thecadman99

Hey all, first post and a prospective E60 550i owner.

The wife wants something more luxurious than my harsh e90 (stiff suspension).

I'm looking at 07 and 08 550i's with around 90k.

I do all my own maintenance, and have access to a lift.

So will a 550i be a big difference in keeping it on the road? My e90 has needed the basic gaskets (oil pan next) waterpump, thermostat, etc... but has been a great car that I still love at 170k. The e36 was bullet proof with cooling maintenance.

Can I DIY most of the stuff to keep an E60 on the road to 200k? Are valve seals still a problem? Is the transmission reliable?
Thanks!

westsidebalto

Thoughts:
-Ride quality in a 550i with sport suspension might be as harsh as a 335i (Perhaps you want to go 535i or 528i?)
-Valve stem seals are an issue on the E60 V8s, but it's actually worse for the older 545i as it has valve guide issues too. I haven't run into this, but it's my top fear in terms of future problems
-Gaskets can be an issue. I would used "basic" with a bit of caution. I did my own valve cover and upper timing cover seals, but ended up farming out the "alternator gasket" to an indy shop (google "alternator bracket gasket seal" and you'll get an education )
-Cooling systems on E60s are vulnerable, just as they are on most BMWs, as you already know; I've replaced most of mine myself and it hasn't been too much of a pain
-All that said, I love my 545i. I love the manual transmission and RWD. It's just fun as crap to drive and is sleeper car fast. It rides smoothly and quietly on the freeway and is my preferred road trip car.

Good luck.

thecadman99

Wow that alternator bracket sounds like a nightmare
Is that a leak that is easy to spot on a pre purchase inspection?

Highway driving is exactly what I'm looking for in a 5 series.

westsidebalto

I'm not sure to be frank. Mine had several leaks at the same time (including oil pan gasket), so it wasn't obvious to me what was and wasn't leaking. In general, if you take a look at the splash tray from up top, you should be able to see residual oil. If you get the car up on the lift and remove the tray, any oil leaking will be obvious. It doesn't hurt to ask the seller point blank either.

thecadman99

This has me thinking- should I be looking for for a higher-mileage car that has all of this taken care of.
Did you do the oil pan gasket yourself? On the E90, it can be a tough job, but I wasn't sure if it was the same on the E60.

Boost7

Go with a 08 or newer 550 with the lci sport package / mtech whatever it s called and the lowest miles you can find. Things will start to fail when it gets close to 100k. Anything you read failing on the E60 will eventually fail, you just don't know when, but it will happen.

I mention the lci with sport package with m sport or mtech bumper so you ll get a more updated look. With the rear led tail lights and better headlights. Don't go cheap now, you ll end up spending it down the road trying to change things up later.

westsidebalto

No, I had it done with the alternator bracket for about $1400.

As Boost7 points out, you're probably better off finding a newer 550i with lower mileage. It will be less headaches. Plus, the odds of finding an older car with ALL of the common problems fixed is rare. Personally I'm down to just the coolant transfer pipe (which I can DIY) and the valve stem seals (which when they go, I'll probably dump the car).

Beans33

Are you dead set on a 550? I have an 08 535 and I love it. The N54 is a beast of a motor, but like all the motors started above it has its issues. Due to the 335 and 135 being so popular in the tuner world, there is lots of information and tutorials on just about anything that needs to be done, Not to mention parts are everywhere.

thecadman99

Not really... I'm just a normally a NA guy and its kind of tough to find the 535 with the multi contour seats, and when I do find a 535- its the same price or more than the 550 and usually has less options.

I have been looking at the 535's and they sure seem to have a lot of support thanks to the popularity of the 335.