Buying an E34 Touring... What do i need to look out for?

[RiggsyB]

Hi there...

First post on here, but here goes! I've been keeping my eyes on the classifieds for a while for a decent condition E34 Touring for not silly money, and had no joy... Today i went to a garage to have a look at another car, and got there and there's a really good conditon 1995 E34 520i SE in Calypso red just sat there... It has done 115,000 miles, but full main dealer service history, last serviced 4,000 miles ago. Oh, and it's a manual not an auto (I hate auto boxes!).

I checked it over, but my knowledge is fairly limited... It has no rust that I can find (got my hands up right inside the arches etc), had new discs and pads at the last service, all the electrics work (apart from one window which they are going to sort out before they let the car go), and they'll put it through the MOT so it has 12 months on it... Oh, and they also said they'd junk the no longer fucntioning tape deck and put a CD player of sorts in (though they won't budge on the price, but then it's not extortionate anyway)...

Anyway... I drove it, and all seemed fine... But what else to look out for? Gears changed fine, car drove straight, it didn't sound any more throaty than any other similar age beemer i've ever heard, the interior is mint...

I've heard problems about whining manual gearboxes though? What happens to cause that? Is it a big problem? I heard a slight whine but wasn't sure what it was, but it wasn't very loud... Is it just a case of changing the gearbox oil regularly and it will be ok?

Engine wise all seemed sweet, but other than giving it the once over, i'm not too sure what i'm looking for... At 115k miles, what is likely to have gone wrong with it?

Anyway, i kind of want the car (as long as it's all alright), and i've seen friends with similar cars with much more miles on and still going very strong with no problems...

So please please please... ANY advice will be greatfully appreciated!

Thanks

P.S. Beemers are in my blood... My Dad has had an E28 528i, an E34 535i and a rare manual 540i, 2 E38 740i's, 2 E39 M5's, and E46 330ci, and E39 530i and he now has a new shape 330D Estate (he's got old!)... My mum had a couple of 3 series in her time too!

[Zeuk in Oz]

I presume from the model you are looking at and that the speedo is in miles that you are in th UK.

Given you family's experience with Bimmers, I would presume that your father has a BMW specialist mechanic (not necessarily a dealer) that he uses.

Get that person to check this car over.

Also get your dad to drive the car and give his opinion.

[calmloki]

We in the US aren't likely to give you much aid as we didn't get any 520SE tourings, much less in manual configuration! We could maybe help with suspension or rear hatch problems.....
Tom

[tim]

If it has the self-leveling suspension I would inspect it carefully. Also the double sunroof if so equiped.

[RiggsyB]

Cheers guys

Unfortunately getting my Dad to have a drive isn't really an option as I don't live too close to him rightnow! Also sad to say that my dad is a "buy it new, get raped by the dealer for servicing, sell it when 3 years old" type of guy... He knows beemers to drive, but hasn't got a clue (or an interest) mechanically...

I've spoken to an independent here who gave me a fair few pointers, but i was wondering if there was anything i might have missed out...

What problems occur with the rear hatch anyway? Speaking of which, how do you only open the hatch glass and not the whole thing?

Also, yes i'm in the UK... How come you didn't get any 520i tourings out in the US? And to be fair, manuals though much more common over here are still hard to come by in my experience... Still mostly autos here too, so i'm quite keen on this car!

[RiggsyB]

Checked the double sunroof and all seemed fine and dandy...

How do I know if it has self levelling suspension or not? And what goes wrong there?

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

the hood, look for the power steering reservoir, if it's a black plastic deal with ATF embossed on, no LAD, but if it's a metal can with CHF11 then you got LAD.

you can also see the lines, valve and accumalator under the rear of the car

[Alexlind123]

http://www.bmwe34.net/e34main/trouble/what_will_break.htm

[Elekta]

check rear window hatch for wiring harness breaks. If the window and rear hatch don't open right when you depress the actuator, then you make have breaks in your harness. check if window stays up, as those shocks are a bizatch to replace on your first try

lets see the stick

[calmloki]

Lifting glass lid only: handle is on right side under the lip - that is, to the right of the center mounted hatch latch. Maybe. Dunno about UK - bend down and look for the second latch...
Tom

[Zeuk in Oz]

In my honest opinion, you MUST get the car examined by a BMW specialist, be they a dealer or not.

There really are just too many things to look at to give you a do-it-yourself check list.

It would also be advisable to talk to the specialist or BMW to determine if yours was a Nikasil engine. My understanding is that the 2.5 and 2.8 engines sold in the UK in the E 39 up to the 10th week of 1998 were Nikasil engines and suffered greatly if exposed to high sulphur petrol. For more info do a search but a phone call to BMW should settle that issue.

