scootermcrad

Hey everyone! Looks like a great community with a wealth of information!

My interest in BMW's goes back almost 2 decades now. I've driven several E46's and have been around many others, but the timing has never been right to take the leap. Now it seems the timing is going to be right. My wife's car is on it's last leg and we've been thinking the perfect replacement for our little family would be an E60 series. We're specifically focused the 2008-2010 535i or 535i with X-drive. I've just always thought of BMW's 6-cylinder engines to be bullet proof, economical, and frankly the 535i values in this year range seems to be very good and within our budget. I think we would both enjoy the driving experience they offer as well as the practicality of roomy car for the kids.

I've downloaded the "So You Just Bought an E60" document and printed it off and will spend time reading through it. Chances are, we will be looking at cars with 80k to 120K on the odometer, so I definitely want to know what's in store for what would probably be considered a "high mileage" car. Repairs, reliability, how much of the car is DIY friendly, buying tips, etc. I know very little about the E60's so I just want to make sure that this is going to be a good fit and not just GIVE me fits.

In the meantime, if any of you can link me up to some good reading about some of these topics while I dive in head first, it would be appreciated!

Thanks for having me!
Cheers!
Scott

JayArras

Hi Scott and to the forum!

As a newbie, my best advice to you would be to get familiar with how the search function on this site works.There is 15 years of sage advice on the E60 stored in these pages and I'm sure any questions you may have have already been addressed here. But if not, feel free to ask away! The folks here are more than happy to assist you.

scootermcrad

Thanks Jay! I'm sure absolutely every one of them has been answered. Reading some right now, as a matter of fact. Great info, here!

scootermcrad

Wow! I've been doing a TON of reading on just the general, "look for these things" and the, "walk away if..." type advice. I'm making a mental list of everything and will make myself a spreadsheet of things (a checklist of sorts) that I can take with me when going to look at E60's. The "So You Bought an E60" document is awesome and a little intimidating at the same time, but very helpful for a cut and dry, "here's what you're getting into" type break-down. I also found the Mike Miller PDF posted on line in a Google search and read through that. Pretty extreme, but great information to consider! I've also made a good mental list of things I will plan on doing right out of the gate with the car, unless they were just done. Like oil change, battery, tranny fluid, brake flush, power steering flush, radiator hoses and coolant flush, etc.

Seems the 535i/N54 is going to be the best fit for us and I'm thinking I will avoid the X-drive cars, since in all reality we probably wouldn't take advantage of the AWD features as much as I thought we would and will also require additional maintenance.

Also seems like good advice to put a little money aside each year in case of an emergency repair.

Anything I should know about getting a PPI done? I'm assuming this will be a socially acceptable request and if they are not okay with it I should move on to the next car, right?

Thanks everyone! Learning a ton in just a matter of days. Getting excited about the future purchase.

Scott

gman6262

Like others have said - lots to read on the forums. One thing you might want to consider is that the turbos will eventually need to be replaced - wastegate bushing issue - and that's a big job. Depending on how mechanically inclined you are - you might want to take that in consideration and think about a non-turbo car (although the N54 is a blast to drive...).

scootermcrad

Thank you sir!

I looked for some info on PPI's/Pre Purchase Inspections, but didn't really see much, so I thought I would ask.

Good to know about the turbos. I hadn't read that yet. What would a typical target mileage be before rebuild/replacement of the N54 turbos?

I'm definitely planning on doing most major service work, less engine rebuild or major transmission work. I feel comfortable digging into about anything as long as I have some good guidance, via either a paper manual or online assistance. Most electrical I'll leave to the pros, though. Unless for some reason we don't like the car as much as I think we will, I will probably keep the car indefinitely and do upgrades along the way, like suspension and maybe some tuning items. Reliability and driveability will be the end goal, always, but stay open to "fun" upgrades without straying too far from BMW's intended engineering.

I hadn't put much thought into the V8 cars, because I've read so many good things about the N54 engines.and their reliability, tuneability, etc. I also like the pricing on the 535i's. Maybe I should do some reading on the N62's and S85's.

Thanks for your input! It's appreciated!

