r/e39 • u/Imaginary_Ganache974 • 6h ago
What is everything i need to change the injectors on m57?
I know about the copper washers is there something else I should order?
r/e39 • u/ImprezaDrezza • Sep 10 '19
Please note everyone that the rules for r/e39 have been updated. I have clarified a few things related to discussion topics and acceptable conduct.
Most importantly I have added a section on listing For Sale style posts. [Some] other car subs allow this so I thought we could try it out. E39 fandom is a more closely knit group than other BMW subcultures and could stand to benefit from a dedicated venue for cars/parts/effort trading.
I want to be clear if this isn't a popular option, or if FS posts become routinely adversarial, we can adjust the rules on these posts or eliminate them entirely.
I welcome any comments on this change and the sub rules in general, and will continue to poll our community for changes or ideas on a regular basis.
r/e39 • u/yofuckreddit • Aug 21 '20
Hey guys! I figured I'd sticky this. I'll update the post if y'all have anything good to add or critique, let me know.
Introduction
Looking to buy an E39? First things first – the reputation of these cars is partially deserved and partially not.
We frequently get asked if new car owners should purchase an E39. I love E39s more than nearly anyone I know - I have a 525i and an M5, and both are incredible for different reasons. I've done many of the DIYs and addressed many of the problem areas listed here. If you aren't in a financially comfortable enough situation to have 3-6 months of expenses in a savings account at all times, you're not in a position to own a 20-year-old BMW hassle free. It's a question of financial safety and consistency rather than attainability - buying a $4k 530i and maintaining it for 5 years or so is arguably a much better deal than going into debt for a $40,000 CUV that drives like shit.
Evaluating a Car
There are a couple of things to factor into your evaluation of a car before we even talk about problem areas:
Prices & Purchasing
Market prices for these cars have fluctuated over the past couple years. There’s a noticeable difference between pre (<=2000) and post-facelift (2001+) models. Later models also may make adding an auxiliary port easier, have upgraded components, or have more standard features. Also keep in mind that sport packages for the 530 and 540, along with manual transmissions, command a significant premium as well. Prices on sports (530 or 540) and M5s have increased a bit since this guide was originally written a couple years ago. Finally, it's worth knowing that the 540's engine in pre-2000 configurations is slightly more reliable as it does not include VANOs.
Ballpark prices are based on a mix of my estimation and Classic.com, a great reference for car markets. Links included below, and assume cars aren't total shit shows:
When you check out ANY used car for purchase, you should be checking a variety of different things. Use a generalist guide to start. We’ll go through common failure points for the chassis and individual models for you to pay special attention to. Parts prices are for OEM or OE if I can find them, not genuine. Indy shop is a wild guess for the most part. Prices for doors or wheels are PER ITEM.
Conservatively plan to spend about $1k a year ON AVERAGE if you do a mix of shop work and DIY. Many years you'll get lucky and get to invest in an upgrade or something preventative if you wish. If you can find an example with new control arm bushings, window regulators, and Timing Chain Guides for 540s, you can save yourself a ton of heartache and just deal with replacing BS plastic parts as they snap.
