Buying a 520i?

L-M

I' comtemplating buying a 520i, probably 00-01, maybe older if it's clean...

Besides generally making sure everything is working, are there any known faults or anything to look out for?

bmstuff

Try to buy a facelift (09/2000 and after) definitely, preferably a sport model.

The e39 has several known issues, such as the FSU going mad so you don't get hot air anymore etc. 100 quids or so to replace the part itself.

Make sure it has a good service history, cooling system taken care of (Like new water pump, thermostat etc.).

Check for noises, vibrations at low and high speed, braking vibrations too, check if any. Might be a sign of worn whishbone bushes etc..Very common

Ideally you want to get it diagnosed before buying, like a head and cooling system pressure test, that would be a good thing to do as BMW engines do produce lot of heat, so any glitch on the cooling system could have desastrous results on the head/gasket.

A e39 being a "big" car, even though it is just a 520i, can still cost you a bit if you have to change suspension parts etc..Most of the parts are bigger in size that a 3 series, so they cost more.

If you need parts, get them from OTTO.IE, they are the closest thing to a dealer you can get, but with much more affordable parts, and they are genuine parts, used by BMW too.

Big Nasty

As above check cooling and suspension. The 520 is very underpowered though, I would go for a 523.

L-M

MCMLXXV wrote: »

As above check cooling and suspension. The 520 is very underpowered though, I would go for a 523.

Power would be the least of my concerns to be fair! I won't be racing in it :P

Bitten & Hisses

Not sure if Junkyard still posts around here, but he rates this model 5 series as one of the best cars he ever had.

Big Nasty

Limerick man wrote: »

Power would be the least of my concerns to be fair! I won't be racing in it :P

The 520 is underpowered so the engine has to work harder to get up to speed. Fuel consumption on the 2L is equal to if not more than the 2.5 with regular driving. Passing in a 520 ain't good. Same goes for 728 V 735. The 5er is simply to heavy for the 2.0L engine. That said the 520 facelift is actually 2.2L and has almost the same power as the older 523.

unkel

MCMLXXV wrote: »

The 520 is underpowered so the engine has to work harder to get up to speed.

This is relative though. 0-100km/h in the 2l 520i 150BHP manual is still sub 10s, which is a good bit quicker than the average saloon car. Also the 2 extra cylinders give it just that much more torque again compared with the average saloon car

That said, for overtaking I'd much rather any of the large V8 engined petrol cars I've had than the 520i I'm currently driving mostly

Big Nasty

unkel wrote: »

This is relative though. 0-100km/h in the 2l 520i 150BHP manual is still sub 10s, which is a good bit quicker than the average saloon car. Also the 2 extra cylinders give it just that much more torque again compared with the average saloon car

That said, for overtaking I'd much rather any of the large V8 engined petrol cars I've had than the 520i I'm currently driving mostly

Each to their own but the 523 is a far nicer car to drive IMO, similar on fuel, more to tax but cheaper to buy. Plus there's that bit of oomph when you need it.

voxpop

Agree with MCMLXXV - ive an 523 and it doesnt have enough power,especially when getting going - would hate to be driving a 520.

520 would be easier to find as there are more about - cooling system is the main problem, check all the pipe work for leaks.

Waterpump,thermostat +housing is a simple enough job, so if its not done it wouldnt put me off the car. Cost about 150quid for parts and a saturday afternoon.

Big Nasty

voxpop wrote: »

Agree with MCMLXXV - ive an 523 and it doesnt have enough power,especially when getting going - would hate to be driving a 520.

It's no M5 now but there's plenty of power in the 523 to be fair!

voxpop

MCMLXXV wrote: »

It's no M5 now but there's plenty of power in the 523 to be fair!

Maybe ive a vacuum leak somewhere or a dodgy sensor - but mine does seem sluggish to get going.

Big Nasty

voxpop wrote: »

Maybe ive a vacuum leak somewhere or a dodgy sensor - but mine does seem sluggish to get going.

Had no complaints with mine, nice long first and second gears, can get up to speed fairly lively when you need it!

voxpop

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Had no complaints with mine, nice long first and second gears, can get up to speed fairly lively when you need it!

