BMW 525 98..any opinions or advice on buying used model?

Frank_Leach

speaking of buying a 2nd hand BMW, i have that very thought of late. Going to look at another 525 tomorrow, 98 reg..
Its going very cheap, is that because the tax is so high on it?
Are they economical on diesel or is that a preconception i have?

Eoin

I've moved your post to a new thread

Marlow

Frank_Leach wrote: »

speaking of buying a 2nd hand BMW, i have that very thought of late. Going to look at another 525 tomorrow, 98 reg..
Its going very cheap, is that because the tax is so high on it?
Are they economical on diesel or is that a preconception i have?

Tax is just under 1k/year. I had a '97 525tds. Does around 35-40 mpg. Would be a bit "slow" when under 2000 rpm, but beyond that, very reliable and good engine. Make sure, it's been serviced properly. The turbo is the only weak spot.

They are going for 2.5k-3k currently normally, if it's around that.

/M

Frank_Leach

Marlow wrote: »

Tax is just under 1k/year. I had a '97 525tds. Does around 35-40 mpg. Would be a bit "slow" when under 2000 rpm, but beyond that, very reliable and good engine. Make sure, it's been serviced properly. The turbo is the only weak spot.

They are going for 2.5k-3k currently normally, if it's around that.

/M

yes, it is priced at 2500 and not moving. i would pay the 1000 tax per year, you are getting a beautiful car for littish money.
i'm thinking it may be cheaper to run fuel wise than my 1.3 lancer glx. i dont think that returns much more than 30 miles per gallon (it too is a 97.)

Marlow

Frank_Leach wrote: »

yes, it is priced at 2500 and not moving. i would pay the 1000 tax per year, you are getting a beautiful car for littish money.
i'm thinking it may be cheaper to run fuel wise than my 1.3 lancer glx. i dont think that returns much more than 30 miles per gallon (it too is a 97.)

I'd say you can't fail that change, any way you put it. I had the 525tds for a year, stuck 44k miles on it and traded it for something with a bigger engine, but I've kept it longer, if I hadn't got an unresistable offer

/M

Frank_Leach

Marlow wrote: »

I'd say you can't fail that change, any way you put it. I had the 525tds for a year, stuck 44k miles on it and traded it for something with a bigger engine, but I've kept it longer, if I hadn't got an unresistable offer

/M

im thinking you are right marlow..i was 18 when this car was coming onto the market first...i thought it was the most beautiful machine ever built. I'm thinking life's just too bloody short and let's just do it.

Are they ok on diesel? How much fills the tank and what sort of consumption did you experience? I have a mitsubishi lancer 1.3 GLX-40 euro fills it with petrol, that brings me from tullamore to dublin, two round journeys.
It isn't a huge concern, i am more curious. I live fairly cheaply in most avenues of my life, so eitherways i am going to take the plunge.

Marlow

Frank_Leach wrote: »

Are they ok on diesel? How much fills the tank and what sort of consumption did you experience? I have a mitsubishi lancer 1.3 GLX-40 euro fills it with petrol, that brings me from tullamore to dublin, two round journeys.
It isn't a huge concern, i am more curious. I live fairly cheaply in most avenues of my life, so eitherways i am going to take the plunge.

It's a 70l tank, so 70-80 EUR and that would get you 500 miles (more or less, approx 800 km) depending on how you drive. As I said, in general between 35-40 mpg. No worse than around 33 mpg.

/M

Frank_Leach

Marlow wrote: »

It's a 70l tank, so 70-80 EUR and that would get you 500 miles (more or less, approx 800 km) depending on how you drive. As I said, in general between 35-40 mpg. No worse than around 33 mpg.

/M

yea, it'll be a little bit dearer to operate than my trusty 1.3 petrol, but not much i am thinking. I am getting 260 miles +/_ for 45 euro, so 500 +/- for 80euro..it's good enough for me! And like you said, it depends on how you drive it. I am foot-down often in the 1.3 so i am sure i could be getting a better return if i wanted to.
Actually, the bmw works out better by the look of it..imagine that! 2.5 diesel more economical than 1.3 petrol? who would have thunk it?

Marlow

Also remember, Diesel is up to 10c cheaper/liter compared to petrol currently.

As for fuel consumption, I've got a M5 (5l V8) and it's pretty much similar economy as a 2.3 or 2.5l petrol, unless you push it of course. Bigger engine does not mean, it uses loads more fuel. It just drives smoother.

