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treone

E60 M5 2005 - buying advice

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Seriously considering an e60 M5. Have done the 'aunty google thing' and the most common result is clutch/flywheel etc.

What are some of the issues that others have experienced and what type of maintenance maybe required for say a 10 year old, 100+ km example? for example EDC, Brakes, suspension, electrical gremlins etc. Is a mechanical warranty available for these and if so does the cost of purchasing one be worthwhile as some form of insurance for 'peace of mind' motoring?

I am aware these were/are $200k plus hyper cars which are available for $30k-$40k but may/do still require $200k level of servicing :-).

Really keen to hear from owners and servicing agents of their experiences.

Cheers!

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Do it. I cant in all honesty recommend it as a daily driver, only car sort of deal, they're not practical for everyday commuting, but they make up for it on the weekend!

Mine has 130k and i didnt bother with the 3k mechanical warranty, i have done a throttle body actuator and im still $1500 better off!

Worth getting someone who knows a thing or two to check it out first, especially uk imports.

Have fun! :)

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Appreciate the encouragement :D. One half says just do it while the other half says be practical and think this through :).

I have an HSV Avalanche at the moment and looking at moving on from a X3 into something like this. But 18 cylinders maybe a bit overkill!

As the 'boss' requires something more less thirsty so daily-ing an M5 or an HSV isn't really that practical. Maybe get a cheap jappy as well and everyone will be happy!

Go on do it! No, hang on, think about it! Go on do it! No, hang on, think about it!

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I bought mine in August, Had to replace the fuel level sensor which I diagnosed and purchased from the US. That was an easy fix. I also lost the car for 6 weeks while the vanos oil pump and high pressure line were replaced. This was covered under warranty, (total cost approx $8000) it only cost me $600.

The SMG is also quite problematic on the early builds, some get lucky. If it has had the software updates you can be a lot more confident though.

They also have issues with the rod bearing being pretty stuffed in some cases after 150-200k km's, this appears to be more common overseas.

Overall I'm happy with my purchase, you have to go into it prepared for the fact one day it could cost you thousands. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

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You'd be brave to buy one without a warranty. If I was buying it would have to be NZ New, FSH, sub 40k km

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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vanos pump , vanos oil lines , big end bearing shells , smg issues , clutch flywheel and plenty more

just make sure you have plenty of spare $$$ for when stuff does need doing.

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That describes just about every BMW Brent.

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Thanks guys. This is where it pays to make a considered decision.

The example I'm looking at is this one http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-992614746.htm. Does anyone know this car?

I've bought of this dealer before but it's best to be cautious being a jap import with 123km. I see a BM Worshop sticker in a picture - maybe thats a good thing.

I'm testing driving it tomorrow and will be asking about previous history, servicing and if any of the big ticket things have been done...

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Let us know how you get on. I'm considering an M6, same engine, same problems!

Ive never used 3rd party warranties but hear lots of horror stories.. any recommendations?

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Any bmw dealer should be able to get the service history off the key, including any recall work, not sure if they will charge you for that though.

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Thanks guys. This is where it pays to make a considered decision.

The example I'm looking at is this one http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/auction-992614746.htm. Does anyone know this car?

I've bought of this dealer before but it's best to be cautious being a jap import with 123km. I see a BM Worshop sticker in a picture - maybe thats a good thing.

I'm testing driving it tomorrow and will be asking about previous history, servicing and if any of the big ticket things have been done...

The sub title says it all "race car performane for much $$$$" :)

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The sub title says it all "race car performane for much $$$$" :)

They left out a word.... "needed"

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Seriously considering an e60 M5. Have done the 'aunty google thing' and the most common result is clutch/flywheel etc.

I am aware these were/are $200k plus hyper cars which are available for $30k-$40k but may/do still require $200k level of servicing :-).

the car gets older and needs *at least* as much maintenance/servicing as it did when new. so to answer your question - yes, it will still need the $200k car level of servicing.

but then, you knew that as it aged, it'd need *more* - not less - quality servicing.

Toyotas are prolly the only vehicle that can make do with less and continue to function. IMHO.

It's a whole shitload of car for thirty k. It's not like buying a two year old Toyota for $30k; it's your new girlfriend who has a champagne and coke habit. she's yours for the price of the quickie vegas wedding, but needs the champagne, coke and leather constantly.

Edited by Olaf
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It's a whole shitload of car for thirty k. It's not like buying a two year old Toyota for $30k; it's your new girlfriend who has a champagne and coke habit. she's yours for the price of the quickie vegas wedding, but needs the champagne, coke and leather constantly.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

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^Agree! This was my experience (and others I suspect) when I had my 840. And with it being a more modern M car it is more technologically advanced and complicated than an 8 series with serious consequencies if (or when) things go bang (as pointed out by previous posts). And thats why I'm leaning towards taking the cautious approach.

Hopefully test driving today so will provide an update.

Edited by treone

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So I took it for a test drive this evening. It wasn't a long one but.... man what a machine the M5 is! Mainly drove in auto mode - yeah I know the purest are saying what the.. - on the motorway then hit the power button and the M5 turns into a absolute beast!!! My one and only experience in an M5 and I think I get it.

Really waned to test it in the real world (realistically I would not be 'tracking' any of my cars) so went on the motorway and urban streets and I have to say that this thing is a wolf in sheep's clothing. It cruises no problem, is sedate around town - not a harsh ride at all and then when you need the torque its there on tap.

Overall the condition is in good condition keeping in line with it being 10 years old. It seems to be 'poverty' specced - but hey its an M5!

Dealer say they have replaced the fuel umps and regulator and has 'assurance' that the clutch has been replaced.

However, I noticed in auto mode while driving urban the shifts seemed harsh mainly when down shifting - is this common?

Man that didn't make it any easier!!

Edited by treone

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