Just swap a 3.38 rear end….it really livens up the car along with the Euro rear bar
Hmm One of my long term goals is to put a DCT now that you can get independent controllers for the OEM unit from the new BMWs, I think that will also really liven up the car. Do you have a V8 or 12? The V8 also has the option for forced induction with good room in the engine bay
That takes away from the relaxed highway cruising, though. Given the nature of the car, I'd rather cruise along with reasonable revs at 100 than be a few seconds quicker off the line from a stoplight.
well...seems like the timing belt guides just went. Seriously bad timing with my raptor still about a month away from being registered to use...ffs.
What happened? Have you been changing the belt regularly? Do you change the guides as a part of a belt change?
Started it up this morning...strange rattle sound. Was hoping for vanos rattle first but seems ik not that lucky. Mechanic can likely only look on Monday at earliest. Didn't drive it further. Timing chain and guides haven't been changed yet, about 105k Miles on it
a bit more on this, car is at the mechanic now. When he was at my house earlier, he revved it and I noticed the ticking noise stayed at the same frequency. Spark plugs where checked but unfortuantely it wasn't as simple as that. He just said he suspects oil pump (chain?). If it was the timing chain guides surely the frequency would increase?
Guides need replacement every 50-60k on the V12s; I never changed a guide on a M62 V8 despite 100k+ miles across 2 cars…..that’s peculiar. Sorry this happened. Fingers crossed can just swap in a replacement while parts cost is cheap(er)
well I finally got it back today. Had a few other things changes. Water pump, vanos issue addressed, gaskets, hoses checked and those that became a bit hard or showed signs of cracking all done and finished. Wasn't cheap but engine runs like a dream.
I just did a 500 mile drive in my e38 740, and I have to say that it is a great car. Lots of cruising from 90-120, smooth, silent, easily carried four people and luggage. I'm really impressed with it.
I am waiting to find another like mine. Steel Blue Metallic sport. It's one of three cars I have owned I wish I could get again, alongside my 3.0CSi and p1800s
Just drove mine from Indianapolis to New York and back a few weeks ago (2k miles total). Car ran like a beast and was pleasant as always. The E38 really does just dance on the road, especially the sport model. I'm now at 274k Miles now and am about to take it down to Florida in a few weeks for another 1k miles. Image Unavailable, Please Login
My first E38 road trip was LA>Austin>New Orleans>ATL>Savannah>Austin>LA over the course of a week and then less than 200 miles after being home, a sparkplug shot out and I got a helicoil insert What a freeway beast, it sat at 100mph for great distance with no issues and my passenger slept the whole time.
As long as you are willing to pay $5-10k per year to maintain it, the E38 is a fantastic car. Mine just got some new coolant lines and three new window regulators, for instance. If you let them go, the deferred maintenance can just be a killer. But it is, in my opinion, one of the best cars BMW has ever made.
I drive mine roughly 9k a year and my service cost on average has been about 1100 per year. Thats over a 10 and half year period. Just like anything else on the high end you have to keep it for a long time in order for it to make sense dollar for dollar. Yes you are completely correct about letting them go with deferred maintanance. The biggest weak point that I have experienced the most has been the braking system. ABS pumps will quit on you due to non use and the dsc pump for the traction control can go which causes a whole mess of problems. I swear that is what knocked out my wheel speed sensors in the front which I had just replaced a few years before. The cooling system is crap but once sorted is fine. Just put in a new radiator and stay on top of the waterpump thermostat service every 50-60k and that's a memory. The only thing that can get you at that point are the sensors in the system. Had I known about that I would have changed out all of them 10 years and 100k miles ago. If you buy one and begin sorting it. Get the aluminum radiator in there and then change all of the coolant sensors to wipe out the threat completely. Well worth the time and money. And even if your radiator is fine buy the aluminum one anyway and keep it on hand for when it eventually goes. They usually make them from scratch so it will take some time for it to be built for you.
Yes, I did the struts the second I took the keys to the car at 175k. I just did control arms last summer and am doing the tie rods next summer and probably one more transmission service now that I've put about 100 on it. Might wait just a bit longer though. Struts have 100k on them now and are surprisingly still holding strong.
No. I can only do about 60-70 percent of it myself and when I don't I have a private mechanic or a typical mechanic work on it. THe last issus that it has had over the past few years, the car has had to go to a mechanic. Again, 1100 a year average. The first few years I owned the car were easy but then I had a 4 year period that was pretty rough. For me the biggest complaint has been the time wasted, not the money. This car always has an issue at least once a year. I would recommend getting both abs and DSC pumps second hand and getting them refurbed if you can find somebody to do it also. I don't know how much longer I am going to own this thing, the top half of the car has bad clear coat failure now after 3 or 4 seasons of being in florida outside during the winter. I dont' know if it's because the car is close to the ocean or if I shouldn't leave the cover on it. I am planning on getting the top half of the car repainted next spring if I still want to keep it at that point.
Also check this out, Bluebus was developed by an Indy and it taps in to your factory cd player harness. I bought it a few weeks ago and it is pretty impressive. https://www.bluebus.dev/
trying to remember the competitor but it worked for a few hours and then I went back to the shop, had them remove it and got a custom headunit installed and BSW trunk subwoofer
Definitely the best looking BMW 4 door sedan ever. I spoke to soon, transmission went on the car a few weeks after that post. It was the classic Pressure regulator in the valve bodey going bad and zonked out the A drums in the transmission. Wish I had known about this, I would have upgraded the valve body the day I bought the car 10 years ago. Funny thing is I was just about to do another transmission service as I've had the car 10 years and 100k. I guess it wouldn't have mattered as I would have still been clueless about it and it would have happened after service anyway. Also buying a 90s Merc next week to replace my volkswagen which is my other DD. It has 85k miles on it and I'm going to get this valve body refurb work done on it as well. Total cost is $2200. Used transmission $500 Valve body rebuild $600 Labor $1100 I almost cut it loose to buy in old LS400 but couldn't find one worthy of buying anywhere in the country. Closest I've ever been to selling it. If the repair had been 3k or higher I would have.
If I had a $3k limit on repairs for my E38, I would have sold it in the first year I owned it! I don't think I've spent less than $3k any year.
