Alright, we're gonna bite the bullet...

[billb]

...heading down to Wilmington Saturday morning to look over the '01 525iT. CPO car, 48k miles, on CPO until 11/07. Anyone have any disparaging comments about the M54 with steptronic?
Option codes:
0522 xenons
0650 in-dash CD
0468 premium pkg
0417 rear sunshade ;)
0202 steptronic paddles :D

Jet Black/Sand leather, one owner Florida car.

http://images.webmakerx.net/Photo/2001/BMW/5%20Series/WBADS43401GD85635_18.JPG

Actually LESS HP than our E34...

And, as a reminder, GINGER IS STILL FOR SALE, $7500.

[632 Regal]

Gingers gonna be pissed if she sees you "gettin busy" in the new girl. Probably should arrange a backup ride if she dont want you back.

lol

:D

[Bill R.]

the cam sensors ,both intake and exhaust which fail... After having the steptronic for awhile its not that big a deal to me...95% of the time the car stays in D and the other 5% switched to steptronic. I don't have the paddle shifters though and thought about getting a wheel for it but after driving awhile decided i didn't really need it. But if yours already comes with it, good deal. I don't know if you still have Guy stuff I and II, theres a lot of info on the m54 motor and the 2000 wagon in there.. Good luck, hope it turns out to be a good one.








...heading down to Wilmington Saturday morning to look over the '01 525iT. CPO car, 48k miles, on CPO until 11/07. Anyone have any disparaging comments about the M54 with steptronic?
Option codes:
0522 xenons
0650 in-dash CD
0468 premium pkg
0417 rear sunshade ;)
0202 steptronic paddles :D

Jet Black/Sand leather, one owner Florida car.

Actually LESS HP than our E34...

And, as a reminder, GINGER IS STILL FOR SALE, $7500.

[billb]

the cam sensors ,both intake and exhaust which fail... After having the steptronic for awhile its not that big a deal to me...95% of the time the car stays in D and the other 5% switched to steptronic. I don't have the paddle shifters though and thought about getting a wheel for it but after driving awhile decided i didn't really need it. But if yours already comes with it, good deal. I don't know if you still have Guy stuff I and II, theres a lot of info on the m54 motor and the 2000 wagon in there.. Good luck, hope it turns out to be a good one.

He is becoming quite the little helper.

One major concern is whether our dog box will fit in the back of the wagon...
I'm guessing the cam sensors are fairly easy to diagnose and replace?
My only reason for going for the Steptronic is to go away from the Strasbourg GM 4hp22. Is the reliability better on the steptronics?

[Bill R.]

break its a lot more pennies to rebuild than a strassbourg.... But i went for it for the same reason. My thinking is that i will change the lifetime fluid about every 50k and hopefully it will last as long as i want to keep it..
Yes with a newer cheapy obdII scan tool you can get the codes that will tell you if its a cam sensor. Newer code readers for obII are less than 100 nowdays. In my case when my sensor went bad it wasn't worth using my cpo warranty since the 50 deductible and leaving with unknown mechanics made the decision easy for me to do it myself.




He is becoming quite the little helper.

One major concern is whether our dog box will fit in the back of the wagon...
I'm guessing the cam sensors are fairly easy to diagnose and replace?
My only reason for going for the Steptronic is to go away from the Strasbourg GM 4hp22. Is the reliability better on the steptronics?

[Qsilver7]

One major concern is whether our dog box will fit in the back of the wagon...

Well..here are the dimensions for the e34 Touring's cargo area...and I believe the e39's cargo area is slightly bigger. Maybe this will help determine if your dog box will fit. :D

E34 Touring cargo area: with rear seat in upright position, the distance to rear tailgate is 42".
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/7/web/739000-739999/739005_64_full.jpg

E39 Touring cargo area w/o pull-out shelf:
http://i21.ebayimg.com/03/a/04/66/21/fc_4.JPG

E39 Touring cargo area w/pull-out shelf:
http://www.alexairik.com/99540/99540trunk.jpg

[Jr ///M5]

Take a look at the front door seals, they usually rub almost into right at the latch part. There is a upgraded seal that is supposed to be a better wear item. I had them replace Lori's when it was in the shop getting the deer hair off of it.

