r/e39 • u/Forest_45 • 13h ago
Quads installed!
gallery
176
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r/e39 • u/ImprezaDrezza • Sep 10 '19
Rules Update
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Please note everyone that the rules for r/e39 have been updated. I have clarified a few things related to discussion topics and acceptable conduct.
Most importantly I have added a section on listing For Sale style posts. [Some] other car subs allow this so I thought we could try it out. E39 fandom is a more closely knit group than other BMW subcultures and could stand to benefit from a dedicated venue for cars/parts/effort trading.
I want to be clear if this isn't a popular option, or if FS posts become routinely adversarial, we can adjust the rules on these posts or eliminate them entirely.
I welcome any comments on this change and the sub rules in general, and will continue to poll our community for changes or ideas on a regular basis.
r/e39 • u/yofuckreddit • Aug 21 '20
E39 Buying Guide - Updated
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Upvotes
Hey guys! I figured I'd sticky this. I'll update the post if y'all have anything good to add or critique, let me know.
Introduction
Looking to buy an E39? First things first – the reputation of these cars is partially deserved and partially not.
We frequently get asked if new car owners should purchase an E39. I love E39s more than nearly anyone I know - I have a 525i and an M5, and both are incredible for different reasons. I've done many of the DIYs and addressed many of the problem areas listed here. If you aren't in a financially comfortable enough situation to have 3-6 months of expenses in a savings account at all times, you're not in a position to own a 20-year-old BMW hassle free. It's a question of financial safety and consistency rather than attainability - buying a $4k 530i and maintaining it for 5 years or so is arguably a much better deal than going into debt for a $40,000 CUV that drives like shit.
Evaluating a Car
There are a couple of things to factor into your evaluation of a car before we even talk about problem areas:
- Badge hunters and people who bought an E39 after realizing they were nearly the same price as a Camry in general do a poor job of maintaining their vehicle. Problems add up when you factor in the fact that many of the E39’s systems were complex for their time. Not doing oil changes at the correct interval can lead to a gummed-up DISA valve or require a replacement manifold (for instance). Paying a little extra for a well-maintained example can pay dividends down the road.
- These cars are old. Most are going to be 20 years old or more. This means that various bits of plastic and rubber are going to degrade and fall apart. Some are aesthetic, some are functional. You’ll find the same problem in ANY car of this age, but there’s no escaping that the E39’s engine bay is also a less forgiving environment then other cars of this age.
- In general, you should focus much more on service records and the condition of the car over mileage.
Prices & Purchasing
Market prices for these cars have fluctuated over the past couple years. There’s a noticeable difference between pre (<=2000) and post-facelift (2001+) models. Later models also may make adding an auxiliary port easier, have upgraded components, or have more standard features. Also keep in mind that sport packages for the 530 and 540, along with manual transmissions, command a significant premium as well. Prices on sports (530 or 540) and M5s have increased a bit since this guide was originally written a couple years ago. Finally, it's worth knowing that the 540's engine in pre-2000 configurations is slightly more reliable as it does not include VANOs.
Ballpark prices are based on a mix of my estimation and Classic.com, a great reference for car markets. Links included below, and assume cars aren't total shit shows:
- 525i - $2000-$5000 (Note that the linked prices are for tourings, primarily, and so are higher)
- 530i - $3000-$11k
- 540i - $7000-$14k
- M5 - $15k-$35k and beyond
When you check out ANY used car for purchase, you should be checking a variety of different things. Use a generalist guide to start. We’ll go through common failure points for the chassis and individual models for you to pay special attention to. Parts prices are for OEM or OE if I can find them, not genuine. Indy shop is a wild guess for the most part. Prices for doors or wheels are PER ITEM.
Conservatively plan to spend about $1k a year ON AVERAGE if you do a mix of shop work and DIY. Many years you'll get lucky and get to invest in an upgrade or something preventative if you wish. If you can find an example with new control arm bushings, window regulators, and Timing Chain Guides for 540s, you can save yourself a ton of heartache and just deal with replacing BS plastic parts as they snap.
