BMW E39 5 series - Any gen?

[Stanley]

Im pretty sold on one of these as ive always liked them and are now within a reasonable budget.

Facelift 530D Sport. Found one on a 52 plate with 138k miles for £3500 with over 9k's worth of servicing reciepts. Silver car with full greay leather, TV and every other extra you can imagine.

I did some leg work and managed to find out that its been going to one BMW dealers for 7 years. It has been there no less than 27 times for every service, MOT, squeak and rattle. Even down to removing a stone from the brakes! Had a new turbo and intercooler in 2009 and also fuel lines which are also guilty for going.

Does anyone have any experience with these?

Picture for reference :http://i901.photobucket.com/albums/ac212/Dizzle1977/BMW%20e39%20530d%20Sport/P1000901.jpg

Cheers!

[vauxluva]

Im pretty sold on one of these as ive always liked them and are now within a reasonable budget.

Facelift 530D Sport. Found one on a 52 plate with 138k miles for £3500 with over 9k's worth of servicing reciepts. Silver car with full greay leather, TV and every other extra you can imagine.

I did some leg work and managed to find out that its been going to one BMW dealers for 7 years. It has been there no less than 27 times for every service, MOT, squeak and rattle. Even down to removing a stone from the brakes! Had a new turbo and intercooler in 2009 and also fuel lines which are also guilty for going.

Does anyone have any experience with these?

Picture for reference :http://i901.photobucket.com/albums/ac212/Dizzle1977/BMW%20e39%20530d%20Sport/P1000901.jpg

Cheers!Hope this helps,had a k plate e36,2.0 straight six,it ate juice (loved the rear wheel action)but bmw wanted ££££ for a service even tho it had just gone threw a full m.o.t,if you got cash its all good:thumb:

[Stanley]

Different car in every way but i get your point mate.

I work at Arnold Clark in the service dept so servicing isnt really an issue. Either is run of the mill repairs. I can do most things myself.

[mowgli]

my dad swears by them.. they have the odd niggle just like everything else, but he loves them. his had run-flats & he swapped them for normal tyres to vastly improve the ride. i think there is a possible fault with the manifolds on that model...

[Stanley]

Yeah swirl flaps or something. Ill check through the reciepts for that.

Sick of my A3 breaking all the time!

[Novasport]

Bullet proof and built like tanks, you wont go wrong with one of them. That engine will do intergalactic miles if looked after.

[Novasport]

my dad swears by them.. they have the odd niggle just like everything else, but he loves them. his had run-flats & he swapped them for normal tyres to vastly improve the ride. i think there is a possible fault with the manifolds on that model...


Not the 3.0d, it only affected the E46 2.0d models. The metal flaps in the plastic inlet manifold used to work loose then get sucked through the engine and spat out via the turbo.

[Stanley]

Not the 3.0d, it only affected the E46 2.0d models. The metal flaps in the plastic inlet manifold used to work loose then get sucked through the engine and spat out via the turbo.

Im fairly sure the E39 3.0TD suffered from it too!

[Novasport]

I worked for BMW for over 7 years and never saw a 3.0d with a failed inlet manifold.

[Bubba]

if its been back to the same dealer for any work...i wouldnt hesitate as they obviously looked after it

[turbojolt]

When I was 17 working in a garage one come in for a service had 220k miles

[Stanley]

It was at one dealer in Cheltenham for the first two years, then every service etc after was at another up here in Scotland. The seller has had it since march but now has a new car....

[steviegsi]

If you change a certain filter (can't remember which one lol ) it stops the problem with the diesels ( think it's the turbo that can **** itself if this filter ain't changed) , swirl flaps is only an issue with the 320d engine.

Avoid cars with tuning boxes as the autobox ( assume it's auto) and diffs can't cope with the extra torque.

If your buying an auto make sure it goes into every gear in both drive and sport mode without any clunks, as the changes should be very slick. If/ when the autobox goes wrong it's around 1200- 1500 for a rebuild. Apart from the autos you shouldn't have much more to worry about other than usual wear and tear.

Seriously consider a petrol car though as they are so much nicer to drive and unless your doing a lot of long trips the fuel consumption on the 530ds isnt too much better than the petrols.

I have a 2000 540i v8, and on my 12 mile round trip to work and back at 70ish I get around 20 mpg. On longer runs it will do 25-30mpg roughly. Driven sensibly it will do a bit more. Driven like a tit it will drop to single figures.

But when you consider that there is less to go wrong on the petrols, and the same budget should get you a car that's got a lot less miles, it's definitely worth looking at them.
But I would recomend them completely as they really are excellent cars to drive . I apologise for the essay ....
Here's mine

http://i755.photobucket.com/albums/xx199/steviegsi/DSCF03211.jpg

[steviegsi]

Also the petrol tanks like to split as they are made from plastic, as I found out when around £20 worth of super pissed down the driveway.

[Novasport]

TBH in all my time at BMW I dont think I ever saw a turbo failure on a 3.0d. You get the odd injector go here and there which can be expensive though, £3-400 each iirc.
No disrespect but I dont really rate the BMW petrol engines anymore, the diesels however are excellent.
V8's are good though I'll give you that but I would still prefer a 3.0d

[steviegsi]

Nova sport-- it's could be just a problem over here tbh as people seem quite happy to race the Shiite out of any quick ish diesel with letting them warm / cool etc that plus the masses of dodgy diesel floating around.... But on a well looked after car like the op posted it shouldn't be an issue I guess.


Edit- also what's your opinion on changing the oil on the sealed for life autoboxes? Good bad avoid etc? :thumb:


Edit again- each to their own I suppose, if I had to have a diesel for any reason it would without doubt, be a 530/330 , but having driven both and the newer e60 530d, they just don't do it for me as much as a nice revy straight 6 or v8.

[The Simps]

There was chat about these 3.0d engines on another forum. 2 chaps who do the same 30mile run each way to work each day both have the same 530d sport one of which has around 90k the other 180k the 90k gets 40mpg the 180k gets 55mpg!

[steviegsi]

90k one mustn't be run in yet! lol

[Riggy]

i know its a different model , but i think that the e60 5's are gorgeous , think that when i get a bit better money wise im goin to be having one of those :thumb:

[MK999]

There was chat about these 3.0d engines on another forum. 2 chaps who do the same 30mile run each way to work each day both have the same 530d sport one of which has around 90k the other 180k the 90k gets 40mpg the 180k gets 55mpg!

And I could get either 20mpg or 60 on the same run :p

[w_wall_2001]

i drive an e39 m5 and have to say i love it, the e39's are comfortable, spacious and quiet. cant say i love the mpg to be fair lol. id say go for it, as said before if its got dealer history its been looked after properly. check usual places for bodywork, around boot/lock. front end for stonechips etc. few things are common faults like pixels on dials/heater controls etc.