twh

IMO, the best option is DIY. 5 quart jug of Mobil1 0W-40 is $23.56 at my local Walmart. Buy 2 jugs and your 7 quart oil change is $33 + filter.

Ron81

Thanks guys,

This is why i was trying to found the maintenance schedule for 530xi 2007,
so i am aware of any big maintenance coming on my way which may not covered by extended warranty. ...

So what would you suggest on buying the BMW vs miles on it.. i am interested in BMW 5 series all wheel drive whats best mile range i should buy the used car and whats best time as per miles to sell it ?

I live in Iowa and don't drive alot so i wont be putting over 300 miles per month..

any suggestions would be much appreciated.

twh

There are two things...one is warranty and one is maintenance.

I have a 2006 530xi out of warranty and with about 60,000 miles. It has been pretty reliable and an extended warranty would have not been worth the money. Now, the wife's X5 might be another story. I'm still ahead of the curve over the extended warranty, but only because of some BMW goodwill repair and my own labor on some things gone wrong. I posted a lengthy list in another thread on my X5 history.

Maintenance is mostly what iDrive is telling you to do: oil change, brake fluid change, etc. Extended warranty won't pay for this anyway.

Also, not all extended warranties are created equal nor pay equally.

My own personal opinion is that it is a crap shoot. My own opinion was the worst could happen is my car ends up with a repair I don't want to pay for and I sell the car for it's value at the time. The car wouldn't be a total loss, but I could lose most of the value. I'd be pissed, but it wouldn't bankrupt me, so I decided to save the money on extended warranty and take my chances. I also do all the repairs that don't need some special equipment, so that helps.

BarneyFife

Don't buy a warranty. The person selling the warranty is making a profit. If you take care of these cars, they are like tanks.

audiophool

Possibly jinxing myself, but I bought an '08 535xi 2 years ago. It has 155,000km on it and aside from tires and an oil change or two all I've had to do is spark plugs. And they were OK until I put the JB4 on it.

There's a significant camp of BMW owners who buy new and sell when the warranty expires because they're afraid of expensive repairs. More selection for me.

El_Rey906

A "purchase" vehicle inspection by a Bosch & ASE certified BMW third party mechanic (that's a mouthful) shop cost around $100. Take everything you are told about the vehicle you are purchasing with a grain of salt. Ask questions and do your research, In my experience 80,000 miles is a on a vehicle requires maintenance. The vehicle's maintenance can either be cheap if you know what you are doing (with some planning, patience, research, and luck) or a nightmare if you go thru BMW dealership without a warranty.


The maintenance schedule on the E60 more than likely needed at this point as follows:


Valve cover gasket
Oil Coolant Housing Gasket
Serpentine Belt
Spark Plugs
Rear Diff Fluid Change
Oil Change
Radiator Hoses (if signs of bulging or scarring appear)
Bushings to suspension: i.e. lower arm


If you purchase the vehicle, enjoy owning a BMW. Save yourself the trouble and purchase a warranty.

El_Rey906

I own a AWD 07 ' 5 series.


The AWD allows the vehicle ride smoothly. In addition, the Dynamic Stability Control corrects the understeer/oversteer and allows the transfer case to adjust and enhance the smoothness of the ride on the road, Amazing for road conditions that have slippery surfaces.


Word of caution, I have recently replaced the transfer case on my ride because a cover sealant leaked fluid and cause the transfer case's front differential output to have a malfunction. It was cheaper to buy a salvage transfer case with low miles and install it than rebuilding the transfer case.


I recommend that if you do buy a BMW with xDrive (AWD) or an XI model, buy one with low milage and change the transfer case fluid.


That was a fun month long project. Anyway I will post on a later post with the details on replacing the ATC 300 transfer case present in E60 BMW xDrive (xi) models.

Amherst

Wow......
This is a crazy post. How can someone possibly make statements like this and tout them as fact?

To the OP: You must have more cash for maintenance to have the pleasure of driving an older BMW. Maintenance does cost more than an "appliance car".

That said, appropriating a $2,500 budget yearly for maintenance is reasonable and that will not cover a catastrophic failure in either the electronics or drive train. Really no different than any other luxury car of similar age and miles.

Your decision should consider these maintenance costs and your financial abilities.

Manfrombklyn23@aol.com

Please don't buy this car. It will be the biggest regret of your life. I'm on my 2nd CPO BMW. My first 04 4.4 X5 had a ton of things replaced under the CPO but a year out of wRranty and the valve stem seals went. Basically requires a new engine. Now I have a 08 535Xi and luckily the CPO covered a water pump, fuel pump and turbo but now 1 year out of warranty and the transfer case went last week. It's a $2200 part. Don't do it!

Gangplank

I recently bought an 04 w/ 85k. It's a fantastic car to drive & since it was under $14k to buy I didn't get an extended warranty. I've since put about $1500 into repairs of random things that are not regular Maint. The rest of what I've had done was to get it back to spec. If you know what's been done repair history wise it might be a good car. If no history then it's a crap shoot.