I plan to buy a 1987 BMW 528 e........


The car is very good shape in appearance..... the engine is strong and very smooth, the miles are 178,000,

the trans needs some work, it won't go reverse.....

the inside is spotless as is the body EVERYTHING electrical works & works well...

I'm buy it for $700..... it is worth it?

I NEED info about this style of automobile, and ANY problems that were inherent to the design of the car.....

Please, write me back.....

I had an '86 528e automatic that I bought with 255,000 miles on it, although the engine had just been rebuilt (and I presume the tranmission had been as well).

First, check the timing belt. Those need to be changed every 50,000-60,000 miles, so make sure you know when this service was last performed. According to "BMW Buyer's Guide" by Fred Larimer, there are other issues to check for, although my car did not exhibit any of these problems:

*check fuel lines , as cracked lines will spray fuel onto exhaust
*rubber "guibo" in driveline absorbs stresses and should be checked
*brake shimmy in steering wheel--warped front rotors and/or worn thrust rod bushings
*check "banjo" bolts that secure the oil-supply pipe to the top of the head

Warping of the front brake rotors was the main issue with my car. This is quite common on most '80's BMW's, and causes a shaking of the steering wheel under light braking from higher speeds.

$700 still seems like a good price for the car, and 178K is acceptable mileage (although probably explaining the transmission failure). These are reliable, solid cars, even if the design is getting quite dated. My car had 16" 5-spoke Borbet wheels, which really improved the exterior appearance and made the car handle much more sharply.

Also, if you do buy the car and need to fix the power headrests (the motors probably work but the headrests don't move), let me know, as there is a way you can do this at no cost whatsoever.

I plan to buy a 1987 BMW 528 e........


The car is very good shape in appearance..... the engine is strong and very smooth, the miles are 178,000,

the trans needs some work, it won't go reverse.....

the inside is spotless as is the body EVERYTHING electrical works & works well...

I'm buy it for $700..... it is worth it?

I NEED info about this style of automobile, and ANY problems that were inherent to the design of the car.....

Please, write me back.....========================================= ===============

Hi kashi_chavis:

I really cannot advise for sure what to do on that 97 BMW 528i unless I saw it in person, but it sounds like a too good of price$$ for a 97 528i Bimmer ($700.00). There must be something else wrong with it he or she is not telling you, The Kelley Blue Book value on that year and model in just "Fair' condition is: $13,900.00! :naughty:

Are you sure all they want is $700.00? :screwy: If so, make sure it has a clean title and run a nation wide computer check, (NCIC), through you local police dept. to make sure it is not stolen. :loser:

Also do you have access with CarFax? If not for about $19.00 CarFax will tell you most anything that you would like to know about that car, A complete reported history. I would run its VIN Number through and see what it comes back with, (wreck's, damage, mileage check , etc.) :banghead:


If it come back clean, then I would check and see how much it would cost to get the Transmission rebuilt, and if not too much $$$ and as you presented here to the forum, I would probably go for it, either for myself a BMW or I would place it on today's BMW market and make me some extra $$$! :iceslolan

I do wish you the best with your purchase for the 1997 528i, and have a good day! :)

Sincerely,

Presley348 :smokin:

PS,
I have not heard anything but good for the BMW 5 series over the past years!

Hello,
Well, it is a 87 528e....

with 178,000 mi

Hello,
Well, it is a 87 528e....

with 178,000 mi


Kashi

Hi kashi_chavis:

I really cannot advise for sure what to do on that 97 BMW 528i unless I saw it in person, but it sounds like a too good of price$$ for a 97 528i Bimmer ($700.00). There must be something else wrong with it he or she is not telling you, The Kelley Blue Book value on that year and model in just "Fair' condition is: $13,900.00! :naughty:

Are you sure all they want is $700.00? :screwy: If so, make sure it has a clean title and run a nation wide computer check, (NCIC), through you local police dept. to make sure it is not stolen. :loser:

Also do you have access with CarFax? If not for about $19.00 CarFax will tell you most anything that you would like to know about that car, A complete reported history. I would run its VIN Number through and see what it comes back with, (wreck's, damage, mileage check , etc.) :banghead:


If it come back clean, then I would check and see how much it would cost to get the Transmission rebuilt, and if not too much $$$ and as you presented here to the forum, I would probably go for it, either for myself a BMW or I would place it on today's BMW market and make me some extra $$$! :iceslolan

I do wish you the best with your purchase for the 1997 528i, and have a good day! :)

Sincerely,

Presley348 :smokin:

PS,
I have not heard anything but good for the BMW 5 series over the past years![/QUOTE]

Hello,
Well, it is a 87 528e....

with 178,000 mi


Kashi

Hi kashi_chavis:

