Yes, I know, it's no M5, but how are they from a reliability standpoint?
Yes, I know, it's no M5, but how are they from a reliability standpoint?
I believe there are timing chain guide and Vanos concerns, "good owners" will have completed those or have records. I wanted one for about a week so that's as far as I got before it sold.
Don't know about reliability, but I can tell you that you have to disassemble the entire rear half of the car to get the shocks out :) The platform is also basically a German Crown Victoria in terms of ubiquity.
The earlier E39 M5s had all sorts of trouble with Nikasil cylinder liners. Might be worth checking to see if that's common with the 540.
Is it a sport?
Yeah, timing chains are the biggest issue. The V8s leak from everywhere, but most of it isn't super critical (the coolant leak into the valley is the most problematic, IIRC). Otherwise, it's an E39, which means it's basically solid. You want to find one that has the sport package, as the regular seats are pretty flat. Suspension will need going through at this point, of course.
I've never owned one, but I've done my research because I think they're fun cars. Timing chain problems are by far the biggest concern. Issues are mostly caused by neglected oil changes and/or improper oil usage. Otherwise it's standard BMW stuff. Cooling system, suspension bushings. Pixels on the computer screens go bad. The 540 also got a conventional steering box where the 528 got a ring and pinion. Sport package gives you much better seats and the 3 spoke steering wheel.
The timing chain guides are really the only big issue. Everything else is just them being maintenance intensive. The cooling systems don't like neglect and have a few failure points, but nothing awful. And the suspensions are hard on parts, but easy enough to work on (other than getting to the rear upper shock mounts being a bit of a PITA).
I've owned eight BMWs and just want nothing to do with the V8 cars after seeing the pain friends have gone through. They are awful to work on, they leak, and they all seem to need timing chains/guides pretty early on in life, which is not a fun or cheap job. It seems like they basically require M5 maintenance but you sure don't get M5 performance out of them.
If that doesn't dissuade you I would recommend you only settle for one with an impeccable maintenance history and a documented timing chain/guide replacement.
I've had two E39s and don't perceive the V8 to be a substantial enough performance upgrade over the six to be worth all the extra headaches they bring. The six cylinder cars also have better and more "BMW-like" steering due to the rack and pinion setup.
Most issues have been mentioned. I had a 2002 540i with the sport package, and the seat back broke. Common issue, the seat back twists. It wasnt a difficult fix but annoying.
Thank you all.
I am no longer interested.
I am if the belief that all 540i are $10k cars. At least. For that price you could set aside another $7k for repairs and have a pretty nice wagon.
My old man had a 540i sport with the 6MT. It was fun with that torquey motor, but it required a lot of upkeep. Water cooled alternator went out and cost my dad a lot of money. In addition to what others have mentioned.
They do drive nicely. It’s kind of the pinnacle sports sedan in the sense that everything started getting more tech heavy and numb from there on.
Awesome car....for a while. My son had one. The sport version with the 6Mt, chipped with something & fairly open exhaust. Went & really sounded awesome. The tensioners went eventually.
In reply to Woody (Forum Supportum) :
I know you said no longer interested, but here's my write-up of M62 timing chain job plus other maladies in a year of driving a 20-year-old 740iL:
I loved my 540i/6 Sport
W210 Mercedes E55 are bulletproof by comparison
Fat chance I would do that again. Spent more time replacing gaskets and fixing leaks than I did driving it. But love the lines of them.
Only correct answer is a 528i/530i with a blower. Twin screw preferably :-).
I would MUCH rather have to replace a HG on a BMW 6 (been there) than do a never ending list of valley pans, valve cover, oil pan, head gaskets on a 8.
Better yet, buy the wagon and drop an LS into it please (although still better off with the 6 cylinder chassis as a starting point for the steering rack alone I believe).
We're the 535 cars a 6 or an 8?
In reply to dean1484 :
A six cylinder, but you're going back at least a generation or two to the E28/E34 using the M30 or forward a few for the turbo 6's.
In reply to dean1484 :
Which 535i? The E34? 6.
In reply to dean1484 :
No 535i since the E34 (it was an M30 I6). In the US we got the I6 528i pre-facelift, then the 525i and 530i, with the 540i being the only V8. There was a 530i V8 in the E34 body as well.
535 designation came back in the E60 chassis, N54 twin turbo.
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:535 designation came back in the E60 chassis, N54 twin turbo.
Yes, and then I believe it went to a "twin scroll" single turbo n55 I6 motor
good cars if well maintained, they rust around the jacking points, so check those, but I had an E38 with the same engine and it did 287k miles, before i sold it.
Damn, so much hate in here. I've owned an M-tech2 6MT for 2 years now, and really enjoy it. Timing chain tensioners are a job that should be done preventatively, and as with ANY BMW, coolant system should be monitored and overhauled as needed... But I love mine and don't regret buying it for a second. Thanks to Pete (Knurled) for hooking me up with the sale right here on GRM, too!
Otherwise, they are really solid, sporty, torquey, and comfortable cars that are only appreciating in value now. It's more autobahn cruiser than corner carver, but still sporty enough in twisties to make commutes enjoyable. It's a hoot to autocross, even though it's in a completely uncompetitive class. It's still pre-Idrive, so it's not impossible to work on from a home mechanic's perspective. IT fits a full sized 2 year old's car seat with plenty of room to spare. The trunk holds 2 sets of golf clubs... It's really a great, great sedan.
The only issue I keep having is the rear tires wear out significantly faster than the fronts... Still can't figure it out! haha.
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