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Yeah, I expected the track day question would come up so I figured I'd just make it clear from the start with the photos so anyone who has issues with track use can steer clear! Besides, it still has a BMW warranty and they're fine with track use with the M cars. The dealer made it clear to me that track use is fine, but be careful with mods as any kind of tune is a big nono 😁 I don't hide anything. I've got plenty of footage too that I've been meaning to edit and put on Youtube. I timed my last 2 sessions on Sat, best lap time was 1:41.45 in cold slightly damp weather and GPS speed topped out at 215KPH. Although I'm pretty sure I've gotten close to 230kph on another day, and I probably have better laptimes in previous sessions with better weather 😁

If we might talk in generalisations for a moment... it would appear that not everyone who buys an expensive high performance car intends (or is capable of) exploiting its performance on a race track. Some people like to know that they have performance in reserve, some like the colour or styling, and some just like the prestige of owning a car that others can only dream of owning And not every person who aspires to own a performance car is born into money. Some have worked long and hard to get into that position, and to them bargaining over a purchase is a way of life. It has to be faced that basically no-one pays the sticker price for anything these days without asking for a discount or some kind of freeby. So disregarding a lowball offer may in fact mean that a seller has missed the opportunity to negotiate a sale. Of course, some lowballers are simply dreamers and time wasters.... but you never know Cheers... PS: And let's have a little respect for the Vitz GR please !!!!!

Hi New member here. I have finally got a BMW, moved on from Audi. BMW f10 523i M sport 2012. An amazing car, it uses so little fuel that I'm almost embarrassed.

https://bmworkshop.co.nz/parts-department/ I got ATE rotors from these guys for my 540. Reasonably priced and overnight shipping that actually arrived overnight.

Not bad for 1600cc and 3 cylinders !!! WRC cars keep getting smaller and more agile. I think that is one place where race technology does indeed filter down (eventually) to the road cars sold to the general public. High performance will always command a price premium, but mass production keeps the premium down to a level where Joe Average can aspire to own a GR once used examples start hitting the market. The BMW market seems to be much the same. Except that the starting point is higher and the smaller number of new BM's sold in NZ (compared to Germany or the USA for example) keeps the price of used examples higher. Here it is not unusual to see a car with 90,000km on the clock advertised as "low mileage" as if that was a good thing. When in reality it means that it is approaching the point where maintenance costs are likely to rise steeply. That is often the point at which fleet cars are replaced and private owners trade up, so the less affluent buyer gets a chance to try his/her hand at used car roulette in the hope of getting a good one. That's my buy in point by the way The orange car is not in this category as it genuinely does not have a lot of kilometres on the clock and is still under factory warranty. The number of potential buyers for that car is limited, and there are a lot of other nice cars on offer in the asking price range. But you only need one BMW fanatic to be looking to trade up (from an M3 for example) to a later model, and WANT your car. Then it is just down to negotiating a deal that is acceptable to both parties. All you have to do is wait for that one buyer Cheers...

Really depends where they are getting the rotors from. If they are not a recognizable brand then it could be a terrible deal. The "White Box" rotors ADL once supplied cost less than $10 to bring into the country. I was swapping them out after every race weekend on my E30. Absolute junk. But I would rather chew through crap rotors than the expensive project mu and padgid brake pads I had.

^^ this is the correct answer. The only reason these cars are "known for it" is that people don't follow the recommended maintenance schedule, flush and replace with Genuine BMW Coolant every two years. I do mine annually as a precaution. As you can see in Promo's picture, someone's been running green coolant. Probably replaced it too late. If it is the valley pipe, there's an expanding replacement tube available in the aftermarket. @NZPanda the way your MBI works is you put it into the workshop, they do diagnosis and liaise with your MBI provider on your behalf. If the claim is approved, you pay your excess. Oh - and Jom's suggestion of suspecting the sensor is also a very good one. They're cheap and they do fail, incl the seal.

This is quite a nice example. Would also take one of these over an E30 any day of the week. https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/cars/bmw/listing/3147659244?tm=email&et=45&mt=79F4475F-6C8D-4859-8EC2-79132A4FA124&bof=YSbSTjo4

A very cool car. My dad had a 535i back in the late 90s, it was good times. I'd be tempted if I could sell my Maserati, but I suspect people with car money have already spent it post COVID so it may be a buyers market. I also suspect that 535i is wanting more than I am willing to pay for it. I'd have to buy the B5 RS4 which is only a little more money and a lot more fasts. Edit: I f**king hate how people think trademe is a forum now. The internet is such a cesspit.

Depends on the dealer, some are ok others may not

Don't screw around with cheap rotors and pads, trust me, its not worth it. Biggest ball ache Ive ever had was constantly warped "brembo" rotors. Its worth paying for decent stuff. If its a stock car getting driven as per stock - ATE rotors and pads.

Im running 75W140 (Royal Purple) as per KB recommendations, all works well and purple. Had run 75w90 for 250,000km previously before bearing damage.

I need to do this soon too. I'm guessing it will be the standard 75w90 Castrol?

Oh and since you mentioned a GR... there was a Yaris GR on Sat lapping within one second of me. Those things are so much faster than you'd expect 😮 On a previous trackday I had one managing to stay right on my tail for an entire session.

saw ya driving thru the mt vic tunnel the other day. looked great!

Bump. Anyone got any 540i wagons around? cbk to swap my e34 535is manual.

dramatic morning light

What are the odds - I just messaged you RE them. Talk about timing!

I've still got my used ones put aside for you (no obligation) if you want them.

For the stock diff synthetic 75w90 GL-5.

x

^ depends on the brand of the disk and pads. I just priced up 4 Brembo ceramic pads and 4 Brembo UV coated rotors and it comes to about $500 landed in NZ

How does everyone go about changing their diff oil ? What oil should be used ?

Which I now own!!

PS:

These engines are known for a lot of different coolant loss situations, none of them is generally a headgasket or "crack between a valve". Stop trying to over complicate things. As @promo said (and he knows his stuff) a coolant pressure test can show where the coolant is going, but the N62 is very well known for its valley pipe leaks (and its hard to see until its at a point of literally pouring down the front). Just like the inevitable valve stem seal failure, almost all N62s will eventually suffer the coolant pipe failure too. Expansion tanks are known to split and leak under heat/pressure too. Great engines, but built to a price point, making them a POS time bomb.

Don't know about 550s but if it was a 2.8 I'd be looking at the low coolant sensor. life is about 3 years max.

Ended up picking up the dark blue 2005 530i msport wagon I linked. Drove a 325i as well which was a bit sportier but felt a tad small for me. Not many low km diesels around at the moment in my budget, excluding gray/silver/white (fussy I know). It seems in great nick and drives well, it’s back at the dealer today sorting a spare key and checking out a couple of codes (purge control valve or maybe petrol cap by the look of it). Looking for a spare wheel kit now and investigating options for Bluetooth integration, might put one of the replacement screens in that retains idrive. Will no doubt have a few threads in other areas of the forum in due course. Thanks for the assistance.

Please stop talking to my new girlfriend cheers.

if there's no obvious signs of coolant, it maybe the valley pipe (there shouldn't be any water in there. I've done a few of these with the same issue. also get the workshop to do a pressure test.

Clocked up a few km’s this week working in Upper Hutt and the Wairarapa. Gave me a chance to stretch its legs and put it through its paces on some twisty backroads. Compliant and comfortable...these sport seats are a treat.