Buyers guide for an E34

[cleoent]

My bro is looking into buying an E34, he wants a 540. Is there a FAQ or buyers guide anywhere which lists common problems, how long parts last, blah blah blah...??

He wants a 1995 540 6spd, but can't find any so he's going to settle for the 540A, what do you guys think? I'm sure his shit will be quicker than mine but how are they in the handling department, how about brakes? What should be upgraded first, etc... thanks!

[shragon]

quick car, but shitty engine. nikasil problem with 540i and 530i. www.530i.org has info on it. some have replaced the block with alusil which doesn't have the problem.

for everything else, look no further than www.bmwe34.net which has a wealth of info.

[cleoent]

shitty engine?

[LinearX]

Shitty for American fuel. It cannot withstand the solvents in our gas and eventually starts hurting bad.. only solution was to replace with an iron block.

[badbadm]

Fabulous engine. Weak brakes.

[badbadm]

Originally posted by LinearX
Shitty for American fuel. It cannot withstand the solvents in our gas and eventually starts hurting bad.. only solution was to replace with an iron block.

WRONG. It was replaced with an aluminum block of a slightly different composition. Do your homework!

[LinearX]

OKAY

God, just relaying what someone else told me, give me a break.

[cleoent]

Um... So what's the deal on the engines? How long to they last until you have to replace that thing?

[abakos]

The sulfur in our fuel (or any fuel I guess...) makes the Nikasil pit and corrode. Raises hell over time.

Read all about it.

Weak brakes? Maybe compared to an M, but my 5er will stop dead in its tracks IMHO. I could see some issues if you planned on running it on the track...but even for spirited driving, I've yet to have a complaint.

[5mall5nail5]

Weak brakes????

The E34 as of 1989 has the best braking performance of any luxury sedan in its time... weak brakes, get real, they're huge for OEM.

[badbadm]

Originally posted by UrineMachine
Weak brakes????

The E34 as of 1989 has the best braking performance of any luxury sedan in its time... weak brakes, get real, they're huge for OEM.

I'm being real, but I wasn't talking about the E34 525i or the 1989 model. Both of you are right in your statements; I totally agree. However, the dude at the start of the thread is asking about the 540i, and the truth is that the E34 540i has relatively weak brakes for a BMW. If you need me to be specific: the 540i brakes will fade substantially after about 3 rolling decels from around 90mph to around 45mph. After that, they become pretty much frightening... the brakes can't dissipate the heat fast enough. The stopping power is decent, although (speaking of the 540i/6 in this case) the car feels like it has way more engine than it does brakes. This is unusual for a BMW, whereas the engineers commonly make the statement "The brakes always must be stronger than the engine." The E34 540i is one of the few BMWs that will make you question whether that applies.
Again: Fabulous engine. Weak brakes.

[badbadm]

Originally posted by cleoent
Um... So what's the deal on the engines? How long to they last until you have to replace that thing?

All affected E34 540s *should* have had their original block replaced under warranty. After that, the problem should not re-occur. So find one with good records.

[shragon]

okay, "shitty" was a little harsh. it's a good engine, it's just that it's a nikasil block. so like others said, the sulfer in the gas will eventually kill that block.

some nikasil blocks have been replaced with an alusil block. however, i would say that many have not. even with an extended warranty that bmw put in place, many of the blocks had not been replaced because they didn't start experiencing problems until after.

so if the block is nikasil, it's important to get a leakdown test. also, just know that the block will eventually need to be replaced (especially if you live outside of california where the sulfer content in gas is much higher). if the block has been replaced with a alusil block, the car should be running smooth!

[cleoent]

other than records is there anyway of knowing which block you have

[5mall5nail5]

www.bmwe34.net has all your answers... the block is stamped, you check that stamp to see if it's a nika or alu...

[cleoent]

i was there, guess i didn't see that

[Platinum1]

I just bought a 95 540i manual, and here is my advice. I looked into the Nikasil problem, and here is the response I got from Chevron regarding Sulfur in gasoline:

----
We can tell you that in the United States, the level of sulfur in all grades has a maximum of 0.10 Mass (weight) Percent. That is the same as 1000 parts per million (ppm). This specification which is followed by the entire United States (US) gasoline marketing industry is set forth by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) in the specification D 4814, entitled, "Standard Specification for Automotive Spark-Ignition Engine Fuel". It is the specification maximum sulfur content in all US states. It would be safe to say you should not encounter gasoline with sulfur at higher limits than 1000 ppm in the US.

Some states, like California, have stricter regulations on sulfur than the federal standard. The California limit is more stringent at a maximum of 80 parts per million (0.008 weight percent). Chevron expects that the government mandated sulfur levels will continue to go down in the future and Chevron will be in compliance all along the way.

A federal sulfur limit of 30 ppm refinery average becomes effective in 2005 with a 300 ppm cap. An 80 ppm cap comes into effect in 2006. We are uncertain as to whether the reduction will occur any faster than these time lines.

You may be interested in some country-wide surveys done over the past five years by the Southwest Research Institute (SWRI). The survey showed Chevron had an average of 325 ppm sulfur in the regular grade and 84 ppm sulfur in the supreme grade.

In the year 2000 in the United States, Chevron was just under 150 ppm (average) in the regular grade and 80 ppm (average) for the supreme grade.

In California, Chevron is able to reduce typical sulfur levels to 30-40 ppm. Typicals are mere averages. Any one batch could vary.

While we do not have the European statistics that you also ask about, and we are uncertain what is required by your vehicle's manufacturer, we assume if they market their cars for the United States market they are aware of the sulfur specifications and produce a product that will be able to handle them. It may be more appropriate for you to contact them for advice on this topic. We would hope they would consider the sulfur levels in Chevron gasoline adequately "low".
----

My car was just out of its warrantee, so I don't get a free block replacement. The engine is still running smoothly after 80K miles, and I'm not too worried.