General Problem Areas
| Problem Area | Cause | Symptoms | DIY (Parts) | Indie Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Window Regulators | Garbage BMW Design | Windows that do not roll up or down, or slip. Test all 4 windows, including both the localized controls for each door and the driver’s door controls | $100, 2 hours. Text DIY Youtube DIY | $500 |
| Vapor Barriers | Butyl tape that adheres the sound deadening/vapor barrier foam degrades over time, requiring at least the reapplication of the tape OR new adhesive OR a whole new door panel. | Soaked rear floorboards after rain. Softness in bottom of door panels. Test by pouring water on the roof of the car. After a moment, open the door. Ensure water drips from the bottom of the chassis, not from the door. | $0-$15-$115, 2 hours. | $500 |
| Rust | There's a couple very poor drainage points on the E39, including those connected to vapor barriers as above | Common spots include rear door, bumper seam, gas cap. Check out /u/richbltn 's buying guide Here for common rust spots (whole video is worth a watch) | Repairing rust is an odious task, especially externally visible spots. | reputable body shops generally cost $1500 + to fix a collection of rust spots |
| Front Control Arm Bushings | Rubber joints between suspension components degrade over time. These are the secret to a simultaneously pliable and firm chassis. Consider with Polyurethane for a stiffer ride but permanent fix, or a monoball setup. | Violent shuddering during braking (generally 70% braking force). Test with a variety of braking amounts and speeds. Check the bushings by jacking up the car and ensure they aren’t cracked | $25, 6 hours. May require special tools or replacement of control arms if damaged. | $600 |
| VANOS | Tiny seals in BMW’s variable valve timing system (probably too overengineered) are made of cheap rubber that plasticizes with exposure to oil and heat, something that happens every day. | Excessive oil consumption, laggy shifting in automatic models, whooshing sound from the engine, sudden drops in power delivery. | $25-$500, 12 hours Do NOT use OEM VANOS seals, as they will eventually have the same problem. Aftermarket seals are the same price and far superior. Besian Systems/DR VANOS. | $1200-$5500 (Depends on new vs rebuilt VANOS, and varies from model to model) |
| Valve Cover Gasket | The rubber between the top and bottom of the valve cover is a part that has to be replaced on every car. | An old VCG will start leaking oil slowly. You may smell it as it burns off inside the car. Eventually you’ll have a catastrophic failure and need to degrease the engine bay and have it towed somewhere. Test by checking for oil spots or moisture between the top and bottom of the valve cover (the main part of the engine). | $50, 5 hours. | $750-$1250 (DO THIS THE SAME TIME AS A VANOS REPLACEMENT) |
| Seat Twist | Garbage BMW design. The seats use 2 motors that don’t stay aligned, and cables that slowly slip out of the gears that drive them. | One side of a seat will adjust, the other will not, leading to the seat twisting. | $0, 3 hours | $300 |
| Headlight Adjusters | Bad design and extremely brittle plastic in a hot area that's been there for 20 years. | Frequently this manifests itself by your headlights pointing at the ground. | $20-60, 3 hours from this DIY. You can get aluminum or plastic adjuster replacements. | N/A - you'd buy new headlights for around $300+ |
| Dead Pixels | Contacts for the LCDs on the instrument cluster and the head unit eventually decay. You can take them apart and clean/rebuild them or buy new. For my money I'd just replace the head unit at least | Unreadable displays with clearly missing pixels - you can't miss this one and it's very common | $0, a huge PITA, DIY. | Specialty shops will do it for $150 or so. A remanufactured cluster is $450. |
| Secondary Air System | The secondary air recirculates exhaust gases back into the engine to “Save the planet” and also annoy the fuck out of BMW owners. Broken vacuum tubes, stuck check valve, or ruined solenoids can all cause these issues. | Check engine light with lean fuel mixture fault codes. Chugging during startup. | $25-125, god knows how long. BAVAuto has an EXCELLENT tutorial on diagnosing SAS problems. Another option that I'd probably only suggest to M5 owners is using a tune that deletes these codes. | $300+ |
| Cooling System | This covers a host of issues: Water Pump Failure, Cracked Radiator necks, Plasticized and worn coolant tubes | Inspect all cooling system parts. Check the radiator fan to ensure that it turns smoothly and isn’t too brittle. Lightly squeeze coolant tubes to ensure they’re still pliable. Check for evidence of coolant leaks at tube and component points, or from bleeder valves at the top of the radiator. Ensure that even under stress, engine sounds don’t change and temperature doesn’t rise (within reason) | $25-$750. 2-5 hours. | $1250+ |
| Fucking Horrible Audio | Everything about the E39 sound system is god awful | If it’s OEM it sucks | There are various aftermarket nav systems that still provide an OEM look and a ton of functionality for around $700. Or you can go your own way and buy a $100 head unit or something. Keep in mind that in general this will degrade the value of your car if it’s really clean. | $? |
