simple question really

 

LCI=Life Cycle Impulse = facelift.

 

There are no stupid question, just stupid people who ask questions! Just kidding of course, I always loved that ESPN commercial...

LCI = Life Cycle Impulse Simply a refresh of E60 w/ some new engines giving us the 528 and 535 and modest exterior and interior updates, more so on the interior.

 

so I guess my 04 530i is LCI? is there a hard and fast way of telling?

 

No. You've got a pre-LCI E60. LCI started production in Spring of 2007, as I recall with the US-production models called 2008 MY. All production since then is LCI...before that, pre-LCI.

 

You have the first year of the model rollover ,the previous 5 series was the e 39, in 04 they introduced the e 60 which is what you bought ,in the 08 version a mid life upgrade was done to freshen up the e60 (LCI) the opening page of this Forum gives you a good history of the 5 series.

Cheers

 

As others have said, your car is pre-LCI like my 2004 545. On a side note, I didn't see your UK location initially. Hope my joke did not come across wrong, that line was from a commercial for ESPN, a sports cable network here in the US...

 

No worries, i'm thick skinned! And i'm fully aware of ESPN too, watched a lot of it while travelling the world, the only place that shows UK football, sorry 'Soccer' heh heh