BMW e39 Pre-facelift Niggles

[KARMash]

Howzit gentlemen

I went to go look at 1998 BMW E39 528I that starts and drives but was parked for a few years. Mileage is 301k, I haven't diagnosed the car but mechanically seems good.

It has the following notable issues:

Exterior Door handles broken - Is this is as simple as sourcing door handles and refitting?
Interior door leavers Broken - how simple of a fix is this?
Not all Electric window buttons work - How do you fix this?

Power steering fluid has built up some sludge - is it as a simple as draining it and pouring new fluid?

Please assist, I look forward to hearing from you guys.

 

[Ahmedy]

Hi.
You might want to inspect or do a full refresh on the coolant, water pump, thermostat & thermostat housing. Check for leaks on the radiator alongside the sidewalls . Check coolant reservoir for cracks .

Equally important is engine oil and filter.
May aswell replace the fuel filter too .

From there the brakes would benefit from new fluids too . Being a car that old , brake lines may be perished, so check that too .

The doors jam up and I was told a new door mechanism is needed on our 530d . Haven't had the chance to get that sorted. Perhaps someone with more experience can chime in on that .

We've replaced the window mechanism with an aftermarket one . Wasn't a very quick job to do . Results weren't so good either. Window opens and closes very slowly. Perhaps we didn't do it correctly.

 

[KARMash]

Hi.
You might want to inspect or do a full refresh on the coolant, water pump, thermostat & thermostat housing. Check for leaks on the radiator alongside the sidewalls . Check coolant reservoir for cracks .

Equally important is engine oil and filter.
May aswell replace the fuel filter too .

From there the brakes would benefit from new fluids too . Being a car that old , brake lines may be perished, so check that too .

The doors jam up and I was told a new door mechanism is needed on our 530d . Haven't had the chance to get that sorted. Perhaps someone with more experience can chime in on that .

We've replaced the window mechanism with an aftermarket one . Wasn't a very quick job to do . Results weren't so good either. Window opens and closes very slowly. Perhaps we didn't do it correctly.

Thanks so much @Ahmedy. I think this particular car us quite far gone, will require a lot of patience.

 

[TurboLlew]

These costs tend to add up very quickly and you will still likely not have a 'great' example. @Neven has a lot of E39 parts should you require them including things like the handles/door cards etc. The problem is that you will have to do a suspension refresh and all the stuff @Ahmedy mentions as well.

If you are willing to hunt for parts, DIY a lot AND also get the car for next to nothing it could work. Just bear in mind what you can find 'decent' to 'nice' E39s for.

 

[KARMash]

These costs tend to add up very quickly and you will still likely not have a 'great' example. @Neven has a lot of E39 parts should you require them including things like the handles/door cards etc. The problem is that you will have to do a suspension refresh and all the stuff @Ahmedy mentions as well.

If you are willing to hunt for parts, DIY a lot AND also get the car for next to nothing it could work. Just bear in mind what you can find 'decent' to 'nice' E39s for.

Howzit @TurboLlew, Yeah you know, I realized that, it's really cheap but I don't think I've got the patience and DIY know how.