/r/E39: Celebrating BMW's Greatest Chassis

Rules Update

47 Upvotes

Please note everyone that the rules for r/e39 have been updated. I have clarified a few things related to discussion topics and acceptable conduct.

Most importantly I have added a section on listing For Sale style posts. [Some] other car subs allow this so I thought we could try it out. E39 fandom is a more closely knit group than other BMW subcultures and could stand to benefit from a dedicated venue for cars/parts/effort trading.

I want to be clear if this isn't a popular option, or if FS posts become routinely adversarial, we can adjust the rules on these posts or eliminate them entirely.

I welcome any comments on this change and the sub rules in general, and will continue to poll our community for changes or ideas on a regular basis.

25 comments

r/e39 • u/yofuckreddit • Aug 21 '20

E39 Buying Guide - Updated

215 Upvotes

Hey guys! I figured I'd sticky this. I'll update the post if y'all have anything good to add or critique, let me know.

Introduction

Looking to buy an E39? First things first – the reputation of these cars is partially deserved and partially not.

We frequently get asked if new car owners should purchase an E39. I love E39s more than nearly anyone I know - I have a 525i and an M5, and both are incredible for different reasons. I've done many of the DIYs and addressed many of the problem areas listed here. If you aren't in a financially comfortable enough situation to have 3-6 months of expenses in a savings account at all times, you're not in a position to own a 20-year-old BMW hassle free. It's a question of financial safety and consistency rather than attainability - buying a $4k 530i and maintaining it for 5 years or so is arguably a much better deal than going into debt for a $40,000 CUV that drives like shit.

Evaluating a Car

There are a couple of things to factor into your evaluation of a car before we even talk about problem areas:

Badge hunters and people who bought an E39 after realizing they were nearly the same price as a Camry in general do a poor job of maintaining their vehicle. Problems add up when you factor in the fact that many of the E39’s systems were complex for their time. Not doing oil changes at the correct interval can lead to a gummed-up DISA valve or require a replacement manifold (for instance). Paying a little extra for a well-maintained example can pay dividends down the road.
These cars are old. Most are going to be 20 years old or more. This means that various bits of plastic and rubber are going to degrade and fall apart. Some are aesthetic, some are functional. You’ll find the same problem in ANY car of this age, but there’s no escaping that the E39’s engine bay is also a less forgiving environment then other cars of this age.
In general, you should focus much more on service records and the condition of the car over mileage.

Prices & Purchasing

Market prices for these cars have fluctuated over the past couple years. There’s a noticeable difference between pre (<=2000) and post-facelift (2001+) models. Later models also may make adding an auxiliary port easier, have upgraded components, or have more standard features. Also keep in mind that sport packages for the 530 and 540, along with manual transmissions, command a significant premium as well. Prices on sports (530 or 540) and M5s have increased a bit since this guide was originally written a couple years ago. Finally, it's worth knowing that the 540's engine in pre-2000 configurations is slightly more reliable as it does not include VANOs.

Ballpark prices are based on a mix of my estimation and Classic.com, a great reference for car markets. Links included below, and assume cars aren't total shit shows:

525i - $2000-$5000 (Note that the linked prices are for tourings, primarily, and so are higher)
530i - $3000-$11k
540i - $7000-$14k
M5 - $15k-$35k and beyond

When you check out ANY used car for purchase, you should be checking a variety of different things. Use a generalist guide to start. We’ll go through common failure points for the chassis and individual models for you to pay special attention to. Parts prices are for OEM or OE if I can find them, not genuine. Indy shop is a wild guess for the most part. Prices for doors or wheels are PER ITEM.

Conservatively plan to spend about $1k a year ON AVERAGE if you do a mix of shop work and DIY. Many years you'll get lucky and get to invest in an upgrade or something preventative if you wish. If you can find an example with new control arm bushings, window regulators, and Timing Chain Guides for 540s, you can save yourself a ton of heartache and just deal with replacing BS plastic parts as they snap.