/M

Frank_Leach

Cool...nice motor Marlow...
Thanks for the advice..i am going to go for it.
I'll keep you posted on the progress..actually, i will send you the link to my new(hopefully) baby..!

rabbitinlights

Marlow wrote: »

As for fuel consumption, I've got a M5 (5l V8) and it's pretty much similar economy as a 2.3 or 2.5l petrol, unless you push it of course. Bigger engine does not mean, it uses loads more fuel. It just drives smoother.

/M

It's talk like that Marlow that has me thinking of an E39 M5 when&if I sell my '02 520i M-Sport next year......:D

I'm the same as you frank, I was 17 when I saw the E39 5er first and thought it was seriously special, I've had mine for 5-6 weeks now and I really can't think of a better car for the money.

S.

_Kaiser_

Ah the old E39 5-series. Always had a soft spot for these but the diesel versions seem rare enough - and the high tax on the 2.5/3L would be a killer

Still, if I was selling my Passat it'd be worth looking at.. or maybe a nice (somewhat newer) 7 series...

Hey I might as well dream right?

Marlow

rabbitinlights wrote: »

It's talk like that Marlow that has me thinking of an E39 M5 when&if I sell my '02 520i M-Sport next year......:D

I'm the same as you frank, I was 17 when I saw the E39 5er first and thought it was seriously special, I've had mine for 5-6 weeks now and I really can't think of a better car for the money.

S.

I've had an E30 325e (savage torque, 2.7l, limited at 4000 rpm), a 520i E34 auto (loved it, but just a wee bit undermotorized), the 525tds (really sweet drive, very good fuel economy), but at the end of the day, I'm a petrol head. So I've got a VW Caravelle TDI as my daily driver and a BMW M5 E39 as my fun/weekend car.

The M5 is about 18-22 mpg and i've seen similar figures in the 520i and 523i's. It's just a lot more fun.

And the E39's are beautiful cars, that's for sure. Even today, they look very modern.

At some point, I'm going to replace that Caravelle with a Alpina D10 Touring ... would be savage with a 3l bi-turbo E39 diesel as daily driver.

/M

Frank_Leach

rabbitinlights wrote: »

It's talk like that Marlow that has me thinking of an E39 M5 when&if I sell my '02 520i M-Sport next year......:D

I'm the same as you frank, I was 17 when I saw the E39 5er first and thought it was seriously special, I've had mine for 5-6 weeks now and I really can't think of a better car for the money.

S.

I remember distinctly, working in a horrible factory in clondalkin that winter(1998) and i was late for a job i hated. I was also hung over, and possibly a bit drunk/stoned..
Anyhow, a transporter drove past me at a traffic lights, and there was three or four of these beautiful machines on the back. I was young enough and possibly drunk enough to fall into fantasy, if i won the lotto etc etc..
So now, 12 years later, some marvellous examples of said car at reasonable prices appear on market. And barring the 1000 tax bill, there are no negative sides to this argument.
What goes around sometimes comes around..

argosy2006

What you make of the old 1993- 1996 model bmw 525 tds Marlow?... i have one and its has de injector warning light on,,so its in safe mode,all power is gone, any tips how to fix this, one mehanic i did try hadnt software to read it,, its not worth going to a main dealer with such an old car, was such a goos car until this happen, shame to scrap it!

Marlow

argosy2006 wrote: »

What you make of the old 1993- 1996 model bmw 525 tds Marlow?... i have one and its has de injector warning light on,,so its in safe mode,all power is gone, any tips how to fix this, one mehanic i did try hadnt software to read it,, its not worth going to a main dealer with such an old car, was such a goos car until this happen, shame to scrap it!

It's the same engine as in the E39 and yes, that would be limp mode. Resetting the errors can bring it out of that, but if something is wrong, it might go back to limp mode again.

Now, depending on where in the country you are, there are a good few indy's, that know what they are at and don't cost a fortune. http://www.bmw-driver.net is a forum for BMW enthusiasts. You'll find a lot of BMW owners there and people will know, what garages are worth going to.

