FS: MANUAL E39 525i M54

[Allanw 1071]

Time has come to sell our trusty steed.

We've had it since 2011, at about 115kms. It's been my wifes family-mobile. It's now done nearly 178,000.

We are located in WHANGAREI.

It's a factory manual, so no dodgy wiring or clutch setups. It does currently require a clutch replacement though, but it comes with a LUK DMF Repset; DMF flywheel, clutch plate, pressure plate, release bearing, flywheel bolts, alignment tool and I also sourced other required parts, like the trans input seal, engine rear main seal and carrier gasket, trans mounts, spigot bearing, release bearing guide tube, release lever pivot etc. All included - nearly $2K to buy here now.

It's drivable, and has had no slippage issues, but the bite point is very high - I'd recommend replacement soon, and no drag racing on the way home! ? We've been driving it until last week with no problems. New car is being used now.

It also requires a rocker cover, as it leaks onto the AC compressor and the exhaust. The headliner is sagging, and there is damage on both front corners, as shown in the photos One was turning and scraping a rock, the bad side, the bumper was caught on a parking stop and bent out, breaking the corner - It's not from an impact. I have a brand new aftermarket bumper (included, if you can fit it inside), though finding a matching colour used one would be easier. There are a number of shopping trolley and parking dings - the worst on the rear right door - visible in the photos. There is a patch peeling on the passenger front door, about the size of an old 50c piece. There are a few areas that have been touched up with touchup paint etc, like scrapes on the sill and some marks on the wheel arches. The interior is tidy enough, with a few typical E39 failures, like broken rear coin tray, sagging fabrics etc.

The car has been our family car, and has a number of battle scars. It's rough around the edges, but has been well maintained on Castrol Edge 0W-40 A3/B4 every 12-15K (I reduced the interval in the dash software). It's a MUCH better carmechanically than it looks cosmetically!

Last year, it had 4x new Mintex rotors, and "Posi-Quiet" reduced dust ceramic pads. New water pump earlier last year, and an expansion tank. It's NEVER been overheated (High OBC has a coolant level warning) and I changed to a mechanical thermostat years ago, and recalibrated the temp gauge to show useful information (the stock gauge is a waste of time!).

Earlier in our ownwership, it had a suspension rebuild using the correct aluminium parts, and a number of powerflex bushes. The rear shocks are original, but the front were new Sachs.

When we got it, the headlights were poor, and the originals halogens are terrible lights anyway, so I fitted a brand new BMW Xenon retrofit kit - 2 brand new headlights. There is a self levelling retrofit kit too, but I never fitted it, and never have people flash at me (it's manually adjustable on the dash anwyay). It already had the factory fitted Celis tail lights.

The LCM is upgraded to an LCM4, so you can code it to run LED angle eyes without the strobing of the cold checks, though it doesn't have LEDS currently.

The Vanos seals were done early on, and still appear fine - I used the Beisan kit and it really made a difference to the cold starts, smoothed out the power delivery and stopped the car being easy to stall.

The Disa Valve was replaced with a brand new one also - it had a faulty one from new! So it works now, and isn't threatening to lunch the engine.

OIl filter housing gasket has been replaced.

Front and rear screen surrounds were replaced with new.

Another common E39 issue; the ABS module was replaced with a BRAND NEW item a few years back, so will be good for a long time. I didn't see the point in repairing, when the warranty was so limited. I repalced the ignition swithch just prior to this too - another common fault.

There are probably other things I have missed. Other than the rocker cover leaking, everything has been replaced and repaired as required with quality brand new parts.

It's had a set of Bridgestone MY-02's fitted early this year (always ran Potenzas prior to that), so tyres are pretty much new 235/45R17's on 2 piece style 42's.

There are a few random little spares I have too, that I'll include.

Also have BMW Scanner 1.4 and a set of INPA CD's and a cable.

The AC works very well.