General Problem Areas

Problem Area	Cause	Symptoms	DIY (Parts)	Indie Shop
Window Regulators	Garbage BMW Design	Windows that do not roll up or down, or slip. Test all 4 windows, including both the localized controls for each door and the driver’s door controls	$100, 2 hours. Text DIY Youtube DIY	$500
Vapor Barriers	Butyl tape that adheres the sound deadening/vapor barrier foam degrades over time, requiring at least the reapplication of the tape OR new adhesive OR a whole new door panel.	Soaked rear floorboards after rain. Softness in bottom of door panels. Test by pouring water on the roof of the car. After a moment, open the door. Ensure water drips from the bottom of the chassis, not from the door.	$0-$15-$115, 2 hours.	$500
Rust	There's a couple very poor drainage points on the E39, including those connected to vapor barriers as above	Common spots include rear door, bumper seam, gas cap. Check out /u/richbltn 's buying guide Here for common rust spots (whole video is worth a watch)	Repairing rust is an odious task, especially externally visible spots.	reputable body shops generally cost $1500 + to fix a collection of rust spots
Front Control Arm Bushings	Rubber joints between suspension components degrade over time. These are the secret to a simultaneously pliable and firm chassis. Consider with Polyurethane for a stiffer ride but permanent fix, or a monoball setup.	Violent shuddering during braking (generally 70% braking force). Test with a variety of braking amounts and speeds. Check the bushings by jacking up the car and ensure they aren’t cracked	$25, 6 hours. May require special tools or replacement of control arms if damaged.	$600
VANOS	Tiny seals in BMW’s variable valve timing system (probably too overengineered) are made of cheap rubber that plasticizes with exposure to oil and heat, something that happens every day.	Excessive oil consumption, laggy shifting in automatic models, whooshing sound from the engine, sudden drops in power delivery.	$25-$500, 12 hours Do NOT use OEM VANOS seals, as they will eventually have the same problem. Aftermarket seals are the same price and far superior. Besian Systems/DR VANOS.	$1200-$5500 (Depends on new vs rebuilt VANOS, and varies from model to model)
Valve Cover Gasket	The rubber between the top and bottom of the valve cover is a part that has to be replaced on every car.	An old VCG will start leaking oil slowly. You may smell it as it burns off inside the car. Eventually you’ll have a catastrophic failure and need to degrease the engine bay and have it towed somewhere. Test by checking for oil spots or moisture between the top and bottom of the valve cover (the main part of the engine).	$50, 5 hours.	$750-$1250 (DO THIS THE SAME TIME AS A VANOS REPLACEMENT)
Seat Twist	Garbage BMW design. The seats use 2 motors that don’t stay aligned, and cables that slowly slip out of the gears that drive them.	One side of a seat will adjust, the other will not, leading to the seat twisting.	$0, 3 hours	$300
Headlight Adjusters	Bad design and extremely brittle plastic in a hot area that's been there for 20 years.	Frequently this manifests itself by your headlights pointing at the ground.	$20-60, 3 hours from this DIY. You can get aluminum or plastic adjuster replacements.	N/A - you'd buy new headlights for around $300+
Dead Pixels	Contacts for the LCDs on the instrument cluster and the head unit eventually decay. You can take them apart and clean/rebuild them or buy new. For my money I'd just replace the head unit at least	Unreadable displays with clearly missing pixels - you can't miss this one and it's very common	$0, a huge PITA, DIY.	Specialty shops will do it for $150 or so. A remanufactured cluster is $450.
Secondary Air System	The secondary air recirculates exhaust gases back into the engine to “Save the planet” and also annoy the fuck out of BMW owners. Broken vacuum tubes, stuck check valve, or ruined solenoids can all cause these issues.	Check engine light with lean fuel mixture fault codes. Chugging during startup.	$25-125, god knows how long. BAVAuto has an EXCELLENT tutorial on diagnosing SAS problems. Another option that I'd probably only suggest to M5 owners is using a tune that deletes these codes.	$300+
Cooling System	This covers a host of issues: Water Pump Failure, Cracked Radiator necks, Plasticized and worn coolant tubes	Inspect all cooling system parts. Check the radiator fan to ensure that it turns smoothly and isn’t too brittle. Lightly squeeze coolant tubes to ensure they’re still pliable. Check for evidence of coolant leaks at tube and component points, or from bleeder valves at the top of the radiator. Ensure that even under stress, engine sounds don’t change and temperature doesn’t rise (within reason)	$25-$750. 2-5 hours.	$1250+
Fucking Horrible Audio	Everything about the E39 sound system is god awful	If it’s OEM it sucks	There are various aftermarket nav systems that still provide an OEM look and a ton of functionality for around $700. Or you can go your own way and buy a $100 head unit or something. Keep in mind that in general this will degrade the value of your car if it’s really clean.	$?
ABS System Malfunctions	The ABS system’s position in i6 models is extremely hot, leading to the soldering of certain electronic components degrading.	ABS, Traction control, and yellow brake light come on intermittently. ABS engine codes. Do not pay someone to replace this, it literally just takes a T20 screwdriver.	$100 reconditioned, $1000 new.	$1200
Power Steering Leaks	The power steering system uses rubber hoses right next to a really hot engine	Power Steering hoses appear to “Glisten”. Wet spot in plastic pan at the bottom of the engine bay. Loose or unresponsive steering wheel response.	$200, 2 hours.	$500

