bmw e39 m5 question
21-01-2013, 09:33 AM
#1
Too many posts.. I need a life!!
Thread Starter
bmw e39 m5 question
im thinking of replacing my current car for an e39 m5,
i remember some time ago Stu from msd wrote a post / essay about the things to do with an m5 to make them go for ever, I've tried to search for it but there is alot of m5 chat and would like to find it so i can make a more informed decision.
overall, are they good cars? reliable? massively expensive to run?
many thanks
Chris
i remember some time ago Stu from msd wrote a post / essay about the things to do with an m5 to make them go for ever, I've tried to search for it but there is alot of m5 chat and would like to find it so i can make a more informed decision.
overall, are they good cars? reliable? massively expensive to run?
many thanks
Chris
21-01-2013, 11:05 AM
#2
Advanced PassionFord User
They are a 60k car from new mate so need to remember this when price parts on it. Brakes are expensive, repairs and servicing again will be pricey. But as a whole package they are great cars! Just get a good one
21-01-2013, 11:30 AM
#3
Totally shite cars mate, don't ever buy one....
On a serious note, I've had one for nearly 3 years and love it to bits, I want a new car but nothing out there takes my fancy, only a modern diesel manual BM would probably suit my circumstances i think so no point in changing.
As booner has said they were a +Ł60k car new so the build quality is not even a topic for discussion, there are no issue there. Generally they are very reliable, and no Vanos issues at all that i've ever heard of apart from the usual internet rumours, for every story you read there will be 10 thousand other cars that will be fine.
Your main expense will be fuel, mine averages 18-19mpg and i use it everyday, costs me about Ł80-Ł90 a week in fuel, I mainly use it in town so that would be largely urban consumption.
Servicing is not cheap, I don't know if you are familiar with BMW servicing but you get 3 types of intervals, oil service, Inspection 1 & Inspection 2, the car will dictate when and what it needs. i would say about Ł150 for an oil service, Ł200-Ł250 for inspection 1 and Ł550 for inspection 2 from an independant, BMW main dealers will charge you a lot more, my first Inspection 2 from a main delaer was Ł750, and the last time it needed an oil service they wanted Ł240, but they don'tneed serviced that often so it's not as bad as it sounds.
Brakes, Hmm it's been a while since i did mine, but if i remember right I was about Ł600 for front discs (ONLY BUY OEM, DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME ON ANYTHING ELSE). Brakes are a bit of a soft spot because it's an old heavy car, a lot of people add cooling ducts from E39 sports to assist cooling as front discs are prone to warping, also the usual braided lines and yellow stuff pads with uprated fluid will really make a big improvement.
If your are buying parts I get all my bits from bmwminiparts, they will be the cheapest out there, bar a coupkle of items i would only buy genuine BMW parts.
"Most" cars use oil, it is rare to find one that doesn't, and if my memory serves me correctly Stu's is one of those rare beasts that doesn't need topping up every 800-1k miles. This is normal, don't fret about it, the oil can be bough for Ł40 from Eurocarparts, ONLY use 10w/60 Castrol EDGE, the one that specifically states "for M-series" on the bottle. My car usese oil, it always has, and it's perfectly fine, just make sure you always have a supply handy in the garage, not every autoparts shop sells the correct stuff.
Facelift and pre-facelift cars:
Facelift came out late 2000, this has grey dashboard clocks, better steering wheel (same as E46 M3) and bigger satnav 16:9 screen, crystal rear lights and angel eyes. Also rumoured to have a diferent piston ring design to reduce oil consumption but i'd suggest you read up on that yourself, mine uses oil but is an early facelift, so could well be it doesn't have that update.