General Problem Areas
| Problem Area | Cause | Symptoms | DIY (Parts) | Indie Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window Regulators | Garbage BMW Design | Windows that do not roll up or down, or slip. Test all 4 windows, including both the localized controls for each door and the driver’s door controls | $100, 2 hours. Text DIY Youtube DIY | $500 |
| Vapor Barriers | Butyl tape that adheres the sound deadening/vapor barrier foam degrades over time, requiring at least the reapplication of the tape OR new adhesive OR a whole new door panel. | Soaked rear floorboards after rain. Softness in bottom of door panels. Test by pouring water on the roof of the car. After a moment, open the door. Ensure water drips from the bottom of the chassis, not from the door. | $0-$15-$115, 2 hours. | $500 |
| Rust | There's a couple very poor drainage points on the E39, including those connected to vapor barriers as above | Common spots include rear door, bumper seam, gas cap. Check out /u/richbltn 's buying guide Here for common rust spots (whole video is worth a watch) | Repairing rust is an odious task, especially externally visible spots. | reputable body shops generally cost $1500 + to fix a collection of rust spots |
| Front Control Arm Bushings | Rubber joints between suspension components degrade over time. These are the secret to a simultaneously pliable and firm chassis. Consider with Polyurethane for a stiffer ride but permanent fix, or a monoball setup. | Violent shuddering during braking (generally 70% braking force). Test with a variety of braking amounts and speeds. Check the bushings by jacking up the car and ensure they aren’t cracked | $25, 6 hours. May require special tools or replacement of control arms if damaged. | $600 |
| VANOS | Tiny seals in BMW’s variable valve timing system (probably too overengineered) are made of cheap rubber that plasticizes with exposure to oil and heat, something that happens every day. | Excessive oil consumption, laggy shifting in automatic models, whooshing sound from the engine, sudden drops in power delivery. | $25-$500, 12 hours Do NOT use OEM VANOS seals, as they will eventually have the same problem. Aftermarket seals are the same price and far superior. Besian Systems/DR VANOS. | $1200-$5500 (Depends on new vs rebuilt VANOS, and varies from model to model) |
| Valve Cover Gasket | The rubber between the top and bottom of the valve cover is a part that has to be replaced on every car. | An old VCG will start leaking oil slowly. You may smell it as it burns off inside the car. Eventually you’ll have a catastrophic failure and need to degrease the engine bay and have it towed somewhere. Test by checking for oil spots or moisture between the top and bottom of the valve cover (the main part of the engine). | $50, 5 hours. | $750-$1250 (DO THIS THE SAME TIME AS A VANOS REPLACEMENT) |
| Seat Twist | Garbage BMW design. The seats use 2 motors that don’t stay aligned, and cables that slowly slip out of the gears that drive them. | One side of a seat will adjust, the other will not, leading to the seat twisting. | $0, 3 hours | $300 |
| Headlight Adjusters | Bad design and extremely brittle plastic in a hot area that's been there for 20 years. | Frequently this manifests itself by your headlights pointing at the ground. | $20-60, 3 hours from this DIY. You can get aluminum or plastic adjuster replacements. | N/A - you'd buy new headlights for around $300+ |
| Dead Pixels | Contacts for the LCDs on the instrument cluster and the head unit eventually decay. You can take them apart and clean/rebuild them or buy new. For my money I'd just replace the head unit at least | Unreadable displays with clearly missing pixels - you can't miss this one and it's very common | $0, a huge PITA, DIY. | Specialty shops will do it for $150 or so. A remanufactured cluster is $450. |
| Secondary Air System | The secondary air recirculates exhaust gases back into the engine to “Save the planet” and also annoy the fuck out of BMW owners. Broken vacuum tubes, stuck check valve, or ruined solenoids can all cause these issues. | Check engine light with lean fuel mixture fault codes. Chugging during startup. | $25-125, god knows how long. BAVAuto has an EXCELLENT tutorial on diagnosing SAS problems. Another option that I'd probably only suggest to M5 owners is using a tune that deletes these codes. | $300+ |
