In my opinion the E39 M5 is far and away the best modern BMW ever made. BMW has been regressing backwards ever since.

So fucking informative without much biased. I truly wish all performance cars had a channel like this. Ty for your dedication and enthusiasm for what you drive and your willingness to educated others on the knowledge youve aquired.

Out of all the M cars this is the one to have! Such classic lines!

I just bought a beast today. An 02 with 53k miles. Thanks for this video. It's great!

Hi Ryan. I bought myself recently a 1999 E38 5 series 528i with a manual gearbox. Now it's undergoing a repair-some air inlet needs fixing. It's by far, the BEST CAR I'VE EVER OWNED!!!! FINALLY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS MY DREAM CAME TRUE!!!

Very informative, thanks. Going to look at a 2001 M5 tomorrow, 109,000 miles, full history.. Had an E39 525 a few years ago, only problem I had with that was the cooling system..leaking rad, cracked expansion bottle. Fingers crossed for tomorrow, the M5 is an itch I need to scratch!

This video made me love the e39 m5 even more. Thanks man!

Extremely comprehensive review, thank you for the upload.

Pretty much the best video for people who are considering buying a e39 m5. Well done, Subscribed!

Thanks for the fast reply and i'm going to check out all of them this weekend, they're at the same dealer so it's really convenient

Taking delivery of mine in two weeks! 115k miles....incredible value! Can't wait to start some DIY work

Freude am Fahren! E39 M5 is glad to have an owner like OP and the owner is deserve the sheer pleasure driving his M5. Nice done and keep driving!

Thanks so much for your vids! The E39 is such a fabulous car. I am owning a 98 523i which has never let me down so far. Best wishes from Spain, AM

Okay, I've only gone a bought one...M5 E39 Le Mans Blue, Reampped sports mode, Bilsteins at about 20mm lower than OE and now a muffler delete as of yesterday, which is amazing. Thanks for the video! Amazing car.

DUDE!!!!!!!! Youre a lifesaver! Just got a '03 M5 in great condition. Majority of those little things you mentioned is what I want to replace. So, with the being said....I will be subscribing. Please post more videos!

I'll be getting my m5 this week! can't wait!

great video, thanks for taking the time to make it. car looks mint

Great and informative video, tnx :) I probably will buy one, got a 520 before and an m5 is a dream of mine.

I don't have an M5 and as much as I am a big fan I won't be buying one but I really enjoyed watching that, thanks for sharing!

i just got an m5 i love the car so much. and its actually good on gas im surprised, thanks for the video i appreciate it

Sounds good. I most definitely will. I'm def the hands-on DIY kind of guy so expect videos to come as the car requires routine maintenance.

i REALLY enjoyed this video.probably one of the most informative video of the M5 :)

Thanks for a through video, it does really help!! Much appreciated.

Awesome video! I usually don't like to comment on how other people drive but, doing 35mph on 6th gear kinda hurts me inside. About the temperature, it should be ~90º (celsius) so make sure the first dot is 90º otherwise your thermostat could be permanently open and not letting the engine warm up to the optimal temperature.

Yes. This is a device which can be started like 30 min. before you actually go to start the car. It warms up the coolant and start the fan inside the car so when you get in it is warm and the engine does not get a "cold" start and it is more like a "warm" start. Very useful in the winter. We have these on most of the diesel BMWs over here in Europe. Some of the gasoline ones are equipped with one too.

i wish you would review more bmws. you leave nothing to the imagination or speculation. a speculative buyer would find no better source of information than right here. thank you so much!

thanks for the video! I have a 330ci Sport Vert and looking to change to an M5 soon!

Thank you so much! I've been looking at one of these and was worried about it being a b!tch to keep up with, but you've sold me on this problem.

I just bought a E39 540... Love it.

BEAUTIFUL CAR!!!, LOVE TO SEE 100K+ BMWS WELL MAINTAINED LIKE THIS ONE, AND GREAT VIDEO.