Road tax, if you buy one registered pre-march 2001it will be Ł200 for tax, a newer one will be alot more, i don't know how much becuase mine is Nov 2000, so i get facelift AND cheaper tax for the same car
A couple of other experiences i've had- recently did the clutch and flywheel with bits supplied from Matt Lewis, the BMW parts are made by LUK so don't buy through BMW or you will pay about 3 times the price. I got my clutch and flywheel for Ł540 i think or thereabouts, mega saving over buying it from BMW. Also had a recent alternator failure (which is uncommon) but i had a fuel pump failure in Nov which IS common, people tend to replace the fuel pumps at 100k as a rule of thumb, but mine went at 120k. Rear diff seals are also bad for leaking, it's the seal for the input shaft/prop that goes, easy to fix though. gearbox can be notchy from cold as well but goes away after 10 mins, i read up about this a lot and it seems people moaned about this when the were new so it's not uncommon.
Tyres can be pricey (depending on your definition of expensive), they're staggered fitment, rears are 275/35/18 and the front (i think) are 245/40/18. All in all a truly magnificent car IMO, nothing for the same value will touch it, but it's obviously expensive to run or everybody would have one, right?
So why do you want an M5, have you always fancied one?
On a serious note, I've had one for nearly 3 years and love it to bits, I want a new car but nothing out there takes my fancy, only a modern diesel manual BM would probably suit my circumstances i think so no point in changing.
As booner has said they were a +Ł60k car new so the build quality is not even a topic for discussion, there are no issue there. Generally they are very reliable, and no Vanos issues at all that i've ever heard of apart from the usual internet rumours, for every story you read there will be 10 thousand other cars that will be fine.
Your main expense will be fuel, mine averages 18-19mpg and i use it everyday, costs me about Ł80-Ł90 a week in fuel, I mainly use it in town so that would be largely urban consumption.
Servicing is not cheap, I don't know if you are familiar with BMW servicing but you get 3 types of intervals, oil service, Inspection 1 & Inspection 2, the car will dictate when and what it needs. i would say about Ł150 for an oil service, Ł200-Ł250 for inspection 1 and Ł550 for inspection 2 from an independant, BMW main dealers will charge you a lot more, my first Inspection 2 from a main delaer was Ł750, and the last time it needed an oil service they wanted Ł240, but they don'tneed serviced that often so it's not as bad as it sounds.
Brakes, Hmm it's been a while since i did mine, but if i remember right I was about Ł600 for front discs (ONLY BUY OEM, DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME ON ANYTHING ELSE). Brakes are a bit of a soft spot because it's an old heavy car, a lot of people add cooling ducts from E39 sports to assist cooling as front discs are prone to warping, also the usual braided lines and yellow stuff pads with uprated fluid will really make a big improvement.
If your are buying parts I get all my bits from bmwminiparts, they will be the cheapest out there, bar a coupkle of items i would only buy genuine BMW parts.
"Most" cars use oil, it is rare to find one that doesn't, and if my memory serves me correctly Stu's is one of those rare beasts that doesn't need topping up every 800-1k miles. This is normal, don't fret about it, the oil can be bough for Ł40 from Eurocarparts, ONLY use 10w/60 Castrol EDGE, the one that specifically states "for M-series" on the bottle. My car usese oil, it always has, and it's perfectly fine, just make sure you always have a supply handy in the garage, not every autoparts shop sells the correct stuff.
Facelift and pre-facelift cars:
Facelift came out late 2000, this has grey dashboard clocks, better steering wheel (same as E46 M3) and bigger satnav 16:9 screen, crystal rear lights and angel eyes. Also rumoured to have a diferent piston ring design to reduce oil consumption but i'd suggest you read up on that yourself, mine uses oil but is an early facelift, so could well be it doesn't have that update.
