1st Post: '01 530/5, a 6cyl invades my stable

**haolibird** · 11-29-2022, 01:05 PM

Virgin no more...

I recently came across a 530 5speed in need of a new home.

$2500.00
236k on the clock
Original owner, with folder full of receipts ($20,495.00 over the life of the car)
Car sat for 5years (plausible story for the long sleep)
Most of the 6cyl maint items have been addressed in the last 30k miles.
Paint flawless
Interior outstanding
Rims near perfect

On a total impulse, I bought this car that my neighbor found while on the job.
Having limited knowledge of the M54, BMW forums are a good thing...

Still, I feel like an infidel.

Some of the receipts a

Pics for your consideration.

Tom

**seagreen323i** · 11-29-2022, 01:17 PM

Sounds just like the peach my dad picked up, packet of recipts, flawless condition, 2000k price wise, and only 130k on the clock. Wouldn't start and all that happened was that the fuel pump came unclipped from the bottom of the tank.

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**Jason5driver** · 11-29-2022, 01:47 PM

Holy Sh!t !
I am envious !
I'll take it ! lol ...
Let me know if you need help on steps to getting it started ...
I have some experience with the 528i that sat for at least 10 years , probably 12 ...

**haolibird** · 11-29-2022, 01:58 PM

Seagreen, jury still out on it running.
OO claims all it needs is a battery.
I had to clean 1/2" thick layer of rat shit poop off the engine compartment, so not sure about the wiring situation.
When I hit a jumper box on the cables, all the lights worked, not even a single pixel out!
It's parked at a friends house, until I can get to it.

Jason5, Thanks for the response.
Always been a big fan of your contributions.
1st ballot HOF at the 'Fest, IMHO.
Where would you like it shipped?
"Middle of Corn Field" a little too obscure, even for us transportation experts...

Hb

**JimLev** · 11-29-2022, 02:05 PM

Great find Tom.

**ross1** · 11-29-2022, 02:11 PM

Great find!
That six will grow on you.

**haolibird** · 11-29-2022, 04:20 PM

Looking forward to +25mpg...

Thanks guys.
I'll update when I get ready to fire it off.

I went thru the receipts last night.
The only items that haven't been addressed are the shocks, and suspension.

Another thing I found was her multiple speeding tickets, and traffic scool receipts.
She kept EVERYTHING!

Truth be told, it was in the body shop once or twice.
Bumpers, mostly.
Probably explains the perfect paint.

As for why it sat for 5 years, she got a new Volvo turbo charged SUV.
Parked the 530 in the shade, and forgot about it.
As much as it sounds like a BS story, having had a beer or 2 with the husband, while looking out on a $1m view, I could understand..."Oh, is that where you parked the BMW?...kinda forgot about it..."

More to come.
Tom

**sleuth255** · 11-29-2022, 04:55 PM

Nice Sport edition (I believe having not seen the interior but it will have M-series wheel and M branded shifter if it is). You'll like the handling on the sport edition. Given the ticket history, it may have gone through front thrust arm bushings pretty regularly as well. Mine did but I also can't resist spirited driving on twisty back roads either... Spherical bushings fixed the problem for me. You should get ~29mpg at 75-80mph if its all running correctly. Check to make sure that the oil light extinguishes immediately on a cold start.

**haolibird** · 11-29-2022, 05:55 PM

Thanks sleuth!
The 540 is not known for its nimbleness on the corners, in comparison.

I will take heed of the oil light!

Mahalo,
H

**BimmerBreaker** · 11-29-2022, 07:37 PM

For a daily driver, the E39 530i manual might be the best BMW ...maybe ever. There are better chassis, better engines, but IMO not a better combination when factoring in upfront cost, reliability, practicality, maintenance and upkeep costs and the balance of comfort vs dynamics. E46 330i is up there too, obviously, but I'd take an E39 any day over the 3

**KeysCoupe** · 11-29-2022, 09:07 PM

Beautiful looking 530, and with a 5spd. Those Style 42’s look perfect. Your body cladding being body color looks really good too. My Wagon also is body color, but many E39’s seem to have black cladding. I hope that the rats didn’t chew anything and it fires up and runs well.
Looks like you got a deal there!
-Donny

