New to BMW..hope I didnt make a mistake!
#11
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Location: Encino, CA
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My Ride: 04 545i - Titanium Silver/Black, Sport pkg, Comfort Seats w/ Lumbar, Premium Sound, power rear sunshade, Adaptive Xenon Headlights, Steptronic, Park Distance Control, Fold down rear seats w/ski bag, Aux jack, 6-disk changer, puddle lamps...
Engine: Custom Remus cat-back exhaust w/chrome square tips, K&N Air Filter, Charcoal Filter Removed, Sprint Booster :-), 50/50 mix of 91+100 Octane, EuroRev ECU Remap (coming soon lol), Dinan High-Flow Throttle Body (coming soon...maybe lol)
Interior: Portable Sirius Stilletto 100 w/car kit, Garmin Nuvi 680 mounted below rear-view mirror, LCI-style I-drive knob, Dark Poplar Center Dashboard Trim.
Exterior: E60 forum clings, 5% rear tint, ACS roof spoiler (painted black for distinct look against limo tint), ACS trunk spoiler, ACS add-on front spoiler and rear apron (awaiting installation), "18 Black Staggered BeBeS Style OER (emergency replacement for cracked sport 124 rims), black kidney grill, white accessory lighting (including license and trunk lamps), Angel-eye upgrade, AIB xenon-matched fog lamps, AIB V3's on order, red rear reflectors
As earlier poster stated your experience will depend upon the maintenance performed by earlier owners. I hope for your sake the previous owners did not follow the BMW CBM maintenance plan. Helpful if you get any records you can from previous owners so at least you have a baseline.
Is the awesome drive worth the pain? So far I would have to say yes. Performance wise the 4.4L V8 used in the 545i is one of the sweetest engines ever made. Extremely wide power band with significant torque at low RPMs in a free revving engine. But it is also one of the worst engine designs in recent years by BMW from the standpoint of gasket and seal reliability. More leaks than a retirement home!
If you are a DIYer you will definitely be kept busy!
Congrats and enjoy.
Is the awesome drive worth the pain? So far I would have to say yes. Performance wise the 4.4L V8 used in the 545i is one of the sweetest engines ever made. Extremely wide power band with significant torque at low RPMs in a free revving engine. But it is also one of the worst engine designs in recent years by BMW from the standpoint of gasket and seal reliability. More leaks than a retirement home!
If you are a DIYer you will definitely be kept busy!
Congrats and enjoy.
Check hoses for leaks//corrosion. The most common failure is a little plastic hose that runs under the metal shield on the top of the radiator (you can follow it starting at the overflow bottle). The plastic gets very brittle, and can simply break, leading to a moderate coolant leak. The hoses are special easy connect/disconnect types. Unfortunately the rubber seals can go bad, causing weepage.
Check in the trunk where the spare tire would be. There is a foam insert. At the bottom are the Parking Distance Controller (PDC) and Mirco Power Module (MPM). If there moisture enters the trunk (spillage, poor drainage, etc), enough fluid could accumulate in that well and cause damage. Simply check for it.
Control arm bushings should be checked, and possible gasket leaks.
If the battery is original, have it replaced for peace of mind
There are a few other "laundry list" items to check. Dont be discouraged by what you read. You are in one of the finest machines crafted. Her faults pale to her joy.
#12
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Location: Ct
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My Ride: 04' 545i, Sport Package, Black, Active Xenon, ARS, Aux Input
'10 Tahoe, Black on Black, leather, Nav/XM, 20" tires, full body kit, power 2nd row, loaded
'93 Jeep Wrangler, lifted 4.5", 33" meats, Rampage Recovery Bumper w/Tire Swing, etc
25' Aquasport Osprey, Center Console,2012 200 HO Etec
The specific drain I had an issue with was as I stated, is under the ebox on the passenger side engine compartment... when it clogs it eventually leads to the passenger side of the car after flooding the ebox which contains your DME among other things. Then your car will take the additional water and throw it into the passenger compartment flooding the floor and ruining all your sensors and modules there - and they are all there! Sunroof drains have a tendency to clog which is why you see so many "My A Pillar is wet" threads... and then there are the drains in the rear which lead to the "another blown mpm" thread. I mention these not to scare people, but to hopefully educate someone who has no clue - like me when I purchased the car. I garage my car and never thought it would be an issue and within a few months I had this issue:
https://5series.net/forums/topic/107...1#entry1277480
I wish someone would have warned me... I would have spent a little money and gotten them cleared out.
