Hello all, from Michigan!

I've just acquired my 2nd 5-series, and i've hopped forums (from bimmerfest) because this site seems pretty active compared to my old stomping grounds. Here's a quick BIO about my BMW history:

I had a 2000 540iT for several years (2009-2012), and loved the car. I did all the traditional repairs for a 540 while i had it (cooling system/valve cover leaks/control arms/etc). I was pleasantly surprised that every repair was DIY-possible. This was not my expectation when i first bought it. I kept it until it's next repair exceeded it's resale value (transmission and rear subframe bushings failing), then i was forced to let it go. It still looked perfect. That was a sad day, but on the plus side, the new owner was to use it as a display car for his detailing business.

Next, I had a flash of stupidity and bought a brand-new 2012 Ford Fusion 4-cyl, thinking i would be okay with just "basic transportation" for the next 5 years. Boy was wrong! I realized after about a year that i've been ruined by driving a BMW, and had to get out from under that "milk-toast" car. Mind you, there's nothing wrong with the Ford, but i could completely forget my commute in the time it took to walk into my office from the parking lot. I couldn't live that way for 5 years.

So after about 6 months of trying to sell the Ford without taking a bath on it, I gave up and traded it in for a 2005 545i with Standard shift and the Sport package (107,000miles). In order to avoid two huge costs at once (3000$ gap on the Fusion, plus a "new" used car), I bought a slightly rough 5-series in need of a few things. On the plus side, service records looked well kept up until 2012, when the previous owner acquired it and probably just drove it 10,000 miles without worrying about it. Now I have to play catch-up.

I'm here to hopefully get me started down the road of understanding e39 vs e60 quirks, and what is best to maximize lifespan out of my new baby.

Thanks for reading!

 

Welcome!