E30 Zone

i'm looking at buying another car but unsure if i should get a five or a seven series bmw anyone know the pro's and cons of the above i've heard something about the nikali problem and heard of engines being recalled etc what else is there?
help me please

anyone?

Nikasil. Most of them where already replaced with Alusil blocks but you can always check the block by the number.
It is really hard to choose between E38 and E39. Both brilliant, nearly perfect built, if not abused, very, very bomb proof. Just depands what type of car you need.
Jan

i'm thinking more along the lines of the seven series as there is not as many of them floating around and you can have a mini tv in the dash

You can get some serious bargains on E38s! I guess it depends if minor things like economy & servicing costs are an issue really...

E38, no doubt about that sir!

whipsey wrote:i'm thinking more along the lines of the seven series as there is not as many of them floating around and you can have a mini tv in the dash

Go for 740i. I used to have one and it was brilliant car. Near as fast as 750i but not so thirsty.
And you can have even quite big screen with upgrade to mk3 (or even mk4) satnav.
Jan

was thinking of the 740i but with lpg kit fitted

E39 is a stunner in my book. I haven't driven a 7 series so I can't compare them but the 540i pulls like a train from about 2 rpm. Known faults are the cooling system - needs a new rad/expansion tank/hoses and fan by 100k miles. It sounds a lot scarier than it is. Even getting the rad/tank replaced by our local BMW main dealer only cost £350 all in.
The autobox is meant to have "lifetime" fluid in it. Some say that you're much better off replacing it anyway to extend the life of the box.
Valley Pan Oil Gasket is a source of oil leaks on the V8s (and you really do want a V8) but it can be DIYd according to the really good illustrated walk-throughs that I've seen.

This knowledge is mainly from the net... Ours needed a new radiator so far, but thats it. (touch wood).

The ones to go for are 2001 and later which have LED rear lights, Angel eyes and if they have sat nav they get a later/better version. You can get TV in them too. I prefer Tom Tom because it is portable between cars. Ours is a 2000 with HIDS, but we went for it because it has the 6 speed manual which is pretty damn rare in a touring based on the highly scientific statistical method known as "None on Autotrader last time I checked" I've driven a saloon with EDC and Tiptronic and bought a Touring with manual and normal Sport pack suspension. In my book, the manual is the one to go for if you can find it. With the auto you just can't fire it out of corners as well as the manual. If you are using the manual option on the auto, its pretty good but the shifts are never as fast as you can do yourself.

If you're slightly broad in the beam... the sports seats nip your arse, but they do hold you in extremely well and you can get quite a surprising amount of cornering out of these wagons. I haven't tried comfort seats. Steering feel is nothing like an E30 though, so be prepared to get used to it for a while before you get confident.


Finally - check THIS out
Remember that you can bolt on a lot of the M5 gear, including the clutch.

ok, more than slightly broad in the beam

Relative to eachother, I sum up my expereinces of driving both as follows:

E38 = Maximum Pimp (lots of room, toys and great VFM to purchase, bit dear on running)

E39 = Drivers Car (roomy enough, cheaper and more fun to hussle / park)

i prefer the seven series to the five series to be honest but the missis would have to drive it aswell so i may well end up with a mini

Having driven every model of each, my preference would definitely be a 530d. Plenty of performance if needed, and amazing economy for such a big car when driven conservatively.

5s and 7s both suffer from rear axle rose joints and top arm wearing out - this is to be expected. Generally they're both pretty reliable cars.

The nikasil problem only affected 6 pots, between about 96 - 97, and most were done under warranty, they were replaced with alloy blocks with iron liners, not alusil.

whispey,

here is a good site and article on the nikasil issue

http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/articles/nikasil.html

If I were you buy an E39 mine is specced to the hilt with the comms pack that has the tele(4k extra).

Its also going up for sale in the new year ....... Individual paint colour and Individual Heritage leather interior ex demonstator so loads of toys and whistles just been serviced Insp 11 recent new tyres and refurbed alloys....

Heyho wrote:The nikasil problem only affected 6 pots, between about 96 - 97, and most were done under warranty, they were replaced with alloy blocks with iron liners, not alusil.

...And the V8 730i back at the beginning of the E38s run.

better with a E39, if your into doing your own service work and maintanince, 7 series are a bit of a pain to work on, my brother had a 740i and even his local BMW specialist told him to take it to the main dealer to sort a fault showin on the dash! he now has a 528i SE

only thing i never done to my E39 (with it's mods) was fit the lower suspension as it has electrical height adjusters which had to be re-set to run lower in-line with the lower spring's. and if you ever want to mod it's looks (like i have) then you'll find it hard to get much stuff for a "7"

that said they are both worth while cars to own ... E39 still holds the title for "the ultimate driving car"

MY E39: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2130011

A 7 series would have to be v8 for me, the 750 is a bit of a money pit, 728 is dog slow although much cheaper to run. A 735 or 740 i reckon (avoid the troublesome 730). Both lovely lazy v8s, I would be quite happy with either, I don't think the power matters so much in that kind of car. Both are really torquey.
Or the e39 route, more of a drivers car so i'd probably have a 528 or more preferably the later 530(i), handle a lot better than the 535/540. The extra weight and different steering/suspension numbs the handling a little. Still wouldnt say no to one though!

