100k maintenance

My 550 is nearing the big 100k and I'm wanting to do some preventative DIY maintenance on her. The car will also be going to the dealership for the mechatronics sleeve, brake vacuum pump and possibly valve cover gasket to get fixed. I do know an indy would be cheaper but I'm moving from the Pacific NW to the SE in a year and like the 2 year warrenty on new parts BMW offers.

Here is the list that I will be tackling:
Replace cabin and engine air filters
Replace brake lines, pads, rotors( the pads were replaced about 15 months ago but the rotor are original)
Replace spark plugs
Change out the power steering fluid
Switch out the hood struts

The few questions I have are should I replace the ignition coils or any other part related to the ignition system of the car? The car is not idling rough or anything just figure it might be time but I'm not sure. Do you guys have any ideas of what else I should change about now?

you dont need dealer for all this
it is half day work

The dealer is for mechatronics sleeve, brake vacuum pump and possibly valve cover gasket. Everything else is going to be over the course of a weekend while the kids are napping.

Take it to a indy shop better,,,, they will do it for half the cost...

Just curious....what would be an estimate for these items at a dealer and then at an Indy?

Originally Posted by etnav382

My 550 is nearing the big 100k and I'm wanting to do some preventative DIY maintenance on her. The car will also be going to the dealership for the mechatronics sleeve, brake vacuum pump and possibly valve cover gasket to get fixed. I do know an indy would be cheaper but I'm moving from the Pacific NW to the SE in a year and like the 2 year warrenty on new parts BMW offers.

Here is the list that I will be tackling:
Replace cabin and engine air filters
Replace brake lines, pads, rotors( the pads were replaced about 15 months ago but the rotor are original)
Replace spark plugs
Change out the power steering fluid
Switch out the hood struts

The few questions I have are should I replace the ignition coils or any other part related to the ignition system of the car? The car is not idling rough or anything just figure it might be time but I'm not sure. Do you guys have any ideas of what else I should change about now?

I wouldn't touch the brakes unless either pads or rotors are worn down.
Brake fluid flush? When was it last done?

When they do the mechatronic valve sleeve, also add a new pan and 7 quarts of transmission fluid. Buy the parts yourself and save a ton. I paid $115 for the ZF pan at ECS Tuning, and around $20 a quart for the fluid. BMW says the fluid lasts for life, but think about that..... You should notice smoother, crisper shifting after this.

Spark plugs won't hurt, I would change them every 30-40k miles on that car. No need to change coils unless you are getting misfires. If so replace all 8 due to the miles on the car.
Have a scan done of any stored fault codes. If you see anything relating to misfires the coils should get replaced as they tend to go bad after 100k.

No need to change control arms unless the bushings are worn.

My 5 cents worth...

Reset transmission adaptations after changing fluid. I'm sure the dealership knows this, but just want to be sure.

My 545i is somewhere around 187K miles now.. so have faith, they can actually last that long, lol

Might want to be sure the vacuum pump and/or oil sensor right under the vacuum pump aren't leaking oil either. I thought my valve covers were leaking and it's actually just the sensor

Also, valve cover gaskets are NOT easy on these things due to the valvetronics system. That isn't to say they aren't doable at home in a driveway in a few hours, but there is more risk on these than a civic... Mainly there are a few sensors you have to remove that you have to really be careful with or you'll break the mounting tabs, and new ones are like $300-400 a pop

Originally Posted by H F

Take it to a indy shop better,,,, they will do it for half the cost...

I know an indy is cheaper but I will be moving to the south east in about a year and if I take it in to get those things done I would like to have the BMW 2 year warranty on them.

Originally Posted by Oceans10

I wouldn't touch the brakes unless either pads or rotors are worn down.
Brake fluid flush? When was it last done?

When they do the mechatronic valve sleeve, also add a new pan and 7 quarts of transmission fluid. Buy the parts yourself and save a ton. I paid $115 for the ZF pan at ECS Tuning, and around $20 a quart for the fluid. BMW says the fluid lasts for life, but think about that..... You should notice smoother, crisper shifting after this.

Spark plugs won't hurt, I would change them every 30-40k miles on that car. No need to change coils unless you are getting misfires. If so replace all 8 due to the miles on the car.
Have a scan done of any stored fault codes. If you see anything relating to misfires the coils should get replaced as they tend to go bad after 100k.

No need to change control arms unless the bushings are worn.

My 5 cents worth...

I have had the car since 48k miles and have had the pads replaced about 2.5 years ago and brake fluid was replaced around maybe 1.5 years ago. The rotors are the one the came with the car and last time I was at the dealer they said I had a few more MM to go before minimal thickness.

