BMW 5 Series - Top 9 Things To Check Before Buying - E60 E61 Buyers Guide 

I admire this kind of approach. Buying good but older car and making everything right and tidy feels so good for some reason.

This is a car which should only be owned by knowledgeable DIY's or people with plenty of cash lying around. Taking this car to the dealer to have everything fixed every time something breaks will be insanely costly especially if it's loaded with lots of extra equipment as mine is. I have had all the issues as you have had and then some. Mine is at around 220.000 miles, E61 525d Touring LCI version. I have done all repairs myself, except for the first year or so of ownership. I have had mine for 5 years. I still love the car, even more now where I know how to maintain it in proper condition.

I few points. Dpf = delete, EGR = delete. Swirl flaps = delete. All = alot less drama and better running. 👍

That E61 is a beauty - the sharpest one I have seen. We currently own two E38s and an E46 convertible, and lately have been attracted to these estates. I love driving these 10-20 year old BMWs and have never been able to part with one. I am becoming a BMW hoarder! 😁

I can confirm that the car is not likely to rust. Mine is nearly 13 years old and never got any additional rust treatment protection. The bonnet on my car has lot of untreated chips (from high speed driving) but they never start to rust as the bonnet is made of aluminium. Also a lot of the visible underbody parts that are not covered by shields are made of aluminium.

My 335d had many of those problems and I'm not mechanically minded so had to work hard to pay for it all, love the car still though.

One potential big issue with this car is water in the bottom of the trunk where a lot of the control modules are placed. This will cause the modules to fry which is a costly fix, depending on how many modules gets water damaged. This can happen if you have a panoramic sunroof, as the drain channels can get clogged causing water to be directed to the trunk (but also other places). Do yourself a favor and check the drain channels and inspect the trunk periodically, maybe once a year.

Just to amend something you said, the only M57 engined car not to have swirl flaps was the 525d LCi (face-lift), all others did, that's why your 525d didn't have them being the 3ltr, the earlier 525d pre lci 2.5ltr M57 had 33mm swirl flaps, pretty much the rest of the M57 range is 33mm with expection of the early pre dpf 530d which had 22mm swirl flaps

Good comprehensive video on these. Had my e60 for nearly a year and had to scoure many videos to get all of this information. The vortex breather is one that is always forgotten about which if left untreated can send your turbo to the grave on the 2 and 3.0 diesels

Great videos, very methodical & comprehensive 👍 Worth finding a well maintained BMW, the repair costs can get scary!

Thanks for the hands up buying guide. According to the corrosion the plastic covers may appear as protective but in reality being corrosion traps! Remove them and you will find mud, salt and general road dirt trapped which again holds moisture. Im currently restoring a 2007 mod. BMW 523iA E60 where the chassis now having full focus. The mentioned areas are affected with corrosion and now have to be addressed. Kind regards Jørn from Norway

Fantastic work in resuming all this information. Congrats.

Subbed. Great editing, great info, great presentation. Much respect from New Zealand. Cheers

Sorry have to disagree with the wheels, the 19” spiders is by far the best wheel choice for the e61. And I mean for any bmw wheel not just e60/1 wheels. 18” to me just look a bit small for an e61 that has such a large presence. Spiders are perfect, they look so good. I think they also make the car more modern looking. Look at any big German car after 2013ish they all have at least 19s. The 18s are still cool though, I also those wheels on my e46 touring but in black. Also great video as always , love the e61 series ! I’m hoping to get one next

i had a 525D Touring exactly the same colour and wheels as yours a few years back, had the dreaded boot wiring and rear suspension issue. We Buy Any car gave me quite good money for it amazingly which saved me fixing it!

I would advise changing the engine oil every 10-12 000 km. 30 000 km which many manufacturers say its just wearing the engine out unnecessarily.

Nice one Neil, hope you’re keeping well.

Good video mate

Had my 520D from New 14 yrs old. 81,000. No costs other than sensible servicing. Always worried about rear cam chain problems. This is an automatic with no issues. Listen to every year on service. It is used for journeys of over 100m on motorways, brake pads original and still 27,000m to go. Air conditioning has a problem , BMW cannot find the leak. Radio can be weak with interference, earth problem somewhere done all suggested checks but cannot find the problem. Overall this car drives like my new car.

Front wiper joint fails... Mine did on the motorway, the other wiper hit it and launched it airborne... Ouch

BMW did a recall for my E91 LCI 2011 325D, last month. it had something to do with the battery cable, it effects start stop and locking

Thanks for the video. Really informative. Helps me decide not to go near a used, high mileage bmw. I'll be keeping my lexus for another 10 years.

