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Not true. In almost every 24 hour cycle, the ambient air temperature and pressure changes, and as such, there are minute amounts of air moving in and out of all non-operating engines. The worst-case scenario is during the summer time when warm moist air enters the engine during the daytime, then during the night as the temperature drops, and the engine cools, small amounts of condensation collect on the inner surfaces of the engine.
Corrosion caused by daily heating/cooling condensation cycles is a very well known and well-documented phenomenon, and the folks who own/operate small aircraft with reciprocating engines are well aware of it. The reason that aircraft are more susceptible to internal corrosion is that they are not (as a rule) used frequently like an automobile. As such, their engines suffer from this problem FAR more frequently than the engines in our Daily Drivers.
The following is a quote from some documentation I have regarding Exxon Elite Aviation Lubricants, and can also be read in the PDF at the following link:
http://www.exxonelite.com/exxon_lubes/elite/pdfs/rust.pdf
"When your aircraft sits on the ramp or in the hangar, the engine heats up during the day and cools down at night. The cooling process condenses water vapor in the engine, forming moisture, which drains into the oil. This moisture can, of course, lead to rust on engine components"
Best Regards,
Shipo
I further assumed that you would park it inside where the temperature would not vary a lot. But, if your parking this car for 5 months, I would suggest an oil change first, then get it hot before parking it.
My point was that you should not start it up for 5 minutes (with a cold engine) and move it to the long term parking place and then just leave it there. Warm it up good first.
One good thing is that gasoline is mostly lead free now.
regards,
kyfdx
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As a side note, while it has been a while since I turned a wrench, my bet is that most cars these days will have average maximum oil temperatures of about 190, and only in heavy traffic with the A/C on at that.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Ummm, at the risk of repeating myself, not true. Internal combustion engines are in the business of making water. There is no way around it, water is a by-product of said combustion, and as such, water vapor is everywhere inside an engine (even very hot ones) when it is shut down. It is true that a hot engine will have LESS water in it (as the vast majority of the water in the oil will have already been vaporized), but the fact remains, as the engine cools, water will condense on the internal components, and eventually, coupled with the daily accumulation of even more water, cause rust.
Best Regards,
Shipo
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As for the LS, it is a nice car; certainly the best handling domestic sedan ever. The 2003s have a badly needed interior upgrade as well as engines that-finally-make decent hp numbers. The LS is a tremendous bargain as well, largely due to the fact that Lincoln can't figure out how to market the car properly(most Lincoln dealers prefer dealing with the one foot in the grave AARP crowd and can't be bothered with car enthusiasts who still have their own teeth).
That said, you'll find that 99% of the world wide automotive press considers the 5er to be one of, if not THE best sedan in the world. It's not just hype, it's a fact. Another advantage of BMW ownership is the huge(over 72500 members) national club; see: www.bmwcca.org .
My advice would be to take an extended drive in each car and buy the one YOU like best. There are few really horrible automotive choices any more(GM and KIA products excepted).
Jack
Thank you for your replies. I have someone who is very willing to drive my car while I am gone. He plans to buy one (5 series) late this summer so he gets an extended test drive. I'll read ya when I get back (As opposed to seeing ya when I get back)
A-10 Driver
It's seems the safer and better handling BMW might be a better choice although Audi's performance is impressive for the price.
What's you take>
Roundel (BMW CCA) and Bimmer magazines routinely discuss what owners should do to properly maintain their cars for long life. Within past couple weeks, I posted what Bimmer's Tech Q&A editor said about long-term 540i maintenance. See post #6603 above.
Besides doing normal Oil Service, Schedule 1, and Schedule 2 maintenance intervals, you'll also need to change brake fluid every 2 years and coolant every 3 years. Think oxygen sensor replaced at 100K. Many recommend changing differential fluid every 30K. Lots of advice out there on water pumps, belts, hoses, etc. Use of synthetic fluids important.
Unfortunately, BMW's ATs have high failure rates in the 80-120,000 range. Doesn't appear to be much owners can do. Even aggressive maintenance in this area doesn't seem to help too much. (If you want to keep a BMW up for a long time, manual transmission normally less expensive, assuming you don't abuse the clutch.)
Do keep in mind that lots of BMW owners keep their cars for a long time. Lots of owners in my local BMW CCA chapter have cars that are 10-20 years old. Hundreds of thousands of miles. Two other keys I forgot for BMW include whether there is a good independent garage that specializes in BMWs near you and the BMW club system. You can meet some truly knowledeable people in BMW CCA who can help you properly maintain your car.
The newer BMWs haven't had many problems with AT's in my experience. The older cars, E30 3 series, E32 7 series, E34 5 series had a lot of tranny problems. The GM transmissions BMW used were/are very troublesome and were replaced quite often. Having worked in both BMW and GM dealerships, I know just how often GM transmissions get replaced compared to BMW. I'm not a huge AT fan, but I wouldn't worry as much about a high milage BMW AT tranny than other makes.
Now, something that is often overlooked: By keeping it properly maintained, it was always a safe and fun car to drive. I never drove it and thought, "Gee, I want a new(er) car". So, a BMW is a car you may actually want to drive for 200k. BTW, it still got 25 MPG around town at the end of its stay.
Why did we sell it? Wife carries a 2 year old and 6 year old all over town, and the X5 does that job well.
