2007 Bmw 520D Automatic

Sandy67

Hi,

I am wondering whether to buy a 2007 bmw 520d Automatic LCA Model. It has 90,000 miles. Im wondering if thats too much for that sort of car because I have a 2003 Mercedes benz clk 200 automatic with only 32,000 miles so its a big increase but my car isn't economical thats why Im changing. I had a test drive in the bmw and It had a rattling noise, I dont know if thats because its diesel or if the car may need a new camshaft or engine thats why Im wondering whether to buy it or not because my car is great to drive and dont want to make a mistake.. Also are these cars reliable ? Heres a link of the car,
http://www.loc.ie/viewanad.php?ad_id=889274 I know it only says 86,994 miles but I had a test drive in it and it has 90,000 miles now.

jimbomalley

I'm no mechanic but an engine that rattles is generally not good.

galwaytt

Sandy67 wrote: »

Hi,

I am wondering whether to buy a 2007 bmw 520d Automatic LCA Model. It has 90,000 miles. Im wondering if thats too much for that sort of car because I have a 2003 Mercedes benz clk 200 automatic with only 32,000 miles so its a big increase but my car isn't economical thats why Im changing. I had a test drive in the bmw and It had a rattling noise, I dont know if thats because its diesel or if the car may need a new camshaft or engine thats why Im wondering whether to buy it or not because my car is great to drive and dont want to make a mistake.. Also are these cars reliable ? Heres a link of the car,
http://www.loc.ie/viewanad.php?ad_id=889274 I know it only says 86,994 miles but I had a test drive in it and it has 90,000 miles now.

Let me understand this correctly - you think spending about €12,000 on top of your car, to save a few hundred €€ on fuel, makes sense ? You will never ever recoup it.
Madness, frankly. You might as well burn the money........

As for 'noises' can I suggest you bring someone who does know about engines with you, and preferably a mechanic who knows the foibles of BMW diesels.......for your own protection that is ? This is not pocket change you're thinking of spending. ...

I daresay that BMW will cost more to service than your CLK too....

galwaytt

.....if you want to change for any other reason, go ahead, but not for economy. .....

Someone else will know better, but is this BMW the model prone to crankshaft failure. .. ?

Finally, 90k miles is not high these days.

Sandy67

galwaytt wrote: »

.....if you want to change for any other reason, go ahead, but not for economy. .....

Someone else will know better, but is this BMW the model prone to crankshaft failure. .. ?

Finally, 90k miles is not high these days.

Trust me I wont be spending €12,000 on top of my car because he offered me roughly €6,500 for my car and he could leave the car €14,500. The garage is trustworthy but i dont know if was a company car that was just driven and driven without servicing.. I wont buy this bmw just because of looks and maybe the car is just rattling because its a diesel, Only the engine is noisy but that could be because its diesel because I've never owned a Diesel so Im not too sure. And yes My car is definitely not economical, I only get about 25mpg..

Gumbo

jimbomalley wrote: »

I'm no mechanic but an engine that rattles is generally not good.

I've a feeling the OP coming to diesel from a petrol,car could explain the rattle that they hear. LOC are a very good outfit and have been around a longntime. I know people that bought from them and they honour everything they say.

My brother got a one year warranty on an 06 E90 he bought from them a year or so back.

galwaytt wrote: »

.....if you want to change for any other reason, go ahead, but not for economy. .....

Someone else will know better, but is this BMW the model prone to crankshaft failure. .. ?

Finally, 90k miles is not high these days.

No, this is not the problem engine, the exterior is the facelift (LCI) version, but it still runs the older, safer, 163 bhp engine. The gear stick is the first give away

Sandy67

kceire wrote: »

I've a feeling the OP coming to diesel from a petrol,car could explain the rattle that they hear. LOC are a very good outfit and have been around a longntime. I know people that bought from them and they honour everything they say.

My brother got a one year warranty on an 06 E90 he bought from them a year or so back.



No, this is not the problem engine, the exterior is the facelift (LCI) version, but it still runs the older, safer, 163 bhp engine. The gear stick is the first give away

Thanks, Yes that could be the reason. LOC is a great dealership but I just dont want to buy a car with problems because I've never actually owned a car with over 40,000 miles in my entire life.. But do you think personally 90k miles is ok for this 2007 bmw 520d Automatic lca model ?

Gumbo

Sandy67 wrote: »

Thanks, Yes that could be the reason. LOC is a great dealership but I just dont want to buy a car with problems because I've never actually owned a car with over 40,000 miles in my entire life.. But do you think personally 90k miles is ok for this 2007 bmw 520d Automatic lca model ?

It's an LCI model, but that's a minor point

The car is 6 years old, 90k is not a lot asking as it has a verifiable service history.

Sandy67

So, Do you think thats ok mileage for its year once its fully serviced.

Gumbo

Sandy67 wrote: »

So, Do you think thats ok mileage for its year once its fully serviced.

