Recent Purchase - 2005 BMW E60 545i V8 - Ownership Journey
Discussion
Well, let's get this thread started...
I'll start with a brief profile of myself, so you have some idea of how I got here.
I'm 27 years old, I live on the Beds/Herts border and I work in London 2-3 days a week. I primarily use my car for weekend trips, long-distance travel to family, and enjoy attending car events. Last year we did a trip to Bruges & back too.
My O/H drives a 2011 F25 BMW X3 20d (yawn, I know), which we have used as our only car since I sold my 2017 Toyota GT86. Having 1 car simply didn't suit us, and using my motorbike in anything but glorious weather isn't something I found myself fond of doing.
So, October 2024 I began searching for a new car and I had a few criteria that I was hoping to fulfil. Further, I have a list of 'itches' that I know I will need to scratch at some point.
This particular model is a Black Sapphire Metallic 545i on 125,000 miles,with some lovely options and a full BMW Service History from new.
Pro Nav
Dynamic Drive
Auto Transmission
Active Steering
Glass Sliding/Vented Roof
18" Style 124 Alloys - Staggered
Bi-Xenon Lights
Comfort Seats
Auto Air-Con - Advanced
Hifi Loudspeaker System
CD Changer for 6 CDs
Adaptive Headlights
Headlight Washer System
Sports Leather Steering Wheel
Poplar Wood Trim
BMW Assist
Truffle Brown Dakota Leather
The car has 2 previous owners - an exec, who had this as a company car from new and chose to keep it, then his best friend, who purchased it from him, who I purchased it from.
These were a few of the photos listed when the car was advertised:
You can check out the MOT history here.
I called the previous owner from Cyprus, the day before I proposed to my O/H, clearly keeping myself distracted from the important task at hand. He kindly arranged a viewing with me the day after I returned from holiday.
Well, it was as clean and honest as I could possibly have expected, the history was immaculate and the owner was a stand-up gent (more on this in a moment).
The car was booked in at Group1 Bedford, the dynamic drive fault was fixed under warranty (yes, the owner had maintained a BMW Warranty since new), the service was completed and the fuel in the exhaust was investigated. The owner also kindly had the gearbox serviced whilst it was in, as this was due at 125,000 miles.
Fixed and ready for collection, I paid the previous owner the balance-owed and organised collecting the car.
Straight to the petrol station, £100 of 99 RON later, and I had myself a new car. It seemed only right to take it for a drive at the weekend and park up for some lunch at Caffeine & Machine.
More photos below:
2,000 Miles later, I've also taken the 545i to work a couple in Central London of times, and been to MICOL & Bicester Scramble:
I've a few small plans for perfecting the car - repairing a small bumper-corner scuff, replacing the passenger's cupholder, in which the spring has failed, and adding an MMI unit to modernise the car with CarPlay.
Keen to know if any of you have owned or still own a 545i? What should I keep an eye out for? Any upgrades you made or that I should make?
Has anyone done anything about the exhaust? I did try the vacuum hose manipulation to open the butterfly valve, but very little difference. This beast is almost silent 95% of the time!
If you've made it this far, bravo! I'll keep you updated.
Best,
Callum
I'll start with a brief profile of myself, so you have some idea of how I got here.
I'm 27 years old, I live on the Beds/Herts border and I work in London 2-3 days a week. I primarily use my car for weekend trips, long-distance travel to family, and enjoy attending car events. Last year we did a trip to Bruges & back too.
My O/H drives a 2011 F25 BMW X3 20d (yawn, I know), which we have used as our only car since I sold my 2017 Toyota GT86. Having 1 car simply didn't suit us, and using my motorbike in anything but glorious weather isn't something I found myself fond of doing.
So, October 2024 I began searching for a new car and I had a few criteria that I was hoping to fulfil. Further, I have a list of 'itches' that I know I will need to scratch at some point.
The itches:
- A Convertible
- A Porsche Flat 6
- A Range Rover L322
- A Full Fat Land Cruiser
- A Petrol V8
- A 90s/00s French Hot Hatch
- Another 80s/90s single cab
The criteria for this purchase:
- An interesting engine
- Automatic
- ULEZ compliant
- Comfortable enough to commute into London a couple of times a month
- A non-black interior
- No chav-specced cars
- Sub £6,000
So, what did I find?
A 2005 E60 BMW 545i SE Auto.
This particular model is a Black Sapphire Metallic 545i on 125,000 miles,with some lovely options and a full BMW Service History from new.
