Buying an e39 540i

[Rob-ZN]

Hi everyone.

I've got it into my head that I'd like to get myself a e39 540i. Mostly just for the pleasure of driving it with a big grin on my face.

I've started browsing around for one, but not being very knowledgeable about second hand cars, apart from it being clean inside and out, what are some of the things I can look out for that will let me know whether I should walk away or not?
I'll definitely be checking service histories and such, but would there be anything specific in those I need to look out for as well?

Also, I understand that these cars aren't maintenance free and will need care to keep going well and I have no issues with that. What I would like to know is what sort of things would need taking care of right away, even if only to make sure I have no surprises.

Appreciate the help.

Rob

 

[Gregmeister]

Hi Rob

First of all, welcome to the forum. And :bravo: on your choice of an E39 540i. Truly great car and excellent value. My first suggestion is try and find one of the later model cars (1999-2003) if your budget can afford. 1999+ models have updated TU engines with single vanos for better fuel economy, and Face-lifted (post 2000) models have updated "angel eye" headlights, which look great and rear LED light clusters and updated exterior skirt and bumper trim. Some interior updates include a wide-screen TV/Nav on optioned models and updated steering wheel design. Having said that, the M62 engine is very strong and can reach high mileages if looked after, so well cared for earlier models should not be overlooked, as these cars are very well built.

Check any car you are interested in with BMW Motorplan division, to get as much vehicle history info as you can. These cars are now going on 9+ years, so if you can, have a BMW specialist look the car over for you, before you decide to buy. They are generally very reliable if serviced as required and if you take care of pending issues timeously. Some of the more common issues are well documented on the net. http://www.540i6.com/probsfixes.html is probably a good place to start. Find yourself a good BMW mechanic. Going to the dealer to sort problems on a car like this out of motor plan will not be cheap, and the good independent BMW mechs out there are more knowledgeable anyway.

The first thing I would strongly suggest once you have acquired one, is to do a total lube replace and service, regardless of the service history, including the auto box. (manuals, especially later models are super rare). I'm sure some of the other 540 guys will chime in. Enjoy the hunt. :thumbs:

 

[Rob-ZN]

Thanks.

Just starting to gather info, so the link is appreciated. Bookmarked for reading.

 

[venterj]

My advice would be to take your time and look at as many examples as you can so that you will be able to determine the good from the bad. Also try to get the face lifted model so from late '99 onwards, I also found this site rather informative http://www.kenrockwell.com/bmw/540.htm good luck.
:idea:

 

[Rob-ZN]

Thanks for the tips so far. Keep them coming. I like to get myself as well informed as possible.

So after a few days of Web searches and reading, the following is what I have gathered.

Fuel economy - what's that?!? It gulps, not sips. Not going to buy to save fuel costs,
So no problems there.

First thing to do is a lube replace/service. Don't think that's a big deal.

Radiator & expansion bottle.
They tend to explode, so a good idea to replace those ASAP, unless they have been replaced recently. Same with the water pump too. As far as those go, are there aftermarket parts available, or is OEM the only option? Pretty sure I read about aftermarket somewhere, but not sure whether it was local, so just checking.

Alternator apparently is also prone to failure. Is this one of those things that I should replace immediately, or is there a way to check whether it's on the way out?

Front suspension needs to be changed every few years. What mileage are we talking here and what parts of the front suspension should I check when buying?

Gearboxes like to go poof. Is this a "when" rather than an "if" thing and should I already budget for a rebuild/replacement? I assume it can be quite costly. Is there some sort of regular maintenance schedule that should be followed for the gearbox to lessen the chance of it getting poofy?

In general, I need to make sure that the car will be serviced regularly to keep it in top shape. No issue with that, same as any other car. However, I suspect I may have some emergency repairs along the way (being an older car), so if I budget/put aside, say, around R30k, would that be sufficient?

Any other things I need to be aware of that I should possibly replace soon after buying?

Oh, and anyone know of a good BMW mechanic in and around Durbs? I have no intention of taking it to a dealer. Had bad experiences on other cars and I see there are some horror stories with BM ones as well.

I think with all the above answered, I'm ready to start shopping around.

Thanks for reading and all the help.

 

[gmmcdonald]

As far as Gearbox's go it is a bit of a "when" rather than "if" BUT My 740i is on 307,000kms and is only just begining to show signs of concern (And even then nothing anybody else would pick up, I'm a perfectionist).

That said if you get a low miler you shouldn't need to worry about it unless you're going to hang onto it into the late 200,000kms.

You MAY want to think about a fluid and filter change.... I have read hundreds of posts on the topic and it seems there are two camps... those that would rather let sleeping dogs lay and leave it alone......and then those that have done the fluid & filter change and swear that all clucky changes, converter lockup problems simply disappear.

My theory is simple.... BMW claims that the 'box is filled with lifetime fluid.....how long is a lifetime? In my opinion they can;t have planned that the oil remain in use for 13 years and 300,000kms surely? To that end I plan an oil & Filter change soon, but at R3k just for oil & Filter without labour I need to get the timing right. "No Sweety, you can't have that new lounge suite you want because I want to buy oil for the Beemer" probably won't get me many browny points.......

The Expansion bottle seeems to be a bigger problem than the Radiator and should be replaced at around R1k for the part + Labour.

Waterpumps do fail, and if you have the bucks and mileage is high, not a bad idea to be proactive.

As far as suspension is concerned, I just completely rebiult my front end for less than R10k

Hope I've been of some assistance?

 

[Rob-ZN]

Yes you have, thanks.

None of what you mentioned seems too bad, unless I have to do all of it one shot, which is what I want to try avoid. Fortunately don't have anyone around needing a new lounge suite at the moment, so I should be OK to buy oil :rollsmile:

 

[Metroid]

My advice would be to take your time and look at as many examples as you can so that you will be able to determine the good from the bad. Also try to get the face lifted model so from late '99 onwards, I also found this site rather informative http://www.kenrockwell.com/bmw/540.htm good luck.
:idea:

Ken Rockwell talking about a Bimmer!? I go to his site a lot for his photography tips and he is quite a character. Very opinionated but he knows his stuff.

My dad (and I to an extent) have been looking for another car and a 540i is something we're looking at as well so I'll also be following this thread