Prizam

Hi guys,

First post on this forum, Be gentle. lol

I have spotted a nice blue 530i with all the toys i want, I have been to look at it and i cannot find anything wrong with it, what sort of things should i be looking for? It's an 04 plate with 150k on the clock, full BMW service history.

The bad bits i have spotted are motley cosmetic, couple scuffs and a grubby interior... but it has coved 150k so its to be expected.

Mechanically the car seems fine, their is however a slight whine from the auto box when you balance the throttle at a constant speed, and then lift off a bit so the car is decelerating on the engine drag. It's not loud, but the sort of thing my ears pick up on... is it something to be worried about? Are there any service items on the Auto box?

I would be doing all my own servicing on this car, well... as much as possible.

Any help / advice greatly received.

Tru5g

what's the price on the car?

luigi524td

It would be worthwhile to have a qualified BMW mechanic inspect before you buy. It's worth spending $100 now than to have a $XXXX.XX repair in 3 months that could have been spotted by someone who knows that things break / wear out on BMWs. It would help to know where you are located - forum members may suggest service experts who can look it over before you buy!

If you have a connection with a BMW Dealer, or tell an SA politely that this is your first venture into BMWLand they might run the VIN for you and determine any major issues that have been logged by the "system".

Welcome and good luck finding your ideal FIRST BMW! I remember my first one way back in 1986

Prizam

Thanks for the replies, not the sort of info i am looking for though.

Are there any common problems with the 5 series? What would cause a whine on an auto box, or is this normal?

I would class my self as more competent than a BMW qualified mechanic, pretty much all mechanics i have come across are idiots and insist on plugging the car in to the a diagnostic unit for everything, which is great. But not always the solution.

Is there a list of common faults that i can be pointed towards?

I am located in Reading, UK and i will not pay more than ?6,000 GBP... although this is not what the car is advertised at.

advancedlogic

+1 Luigi!
Have it inspected by a qualified BMW mechanic, if possible. You state the car has 150K - is that kilometers or miles? Kilos would put the car at roughly 93200 miles. High, but under the 100K number. If that is in fact 150k miles, that's 241,000 kilometers. Both very high for a 4 (5) year old car. These cars can be VERY difficult for the home mechanic for moderate to advanced repairs. Many electronic parts need coding to the car upon replacement - a dealer only option. But, if the car is good and you're not affraid of expensive repair bills should a problem thats outside of your scope or ability arise, then go for it. She'll reward you with amazing handling, sexy looks, and sporty performance! To ease the repair worries, research and inquire about aftermarket warranty options for high-mileage vehicles. Good luck and Welcome to the forums!

advancedlogic

If they let you drive it again, is it possible to record the whine? I get a very slight whine on my Steptronic tranny, but its normal. I'm wondering if it's the same thing. Most of the more common problems with the 5ers are battery-related. If the car has the original battery, you'll run the risk of having the dash light up like a christmas tree with a whole lot of warnings. The cars are VERY sensitive to voltage fluctuations. Periodic faults may crop up. "Rebooting" - turning the car off, waiting a few seconds, then restarting usually clears most faults that pop up. The ones that reappear should be checked. If you never worked on an idrive equipped car, the technologies used are far more advanced than most other cars on the road. You will need diagnostic equipment to determine specifics on many units (like a MPM failure, CCC or M-ASK device faults, VANOS out-of-specification warnings, etc).

luigi524td

Once again - WELCOME!

Electrical issues are already noted and the weaknesses of the automatic transmissions are reported too. Given the current mileage is average usage that is a good thing - BMWs seem to wear better when driven. Diagnostics are becoming a problem with all newer cars - the manufacturer-specific electronic equipment is not within the reach of independent mechanics or the experienced do it yourself-er. And even basic e60 are technical monsters requiring as much computer science as mechanical expertise

If you are able to confirm the maintenance records / fluid replacements, etc that would be good. And a thorough inspection of the cooling system to seek out any issues before they become problems. In the US we have access to databases for manufacturer recalls and in many cases only a BMW dealer can verify that any required have been applied. I don't know how you'd determine that in the UK.

My e60 530xi has an absolutely silent transmission but drivetrain and transmission problems have been known to crop up around 100K miles. On my previous 740s the dreaded fault message -> Trans Failure was preceeded by about 6 months of whining in the first 2 gears of the 5 spd auto.

There are a couple of nuisance issues - noisy door seals come to mind. I've not experiecnced it personally but then my e60 is still young. Another is the passenger air bag sensor.

Good luck finalizing your decision about this 530.

Prizam

So, most of the problems are electrical? Whats the story with the auto box? I would record the whine, but its so quiet i don't think it will show up on any recording.

The car has a full BMW service history, all the fluids have been changed according to schedule. I think the car has just been sat on the motorway all its life.

As for the millage, it is 150k Miles.

Can you use any generic diagnostic software on the BMW? I guess you would be loosing out on some of the "BMW" features though?