Pro Nav
Dynamic Drive
Auto Transmission
Active Steering
Glass Sliding/Vented Roof
18" Style 124 Alloys - Staggered
Bi-Xenon Lights
Comfort Seats
Auto Air-Con - Advanced
Hifi Loudspeaker System
CD Changer for 6 CDs
Adaptive Headlights
Headlight Washer System
Sports Leather Steering Wheel
Poplar Wood Trim
BMW Assist
Truffle Brown Dakota Leather
The car has 2 previous owners - an exec, who had this as a company car from new and chose to keep it, then his best friend, who purchased it from him, who I purchased it from.
These were a few of the photos listed when the car was advertised:
You can check out the MOT history here.
I called the previous owner from Cyprus, the day before I proposed to my O/H, clearly keeping myself distracted from the important task at hand. He kindly arranged a viewing with me the day after I returned from holiday.
Was it all I was hoping for?
Well, it was as clean and honest as I could possibly have expected, the history was immaculate and the owner was a stand-up gent (more on this in a moment).
There were a couple of small issues though:
- The car was due a service.
- The Dynamic Drive fault came on intermittently.
- There was a small amount of fuel/carbon sludge at one tip of the exhaust.
The car was booked in at Group1 Bedford, the dynamic drive fault was fixed under warranty (yes, the owner had maintained a BMW Warranty since new), the service was completed and the fuel in the exhaust was investigated. The owner also kindly had the gearbox serviced whilst it was in, as this was due at 125,000 miles.
Fixed and ready for collection, I paid the previous owner the balance-owed and organised collecting the car.
Straight to the petrol station, £100 of 99 RON later, and I had myself a new car. It seemed only right to take it for a drive at the weekend and park up for some lunch at Caffeine & Machine.
More photos below:
2,000 Miles later, I've also taken the 545i to work a couple in Central London of times, and been to MICOL & Bicester Scramble:
I've a few small plans for perfecting the car - repairing a small bumper-corner scuff, replacing the passenger's cupholder, in which the spring has failed, and adding an MMI unit to modernise the car with CarPlay.
Keen to know if any of you have owned or still own a 545i? What should I keep an eye out for? Any upgrades you made or that I should make?
Has anyone done anything about the exhaust? I did try the vacuum hose manipulation to open the butterfly valve, but very little difference. This beast is almost silent 95% of the time!
If you've made it this far, bravo! I'll keep you updated.
Best,
Callum
Lovely car; congrats 
How is the engine, more so re the valve stem oil seals and other gaskets they like to leak from?
Re exhaust; I know an owner on another forum that had the 550i and he tried all sorts until he got a custom back box made and that released more of the V8 sound, but without it being ASBO etc - sounded superb to be honest. Worth looking into
If you haven't already; get the autobox serviced (ZF fluid & filter) and get the diff oil changed too
How is the engine, more so re the valve stem oil seals and other gaskets they like to leak from?
Re exhaust; I know an owner on another forum that had the 550i and he tried all sorts until he got a custom back box made and that released more of the V8 sound, but without it being ASBO etc - sounded superb to be honest. Worth looking into
If you haven't already; get the autobox serviced (ZF fluid & filter) and get the diff oil changed too
I did not so much own one, but we used to have one sitting around where I work. It was obviously voracious on fuel, but that comes with the territory. We did not encounter any of the typical N62-issues with it during our six or so years of running it, but it did go through some expensive bits such as the Xenon headlamp units (more than once). And, oddly, we ruined the diff on it. Other than that, I'd say ours was not too expensive to run for what it is. Interior did start to let it down after a few years, with the finish peeling off of some of the trim bits, other trim bits becoming sticky and the (black) leather aging quite badly. Driving-wise, it always felt somewhat twitchy to me, mostly due to the variable steering ratio - something I personally could never really gel with.
Ooh lovely. Comfort seats look fabulous, having never sat in them I've read nothing but good things about them and if I ever change to a 5-series or bigger (they're not available in the smaller cars) those will be high on my wish list. Interesting interior colour too, anything but black or grey is a plus!
I believe the exhaust valve should be open when the engine is off, the vacuum pulls it closed with the engine running and the ECU controls the valve to open it at certain conditions. If it's closed when the engine is off it's probably seized, you can try gently oiling the pivot and prying it (making sure you're pushing in the correct direction) although I've had one before on an E46 that was seized solid and nothing would budge it.