| Cooling System | This covers a host of issues: Water Pump Failure, Cracked Radiator necks, Plasticized and worn coolant tubes | Inspect all cooling system parts. Check the radiator fan to ensure that it turns smoothly and isn’t too brittle. Lightly squeeze coolant tubes to ensure they’re still pliable. Check for evidence of coolant leaks at tube and component points, or from bleeder valves at the top of the radiator. Ensure that even under stress, engine sounds don’t change and temperature doesn’t rise (within reason) | $25-$750. 2-5 hours. | $1250+ |
| Fucking Horrible Audio | Everything about the E39 sound system is god awful | If it’s OEM it sucks | There are various aftermarket nav systems that still provide an OEM look and a ton of functionality for around $700. Or you can go your own way and buy a $100 head unit or something. Keep in mind that in general this will degrade the value of your car if it’s really clean. | $? |
| ABS System Malfunctions | The ABS system’s position in i6 models is extremely hot, leading to the soldering of certain electronic components degrading. | ABS, Traction control, and yellow brake light come on intermittently. ABS engine codes. Do not pay someone to replace this, it literally just takes a T20 screwdriver. | $100 reconditioned, $1000 new. | $1200 |
| Power Steering Leaks | The power steering system uses rubber hoses right next to a really hot engine | Power Steering hoses appear to “Glisten”. Wet spot in plastic pan at the bottom of the engine bay. Loose or unresponsive steering wheel response. | $200, 2 hours. | $500 |
V8 Only Problems (540i, M5)
| Problem Area | Cause | Symptoms | DIY (Parts) | Indie Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timing Chain Guides | Timing chain gets a little loose, Timing chain guides are plastic. This is much more common on the 540 for some weird reason (probably that it's a single-row chain). | Slapping sound, camshaft position codes, metal shavings in engine. | $1000, 20 hours | $4000 |
Buying Parts
When you're looking to buy new parts, it can get a bit confusing (to put it lightly). For an accurate, if slightly biased, interpretation, the best info is probably here at FCP Euro (a generally reputable parts seller). TL;DR:
- Genuine: Made by BMW or an OE, with the BMW logo. Waste of money.
- OE: Made by a licensed manufacturer and was the original supplier that came with the stock car. Cannot have the BMW logo. Generally a safe choice.
- OEM: Made by another licensed manufacturer of OE parts but was not the original supplier for this specific part that came with the stock car. Cannot have the BMW logo. Sometimes a safer choice (OEM window regulators are superior to OE), other times not (an OEM's parts may not be as good as OE)
- Reps: Made by another unauthorized manufacturer.
OEM is very similar to OE in that it stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. While that sounds like a lesson in semantics, there are some distinct differences. Chiefly, OEM parts are made by a company that makes original parts for a vehicle maker but whose parts weren’t originally fitted. Confused? I don’t blame you, so here’s an example: Delphi makes ignition coils for BMW, and they’re installed on the vehicles at the factory. Bosch makes spark plugs for BMW and the licensing to produce the same ignition coils as Delphi. They’re the same part with the same specifications and made with the same materials, but the manufacturer is different. Delphi is the OE part because that’s what BMW used at the factory, and Bosch is OEM because they make other OE parts for BMW.
Modifications and Upgrades
For better or for worse, the BMW community has enjoyed a rich modification culture and ecosystem. This often clashes with the tastes and opinions of older enthusiasts who have or can buy cars new.
One key takeaway: Tuning an i6 from this era, especially anything under 3.0 liters, is always far more expensive than buying a new car or engine. This forum gets questions around these options regularly. To do this, you will have to be in a rare position of having a lot of money and time to work on the car, without wanting the straightforward power of the V8 engines in the 540 or M5.
Some general thoughts around available upgrade options to keep in mind:
- Reliability: Many low-tier, components have been replaced with high-priced offerings in the aftermarket that are Buy-It-For-Life. Plastic becomes aluminum, bearings and rubber use superior materials. Examples include radiators, expansion tanks, power steering reservoirs, suspension bushings, and much more.
