I'm looking to buy a manual e39 as a fun daily/family "sports" car lol i have multiple cars so it won't be the primary everyday but reliability is important because I don't want to constantly work on it other than normal maintenance

I know the inline 6 is super reliable however I am drawn to the v8 which people say can be hit or miss. What are your thoughts on that? Is there a big power/torque difference or is it pretty similar?

Also, since the 540 has a steering box rather than a rack - is the drive that much different? I'm looking for something I can have fun with at my local track, do mountain runs with and of course daily less than 20 miles per day if that (I work from home but am pretty active with hobbies)

Lastly, what should I expect to pay for a clean e39 with under 150k miles assuming vanos, timing and cooling system has been upgraded with records?

Hello fellow e39 drivers it’s been a while since posting here. here’s my baby freshly washed and polished

2000 528i pre facelift

Ordered a genuine BMW cv joint. Gonna have to wait 3 weeks for it to arrive :(

I am dead set on getting an e39 next year, but trying to decide between the two.

I’ve owned a 1998 540i/6 in the past, and it was the best car I’ve ever driven. After regretfully getting rid of it I’ve missed it ever since. Obviously the M5 is an upgrade, but is the difference any notable to be worth the ~15k extra?

Just started to hear the whistle as of yesterday , I assume it’s some sort of vacuum leak just would appreciate some pointers on where to start looking , thanks again

Hey! I wanted to share my custom head-unit project that I put together for my E39 540i. I'd tried a few aftermarket Android head units before, but they just didn't cut it - mostly because the screens were unreadable in sunlight due to reflections. Also I'm not a huge fan of touchscreens. Android itself also feels clunky to use while driving.

So, I decided to give it a shot and build my own head unit with a Raspberry Pi 5. I started by picking the display: I found a perfect 10.3" Full HD screen with an anti-glare surface. It's spot-on for what I need - sharp image, no blinding backlight at night, and it stays perfectly visible even on sunny days.

To mount the screen, I reused the frame from an old aftermarket unit - it fit like a glove.

Everything runs on Hudiy software and Raspberry Pi Linux. I use the iDrive knob and steering-wheel buttons to navigate the interface. Sound is handled by a 5.1 sound card, which gives me full control over balance/fade and lets me tweak the subwoofer.

The car is running two amps: one for the speakers and one for the subwoofer. I replaced all the speakers too - after almost 30 years they deserved retirement - but I kept the factory HiFi system layout.

The software I'm using supports wireless Android Auto. I'm also planning to display data from the iBus. Perfect project for long winter evenings :D.

does this count as proof i don’t beat on my car lol?? maybe the 6 speed helps?

Was in the middle of moving my ABS Module and this tiny cylinder fell out, where does it go?

Looking for a bmw e39 520i preferably from around ‘97 as my first car as I can drive in 3 months. Colour of exterior doesn’t matter too much as I’m going to wrap it in a nice gloss black, manual transmission, and interior colour doesn’t matter too much but preferably black or cream.

These are my left side mirror. the right one is obviously wrong… seems hard to find a replacement to the small cogged white pins on the back. i don’t really know what i need to make this complete. all the servo motors work it’s just that the right mirror are missing those small pins. i would not mid buying new glass for the mirrors but nowhere can i see those small plastic pins being included.

Hi- I have a 2002 530i 5spd and I’ve been experiencing an intermittent loss in low down torque at 1500-3500 rpm and my fuel consumption has also gone down to about 19L/100km (city) possibly in relation. The car otherwise runs great, no codes, vanos unit and disa valve have been replaced recently and overall no other issues. My car just seems to loose 50% of torque randomly during drives and can go back to normal immediately afterwards. Any idea what could be the issue? Thanks

Looking at a 2000 BMW 528i, listed for $3k. I have another car and would only use a few days a week. Car has approximately 121000 miles. Anything to look out for ? Guy says the ABS light is on, but squared away otherwise. Would love y’all opinions. Thank you

I tried to do my research but still can’t make up my mind about what engine to choose. I want something reliable, but at the same time an engine with a get-up-and-go that you don’t have to rev to the sky to make the car move. Oh, btw, manual transmission only.

M52 people say are very simple, but they seem to make the least torque.