**sleuth255** · 11-29-2022, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by BimmerBreaker

For a daily driver, the E39 530i manual might be the best BMW ...maybe ever. There are better chassis, better engines, but IMO not a better combination when factoring in upfront cost, reliability, practicality, maintenance and upkeep costs and the balance of comfort vs dynamics. E46 330i is up there too, obviously, but I'd take an E39 any day over the 3

Gotta agree with that. Don't want to turn this thread into a debate though. My brother's 2003 540i was a real blast to drive back in the day too. Ask me about the time we saved all the turkeys that were walking on the road when I flew around the corner at 80+ mph lol... OTOH, my 530i is a proven road machine which I've owned for damn near 20 years, which has kept me and my family safe from all kinds of idiots and stupid crazy circumstances on the road, which still has people walking up to tell me "nice car!", that I'm also finding will be hard to leave sitting in the garage this winter....

**haolibird** · 11-30-2022, 08:49 AM

I have added 2 Before shots.

BimmerBreaker,
I have always read that the 6's handle better, and it's clear to understand why.
I knew I would end up getting the car, due to the 5speed.
Just was hoping that the rest of the car was in reasonable shape.
Turns out, it is exceeding my expectations.

Keys,
Yeah, I was trippin on the wheels, and that there are ZERO flaws.
I'm sure I'll change that...
Also in agreement with the body cladding.
Funny, I have 2 full sets of black cladding in the inventory.

Sleuth,
Don't think there will be a debate about the handling.
Maintenance?
That might be different.
NONE of my V8's have a "Catch can"...
And it seems the 8 is a study of simplicity in the engine compartment.
Of course, there is that pesky "timing chain thing"...

Tut tut.
I'll try to get it running asap.
Jason5, I'll be PM'ing you for your recommendations about reanimation.

Best,
Igor

**sleuth255** · 11-30-2022, 11:23 AM

2003 530i/5 Sport Edition maintenance brain dump follows:

There is a 6 cyl CCV delete that I haven't applied to mine yet. I should do this though b/c I'm on my second replacement and it is a pita.

DIY Solution to the troublesome CCV system (Pic-Heavy)

Everything's pretty easy to get to on the 6cyl. I've done a few VCG replacements and nothing really problematic there. Intake boots are pretty easy to PM also. ICV cleanout during that job is a piece of cake. Pre-cat O2s are a 10min job. There are some pesky flex tubes for the brake lines just under the ABS unit that can create major headaches. These turn brittle because they are right next to the exhaust manifold. Not really a problem on my 2003 (yet) because BMW improved the heat shielding in 2003 but the job appears to be nightmare ish... No issues with my steering rack but the u-joint for the steering column went bad leading to a knock that I could feel through the wheel when going over bumps. Lower steering column needs to be replaced to fix it. Also changed out the coils when one finally went bad last year. My paperwork "stack" is about 9/16" high (just mic'ed it lol) and includes everything ever done since 2003 including emissions tests etc.

BMW replaced my radio, onboard monitor (light sensor failed), GPS antenna and instrument cluster (bad pixels started happening) when the car was in warranty. The new cluster remains pixel perfect so they must've put in a production change to correct this endemic E39 problem. I have the NAV option and I've since replaced the OBM screen twice due to bad pixels (it tends to happen in very cold weather). Finally figured out how to tweak the brightness/contrast on the replacement before final installation. Many have attributed dim screen replacements to different "viewing angles" and I suppose these settings would be different in an X5 vs. a E39 but its nothing innate to the screen part number itself and quickly corrected by tweaking the brightness/contrast pots on the OBM circuit board.

The drainback valve for my OFH failed leading to dry startups which I didn't notice for quite a while. I swapped in an improved drainback valve made by vanos BMW. Also had to replace the OFH gasket twice. No problem with my DISA valve, but I PMed it at 100K miles (DISA valve pin failure = engine is now scrap).

