525it new owner

Hi all,
My very first post. I just aquired a 1995 525iT, automatic T at 97k in the san fransisco bay area. The service records do show a history of air conditioning problems in which a the water pump, radiator, thermostat, etc have been investigated and changed which I believe will inherit. Here are a few questions or concerns.
a) the last oil change was at 94k. An idependent bmw repair specialist (he races bmws) says I should be good to go till about 100k before requiring a change. Reading the posts on this forum advices between 3k to 5k between changes. A second opinion would help.
b) The last ATF change was at 79k. The repair specialist says that the transmission fluids on these were usually made to last a lifetime. But I should not worry about a change until another 60k to 80k. I recall the posts on this forum recommend every 3k to 5k or 8k. I am really nervous about this. I am aware that the transmission won't last forever, but I want to take care of it in the best possible way, cheaply, before an expensive repair. Advice would help.
c) The rear windows do not work from both the center controls and the doors themselves. Motor problems?
Thanks All

Welcome!

You might want to check out www.bmwe34.net for common issues.

Point C - lots of times those switches get gummed up (from what I read), and they become inoperable. Someone else probably has greater insight into maybe testing the motors.

Water pump and thermostat replacement is common. I did it to my 95' when I had it. This won't have anything to do with the air conditioning. The water pumps used to use plastic blades which can break- that's probably why it was replaced- preventative maintenance. And the thermostat is easy to replace when you're doing the pump, so that's why it may have been replaced. It's good (for you) that these were replaced before you got the car- I wouldn't be worried about it.

On the oil, I would change it, if regular non-synthetic was put in last time. Use mobil 1 or some other synthetic when you change it, and then you can extend your oil service a bit.

For more info (and info about your windows) I would read through here:

http://www.bmwe34.net/E34main.htm

It's the first place I look when something goes wrong, that I can't figure out right away (ie. most stuff that goes wrong :) )

I would change the ATF approximately every 8k miles. Oil should be 3k to 5k miles. Having recently done a replacement of the water pump and thermostat, I have learned a lot about the cooling system in the e34. As was mentioned, that doesnt have to do with the air conditioning, but rather the cooling system of the engine (keeping it from overheating). With this car you really have to be careful with the cooling system. The waterpump and thermostat are most likely the culprit for the problem, with the waterpump having a plastic impeller. But if im not mistaken I think they rectified that problem and put in metal impellars in the 95 e34s. They are quite inexpensive parts, somewhere around 30 bucks each at BMA. If your car is overheating though, you should fix it immediately, because if it persists you can warp your head gasket (a repair that is not very cheap). And yes, visit www.bmwe34.net that site is awesome.

A) Change your oil and filter ASAP, use Mobil one 0w-40 and changet it anywhere from 5000-7500 miles.

b) Change the filter and the fluid that escapes (appx 3 qts) every 30k, if you change it all out at once there is a chance that you could loosen too much sludge/debris and cause serious internal problems requiring a rebuild. Others will disagree but this is from the horses mouth...no more no less.

c) I have NO experience in this area as of yet.

Congratulations. You have a really good engine in the M50 which, with a little care and regular maintenance should last a very long time.

A couple of comments if I may;

As noted by others already, regular oil changes are a must. Many people let the service lights tell them when to do it and others do it on mileage. Whichever you choose, use a goo synthetic oil such as Mobil 1. And always replace the filter.

I suspect that any cooling problems may have been casued by the dreaded water pump. They are cheap enough, so my suggestion is to replace it with one that has metal impellers. Always use BMW coolant. No discussion on this one.

As for the transmission Ih am not convinced yours is a sealed for lifetime unit. This was the practice for 530 and 540 models but the 525's got either a four speed unit or a five speed unit. Don't just accpet an opinion on this. Check with the dealer or check your owner's manual. If yours is a sealed unit it is designed to operate for a specific period. It does not have standard ATF and cannot be easily changed on a regular basis. What you can do is have the entire transmission flushed and the old lifetime ATF replaced with new lifetime ATF. Be warned, this is expensive but is a worthwhile way to ensure longer life.

If it is a standard 4 speed unit then your'e laughing as it does take regular ATF and can be easily changed. If you have the adaptive 5 speed box then you can change the ATF but it needs to be done by a professional as it is very sensitive to temperature and volume. Not an easy do it yourself job.

Given that it had a change I would suggest it is the four speed unit. In that case the person who advised you that it contained lifetime ATF was incorrect.

If you don't already own one, get a Bentley's. Follow the maintenance plan to the letter and you should have a really solid and dependable car.

Consider replacing all the ball joints in the front suspension in the near future which will sharpen up the handling and steering like you wouldn't believe.

Hope this info helped.

for the reasons I posted and was personally told by Kirt, this is regarding ALL automatic Getrags including the GM trans. Unless he blatently was having an off day I would tend to go by his advise before heresay.

What do you think regarding this subject?

Jeff,

It's an interesting point. Not all BMW automatic transmissions are Getrag units. Many are ZF's. I spoke to Mike Martin about this at length at one time and he supported your view and wouldn't do it. But he also noted it really depends on the condition of the unit and its mileage, and as I understand it, the driving conditions of the car.

Another alternative, and one I do have experience in, is to change the fluid every 15,000 miles but not flush the unit. That is, you are changing only the ATF in the transmission but not any of the fluid capured in the torque converter. Have been doing this for the last 100,000 kms without a problem.

It has been explained to me that there is enough new fluid going into the unit to refresh the ATF that's there, but not enough to clean out all the residual gunk and therefore potentially create a problem.

Mine is a 5 Speed ZF adaptive unit and can be used as a manual without problem.

As I noted before, its important to see what unit is in the car. I suspect that he does have a Getrag.

As an addendum to this I recollect that BIll R uses the same change procedure on his car excpet he changes his ATF when he changes his oil.

I agree that if you keep it clean and change it regularly is the real ticket here. Empty the trans pan the same time as an oil change is an awesome idea but not too many of us have such a nice example.

I assumed that ZF made all the Getrag units? I may be mistaken.

The general rule is that if the fluid isnt clear then its a real mistake to flush that thing out and to do it as Kirt suggested.

I havent even gotten into mine because I am afraid I will break the car jacking the rear up while the fronts on ramps, going to get an extra floorjack so I can take care of it and see how ugly mine is. Dont need it traveling down the hill without me in it. I have NO records about the tranny and am afraid of it...LOL

Jeff,

Agree about not knowing the condition of the tranny. I bought mine with 50,000 km on the clock as an Approved Used Car from a dealer with full service history. Have maintained the car as new since. When I first had the tranny serviced the ATF looked like new. I also forgot to mention that I always replace the filter when I have the fluid changed. The clean ATF rule is a good one to remember.

Understand your reluctance and the idea about putting the car on four stands makes me think twice as well.

Don't know if Getrag units were made by ZF or not.