If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
E39 540i
I've just bought a 1998 one of these for not much money. Amazingly it seems
pretty good and everything I look at shows evidence of careful owners. There are some faults (that I've found so far) and I'm listing them here in the hope that some of them might be common ones. It's an automatic, Steptronic. Firstly the doors seem to rattle when I'm driving but not when I thump them. Do I remember hearing this complaint about E39s before? The DSC warning light is always on. No idea what fails on this, anyone know? I thought the coolant was low, suspecting a leak, but it turns out you read the level from a floating pointy red thing, implying that you're not supposed to see the water. However, the pointy thing is stuck. Maybe it has a leak, maybe it doesn't, I can't tell without that indicator. The check control display is missing a lot of dots, which I know is common, but since it only lights up on warnings it's not too bad. Can it be replaced cheaply though? More annoying is the lack of backlight on the mileage reading on the display above - I'm hoping this might just be a replaceable bulb or LED? There is a light knocking from the engine at idle that you can hear from underneath but not above. I wondered if it could be the gearbox but it sounds like top end / cam noise except for the location. It has the BMW phone which wants a credit card-sized SIM card. Can this be useful at all? If it has a full hands free system can it be adapted to work with a modern phone? Otherwise can the BMW phone be resurrected somehow? Lovely car, seems to have all the options except sunroof, and everything else seems to work, even the electric memory seats. Satnav, TV and CD all work. Averaged an inspiring 18.7mpg so far. |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
E39 540i
Dan Buchan wrote: > > I thought the coolant was low, suspecting a leak, but it turns out you read > the level from a floating pointy red thing, implying that you're not > supposed to see the water. However, the pointy thing is stuck. Maybe it > has a leak, maybe it doesn't, I can't tell without that indicator. Hmm, sounds a bit odd. > > There is a light knocking from the engine at idle that you can hear from > underneath but not above. I wondered if it could be the gearbox but it > sounds like top end / cam noise except for the location. Could this be the dreaded loose oil pump bolts? > Lovely car, seems to have all the options except sunroof, and everything > else seems to work, even the electric memory seats. Satnav, TV and CD all > work. Averaged an inspiring 18.7mpg so far. You'll get close to 30 on a run. |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
E39 540i
In article >,
Dan Buchan > wrote: > I've just bought a 1998 one of these for not much money. Amazingly it > seems pretty good and everything I look at shows evidence of careful > owners. There are some faults (that I've found so far) and I'm listing > them here in the hope that some of them might be common ones. It's an > automatic, Steptronic. Hope you're a lucky person. In general. they seem less reliable than their 6 cylinder siblings. > Firstly the doors seem to rattle when I'm driving but not when I thump > them. Do I remember hearing this complaint about E39s before? Is it the windows? You could try wedging them to prove this. > The DSC warning light is always on. No idea what fails on this, anyone > know? Not a common one that I know of. > I thought the coolant was low, suspecting a leak, but it turns out you > read the level from a floating pointy red thing, implying that you're > not supposed to see the water. However, the pointy thing is stuck. > Maybe it has a leak, maybe it doesn't, I can't tell without that > indicator. Another new one on me. Does the low coolant warning come on? The rads on these can be a problem. > The check control display is missing a lot of dots, which I know is > common, but since it only lights up on warnings it's not too bad. Can > it be replaced cheaply though? More annoying is the lack of backlight > on the mileage reading on the display above - I'm hoping this might > just be a replaceable bulb or LED? IIRC, it's a dry solder joint problem and not easy to fix. But you might find a specialist who does an exchange scheme. > There is a light knocking from the engine at idle that you can hear from > underneath but not above. I wondered if it could be the gearbox but it > sounds like top end / cam noise except for the location. Pass. > It has the BMW phone which wants a credit card-sized SIM card. Can this > be useful at all? If it has a full hands free system can it be adapted > to work with a modern phone? Otherwise can the BMW phone be resurrected > somehow? Pass again. > Lovely car, seems to have all the options except sunroof, and everything > else seems to work, even the electric memory seats. Satnav, TV and CD > all work. Averaged an inspiring 18.7mpg so far. UK cars with climate control don't have sunroofs. Strangely. So that is probably all V-8s. Although I *think* it could be a special order, so probably not on early cars which were snapped up as soon as they left the production lines. I've not been much help but the group in my sig probably could be - lots of V-8s in that while I've got the 6. ;-) -- Is the hardness of the butter proportional to the softness of the bread?* Dave Plowman 528 Auto London SW12 (UK) Co-Moderator BMW E39 Enthusiast Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bmwe39 |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
