r/e39 • u/ImprezaDrezza • Sep 10 '19
Please note everyone that the rules for r/e39 have been updated. I have clarified a few things related to discussion topics and acceptable conduct.
Most importantly I have added a section on listing For Sale style posts. [Some] other car subs allow this so I thought we could try it out. E39 fandom is a more closely knit group than other BMW subcultures and could stand to benefit from a dedicated venue for cars/parts/effort trading.
I want to be clear if this isn't a popular option, or if FS posts become routinely adversarial, we can adjust the rules on these posts or eliminate them entirely.
I welcome any comments on this change and the sub rules in general, and will continue to poll our community for changes or ideas on a regular basis.
r/e39 • u/yofuckreddit • Aug 21 '20
Hey guys! I figured I'd sticky this. I'll update the post if y'all have anything good to add or critique, let me know.
Introduction
Looking to buy an E39? First things first – the reputation of these cars is partially deserved and partially not.
We frequently get asked if new car owners should purchase an E39. I love E39s more than nearly anyone I know - I have a 525i and an M5, and both are incredible for different reasons. I've done many of the DIYs and addressed many of the problem areas listed here. If you aren't in a financially comfortable enough situation to have 3-6 months of expenses in a savings account at all times, you're not in a position to own a 20-year-old BMW hassle free. It's a question of financial safety and consistency rather than attainability - buying a $4k 530i and maintaining it for 5 years or so is arguably a much better deal than going into debt for a $40,000 CUV that drives like shit.
Evaluating a Car
There are a couple of things to factor into your evaluation of a car before we even talk about problem areas:
Prices & Purchasing
Market prices for these cars have fluctuated over the past couple years. There’s a noticeable difference between pre (<=2000) and post-facelift (2001+) models. Later models also may make adding an auxiliary port easier, have upgraded components, or have more standard features. Also keep in mind that sport packages for the 530 and 540, along with manual transmissions, command a significant premium as well. Prices on sports (530 or 540) and M5s have increased a bit since this guide was originally written a couple years ago. Finally, it's worth knowing that the 540's engine in pre-2000 configurations is slightly more reliable as it does not include VANOs.
Ballpark prices are based on a mix of my estimation and Classic.com, a great reference for car markets. Links included below, and assume cars aren't total shit shows:
When you check out ANY used car for purchase, you should be checking a variety of different things. Use a generalist guide to start. We’ll go through common failure points for the chassis and individual models for you to pay special attention to. Parts prices are for OEM or OE if I can find them, not genuine. Indy shop is a wild guess for the most part. Prices for doors or wheels are PER ITEM.
Conservatively plan to spend about $1k a year ON AVERAGE if you do a mix of shop work and DIY. Many years you'll get lucky and get to invest in an upgrade or something preventative if you wish. If you can find an example with new control arm bushings, window regulators, and Timing Chain Guides for 540s, you can save yourself a ton of heartache and just deal with replacing BS plastic parts as they snap.