I believe the exhaust valve should be open when the engine is off, the vacuum pulls it closed with the engine running and the ECU controls the valve to open it at certain conditions. If it's closed when the engine is off it's probably seized, you can try gently oiling the pivot and prying it (making sure you're pushing in the correct direction) although I've had one before on an E46 that was seized solid and nothing would budge it.
Congrats, bet it sounds luxurious! Bet these can hit 30 mpg on a cruise too. The main issue on these is the valve stem seals. There's a design flaw where they start to shrink and don't seal properly. Might have already been seen to. Worth checking oil consumption also inc. leaks in places like pressure switch. Did they do solenoids with gearbox service or just oil?
danb79 said:
Lovely car; congrats
How is the engine, more so re the valve stem oil seals and other gaskets they like to leak from?
Re exhaust; I know an owner on another forum that had the 550i and he tried all sorts until he got a custom back box made and that released more of the V8 sound, but without it being ASBO etc - sounded superb to be honest. Worth looking into
If you haven't already; get the autobox serviced (ZF fluid & filter) and get the diff oil changed too
Thanks!How is the engine, more so re the valve stem oil seals and other gaskets they like to leak from?
Re exhaust; I know an owner on another forum that had the 550i and he tried all sorts until he got a custom back box made and that released more of the V8 sound, but without it being ASBO etc - sounded superb to be honest. Worth looking into
If you haven't already; get the autobox serviced (ZF fluid & filter) and get the diff oil changed too
So, this valve stem oil seal concern was my first thought when I found what I though was oil in the tip of one exhaust - thankfully, this turned out to just be unburnt fuel mixed with carbon from the system, from a heap of short journeys, without a run.
Other gasket - well, nothing proving horrific visually at this stage and no huge loss of oil, but noticed a couple of small drops on the drive. I'm planning to get it into a specialist for an engine bay steam or ice clean, so work out what leaks and how to replace any gaskets that we can.
I've just had a quote back from RCF in Sandy, for a custom back box, at what I think is a very reasonable rate, so plan on getting it to him soon! Exactly what I've asked him for - I want to hear the V8, but I don't want to draw too much attention.
Gearbox service completed at BMW, upon sale, along with an engine oil service. Diff Oil I haven't checked, so that's something to add to the list!
Yuri75 said:
I did not so much own one, but we used to have one sitting around where I work. It was obviously voracious on fuel, but that comes with the territory. We did not encounter any of the typical N62-issues with it during our six or so years of running it, but it did go through some expensive bits such as the Xenon headlamp units (more than once). And, oddly, we ruined the diff on it. Other than that, I'd say ours was not too expensive to run for what it is. Interior did start to let it down after a few years, with the finish peeling off of some of the trim bits, other trim bits becoming sticky and the (black) leather aging quite badly. Driving-wise, it always felt somewhat twitchy to me, mostly due to the variable steering ratio - something I personally could never really gel with.
Exactly what I'm noticing - the active steering seems to be a VERY strange thing to get used to! Almost as though it picks up on chamber changes and tries to throw you in the bushes or into oncoming traffic!Adaptive Bi-Xenons working as they should, but they're certainly not up to the performance of modern LEDs
Limited100 said:
Congrats, bet it sounds luxurious! Bet these can hit 30 mpg on a cruise too. The main issue on these is the valve stem seals. There's a design flaw where they start to shrink and don't seal properly. Might have already been seen to. Worth checking oil consumption also inc. leaks in places like pressure switch. Did they do solenoids with gearbox service or just oil?
I'll need to check the invoice - the last owner kindly got it done at BMW before handing over, but I haven't been through the invoices in detail yet!Small amount of oil consumption, covered in another reply - I'm going to get the bay cleaned and then have small (hopefully no big) leaks attended to!
I bought a 2003 one of these about 9 years ago and ran it for two years.
I loved it apart from the maintenance. Mine needed valve cover gaskets and an alternator. I also did the brakes and gearbox oil.
The fuel consumption was good. 27mpg overall and most notably I did a 230 mile journey at an average speed of 63mph and 33mpg.
The engine loves to rev and the gearbox suits it. With the dynamic drive you can really throw it around, the main limiting factor being its physical size.
You might not know the headlights are active, move with the steering, but only in auto setting.
Good luck with it.
I loved it apart from the maintenance. Mine needed valve cover gaskets and an alternator. I also did the brakes and gearbox oil.
The fuel consumption was good. 27mpg overall and most notably I did a 230 mile journey at an average speed of 63mph and 33mpg.
