BMW gurus (or bmwguru...) What do you know about these cars? (Page 1/2)
Raydar OCT 15, 06:00 PM
It's a "for sale" ad in our company classifieds.

"2001 BMW 540i M series 6 speed 132,000 miles new clutch fresh maintenance"


Does "M series" = "M5" or is it just an option package as opposed to a full blown M5.
Price is $6500. Looks like a good price, unless I'm missing something.

I have to plead "ignorance" however. I know next to nothing about these cars.
Thanks!

[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 10-15-2012).]

carnut122 OCT 15, 08:41 PM
I was told that BMW stands for Bring Money With (you). I was also told not to buy a BMW off of warranty. I was told this by a Z3 owner who spent $2,500 replacing a PCM. The consensus that I've heard is that BMW's are very expensive used cars. Past that, I have no personal experience, so YMMV.
turboguy327 OCT 15, 09:21 PM
I would never own a late model german car unless it was completely covered under warranty with no questions asked. Ive heard most are expensive 1 way or another, either a high purchase price or buy one and do all the repairs and you will have the same car but with all the added stress. I would PM bmwguru and let him know about this thread. I dont think he comes here often.
Monkeyman OCT 16, 02:42 AM
I don't know anything about them, Raydar but KBB shows them at pretty close to $20k. I take KBB/NADA with a grain of salt but that's a big price difference between what they say it's worth and what the seller is asking. It looks like the "M package" is different than the "M5" but maybe I'm misreading the articles I just Googled. I'm sure the parts are more expensive than something comparable in a non German car but what parts AREN'T expensive these days. After 13x,xxx miles, you'd think most of the bugs would have been worked out, anyway. I'd check on the "normal" stuff like making sure all the services/oil changes/etc were done and in the case of a BMW, maybe done by a dealer or BMW specific shop (as opposed to a backyard mechanic who may or may not know specific things about BMW services). I'd also check to see if there have been any recalls/SBs/etc on that particular year and model. Even if they've been fixed, it might show a tendency towards that sort of thing going wrong in the future. I don't know about not buying any BMW "out of warranty". If they were THAT bad, there wouldn't be so damn many of them on the roads. It looks like a nice car.
Raydar OCT 16, 05:58 AM

quote
Originally posted by Monkeyman:

I don't know anything about them, Raydar but KBB shows them at pretty close to $20k. I take KBB/NADA with a grain of salt but that's a big price difference between what they say it's worth and what the seller is asking. It looks like the "M package" is different than the "M5" but maybe I'm misreading the articles I just Googled. I'm sure the parts are more expensive than something comparable in a non German car but what parts AREN'T expensive these days...



The KBB that I found shows the 540i going for about $7200 for a private party sale in this area. The M5 was up around $11.5K. (Could location count for that much?!)
Someone mentioned a PCM, earlier. Just for grins I went to car-part.com and looked. PCMs for this car are going for $125 or so. Not cheap, but not the $2500 that was mentioned earlier. (To be far, also not a new part.)

Most of the folks who sell cars like this in our classifieds are just ready to buy something new and don't want to get screwed on the trade-in. I've seen some really good prices on stuff. (And some stupidly high prices, too. But those cars are still for sale.)
I figure that since most buyers are from within the company, sellers are less likely to try to screw someone over.


bmwguru OCT 16, 06:48 AM
yeah, I don't really come into this section much at all.

As for the E39 540i.....

The M series is related to only the M3, M5, M6 etc.... what the sell probably means is he installed M5 rims....very common. I think you can get that upgrade right from the dealership.

Here is what to look for:

leaking valve cover gaskets
leaking valley pan
blown out intake gaskets/pcv cover
front control arms
rear upper control arms
rear ball joints
window regulators
water pump and other cooling system failures

expect to spend $1500-$2500 a year in maintenance and only have the service done by a BMW repair shop or the dealer. Your Chevy mechanic will probably only cause you to spend $400 the irst year and then when something big breaks, expect the BMW shop to shake their head and you'll get a bill for over $4000.
I can look at one of those cars and within 30 minutes I can tell you where you have been getting your car fixed. My favorite is when they come is for misfires and their mechanic has dropped over $1000 in parts and it is still misfiring and I pull out a Bosch platinum spark plug. (that is not the correct plug and will cause misfires on German cars)

A proper brake job will cost you around $450 for the front and $400 for the rear. Expect to flush the brake fluid every 2 years, coolant every 3 years, charcoal filters every other oil service and if the previous owner says you can change the oil every 15,400 miles like BMW recommends, then expect to replace the engine at 150,000 or less. I tell all my customers synthetic oil and service every 5,000 miles or once a year.

The E39 is probably one of the best BMW's ever built, but you need to keep on top of small things before they turn into big bills. The only reason I have replaced computers on BMW was due to mouse nest overheating the DME, or a bad injector shorting back to the DME for a few months, or someone inexperienced jump starting their BMW (very common).

It is a fun car, practical and reliable. I would recommend getting a pre purchase inspection done by a BMW shop. If it is good, I would buy it.

Dave

------------------

www.hausofguru.com

Raydar OCT 16, 08:07 AM
Thanks very much Dave!
I appreciate the info. I'm not sure at all that I'm going to jump on this. Just looks like a cool toy. Not that I need another car. We're up to our armpits in cars now.

If I get it, I'll let you know how it works out.

Having said that...
Based upon your comments, it sounds like there isn't much about this car that is DIY. That puts me off a bit, since I haven't taken one of my cars to a shop for repairs (other than warranty, alignment or bodywork) for as long as I can remember.
weaselbeak OCT 16, 10:43 AM
"It is a fun car, practical and reliable."

I find nothing practical about a car that runs that kind of upkeep and repair cost. Unless money doesn't matter.
jaskispyder OCT 16, 11:25 AM

quote
Originally posted by weaselbeak:

I find nothing practical about a car that runs that kind of upkeep and repair cost.



Where are you getting your cost of ownership information from? Curious.

bmwguru OCT 16, 12:30 PM

quote
Originally posted by weaselbeak:

"It is a fun car, practical and reliable."

I find nothing practical about a car that runs that kind of upkeep and repair cost. Unless money doesn't matter.



If you spend $90,000 on a new car....the upkeep of it shouldn't really matter....lol.
That E39 is one of the more reliable BMW's and less expensive to maintain. I just did valve cover gaskets and tune up related stuff on a 750li for just over $2000