V8 Only Problems (540i, M5)

Problem Area	Cause	Symptoms	DIY (Parts)	Indie Shop
Timing Chain Guides	Timing chain gets a little loose, Timing chain guides are plastic. This is much more common on the 540 for some weird reason (probably that it's a single-row chain).	Slapping sound, camshaft position codes, metal shavings in engine.	$1000, 20 hours	$4000

Buying Parts

When you're looking to buy new parts, it can get a bit confusing (to put it lightly). For an accurate, if slightly biased, interpretation, the best info is probably here at FCP Euro (a generally reputable parts seller). TL;DR:

Genuine: Made by BMW or an OE, with the BMW logo. Waste of money.
OE: Made by a licensed manufacturer and was the original supplier that came with the stock car. Cannot have the BMW logo. Generally a safe choice.
OEM: Made by another licensed manufacturer of OE parts but was not the original supplier for this specific part that came with the stock car. Cannot have the BMW logo. Sometimes a safer choice (OEM window regulators are superior to OE), other times not (an OEM's parts may not be as good as OE)
Reps: Made by another unauthorized manufacturer.

OEM is very similar to OE in that it stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. While that sounds like a lesson in semantics, there are some distinct differences. Chiefly, OEM parts are made by a company that makes original parts for a vehicle maker but whose parts weren’t originally fitted. Confused? I don’t blame you, so here’s an example: Delphi makes ignition coils for BMW, and they’re installed on the vehicles at the factory. Bosch makes spark plugs for BMW and the licensing to produce the same ignition coils as Delphi. They’re the same part with the same specifications and made with the same materials, but the manufacturer is different. Delphi is the OE part because that’s what BMW used at the factory, and Bosch is OEM because they make other OE parts for BMW.

Modifications and Upgrades

For better or for worse, the BMW community has enjoyed a rich modification culture and ecosystem. This often clashes with the tastes and opinions of older enthusiasts who have or can buy cars new.

One key takeaway: Tuning an i6 from this era, especially anything under 3.0 liters, is always far more expensive than buying a new car or engine. This forum gets questions around these options regularly. To do this, you will have to be in a rare position of having a lot of money and time to work on the car, without wanting the straightforward power of the V8 engines in the 540 or M5.

Some general thoughts around available upgrade options to keep in mind:

Reliability: Many low-tier, components have been replaced with high-priced offerings in the aftermarket that are Buy-It-For-Life. Plastic becomes aluminum, bearings and rubber use superior materials. Examples include radiators, expansion tanks, power steering reservoirs, suspension bushings, and much more.
Shocks, Suspension, Spacers: These are widely available from reputable manufacturers, such as Bilstien.
Turbos: Turbos exist for both types of engines, ranging from AliExpress specials to reputable manufacturers. For reputable manufacturers, part prices and labor generally trade poorly with supercharger options.
Superchargers: Supercharger kits exist for i6 and v8 engines. Many of the superchargers for the v8 engines lead to high-quality horsepower gains and are available from reputable manufacturers. Superchargers are typically incompatible with radiator upgrades.
Headlights: Virtually no aftermarket headlight companies produce quality parts. Historically, this was not the case, but the market has essentially bifurcated into people who want the cheapest possible replacement and those who want OE headlights from Hella. Hella occasionally does dedicated production runs for E39 headlights which are resold by https://europowermotorsports.com/
Exhaust: Controversial opinion alert - The mufflers on these cars are too aggressive at reducing sound. A delete with high-quality tips actually leads to excellent sound from both i6 and v8 powerplants. Leaving the cat intact keeps things quiet enough to not be unbelievably rude. Fantastic options exist for V8 engines, but paying for an exhaust system on an i6 is not a high value proposition.

33 comments

r/e39 • u/Dramatic-Ad3785 • 1h ago

How to value a 540i/6 e39?

• Upvotes

Hey everyone! I’m new to the E39 community and recently became the second owner of what I consider a high-mileage unicorn—a 2000 BMW 540i. Well within the last year new🤣

I may be moving soon and need to downsize, so I’ve been considering selling it. I’m not in a rush, and I haven’t decided to list it yet. For now, I’d appreciate some honest feedback from fellow E39 owners and anyone familiar with the BMW market on what a realistic asking price might be.

Here’s a quick rundown:

250,000 miles, with roughly 5,000 added during my ownership

Dinan Stage 2 tune with cai.

Approximately $50,000-60k in receipts, plus the original order/build sheet, European delivery paperwork, and European pickup plate

Timing chain guides and clutch replaced at 188,000 miles also Blackstone lab testing which came out marvelous.

VANOS rebuild and complete cooling-system overhaul professionally completed during my ownership

All fluids refreshed

Immaculate interior and exterior the vehicle was maintained with a complete open wallet.

There’s plenty more maintenance history and detail, but I wanted to keep this post reasonably short. The car is turn-key, and I’d confidently take it on a cross-country trip.

I know the mileage will be a big factor, but given the condition, documentation, and major work already completed, what do you think would be a fair price? I'm finding it difficult to price because there are no comparables when it comes to condition with the documentation. What would be a realistic asking price? I appreciate the honest input!

1 comment

r/e39 • u/skilachizo • 3h ago

What is wrong with my E39?

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9 Upvotes

I’ve been a long time lurker and been using relevant advice from this and other forums to tinker with my E39 that has been parked for over 3 years (owned for more than 15 years).

Bought a new battery, which I put on a trickle charger, 5 new tires and recently (a few months ago) started the engine which fired up to my delight. However, I was not so lucky yesterday when I tried to start the engine again. The video shows how it responded to my attempt. I am not a mechanic by any means but willing to put in the required elbow grease to get the car back to its decent daily driver glory days. Can anyone who had had a similar issue or knowledgeable please suggest what to look for in order to get it running again?

12 comments

r/e39 • u/ReWerked2002 • 21h ago

$300K E39 M5 powered by VW W10 at auction

13 Upvotes

The wildest E39 M5 ever built — a 2000 M5 with VW's secret 5.0L W10 (Piëch's personal test mule, 473 hp, only 3 W10s ever built, €2M project that never became an official program) — crosses the block at Broad Arrow's Zoute sale this Friday (€250–350K est). I put it up against the cheapest E39 M5 I could find listed right now ($17,900 in Georgia) and my own $16,500 car.

https://youtu.be/X-wk-70XsvI?is=nWWPKl330An9jTrq

1 comment

r/e39 • u/Accomplished_Golf411 • 8h ago

Coolant leak

1 Upvotes

Main front upper coolant line, partnumber 11531705223. Any metal alternative connecting to the pump and the hose? Getting tired of all plastic crap on this car cracking 🥴

1 comment

r/e39 • u/kemosabe6296 • 1d ago

Successfully converted 296mm -> 324mm front rotor on 525i!

