Hey all,
Just picked up a 1-owner '01 540 m sport with 75k miles and a 6 speed tranny for 92 hundo
The guy already put a new water pump in however i had to change the oil - those damn rubber mounts that hold the oil filter went so i had to super glue them back together but w.e (btw i used 10w-40 and i want to know what you guys think about that) and i had the camshaft position 'A' sensor go on me today so I had to replace that - luckily my dad has an '00 740i sport so i just swapped the sensors
All in all a very fast and great car and i'm looking forward to sharing my experiences and DIY experiences with all of you!
Btw, thinking of throwing a k&n air filter on there and a k&n oil filter - thoughts?
-cheers
Last edited by hkovalcik; 09-24-2012 at 11:30 PM.
As for oil, I use 0W-40 Mobil 1 synthetic, though last oil change a couple of days ago I used 6.5 quarts of 0W-40 with 1.5 quarts of 10W-30 of Mobil 1.
Congrats on the car!
"Serena" Current mileage: 150,157. 15 years celebrated 09/20/2015.
Lol at k&n filter. You seem young op.
Lol at k&n filter. You seem young op.
Nice find! Pics
ya you can pass on the K&N. Congrats on the car, be careful!
Congrats
Just paid $74 to fill my tank. Glad I'll get 500 miles before I fill it again.
I think you guys are missing the fact that:
well, better get some more oil because now i have to do another oil change.
so i did, only they didnt have my filter in stock - so i had to take the filter out again and i wash it with water and wiped any excess oil off with a towel. good as new i guess - and i put that back in.
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1898311
Hence the thread revival.
Resident Third World Country Advisor
Lol. Thats user error right there.
I actually feel empathy for the young buyers of the mighty M62. It's a great engine. A 540i is fun to drive hard. I've driven my share and I drive them like I stole them because it's fun. But the price paid at the pump is no longer worth it to me. I recently sold a 475 WHP Butler built 400 Ram Air 1 Firebird because it cost stupid money to enjoy. When I was 16, premium cost 59 cents a gallon. Now it's $4.25 and rising daily. It's getting more expensive to emulate your inner Don Garlits and the 540i is no fun unless you can afford to thrash one. I can beat the living daylights out of my 530i and still get 28 mile per gallon and not lose my license in the process. V8 cars are slowly becoming more of a liability than an asset but for those testosterone-rich drivers, the price is still worth the expense. To a point.
I say, enjoy it while you can afford it but there will become a time when the fun gets too expensive and you'll wish you had bought the inline car. They still supply plenty of go and can be made to handle like a 3-series. And when it comes right down to it, isn't handling why we all buy BMW's in the first place?
I just bought my 540 to replace my MINI. I used to get 37mpg on my commute but it's worth it to me. Selling my 2010 turbo Clubman will bring quite a bit more money for school than the few hundred a year in extra gas costs
'02 540i6, '95 z28 6speed, '93 Nissan 4x4 pickup 5speed, '15 Subaru Outback, '10 Mini Clubman S 6speed
It is a little frustrating having an average MPG of ~17 in the city. Love the 25 on the highway though.
I drive pretty conservatively now (lived through my lead foot years in a 400HP 300ZX) but I like having the power there when I need to put my foot down.
I remember when gas was 99 cents a galon or 42 cents here a litre when i was in high school
Seriously, I am never ever going to wish I bought a 530I. I love BMW inline 6s too, the first time I drove a 328IS I was in love with the engine sound. I totally get it. I just think the 6 engine makes sense in the 3 series body size. BMW's handle really well, but if you are really concerned about handling, buy a 3 series!
Here's the way I see it:
5 series - Highway cruiser
3 series - backroad killer (especially m3)
I prefer a big engine for a highway cruiser. I don't get trying to get awesome handling out of an E39. As a sedan, yes, it handles amazingly, and I want my car to handle as best as it possibly can (and I've dropped money to do so on suspension work). But smaller cars just have such a large advantage I don't worry too much about the tight turns. Sure, I love driving them as fast as I can, but I know an old 4 cyl E30 could still take me in some of the tighter turns. Some day I'd like to get an E36 M3 and really get an awesome BMW driver-oriented-inline 6 handling experience! It might be my next car (with the E39 staying).
I'm not trying to diss your choice, I think you bought the right car for you. But I bought the right car for me! For me the 540I is way more than being a good handling sedan, just everything is right about it besides the cooling system and cupholders.
I have wondered this many times about Geez. I think he should have posted his genuinely sad story about having to sell his big engine'd car. Perhaps he is rationalizing his purchase to himself while missing his firebird? I mean if you can't afford the gas, the 530i is a killer option. I also work from home most of the time, so about 50% of my driving is literally for fun! I know a lot of people have longer commutes, so the V8 seems like a waste if you're driving in rush hour a lot. I just don't have that problem, no long commute, lots of joyriding...
Personally if gas is suddenly $10, I'll keep the 540I and have a second vehicle that sips. I just don't ride the BMW to save money, I ride it for that peak experience. If I could afford more, it would be an M5! We also have a CLK320 in the garage, it can get 30mpg+ highway driving 65, I'll probably just lean on that if needed.
Last edited by aspensilver540; 09-29-2012 at 01:21 AM.
Don't take this the wrong way, but I really can't take the opinion of someone with the Navi from Avatar in their "avatar" all that seriously. Occasionally, I like to bear my soul in here, warts and all. If the milk in your cornflakes yellows slightly because of it, I apologize.
Other than pure greed I don't see why gas ever went over $1.00 a gal.Originally Posted by AnotherGeezer
The tv tells me Chevy and Ford love selling there big hp cars. (Camaro and Mustang of course). So someone is still buying muscle cars.Originally Posted by aspensilver540
Last edited by savannah996; 09-29-2012 at 10:34 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
Because people will still buy it no matter what price it is.
Don't forget the awesome Challenger. Yes the American automakers still sell serious muscle cars. There will always be a market for them here in the US because we invented the concept but those cars come at a premium pricetag well out of the practical range of the average Joe. It's just sad that the latest generation to drive and enjoy a V8 might soon be the last to enjoy them at all. I consider myself fortunate to have been around when gas was cheap, smog laws were yet to be fully implimented and you could build a fast car for small money. Now my focus is more on retiring with piles of cash instead of ripping along the open road at 130mph.
Last edited by AnotherGeezer; 09-29-2012 at 11:06 AM.
Congrats. I too just bought a 540i about 5 days ago. I love it~ I had the choice of going with a nice 02 530 w/ the sport package or a 97 540. Ended up w/ the 540... Something about the V8 that gets to me. I'll post photos when I can in my own thread and you guys can laugh at me then. (Cars a bit riced out)
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