2nd hand BMW 7 series

[Pioneer]

Hahaha.. coz got money to buy no money to maintain mah.

 

I understand what you are saying. My dad will always drive to Msia for petrol and servicing. Despite that, he spent close to 10k repairing and replacing the parts and it still turns out like that. My brother in law got a 3 series and immediately started to spend money repairing it. That 2 out of 2 bad experience.

 

It din't help that I drove it for a while when he just bought it 2nd hand and even then, it felt horrible. I couldn't feel and understand exactly what was so special about BMW.

 

My perception only changes slightly when I test drove the 1 series but it wasn't exactly what I called an experience that only BMW can provide.

 

Then again, maybe I do not know how to make good use of the car's capabilities or my dad's bmw and my brother in law bmw are really two big fat lemon.

I think that car got problem, nothing to do with it being a 3 series or not.

nowsaday even the thai make Toyota , is not as reliable as last time model,

problem start to come even after 3 years, alternator, shock absorber, etc

 

but 1 pattern I see in bmw drivers, is they tend to neglect on their car maintenance, esp those young 1 with 3 series,

always can see the tyres use until wire come out, but refuse to replace, ( u wont find runflat tyres for 100 sgd)

after some period of neglect , if u sit in a 3 or 5 series, u will feel its less comfortable then a say example

well maintain camry .

 

if u ask them why dun fix the car, maybe face issue ( I being very straightforward)

all the crap about bmw lousy, this spoil , that spoil will come out

 

if u want to drive a bmw , a benz, audi etc, make sure when u sit inside and drive , it feel exactly like wat that car suppose to feel.

if not no point owning 1 cos its a bmw. etc

 

 

Sorry Bro, I not very familiar with BMW to know the block No.

 

Haha.. I think my Dad is planning to drive till scrap and top up engine oil and coolant liao. Left one yr plus I think.

 

 

N46 block or N52 block?

 

It is normal to replace valve cover gasket every 100k km.

 

For coolant, juz do pressure test & fix it up. After should be ok liao.

 

[Viceroymenthol]

 

No such things 1 hor.

 

Water pump, every 50k km.

 

Alternator, every 100k km.

 

+ 1000000000000000000000000000000000000

 

That's why i said purchase of BMW is a journey.

 

I spend $2k to do inspection II service. 3 weeks later, voltage regulator of alternator failed.

 

No regret on my close to 4 yrs ownership of E39 520. On highsight, i would love to get my hand on E39 525 or 530.

 

E39 where got 525 and 530?

 

520, 523, 528 using M52 and M54 inline 6's. As RadX would say, "bulletproof engine", etc

 

The 540 and M5 are the V8..

 

This one ok. http://www.sgcarmart.com/used_cars/info.php?ID=379700&DL=1120

My BMW 26-years old liao

 

Must be nice, having such a young and chio wife.... [gorgeous]

Edited September 1, 2015 by Viceroymenthol

[inlinesix]

Hahaha.. coz got money to buy no money to maintain mah.

 

I understand what you are saying. My dad will always drive to Msia for petrol and servicing. Despite that, he spent close to 10k repairing and replacing the parts and it still turns out like that. My brother in law got a 3 series and immediately started to spend money repairing it. That 2 out of 2 bad experience.

 

It din't help that I drove it for a while when he just bought it 2nd hand and even then, it felt horrible. I couldn't feel and understand exactly what was so special about BMW.

 

My perception only changes slightly when I test drove the 1 series but it wasn't exactly what I called an experience that only BMW can provide.

 

Then again, maybe I do not know how to make good use of the car's capabilities or my dad's bmw and my brother in law bmw are really two big fat lemon.

 

Sorry Bro, I not very familiar with BMW to know the block No.

 

Haha.. I think my Dad is planning to drive till scrap and top up engine oil and coolant liao. Left one yr plus I think.

 

 

 

Did your dad get the right ppl to fix it or not?