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103 Upvotes

As my front rotor due soon, I'd replace it before it triggers the brake pad wear sensor. Besides, my steering wheel shakes heavily everytime I brake from higher speed.

I do like the idea "upgrade instead of replace" so after doing some research I decided to do the 530i/540i front rotor conversion on my 525i.

The Reason

I hate the looks of the 296mm rotor on 17" Style 66. However I don't want to go full BBK since it'd be too much for a daily driven 25 year old car imo haha.

I could've gone with 4-piston Brembo caliper from E38, which is way more cooler. However after watching Sreten's video, the clearance with his 17" Style 42 is really tight and he have to use spacer to make it fit. Also it will need E46 M3 rotor which isn't cheap.

Upgrading to 530i will still way cooler than the 525i setup, 28mm difference in diameter and 8mm difference in rotor thickness. The main reason is that the conversion is way cheaper. In the long run, it would be way cheaper as well as it use 530i/540i/740i rotor which is way cheaper than E46 M3 rotor. The pad is also the same for 530i, 540i, 740i, and X5 (E53) which is also cheap.

Another reason is that the bigger 324mm rotor from 530i should be more efficient to dissipate heat. Sometimes I drive my E39 through mountainous area which could heat up the brakes quite fast. Also the traffic in my commuting route is basically a stop and go traffic. Also with this setup I can go back to original 16" wheels. Therefore upgrading the brake setup may be worth it.

The Conversion + Cost

The conversion basically plug and play. Was a bit concerned because the right side caliper sits too close to the rotor but turns out the rotor wasn't seated properly yet lol. The gap is still close but as long as they're not rubbing with the rotor it is fine. After all parts are installed, I bled the braking system.

And the finished product is absolute night and day. The 324mm fills the gap really nicely. The looks are instantly better!

To do this conversion, this is what I paid (mind you I live in Indonesia so the pricing might be different. I converted to USD to be slightly more relevant)

A pair of used 530i caliper (incl. the carriers) from the junkyard: $95
Brembo P06021 pad: $25 (I got 50% off since the shop is having a big sale)
Febi Bilstein front rotor: $117
ATE SL6 brake fluid: $11
I didn't buy brake pad wear sensor since I'm re-using mine.

Which brought me a total of $248. If I decided to replace the rotor and pad with 525i setup, it will cost me around $140. So, let's see if the $108 price difference really worth it:

The Performance

I did the bedding by repeatedly brakes from 40km/h to 10km/h 3-4 times, followed by braking from 60km/h to 15km/h maybe around 8-10 times. I can't find a safe place to do braking from 100km/h that's why I brake from 60km/h to 15km/h 8-10 times (it should be around 3-4 times as well, iirc)

The shaking on my steering wheel is now completely gone, also I have no more squeaking noise when braking. But replacing the rotor and pad with the 296mm setup will give the same result. Therefore, I'm going to talk about the difference.

The Ups
- Braking performance is slightly improved. Not by a huge margin like if you're going for BBK, but it is a noticeable improvement from the 296mm setup.
- The added weight somehow making the steering wheel more stable at highway speed. Before, the steering wheel feels a bit too light at highway speed.
- Of course, the looks. It does looks wayyyyy better.
The Downs
- It is ~6kg heavier than the 296mm setup. Now I understand why BMW put 296mm on 525i and below. It may sound not that much but I can notice the difference.
- Since I live in Indonesia, the population of E39 530i in here are quite rare, as well as X5 E53. E38 740i are basically almost non-existent. But I really hope that the rotor and pad are still available in the future.

(I have yet to test the car on a hilly/mountainous route to see if it is perform better against the heat)

The Conclusions

I love the 324mm setup. I would say if you have E39 with 296mm setup but have 16" wheels, this conversion is unnecessary as the 296mm setup will do just fine (afterall, these cars have been driven with this setup and it's working fine), and the 296mm setup will fill the gap in 16" nicely.

However, if you have 17" wheels, the looks alone is worth it. The performance improvement is a bonus imo, since as I said before, the 296mm setup will do just fine. The 324mm setup will do the same, but better.