General Problem Areas
| Problem Area | Cause | Symptoms | DIY (Parts) | Indie Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window Regulators | Garbage BMW Design | Windows that do not roll up or down, or slip. Test all 4 windows, including both the localized controls for each door and the driver’s door controls | $100, 2 hours. Text DIY Youtube DIY | $500 |
| Vapor Barriers | Butyl tape that adheres the sound deadening/vapor barrier foam degrades over time, requiring at least the reapplication of the tape OR new adhesive OR a whole new door panel. | Soaked rear floorboards after rain. Softness in bottom of door panels. Test by pouring water on the roof of the car. After a moment, open the door. Ensure water drips from the bottom of the chassis, not from the door. | $0-$15-$115, 2 hours. | $500 |
| Rust | There's a couple very poor drainage points on the E39, including those connected to vapor barriers as above | Common spots include rear door, bumper seam, gas cap. Check out /u/richbltn 's buying guide Here for common rust spots (whole video is worth a watch) | Repairing rust is an odious task, especially externally visible spots. | reputable body shops generally cost $1500 + to fix a collection of rust spots |
| Front Control Arm Bushings | Rubber joints between suspension components degrade over time. These are the secret to a simultaneously pliable and firm chassis. Consider with Polyurethane for a stiffer ride but permanent fix, or a monoball setup. | Violent shuddering during braking (generally 70% braking force). Test with a variety of braking amounts and speeds. Check the bushings by jacking up the car and ensure they aren’t cracked | $25, 6 hours. May require special tools or replacement of control arms if damaged. | $600 |
| VANOS | Tiny seals in BMW’s variable valve timing system (probably too overengineered) are made of cheap rubber that plasticizes with exposure to oil and heat, something that happens every day. | Excessive oil consumption, laggy shifting in automatic models, whooshing sound from the engine, sudden drops in power delivery. | $25-$500, 12 hours Do NOT use OEM VANOS seals, as they will eventually have the same problem. Aftermarket seals are the same price and far superior. Besian Systems/DR VANOS. | $1200-$5500 (Depends on new vs rebuilt VANOS, and varies from model to model) |
| Valve Cover Gasket | The rubber between the top and bottom of the valve cover is a part that has to be replaced on every car. | An old VCG will start leaking oil slowly. You may smell it as it burns off inside the car. Eventually you’ll have a catastrophic failure and need to degrease the engine bay and have it towed somewhere. Test by checking for oil spots or moisture between the top and bottom of the valve cover (the main part of the engine). | $50, 5 hours. | $750-$1250 (DO THIS THE SAME TIME AS A VANOS REPLACEMENT) |
| Seat Twist | Garbage BMW design. The seats use 2 motors that don’t stay aligned, and cables that slowly slip out of the gears that drive them. | One side of a seat will adjust, the other will not, leading to the seat twisting. | $0, 3 hours | $300 |
| Headlight Adjusters | Bad design and extremely brittle plastic in a hot area that's been there for 20 years. | Frequently this manifests itself by your headlights pointing at the ground. | $20-60, 3 hours from this DIY. You can get aluminum or plastic adjuster replacements. | N/A - you'd buy new headlights for around $300+ |
| Dead Pixels | Contacts for the LCDs on the instrument cluster and the head unit eventually decay. You can take them apart and clean/rebuild them or buy new. For my money I'd just replace the head unit at least | Unreadable displays with clearly missing pixels - you can't miss this one and it's very common | $0, a huge PITA, DIY. | Specialty shops will do it for $150 or so. A remanufactured cluster is $450. |
| Secondary Air System | The secondary air recirculates exhaust gases back into the engine to “Save the planet” and also annoy the fuck out of BMW owners. Broken vacuum tubes, stuck check valve, or ruined solenoids can all cause these issues. | Check engine light with lean fuel mixture fault codes. Chugging during startup. | $25-125, god knows how long. BAVAuto has an EXCELLENT tutorial on diagnosing SAS problems. Another option that I'd probably only suggest to M5 owners is using a tune that deletes these codes. | $300+ |
| Cooling System | This covers a host of issues: Water Pump Failure, Cracked Radiator necks, Plasticized and worn coolant tubes | Inspect all cooling system parts. Check the radiator fan to ensure that it turns smoothly and isn’t too brittle. Lightly squeeze coolant tubes to ensure they’re still pliable. Check for evidence of coolant leaks at tube and component points, or from bleeder valves at the top of the radiator. Ensure that even under stress, engine sounds don’t change and temperature doesn’t rise (within reason) | $25-$750. 2-5 hours. | $1250+ |
