2004 bmw 545

Should i buy a 2004 545i with 36k miles. 19500. i heard there are many issues both big and small with this particular model. I have had bmws in the past and i know they can be expensive to repair but i just dont want to make a horrible financial decision with the vehicle. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks. car is not under warranty. car drives amazing

Originally Posted by justinb7116

Should i buy a 2004 545i with 36k miles. 19500. i heard there are many issues both big and small with this particular model. I have had bmws in the past and i know they can be expensive to repair but i just dont want to make a horrible financial decision with the vehicle. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks. car is not under warranty. car drives amazing

bmw

Well it's damn n62!!
105C it's low miles and if you install low temp tstat it will last for a while:
Otherwise get ready for coolant pipe problem

How much would i pay for a low t tstat? thank you for responding by the way. it just freaked me out. i spoke with a BMW master tech and he told me to steer clear. i love the vehicle and it will be our weekend driver. just dont want to make a bad decision being that its 9 years old. i fell in love with it as soon as i started test drive. main thing that scares me is possible transmission issues and cover gasket issues. im not a DIYer so i know taht i will have to take car to dealer for repairs and i know how they rape ya. thanks again. very new on this site so bear with me

If you like the car, have it checked out by a mechanic you trust; then buy a warranty. Good luck with your purchase.

thanks for the quick response batmbl. do you know how much a warranty would be for that vehicle being an 04. thanks again. there is a BMW dealer about 10 minutes from the sales lot. i guess that would be a good place to take it

Want to know if anyone know anyone in va that can rebuild a 545 engine. The bmw dealer told me i have to replace it cause my valves seals are leaking

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Bimmer App

Originally Posted by SFbay

Well it's damn n62!!
105C it's low miles and if you install low temp tstat it will last for a while:
Otherwise get ready for coolant pipe problem

At what temperature do the low temp tstats open?

Where are they available?

Do you know how running the low temp tstat in the 545i compares to the 550i average operating temperatures?

Are there any observed negative side effects you have heard of from running the engine at lower operating temperatures (maybe carbon buildup from unburned fuel, increased emissions, loss in fuel efficiency)?

Thanks

PS - I would love to see a thermal image of an operating N62B44 to know how lowering the engine temperature via water temperature compares to lowering the engine temperature via running an oil cooler, with the question being which one provides more uniform cooling which may improve gaskets and seal life?

I also wonder how much the other factors of oil pH, internal engine chamber pressures and gasket design (gasket shape, gasket material and uniformity of clamping force and design seating stress) figure into BMW gasket failure.

Originally Posted by bimmerfan52

At what temperature do the low temp tstats open?

Where are they available?

Do you know how running the low temp tstat in the 545i compares to the 550i average operating temperatures?

Are there any observed negative side effects you have heard of from running the engine at lower operating temperatures (maybe carbon buildup from unburned fuel, increased emissions, loss in fuel efficiency)?

Thanks

PS - I would love to see a thermal image of an operating N62B44 to know how lowering the engine temperature via water temperature compares to lowering the engine temperature via running an oil cooler, with the question being which one provides more uniform cooling which may improve gaskets and seal life?

I also wonder how much the other factors of oil pH, internal engine chamber pressures and gasket design (gasket shape, gasket material and uniformity of clamping force and design seating stress) figure into BMW gasket failure.

good questions,,, running a lower temp thermostat has an appeal... wonder if that would help the oil temp run cooler as well

I drive a 2004 BMW 545i (June/July 2004 build, late build) which now has approx. 32,000 miles. California car all its life, heavily optioned.

The car is obviously not the most reliable car in the world, but it's a lot of car for the money. Performance is excellent and fuel economy is actually somewhat reasonable for a car of this performance caliber. And although I don't have any major problems with the car, there are a few technological glitches every now and then.