Other problems I had:
Brake pad wear sensor (replaced free)
Door hinge ripped the metal on the door. We just got this fixed and it cost nearly $1000. You can prevent it by buying a $30 brace, or by using washers (I found the brace on some New Zeland site, don't remember it though).
The thrust arms and bushings need to be replaced; many BMWs have a shimmy around 80 MPH.

Also, check out http://www.bmwe34.net/e34main/troubl...will_break.htm

bmwe34.net is a great resource for e34 owners.

[abakos]

Originally posted by cleoent
i was there, guess i didn't see that

bmwe34.net takes some getting used to...I still find stuff on that site that I've never read before, and I'd swear I've been through it a number of times.

[AB540]

The E34 540 does NOT have weak brakes. My 540 is nothing short of impressive in the braking dept, and I compare it to other cars I have had (Mercedes, the brakes were great, corvette, good brakes, LT-1 Camaro, good but did fade, etc etc). The 540 does not dive, dart or do anything but inspire confidence under braking. The wide tires can lead to some tramlining, but that is to be expected with big rubber and uneven roads.
My advice is to get at least 17" wheels, wide as you can go, and maybe lower it a bit (I used the Bilstein, BAV combo and the rewards in handling are unbelievable) You will trade some ride comfort though.

You can take the engine block casting # to the dealer and have them check it to see if it had been changed.
If it is an auto you get, CHECK THE TRANNY !!!!!!!!!!!!
Take it to a reputable shop that knows about the ZF 5HP30 and have the valve body updated ASAP.
If you do not do this, you are driving a ticking time bomb.
The check balls can shrink and move inside the valve body, sometimes through the seperator plate and BLAM you need a new tranny. Ask me how I know.
If you get a rough idle. check to 02 sensors in the exhaust, and then the gasket on the crankcase vent (rear of the intake manifold) as they are known to leak.
By and large, these are great cars, Find one that has been taken care of, and you have a great car that hauls a$$, especially as speeds increase. They are monsters on the hiway.
If you want better off the line get up and go, swap the rear diff to a 3.15 out of a 750. I have done this mod, and it makes a world of difference.
Good luck.

[badbadm]

Originally posted by AB540
The E34 540 does NOT have weak brakes. My 540 is nothing short of impressive in the braking dept, and I compare it to other cars I have had (Mercedes, the brakes were great, corvette, good brakes, LT-1 Camaro, good but did fade, etc etc). The 540 does not dive, dart or do anything but inspire confidence under braking. The wide tires can lead to some tramlining, but that is to be expected with big rubber and uneven roads.
My advice is to get at least 17" wheels, wide as you can go, and maybe lower it a bit (I used the Bilstein, BAV combo and the rewards in handling are unbelievable) You will trade some ride comfort though.

I am sticking to my statement... the E34 540i has more engine than it does brakes. I am obviously talking about the 540i dead-stock... including wheels and tires. In stock configuration, the 540i can not fight brakefade for nearly as long as many other BMWs.

[phatfarm]

enough arguing over the brakes.


plain and simple. DO NOT BUY a 540 with a nikasil block (you can check the part numbers on the block to tell) bmw wont honor the warranty/recall as it only covered the car for 6 years

parts and labor will cost you around $4500 if you want to have it done

i had it done 2 years ago at 52,000 miles, no warning, nothing. other have had better success, but i wouldn't bet on it. dont take your chances

[shragon]

Originally posted by abakos
bmwe34.net takes some getting used to...I still find stuff on that site that I've never read before, and I'd swear I've been through it a number of times.

i thought i was the only one that had this problem! great site with lots of info, but it could probably be organized a little better. a site map would probably help too.

btw... greg in the bay area had a '95 540i at one time. i beleive he said the block was swapped out at 100k miles. keith in the bay area also has a '95 540i, but it is running on an alusil block, so it's fairly trouble free. so even though the sulfur level in cali gas is low, the block will eventually go out as well.

[bobbylap]

Not to join the arguement or anything but I made the mistake of buying a 540i w/ a nikasil block. Luckily the shop gave me my money back upon being made aware of the problem. I briefly entertained the idea of fixing it, but the dealership in Albany NY was selling a "long block" replacement for $ 9200.00 and the book pays over 40 hrs to do an R & R. definately not worth the $13,000 it would have cost for a new motor.

[cmmetcalf]

Ok I own a for sale e34 540iA. It has latest Alusiol block check castings number it is easy to see from underneath and tells the whole tale on the engine. There are many nikasil's that have run to over 100K but becuase of bad press and possibl exposure to hi sulpher fuel are risky even with leak down test. The 540iA has the 740 brakes under it. I run ATE power disks on front, stock rotor on rear and EBC "red stuff" on both F+R for brake pads (available from TireRack among others) and I have never had a braking experience that was other than damn uncomfortable pulling down from speed. The car has both Dinan chips and I strongly recommend them--- somewhat pricey but oh what a difference! Transmission should have fluid changed at 80K (use BMW fluid) or so---don't believe the "life-time" spec. Red line for diff. SS brake lines also help stiffen up the pedal feel. With the Dinan and no top speed limiter (K+N howling) I had the pleasure of running away (slowly to be sure but gaining all the way on a top-end pull to 140+ from a late model Corvette (not the super one but a regular variety). The e34 in my opinion (I've owned 3---2 535is and the 540) is a solid auto. Engine and transmission issues are well documented. Check the service history and records, replace fluid and get the tranny chip in it as soon as possible (better shifting pattern, quicker shifts --- less strain and heat build up). I've had basically 50k trouble free miles out of mine and it stills runs like the thoroughbread it is. Good luck