Hi,

I am on the search for a E39 Touring and thought no better place to look than here.

I have been thinking about getting one for a good while now and have decoded to go for it.

I have £3000 to spend (not a lot I know).

This seems to get me 100k plus motors :/

I am looking for advice on what to look out for.

I'm aware of the following:

Service history (receipts or invoices are a bonus).

Water pumps, thermostat etc (cooling problems).

Timing chain tensioners (noisy).

Rear bushes (clunking).

Autoboxes failing around 120-150k and struggling to select gear.

Rust

Around boot lid, fuel filler cap

Around the rear slam panel, above the bumper where the boot shuts

Around windscreen

Around sills/skirt spots, sill front edge to front wheel arch and rear arches

Damp carpets and wet kick plates (door membranes).

Radio ,Sat Nav, Phone, Windows, Heated Seats, On board computer, Xenons failing.

Heater blower failing.

Lazy windows - slow going up and down (motor/regulator).

Dead/missing pixels on the on board computer, radio displays and instrument clusters.

Clocked cars have a red dot ? next to mileage and interior wear doesn't tie in with mileage.

I forgot to ask what the average life of a clutch in a manual car is ?

I know it can have a lot of variables, but I was just after a rough idea.

Oh and is the manual gearbox prone to worn syncros etc from 1st to 2nd etc ?

Resulting in crunching etc.

Anything else would be greatly appreciated.

I reckon uve probably got most of it covered, but really e39s aren't that bad,

Jus to let u know the red dot doesn't necessarily mean it's been clocked, it's a tamper light

And can come on when control modules have been replaced with second hand parts.

I've fitted second hand lcm's (light control modules) in the past and because their allocated to chassis number

Even when programmed into a different car it doesn't overwrite the chassis number of the old vehicle hence

The tamper light illuminating.

Good luck with the search I'm sure you won't be disappointed with an e39

£3000 should get you a really nice one! I bought one last month for £1250 and it's superb. 111000 miles with 2 owners... Just keep searching, the ideal one will come up a good price!

Might be worth checking the air pump on the rear suspension as they can be quite expensive to replace. Just sit on the rear bumper and you should hear the pump come on and raise the back up to compensate for your weight. Check the model though as not all of them had it!

Good luck