525i sedan help

Hey all, I'm interested in buying a 95 BMW 525i with 160k miles. It's in close to perfect condition and has all service records and such. I got it inspected by a BMW mechanic and the main issues are the clutch felt a little high (according to the service reports, it's still the original clutch) and that the throttle body was missing a pipe and leaking oil into the engine compartment. I'm not especially mechanically savvy, so I couldn't tell you the exact hose or it's function, although it was a small connector coming from the throttle body, at the lower right that was supposed to run somewhere underneath the engine. The mechanic said it wasn't a major concern to him. Ironically, this is the part I'm worried about. Replacing the clutch was estimated at 700-1000 dollars, something I'm able to pay right after driving it off the lot, if neccesary. The mechanic estimated replacing the missing hose at 500. This is a bit much, so my question is are hoses and such replacable with some DIY action, and does anyone happen to know the hose I'm talking about? I previously owned a Honda, and did most the minor repairs and maintenance on my own, but going from a familiar Honda engine (H22) to a European build is a little daunting. How easy are they to work on, compared to a Honda? ( Replacing parts, oil changes, etc. ) Thanks for the help and sorry for the wall of text!

Hi AMK,

The hose sounds like a $25 part and can be diyed. $500 is a con job even by stealer standards !

The clutch should run you max $200 including the oil and should take up to 2 hours labour to change .

Get hourly rated quotes from other workshops.

Try to identify the hose from the sub diagrams here and post up the part number and direct link :

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/partgrp.d...id=47404&hg=13

This would be the main diagram : http://www.realoem.com/bmw/partgrp.d...3&mospid=47404

You can google with just the part number alone to get prices for a specific part. That includes the clutch :

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/partgrp.d...3&mospid=47404

Damn, just checked, your clutch is like $140, that's cheap ! Oil would run you another $20 max. And he wants $700-$1000 to change this out for you ? I think he's planning on having a very merry christmas indeed !


You have reminded me of something I need to post up. Can you wait for 1-2 days before confirming this sale ? You're going to want to read that before you go further and I can't write it up right on the spot now.

Please do take some time to read through the maintenance sticky at the top of these forums first.


rgds,
Roberto

If the clutch pedal is the incorrect distance from the firewall (10 inches +/-) you can adjust the pedal distance. Get the Bentley manual for the e34, most of what you will need is in there.

I had Honda's.... over 25 years ago. I went German as soon as I could and haven't looked back. You will not have any trouble working on a 525. They are quirky but easy to work on. Parts are pretty easy to come by used and new.

Buy it, way better than any Honda, and I like Honda's

Thanks for the quick replies guys! As to the specific part, I looked under the sub categories and couldn't find one that seems right. However, it's hard to say since I don't have the engine in front of me...and really, that cheap? I knew the parts cost, but isn't replacing a clutch and flywheel a pretty labor extensive job? I had to get the clutch replaced in my 98 Prelude and it was about the same. But I suppose I could wait a couple days, the cars a 5 speed and those don't sell that quickly around here. Then again, with it being in the shape it's in, I wouldn't be suprised if the next person to come along scooped it up. I just happened to be on craigslist when he posted the ad, and looked at it first thing the next day (today). And snowsled, the clutch pedal, from what I recall, was less than 10 inches from the floorboard.

I guess I should reitterate, the mechanic said the clutch felt high on mileage, as in not grabbing very well and needing to be replaced soonish, not phsyically high off the floor!