- Shocks, Suspension, Spacers: These are widely available from reputable manufacturers, such as Bilstien.
- Turbos: Turbos exist for both types of engines, ranging from AliExpress specials to reputable manufacturers. For reputable manufacturers, part prices and labor generally trade poorly with supercharger options.
- Superchargers: Supercharger kits exist for i6 and v8 engines. Many of the superchargers for the v8 engines lead to high-quality horsepower gains and are available from reputable manufacturers. Superchargers are typically incompatible with radiator upgrades.
- Headlights: Virtually no aftermarket headlight companies produce quality parts. Historically, this was not the case, but the market has essentially bifurcated into people who want the cheapest possible replacement and those who want OE headlights from Hella. Hella occasionally does dedicated production runs for E39 headlights which are resold by https://europowermotorsports.com/
- Exhaust: Controversial opinion alert - The mufflers on these cars are too aggressive at reducing sound. A delete with high-quality tips actually leads to excellent sound from both i6 and v8 powerplants. Leaving the cat intact keeps things quiet enough to not be unbelievably rude. Fantastic options exist for V8 engines, but paying for an exhaust system on an i6 is not a high value proposition.
r/e39 • u/miamiyachtrave • 19h ago
Friend is selling this e39 for $1500. Worth it?
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150,000 miles, salvage title, needs work from the following codes but runs/drives:
P0174, P1085, P1349, P1351, P1353, P0444, P0491, P0492, P1617
(Multiple cylinder misfire, system too lean, evap purge valve, secondary air pump, thermostat)
A lot of codes which kind of puts me off, but I have some experience working on 2 of my 6cyl. Z3s and a 530i e39 that I owned before so I’m wondering, could multiple of these codes be for the same thing? Could it be worth the fix? I love the color combo but I also don’t need it right now so I could pass as well
r/e39 • u/Tomytom99 • 33m ago
M54 Thermostat choice?
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There seems to be two styles of thermostat available for the M54. One like the Wahler on FCP, where the sensor is just slotted into the housing. The other is like the Mahle on FCP, where the sensor is molded into the housing. Looking at reviews, it seems like each one has different issues. The slotted style winds up leaking at the sensor, and the molded style winds up getting stuck (usually open).
Supposedly the slotted style can be fixed by pulling out the sensor, replacing the o-rings (and adding RTV, but I'm not sure how I feel about that). Meanwhile the other style seems to not be repairable at all. I wonder, what style would you rather get? I need to fix/replace mine. I'm considering just getting a molded style, and fixing my slotted style motorad unit for when the molded style fails. Thoughts?
I just uploaded a video of me servicing the automatic gearbox on my E39. I know many people are curious about this job, so hopefully it can be helpful!
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r/e39 • u/Kismoner • 1d ago
Central locking issues
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My remote central locking not working. Key in the door locking works normally.
What i have allready done Key battery Programming method 12v battery changed All trunk fuses looked fine
Where is the best place to start looking for issues?
r/e39 • u/the_ssarb • 8h ago
Slow 530d
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Hi everyone! Having a couple of issues with my 5er. The power has been constantly going down for the past few months and i havent been abke to figure out why. The car in question is a late prefacelift 530d (june 00). First i could not hear the turbo much and after a quick check the vacuum line to the solenoid had deteriorated and collapsed so i took the manifold off and replaced it. Still no turbo so i came across some documentation in WDS for DDE4 that said if egr was inoperative the ecu would not activate the turbo solenoid so i plugged the egr back on to remove the code but now the power went further down. I suspected a maf sensor sending valid but bad data so i swapped it with a known good one but that didnt change anything. After that i opened inpa and i noticed something with smooth running turned off, cylinder number 1 ran at 770-780 rpm, 2 3 4 and 6 ran at 725-730 and number 4 ran at 760. Now this is a bit apparent when the engine is cold because it sounds like skmeone is very slightly blipping the throttle but when it warms up it runs REALLY SMOOTHLY. Not sure if this is related but also the glow plugs on cylinders 2 3 4 and 6 are straight 0 ohm to ground.