Happy Motoring,
Jack
PS: Still smiling after a "spirited" drive early in the AM in the 530i, PP, SP, 5 speed.
Even in manual transmissions, there is a lot of discussion about long-term reliability. Seems like many sources prefer Getrags. BMW used to use a lot of Getrag manuals. Now use more ZF manuals. Here is what Mike Miller wrote in his article titled "Buyer's Guide: BMW E34 5 Series", European Car, August 2003:
Talking about changes in 1994: "Sadder still, and often glanced over, was the demise of the superdurable Getrag manual gearboxes, which passed with the E34 535i. BMW now uses less-hardy ZF manual gearboxes in all but the bigger V8s."
Can anyone tell me the details of their upgrade...components used, cost, amount of improvement, if in fact you have gone through any kind of an upgrade? Also, how did you determine who to let do the upgrade? The first stereo shop I visited flatly stated they would not work on a BMW due to the complexity of the car. Any input or suggestions would be appreciated.
www.iaibmwsp.org
Found their ad in the latest issues of Roundel/BMW CCA (p. 101) and Bimmer magazines (p. 48). Nearest ones in VA and PA.
Roundel ad groups shops in western (17 shops), eastern (16 shops), and central (20 shops) USA. Three in Virginia and three in Pennsylvania.
Bimmer ad lists 46 sites in 18 states. Two are listed in Virginia and 2 in Pennsylvania.
You should also check out the other ads in both publications. Each lists other independent BMW service shops, ones not in the IAIBMWSP listings.
I've had my '03 530i for only 3 months so with free maintenance I've got a while before I have to start paying or doing things myself.
My previous car was a Passat and during the free maintenance period I had some experience with dealership work and things are not as clear cut as bmwguru suggests. Some of the dealership work is good, some is just ok and some is pretty bad. I had an oil overfill and had to drain it myself. On another oil change the filter wasn't changed (got a free oil change out of that one though). On a tie rod recall, the alignment wasn't done properly which needed a re-visit.
Once the free maintenance period was up, I asked around for a good independent. I was pointed to a small shop (4 techs) that works only on Porsche, Audi & VW. It is owned by a guy who was a VW service manager and then ran the VW/Audi Canada motorsports division. I made 3 visits to this shop while I had the Passat and each time the work was superior. An example: my wipers stopped working and they tracked the problem to a seized pivot. The VW tech literature says that the wiper mechanism is non-serviceable and has to be replaced. The guys at the shop took the whole mechanism apart, cleaned and lubed the pivots and they let me watch while they did the work. The job took 2 hrs but they charged me book which was 1 hr to replace the mechanism.
A dealership would never have given this level of service. They would have simply replaced the part according to the book and I would have paid a small fortune instead of 1 hr labour.
Bottom line IMO:
1) You are not guaranteed expert service at a dealership but you are guaranteed to pay top dollar.
2) You probably run a risk if you just go to any general independent or franchised chain. There are some cowboys out there.
3) Any time that you spend looking for a top notch independent who works exclusively on your make of car will pay off. Once you find a good one, stick with them like glue.
That said, my last two cars have been brand new Audis ('98 A4 2.8q & '01 A6 4.2) and, obviously, both have seen nothing but dealer service as they are/were under full warranty including scheduled service. These cars are relatively sophisticated with 5v/cylinder, all-wheel drive, and traction control technology. I can't see how independent shops can afford (or able) to keep up with the technology employed by today's cars. I have been in my Audi dealership when the bad news is delivered to out-of-warranty customers regarding $3-$5K repairs! How about a $10k transmission?!?! Who in their right mind would buy a vehicles like the new 745i or M3 out-of-warranty? Would you want your independent messing around with BMW's new I-drive when dealers struggle with it? Yikes!
As the old saying goes (and this is applicable to BMW too), it takes a rich man to buy a Mercedes-Benz and a richer man to buy a used one.
I live in Westchester, NY, and I'm concerned with the BMW and its handling in snow. Last winter was pretty bad (by NY standards) and even with a dedicated set of snows on a 525iA (sports package incl.), am I asking for trouble? I've been driving FWD cars (Saab) for the last four years (also dedicated snows) and I'm sure this would not be an issue with the Audi Allroad, which I'm also considering (2 young kids+stuff+ wife= wagon). I come to you because the BMW is just more fun to drive than the Audi.
Your view on the subject would be greatly appreciated.
All My Best,
JB
I hope this helps.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Mark
I have heard that BMW 5 series' equipped with DSC and winter tires are pretty good in the snow relative to the older cars (my '91 535i was a nightmare in the snow and only needed about 2" to render it undrivable). Hard to say for sure, but you can't miss with the new allroad 4.2. The Audi V8's are amazing!
Those who shun Audis & BMWs because they lack cupholders probably ought to be driving something else in the first place.
Many other manufacturers generate vehicles with cupholders-aplenty. If that's the deciding factor. . .
-Paul
Does anyone know how to disable factor
alarm in a 2000 BMW 540?
Dealer fixed false alarm problem 2 weeks
ago by replacing a faulty sensor. It's
going off again (2am last night *URGH*).
Is there anyway to just lock the doors
WITHOUT any alarm? Thanks
Imran
Anyone care to offer me any advice on these color options? Help would be most appreciated