Remember to fill out the necessary paperwork and documentation for the $500 rebate from the BMWCCA.

If the car is optioned with automatic climate control, check the fan at medium speed after it has sat in the sun for a while. If it surges and doesn't stay steady, a $50 resistor is the fix. Make the dealer fix it. Any repairs after 50k miles will be your $50 deductible under CPO. Also check the operation of the buttons, they tend to stick sometimes and new caps are the answer, a cheap and simple remedy due to the location of the pissy cupholders. =)

Does the car have zenon's? If so, you will love the clean light they produce, (the angel eyes look cool too!) although high beams won't be like the E-34 airplane landing lights, the low beams will sure to please you.

Check the steering wheel for squeeks, typical clockspring lube issue.

Lori racks up between 30-40k miles a year, so the CPO will be gone before I know it. Like Bill R. suggests, it's coming time to replace the lifetime fluid on the transmission, most people change it at around 70k miles. Those who don't, won't....and are seeing a few problems at 140-160k, and are content to change the transmission if it fails. Hmmm, let's see, a $200-oil change or a $3000 transmission???

Also, buy a Peake Code Reader with the attachment to read the new 16 pin diagnostic. You'll need it to reset the service lights and inspection lights if you do your own work, it's also handy to read your own codes. I picked one up for $120 with the attachment, it will read BMW's from 89-03.

Check the rear control arms, yes, they now have control arms in the rear! Look at the bushings the same way you check the fronts. They tend to wear more in the rear for some reason.

There were two types of OBC's used in the E-39, a basic one, and a highline one that have the same functions as the E-34. If this car is optioned with the "highline" type, you will see the letters "BC" on one side of the buttons on the left side of the radio controls. Lori's doesn't have the highline, and could use the automatic vent control after work in the summer. The A/C however, will frost your balls off, so it's really not needed. One feature is the "rest" button on the climate control. After shutdown of the car in the winter, if the button is pressed, it will continue to blow warm air in the cabin, using the engine heat and the small electric water pump for the HVAC system. It's great if you have to wait in the car for a while without running the engine.

Good luck Bill B. , hope this helps some.

Jr

[billb]

Thanks for the dimensions Q!! We're getting excited about this endeavor. Of course, I washed Ginger up real nice tonight after having to replace a 3000 mile Yokohama due to a deck screw in the shoulder. TireRack road hazard comes through again! Guess she feels like she's getting screwed on this deal!

:D

Stay tuned...

[ryan roopnarine]

im not a religious or superstitious man, but i second jeff's feelings on the subject. taking ginger along is almost like asking for trouble. i don't know if i'd do the same if i were in your shoes.

[billb]

im not a religious or superstitious man, but i second jeff's feelings on the subject. taking ginger along is almost like asking for trouble. i don't know if i'd do the same if i were in your shoes.

If anything, it will be a welcoming party, if we return home with a 3rd bimmer for the driveway. Kinda like putting on your Sunday best before your cousin comes over for dinner.

[ScottyWM]

Hope it works out! It'll be nice to see another touring in the neighborhood. Doesn't have a double sunroof though....

[billb]

Hope it works out! It'll be nice to see another touring in the neighborhood. Doesn't have a double sunroof though....

I could not, FOR THE LIFE OF ME, convince the wife that we should look for an E34 touring, NO MATTER THE COST. She said if we're moving on, we're moving on. End of story. Now, if I came across a 525iT that had been converted to 5-speed, that might be a different story, but I still think it would be a tough fight for me to convince her otherwise.

Heh, it's got a glass moonroof, though...

[1995 525i]

...heading down to Wilmington Saturday morning to look over the '01 525iT. CPO car, 48k miles, on CPO until 11/07. Anyone have any disparaging comments about the M54 with steptronic?
Option codes:
0522 xenons
0650 in-dash CD
0468 premium pkg
0417 rear sunshade ;)
0202 steptronic paddles :D

Jet Black/Sand leather, one owner Florida car.

http://images.webmakerx.net/Photo/2001/BMW/5%20Series/WBADS43401GD85635_18.JPG

Actually LESS HP than our E34...

And, as a reminder, GINGER IS STILL FOR SALE, $7500.