As a fellow car enthusiast I subscribed to your channel even though I don't own a BMW. Your videos are very informative with honest reviews. Well done. BTW I drive the poor man's BMW - 2002 Nissan Maxima 6 speed lol. It's in excellent shape like yours and still pulls strong. Definitely well built. Preventative maintenance helps too.

i´m gonna buy one in next month.great car and outstanding engine!!i´ve had several beemers in my past life and this has always been a dream to me and now i am able to get one :)

Fantastic video, very informative, thank you very much.

i'm glad i found your channel! I'm into buying a E39 M5 but i'm looking for a 2003

thanks a bunch on the info, getting a E39 M5 soon, still want my #1 Fav vehicle of all time, the infamous E60 M5, but price & maintenance on those are almost 3x more than the E39, & i am currently going to school full time, & working also, subscribed & will often visit for any questions for help on repairing the E39!

Great vid! Just a note though from a prior owner of a new M3, back in the 90's. The e-brake is actually an emergency brake with a completely separate mechanism. If it's not stopping the car then it's probably way out of adjustment, you're not pulling it hard enough, or inferior parts were used. That is, unless they've really slacked in that area after 2000. Also as a note to buyers, a sure fire way to get a great used BMW is to look for one with all the DEALER service records.

That "ATF" reservoir is for the power steering system not the transmission. Bmw uses ATF for power steering fluid.

very thorough, much appreciated. i feel like this video could either support the stigma of high cost of ///M ownership or bust the myth that they're a maintenance nightmare, depending on your perspective. (and when i say "perspective," i really mean "salary")

A very good video, answears alot of questions i had about the car.

Your Vanos sounds just like my 540 which is also 02/2000. Thanks for the videos.

The oil temp may not go up but the water temp not going up is a sign of a bad thermostat. Great car and great video none the less! Used to be an owner myself and I am about to hop back into another one. Boy how I have missed that car!

Great video, I appriciate you making this. :)

Great video man.

very informative video thank you much appreciated.

great video . learned a lot in the first 3 minutes. Just bought an 2003 M5 and I know very little about the mechanics . Now at least I know where the filters and fluids reservoirs are located so I could change some of those myself.

Thanks for the video. good information.

Well, most of the stuff is minor things, not like mechanical stuff. This is a beast. I have a BMW and I'm very pleased with the reliability.

This video clip is gold. Ty !!

Ahhh, I remember test driving a 2000 back in 2003. About 115 mph in 3rd gear, it was my only experience with a car that powerful, felt like a jet taking off

Yes it uses the same fluid for power steering so yeah you are right. Great video by the way.

@e39Source I have a 2003 525 I, Oxford green with tan leather interior. These really are great cars.

nice video...i used to have 530i e39,but i really like the m5 though,here we dont have this in our market yet back in 2000, i live in malaysia,our gov policy really sucks...tax based on engine capacity,i had my 530i for nearly 140k USD brand new =(

Good to hear that. My E34 530i V8 never reached the dead center either, but it was ok (milimeters were needed). Mostly typed here because of your oil temp level, I think that is more important, just also mentioned coolant temp if I were already commenting. Im almost sure you did this before buying the car, but I would definetly advise you to get on m5board dot com, and ask if its needed, even with minor (or look alike) problems. Have a lot of fun kms/miles with her.

After driving my moms e39 im hooked on the way it handles

good video mmate, i been looking to buy this car for long time but just scared, of what it might cost to maintain, bt i feel more confident now should get one in feb or march, cheers man have fun with ur car

Fantastic video. Thanks for that

very nicely done...

I have a 97' 528i with 74,000 miles and I believe by the time this car has well over 100,000 miles it'll still run smooth

I've got a 540i M sport package. So looks like the M5. Sweet car, no problems yet. Thinking of throwing a performance chip in there. Expensive tho!

You should look at it. Mine started making that noise or similar, thru time it got lauder and louder till the car broke on me. I didn't know what the problem was so I decided to change the whole cooling system except the fan clutch cause I didn't have enough at the time for all those parts so I decided to lubricate it. Days later it broke again. Took it to the dealer & turned out to be the part I didn't change. Got it replaced and 40K later has not given me any problems with the cooling system

Hi there! Very nice video and explanation with two clarifications if I may. The container below the passenger's cabin filter is a sealed box containing electronics like engine ECU, relays and so on unlike the brake fluid container on the driver's side. The other thing is the REST button which seems not to do anything. Try that in, this winter weather now, with engine fully warmed up , take the ignition key out of the lock and then you press this "useless" button ;)

I want one!!! Can i have it!? The best looking M car to date. Congrats on such a beautiful machine.

