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ForumsDiscussion Forum → bought new car...
12
bought new car...
2009-12-03, 5:13 AM #1
yay. :D

http://www.car1234.com/BMW_540_1999_3093/pages/01.htm
(click through to view all pictures.)
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

Lassev: I guess there was something captivating in savagery, because I liked it.
2009-12-03, 5:19 AM #2
Yay for BMW.

Boo for automatic.
2009-12-03, 5:32 AM #3
Agreed with Murc.

A professor I had drove a 540 and it sounded sweeeeeeeeeeeet
[01:52] <~Nikumubeki> Because it's MBEGGAR BEGS LIKE A BEGONI.
2009-12-03, 7:06 AM #4
You said new?

Nice car though, I love BMWs. Someday I'd love an M series.
Quote Originally Posted by FastGamerr
"hurr hairy guy said my backhair looks dumb hurr hairy guy smash"
2009-12-03, 7:12 AM #5
Assuming it is an auto, I agree with Murc. :P
nope.
2009-12-03, 7:22 AM #6
He lives in California, he wants an automatic.

Grats, sarn, it's a beuaty.
"If you watch television news, you will know less about the world than if you just drink gin straight out of the bottle."
--Garrison Keillor
2009-12-03, 7:28 AM #7
My 1993 Mazda Protege has a manual transmission & my 2009 Toyota Yaris has an automatic transmission. The Yaris is the first automatic that I've ever owned. I've been driving since 1995. While it's nice having a little more control over things, I find that it's much more enjoyable not having to have control over those things. I think that what's more important than the type of transmission one has is whether or not one has Cruise Control. There's nothing greater than driving around comfortably without having to do anything more than steer. I find that an automatic transmission is more practical for those of us that only drive cars because it's necessary & that a manual transmission is more for people that are in to cars.

Congratulations on the new car.
? :)
2009-12-03, 8:02 AM #8
Congrats! :D

Originally posted by Mentat:
My 1993 Mazda Protege has a manual transmission & my 2009 Toyota Yaris has an automatic transmission. The Yaris is the first automatic that I've ever owned. I've been driving since 1995. While it's nice having a little more control over things, I find that it's much more enjoyable not having to have control over those things. I think that what's more important than the type of transmission one has is whether or not one has Cruise Control. There's nothing greater than driving around comfortably without having to do anything more than steer. I find that an automatic transmission is more practical for those of us that only drive cars because it's necessary & that a manual transmission is more for people that are in to cars.

Congratulations on the new car.


My car has a manual transmission and cruise. Best of both worlds. ;)
woot!
2009-12-03, 8:07 AM #9
I agree. I'd have much preferred the 6 speed manual. But I'm still happy with this.
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

Lassev: I guess there was something captivating in savagery, because I liked it.
2009-12-03, 8:09 AM #10
(and yeah it's not a "new" new car. it's a "used" new car. :p)
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

Lassev: I guess there was something captivating in savagery, because I liked it.
2009-12-03, 8:51 AM #11
Originally posted by Sarn_Cadrill:
I agree. I'd have much preferred the 6 speed manual. But I'm still happy with this.


5 Speed is where its at :colbert:
[01:52] <~Nikumubeki> Because it's MBEGGAR BEGS LIKE A BEGONI.
2009-12-03, 8:59 AM #12
Are you on drugs?
2009-12-03, 9:08 AM #13
who?
[01:52] <~Nikumubeki> Because it's MBEGGAR BEGS LIKE A BEGONI.
2009-12-03, 9:16 AM #14
i wouldn't say the biggest issue is the fact that it's an automatic. it's that you bought a 10 year old BMW with 180k miles.

you may have been able to get a great deal on the car, but keeping it running isn't going to be cheap.
gbk is 50 probably

MB IS FAT
2009-12-03, 9:20 AM #15
Originally posted by mb:
who?


You.
2009-12-03, 9:22 AM #16
Originally posted by NoESC:
it's that you bought a 10 year old BMW with 180k miles.


