I'm not expert on M5's, but here are the usual things to check.

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5 Series E28 Forum

Subject: I'm not expert on M5's, but here are the usual things to check.
Author: DavidC (moderator) : member since December, 2003 : 12933 posts
Posted on: 2005-05-08 00:46:06

I'm sure your mechanic will do all of this, too, but here you go!

Body:

Look for signs that the car was painted or had bodywork. Bill's E38 Buying FAQ and How To Spot Paintwork pages have a lot of good information on this.

Look for signs of rust around the bottoms of the doors, the rear taillights, side-moulding trim and beneath the car, too, particularly around the shock towers and the floorpan.

All doors, including the hood and trunk, should open and shut, lock and unlock smoothly.

Tires:

Look for signs of irregular tread wear, which could indicate an alignment or suspension problem.

Really cheap tires are usually a sign that the previous owner wasn't willing to spend money on fixing things right, either.

Engine:

Open oil filler cap and look for signs of water (bad) in the oil and for signs of excessive sludge.

Check battery voltage with engine off and on.

Examine the coolant hoses for signs that they're worn out or hardened.

Check the aux cooling fan in front of the radiator to see that (a) it isn't loose or wobbly and (b) that it operates when the A/C is turned on.

Exhaust system (muffler and catalytic converter) should be quiet and without rattles or holes.

Look for oil leaks from below.

Interior:

The air conditioning should blow cold and the fan should work at all speeds.

All power controls should operate (seats, windows, sunroof, door locks, keyless entry if so equipped).

All electronics should work (e.g., the stereo).

All lights should work (e.g., map lights, visor lights, rear seat lights).

Have someone confirm operation of the turn signal and brake lights outside the car.

Examine the headliner for signs of water intrusion from the sunroof, including the back of the roof area where the sunroof drains exit.

Examine the carpeting for signs that the underlying rubber padding may be soaked with water. You can pull up the edge of the carpet from the sill at the driver's door.

Be observant of any antifreeze odors that could indicate a leak in the heater core.

Suspension:

Control arms

Tie rods

Ball joints

Pittman arms

Shocks and springs

Usual maintenance items:

Brake pads and rotors

Fluid levels (coolant, brake fluid, power-steering fluid)

Air filter

During the test drive:

All gauges in the instrument cluster should operate.

All functions with the onboard computer (OBC) should operate.

Engage the cruise control to confirm that it works.

Check steering for looseness or "play". If it's not tight, it could be due to a worn-out steering box or suspension components.

Listen/feel for vibrations from the driveshaft, particularly at the rear-end, which could indicate a worn-out driveshaft, flex-coupling or U-joint.

Gear shifting should be smooth.

Car should start and idle smoothly when cold and after running for a while.

Braking should be smooth without wobble or shudder.

ABS should engage under hard braking.

With the car off, turn the key on and watch the lights in the instrument cluster to see that they all turn on briefly (particularly the ABS and check engine lights). Some unscrupulous sellers will unplug the light bulbs to hide problems.

David Cecil
Lexington, KY
Titanium silver '01 750iL, 92k miles
Oxford green '97 740iL, 184k miles
Alpine white '92 750iL, 95k miles (for sale)
Charcoal gray '86 735i, 101k miles (for sale)

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The 5 Series E28 Forum | Message Thread:

Advice on buying a 1988 M5 - stpaul 2005-05-07 14:29:53 (755 views)
- Check here... (url) - drmcwilliams 2005-05-08 13:20:12 (824 views)
- I'm not expert on M5's, but here are the usual things to check. (url) - DavidC 2005-05-08 00:46:06 (953 views)

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