looking for an opinion here reguaring my 540

[markus]

well guys as you know my valve body recenlty took a **** on monday and yesterday morning i managed to drive it to the shop where it will be fixed.

needless to say im kinda worried about this car now. how do i know the tranny wont give me more headaches in the future? I have one of thos aftermarket warranties on the car now and i have a little time before it expires to extend the warranty because I bought it off one of those small used car lots. so what would you do? basically i have a few options..

the last thing id want to do is sell this car. I already have enough time and money put into it that if I sold it id probly not make much money back and I just bought a set of style 19s for it awaiting to get some tires.

i can extend the warranty and maybe look for something else or id be willing to trade my 540iA to someone who plans on getting rid of his 540i-6 but id want to swap the suspension and everything else over beforehand. I know its a long shot but i dont want this auto tranny breaking on me if im 100 miles away from home. Of course id like to do a 6-speed swap but it just aint happening anytime soon. I have too many bills to pay and plus I want to go back to school. Atleast Im mechanically inclined to do most of the work myself on this car.

So does anyone wanna give me some insight? Id sell only if I can make most of my money back but as mentioned Id like to keep the car since I have a lot of tiem and money invested into it and a few parts sitting in my basement waiting to get put on such as valve cover gaskets, a water pump and spark plugs.

[Tiger]

Does this extended warranty cover your tranny? Auto I meant. I know it won't cover your wish to convert to manual. The reason I asked is because I want to know your experience with the warranty company... did they pay for all the other repairs? What does it cover?

We are in the same boat. We would never get our money out of the car for all the upgrades we do.

[markus]

this waranty covers all internal parts of the tranny that are lubricated with tranny fluid. so i think its worth the extra for peace of mind. it doesnt however, cover the electronic bits. lukcily there arent too many electronic parts and the tranny shop they took it to specializies in BMW and Mercedes trannies. I was thinking about buying a used 5hp30 and rebuilding it myself. They are cheap used and Its a good learning experience.

other than the erratic "TRANS ERROR PROGRAM" i get once in a while i cant complain. the car otherwise runs like a top. I plan on resealing the intake and replacing a few cooling system components and she will be set. Like i said im already too far in now so If i dump it ill be at a loss. I love my 540i. But I guess it happens to everyone. Im sure once I get it back ill have a huge smile on my face but its frustrating how much time and money I have put into this thing to make it run right and drive right.

[txp135]

If it's up to me, I would look at the physical attributes of the car. Can you find another example in as good condition or better at a reasonable price? If you buy another car and start over, you'll have to start over again. Going to school is probably the only reason that's in the way of you keeping your car. In which case, would advertise your car for sale, someone might offer you enough for you to let it go. Someone offered me what I paid for it after I owned the car for 6 mos, but I ended up keeping it knowing all the things it still need.

The bottom line is... I don't want you to sell your car, because there will be one less fellow member. But the selling decision in this case will hinge on the price, just like you stressed. Almost everything can be let go at a price. Just put it on the market and see how much you are willing to let her go for.

[markus]

If it's up to me, I would look at the physical attributes of the car. Can you find another example in as good condition or better at a reasonable price? If you buy another car and start over, you'll have to start over again. Going to school is probably the only reason that's in the way of you keeping your car. In which case, would advertise your car for sale, someone might offer you enough for you to let it go. Someone offered me what I paid for it after I owned the car for 6 mos, but I ended up keeping it knowing all the things it still need.

The bottom line is... I don't want you to sell your car, because there will be one less fellow member. But the selling decision in this case will hinge on the price, just like you stressed. Almost everything can be let go at a price. Just put it on the market and see how much you are willing to let her go for.

hmm... what does your car need besdies suspension work?

[txp135]

I already changed the front wheel bearings. It needs the following....

gloves' compartment lift
hood lifts
Inspection II (fluids, belts,filters)
A/C
Windshield wiper blades

It looks like a short list but I'm thinking it'll be a couple thousand dollars. Hopefully after that I can enjoy the car for awhile...

[632 Regal]

200 bux = couple thou dollars??? I dont like your investor at all.


I already changed the front wheel bearings. It needs the following....

gloves' compartment lift
hood lifts
Inspection II (fluids, belts,filters)
A/C
Windshield wiper blades

It looks like a short list but I'm thinking it'll be a couple thousand dollars. Hopefully after that I can enjoy the car for awhile...

[txp135]

You forgot to include the suspension parts, which the springs and shocks are already over 1000 just for parts. I hope you are right about the $200, because I haven't even look at timing belts and O2 sensors.

[Ross]

The warranties are mostly worthless. Use the money to fix your trans, I'm betting the current warranty co. will try to wiggle out of it, maintain it better than the PO and sleep well.