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Need Advice On Buying A 94 540i

2K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  Cambridge 
#1 ·
I have had many other types of BMW's like 2002's, e30, and now have a e36 but not familiar with the e34, 540i.

I'm considering a 94 540i with 200k on the car and 100k on the recalled engine replaced by BMW and need advice about the value of the car, reliability and expected repairs and cost of repairs for a car of this model and mileage.

I don;t mind doing repairs myself as I always have with them and just want to consider this before buying this one. It does have some paperwork and appears clean and well kept. Any advice on what to watch for before I drive this would also be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
 
#2 ·
I have owned 1994 540 with 225 k miles, now I have 1994 BMW 540 with 110k miles:
Things to look for:
front end shimmy - you wanna replace lower conrtol arm,s - about $180 for arms, have no clue about labour (I changed it myself)
Oxygen sensors: if you see "check engine" light come on, perfotrm "gas pedal test" and find you what kind of message you get....make a post over here, we`ll help you out ;)
Another thing - start the car in the morning, check idle speed/ Anything betweeen 550 & 950 is OK.. Good luck, -=
A9
 
#6 ·
I love the 540i. Solid, well made, and fast.

They do seem to get more than their fair share of vacuum leaks. Fairly easy to fix, though, just a nuisance to find.

Another area is the small hose from the fuel pressure regulator to the intake - tends to collapse with age.

Both of these problems can give weird symptoms. Some have mistaken these easily fixed problems for the infamous "Nikasil" problem.
 
#7 ·
Good reply Cambridge. I found a good car that is a '95 530i and your comments got me thinking about my check engine light and vacuum leaks you had mentioned. The code calls for the #2 oxy sensor which I've replaced and the code is still there.

Any suggestions on vacuum checking or areas that you've found most likely?

thanks
 
#8 ·
I had a leak around my oil filler cap. I had to take the cap off, stuff a rag in the hole, and sand the paint smooth (the rag kept the chips from falling into the engine).

I also found leaks in the hoses connecting to the crankcase ventilation valve at the back of the engine. Here is a diagram of the system:
Crankcase Ventilation
All of the "O" rings tend to get either crispy or slimmy and tend to leak vacuum.

Another area is the little red rubber gaskets for the intake manifold: Intake manifold Note label "10" these tend to crack. A quick spritz of water on these will indicate whether they're still ok or not. If one is bad, you'll hear a whistle and the engine will briefly speed up.

Also check the ducting associated with air intake / mass air flow sensor system: Mass air flow

Hope this helps...
 
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