Preventative Maintenance at 100k

So...I have a little over 92k miles on my 08' 535xi....any suggestions on what if any work should be done. I had an Indy dealer suggest...spark plugs, front / rear differential fluid and transfer case fluid.

Would you agree? Anything else to look for?

On my old 3 series I would replace the water pump and thermostat also. I would think it's the same with the 5-series, but not sure. May want to consider fuel pump and filter also.

Originally Posted by MrKB2U

So...I have a little over 92k miles on my 08' 535xi....any suggestions on what if any work should be done. I had an Indy dealer suggest...spark plugs, front / rear differential fluid and transfer case fluid.

Would you agree? Anything else to look for?

Agree on all 3. Check engine air filter and cabin filters also.

I'd add transmission fluid to your list and also check for oil leaks (most common near the oil filter) and transmission leaks (from the sleeve). If you are on your original control arm bushings, I am sure they are starting to crack. If you want to get really aggressive I would consider a preventive water pump replacement, but they are quite pricey for these vehicles. If you haven't had an alignment in a while, I find these cars tend to drift out of spec quickly. Of course, I would clear out the sunroof drains and check for any water in the trunk compartment. A new battery and/or IBS sensor would be a good idea.

1. The whole Cooling system
2. Fuel Filter
3. Power Steering fluid + Filter
4. Check Vapor Barriers
5. A nice detail

And the other things everyone else suggested.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Originally Posted by Dking078

1. The whole Cooling system
2. Fuel Filter
3. Power Steering fluid + Filter
4. Check Vapor Barriers
5. A nice detail

And the other things everyone else suggested.

Hopefully your not waiting to 100k for a good detail

1. The whole Cooling system
2. Fuel Filter
3. Power Steering fluid + Filter
4. Check Vapor Barriers
5. A nice detail

Ummm... As in REPLACE the entire cooling system? Seems a bit extensive and expensive....

Originally Posted by Deebow

Ummm... As in REPLACE the entire cooling system? Seems a bit extensive and expensive....

That's what I was thinking, but wasn't for sure!

Am I the only one thinking that if he did all these "basics" it would be cheaper to buy a new car?

Originally Posted by Deebow

Ummm... As in REPLACE the entire cooling system? Seems a bit extensive and expensive....

Sadly yes. The parts in the cooling system (Water pump, Thermostat, Radiator, expansion tank, and hoses are bound to fail and leak.

The problem is if your radiator explodes, you have to ask why did it happen? My 540i's radiator was replaced a short time before I bought it, but blew up litterally the day after I buy it, only to later discover the thermostat made it go boom.

IMO as a way to avoid future headaches, thats why I suggest redoing the cooling system before a problem arises can be helpful.

Also, somehow when my 550i's expansion tank blew, it decided to take the Aux fan with it, not fun.

At the very least replace the water pump - mine was replaced at 57K.

What if your car is at 100k and everything works perfect?

Originally Posted by GOR777

What if your car is at 100k and everything works perfect?

lol

If you read this board and others you can find many E60 owners well in the 100,000 miles and have not replaced the cooling system.

I have noticed a lot of people on these boards tend to post all the negatives and none of the positives.

The E60 is my 4th BMW and I've yet to replace any cooling system on any of them. My E32 went to 186,000 miles before I sold it and only did the oil pan gasket.

As long as you don't overheat the car it will be fine if something fails. Might leave you stranded though. So it is a gamble. Dump tons of money into it and drive without worries or push it and see what happens.

Good luck either way.

You may consider just changing the coolant and in the future if you see any sign of overheating, then start changing the cooling system as was recomended above.

Originally Posted by E60535

You may consider just changing the coolant and in the future if you see any sign of overheating, then start changing the cooling system as was recomended above.

And how can you tell if the car is overheating. There is no temp gauge.

Originally Posted by bkun

And how can you tell if the car is overheating. There is no temp gauge.

The car starts to beep and flash warning icons.

Originally Posted by jjp735i

The E60 is my 4th BMW and I've yet to replace any cooling system on any of them. My E32 went to 186,000 miles before I sold it and only did the oil pan gasket.

As long as you don't overheat the car it will be fine if something fails. Might leave you stranded though. So it is a gamble. Dump tons of money into it and drive without worries or push it and see what happens.

Good luck either way.