E39 540i
Dave Plowman (News) wrote: > In article >, > Dan Buchan > wrote: > > I've just bought a 1998 one of these for not much money. Amazingly it > > seems pretty good and everything I look at shows evidence of careful > > owners. There are some faults (that I've found so far) and I'm listing > > them here in the hope that some of them might be common ones. It's an > > automatic, Steptronic. > > Hope you're a lucky person. In general. they seem less reliable than their > 6 cylinder siblings. > I think you mentioned this before but so far without backing any of it up. Can you tell me why they're less reliable? I have both. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
E39 540i
In article .com>,
adder1969 > wrote: > > Hope you're a lucky person. In general. they seem less reliable than > > their 6 cylinder siblings. > > > I think you mentioned this before but so far without backing any of it > up. Can you tell me why they're less reliable? I have both. Just a probably inaccurate straw poll. Seem to suffer much more from cooling problems. But that doesn't mean all do. -- *There are 3 kinds of people: those who can count & those who can't. Dave Plowman London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
E39 540i
"Dave Plowman (News)" > wrote in message ... > In article .com>, > adder1969 > wrote: >> > Hope you're a lucky person. In general. they seem less reliable than >> > their 6 cylinder siblings. >> > > >> I think you mentioned this before but so far without backing any of it >> up. Can you tell me why they're less reliable? I have both. > > Just a probably inaccurate straw poll. Seem to suffer much more from > cooling problems. But that doesn't mean all do. > > -- > *There are 3 kinds of people: those who can count & those who can't. > > Dave Plowman London SW On the cooling problems, I'd say 'most' do, or at least more than should. Well known common problem. At 70-80K budget for a new radiator and associated bits. |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
E39 540i
Tom Too wrote: > > > On the cooling problems, I'd say 'most' do, or at least more than should. > Well known common problem. At 70-80K budget for a new radiator and > associated bits. So on the V8 the rad is poorly designed and the I6 has a history of water pump problems. I don't see how that warrants "good luck with the V8" type of comments. I'm not saying they are more reliable just that if they're not I'd like to know why so I can check some things out. |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
E39 540i
"adder1969" > wrote in message ps.com... > > Tom Too wrote: >> >> >> On the cooling problems, I'd say 'most' do, or at least more than should. >> Well known common problem. At 70-80K budget for a new radiator and >> associated bits. > > So on the V8 the rad is poorly designed and the I6 has a history of > water pump problems. I don't see how that warrants "good luck with the > V8" type of comments. I'm not saying they are more reliable just that > if they're not I'd like to know why so I can check some things out. > Agreed. I sure hope the V8 is pretty reliable as I pick mine up from my tech today with my new VF Engineering supercharger installed |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
E39 540i
Tom Scales wrote: > > Agreed. I sure hope the V8 is pretty reliable as I pick mine up from my > tech today with my new VF Engineering supercharger installed Nice :-) |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
E39 540i
"Dave Plowman (News)" > wrote in message
... > > Co-Moderator BMW E39 Enthusiast Group > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bmwe39 Nice group. Think I'll join. I'm sure I remember you from years back. Can't think which group it was, though.. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
1999 540i engine cuts out | Andy B | BMW | 2 | December 7th 06 10:15 PM |
Loss of power on my 1998 V8 540i | Cass | BMW | 2 | August 16th 06 05:51 PM |
High Mileage 540i? | Ape | BMW | 12 | November 16th 05 02:50 PM |
1995 540i Sport for sale in Ann Arbor MI | John White | BMW | 0 | July 15th 05 04:15 PM |
540i Sport strut noise - help | RAZ | BMW | 1 | March 11th 05 04:07 AM |