At 8-9 years old, this is the time that cars, despite lower mileage cars, will tend to have some small problems. You will likely have less major problems because of the lower mileage. You have to expect it will have a few problems.

You really shouldn't use it as a weekend driver, these cars have finicky batteries and need to be driven. What are you afraid of? More depreciation? Trust me, it's depreciating in time more than mileage in your case. If you buy it, use it, enjoy it!

Lower temp tstat has been part of a huge thread on the e66 side.Starting to get a little nasty.I have a spare tstat. On order and have a idea on modifying it to open at a cooler temp.I don't know if the engine will stay running cooler by this action but I'm going to try.

Originally Posted by justinb7116

thanks for the quick response batmbl. do you know how much a warranty would be for that vehicle being an 04. thanks again. there is a BMW dealer about 10 minutes from the sales lot. i guess that would be a good place to take it

Not sure on that model. I bought one a month ago for my 09 which cost 2700 (with 250 deductible).

I bought a 2005 545i last Feb. I really enjoy the car but didn't enjoy the issues that came with it. I've had to replace the valve cover gaskets, timing cover gaskets, alternator bracket gasket, mass air flow sensor, vanos, water pump and various hoses. The car is a blast to drive other than the repairs that were made.

I wouldn't recommend this car to anyone who isn't DIY friendly or doesn't have extra funds available for repairs.

There are good and bads with any car, you can never really tell how something is going to be until it's too late. I once purchased a car from the original owner, who drove it a maximum of 3000 miles a year, it was a 10 year old car with only 30k! Car drove great, and looked even better, and the guy told me always kept up on the maintenance. On the surface you're probably thinking "SIGN ME UP, I'LL BUY IT!" right? Well that's what I thought, what I didn't realize is that the 30,000 miles were not your day-to-day driving miles, the car was beaten to hell and back, and not once was it ever even given an oil change. "keeping up on maintenance" for this guy meant making sure the tires had air and it never needed antifreeze.

First off, NEVER trust anything positive the seller is telling you. Automatically assume the seller is lying about everything. Have the car inspected by a NON-BIAS, trust worthy mechanic. NON-BIAS meaning NOT A DEAL! Most dealerships have great techs, but horrible sales staff. The dealership will make a BUTT LOAD more by charging you for an inspection, then telling you the car is crap, BUT they have one they can sell you.

Next, keep in mind that it's used, don't nit pick. If you're looking for perfect, go buy new, and use the heck out of that warranty. If you are going to nit pick, use it to your advantage. Think of it this way, if all you have to complain about is that the passenger side cup holder is sticky and requires you to tap the button a couple times to get it open, then I'd say you're on a GREAT start.

Hi all first post here . Just bought an 04 545 about 2 months ago . I got it from a Euro car dealer and bought a 3rd party warranty . I get it back tomorrow from the shop . Here is what they did at no cost to me valve cover gaskets, timing cover gaskets, alternator bracket gasket, mass air flow sensor, water pump, famous coolant pipe and new battery along with some other small things . The warranty is from C.A.R.S . I was amazed by this and warranty paid for itself and more already .

SlvrBmr545 can you tell me more about the C.A.R.S warranty? I may be interested in obtaining this myself as my car is at 106,000 miles and I am sure some of those things are going to start failing. Thanks!

I got it about 88,000 look up C.A.R.S. warranty and you can find the site . I am not sure if you can get direct from them . I know someone who is a dealer in eastern pa . I think it was like $2500 after discount .

You had no problem getting the work accomplished? Did something go wrong or did you just notice oil leaking? I am curious as I spoke with them and they said they would only replace gaskets if they had to get into the engine and do something else.

It was leaking then alt was acting up . A good part of it was after getting into it and seeing other stuff . I think since I know the guy who got it for me and he knows the mechanic at euro shop they did some things and handled the warranty company . Other than that I had no problem . They did all the authorizations only thing was certain parts they had sent from there own vendor .

Wow, good to know, thanks a lot!