1995 BMW 5-Series

540i Sport Sedan

8 Cylinder 4.0 Liter

Manual

WBAHE5323SGA64090

Gasoline

Power Windows

CLICK ON THE PICTURE BELOW FOR MORE PICTURES 1995 BMW 540i Sport 6-Speed Manual OverviewI am selling my 1995 Alpinweiss White BMW 540i Sport 6 Speed Manual Sports Sedan. The car is in excellent condition, and it has been very well maintained its entire life. It has never been in any car accidents, it does not have any mechanical faults. About three years ago it was completely overhauled and a great deal of parts were replaced. As a result it runs great, nothing needs to be repaired, and you will not have to do any maintenance for the next three years (except oil changes). The important and expensive Alusil engine replacement was done under warranty. As an added bonus, the BMW Dealer also replaced the transmission and clutch at the same time the engine was replaced. So the engine, transmission, and clutch are all relatively new and straight from a BMW dealer. These BMW's are actually very cheap to run, and it is possible to take them to any mechanic to have them fixed. However, this car has been taken care of enthusiastically by the best mechanics - any time anything needed to be checked, the car was sent either to the dealership or to a BMW specialist It took me two hours to scan all of my service records and put them up along with the other photographs, so please do take a look at them by clicking on the blue link. When it came time to change the suspension, an expensive Bilstein sports suspension was installed, upgrading the already great suspension that comes standard in 540i Sports. The oil has always been changed with BMW 15w50 (Relabeled Castrol 15W50) just like the factory specifies. This car has been kept in tip top shape. The car starts right up, and the engine is quiet and smooth. The transmission shifts smoothly with no awkward noises or violent jerks. The car does not leak any fluids. The suspension is perfect. The alignment is perfect, the car is nice and quiet. It has never been in any crashes, so it is structurally sound. The body looks fantastic. The interior is in great shape, with just some expected wear on the driver's seat and no wear anywhere else. The dual climate control works perfectly, as does the sunroof and cd changer and everything else. The dashboard LCD display is perfect, unlike other 540's. The car is an absolute dream to drive. Please call with any questions: 773.6 one 5.one-three-four-nine Why this car is better than other 540i's and M5's The car is a 540I Sport. When you look up the Vin number using autocheck or carfax the car comes up as a 540I Sport. There are two versions of the 540I Sport. There were 200 made at the end of the production year that had m5 mirrors and body panels and a hydraulic rear suspension. This is not one of those. This is an earlier 540I Sport. The body panels are the same as a normal 540I. The difference is the sport model came with an M-technic suspension which is lower and sportier than the normal 5 series' (of course now the suspension is even firmer and sportier), along with a 6 speed gearbox and sport bucket seats upfront, and some other suble features I'm sure. BMW M5's of this era are horribly unreliable when it comes to the gearbox, which costs $7,000 to replace. Avoid the M5 and get one of these. All the performance and none of the headache. The suspension was upgraded to a $2,000 Bilstein setup, which is both sporty and has bulletproof reliability. The stock shifter was replaced with a much smoother UUC short shifter. The old shifter was incredibly uncomfortable. You feel like you're holding your hand up in the air to change gears. This is much smoother and more comfortable. The shifts feel very nice. About 3 years ago the car was overhauled and just about everything you can think of was replaced. Mostly things that didn't even need to be replaced were replaced for new parts. The benefit of this for you is you'll be able to drive the car for years without having to do any maintenance except for oil changes. The engine is an Alusil, not a faulty Nikasil. This means this car will last forever instead of falling apart. The transmission was replaced along with the engine by the BMW dealership, so the engine and trans are newer and genuine BMW. I have all the service records. You can see most of them in the photographs, but I have some more that come with the car. The Important Alusil Engine ReplacementBMW 540i's originally had what are called "Nikasil" engines. Over time sulfer found in gasoline would cause corrosion in the BMW's engines. To solve this, BMW instituted a replacement option if the dealer saw that there was adequate corrosion. Many BMW 540's without the Alusil replacement are still on the road, and they will inevitably wither away and lose compression over time. I once drove a car with a Nikasil engine and it felt like driving a diesel, but the worst thing is having a Nikasil car that isn't driving poorly YET. What tends to happen to these cars is the check engine light comes on and flashes code 1222. In a normal car this means replacing the oxygen sensors. But in a Nikasil car changing the O2 sensors doesn't fix the problem. The light stays on. I have read stories of people spending thousands of dollars replacing part after part and still having the check engine light on. The real culprit is the Nikasil engine has some corrosion that is not apparent and does not show up when connected to the BMW computer. As a result of corrosion there is a lack of compression, which sets off the Check engine light as an O2 Fault or some other fault. But nothing helps when you have a Nikasil car. Cars with the Alusil engine do not have this problem. This is one of the most important things to look for when purchasing a 95 540i. Rest assured, my car has the upgraded Alusil engine. The old Nikasil engine in MY car was replaced by the BMW dealership with a new Alusil engine, and at the same time the dealership replaced the transmission and clutch as well. So what is great is the Engine, AND clutch and transmission were replaced at the same time and were together brand new. The 6-speed transmission shifts