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I pulled both into the garage, and the next day the BMW had a dead battery. Roadside Assistance provided a jump start, and I took it back to the dealer. They kept the car for two days and could find nothing wrong with the alternator, charging system or the battery.
But my salesman intervened and insisted that the Service Dep't. put a new battery in the car. The Service manager agreed, saying that often a new BMW will sit for days or weeks on either side of the Atlantic, and the battery goes bad but often checks out as being okay.
We've had no problems since! We even were on vacation for almost 3 weeks in late September-early October, with the cars sitting without being started or driven. Got home, and both started without a hitch.
Bottom line -- insist that your dealer put in a new battery, even if it checks out okay in their tests (and assuming the alternator and charging system check out okay). One service advisor tried to blame the "no start" problem on the many computer chips and systems in the car, and the car not being driven enough to keep the battery charged. That was horse-hockey!
Let us know what develops.
Yours might be the same, worth a look anyway.
Problem: In the morning (after a chilly night - usually below 35 degrees) when i start up the car and leave it for warm-up, it starts with no problem but dies out after few minutes and I had to restart it after which it stays on. I had been to multiple dealers who replaced Vanos system twice and the problem still persists.
Any solutions or suggestions are welcome and appreciated. - Thanks
http://www.bmwtips.com/tipsntricks/door/doorhandle.htm Your CCA discount should help as far as the price goes.
The E39(like most new BMW models) suffered from several glitches in the first few months of production. The good news is that BMW corrected most of those problems and once fixed they tend to STAY fixed. I know of several owners who have had to replace the door handles but I haven't replaced one in 3 years and 50K miles. Between the CPO warranty and and myself we fixed the half dozen or so problems that our early-build 5er suffered from. The past 35000 miles have been problem free, with the exception of a dead windshield washer pump(one hour and @$35)
And yes a Toyota appliance is more reliable. It is also the equivalent of vehicular Novocane-also spelled B-O-R-I-N-G. We had the particular misfortune of being forced to accept a rental Camry when my wife's 3er was in the body shop recovering from a run-in with a moron-operated minivan. Now, my wife is not an auto enthusiast nor is she status-driven(how could she be-she drove a Buick when we were dating). Nevertheless, she HATED the Camry. She only drove it to and from work-she said that if she could drive a stick she would have taken my 3er and made me drive the Toyawnta. The rest of the time we left the despised appliance in the driveway. Everyone sets their own automotive priorities, and for us the occasional glitch is vastly outweighed by the superlative driving experience and capabilities of the 5er.
The warning message continues to come up at the end of every drive though. The oil level is not low, and I have no other problem indicators. Can't get into the dealer for two weeks - any way to clear this?
HiC
Good luck.
Good luck.
george: I suspect I have the same bad LCM. Thanks for the insight.
So, anyone else have driver side vanity lights that come on whenever the visor is moved to the side? Supposed to come on only when the mirror is opened, but I suspect I have a short in the visor switch.
Worst visor in any car I have ever had BTW. Ergonomic insult.
HiC
I own a 528i ; 1998 model and to be frank it has costed me a fortune. I had severe problems with temparature gauge moving towards red- towed it 4 times to the dealer- spent around 1500 bucks for replacing radiator, hose etc.,
Well it has 65000 miles on it and now after the 60,000 mile inspection the dealer is asking me to get the ball joint replaces and the cost -$1300. Does it seem right to you guys ? Dealer says even the alignment has to be done while replacing ball joint.
Is it advantageous to get snow tires for my car since I live in midwest ? I met with an accident this year during winter - eventhough I was hitting the brakes the car did not stop - it was fish tailing.
Thanks,
Viz
Considering Lexus ? I am struggling to decide between Lexus, Benz and BMW for lease.
thanks,
robster.
Dan
The dealer showed me a "bulletin" from the factory recalling this part. He replaced it and everything is fine.
I own a 1997 BMW 528i.
Good luck.
The other issue is more a curiousity than anything else. When I picked my car up my DRL's were activated (using hi-beams on low power, car has Xenons, if it matters). Through some combination of idiocy and key manipulation (turned from "off" to "run" without starting a few times - I think) I managed to shut them off. Now I want to know if there is a simple way to turn them back on, and if I could change the look to be the "Angel Eyes" that are the parking lights on the car. Thanks in advance.
1. All the computer settings seem to have been reinitialized...everything went back to "0" including ave speed, mph, timers, etc. This has happened twice; car continues to drive fine...the settings start recalculating again but I'm a bit worried about an electrical short. Note that the radio settings were maintained...even down to the echo settings, etc.
2. While driving, the radio seems to have gone out, then all console lights including ABS, light, etc seem to have lit up for a split second....then the console lights turn off and radio comes back. Almost as if the engine was getting ready to die but came back. Again, pointing to some sort of electrical problem.
Overall, the car drives great...like no other i've driven before (it also has a Dinan S2 suspension, CAI, S2 software -- which makes it difficult to keep it below 80!) but potential electrical probls on a non cpo car w/ mods have me seeing dollars down the drain!
