Newbee needs help?

[dspdante]

Hello,

I'm new to the site and am looking for a little advice if you all don't mind. I have the opportunity to buy a 1994 530i with 50K miles. The vehicle has been in the garage since day one and has never seen snow. The car is mint inside and out.

However, the owner has stated that the oil has been changed only twice and the brakes pads haven't been replaced yet.

The car sounds great and rides perfectly.

Any reason to be concerned about the limited maintenance?

Thanks in advance.

dspdante

[genphreak]

Perhaps the owner is mistaken? That would indicate a high level of dealer slackness and owner stupidity: Oil should be changed every 6 months, as well as the first change at 500 miles or so. If this is the way it is, the engine will be worn and clogged. Perhaps it went unused for a long period of time? If so was the oil changed immediately after that?

If you do decide to buy it, do the oil change before driving it home. If it's on eBay, give it a miss, there will be something they are not telling you. If it is a genuine sale be very wary. :) GP

[dspdante]

Perhaps the owner is mistaken? That would indicate a high level of dealer slackness and owner stupidity: Oil should be changed every 6 months, as well as the first change at 500 miles or so. If this is the way it is, the engine will be worn and clogged. Perhaps it went unused for a long period of time? If so was the oil changed immediately after that?

If you do decide to buy it, do the oil change before driving it home. If it's on eBay, give it a miss, there will be something they are not telling you. If it is a genuine sale be very wary. :) GP


Thanks for the advice, I thought it sounded strange as well. Changing oil every 3K to 5K is standard operating procedure.

How can I be sure that there isn't permanent damage to the engine? Can a diagnosis be made?

[dspdante]

Thanks for the advice, I thought it sounded strange as well. Changing oil every 3K to 5K is standard operating procedure.

How can I be sure that there isn't permanent damage to the engine? Can a diagnosis be made?

[uscharalph]

Hello,

I'm new to the site and am looking for a little advice if you all don't mind. I have the opportunity to buy a 1994 530i with 50K miles. The vehicle has been in the garage since day one and has never seen snow. The car is mint inside and out.

However, the owner has stated that the oil has been changed only twice and the brakes pads haven't been replaced yet.

The car sounds great and rides perfectly.

Any reason to be concerned about the limited maintenance?

Thanks in advance.

dspdante
Have it evaluated by an knowledgeable mechanic before you buy it.

[Mendozart]

Hello,

I'm new to the site and am looking for a little advice if you all don't mind. I have the opportunity to buy a 1994 530i with 50K miles. The vehicle has been in the garage since day one and has never seen snow. The car is mint inside and out.

However, the owner has stated that the oil has been changed only twice and the brakes pads haven't been replaced yet.

The car sounds great and rides perfectly.

Any reason to be concerned about the limited maintenance?

Thanks in advance.
dspdante
Make sure you check to see if the nikasil block has been swapped out.

[jv9999]

I'd pass on that. It's probably a Nikasil block and with the very long change interval you're just asking for trouble. Now if it's priced well below market, that's another matter.

[dspdante]

So Nikasil is a bad thing. Can I research if it's a Nikasil engine block by using the VIN#?

[dacoyote]

So Nikasil is a bad thing. Can I research if it's a Nikasil engine block by using the VIN#?

Yes

I think Link (http://www.bmw-z1.com/VIN/VINdecode-e.cgi) tells you what sort of block it has.

Work is blocked

-Charles

[632 Regal]

you will need to get the engine casting numbers off the block whish is straight up infront of the starter. Nikasil isnt necessarily a bad thing or something to run from these days. If it starts thats half a sign its good, if it idles rough it could be a ton of other things causing that. The only way to make sure its good is a leak down test. do a search for nikasil on this forum.

[dspdante]

Thank you all I'll take a look at the Nikasil info on the forum.

[pyro]

how many miles does it have?

[SRR2]

If I were in your shoes, in addition to the leakdown adn compression tests, I'd take a large syringe and tube to withdraw a sample of oil out of the crankcase and send it off to a lab for analysis. That will tell you the condition of the oil and a lot about the condition of the engine.

It's really hard to believe that anyone would go 15K between oil changes. But think about it... If it's good quality synthetic, the 15K is on the high side, but probably not fatal. Dino oil... I'd be concerned about it. Get a lab test.

[uscharalph]

how many miles does it have?
Original Post: "I'm new to the site and am looking for a little advice if you all don't mind. I have the opportunity to buy a 1994 530i with 50K miles. The vehicle has been in the garage since day one and has never seen snow. The car is mint inside and out."

[pyro]

just kidding. AND ONLY 2 OIL CHANGES!!! i wouldn't buy that car because if the average oil change was 25k miles between.... i think its funny that the guy even told you it was only changed twice... but if the price was right buy it and CHANGE THE OIL. also check if theres slug in the bottom of the pan, a few motors at our school had slug in the pan.

[SRR2]

How do you figure 25K between changes?

[pyro]

50k miles / 2 oil changes = 25k miles. i guess that would be if he was lucky

[SRR2]

Huh?

The car came with oil in it. Then they changed it at 16k (Change 1). Then they changed it at 33K (Change 2) and now it's at 50K. Average length of oil usage = 17K give or take.

[pyro]

just kidding Didn't even think of that. still 17 is a fairly long time for non synt. oil.


5 times over the usual oil change interval. but im not a mechanic so i wouln't know.

[Kalevera]

I basically agree with what Steve's said, but I don't think the condition of the engine can be determined without tearing it down.

An engine that has sat for a long period of time will have rust in it. Take the case of an S38B38 that we recently picked up at the shop: thing is practically new, but needs a rebuild anyway because there's evidence of rust in the crank case.

BMW oil does this over time if the car has followed factory service intervals:

http://www.bimmer.info/~lowell/e38oilpan.jpg

A used oil analysis won't tell you how much sludge is in there; it will indicate the condition of the oil that's still liquified in the crankcase.

If the engine is operating normally, I wouldn't worry about the nikasil issue.

The other thing to remember is this: these cars have rubber wear parts that will fail with time, regardless of mileage. It's important to remember this, because there are things that will fail if the car is suddenly run as a daily driver. Such issues have the potential to be expensive for the V8, but...

best, whit

[SRR2]

Now *that* picture is obscene. I know obscene when I see it.

Let's suppose an engine with nearly new oil, and favorable usage patterns -- i.e. no short trips on it. How long would it take for rust to start forming to the point where teardown becomes necessary? In round numbers. Couple of months? Half a year? A year? ....? The rust occurs because the oil eventually drains off the internal parts and leaves them exposed to moisture that gets pumped into the crankcase by temperature and atmospheric pressure changes, correct?

[632 Regal]

start it up and take it for a whirl, the owner might be trying to make to car sound better by no maintenance and rarly driven...


Now *that* picture is obscene. I know obscene when I see it.

Let's suppose an engine with nearly new oil, and favorable usage patterns -- i.e. no short trips on it. How long would it take for rust to start forming to the point where teardown becomes necessary? In round numbers. Couple of months? Half a year? A year? ....? The rust occurs because the oil eventually drains off the internal parts and leaves them exposed to moisture that gets pumped into the crankcase by temperature and atmospheric pressure changes, correct?

[mattyb]

have i missed something or has he not said how much is this car?
gotta stop drinkin in the morning

[dspdante]

50k

[dspdante]

The car has been driven on a regular basis albeit, short distances. The owner has a 20 mile round trip commute to work, so it never sat for lengthy periods of time.

[dspdante]

$9k