Oh and excellent video. 👍

I have a 2006 E61. I just love it. It has a timeless design and it drives wonderfully. Bought it in Wurzburg, drove it for 10 years in Budapest. Shipped back to the US. Drive it now in Philly. Will keep it forever. Its current value is what I paid for it 11 years ago--according to BMW CCA.

Ditching run flats is the best choice I made on my BMW gets ride of fidgety ride and a small MPG improvement (1-2). I also rate Terra Clean, unless you know how to use a spanner!!

Great video

Bought my E61 and after about 30km the crankshaft pulley broke in 2. Other than that it’s definitely a huge learning curve getting into BMW.

The 2litre N47 was not a recall it was a "quality enhancement" which means I guess that they deny it was ever a recall-worthy fault. I also understand that the programme has stopped so if it was available to given car but not done, they won't do it now. There were several issues and proressive fixes in manufacture. BMW claim that cars made post 3/09 should not fail as such though could get noisy. Of course any timing chain can fail so this is far from a guarantee that a post-09 car will never fail. I understand the driving cog was cut as part of the crank and early examples were badly finished which could prematurely wear the chain. Presuming they fixed this they also had insufficient range of operation on the top damper and chains that were simply to skimpy for the long run hence they stretched and could jump teeth. The B47 engine was first introduced in early 2014 depending on model. Also worth saying the N57 3l engine had much the same chain design.

If you have the Touring with the panoramic roof, make sure the sunroof drain tubes are cleaned out and free flowing. otherwise rain water will leak out of the sunroof tray, down the pillars and pool in the boot and around the battery. When there is enough in the boot, it will splash over the modules and relays in the spare wheel well which will short out the modules and the suspension air-compressor costing you thousands... Ask me how I know. Also the gear wheels for the thigh support are plastic and wear out. Aluminium replacements are availalable

Wish I had the benefit of this video before buying my used e60 550i wagon a few years. Cheap to buy but very expensive to run (and fix when things inevitably went wrong). Selling it soon...😭

My m57 had swirl flaps but they were much sturdier than on m47 for example, I still blanked them. Car was e90 330xd

530d is the best engine option. If you have a model with the old e39 Key you can remove the dpf without getting a warning light. You can restrict the agr flow via reingold/ inpa software

Another problem I had was wet foot well on the rear that came to front, was a plug in the rear door blocked just got rid of it no more water collecting

I have a opportunity to buy BMW 530iX (X means Four wheel drive?) in black with 200 000 thousands miles...Looks good ,but control light of engine is still shinning although engine runs calm and clear,no weird noises...So I probably would to go into service to use diagnostic...P.S-Turn controls does work properly!!!

Thank you for a very good video. 2008 E61, I did most of the work you've mentioned. A very good car to own second (or 4th) handed if you know what to do. Cable work (I ordered from Sencom) done, not funny, rear air suspension bags, rear wiper copper bearing fix, easy but essential. Standard service done in time, NEVER believe BMW stating 30000 km interval engine oil change is proper, 15000 is more like it. Next step, if engine lamp, would be to remove DPF and EGR and a tune-up but so far no need. Present work is changing front brake pads, which is pretty straigt forward, except getting the locking plates in place. Cred to BMW for making the cars servicable, with some exceptions (engine air filter change..)

Couple of other points - there is currently a recall in operation to inspect and maybe replace the cooler associated with the egr on some/most BMW diesels. On the subject of 6 cyl swirl flaps - a quick google tends to support my understanding that at least some M57 did have swirl flaps, maybe just the early ones ?

The issues with the N47 always amazed me. How BMW can have the gaul to have a "lifetime Timing Chain" is insane. Have a look at the videos on youtube about the replacement, it's a nightmare. Almost as bad as the turbo wastegate issue on the N54!

What tools and information do i need if I am going to buy a used BMW 520d E61 2008 car? I really want to learn more about car and how can I maintain it at very low cost.

I got the same car same colour etc however in the 520D the chain went at 95K however the car was doing 20K miles a Year at the time it went to a bmw specialist and had the work carried out with an uprated chain etc for £2600 with previous owner , but still have the worry of it going but seems to be sound at the moment

don't forget that the cablewiring in the trunk on both sides will to 100% break up with the time, often around 180k - 250k km

Neil, what are the rim sizes, width and offsets on these alloys? Thanks

how to tell if the active cruise is in? The golfs you can see it in the grill.

145kw, 170kw, 173kw 3.0d still needs timing chain to be replaced, so you should still keep that in mind

There is a lot of FUD about buying an old BMW. I've bought a 2005 E61 diesel inline 6 so seeing that people care about these cars means I've made a good choice. I went into it with no research other than my mate took me for a ride and showed off it's acceleration, which is pretty good. It's a helava car for the money and I'm getting 44mpg whilst driving it hard everywhere.