Jeez i didnt even notice that. Make sure you get it checked out. A friends BMW broke down over the summer. The control arm was about to snap. Snapped control arm while driving = flipped car = zomg dead
[01:52] <~Nikumubeki> Because it's MBEGGAR BEGS LIKE A BEGONI.
2009-12-03, 10:25 AM #17
Just wait till you have to replace a $600 wheel sensor or some other stupid BS like that. BMW makes a great new car, and even the newer used ones with warrantys are awesome, but when it comes to older, higher mileage cars American and mainstream Japanese are the only options in my book. Simple, cheap, and don't require a college degree in german auto repair to change the brakes. Although its still awesome and i wish you the best of luck :)
2009-12-03, 10:47 AM #18
Code:
Originally posted by mb:
5 Speed is where its at :colbert:

I sincerely doubt the car in question even has an available 5 speed. Most euro cars have 6 speed manuals. Actually, virtually any car in today's age of automobiles that can even remotely be considered high performance has a 6 speed. 5 speeds were considered high performance in the late 70s-90s. 4 speeds were about the only thing out there in the 60s... with the exception of some euro cars which had 5 speeds.

This is your history lesson for the day.
>>untie shoes
2009-12-03, 11:16 AM #19
Originally posted by mb:
5 Speed is where its at :colbert:


Negative.

I'd love to have a 6 speed on my mustang. For hotrods, the more gears the better for fuel economy's sake. When you've geared at 4.10, 5th gear at 65mph pushes close to 3k rpms. Bye bye gas.


Pretty swank 5 series dude, get some nice looking 18-19" in alloys to complement it. The M5 wheels should fit on her if you can bag them on ebay or somewhere. Hell even replicas would look great.
"They're everywhere, the little harlots."
-Martyn
2009-12-03, 11:25 AM #20
Originally posted by Onimusha:
Negative.

I'd love to have a 6 speed on my mustang. For hotrods, the more gears the better for fuel economy's sake. When you've geared at 4.10, 5th gear at 65mph pushes close to 3k rpms. Bye bye gas.

Exactly. This is why the new Z06 vette is rated at 450hp~ and still gets over 20 mpg.
>>untie shoes
2009-12-03, 12:00 PM #21
Ever see that top gear where Jeremy takes the ZR1 from 0-160+ in 6th gear? Fricken' insane.
"They're everywhere, the little harlots."
-Martyn
2009-12-03, 7:27 PM #22
Originally posted by Onimusha:
Pretty swank 5 series dude, get some nice looking 18-19" in alloys to complement it. The M5 wheels should fit on her if you can bag them on ebay or somewhere. Hell even replicas would look great.


Yes, I totally plan to do that. The wheels on there now are kinda dingy looking anyway. But that's gonna be down the road a bit, cause I paid cash for this car and spent all my saved up money.

Quote:
when it comes to older, higher mileage cars American and mainstream Japanese are the only options in my book. Simple, cheap, and don't require a college degree in german auto repair to change the brakes. Although its still awesome and i wish you the best of luck.
I actually completely agree with you. I've previously owned three (fairly high mileage) Toyotas (old '79 pickup, '98 Corolla, and '03 Camry (fairly new when I got it, but had almost 100k miles already) and still own a 1992 Ford Explorer. I was considering another Toyota (either Camry or Corolla, with a preference for a Corolla), but I've always wanted to own a BMW, and I decided to keep my fingers crossed and take a chance.

That said, considering the mileage, the engine in this car seems to be in very good condition. It runs smooth, there's no leaks, no metal flakes in the motor oil (big warning sign), and looks very clean overall. But I do plan to drive conservatively and will be putting in high mileage synthetic oil. Regarding gasoline, what's everyone's thoughts on plus/premium compared to regular? Is there a benefit?

And feel free to make other suggestions/tricks for keeping high mileage engines running smooth.

