I want to purchase a 2003 530i. The car is cosmetically like new. Based on the shape of the car, I assume it was mechanically cared for as well. It has 77K on the ODO. The used car dealer does not have any service records. What are some of the issues I should be concerned with on this vehicle? With 77K on the ODO, what service should I have done to it if I purchases it? Ex. coolant change, oil change, transmission oil change, belts, hoses, plugs etc. The car runs great, sounds solid. I do have a BMW mechanic that works on my '92 325i vert. I am trying to convince my wife that this car has many more years and mileage to go. Is there some place that I could find the recommended service intervals. Thanks for your help in advance! Fredra
Before you pull the trigger, take the car to your indy BMW mechanic/shop and have them inspect the car. If the used car lot refuses, walk away. Don't ever trust, "Our mechanics have gone through a 125 point inspection and everything is in fine mechanical order." I purchased my 01 525i with 79K miles and I didn't touch anything until I hit 100K miles when I changed out the whole cooling system/belts and did a full tune-up with manual/diff fluids. Expect the alternator to go bad around 130K (ask me how I know). Also around that mileage you should have your ignition coil's replaced and both intake/exhaust cam sensors. Overall the E39 is a great car, however, the past 3 months have been bad. I have changed two (2) instrument clusters and I'm going to have to order a light control module this week. My E39 has been sleeping for the past two months (don't tell your wife this).
I know this doesn't quite answer the question you've got, but can't resist Back in 2002 when I was considering my E39 purchase, this is the conversation I've stumbled upon: person #1: What are the hits and misses of E39? person #2: Cupholders suck, the rest of the car is fine. person #3: Dunno about yours, but my cupholder is 5'11, blonde and never spills a drop. Seriously, though - if I was considering an acquisition today, I'd replace all fluids in the car with known good - including transmission fluid, which BMW started claiming to be "lifetime fill" right when they switched to "manufacturer provided maintenance". And diff fluid, too. Small annoyances are likely to be much more annoying than major mechanical problems, if my car is any indication. When test driving, listen for knocks and rattles. Check all door, window, sunroof, seat and steering column actuators for stickiness and lack of clanking - they indicate broken rails. One problem that drives me nuts is a knocking sound under dashboard - you won't hear it when test driving unless paying attention to, but can hear it when car rolls over speed bumps. If rear seats are foldable, they will rattle, too, as well as the plastic trunk bottom. There's a good chance that suspension shocks are either in need of replacement, or already showing age. Missing pixels on the instrument cluster are an expensive problem - you can't DIY it because odometer readings are involved, if I remember correctly.
If one calls up BMWNA and requests a goodwill repair at his/her local dealer, BMWNA may be able to pick up the tab 100% in some cases.
That's certainly nice to know. Mine's been replaced under warranty somewhere around 2005, and works since. I've heard later that this was a big deal, almost to class action suit, and replacement clusters are much better than original ones. Hence, to the original poster - you might want to find out whether the cluster was replaced. I somehow missed the mention that the car is being sold through the dealer - your mileage may vary, but I'm trying to stay away from those. When talking to a person, you can at least get a vibe and see for yourself how knowledgeable they were in servicing the car. With dealerships, you're out of luck - and they don't care about service records, either. One more advice, based on my own past lapse of judgment - never buy a car from a poor neighborhood - chances are, the owner couldn't afford to maintain it, and it's a wreck, even if it seems cosmetically perfect. Since this is a dealer car, the best you can do is to look for telltale signs of "duct tape" repair, and dumb "upgrades". And good luck.
