A Reliable BMW? Is It Possible? - BMW E38 740iL

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Everyone says there is nothing more expensive than a cheap BMW. But is it always true? My 1997 BMW 740iL, with over 211k miles on the clock, has managed to prove that a cheap BMW can be reliable. So why do I want to get rid of it? Watch this week's episode to find out!
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Music used in this episode:
Selected tracks from the KZbin Music Library.

[@neletg]

This is one of the coolest car ever made. I'm thinking to buy one as a second car.

[@Ab3lardo]

Did you ever get one

[@hameedahmadzai9768]

Find one for me also

[@swokestayconshus1329]

Don’t sell it, you’ll end up regretting it. Do the bits that need fixing and you’ll be good to go. E38s are hands down classic cars at the moment.

[@Krezo200]

Swoke StayConshus he wont regret it He didnt bond with the car and he is no bmw enthusiast

[@elverjimenez]

Sell it or give it to me. I own currently 7 E38s! All currently restoring or restored condition. I have V12s, V8 on long and short editions. They are so awsome!

[@lucianistoc1264]

are the 730i with manual transmission easy to maintain and reliable?

[@shezansaleem1153]

Elver Jimenez hey , are you willing to sell any one of those

[@luccasmom9092]

I'ts for sale! Someone gave me a Lexus with really low mileage so I have to sell one! I'ts beautiful! Look on craigslist sf bay area and put in 2001 BMW 740il...mine is the burgundy one that shines!

[@leleedler]

@@luccasmom9092 Is it $4500?

[@luccasmom9092]

Yes, but I noticed there was the beginning of a tear on the driver's seat in the back..so I'll drop it $500. are you interested? Let me know....Lucca's Mom @@leleedler

[@knight280700]

E38 is actually the most reliable car I ever had! And driving in this bargain luxury is an awesome experience. Great car for small price

[@alibaba495]

Same

[@Dukevares1]

Just picked up a 1 owner 2001 740il with 85k miles. I just did the valley pan, valve covers, upper timing gaskets, power steering lines, lower contol arms and replaced the deck with an Avin. My favorite BMW of all time. Hoping to drive her and pass her down to my son.

[@jakedekleuver]

I've been driving my current 2001 E38 for 7 years and apart from a failed valve body in the transmission ($450 fix), it's been superbly reliable. I know a lot of people with E38's and those who have troubles are those who cheap out and use the wrong service fluids and cheap arse Chinese parts.

[@shanks0307]

That’s what everyone says about any bmw. Ive had mine for 4 years and no problems other than the ones I put on there. Other than that if you take care of your bmw it’ll take care of you

[@mihailhidler5400]

Please do not tell what engine you are running

[@jakedekleuver]

@@mihailhidler5400 735i and she's still going strong

[@lukemartin2476]

I had always admired the e38 but had never driven one until last year. It was a 740i just like yours but in SWB form and with honeycomb wheels. One mile into the drive and I thought “Wow, this thing really is all it’s cracked up to be!” Solid, smooth, sporty handling. My aunt’s 09 750li pales in comparison. I was in love but the seller was asking too much imo. I do think a giveaway would raise channel awareness, and it’s a damn good channel man! I know I’ll be signing up :) Can’t wait to see where you go with this.

[@midiskyline]

This channel deserves many more subs. This is like SoCal version of Hoovies Garage. Keep up the good work!

[@HelloRoad]

Thanks so much for watching!! Glad you're enjoying the channel. :)

[@SocksWithSandals]

I have exactly the same model and it has proved reliable as an everyday driver for four years. I have identical interior trim issues as plastics decay but with regular maintenance and very occasional garage work for fair wear & tear it's a great car. My conundrum is that my car turned me into an E38 enthusiast but I need to sell it to get a van for my current lifestyle.

[@toa5tmaster]

I’ve got 2 E38s, one is a 1996 750iL that I bought from teacher of the year Luke Wilcox when he traded it in for a track day at a race track while I was working there. Salvage title for engine theft when it was only 2 years old. Absolutely love the car and am restoring it to its former glory while at the same time it’s the v12 daily driver. Then the second car is a 2001 740iL I got for next to nothing as a parts car/lemons race car build. These are some of the best machines both cosmetically and in terms of quality from BMW in a long time. Pass up on the new Honda or the slightly used Toyota’s and get your self a maintained E38 7 series. You won’t regret it.. unless you have to pay somebody else to work on it that is.

[@bimmersjp21]

This is one of my fav channels . I love e38's, my best friend had one with over 220k on it and it was wonderful the whole time, well other than the fisher price plastics inside.

[@HelloRoad]

Glad you're enjoying the channel! :) You're right, the plastics are not exactly high quality, especially on the seats!

