So my 540i has finally died

skyripper

skyripper

skyripper

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5 years ago I bought a E39 540i. Made in 2002, stonking car, lovely engine. comfort, luxury and power for the price of a 4 year old crapbox.

A lot of life changes since then, I hadn't been using the car, thinking about selling it on, some scumbag keyed it, starting to get minor annoyances with it - battery issues and alarm being the main ones.

Passed it to my dad who has kept if for the last year, and probably only done 2000 miles in it. He's fastidious about cars, replaced all the tyres, got the panels resprayed professionally etc. Took it thru a service including BMW inspection.

It's now developed an oil leak which has been diagnosed as a head gasket failure.
The service book says this is a 22 hour job. The value of the car in proper working order should be somewhere from £3000 upwards I reckon. WBAC being around half that. Obviously it aint worth that now!

There are some absolute chancers on Pistonheads advertising them at nearly £10K, but I think thats mental for what is now a 15 year old car with expensive internals and expensive mechanicals etc.

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Not sure what the point of this thread is apart from to collect my thoughts on it!

Anyhow, I think it'll be going on ebay for spares and repair soon.
 
Sorry I have no mechanical know how but would swapping an engine from a working 540i be an option?
 
Lashout_UK said:
Serious oil leak, or a minor one?
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Serious apparently. I haven't seen it yet, but its been in the care of the same mechanic my dad has used for the last 20 years.
Not leaking when not running. But leaking and overheating enough to be risky on anything more than a 5 minute drive.

TS7 said:
Sorry I have no mechanical know how but would swapping an engine from a working 540i be an option?
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I've been down that route before, I have (paid someone to) swap the engine in and out on a Hyundai coupe v6 many years ago. While its quite fun reviving a car to keep, it wasn't a great transplant then, and I was planning on selling this car anyhow - its too old and too thirsty for commuting - and with 3 other cars and a motorbike, I have neither the time nor the will to keep hold of it.

Just peeved its going to be going off on a trailer rather than charging off into the distance under its own V8 power..
 
If it's a great car then it's worth keeping alive I think. Changing the head gasket isn't that big of a job for someone who knows what they are doing (so don't take it to a dealer :P )
 
Nasher said:
If it's a great car then it's worth keeping alive I think. Changing the head gasket isn't that big of a job for someone who knows what they are doing (so don't take it to a dealer :p )
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Changing the head gaskets is really quite a big job on a 540i.
 
Nasher said:
If it's a great car then it's worth keeping alive I think. Changing the head gasket isn't that big of a job for someone who knows what they are doing (so don't take it to a dealer :p )
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Agreed.
If it was a 4 pot 1.8 with one intake manifold to take off etc..
This aint.


[TW]Fox said:
Changing the head gaskets is really quite a big job on a 540i.
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22 Hours and that's when the professionals do it.

To go back to Nasher's point -
Lets estimate £110/hr (I haven't checked), and thats a starting position, not a finishing position.
I'm not going to entrust a job like that to "Micks Motors" under the railway either (no offense to any Mick's reading).

If the car was 5 years old and worth £30K, it'd be worth it.

Ricochet J said:
V8? Therefore 2 head gaskets?
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Exactly. An engine this size, which (I assume) suffered a coolant or oil problem causing one of the following Gasket Failure, Block cracking or Head deformation.
Even if I have both head gaskets (taking the heads off.. I can't see why anyone would only do one!), I'd still need the heads checked and possibly skimmed, and it would still be an unknown quantity. Plus what caused the failure in the first place? Has the waterpump gone? Is one or more of the oil capilliaries gunked up thru lack of use or contamination?

I've been down this route before with keeping a car past a terminal failure because "Its a shame to get rid of such a nice car". Its a ballache I don't have room for right now.

I've loved this car, but I went in knowing every pound I put into the car had to be disposible, and that's how I see it still. If someone takes it off my hands to revive it, that'd be great for my rose tinted specs.
I expect it'll be bought and stripped to sell for parts.
 
Problem is (as you've alluded), you end up recommissioning the entire front end of the car if you set about it in earnest. Several thousand pounds later....

This is what kills a lot of E34s (including M5s) dead, among others.
 
While it's sad to see another 540i bite the dust, I'm completely with you with regards to no fixing it. Great cars though they were in their day (although this is debateable as the 528i/530i drives better due to proper steering and the M5 is faster) they are just expensive old bangers now. I've had two 540is over the years. A 1997 auto back in 2000 when they were still very desirable and current, and a 1997 6-speed Touring in 2008 when I was down on my luck and skint. I wouldn't have one now though no matter how cheap.
 
I'm sure there would be someone out there with the opposite problem, a functioning powertrain but rotten car. Just need to find them and it could be saved (by them).

I'd take it myself if I had the space as I love purple/violet on E38s and E39s.
 
Put it on eBay bids (maybe with a reserve) as spares repairs, a mechanic will buy it and fix it and sell it on
 
That will be a prime car for export to eastern europe, thats where a lot of old mercs and BMW's seem to head. Its a big job for even a hobbyist to attempt, shame as they were a lovely car :(
 
skyripper said:
Anyhow, I think it'll be going on ebay for spares and repair soon.
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If you're considering selling it as spares or repairs, drop the oil, put some thicker oil in it and add a container of Bar's stop leak - what have you got to lose? If it works, ebay the car as sold as seen sharpish.
 
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