| Fucking Horrible Audio | Everything about the E39 sound system is god awful | If it’s OEM it sucks | There are various aftermarket nav systems that still provide an OEM look and a ton of functionality for around $700. Or you can go your own way and buy a $100 head unit or something. Keep in mind that in general this will degrade the value of your car if it’s really clean. | $? |
| ABS System Malfunctions | The ABS system’s position in i6 models is extremely hot, leading to the soldering of certain electronic components degrading. | ABS, Traction control, and yellow brake light come on intermittently. ABS engine codes. Do not pay someone to replace this, it literally just takes a T20 screwdriver. | $100 reconditioned, $1000 new. | $1200 |
| Power Steering Leaks | The power steering system uses rubber hoses right next to a really hot engine | Power Steering hoses appear to “Glisten”. Wet spot in plastic pan at the bottom of the engine bay. Loose or unresponsive steering wheel response. | $200, 2 hours. | $500 |
V8 Only Problems (540i, M5)
| Problem Area | Cause | Symptoms | DIY (Parts) | Indie Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timing Chain Guides | Timing chain gets a little loose, Timing chain guides are plastic. This is much more common on the 540 for some weird reason (probably that it's a single-row chain). | Slapping sound, camshaft position codes, metal shavings in engine. | $1000, 20 hours | $4000 |
Buying Parts
When you're looking to buy new parts, it can get a bit confusing (to put it lightly). For an accurate, if slightly biased, interpretation, the best info is probably here at FCP Euro (a generally reputable parts seller). TL;DR:
OEM is very similar to OE in that it stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. While that sounds like a lesson in semantics, there are some distinct differences. Chiefly, OEM parts are made by a company that makes original parts for a vehicle maker but whose parts weren’t originally fitted. Confused? I don’t blame you, so here’s an example: Delphi makes ignition coils for BMW, and they’re installed on the vehicles at the factory. Bosch makes spark plugs for BMW and the licensing to produce the same ignition coils as Delphi. They’re the same part with the same specifications and made with the same materials, but the manufacturer is different. Delphi is the OE part because that’s what BMW used at the factory, and Bosch is OEM because they make other OE parts for BMW.
Modifications and Upgrades
For better or for worse, the BMW community has enjoyed a rich modification culture and ecosystem. This often clashes with the tastes and opinions of older enthusiasts who have or can buy cars new.
One key takeaway: Tuning an i6 from this era, especially anything under 3.0 liters, is always far more expensive than buying a new car or engine. This forum gets questions around these options regularly. To do this, you will have to be in a rare position of having a lot of money and time to work on the car, without wanting the straightforward power of the V8 engines in the 540 or M5.
Some general thoughts around available upgrade options to keep in mind:
r/e39 • u/analogouslyanomalous • 4h ago
One advantage to having owned too many different vehicles over the years is driving the same fun roads in many different cars...and this is by far my favorite for every single one of those roads thus far.
r/e39 • u/Adept_Refuse274 • 13h ago
2,777lbs curb weight. roughly 52%front/ 48% rear weight distribution. Built off i6 car with steering rack
Stock front and rear sway bars
Ls swap with rear mount radiator and remote electric water pump. Coolant capacity is just over 5 gallons.
r/e39 • u/Low-Shoe-8139 • 1d ago
Hey, Just wanted to share the current status of my car right now. I know 38's are not for everyone but this is my choice and man, it feels unreal to have the car looking the way I thought since I got it 🥰
r/e39 • u/kit-freeman • 7h ago
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It snapped while driving and I can’t find the part online could anyone help?
r/e39 • u/24hourkarateschool • 3h ago
Hi all -
I’m wanting to fit an amp and sub to my 530d sedan. I currently have a CD changer in my left trunk hatch which I think would be a great place for am Amplifer and then sub to sit in the trunk.
Has anyone don’t something like that before and can show examples of where the amp went for inspo?
& is it fairly easy to do the latter myself for someone with little experience…
r/e39 • u/ColdReception6745 • 7h ago
Need to find a fault in my DSC system. Has anyone got a full vehicle wiring diagram?
2003 530i touring
Replacing the clutch on my 540/6 while the engine is out, does this flywheel look like it needs to be replaced? The car was on its factory clutch at 214000 kilometres and the clutch was not slipping.