Doesn't matter what I think, it's your money. If your asking strangers about it, it shows you have some doubts. Maybe look around and see if there are any other cars that you like with lower miles.

The miles wouldn't bother me along as its a good car, buy on condition, history and spec, in that order. Then. Look at the mileage.

bazz26

90k miles is not high mileage for a 6 year old diesel, diesel cars are still bought by some people who use them for their orginal purpose of being driven alot. The important thing with these cars is that they have been given regular servicing especially frequent oil and filter changes.

Sandy67

But has the best driving years gone in this car.

bazz26

Sandy67 wrote: »

But has the best driving years gone in this car.

Why do you think that? Generally cars don't magically implode when they hit 100k miles. Again it's down to how the previous owner maintained it. A well maintained car irrespective of what the mileage is should have no major concerns. To be honest I would be more suspicous of a low mileage 6 year old diesel as it could have been clocked.

Given that you do such small mileage maybe you would be better off looking at a petrol car, you have greater chance of finding a tidy low mileage example that you are probably accustomed to. At 6 years old most diesel cars will have at least that mileage on them.

goochy

Sorry but does this car have any service history ? If not why not on 6yr old car ?? Did they say where it was sourced perhaps finance repo and service books were not with car ? But will be hard to sell on without any history do u really need diesel to justify this extra outlay ?

goochy

As far as I know loc offer mapre warranty now and these type of warranties aren't much good they are selling alot of cars loc and at good prices but a lot don't have fsh and in previous years they told me those warranties aren't worth the paper they are written on how things change when they are faced with a lot of competition from other dealers putting wrong miles on ad is a bad sign for one thing

R.O.R

I've slightly below that mileage on my 08 520d and it still drives more or less like a brand new car (and I know what a brand new car drives like). If there is a history, I wouldn't be unduly concerned - we had an 07 520d back lst year with 330,000km on it and that was still going well.

Was the rattle on start up from cold? If so, could be the exhaust. Mine rattles like hell first thing on the cold mornings, think there is a modification available to stop this, but it doesn't really bother me.

galwaytt

Sandy67 wrote: »

Trust me I wont be spending €12,000 on top of my car because he offered me roughly €6,500 for my car and he could leave the car €14,500. The garage is trustworthy but i dont know if was a company car that was just driven and driven without servicing.. I wont buy this bmw just because of looks and maybe the car is just rattling because its a diesel, Only the engine is noisy but that could be because its diesel because I've never owned a Diesel so Im not too sure. And yes My car is definitely not economical, I only get about 25mpg..

I used to run an E-Class Kompressor, and it regularly did mid 30's mpg. So I would suspect your car does a lot of shorter trips ? In which case, 25mpg is reasonable - even the Hybrid I drove for the last two weeks struggled to get into the 40's mpg-wise on short trips. So there's probably nothing wrong with your car, really - it's the use that's the issue.

If that is the case, changing to diesel will actually cost you more, not less. Sure you'll get better mpg - in the high 30's I'll guess - but modern diesels don't take kindly to lots of short trips, and you are storing up problems for the future imho. Search on here for diesel related problems. Diesels need longer runs, and to get good & warm, to function best. Petrol otoh is fundamentally better for the short range stuff. It's not the BMW is bad, at all. It's just each car is probably better at different usages.

Even taking your numbers on board, you are looking at spending €8000, just to save on fuel. The tax is the same as your existing car.

Your CLK has average 3200 mile per year over 10 years. Doing the same mileage p.a., the BMW will save you........€341 per year in diesel. To recoup the €8000 will take the BMW.............23.46 years.

Sandy67 wrote: »

But has the best driving years gone in this car.

Highly unlikely - I mean, compare it to your car: if your CLK is minded, and with it's low mileage, your CLK has many, many years left in it. Arguably, for your usage, more than any diesel of that size.

Like I said, the BMW is a nice car - but just buy it for the right reasons. Us at home ? - we're going back to petrol for the next car - the diesel thing is Over: just did not add up at all, over the life of the car. I've stuck with it for 6 years, and it doesn't add up.

Here's a left-field idea (as my brother was in a similar dilemma with his 2002 3.0 petrol recently) - keep the CLK, and convert it to gas. Win-Win. You'll have a lovely car, and with running costs LESS than diesel.

I'm looking forward to driving my brother's converted car shortly.......

ronaneire

OP here is a list of 07 520 D's and if you compare the price for these and the one LOC have there is a difference, and it is probably down to the high mileage.


