M5 Touring Auction

[Olaf 3342]

at the risk of plugging BMW Car Club NZ again, the next issue of DIXI Magazine contains an excellent article on S85 (and 65) Rod Bearings.  Join now, the 36 page colour glossy quarterly magazine is included with your membership!

I guess I'm in the sub-set; I've always been a wagon guy, and I still like to work on my own vehicles (though confess to doing less these days!).

[Michael. 2313]

3 hours ago, GorGasm said:

The work you are going to do on an M5 is not going to be fun work I can tell you that.  If it's not bearings or SMG then you are going to be swapping $1000+ modules which shouldn't be failing in the first place.  I can think of at least 10 modules off the top of my head.

Interesting and capable car for sure, but...

 

Which modules. Maybe I should start fixing them? 

[Kodachrome 158]

3 hours ago, GorGasm said:

The work you are going to do on an M5 is not going to be fun work I can tell you that.  If it's not bearings or SMG then you are going to be swapping $1000+ modules which shouldn't be failing in the first place.  I can think of at least 10 modules off the top of my head.

Interesting and capable car for sure, but...

 

Having owned many E60 and E61's I too was amused by the notion it was the lesser technology, purist choice.

Pricing, well we all have our opinions, but I think another angle to look at it is placement in market, it should be priced between the C6 S6 and C6 RS6. Which this isnt. 

 

[balancerider 778]

The M5 just has that 'je ne sais quoi' - only RHD touring M car, RWD, even with all the bad bits pointed out above. If it's still unsold if / when AKL gets out of lockdown I'm going to fly up and look at it...

 

[GorGasm 563]

2 hours ago, Michael. said:

Which modules. Maybe I should start fixing them? 

Could be worthwhile if you have the know how:

• 2x Idle actuators
• 2x Throttle actuators
• 4x VANOS soldenoids (used to be $1400US each, now about $500 it seems)
• 2x Ionic control modules
• 1x ABS pump ($4500)
• 1x Alternator voltage regular (cheap enough)

 

The best parts of my E60 M5 experience were:

• 4500-8250rpm thrust was very exciting as there's not much going on below 4500rpm.
• Excellent handling.
• Interior comfort.

 

 

 

 

 

[Kodachrome 158]

Add to that, relocating or plastic wrapping all of the insanely positioned modules in the boot from the pool of water that forms there.  My parents E61 would regularly go haywire electrically (as in power steering stopping, engine errors) due to the stupid boot water. 

[Olaf 3342]

yep, I agree Alan @Kodachrome there's a few things that are standard maintenance in any e60/61, including ensuring the sunroof drains are running clear (weed whacker line is ideal for this, on a battery drill), the cabin filter intakes being cleared of leaves, and all door and boot seals!  Got to keep the water on the outside of these rather complex vehicles.

28 minutes ago, GorGasm said:

Could be worthwhile if you have the know how:

• 2x Idle actuators
• 2x Throttle actuators
• 4x VANOS soldenoids (used to be $1400US each, now about $500 it seems)
• 2x Ionic control modules
• 1x ABS pump ($4500)
• 1x Alternator voltage regular (cheap enough)

 

The best parts of my E60 M5 experience were:

• 4500-8250rpm thrust was very exciting as there's not much going on below 4500rpm.
• Excellent handling.
• Interior comfort.

 

[deleted - not modular]

And yeah, taking that S85 up toward the redline is very satisfying, and ohhhhhhhhh that sound!  Sex on wheels personified.

Having looked up from beneath e60 M5's on the rack while the essential maintenance is being done, it's certainly packed as tightly as one of my suitcases at the end of a trip abroad.  The N62-powered 545i is comparatively roomy in the engine bay.

