Hi, I have always dreamed of having an e39. I’m planning to invest up to $10k on a 1997 to 1999 BMW 528i that’s bellow or around 100k miles. This will be my first car purchase. And it will be the first car that I can claim as my own.

I have read that there is a problem with double VANOS on the 99’s. Dose anyone have a 99 528i? Is this problem serious enough that I should stay away from 99s.

Any advice on what ells I should be looking for besides a good service history?

I have also read that the maintenance and repair costs are extremely high, maybe I should just go with a Honda with lower miles instead. I only have 10k, I want to hear you all’s thoughts on it.

any advice will be apreciated, thanks yall

Skip the 528 and find a well-maintained 540. You won't regret it.

search and read...that is the best you can do!

I have driven, bought and sold numerous 528i, 325i, 328i etc of all years and have never seen a single VAnos problem with any car. That is an uncommon issue that has taken a life of it's own from internet postings.

if $10k is your max investment, then don't buy one that costs more than $8k because you could easily end up spending the other $2k in the first few months...especially if it wasn't that well taken care of.

Skip the 528 and find a well-maintained 540. You won't regret it.

Traitor! :shifty

Save some more money and research more on the car you want. When you are ready look around and don't impulse buy. The car you want might not be around the corner, sometimes it is out of state, it is worth to travel a bit to get exactly what you want. I don't know how the market for BMW's is in Iowa but the closer you get to a larger city with $ like Chicago the more likely there will be a larger selection of cars.

if $10k is your max investment, then don't buy one that costs more than $8k because you could easily end up spending the other $2k in the first few months...especially if it wasn't that well taken care of.
+1
Mine was very well maintained and I spent close to $3-4k on taxes, registration, title, scheduled maintenance, tires, headlamp unit, gasket replacement, ignition switch, etc... It doesn't take long for the $$$s to add up.

Save some more money and research more on the car you want. When you are ready look around and don't impulse buy. The car you want might not be around the corner, sometimes it is out of state, it is worth to travel a bit to get exactly what you want. I don't know how the market for BMW's is in Iowa but the closer you get to a larger city with $ like Chicago the more likely there will be a larger selection of cars.
I bought mine on Ebay motors from European Wholesale Auto and had it put on a transport from Dallas to Michigan. An excellent decision. You have a lot more vehicles to choose from. You just have to REALLY do your homework!

any advice will be apreciated, thanks yall

Take this for what's it worth....

This will be my first car purchase. And it will be the first car that I can claim as my own.

I honestly don't think this is a car you want as your "first" ever car purchase.

In the price range your looking at you either have to find a car that is in great condition has been maintained and kept up and someone willing to let it go for cheap.

or

You find, or settle for, a car that isn't in the greatest shape with tons of miles and you'll need to come up with more money just to keep it reliable and on the road.

Your choice of course but at the end of the day you'll have to live with your decision. It's been said that indecisions are worse than the wrong decisions.

my .02, GL with your decision. :)

I'd suggest looking for a BMW in Arizona or Texas.

Many rich people practically give away their "out of date" BMW's. I've seen a 01' 530i for 10k with only 70k miles on it here.

I'd suggest looking for a BMW in Arizona or Texas.

Many rich people practically give away their "out of date" BMW's. I've seen a 01' 530i for 10k with only 70k miles on it here.
some of those "rich people" found that the repairs on their older ones were costing more than they could afford.

<---- Texan who sold one for $10k that was 1yr older and half the miles as the one you mentioned...and I was thrilled to see it go so I could stop figuring out how I was going to pay for all the repairs it needed.

in other words, those cheap ones can end up costing a bunch.

My car has 134k on it, but has had every major item replaced and runs flawlessly. This car came with every receipt for everything ever done to it from the day it left the dealership's lot. I bought it for $7500 and have put about $3000 in it, primarily on cosmetic improvements.