beautifully. The engine runs like new and has great compression, no oil leaks or fluid leaks. The transmission shifts very smoothly, and the clutch works great. DriveThe car starts right up, and I recently installed a brand new BMW battery to make sure it continues to start without any issue. The engine sounds exactly the way it should. The engine is very quiet when idling, and has a muffled rumble that sounds fantastic under acceleration. When going down the highway you cannot hear the engine working. It is very quiet. All of the gears from 1 to 6, and reverse work perfectly. There is no violent jolt or anything like that. Shifting is smooth and precise. The BMW shift knob is in great shape, and the UUC Motorwerks short shifter is much more comfortable than the stock BMW shifter, and it works great. The inside of the car smells of leather, and there are no unpleasant odors or perfumes of any sort. This is a non-smoking car, so there is no smell of cigarettes either. The climate control works great - both A/C and heat work without any issue. The CD changer sounds great. Both the dashboard mounted LCD display and the console computer LCD display are perfect, with no dead pixels. The temperature, average mph, mpg, and all other readings are accurate so the computer works great. Also, there are no warning lights on the dashboard or anything that indicates fault, because there are no faults. Just about every part of the suspension has been replaced with new parts. For example the control arms, front and rear, were replaced with new aluminum units. The front and rear shocks were replaced with Bilstein heavy duty shock absorbers. Bilstein is a German manufacturer, and they make excellent suspension components. Supposedly the car now absorbs bumps just the same, but handling is much tighter when merging or changing lanes. This means that in an emergency situation the car is well suited to maneuver quickly and safely, but luckily I have not had a chance to be in an emergency situation with the car. The tracks straight, so if you let go of the steering wheel it will continue to roll straight down the highway. This is a testament to the alignment and wheel balance being perfect, and as you can see from the service records the tires were rotated frequently and four wheel alignments were done often to keep the suspension in great shape. The brakes also work great, and do not need replacing. There is no vibration in the pedal, so the rotors and pads are tip top. The car has a brake pad sensor, so when it comes time to change the pads a light on the dashboard comes on. The sensor was replaced, so it works properly. There are no squeaks, rattles, or otherwise unpleasant noises in the car. The suspension, sound deadening, smooth engine, and weight balance makes this an incredibly well engineered car. BMW even put the battery under the rear seat to make the weight distribution as close to 50/50 as possible. It is a great experience to drive this car. Features The car is loaded with features. Firstly it has an Alusil v-8 engine with a 6-speed manual gearbox - which is very desirable. It has dual climate control, sunroof, power windows and door locks, power mirrors,power leather seats with two driver memory, traction control delete (no traction control), and keyless entry. The heat and air conditioning work perfectly, and so does the front and rear defrost. The car has a six-cd changer which works great. The dashboard display shows what disc and track is playing, and it also displays other relevant information such as how long until the next service or if there are any faults (there are no faults). The car also has a multi function computer in the dashboard that shows the temperature, average speed, average gas mileage, and it has many other settings. The dashboard display is in perfect shape, with no dead pixels. Dead pixels on a display can mean a $1,000 repair bill so it is nice to know the one on this car is fully functioning. The original six speed shifter was changed in favor of an SSH short shifter. A short shifter just makes the distance between shifts less, so instead of having to move four inches to go from first gear to second gear, you only have to move the stick 2 inches. The short shift is also shorter in length, which is much more comfortable in these cars. The original shifter felt like moving a broom stick around to change gears. The car has wood trim, and the wood trim piece around the shifter was changed to an Ivory vinyl piece which looks better and does not get scratched when you put your keys down on it. I have the original wood piece, and you can have it if you ever decide to change it back. The car comes with two sets of floor mats as well - a set of original ivory bmw cloth mats, and a set of rubber winter mats. The remote entry on this car sounds very nice. It makes a very distinct "chrup" noise. It sounds like a custom alarm, but it is actually a BMW factory alarm that they put in these cars. 1995 was the last year they made this body style, and I think BMW threw in a lot of nice and interesting features as a goodbye gift. The headrests for example are power - luxury cars nowadays do not even have such extravagant features. The car is full of novel and interesting features, and it makes it feel very special and unique. Maintenance This car has been exceptionally well maintained, Three years ago thousands of dollars were spent getting the car in perfect condition. I have listed some of the repairs below. Even before that though whenever anything needed attention, the car was taken to a respected BMW mechanic and whatever needed to be replaced was replaced. I have records since it was new. Of course the oil was changed regularly using the recommended BMW 15W40 oil - this oil is some unorthodox blend but it is no more expensive than regular 5w30 oil. The oil was changed often. The car overall is incredibly reliable, and if you look up reviews you will see it is the most reliable car BMW ever made. Most recently I have installed a brand new BMW battery, a new BMW heater core, and the coolant was flushed. I also installed new O2 Sensors and I had some engine gaskets