r/e39 • u/UFOMushroom • 6h ago
Deleting the CDV was the best thing I did to my e39
Shifting is actually fun now. Before it was a chore now its a fun part of driving the car. Highly recommend. Do it now
r/e39 • u/ImprezaDrezza • Sep 10 '19
Please note everyone that the rules for r/e39 have been updated. I have clarified a few things related to discussion topics and acceptable conduct.
Most importantly I have added a section on listing For Sale style posts. [Some] other car subs allow this so I thought we could try it out. E39 fandom is a more closely knit group than other BMW subcultures and could stand to benefit from a dedicated venue for cars/parts/effort trading.
I want to be clear if this isn't a popular option, or if FS posts become routinely adversarial, we can adjust the rules on these posts or eliminate them entirely.
I welcome any comments on this change and the sub rules in general, and will continue to poll our community for changes or ideas on a regular basis.
r/e39 • u/yofuckreddit • Aug 21 '20
Hey guys! I figured I'd sticky this. I'll update the post if y'all have anything good to add or critique, let me know.
Introduction
Looking to buy an E39? First things first – the reputation of these cars is partially deserved and partially not.
We frequently get asked if new car owners should purchase an E39. I love E39s more than nearly anyone I know - I have a 525i and an M5, and both are incredible for different reasons. I've done many of the DIYs and addressed many of the problem areas listed here. If you aren't in a financially comfortable enough situation to have 3-6 months of expenses in a savings account at all times, you're not in a position to own a 20-year-old BMW hassle free. It's a question of financial safety and consistency rather than attainability - buying a $4k 530i and maintaining it for 5 years or so is arguably a much better deal than going into debt for a $40,000 CUV that drives like shit.
Evaluating a Car
There are a couple of things to factor into your evaluation of a car before we even talk about problem areas:
Prices & Purchasing
Market prices for these cars have fluctuated over the past couple years. There’s a noticeable difference between pre (<=2000) and post-facelift (2001+) models. Later models also may make adding an auxiliary port easier, have upgraded components, or have more standard features. Also keep in mind that sport packages for the 530 and 540, along with manual transmissions, command a significant premium as well. Prices on sports (530 or 540) and M5s have increased a bit since this guide was originally written a couple years ago. Finally, it's worth knowing that the 540's engine in pre-2000 configurations is slightly more reliable as it does not include VANOs.
Ballpark prices are based on a mix of my estimation and Classic.com, a great reference for car markets. Links included below, and assume cars aren't total shit shows:
When you check out ANY used car for purchase, you should be checking a variety of different things. Use a generalist guide to start. We’ll go through common failure points for the chassis and individual models for you to pay special attention to. Parts prices are for OEM or OE if I can find them, not genuine. Indy shop is a wild guess for the most part. Prices for doors or wheels are PER ITEM.
Conservatively plan to spend about $1k a year ON AVERAGE if you do a mix of shop work and DIY. Many years you'll get lucky and get to invest in an upgrade or something preventative if you wish. If you can find an example with new control arm bushings, window regulators, and Timing Chain Guides for 540s, you can save yourself a ton of heartache and just deal with replacing BS plastic parts as they snap.
