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Case Study: The Cost of Owning a BMW E39 M5

Anybody can afford to buy a used BMW. But maintaining a used BMW is another story. After all, the most expensive car you every buy will probably be a cheap BMW. This is a case study of an E39 M5 owner after 9 years and 100,000 miles. So, what did that cost? 1. The operating cost of the car is 53 Cents per mile. The average cost for a large sedan is 56 cents per mile (AAA 2018). You get that number by dividing total miles driven by everything you put into it, like gas, insurance, repairs, and the cost of the car when you bought it versus value if you sold it today (depreciation).

Charlie’s 2002 BMW 520i SE Introduction

in Project-Cars

Hi everyone, I’m really excited to share my new vehicle with you! I have always wanted a saloon, or sedan as you guys in the states call them. I am a tall guy, 6’7″, so trying to find the right vehicle is a pain! I have to find one first, and ask to sit in the car, which is always an awkward conversation. If I fit in it, then I know what to look for. I originally wanted something classy, like a Mercedes-Benz, but then I realized the costs of repair would be astronomical, and I really didn’t think at my age, 19, it would be very sensible. I then remembered how my step dad always loved his BMW. He had a 1999 3-series, and I loved it. He actually destroyed it by putting on big tires and stupid suspension, meaning that when you went round a bend, you could smell and hear the rubber burning on the wheel arch. That car though was the birth of my strong desire to own a BMW.

Christian’s 1999 540i Introduction

in Project-Cars

As far back as I can remember I have been obsessed with cars, and most recently that obsession has been channeled to my 1999 540i. My passion for cars is definitely in my family’s blood. My grandpa had a very strong interest in cars, some of which are some of the most beautiful cars from the 20th century in my opinion. These cars included a 1969 Signal Orange Porsche 911E, 1958 Blue Jaguar XK-140 convertible, 1968 Jaguar E-type convertible in Tan, and a 1966 Lincoln Continental convertible in Black with the suicide doors. Growing up around these cars gave me a solid understanding about cars and how awesome they can be.

Christian’s 2000 BMW E46 330ci

in Project Cars

Christian’s family had tried a BMW before- and it didn’t go well. What was so terrible about that first BMW? What is it about this E46 330ci that changed things? This is the story of Christian’s first car- a 2000 E46 finished in Oxford Green metallic. I never thought I would say this, but I bought a BMW! Let me give that statement some context. BMW’s don’t have the best reputation in my family. My Dad owned a 2005 BMW E65 735i Sport from 2009-2010. “The most unreliable car I’ve ever owned”, in his words. It was a brilliant machine to drive, and was actually the very first car I drove prior to learning how to drive a manual. Cue the haters, but I am a partial lover of the infamous bangle-butt generation of the BMW 7. Something about it screams unparalleled practicality whilst also having supercomputer power. However, that was also the car’s achilles heel. The E65 was just stupidly complicated. My Father’s example had numerous problems with the iDrive system, engine timing chain components, and a large number of sensors that simply decided to go on strike and stop working for no apparent reason. As you could’ve guessed, this caused the car’s systems to go haywire. All those headaches from an (at the time) 5 year old with only 65,000km. This was supposed to be The Ultimate Driving Machine. What was I in for when I purchased my 16 year old, 110,000km 330ci? One word: bliss.

Colton’s 2001 BMW 540i Introduction

in Project-Cars

On Thursday, September 6th, 2012 at 5:08am I turned the key to the first ignition slot on what would turn into one of the biggest decisions of my life thus far. Let me start from the beginning. I’ve always been interested in automobiles, ever since I was a young boy. I was the boy who had a box full of matchbox cars which I would drive around on the floor for hours imagining different scenarios. I had quite the imagination. As I grew older, I started to lean towards Ford trucks, mainly because my father had purchased a 2002 F-150 Super-crew. That truck was all I knew as far as vehicles were concerned, that was until I met a friend of mine: Ryan Schultz.

Compromise – Updates with Andrew and His 2000 M5

in Project-Cars

I’ve had my M5 for about seven months now, but I have only driven it 2500 miles. That is plenty of time to get familiar with my vehicle, but not enough to determine it’s reliability. For example, when I went to top off the tank before putting my M5 back into storage, it threw an SES code on the cluster. I plugged in my cheap-o generic OBDII scanner, and it came up with a P1526 and P0022 code, “A” Camshaft Position Actuator Control Open Circuit Bank 2 and “A” Camshaft Position – Timing over-retarded (Bank 2) respectively. I had the same two related codes over the summer when I first got my car, and that was when I opened up my bank 2 VANOS solenoids to check their operation. I have now confirmed that I need an intake CPS (Camshaft Position Sensor), which I plan on doing in late May.

Danny’s Imola 2000 BMW M5

in Project Cars

I was contemplating doing a video of the car and recorded one only to realize that my spoken English isn’t what it once was (Swedish sing-a-song-accent haha) so I’ll make a written post of my recently acquired M5 instead. I found out about the car a few months ago via a friend and I loosely knew the previous owner before as I were childhood friends with his brother.

Daryl’s 2001 525i Introduction

in Project-Cars

G’day from sunny Brisbane, Queensland Australia! I’m Daryl, however I go by the online name Dodgy Haro on most car forums (clubroadster + club4AG) which I participate in. My car background is mainly JDM (previous AE86 and Na6 Miata owner amongst other cars) however I do appreciate European rides too and how they generally handle better on highways and don’t impart that plastic feeling you get from some Japanese cars. I’ve just taken delivery of my new (old) 2001 BMW E39 525i sedan in gorgeous Imola red about a week ago. She is a bit tatty cosmetic-wise however she is a diamond in the rough to my eyes.

E39 M5 Engine Reliability

in E39 M5 BMW

Over the past 6 years, my team and I have serviced hundreds of E39 M5s (and a few Z8s!) I’ve also owned my M5 for 15 years and over 90,000 miles now. The S62 V8 can last 300,000 miles on original components. It can also fail at 40,000 miles. Thankfully, there seem to be many more instances of higher miles than lower. These are the primary weak points of the S62:

E39 Production Changes

in E39 M5 BMW

The BMW E39 5-series was produced from 09/1995-06/2003 for the 1996-2003 model years. In September of 2000, for the 2001 model year, BMW gave the E39 a facelift. This means that the E39 chassis was updated, renewed both technologically and aesthetically for a few more years of production. Even outside of the big 2001 facelift, things with the E39 changed each year. This article will summarize the changes BMW made to US-spec vehicles throughout the production run.

Case Study: The Cost of Owning a BMW E39 M5

Charlie’s 2002 BMW 520i SE Introduction

Christian’s 1999 540i Introduction

Christian’s 2000 BMW E46 330ci

Colton’s 2001 BMW 540i Introduction

Compromise – Updates with Andrew and His 2000 M5

Danny’s Imola 2000 BMW M5

Daryl’s 2001 525i Introduction

E39 M5 Engine Reliability

E39 Production Changes

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