Has 3 tether clips on the parcel shelf.

Windows are tinted (legally) with 3m carbon somthing??? Car Folie did them - it REALLY cuts out the heat and is really black coloured - not that cheap looking crap.

The car has been my wifes, so I've had to make sure it was reliable to stay in her good books! She is also amazing at stopping and calling me if ANY warning lights pop up, so it's never been driven with any problems, like so may people do, and wonder why they kill things!

If I had somewhere safe to keep it, I'd probably keep it for my boys to learn to drive in, but it's not practical for me.

The car is well specced for a 525i. It's a proper M54 525i (not the earlier jap spec 523i) and goes well with the manual trans - they are much more lively than the autos.

 

VIN WBADT32030BF59439 525I (EUR) M54B25 Engine, 141Kw Manual 5 speed

Steel Blue Metallic, Grey Leather Interior

Prod. Date 2000-11-23, making it a 2001 model, but it's registered as a 2000.

EU2 emissions standard (no SAI)

Dynamic stability control DSC

Multifunction steering wheel

Electric Rear sunblind

Comfort seats, electric, with memory

Front adjustable Armrest

Lumbar support, driver and passenger

Park Distance Control (PDC) (was front and rear, but is coded to rear only now and the front sensors are gone)

Fog lights

Dual Zone Climate air conditioning

On-board computer OBC, with High Cluster

Aluminium interior Trim

HiFi speaker system with BMW 6 CD changer

S704A M Sports suspension (Which I have actually added 10mm spacers to RAISE the car! These ca be moved if desired which will drop it around 15 to 20mm?)

I'd prefer it went to someone who will do the things it needs, and look after it - It's a great car, but we've used it well!

The tyres ($800) and the DMF/clutch ($1600) and parts ($350) make up most of the price anyway, so It's a bit like having the car for free with a bunch of new parts ? Let's try for $3500 but offers will be kept in mind.

PM me for more info, detailed pictures, or for phone number etc.

 

Allan.

[BlackAngel 60]

17 hours ago, Allanw said:

It also requires a rocker cover, as it leaks onto the AC compressor and the exhaust.

Is the cover cracked or does it just need a gasket?

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

Dammit Allan... I know you have moved on, but do you understand how hard it is to get the Mrs to agree to buying a car that needs all this work

[Allanw 1071]

Just now, BlackAngel said:

Is the cover cracked or does it just need a gasket?

I thought about PMing you before I even listed it ?

There is a crack towards the rear that I gooed up - I suspect there is a crack at the front too - I put some silicone on the gasket, but it still dribbles out at times. It'll want another cover, either new or good used. Gabe has one for sale still - just check it's the right one - there are two types. I was going to put a new one on, but we decided to move to a 7 seater - we have a pair of VW Tourans now (Nerd alert!)

[BlackAngel 60]

7 seater - dammit I could've swapped ya my Granvia van

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

Dammit Allan... I know you have moved on, but do you understand how hard it is to get the Mrs to agree to buying a car that needs all this work

[Allanw 1071]

2 minutes ago, Young Thrash Driver said:

Dammit Allan... I know you have moved on, but do you understand how hard it is to get the Mrs to agree to buying a car that needs all this work

Haha! I just spent a LOT of my "spare" time converting one Touran from 2.0 auto to 3.2 VR6 manual 4WD... YES - I understand the difficulties. ?

I suggested to my wife that I do the work, and then sell it... but she's not super keen.

Make an offer ?

[Allanw 1071]

2 minutes ago, BlackAngel said:

7 seater - dammit I could've swapped ya my Granvia van

No, you couldn't have ?

hahaha! I had "specific" requirements

[BlackAngel 60]

So . . . new rocker cover, roof lining re-glued and swap out the clutch? Is that all thats need apart from bodywork cosmetics?

Just consulting with the war office and my son. I want to get rid of the wagon he is driving but he's adamant about wanting another manual to replace it with.

