E39 523i - Advice Please

[kahny1]

Hi guys
Im looking at grabbing a 1997/1998 or 2000 523i in the next few weeks.
I have a few questions to those of you who know

1. Reliability - How are they for reliability at around the 150-170 000km mark?
2. Consumption - What is fuel consumption like L/100KM?
3. Servicing - how often do these need to be serviced in the later Kms and how expensive is it?

If you could also list the things I should check for prior to purchasing one so that I know if i'm buying something that will be reliable and last or something that will be a wallet burner/

Thanks!!

[bmw528i]

I'll try and give you some answers from my experience with E39's

1. Reliablity
I haven't really had any troubles with regards to breakdowns. I had a problem with a MAF sensor and I was still able to get it home and to the dealership the following day. That happened 4 years ago and has not happened since.

2. Consumption
I have a 528i, not a 523, but I would imagine that fuel consumption is similar between the two give or take a little. I average about 20mpg on a tank including highway and city driving. So it's been pretty good to me. I also drive my car pretty hard too and I still return pretty good fuel economy.

3.Servicing
Well...my E39 only has 78K miles on the odometer so my experience is limited with high mileage examples. From what I can tell so far with my car, is if the vehicle has been maintained properly I see no reason why it wouldn't be affordable to own. I change my oil regularly every 3,000-5,000 miles depending on the time of the year and how often I drive. When I take it to my trusted garage for oil changed I ask them to visually inspect stuff and check for error codes as well. I lost my heating and air conditioning a few years back when the A/C condensor shit the bed (a common problem on older BMW's) but it was replaced under warranty and it has worked great ever since. Out of my own pocket I've had to replace the belt tensioner last spring, a craked thermostat housing last summer, a radiator earlier this fall and I swapped the factory waterpump (with the failure prone resin impeller) for a metal impeller. Regular checks I do are for belt wear, brake pads, hoses, and other visual things. The car has been very good to me so I can't complain. Most of the parts that I've had to replace were on the 75K mile checklist and there haven't been any real surprises along the way.

If you are buying through a private owner I would ask for a complete record of maintenance so you have a good idea of how the car has been maintained. I would assume a car with the mileage you are looking at would have had a lot of key parts replaced by now and it's a good to have a reference to see what has in fact been replaced vs. taking the owners words for it.