 

"My perception only changes slightly when I test drove the 1 series but it wasn't exactly what I called an experience that only BMW can provide."

 

What experience that you felt after test drove 1 series?

[inlinesix]

 

E39 where got 525 and 530?

 

520, 523, 528 using M52 and M54 inline 6's. As RadX would say, "bulletproof engine", etc

 

The 540 and M5 are the V8..

 

 

M54 got 520 (2.2L), 525 (2.5L) & 530 (3L). Then 540 (V8 4L)

 

M52 got 520 (2L), 523 (2.5L) & 528 (2.8L). Then 535 (V8 3.5L).

[Viceroymenthol]

 

M54 got 520 (2.2L), 525 (2.5L) & 530 (3L). Then 540 (V8 4L)

 

M52 got 520 (2L), 523 (2.5L) & 528 (2.8L). Then 535 (V8 3.5L).

 

Ah great...Thanks I stand corrected... Last time anything above 520 were rare.... people were poorer then

[Pioneer]

I'm not sure, man. The WS he went to is supposed to be popular with SG BM owners.

 

I like small cars especially. With the 1 series, I feel snuggly in the driving seat, a firm ride with good road feedback through the steering. The acceleration while will not turn anyone' guys inside up, is surprisedly quick and at low rpm.

 

Almost got it but the lingering thought of poor after sales service and poor reliability of the brand stop me. Same reason why I did not get a mini a few years ago.

 

 

Did your dad get the right ppl to fix it or not?

 

"My perception only changes slightly when I test drove the 1 series but it wasn't exactly what I called an experience that only BMW can provide."

 

What experience that you felt after test drove 1 series?

 

[Viceroymenthol]

 

My water pump have yet to change despite mileage hit over 50k km. Mine N52 block

 

 

 

Your is F10 520i lah bro... where got N52

 

N52 is the n.a. inline 6

Hahah.. Lemon is perspective. All BMW will be deem as lemon if compared to another reliable brand.

 

I drove my dad's 8 yr-old 3 Series for 3 weeks.

 

Need to top up engine oil and coolant once every 3 days. Cannot come to terms with that.

 

 

 

Engine oil leak is either valve gasket or oil filter gasket, or both... your frequency of leakage seems to suggest both at the same time hahaha

 

Coolant leak can be due to any part of your cooling system, from the expansion tank to the hoses to the radiator... only way to find out is pressure test

all the problem starts coming after 5 yrs mark.

get a 5 yr old s class is better than a 5 yr old 7 series, it's more reliable.

 

Nonsense lah.... not as if S-Class is some miracle car without wear and tear parts.. you see the bill for 4 pieces of air suspension change at the same time, your balls will drop

 

Mercedes cooling system also will have leak after some time....

 

Engine gaskets also will degrade and leak after some time...

 

Alternator also will fail some time...

 

Any car, you name it, will have some problems that come with age and wear and tear... Even Toyota and Lexus.

[inlinesix]

I'm not sure, man. The WS he went to is supposed to be popular with SG BM owners.

 

I like small cars especially. With the 1 series, I feel snuggly in the driving seat, a firm ride with good road feedback through the steering. The acceleration while will not turn anyone' guys inside up, is surprisedly quick and at low rpm.

 

Almost got it but the lingering thought of poor after sales service and poor reliability of the brand stop me. Same reason why I did not get a mini a few years ago.

 

 

 

BMW is nvr about acceleration. It is always suspension setup. Look at the usual comparison ///M3 vs C63 AMG. Guess who wins on track.

 

Go & test drive 3 series with M sports package. That's the only version i will buy.

 

For 1 series, i think sports package was brought in. That's why got sports seat.

 

Mini unreliable? Maybe before 2012 (i.e. pre-LCI). i am driving 1 now. Have not feel the poor reliability issue le.

