Photo: BMW
It's official: our favorite BMW is the E39 5 Series. We can't really be certain of what makes it our favorite, but deep in our hearts, we know. Maybe it's the sturdy character it has, maybe it's its class and seriousness, maybe all those factors combined. We don't know. All we know is that we love it.
Apparently, so do the guys from Car and Driver and the decided to help you out in case you want to buy the ultimate E39, the M5. They put together a couple of tips to let you know what to check out on such a car.
Basically, the E39 is built like a tank, but you can still have unpleasant surprises, due to the abuse some people put their cars through. One of the areas that has to be checked is the chassis.
What to look for: anti-roll bushings, control arms and ball joints. The suspension seems to take a heavy toll from usage, and remember, this is a 10-year or even older car. Even so, if the car has some suspension problems, it won't be too expensive, and a thorough check can tell you how much it will eventually cost.
The V8, 400 HP engine should definitely be checked out. Usually, the engine's two double-VANOS units can fail. According to BMW, the only acceptable fix is to replace them but that is quite expensive.
However, you can repair the VANOS units and things will be a lot cheaper. The process consists of replacing the seals and not the entire unit. The cost will reach a maximum of $1,000 with the labor hours included (much cheaper than the replacing option that costs around $4,500).
Other areas of interest: the clutch will definitely need replacing after 10 years or more, especially since people love driving these cars like they stole them. In case it was changed, check to see the receipt and date when the operation was done. The rear tires might be a problem too. Handling 400 HP isn't easy and the brakes will agree. Make sure to check those too.
Other than that, there still might be some issues here and there but that depends on every car. These were the most common faults found and the most expensive. We told you about all of them so that you can avoid them. However, an exhaustive list of all the problems you might find is impossible to do so you should also be careful. Good Luck!
Via: Car and Driver
Basically, the E39 is built like a tank, but you can still have unpleasant surprises, due to the abuse some people put their cars through. One of the areas that has to be checked is the chassis.
What to look for: anti-roll bushings, control arms and ball joints. The suspension seems to take a heavy toll from usage, and remember, this is a 10-year or even older car. Even so, if the car has some suspension problems, it won't be too expensive, and a thorough check can tell you how much it will eventually cost.
The V8, 400 HP engine should definitely be checked out. Usually, the engine's two double-VANOS units can fail. According to BMW, the only acceptable fix is to replace them but that is quite expensive.
However, you can repair the VANOS units and things will be a lot cheaper. The process consists of replacing the seals and not the entire unit. The cost will reach a maximum of $1,000 with the labor hours included (much cheaper than the replacing option that costs around $4,500).
Other areas of interest: the clutch will definitely need replacing after 10 years or more, especially since people love driving these cars like they stole them. In case it was changed, check to see the receipt and date when the operation was done. The rear tires might be a problem too. Handling 400 HP isn't easy and the brakes will agree. Make sure to check those too.
Other than that, there still might be some issues here and there but that depends on every car. These were the most common faults found and the most expensive. We told you about all of them so that you can avoid them. However, an exhaustive list of all the problems you might find is impossible to do so you should also be careful. Good Luck!
Via: Car and Driver
Google News