Also should I replace the rear main seal if it’s not leaking just in case or leave it alone if it’s dry?
r/e39 • u/wompdompers • 8h ago
Is there in E39 shops in the Hamilton or Toronto area that are recommended? Looking for a trusted place to service an M5.
Thanks
r/e39 • u/ColdReception6745 • 8h ago
2003 530i.
Have traction triangle light on, returns as soon as I clear. Is there much point trying to troubleshoot this, or shall I just send it off the be rebuilt?
I'm in UK and see ECU testing do this.
Has anyone got other suggestions of who to use?
r/e39 • u/STEK1337_ • 10h ago
Hello,
When I press the A/C button, cold air starts blowing from the vents but the auxiliary fan doesn't turn on. I tested the auxiliary fan with INPA and it turned on. I don't have any errors in INPA or PA Soft. Does the aux fan need to turn on instantly when I press the A/C button or it turns on after certain time. What could the problem be?
Thank you :)
r/e39 • u/lostnhighkid • 1d ago
Me and my wife always wanted to do more road trips around Europe. It’s right on or doorstep, it’s beautiful, and flying limits what you can see and do. So last year we started looking for an interesting wagon/van that we could sleep in. The criteria were simple: it had to have at least 2m of space behind the front seats, be gasoline-powered (since older diesels aren’t allowed in my city), and cost no more than €7k.
After months of searching—and even one unfortunate purchase—this beautiful, slightly older BMW caught my eye. The moment we saw it in person, my wife and I completely fell in love. The car just “spoke” to us.
It’s a 2002 BMW 520i Touring in great condition: 127k km, just 2 owners, and a full service history. It was one of those classic stories where an elderly gentleman loved the car, took great care of it, didn’t drive it much, and eventually had to give it up.
After some basic maintenance, we set off on our first journey: about 3k km through Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany’s northern coast. The car performed flawlessly, so we immediately started planning the next trip for the following year.
The plan was to see as many cities and regions as possible while driving no more than 4–5 hours a day, with just an overnight stop and a short lunch break along the way. We also wanted to spend a little longer in the places that interested us the most:
- Bolzano (1 night)
- Modena (lunch stop)
- Gargano (1 night)
- Puglia (many cities) (3 nights)
- Matera (1 night)
- Amalfi Coast / Sorrento / Pompeii / Naples (5 nights)
- Montepulciano (1 night)
- Cinque Terre (2 nights)
- Lake Garda (1 night)
Sometimes we slept in the car at campsites, and sometimes we stayed in hotels—for our sanity, a proper bed, and a hot shower.
A lot of people (including [r/ItalyTravel](r/ItalyTravel)) were skeptical. They said it would be stressful, that it didn’t make sense because we wouldn’t really “experience” each place, that driving in Italy was too dangerous or chaotic, or that the summer heat would kill us.
But, as life often proves, don’t let other people make your decisions. Try things for yourself and learn from your own experiences.
And wow… it was absolutely amazing!
Sure, the driving was challenging, to say the least. Some roads were in terrible condition, some places had incredibly aggressive drivers, and then there were roads like the Amalfi Coast or the villages around Cinque Terre, where two cars can barely squeeze past each other with a 100-meter drop into the sea right beside you.
But the scenery, the food, and all the people you meet along the way make every kilometer worth it.
All in all, if you’re still considering a trip like this: if you trust your car and your driving skills, just do it. I promise you won’t regret it.
P.S. I’m posting this mostly in car subreddits, so you’ll mainly see photos of my E39. If you want to see what these places really look like, Google them—or, even better, go there yourself.
r/e39 • u/doctorwanker • 1d ago
So happy to see so much love for the wagons, here is my beauty, bought my first barely running 530i but had every service done on time. But got it running after a lot of new parts, cooling system, csb, vanos, suspension, it had been sitting for more than a year, still more I want to do, the rear needs to be raised slightly waiting on K DCAN cable. A manual swap is my dream but in Sweden the government wont let you do shit, but I will try and find a way. please show me your wagons for insparation!
r/e39 • u/VariousPromotion5968 • 1d ago
Im new to welding, but thinking of doing it myself. I have multiple scrap cars to practice on.
r/e39 • u/Mental_Scientist_505 • 1d ago
Took her for a lovely scenic drive through the north Pennines and the Yorkshire dales. Twisty roads and amazing views. Maybe the most fun I’ve ever had driving a car.
