Heya guys,

I'm new on the forums here.. I'm currently a Citroen C5 driver and aiming to buy a new E61. This is de E61 is build in august 2009 and has a 530D engine with Msport package.




After reading several topics here on the forums about issues with the sunroof and tailgate wires breaking, is making me hesitate to buy this BMW. Could you guys help me out if this is justifies to buy or not buy the car?

1 - Sunroof issues, will the water leakage always happen.. is it just a matter of time? I've read that a prevention method is to clean the drains often? In my current C5 I have no water issues, so I don't want to spend a lot of money for a car.. which brings even more problems. This is my main issue.

2 - Does the sunroof needs the drains when it is closed? I think the rubber seals between the sunroof window and the chassis are closing the gaps and the drains are only needed when the sunroof is open. Am I correct?

3 - Are the wires at the tailgate still breaking in the latest E61 models?

I hope you guys can help me with this and clarify some of my questions.

 

If you buy a new one I don't think this will be an issue any time soon. I have 2005 model driven 130000km and no issues. I don't know though if the previous owner has cleaned the drain tubes or not. I will test the drains myself as soon as the weather gets a bit warmer up here in the north..

The seals in the sunroof are not 100% waterproof, so some water can get in even if sunroof is closed especially if washed in high pressure car wash.

I myself don't think this is a critical issue in these cars, just needs a bit of attention and care.

 

First off, on board and enjoy the forums

I sold my 2005 E61 530d M-Sport with about 115TKM and did not have any of those issues.
I had other issues with the car, but then again it was 4 years old and who knows how it was treated by the previous owner who had it as a company car for 3 years. Seeing as you are talking about buying one that is almost new, and its an end of life model, you are going to have all the enhancements they put in there over the years and not have the risk that someone treated it like cr*p for years.

As the F10/11 is coming soon, you should be able to negotiate an awesome deal on these cars. I've heard that you can get the best deals on the 525d, because its kind of lost between the 520d (fuel saving) and the 530d (great performance), especially on the second hand market.

And finally, it looks awesome!!

 

Hello Skybump,

One important question: are you getting it under Premium Selection (what used to be Huisselectie) or for example regular BOVAG guarantee?
In the former case there is no cause for alarm anyways, the latter only means that you'll have to check some simple things once in a while (or after the Premium guarantee expires).

I found that the drains only need arbitrary checking, as you know it rains a lot here and I have never had any leakage. In time the draining will become slower, then you know it's time to clean out the rear drains a bit. Many independent BMW specialists will do this for free if you ask it while their doing other maintenance on your car.

Tailgate wiring issues are still present but I must say I've never come across a recent model with problems, it usually seems to take a few years and yearly periodic checks after some three/four years will keep you on the safe side anyways. Typically you will get one of the signature problems when one wire besomes suspect (FM reception, tailgate window, remote locking etc.) and then there is plenty of time to repair instead of replace.

I don't know where you're situated geographically but I could point you to some very well respected independent BMW specialists if you'd like.

Slightly off-topic: that is a beautiful specimen you have there, C5 (new model?) is a nice ride but this will sweep you off your feet. '09 530D is a great engine and our roads are generally of such quality that the M undercarriage will cause no discomfort. Be sure to buy quality tires everytime to go along with those 18"ers, it will double your driving pleasure...

Hope to welcome you soon as a proud owner!

 

Thanks for your helpfull reply. It's a German car and it just has the 1,5 year of BMW factory warranty, so no premium selection or bovag warranty.

I live in the region of zuid-holland, it would be nice to have some addresses of good BMW specialists. I did some research and found several in my area, but I don't know if they are any good. So please feel free to tell me more about that (or email me; "barainoor apenstaart hotmail puntje com")

So checking the drains periodically would be enough to prevent water leaks in the interior. We have a lot of rain and with the issues posted over here that is why I got in doubt about this nice car with sunroof. Since I don't have the possibility to park my car "always" indoors, it should be waterproof. Could you explain a bit how to check if the drains are functioning well, where is the end of the drain located to see if the water flows?

The wheels shown in the picture are 19inch, which tires do you recommend anyway?

I'm currently driving a phase 1 model of the C5 (2002). So this would be a huge upgrade ;p

 

There are several tires that would suit the car; one of my favourites is Conti SportContact2, which some of the cars have factory fitted, another is Michelin Sport 2, yet another is Pirelli Zero.

Good luck with the purchase!

 

1. the post 2006 and LCI cars have an improved sunroof water drainage cassette, so I doubt you will have such problems as the first cars. But i agree with the other members that checking the drains is excellent preventative maintenance.

2. do you drive with an open sunroof when it rains? putting tha aside, yes, even with closed sunroof drains are needed, and can cause you water leak if clogged - for example when there is heavy rain, or when washing the car.

3. no experience with this, but agree with the members about noticing a problem early. Also, I strongly suspect that BMW has eliminated this problem with LCI cars - its too big of a headache for them to having not condsidered it.

Finally: this is a car which brings amazing pleasure when driving, and I bet it will be a totally different world to you after the C5. Congratulations and good luck! I think its a great decision to go for a 2009 car when all the gremlins have been fixed! Still, dont forget to push the dealer down on the price

 

@narvselius, thanks for the tire advice.. currently there are goodyear runflats on the car.

@mmitev, thanks for you reply!

Could you explain a bit how to check if the drains are functioning well, where is the end of the drain located to see if the water flows correctly?

I'm washing my car every week or two weeks by hand and rinse with the presure washer, so the drains should function well because they are washed often. I'm also not planning to use the sunroof.. its just that its there on the car ;p

 

look at post 20 in this topic. thats all we have by now - just verbal explanation.

it would be a tremendous gesture of good will, if you buy the car and make pictures of these flaps at the end of the rear drains for all of us here

https://5series.net/forums/topic/810...f/page__st__15

 

Hello Skydump,

As always lots of good advice here on the boards.

About the specialists, I'm near Amsterdam so the handful of independents I know firsthand are probably too far off for you. Asking around among older mechanics at official dealers has gotten me some good addresses and testimonials in the past, besides that there's the internet. Among Autoweek.nl MyReviews (Car reviews, not dealer reviews) dealers and specialists are often discussed in detail, shoudl give you some pointers.

On the tires (19's indeed), the conti's Narvselius mentioned are very good, I drive those in 18" in te summer, before those so-so Bridgestones.
In winter I have 17" Vredestein Wintrac Extremes, they are doing quite well except I don't like the higher and more flexible sidewalls inherent to smaller rims.

I hereby officially promise that I will take pictures when I'm clearing the drains in a few weeks time. You can get a good quick indication though on your situation by checking the headliner (both fixed and mobile) on moisture after rain and most important of all: the electronics bay under and forward of the spare wheel well. Accessed in a matter of minutes and very comforting to know that you're safe for the coming time. The thread posted by mmitev up here is also invaluable when getting into the drain issues.

One thing I missed though in your post: do you have the options list for us? Or maybe a link to a dealer or mobile.de, getting curious.

P.S. you wrote that you won't be using the panoroof... Wait till the summer's back, you'll never close it till october! Mark my words...