E39 diesels...

Alright folks, haven't posted on here for a good while. Had the e36 and shifted it on because it was too low and too loud for the little one. Have been in and out of a few motors to tide me over but looking at getting into an e39 fairly soon.
Among reading the threads of owners on here and doing the usual Google searches I've heard they are absolutely great cars. Had the pleasure of driving my mates 525 tds just last week also which was the clincher also.

Anyway, I'm waffling...what I'm wondering is 525 or 530? Obviously like the title suggests, must be diesel and what are people's opinions on high milers and service history? Have spotted a couple of cars but they all have pros and cons. You guys are the guru's so let me know the do's and don'ts. Thanks
Gaz

530d will open a lot more doors as well as having more power all round and not much difference in mpg theres probably 10 530's to every one 525d so finding one is a hell of a lot easier

I cant add to much as my knowledge is on petrols but im sure diesel owners will chime in soon

But what i will say is you wont regret it its a big step up from the e36 and thats a great car in its own right iv loved every minute of ownership with my e39 must have it 3 or 4 years and no intention of changing

You will never regret getting an e39, definitely one of the best cars I have ever owned and still miss my old one.

Engine wise the 530d are fairly bullet proof, they have common issues however, thermostats and coolant system are a common issue, engine mounts tend to go due to the torque. But once the car has been maintained they are great cars.

Other e39 issues are.
Rust,
sills, rear arches and boot lid. Even well looked after cars will rust. :(

Suspension.
Ball joints, drop links etc tend to go more that an e36 due to the sheer weight of the car.

Thanks for the help so far lads. I have heard that the e39 suspension can be a bit of a weak point alright. In terms of rust, is there any areas in particular to investigate that may be hidden to the untrained eye? Also manual or auto doesn't really bother me but I heard to check to see if the swirl flaps have been done in the autos...is this correct?

Autos have an EGR thermostat too, yeah only the autos have swirl flaps and they are prone to failure.

The boot and behind the fuel cap are the areas that are prone to rust but they rust behind the arch trim, the arches themselves, the door shuts.

In wouldn't say the suspension is a weak point, it's more of a case that the youngest e39 is 12 years old and if the suspension hasn't been changed, it's going to need it soon. It's a 2.5k job.

You're gonna have a hard time finding a good one in Ireland. Valdas car is worth a look.


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What car does he have, sorry but I don't know too many people on here.

Low mileage Titan Silver 530d. He trades as motor confidence on here


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Originally Posted by Dave

Low mileage Titan Silver 530d. He trades as motor confidence on here


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But his username is @[Valdelisbmw]

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-530d-msport/8434655

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw/8095350

Anybody recognise either of these two cars? Both are pretty much what I'm looking for as far as spec and I'm partial to a black car!lol
Anything in relation to these I should look out for?

That MO reg looks very well, also has digital climate controls.

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Originally Posted by outofbandii

That MO reg looks very well, also has digital climate controls.

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This'll be the one time I say that it's crying out for wood trim. The cream just does not look right with chrome trim I think.

I would go for the MO reg'd one as well, looks like it's from an enthusiast and it has a great spec.

Some clock on the MO one.

Huh...?^^^^^

Hi. We have all 3 types of engine in our family, my parents have a 525d that I drive regularly and I've a 530d, I previously ran and still have a tds, albeit in E34's.

I find the 525d noticeably quieter than the 530d and it drives me insane that I own the noisier car! The former hums from cold start and could easily be mistaken for a petrol, whereas mine or any I've heard never could. I typically got 47mpg at minimum from the smaller engine, rising to 54mpg on a long haul, whereas the 530 just about gets over 40mpg everytime, rising to 47 on a long trip. The dash econometer is a bit more optimistic in the figures it gives.

The larger engine has noticeably more power in give and take overtaking situations, neither engine pulls in the higher rev range as good as the older tds. That used to give 37mpg by the way and hit 40 just the once in my hands. The annual road tax on the 530 is hard to swallow at €1500, in fact I'm staring at my renewal notice right now.

When it comes to running costs, I find that whatever gains have been made in fuel economy are equalled by maintenance costs. the 525d is about 25% more economical than the 525tds yet has components such as an injector loom for instance that eventually becomes brittle and has to be replaced, such an item doesn't exist on the older car! The same goes for 530d.

All things considered though, I'd be one of the few that's steer you more towards a 525d. It does 95% of what the 530d will do, sounds sweeter, drinks a bit less and cost €400 a year less to tax.

Good to know...525's seem to be a bit harder to find for sale or am I just looking in the wrong places. That MO reg one in the previous link is now sold...bugger that so!

525d m sports were never sold in Ireland, they're all imports.


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Ah I see...that would make sense so!lol By the way, you have a lovely one yourself Dave!

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Originally Posted by GazC

Ah I see...that would make sense so!lol By the way, you have a lovely one yourself Dave!

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Thank you very much, it's a very endearing money pit [emoji1]


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