Do a search on Niaksil on this forum and all will be revealed.

If Nikasil is a potential issue, a leakdown test will be required.

Therefore getting the car looked at by an expert is, in my opinion, essential.

[Nick.Hay]

What do you need to look out for??

Me... Coming to your place at night, and doing perverted things to your Touring!! :D :D

I love them, I reckon thay are Tha Sex!!



Good luck with the purchase...

[Omega]

It would also be advisable to talk to the specialist or BMW to determine if yours was a Nikasil engine.

It's a 1995 e34 2.0l. In the UK only the v8's are nikasil affected.


How come you didn't get any 520i tourings out in the US?

Because they are gutless and too underpowered for such a heavy car. You may find that a 520 will be less economical than a 525 depending on where and how you drive.


In my honest opinion, you MUST get the car examined by a BMW specialist, be they a dealer or not. Therefore getting the car looked at by an expert is, in my opinion, essential.

I would tend to agree with Zeuk in this instance and get a second, expert, opinion. However it depends on how much the car is worth and how mechanically minded you are.

I was recently offered an '88 525 for £350. What would be the point in getting this examined? It's a 18 year old car for not much money.

[Zeuk in Oz]

It's a 1995 e34 2.0l. In the UK only the v8's are nikasil affected.
My understanding, having looked at a UK import 523i a little while ago, was that the UK 6s were also affected until the 10th week of 1998.

Certainly this was the case with the 523i & 528i in E39 guise. (That info, by the way, came straight from BMW in the UK.) The 6s in the US were not affected.

See : http://www.bmwland.co.uk/talker/viewtopic.php?t=373&vm=r

This link talks about the M52 engine being fitted to the E34 from 1995.

and : http://www.bmwworld.com/engines/nikasil.htm

(Thanks to shogun for these links, by the way)

It is possible then, that the 2 litre motor might also be affected if it is an M52 (single vanos) , but I am not saying that it is. Worth a phone call to BMW or do a search on this forum and you will find what you need.

Regarding the value of the car, in Oz an inspection by an independent BMW mechanic can be had for approx $100 (40 quid). I would imagine that no matter how cheap the car, that sort of investment might be worth it.

[gwing]

I have a 94 touring tdse, 135500 miles,mine is a manuel box also no probs at all, only advice i can give is check usual things body rust,susp,electrics work,smoke from exhaust when revving engine, if it appears ok get 2nd opinion from a mechanic friend or bmw enthusiast,they are likely to know what special things to watch outfor. I've had mine nearly 3 years now apart from servicing the only things i've had to buy were a battery and a tailgate strut. Trouble these days its getting harder to check a vehicle there way to complicated now for majority of home enthusiast. You could get a vehicle exam done by one of the motoring organisations as a final check, could be money well spent if they found major faults.

[Ross]

Items peculiar to the touring that can be troublesome are the wiring harness for the rear hatch, check that everything back there is operational.
The sunroof also is more complicated than the sedan.
Although the a/c is not different than the others it's expensive to repair, so a non functioning unit deserves a significant price adjustment or better still repair before consumating a deal.
All the usual E34 weaknesses apply as well and are well covered here.
115k is about where lots of stuff needs attention, so see whats been done and plan on doing the rest soon.
Good luck!
Ross

[Bruce Kennett]

i second the arnings for the rear susp. i bought a wagon this spring, didn;t desire the fancy susp but that's how it came. lines all rusted, whole system let go while i was many hours away from home. mamanged to limp back, and ended up replacing the rear susp with conventional springs and bilsteins. the guy from whom i bought the car split the cost with me, but it was very expensive to convert.

good thing sunroof is working -- those are not simple to repair if out of kilter.

check wiring loom on *both* sides of tailgate -- the constant flexing wears out the sheathing and insulation.

however, it is a completely wonderful car. good for you for finding one with a manual tranny -- here in the u.s. it's all auto as far as i know.

bruce

[calmloki]

i second the arnings for the rear susp. i bought a wagon this spring, didn;t desire the fancy susp but that's how it came. lines all rusted, whole system let go while i was many hours away from home. mamanged to limp back, and ended up replacing the rear susp with conventional springs and bilsteins. the guy from whom i bought the car split the cost with me, but it was very expensive to convert.

good thing sunroof is working -- those are not simple to repair if out of kilter.

check wiring loom on *both* sides of tailgate -- the constant flexing wears out the sheathing and insulation.

however, it is a completely wonderful car. good for you for finding one with a manual tranny -- here in the u.s. it's all auto as far as i know.

bruce

An aside to Bruce: so what did the final cost end up being, did you do the work yourself and run into anything we would all like to know about? Ugly nasty job? Howdja block of the old hydraulic lines? What parts did you use and does the wagon sit and handle the same? Better? Enquiring touring owners want to know!
Tom

[RiggsyB]

Another question that is proving to be quite contentious, and i can't get a straight answer... What oil should I stick in it? Apparently it is an M50 engine, steel block... So no nickasil worries (only E39s were affected in the UK, and not too many of them at that apparently) to contend with...

