'00-'01 540i sport info
- Thread starter forzagto
- Start date
I have a 2001 BMW 540. There are a few things you need to be aware of that are problem areas for BMW's. This is my second BMW 5 s and some problems have been the the same on both cars. This points to design issues and BMW has basically ignored them.
My car currrently only has 33K miles on it. It is not a daily driver but I have already had to replace the radiator. This appears to be a problem on all BMW's that have a plastic radiator. I am involved in plastics and over time plastics degrade. Find out if the radiator has been replaced and plan on having to replace it every 3-5 years. There are better aftermarket radiators out there. I had mine replaced under Warr. Make sure you do the regular radiator flush and use the correct fluid for BMWs. I think it is suggested for every 2 years.
Not sure about the new models ..2000 on but there may be a plastic propeller in the AC compressor. If it is still plastic this will have to be replaced sometime in the next few years. Lucky me I have not had to replace mine yet.
For some reason there has been problems with the bulb turn signals burning out prematurely. I have had mine replaced. Some people have had to replace the turn signal bulb holder. Make sure if you replace your bulb it is the correct wattage. I do not leave my turn signals on for extended periods of time now just for safety and I only had to replace the left bulb in mine.
The windshield is very soft and will become pitted quickly. Be careful how close you follow other cars and trucks. If you have the rain sensing option replacing the Windshield is expensive.
Other than that the car has been great and also do not forget to set aside money for new tires as they can be expensive if you want performance tires to go along with your high performance BMW
My car currrently only has 33K miles on it. It is not a daily driver but I have already had to replace the radiator. This appears to be a problem on all BMW's that have a plastic radiator. I am involved in plastics and over time plastics degrade. Find out if the radiator has been replaced and plan on having to replace it every 3-5 years. There are better aftermarket radiators out there. I had mine replaced under Warr. Make sure you do the regular radiator flush and use the correct fluid for BMWs. I think it is suggested for every 2 years.
Not sure about the new models ..2000 on but there may be a plastic propeller in the AC compressor. If it is still plastic this will have to be replaced sometime in the next few years. Lucky me I have not had to replace mine yet.
For some reason there has been problems with the bulb turn signals burning out prematurely. I have had mine replaced. Some people have had to replace the turn signal bulb holder. Make sure if you replace your bulb it is the correct wattage. I do not leave my turn signals on for extended periods of time now just for safety and I only had to replace the left bulb in mine.
The windshield is very soft and will become pitted quickly. Be careful how close you follow other cars and trucks. If you have the rain sensing option replacing the Windshield is expensive.
Other than that the car has been great and also do not forget to set aside money for new tires as they can be expensive if you want performance tires to go along with your high performance BMW
My 99 540 eats tires up rather quickly. Don't buy the cheap tires - you get what you pay for. Rotors wear down with the pads, so do make sure you set aside money for maintance items. Other than that, this car is fast, fast fast. I have 135,000 miles on the car and am looking forward to 200k without any probems.
Yes,
I can help you out here, I have a 2001 540i sport with the 6 speed. I bought the car with 39k miles at the end of 2003 as a CPO car from VOB BMW in Maryland and have driven it daily ever since. It now has 110,000 miles and I have to say it is still an awesome car to drive. It still drives just like it did when I bought it. I use it as a daily driver and it has had its up and downs over the years. Plan on spending some money maintaing the car. At 60k I did the tech 1 service (about $600 bucks) and at 100K I did the tech 2 service which was about $900. these are the major scheduled services that have to be done!! I have replaced the brakes front and back that was about 600 to 800 bucks. The battery had to be replaced ($ 130 bucks). Since the car went out of warranty at 100K I have replaced the drive shaft (it was warped) which was about $1,100 at the dealership. I was told that this is rare to happen. I have never abused the car and was suprised. I also had some major cooling system problems since it turned 100K miles. I took it to a very reputable European shop in my town when the the radiator blew and I found out that this is a weak point in the car. There were also several seals that were bad relating to the cooling system and valve cover gasket that had been leaking when the car was still under warranty. This is what the new shop told me. I went back to the dealer and got the tough luck. I was pretty upset about this. These repairs were 1,000's of dollars. Lastly, about a week ago the alternator went out and this was another 800 bucks. I also want to mention the cost of tires for this car. They wear out pretty fast so plan on spending some money in this department depending on how hard you drive it because you cannot rotate the tires on the 540 sport. The rear tires are wider and lower profile that the fronts. All in all owning the ultimate driving machine is expensive. These cars are awesome but cost serious money to maintain. Anyone that tells you different maybe leasing them and then dumping the car after two years. A used older car would be great as a second vehicle but when it is your daily driver and you need to get it fixed fast it will cost you. I also have to run premium gas in this car which is really getting old with the prices these days. I also did not mention the oil changes which run about 100 bucks but do last a good while. I added up all my receipts tonight and I have spent over $7,000 in the past year on my 540i. If you are looking at a used one like mine I would almost try and find one with more miles that has gone through some repairs?
Hope this helped and feel free to contact me if you have any other questions
I can help you out here, I have a 2001 540i sport with the 6 speed. I bought the car with 39k miles at the end of 2003 as a CPO car from VOB BMW in Maryland and have driven it daily ever since. It now has 110,000 miles and I have to say it is still an awesome car to drive. It still drives just like it did when I bought it. I use it as a daily driver and it has had its up and downs over the years. Plan on spending some money maintaing the car. At 60k I did the tech 1 service (about $600 bucks) and at 100K I did the tech 2 service which was about $900. these are the major scheduled services that have to be done!! I have replaced the brakes front and back that was about 600 to 800 bucks. The battery had to be replaced ($ 130 bucks). Since the car went out of warranty at 100K I have replaced the drive shaft (it was warped) which was about $1,100 at the dealership. I was told that this is rare to happen. I have never abused the car and was suprised. I also had some major cooling system problems since it turned 100K miles. I took it to a very reputable European shop in my town when the the radiator blew and I found out that this is a weak point in the car. There were also several seals that were bad relating to the cooling system and valve cover gasket that had been leaking when the car was still under warranty. This is what the new shop told me. I went back to the dealer and got the tough luck. I was pretty upset about this. These repairs were 1,000's of dollars. Lastly, about a week ago the alternator went out and this was another 800 bucks. I also want to mention the cost of tires for this car. They wear out pretty fast so plan on spending some money in this department depending on how hard you drive it because you cannot rotate the tires on the 540 sport. The rear tires are wider and lower profile that the fronts. All in all owning the ultimate driving machine is expensive. These cars are awesome but cost serious money to maintain. Anyone that tells you different maybe leasing them and then dumping the car after two years. A used older car would be great as a second vehicle but when it is your daily driver and you need to get it fixed fast it will cost you. I also have to run premium gas in this car which is really getting old with the prices these days. I also did not mention the oil changes which run about 100 bucks but do last a good while. I added up all my receipts tonight and I have spent over $7,000 in the past year on my 540i. If you are looking at a used one like mine I would almost try and find one with more miles that has gone through some repairs?
Hope this helped and feel free to contact me if you have any other questions