[dakine_surf]

Originally Posted by zack9r

Extensive service history. Oil changes 3 times a year. A lot was replace under warrenty. Carfax says at 80k it was sold at a dealer as a cpo.

I was kinda meaning list out what has been replaced and at what miles and we can give you a better idea of what to look out for.

Originally Posted by zack9r

Carfax says at 80k it was sold at a dealer as a cpo.

I should add zack9r the parts in bold and red are the only things that worry me.

Do you have all the maintenance history after 80K? CPO at 80k means that everything was probably fine for the first owner until the H2O pump failure at 75K, it was probably out of warranty and owner got scared off by the multi-thousand dollar service and instead traded it in. Dealer got it, CPO'd it (hence the warranty work at 75K) and sold it at 80K. However, its between 80k and 125k is when all the important service happens and things on the n54 typically fail. It would be nice to see what has been replaced during these years if it is available as it will give you an idea as to what you are in for. Are there reliable n54 cars past 125K sure, are there some well past that? Yeah but they are rare, or they have had everything that breaks replaced.

[dakine_surf]

Originally Posted by zack9r

Oil changes 3 times a year.

This seems a bit excessive unless it was racking up 45K+ miles a year, which there is no way it could at 125K.

Did the PO explain why they were changing the oil so often... even at conservative OCI that is high unless you put serious miles on your car or it is burning oil.

[dakine_surf]

Originally Posted by e90yyc

Always good to see some genuine, unqualified congrats . That thing is clean!

Is she an automagic or manual?

When I was around that age, I purchased a D2 A8. I loved that thing. It taught me a lot about cars, and sometimes, about life in general.

This forum is such an amazing resource.

Dude, I had a D2 S8 when I was in my early 20's... it taught me a ton about cars too, was a facelift 1999 and I got it fairly cheap in 2004 or 2005. Such a cool car but I went broke trying to keep it going out of warranty and ended up selling it at a loss because it wasn't running well. Like I said, taught me a lot about being car rich cash poor.

[1sicke92]

Originally Posted by dakine_surf

I was kinda meaning list out what has been replaced and at what miles and we can give you a better idea of what to look out for.




I should add zack9r the parts in bold and red are the only things that worry me.

Do you have all the maintenance history after 80K? CPO at 80k means that everything was probably fine for the first owner until the H2O pump failure at 75K, it was probably out of warranty and owner got scared off by the multi-thousand dollar service and instead traded it in. Dealer got it, CPO'd it (hence the warranty work at 75K) and sold it at 80K. However, its between 80k and 125k is when all the important service happens and things on the n54 typically fail. It would be nice to see what has been replaced during these years if it is available as it will give you an idea as to what you are in for. Are there reliable n54 cars past 125K sure, are there some well past that? Yeah but they are rare, or they have had everything that breaks replaced.

I'd have to agree with what dakine_surf is saying. Personally my n54 is at 112k miles and I've pretty much replaced most everything on that list. Some because I've absolutely had to and some for preventative maintenance BUT I also plan on driving it till the wheels fall of. So it depends on your future goals or lack thereof

[e90yyc]

Originally Posted by dakine_surf

Dude, I had a D2 S8 when I was in my early 20's... it taught me a ton about cars too, was a facelift 1999 and I got it fairly cheap in 2004 or 2005. Such a cool car but I went broke trying to keep it going out of warranty and ended up selling it at a loss because it wasn't running well. Like I said, taught me a lot about being car rich cash poor.

Sick! Not many of those out there, that's for sure. I just loved how well it was built. The solar panel sunroof was dope too... along with the laminated UV glass, it kept the car so cool in the summer.

I didn't do my research though and ended up buying one that was just on the brink of needing a tranny. Apparently the ZF boxes in them were all failing but due to low production #'s Audi sure as hell wasn't going to issue a recall. Lesson learned there!

Also sold mine at a loss.

[Fritzer]

Welcome to E90Post first of all, and congratulations! You have very nice parents to give you a gift like this so make sure you do right by them. Be grateful, don't be an arsehole, and please don't fall into the tropes of "normie" BMW owners.

With that out of the way, a couple other users made some great contributions to the thread so far. I would recommend you DO NOT tune or significantly modify your car in any way, as of right now. It is very easy to just pop a tune on and get more power, which seems like a win-win at the moment, but it has unforeseen consequences, especially if you are not prepared financially or mechanically.

Replace all your easy gaskets to start. Make sure to keep an eye on your sparkplugs as well, always a cheap and easy replacement. Personally, I will do an oil change every 5,000 miles, 10,000 at the most. Use high quality parts, not necessarily "genuine", but proven and quality parts. I would recommend Pentosin>BMW Genuine>Liquid Moly oil, in that order. Mann filters are my go to as well for stock BMWs, might as well get those out of the way(Engine Air Filter and Cabin Air Filter) as they are also very cheap and easy to DIY for a beginner. Finally, get your valves walnut blasted/cleaned!!! The direct injection nature of the N54 can cause significant carbon build up on your valves, which can be the source of a plethora of issues. Get this done at the most, every 30,000 miles. Relatively cheap and worth the time. Check out trusted sites like FCPEuro, ECS Tuning and Turner Motorsports for all your parts. Don't buy from or go to the dealership unless absolutely necessary or if it's under warranty. Find a qualified, well reviewed BMW mechanic to take care of stuff you can't do yourself.

Can't really think of anything else off of the top of my head. Besides all that, do research, and NEVER skimp on your car. Always put in the best, most precise work you can do. Never buy cheap shit either! Enjoy the car and most importantly, be safe and responsible! And make sure your parents know you are grateful. Good luck bud, and hope to see you around the forums!