#13
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My Ride: 2006 BMW 550i
The specific drain I had an issue with was as I stated, is under the ebox on the passenger side engine compartment... when it clogs it eventually leads to the passenger side of the car after flooding the ebox which contains your DME among other things. Then your car will take the additional water and throw it into the passenger compartment flooding the floor and ruining all your sensors and modules there - and they are all there! Sunroof drains have a tendency to clog which is why you see so many "My A Pillar is wet" threads... and then there are the drains in the rear which lead to the "another blown mpm" thread. I mention these not to scare people, but to hopefully educate someone who has no clue - like me when I purchased the car. I garage my car and never thought it would be an issue and within a few months I had this issue:
https://5series.net/forums/topic/107...1#entry1277480
I wish someone would have warned me... I would have spent a little money and gotten them cleared out.
https://5series.net/forums/topic/107...1#entry1277480
I wish someone would have warned me... I would have spent a little money and gotten them cleared out.
i'll check mine to make sure they're clean...
#14
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My Ride: 2008 550i sport package
Any car with 95k on the clock is going to need repairs because parts just wear out after time and mileage. You can't buy a car with that many miles and not expect to put money into it. Unfortunately, BMW repairs tend to be expensive compared to Hondas and Toyotas and most american cars. Hopefully the previous owner maintained it properly. Only time will tell.
#15
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Previous owner followed BMW CBM, but the drain intervals averaged about 10,500 miles and the miles were mostly highway. He had a bumper to bumper extended warranty so whatever the dealer said it needed it got.
#16
Congrats on your new vehicle! Have had my 05 545I for over three years and still love it. I could not have bought a better car for the money...
Hi everyone, I'm new to BMW and new to the site. This site is great. I have learned so much, have had pretty much every question answered and been able to accomplish every DIY projects with all the awesome write ups. My concern I'm having though is while reading through all the topics I'm starting to wonder if I made a good decision to buy a BMW. I just picked up an 05' 545i with 95k on it. I guess I'm looking for some positive reviews to make me feel better about my purchase! lol. I should have done my homework more but I figured a reputable brand and an expensive car they would be very reliable. If anything, its runs great right now and is very fun to drive.... Any feedback on the 545i?????
Thanks,
Steve
Thanks,
Steve
#17
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Thanks again for the positive feedback. I'm hoping to get the dealer to take care of the mechatronics sleeve leak under the 3 month/ 3000 mile warranty. If not I'll be taking care of it myself. Other then that the car is in great shape and seems like it was maintained well. I contacted the local BMW dealership about getting service records. Hopefully hear back from them soon.
#18
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My Ride: 04' 545i, Sport Package, Black, Active Xenon, ARS, Aux Input
'10 Tahoe, Black on Black, leather, Nav/XM, 20" tires, full body kit, power 2nd row, loaded
'93 Jeep Wrangler, lifted 4.5", 33" meats, Rampage Recovery Bumper w/Tire Swing, etc
25' Aquasport Osprey, Center Console,2012 200 HO Etec
Nope, as I said it is garaged... I drive my car part time as I have a project Jeep I drive when its nice out and in the winter with the snow. Of course I have no idea what the previous owner did but I can tell you leaves, pine needles and stuff all turn to sludge over time so, while the drains are small, that simply means they will get blocked easily.
#19
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Hi everyone, I'm new to BMW and new to the site. This site is great. I have learned so much, have had pretty much every question answered and been able to accomplish every DIY projects with all the awesome write ups. My concern I'm having though is while reading through all the topics I'm starting to wonder if I made a good decision to buy a BMW. I just picked up an 05' 545i with 95k on it. I guess I'm looking for some positive reviews to make me feel better about my purchase! lol. I should have done my homework more but I figured a reputable brand and an expensive car they would be very reliable. If anything, its runs great right now and is very fun to drive.... Any feedback on the 545i?????
Thanks,
Steve
Thanks,
Steve
#20
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My Ride: 550i
My concern I'm having though is while reading through all the topics I'm starting to wonder if I made a good decision to buy a BMW. I just picked up an 05' 545i with 95k on it. I guess I'm looking for some positive reviews to make me feel better about my purchase! lol. I should have done my homework more but I figured a reputable brand and an expensive car they would be very reliable.
Thanks,
Steve
Thanks,
Steve
As to your "homework" - I don't think you did a great choice speaking frankly: based on mileage and age of car you bought I assume you are short on cash, so bmw and german cars generally are not the best choice under your circumstances.
Enjoy.