 

[Thaiyotakamli]

 

 

Your is F10 520i lah bro... where got N52

 

N52 is the n.a. inline 6

 

 

Engine oil leak is either valve gasket or oil filter gasket, or both... your frequency of leakage seems to suggest both at the same time hahaha

 

Coolant leak can be due to any part of your cooling system, from the expansion tank to the hoses to the radiator... only way to find out is pressure test

 

 

Nonsense lah.... not as if S-Class is some miracle car without wear and tear parts.. you see the bill for 4 pieces of air suspension change at the same time, your balls will drop

 

Mercedes cooling system also will have leak after some time....

 

Engine gaskets also will degrade and leak after some time...

 

Alternator also will fail some time...

 

Any car, you name it, will have some problems that come with age and wear and tear... Even Toyota and Lexus.

Aiyo cannot mislead ppl is it haha

 

 

I know la mine is N20

[Viceroymenthol]

Didn't know u had s5 previously. I might be looking at this ride next, any issues to look out for?

 

Yeah... the usual:

 

- valve gaskets, oil filter gasket degrades quickly

 

- two fans working very hard (one for radiator, the other for aircon, either one breaks down the engine will get very hot)

 

- DME will get fried due to overheating and you need new one from Germany coded to your specific car

 

- after some very hot engine operation, radiator hoses will deteriorate in double quick time

 

All because Audi fitted a V8 into a very compact engine bay... Don't forget the A5/S5/RS5 is practically the same chassis and size of the A4/S4/RS4.... The engine bay is packed chock full because of the V8.... so everything gets very hot in there. I guess that is why Audi now decided to reserve the V8 only for its RS cars in which they have maybe a more powerful and effective cooling system.

 

The rest of the car is great, no problems. It is only slightly nose-heavy compared to the bigger Audis, so balance is still maintained and any imbalance is thoroughly cancelled out by the superb quattro AWD, which is rear-biased for driveability, and it really clamps the car to the road. Throw it into any bend, in the dry, in the wet, and you will always land on your feet. You can even take up Davidtch's constant refrain of "exiting highway at 100 kmh" which he claims BMW can do and Audi cannot. Well, this Audi can, and more.

 

So I would suggest getting the later version - supercharged 3.0L instead.

 

BMW is nvr about acceleration. It is always suspension setup. Look at the usual comparison ///M3 vs C63 AMG. Guess who wins on track.

 

Go & test drive 3 series with M sports package. That's the only version i will buy.

 

For 1 series, i think sports package was brought in. That's why got sports seat.

 

Mini unreliable? Maybe before 2012 (i.e. pre-LCI). i am driving 1 now. Have not feel the poor reliability issue le.

 

 

For me, it is. I always drag with E and S class and win. Hehehehe

 

Still waiting for an S400 to jio me at traffic lights hahahhaa

 

And your M3 vs C63 comparison: M3 will win on the track, but C63 will win in a straight line, 0-60mph, 0-100mph and quarter mile.

Edited September 1, 2015 by Viceroymenthol

[Thaiyotakamli]

 

Yeah... the usual:

 

- valve gaskets, oil filter gasket degrades quickly

 

- two fans working very hard (one for radiator, the other for aircon, either one breaks down the engine will get very hot)

 

- DME will get fried due to overheating and you need new one from Germany coded to your specific car

 

- after some very hot engine operation, radiator hoses will deteriorate in double quick time

 

All because Audi fitted a V8 into a very compact engine bay... Don't forget the A5/S5/RS5 is practically the same chassis and size of the A4/S4/RS4.... The engine bay is packed chock full because of the V8.... so everything gets very hot in there. I guess that is why Audi now decided to reserve the V8 only for its RS cars in which they have maybe a more powerful and effective cooling system.

 

The rest of the car is great, no problems. It is only slightly nose-heavy compared to the bigger Audis, so balance is still maintained and any imbalance is thoroughly cancelled out by the superb quattro AWD, which is rear-biased for driveability, and it really clamps the car to the road. Throw it into any bend, in the dry, in the wet, and you will always land on your feet. You can even take up Davidtch's constant refrain of "exiting highway at 100 kmh" which he claims BMW can do and Audi cannot. Well, this Audi can, and more.