Have you still got it - or did you go for the 7 ?

VolvoMan

Let me guess - with an 'M' Pack?

Big Nasty

voxpop wrote: »

Have you still got it - or did you go for the 7 ?

Traded her in for a 735. Same gig there, test drove a 728 and it was way underpowered, much more so than a 520. Went with the 735 on the advice of a couple users here. Happy out! (And also back to the main topic kinda!)

EPM

528i ftw!

Big Nasty

VolvoMan wrote: »

Let me guess - with an 'M' Pack?

Who me? No but a few nice touches e.g. clear indy lenses, M-Par alloys, etc. I'm told M Pack is the better option though and gives a nicer stance and ride height and packs more power, plus they look better. Same would go for the 5.

BlackWizard

I've had an e39 for nearly half a year now. I love it. There's nothing really I want more in a car. It ticks all the boxes.

It's so nice to drive especially on winding roads. It's suspension is stiff enough to reduce roll but soft enough to stop any vibration coming into the car from bumps. Braking and accelerating in the car does not produce any lurching in the car so you feel like you are in complete control. Actually it does give a false sense of security like you can take most corners at a high speed. The cabin is very quiet and road noise is non existant (standard wheels and tyres on mine).

The rear seats are not bad and leg space is just average for a saloon. Same can be said for the boot. The front seats on mine are just standard material seats but they are really comfortable. Good lumbar support on them too.

I've 69k miles on my e39. A rear bushing started to squeek which was fixed easily enough. My window washer jets have to be adjusted every few weeks because they seem to loose their accuracy but it's no big issue. The hose entering my washer jets came loose before too. I just pushed it back in. Two months after buying the car I found the washer jet cap in the engine bay. That's all the issues so far.

Edit: I drove behind a automatic e39 520 petrol once. It's was pretty nippy around town from what I seen. I doubt fuel economy will be great on such a big car though.

VolvoMan

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Who me? No but a few nice touches e.g. clear indy lenses, M-Par alloys, etc. I'm told M Pack is the better option though and gives a nicer stance and ride height and packs more power, plus they look better. Same would go for the 5.

No, no. I was just wondering if LM was after a 520i with an M Pack.

I do admit, they do make the car look a lot more modern. The car would still have to be a 523i/525i for me though.

homer90

How about a different slant on things ?

E34 525i / Sport ?
A rare sight on the roads now, still oooozes class imo

L-M

VolvoMan wrote: »

Let me guess - with an 'M' Pack?

Don't you fret, of course it'll have the M pack I'm young still :P

biko

See my sig

Big Nasty

Actually one more thing that wasn't mentioned was that the drivers air bag sensor, under the seat I think, had a tendency to fail which means that the airbag light remains on constantly. This is now an NCT fail AFAIK.

voxpop

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Actually one more thing that wasn't mentioned was that the drivers air bag sensor, under the seat I think, had a tendency to fail which means that the airbag light remains on constantly. This is now an NCT fail AFAIK.

Yeah just got mine through before this became a fail

This little circuit is supposed to bypass the occupancy sensor

Mr Benevolent

The car's systems were updated in 2001. Main problems are a chocolate cooling system and suspension bits failing through normal wear and tear. Be prepared to replace all the coolant hoses and maybe the rad.

VolvoMan

homer90 wrote: »

How about a different slant on things ?

E34 525i / Sport ?
A rare sight on the roads now, still oooozes class imo

Not gone on the E39 M5 wheels on that one. They look really mean on M Parallels though.

Eoin

If you're looking at a 520, then I'd go for the 2.2 engine. If you're considering a 523, then I'd go for the 525 (yes, I'm biased). Same size engine, but far nicer.

As voxpop mentioned, the coolant system will probably need looking after - you start to get a few leaks around the thermo housing and various pipes.

I've had my 525i M-Sport for over two years and love it. I was sort of thinking of changing as I tend to every 2 years, but it's a great car and I think I would find it hard to replace it with something in the same price range that I like as much.

