Need some advice on buying a BMW 97 540i

Associate
Joined
23 Oct 2004
Posts
2,441
Location
Brighton
Howdy,

The time has come to replace my ageing e36 316i which still works but is seriously worn :-( It is totally gutless and starting to rust (sea air), so as much as I love her she is going into retirement.

So..... a replacement is needed. I fancy a E39 5 series :-) I was looking at fully loaded 528i's but a local loaded 540i (540i Auto) has come onto the market in my budget!

Hmmm 4L of V8 BMW wonderfullness seems like one hell of a leap from my weedy 1.6L. What are the things to watch out for. I hear that the V8's suffered from the engine problems due to fuel grade so that should have been replaced under warranty. It has done around 185,000 miles, but I only do <5000 a year.

Insurance is circa £500 fully comp no excess, so thats all good.

Any advice?

Ta!
 
Thanks guys,

Hopefully if the guy still has it I'll go and see it on Sunday.

It is priced at £3995 ono.

I have a local BMW specialist who works on my cars, after being stung by the main dealer. Seeing as the 540i is an expensive beast to keep running - servicing costs may outweigh the value of the car. But if this car were to last 2 years or 10,000 miles before any stupid cost repairs are needed - I will be a very happy chappy!

It has 12 months MOT, and as I said my milage is very low (I work from home).

A 528i would still me a massive leap from my worn 175,000 mile e39 316i (compression is low on all cylinders buy circa 25%!), so I may go back to looking at those. It is just this V8 beasty caught my eye.

R124/LA420 - A 7 is far far too big for me, as I don't drive trucks for a living ;-)

Awaits Fox's reply :-)
 
Thanks again guys :-)

I'll go and have a look at the starship E39 and see what it it may need replacing in the future/any service history.

Yup it is an auto.

There are a few 528i's about also, so I will look at those. My old man had a E39 520i and while it being a nice drive was totally under powered (apparently).

I'll post an update after I have had a look at a couple.

R124/LA420 Your 7 is awesome in black, and those wheels mmmmnnnnn :-)
 
Ok, A little update,

I went to view a 528i and it was a little suss. The air con fan was stuck and it had no gas. Cloth interior and no toys, plus a dodgy looking Xenon upgrade :-(

Spoke to the owner of the 540 and popped up to have a look (he was not there). The car looks sweet, has 12months MOT, 3 owners from new and full service history upto end of 2004. Also has full grey leather interior :-)

There are quiter a few bargining points to beat the price down on, mainly marked bumpers and some busted interior trim - also that mileage issue. Mine has identical marks caused my muppets around here who can't park or don't care!

HPI checks are all clear.

I'll go up and see it properly tomorrow and have a test drive - more updates to come.

540i1dd.jpg
 
So its not had a service for two years? Why, was the previous owner a cheapskate...?

I'll find out tomorrow.

He said it had not had a dealer stamp in the past 2 years, but then I would not expect it to at that price/age. I hope it has some kind of reciepts for something.

As far as I know from the brief phone convo - he has had a new windshield and "water tank" replaced in his 3 years of ownership - nothing else.

I will be getting my local BMW specialist to give it the once over, possibly getting it up on the ramps to have a look underneath.

I will try to get it down to £3400 - £3500 (It is currently reduced to £3795)

If he is anything like the 328i owner who said "eh" when I mentioned vanos - I will have fun :-)

It had a replacement gearbox 4 years ago (don't know why).

Any hows, more will be found out tomorrow :-)

I just hope my heart does not rule over my head as it did after I test drove my old MK2 GTE 16v.....
 
Righty, I am looking at more 528i's. One 1999 91,000 mile Steptronic 528I just got sold before I had a chance to view it :-(

I am still gonna go and look at this 540i and see if I can persuade the guy that he has it priced at the wrong end of 3K.
 
This must be a very noisy thread, all those bells ringing loud and hard!

The 328i had the busted aircon - and has been avoided.

The 540is dual climate works fine (apparently).
 
According to Parkers the price is way to high!

