Selling my pride and joy in South Florida

[Newbie535i]

Sunday my 1989 535i with 100,991 miles suddenly had a real rough idle and just stalled on the road after coming to a stop, the check engine light came on, restarting the engine didn't fix the idle. No error codes popped up on the dash, and I limped home not exceeding 20 mph. I sprayed some wd-40 into the ICV, checked the vacuum hoses for leaks and disconnected the battery to clear any codes. The car started fine and I was able to drive it to work. The tranny was slipping a three months ago, and I had it serviced at AAMCO. The fluid smelled burnt, but it was a reddish color and the pan had a normal amount of filings on the magnets. So they put in Mobile Synthetic ATF with a Lubeguard additive, and I had the differential refilled with Synthetic 75w90. No problems, until yesterday. It could simply be a sensor issue, or not. And I love my car, however I do not have the time and facilities to work on her anymore. For someone who has a garage and/or time to work on her, it could be a great second car or used for parts. The engine doesn’t leak oil, which has been Mobil 1 synthetic since 2004. The driver side bumper was dented in 2006 when a driver backed into me at Home Depot, and fixed. The car jack left a dent on the driver side front door. Tires are 225-60-15 BF Goodrich Traction T/A’s installed 2005 with 27K on them, except the passenger front which is a Mirada All Season, installed last month and the full size spare is a brand new Toyo Proxes. The battery is brand new. The interior is clean, no tears in the leather, I don’t smoke. Three of the windows are tinted, (I didn’t get around to the 4th). Brand new pads, resurfaced rotors and a brake fluid flush done November 2007. Car stops on a dime. Dogbones replaced, Charcoal canister replaced, catback replaced, front shocks replaced, gas tank replaced, fuel level, sender replaced. MAF cleaned, and Techron religiously run through the engine every three thousand miles, Bosch injectors serviced, Speed sensor and fuel temp sensors replaced. Cruise control actuator is sitting in the boot, haven’t had time to install it. I can email the complete service record if so interested.

I have benefited from this forum's vast experience for many years now and I think it only appropriate to see if anyone here is interested in purchasing the car for parts, or if you are so inclined to try to fix the problem. I have kept meticulous service records and I have a clear title.

The car is parked in Boca Raton FL and if you wanted to see it for yourself, not a problem, email me for my phone number. I am asking for $2000 obo.

If no one is interested I’ll donate her for the tax break. Thanks everyone for all your help. Marcos

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[Ross]

Seems worth investigating the failure as the car looks nice. So is there a trans issue and a motor problem?

[Newbie535i]

Seems worth investigating the failure as the car looks nice. So is there a trans issue and a motor problem?
Hi Ross,

Yes, the transmission seems to slip and weirdly enough, since it's been serviced I don't get any error codes such as trans prog. But if I turn off the engine wait a few seconds and turn it back on, no problem. The engine up until Sunday was smooth, well, smooth as a M30 can be, like a ticking sewing machine. The valves were adjusted in Nov, banjo bolts tightened, she gets oil changes with synthetic about every 4 thousand miles or so, linkages oiled, filters changed, she doesn't leak. While I was the owner I took good care of her. I think it's a tranny sensor or switch, because turning the car off and on seems to fix it. The rough idle was gone as well, after letting the car sit for an hour. The problem is I used to have a garage, now that I moved, no garage and I need reliable transporation that is more fuel efficient. It could be worked on and provide years more satisfying driving, to someone who has the resources and time available. Sadly, that's not me anymore.

I'll email you the maintenance log if you like. Marcos

[BigKriss]

2000 looks kinda cheap

[Newbie535i]

2000 looks kinda cheap
Yeah it does. I figure that whoever buys her will have to spend time and money to fix it. It's a mechanic's special, and I 'm not gonna beat anyone over the head with a price that will make it less feasible to repair. Unless you want to trade a round trip airfare from Fort Lauderdale to Sydney for the car, LOL.