(I also have a 30 day/1000 mile warranty on the internal engine and transmission components, which I know isn't very significant, but at least it's something.)
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

Lassev: I guess there was something captivating in savagery, because I liked it.
2009-12-03, 7:53 PM #23
I'm not a huge fan of that car but if you like it that's all that counts. The only BMW I could see myself buying is a 91ish 850i. And don't pay any attention to all the automatic bashing. There is generally nothing wrong with an automatic. The "casualness" with which you can enjoy driving your car compares favorably with the "exhilaration" of continually stomping and fidgeting with a manual. Not that I dislike manuals.

Genuine problems with an automatic when you are buying a used car is you don't know how abused it might have been. Overloaded and overheated and damage which hasn't surfaced in symptomatic problems. Especially in high mileage vehicles. Of course similar issues arise with a clutch in a manual but tend not to be as costly when the appear.
"I would rather claim to be an uneducated man than be mal-educated and claim to be otherwise." - Wookie 03:16

2009-12-03, 7:55 PM #24
Originally posted by Sarn_Cadrill:
That said, considering the mileage, the engine in this car seems to be in very good condition.


It's not the engine I'm worried about. Like I said, the BMW my friend has had a control arm that was cracking.
[01:52] <~Nikumubeki> Because it's MBEGGAR BEGS LIKE A BEGONI.
2009-12-03, 8:50 PM #25
Originally posted by Wookie06:
And don't pay any attention to all the automatic bashing. There is generally nothing wrong with an automatic. The "casualness" with which you can enjoy driving your car compares favorably with the "exhilaration" of continually stomping and fidgeting with a manual. Not that I dislike manuals.

Oh my god. I genuinely agree with you on something.

The only reason I would ever buy a stick shift is if it were something I would not drive every day. Continuously shifting gets to be such a tremendous pain in the ***, and it's really not all that fun unless the car has some seriously balls to the wall horsepower (at least 275).
>>untie shoes
2009-12-03, 9:06 PM #26
(which my BMW has) :p

But anyway, I genuinely enjoy driving a manual transmission. Yeah occaisionally it gets to be irritating (particularily driving in heavy stop and go traffic), but overall I find it to be a more fun driving experience. But clearly it being an automatic wasn't a deal breaker for me. :p
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

Lassev: I guess there was something captivating in savagery, because I liked it.
2009-12-03, 9:25 PM #27
Originally posted by Onimusha:
Ever see that top gear where Jeremy takes the ZR1 from 0-160+ in 6th gear? Fricken' insane.

It was 5th, but yes. The ZR1 looks like a fantastic car.
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2009-12-03, 9:31 PM #28
The brake discs on the ZR1 are roughly the size of the wheel and tire of a normal passenger car. Everything about that car just screams excess.
>>untie shoes
2009-12-03, 9:46 PM #29
Quote:
what's everyone's thoughts on plus/premium compared to regular? Is there a benefit?


Don't think of them as "better". Think of them as different. Each of the 3 types have different octane ratings. Usually it's 3 of the following depending on your elevation: 85, 87, 89, 91, 93. Octane rating measures the gasoline's resistance to detonation. Detonation is when the fuel in the cylinder ignites before the spark plug actually fires, from the compression of the piston heating the air/fuel mixture to a point where it ignites on it's own. This is bad because it usually means the mixture ignites before the piston has gone all the way up, which is obviously a very bad thing and strains a motor because the hot expanding gasses are trying to push the piston down when the rest of the motor is trying to push it back up. When this happens it sounds like somebody rattling a coffee can full of marbles under your hood.

Higher octane also burns slower, enabling the engine to run a more aggressive timing curve, igniting the spark plugs before the piston has reached the top. More advanced timing = more torque. Too much timing advance = detonation.

When building an engine for high performance, manufacturers will often run more aggressive timing curves and higher compression ratios, two things that help engines make power. Both of these things also tend to make an engine more likely to detonate early for the reason's I've explained above. For these engines, higher octane gasoline may be required to help resist this detonation.