The engine loves to rev and the gearbox suits it. With the dynamic drive you can really throw it around, the main limiting factor being its physical size.
You might not know the headlights are active, move with the steering, but only in auto setting.
Good luck with it.
Regarding the exhaust flap, did you actually try and move the actuator arm? You'll probably find its either fully seized or partially seized closed. Also they never seem to fully open with the mod so you'll probably have to jam the arm over with a bolt through the bracket.
If it has been seized closed then you'll find the exhaust pipe and silencer for it will be full of debris which will take a while to fire out. Which means it will continually get louder as it clears and thus sound a bit beefier. But it will never sound like a V8 muscle car with a standard exhaust.
Of course if its puffing away if you block the other pipe then its probably fine.
The cupholders tend to bind up as they age, if you loosen the mounting screws (under the silly round stickers) for it you might find it works ok until you tighten it back up. If the fronts been glued back onto it then that’s most likely the main cause of it binding.
As someone else asked the box may need the solenoids and the rubber tubes changed at this age and mileage.
As cars the E60 is a nice place to be and they wear/hide their miles well. I have a few and mileages range from 96k miles to 230k miles on them. You just need to watch out for modules failing due to age, some can be brought back by soldering but sometimes the software is corrupted, prime example is the MULF if fitted.
Make sure the spare wheel well and battery box are dry, the MPM may have been moved already from the spare wheel well to prevent water damage, if not it might be an idea to move it.
If it has been seized closed then you'll find the exhaust pipe and silencer for it will be full of debris which will take a while to fire out. Which means it will continually get louder as it clears and thus sound a bit beefier. But it will never sound like a V8 muscle car with a standard exhaust.
Of course if its puffing away if you block the other pipe then its probably fine.
The cupholders tend to bind up as they age, if you loosen the mounting screws (under the silly round stickers) for it you might find it works ok until you tighten it back up. If the fronts been glued back onto it then that’s most likely the main cause of it binding.
As someone else asked the box may need the solenoids and the rubber tubes changed at this age and mileage.
As cars the E60 is a nice place to be and they wear/hide their miles well. I have a few and mileages range from 96k miles to 230k miles on them. You just need to watch out for modules failing due to age, some can be brought back by soldering but sometimes the software is corrupted, prime example is the MULF if fitted.
Make sure the spare wheel well and battery box are dry, the MPM may have been moved already from the spare wheel well to prevent water damage, if not it might be an idea to move it.
The E60 has aged very well, looking a bit gawky when it was first released but maturing well.
I think it’s partly due to the fact that one of the lead designers (Davide Arcangeli) died suddenly of Leukaemia during the design process, so they kept the car quite pure and didn’t meddle too much in homage to him. Also a fairly ‘old hand’ BMW designer (Boyke Boyer) had a hand in it to keep a certain level of proportion.
Normally, cars get clinicked to death and designed by committee so any radical aspects get ‘ironed out’.
I think it’s partly due to the fact that one of the lead designers (Davide Arcangeli) died suddenly of Leukaemia during the design process, so they kept the car quite pure and didn’t meddle too much in homage to him. Also a fairly ‘old hand’ BMW designer (Boyke Boyer) had a hand in it to keep a certain level of proportion.
Normally, cars get clinicked to death and designed by committee so any radical aspects get ‘ironed out’.
MotorsByMurphy said:
Limited100 said:
Congrats, bet it sounds luxurious! Bet these can hit 30 mpg on a cruise too. The main issue on these is the valve stem seals. There's a design flaw where they start to shrink and don't seal properly. Might have already been seen to. Worth checking oil consumption also inc. leaks in places like pressure switch. Did they do solenoids with gearbox service or just oil?
I'll need to check the invoice - the last owner kindly got it done at BMW before handing over, but I haven't been through the invoices in detail yet!!
bolidemichael said:
A good purchase, well done. The Truffle Brown seats are particularly classy.
How does your fiancée like it (did she say yes?!) and how is MICOL?
She doesn't hate it as a passenger, like she did the GT86, but she does not enjoy driving/parking it one bit! (her X3 on the other hand, she loves to bits!)How does your fiancée like it (did she say yes?!) and how is MICOL?
MICOL was good, but I made the mistake of arriving too early. We got there 15 minutes before it was advertised to start (I think 9am), grabbed a coffee from WatchHouse and waited for cars to flood in. Lots of cool things turned up, but lots were still arriving when we decided to call it a day and head home.
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