Happy to see after watching this video that a decent amount of the prices he listed for parts are significantly lower then they were in 2011 apparently.

nicely done

I subscribed to your channel so if I happen to buy an E39 5 series I totally know where to get information :) I love this car.

Well thank you for the video. I have an E46 that's currently for sale and looking to buy an e39 M5. I will most likely get an 02 because I keep hearing that it has less problems than the previous years. I can't wait to get one and start modding. Well I m a mod addict, so...

I know this is old video but if someone is still wondering about this car. Main maintenance difference to a normal e39 is rod bearings that you have to replace like every 100k. Then there is double vanos when other e39 only have 1 so there is added cost. Other than that if you do take care of it it its not that expensive. It shares a lot of parts with 535 and 540 so no extra cost there. Plus these don't depreciate so if you ever sell your m5 it is actually cheaper to maintain this than any other 5 series because you get most of your money back. Also pixel fix on e39 costs you like 5€ as in new ribbon cable and about 2 hours to diasassemble, fix and put back together when doing it first time.

thank u man, I've saved 30$ ur a lightsaver

also, with the halos, should go Umnitzas, orions, pretty sweet looking with the 4 led halos at night & during the day!

okay thanks for your help

I own a M5 and a 530 . Both are 2001 models . My 530 has 140.000 miles I have owned from 3 years old . And have had none of the issues you pointed out in your video . My M5 needed a key which was a dealer only costing me £150. And a head light as the self adjusting motor broke . But that's it . No vanos issues . Or any other sensors . But in England these cars do come straight from Munich . Where as USA there made under licence . Which means the components used are not as high quality as the on

My car used to make the same engine noise and it turned out to be the fan clutch.. You might wanna get a second opinion on that.. You have great videos.

I'm from Norway, and I sometimes eat in my E39 :P And I quite often get a bottle of soda or something on long drives. Although the cup holders break all the time, they do at least kinda work. Definitively better than nothing

Great car. I'm glad you enjoy what it is you have instead of comparing apples to oranges. That said, what you have replaced isn't all that heartbreaking for a car that makes nearly 400bhp from an OEM design. I think there exists a big discrepancy between seeing an e39 M5 as an immediate problem child versus taking care of it's peculiarities before any issues really set in.

Pretty cool video, reminds me of when got my 99 Audi A6 6 months ago, believe it or not we had similar issues, the display in the cluster panel seems to be a german thing..... i have the same issue and i juts totally ignore it, i dont have the fan Fan Issue though, only fan in mines was busted was the secondary fan on the radiator, $60 bucks @ amazon, my ABS sensor was busted fortunately a company had a core trade-in so the price wasn't too bad, I also have drill and slotted rotors.....

@E39Source ya i guess i am blessed. university paid off lol. i wont lie, my r32 gtr was a blast to drive, even in snow. but getting into the M, its a feeling of complete. I've got a co worker with a very nice TT supra. its a monster, but i get back into my M and realize that it is not the best car, but it is best at doing everything from carrying groceries to carving tracks.(8) Sim simma, who got dey keyz to ma bimma lol

I've had a 2003 M5 for 3 years and 70,000 miles (I drive a lot) and I have spent about $1,500 a year on average. Well worth it!

the atf you fill up underneath the hood is no transmission fluid. it's power steering fluid

Very good video. Also a warning, tire pressure sensors go and sometimes BMW can do jack all about them. My X5 has this problem and BMW keep trying every time but fail. Oh well, I am thinking of selling this and getting an M5 next year. ;)

Hmm thats interesting, I had the same symptoms and thought it was normal, but the new owner got in touch with me and said the thermostat was bad and replacing it fixed the problem. I know these cars run a little cold though unless being driven hard, so maybe it was my hard driving all the time that made it seem normal. Will definitely be posting some vids, got my eyes set on an imola over caramel right now but its a little too expensive - may have to settle for the avus blue. Who knows.