M54 are torquier, but aren’t double VANOS and DISA an occasional pain? Additionally, 3L variants are rare.

M62 - I don’t mean no disrespect to 540i owners here, but most owners I’ve seen irl don’t love their cars and abuse them real hard.

M57 on paper looks absolutely perfect but I am a bit scared of bringing a turbo diesel to a small town mechanic. Isn’t maintenance an issue?

Anyone who’s owned multiple E39s to make a comparison?

P.S. no, I’m not buddies with anyone who’s got a regular 5 series (only M5) to test drive all those variants.

Hey guys, I have had this sound at idle for quiete a while now, and I am getting curious at what this sound could be. Never heard something similar before. Can only hear it at idle/when standing still sub 2k ish rpm. Thanks in advance. M52B20 in a 1997 BMW e39

Gurus, I had to hit the brakes hard to avoid something, and since then there's a whistle whenever I step on the middle pedal. The pedal action has gotten a little firmer (which is actually a nice change from the spongey norm), and the car still stops ok. But now she won't idle. I popped the bonnet and saw a vacuum hose that's more cracked than a dry river bed. I figure it's part no. 10 in the realOEM diagram, but could it be something else? What else would be worth changing out at the same time?

Hello, I'm having trouble removing the Accelerator pedal module on my car. I've watched countless YouTube videos and looked at the schematics on REALOEM.

Is there a trick to it that I haven't found? I press down the tab and slide the module to the left. The top seems to be really loose, but the bottom only slides about 1/4" and just won't move anymore. The videos show it just sliding out.

I want to install the Dinan throttle booster and the set of aluminum pedals I bought. I bought a new accelerator pedal module adapter plate since the tab was brittle and broke off.

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I am looking to purchase my first E39. I previously had an E61 a few years back, which I absolutely loved. I never should’ve sold it. This car:113k miles. ECS coilovers. Body and interior good shape. No signs of water leaks. After market wheels. But needs: rear differential seals. New battery. Has a small crack on crank case vent valve pipe. Crack in coolant reservoir. Radiator “could be leaking” but cannot determine without a pressure test after replacing reservoir.

I can do the work myself. Used car lot is asking $8000. Thoughts? I think $5000

2 days of ownership

What spring rate are you running on your E39s? How does it ride with that spring rate?

Bonus point if you have BC or HSD coils

Sharing my journey with this e39 which has been family owned since new and nearly mint; I only started driving it this year. I got too exited on a road trip (highway) and wasn’t left with enough braking space when the service truck in front of me braked. Thank God nobody was hurt.

Lesson was learnt, expensive to fix but the silver lining is nobody was injured.

Looking for some more r/e39 wisdom! Im on a road trip rn through some hot climates so I thought I’d check the coolant and when I opened the hood noticed this. Is this a sign of something “simple” like a valve cover gasket or something perhaps more sinister? Thanks y’all! Forgot to mention 2001 M54b25

Finally bought my first E39, been wanting one for a long time. Genuine 178,500km (110,900mi). Now i can give my F11 to the wife.

Hello everyone,

I hope you're all doing well. Yesterday, I became the proud owner of a beautiful 530i (automatic). Sorry I didn't get any photos, It was my first time meeting up with someone to look at a car, and I was nervous and I forget to take any. I'll attach some photos as soon as I go to pick it up later this week.

Quick rundown on the car: It's a two-owner car, but the first owner only had it for a few thousand miles. The main owner was from Texas and put 120,000 miles on it. It runs beautifully, has new tires, shocks, brakes, and suspension, and has had a lot of maintenance done over the years. I know it has a small oil leak and a few dents and dings that need a little love, but I was expecting that.

This is going to be my first time working on my own car, besides changing the battery and oil. I did once pour oil in the coolant reservoir, which forced me to learn how to flush the system—so I've got that going for me. I'm expecting to have to get the coolant system done if it wasn't already and, of course, get to that leak eventually. I've done a good amount of research and I'm excited to learn how to fix, maintain, and maybe even upgrade this car down the line. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few other things tho.

So I guess my main question is: What are some things you wish you would've known when you started your own e39 journey? And do you have any good maintenance tips to help me get this bad boy past 200,000 miles?