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BMW 5-Series Maintenance and Repair

2734 messages,  Last post on Mar 25, 2013 at 4:00 PM

You are in the BMW 5-Series Forum.

What is this discussion about? BMW 5 Series, Electrical, Engine, Sedan, Wagon

    
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Messages Page 19 of 274

#178 of 2734 Nikasil V8 Engines by riez

Dec 03, 2002 (6:00 am)

mb22... Roundel and Bimmer magazines both have had extensive discussions about the Nikasil Engine Debacle. Issue is tied to premature cylinder bore wear.
 
In USA it afflicted E34 530i V8s, E34 540i V8s, E32 740i/740iL V8s, and E31 840i V8s. These are the M60 V8s used from MYs 1992-1996: 3.0L (2997cc) and 4.0L (3982cc) engines. {Rest of world also had Replaced in MY 1996 by the M62 V8s, of which USA gets the 4.4L (4398cc). [For rest of world there is also an M62 3.5L (3498cc).] See James Taylor's book "Driving Machines, The BMW Story", 2000, for discussion about all the various engines and their applications.
 
I pulled out a couple back issues of each. April 2002 issue of Bimmer has a Tech Q&A question on the subject. Response opines that most Nikasil V8s were replaced under warranty, though some still remain. You have to ensure the engine block is Alusil, not Nikasil. You need to check out the block casting number. Says a good source of information can be found at
 
www.koalamotorsport.com
 
Click on the "What's wrong with the V8 engines?" FAQ. You might check that site out.
 
September 2002 Roundel has a Tech Talk article titled "Aging Nikasil 740? Sell!" Letter writer has a '94 740i with 86,000 miles now experiencing rough idle and periodic loss of power. Writer states his block casting number is 1 742 998, a Nikasil block. Roundel's tech guru, Mike Miller, says that rough idle is a "harbinger of the low-compression situation that signals the Nikasil debacle." Cylinder-wear problem. He points out that BMW extended engine warranties of the Nikasil blocks to 6yrs/100,000 miles. That was on the V8s made BEFORE 3/95 (automatics) and 5/95 (manuals). Miller thnks most Nikasil's were replaced under warranty.
 
The August 2002 Roundel has a sad letter to the editor titled "I Want a 250,000-Mile Warranty." Writer has a 1994 740i with 98,000 miles. Tries to sell the car thinking it is worth about $12,000-15,000 but when he goes to trade it in on a new X5 he is only offered $5,600 from BMW dealer. Low figure due to his car still having the original Nikasil block. So far he hasn't experienced the problem.
 
See at least three options: find a nice Nikasil-block car and buy it cheap (realizing you'll likely have an expensive engine replacement down the road); be careful and ensure the engine has been replaced, verifying that carefully; or avoid the issue altogether by buying an E39 5 Series, the current generation.

#179 of 2734 Ball joint problems on new 530 by teejet

Dec 22, 2002 (6:59 am)

My 2002 530 is beginning to sound pretty clunky in the left front suspension as well. The car goes in this coming Thursday for a check. I'll report back once we know the cause. How was your problem finally resolved?

#180 of 2734 Front end clunk repair continued by bmwluver

Dec 23, 2002 (11:35 pm)

teejet: Here's the solution for the front end clunk on my BMW 530 with 8,000 miles on it. They started off by replacing the ball joints. When the clunk continued they investigated further and decided it was something else. The eventual fix states "Replaced both control arms. Replaced both thrust rods for front stabilizer. Replaced right front tension strut and bushing." The sound, they concluded, was coming from right thrust rod, both control arms and sway bar links.
There was an interesting glitch when I picked up the car at night and discovered the dim lights were now pointed only about 8 feet in front of the car. When I returned the car, the dealer said they did not understand this since "they had not touched the lights." With my rudimentary knowledge of cars, I knew BMW used an automatic leveling system to adjust the height of the lights relative to the chassis. Sure enough, a technician fixed the problem in about 1 minute. My guess is there was an electrical connection that he had forgotten to reattach. All returned to normal. Hopefully, your dealer will be a bit more conscientious. All in all, however, although I was not keen on a repair with so few miles, BMW did a good job of fixing the problem. Good news is that the car now steers and handles better than it did when I took delivery in Munich. And I had the use of a 528 for the 4 days it took to fix the problem. Bad news is that I found the handling, steering and "sounds" preferable on the 528 to my new 530. The 530 does ride better and the brakes are superior to the 528 I used. I'll be interested in hearing how they fix your car. And if they hook your lights back up!

#181 of 2734 In the Market for a 5-Series by vinu_neuro

Dec 24, 2002 (11:35 pm)

I really love the the feel and the telepathy of Bimmers. This would be the first European vehicle for me. I have a couple of questions.
 
1.) I have heard mixed things about the 5-Series in snow. Is it driveble without sport suspension and snow tires?
 
2.) What is the "a" in 528ia mean?

#182 of 2734 by srfast

Dec 25, 2002 (11:23 am)

vinu_neuro:
1. "Driveable" is relative. How extreme are the conditions.
2. "a" = Automatic (transmission)
 
Hope this helps....JL

#183 of 2734 RE: In the Market for a 5-Series by vinu_neuro by snagiel

Dec 28, 2002 (11:48 am)

srfast is correct, but just to add, "528ia" is common shorthand in message boards and the like, but not a real model. All of them are 528i, some with manuals, some with automatic transmissions. In other words, you won't see a "528ia" badge on any trunklids.

#184 of 2734 Do I have to buy an extended warranty for 2000-528ia? by billytong

Dec 29, 2002 (11:50 pm)

Is very difficult for me to make a decision to buy a used 2000-528ia or new 2003 honda accord V6 coupe. The price is almost the same. The only different is the 100%new and 28K used. I'm not very rich to buy a expensive car. My only concern is the average maintance costs between honda & BMW. My friend told me BMW need to fix a lot of problems when it's getting older. Is anyone can give me a good advice.

#185 of 2734 Check Engine Light by rtboon

Dec 30, 2002 (3:10 pm)

Light just came on on my 97 528i with 72,000 miles and was wondering what the more common problems are that cause this?
 
Bob
97 528i
99 328i

#186 of 2734 One Irritating Way by riez

Dec 30, 2002 (3:21 pm)

is to improperly fuel up your car. The OBD II systems can be particular. Never fuel up with the key in the ignition or key in & turned on (either with car running or not). Fuel up with the car off, key out, and nothing running. And make sure to properly put back the fuel filler cap. Follow whatever instructions are there.

#187 of 2734 Billy Tony by zeen

Dec 31, 2002 (11:33 am)

No question that BMW's are more expensive to repair than Hondas. Hondas can last forever if properly taken care of. I have seen 4 cylinder Hondas speed by me in my 528 on the highway. They are great cars.
That being said, there is nothing like the 528 driving experience. My 97 528 rides better than most new cars and it has 63,000 miles. Repairs have been minimal. There is also the prestige factor of course. An Accord is just another car on the road.
I found a local mechanic who repairs BMW's and has all the latest diagnostic equipment. He charges about a third less than the dealer.
 My vote is the BMW.

Messages Page 19 of 274

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