Klam1991

I didn't do enough research before I got my 545i but with 69k miles the engine itself looks prestine. Can someone let me know that there are some out there that has had/have this car or engine and has never had a serious issue with it? I just want a small beacon of hope lol

louisrai

Seriously? I guess gas price in Taxes isn't too terrifying

Check the record of cooling system maintenance first.

MACKMARC545

Hey Klam1991, I have a 2004 545i and I will tell you that it is a beautiful car. It performs well, great highway driving; extremely fun. I will tell you though, the previous owner had already replaced the waterpump, valve cover gaskets, transmission pan/gasket, mechatronics sleeve, alternatorand a couple of recall issues. Most of whic were covered under warranty. I was lucky as I purchased the car with 150k on it, but only after I found these items were already handled. No issues until last month with 172k on it and without warning, the O ring on the coolant transfer pipe failed and I had to have it replaced/repaired. What is normally a a $3000+ job I found a indy that did it for me for $1800! Other than that, I love my car!
Hope that helps...

BimmerFan52

I see you are coming from the world of Lexus.
Now you are entering the "Vaterland" and must live by the rule of German engineering.

The reality of the differences in engineering philosophy:
Japanese engineers pride themselves on reliability, durability and longevity.
German engineers pride themselves on performance, ingenuity and creativity.

I live both of these worlds daily as I drive a 545i and the wife drives an SC430.

The experiences translate as follows:

The Lexus will give you a smooth, quiet ride with aplomb, and will almost never spank you with a break-down unless you totally disrespect basic maintenance. They are basically bullet-proof (as you probably know having owned one).

For the BMW 5-Series sedan you will be hard pressed to find a ride that will give you a greater thriller than the BMW E60. Road feel, stability and braking are second to none. The car is scary how good it handles. I owned Porsches in the past and while admittedly technology has advanced since the 80s and 90s when I drove Porsches, I can say this machine easily runs with my Porsches, which is saying a lot (they weighed 1200 lbs less)! The 545i has the added pleasure of an 8 cylinder monster under the hood that produces 80% of its maximum torque anywhere between 1500 and 4500 RPM, meaning any time you push the pleasure pedal she runs hard!

Now the bad news from the Vaterland. Many objects under the hood fail after 7-8 years/75K-80K miles due to age or heat stress. Basic stuff that almost never fails on a Japanese car at this age will be kaput on the BMW (water pump, thermostat, coolant reservoir, coolant hoses, alternator, brake booster pump, AC compressor, windshield washer pump, transmission sealing sleeve, water pipe on the V8 - it is a biggy, and especially oil gaskets galore - valve cover gaskets, alternator bracket gaskets, timing chain cover gaskets, yada, yada, yada).

For German engineers, is this something new? In short .....NO.
During World War 2, German engineering created the Tiger Tank II. The most fearsome heavy battle Tank in WW2. They copied the Soviet T-34 tank's sloped front but added many innovations including a flexible drive train/tread design and turret system. The kill ratio of Tiger 2 tanks to US Sherman tanks was 6:1. It took 6 Sherman tanks to gang up on 1 Tiger 2 tank to kill it. But to quote Wikileaks "There were two main mechanical reasons for the initial unreliability of the Tiger II: leaking seals and gaskets". Sound familiar?

Now that you have that fearsome German machine, you might ask how do I minimize my maintenace/repair costs while I enjoy the ride?

First address the cooling system: Many weak links under the hood as coolant system components deteriorate in the 6-8 year old range. Proactively replace the coolant system components (water pump, thermostat, coolant reservoir, hoses, etc.) and you can avoid overheating and potential damage to the engine integrity.

Second: Change the oil often. Every 5k miles is the rule if you want to keep the gaskets fresh and keep her running like a champ.

Third: Seek out and build a relationship with an independent BMW repair shop (Indy). They will save you an enormous amount of money over a dealer.

Fourth: Read the blogs and learn the basic troubleshooting techniques which can save you time and money.

The average repair expenditure in the first year of ownership for a BMW that is 6-9 years old is $2000. But once you get over that hump, if you take care of her, she will treat you with many years of pleasure.

Gatriel

It depends on what you mean by serious issue. If you mean -- stranding you in the middle of the road -- its never happened to me. If you mean -- cost some serious $$$ to keep from leaving me in the middle of the road... Yes. Many times.

Klam1991

I do constantly check underneath the hood to spot for any leaks. I mean I've read a lot on surprise pop ups on these cars lol. I just hope I can be a lucky few whose car doesn't give much trouble until 150k miles.

paran

Not going to happen. And that's a guarantee.

Lower miles is good; but the damn, bio-degradable clock, is ALWAYS ticking. And you're at 9 years. Tick tock - tick tock.

If I was you, I would spend the $200 or so to have a thorough examination of your car. Go to a BMW Master Mechanic or Master Technician to have this done. They know where all of the gremlins are hiding. They can be at a BMW dealer or Indy shop but they must be a BMW Master Technician. ASE certification doesn't mean squat when it comes to the E60.

Then do a cost - benefit analysis. If it's too ugly, lick your wounds, and move on.

I would never even consider a 545i unless it had an SMG or manual transmission. You drive a 545i because you want the "Ultimate driving experience" and that only occurs with an SMG or manual tranny. An automatic transmission in a 545i? Huh? If that's the case, dump it, and get yourself a Lexus IS-350 series. 300+HP, automatic transmission and bullet-proof. Good enough.

Klam1991

Yeah I was planning on taking it in for an examination but can you tell me why you say manual transmition? Because I do have a 6spd lol
Edit* I guess for the Ultimate Driving Experience? But this is my third bimmer lol and every single one was manual.

BimmerFan52

Tell that to an owner of a new Ferrari, McLarens, Lexus LFAs, Mercedes SLS AMG, Porsche 918, Lamborgini Aventador, Nissan GT-R, etc. Yes, they can all be manually operated, but why? You can't even come close to the computer in shifting speed.

I enjoyed my years stirring Porsche gear boxes in the 80s and 90s but what was, was. If nostalgia is what we should seek, we all need to go back to the unsynchronized gear boxes and double-clutching. That is true involved driving.

A manual transmission in a 545i doesn't give it any more power, make it handle any better or stop any sooner. And while engines with narrow power bands benefit from keeping the engine in an optimum RPM range for instant power, the 545i with it's extremely wide torque band isn't one of them. The thing pulls like a tractor at almost any engine speed.

I appreciate your joy in being "involved" in driving, but the rest of us with automatics are hardly driving geezer-pleasers.

Gatriel

I think the sentiment here stems from the idea that the Auto in the 545i, especially without sport mode dumbs down the car unnecessarily to the level of that of a IS350 from the same year. The Lexus has none of the issues the e60 does, so what would the point to the purchase be?