09:39 AM.
Pm me picture
lapd: Thanks for the response. I will put some fresh pics up in a day or so, and make this a more complete post with maint history.
Middle of winter and all, car is about as dirty as it gets in the above pics and interior has not been cleaned/detailed since summer. Here is an older exterior picture from ~25k miles ago after a bath. She cleans up well and looks like a champ after a clay bar and wax. Interior pics are new.
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Last edited by agentrnge; 01-06-2019 at 11:38 PM.
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