1997 BMW 5-Series

540i /6 Sedan

8 Cylinder 4.4 Liter

Manual

WBADE532XVBV90553

Gasoline

Power Windows

I bought this 540i (through eBay) at the beginning of 2010, because I had an almost identical one (same color, year, and almost same mileage) with the five-speed automatic transmission that I had loved driving for a little over five years, but I had always wanted the manual transmission/sport suspension version of that car. I was able to trade my car (and a little cash) to the seller and get this car. My wife immediately hated driving this one because she claims that the manual transmission is hard to shift, but I disagree. This car feels more powerful and much more fun to drive with the sport suspension and what appears to be a Dinan chip (at least there is a Dinan sticker under the hood that indicates a modification to the engine management software). Clutch is fine, engine runs well and has synthetic oil. The interior looks very good with the only noticeable wear being on the driver's seat, which looks and feels okay but is clearly worn. The dash and radio pixels are unpredictable in that some days they are perfectly clear and legible, and yet most of the time there is some part or another of the screen that is not backlit. If you look very carefully, you can still read the numbers, but not while you are driving. For example, today the odometer looked like it said 52,038 instead of 152,038. Sometimes you can see the radio station well and sometimes you can't. Along those lines, the airbag light came on while I was driving the car in May or June and has been mostly on since (although it isn't always on). The check engine light has been on the whole time that I've owned it, and I am certain that it is because of the oxygen sensor(s), as my mechanic said that is the common reason for the light (that was the case with my previous e39). The driver's window has slowly ground to a halt since I've owned the car (you have to help it along by pulling it to get it to go back up). The air conditioning, while giving the appearance on the dash readout and by engine speed that it is working, is no colder with the button activated than without. I suspect that the system needs to be recharged. Because we have a pickup, a minivan, and an SUV, all of which have required trips to the shop this Summer, and because it's a hassle for my family to pick up and drop off the cars for repairs, I haven't gotten the problems described above addressed. Obviously, this Summer was a bad one for no A/C, but I have driven other cars when it was really hot. The radio system is stock, except that it appears that somebody had installed an amp in the trunk and then removed it, leaving the cables/hookups ready for a new one. It sounds okay, not great, but the one in my last 540i was only okay too, and it was bone-stock. The car does have the typical 50 mph shimmy that these e39 BMW's get, and it's noticeable at times during braking as well. Exterior-wise, the car has fairly good paint, the wheels are losing some finish, the front air dam has a split, and the green paint is coming off of a tiny piece of trim on the roof on the driver's side. The clear coat is rough on the driver's side mirror. The tires are practically brand new, but they are Rikens, which is not a high-level brand, and they are a bit noisy. I have installed Hella lights that have the projector lens and angel-eye look that are on the newer e39's with Xenon, but these are European halogens. They cost over $600 around 2 years ago, and I swapped them over to this car from my automatic 540i when I made the switch. They work very well. I realize that I've made this car sound terrible, but it isn't - it's a pleasure to drive. I just didn't like not knowing the facts that I have listed when I bought it on eBay, and I want the next buyer to be aware that they'll have to fix the window and ignore or fix some of the other problems, depending on how much they bother you. I am selling this car because of the bad Winter that we just had. My wife decided that we needed an SUV because she kept having trouble in the snow with the minivan, and I found one on eBay. So we now have two vehicles that can carry our three little children, so I don't really need to be able to get everybody into the car that I use for getting to work and the places that I go for work. I've always wanted a Mini, and then a MINI Cooper when they came out in 2002. Recently, I was looking at them on eBay and found one fairly near me with a few less miles than the BMW and at a price that I could afford, so I bought it. Now, I need to sell the BMW because it is essentially a fifth car for two drivers. I can rationalize the old pickup, and we have to have the minivan, and I don't even have to defend the SUV since that was my wife's idea in the first place, but I am really not going to win my argument for keeping two cars that my wife won't drive. I have only sold one other car on eBay, a PT Cruiser years ago, but I have bought a handful over the years, so I will be happy to answer your questions. I may be able to deliver the car locally, as it is still licensed and insured, but I would prefer not to. I will assist your shipper if you provide one, but I would recommend that you physically inspect this or any car that you are going to buy prior to buying it.I may put some additional miles on the car during the sale, either to show it or to just enjoy it, and I reserve the right to end the sale on eBay if it sells locally first.The reserve is less than $3,500.00.