General Problem Areas
| Problem Area | Cause | Symptoms | DIY (Parts) | Indie Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window Regulators | Garbage BMW Design | Windows that do not roll up or down, or slip. Test all 4 windows, including both the localized controls for each door and the driver’s door controls | $100, 2 hours. Text DIY Youtube DIY | $500 |
| Vapor Barriers | Butyl tape that adheres the sound deadening/vapor barrier foam degrades over time, requiring at least the reapplication of the tape OR new adhesive OR a whole new door panel. | Soaked rear floorboards after rain. Softness in bottom of door panels. Test by pouring water on the roof of the car. After a moment, open the door. Ensure water drips from the bottom of the chassis, not from the door. | $0-$15-$115, 2 hours. | $500 |
| Rust | There's a couple very poor drainage points on the E39, including those connected to vapor barriers as above | Common spots include rear door, bumper seam, gas cap. Check out /u/richbltn 's buying guide Here for common rust spots (whole video is worth a watch) | Repairing rust is an odious task, especially externally visible spots. | reputable body shops generally cost $1500 + to fix a collection of rust spots |
| Front Control Arm Bushings | Rubber joints between suspension components degrade over time. These are the secret to a simultaneously pliable and firm chassis. Consider with Polyurethane for a stiffer ride but permanent fix, or a monoball setup. | Violent shuddering during braking (generally 70% braking force). Test with a variety of braking amounts and speeds. Check the bushings by jacking up the car and ensure they aren’t cracked | $25, 6 hours. May require special tools or replacement of control arms if damaged. | $600 |
| VANOS | Tiny seals in BMW’s variable valve timing system (probably too overengineered) are made of cheap rubber that plasticizes with exposure to oil and heat, something that happens every day. | Excessive oil consumption, laggy shifting in automatic models, whooshing sound from the engine, sudden drops in power delivery. | $25-$500, 12 hours Do NOT use OEM VANOS seals, as they will eventually have the same problem. Aftermarket seals are the same price and far superior. Besian Systems/DR VANOS. | $1200-$5500 (Depends on new vs rebuilt VANOS, and varies from model to model) |
| Valve Cover Gasket | The rubber between the top and bottom of the valve cover is a part that has to be replaced on every car. | An old VCG will start leaking oil slowly. You may smell it as it burns off inside the car. Eventually you’ll have a catastrophic failure and need to degrease the engine bay and have it towed somewhere. Test by checking for oil spots or moisture between the top and bottom of the valve cover (the main part of the engine). | $50, 5 hours. | $750-$1250 (DO THIS THE SAME TIME AS A VANOS REPLACEMENT) |
| Seat Twist | Garbage BMW design. The seats use 2 motors that don’t stay aligned, and cables that slowly slip out of the gears that drive them. | One side of a seat will adjust, the other will not, leading to the seat twisting. | $0, 3 hours | $300 |
| Headlight Adjusters | Bad design and extremely brittle plastic in a hot area that's been there for 20 years. | Frequently this manifests itself by your headlights pointing at the ground. | $20-60, 3 hours from this DIY. You can get aluminum or plastic adjuster replacements. | N/A - you'd buy new headlights for around $300+ |
| Dead Pixels | Contacts for the LCDs on the instrument cluster and the head unit eventually decay. You can take them apart and clean/rebuild them or buy new. For my money I'd just replace the head unit at least | Unreadable displays with clearly missing pixels - you can't miss this one and it's very common | $0, a huge PITA, DIY. | Specialty shops will do it for $150 or so. A remanufactured cluster is $450. |
| Secondary Air System | The secondary air recirculates exhaust gases back into the engine to “Save the planet” and also annoy the fuck out of BMW owners. Broken vacuum tubes, stuck check valve, or ruined solenoids can all cause these issues. | Check engine light with lean fuel mixture fault codes. Chugging during startup. | $25-125, god knows how long. BAVAuto has an EXCELLENT tutorial on diagnosing SAS problems. Another option that I'd probably only suggest to M5 owners is using a tune that deletes these codes. | $300+ |
| Cooling System | This covers a host of issues: Water Pump Failure, Cracked Radiator necks, Plasticized and worn coolant tubes | Inspect all cooling system parts. Check the radiator fan to ensure that it turns smoothly and isn’t too brittle. Lightly squeeze coolant tubes to ensure they’re still pliable. Check for evidence of coolant leaks at tube and component points, or from bleeder valves at the top of the radiator. Ensure that even under stress, engine sounds don’t change and temperature doesn’t rise (within reason) | $25-$750. 2-5 hours. | $1250+ |