[BlackAngel 60]

Where are the spacers fitted? Just to the strut tops or the subframe mounts as well?

[Allanw 1071]

Yep - that's the only immediate things I can think of. new wiper blades wouldn't hurt either. Other fabrics inside are coming loose, like on the pillars and rear tray - thay all have to come out anyway for the roof, so you could do it all in faux fur at the same time ? The leather isn't bad, though not like new obviously!

Spacers are fitted on the strut mounts only. Fronts are a 10mm alloy ring, with allen head bolts holding the strut mount to the underside. they extend up through the tower and are bolted to a strut brace on the top side - the E39 strut towers mushroom, so the strut mount stops it hapening again.

Rears are "rough road" strut mounts, with longer studs on, and a nylon spacer plate is fitted between that and the body - same idea as the "rough road" suspension, but it's still fairly low!

All the pixel displays were reaired too, but one cluster backlight has blown (I have a spare) and one MID buld is blown (harder to fix, as they're on a board, but are just bulbs). Cluster has silver rings too

[Gabe79 410]

2 hours ago, Allanw said:

I thought about PMing you before I even listed it ?

There is a crack towards the rear that I gooed up - I suspect there is a crack at the front too - I put some silicone on the gasket, but it still dribbles out at times. It'll want another cover, either new or good used. Gabe has one for sale still - just check it's the right one - there are two types. I was going to put a new one on, but we decided to move to a 7 seater - we have a pair of VW Tourans now (Nerd alert!)

It's the same one. The M54 cover is the same through 9/2002 according to realoem.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=DT32-EUR-11-2000-E39-BMW-525i&diagId=11_7523

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=DT62-EUR-09-2001-E39-BMW-530i&diagId=11_7523

[aja540i 1906]

6 hours ago, Allanw said:

No, you couldn't have ?

hahaha! I had "specific" requirements

Specific requirements list;

1) Not a Granvia.

2)

[BlackAngel 60]

4 hours ago, aja540i said:

Specific requirements list;

1) Not a Granvia.

2)

 ? Only Granvia owners would understand. Ask someone that has owned one that they had a use for. Reliable as sunrise, comfortable, roomy and pulls like a choir boy.

 

Edited June 17, 2018 by BlackAngel

[Allanw 1071]

It *may* be sold already... I've worked out some initial details with a potential purchaser who will be first in line...

Others can wait in line if they want though, just in case.

 

Where I live interferes with logistics a little.

[BlackAngel 60]

Oh really? . . . . Quick and the dead aye . . . . will PM you a competing offer to compare.

[Allanw 1071]

Will PM you later ?

[hotwire 352]

On 6/17/2018 at 9:53 PM, BlackAngel said:

 ? Only Granvia owners would understand. Ask someone that has owned one that they had a use for. Reliable as sunrise, comfortable, roomy and pulls like a choir boy.

 

Still a Granvia though...

[Allanw 1071]

Come now. There is a lot worse than a Granvia!

aja540i's sister hauled her tribe around in one for years!

Imagine opting for the diesel Estima instead - timebomb on wheels - you never know which engine component is going to explode first. At least the 3.0 only has the head to worry about.

 

[Allanw 1071]

She's GONE!

Off to a good home though.

I left her outside for the night... and it was a bit frosty - quick hose over and she was ready to go on her long journey to her new home.

 

[dirtydoogle 383]

Colin seems a bit chuffed with it! Sounds like it's a bloody nice car

[Gabe79 410]

Just saw this car. Gorgeous colour. Colin does seem chuffed.

[Eagle 1662]

E39 manual's seem to be a rare breed esp the 6 cylinders, you see V8 ones come up more often.

[qube 3570]

Here is a nice one https://www.trademe.co.nz/1681253575

 

[Eagle 1662]

Don't think id ever buy another silver car but it looks nice. Another HellBM job like most manuals ive seen.