replaced. The gaskets did not need to be replaced, and I have the old ones in the trunk, but I wanted to have it done any way since I have not driven the car much lately. The car runs beautifully. The next owner should not have to do any major maintenance for the next 20,000 miles or 3 years. Engine Maintenance During the 3 year ago overhaul the timing chain was inspected, water pump replaced, intake manifold, intake manifold gaskets and related gaskets were replaced. Valley pan, water transfer tubes, four knock sensors replaced. Coolant was flushed as well. This recent service cost about $2,443.37. All of the belts and cooling system hoses have been replaced as well. See records for details. Brakes The brakes are in great shape. Brake pads and discs are both in good working order. The brake sensors were replaced during the last brake service, so they work perfectly. The dashboard display will tell you when it is time to change the brake pads. Take a look at the 200 photographs of my service records by clicking on the link to see all the service records to see all the brake services. Suspension The shocks and springs were replaced with an expensive Bilstein Sports Suspension. The brake strut bushings were replaced, tie rod assembly, front stabilizer bar drop links, both lower control arms, idler arm bushings, brake strut and bushing --all replaced. A four wheel alignment was performed as well, so the car tracks straight down the road. If you let go of the steering the car continues traveling in a straight line. There was a recent suspension service was done at a cost of $1,930. The suspension has been well taken care of, and it is perfect. Overall the maintenance records say it all. This car has been incredibly well taken care of, and the next driver will be able to drive it for years without having to worry about any major maintenance. Interior The interior is in very nice shape. There has rarely been more than one person in the car most times, so the passenger and rear seats have almost no wear. The driver's seat has just normal wear. The carpets are in great shape, and the car smells very nice. There have been no pets or children in the car, so there are no funny smells or anything that would aggravate your allergies. The car has not been smoked in either, so there is no smell of cigarettes either. I am allergic to cats and dogs, and I am a non smoker so rest assured. The sunroof and power seats, windows, computer, dual climate control, A/C, heat, and everything in the interior works great. All buttons and switches are tight and work. The wood panel around the shifter was replaced with a vinyl panel that matches the rest of the car - this was done just because every time you put your keys or something on the wood panel it gets scratched easily. Rather than watch the wood panel lose its lustor, a vinyl piece was put in. The vinyl looks much nicer, and has better grip so your keys or cell phone do not slide around as much. You can have the original wood piece as well if you so desire - it is in good shape, and you can change it back if the vinyl does not suit you. The original shifter was replaced with an SSH short shift. The short shift looks much better than the long original shifter, and the shifting is much easier and more precise. The inside of this car is a very pleasant place to spend time, and I am sure you will not be disappointed. Storage and Environment The car was stored in a garage for all of its life. Even now it sits in a garage. It spent most of its life in California and then Texas. Only the past couple years have been spent in Chicago. In Chicago it has barely been driven. I start the car up and drive it around the block once a week to keep it in good shape, but other than that I never drive it. I have put maybe 2,000 miles on the car in the past two years. Once I took it on a road trip, and the rest of the time it was driven for pleasure. Body The body of the car looks gorgeous. The car has never been in any major accidents. The car has been hand washed, and cleaned often to ward off rust. Moreover, since it has spent the majority of its life in California and Texas the paint and body are in great shape. The car does not have any rust on it. If you look at the pictures of the bottom of the car you can see there is no rust even under the car. The car has not been driven in the winter time during its time in Chicago to keep it in pristine condition. Chicago sprays salt on its streets to melt snow, and it is terrible for cars. Wheels The car comes with TWO sets of wheels and tires. 17" BMW M-System wheels and 15 Inch BMW wheels and all season Kumho tires. The tires have 80 or 90% wear left, so they are in great shape. The car looks beautiful, and I am sure you will not be disappointed when you see it. I always get compliments on how nice the car is. Payment and DeliveryIf you are paying with cash I will release the car, title, and a bill of sale in full. If you are paying with a cashier's check, I require a cash down payment and I will wait for the check to clear fully before releasing any ownership documents. If you are flying into Chicago, I am more than happy to pick you up at either of our two airports (ORD or MDW). If you would like the car delivered, again I will wait for payment to clear before transferring ownership. Please call with any questions. 773.615.one-three-four-nine About Me I am an honest and trustworthy person. I don't lie, cheat, or steal. When it comes to my belongings I take very good care of them. Furthermore, I am a safe and careful driver so I never abused my 540i or drove it aggressively. ConclusionThis is an excellent car for any BMW enthusiast, collector, or somebody looking for a very nice, novel, and interesting car. The BMW 540i Sport 6-speeds are very sought after, especially when they have Alusil engines. Alpinweiss White is also the most sought after color. I always thought it was the best color combination for these cars. The condition of the car, along with the excellent service history makes this an excellent buy. 773.615.one-three-four-nine CLICK ON THE PICTURE BELOW FOR MORE PICTURES 1995 BMW 540i Sport 6-Speed Manual