Unofficialbmw.com

Mr. BILL · Joined: 05 Dec 2001 Posts: 9 Location: Austin, Txas

Howdy All!

I just purchased a '91 525 with 133K on it for my wife. It's in beautiful condition and is unusual because it has a cloth interior. It's not a gray market car, it was purchased in Germany by an Army officer several months before he returned to the States.

It has been meticulously cared for and has a Dinan chip. I think I'm going to put the OEM chip back in to improve fuel economy. My wife will be driving it and economy will be more inportant to her than added HP.

Any suggestions as to what to do or expect to keep it running good as new? I'v been a Mercedes nut and traded my wifes '85 300D for the 525 and I drive a '90 300SE. I got the BMW bug when I bought my 17 year old son an '80 518. What a sweet car that is!

I look forward to learnig as much as I can as I'm a big DIY.

edjack · Joined: 04 Feb 2002 Posts: 3887 Location: San Jose, CA

Check these sites for more info on maintenance and care of the E34:

http://silverstone.fortunecity.com/ferrari/464/

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

You may also want to check in with Brett Anderson, at http://www.koalamotorsport.com/. He has a pay-for-answers service.

edjack · Joined: 04 Feb 2002 Posts: 3887 Location: San Jose, CA

BTW, I would not expect that you'd see any significant improvement in mileage by removing the chip. Just keep your foot out of it.

Mr. BILL · Joined: 05 Dec 2001 Posts: 9 Location: Austin, Txas

Do these cars require Premium?

edjack · Joined: 04 Feb 2002 Posts: 3887 Location: San Jose, CA

Probably not, with the stock chip. With the performance chip, probably.

Try a tankful of regular to see if it pings under load (lug it at low RPM in a higher gear).

hawaiidan · Joined: 28 Jul 2001 Posts: 109 Location: Honolulu

On the contrary! Your 525 needs premium gasoline 92 octane or higher. Any less and you're asking for it.

Congratulations on your new Bimmer!

Mr. BILL · Joined: 05 Dec 2001 Posts: 9 Location: Austin, Txas

OOPS! Had a pre-purchase done today before forking over the dough. Bad news, #4 cylinder is bad. Compression was lower by 60%.

Back to the drawing board.

[This message has been edited by Mr. BILL (edited 12-07-2001).]

Mr. BILL · Joined: 05 Dec 2001 Posts: 9 Location: Austin, Txas

O.K. I went with the back up car. A '90 525i w/155K on it. It's fairly nice, but I enjoy taking a diamond in the rough and restoreing some of it's brilliance.

Everything works, body/paint is decent and the interior will clean up well. I'm going to replace the driver's seat cover and have the rest re-deyed.
The previous owner put a ton of work into it recently to give it to his daughter. She thought it was an "old man's car" and wanted a Jeep. Go figure.

Best of all, I got it for $4500. I'm looking forward to learning as much as I can about my new Bimmer!