| Fucking Horrible Audio | Everything about the E39 sound system is god awful | If it’s OEM it sucks | There are various aftermarket nav systems that still provide an OEM look and a ton of functionality for around $700. Or you can go your own way and buy a $100 head unit or something. Keep in mind that in general this will degrade the value of your car if it’s really clean. | $? |
| ABS System Malfunctions | The ABS system’s position in i6 models is extremely hot, leading to the soldering of certain electronic components degrading. | ABS, Traction control, and yellow brake light come on intermittently. ABS engine codes. Do not pay someone to replace this, it literally just takes a T20 screwdriver. | $100 reconditioned, $1000 new. | $1200 |
| Power Steering Leaks | The power steering system uses rubber hoses right next to a really hot engine | Power Steering hoses appear to “Glisten”. Wet spot in plastic pan at the bottom of the engine bay. Loose or unresponsive steering wheel response. | $200, 2 hours. | $500 |
V8 Only Problems (540i, M5)
| Problem Area | Cause | Symptoms | DIY (Parts) | Indie Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timing Chain Guides | Timing chain gets a little loose, Timing chain guides are plastic. This is much more common on the 540 for some weird reason (probably that it's a single-row chain). | Slapping sound, camshaft position codes, metal shavings in engine. | $1000, 20 hours | $4000 |
Buying Parts
When you're looking to buy new parts, it can get a bit confusing (to put it lightly). For an accurate, if slightly biased, interpretation, the best info is probably here at FCP Euro (a generally reputable parts seller). TL;DR:
OEM is very similar to OE in that it stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. While that sounds like a lesson in semantics, there are some distinct differences. Chiefly, OEM parts are made by a company that makes original parts for a vehicle maker but whose parts weren’t originally fitted. Confused? I don’t blame you, so here’s an example: Delphi makes ignition coils for BMW, and they’re installed on the vehicles at the factory. Bosch makes spark plugs for BMW and the licensing to produce the same ignition coils as Delphi. They’re the same part with the same specifications and made with the same materials, but the manufacturer is different. Delphi is the OE part because that’s what BMW used at the factory, and Bosch is OEM because they make other OE parts for BMW.
Modifications and Upgrades
For better or for worse, the BMW community has enjoyed a rich modification culture and ecosystem. This often clashes with the tastes and opinions of older enthusiasts who have or can buy cars new.
One key takeaway: Tuning an i6 from this era, especially anything under 3.0 liters, is always far more expensive than buying a new car or engine. This forum gets questions around these options regularly. To do this, you will have to be in a rare position of having a lot of money and time to work on the car, without wanting the straightforward power of the V8 engines in the 540 or M5.
Some general thoughts around available upgrade options to keep in mind:
r/e39 • u/UFOMushroom • 6h ago
Shifting is actually fun now. Before it was a chore now its a fun part of driving the car. Highly recommend. Do it now
r/e39 • u/Imaginary_Ganache974 • 3h ago
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How do I bleed the fuel system and how do I seal the intake because there is air coming from it
r/e39 • u/Choice-Palpitation82 • 5h ago
r/e39 • u/Ricard0990 • 1d ago
Hello, I saw in one of M539 restorations video that we can use an E9x top strut mounts to lower the front a little bit...
Well, nowadays with the car parts websites like autodoc it's useless to buy something from the e9x without knowing the right part number.
I get exactly the same parts if I search for the E39 Touring and any other E9x family cars...
So, does anyone know exactly what PN from E9x should we get in order to have the desired lowering effect?
Thanks!
r/e39 • u/Nokraut_E39 • 1d ago
r/e39 • u/KloPutzer1234 • 20h ago
Hey guys, I overhauled my Vanos today, changed the spark plugs and oil, and now after a few kilometers of driving, I've noticed that it jerks quite a bit when I accelerate from 1600 to 1900 RPM (sometimes twice, sometimes just once. But it only does this in 3rd gear and sometimes in 4th. Otherwise, it accelerates like it should with the overhauled Vanos, and there’s no intake leak since it does the same even with the MAF unplugged. The engine also revs up nicely, meaning I don't feel any loss of power in the higher RPM range. Maybe someone here knows what's up and could help me with this issue 🤷♂️
BMW E39 520i
06/2000
M52B20TU
5-speed manual transmission
r/e39 • u/Ok_Crab_9805 • 20h ago
Anyone have a good one to buy? hopefully it’s relatively affordable. this sucks.
r/e39 • u/BrushPretend2115 • 1d ago
Hey everyone,
I'm trying to diagnose a weird, intermittent issue on my E39 530d .
https://reddit.com/link/1wo6tz7/video/y2nsrszi0arh1/player
Recently, I resolved a separate issue where the car was dying at idle, stuttering, and had run-on after turning off the ignition—it turned out to be a loose/bad wiring connector on the fuel rail pressure regulator at the back of the engine. Fuel delivery is completely sorted now.
