Advice needed on e39 525i

[paullandre]

Hi Guys

I have a 2001 BMW 525i , its got 209 000 km on the clock and i have owned for about two years now. The only faults I've needed to replace was the disa valve and the cam sensor, otherwise no major problems.

But in the last two months things have really started to go south. The car has started to misfire on 2 cylinders , it also struggles to start (takes almost half a minute to get it firing) and has very little power. The cabin fills with petrol fumes, its running very rich and therefore also heavy fuel consumption.The car has also started to overheat when standing in traffic.

On top of that almost everything electronic inside the car has stopped working:

-Multi function steering wheel controls
-Electric seats
-PDC sensors
-Radio
-Instrument cluster (Only rev counter still working)
-Interior lights flickering on and off while driving
-ABS and Wheel speed sensor lights are on

After having fault codes read it indicated faulty MAF sensor,coils, injectors , O2/lambda sensors, fuel pump, wheels speed sensors and I suspect that the cat is also past its time.

I would like to know you guy's opinions? What will it more or less cost me to get these problems fixed (Looking at other threads I'm guessing no less than R30k ?). And is it even worth getting it fixed ?

Should I just cut my losses and try to get rid of it? What can I even expect to get for it? Please guys I'm really desperate for some advice.

Sorry for the long post.

Paul

 

[sash]

I find it strange that everything would go in such quick succession....

The errors normally have dates attached to them, did they all occur at around the same time? If so, then there could be an underlying problem.

My first guess would be electrical

 

[ChefDJ]

Sorry to hear of the misfortunes :sorry:


She looks to be in good condition, bar what you tell us.

I have no advice for you, except for maybe the starting issue, which could be a dead battery cell. Have it tested at any battery supplier and see what they say. I hope you do come right.

All the best.

 

[Rotinaj]

Either a grounding issue or wireloom. As luck would have it i have a complete 525i wireloom coming out of the 525 i am stripping. Technically i have a complete 5 in the garage in pieces.

Send it to a auto electrician and take it from there. But yhea if you need bits and pieces PM me.

Overheating is probably just the good old good old bmw cooling system failure.

 

[Solo Man]

Could try by replacing the ignition barrel. Dash lights, etc., not working could be caused by worn barrel not making good contact. My 2c

 

[LPM320]

Definetely one or two electrical issues causing all those problems.

You need to get the car to the best auto electrician you can find...

 

[anton-sa]

I have some advice for you, im on my 2nd e39 now, a manual 530d. previous to this i ran a 2001 525i for 4.5yrs.

at 209 000km if she overheats in traffic, it will be the viscous fan clutch. replace it
also at the same time, radiator top hose, thermostat+housing and while you there
water pump also. (i PROMISE you these will fail within months of each other)

the fumes inside the car, can be caused by 2 things, chunks of the insulation on the outside of the firewall tend to fall off and burn on the exhaust pipe.. like a burning rubber smell

also, pcv valve and ALL associated pipes, they clog up, if you havent done the pcv valve and assoc, it will be overdue.

at this mileage, your valve cover gaskey will also be sweating a bit. so you might notice some oil usage.. goes hand in hand with the pcv valve (Also causes oil usage), take care to have the oil dipstick tube cleaned out or replaced aswell when the pcv valve and pipes get done.

vanos: i cannot explain how much better the car will drive if you sort out the vanos seals, the beisian seals. i think moranor on the forum here stocks them. labour wise, a reputable place should charge around 2.5hrs to do the job.

oh yeah, your alternator will also be due for a refurb.. 2 new bearings and a new regulator, not too too expensive. but i guarantee you will at some time get a battery light before 250 000km most likely..

interior lights flickering on and off while driving will most likely be a dodgy light control module, probably a loose connector.

a dodgy ignition barrel/switch has been known to also cause weirrd issues.

once all of the above is sorted, you're likely to have a car that is way more car than for example a car of 200 000.00

weigh it up. sure these cars are only worth 50-60k now, but they are some of the best cars bmw built, and way way undervalued vs some of the others in the bmw range.

oh and the m54b25 motor (2.5i) is known to run well in excess of 400 000km if maintained well. they also like regular 10 000km oil changes.

if the car is in reasonable condition overall, it might just be worth it to spend +-20k all in(is my guess) to give her a new lease on life.

oh at the mileage you speak of, front shocks, definitely.

 

[tivoli786]

F me lol I must rather trade my BMW and get a Toyota haha 209 000 and all that repairs shite. My Rxi just needed an 02 sensor at 150 000kms and at 300 000 kms and the usual service stuff owe and cam gear other then that same clutch till I sold it at 375 000kms and then too it had power and going like a boeing

 

[individj]

coils?

 

[anton-sa]

F me lol I must rather trade my BMW and get a Toyota haha 209 000 and all that repairs shite. My Rxi just needed an 02 sensor at 150 000kms and at 300 000 kms and the usual service stuff owe and cam gear other then that same clutch till I sold it at 375 000kms and then too it had power and going like a boeing

needed and SHOULD HAVE are very subjective things...
I dont service my cars, i maintain them. theres a big difference.

pointedly, i dont believe in manufacturer recommendations as its all dyno based and "lab" based.
I tend to drive hard, and then theres stop start driving etc.. all conditions i think need careful consideration.

imho any car getting on in age is going to give its owner grey hairs if the "fix it if it breaks" mentality prevails. preventative vs reactive maintenance.

the rxi vs the 5 series e39 ... very different cars. I know which one (if at all) i'd rather be in in an accident at 160km/hr. Take nothing away from the rxi. i myself used to own a 20valve 1997. awesome cars.

but to be perfectly honest, i still consider.. a few years later, when i bought my first bmw. the e30 325i, to be the first real car i owned.. haha

 

[kylebdnhrst82]

Hi guys
My 2cent in my experience battery is the way to go first, if there is a issue with the battery she will give a list of faults! Hope this helps

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[kylebdnhrst82]

Hey
Could you maybe let me know how much the disa valve was! Thanks

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