07 BMW 520 D for sale on Carsireland

Sandy67

Hi,

Yes dont get me wrong I love my mercedes to drive and because of the extremely low mileage as its 10 years old. But I had a Bmw before and I personally never got any problems with it and they are superb to drive. But another reason i want to sell my car is because each year im losing more and more value and to car dealerships they dont really care what mileage your car is they only price you on the year of the car in my eyes.

goochy

Why buy an above mileage dsl when u don't need dsl ? Does this car have service history ? What makes u think it will hold its value well ? Look how much it's going for aft 6 years ! Hardly grt residuals

Sandy67

I know I probably dont need a diesel but trust me if you owned my car you would want one because its far from economical and the value of the car is decreasing a lot each year so thats why i want to trade it in for a newer more equipped car because i love the drive of my old bmw and I've had test drives in a few other bmws and them seem trustworthy depending on mileage.

rocky

The BMW will lose more in depreciation every year.

goochy

Think u need to admit ur a bit bored with ur car it's value will stabilise in a few yrs and low miles will mean it will always be saleable instead of spending money on fuel you will be loosing a few grand a yr in dep. on BMW and as its mileage gets well into 100k range it will need more maintenance you still haven't said I'd this car had any service history ? Also remember if ur own car is reliable you could be buying cars with niggling issues ! Have u considered chipping ur car for extra bhp ang mpg or gas conversion ? Think you fancy newer reg car so just admit that mpg isn't main reason !

Sandy67

Im not bored with my car, I just want a bmw for better economy and features etc etc. I love the Mercedes but trust me I dont even drive that much because of the price of petrol and even if i put €50 petrol into the mercedes it doesnt get my far. Thats why i want the bmw how i can acctually drive it instead of keeping it in the garden.

goochy

Hard to believe, its only a 1.8 after all are you driving it hard ? Know someone with c180k and they are happy with it for mpg you still haven't said if there is service history ?? As there are other cars listed similar prices with fsh it really is important with a car like this I would sooner buy a 2006 for similar money with fsh loc sold a 2006 one recently for same money as the 2007 but it had m pack and fsh

navara man

Sandy67 wrote: »

Hi,
I had a test drive in the bmw and It had a rattling noise, [/QUOTE]
it could be the timing chain ..to fix it a engine out job

Sandy67

No, Im not driving the car hard whatsoever. I always get it serviced and looked after with the best of care. I know a few people with these cars and they say there not econimical also. And Since the car only has 32,000 miles and its 10 years old, Thats only 3,200 miles a year which is really nothing so its quite obvious this car isn't wrecked or a companys car thats just driven on a motorway non-stop.

Sandy67

Did u have a test drive in that particular bmw ( navara man )??

bazz26

The timing chain issue is related to the 177bhp version of the 520d which has an engine code of N47. The one that the OP is looking at has the older 163bhp engine which has an engine code of M47. I have read recently that the timing chain and tentioners can be replaced now without having to take the engine out which should reduce labour costs alot.

Anyway the M47 doesn't suffer from timing chain problems. The M47 engine needs to have the turbo breather filter changed every second oil service to avoid it getting blocked and blowing the turbo. It is also advised to get the swirl flaps blanked out in the inlet manifold to avoid them breaking off and getting injested into the engine. These are relatively inexpensive ways of avoiding trouble with this engine.

galwaytt

bazz26 wrote: »

The timing chain issue is related to the 177bhp version of the 520d which has an engine code of N47. The one that the OP is looking at has the older 163bhp engine which has an engine code of M47. I have read recently that the timing chain and tentioners can be replaced now without having to take the engine out which should reduce labour costs alot.

Anyway the M47 doesn't suffer from timing chain problems. The M47 engine needs to have the turbo breather filter changed every second oil service to avoid it getting blocked and blowing the turbo. It is also advised to get the swirl flaps blanked out in the inlet manifold to avoid them breaking off and getting injested into the engine. These are relatively inexpensive ways of avoiding trouble with this engine.

Sandy67 - I think the fact that the above highlighted bit is something that is advisable to do, tells me the Merc you have is probably a better quality car in the first place. That and the fact you'd have to pay someone to do it, as well. More money. Not much saving going on there.

But you're still missing the point: you say €50 goes nowhere in your Merc. You'll be spending a lot more than €50 and still going nowhere in the BMW - depreciation alone will be €80 a week. Your Merc will probably lose maybe 1/4 of that. Would you not 'miss' the €80 - and that's before you buy ANY diesel at all ???

Gumbo

bazz26 wrote: »

The timing chain issue is related to the 177bhp version of the 520d which has an engine code of N47. The one that the OP is looking at has the older 163bhp engine which has an engine code of M47. I have read recently that the timing chain and tentioners can be replaced now without having to take the engine out which should reduce labour costs alot.

Anyway the M47 doesn't suffer from timing chain problems. The M47 engine needs to have the turbo breather filter changed every second oil service to avoid it getting blocked and blowing the turbo. It is also advised to get the swirl flaps blanked out in the inlet manifold to avoid them breaking off and getting injested into the engine. These are relatively inexpensive ways of avoiding trouble with this engine.

I said that in the first reply too bazz. Also 100% agree with the swirl flaps. It's a €100 job supply and fit as a nixer and well worth doing as a precautionary measure.