Good video, one thing I'd point out is that the single biggest worry for that engine isn't the vanos, the biggest worry is a rod bearing failure, not very common but if it happens the engine is done for

good video thank you for the information :))

Ya, it often takes a long time to get to temp (pretty much my entire commute), but it does get there and stay there for me. Unless it always stays at 1/4 like i thought you meant, its probably not a big deal. Especially considering you drive at low rpm's (6th at 40), probably won't get up to temp. It takes 20 - 30 mins for me, and I try to keep it up near 2.5k when cruising.

at least an american who loves manual . good job and nice car friend

Nice car.

You'd be surprised my friend at how many American's and Canadian's (mainly youth) are embracing the manual transmission. I mean there is a reason why the new M6 and M5 came with a stick option for the American market ONLY !! Tells you we still got a few people with passion and BMW especially acknowledges that.

I appreciate you making these informative videos, I'm looking to purchase a e39 M5 very soon! Buy watching your videos, you've erased all doubt! Are you on M5 Board? Thanks again for showcasing this magnificent machine!!

nice video, must see for anyone wanting an E39 M5..which is me!!

Thanks a lot for this video! I'm gonna go to see 2 M5 candidates next week, so this clip made the decision between cheaper OR well maintained much easier :)). The only thing worrying me is the fact, that with cars, I tend to be perfectionist as well and that seems - due to your investments - far above my most pesimistic expectations. But hey, we only live once and M5 E39 has been my dream-car ever since it came out, so...let's see.

Also pulling the instrument cluster out is really easy.

My father bought a 2003 BMW E46 M3 back in the day and he always serviced it at a BMW Dealer and recently he gave it to my brother as he bought a new 528i. The E46 M3 today has NOTHING wrong with it, Except maybe once there was an engine failure as the fuel was not pure and had dirt particles in it. But, BMW fixed the hell out of it. If the car was always in trusted, official BMW Dealer hands, there will be nothing wrong with it. FYI : We live in Cairo, Egypt

Ran out of room below, but to continue... Dealer records will ensure things were kept up and generally in good shape, but remember to take things like the 100k mile clutch replacement mentioned in this video in to account. $2500 in labor seems absurd to me, even at dealer rates, but I don't know. I never had one replaced and never had a 5 series. BMW is well worth the money, if you can afford it. If you have to wonder if you can, I wouldn't get one.

Great car. Imma get one someday. The noise in the fan could be something as simple a leaf or some debris that got into the blower. If that’s the case it can be vacuumed out. It has happened to my cars but they are not BMW’s

great vid. I was wondering how you learned about maintaining a car? I'm soon going to be a regular first driver and was wondering if you could give me tips on a stick car.

@E39Source aux heating its f.e. u can let ur car off but it gets warm in a certain time that u want to:) sry for my bad English:( still understood u perfectly tho:) keep it up u have one hellava beautiful car! Sincerely a e46 driver:)

Hey, awesome video! Great talking and a great car of course! I am not a big car guy, but I can imagine that your low-rev driving could cause the carbon on your trunk. It's not the low revs itself, but if you push the throttle and use the torque in low revs the engine has to enrich with gas quite a lot (same air, but much more fuel). maybe that's why? It sounds like it makes sense - higher revs -> more air with linear enrichment and not proportional.. (sry for the english..B)

I love your interior, it is a perfect mix with the black and silver leather alongside with the aluminum on the door and dash. I am loving your car more and more as I watch these videos to the point were the only thing I would change would have to be the colour of the vehicle and I mean sure that's a nice blue and all but I would much prefer a gun metal grey. What about you, is there a certain colour you would of liked the car to be?

Ah !! Mine's the same colour as this and is a December '99 model... right hand drive though! It seems to like a bit of oil. It's called Castrol Edge 10w60 now.

Yeah, noticed it. I've read about some about the 2003 but i was wondering if you know any differences between that and the previous makes? Again, thanks man. Really appreciate your channel

At 11:00 mark, you are talking about burned out pixels. You can get it repaired for under $200 thru BBA-Reman and also taking the cluster out takes 5 minutes at most. No need to take the whole dash out