The 525i did not have a sealed transmission... (archive)

The transmission on all 525i's is not the permanently sealed kind with the lifetime fluid... The service intervals are the same as regular cars.. The durability of the transmission depends on how often it has been serviced and driven.. Make sure the previous owner did some work with the coolant system... These cars need new fan clutches, thermostats, radiators and hoses at around this mileage or else theyre prone to over heating.. Also check to make sure the water pump has been replaced.. If not, use this as a negotiating leverage..

I have an opportunity to buy a '92 525i with 93k miles. It's been pampered, and I'm going to have it inspected fully. Having never owned a BMW, I have some questions that I hope someone on this list can help with:
- How durable is this car? I need to drive it 40k highway miles a year. Can it last past 200k miles, or is that pushing my luck?
- What is the dependability of the sealed automatic transmission? I have spoken to a '88 5-series owner and a '92 7-series owner who both said they had to spend $3k at 130k miles to have their transmissions replaced. Coincidence?
- What are the most common flaws that these cars reveal over the years? I've heard nothing but praise for the electrical and the hardware in the interior. But, how about the control arms? The engine mounts? Anything?

I hope to make the purchase next week, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Bob

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