Ive heard things and read articles about reliability issues. Mostly the general stuff like electrical, etc. What more can you guys tell me? An E34 would be a great car for me if I didnt have to worry about sinking tons of money on maintenance. Thanks in advance :cool:

hey brian here's a link for some e30 reliability info. I can't remember your email so i figured I'd just post it here. I'm still doing some searching for the e34 info you requested. Later man.

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=185775&highlight=reliability



:redspot

Here are a couple of links.
http://www.e34v8.org/
http://www.bmwe34.net/
They both have a lot of good info on the e34.

If you want a straight forward engine go with the M20 I6. Excellent if you are a DIY'er. For more power go with a M30 535i. Same engine basically but more HP/TQ. If youy want a more modern engine go with a M50 engine E34. This is the same engine as the E36 3 series. Bascially reliability is dependant on the previous owner's driving habits and maitence.

I have an 1989 525i with the M20 engine. Easy to work on, but wish I had more HP/TQ. I've driven it on long trips and have not had a problem. When I got it though I did a head job, front crank seal, water pump, TB/Tensioner work and the only problemn is with my Light module cutting out. Otherwise, I have been very happy with the car and can't see myself every not owning a 5 series.

They're fairly reliable.... Over 100k they CAN (as with any car) get pretty expensive to maintain...

If your looking at a 525 and want ANY kind of power, this is the wrong car for you. I think for acceleration, I can fun faster up to 25mph than this thing can. lol.

the 535 and 525 with the m30 and m20 have been known to be extremely reliable.
hope this helps some.

How about 540's? Are they reliable?

How about 540's? Are they reliable?
As long as the motor has been replaced.

I see you have are a MKIV owner.. I owned a MKIV Jetta before my car... and the e34 has less issues :D. If you want hard core reliability the m30(535) and m20(89-90 525) is the way to go, the m50 is quite good too. Weird... someguy on the vortex asked the same question.. you dont happen to be the one ha? :D

I see you have are a MKIV owner.. I owned a MKIV Jetta before my car... and the e34 has less issues :D. If you want hard core reliability the m30(535) and m20(89-90 525) is the way to go, the m50 is quite good too. Weird... someguy on the vortex asked the same question.. you dont happen to be the one ha? :D


It could very well have been me :D I'm still contemplating the E34 and the E30 as my next car, I'm going to see what kind of deals I can find in the meantime, and thanks for all the help guys :buttrock

I've seen some nice E30's but trust me, you'll like the E34 alot more. The shape is not as dated as the E30's. Also go with the 535i, can't ever go wrong with a straight forward big six.

see this is something that always confused me. why did bmw make the 530 a v8 and the 535 an i6?

Isn't it because it's a 3 liter V8? I know one thing, sorry Manny, V8 530's tend to crappy engines. I'm setting myself up for flames... :rolleyes:

Isn't it because it's a 3 liter V8? I know one thing, sorry Manny, V8 530's tend to crappy engines. I'm setting myself up for flames... :rolleyes:
In my experience this has been true. The father of a friend of mine picked up an E34 530 at about the same time I bought by 535 - not only did the thing feel gutless (it was an automatic, though), it hardly ever ran. After a month of owning it, it had been towed into the shop twice.

This experience seems to be semi-backed up by the very few 530s I see on the road.

I really don't think there's much point going with a 530. I'm under the impression it was basically introduced to take the place of the aging 3.5l six.

I'm under the impression it was basically introduced to take the place of the aging 3.5l six.

BINGO! Mainly it was a "High Tech" engine compared to the aging, dependable I6 lumps. In the 90's, the American consumer wanted bigger engines for the premium price they paid on luxury and sports cars. This is what made Lotus go with a V8 to replace the I4 twin turbo Esprit. Ok Ok this is waht I read in a car mag, and makes sense to me...*standing under sprinkler*

The M20 powerplant would require a bit more maintenance than the M30. The M20 requires that you change the timing belt around every 70k miles. The M30 has a timing chain.

I figure for dependability, ease to fix, and power, then to go with the M30 535i.

Let me put it this way. 2 years ago, I bought a MKIII VR6 Jetta with 100k. I've spent nearly $4k on it (including a respray), doing everything myself. No mods, just fixing things. And I could spend more. And now it has 116k.

Last october, I bought an E34 535i 5-speed with 172k. I've spent maybe $600 fixing things, 'cause I'm kinda picky. It's now got 181k, and it is 10 times the vehicle that the VW is. I think the BMW is also more fun, even with the extra size and weight. Just a much better balanced vehicle.

In comparison, the E34 parts are cheaper, much cheaper than the VW (in most cases, not all), it's way easier to work on, and it needs things much less frequently.

That said, it's not a maintenance-free proposition. And if you don't keep up with it, it can bite you. But I think it's very reasonable for the performance/luxury package you get. Above all, learn to wrench on it yourself. It's not that hard and will save you mega $$$.

But my decision is easy... I picked up a Benz to replace the VW. Wanna buy a shiny MKIII? Not much left to break.... :D