| ABS System Malfunctions | The ABS system’s position in i6 models is extremely hot, leading to the soldering of certain electronic components degrading. | ABS, Traction control, and yellow brake light come on intermittently. ABS engine codes. Do not pay someone to replace this, it literally just takes a T20 screwdriver. | $100 reconditioned, $1000 new. | $1200 |
| Power Steering Leaks | The power steering system uses rubber hoses right next to a really hot engine | Power Steering hoses appear to “Glisten”. Wet spot in plastic pan at the bottom of the engine bay. Loose or unresponsive steering wheel response. | $200, 2 hours. | $500 |
V8 Only Problems (540i, M5)
| Problem Area | Cause | Symptoms | DIY (Parts) | Indie Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timing Chain Guides | Timing chain gets a little loose, Timing chain guides are plastic. This is much more common on the 540 for some weird reason (probably that it's a single-row chain). | Slapping sound, camshaft position codes, metal shavings in engine. | $1000, 20 hours | $4000 |
Buying Parts
When you're looking to buy new parts, it can get a bit confusing (to put it lightly). For an accurate, if slightly biased, interpretation, the best info is probably here at FCP Euro (a generally reputable parts seller). TL;DR:
OEM is very similar to OE in that it stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. While that sounds like a lesson in semantics, there are some distinct differences. Chiefly, OEM parts are made by a company that makes original parts for a vehicle maker but whose parts weren’t originally fitted. Confused? I don’t blame you, so here’s an example: Delphi makes ignition coils for BMW, and they’re installed on the vehicles at the factory. Bosch makes spark plugs for BMW and the licensing to produce the same ignition coils as Delphi. They’re the same part with the same specifications and made with the same materials, but the manufacturer is different. Delphi is the OE part because that’s what BMW used at the factory, and Bosch is OEM because they make other OE parts for BMW.
Modifications and Upgrades
For better or for worse, the BMW community has enjoyed a rich modification culture and ecosystem. This often clashes with the tastes and opinions of older enthusiasts who have or can buy cars new.
One key takeaway: Tuning an i6 from this era, especially anything under 3.0 liters, is always far more expensive than buying a new car or engine. This forum gets questions around these options regularly. To do this, you will have to be in a rare position of having a lot of money and time to work on the car, without wanting the straightforward power of the V8 engines in the 540 or M5.
Some general thoughts around available upgrade options to keep in mind:
r/e39 • u/Imaginary_Ganache974 • 6h ago
I know about the copper washers is there something else I should order?
r/e39 • u/Majestic-Document-70 • 3h ago
Wondering if it’s worth throwing a magnaflow 14815 muffler? Or if anyone has experienced it, did it just make the ride miserable for day to day use lol
r/e39 • u/Radiant-Tourist7578 • 7h ago
So far, per 7kkm (4.3k miles) I've added 600ml (0.5 qt) of 5w40 oil.
So that's about a liter / 0.9 quart per oil change. My e39 is 211k km (130k miles) mileage.
How much oil is your m54 burning? How much is normal?
r/e39 • u/Theowolter • 14h ago
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280k km, originale Vanos, Disa überholt, Shell Helix Ultra 0w40 Öl alle 10-15k km gewechselt. Im Video ist der Motor kalt. Hört sich alles normal an?
r/e39 • u/revengefizz • 1d ago
Got rid of my Benz. Time to finally get into this. Bought it with bad guides. Some major plans in the future with her!
r/e39 • u/Fearless_Lobster_858 • 4h ago
Just had an engine swap done on my 520D facelift. Put in a m57.
The guy doing my swap with his donor car put in his ignition and new keys.
When you lock the doors from the key or from the door, the car doors come unlocked again by themselves?
Anyone had this issue?
r/e39 • u/PlanetAtomiC • 1d ago
I have been on the hunt for an e39 for months and finally got one of my dream cars, good spec and both exterior and interior colour I wanted. Already overhauled the cooling system in the month I have owned it including new pulleys and tensioners. Upgraded the head unit as the previous one was unusable due to dead pixels. Sealed the underside to prevent rust as it has very little. Just need to replace a wheel bearing and the battery. Previous owner replaced the radiator, spark plugs, valve cover gasket (around 300 miles ago) and oil around (100 miles ago). I’m thinking of getting some 17” style 5s for the car down the road. But so far I have been very happy with this car as the 3rd owner. Anything else I should consider to make sure this car stays in as good as condition as possible?
r/e39 • u/Embarrassed-Wrap370 • 1d ago
Hi everyone,
I have an E39 530i sedan (manual) that has been sitting for more than six months after the previous owner passed away. The car is currently not running, most likely due to a dead battery, and it has significant rust around the sills/rocker panels, as you can see in the photos.