Scott

JayArras

Here's a couple of articles on PPIs.

https://www.bimmershops.com/blog/pre...se-inspections

Don?t Skip the Pre-Purchase Inspection when Buying a Used BMW

https://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/i...re-buying.html

Also, here is a starter list I found:

Car Info
• Build date
• Make
• Model
• Miles
• Exterior color
• Interior color
• Modifications

Test drive
• Strange noises/rattles?
• Feel solid?
• No excess vibration
• Car tracks straight
• Idle is constant and smooth
• Clutch test: On a slight incline at ~30 mph, put the car into fifth gear and floor it. Does the clutch slip?
• Any CELs or SRS or any other lights on in the dash?

Cooling System
• Hoses (cracks, fitments, etc)
• Where does needle sit on the water temp gauge?
• No dry coolant visible in engine bay
• Is the engine driven fan still present?

Engine
• Belts (cracks)
• Pulleys (any excess noise/play)
• No excess A/C compressor noise
• Any suspicious oil residue under car?
• Condition of gaskets: Oil pan/timing cover/valve cover/head
• Air filter is in decent shape?
• Intake boot is not cracked
• Oil level is in range of ‘half full’ to ‘one half quart over max’.

Exhaust
• Muffler mounted securely
• Heat shields are secure and don’t rattle
• No deteriorated/rusted areas

Transmission/Differential
• All gears engage/disengage smoothly.
• Clutch pedal feels solid.
• Clutch line isn’t leaking
• Is the clutch delay valve still present?
• No transmission seals are leaking
• Transmission mounts are securely installed and not worn
• Guibo/Flex Disc is not cracked or worn
• CV boots are in good shape
• No excessive play in joints
• No differential seals are leaking

Power Steering
• Reservoir is full
• No PS fluid leaks from the hoses/rack/reservoir
• The wheel turns without making excess noise at parked idle

Suspension
• All bushings are solid and not cracked or worn
o Front control arm (2)
o Front sway bar (2)
o Rear shock mounts (2)
o Rear trailing arm (2)
o Upper and lower (wishbone) outer rear ball joints (4)
o Upper and lower (wishbone) inner rubber fittings (4)
o Rear sway bar (2)
o Rear sway bar endlink (2)
o Differential carrier
o Rear Subframe (4)
• Area where rear subframe is connected to body is solid and not cracking
• Shocks/dampeners are solid and not leaking fluid
• Koni front adjustment can be made smoothly and stops turning when the min/max endpoints are reached
• Tie rods are in good condition

Brakes
• % pad left:
• % rotor life left:
• Brake lines don’t leak
• Caliper doesn’t leak
• Caliper boot is intact
• Reservoir doesn’t leak

Tires/Wheels
• Do all tires match?
• Tire size(s):
• Tire brand(s):
• % tire life left
• Tires are worn evenly
• Wheel finish isn’t chipped or cracked
• No excess caked-on brake dust on face of wheels

Exterior
• All body panels match exactly
• Have any body panels been repainted or worked on?
• Any significant dents/scratches/rock chips
• Headlights are not pitted or cracked
• No rust or clear-coat peeling
• No lights out
• No windows are cracked

Interior
• Dashboard is in good shape and not cracked
• Glovebox does not sag
• Owners manual is in glove box
• Windows auto-up function works and doesn’t stop halfway up
• There are not significant tears/rips in interior
• No strange smells
• Has the car been noticeably smoked in?
• No lights out
• Stereo/speakers work
• No speakers are blown
• Climate control works
• A/C blows cold
• OBC screen is intact
• Are windows tinted? If so, approximately what %?
o Tint is not peeling or fading
• All interior panels are in good shape and not ripped or faded.


Shop name:

Tech name:

Would you buy this car/let a friend buy this car and for how much?

Date:

So as you can see, it is well worth the money!

scootermcrad

Holy crap! Thank you for posting that! And yeah, definitely worth it. I won't buy one without a PPI. I want to know what I'm purchasing (or not purchasing).

Doing some quick searches, it seems I should be definitely considering the E60 550i as well. Seems like a lot of bang for the buck and comparable in price. Also seems the majority of what are listed (right now) are lower mileage than any of the 535i's I've run across. I guess it will come down to what I learn about the engines, but naturally aspirated with no turbos might be one less factor to worry about. I'll start looking closer at N62 stuff.

Also, it helps that a guy I work with has a 550i and knows a LOT bout them, so he's been a valuable resource. It was nice to be able to take a closer look at his car.