Spider alloys are nice on them

Price-wise these cars are very accessible but the maintenance is not. Things will break, as they would in a any car but the price to play is not for the faint of heart. Moderate mechanical knowledge is a minimum requirement for those things that require turning wrenches, but once you get down to the electronics it's a whole different ball game. Injectors (direct injection engines) need to be recalibrated when, not if , replaced, batteries must be registered when replaced, so ownership of software whether ista, inpa, ncs expert or carly (for basic diagnostics and programming) is a must. The car does not like cheap chinese parts especially vanos solenoids, Injectors, fuel pumps, and coils. This a DIYer's car and a car for someone who drives it to own it because they love it. It's a money pit for those who want toyota reliability and disposability but an investment for those who cherish it.

I have a 2007 E61 LCI with 110,000 kms on it. I've have had the following go wrong so far: internal blower fan, rear door flap switch, starter motor, expansion tank, water in boot (fried relays to the air compressor), O2 sensor (not sure which one). The blower fan and switch are easy DIY. So is the expansion tank and O2 sensor but I had the local garage do this. The starter motor needs to have the manifold removed so I also put in a new DISA valve. The relays I replaced and relocated the modules to the left hand space in the boot. I would say this is mandatory for any E61, to avoid damage to the modules. I also moved from run flats to normal (better ride), there is a space saver kit available, just get a good used one.

The 4x4 drive aka xDrive is also available for these cars. Handles even better than regular RWD, I've owned both. Nothing much to add to your list of maintenance other than front dif fluid and xDrive box fluids every 100k km. Quite an easy diy.

Just seeing this video for the first time. The m57 does have swirl flaps. A quick Google search will tell you this. Also the forums.

Good video

There is a nice looking 2004 530D with 154,000 on clock for sale near me for only £1,995. Tempting at the price but scary at same time as probably a reason it's so cheap. Yet stupid me is tempted to go look at it and drive it to see.

Boot floor rusts, panoramic roof drains clog, rear wishbone bushings let go, trailing arm bushings crack, rear brake hoses crumble, steering rack develops play and lots of electrical issues because the car was so ahead of its time, just to name a few. But great car, I own one myself with 550k km. btw the n47 is only fitted on lci versions of the 520d.

random question but what are the ramps you used at the beginning of the video? I live in a flat so dont really have space for a jack + stands, a ramp could be a bit easier to manage but wouldn't mind a recommendation

My favorite BMWs (visually) are the E39 and E46 but having had a number of both of those, I can say that sadly in the UK they both succumb to rust rather easily. The E46 especially is notoriously rust prone. It's a pity it took BMW until the mid 2000s to start taking rust-proofing their cars seriously, but better late then never I guess! Having had the M57N engine in an E46, I can concur they are great engines. Torquey, efficient, and smooth (once warm). The 535d is pretty damn quick too!

This is completely off topic, however, I feel you would have some good insight into my question. Porsche Cayman S 987.2 or 2016 Audi TT SLine? About the same price.

Bought this car for roughly 1200GBP.-, it has few things to be fixed but I am some kind of BMW geek, so having experience disassembling down to the chassis my old 320TD and re-do all the airbag cables, adding equipment, coding, fixing, this is not easy still but I am sure I can save up some big money by doing it myself. I simply love it and god, this car pulls like no tomorrow. Thanks for the tips, since my unit already had the water problem in the rear I guess it is solved... and not more not less than 27 modules were replaced on the way! Big yikes!

I had that battery cable som problem in my Audi a6 c6

wait, m57 chain is in the front not in the back of engine, right?

Just picked up a 2008 E61 touring M Sport seems in good nick so far but rear defroster does not work 99k on the clock so good video for me thanks!

The 3 litre does have swirl flaps

Diversity antenna on mine is a pain

i have a 2006 530xi with 266,000 miles and she runs like a dream i mean what 2 break lines and my mechanic did it for $160 bucks including labor and i did my own wires sprk pulgs got the whole set on amazon for $90 bucks i mean this car hasnt really been an issue

iDrive failure being the most annoying thing, I've got a 530d owned it since new and covered 130,000 miles. Never had a single issue with the car except 2 weeks ago the iDrive failed causing it to reboot permanently even when the car is off, it's the pro nav and looks to be around £1000 to fix.

Nah, the dpf when it gets clogged, go on the highway and floor it alot and it will clean.

