Don
In March 2016 I was looking for a new car, I went to see a 2006 E65 750i, and ended up taking it home. It was a hell of an upgrade from the 1994 318is that I had bought as a temporary run-about for £400 from eBay after handing back an XF on finance. Recently I notched up 50k and had a little think about the car, and decided to document it, just in case anyone is interested!
These were the pictures from the advert:
It had a full main dealer service history, and a seemingly very low 49k on the clock. After test driving it twice, I bought it at sticker price in the end. The guy would not move at all.
A lot of people said I was crazy, it was a timebomb, gearbox was a disaster waiting to happen, engine was going to die in minutes, electronics would all fail, it was too complex and it would cost an arm and a leg to maintain.
Initially all seemed fine, then within a couple of weeks I thought I saw it smoking a bit at idle.. And then I learnt all about valve stem seals (VSS) on these engines...... Long story short, it had a small issue at this time, but nothing major. If I left it idling for 5 mins, it would produce a pretty large smoke screen when cold. It was much worse when cold, and when warm is was far less of an issue. So after a rather long "discussion" with the dealer, I was being overly worried, it was certainly going to be a concern in the future, but practically, it was fine for daily use for quite a while. I was won over by the car otherwise, so was willing to deal with it when it became a bigger issue.
So, next milestone, I did some routine maintenance in 2017, spark plugs, and PCV's. Spark plugs as they were due, and the back 2 were a pain, and the valve stem seal issue was slowly getting worse, and the PCV are one way to help reduce this problem a little, and it did make a small difference, but just delaying the inevitable.
I had a few small issues at this time, the CD changer was not working well, which actually was not a problem for me, was not actually using it! I also could not use the heated seat on the driver's side, as it had a VERY hot spot, and it was going to burn through the seat... Otherwise, it was driving fine, just slowly the VSS were degrading. I was using a litre of oil ever 2000 miles or so at this time. So I was regularly topping up, which actually was probably quite a good thing, as it kept the 8 litres in there quite fresh between scheduled maintenance changes!
In terms of issues (excluding routine maintenance) over the 6 years there was nothing too major (well, mostly!):
Boot automatic opening/close was failing - I managed to track down the correct fluid (Aeroshell 41 iirc) much cheaper than BMW sells it!. I also found a small leak from one side, it was a very very slow. So i used a small sponge to collect it as it leaked, topped up the level, and its been working fine ever since. I expect it will need topping up every 2-3 years, which is not a major issue for me.
Total costs - about £35 for the tub of fluid, which will do me for the life of the car for sure. £35
I had a couple of split alloys - One I had repaired professionally for £60, another I bought a second hand wheel for £60, and the last time, I took it to a mate (master welder!) who fixed it for me. - £120
It has had a little problem with the sunroof drains:
They were getting clogged, but with a bit of investigation, I found where these drain. I then gave them all a proper clean out, and flush. Its something I will do yearly after the autumn as leaf litter builds up and can clog them slowly. I did open up the drain end slightly, as it was using a sort of flappy valve at the end that held water a little and opened when it was under enough pressure to open, and this was getting clogged with crud. Opening it up should stop that problem mostly going forwards, but is not hard to check once a year. - £0
It had an exhaust blow at one point, but this turned out to be a split at a loose join, and was fixed for free in 5 mins by a local garage when I enquired about a repair. - £0
I had a coolant leak, and this turned out to be a worn o-ring on the radiator lower temp sensor. I bought a new one from BMW and replaced it - £5
Routine maintenance over 6 years:
4 or 5 oil changes, I forget really, and usually using oil I buy in bulk, so approx £80 or so for the oil and a little more for the filter, call it £100 a time. - £500
Spark plugs 1 full set in 2017 - £52.72
Rear discs/pads were done in 2018 - approx £200
Front discs/pads done in 2022 - £180
Gearbox Fluid/Pan/Seals change was done earlier this year, as it is supposed to be done every 100k - £500
Its had two brake fluid flush/changes in my ownership at about £80 a pop. - £160
A few bulbs and things, including changing the Halo bulbs twice in my ownership, which requires removing the bumper - All in about £100
Bonnet struts/rams - Swapped these out as they were not holding the bonnet very well - £15
Windscreen replacement - Insurance
TOTAL - £1707.72
Then, the elephant in the room.