Any bites on your car yet?

[billb]

Any bites on your car yet?

...we'll see if someone wants to take her home from there!

[1995 525i]

...we'll see if someone wants to take her home from there!
Good luck....Wish I could affod to buy another one.

[uscharalph]

Well..here are the dimensions for the e34 Touring's cargo area...and I believe the e39's cargo area is slightly bigger. Maybe this will help determine if your dog box will fit. :D

E34 Touring cargo area: with rear seat in upright position, the distance to rear tailgate is 42".
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/7/web/739000-739999/739005_64_full.jpg

E39 Touring cargo area w/o pull-out shelf:
http://i21.ebayimg.com/03/a/04/66/21/fc_4.JPG

E39 Touring cargo area w/pull-out shelf:
http://www.alexairik.com/99540/99540trunk.jpg
Nice measurement picture!!

[Qsilver7]

Nice measurement picture!!
Thanks...one night, reading the message boards, someone inquired about the cargo area dimensions...so I ran out to the garage and took some quick measurements. I didn't have a pic of my Touring's cargo area that was bright enough to use..so I did a quick search thru my picture archives of Tourings that I'd kept when I was searching to buy...and there were very few that had the rear seats folded forward...luckly this one had the seats folded down...and there was enough light in the interior, too! :D

[sbcncsu]

I know one of the salesmen at Schaeffer, his name is James Baxendale. He is a close friend of the family. Tell him you know me. Probably won't do any good because Schaeffer is notoriously hard to deal with on car purchases. They are great for service and really take good care of the customer and the car.

Bill,

When you are down here, give me a call if you have time, I'll e-mail my phone number.


Also go by Autowholesale. They go to auctions and can get you a decent 5er for a lot less than a dealer, enough so you can more than make up for not having the CPO discount or warranty. That is where we bought my wifes 01 525iA sport and my 05 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited. Great people to deal with, the buying process couldn't be any easier.

Take care,

[billb]

HUGE dent in the rear spoiler over the window...salesman said "if it were me, I'd pay $250 to have it bondo'd every two years". YEAH RIGHT! Gouges, I mean GOUGES in the paint, covered up with touchup paint that looked like it was applied with a sea sponge...torn leather on the seatbacks, squeaky hatch hinges, broken front spoiler mounts, evidence of overheating (antifreeze stains on the hood foam), previous owner took the cargo cover, no floormats ("oh, someone must've yanked 'em for another car, I'll get you some"), service book with NO stamps, wouldn't budge on price, and offered me $3500 for my '00 Explorer with 82k miles. It took all I had not to laugh in the guy's face.

Argh. So back to the drawing board. Ginger's looking better all the time. What a waste of 250 miles driving.

Scott, sorry I couldn't hook up with you, but we got a late start, had an irritable toddler, and had to get back to Raleigh ASAP for a party (that we had to duck out of early with said irritable toddler)...

Mechanically, it sounded great, but it would have taken WAY too much to get it looking right to even pursue.

Thanks for letting me vent.

[Bill R.]

how bad the interior and exterior can look on some of these later model tourings..After that is when i found the e46 touring and went for it instead.
The 5 touring is still for sale here, gunna be a long wait on it.. You'll find the one you're looking for, just keep plugging away.





HUGE dent in the rear spoiler over the window...salesman said "if it were me, I'd pay $250 to have it bondo'd every two years". YEAH RIGHT! Gouges, I mean GOUGES in the paint, covered up with touchup paint that looked like it was applied with a sea sponge...torn leather on the seatbacks, squeaky hatch hinges, broken front spoiler mounts, evidence of overheating (antifreeze stains on the hood foam), previous owner took the cargo cover, no floormats ("oh, someone must've yanked 'em for another car, I'll get you some"), service book with NO stamps, wouldn't budge on price, and offered me $3500 for my '00 Explorer with 82k miles. It took all I had not to laugh in the guy's face.

Argh. So back to the drawing board. Ginger's looking better all the time. What a waste of 250 miles driving.

Scott, sorry I couldn't hook up with you, but we got a late start, had an irritable toddler, and had to get back to Raleigh ASAP for a party (that we had to duck out of early with said irritable toddler)...