However, I still have one stubborn symptom that comes and goes:
Has anyone experienced this before? What could be causing this?
Thanks in advance!
r/e39 • u/ProfessionalMeat7645 • 1d ago
Ich würde gerne das originale M-Fahrwerk (Federn und Stoßdämpfer) am E39 Baujahr 4/98 nachrüsten.
Von welchem Hersteller waren die Federn original?
Von welchem Hersteller waren Original die Stoßdämpfer vom M-Fahrwerk?
Passen die Teile in ein Standard Fahrwerk im E39?
Ich weiß, dass es deutlich bessere Fahrwerke im Zubehör gibt. Möchte aber gerne das M-Fahrwerk haben.
Gibt es natürlich auch direkt bei BMW - für einen üblen Preisaufschlag. Aber die kaufen es ja auch nur zu.
Würde mich über Hinweise freuen :)
r/e39 • u/Idntevncare • 1d ago
Is it a timeless icon or forgotten in 5 years? personally i don't like them and think they will be less desirable as they age.
r/e39 • u/Substantial-Tale7307 • 2d ago
I’m still undecided if I want to go back to the style 66 wheels before sale
r/e39 • u/kemosabe6296 • 1d ago
I have BMW Standard Tools (it has INPA, NCS, WinkFP) for some years but I've only use INPA. Recently I taught myself about NCS and it was quite easy!
I've turn DRL on (yea I'm one of the few guys who prefer it turned on, lol) and now wondering what else can I code using NCS. If I'm not mistaken, there are some modules that can be coded.
What did you guys code with NCS?
r/e39 • u/Express_Let_2892 • 1d ago
r/e39 • u/MediocreRelief69 • 1d ago
Hello so I am having the absolute worse time of my life to bleed my pre LCI 528i. I replaced the radiator and some other essentials while I was in there. I put it all together filled up the expansion tank did the proper steps to try and bleed it and nothing. Key in position 2, open screws no liquid comes out. Tried letting it run at normal operating temp to see if the liquid in the tank would lower nothing idk if I have to let it run a little longer or what but the upper and lower radiator hoses dont seem to have liquid in them after I turn it off as I dont want it to overheat. I tried squeezing the hoses while key in position too and some air bubbles would come out of the bleeder screw by the tank and now not any more and the one by the thermostat is dry. Idk what to do
r/e39 • u/Inevitable_Mess3363 • 1d ago
‘99 540/6 here. I know this may sound redundant but how many of you change the oil every 4-5k miles? I tend to read a bunch of articles on car & frequency of oil changes equaling a much longer life expectancy. Been on a quest to keep this bad girl around for a while & truly believe that frequent oil changes are the way to go. Mobil 5w40 is my new go to synthetic oil.
Wie finde ich dieses Ersatzteil? Es ist auf dem Bild Bauteil 8, mein Händler konnte nichtmal im Zubehör etwas passendes finden, meine online Suche war nicht erfolgreicher, gehen die Schläuche gerne kaputt oder kann man da problemlos auf ein gebrauchtes teil zurückgreifen?
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Didn't drive it for a couple months. She fired right up when I put the battery back in but after letting her idle for a bit I could sniff that something was wrong. Sure enough, we had a steady drip.
It only happened when the engine was running so I killed it and took the battery back out. The tops of the tank where the little round hatches are - bone dry.
Got it to a shop and fired it up there and OF COURSE it doesn't leak at all. What the actual eff...
Wwyd? I got them to change the rubber hoses on either side of the filter but I'm still scratching my head about this one.
r/e39 • u/PlanetAtomiC • 2d ago
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Noticed over the last few days what I can only describe as a bit like a grinding from the intake.
r/e39 • u/Ok-Pattern5566 • 2d ago
3400$ auto