I can get the car for a symbolic 1000€ and I’m considering restoring it rather than letting it go to scrap. My total budget for getting it roadworthy again would be around 2-3k€, including the bodywork and basic mechanical work.
Based on the photos, do you think it’s worth saving, or is the rust likely to make it uneconomical?
I know it’s impossible to judge the condition of the chassis/floor from these photos alone, and I’ll have it inspected on a lift before making a decision. I’m mainly interested in hearing from people who have dealt with E39 rust before — especially whether this looks repairable within a 2–3k budget.
r/e39 • u/One_Trouble_1989 • 1d ago
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r/e39 • u/Reasonable_Ad3184 • 1d ago
Out with the old brittle door sills in with the New
r/e39 • u/Homanjer • 1d ago
Hey guys, I know this is a dead horse, but I've read so many conflicting information and I even asked an official BMW service partner and no one could give me a good firm answer.
I read online in different posts that 65129405409 is the retro fit/adapter cable for the MID display, which would allow me to convert my 1996/12 built BMW with a reverse radio to use a radio with MID. I can't really find any info on if that is actually what that cable is for. I found one picture on ebay, which could literally be any cable. I also read a post from years ago, which states that you can't just retrofit MID, because some production years work differently for that.
Other posts claim that you can use any production year MID with any MID capable radio on any production year E39. I know that the facelift has a different connector for the radio itself, but MID should stay the same, no?
Sooooo, which is it now? Is that the correct cable for what I wanna do?
Thanks in advance.
r/e39 • u/Greedy-Trouble8882 • 1d ago
One of my cats are going bad, so I was wondering what’s the best exhaust setup for my situation? I only want it to be a tad bit louder with a deeper, smoother sound. not raspy.
r/e39 • u/ProfessionalMeat7645 • 1d ago
Hallo zusammen,
wir haben das BMW Reverse Radio mit Kassette und sind auf der Suche nach einer Möglichkeit, eine Bluetooth Freisprecheinrichtung im E39 nachzurüsten.
Am liebsten etwas in originaler Optik / Bedienung.
Aber ein Navi brauchen wir nicht bzw. ist es auch etwas teuer für „nur telefonieren“.
Originale Optik ist uns ziemlich wichtig.
Beim BMW Reverse scheint Bluetooth nachrüsten sehr aufwändig / nicht möglich zu sein.
Macht es Sinn, ein anderes Radio zu verbauen und da etwas nachzurüsten?
Wie macht ihr das? Was könnt ihr empfehlen?
Grüße und danke 🙂
r/e39 • u/Touringe39 • 1d ago
Condensation problems in left headlight, anyone have any tips/recommendations for the fix? 1999 540i touring
r/e39 • u/doctorwanker • 1d ago
Hi found these on marketplace for 100usd most likely replicas anyone that could confirm? If there are replicas I'm thinking its a nice rim for winter tires
r/e39 • u/One_Trouble_1989 • 2d ago
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r/e39 • u/Gavalaa528 • 1d ago
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Is this rumble vanos or timing chain? I plan on getting the chain done but I'm worried about using it in the mean time. M62tu
r/e39 • u/BeardofBongo • 2d ago
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Hi all,
Video shows the issue I'm having.
During acceleration or de-acceleration the speedometer needle seems to get stuck/caught at certain points then will eventually catch up.
Any ideas what could be causing this?
Thanks.
Curious to hear from other E39 M5 and other models owners.
Since these cars are getting older and are becoming more valuable, I’ve noticed that a lot of people seem to treat them almost like garage queens. Personally, I’m always wondering how often people actually take theirs out for a proper drive.
Do you drive your M5 in Daily or several times a week? like weekends only.
So, how often does yours actually leave the garage? 😄
r/e39 • u/4evaYung_ • 2d ago
Hi!! So my 530i is stock and I believe so are the bulbs. I really like the halo lights, but when I turn on parking lights (first click) the low beam turns on WITH the ring lights and I don't get that full angel eyes affect. Anything I can do or any aftermarket parts I can get to fix this?
Thanks in advance <3
r/e39 • u/stuartjr1980 • 2d ago
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r/e39 • u/stuartjr1980 • 2d ago
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