Mechanically, it sounded great, but it would have taken WAY too much to get it looking right to even pursue.

Thanks for letting me vent.

[ScottyWM]

Too bad, whatever happened to Matt P.'s M5T? Did he sell that? I'd go to texas and drive it back for you - no charge!

[Johntee540]

I just did Cam Sensors for both sides. If you are good with a wrench and patient you can do it. Its pretty hairy on one side as you have to remove the Vanos valve to get to it. Lots of stuff to move in order to get to both.

I would - while you are in there replace the Plastic Water Pump and also look at the thermostat sensor. I did all of this at the same time.

The other issue is the Radiator. On e39's people seem to have been replacing the Behr plastic radiator every 60k miles. I also replaced mine with an All Aluminum radiator from an outfit in Ohio - $600. But I wont have to change it again - ever.

www.zionsvilleautosport.com

I love my new/old 2000 528iT - it runs like new now - JT

[winfred]

i've not personally seen it yet but have read about coolent traveling inside of the harness from the thermostat sensor (it appears to be a heater) and fragging the computer

[Bill R.]

I didn't have any trouble with that and didn't have to move hardly anything. I tied a wire onto the end of the cam sensor lead and when i pulled it out the lead pulled the wire i attached to it , I then attached the new cam sensor lead to that wire and pulled it back through, It threaded the cam sens lead right down to where it connected with no fuss, Then bolted it in and screwed the vanos solendoid back in..






I just did Cam Sensors for both sides. If you are good with a wrench and patient you can do it. Its pretty hairy on one side as you have to remove the Vanos valve to get to it. Lots of stuff to move in order to get to both.

I would - while you are in there replace the Plastic Water Pump and also look at the thermostat sensor. I did all of this at the same time.

The other issue is the Radiator. On e39's people seem to have been replacing the Behr plastic radiator every 60k miles. I also replaced mine with an All Aluminum radiator from an outfit in Ohio - $600. But I wont have to change it again - ever.

www.zionsvilleautosport.com (http://www.zionsvilleautosport.com)

I love my new/old 2000 528iT - it runs like new now - JT

[sbcncsu]

HUGE dent in the rear spoiler over the window...salesman said "if it were me, I'd pay $250 to have it bondo'd every two years". YEAH RIGHT! Gouges, I mean GOUGES in the paint, covered up with touchup paint that looked like it was applied with a sea sponge...torn leather on the seatbacks, squeaky hatch hinges, broken front spoiler mounts, evidence of overheating (antifreeze stains on the hood foam), previous owner took the cargo cover, no floormats ("oh, someone must've yanked 'em for another car, I'll get you some"), service book with NO stamps, wouldn't budge on price, and offered me $3500 for my '00 Explorer with 82k miles. It took all I had not to laugh in the guy's face.

Argh. So back to the drawing board. Ginger's looking better all the time. What a waste of 250 miles driving.

Scott, sorry I couldn't hook up with you, but we got a late start, had an irritable toddler, and had to get back to Raleigh ASAP for a party (that we had to duck out of early with said irritable toddler)...

Mechanically, it sounded great, but it would have taken WAY too much to get it looking right to even pursue.

Thanks for letting me vent.

I am sorry that you experienced that side of Schaeffer BMW. They tried that on us two years ago when we were shopping for a replacement for our e34. We were dealing on a 2001 e46 touring and the same thing happened. The e46 had a BIG stain on one of the rear seat bottoms (leather) that we wanted fixed / replaced. They were not receptive to the idea. Then, to top it off, they low balled us on the e34 due to a non functioning A/C. Whe we handed the keys to the appraiser, the A/C was working perfectly but when we got it back from the appraiser, the A/C was DOA. It had worked fine before we took it in there!. I topped it off with r134A when we got home and all was good. Talk about questionable tactics.

I do recommend, if you are looking hard, that you contact Paul, Rob or Rodney at AutoWholesalenc.com. Those guys can get you a car at auction and you are only going to pay a small fee over what it goes for at auction. For instance, you could get a 525iTa for say 25,000 and only 800 of that goes to the dealer.

Also, if you see another on in Wilmington that you are interested in, call me or e-mail me and I'll check it out first, may save you a trip.

Good luck on your quest.