lookin at a 95 540i

[nosox]

hey guys i m new and not acctually an owner yet. acouple of 95 540i s have been calling to me and i just wondered if there is anything specifically bmw wise that i should be on the look out for besides normal buyer beware stuff.these are supercool cars and if i can sell my jag I ll be joining your fraternity.hard to move a v12 with gas at $1.18 per litre tho.really enjoy your forum....very informative and sometimes entertaining.thanx in advance

[pingu]

The 540 is great fun, marginally less so if you'r the one paying for fuel. Try searching for "alusil" and "nikasil" although I think any problems have now been sorted, mostly due to low sulphur fuel, and a lot of engines were repaired/replaced.

[pingu]

Gas at $1.18 per litre? That's almost too cheap to meter!

[Jehu]

I wouldn't quite say any nikasil block still in use must be OK. I recently read on some forum a kid who bought one with a nikasil block i think from a dealership and shortly thereafter it failed. He was as far as i understand left holding the junk engine as BMW declined to replace it citing the limits on that warranty.I think its making an overly broad and unscientific statement to suggest as you have he shouldn't be concerned about buying a 540 with a nikasil block as from that young man's report even up over 100,000 miles they can fail. I personally would not buy a BMW with a nikasil block.

[Evan]

Do you have a link to the article you read? Thanks

[Boone.Msi]

What is it that you are looking for in an e34? Have you chosen the 540i for its N/A power, v8 platform, and/or cosmetic upgrades? Or are you looking for a dependable, luxurious, classic BMW? Auto or Manual?

Theres many options that will come to mind when looking for an e34. As for reliability, it will be nothing short of expected on a 12 year old car, gaskets, sensors, plugs and other maintenance items will need to be checked/replaced. The Nikasil issue stated was a VERY important issue to look for 5 years ago, but has practicly diminished by now.

The biggest guideline you need to follow, is to get the car that has the most available and recent records, this will help determine what has been replaced and what will eventually need to be replaced.

The 94/95 model is definantly the one to look for, it recieved many cosmetic upgrades: M5 painted sideskirts 95' exclusive, wide grill and hood, leather interior side panels, new 5 speed auto with sport mode, and a few others i cant think of right now. The 93' 540 retained the skinny hood/grill, and older interior if you prefer the classic look over the modern.

Good luck, give us more detail in your search!

[ThoreauHD]

Yea, if I could do it all again.. I'd do a 95 540 myself. But I can't complain. I got a 80k mile creampuff and it's a beauty. In a word- smooth.

It's just wanting what you don't have I think. It would be nice to bring my 530 to the track, but it's just a small bore V8. That's where the 540 and M's get the leg up. My only regret is that I can't stick a V10/V12 in this thing. But I think I'll fix that by just getting a 760 of the same vintage year. So in short, yes, the 1995 540 with low mileage and records showing the engine isn't a timebomb would be the best option. Good luck bud.

[nosox]

thanx dudes hope I can make it happen

[Jehu]

Let me add that the manual 6 speed is tons more fun than an automatic and from my casual observations of different forums alot less prone to Tranny issues. I hadn't driven a manual gearbox car as my own before only having driven those of friends and that not for many years but i knew i'd want the manual and i'm very pleased i went for it.

[ThoreauHD]

Here's a nice automatic:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1995-BMW-540i-One-Owner-83k-Immaculate-E34-268hp-V8_W0QQitemZ270127023512QQihZ017QQcategoryZ6008QQs sPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem