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Sedans BMW 5-Series BMW 5-Series Maintenance and Repair
2416 messages, Last post on Nov 24, 2009 at 8:41 AM
You are in the BMW 5-Series Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: andys120 (Jul 22, 2009 7:30 am) 
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No end to the political correctness. Plus a revenue stream for already bloated budgets and bennies. Never seen so many cops looking to give tickets since this recession started. |
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.....in my constant quest to find a beater that is not an Escort or Corsica, I'm going to look at a 528e tomorrow ('88, automatic, 151k miles, allegedly owned by a mechanic, new brakes and battery). Yeah, I already know they're slow; this is basically going to be a 'run around town and possibly visit mom once in a while' (second car). This one looks OK for the price, and supposedly runs great. Anything endemic to these I need to know about? Owner supposedly has all books and records, which I like a lot. Thanks!!
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Replying to: ghulet (Jul 24, 2009 12:01 am) Not that it matters... An '88 BMW is pretty maintenance intensive.. that's what all your money is going to go for... Even for a second car, figure $100/mo, if nothing big breaks.... Personally, I wouldn't get an automatic in an old BMW.. |
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Replying to: ghulet (Jul 24, 2009 12:01 am) The E28(1982-1988) 5ers are very nice cars but, as kyfdx pointed out, they are getting a bit long in the tooth. Still, you can usually get at least 300,000 miles out of a well maintained car. The 1988 528e had the so-called "Super eta" motors, which have a wee bit more horsepower and a higher redline than the 1982-1987 eta motors. The eta motors were designed for fuel economy and low speed torque, and they operate at relatively(for a BMW) low engine speeds. The autobox is well suited to a super eta car. As for negatives, the engine has a timing belt which MUST be changed every four years/50,000 miles. The motor also requires a valve adjustment every 15,000 miles(a very simple job). I'd definitely have the car examined by a knowledgeable BMW tech. As for running costs, a lot will depend on your willingness to perform minor maintenance/repairs and the proximity of a good dealer or indie BMW tech. If it was my car, I'd change the engine oil every 5,000 miles, the aforementioned valve adjustment at 15,000 miles, the plugs/filters/ATF/final drive oil every 30,000 miles, the coolant every two years, and the brake fluid annually. |
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| ....thanks for the advice! | |
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Replying to: markhotop (Jul 14, 2009 12:00 pm) |
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I just got a fix-it ticket for not having a front license plate while parked in the Park-n-Ride in Woodside, CA. Carpooling to save the environment, right... So I called BMW Mountain View, my service advisor quoted me $300 to put on a license plate frame and have it painted to match the car (black). So I called Sterling BMW in Newport Beach, where I'd bought the car, and they mailed me a black plastic one for free. I brought it in to Mountain View and they installed it as a courtesy, took 2 minutes. Cost of ticket was $77, including the late fee...they want payment right away and don't give you time to shop around for a frame. Still, I saved $300.
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Replying to: bmwgal3 (Aug 23, 2009 12:51 pm) Cali must be desperate for revenue, around here that'a fix-it-in-ten-days-or-pay ticket. |
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| this is a great car and i love it and so i like to keep everything in this car to work properly. does anybody in this forum know how much it will cost to get a master key and also to get the rechargable flash light to work. thanks a bunch. e39 rules!!!! | |
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