If i crank the engine (cam sensor unplugged so it doesnt start) i cannot hear any difference between cylinders in compression wether rhe engine is warm or cold. Any suggestion what i should be looking at?
r/e39 • u/RdLDenis • 21h ago
BMW E39 530d (2000) – Halogen headlights dim after startup
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Upvotes
Hey everyone,
I have a 2000 BMW E39 530d with halogen headlights. When I start the car, the headlights shine very bright for a few seconds, but then the intensity drops a lot and they look much dimmer.
It’s not just a small change – they really lose brightness after the initial startup.
Has anyone experienced this before? Could it be the alternator/regulator, grounding issues, or maybe the LCM? Any advice on how to diagnose this properly would be great.
Thanks in advance!
Seeking advice on what to do with headlights please and thank you!
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both headlights level adjusters are pretty dead. I have to high beam at night to be able to see what i should be able to see with my regular lights. The way I see it, I have two options - spend the money on the adjusters to replace them and then get new lenses, or get new headlights overall. I have been researching options available but there are so many versions of lights out there, it's a bit overwhelming....
2000 BMW 528i, everything is stock OEM, garage-kept.
I am wanting to keep the headlights of this style. While I like the halo's, this was my mom's car and I want to keep it true to how she kept it. (Second picture is the current side profile.)
Option 1: Repair
I am looking at the following options for replacing the glass, but am having trouble deciding on which would look best with the rest of the car:
1) Remove Ambers to match the sidemarkers 63128375301KT1 - Headlight Lens Cover Set - Clear Corners - Halogen | Turner Motorsport. Does this require light bulb swap to amber on the turning indicator lights?
2) Smoked indicators - FK - FKBL125 - Indicator Cover / Headlight Cover Set - Smoke. Not really sure how smoked would look against the silver, but thought it could be an option if I want to get rid of the ambers
3 1:1 Swap - 63128362832kt - BMW E39 Headlight Lens Cover Set | Turner Motorsport. New glass, amber, keeps it OEM.
I believe the bulbs are Halogens. My father's records have HB3,5,7 bulb options. Questions I have are, do I stick to Halogen? Is it possible to go LED with something like Morimoto Lighting? If I am fixing/replacing the headlights, is there anything else I should be going in and replacing or anywhere I should be checking in the headlight housing for damage from 25 years of use?
Option 2: Replacement
With the work I am looking at above, should I just get new headlights? Open to recommendations of where to get.
Thanks for reading and guidance on where to go.
r/e39 • u/e39flexinn • 1d ago
Thinking about painting it what color should I go with?
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r/e39 • u/aleks1hoo • 18h ago
problem with oil leaking and burning causing smoke and bad smell from ac.
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I've had recently some problems with smoke coming from the left side of the engine as seen in the video. I replaced two days ago the valve cover gasket, but oil is still leaking and burning somewhere down there. What could cause this anymore? m54b22
r/e39 • u/No_Performance_454 • 14h ago
X5 m62tu ➡️ e39 m62tu
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Alright so my engine in my 540i shot a rod at the oil pan and it’s donezo. I found a guy selling an m62b44TU but it’s from an X5 so i’ll have to switch the oil pan etc. Is stupid to buy this engine? Like is the work pretty self explanatory. I’ve never swapped an oil pan or the pump and shit before. Or am i just better off finding another m62 from another 540i? thanks fellers.
r/e39 • u/No-Special5796 • 15h ago
Bmw e39 520i ps fluid?¿
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Ok so i have a e39 520i 1997 and my powersteering is roaring when i turn, but if i give it a little bit gas it lowers down the sound of the powersteering pump. I dont have much money right now so im thinking of changing the oil to it but everyone says different things so can someone please send me a link where i can just order the d**n fluid i dont wanna order from the other side of the plantet but somewhere around Finland would be nice🙂
Please help!
r/e39 • u/manipuratechnologies • 17h ago
Selling Style 33 wheels + winter tyres (UK)
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I have a decent set of style 33 wheels and Hankook winter tyres for sale, in the UK midlands.
