This is a slightly belated follow up to my report in July 2015 after owning the above car for just over a year...www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?t=20277&v=f
I'd bought a 2002 BMW E39 5-series 525D Tourer to replace a much enjoyed Alfa 156 2.4D because we needed a large loadspace for uni runs and carry boating gear. The BMW we found was basically in good order but with a few niggles and some catch up maintenance required which I carried out in the initial period as detailed in the link above.
I can hardly believe it's virtually 4yrs since I bought this car and for something that cost under £2k back then it's given service of a car costing 10x more.
We had decided to change it this month as the loadspace and interior size is no longer essential to us... but I test drove a non-premium car 10yrs newer (see note 2) and it was so unrefined in comparison we have decided to keep the E39 another year and see what car needs we have then.
I keep full records and thought the work needed to keep the BMW in top condition might be of interest.
You can take it as read it's had a fully syn oil/filter change each year with the other filters etc changed according to mileage.
There was no more work needed in 2015 above that reported in the link above.
During 2016 it needed a pair of rear tyres and I kept to matching Dunlops. I replaced a cracked foglamp with one from Ebay. Fitted new aux drivebelts and front brake pads. It failed its summer 2016 MOT on rear brake effort so I fitted new rear discs, pads and handbrake shoes to get it spot on... then it passed with no advisories. On a whim I removed the EGR to clean and check it's operation.
In 2017 I fitted new front tyres, Dunlops again. I had to re-polish one headlamp as it had gone cloudy again after being done in 2014. One rear suspension upper link had play so I replaced both. Also replaced one front wheel bearing which started to drone. At the summer MOT when they did the test that raises the body on its suspension the nearside rear airbag split on full extension so that was a fail. I replaced it and received a pass with no advisories. The final thing that year was a dealer driver's airbag recall. Not great service from the main dealer but perhaps I was regarded as well down the pecking order with a 15yr old car?
One aspect that has kept me on my toes is the airbag system throwing the fault lamp on. Initially I had a problem passed on by the previous owner which turned out to be a high resistance on one of the driver airbag connections which I resolved. Then carrying a load on the front seat shorted out the passenger sensor mat but that reset OK. Then it threw up several passenger airbag codes which reset a couple of times but then the light stuck on.
Eventually I sorted it late 2017. When the dealer replaced the driver's airbag under recall I asked them to diagnose the passenger side fault thinking as the experts they would easily nail it (even if at great cost) but they were useless. This prompted me to take it away and refuse to pay for them not achieving anything... then I bought two £25ish Ebay used airbag ECUs (two as I thought the chance of getting one that worked first time was slim and I preferred to hit the job all in one). Both were U/S so returned for refund. I ordered and tested two more at similar prices... both perfect so fitted one and kept the other as a spare. The light hasn't come back in many months so I'm calling that a result.
Now in 2018 and having decided to run it another year I will replace the rear suspension lower links and ball joints which while not bad enough to fail the July MOT are a little worn. One side completed and doing the other in a moment. Also I'm putting a new suspension airspring on the o/s rear to match the one that I fitted after the original n/s burst last year. It's not leaking but we carry a hell of a holiday load and I'd hate that to go halfway to Cornwall.
So it's now a 16yr old car worth peanuts... but... it's totally rust free... all the complex electronic systems are working... the quality interior has stood up to the years... and it's still a superbly refined rewarding load carrier.
Note.1: Zero you asked about diagnostics. I have a software based version of the BMW system on a spare laptop. Sourced from Cableshack www.cable-shack.co.uk/ If they do one that covers your car it's good value and Jimmy at Cableshack is a BMW enthusiast and very helpful. This system is very very in depth and on occasions far more complex than you need. So I also have an iCarsoft handheld which can be carried in the glovebox for an on-holiday issue... www.scantool-direct.co.uk/icarsoft-bm-ii-bmw-and-mini-multi-system-diagnostic-tool.html Mine is a slightly earlier version but very similar... you'd have to check if it covered your car.
Note.2: Above I referred to testing a potential replacement of a "non-premium" car 10yrs newer. I'd made the decision to replace the BMW a few weeks back and went ready to buy this seemingly suitable car. They let me out on my own to test drive it and it brought home how we under appreciated just how well this old 5-series stands up to more modern vehicles. For all the heated leather seats, big alloys, chrome roof rails, integral satnav/reverse camera etc the "mystery" car was so unrefined and not at all rewarding to drive I handed it back with mumbled thanks and drove home deciding there and then to run the BMW on for some time.
Note.3: Humph sorry but I still miss the Alfa's beautiful front wheel drive handling.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Sat 14 Apr 18 at 11:14
|
