E39 530d Manual

[Ronald Gruzinsky]

Itest drove two auto E39 530d when looking to change from the auto E39 523i. Bhp wise the oil burner has about 20 bhp more but torque goes from 245Nm to around 400Nm which is a massive increase, which is what does all the work in the acceleration department.

They weren't as dynamically zinggy to drive as the smaller petrol but the acceleration in 2nd gear once in the turbo range is impressive. The getting off the line is a bit more sluggish. On a bootfull of throttle from stationary they both sat and farted about before pulling themselves together and hurling you with a load of torque off the line.

Auto wise, they have the proven ZF 5 speed box which will be generally pretty reliable. You will know how I bang on about getting them serviced. I reckon you would have more to worry about in the engine than the transmission.

Performance with economy is very attractive but I couldn't get the noise of a diesel Mondeo out of my head when sat at traffic lights in the 530d hearing it idle....like a Massey Fergusson Tractor......Plus I really hate the smell of the fuel and the exhaust fumes.

Servicing will be more as the engine parts are heavier. The lub oil will be more expensive too and you will need to change it regularly to avoid the turbo bearings failing which then lead to the engine eating bits of turbo. You will need to do more miles to get the savings in economy to counter act the increase in service costs.

Peter Fenwick wrote:

One thing to bear in mind is that the 3 litre automatics have the troublesome swirl flaps in the inlet manifold. I was told that the manual cars don't have them but that might not be true. Either way it's worth removing them if you buy a car that has them fitted and replacing the crankcase breather assemby as a matter of course.

So bit of a soft advert but think i really need to move this on now, been our family wagon for 8 years where we've taken it from 127k to 195k and its been brilliant but i think now is the time for us to part ways now we have the F11 - though i would say i still prefer the e39! But the lovely wife says no more diesel for us (hence 535i - whoops!)

The car is a funny one - has a full and comprehensive history and sits about 195k, has been our family car for 9 years, starting to get a little scruffy as has various scuffs and scabs and some one has reversed into it so ideally one would fit a used bonnet but by no means bad.

Has had recent correct sach dampers, TCA arms, top mounts, rear subframe bushes bascially everything you read about needing doing. It has a very recent set of Michelin PS4 tyres. Diff oil and gearbox oil have been changed as has thermostat and coolant. Recent front discs, pads and fluid. Its had brand new hella angle eye xenon lamps (old were going milky) AC cold etc

Good spec for a 530d manual in that it has sunroof, mid OBC, rear blinds, sport specification, sport leather etc. when i was looking the manuals were all SE, cloth and pre-facelift so a bit of a unicorn.

With a bit of love would give many more miles of service, As I say we have the F11 now (though honestly i think the e39 is better) but we've kind of had our time together and isn't being used. Its taken us to the south of France many times and i wouldn't hesitate to do so again.

Needs the new (used) ABS/ DSC module coding which is easy with the right kit but i've not found anyone local to me who can do it as a favour and not had the time to go to my indie so the DSC light comes on.

It was made Cat N - wife was involvd in a hit and run - damage was a scuff to the bumper and a wing - its such a good car to use we bought it back and put a used genuine wing - all photographed and video'd - i know this can be a deal breaker for many but at this age / price it feels less relevant - i dont think its a collector example.

Looks a very nice E39 Touring, certainly passes the 5 foot test, your main sticking points I would see are that it is a Cat N, even if it was only two mirrors needing replacing, enough to write a car off at this price point, insurance companies look down their nose at them and see it as a reason to up the premium. Secondly the ABS warning light being lite effectively puts a 12 mot limit on the car before it needs fixing. Even doing the jobs on it will probably still be cheaper motoring than an F10/11, it certainly won't depreciate any more.

So having washed and driven it a bit this weekend i think i'm going to invest some time and money, ive done so much to this car (brakes, suspension, tyres etc) and know it so well. Still does everything i expect of a "modern" car so thinking i might just show it some love. whilst not ULEZ thats not currently an issue for us and we have other cars that are if needed.

I'd suggest some light modifications as I know you prefer that level, would be a good thing to do if you spend some money on it. Stage 1 ECU upgrade (if you've not done so already) and good suspension to sharpen up the drive dynamics - it'll feel like a 'new' car within the 'old' car !