[1sicke92]

Originally Posted by Fritzer

Welcome to E90Post first of all, and congratulations! You have very nice parents to give you a gift like this so make sure you do right by them. Be grateful, don't be an arsehole, and please don't fall into the tropes of "normie" BMW owners.

With that out of the way, a couple other users made some great contributions to the thread so far. I would recommend you DO NOT tune or significantly modify your car in any way, as of right now. It is very easy to just pop a tune on and get more power, which seems like a win-win at the moment, but it has unforeseen consequences, especially if you are not prepared financially or mechanically.

Replace all your easy gaskets to start. Make sure to keep an eye on your sparkplugs as well, always a cheap and easy replacement. Personally, I will do an oil change every 5,000 miles, 10,000 at the most. Use high quality parts, not necessarily "genuine", but proven and quality parts. I would recommend Pentosin>BMW Genuine>Liquid Moly oil, in that order. Mann filters are my go to as well for stock BMWs, might as well get those out of the way(Engine Air Filter and Cabin Air Filter) as they are also very cheap and easy to DIY for a beginner. Finally, get your valves walnut blasted/cleaned!!! The direct injection nature of the N54 can cause significant carbon build up on your valves, which can be the source of a plethora of issues. Get this done at the most, every 30,000 miles. Relatively cheap and worth the time. Check out trusted sites like FCPEuro, ECS Tuning and Turner Motorsports for all your parts. Don't buy from or go to the dealership unless absolutely necessary or if it's under warranty. Find a qualified, well reviewed BMW mechanic to take care of stuff you can't do yourself.

Can't really think of anything else off of the top of my head. Besides all that, do research, and NEVER skimp on your car. Always put in the best, most precise work you can do. Never buy cheap shit either! Enjoy the car and most importantly, be safe and responsible! And make sure your parents know you are grateful. Good luck bud, and hope to see you around the forums!

well said

[zack9r]

Originally Posted by Fritzer

Welcome to E90Post first of all, and congratulations! You have very nice parents to give you a gift like this so make sure you do right by them. Be grateful, don't be an arsehole, and please don't fall into the tropes of "normie" BMW owners.

With that out of the way, a couple other users made some great contributions to the thread so far. I would recommend you DO NOT tune or significantly modify your car in any way, as of right now. It is very easy to just pop a tune on and get more power, which seems like a win-win at the moment, but it has unforeseen consequences, especially if you are not prepared financially or mechanically.

Replace all your easy gaskets to start. Make sure to keep an eye on your sparkplugs as well, always a cheap and easy replacement. Personally, I will do an oil change every 5,000 miles, 10,000 at the most. Use high quality parts, not necessarily "genuine", but proven and quality parts. I would recommend Pentosin>BMW Genuine>Liquid Moly oil, in that order. Mann filters are my go to as well for stock BMWs, might as well get those out of the way(Engine Air Filter and Cabin Air Filter) as they are also very cheap and easy to DIY for a beginner. Finally, get your valves walnut blasted/cleaned!!! The direct injection nature of the N54 can cause significant carbon build up on your valves, which can be the source of a plethora of issues. Get this done at the most, every 30,000 miles. Relatively cheap and worth the time. Check out trusted sites like FCPEuro, ECS Tuning and Turner Motorsports for all your parts. Don't buy from or go to the dealership unless absolutely necessary or if it's under warranty. Find a qualified, well reviewed BMW mechanic to take care of stuff you can't do yourself.

Can't really think of anything else off of the top of my head. Besides all that, do research, and NEVER skimp on your car. Always put in the best, most precise work you can do. Never buy cheap shit either! Enjoy the car and most importantly, be safe and responsible! And make sure your parents know you are grateful. Good luck bud, and hope to see you around the forums!

Thank you for all the info, im going to trade school my junior and senior year of high school, around/more than 2 hours of shop time are dedicated to working on your own car so I'll definitely have time to do all the necessary maintenance things. All name brand parts are either sponsored or heavily discounted because of the school so that will save me a great deal of money

[zack9r]

Originally Posted by dakine_surf

This seems a bit excessive unless it was racking up 45K+ miles a year, which there is no way it could at 125K.

Did the PO explain why they were changing the oil so often... even at conservative OCI that is high unless you put serious miles on your car or it is burning oil.

2-3 times a year. All done under warrenty and the dealership. I suppose since you dont pay for it, why not get it done right?

[zack9r]

Originally Posted by dakine_surf

I was kinda meaning list out what has been replaced and at what miles and we can give you a better idea of what to look out for.

I should add zack9r the parts in bold and red are the only things that worry me.

Do you have all the maintenance history after 80K? CPO at 80k means that everything was probably fine for the first owner until the H2O pump failure at 75K, it was probably out of warranty and owner got scared off by the multi-thousand dollar service and instead traded it in. Dealer got it, CPO'd it (hence the warranty work at 75K) and sold it at 80K. However, its between 80k and 125k is when all the important service happens and things on the n54 typically fail. It would be nice to see what has been replaced during these years if it is available as it will give you an idea as to what you are in for. Are there reliable n54 cars past 125K sure, are there some well past that? Yeah but they are rare, or they have had everything that breaks replaced.

I can look again, i only looked at the carfax twice and i dont remember everything on the top of my head. I do recall it said it had the hpfp, h20 pump, and one other thing that i cant think of on the top of my head replaced under warranty

[Schmitz]

As my dad says... 'There's another one driving around in his net worth'



Though he says that shit about me and I drive a 328xi and own a home 5 minutes from the ocean...