Road tax, if you buy one registered pre-march 2001it will be Ł200 for tax, a newer one will be alot more, i don't know how much becuase mine is Nov 2000, so i get facelift AND cheaper tax for the same car
A couple of other experiences i've had- recently did the clutch and flywheel with bits supplied from Matt Lewis, the BMW parts are made by LUK so don't buy through BMW or you will pay about 3 times the price. I got my clutch and flywheel for Ł540 i think or thereabouts, mega saving over buying it from BMW. Also had a recent alternator failure (which is uncommon) but i had a fuel pump failure in Nov which IS common, people tend to replace the fuel pumps at 100k as a rule of thumb, but mine went at 120k. Rear diff seals are also bad for leaking, it's the seal for the input shaft/prop that goes, easy to fix though. gearbox can be notchy from cold as well but goes away after 10 mins, i read up about this a lot and it seems people moaned about this when the were new so it's not uncommon.
Tyres can be pricey (depending on your definition of expensive), they're staggered fitment, rears are 275/35/18 and the front (i think) are 245/40/18. All in all a truly magnificent car IMO, nothing for the same value will touch it, but it's obviously expensive to run or everybody would have one, right?
So why do you want an M5, have you always fancied one?
Last edited by rog; 21-01-2013 at 11:54 AM.
21-01-2013, 04:10 PM
#6
Too many posts.. I need a life!!
Thread Starter
Totally shite cars mate, don't ever buy one....
On a serious note, I've had one for nearly 3 years and love it to bits, I want a new car but nothing out there takes my fancy, only a modern diesel manual BM would probably suit my circumstances i think so no point in changing.
As booner has said they were a +Ł60k car new so the build quality is not even a topic for discussion, there are no issue there. Generally they are very reliable, and no Vanos issues at all that i've ever heard of apart from the usual internet rumours, for every story you read there will be 10 thousand other cars that will be fine.
Your main expense will be fuel, mine averages 18-19mpg and i use it everyday, costs me about Ł80-Ł90 a week in fuel, I mainly use it in town so that would be largely urban consumption.
Servicing is not cheap, I don't know if you are familiar with BMW servicing but you get 3 types of intervals, oil service, Inspection 1 & Inspection 2, the car will dictate when and what it needs. i would say about Ł150 for an oil service, Ł200-Ł250 for inspection 1 and Ł550 for inspection 2 from an independant, BMW main dealers will charge you a lot more, my first Inspection 2 from a main delaer was Ł750, and the last time it needed an oil service they wanted Ł240, but they don'tneed serviced that often so it's not as bad as it sounds.
Brakes, Hmm it's been a while since i did mine, but if i remember right I was about Ł600 for front discs (ONLY BUY OEM, DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME ON ANYTHING ELSE). Brakes are a bit of a soft spot because it's an old heavy car, a lot of people add cooling ducts from E39 sports to assist cooling as front discs are prone to warping, also the usual braided lines and yellow stuff pads with uprated fluid will really make a big improvement.
If your are buying parts I get all my bits from bmwminiparts, they will be the cheapest out there, bar a coupkle of items i would only buy genuine BMW parts.
"Most" cars use oil, it is rare to find one that doesn't, and if my memory serves me correctly Stu's is one of those rare beasts that doesn't need topping up every 800-1k miles. This is normal, don't fret about it, the oil can be bough for Ł40 from Eurocarparts, ONLY use 10w/60 Castrol EDGE, the one that specifically states "for M-series" on the bottle. My car usese oil, it always has, and it's perfectly fine, just make sure you always have a supply handy in the garage, not every autoparts shop sells the correct stuff.
Facelift and pre-facelift cars:
Facelift came out late 2000, this has grey dashboard clocks, better steering wheel (same as E46 M3) and bigger satnav 16:9 screen, crystal rear lights and angel eyes. Also rumoured to have a diferent piston ring design to reduce oil consumption but i'd suggest you read up on that yourself, mine uses oil but is an early facelift, so could well be it doesn't have that update.