Hello all! Recently came into a 2003 525i and was trying to do some poking around to figure out what my airbag light was on for.
I get no communication with any modules outside of DME and AGS, with the instrument cluster shooting me an IFH-0006 error in INPA.
I've tried 2 different dongles, one known working with my E46 when I was recoding the LCM, and another ordered brand new. Also tried multiple different INPA installs, one even inside of a Windows XP VM.
Anyone have any advice on next steps? I'm positively stumped and really thinking the instrument cluster itself is toasty.
r/e39 • u/No-Candidate-2380 • 22h ago
2000 540i 6 speed with DSC, need to replace the master cylinder. FCP has a TRW option for $110 (part no 34311165543, link) but it says "w/o Dynamic Stability Control (S210A)", will it still work?
the is an original cylinder for $550 (part no 34311165544, link) which does not have that DCS note, but i am hoping its not the only option i have. any help would be appreciated
r/e39 • u/analogouslyanomalous • 2d ago
200 mile roundtrip in an old wagon with a toddler to get some MCM nightstands to complete my wife's ideal bedroom set. V8 fun the whole way with ice cold AC and analog luxury. Man I love this car.
Alternator failure on the way home from a long trip in February started a cascade of problems that took a lot of parts and a lot of time, but I learned a lot about the M62TU and I feel a lot more confident. After over a month of wrenching when I had time, it's so nice to drive and have only minimal worry (let's be real, there's always a LITTLE worry about what's going to go wrong next).
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Car has been running great. Drove Friday no issues. This morning I go to turn on my car and the temp gauge starts cold for a second and immediately spikes to “HOT!”
I am thinking coolant temp sensor has gone bad… anyone experience something similar and can guide me in the right direction?
Tried unplugging the battery for about an hour based off some bimmerforums posts, tried unplugging the bottom coolant temp sensor (CST) that is near the intercooler engine exhaust manifold side which yielded no change. I read there is a second CTS underneath the intake manifold but I obviously can’t reach that right now today… I also confirmed the coolant levels are good, though when I opened the reservoir originally I was very low. AC still warms up a bit when put to hot and cools fine. Can’t see any wet spots under my car either, and after running for several iterations I don’t see smell or hear any fluid dripping anywhere…
so, again, anyone else experience something similar? Even though I can’t get an accurate temp reading on my coolant, is it safe to drive like this or would this potentially cause an issue with the car thinking its overheating? thanks for the help :)
r/e39 • u/postpakAU • 1d ago
Fully working USBC ports from G20 and some dodgy dremeling. I have USBC mounted in the E39 powered by the +- and illumination from the cigarette lighter.
Other than the rough-as-guts Dremel job, I’m happy with it as the cable is neatly tucked away.
Originally saw this on here but the post was removed.
r/e39 • u/iDontLikeTakenNames • 1d ago
I just bought this 2003 E39. The angel eye light on the passenger side doesn't work. Is it possible to replace just the bulb? There is some kind of sticker on the light assembly that says DEPO. Are the angel eye bulbs replaceable on these headlights? I watched one tutorial on youtube, but it was with different headlights, mine didn't have the twisting thing the bulb attaches to.
r/e39 • u/Cat_police- • 1d ago
Hi everyone,
Yesterday I was going to move my e39 when I found out the battery was depleted.
I remove the battery from the trunk and put it in the garage, while I was doing that the wind shut the trunk. The problem is, the only key I have is stuck inside, and all door is now shut and locked.
I have the driver window open and I can opened the engine bay, that's all.
Any idea how I can open the trunk ?
Thanks !