I do know about the DIY for the mechatronics but is it really easy to do? The most mechanical work I've done is replace a starter on a '97 I6 E39. If it really that simple then I would tackle it myself and use the cash for mod money.

I am going to be close to 40k from the last spark plug change, so I guess I'm doing good on that. I haven't gotten any misfire codes or anything but if they go bad after 100k, wouldn't it make sense to go ahead and change them now?

I had my front thrust rods replaced around 64k miles so they should be good still.

I forgot to add that I will be getting an alignment too, since the car seems to pull to left a little.

Thanks for the great reply Oceans, that was extremely helpful!

Originally Posted by etnav382

I do know about the DIY for the mechatronics but is it really easy to do? The most mechanical work I've done is replace a starter on a '97 I6 E39. If it really that simple then I would tackle it myself and use the cash for mod money.

I am going to be close to 40k from the last spark plug change, so I guess I'm doing good on that. I haven't gotten any misfire codes or anything but if they go bad after 100k, wouldn't it make sense to go ahead and change them now?

Mechatronics sleeve isn't horrible, but isn't as easy as it looks either. It's a REALLY tight space, especially on the 545/550i's, and you have to have star sockets (female torx) to remove a mount at the back of the transmission in order to get enough clearance to get the sleeve out. In most of the pictures on the internet they make it look like the plug is just right there and easy to get to. Getting the electrical connector back on never gave me any trouble, but that was just pure dumb luck.. It can be a toughie with so little space to work with

edit: you can physically remove the sleeve from the transmission without removing the transmission mount at the back, but then there's not enough room to remove the sleeve from the car, or to get the new one up there just to clarify

Plugs won't hurt and they only take an hour or so to change, so I say change them!

Originally Posted by schpenxel

Reset transmission adaptations after changing fluid. I'm sure the dealership knows this, but just want to be sure.

My 545i is somewhere around 187K miles now.. so have faith, they can actually last that long, lol

Might want to be sure the vacuum pump and/or oil sensor right under the vacuum pump aren't leaking oil either. I thought my valve covers were leaking and it's actually just the sensor

Also, valve cover gaskets are NOT easy on these things due to the valvetronics system. That isn't to say they aren't doable at home in a driveway in a few hours, but there is more risk on these than a civic... Mainly there are a few sensors you have to remove that you have to really be careful with or you'll break the mounting tabs, and new ones are like $300-400 a pop

I'm planning on keeping the car until it dies AND I don't have the money to bring her back to life. My last service said it was a possible leak from the valve cover but they needed to look into more to see. They didn't really investigate because I was only there for the $50 dollar oil change (had a coupon) and it was the after service check. I'll look into a DIY for the valve covers thanks!

Originally Posted by etnav382

Do you guys have any ideas of what else I should change about now?

In addition to what you've listed, here's what I'd do at 100,000 miles:

- Change the differential fluid
- Clean the MAF
- Replace the serpentine belt
- Drain/replace coolant from radiator (not a complete flush, just what you can get out from the radiator)
- Bleed the brakes

Originally Posted by BickUW89

In addition to what you've listed, here's what I'd do at 100,000 miles:

- Change the differential fluid
- Clean the MAF
- Replace the serpentine belt
- Drain/replace coolant from radiator (not a complete flush, just what you can get out from the radiator)
- Bleed the brakes

Thanks for the tips. Are all these simple DIYs that I can find over at the 5series DIY board or here?

Originally Posted by etnav382

Thanks for the tips. Are all these simple DIYs that I can find over at the 5series DIY board or here?

Yes, there are DIY guides here that you can find with a search. All of them are easy to do.

Diff fluid is a bit of a hassle, as you'll need a small pump to suck the fluid out, and pump new in. I used a large syringe and clear plastic tubing when I did mine.

MAF is super easy. Buy some MAF cleaner spray at the autoparts store. It's just a small filament in the plastic housing between the air filter and the engine. It picks up oils from the air, which changes the way it measures resistance, and can cause the engine management system to misinterpret the airflow and throw off the timing and mixture.

Serpentine belt is easy. Just need a wrench to take the tension off the tensioner pulley, and insert a drill bit to hold it in place (there's a pin hole in the block). Then just guide the old belt off and slide the new belt on. Keep the old belt in your trunk as a backup in case the new one ever breaks. Cheap insurance when you're in the middle of no-where.

Drain the coolant from the stopcock on the passenger side of the radiator at the bottom. You'll get about 1 gallon out of the system. Replace with 50/50 mix of BMW coolant.

Bleeding brakes is easy, and tons of DIY guides on here.