Road tax, if you buy one registered pre-march 2001it will be Ł200 for tax, a newer one will be alot more, i don't know how much becuase mine is Nov 2000, so i get facelift AND cheaper tax for the same car
A couple of other experiences i've had- recently did the clutch and flywheel with bits supplied from Matt Lewis, the BMW parts are made by LUK so don't buy through BMW or you will pay about 3 times the price. I got my clutch and flywheel for Ł540 i think or thereabouts, mega saving over buying it from BMW. Also had a recent alternator failure (which is uncommon) but i had a fuel pump failure in Nov which IS common, people tend to replace the fuel pumps at 100k as a rule of thumb, but mine went at 120k. Rear diff seals are also bad for leaking, it's the seal for the input shaft/prop that goes, easy to fix though. gearbox can be notchy from cold as well but goes away after 10 mins, i read up about this a lot and it seems people moaned about this when the were new so it's not uncommon.
Tyres can be pricey (depending on your definition of expensive), they're staggered fitment, rears are 275/35/18 and the front (i think) are 245/40/18. All in all a truly magnificent car IMO, nothing for the same value will touch it, but it's obviously expensive to run or everybody would have one, right?
So why do you want an M5, have you always fancied one?
On a serious note, I've had one for nearly 3 years and love it to bits, I want a new car but nothing out there takes my fancy, only a modern diesel manual BM would probably suit my circumstances i think so no point in changing.
As booner has said they were a +Ł60k car new so the build quality is not even a topic for discussion, there are no issue there. Generally they are very reliable, and no Vanos issues at all that i've ever heard of apart from the usual internet rumours, for every story you read there will be 10 thousand other cars that will be fine.
Your main expense will be fuel, mine averages 18-19mpg and i use it everyday, costs me about Ł80-Ł90 a week in fuel, I mainly use it in town so that would be largely urban consumption.
Servicing is not cheap, I don't know if you are familiar with BMW servicing but you get 3 types of intervals, oil service, Inspection 1 & Inspection 2, the car will dictate when and what it needs. i would say about Ł150 for an oil service, Ł200-Ł250 for inspection 1 and Ł550 for inspection 2 from an independant, BMW main dealers will charge you a lot more, my first Inspection 2 from a main delaer was Ł750, and the last time it needed an oil service they wanted Ł240, but they don'tneed serviced that often so it's not as bad as it sounds.
Brakes, Hmm it's been a while since i did mine, but if i remember right I was about Ł600 for front discs (ONLY BUY OEM, DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME ON ANYTHING ELSE). Brakes are a bit of a soft spot because it's an old heavy car, a lot of people add cooling ducts from E39 sports to assist cooling as front discs are prone to warping, also the usual braided lines and yellow stuff pads with uprated fluid will really make a big improvement.
If your are buying parts I get all my bits from bmwminiparts, they will be the cheapest out there, bar a coupkle of items i would only buy genuine BMW parts.
"Most" cars use oil, it is rare to find one that doesn't, and if my memory serves me correctly Stu's is one of those rare beasts that doesn't need topping up every 800-1k miles. This is normal, don't fret about it, the oil can be bough for Ł40 from Eurocarparts, ONLY use 10w/60 Castrol EDGE, the one that specifically states "for M-series" on the bottle. My car usese oil, it always has, and it's perfectly fine, just make sure you always have a supply handy in the garage, not every autoparts shop sells the correct stuff.
Facelift and pre-facelift cars:
Facelift came out late 2000, this has grey dashboard clocks, better steering wheel (same as E46 M3) and bigger satnav 16:9 screen, crystal rear lights and angel eyes. Also rumoured to have a diferent piston ring design to reduce oil consumption but i'd suggest you read up on that yourself, mine uses oil but is an early facelift, so could well be it doesn't have that update.
Road tax, if you buy one registered pre-march 2001it will be Ł200 for tax, a newer one will be alot more, i don't know how much becuase mine is Nov 2000, so i get facelift AND cheaper tax for the same car
A couple of other experiences i've had- recently did the clutch and flywheel with bits supplied from Matt Lewis, the BMW parts are made by LUK so don't buy through BMW or you will pay about 3 times the price. I got my clutch and flywheel for Ł540 i think or thereabouts, mega saving over buying it from BMW. Also had a recent alternator failure (which is uncommon) but i had a fuel pump failure in Nov which IS common, people tend to replace the fuel pumps at 100k as a rule of thumb, but mine went at 120k. Rear diff seals are also bad for leaking, it's the seal for the input shaft/prop that goes, easy to fix though. gearbox can be notchy from cold as well but goes away after 10 mins, i read up about this a lot and it seems people moaned about this when the were new so it's not uncommon.
