monizzle

Hi everyone, I've been lurking on this forum and doing my research since I am seriously getting close to purchasing a 2007 e61 530xiT but still have some concerns.
I've read the E60 Bible "So you just bought an E60" and found it a great resource but I was curious as to thoughts from people with experience with the car on here as well.

It's a fully loaded 2007 with automatic transmission and 108000 miles, the owners have done a good amount of maintenance in the year they've owned it including:
Recent oil change
New tires
New transfer case
New AC compressor
New belts and new pulleys
New spark plugs
New brake fluids
and also serviced for 100k miles

My question is should I back away if they haven't done the ZF fluid and filter change?
I want this car to run for at least another 40k miles if possible without excess maintenance (other than routine and wear and tear) and honestly a transmission replacement isn't in the budget for this car.

I've also heard that the every 30k miles Service 1 and 60k miles Service 2 aren't an actual thing for the E60's, any truth to this?

Finally, the dreaded 3rd party warranty question, I am seriously considering but has anyone actually bought one and used it? Need some brand names and experience if possible.

Thanks everyone in advance!

JayArras

Welcome to the forum! We're glad you finally decided to join us! And your decision to ask before buying is very wise.

I'm moving your post to the E61 section because your very excellent questions will probably best be answered there.

oclvframe

Welcome monizzle. I too faced the dilemma of just how reliable this wagon would be about 4 years ago before I got my first 07 530xit. I kept it two years...babied it, never 'moved-in' to it...just reserved it for special occasions and continued to drive the snot out of my daily drive Subaru. After 2 years and 20000mi, I sold it fearing issues. I spent the next two years looking for another one...even calling the new owners of my old one to see if they'd sell it to no avail.

Bottom line is: if you find one that has been properly maintained and taken care of, you should have no problems driving 40+k mi. The one you mention in your post, though, raises an eyebrow. Why would the transfer case have been replaced? (or was it just the fluid?). The ZF tranny is a good transmission. If you choose to buy this wagon, go ahead and plan on replacing the pan and all the fluid...basically cheap long term insurance. If the wagon has been cared for otherwise, it should be a good one to keep. Be sure to have your own mechanic check it out and be sure to search it's history on both Autocheck and Carfax.

Keep us updated as to how it goes for you.

-r

Lotus99

Not sure why you'd back away for the lack of a fluid change. I understand it's not just a little oil change and will cost more. If you think it needs it, why not have it done after buying the car to be safe? It may be expensive - and to address your second point - but if you are buying an 8 year old BMW and are hoping to get by "without excess maintenance" then maybe it's not the car for you?

Noone can guarantee anything about this car, or any used car, in terms of whether it will or will not have issues. So you need to (esp. with expensive German cars) have a rainy day fund IMO, or if you go with an extended warranty, know that it's basically insurance you're paying for in advance. It will cover some things, and not others also. Lots of people instead put that money in their rainy day fund and self-insure in other words, and if they never use it, then great.

But if you can't afford to all of a sudden be hit with a major repair and you can fork up the $ now, then maybe you don't want to take the chance and should buy the insurance. Don't forget that they're in the business to make money, not insure a car and pay for tons of maintenance on it, when you just paid a few grand for the warranty. So they're selling it to you knowing what the odds are for things to go wrong.

As far as the service intervals, I asked that exact question in this thread:

https://5series.net/forums/e60-discu...r-cars-140116/

monizzle

Thanks for the response guys!

I've owned many German cars in the past but they are usually brand new with factory warranty but this car really caught my eye and would be used as a secondary vehicle (not daily), so if something were to ever happen some downtime wouldn't be too bad.

That being said, my main concern is the transmission and not the smaller out of norm maintenance items. Spending 5-10k on a replacement tranny isn't something I want to do especially since that is close to the value of the car itself.

Lotus, I agree a rainy day fund is the call. I don't think a third party warranty will do much especially since they make you jump through many hoops before you can get any work approved.

This car was checked out by my friends shop and they were shocked out how well taken care of it was by its current owner aside from a little oil they found had leaked near the rear of the valve cover they weren't too concerned about and they approve it as a purchase.

Regarding the transfer case, the motor broke and they had it replaced by a BMW part. Thoughts?

I will keep you guys updated, thanks again for the responses!

Tetonfiber

My 2006, 530XI is solid, but that is the result of changing all drive-line fluids.


1. Flushed ZF transmission twice at 98k. The trans had the dreaded "1st gear slam". The Pan/filter & ZF-6 fluid change resolved all issues. The transmission shifts like a dream now. I performed a third fluid change at 132k for safe measure. Read the directions on the fluid bottle-"shake bottle well before use"
2. Transfer Case fluid change at 98k. The fluid was black like tar.
3. Replaced differential fluids. The front had an orange tint/streaks & the rear was an amber color and not too bad.
4. MOST IMPORTANTLY: Power steering fluid and the fluid bottle that holds the filter. This was a huge improvement in steering performance and resolved the audible pump noise. Be certain to change the fluid bottle ($62.00-US), the filter was very dirty. The PS fluid is a clear blue color now.

Stuboski

I recently had my tranny fluid done at 67K miles. My indie mechanic would only suck the old fluid out and refilled with new. He said he wouldn't touch replacement of the plastic pan and filter, as he claimed there was no way of installing the new pan without cracking it (????). He claims he just does the fluid swap on other E60/61's he services, and nobody's ever had any issues. I've been going to this guy for 15 years now, and I've always been happy with his work. Should I press the issue on this and take it to somebody who will put a new pan on for me?


Anyhow, welcome to the fold, monizzle! Good luck with your "new" wagon. They are great cars, and you'll appreciate it even more if you learn to DIY a few projects.

Tetonfiber

The indie’s response is not logical.I will explain below, but I will tell you this procedure is so easy that even I can do it.I have performed the procedure in my own garage while flat backing with the car on jack stands on three separate occasions.4 to 5 quarts will always remain in the transmission and will then be mixed with the replaced fresh 6 quarts. The ZF website provides a pdf with the entire procedure. It is a very easy procedure.

The transmission is not cracked open; this is merely the replacing the transmission filter & pan.ZF designed the transmission to have the filter replaced periodically.

1. There is a drain plug on the bottom of the plastic pan so no sucking of fluid is required.It cost $6.00 (online) if you wanted to replace.You do not have to replace it, and it states 6 Nm torque in the plastic plug.
2. The pan cost about $120.00 (Online) and is a ZF part in a ZF box. The filter is integral to the plastic pan.






The e60/e61 Bentleys manual states this entire procedure. Your mechanic should be competent enough to flush out the old 6 quarts of fluid and replace the ZF-fluid properly. The ZF transmissions in our 06/07 e61 touring are commonly used in the following vehicles.


a. Hyundai


b. Ford


c. Jaguar


d. BMW

Stuboski

Thanks for the info.! I know another indie mechanic my cousins take their BMW's to. I think I'll give him a call to see if he's ever done the pan/filter replacement.