I currently am new to the 5 series bmw. I used to own an e46 330ci and have recently bought a 2008 550i automatic/steptronic with approximately 51,000 miles. My warranty is about to go out in a month or so. I have an appointment next week to take my car in for another checkup. What would you guys advise that I should look out for (technicality issues) on the car? I heard of the mechatronic sleeve giving out, and gasket seals leaking on these v8's, just wanted to make sure there wasn't anything else that I missed... Also what do you guys advise that I do to have all of my future (possibly potential) issues covered under CPO warranty, before the warranty expires? I would hate to have to pay for something that could have been resolved within my warranty period.

As of now, I get a little transmission forward jerk when slow braking every now and then, my iDrive has some bit of lag from time to time, and when high revving from second to first gear, there is a jerky feeling when trying to hold that gear at high rpm's.

I would much appreciate it if you guys could give me some pointers on these issues.

 

Are you talking about the original factory bumper to bumper warranty ending, or a CPO warrany ending next month? I assume with 51,000 miles, it's a CPO, because the original factory warranty only covers 4 years and 50,000 miles after the original sale date of the car.

As far as checking for problems, I would take the car to a well regarded independent BMW mechanic and have him go over the car. He can then give you a list of what he finds and you can take that to the BMW dealer to be fixed under the CPO warranty (if the items are indeed covered by CPO). I don't think electronic iDrive issues are covered under CPO, but not certain.

That is what I did with my 2008 528i. I bought it with 40,000 miles on it and 11 months of factory warranty remaining, in addition to the 2 years, 100,000 mile CPO warranty. I have owned a couple BMWs in the past and have a great independent BMW mechanic. He said that he encourages his customers to bring in their cars for a thorough inspection about a month before the factory warranty expires. This shop only works on BMWs, and they know all the ins and outs of the car and each model's weak areas and vulnerabilities. Who better to find problems with your car before your warranty ends? The mechanic charges $65 for this inspection. Money well spent, in my opinion.

The inspection on my car found a barely leaking mechatronics sleeve, cracked front control arm bushings and a couple missing jacking pads. I had the dealer take care of all of it, before the factory warranty expired. The dealer CSA said the bushings were just beginning to show a tiny crack, and that they, the dealer, probably wouldn't have replaced them on their own. But since I complained, they replaced them.

I now take the car to the independent mechanic for routine service (fluid changes, etc). I will have him go over the car and inspect it again just before the CPO warranty expires in a year and a half. After that, the indie will get all the work.

Good luck.

 

+1000 ^^^^ The gentleman nailed it. As he said, I hope you mean CPO warranty (which wouldn't expire until 100k miles or 6yrs - my car was a CPO), new car warranty has already expired at 51k. Also, you mentioned the iDrive - electronics are not covered under the CPO or Maint warranties.

 

Acefuture; thanks for the info. I will definitely have it inspected by an independent bmw mechanic asap before next weeks appointment.
By the way, has your car given you any transmission or any other mechanical problems/issues?
I really love my 550i, but the reliability is what's having me to think twice.

Im thinking that after my warranty expires, that I will have the transmission fluid flushed out and a new filter in place. I don't believe bmw with their "lifetime" tranny fluid bs.

 

do not go to the dealer for a checkup. they will not look for things to repair unless its obvious or you point it out.
go to an independent shop, and if they find anything wrong, then go to the dealer and tell them whats wrong.

 

Remember, I have a 528i automatic, with the only options being the premium package and satellite radio. No turbos, no HPFP, no direct injection, no active roll stabilization, no active steering, no paddle shifters, no navigation, no HUD, no park distance, and NO RUN-FLATS. I deliberately searched for this type of minimally equipped 5 series to avoid problems, maximize reliability and keep routine maintanence costs comparatively low. My car is definitely not a 550i.

The car was sold new in July of 2008. So it is 4 1/2 driving years old. I had to have the battery replaced under warranty in Jan of 2012. Also in January of 2012 I noticed that the engine was making a ticking noise in cold weather, when first started. Dealer diagnosed problem as valve lifters and replaced them under a BMW SIB.

Other than the issues that my independent mechanic discovered in his inspection, which I listed above, I have had absolutely no other problems or issues.

The car is a joy to drive, and I smile each time I get behind the wheel. It's met my needs perfectly. I hope you feel the same about your Bimmer.