Critique this BMW 540iT in Seattle

turbo6bar · 04-09-2009, 10:55 AM

My brother wants to pick up a wagon, and the asking price on 123 Mercedes wagons is borderline absurd. He spied E39 wagons, which seem to be priced really well. He was originally focused on the 6 cylinder models, but a 540 caught his eye.

This car is listed on bimmerforums and craigslist in Seattle.
2001 BMW 540iT Wagon

I told my brother it would probably need a suspension refurbish. I've also heard about bad window regulators. Anything else that stands out on the E39? I have an E36 M3 and am familiar with BMW's weaknessess in the cooling system.

Is fuel consumption the only drawback to the V8?

FWIW, my brother did some research and found this Touring was purchased for $19k 3 years ago. I'm thinking at $9500-10000, this car has hit the bottom of the depreciation curve.

What say the elders?
jurgen

Rot 911 · 04-09-2009, 11:23 AM

There is no bottom to the depreciation curve for a 540. It will eventually drop to $0

As to that car, window regulator fix will cost you $70 if you do it yourself. An easy fix. The bigger worry is the automatic transmission. BMW claimed the tranny fluid was "lifetime" and would not change it as part of their "free servicing". Unfortunately it is not lifetime and if not changed every 30-50K results in an automatic transmission that doesn't last much more than 100K. If he doesn't have the records of a transmission fluid change prior to 80k miles I would pass on this car just for that reason.

Don Plumley · Don Plumley's Garage

Nice Touring. Has Koni's and H&R, so I'd guess the suspension is fine. Wow.

HardDrive · 04-09-2009, 12:10 PM

This car is about 1 mile from me. I was literally in that parking garage yesterday.

If its before Monday, I could go take a look. I'm not a mechanic, but I could report what I find.

PM me if your interested.

onewhippedpuppy · 04-09-2009, 12:21 PM

Damn, that's nice. It's had all of the typical E39 gotchas addressed, and is priced pretty well. Go for it!

kaisen · 04-09-2009, 12:34 PM

The suspension was done, according to the ad. Looks like a very nice car. The V8 still had some problems, but nowhere near the older ones. It's not my cup of tea, but looks to have had the right care.

onewhippedpuppy · 04-09-2009, 12:54 PM

What issues does the M62 have? I think it can still get the intake manifold gaskets going bad and causing a rough idle, but that's a cheap fix. It's nothing compared to M60 Nikasil.

turbo6bar · 04-09-2009, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurt V

There is no bottom to the depreciation curve for a 540. It will eventually drop to $0

As to that car, window regulator fix will cost you $70 if you do it yourself. An easy fix. The bigger worry is the automatic transmission. BMW claimed the tranny fluid was "lifetime" and would not change it as part of their "free servicing". Unfortunately it is not lifetime and if not changed every 30-50K results in an automatic transmission that doesn't last much more than 100K. If he doesn't have the records of a transmission fluid change prior to 80k miles I would pass on this car just for that reason.

Yeah, the depreciation will go to zero, but the curve flattens after a while. I do see your point. This isn't a desireable model designed for longevity.

I didn't know about the lifetime fluid problems. Thanks!

My father's Lexus puked its transmission big time a couple years back. It had the lifetime fluid scam, also.

re: suspension. The owner states the control arms were replaced. What about the subframe bushings, rear trailing arm bushings, and such? On the 3 series, a true refresh would mean R&R of these bits. Is the E39 different?

HardDrive, will let you know if little brother wants a set of eyes on it.

Thanks, guys.

ChkbookMechanic · ChkbookMechanic's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

What issues does the M62 have? I think it can still get the intake manifold gaskets going bad and causing a rough idle, but that's a cheap fix. It's nothing compared to M60 Nikasil.

Carbon Buildup in the SES (cold-start emissions related), the fix is to call PowerChip and get the ECU flashed to ignore the error. Or you can pay someone to pull the heads off and clean the air passages with the equivalent of a pipe-cleaner.

That said, the chances of carbon buildup happening are really, really slim.

Window regulators do go out, but that is an easy fix. Same with the lock mechanisms, they'll go out as well.

Once you drive the car you'll know if it has been taken care of or not.

jorian · 04-09-2009, 08:40 PM

This car has been for sale for a long time.

89911 · 09:19 PM

I own a 2003 540i and searched long for one. If your looking for something that is a reliable used car and little issues, stick to Honda, Toyota, and maybe Subaru's. I have yet to see a higher performance vehicle like a BMW (or Audi, Porsche, VW) not have some kind of issues. It comes down to how much you value the driving experience. The E39 5 series is one of the best handling platforms ever designed. The car feels like is is made from one solid piece of steel. If this stuff is important, sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and just buy one. Or else drive Toyota's.

speeder · speeder's Garage

If it's really a nice car, that's a lot of used car for the $$. It's an example of a car back in 2001 that I looked at and said, I can't wait until these things are $10k used cars."

onewhippedpuppy · 04-10-2009, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChkbookMechanic

Carbon Buildup in the SES (cold-start emissions related), the fix is to call PowerChip and get the ECU flashed to ignore the error. Or you can pay someone to pull the heads off and clean the air passages with the equivalent of a pipe-cleaner.

Same issue as the E39 M5 then? I wasn't aware that the 540i had the same issue.

ChkbookMechanic · ChkbookMechanic's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Same issue as the E39 M5 then? I wasn't aware that the 540i had the same issue.

Yes, all v8 built on the M62/S62 block can have the issue. It is due to the US emissions systems and not the engine. I guess the M5 owners are more vocal about it than the other series. In actuality it isn't too many cars that have had it occur.

the · 04-10-2009, 11:09 PM

By '01 the V8 was pretty well sorted.

At 109k miles, the car has a lot of life left, if it has been reasonably maintained.

Like mentioned above, the biggie would be the trans blowing out. After 100K, it's a bit of a crapshoot. It might make it to 200K, or it might die in the next 1000 miles. When it does, that cost will represent a large portion of the value of the car.

The trans fluid is indeed "lifetime." Even if you never change it, it will last the life of the transmission.

I'd think that would be a heck of a deal at $9K for that car. It looks well cared for. You could drive it another 50K miles, and it would still be worth $5-6K after that.

The suspension stuff that wears out, like the control arm bushings, are for the most part easy DIY stuff. If handed to a shop, though, can be very expensive.

I spent the last few weeks looking for a 2000/2001-ish 528i for my wife. Didn't end of getting one (she wanted something newer, big surprise), but they are nice cars.

Porsche_monkey · 04-11-2009, 07:17 AM

Why not a MB E-320 wagon, 4-matic even? Just a few grand more.

onewhippedpuppy · 04-11-2009, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the

The trans fluid is indeed "lifetime." Even if you never change it, it will last the life of the transmission.

There's a lot of Saab, BMW, Mercedes, etc owners that would take serious issue with that statement. For example, in the world of Mercedes there's a very obvious link between transmission fluid changes and the longevity of the 5-speed automatic. Even ZF (transmission manufacturer) recommends fluid changes every 100k. There is no such thing as "lifetime" fluid, everything breaks down over time. Lifetime fluids and extended oil change intervals are a calculated risk for marketing purposes.

Of course, your statement is technically correct. The transmission will just have a shorter "lifetime".