You cannot compare the E32 to a modern BMW(e60). The E32 was one of the very last per-globalization cars and just before BMW GmbH decided to cut cost on every part it made and not over engineer anything(excluding M cars). These cars have more plastic parts that have replaced metal parts which has caused many failures. Plastic and heat DO NOT MIX and they do/will fail. My 545 had 70k when I found cracks in the cooling system which were very close to breaking completely.

People are just trying to provide information on what they have read or have experienced personally. If you were to ask me, If you are at 92K and the fluids in your diff and trans have not been changed, you may be past he point of no return. My 545 trans was done at 50k and it looked like it was filled with motor oil and not transmission fluid.

I'm not comparing my e32 to my e60, but I still think BMW makes a very well made car and can reach very high millage with proper maintenance without sinking tons of money into them.



This is just my opinion, but people like to drive these cars hard and that has a lot to do with system failures.

It would be the same with any make or model. You drive them hard they are going to break down more often.

You can have issues even if you don't drive the car hard. I have friend who had a 545 and babied it like it was made of glass and it was going to break if you accelerated too hard and he had a cooling issues at 65k. It has more to do with the cost cutting and pressure from Governments to reduce automobile waste during its life time which has caused common issues to happen with these cars than abuse. I don't care how good a synthetic oil is, it has been shown that the extended to no maintenance intervals on these cars are the cause for major and very expensive problems.

well, this thread basically scares most away from a 100k+ car.

Originally Posted by MRV99

You cannot compare the E32 to a modern BMW(e60). The E32 was one of the very last per-globalization cars and just before BMW GmbH decided to cut cost on every part it made and not over engineer anything(excluding M cars). These cars have more plastic parts that have replaced metal parts which has caused many failures. Plastic and heat DO NOT MIX and they do/will fail. My 545 had 70k when I found cracks in the cooling system which were very close to breaking completely.

People are just trying to provide information on what they have read or have experienced personally. If you were to ask me, If you are at 92K and the fluids in your diff and trans have not been changed, you may be past he point of no return. My 545 trans was done at 50k and it looked like it was filled with motor oil and not transmission fluid.

Thanks!

One thing people have to understand about owning a luxury car that is used. You have to look at the price of the car new to understand the cost to fix or maintain it used. Perfect example. e60 m5 100k out the door new, low to medium miles 40k average. When something breaks, you are not fixing a 40k car, your fixing a 100k car with components which cost what they do new. Replacement parts don't get cheaper like a car does.

BMW's and every other auto company has done what they can to reduce costs to keep the price of cars down. To do that, they need to save money with components in the car. Why build a transmission which will last 250k miles when BMW knowS the average BMW has 100-125k miles before they become too expensive or cost prohibitive to keep on the road.

These threads are designed for a person who maybe has not been involved with BMW's and the forums very long compared to myself who has had luxury cars since 2000 and understand the costs involved with owning these cars outside of a warranty. I also seen, experienced and have read enough of these cars to understand what I got myself into.

I can leave you with this. It is best to buy post LCI versions of any BMW. THe LCI versions usually fix the known issues of the previous 3-4 years and have nicer/better/they way it should have been stuff.

My 545 2004.04 had 30-40k worth of warranty work. Idrive, cd, DVD, alternator, sunroof cassette, complete active steering replacement. And about 10 other rings I can't remember. My 2008 550, only recall stuff, software updates and that was it.

Wife's 2007 4.8 e70 10--20k in first year, 2012 5.0, just battery and early fluid changes.

This is a really good post for a new owner of a BMW. I really appreciate the post MRV99 placed. It sums it up nicely. I purchased a used 2008 535i with 56k miles and had experienced, in the past 6 months, a water pump, thermostat, windshield wiper reservoir and mechatronics seal failure. Going into this purchase I knew I was going to buy a 3rd party warranty. I got one for an additional 60k miles on top of what the car already has. I have done very well by having it. I really enjoy this car and am completely hooked. Yes, the incidents are frustrating but I bought a car used and when I purchase any car I get on a proactive maintenance schedule to 'be ahead of the curve.' I'll gladly take my '08 535i sedan over my last 4 Hondas that easily gave me 100k miles on a proactive maintenance schedule. IMO it's the amount of money you have to spend and MRV99 put it in perspective.