Oceans, or anybody else, is this the correct kit from ECS? http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E60-550...ion/ES2523912/ If not can someone post a link to a complete kit. Thanks.

I bought mine from http://www.thectsc.com

I think this is the right one for you, but you can call or email them to confirm http://www.thectsc.com/index.php?p=p...=186&parent=50

Also--I would recommend you buy at least a couple of new oil pan bolts to go along with the kit, just in case. I almost stripped the head off of a few of mine so I was glad I had some replacements. Yours may be new enough to have the larger head style bolts anyways which would help eliminate that possibility, but still couldn't hurt (and they're pretty cheap)

Yes, that will do it! Get the mechatronic valve sleeve too. Should be around $16-18. This is all you need!
I would have an indy do it. Much easier to do on a lift and with right tools. Some of the bolts can be stubborn.
I was glad I had my shop do it. Some things are best left to the pros.

Originally Posted by schpenxel

I bought mine from http://www.thectsc.com

I think this is the right one for you, but you can call or email them to confirm http://www.thectsc.com/index.php?p=p...=186&parent=50

Also--I would recommend you buy at least a couple of new oil pan bolts to go along with the kit, just in case. I almost stripped the head off of a few of mine so I was glad I had some replacements. Yours may be new enough to have the larger head style bolts anyways which would help eliminate that possibility, but still couldn't hurt (and they're pretty cheap)

I had to replace one or two but the shop had them. They are made of magnesium. I see they are shown at the bottom of the link and also shows the mechatronic valve on the left!

Thanks for the link. There is a auto hobby shop on base, they have lifts and any tools that I wouldn't normally have, so I should be ok with that. The only problem there is a lack of internet access.

Does anyone remember if the female torx was one of these offered in this link?
http://www.amazon.com/Anytime-Tools-.../dp/B000I45Y8Q

Small update, I was bored the other day and replaced the hood struts, filters and cleaned the MAF and the butt dyno says the car feels faster. This is mainly at speeds that I wouldnt normally be going but its like the car just keeps going and pulling harder. Also now I just need to open the hood halfway and then it pops up the rest, that hasnt happened since 50k miles.

So I will be receiving the new tranny on Thursday and just wanted to make sure I have all the needed tools before I start on it next weekend. I have the female torx and extra bolts so I should be covered right? Also for the brakes I will likely have a buddy assisting me, does anyone have any recommendations for a bleeder and any other tools I might need?

Bavauto has a brake bleeder that makes changing the fluid and bleeding the brakes a one man job, it's about $80, not too bad really.


Part Number Description

PB03K
Bavarian Autosport Brake Bleeder Kit with Catch Bottle

Originally Posted by etnav382

So I will be receiving the new tranny on Thursday and just wanted to make sure I have all the needed tools before I start on it next weekend. I have the female torx and extra bolts so I should be covered right? Also for the brakes I will likely have a buddy assisting me, does anyone have any recommendations for a bleeder and any other tools I might need?

Are you changing the sleeve or just pan/fluid?

I didn't change the sleeve on mine, simply because I couldn't get it off the car. I got it out of the transmission, then it got wedged between the transmission mount at the rear of the tranny and something else. I can't remember what. I didn't have any female torx tools available at the time so I put the old one back in.

To get the rear transmission mount bolts out you need female torx sockets, and or wrenches. I can't remember which fits in that area most easily, but I remember thinking that one would work a lot better than the other

So, regular torx bits, female torx sockets and female torx wrench should do it. Oh, allen wrench to get the drain/fill plugs out/in, and a pump to get the fluid into the transmission. I found one at Advance Auto for like $12. It fell apart near the end of using it but whatever, it served it's purpose

I'll be changing the pan/fluid and the sleeve since I have some leakage from there. I have everything you mentioned except for the pump I'll grab that today on the way home. I also just ordered the brake bleeder and will be ordering the brakes soon, do I need any odd tools for that job?

These E39 BMW checklists may be useful to the E60 (shares an engine):

- An official BMW CPO retailer operations manual (1) (2) & a BMW certified preowned pre purchase inspection brochure (1) (2) (3) & a BMW service/maintenance schedule & checklists I, II, and III (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) & a classic inspection I, II, III DIY (1) (2) (3) & tips for BMW 150K mile maintenance issues (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) & a glovebox printout for the most often recommended fluids (1).

Originally Posted by etnav382

I'll be changing the pan/fluid and the sleeve since I have some leakage from there. I have everything you mentioned except for the pump I'll grab that today on the way home. I also just ordered the brake bleeder and will be ordering the brakes soon, do I need any odd tools for that job?

I don't remember any odd tools at all.. after you get the car's under cover thing off it's pretty much right there in your face