1994 530i

[JTO]

Hi All,

My daughter is driving now and is helping us a lot by shopping, taking the boys to karate or the gym. She hasn't mastered the manual tranny yet. I am thinking about getting her something larger and safe.

Local people have this 1994 530i for sale. Very nice looking in person. Read the add please. Anything I need to know about these cars before I spend time looking into it? I've had late 80's BMWs and they had electrical issues (seats, door locks). What can I expect with a '94? Any advice is appreciated.
Troy

1994 BMW 530i

[widgeon13]

Isn't it a straight 6 and not a V-8??

[ossiblue]

We have a 94 525i with the straight 6 which is a virtually bullet proof engine if properly maintained. I have no experience with the eight cylinder which is in the 530i of the same year, but I have heard it is also capable of extreme longevity if properly maintained. The cost of maintenance on both is not cheap and the eight his more to deal with and more complex. If the car is for your daughter (ours is used by our daughter as well), it is a safe, solid, and reliable vehicle. If you are going to pay for the repair/upkeep, locate a good independent BMW shop for servicing. As on any old car, little things break. Power seat problems are very expensive to repair and probably not worth fixing given the market value of the car. There's not much you can easily repair yourself either unless you have the time, space, and often special tools to do the job.

Personally, I have always gone with the six cylinder engine, especially after talking with my mechanic who we've dealt with for over 30 years. We've had very little problem with our 94, and none with the engine outside of wear items like water pump bearing. Other parts, after 21 years, do break down. The power head rest doesn't work and is not worth the cost to fix. We did fix some other seat adjustment that had failed--worn/broken cables--and that was not cheap. Bottom line, IMO, the 530i would be a solid safe car for your daughter but do check that all important items work and if there is a service history, all the better. Be prepared for expensive repairs, however, even at a good independent shop. These cars were not built to be disposable so keeping them running and driving well will be more expensive than your typical sedan.

[RANDY P]

V8 car you're looking at. Leaks, leaks and more leaks- intake manifold, various hoses...general PITA

Not sure if the 530I was a nickasil problem, but that car is from that era- ask about oil consumption, and if the owner says it needs water now and then, watch out.

rjp

[RedBaron]

If your daughter is not mechanically inclined, i'm not sure I would put her in a car that is older than she is. I'd probably trust a 190E or an older W124 before an older BMW.

[Googam]

Only post occasionally. This is the 1st BMW I leased (leased a total 5). At the time it was the only V8 available with a standard transmission. Loved it, great road car with loads of room, big trunk & pulled like a tractor. Turned it in after 3 years. Randy is right. This engine was Nikasil lined & in the long term would have caused problems. Check some BMW BBS boards & you'll learn all about it. New top ends needed.

[JTO]

Thanks All,
I learned what to look for in terms of Alusil versus Nikasil engines on a Bimmer web site.

I have a good independent shop but I think I might just avoid the older European cars due to cost and complexity of ownership. She just wants to turn the key and go. She has no interest in the nitty gritty of autos.

Thanks,
Troy

[RANDY P]

an unmolested Accord from the late 90's.


Nuff said.

[Arizona_928]

Look for an E30. If she's not mechanically inclined to notice when something is array. You'll be towing it from her HS parking lot.

[Nostril Cheese]

Camry or Mazda 3

[RANDY P]

a Ferrari F355.

rjp

[Jess]

I just went through this with my newly sixteen year old daughter.

Living in colorado, I wanted her to have AWD. I like audis but she is definitely not a car person and I would have to had rescue her, at some point I'm sure if I had gone that route. I looked at a lot of 4runners but they're just silly money out here for pretty used up ones.

I ended up finding a killer deal on a two owner Lexus RX 300. She loves it and I feel like it's a safe, reliable, car-based vehicle.

Jess

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by RANDY P

an unmolested Accord from the late 90's.


Nuff said.

Exactly. Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Subaru, Nissan, or later model Ford. Sometimes their luxury counterparts get forgotten when they get older, so also look at Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, and Lincoln.

If your daughter isn't mechanically inclined then she'll be of the mindset to turn the radio up when the car starts making funny noises. Which of course will lead to her broken down somewhere at the worst possible time, and calling you. I cannot fathom putting my daughter into an 24 year old cheap German car.

In regards to this one, you'll want to watch for Nikasil, valve cover leaks, intake manifold leaks, suspension bushings, cooling system, power seat cables, falling headliner, failing instrument pixels, switches, and a variety of electrical gremlins. My E34 540i/6 was my favorite BMW, but I still think it was inferior build quality compared to a similar generation Mercedes.

[sc_rufctr]

I like these threads. Most people will try and talk you out of this one but I can think of much worse "first" cars.

I do worry about it being a V8 though. Powerful and expensive... Maybe a 4 cylinder 3 series would be better?

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by RANDY P

a Ferrari F355.

rjp

haha... Why not?

[RedBaron]

Here we go...



The answer is always mazda miata

[silverc4s]

The BMW you are looking at is probably in need of new rubber bushings in the suspension. (There are a LOT OF THEM!) it's a labor intensive job. Also famous for crappy plastic in radiator, water pump, leaky power steering, leaking cam covers, etc. overall a typical high maintenance BMW.

[Nickshu]

That video is awesome.

[JTO]

I'm sure the BMW is not the way to go.
The other part of the story is that I bought her a nice local, one owner 1986 Prelude SI a few months back. She just can't get comfortable launching the car so I've been driving it and its not a bad car. Everything, I mean everything works on this car. May have to sell it and buy an automatic.
Troy

[VincentVega]

Nice! A friend had the same car in high school, great car. You dont find those on the east coast anymore, nice find.