i've been a member of the bmw cca since 1988 - i currently care for a 1975 2002 - but am considering the purchase of (for me) bmw no. 2/dos/zwei. i have a line on what appears to be a good example of a 2003 530i in decent condition for what appears to be a reasonable asking price. any purchase / inspection advice? what i should i look for? what should i look out for? after 24 years of '02 ownership i know the quirks and am familiar with most all of the items that fall under the header "they all do that." what sort of "they all do that" characteristics does the e39 530i typically display? for instance, this is an automatic equipped vehicle at 100,000 miles. if anybody is aware that the auto transmissions all go at 110,000 miles, i 'd greatly appreciate the information and heads up. thanks very much in advance.
Some info here: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=895713 It may be well worth your while to take the car to an indy shop specializing in BMW's and pay an hour's worth of labor to get it looked over thoroughly - might spare you from some expensive surprises.
well, yes... what i was hoping to find was information to help drive and guide that conversation with the mechanic, or, if on the off chance it were dire enough, avoid the conversation/expense to begin with. for instance, i own a '05 toyota sequoia limited 4wd which i purchased in early '09 as a lease return. based on my experience with that vehicle, i would advise anybody considering the purchase of one that: it is great vehicle for cruising down the highway 150 miles each way with 4 or 5 players from your child's club soccer team for a saturday away game - effortless to drive, smooth relaxed, seamless. plenty of room for 5 players and their gear, the overhead dvd player affords inflight movies that help tremendously with the "relaxed quotient." the ball joints were subject to an early recall and had to be replaced. check to be sure the work was done - and done properly. the front rotors warp. the stock toyota rotors can't handle the extra weight of the sequoia over that of the base tundra. after two sets of stock rotors that warped inside 10 mos each, i went to brembo aftermarket units and have not had a problem since. be sure of your ability/desire to withstand 14 - 15 mpg combined. any such personal experience of a similar nature out there re the e39 that one might care to share? thanks in advance
Here is a link to another thread which might be helpful: What to look for in an e39. Good luck with your prospective purchase!
I have an '03 E39 that I bought new. It now has 122K miles on it and for the most part has been trouble free. I do have the pixel problem with the odometer readout and I recently had a leak in the radiator. I had the radiator and associated parts replaced. I've taken it in for service whenever the indicator tells me to. It still drives rock-solid and is a great ride. If you have found one in good shape I'd recommend it especially if you are able to do some of the maintenance work yourself.
