Looking around for a E39

[patrickStarr* 0]

Hi i'm Patrick & am new to this site. Just wondering what your guys thoughts are on a 1996 523i ASE model Bimmer as am looking around for something like this. Am wanting feedback regarding pros/cons or basically 'what to watch out for' on this particular model & what makes an ASE model different from other ones. Any info would really be appreciated. Cheers

Edited November 9, 2009 by patrickStarr*

[patrickStarr* 0]

C'mon fellas sumbody out there must have or currently own one of these & have some wisdom to share, good or bad about this fine looking automobil.. This is Bimmersport 'Nz's online BMW community' right? i just don't wanna endup buying a lemon that's all. Cheers

[Forrest 35]

It has only been 9 hours mate, there isn't that many regular members on here and the majority are on during the day. Search for the members car list in off topic/general you will see there are only very small % of e39 owners on here.

I am sure someone with more knowledge than me can add some pros and cons etc of the aforementioned car shortly.

[Guest Simon*]

There is an E39 buyer's guide somewhere here on the forum if you search for it.

It is a low mileage NZ New car so that's not a bad start. The "ASE" stands for Automatic Special Edition. The SE part is your full leather and electric goodies basically.

1996 was basically the first year of manufacture of this model so there may remain a few gremlins that were subsequently sorted out over following years and the facelift upgrade of about 2000(?)

The 2.5l motor is sound, but she's a reasonably heavy car so don't expect lightning performance. The E39 was prone to cooling system issues with a lot of plastic components becoming brittle and perishing over time (like many BMW's)

Your best bet, if you are keen on the car, is to pay to get it checked by an independent or European specialist. We don't know where you are in NZ, but as the car is in Paihia I would try the nearest BMW dealership perhaps. Don't bother with an AA report, it won't help you.

[martyyn 2]

And nine hours over night too !

Have a search through the forums, you'll find the e39 buyers guide scanned in from ages ago and discussion on which e39 to buy is one of the most common threads on here. It wont take you long at all to find all the answers your looking for.

Ultimately you will have to get it looked at by a professional.

First impression is its a reasonable price, the interior is not the best colour and I would think for maybe a grand or two more you could get a much better deal in terms of a younger car, with a bigger engine (528) and more toys.

[oscar90 0]

Get a 528i...like mine shameless plug: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=243774089 (have better photos just need to upload them) lol

Anyway it costs me 15buks a week more to run than my old E36 320i and I used to do 400-500km a week of open road and town driving so for a bigger car and a bigger motor its pretty darn good in my eyes, they ride amazingly, took mine from CHCH to Queenstown afew months ago and it was amazing, don't think i'd want to do the trip in a jappa again, it just handled amazingly on the open road. People that have owned a E39 longer than me will be more use to you than I am, but none the less its an opinion,

Don't think i'd wanna go much smaller than the 2.8 power wise to be honest... though it doesnt seem to bother some people, A 540i has to be where its at...

Best bet is to test drive afew to get an idea of how they go and feel, and how the different engines respond

OT but would love Ray/HELLBM's 540ise for sale at the moment E34 FTW

[BM WORLD 1258]

go for the 528i , same sort of money , but a lot more get up and go

[39KiwiTouring 2]

I would reccomend one preferably 2.8 litre and kiwi new, but that might not be so easy to find, I will run mine for a few more years and upgrade to a 530i touring 2003 model then, love the e39 get it checked out though as mentioned, test drive a few of them first to have the comparison idea in your mind.

[khairul23 0]

Hi

Problems I have with my E39 that are common among E39s (not sure if only on the earlier ones):

1. Passenger airbag sensor

2. Rear window regulators

3. Crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve

My mechanic replaced the PCV valve. Now it's running smooth as. Now I'm working on the airbag sensor and window regulator. There are cheap replacement regulator components in Ebay. I'm waiting for one to arrive and repair it myself. I'll update once I've done that.

Other than those, the E39 is fantastic. Although mine is a 1991cc engine, it's power is still adequate for me. I have my one personal reasons for getting the smallest engine. I would guess the 2500cc would be great for you. But other opinions that you should get 528i might be worth considering. In terms of looks, I prefer tan interior, it feels more luxurious.

[patrickStarr* 0]

oh cool thanks much for the advise shared, Lol am sorry i didn't mean to sound so pushy but just don't want to miss out on it if it was/is a good deal. Yes i have already taken this particular one for a test drive over the weekend & thought it was awesome (well compared to my daily japcar at the moment anyway), smooth, luxurious, the exterior was generally mint allround & seems to have been well looked after though i havent really tried many other (E39s) yet. But 'm sure you kinda know 'That' feeling when you 'think' you've found 'The One' aye haha, could always have a fairytale ending or heartbreak down the track. Any more inputs will be most appreciated, keep em coming so hopefully any day now i can also be a proud BMW owner too ! Thanx

Edited November 9, 2009 by patrickStarr*

[Braeden320 0]

Spotted this whilst trawling, Looks to be a good tidy car, Nz New etc.

Would no doubt be able to get it for less than the 8k buy now

1996 535i

[khairul23 0]

Hi Patrick, found the right car yet?

Just finished repairing both my rear window regulators. About $60 of parts from Ebay, a couple of youtube videos, and several hours of work including installation and modification, they're done now.

[camera doctor 25]

Hi

Problems I have with my E39 that are common among E39s (not sure if only on the earlier ones):

1. Passenger airbag sensor

Have you seen this -

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-E34-E36-E46-E39-...1014154001r6376

You would need to inform any subsequent purchasers of your car, or remove it when you sell the car, as is a safety issue for kiddie seats.

[antil33t 90]

most kiddie seats aren't ment to be put in the front anyway. (says in instructions)

[khairul23 0]

Have you seen this -

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-E34-E36-E46-E39-...1014154001r6376

You would need to inform any subsequent purchasers of your car, or remove it when you sell the car, as is a safety issue for kiddie seats.

Thanks for the reminder.

[martyyn 2]

You would also need to notify your insurance company if you were removing airbag functionality. I havent read the thread fully but why would you want to do that anyway ?

[khairul23 0]

You would also need to notify your insurance company if you were removing airbag functionality. I havent read the thread fully but why would you want to do that anyway ?

I'm not removing the airbag functionality, instead I'm looking at bypassing the faulty sensor so that the system always thinks there is a passenger and the airbag will deploy during accident. Currently the system won't deploy any airbags due to the faulty sensor. The cost of replacing the sensor could be at least $400, and the sensor might become faulty again in the future.

[mtk540 3]

Hi, check out Adrian's E39 540, he's just listed it for sale

http://www.bimmersport.co.nz/forums/index....c=26627&hl=