If your engine does NOT require higher octane gasoline, and most don't, then you are hurting yourself by adding plus or premium because your engine was not designed to take advantage of the slower burn you get with higher octane. In many cases your mileage can go down due to an incomplete burn in the cylinder. Combine that with the fact that you paid more for it and it starts looking really stupid.

Most cars made since the late 1980s, and pretty much ALL cars since the mid 90s, have knock sensors. If they require higher octane gasoline and you add regular, the engine is able to detect the knock and will retard the timing for that particular load/RPM to prevent damage to the engine.

There are people out there who buy plus/premium because they think they are being nice to their car/treating it better/whatever, these people are idiots. LOOK IN YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL - it will specify what type of fuel your engine was designed for. This is what you should use. Don't buy into the hype that gasoline makers spew to try and make you think there's something magical or better about premium gasoline.


.
.
.

(I wrote the PROM tune from scratch for my 1991 Camaro's transplanted 5.7 liter V8, I spent hours experimenting with different spark advance curves, types of gasoline, listening for knock, 3D fuel delivery tables, etc etc.)
2009-12-03, 10:00 PM #30
Originally posted by Sarn_Cadrill:
That said, considering the mileage, the engine in this car seems to be in very good condition.

...but there could be things wrong with the suspension, brakes, transmission, steering, cooling or a number of other systems. You just bought a car with 180,000 miles. Get it checked out. Most places should do a basic run over for free.

Originally posted by Sarn_Cadrill:
and will be putting in high mileage synthetic oil.

That could be a bad idea. Synthetic can cause leaks in cars that haven't been using synthetic throughout their life. Petroleum oils can cause cracks and leaks in seals over time, but the sludge they leave behind keeps it sealed. Switching to synthetic, the sludge plugging any possible leaks gets removed, and you can start leaking oil. The additives in modern synthetics might create seal swell and help the seals regain their original composure. If that does happen, it might take some time.

You should find out what this car has used and stick to it. Hopefully, for a BMW 5 series, the previous owner or owners used a good synthetic.


Originally posted by Sarn_Cadrill:
Regarding gasoline, what's everyone's thoughts on plus/premium compared to regular? Is there a benefit?

Use whatever BMW says to use for the engine in your car. Higher octane fuel burns less readily and is more suited for high performance, high compression engines. It may be the case that your engine is made for the highest available octane fuel, like 93. If that's the cause, use it, and don't skimp out. If it says 87 or 90 or whatever, get that. You aren't helping the engine by putting higher octane fuel in it than it needs.
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2009-12-03, 10:04 PM #31
That doesn't mean you should go buy octane booster, though.
>>untie shoes
2009-12-03, 10:05 PM #32
By "highest available octane fuel" I mean what they sell at your local gas station.
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2009-12-03, 10:22 PM #33
I know... but I didn't want someone to infer that if the highest at the station is good... then higher than that must be better. I mean he could by all purposes go buy Turbo Blue or some other racing fuel that's upward of 120 octane. That would be very bad.
>>untie shoes
2009-12-03, 10:35 PM #34
Quote:
That said, considering the mileage, the engine in this car seems to be in very good condition. It runs smooth, there's no leaks, no metal flakes in the motor oil (big warning sign), and looks very clean overall. But I do plan to drive conservatively and will be putting in high mileage synthetic oil. Regarding gasoline, what's everyone's thoughts on plus/premium compared to regular? Is there a benefit?


I would recommend Royal Purple any day of the week. I've been using that for two seasons with my car and it has run absolutely fantastic on it. Emon is right about the synthetic vs petroleum oil though. Generally if you use some Lucas sealant products when you add the synthetic you shouldn't have that much of a problem. RP is more expensive, but your really not just paying for the name, the added performance it gives your engine and the smoothness it provides are second to none. I bring my car 3-5 times to the track every summer and it hasn't let me down yet. Everything runs perfectly.



As for the fuel, it really depends. Some say it doesn't make a difference, but logically I don't see how it wouldn't. The lower the octane the more watered down it is and the more additives in your fuel. The higher the octane the more pure the fuel is. Do you want something adding unneeded particulates and eventually sediments in your engine or would you rather burn clean fuel?