Maintenance wise, I've had the coolant stuff replaced, the hedgehog (air blower unit) replaced as that went mental, and that's pretty much it.

Idbatterim

not only was the 520 engine upgraded in 01, the car also got a facelift. the m spots look alot better than the normal e39 5 series. I c

unkel

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Each to their own but the 523 is a far nicer car to drive IMO

There's hardly much in it, 150BHP vs 170BHP to be calling it far nicer. Both are still bottom end 5-series

There's a bit more poke alright with the bigger engine, but to get more excited than a 520, you'd need a 528 / 530. Personally, I'd buy a 535 / 540 auto

_Conrad_

MCMLXXV wrote: »

As above check cooling and suspension. The 520 is very underpowered though, I would go for a 523.

a 523 is a strangled 525, the 520i has perfectly adequate power to do any normal driving, and a lot more power than say, a corolla 1.3

Eoin

unkel wrote: »

There's hardly much in it, 150BHP vs 170BHP to be calling it far nicer. Both are still bottom end 5-series

There's a bit more poke alright with the bigger engine, but to get more excited than a 520, you'd need a 528 / 530. Personally, I'd buy a 535 / 540 auto

I know you're talking about the 523, but as the 525 replaced it, this is still relevant:

There's not really all that much between a 525 and a 528 of that vintage. I test drove a 2000 model of each on the same day.

The 525 might be a "bottom end" model compared to the bigger engines, but not in the same way a 316 is. It's more than capable.

unkel

eoin wrote: »

I know you're talking about the 523, but as the 525 replaced it, this is still relevant:

There's not really all that much between a 525 and a 528 of that vintage. I test drove a 2000 model of each on the same day.

The cars were same registration year, but not of the same vintage. When the 525 replaced the 523, the 530 replaced the 528. The 525 you drove was the newer generation, the 528 the older generation. The 525 had moved up a significant step from the 523 and was very close in performance to the old 528 (but not that close in performance to its bigger engined brother of the same vintage, the 530).

eoin wrote: »

The 525 might be a "bottom end" model compared to the bigger engines

I'd consider a 525 pushing 200BHP and 528 performance a lot less bottom end than a 170BHP 523

eoin wrote: »

The 525 might be a "bottom end" model compared to the bigger engines, but not in the same way a 316 is. It's more than capable.

And my initial point in this thread is that a base 2l 520 is adequate. A lot more capable than a 316 too

Big Nasty

unkel wrote: »

And my initial point in this thread is that a base 2l 520 is adequate. A lot more capable than a 316 too

My point in this thread is if you want an 'adequate' car buy a Focus / Mondeo. If you want a BMW buy one that will give you a bit of satisfaction, i.e. a pre-faceift 523 or a facelift 2.2L 520!

unkel

MCMLXXV wrote: »

My point in this thread is if you want an 'adequate' car buy a Focus / Mondeo. If you want a BMW buy one that will give you a bit of satisfaction, i.e. a pre-faceift 523 or a facelift 2.2L 520!

170BHP is hardly thrilling now is it in a big heavy saloon?

Simple comparison between these mid to late 90s cars in terms of 0-100km/h

Focus (base) 14s
Mondeo (base) 13s
520 10s
523 9s

Say no more

I miss my 735 BTW, how is yours going for ya?

Stevie Dakota

Like some people have said, the facelift 2.2 E39 engine is much better suited to the E39 than the previous 2.0. It does have a slight appetite for oil so once again, check the cooling system carefully, and if no history then figure on replacing water pump, T-stat, hoses and viscous coupling right away. Not expensive or hard to do yourself.

Big Nasty

unkel wrote: »

170BHP is hardly thrilling now is it in a big heavy saloon?

Simple comparison between these mid to late 90s cars in terms of 0-100km/h

Focus (base) 14s
Mondeo (base) 13s
520 10s
523 9s

Say no more

I miss my 735 BTW, how is yours going for ya?

170 ain't all that great but it's pokey enough all the same. The 150 2.0L is disappointing in comparison.

The 7 is a little gem!