It can be done with the money you want to spend, but you will need to be absolutely certain the car you're buying has had everything done to it that needs to be to stay reliable. They are out there, you just need to be picky and patient. :thumbup:

Tim

PS I'll sell you my car for $9500. :D

Well, I'd suggest buying a car from an old guy or perferably woman. They're more likely to have not romped on the car and taken care of it.

And Munich, you do have a point. I guess it's just a gamble then.

I have driven, bought and sold numerous 528i, 325i, 328i etc of all years and have never seen a single VAnos problem with any car. That is an uncommon issue that has taken a life of it's own from internet postings.

My 2000 528i (double vanos) has the issue - it's a design fault, and many people on this board have had their vanos units replaced because those little oil seals aren't replaceable separately. When I was test driving 528s last year, I drove another 2000 that had the same cold start idle stutter - it's easy to differentiate from other issues because the clockwork regularity of the stutters.

if $10k is your max investment, then don't buy one that costs more than $8k because you could easily end up spending the other $2k in the first few months...especially if it wasn't that well taken care of.

+1

i bought my 528i for $8200 about 1.5 months ago (1/27/07) and it already had angel eyes, ungraded tail lights, tint, and some different wheels.. but as far as work done; i already spent about $600 on a cooling issue (waterpump, thermostat housing, fan clutch, & hoses + labor), $350 on rear brake pads and rotors (coming soon another $500 for front brake pads and rotors) and about $550 on registration for my car. So save some money to fix the car after you buy it!!:dunno

Just bought my 98 528i in Texas. Cost was $8990. 95K.

Look around here and you'll see some common problems. Run the VIn # and see what has been fixed. Records are very helpful. Drive the car and listen for rattles, look at the rubber around the outside of the windows.

Things to check are cooling system issues, control arm bushings and dead pixels in the gauges. If the car "sounds" and "looks" solid take it to a reputable BMW mechanic and have them put it on a lift and check it out. That's money well spent so you don;t end up with a suprise after you drive off the lot.

Any car will need some work at 100k. Shocks, brakes etc are just normal wear items a tranny flush might be suggested too. Get the car sound mechinacally, then protect the paint and the interior with tint and conditioners. Then start modding.

Most say:
Tint, clear lights all around and wheels are the first mods with the biggest impact. You can worry with cup holders to coilovers somewhere down the line :)

I have driven, bought and sold numerous 528i, 325i, 328i etc of all years and have never seen a single VAnos problem with any car. That is an uncommon issue that has taken a life of it's own from internet postings.


Agreed problems here sometimes seem mainstream because they are talked about so much when really sometimes problems such as these dont arise that often...

Ive owned three BMW's so far with vanos and none of them have exhibited any problems in the valve timing.

honestly, get a honda or something else. i'm all for bimmers but i woulda NEVER got one as my first car, and since your dollars are limited (moreso than others) i'd say go with something cheaper to maintain. Either that, or if you can wait, save up like 15k and then buy a bimmer for no more than 8k. You SHOULD be ok then.

honestly, get a honda or something else. i'm all for bimmers but i woulda NEVER got one as my first car, and since your dollars are limited (moreso than others) i'd say go with something cheaper to maintain. Either that, or if you can wait, save up like 15k and then buy a bimmer for no more than 8k. You SHOULD be ok then.

That doesn't make much sense. If he went with a Honda or some of those cheaper cars they wouldn't be reliable at all from my experience. My friend has an 04' Camry and has had too many problems to even list w/ it. Something always goes bad internally. I always give him crap about how my older car is more relable than his newer car.

So if you go w/ a cheaper car, the maintanence would not cost as much as a bimmer, but the volume of problems will be hella more.

sgao - you're a tard. learn how to spell properly you nub.

BOOM headshot!

i'd say go with something cheaper to maintain. Either that, or if you can wait, save up like 15k and then buy a bimmer for no more than 8k. You SHOULD be ok then.

are you kidding me? that’s a worst case scenarios right? that’s 7k in repairs...

my heart is pretty much set on a bimmer, im gonna save up to 12k and buy for 8k

yeah, knux is a tard. he even said "should" be ok.

