E39 BMW M5 Experiences

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I did go through a couple transmissions, but that was more due to the 6,000RPM launches on slicks than the clutch.

However, after some rather extensive reading on the M5 forum, I'm going to stick with a stock replacement.

The aftermarket clutch horror stories and guys going back to the stocker in droves is enough for me.
 
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Should also mention I've been averaging almost 18Mpg mixed driving with this car. That's a heck of a lot better than the Expedition!


What about the cost vis-a-vis the premium for M5 and regular for the expedition?
 
Originally Posted By: CivicFan
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Should also mention I've been averaging almost 18Mpg mixed driving with this car. That's a heck of a lot better than the Expedition!


What about the cost vis-a-vis the premium for M5 and regular for the expedition?


It's a $0.10/Litre difference. So if the Expedition was taking 80L at $1.20/Litre, and the M5 80L at $1.30/Litre, the Expedition is $96.00 to fill, vs $104.00 for the M5. An $8.00 difference.

However, the Expedition gets a MAXIMUM MPG of 18.5. Average is low teens when I do a lot of mixed driving. If we say 12Mpg average (I haven't calculated it in a while, so you'll have to excuse me if this is a less than accurate figure) and we do the math:

Expedition: 12Mpg, 21.134 gallons @ $96.00, 253.61 miles, $0.38/mile
BMW M5: 18Mpg, 21.134 gallons @ $104.00, 380.41 miles, $0.27/mile

So, the M5 is $0.11/mile cheaper to operate. So over the course of the 253.61 miles we get out of 21.134 gallons of gasoline in the Expedition, the M5 saves me $27.90.
 
I don't know about you guys, but to me MPG is irrelevant on a car like the M5. Who buys an M5 with good MPG as the primary requirement in mind?
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
I don't know about you guys, but to me MPG is irrelevant on a car like the M5. Who buys an M5 with good MPG as the primary requirement in mind?


Oh, it wasn't a requirement at all! I'm just finding it funny, that even with how I drive it, it is still cheaper to drive (in fuel, probably not overall operating costs) than the Expedition.
 
We had that resistor (or was it a fan PWM module) replaced under warranty when the car was less than a year old.

There is a place in California that can fix the missing pixels too if you send them the instrument cluster.
 
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
I don't know about you guys, but to me MPG is irrelevant on a car like the M5. Who buys an M5 with good MPG as the primary requirement in mind?


Oh, it wasn't a requirement at all! I'm just finding it funny, that even with how I drive it, it is still cheaper to drive (in fuel, probably not overall operating costs) than the Expedition.


Glad you mentioned that. getting ready to drop 1600 bucks on tires for my monster as fuel is far from my only requirement!

At your cars age there will be some tinkering required, and most likely an enthusiast will be pickier, thus more tinkering.

And just a side note: you'll have a hard time beating the factory for durability/reliability, etc. Aftermarket mfgrs simply do not do the R&D that the OEM's do.

good luck
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
I don't know about you guys, but to me MPG is irrelevant on a car like the M5. Who buys an M5 with good MPG as the primary requirement in mind?


It is not but in Overkill's case, cheaper fuel costs is the icing on the cake.
 
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
I don't know about you guys, but to me MPG is irrelevant on a car like the M5. Who buys an M5 with good MPG as the primary requirement in mind?


Oh, it wasn't a requirement at all! I'm just finding it funny, that even with how I drive it, it is still cheaper to drive (in fuel, probably not overall operating costs) than the Expedition.


Glad you mentioned that. getting ready to drop 1600 bucks on tires for my monster as fuel is far from my only requirement!

At your cars age there will be some tinkering required, and most likely an enthusiast will be pickier, thus more tinkering.

And just a side note: you'll have a hard time beating the factory for durability/reliability, etc. Aftermarket mfgrs simply do not do the R&D that the OEM's do.

good luck


Agreed. OEM parts do seem superior. And the parts that are problem points seem to have revised parts to replace them.
 
Congratulations on your new-to-you car. That sure is a humdinger of a sports sedan. I like the color, and like your plans to keep it visually stock. It's a timeless machine and body style as it is. No tweaks required.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Congratulations on your new-to-you car. That sure is a humdinger of a sports sedan. I like the color, and like your plans to keep it visually stock. It's a timeless machine and body style as it is. No tweaks required.