Voodoomelon

MCMLXXV wrote: »

little

:pac:

rabbitinlights

As has been said before - Get a facelift with good options and the 2.2 170bhp which has the same BHP-per-ton as the 530d.

Do your research and drive loads of them as the difference between a good one and a ropey one is vast and will empty your wallet pretty fast.

I've had mine for 8-9 months and have covered over 15k miles in it. The only issues have been the water pump, front discs and a few litres of oil.

Here is a few photos of mine.... (any chance to show it off really)







Even after all this time and miles, I still love walking back to it and seeing that shape, there is nothing I want that would be an upgrade and not cost 5-10k ontop.

Do it, just buy a good one!

L-M

That is 100% what I want! Maybe not what I can afford at the moment, but that minus the leather etc. would be perfect.

Big Nasty

Limerick man wrote: »

That is 100% what I want! Maybe not what I can afford at the moment, but that minus the leather etc. would be perfect.

Why minus the leather LM?

Eoin

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Why minus the leather LM?

It can still be nice without leather. Here's mine with the Alcantara trim:

unkel

Nice car, rabbitinlights.

I do concede that if you want an automatic, the 2l 520 would probably struggle.

Big Nasty

eoin wrote: »

It can still be nice without leather.

Defo, but at resale time having leather is a plus! Presume all the M-Pack specs come with leather too?

Eoin

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Defo, but at resale time having leather is a plus! Presume all the M-Pack specs come with leather too?

Nope, mine is M-sport and has alcantara from the factory. Some people actually swap out the leather in favour of it too.

rebel.ranter

Not all Sport models come with leather, see Eoin's above. I've had a 2002 525iA Sport for nearly five years & it is a very good car that I am gonna find difficult to replace.
I'm only sorry that I didn't get the 540iA Sport.

L-M

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Why minus the leather LM?

I'm sure I'd get one a bit cheaper without!

Thanks for all the advice lads... I mentioned it to a friend yesterday and he said weak head gaskets, but I'm assuming that would be due to the bad cooling system?

rebel.ranter

You can pick up a leather interior (including door cards) for under €500 these days so you don't need to put it high on your your priority list of must-have options.

L-M

rebel.ranter wrote: »

You can pick up a leather interior (including door cards) for under €500 these days so you don't need to put it high on your your priority list of must-have options.

I'm not a major fan of leather tbh, freezing arse or sweaty back! I love the alcantara

Idbatterim

rabbitinlights car is gorgeous, you see mspots with that trim and leather interior the odd time on carzone, the alloys are great looking. On autotrader.co.uk there are a ton of E39 5 series m sports that like rabbitinlights, i check the vrt on a 01 5 serries m sport with 80k miles, and it was only E1k!

bmstuff

Idbatterim wrote: »

rabbitinlights car is gorgeous, you see mspots with that trim and leather interior the odd time on carzone, the alloys are great looking. On autotrader.co.uk there are a ton of E39 5 series m sports that like rabbitinlights, i check the vrt on a 01 5 serries m sport with 80k miles, and it was only E1k!

This is scary, I would not believe you when reading your post, but then I used the online VRT calculator, according to the Revenue a 520i facelift from January 2001 is worth 3289 euro in the open market, which means 1184 euro of VRT to pay.

rabbitinlights

Thanks for the kind words, I spent 3 months looking for the right one and as soon as I drove that one, I knew I had found my new car, obviously not letting on to the dealer sitting next to me! Thankfully he didn't know the value of the OEM M5 Wheels that were on it. It had 54k (all FBMWSH) on it when I bought it.

Regarding the leather, I was actually looking for alcantara when I was looking for my car, but I've now completely fallen for the black leather, it really makes the interior look a bit more special and people always comment on it. Granted, I always look for a shaded parking spot on a hot day, but I think it's worth it!



There is a massive price difference between the good E39's and the dodgy ones, and it's for a very good reason!!!

Good 02/03 2.2 520i Sports are still getting 6-8k depending on extras and of course mileage/condition.

I'm 29 and I do get a few odd looks from people when I get in/out of the car and I've had the odd "dad's car" comment, normally from people driving hatchbacks that cost twice the price of my E39!!

S.