/M

argosy2006

thanks marlow,
Found this one on carzone frank,
it was under 3 series,but its clealry a 5 series
its got nct and tax so seems cheap ,i like de color too
http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/3-Series/525d-TUR/200950196152553/advert?channel=CARS

Frank_Leach

argosy2006 wrote: »

thanks marlow,
Found this one on carzone frank,
it was under 3 series,but its clealry a 5 series
its got nct and tax so seems cheap ,i like de color too
http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/3-Series/525d-TUR/200950196152553/advert?channel=CARS

Ohh..aint she a beauty??
I missed that one. The 30 day old ad means it is prob gone, but a beautiful example nonetheless. Am going to tipp tomorrow to look at one, light green with nice alloys for 2500. Dont want to post in link...in case anyone gets there first!!
Although the guy has it for sale a while now, so he said. I think the tax is the deterrant for most.

Frank_Leach

silly question time...a bmw 525tds that i looked at today. body wise, she is sweet, "seems" to drive ok, but nct is out in march.
the garage that sells it, tells me its sold as seen. despite the horrendous tax bill that comes anyway, i would be willing to buy it as it is a decent car for decent money...that is, unless it fails the nct on major things and turns into a money pit. Any advice/experience? I know this is the chance you take, but any specific common faults on a 12 year old 525 that others have experienced?

ham_n_mustard

as with all the E39/E60, watch out for play in the bottom bushings on the rear suspension. the bushings in the top control arm (the one with the bend in it) give hassle as well, and they cant be got seperately afaik, so the whole arm needs replacing if it gets out of hand, factor in a possible replacement on these as well when you're doing your sums

Frank_Leach

ham_n_mustard wrote: »

as with all the E39/E60, watch out for play in the bottom bushings on the rear suspension. the bushings in the top control arm (the one with the bend in it) give hassle as well, and they cant be got seperately afaik, so the whole arm needs replacing if it gets out of hand, factor in a possible replacement on these as well when you're doing your sums

i am thinking, i may just get a mechanic to go look at it. it is not my territory, south tipperary, but the reality is i dont know what i am looking for. I am sure that the 50 euro for an hour for someone to look over it might be money well spent?

ham_n_mustard

exactly, getting somebody who knows what they're at to have a look at it is a good idea. might be a extra few bob up front, but it could save you from buying a right banana as well

Eoin

If they're selling it as sold and won't put it through the NCT, then I would most certainly have it checked out.

argosy2006

argosy2006 wrote: »

thanks marlow,
Found this one on carzone frank,
it was under 3 series,but its clealry a 5 series
its got nct and tax so seems cheap ,i like de color too
http://www.carzone.ie/search/BMW/3-Series/525d-TUR/200950196152553/advert?channel=CARS

is this one gone

Frank_Leach

eoin wrote: »

If they're selling it as sold and won't put it through the NCT, then I would most certainly have it checked out.

yes, it seems a must alright.
Anyone know anyone with a working knowledge of the 525 that happens to live anywhere between tullamore and clonmel that would appreciate 50 euro and a nice drive?

Frank_Leach

argosy2006 wrote: »

is this one gone

i think so..i mailed them today and no reply . didnt get a chance to ring as i was driving down to see the afore mentioned car in clonmel.

Marlow

Frank_Leach wrote: »

i think so..i mailed them today and no reply . didnt get a chance to ring as i was driving down to see the afore mentioned car in clonmel.

Always better to phone the guy, at least you get an answer there and then. As for the NCT on the other one. It could always be a good idea to run it through the NCT and see how much they fail it on, if he's up for that. Gives you at least an idea how much has to be spend.

/M

txpjl

So lets take an older ('00 - '04) BMW 5 series diesel with high mileage say 100K - 140K miles.

What mileage can I expect to get out of it if it's in good condition with an NCT of at least a year etc?

Will I get another 100 K miles from this car in the next 2 years doing a daily run from Tipp to Cork on the main D-C road?

Thanks

Marlow

txpjl wrote: »

So lets take an older ('00 - '04) BMW 5 series diesel with high mileage say 100K - 140K miles.

What mileage can I expect to get out of it if it's in good condition with an NCT of at least a year etc?

Will I get another 100 K miles from this car in the next 2 years doing a daily run from Tipp to Cork on the main D-C road?

My '97 525tds was sold as 170k miles (not km !!) and is still going strong.

/M

Mr Benevolent

Marlow wrote: »

My '97 525tds was sold as 170k miles (not km !!) and is still going strong.

/M

Does the TDS engine have as many problems as the D engine? Swirl flap actuator failure, turbo failure etc?

Marlow

Confab wrote: »

Does the TDS engine have as many problems as the D engine? Swirl flap actuator failure, turbo failure etc?

I've not got any experience with the d engines, but the turbo failures were only the 2.0d until a certain year, i believe. Doesn't apply to all the other engines.

/M