Thank you very much.

Any thoughts as to squirrel control? They get into my garage and eat stuff. I'm going to have the car there, under a cover this winter. I'll probably shoot them all with the pellet gun, but I'm sure more will show up. Is there something that will repulse them (moth balls?) that I can throw under the car so that they don't go near it?
 
Agreed. OEM parts do seem superior. And the parts that are problem points seem to have revised parts to replace them. [/quote]

Just got an example of this when I fractured the Driver's Side Motor Mount on my car at the strip. While shopping for new ones I found they were updated and I needed both motor mounts and the trans mount due to this new info.

Total cost $150.00 delivered. Easy install on two of them, but that passenger side mount was a bear!
 
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
I don't know about you guys, but to me MPG is irrelevant on a car like the M5. Who buys an M5 with good MPG as the primary requirement in mind?


Oh, it wasn't a requirement at all! I'm just finding it funny, that even with how I drive it, it is still cheaper to drive (in fuel, probably not overall operating costs) than the Expedition.


Glad you mentioned that. getting ready to drop 1600 bucks on tires for my monster as fuel is far from my only requirement!

At your cars age there will be some tinkering required, and most likely an enthusiast will be pickier, thus more tinkering.

And just a side note: you'll have a hard time beating the factory for durability/reliability, etc. Aftermarket mfgrs simply do not do the R&D that the OEM's do.

good luck


Agreed. OEM parts do seem superior. And the parts that are problem points seem to have revised parts to replace them.


Yeah when you get to German cars you really want to stick with OE parts they are better, most of the aftermarket are cheap knock offs.

I don't know about BMW but I'm sure they run continuing updates on the parts. That's another benefit of buying OE a lot of times you will see they fixed the problem that caused the failure in the first place. Mercedes does this even for vehicles that have been out of production for 20 years. For example the last update of the head gasket on the 603 diesel was 12 years after the last one rolled off the assembly line.

Unlike American manufactures I have found the Germans to be incredible with parts support.

You go to a Chevy or Ford dealership and try to get a part for a 10 year old vehicle and they don't want to talk to you. I can walk into any Mercedes dealership and get the most oddball part for a 40 year old car in a couple of days if they don't have it on hand.
 
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Yeah, I'm surprised as to the parts availability for a car that only 10,000 of were imported to North America. Though I'm sure many of the body and body control items are shared with other 5-series cars, parts that are M5 specific are still readily available. They are expensive through the dealer however.
 
As a very much amateur mechanic, I have been amazed at the availability of parts and prices for my '99 528iT. I've done the cooling system overhaul and normal maintenance and must say costs are similar to any other brand. The exception is what my local BMW dealer charges for parts or service - even the indie I've used isn't cheap. I recently had to replace a rear window regulator and with the info readily available on the internet along with Autohausaz it was a fairly easy repair.

The E39s still look great IMO. I can only dream what having M-power and a real gearbox would be like....

Also, yes the BMW OEM parts are the only way to go. Even though I haven't had to change it yet, I am familiar with the FSU.
 
The way that car will perform today compared to other cars on the road will really make it sink in how superior it was when it was released. The thing that used to amaze me was not so much the fact that it was blisteringly fast (it was), but the fact that the suspension and tires worked so well together that it hooked up on the street. Today it is still impressive, but 10 years ago it was downright amazing.
 
Originally Posted By: CBR.worm
The way that car will perform today compared to other cars on the road will really make it sink in how superior it was when it was released. The thing that used to amaze me was not so much the fact that it was blisteringly fast (it was), but the fact that the suspension and tires worked so well together that it hooked up on the street. Today it is still impressive, but 10 years ago it was downright amazing.


Unfortunately, the tires that are on it don't allow for that. They are very easy to spin (Toyo's). I plan on putting Michelin's on it when these are done. Maybe then it will hook up right on the street
wink.gif
 
The first little bit of this video illustrates what fun passing is in this car:



He starts to hammer on it in 3rd. You can get up to almost 220 in 4th. Those two gears go by VERY quickly. As well illustrated by the video.

He goes from 98 to 210 in 13 seconds based on the video.
 
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