I've heard 5/30 full synthetic, 10/40 semi, 15/40 semi, 10/40 fully... Can anyone give me a definitive answer? And do they prefer a particular brand at all?

cheers

[Omega]

My understanding, having looked at a UK import 523i a little while ago, was that the UK 6s were also affected until the 10th week of 1998.

Well I have certainly learnt something today! Thanks for the heads up. I was lead to believe it was only the v8's. That little nugget of info will certainly be remembered when I get a newer 5 series (eventually...)


Regarding the value of the car, in Oz an inspection by an independent BMW mechanic can be had for approx $100 (40 quid).

For £40 yes it's worth it. Most places I've seen advertising checks in the UK start at about £150... I think the RAC charge £180.


What oil should I stick in it?
I run 10w40 standard oil of reasonable quality - like Duckhams. Typically £15 for 5 litres. Nothing fancy at all.

If it's an M50 block, look (or listen) out for a top end rattle from the hydraulic lifters. Expensive to replace but an engine flush may clear it. It did mine. The rattle is a good bargaining tool though.

I must confess to being a bit of a touring pervert as well.:D As we are yet to see photo's, what colour is it?

[RiggsyB]

Well guys

Cheers for everything... I went back, checked it over again, along with my mate who knows beemers... Basically the consensus was that he's never seen a 10 year old car in such good condition before! Everything is spot on with it... Cheers for pointing out about how to notice the self levelling models... It's a non self levelling, so i should be fine...

All the Electrics work (apart from the rear window which they're fixing), the rear hatch is all fine, wiper works, heated screen works, split glass/hatch is all fine! The sunroof is all sound, and no signs of any corrosion anywhere!

Here's a link to it on the dealers website (sorry boys, i've put my deposit down!)...

http://stock.autorespond.co.uk/autostockbrokers.aspx?sItem=1&sType=Car&sCarID=142084&sSearchResults=1&sPageNo=1&sPageMax=10&sFormat=Vehicle

Ok, being only a 520 it's not the quickest of things, but i'm not that bothered... 0 to 60 is about 10 seconds am i right? That's not drastic by my standards, and I want a cruiser...

All i have to do now is wait til he MOT's it and valets it on Monday, then go and pay him the balance and pick the beast up! At least i'm safe in the knowledge that if it fails its MOT on anything, he's got to sort it out for me!

haha

I feel all warm and tingly inside right now! Cheers peeps...

oh, and standard 10w40 is ok? Cool... I can get that stuff for under £5 a gallon through work ;-) I daren't tell anyone what i can buy brake pads for... you'd all mug me!

haha

[Zeuk in Oz]

Congratulations !

Welcome to the club.

Regarding oils, there are many opinions on this board, but on the whole Mobil 1 0W40 probably gets the nod. It is certainly what i use.

Good luck.

[Bruce Kennett]

the final cost was over a grand. this kind of work definitely beyond my skill level, especially with only one arm fully working right now. done by my friend who is owner of competent indy shop (bmws mostly, some mercedes-vw-audi-saab). 7 hours labor, remove self-leveling shocks and install regualr shock kit and springs with factory springs, bilsteins. ride does not seem substantially different, maybe a bit more taut going over changes in road surface. i had not driven the car much before this happened (i've been recovering from frozen shoulder injury since april, so driving is discouraged, and only really started driving the car in may) so i do not have a huge gauge of previous experience to compare it to.

i happened to see some kit listed on a parts site recently while cruising around on the net -- it was something like an undo-your-self-leveling-susp for a lot less money. anyone know what that is for?

in any case, i am very glad to have that outta there and conventional shocks in the back. i'll leave the self-leveling hydraulic stuff for my citroen DS21, whose builders got it right in the first place!

hth,

bruce

[Bruce Kennett]

the guy from whom i bought the car was very classy about this and paid for half of the cost, even though quite a few weeks had gone by since i took possession of it.

[Paul in NZ]

riggsyB please please dont buy the car without getting it checked by a bmw dealer or a e34 knowledgeable mechanic....And dont run 10 40,give it 5w synthetic its extremely valuable protection at start up

[cosmowagon]

I have a '95 520i automatic and I can definitely tell you what to watch out for-steep hills:)