E34 540i V8 advice

[Unregistered]

I'm looking for my first E34 & have seen a nice looking 540i V8 on a 1994 plate. Only thing putting me off is its got 166k on the clock! Its got a FSH (not all BMW) & appears to be in good nick but the mileage is a worry. I'm looking to keep this car for a good few years & don't want the expence of an engine rebuild or havin to source a recon for it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, 540 is top of my list & this one is about 60 miles from home (London) so don't wanna travel all that way or waste the sellers time if its not worth buyin. Car is a 6 speed manual with all the usuals & A/C. Bloke wants £2700 o.n.o for it. What do people think? is it worth going for or should I keep looking?

Thanks,

[AllanS]

2700p sounds like a steal for a 94' 540i6, even with that mileage, but... what's an FSH?

[Elekta]

Esp if that's Kilometres

[Martin in Bellevue]

The classifieds in bmwCar mag list this, among other interesting UK things.

[Matias]

I've got a 94 540i V8 with 145K miles and it runs great. Just came back from the shop for a routine inspection and everthing looks very good. I'd say: go for it if the price is right.

[632 Regal]

BMW's maintenance calls for replacing everthing on a usual basis so that the car does not break down. Since it was well maintained you might have a keeper there, make sure the body is straight and the paint all matches and your good to go.
Good luck!!

[AllanS]

Woah, I didn't even think about that- that's less than 100k miles!! I wish I could find deals like that around here!

[Warren N.CA]

there is something wrong. Possibly the condition of the paint and body or something mechanical.

Those engines have not been made long enough for anyone to know how long a typical one might last. But, with an M30, 166K is no problemo, Senor.




I'm looking for my first E34 & have seen a nice looking 540i V8 on a 1994 plate. Only thing putting me off is its got 166k on the clock! Its got a FSH (not all BMW) & appears to be in good nick but the mileage is a worry. I'm looking to keep this car for a good few years & don't want the expence of an engine rebuild or havin to source a recon for it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, 540 is top of my list & this one is about 60 miles from home (London) so don't wanna travel all that way or waste the sellers time if its not worth buyin. Car is a 6 speed manual with all the usuals & A/C. Bloke wants £2700 o.n.o for it. What do people think? is it worth going for or should I keep looking?

Thanks,

[Marshy]

Well, I picked up my 1993 540i with 115k miles on it for £3000 here in the UK. Hence £2700 for a 160k mile car doesn't seem out of the ball park.

But: shell out for a BMW dealer to run their used car check on it: they're uber-picky so it should shake out any issues waiting in the wings.

I've noticed that used values for big engined BMWs seem lower in the UK than in the US, perhaps because of the huge fuel costs here meaning that these cars lose their appeal faster.

[G Feller]

You did not clarify, does it have 166k km or 100k miles? Did the Germans force their metrics upon the British but not the Americans?

That is my same vehicle. Warren may get the last laugh, but I have roughly 300 horsepower, and you would too if you bought that car and added a chip. . . that much power is relatively rare in the UK, no?

If you had said "BMW [or] E34 is top of my list," I would have a different response. But--I was so freaking excited to get my 540, and it continues to thrill me. I can afford the expense of maintenance and repairs so far, as I budgeted $2000 U.S. per annum to keep it up. I know some years will exceed that, and few will be less. And after one year, SWMBO (she who must be obeyed) has already suggested that she might be more comfortable if we were making monthly payments on a fully warranted, brand-new vehicle. At some point, I may be tempted. But not yet.

So, if you are a) mad for power and b) either can afford to keep it up/pay for gas (I've heard your choice in the UK is drinking or cars, few can afford both?) or you are very handy (perhaps with good connections to the mechanically inclined), I say go for it.

Then again, no one has even mentioned Nikasil. Just had that thought as I got to this point.

You would most likely want to be sure of an Alusil block and certainly get a full checkup before purchase.

http://www.koalamotorsport.com/tech/misc/v8shortblock.htm

I know the issue was less-well-addressed in the UK than in the US, but I think there were problems there as well.

If all checks out, be sure to turn off the ASC+T in safe conditions and don't be afraid to rev a little. It is a hoot!



540 is top of my list
Car is a 6 speed manual. Bloke wants £2700 o.n.o for it. ? is it worth going for or should I keep looking?

[Unregistered]

Thanks for all the advice, The car in question has 166,000 MILES on the clock (166k) Would obviosly check the nikasil situation as it is a V8 but I assume its been sorted. FSH = Full service history. Petrol is between 81-88 pence a litre over here & I only do about 7000 miles a year anyway so shouldn't notice a big diffrence in fuel costs. Assuming the cars in good nick, no rust or whining gearbox etc I would be very interested. My MKIV Golf only gives me 25mpg (Miles per gallon) on average. The E34 will be my replacement as my wife is keeping the golf because we really don't want to sell it. Like I said I would like to keep the car for a good few years, in my opinion you cant get much better than a 4.0 V8 BMW which is why I want a good one. 166,000 is my only stumbbling block, will the car last? Will obviously change the oil every 5,000 miles if not less but don't want that little worry of it breaking down in the back of my head each time we go out. Is it reasonable to expect maybe 250,000 out of a 540? Sorry for all the questions & thanks to all for the help.

[aussie540i]

hi from sydney australia, i have a 1993 540i auto (wish i could find a manual, they are soooo rare here) with 120,000 kilometres on her. i can tell you that she still drives like new ,tight and terrific, as the "feller" in the states says, get her checked her out and if she does (check out),....turn off the traction control (in the right conditions) and enjoy sheer motoring pleasure my friend.....absolutely and totally unsurrpassed..... i guess what im say is buy without any hesitation you will not regret it.... i intend i to keep mine for the rest of my life....(did bmw make better than the e34?.....i think not)

[aussie540i]

by the way... i look at used car prices often and an e34 540i in good condition with about 130-140k (kilometres) on her would sell for between 22k & 25k australian dollars..... i think the value is even there for you let alone the car....the stupid thing about australia is that 3 series used sell for as much if not more than 6 cylinder e34 5 series.... who would buy say a 1992 320i or 325i for the same price or more as a 525i or 535i? ....a 1995 318i would cost approx 18k the same would buy a 535i manual in excellent condition with low kilometres (and they can be found)..... who wouldnt buy the 5 series? the answer is most australian used bmw drivers.....the reason why is unknown,,,,,,

[Tiger]

I would not worry about the mileage for the engine... FSH will tell you that the previous owner probably changed just about everything. BMW parts last 100K miles a shot roughly... you change one part... it is good for another 10 years... pretty much. Go for it. Nikasil issue is not valid in UK or Europe.

[Unregistered]

does anybody know if Nikasil is an issue in australia please?

[G Feller]

I don't really know that much about the issue, but I remembered reading this (http://www.lestac.co.uk/bmw/nikasil.htm#what_causes) before.


Nikasil issue is not valid in UK or Europe.

[Unregistered]

fortunately, i do not think we have the problems of fuel additives in australia...but thanks anyway :)