'98 E39 Questions

Hello, My name is Nick, I am new to the forum, and am searching for a BMW to purchase. I have found one that interests me, but its not in movable condition. The car has had a head replaced and lot of its essentials, but the owner says the transmission is in safe mode, and that would have to be cleared by a mechanic or BMW shop that knows hot to, in order to run/drive.

The car is in great shape, very well taken care of. No blemishes, inside or out, from what I can tell, and he is asking $2400 for the car.

My question is, should the car still run if the transmission is in safe mode and does his story sound at all Legit?

Here is the verbiage on what was exactly said. I am waiting on an email on milage and such.

Thanks for your responses in advance!

I don't have the room to store. Compare with others and you will see how much TLC this car has received.

1998 BMW 528i, automatic, power everything, sunroof, etc.
Items done:
Replaced head ($3k+)
New head gasket kit
New spark plugs
New valve cover gasket
New O2 sensors
New exhaust gaskets
New crankshaft position sensor
New intake gaskets
New water pump
New radiator
New fan clutch
New belts/hoses
New coolant
New coolant expansion tank
New thermostat and housing
New CCV and all associated hoses
New coolant temp switch
New mass airflow sensor (MAF)
New intake boot
New Bosch 140amp alternator
New Interstate premium battery
New Mobil 1 oil/ Mann filter
New transmission fluid/filter and pan bolts
New high performance tires (0 miles on them)
New windshield
New gas cap
Angel eye headlights, Hella tails

This car is almost brand new under the hood and the body is in great shape with no accident damage, rust, etc. The interior is in excellent condition, grey leather with power everything.Power sunroof, tinted windows, power seats, climate control, etc. Clear title in hand. I'll even include two additional mounted tires on BMW rims with the deal.

This BMW will need to have a few lights reset after all the work that was put into it, and the transmission will need to be taken out of safe mode to get it to run/drive. This can be done at any BMW machine equipped mechanic for a reasonable price. This car needs to be finished and will need to be towed, and is being sold as a project. I don't have the time to finish, my loss could be your gain. 2400 firm

I would be selling my Mustang, that is reliable for the purchase of this car. I don't want to get myself into something I will regret.

The transmission is in safe mode for a reason. This is because a fault has been detected that makes the transmission computer (EGS) think that further operation will be harmful. It also doesn't want to leave you stranded for your safety, so it gives you the option of limping, usually in 3rd gear. IME, the car will still run and drive, but not well because its stuck in 3rd gear. Worst case scenario, it needs a new transmission.

Where its parked looks sketchy as well. The more people say "new" this and that, the more they probably have to hide. If its a good car it will speak for itself in person. Anyone trying to over sell their car is covering up something. Im not saying all those new parts are not there, just saying that he said a bunch of good, then.... fail. safe mode. Wonder how long this owner had the car? Wonder if he is the one who paid for all the new parts? With a new head it looks like it overheated at one point as well. I always wonder the life my cars lived prior to me owning them. Never can tell for sure, but you can sure try.

Yeah, its kind of sketchy, and I am not that informed on German Engineering, but I am always up to learn new things. I have had one Audi, and sold it because I was not a fan of it being AWD. This was my response from him. He said the car did start, but sat for 5 months, but won't start now... The place he has it stored at, is a storage lot. The car looks exceptionally clean, but I would have to drive a little over 2 hours to see it, and I want to know more about this one situation before I waste my time and money in gas.

The car was running great (but still in
safe mode) until I tried to start it up after being stored for 5
months or so, now it cranks strong but won't start. BMW thinks that
the safe mode and the start issue is all related to a bad transmission
control module, so I have a good spare that I bought that needs to be
programmed at BMW with their machine. I was told that it would cost
75-100 to program the spare module. I bought the car for my daughter
and put all the money into getting ti right for her, but she ended up
going to UNL and doesn't need/want a car anymore because she lives on
campus. I don't have the time to figure it out or the space to store
the car anymore, so I'm selling it at considerably less than I have
into it.

Pay a BMW mechanic to go over the car mechanically. Take heed to what others here say.

If the only thing wrong is a bad trans, worst-case is maybe $5k for a factory rebuilt unit, which is the best way to go. Local rebuilds tend to be of poor quality.

These cars, as they get older, need more intensive maintenance, and this car is 15 years old. If you need to rely on a shop to do the work, you should probably walk away. If you have solid automotive DIY experience, these cars are not that difficult to wrench.

Originally Posted by edjack

Pay a BMW mechanic to go over the car mechanically. Take heed to what others here say.

If the only thing wrong is a bad trans, worst-case is maybe $5k for a factory rebuilt unit, which is the best way to go. Local rebuilds tend to be of poor quality.

These cars, as they get older, need more intensive maintenance, and this car is 15 years old. If you need to rely on a shop to do the work, you should probably walk away. If you have solid automotive DIY experience, these cars are not that difficult to wrench.

That is understandable. I do my own mechanical work. Did all the modifications to my Mustang, (IE Cam, heads, clutch) but I am not looking to purchase something that I need to wrap a bunch of money in. Just thought I might have found something decent, but looks like would be more of a headache than its worth. I will have to probably look at the classifieds on here

based on where it's parked in the pic and the fact that even with that low res you can see a thick layer of dust on the car, i would say there is far more to the story than what you're reading. a new or rebuilt transmission won't be cheap, and that's probably what it needs. and who knows what kind of condition all of the electronics are in. it's too bad the seller had to replace all of those parts under the hood, because without a working tranny that's a $1000 car

Just keep looking there is tons of e39 528i's out there in same price range.