I really cannot advise for sure what to do on that 97 BMW 528i unless I saw it in person, but it sounds like a too good of price$$ for a 97 528i Bimmer ($700.00). There must be something else wrong with it he or she is not telling you, The Kelley Blue Book value on that year and model in just "Fair' condition is: $13,900.00! :naughty:

Are you sure all they want is $700.00? :screwy: If so, make sure it has a clean title and run a nation wide computer check, (NCIC), through you local police dept. to make sure it is not stolen. :loser:

Also do you have access with CarFax? If not for about $19.00 CarFax will tell you most anything that you would like to know about that car, A complete reported history. I would run its VIN Number through and see what it comes back with, (wreck's, damage, mileage check , etc.) :banghead:


If it come back clean, then I would check and see how much it would cost to get the Transmission rebuilt, and if not too much $$$ and as you presented here to the forum, I would probably go for it, either for myself a BMW or I would place it on today's BMW market and make me some extra $$$! :iceslolan

I do wish you the best with your purchase for the 1997 528i, and have a good day! :)

Sincerely,

Presley348 :smokin:

PS,
I have not heard anything but good for the BMW 5 series over the past years![/QUOTE]================================================== ==================

Hi kashi_chavis: . . . . . again, (LOL)

OK, Sorry about the model error, but a 1987 528i in Good condition is worth about $1375.00 Kelly Blue book.

You know I am new at the Bimmer game, but I have found out they are very cars, but they cost a lot to repair! I would still run the clean title checks though the nation wide computer (NCIC), at your local police dept., and I would see how much $$$ it would cost to repair the transmission from a good trusted BMW mechanic. :banghead: (LOL, They are out there, but hard to find one at a good price that a person can afford).


Other than that it sounds like a pretty good buy! :grinno:


Sincerely,
Presley348 :smokin:

I had an '86 528e automatic that I bought with 255,000 miles on it, although the engine had just been rebuilt (and I presume the tranmission had been as well).

First, check the timing belt. Those need to be changed every 50,000-60,000 miles, so make sure you know when this service was last performed. According to "BMW Buyer's Guide" by Fred Larimer, there are other issues to check for, although my car did not exhibit any of these problems:

*check fuel lines , as cracked lines will spray fuel onto exhaust
*rubber "guibo" in driveline absorbs stresses and should be checked
*brake shimmy in steering wheel--warped front rotors and/or worn thrust rod bushings
*check "banjo" bolts that secure the oil-supply pipe to the top of the head

Warping of the front brake rotors was the main issue with my car. This is quite common on most '80's BMW's, and causes a shaking of the steering wheel under light braking from higher speeds.

$700 still seems like a good price for the car, and 178K is acceptable mileage (although probably explaining the transmission failure). These are reliable, solid cars, even if the design is getting quite dated. My car had 16" 5-spoke Borbet wheels, which really improved the exterior appearance and made the car handle much more sharply.

Also, if you do buy the car and need to fix the power headrests (the motors probably work but the headrests don't move), let me know, as there is a way you can do this at no cost whatsoever.

Hey i have a 1986 528e bmw, and the headrests seam to have power but dont move could you please tell me how to get them to work.

Hey i have a 1986 528e bmw, and the headrests seam to have power but dont move could you please tell me how to get them to work.============================================= ====

Is this who I think it is . . . Billy????

#10

OK, I got this tip off the following great BMW site four years ago when I had my 528e. Here is the link (still in existence).

http://www.garageboy.com/e28/headrest.html

My comments:

The procedure is as simple as it sounds, and will probably take no more than 15 minutes per seat (maybe 25 minutes for the first seat, then 10 minutes for the other one since you'll now know exactly what you're doing).

The headrest motor is mounted on either the inboard or outboard edge of the seatback, and is a cylindrical metallic object about 3 inches high with a thick black cord that simply pulls out and runs into the bottom of the headrest mechanical assembly. You'll need to remove this motor to pull the cord out and drop in the piece of hanger. When you've done this, simply stick the cord back in and reassemble.

I did this soon after I bought the car, and both headrests continued to work flawlessly for the following two years I owned the car.

I tried this procedure on my new 535i (same deal with both seats--motor noise but no action), but the motor is awkardly held to the seat frame with two bolts, one of which is impossible to access. In theory, "repair" on an E34 5-Series or E32 7-Series would take place the same way.

Mine is a 535is but the problems, I mean pleasant quirks, with this series seem to be pretty standard. My first piece of advice is to check the tires. If they are TRX's you're going to have to shell out about 250-300 bucks a piece to get new ones. I would suggest just buying aftermarket rims and tires anyway since it is a hassle to buy metric tires. Also, if the radio is still the original be sure that the theft code is included somewhere. Whenever the battery is disconnected the radio will not work until the code is entered. Check the trunk for signs of water. The tail lights seals are easily replaceable and inexpensive. I've ended up replacing both in mine.

Good Luck