 

So I would suggest getting the later version - supercharged 3.0L instead.

 

 

For me, it is. I always drag with E and S class and win. Hehehehe

 

Still waiting for an S400 to jio me at traffic lights hahahhaa

Ur S5 has no speed limit in bend haha

[inlinesix]

 

Yeah... the usual:

 

- valve gaskets, oil filter gasket degrades quickly

 

- two fans working very hard (one for radiator, the other for aircon, either one breaks down the engine will get very hot)

 

- DME will get fried due to overheating and you need new one from Germany coded to your specific car

 

- after some very hot engine operation, radiator hoses will deteriorate in double quick time

 

All because Audi fitted a V8 into a very compact engine bay... Don't forget the A5/S5/RS5 is practically the same chassis and size of the A4/S4/RS4.... The engine bay is packed chock full because of the V8.... so everything gets very hot in there. I guess that is why Audi now decided to reserve the V8 only for its RS cars in which they have maybe a more powerful and effective cooling system.

 

The rest of the car is great, no problems. It is only slightly nose-heavy compared to the bigger Audis, so balance is still maintained and any imbalance is thoroughly cancelled out by the superb quattro AWD, which is rear-biased for driveability, and it really clamps the car to the road. Throw it into any bend, in the dry, in the wet, and you will always land on your feet. You can even take up Davidtch's constant refrain of "exiting highway at 100 kmh" which he claims BMW can do and Audi cannot. Well, this Audi can, and more.

 

So I would suggest getting the later version - supercharged 3.0L instead.

 

For me, it is. I always drag with E and S class and win. Hehehehe

 

Still waiting for an S400 to jio me at traffic lights hahahhaa

 

That's why Quattro ist Fur Sissies

[Viceroymenthol]

 

That's why Quattro ist Fur Sissies

 

And MINI is for..?

[RadX]

 

And MINI is for..?

 

pussies?

 

[inlinesix]

 

pussies?

 

 

KNNCCB!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

And MINI is for..?

 

Poor!!!

[RadX]

 

KNNCCB!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Poor!!!

 

 

eh cat v cute leh...keekeke

[Viceroymenthol]

 

pussies?

 

 

 

This one got 26 years old boh?

 

Sorry ah the system doesn't allow me to praise your post

[Mercury1]

Yeah I have to agree never liked the 745, as you termed it hideous beast thankfully its now scrapped.

 

Aiya little prince asked for any stuff to look out for so I listed the items I know of. Big or small (wear or tear) he should be aware of all potential issues before making a final call.

 

To be frank these days I don't see many merc with drivers as compared to 10 years back, most merc I see are self driven. These days the tai tai groups all move to vellfire + driver, perfect for afternoon spa & shopping trips

 

745 is the pre-LCI E65, a hideous beast with the old leaky n.a. V8 powerplant two generations ago that had lots of complaints. Ceased to be relevant a long time ago. The LCI version was called the 750. It looked much better, had an improved V8 engine and had upgraded DME and transmission ECU programming.

The F01/02 730 still uses the same 2996cc N52 n.a. inline 6 that was in the post-LCI E65 730 and E60 530. That engine was pretty solid. A smaller version was used in the E60 523, 525 and E90 325. As an engine that had powered an entire generation of BMWs, you can be sure there is plenty of service support for it, as well as a wealth of information online.

In any case, suspensions are wear and tear items. Calling them "issues" would be the same as calling brake pad wear and rotor wear "issues". They are consumables and should be treated accordingly.

Side folding mirror..ok this one I admit I had an issue on my LCI E65 730i. The motor failed one day after an extremely rainy and damp season. I didn't bother with any repair, just left it unfolded for the rest of my ownership of it. Didn't affect my enjoyment of the car one single bit.

Lastly, you drive around in a BMW. You get driven around in a Merc.