Second hand car - MOT Fail

motorguy

fivetide wrote: »

However, a chain driven motor like this that is hardly stressed should be more than capable of 100k miles easy.

As said, it needs to be maintained but if it is, there is no reason to be put off by the miles.

Timing chain breaking is quite a common fault on that genre of BMW's - not sure if its the e60 onwards or it happens to the e39 too. Thats what had happened this one and it was done under warranty - so well known is the problem.

Yes, they should be well capable of big big miles, but unfortunately probably not without big bills. I've come across a surprising amount of BMWs that have needed turbos replacing, and there are loads of common faults like manifolds cracking that are BMW only parts at £500+ and then you still have to get to it to fit it.

With 03 onwards cars you get the complexity of an iDrive, which if it fails is reportedly a £2,500 fix, though i'm sure it can be done cheaper with second hand parts.

The bottom line is you're driving a car that was once £40K, but it still has £40K car running costs and parts that are in the twilight years of their usable life.

All adds up to a bad combination.

For barge motoring i've had some seriously good value jag S types. I bought an 01 one with a years MOT for £800. If something did go bang then i could probably have broken it into that money fairly easily.

But that price band of say, £2,000 to £6,000 worries me a lot. Too much to go wrong, and when it does go wrong you *have* to fix it no matter the cost.

Above that and you can probably still get a warranty for it and below that well, you just drive it till it physically quits.

motorguy

fivetide wrote: »

for example, here's a lovely Merc (sold) that's got well over 200k on it and looks fresh as a daisy http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2007-MERCEDES-E320-CDI-AVANTGARDE-AUTO-FACELIFT-MODEL-LEATHER-CLIMATE-WOOD-/171049159744?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item27d3530c40&clk_rvr_id=489990639726&afsrc=1

Link to my BMW - cancelled listing as i sold it to a cash buyer.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230993975176&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

Previous owner had spent £700-800 on maintenance this last three months, needs a bit spent on it now, and no doubt will need significant spend to keep it going.

Clean car though.

andygb

fivetide wrote: »

I am pretty sure that like the E46 3 Series, these things do like a wishbone or two on a regular basis.

a look at Pistonheads says your car wasn't that expensive considering it is from a dealer. A lot seem to be more money (but less miles)

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/bmw/e39-5-series-96-04/bmw-5-series-530d-sport-touring-2003-xenons-sat-nav-black-leather/1389772

ALL BMW's from the 90's onwards are a bit "high maintenance" in the suspension department, just like my missus is a bit like Imelda Marcos when it comes to shoes:D

fivetide

motorguy wrote: »

Timing chain breaking is quite a common fault on that genre of BMW's - not sure if its the e60 onwards or it happens to the e39 too. Thats what had happened this one and it was done under warranty - so well known is the problem.

It isn't the E39 (which the OP has) so it isn't this genre. This one seems to be the swirl flap issue (also common)

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/bmw/5-series-e39-1996/?section=bad

Yes, they should be well capable of big big miles, but unfortunately probably not without big bills. I've come across a surprising amount of BMWs that have needed turbos replacing, and there are loads of common faults like manifolds cracking that are BMW only parts at £500+ and then you still have to get to it to fit it.

As above and as I said originally, with these it seems electrical gremlins are the big one and of course suspension parts. Transmission and the sealed for life idea might also cause issues but generally, to be in poor shape they need to have been badly looked after.

With 03 onwards cars you get the complexity of an iDrive, which if it fails is reportedly a £2,500 fix, though i'm sure it can be done cheaper with second hand parts.

Probably but that's why the OP's E39 car shouldn't have to suffer the early iDrive.

The bottom line is you're driving a car that was once £40K, but it still has £40K car running costs and parts that are in the twilight years of their usable life.

Totally agree. Importantly and not yet mentioned, BMW do not officially support or supply parts for any model that has been out of production for ten years or more so that's the E39 5 series...

However, their servicing isn't as expensive as people might think.

For barge motoring i've had some seriously good value jag S types. I bought an 01 one with a years MOT for £800. If something did go bang then i could probably have broken it into that money fairly easily.

Finding the same with Mercedes C-Class. The old W202 might get a problem with tin worm but a low owner car, serviced at MB might well have had a lot of panels replaced under warrenty at some point. Bits are cheap, car is easy to work on and mechanically they are sound. Wrongly earned bad rep I think.

motorguy

fivetide wrote: »

Finding the same with Mercedes C-Class. The old W202 might get a problem with tin worm but a low owner car, serviced at MB might well have had a lot of panels replaced under warrenty at some point. Bits are cheap, car is easy to work on and mechanically they are sound. Wrongly earned bad rep I think.

+1

My uncle just sold his one owner 2002 Mercedes C220CDI Elegance auto with 117K, full merc history, nursed like a baby since new, all tin worm issues resolved under warranty by Mercedes themselves, and he sold it for £1500!

I didnt even know he was selling it. Gutted that i missed it.

NeverEnough

Talking about vehicles with starship mileages being in their "twilight years", we have a 13 year old VW Caravelle which is just coming up to 300 000 miles, its the 2.5TDi 102 engine, and it still drives superbly. Nothing "twilight" about it at all. Original engine, but had a new auto box from VW at around 250K miles, before we bought it (we are third owner) and it was serviced like clockwork with cambelt changes as required. Original condition, no mad mods, we added a split charge system and inverter and upgraded the headlight loom for Osram Nightbreaker bulbs, but thats it. I am using it as a daily commuter car at present and its getting around 40mpg.

So ancient, high mileage vehicles are not necessarily scrappers or clapped out bangers, there is a lot of life in this old Velle still - I doubt whether my own BMW will last anything near the Caravelles mileage!!! Am still keeping my BMW Extended Approved Used Car Warranty going for that reason, mine is an X5 (4.8is) with 65000 miles -and its 8 years old. Not had to pay for any of the expensive bits its needed yet as the warranty has covered it.

motorguy

NeverEnough wrote: »

Talking about vehicles with starship mileages being in their "twilight years", we have a 13 year old VW Caravelle which is just coming up to 300 000 miles, its the 2.5TDi 102 engine, and it still drives superbly. Nothing "twilight" about it at all. Original engine, but had a new auto box from VW at around 250K miles, before we bought it (we are third owner) and it was serviced like clockwork with cambelt changes as required. Original condition, no mad mods, we added a split charge system and inverter and upgraded the headlight loom for Osram Nightbreaker bulbs, but thats it. I am using it as a daily commuter car at present and its getting around 40mpg.

So ancient, high mileage vehicles are not necessarily scrappers or clapped out bangers, there is a lot of life in this old Velle still - I doubt whether my own BMW will last anything near the Caravelles mileage!!! Am still keeping my BMW Extended Approved Used Car Warranty going for that reason, mine is an X5 (4.8is) with 65000 miles -and its 8 years old. Not had to pay for any of the expensive bits its needed yet as the warranty has covered it.

Yes, the 2.5 and the 1.9TDI vw's are pretty bullet proof. Also, the peugeot 306 / 307 / 406 2.0 HDI is a good engine. A guy i work with has a 407 with 330,000 miles and still going strong.

Once you get into the realms of cars with DPF's and floating flywheels though, i tend to avoid them. Plus turbos from approx 2000 onwards seem more likely to be made from chocolate. Previously turbos lasted the lifetime of the car, now it seems they're service items.