Also, unrelated to your case, but in higher performance cars with higher compression ratios, the octane is a huge factor. For example after all the work I have done to my engine, I can only run 93 octane. Anything lower will cause it to sputter and backfire. The same generally goes for all vehicles with forced induction. (turbos and superchargers)
"They're everywhere, the little harlots."
-Martyn
2009-12-03, 10:57 PM #35
Originally posted by Onimusha:
The lower the octane the more watered down it is and the more additives in your fuel. The higher the octane the more pure the fuel is.

No. There are no fewer hydrocarbons in lower octane fuel. Higher octane fuel burns more slowly and less readily. It's meant for high compression ratio engines. Octane rating is the ratio of iso-octane to heptane, for anti-knocking characteristics. 93 octane fuel would be 93% iso-octane and 7% heptane.

Originally posted by Onimusha:
Do you want something adding unneeded particulates and eventually sediments in your engine or would you rather burn clean fuel?

The detergents in different octane fuels are the same.
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2009-12-03, 11:04 PM #36
Also, Lucas products kick ***.
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2009-12-03, 11:05 PM #37
Originally posted by Onimusha:
As for the fuel, it really depends. Some say it doesn't make a difference, but logically I don't see how it wouldn't. The lower the octane the more watered down it is and the more additives in your fuel. The higher the octane the more pure the fuel is. Do you want something adding unneeded particulates and eventually sediments in your engine or would you rather burn clean fuel?

:carl:

Originally posted by Dash_rendar:
There are people out there who buy plus/premium because they think they are being nice to their car/treating it better/whatever, these people are idiots. LOOK IN YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL - it will specify what type of fuel your engine was designed for. This is what you should use. Don't buy into the hype that gasoline makers spew to try and make you think there's something magical or better about premium gasoline.

:eng101:
[01:52] <~Nikumubeki> Because it's MBEGGAR BEGS LIKE A BEGONI.
2009-12-03, 11:05 PM #38
Quote:
I would recommend Royal Purple any day of the week. I've been using that for two seasons with my car and it has run absolutely fantastic on it. Emon is right about the synthetic vs petroleum oil though. Generally if you use some Lucas sealant products when you add the synthetic you shouldn't have that much of a problem. RP is more expensive, but your really not just paying for the name, the added performance it gives your engine and the smoothness it provides are second to none.


You mean that crap that's like 7 or 8 bucks a quart? What a joke. Get your standard dyno juice for 3 or 4 bucks, and change it often. It's not what you buy, it's how often you change it. Forget this oil-in-a-fancy bottle performance crap. Take that extra money and change your oil twice as often. Your engine will last longer.

Also, the only additives you should be putting in your oil is zinc if you have flat tappet lifters, and most cars don't anymore. They were phased out in the 80s (some 90s trucks have them).

Quote:
As for the fuel, it really depends. Some say it doesn't make a difference, but logically I don't see how it wouldn't. The lower the octane the more watered down it is and the more additives in your fuel. The higher the octane the more pure the fuel is. Do you want something adding unneeded particulates and eventually sediments in your engine or would you rather burn clean fuel?


OF COURSE it makes a difference. Your engine was designed for a certain octane level - use that and nothing else!

"Watered down" - ????

"more pure" - ????

Evidence???

This post reeks of "I fell for it!"
2009-12-03, 11:21 PM #39
Yeah lower octane has nothing whatsoever to do with being watered down. Emon pretty much said it correctly.

And yes, Lucas Oil products are amazing. For once the cost/quality thing is true. They cost a lot because they're way ****ing better than anything else.
>>untie shoes
2009-12-04, 4:19 PM #40
Thanks for all the advice everyone. I'm looking into what octane gas is reccomended for my engine. I imagine it'll want 91 or 93 octane, cause I've heard that before about BMWs.
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

Lassev: I guess there was something captivating in savagery, because I liked it.
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