LOL, i don't know where the fuk he's buying his cars from. Must be the junk yard lol

just kidding knux i love you, but you're still a tard.

That doesn't make much sense. If he went with a Honda or some of those cheaper cars they wouldn't be reliable at all from my experience. My friend has an 04' Camry and has had too many problems to even list w/ it. Something always goes bad internally. I always give him crap about how my older car is more relable than his newer car.

So if you go w/ a cheaper car, the maintanence would not cost as much as a bimmer, but the volume of problems will be hella more.
This doesn't make sense. Bottom line is, there's no make or model that's gonna be problem free. A used Bimmer could be perfect or it could be shit, the same as a used camry could be. With used cars, you never know for sure until it's too late. Testimonials (my friend has a.....) should mean absolutely nothing. I've been on many other forums and everyone knows someone who's had (insert make/model here) that was a POS, and another guy knows someone with the same car that could say the opposite. The only thing that you do know for sure is that certain makes/models tend to have pricier repair parts, cause that can actually be proven.
Anyways, sgao yes that is a worse case scenario, but that's the safe way if you'd wanna do it right, cuz you getting a complete pos that's well hidden and a great car (no matter the make/model) really comes down to luck. I mean you can do research and have stuff checked out, but in reality that will help but nothing's foolproof. maybe ur mechanic is busy and bs's you and says he did it. Maybe he's not as good as u think. It's not like he's liable anyway so how much does he really care about your car purchase? All i was saying is if u wanna be prepared that's what you should do. I wasn't saying you'd actually need that much money, but if you break it down, taxes, registration, insurance (it's your first car, right?) and 2 things that could just be regular maintenance could wittle away most of that remaining cash i spoke of. Just trying to help, don't let these young bucks hype you into getting in over your head. Besides, it's just one person's opinion.

If you want a Bimmer as your first car, does it have to be an e39? Why not a much less expensive e30 or e34 first to make sure Bimmers are even your cup of tea?

As an BMW enthusiast, I am all for someone getting a BMW, but as a first car, it could turn out to be a money pit if youre not experienced. You always take a chance when buying any used car. DO YOUR HOMEWORK and remember not to buy on impulse. A single vanos E39 could get a 97 M3 engine installed with little effort (the 97 528 and 97 M3 engines are interchangable in the E39 and requires only computer reprogramming to make it happen) Also, if youre stuck on getting a BMW, you will find that E36's are a lot cheaper and a large amount of parts for it (both OEM and Performance Parts) are less expensive than it's big brother. Plus it gives you everything a BMW is known for, excellent handling, good looks, and the same inline 6-cylinder as a 5 series. An largely unknown fact is that the 5 series has more computers in it than some single engine aircraft, and the extra complexity=more cost to maintain and more chances for something to break. The last thing you would want is to have your dream car parked in front of your house broken because you cant afford to have it repaired. Dont be discouraged, just be careful. Good luck with your search.

To respond to the original post, I would agree with some authors that E39, IMHO, should not be the first BMW and certainly the first car. As mentioned, 3 series share the same engines, but tend to have fewer problems (this seems to have an undesired side effect that it is harder to find 97-98 E36 than E39). Definitely you should not buy one without finding as much as possible about the repairs already done and causes for the things needing repair.

Actually, I logged in hoping to get answer to a similar question from the local gurus:

I am looking at two cars, both offered at 10K (before license, tax, etc), both 1997 528i, auto-tran:

1. 85,000 mi, with just replaced coooling system (Radiator,Thermostat,Water Pump, Hoses), 17" with low profiles, 2 previous owners from CA, second being a lady.
2. 75,000 mi, with new radiator, head and head gasket, two previous owners from FL and CA

both cars are trade-ins from non-bmw dealers and both mentioned repairs were performed at the dealers' expenses

any suggestions? Inside, from the look and feel , #1 is in much better shape, but #2 has fewer miles and dealer there also offers 3mo/4000mi warranty

Should I be afraid that #1 will require the proverbial head gasket job soon or that #2 has another pile of problem, as it was probably maintained worse.