Edited September 7, 2021 by Olaf
deleted non-module items

[Herbmiester 931]

13 hours ago, Michael. said:

I look at cars differently I guess, I am more interested in a car that has an unique appeal, not generic. That usually means it's an older naturally aspirated model free of modern technology like internet connectivity and apple car play. I especially prefer older models of cars without turbos, unless diesel. A straight 6 M3, V8 M3 or V10 M5 is always going to be far more interesting to me and worth the pros & cons of maintenance than any newer model is with their turbos and saturated technology, yeah it might be faster and more reliable for now since newer but I don't really find that argument that interesting. A V10 M5 is older so it's obviously going to need work, which is half the fun of owning an old car, to spend time and money working on it. A car that needs no service work is a kind of hell to me! Besides all that with 500hp an M5 V10 already a very fast car, heck I think anything that can do a 13 second 1/4 mile is fast, as long as it's built well and sound nice are my key points of a car appealing or not. I can appreciate other people might want a newer maintenance free model, of course, that's the majority of newer car buyers,.

I think you might find that while free of turbo's the electronic modules in this car are both numerous and not exactly reliable. I do like the car, my wife has a an E61and its a lovely car; but it is saturated technology and based on previous ownership of other e60 models your interest may wain when you have to problem solve or pay someone to problem solve finicky electronics. Not to mention rod bearings and SMG issues. 

[aja540i 1906]

32 minutes ago, Kodachrome said:

Add to that, relocating or plastic wrapping all of the insanely positioned modules in the boot from the pool of water that forms there.  My parents E61 would regularly go haywire electrically (as in power steering stopping, engine errors) due to the stupid boot water. 

I solved this on mine by popping out one of the plastic bungs in the drain holes in the bottom of the boot, I coated it with cavity wax and haven't had any pooling water in there since. I have also cleared the sunroof drains and removed the one way valves from the end of the tubes that clog up with crud over time.

[Kodachrome 158]

Just now, aja540i said:

I solved this on mine by popping out one of the plastic bungs in the drain holes in the bottom of the boot, I coated it with cavity wax and haven't had any pooling water in there since. I have also cleared the sunroof drains and removed the one way valves from the end of the tubes that clog up with crud over time.

Yeah I did those things on theirs too, but should couldnt find where else the water was ingressing. I kinda think it was the rear of the pano roof, not channelling into the water drains at all but running down the C pillars. It got so mysterious that if the car was parked a certain direction beside house wall it probably wouldnt happen!

[Michael. 2313]

1 hour ago, Herbmiester said:

I think you might find that while free of turbo's the electronic modules in this car are both numerous and not exactly reliable. I do like the car, my wife has a an E61and its a lovely car; but it is saturated technology and based on previous ownership of other e60 models your interest may wain when you have to problem solve or pay someone to problem solve finicky electronics. Not to mention rod bearings and SMG issues. 

I agree. I wouldn't own an E60 ever because of that reason, although I could likely get by with my skill base, but the E60 styling inside and out doesn't inspire me to want to own one and peruse that kind of repair work. A newer F10 or whatever they are will likely be just as bad in a few years. 

This is why I have an E34 540i which I consider one of the best BMWs ever made, classic styling for one and the core engineering and electronics are complex enough for the purpose and built at a time when quality of design and construction was higher. 

My business I operate involves the restoration of electronics on Lexus/Toyota models like Soarers and various others so I find restoring late 80s early 90s electronics is very practical. It's much the same story for the E34. Its reasons like this these cars can be able to remain working for decades to come. 

A number of changes in electric design mean that same approach is not as viable on E60+ models, at least from what Ive seen on the surface. So much for sustainability, just a throw away society! 

Edited September 7, 2021 by Michael.

[Kodachrome 158]

18 hours ago, Michael. said:

 

This is why I have an E34 540i which I consider one of the best BMWs ever made, classic styling for one and the core engineering and electronics are complex enough for the purpose and built at a time when quality of design and construction was higher. 

 

For sure, Ive had 2 (manual and auto), both great though last one was too boganed out by PO. Id love a nice, clean 540i E34 Touring.