It's chassisis good, has had recent airbags, TCAs, top mounts, rear subframe bushes, correct Sachs dampers - just the drop links to do. Mechanically i think the only thing ive never done is a clutch or turbo. Drives as it should. As standard its fine, maybe a remap but its role is a family workhorse.

If you wanted to break its got nearly new dampers, leather interior, sport bumpers, rear blinds, nearly new xenons (look how much they are) rear lights, High OBC not to mention a good engine box and diff, new rear calipers, front discs and master cylinder plus what ever panels you want.

The BMW E39 is the fourth generation of the BMW 5 Series range of executive cars, which was manufactured from 1995 to 2004. It was launched in the sedan body style, with the station wagon body style (marketed as "Touring") introduced in 1996. The E39 was replaced by the E60 5 Series in 2003, however E39 Touring models remained in production until May 2004.[6][7]

The proportion of chassis components using aluminium significantly increased for the E39, and it was the first 5 Series to use aluminium for all major components in the front suspension or any in the rear. It was also the first 5 Series where a four-cylinder diesel engine was available. Rack and pinion steering was used for four- and six-cylinder models, the first time that a 5 Series has used this steering system in significant volumes. Unlike its E34 predecessor and E60 successor, the E39 was not available with all-wheel drive.

Development for the E34's successor began in 1993,[citation needed] and ended in 1995. The final design by Joji Nagashima was selected in June 1992[8][9] and later frozen for production under new design chief Chris Bangle. With design selection in 1992, the series development phase began and took 39 months until start of production. The domestic German design patent was filed on 20 April 1994, with an E39 prototype.[10]

The E39 was one of the first vehicles (alongside the E38 7 Series) to have curtain airbags, which protect the occupants' heads in a side impact.[17] Standard equipment on the launch models included dual front and side airbags, pretensioners and load limiters for the front seatbelts,[18] anti-lock brakes, traction control, power steering, and air conditioning.[19][20] Satellite navigation was also available, initially using maps on CD-ROMs, then moving to DVD maps in 2002. Several models were available in Sports or Executive trim levels.[21][22]

A "latent heat accumulator" was available as an option up until September 1999.[25][26] The accumulator stores engine heat by converting a salt from solid to liquid form (phase transition).[27][28] The insulated tank can store heat for several days. The next time the vehicle is started, this heat is automatically used to reduce exhaust emissions (by heating the engine up to operating temperature quicker), for cabin heating and window defrosting.[29]

The initial diesel models used the BMW M51 turbocharged straight-6 engine carried over from its predecessor. In 1998, its successor the BMW M57 was introduced in the 530d model, however the BMW M51 engine continued to be used for two more years in the 525td and 525tds models.

Some pre-facelift six-cylinder petrol models were fitted with the 4-speed GM 4L30-E (A4S270R)[40] transmission. Six-cylinder pre-facelift cars built for the Japanese market were fitted with the Jatco 5R01 5 speed automatic transmission. All other six-cylinder models were fitted with 5-speed transmissions, either the GM 5L40-E (A5S360R),[40] GM 5L40-E (A5S390R),[40] or ZF 5HP19 (A5S325Z) transmission,[40] depending on the year and model. V8 petrol models were fitted with either the 5-speed ZF 5HP24 (A5S440Z)[40] or the 5-speed ZF 5HP30 (A5S560Z).[41]

Unusually, two different steering systems were used for the E39, depending on the engine. Models with four-cylinder and six-cylinder models use rack and pinion steering,[45] the first time this system has been used in a 5 Series (except for the E34 525iX model). This system steers from the front of the axle.[46]

Compared with its E34 predecessor, the E39's wheelbase grew by 68 mm (2.7 in) and overall length by 55 mm (2.2 in). Torsional rigidity was increased over the E34 by 40 percent, which reduces body flex and allows the suspension to operate more accurately, also improving ride quality.[46] Structural dynamics were also an objective of the body design, so the body's frequencies for torsional twisting and bending are in separate ranges and above the natural frequency of the body. These frequencies are out of the range of engine and driveline vibrations, to avoid vibrations being amplified.[46]

Due to a stiffer body shell, the weight of the chassis increased by 10 kg (22 lb),[47] which is offset by the reduced weight of some aluminium suspension components. The wagon version was 85 mm (3.3 in) longer than the previous generation (E34) and weighed approximately 40 kg (88 lb) more.[48]

3a8082e126