Re: No '95 528 - see www.530i.org (archive)

Any E34 530i in the US would have the aforementioned 8-cylinder engine. However, I do believe that in Europe, the 5er and 7er were offered with a 3-liter 190-ish h.p. in-line six similar to the one offered in the 535i/735i. This engine was dropped with the advent of the V8s in 1992/3.

-Vinny S.

E34 530i from '94-'95 = 3.0 liter V8, 215 horses
E34 540i from '94-'95 = 4.0 liter V8, 284 horses

Same engine type (M60), same potential problems.

See www.530i.org and read the M60 Engine Test FAQ for everything extensive info about the M60 engine issues.

ALSO - consider this: A member of the E34 530i/540i mailing list that has a manual 530i and automatic 540i says they are about equally quick. If you can find a manual 530i it is a ton of fun for a great price. Wish I could have found one . . . when I was shopping.

Dana
'95 530ia
E34 530i/540i Home Page: http://www.530i.org

What's the chances of the problem not showing up 'till AFTER the 100K mile point (you know...... "just my luck")?? Obviously, I'd LOVE to have one that's already had the engine swapped.

Depends on where the car is. If you're in a place with high-sulfur content in the gas, then the block will fail much earlier. If you're in CA, it might go for longer. If the block hasn't been replaced in a car you're looking at, take it to a dealer and have them run all the tests. If it passes the first two, pay them to run the last one. It's about $100. Chances are good it'll fail. If it doesn't, and it's near the end of the 6 yrs 100k miles, I'd stay away. Block replacement in the future would set you back $8k or $9k, so I hear.

I was just talking with someone else, who told me that there WASN'T a 528 made in '95, and that the only 5's they made were the 525, 530, and the 540. Hm-m-m-m, is that true?

It's true.

This same fellow told me that the 530 had a 6 cyl engine, but I thought that the 530 had a "short block" V-8 engine? By the way, did the 530 engine have the same probs as the 540 engine?

530 and 540 were the same block, different bores and strokes. Same problem in either.

I'll do that, and also check out the Roundel, etc.

The Roundel has a lot of good cars. And you can usually count on them to be well maintained. It is, after all, an enthusiasts' magazine. ;)

Thanks,
Joe

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