BMW 5-Series Saloon 1997/P
540i 4d Auto (96)
Mileage: 185,000

New £ 42695 LIST PRICE (including taxes). The car's price when it was new.

Franchised Dealer £ 3985

Independent Dealer £ 3700

Private Good £ 3040

Private Poor £ 2110

Part Exchange £ 2330

on 1st inspection I would guestimate it worth about £2800.

Also my independant BMW guy said "oh 540i - don't bring it here!"
 
The Glass's website refuses to let me any milage for the 540i - It keeps prompting me to not use a ',' when i am not!

Just out interest Fox, what the value of a '99 540i 4dr auto - 185,000 miles?

Ta
 
Oh dear I went to se it again tonight.....

How big is that v8 - jeez looks like something out of starwars!

It has offical BMW stamps for all inspections and oil changes etc up to 157,000, then full stamps by independants up to its current 183.000. Plus it has 12months MOT.

Everything works as it should electrical wise, except a few missing digits on the instrument display. Kick down gave awesome acceleration and it sounds tip top. Tried the sequential GB and that worked too :-)

It has all the toys except electrical seats. Air con worked immediatly.

The whole car looks and feels solid.

Now for the real problem bit.... £2.500 cash!

Oh dear, what to do.....

TBH It is a world of difference from my E36 1.6L
 
[TW]Fox said:
Thing is, it needs some essential modifications:

a) 1x BMW M-Tech bodystyling package, £1200 painted
b) 2x Hella front facelift Angel Eye headlights, £299
c) 2x CELIS rear LED facelift lights, £250

I have to start ordering stuff then. I just bought it for 2.5K!

Wheeeeeeeee!
 
Pics to follow shortly. Hopefully gonna pick it up Thurs or Friday. I drove upto it tonight to have a look again, and it certainly looks sweet :-)

I think it needs some nicer wheels, but what size is sensible? (considering bearings etc 17 - 18"?). I am liking the stock M5 wheels, or maybe the alpina style (R124/LA420 like the one you have.)

Another plus point is it has the de-chrome package, but I really do need to get rid of all that fake wood inside - carbon fibre or brushed aluminium me thinks :-) I think it would look better with the grey leather.

Whats the deal with the dead pixels, I read somewhere that it is a duff connector? If so, Ill have a bash at that. On my e36 I built an interface board to connect a full auto close alarm to the central computer - so electrical stuff I am comfortable with.
 
Well I picked it up on Wednesday :-)

So far so good. It is super smooth and the power is something else!

I am getting used to the autobox, not even tried the steptronic manual yet.

I have to adjust to the throttle, because on my 1st drive - I launched off the lights sharpish ;-)

I tested out the tourque on a dual carridgeway hill, and it just kept on accellerating!

Kick down is fun, all of a sudden you get a surge and off you go! (this is my 1st auto car so I need to get used to that too).

MPG is horrible :-) but as I only use it occasionally that is fine.

It really needs a good inside valet and jet wash (none work here in Hove). Plus new M5 wheels are on order.

So I will play with it some more this weekend, give it a good clean and take some piccies.

I am still reading the instruction manual too.......
 
Yup it is a steptronic auto.

Still too scared to give it full welly (probably a good thing). But on the occasion I have done like joining dual carridgeways, it sure does moovvvvveeeeeee!

Manual says 0-60 = 6.4secs The sound it makes is very nice - a nice low burble. Fuel consumption hurts though, but as I said, I will drive it a couple of times a week and that cost is well worth the fun factor!

I am finding all these new toys - like the fact that you only need to flip the key, the computer will control the starter motor.

Also it has an untouched toolkit, and I found a complete first-aid kit too :-)

I am now deciding on wheels. I think it is gonna be 18" M5 style in smoked silver :-)

BTW Fox, I started another thread about painting the "fake wood". You said it was real, and I popped off a panel and your are not wrong. Should I paint or not?

So far this is the best 2.5k I have ever spent (thouches wood). It is so nice to drive!

I'll try to get some pics this weekend inbetween the seagulls dumping all over it!. I'll get some vids so you can hear it too :-)
 
Back
Top Bottom