528i - opinions requested

[oceancon]

Hi, I'm looking at a 1998 528i w/ 130K that is in near excellent condition. Any 528i owners out there can give me their pros and cons and what to look for would be most welcomed.

Also is there no auto tranny fluid dipstick on these cars?

thanks

 

[Abdoman]

I had a 97 528i. Great car. Reliability OK. The link gives a bunch of info.

http://www.e38.org/e39/

The auto box is sealed with lifetime fluid. You can have it changed - I had mine changed at 100K.

 

[Big Daddy]

Welcome, the 2.8 is a great motor.

 

[535iracer]

watch out for the transmission, have it serviced as soon as you can or it could possibly fail. I have noticed that the transmissions in the cars where it has never been changed will last about 100-120k... Other than that it is an awesome car mine has 115k on it and it still feels like a new car!

 

[oceancon]

thanks for all repllies

 

[nate_ids]

Dynamic Stability Control

My driveline "u-joints" on my 2000 Silver BMW 528i are defective and the DSC indicator light came on. I will be putting in a rebuilt driveline on Tuesday. Can you tell me how to reset the light? Pushing the "DSC" botton on my 1999 Black BMW 528i turns the system on/off.

 

[MikeF528i]

I have a 98 528i, 136K miles, it's a mostly nice car, although I've had overheating problems - 3 thermostats, a water pump, thermostat housings in 2004/2005, now it's overheating again maybe - temp needle acting goofy. The car has always been taken good care of. My independent bmw mechanic says I might need a new head gasket : $1500-2000. Ugh. The transmission problem mentioned above is scary....
So I dont know if I'd recommend a 528i....unless you're willing to spend big bucks on repairs.

 

[LyzardKing]

Had a 99 528iA for just over a year. Smooth running, plenty of power, handles great. A few electrical gremlins ... door locks working intermittenly (rear left), trunk needed key to unlock. Minor but annoying. Overall an excellent car. I will be returning to an e39 in the future.