E39 530D a good deal?

[sclass]

You guys make the rest of us feel, well, like idiots really!

I finally bought a car, and decided on an accident damaged '01 E39 530i (steptronic), it has 156,000kms on the clock. The damage is to the front left. So far this is the damage;

Front left fender
Left headlamp unit
Tie-rod ends

I bought all these but also need;

Front bumper (plus the aluminium bracket that it bolts on to)
Front tyres x2
Spare wheel (and tyre)

It's costing a lot more than I'd anticipated but I LOVE this car just want to get it up and running. Listening to you guys talk, clearly I've overlooked a lot! Do I replace all the fluids (transmission,engine)? I'm also worried about the radiator. The car also came with narrows and wides, is that standard for 530i (fr 235/45ZR17, r 245/45ZR17)? Everyone seems to loathe the Dunlop SP7000s, any better alternatives that won't break the bank?

Anyway would really appreciate the extra tips/advice. But why do I get the feeling that 530ds will be pulling away from me, especially uphill??!!

 

[zaleonardz]

Your two biggest issues are the swirl flaps (google that) and the transmission fluid.

If the swirl flaps go, its motor write off.

If the box goes, then its turbo.

Then your next issue is looking at the radiator, do not let it overheat, ever...

For the rest of it, look at the service record, you dont need to do everything at once, if the oil has been replaced regularly, there is no need o do it right now, unless the car has been standing for a while, then you replace on age.

Good luck man, they are, as you point out, awesome cars :thumbsup:

 

[msm]

But why do I get the feeling that 530ds will be pulling away from me, especially uphill??!!

Yes, they will be ....

However, forget the whole 530i vs 530d thing for a second. The 3.0 petrol is still a brilliant motor.

When I was comparing petrol cars a few years ago, nothing could touch the 330i/530i in it's class, as far as motor is concerned. There was always a compromise as far as power/torque/fuel is concerned, when I compared Merc, Audis, etc. If you went another brand for example, you got more power but much worse fuel consumption and vice versa - the BM was always the best balanced - and did not compromise in any one area.

The 3.0 petrol is smooth, refined, has a good spread of torque and decent power is stock form while returning excellent fuel consumption. Also, BMs 6 cylinder is pretty bulletproof - there's not much that goes wrong with them. Try comparing it to anything else in it's class and you'd see that you've made a good choice :thumbsup:

So good luck in getting your car up and running - it will be well worth it.

 

[sclass]

Wsup Zaleonardz,

My car is a 530i not a diesel so I don't have to worry about the swirlflaps and consequences to turbo/motor.

The car's been stationery since january, do you think that's worth fluid replacement? I might just do that anyway though. Any recommendations (brands/specs) for the oil?
I've been assured the radiator didn't sustain damage, and there are no leakages from any of the piping. Am I being paranoid for wanting to take it to a radiator specialist? I've been told BMs should NEVER except NEVER overheat...

MSM,

Thanks for the vote of confidence on my choice! That diesel vs petrol comparison is inevitable though, recently rode in an (E46) 320d, when that turbo spools up it's quite a surge! And this seems to be a common theme with today's diesels. A friend of mine just got an (B7) A4 2.0Tdi and another has a Peugeot 407 Diesel, both offer great perfomance and the economy on the 407 is ridiculous. So you can't help but wonder about the 330/530ds.
But at the end of the day that singing petrol straight six is what made me love BMs anyway so I'm not complaining by any means! Besides Rob Green can always bolt on a supercharger at a later stage...

I'm struggling with the bumper, the best deal I can get so far is R3,500 from AutoFever. Realistically is this the best I can get? I can't find any second hand ones anywhere. And out of interest how much does the full M Tecnik bodykit go for?

Anyway thanks guys you've been very helpful, cheers!

 

[zaleonardz]

Howdy,

Ok, I did not see the 530i bit, no flaps for you then.

Well, January is not that long, but I would flush all fluids any way. There is also plenty on oil discussions, basically take your pick.

Autofever is expensive for some unkown reason, and they have no clue about customer service, I always walk out of there pissed off, just cause they are rude.

I would try Bemows (PTA), or electron (JHB South)

Speak to Revo or Twinz, and get pricing on a kit, maybe you can add a kit straight away.

As for checking the radiator, its not a bad idea, you can simply do that by doing a cooling system pressure test, most decent garages can help you out with that, and yep.. dont let her overheat, ever, you may want to look into a water pump, or check the history to find out when last she had one.

 

[sclass]

Zaleonardz,

Thanx for the tips, e-mailed Bemows will also call them on Tuesday (monday's a public holiday here). It would be great if they have the M Technik kit at a good price, although that also means I'll have to upgrade to 18" rims...

Would love to be more hands on with my car but I'm not very mechanically gifted, I only know what I read in car magazines and such. So all these little snippets of information are extremely useful and eye-opening. Bought this car with my heart and not my head, everyone wanted me to go out and buy a new car! But I've got to have a V8 at some point, an E65 or E39 M5 would be nice...

Will definately do the cooling pressure test, and change the fluids.

On another note what would changing the steering from the standard 4 spoke, to the sportier 3 spoke (with satellite controls) with the wood-trim? I saw one on a 540 and thought it really finished off the interior very well. My car has a very clean interior just needs that wheel!

Thanks again guys!

 

[P1000]

If the box goes, then its turbo.

Hmmm, I don't understand how that would work?

I don't think R3500 for a bumper is too bad...

So I managed to get the airbag light to clear, just hope it stays that way. The first time I tried to clear it it said right front side head airbag ignition circuit resistance too high, fault currently present. So when I cleared it, it just came back on, but the next time it wasn't present and could clear it. The problem is, to get to that airbag, you need to take out the dash and the roof lining, so not gonna happen. Maybe there is an easier way to get to just the plug. (that airbag has deployed before and has been replaced by BMW dealer)

I couldn't figure out why it moaned about the rear light that was out, said unknown location, but after replacing all the bulbs and making sure all work including the numberplate lights, I searched the internet for a while and found my rear middle brake light was out. Replaced that and now all faults are gone.

Oh, BTW I managed to get INPA working with a cheap VW USB VAG-COM 409.1 cable, but had to download the INPA.iso @327Mb...

 

[zaleonardz]

Fantastic dude,

INPA is a powerful diag tool. now see if you can get that ncsexpert working as well, it should allow you to do dealer level programming, you should have got it in the ISO

as for the turbo,box thing donno what I was thinking there

:thumbsup:

 

[P1000]

So, airbag light on again, so will probably need to find that plug. I want to change my gearbox oil ageing value, since I serviced it, but INPA doesn't seem to be able to. Will give NCS Expert a try... (It was installed along with INPA)