Higgy

I am buying my 2004 545I 6speed tomorrow and I have been searching this great site finding out some info.

Based on everything I have read most of you are hit or miss about your 5 series (Some say never again, while others love theirs). One common thing I keep reading is to stay away from any 5 series built before March of 2004... but no one has really said why.

What I'm getting is a 2004 545I 6speed with 58K miles. Sport/Cold weather/Navi/and factory 19's. I've called BMW to get service history and besides replacing a window motor the history is spotless. The Price is right I just dont feel like buying a car that is going ot nickel and dime me to death. I had a E36 M3 that was as reliable as my honda civic, I'm hoping for the same from this vehicle.

Thanks,
Higgy

DD_545i

Really? I never felt the "miss" part as a theme here. Maybe I don't read enough threads

Well done finding one with such low miles. Mine's an April 2004 545i at 47,000 miles. Still love it. Every now and then I talk myself into thinking having a V8 gas guzzler is crazy and I should sell it and get a tiny car that gets 50+ mpg, but then I get a sunny day and I've got the summer tyres on and the Autobahns are not busy and I reset myself and say screw it, I deserve it.

I'm running now for 18 months without warranty and no regrets yet.

stoic1

First thing, welcome to the forum. There is a wealth of knowledge here.

If you don't get a warranty, have some money stashed away for maintenance.

I've had my 545i for over two years now with some minor hiccups, but other than that, I love this car.

Congrats on the purchase. Enjoy!

Dark_Bimmin

Bought mine 1 month ago but with SMG and I love it. Other car is a E36 328 is coupe, super reliable with 197k and no mechanical problems.
Enjoy!

f1peterc

I have an 05 545 with SMG and 80K miles on the clock. No problems, the best car I ever had

sy1616

I had a 2005 545i 6 speed, now an 08 550i......nuffd said, you'll love it!

balbs

Watch out for the Microprocessor module (MPM) which might be located in the trunk under the spare tire area. If your sunroof drain is clogged, rain or water might accumulate in that area and fry it. I think there was a recall to relocate it to the left wall of the trunk to avoid that issue.

Oh, and welcome!

black550_m5sport

Watch out for this:




see mookish's thread!

SilberGrauE60

The 2004 545i Sport Pkg comes with staggered 18-inch Style 124 wheels as standard, so if you have 19's, they are a mod. Also, both the auto and manual tranny's are 6-speed, so you probably meant to say 6MT for the manual tranny common on the sport package. One last thing to pay attention to is the battery. Lots of posts concerning OEM batteries and battery registration. There's a lot of technology in these cars to soak up, so be prepared to visit the board and your owner's manual a lot in the beginning. Get a copy of the PDF (electronic) owner's manual so you can easily do searches.

Ogg

My 04 545i is about to hit 140 K ! still running like a champ