str8_6

It wasn't until after I bought my e39 M5 that I found out about their potential oil use. I originally got the "check engine oil level" warning plus the warning chime (heart skipped a beat) after switching it off one day. Initially I thought it was odd as all my previous BMW's had never used a drop of oil between changes. After a lot of searching I found many varied stories which put me at ease and generally up to 1 litre per 1000km can be considered normal especially on the earlier models. Mine generally uses approx. 500ml per 1000km mixed driving, and less on a long trip. I check the oil every 1000km's and it's been consistent since I purchased it almost 40,000km's ago. Haven't had the warning chime since. I keep a 1 litre bottle of Castrol TWS in the boot in case it drops... Jeff Gray BMW love me, and some S62's love oil. It's just part of their character.

Agreed, tons of information on oil usage online. Within spec. Post 2000 cars can be impacted too.

Hope he didn't put his wheel alignment out

The e39 M5 came standard with factory LSD.

Every now and then, mine has under 100k's on the clock. Damn pixels

Pictures?

I'm getting the same consumption out of my M5. One of the things that pleasantly surprised me was it's economy on a long cruise. Generally around town it sits at 13 to 14 litres per 100km. Not bad really. Little bit surprised by the 530i's consumption though.

Would be interested to know more. What differences do they make?

I didn't think the M cars had run flat tyres. My e39 M5 has an "M Mobility Kit" in the boot. Not sure about the newer models however.

My one is mint with higher km's... but I think i'm more in the holding onto it club, because I love it and I'm finding it too hard to part with.

I thought taking it to be repaired would be better too. Unfortunately the reputable place I chose did an average job and I would say that looking at it now it's beyond repair.

Hi All, Looking for the drivers side door card in my E36 coupe. Glue has begun to fail and is looking a pretty awful. Vehicle has black leather interior with matching doors. Door cards look to be black vinyl.

Pretty stunning result!

I didn't remove the entire vapor barrier. I simply pulled back the lower half and re-sealed it. Mine wasn't in bad condition. Car is NZ new and has been garaged for the majority of it's life. Another common cause for them failing is due to a previous repair of something in the actual door. Say a window regulator or airbag fault. If the barrier is not resealed correctly after mechanical work, it will come unstuck and leak.

When I first bought my M5, the right rear passenger door dropped a large puddle of water when I opened it say after I washed the car. I found this DIY pretty useful: LINK. I can't remember exactly what I used as the glue/sealant, but picked it up from Mitre 10 from memory. Been fine for the last two years now.

Agreed Paul, I normally see 14.5 l/100km consumption, so I wouldn't call it cheap, but for the performance and the age of the technology, it isn't that bad. It is a lot of car for the money. But if you worry about fuel, you have missed the point of this car. Agree with Darren on clutches. Factory clutch is a weak point (see M5Board.com for countless tales). But aside from that, it should really only have normal e39 issues along with with occasional M5 price tag repairs - potential vanos repairs etc. Another thing to note - some love to drink oil, others don't. Another common discussion on M5Board.com. Castrol TWS is their preferred choice, normally only found at the local BMW dealer.

Great colour - looks like LeMans Blue. Mine is Avus Blue. Look forward to driving it every time!

My NZ New E36 has rear fogs on both sides... they are quite handy if someone is tailgating

My Hellrot e36 coupe looks awful when it's dirty - as though the paint is dull and faded pink however after a wash it comes up looking showroom new.

Hey, try this link http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e39-m5-e5...ing-no-air.html

Avus Blue M5

Tried the above technique on my e30 and it worked a treat. It was very clogged up - no more wet carpet.

Can i ask what is wrong with the after market set up?

They are a beautiful car, especially the V6! Not sure of their reliability but have been told better than 156. Had the previous shape 164 in the family some time ago now. The 3.0 V6 sounds amazing, but was massively unreliable - import though, so NZ New with history would be your safer option.

Probably the best thing to do would be to go and test out a 328/330 and see if you find them worth the difference. Personally, I like all the three series with the M5x motors. What sort of mileage is on the car? Could potentially be something wrong.