Cooling system: over the years I've replaced the water pump once (use metal fin replacement), upper/lower hoses once, Fan clutch once at about 90K. I just had to do the radiator too b/c I snapped off the plastic fitting for the overflow tube while doing the OFH replacement back in August. At 195K plastic things were getting brittle so it was getting to be time anyway. I PMed the "explosion bottle" around 120K as well. I drive around town mostly so there's no real thermal cycling under the hood. My plastic cooling components have held up pretty well because of it.

Sensors: really only my MAF which I had to to twice. First time I want with VDO iirc and it was junk from the beginning so I replaced again with Hella (OEM for my 2003) and everything's been great there since.

Suspension: all the regular stuff. Sway bar bushings/end links. Plenty of lower thrust arms until I finally replaced with syncro design works thrust arms that had spherical bushings. Rear wheel bearings at 150K (job is a pita so my indie did them). Car is still on original front struts. All the brakes have been done about twice now too. Regular alignments. Had a real scare when an idiot tech put in a hack for the left rear adjusting bolt and it fell out. Thankfully I noticed the steering wheel alignment started to change on the freeway, got off and was limping back home when it happened. My wife was able to find it (and I discovered the hack), so I slid it back in place then we made it home.

Lighting: all my adjusters broke at about 120Kish so I used the "ship in the bottle" technique to rebuild them. Also had to replace the front suspension height sensor and rebuild the connector to get leveling back online. This year I went full monty and R&Red the entire assemblies: new lenses, Morimoto projectors, 1600 Lumen LED bulbs for the halo rings. Had to source out two older "bakeable" (pre 06/2002 production stamp) facelift headlight assemblies off ebay but the entire job was reasonable and the lights have never been better. Yours are bakeable so the job would be a piece of cake for you.

Finally alternator at 100K, and A/C compressor this last August.

No real problem with doors or actuators. Had to re-seal the rear door vapor barriers a loooong time ago. I do have an occasional situation where the passenger side front door won't open from the outside. Its door handle/bowden cable related and I have all the parts, just need to get off my lazy butt and get it done lol... Sunroof has been problem free too.

Looking at VANOS rebuild (will probably go with a replacement; process looks tricky - maybe JimLev has a 6 cylinder VANOS on his shelf?) and potentially rod bearings (due to the OFH drainback valve failure). Will know for sure when the oil sample I sent off to Blackstone Labs comes back. Oh yeah, the oil pan gasket was replaced by my indie a few years ago. Wasn't interested in trying that job on my back and the "split the gasket hack" didn't seem like the way to go for me... He'll probably get the nod for the rod bearings too if they need to be done. Having a lift/transmission support jack makes dropping the subframe and working on the rod caps much easier....

So really not bad for 20 years worth...

**ross1** · 11-30-2022, 01:42 PM

"Looking at VANOS rebuild "
I find your dual VANOS TU engine easier than the pre TU to set up. Installing the seals is easy.

**seagreen323i** · 11-30-2022, 01:52 PM

I'll say this about ease of working on the i6 vs the v8.

If you have to do any work on the front of the i6, it's much tighter vs the v8. I actually don't even screw with the fan clutch tool on the 540 unless I need the fan clutch off to change the waterpump or clutch itself. I just pull the shroud past the fan and undo the 3 hex screws that hold the fan to the clutch.

If you have to do any work on the side of the v8 there are things you cannot remove ,(the frame) that get in the way. Whereas everything on the i6 that's in the way in the front is removable.

The intake manifold is more difficult to remove on the i6 and there is so much crap under there that you will eventually have to do it, the v8 intake manifold I can take off in 10 minutes.

Exhaust headers suck on both and with the integrated cats the i6 looks harder at a glance, granted I've never taken my exhaust headers off on my v8.

Water pump on the i6 is easier because you don't have those craptastic pipes to line up and the waterpump bolt hiding behind the crank pulley like the v8 does. With the right tools and experience I would say they are the same difficulty wise if the pipes play nice.

We all know what engine has the easier oil separator to change.... stupid m62 design desicion

I6 valve cover is way easier, I can't argue that.

V8 oilchanges I find easier for 2 reasons. The oil drain plug is In a better spot and the filter is entirely by itself honesty both are stupid simple and it's a moot point.