Tyres can be pricey (depending on your definition of expensive), they're staggered fitment, rears are 275/35/18 and the front (i think) are 245/40/18. All in all a truly magnificent car IMO, nothing for the same value will touch it, but it's obviously expensive to run or everybody would have one, right?
So why do you want an M5, have you always fancied one?
reason for wanting one, i currently have the diesel equivalent of a st170 focus, in a 3 dr, i have 2yr old daughter, and 3drs just don't cut it, my family hack (mrs car) is a BMW 330d 2001 touring which is a beautiful car, 146k miles and still drives like a 50k car!
im a mechanic by trade, working for the aa as a roadside patrol, and only drive "my" car at best once a week, im looking for a practical car for family use, but a toy to satisfy my right foot when im i have no family aboard, i've always wanted one, but ive only just been able to reason for getting one.
prices of parts shouldn't be an issue, nor labour costs, but i guess i just wanted a overview of reliability esp vanos issues as ive heard rumours.
im sure stu wrote a substantial post about them once but cant seem to find it, i remember reading it and thinking, hmmm, one day i may need to read this again, now i cant find it!
21-01-2013, 07:11 PM
#7
PassionFord Post Whore!!
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I really really want an M5 but dont have the funds to buy one now - cleverely decided to use the money to pay off some debts! Lol.
I hope you find a good one Chris.
I hope you find a good one Chris.
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21-01-2013, 07:54 PM
#8
i too have been looking into these. at first it was e46 m3's and now i'm more interested in the m5. i have an e46 330ci at the moment and although it's quite good, it's over a hundred horsepower short of being quick enough.
they are pretty bullet proof motors from my reading, as long as they have been looked after properly from the start.
they are pretty bullet proof motors from my reading, as long as they have been looked after properly from the start.
22-01-2013, 03:47 PM
#11
ELASTIC BAND
I think they will fall a bit more if the sellers want to get them sold, theres some cheep ones out there, with decent history eg
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-M5-Bla...item232758bf90
Ł4150 !
theres plently around the 5-7k mark, but some are forsale a long time, but without viewing cant comment why?
Another one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3210535745...84.m1423.l2649
this was up for sale 4ish months back @ Ł5300, right colour, history, spec, nice wheels, It was local to , and I almost viewed it, as couldnt find a sapphire i wanted!
Now it sold, then a month later was up for sale elsewhere in the country for Ł6999, for a bit, then sold, to the above seller, part ex'd as he says for a skyline.
he had it up for Ł6500 a few times, and now @ Ł5500, + in his add states hes spent some cash on it sorting out a few bits of body work too! andseems going by the add to have decent history.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-M5-Bla...item232758bf90
Ł4150 !
theres plently around the 5-7k mark, but some are forsale a long time, but without viewing cant comment why?
Another one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3210535745...84.m1423.l2649
this was up for sale 4ish months back @ Ł5300, right colour, history, spec, nice wheels, It was local to , and I almost viewed it, as couldnt find a sapphire i wanted!
Now it sold, then a month later was up for sale elsewhere in the country for Ł6999, for a bit, then sold, to the above seller, part ex'd as he says for a skyline.
he had it up for Ł6500 a few times, and now @ Ł5500, + in his add states hes spent some cash on it sorting out a few bits of body work too! andseems going by the add to have decent history.
Last edited by Fil; 22-01-2013 at 03:49 PM.
23-01-2013, 09:04 AM
#12
Interesting discussion.