Really loved your series on the E61! You've encouraged me to do the 2 thermostats on my own while a coolant pipe had to be changed anyways. I really like driving my E61 and it's a very well aged touring (IMHO) but comes with quite a good amount of problems (compared to my previous S80 Volvo). 😁

The M57 does have swirl flaps.

Great car overall but don't make the same mistake i did... I bought a 2004 525D 177hp with overall good condition but i didn't pay attention to some "small details" which later costed me a lot.. After couple months dead turbo, then steering wheel went hard and that was steering rack... Then thermostats, parking sensors, DPF filter clogged had to remove it, then battery... Overall i bought the car with 6k euroes and i invested another 2k to bring it back to good condition. I think this car requires deep pockets even tho it is 15+years old.

I have the same spec e61 but MY09. And my mileage is extremely low 69k. I've now got the alert for the DPF going off as it's been a north London car and seldom driven on the motorway. Do you suggest cleaning or replacing the DPF? Also, I cannot do the work myself as I live in a flat in London. Thanks for your input.

How much more mpg have you achieved after changing the thermostats?

The timing chain recall is for the N47 engine, they are in the LCI models not in pre-LCi. Per LCI=M47tu2. And the DPF i would not do my self, all the hassle and shit just to get it some procent better (if u do a flow control test u will see). Its cheap to send it away to a proper shop that does this with correct methods (99% flow after).

How good are 2.5 i engines ? 260.000 km ?

Hi! I like them rack things where do you drive the front on it to get under the car. Where can get them?

Regarding swirl flaps, my understanding was that only 525d manuals dont have them because of too much low rpms torque for the clutch given by flaps. I also understood from lurking the forums that at a certain stage (2007 onward) bmw started using plastic flaps with a total different design that cannot fail like the old metal ones. Removing them in case of old metal ones definitely can save your engine, but you will suffer less torque at low rpms. This is only based on my understanding. I have a 530d built 09/2008 so I don't think i'll bother in removing flaps. Probably I'll have a check in case I should remove the intake manifold for other reasons. Great vid!

520D E60 57 reg timing chain snapped while driving. January2nd 2018. Now I'm wanting a 535D E60 it was a very good car apart from that chain.

Just bought a e60 ‘08 535i and it’s at 136000 miles so things are starting to become a problem but it’s okay I want to work on the car and show it the love it deserves

Is your website not working anymore? It says it’s expired. I recall you had a nice section on all your tools etc.

I'll think you'll find you have swirl flaps on m57 engine I changed mine 2years ago and Put in blanking plates in on my 06 330d

Is yours are 525d, 530d or 535d?

I thought that the M57 had swirl flaps

These cars have a common problem in the almost reley(it´s a almost a ECU too) for the glowplugs, there is a tutorial in youtube how to fixit, but it gives too much work, i advise to buy one but not the OEM(behr), some other do the job better.

On the off chance... I have this engine in an X5. 2008. 60k very good service history, BMW then specialist. Thing is, it runs very well, no noticeable turbo whoop. But, it is very smelly, not sure it it is oil from a dodgy turbo (I had a 57 plate 330D explode dramatically) or diesel fumes. Not had diesel since the 330. It honks. Possibly a bit smokey when cold. Worn engine, worn turbo, they just stink or what???

I really want to buy this car but man am I scared to own it lol

Actually, you do have swirl flaps in your engine. Removed mine from a similar LCI car when I bought it.

Sorry if this has been asked a million times, just never seen it in one of your videos unless I missed it. What happened to the 182 in the end?

Did you sell the 350z to fund your garage or is it just in covid hibernation?

What website is that showing the wheel models?

Few more to add, wheels cracking on the spiders and Idrive problems

Yea you do have swirl flaps, they need blanked ASAP

4:09 Can you truthfully tell me they had it for an afternoon? Or does "afternoon" refer to Bmw's lifetime transmission oil Pinocchio.

A good site I’ve found for OE spec and well priced SKF components is as follows: www.vsm.skf.com/uk/en/search-parts?market=eu&q=BMW%205%20Touring%20(E61)%20530%20d&tab=tab_1_automotive&vhits=5&phits=5&category=Driveline%2Bproducts%257CDriveline%2Bproducts&l=en&subcategory=Driveshaft&type=Drive%2BShaft&voffset=5 I recently had to replace a driveshaft on my car and used this site, I couldn’t find the right part for my Citroen C5 anywhere else so I was very chuffed to find this place. Hope this helps in future

wherefore Art Thou Garry

Would you be selling soon lol

bumpAHHH

As an owner of a 530d. Don't buy one... the DPF and EGR system cause so many problems and they're all bloody expensive

Well thank the gods I found this video, now I know not to buy one of these things. I'll stick with my Japanese cars.