Both thermostats are about the same difficulty to change.

Cam sensors and crank sensor are MUCH easier to change on the v8

I love the i6 e39s, my father has that 530 and the rack and pinion is nice. The oil burning sucks though. Both of his m54b30 cars have oil consumption issues and a slight haze out of the exhaust at full throttle.
Stupid m54 piston rings.

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**seagreen323i** · 11-30-2022, 01:57 PM

On another note I find it funny that people complain about the v8 timing chains so bad that don't require an entire engine stripdown or removal yet seem to just roll with the fact that the m54 will burn oil and needs an entire engine rebuild to remedy it.

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**BMW540san** · 11-30-2022, 02:26 PM

Great find!
Opinions differ but I've owned E39 540 / 528 / E53 X5 3.0 with M54 for a looooong time and nod goes to inline 6 in terms of ease of working on it.
Inline 6 does have tight room up front but when you go with electric fan (clutch fan delete) as I and some others here did, you gain nice working room.
The only better thing than your find is S52 in E39 (I know a guy who did it, lol) which doesn't burn oil and has more HP / torque than M54.

**haolibird** · 11-30-2022, 03:10 PM

Oil consumption?

Half the receipts were for 2qts here, 2 qts there, all from the dealer!
North of $8.00/qt back in the early 2000's.
I didn't add that in on the $20k in maintenance records.

Well, if the engine needs to come out, GOTTA be easier than the V8.

Thanks again for all the Aloha on my new car.
Good thing all the problems are covered here, and just a few keystrokes away.

Very best,
Tom

**Jason5driver** · 11-30-2022, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by seagreen323i

On another note I find it funny that people complain about the v8 timing chains so bad that don't require an entire engine stripdown or removal yet seem to just roll with the fact that the m54 will burn oil and needs an entire engine rebuild to remedy it.

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Try adding a small bottle of Lucas fuel injector cleaner at every gas fill-up .
And , adding the small vacuum hose to the stock CCV .

**seagreen323i** · 11-30-2022, 04:56 PM

Originally Posted by Jason5driver

Try adding a small bottle of Lucas fuel injector cleaner at every gas fill-up .
And , adding the small vacuum hose to the stock CCV .

Might try the CCV thing, I'm just gonna re ring them over the summer to be honest, one has 220k on it, other is like 189k. My e46 with the m52tu and the proper style of ring does not burn or leak a drop between oil changes, never been opened at 275k miles

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**BimmerBreaker** · 11-30-2022, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by seagreen323i

On another note I find it funny that people complain about the v8 timing chains so bad that don't require an entire engine stripdown or removal yet seem to just roll with the fact that the m54 will burn oil and needs an entire engine rebuild to remedy it.

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A bad CCV or loose oil control rings won't cause the engine to jump timing and ruin an engine like timing chain guides will lol...

**seagreen323i** · 11-30-2022, 07:28 PM

Originally Posted by BimmerBreaker

A bad CCV or loose oil control rings won't cause the engine to jump timing and ruin an engine like timing chain guides will lol...

Oil pump nut certainly can destroy an engine.
I'm done threadjacking

Once again beautiful car! I'd expect many many more miles out of it.

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**sleuth255** · 11-30-2022, 10:09 PM

Originally Posted by seagreen323i

I'll say this about ease of working on the i6 vs the v8.

If you have to do any work on the front of the i6, it's much tighter vs the v8....

Yeah, agree. The front of the engine is tight on the I6. I unscrew the fan then pull it and the shroud out at the same time. Fan removal tool set is a necessity and a bit of a pita to get set up for sure. Once that and the airbox is out its not so bad. Also been getting about 1K miles per quart since day 1. I literally keep a quart of oil in the trunk then set the trip odometer for it. So yeah, not great oil consumption.

**sleuth255** · 11-30-2022, 11:07 PM

Originally Posted by ross1

"Looking at VANOS rebuild "
I find your dual VANOS TU engine easier than the pre TU to set up. Installing the seals is easy.

Maybe I'll give it a whirl then. The fine lass who works the counter at my local Napa Parts store has an E46 330i and is gonna do hers so I should be able to at least get some coaching right?