The VSS... They eventually caused an MOT failure in Feb 2020:
Exhaust emits excessive dense blue smoke during acceleration (8.2.1.2 (g)) - Major
Exhaust emits dense blue smoke at idle (8.2.1.2 (f)) - Major
Emissions not tested due to level of blue smoke (8.2.1.2 (d)) - Major
Initially as I drove home, I thought that was the end for the car. Dealers quote nearly 10k for the job, and independent (if you can find one to take it on) were quoting anywhere from 3k to 6k *figures are hazy here.
However, I had researched the issue many times over the years, and found a company that will hire out a kit to let you change the seals yourself at home, all in for £500. Some pics mid job.
As you can see, it was back breaking and took 40 or so hours, but has solved the problem completely. I am now not getting any notifications to top up on oil between scheduled changes. It was up to about a litre every 700 miles at the very worst..
Shortly after this I was on holiday with the family, and a nice chap reversed his caravan into the side whilst I was sat about 10 feet away. I knew it was coming and watched the whole thing unfold through a window, with no way to intervene.
The repair went well, no major issues afterwards, except I managed to pull the same door handle off one day, as it seems it was not quite re-installed correctly. I managed to get this fixed on the driveway, and it has been fine since.
So, when it comes to maintenance costs:
Unscheduled maintenance: £160
Scheduled maintenance:£1707.72
Maintenance totals:£1867.72
Average Yearly maintenance costs £311
I have ignored things like tyres/washer fluid and other non-car specific things in most cases, I have probably missed a few small bits that I did during that time, but its mostly accurate
Oh, and the other Elephant in the room - Fuel...
If I take 50,000 miles, at an average of 25mpg (quite close to my usual average with quite a few longer runs in there) it has cost me about...........
£14000 in unleaded over 6 years!
However, it has not been quite the pocket buster many people thought it would be. And it's now firmly in the "banger" end of the market for value. No one really wants a 5 litre v8, or a massive saloon, or old BMWs... My plan now is to just keep it running. Fix anything simple that comes up, and see how far it can go with regular maintenance. Cosmetically it's stood up well. I have some flaking paint on the alloys in places, and a bit of light scratching down the sides from driving down country lanes, but she scrubs up nicely enough! It is still an absolute joy to drive, the ride is superb, and it handles well for a big beast. For long journeys, it can carry the whole family in comfort, and you arrive not really feeling like you have driven for too long.
Will I make it to 150,000? Who knows!
These were the pictures from the advert:
It had a full main dealer service history, and a seemingly very low 49k on the clock. After test driving it twice, I bought it at sticker price in the end. The guy would not move at all.
A lot of people said I was crazy, it was a timebomb, gearbox was a disaster waiting to happen, engine was going to die in minutes, electronics would all fail, it was too complex and it would cost an arm and a leg to maintain.
Initially all seemed fine, then within a couple of weeks I thought I saw it smoking a bit at idle.. And then I learnt all about valve stem seals (VSS) on these engines...... Long story short, it had a small issue at this time, but nothing major. If I left it idling for 5 mins, it would produce a pretty large smoke screen when cold. It was much worse when cold, and when warm is was far less of an issue. So after a rather long "discussion" with the dealer, I was being overly worried, it was certainly going to be a concern in the future, but practically, it was fine for daily use for quite a while. I was won over by the car otherwise, so was willing to deal with it when it became a bigger issue.
So, next milestone, I did some routine maintenance in 2017, spark plugs, and PCV's. Spark plugs as they were due, and the back 2 were a pain, and the valve stem seal issue was slowly getting worse, and the PCV are one way to help reduce this problem a little, and it did make a small difference, but just delaying the inevitable.
I had a few small issues at this time, the CD changer was not working well, which actually was not a problem for me, was not actually using it! I also could not use the heated seat on the driver's side, as it had a VERY hot spot, and it was going to burn through the seat... Otherwise, it was driving fine, just slowly the VSS were degrading. I was using a litre of oil ever 2000 miles or so at this time. So I was regularly topping up, which actually was probably quite a good thing, as it kept the 8 litres in there quite fresh between scheduled maintenance changes!
In terms of issues (excluding routine maintenance) over the 6 years there was nothing too major (well, mostly!):
Boot automatic opening/close was failing - I managed to track down the correct fluid (Aeroshell 41 iirc) much cheaper than BMW sells it!. I also found a small leak from one side, it was a very very slow. So i used a small sponge to collect it as it leaked, topped up the level, and its been working fine ever since. I expect it will need topping up every 2-3 years, which is not a major issue for me.