I expect they will fall slightly further, but not much, i'd say base price to be Ł5-Ł6k in a year or two, there are some mega cheap ones about, but also still some expensive ones, if you go on BMW main page some dealers are still selling good ones at dealerships for Ł17k, more expensive than some E60 M5's.
You have to look at E34's as well, you can get a half decent one for say less than Ł3.5k-Ł4k.
Only trouble with E39's is that they are such great and reliable cars that most of them all have spaceship miles.
I found a facelift black one on Gumtree yesterday that seemed like a genuine ad, it only had 68k miles and FSH, and it was DIRT cheap! if you buy the right car you won't lose much on it, other than the thousands of pounds in petrol you'll use.....
I expect they will fall slightly further, but not much, i'd say base price to be Ł5-Ł6k in a year or two, there are some mega cheap ones about, but also still some expensive ones, if you go on BMW main page some dealers are still selling good ones at dealerships for Ł17k, more expensive than some E60 M5's.
You have to look at E34's as well, you can get a half decent one for say less than Ł3.5k-Ł4k.
Only trouble with E39's is that they are such great and reliable cars that most of them all have spaceship miles.
I found a facelift black one on Gumtree yesterday that seemed like a genuine ad, it only had 68k miles and FSH, and it was DIRT cheap! if you buy the right car you won't lose much on it, other than the thousands of pounds in petrol you'll use.....
Last edited by rog; 23-01-2013 at 09:09 AM.
23-01-2013, 10:25 AM
#14
Hmmm I don't know.... I go on the proper M5 boards and there's a good few cars with that kind of miles in the US, personally I wouldn't want one like that unless it hadn't been completely rebuilt mechanically or it was silly cheap (just personal preference). There are so many of these about that you shouldn't need to buy one with that high a mileage. I suppose it's catch 22, a big unstressed V8 engine that has burbled away all it's life at relatively low rpm, but it's still an engine made of metal at the end of the day, it can wear and break when you least expect it.
I was going to sell my one, but I have decided to keep it and spend some money on it to tart her up again.
They are built like tanks though so I wouldn't see 200k as a massive issue, I still have 75k to go before I get there....
i remember the first time I got the bushes changed at the front, i thought they came out of a truck, they were huge, it's very well built.
I was going to sell my one, but I have decided to keep it and spend some money on it to tart her up again.
They are built like tanks though so I wouldn't see 200k as a massive issue, I still have 75k to go before I get there....
i remember the first time I got the bushes changed at the front, i thought they came out of a truck, they were huge, it's very well built.
24-01-2013, 07:37 PM
#15
Buy the best you can afford! Don't neccasarily settle for a cheap one as you will probably have to spend on it. Mine is a 2003 ( the final year the e39 was built) and it is Ł180 to tax for 6 months!!!
Front bushes are common weak spots as the engine is very heavy, but relatively cheap to replace. My advice, and it's what a bmw agent said to me once, is; if you can afford to buy one of these, you have to have pretty deep pockets to maintain and run one, .
( but then cosworth ownership is similar)
Loads of fun, still gets attention but only from die hard car fans and not the usual scroats!
Very reliable, providing it has been maintained properly, and very practical too!
Do it!!
I have been thinking of selling mine, but as already said on here, I can't find anything to compete.
Ask many bmw owners and they all say the e39 m5 is the best car bmw ever made!
Front bushes are common weak spots as the engine is very heavy, but relatively cheap to replace. My advice, and it's what a bmw agent said to me once, is; if you can afford to buy one of these, you have to have pretty deep pockets to maintain and run one, .
( but then cosworth ownership is similar)
Loads of fun, still gets attention but only from die hard car fans and not the usual scroats!
Very reliable, providing it has been maintained properly, and very practical too!
Do it!!
I have been thinking of selling mine, but as already said on here, I can't find anything to compete.
Ask many bmw owners and they all say the e39 m5 is the best car bmw ever made!
Last edited by martynhomer01; 24-01-2013 at 07:41 PM. Reason: I'm a cock
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