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Its been a while, I sold my E39 BMW 530i Motorsport around a year ago, bought a Nissan Skyline 370GT, which I have now traded on a 2007 E60 530i Motorsport (LCI Model)

@Gabe79Here's my experience.... In May/June last year I was on the look out for an E39 Motorsport. After driving a 1998 528i that I had purchased from my father after he purchased a 2000 540i Motorsport for himself... I wanted more! I was struggling to decide between the 530i and 540i. 540i Pros: More power/torque, V8 wank factor/fanboy Cons: Costly timing guide issues, uses more fuel, higher maintenance costs in general 530i Pros: Smaller engine/alloy sub frame = less weight over the front end for better handling, nicer steering, better fuel mileage, cheaper to maintain. Cons: Less power, a bit sluggish off the mark. I decided to go for a 530i I kept a close eye waiting for the right car to come up. Suddenly a 2002 540i in Silver popped up with 199kms (don't expect to find these in low kms unless you want to pay a lot) After looking at it, driving it and finding a few unmentioned issues... i thought f**k it, i'll just buy a 540i. Got it home and spent a whole day cleaning it and made a list of things that required attention. Issues: -Both front seats had the issue of twisting when adjusting certain ways - i fixed this myself at no cost, google/youtube is your friend. This was an issue for 2001- 2003 E39s -Spare key had a flat battery - replaced battery and reset both keys following a sequence - google/youtube -Minor interior issues - all fixed using new parts or parts from wrecking yards -My 540i had the auto dimming wing mirror lenses, they fail and bleed liquid, very expensive to replace - ended up fitting the normal blue lenses. -Kidney grilles are loose and don't sit flush to the bonnet - yet to replace. I have kept a document of service history.. July 30th 2016 – 205,654kms -Valve covers pulled, stripped, painted, new gaskets/bolt grommets fitted. -Replaced positive jumper terminal casing on valve cover -Fuel filter replaced -Air filter replaced -Oil filter replaced -Timing chain tensioner replaced -Spark plugs replaced -Engine oil/filter changed – Total 9000 10w-40 -Differential fluid changed, new crush washers used. -New front rotors, front pads and rear pads. Bled system with new fluid. Labour performed by myself. August 23rd 2016 – 207,342kms -Windshield replaced by NOVUS under insurance. August 26th 2016 - 207,521kms -4 New Tyres 2x 235/45/17 2x 255/45/17 -Wheel alignment. Labour performed by The Bling Company, Te Rapa, Hamilton. September 15th 2016 – 210,744kms -CEL – Misfire on cylinder 5, Coil pack on Cylinder 5 failed. -Replaced with new unit, cleared error code. Item purchased from Repco. Labour performed by myself. November 27th 2016 – 215,126kms -CEL and a small ticking noise, I killed the engine straight away. CEL = Intake cam over advance. Removing lower oil pan revealed small pieces of timing chain guide had started to break away. – Common issue with M62TUB44 engine. Researched repair procedures, decided to replace other items, gaskets, seals, water pump, thermostat, coolant hoses/pipes, oil separators, all intake seals, tensioners, pulleys, belts, vacuum hose etc whilst everything was apart as well as rebuilt both VANOS units using the Besian procedure. Labour performed by myself January 16th 2017 - 218,XXXkms CEL- Oxygen sensor bank 2 - cleared the code - hasn't come back. So... A few tips for the timing guide procedure if you were to ever head down that road.... -Research, I spent about two weeks doing researching everything single little thing - I was lucky to have another car to drive. -Spend time confirming part numbers and making lists of the parts you need and tipple checking. www.realoem.com is good for this -I highly recommend replacing other items whilst you're in that deep. -You definitely require the special timing tool kit for the M62. I managed to rent a kit. -I bought the crankshaft holder tool and the Vanos press tool. Other tools, torx and e-torx sockets, seal picks and a left hand torque wrench -Take your time and label/bag up all items. Have a clean working surface when doing the Vanos rebuild. -Thourolghy inspect and clean oil pick up as you will find tiny bits of chain guid -Have a laptop out in the shed for easy access to forums/help -Be very careful removing plastic parts as they can be brittle - replace if you think it needs replacing -Take special care installing alternator with new seal as I pinched mine which caused a small coolant leak. $65 from the dealer instead of $14 from Pelican for the same part.... -Buy a cheap scan tool cable that plugs into a laptop - they work well just for pulling codes and clearing them. -Once you have completed the job successfully. I recommend changing the oil and filter within a few hundred kms just in case any debris/tiny bits of chain guide were still in the engine. In conclusion: It's a massive job, I reckon I spent about 50 hours doing this - a lot of pissing around triple checking, cleaning, torquing etc. There's a lot of info on the internet about all this, as well as some good youtube videos. You can do this job quite a bit cheaper if you only want to replace the timing chain associated items. I'm a fussy prick though and will be keeping my 540i for as long as I can. I f**king love it. She's done 221kms now and still running perfectly. Doing the Vanos rebuild was well worth the time, no more vanos rattle and a noticeable increase in torque down low. Wreckers/Pick a part can be great for replacing those pesky interior items. I have learn't a a lot, spent a lot of money but had some good fun. I am about to do the exact same procedure on my fathers 540i just for peace of mind. Happy to rent out my vanos press tool and crankshaft holding tool for a small amount. Fee free to PM me if you have any questions. Could also scan and send my invoices of parts/cost if you really wanted.

8-10k, 10-15mins, clear across town. Life's too short for a long commute.

Yea, the Barra I6 is bullet proof, just a shame the rest of the car isn't lol. Have trawled quite a few pages but information is a little limited as the they're US based and they don't reall dabble in the 4cyl realm. Cheers, I'm gonna need all the luck I can get. Haha this is definitely on my to do list, I had a couple on my Manheim watch list that were close (close, as in within 4hrs drive) but don't have the spare funds or spare room at the moment. I tried to get into a 325 but the mrs wanted a "fuel saver" When I win a little lotto money this week I'll grab your 540 touring and also that S54 motor you have while I'm at it

Took a picture opportunity with this gem

I walk or ride 1.4 miles. Work has a bar that stocks NZ wine and beer which makes it a relaxed trip home. I just have to watch out for Deer and Squirrels running in front of me and Marine 1 landing.

like you say, "throwing money at the usual N46 bits". It'll be character building. Good luck with your journey, keep us updated!

Thank you for posting this. I still wonder what it'd cost in Auckland, but seems a safe bet to set aside $5k for a rainy day when owning a m6x engine. * Is there sense in doing this before it breaks? Or can one just drive till it drops and do it then? Edit: I mean beyond the basics and getting the car in good running condition up front.

ok so if its a 4cyl kit going into a 6cyl e36 the 2 horizontal rods will need to be cut and re welded 25mm shorter . or go and buy to new rods from bmw from 320i 325i 323i etc there are also a few different gear levers with sleightly different angles /lengths etc too . the round plastic bush should sit dead centre of the hole in the tunnel

Admire your great attention to detail. If you need advice or a repair kit for the subframe cracks give us a call.We had 40 kits of our own design made about 2 1/2 years ago and have 5 left. That means there are 35 E46`s out there with or reinforcement without any problems.

maybe 021651591