Total costs - about £35 for the tub of fluid, which will do me for the life of the car for sure. £35
I had a couple of split alloys - One I had repaired professionally for £60, another I bought a second hand wheel for £60, and the last time, I took it to a mate (master welder!) who fixed it for me. - £120
It has had a little problem with the sunroof drains:
They were getting clogged, but with a bit of investigation, I found where these drain. I then gave them all a proper clean out, and flush. Its something I will do yearly after the autumn as leaf litter builds up and can clog them slowly. I did open up the drain end slightly, as it was using a sort of flappy valve at the end that held water a little and opened when it was under enough pressure to open, and this was getting clogged with crud. Opening it up should stop that problem mostly going forwards, but is not hard to check once a year. - £0
It had an exhaust blow at one point, but this turned out to be a split at a loose join, and was fixed for free in 5 mins by a local garage when I enquired about a repair. - £0
I had a coolant leak, and this turned out to be a worn o-ring on the radiator lower temp sensor. I bought a new one from BMW and replaced it - £5
Routine maintenance over 6 years:
4 or 5 oil changes, I forget really, and usually using oil I buy in bulk, so approx £80 or so for the oil and a little more for the filter, call it £100 a time. - £500
Spark plugs 1 full set in 2017 - £52.72
Rear discs/pads were done in 2018 - approx £200
Front discs/pads done in 2022 - £180
Gearbox Fluid/Pan/Seals change was done earlier this year, as it is supposed to be done every 100k - £500
Its had two brake fluid flush/changes in my ownership at about £80 a pop. - £160
A few bulbs and things, including changing the Halo bulbs twice in my ownership, which requires removing the bumper - All in about £100
Bonnet struts/rams - Swapped these out as they were not holding the bonnet very well - £15
Windscreen replacement - Insurance
TOTAL - £1707.72
Then, the elephant in the room.
The VSS... They eventually caused an MOT failure in Feb 2020:
Exhaust emits excessive dense blue smoke during acceleration (8.2.1.2 (g)) - Major
Exhaust emits dense blue smoke at idle (8.2.1.2 (f)) - Major
Emissions not tested due to level of blue smoke (8.2.1.2 (d)) - Major
Initially as I drove home, I thought that was the end for the car. Dealers quote nearly 10k for the job, and independent (if you can find one to take it on) were quoting anywhere from 3k to 6k *figures are hazy here.
However, I had researched the issue many times over the years, and found a company that will hire out a kit to let you change the seals yourself at home, all in for £500. Some pics mid job.
As you can see, it was back breaking and took 40 or so hours, but has solved the problem completely. I am now not getting any notifications to top up on oil between scheduled changes. It was up to about a litre every 700 miles at the very worst..
Shortly after this I was on holiday with the family, and a nice chap reversed his caravan into the side whilst I was sat about 10 feet away. I knew it was coming and watched the whole thing unfold through a window, with no way to intervene.
The repair went well, no major issues afterwards, except I managed to pull the same door handle off one day, as it seems it was not quite re-installed correctly. I managed to get this fixed on the driveway, and it has been fine since.
So, when it comes to maintenance costs:
Unscheduled maintenance: £160
Scheduled maintenance:£1707.72
Maintenance totals:£1867.72
Average Yearly maintenance costs £311
I have ignored things like tyres/washer fluid and other non-car specific things in most cases, I have probably missed a few small bits that I did during that time, but its mostly accurate
Oh, and the other Elephant in the room - Fuel...
If I take 50,000 miles, at an average of 25mpg (quite close to my usual average with quite a few longer runs in there) it has cost me about...........
£14000 in unleaded over 6 years!
However, it has not been quite the pocket buster many people thought it would be. And it's now firmly in the "banger" end of the market for value. No one really wants a 5 litre v8, or a massive saloon, or old BMWs... My plan now is to just keep it running. Fix anything simple that comes up, and see how far it can go with regular maintenance. Cosmetically it's stood up well. I have some flaking paint on the alloys in places, and a bit of light scratching down the sides from driving down country lanes, but she scrubs up nicely enough! It is still an absolute joy to drive, the ride is superb, and it handles well for a big beast. For long journeys, it can carry the whole family in comfort, and you arrive not really feeling like you have driven for too long.
Will I make it to 150,000? Who knows!
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