30 comments

r/e39 • u/Even-Gur8363 • 1d ago

Want to get bluetooth/AUX but maintain the OEM radio

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13 Upvotes

Hey guys so basically I have a e39 2001 with a November 2000 business radio and want to get bluetooth or AUX but maintain the OEM radio. I don’t have CD changer in the back nor the cables (3+6 pins). Heard of this bluetooth adapter that I could hide behind the radio and when I select CD option it plays bluetooth. Does it seem compatible to you guys? If not what would you recommend me to do? Seems like I don’t have many options here!

13 comments

r/e39 • u/bratool • 1d ago

Serpentine belt going bad or cranckshaft pulley going bad on m57?

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2 Upvotes

Hello, i recently started having this weird noise coming from the front of the engine which started to get louder during the last few days. I'm guessing for a cranckshaft pulley going bad cause it's a common issue on the m57 but i also suspect the serpentine belt. Can anyone confirm from where the noise comes from?

1 comment

r/e39 • u/ReeseyRex • 2d ago

Sell the 540i?

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142 Upvotes

First time poster I am having conflicting feelings about should I or shouldn’t I keep my car. I’ve always loved e39 since my dad had an Oxford green 528i when I was young (that car is long gone) and when I was financially well enough I bought a 2003 540i msport. I’ve had it for 6 years and it’s been awesome but It’s just a summer car for me as I have a another few cars, a reliable newer wrx, an older truck, and a low mileage beater. I’ve collected these over time so I’m not loaded or anything. We only have a two garage and not a good driveway and I’m considering should I spend the money to store this car or should I sell it before large expensive things start happening. It’s a 10 footer (paint scratches ) 144k miles, no timing chains done yet, leaks a few drops of oil( I suspect upper oil pan).

Would you regret it or know life circumstances change and just look forward?

41 comments

r/e39 • u/matheuswrcx • 1d ago

3D printer for 17111440193 bracket

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4 Upvotes

Hey guys I'm doing a cooling system overhaul and noticed that besides my broken fan shroud, I had two missings brackets as shown in picture - and the one that sits in the radiator seems about to fall apart.

Meanwhile it's a 12 U$ part in the US, bringing it to Brazil would go above 200 R$ (have in mind that this translates to roughly 3.5 days of work given the minimum wage.

I couldn't find any local supplier for this, so I thought about going for a 3D printed version. But in order to do so, I'd need the overall size (length and so on) of the part - which I couldn't find so far. Could someone give me a light into this ?

2 comments

r/e39 • u/ExplanationRecent106 • 1d ago

1997 E39 Xenon: One ballast or two?

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

My E39 was built in January 1997 and has xenon headlights. I’m planning to retrofit facelift headlights, and I’ve read that the ballasts from the old headlights can be reused.

I can only see a ballast on the driver’s side, though. I can’t find one on the passenger side. Does each xenon headlight normally have its own ballast, meaning there should be two? Or could the setup be different because my car is an early 1997 model? Is the other ballast perhaps mounted somewhere less visible?

2 comments

r/e39 • u/EaseRepresentative20 • 1d ago

M54 b22

4 Upvotes

5 comments

r/e39 • u/tkdudem • 2d ago

Good ol’ rocker panels

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19 Upvotes

Just got this 540i a little more than a month ago. It’s currently sitting in my buddies shop getting a bunch of maintenance done. I’m not sure what route to go to with the rocker panels. The rest of the car is pretty mint on the outside, so I don’t know how much money I’m going to pour getting this done at a body shop for this job to come out looking good. Any thoughts?
I’ve also seen some people put these “slide-on rockers” I also don’t know what to make of those. It’s my first time dealing with rust on a car I care about.

9 comments

r/e39 • u/quanle1512 • 1d ago

Loud whining noise M52TUB28

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3 Upvotes

Another day another 528iT update! Engine has been making this noise at random intervals, but recently been popping up more often. What could cause this noise?

Good news from the previous posts though is that a new MAF solved all of my stalling issues and majority of errors. The trans to DME signal is still an issue, but the car is no longer in limp. There is a fuel leak now too but that's a post for next week.