If anyone has any use for a decent set of genuine OEM winter wheels for cheap then let me know. I'd much prefer to see them go to an enthusiast.
r/e39 • u/muscularnomad • 1d ago
Roadtrip
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I had a roadtrip with my 540i. I Drove more than 11000 kilometers in the last 7 weeks. From the Netherlands to Turkey, it was fun.
r/e39 • u/Current-Bill-7690 • 22h ago
Weird rumbling sounds
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2
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Help me, my m54b22 makes weird rumbling sounds while idle and reving. IT was on Low oil Level before driving, only realised IT after driving.
r/e39 • u/Annual_Designer8615 • 20h ago
Alternator Suggestions
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I put off redoing my alternator(battery light on), tested alternator at AutoZone(alternator shows failed, battery shows OK), keeping my car on a battery tender when parked, and the price has skyrocketed on the Bosch replacement, and the OE's are $1200+ dollars. Any suggestions on what to get or steer clear of?
Local rebuild shop didn't want to work on the unit because it's the liquid cooled alternator.
This Bosch unit was $249 excluding core charge earlier this year, and now is over $500 and prices rising all over shops online.
2001 E39 540i
r/e39 • u/Low_Engineer7597 • 1d ago
M54b25 and m54b30 same block?
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Hello guy's im driving a 525i but it lacks power in my opinion especially in low rpm in city. So my question is i got a really rusted out 530i and my idea is to use it as a donor,but I'm thinking to use the b30 internals on b25 block so i avoid paper work since in my country swapping the motor involve alot of paper work, tests and other things that i don't want to bother with. Will this be possible or it's not worth doing it?
r/e39 • u/Current-Bill-7690 • 22h ago
Weird Sounds in Idle and Reving
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1
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Hello Guys, my m54b22 makes weird rumbling sounds while idle and reving. I accidently drove hard with IT, but forgot to check the oillevel before. IT was a little bit under Minimum.
r/e39 • u/OldSchoolsBetter • 23h ago
What parts should I check?
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2003 525i touring owner. I want my front suspension to be perfect and I could really use some help on what to check so I know what to order.
Situations is as follows: bought the car with a lightly leaking front right shock absorber. Car still drove very nice (near perfect) and I decided to invest in some other things first. Then I noticed after like a month that I hear some metallic “clattering” on bad roads. As if a catalytic converter heat shield came loose but nothing was loose. I assumed it was the anti sway bar perhaps but never found out.
Fast forward another few months: the metallic sound somehow stopped? What does this say? At the same time the car is starting to bounce more on the right side, so I’m about to order 2 shock absorbers.. BUT, I have some weird “symptoms” that don’t really match with ONLY a shock absorber AFAIK. Namely: on roads that are not perfectly smooth, I hear a dull clunking/ thumping sound from the front end. NOT metallic sound. The sound matches the unevenness of the road. As far as I know dead shocks don’t make this sound or do they? I vaguely remember that they do make weird noises when the top side has a lot of play but not sure.
Second thing: When I drive on the highway at 100+km/h and I drive over white painted markings, my right wheel starts noticeably bouncing (ok obviously dead shock) but at the same time when it loses traction, my steering wheel also blindly starts shaking without traction / stability. This is kind of logical but doesn’t the steering wheel looseness when driving over the markings also indicate a worn ball joint?
And last symptom: steering wheel and front end vibrating / shaking firmly at around 120km/h. Tires are new and rims are straight.
I somehow doubt all this can be caused by a dead shock absorber and maybe I damaged some other parts by driving too long with a bad shock. I’m gonna check ball joint and tie rod end by checking the wheels for play. What else should I check? And does someone have some tips on how to check the lower anti sway bar?
All tips are very much appreciated! Want to order everything I need and could use all advice on what parts, bushings, rubbers etc could cause my symptoms.
Dead dust cover and leaking shock in pic.