I bought an e39 528i when my e30 got nicked. Nice to drive but mine's a high mileage example.. over 300,000 kms and although the motor is a peach it can sometimes be tricky to get into 1st gear, also lots of niggly things are starting to go wrong, windscreen wash tubes crumbling with age, electric window mechanism broke the other day, climate control has never worked properly since I've bought it.

I can't get to feel as comfy in the seat as in the e30 either, but that might be psycological....

All these things add up to quite a big repair bill so I'd recommend finding a lower mileage one than mine !

clipper, have you tried the hedgehog resistors? Try googling for 'em. Apparently its a common fault which takes out the aircon on E39s and isn't too pricey to DIY.

Morat wrote:clipper, have you tried the hedgehog resistors? Try googling for 'em. Apparently its a common fault which takes out the aircon on E39s and isn't too pricey to DIY.

Thanks for that Morat. Until I googled it I thought you were pulling my plonker !

The symptoms don't match with the problems with mine and the previous owner gave me an indication as to what was wrong, apparently there are some pipes broken or disconnected.

Ah well, sorry to hear that

Whipsey

Ive got a 7 Series that im selling to make room for an E30
Full BMW history. Recently had an Inspection II service by BMW (not cheap)
All the goodies.



If you interested then its best to call me. Sorry to take over the thread.

079577 31434

The 7 is an amazing cruser. REAL smooth. beats our old bangers anyday . Alot of car for the money. Common problems on them? All I can think of is the missing pixels in the display. Almost every 7 series i viewed had this problem.

7's are cheap because they're crap, if im being honest. I love the look, the idea, the whole thing, bit they are dogs. quite badly built, expensive, high milers... i work on plenty of them

the E39 however, quite possibly one of my fave BMWs. Not many people know, but the E39 won "All Round Car of the Year" every year, for the whole of its production series... says a lot really.

In the last few years, i've seen about 5 nikasil problens between 5's and 7's. They're all mostly taken care of now.

And as heyho said, the one to get for great all round is the 530d Sport Saloon. If you get a manul, make sure you get a short shift conversion, or your knuckles will be sore from hitting them on the dash and your rear passengers will always complain about elbows to the face!!!

stuartgallafant wrote:7's are cheap because they're crap, if im being honest.

It sounds like you work on some other E38. Korean or something? I'm working on them a long time (I used to own one) and you can say enything but not crap. Bullet proof near as E34. The owners are idiots (mostly).
Jan

defo e39! just bought one a 525d es se it has everything,minus a tv but thats not hard to find.I bought and auto and it was a great decision very smooth.you have to remember this car was voted best in the world when it came out.

E39's are just as bad as the E38 - it's the same car FFS. Same alloy block engines and boxes, same alloy suspension bits, same dash pixels, same rad where the elbows break off, same air con condensers. Neither car is what you'd call tough or tolerant to abuse and both have had the costs ripped out of them under the skin. Both are very complex cars with plenty to go wrong.

Andyboy wrote:E39's are just as bad as the E38

Can I ask you what car is good in your opinion (and why)?
Jan

Almost anything Japanese. Superior mechanical and electronics reliability - the Ultimate Driving Machine isn't much good if it's dead.

I laugh when i read about deluded fools scraping their milk tokens together to buy a cheap E38/E39 . These are very complex cars with big league running costs . Ignore the mileage , look at the history and the bills . A mate bought a 2000 v plate 735 about 18 months ago for 2 bags , yes it had 200000 miles BUT it was one owner with total dealer history, ice cold a/c , recent pirellis/brakes/suspension etc. He has added 20000 miles and all it has needed was an o2 sensor and a thermostat. It regularly averages 27mpg and drives better than most 70000 mile E38s i know. He was lucky, unless your feeling lucky don't bother.

I understand where you coming from but I don't understand why you are on this forum if for you the reliability is the most important thing in car. No offence, I don't want to get rolling any war. I just wanted to know as your opinion about E38 and E39 was quite strongly. Once again, no offence.
Jan

all cars have their faults. if you are prepared to spend the right money on the right car and then service them properly they will be no less reliable than anything else on the road.

pete and andy are correct, if you think a cheap e38/39 is a bargain that you can run like a dodgy old e30 you will find out the hard way that isnt always the case.

my mate got a cheap T plate 728 off a guy at work with full bmw history and it was a nice car but the servicing bills were immense. didnt matter to him as he had the money to do it and didnt begrudge the car one penny.