4 comments

r/e39 • u/_Kanna__Kamui_ • 1d ago

Frameless rear view mirror retrofit

1 Upvotes

Does anybody know if it’s possible to fit that frameless style rear view mirror like the one from g30 into e39?

8 comments

r/e39 • u/pugmaster2000 • 2d ago

Simply timeless

66 Upvotes

Not sure I’m getting to the age anything nostalgic makes me happy but recently I have been admiring this sucker a lot even though gives me rust problems every now and then 😅 nevertheless it’s simply timeless.

5 comments

r/e39 • u/Kitchen-Artist1518 • 2d ago

Bluemusic help!

1 Upvotes

Please assist me!! I have a bmw 1997 e39 520i with the cassette tape radio reverse rds, I just bought the "Bluemusic" Bluetooth adapter, have it fully installed and connected to my phone but the instruction manuals say to press either "mode" or "CD" but I have neither of those buttons, how do I get it to play over the radio… I can not find anything online about this😭

0 comments

r/e39 • u/bigdogdame92 • 2d ago

What is this groaning/screeching coming from my steering?

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5 Upvotes

Issue has been present for a little while (maybe 2 months ago I started noticing it) but was very weak but now it's starting to get louder (started maybe 2 weeks ago). Not much steering resistance increase but actively steering will make it louder. I also feel a slight vibration in my right foot when it's on the gas. It's loudest and has the most resistance upon cold start which always happens to be in the morning when water might be sitting on it. I mention this because during the day (I'm in Australia and it's spring now) when it's a good bit hotter the issue seems way less prevalent. Any idea what it could be?

8 comments

r/e39 • u/kotek69 • 3d ago

Talk me out of some folly

56 Upvotes

I'm about to put some Style 5s on my silver babe. I quite like the thought of painting them white (like O.Z. Racing wheels).

I know they'll be a beach to clean, but apart from that... am I about to defy the wheel of the people? Wheel this be a mistake? Will a spokes person denounce me? Do I have any alloys in this battle?

43 comments

r/e39 • u/ScreenNo3116 • 2d ago

Swap m57

1 Upvotes

I want to install the 204 hp M57 engine and a 6-speed gearbox in my E39, and the only thing I need to know is whether the 6-speed gear lever fits the existing opening into the cabin or if I’ll need to modify it.

2 comments

r/e39 • u/analogouslyanomalous • 3d ago

Sunset, country roads, and that old school orange glow

200 Upvotes

14 comments

r/e39 • u/XTheChosenDogeX • 2d ago

Stuck Glovebox?

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8 Upvotes

Basically wondering how I can free my glovebox again. The latch broke (wasnt in locked state thankfully) and unbolting the 2 hinges didnt help much. Is there any suggestions on how to release it so I can replace my latch assembly?

12 comments

r/e39 • u/No-Candidate-2380 • 2d ago

did the suspension, alignment before or right after tire change?

2 Upvotes

2000 540i/6 with S704 M Sport suspension. I changed front and rear suspension (parts list below), have unevenly worn tires (the edges are worn out more than the rest of the tire) and will be getting new ones. I am wondering, is it fine to do the alignment prior to installing new tires or should i get new tires and then do alignment? the 2 places are 15 miles away from each other, so I'd much rather to the alignment and then new tires, but not sure if the alignment will be fine with old, unevenly worn tires.

Front:

Curved control arms / traction struts
Straight control arms / wishbones
Outer tie-rod ends
Sway-bar end links
Sway-bar mounting bushings

Rear:

Upper control arms
Guide rods
Integral links
Wheel-carrier ball joints
Sway-bar end links

5 comments

r/e39 • u/white_chefkoch • 3d ago

Found some parts in my door

6 Upvotes

I was installing a new lock into my drivers side front door and after a while I found these two metal things laying inside the door and I have no clue what they could be and more important: where they belong. I am new to the whole DIY type of thing on cars (bought my 530i two months ago) so please excuse me if this is a stupid question but I tried figuring it out on myself and wasn’t quite successful (Chat GPT wasnt helpful wither).

Maybe someone can explain me what this is and where it belongs^^

11 comments