Anyone out there seem issues like these before?
I own a BMW 528i 1998 model. It has 67000 miles on it and after 4 year warranty I have already spent $4000 or more on it for replacement of parts and check ups. I have one more issue now- ball joint to be replaced for 1300. Please advise on the following:
1) Do you guys see any major problems with vehicle in next 20,000/30,000 miles or so ? What are the problems that would crop up during this phase and how much would they cost ?
2) If the repair costs are going to be exhorbitant, I would like to sell this car and lease a 2003-525 but I hate to get rid of my present car. Infact I lose around $3000 when I sell my car to the dealer.
3) 2003 -525 with 5000 miles is available for 40,000; cold weather package,leather etc. Is it a fair price ?
Thanks,
Viz
1. The passenger side seat belt gets stuck often. I have to cut the ignition and play with the belt to get it to work properly. Any solution to this?
2. The front passenger seat has a very noticeable vibration when it is empty. Any reason why?
3. The head rest on the front passenger seat is stuck in the high position and it won't come down. The switch is not working. Is there a way to bring it down manually for the time being?
4.The switch that makes the front passenger seat move forward and backward gets stuck too. You press the switch to make the seat move a bit forward or back and the seat keeps going. The switch needs a gentle tap in the opposite direction to stop this. Very annoying. My car pool buddy really got scared when it first happened. He thought he was going to be sandwiched between the dash board and the seat:)
5. The switch for the fan (heating/cooling) also gets stuck when I press on one end. It needs a gentle tap on the other end to stop it.
One of my friends suggested to spray the switches with W-40. Is this a good idea? Would it cause any damage? I'm taking it back to the dealer one of these days for sure.
It is a great driving machine. But I wish, BMW would pay a bit more attention to these kind of stuff too.
How do we find out whether a BMW 1998 528i has a sports package ?
Thanks,
Viz
Have any of you other 5 or 7 series drivers ever had bad luck such as this or is my car just a total lemon?
Transmission replaced (1st time at 64000 miles)
Transmission replaced (2nd time at 114,000 miles)
Tranny fluid replaced twice ($250 each time)
Air conditioning condenser replaced
Air conditioning evaporator replaced
Air conditioning line replaced
A/C coolant replaced 3 times and topped up twice
Radiator repaired several times
Radiator replaced
Radiator coolant replaced numerous times
Wiper motor replaced
Both front stabilizer rods and vanes replaced
Both valve cover gaskets replaced
Main Water pump replaced
All four brake rotors and pads (at least 4 times)
Tie rod end replaced
Both front body strut bars and bushings replaced
Wheel alignment (done twice)
Stereo repaired
Drive shaft centre bearing replaced
Drivers power seat motor and switches repaired
Electric auxilliary water pump replaced
Several heater hoses replaced
Transmission oil cooler replaced
Coolant hose to trans oil cooler replaced
Upper and lower rad hoses replaced
Oil filter bracket repaired (severe oil leak)
Thermostat housing replaced
Thermostat replaced twice
Both fuel filters replaced
Spark plugs replaced
Steering wheel locking mechanism replaced
Shifter linkage needed realignment
Windshield replaced
Extensive body work and painting done due to rust
Battery replaced
Air filter replaced twice
Microfilter replaced twice
Have bought 3 sets of new tires for car
Numerous problems with windshield wipers
Almost every light on car replaced at least once
Fuel gauge light doesn't work - not fixed yet
Hood latch always sticks so hood hard to open
Trunk lock sticks constantly - not fixed yet
Rear door handles don't retract in cold weather
Glove box opens by itself on bumps - not fixed
Exhaust system leak - not fixed yet
Centre link shot - not fixed yet
One ball joint needs replacing - not fixed yet
Drivers power seat broken again - not fixed yet
Air bag light on all the time - not fixed yet
Power lumbar supports on both seats broken
Rear seat fold down console hinges broken
Drivers seat armrest mechanism broken
Power steering wheel adj. works intermittently
Looking at the above litany of problems you might think that I am hard on the car and/or don't maintain it properly. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am 51 years old, the car is not driven hard, and every required BMW inspection and oil change has been performed at the required times since the car was new. The car has full documentation to verify this.
I also own an old 533i (that has had its share of problems too) but I really will think twice before ever buying another BMW (that's if I want to stay married!). They are terrific cars to drive but I'm starting to wonder whether the superiority of so-called "German engineering" is really just an often repeated myth! Have any of you other 5 or 7 series drivers ever had problems such as I have experienced or is my car just a total lemon? I await your thoughts on this.
OR
I can drive/maintain a 13 year old FWD family sedan and pocket the princely sum of:
I hope you're sitting down....
SEVENTY FOUR CENTS PER DAY!!!!!!!!!!!
And as for my 5er? I REALLY feel silly; for the past three years I've been driving the finest sedan in the world(according to Automobile, Autocar, Car, Car and Driver, and Road&Track) when I could have been tootling about in a 1991 Honda! And I would have saved enough money to buy a Happy Meal almost EVERY DAY! Boy, am I depressed.