[@richardata]

giving it away is actually an amazing idea! my mom is kind of looking for a used car after letting her current one go soon, it would help a lot!!

[@rc3140]

Thanks for sharing another fabulous show 😊👍🏼

[@HelloRoad]

Thanks for watching!! :) :)

[@victormenchaca1925]

I have an e38 myself 01 with only 80k miles on it and its been great! Hope to keep restoring it.

[@kaedensoto4221]

To open the glovebox after it inevitably breaks, you have to push down and in towards the engine on the top of the glovebox while pulling the handle. Adds an extra layer of security in a way.

[@violetLizard]

I've loved this car since I was little and watched Tomorrow Never Dies (probably a million or so times). But I'm a broke college student, so all I can offer is TLC and the odd self-installations.

[@doingyamom]

I have a 2001 740i. It has 235,000 miles on it and it’s still going strong. I plan to keep driving it until it gives out on me. My dad’s 740i just hit 320,000 miles, so I may have a little while to go.

[@TheHeretic435]

2001 E39 here. 266,000 km. Goes hard all day (100+ F everyday here), everything works well, BUT it was 24 months of chasing dead rubber components after I bought it. Seals, bushes, etc etc - all perished with age, from the suspension, to the VANOS seals. All of it. I bought it 2016 on it's original everything. Still ran OK though. Original everything is a blessing and a curse - it must have been treated gently to get this far on it's original everything but, it's on it's original everything. And That's why yours is trouble free - it's never been molesterized, misused and abused. Once these cars get abused/hacked at, the'ye rarely ever any good again. But this E39 has never broken down or acted up on me, but I think 18 years service is enough to ask of any rubber part, BMW or Toyota, no? And that's why they get a bum rap. 3x the parts a Japanese car = 3x the potential problems, and by the 7/8/9th owner they're a mess. Hence the bad rap. So although it's been 100 jobs replacing shrunken/broken bushes and seals, it has never left me stranded. Engine, trans, electrics, body, interior work like new. But it always wants another seal replaced :)

[@Chris55524]

Fixing dead pixels! That sounds like what my E46 did. I had a 16:9 on-board monitor in the dash that had dead pixels. Over the course of 2 months all the dead pixels disappeared and it's fully clear now! btw love the content on the E46 and E38, SUBSCRIBED!

[@HelloRoad]

Isn't it weird? I drove it for 4 months with dead pixels. Let it sit for 3 weeks and all of a sudden they're fixed! Thanks so much for watching and subscribing! :) :)

[@jaymum23]

@@HelloRoadMy E90’s pixels start to come back when it’s below 70 degrees out (they are on the radio only on non-I drive models; instrument cluster has little LCD screens). Below 60 degrees they are 100% resurrected.😂

[@ravuya]

You should give it to whoever lives the furthest away from you, if they promise to do a fly & drive and document it.

[@2009warsstar]

ravuya I’m down.

[@TemdriWorld]

Nicholas Fernandez That isn’t far, I am currently in Guinea-Bissau 🇬🇼 West Africa. I am down for that👍🏿

[@TemdriWorld]

Nicholas Fernandez I will get a Carnet de Passage, drive it to New York, ship it to France 🇫🇷drive south to Gibraltar 🇬🇮 an hour ferry to North Africa Morocco 🇲🇦 then drive south they Mauritania 🇲🇷 Senegal 🇸🇳 Gambia 🇬🇲and last Guinea-Bissau 🇬🇼. Viola 👍🏿

[@TemdriWorld]

Nicholas Fernandez I did that same trip from London to here, Guinea-Bissau 🇬🇼 last month in my 1995 Mitsubishi Delica. But I didn’t document it, for which I thoroughly regret. I was scared as I did the journey solo and didn’t want to take out my equipment, but in the end the journey was more peaceful that I anticipated. Check the channel

[@adominable1]

In Tampa Florida. Would for sure be down

[@TheHeretic435]

Careful with those magazine pockets in the back of the front seats. I got the E38 seats factory optioned into my oddball Thai market only E39. The plastic internals were shattered in the pockets, mostly the hinge parts, and not for sale anywhere of course. I had to take my glue game to 9000 to fix those. (Visabella speedy fix glue - miraculous stuff).

[@MrChevybaja]

i listen to a lot of auto podcasts on youtube. I hope you include us in your uploads!

[@davebydaytube]

I’d take it any day !! I used to have one and they are awesome vehicles and very dependable it’s properly maintained!

[@shingoose6197]

O a pod cast! Very excited!

[@HelloRoad]

😀😀😀

[@luccasmom9092]

I have had a 2001 BMW 740il since 2003 and I love this car. I have had zero...yes...zero problems with this car! It's almost 20 years old and runs great, have not had one major repair (the usual...radiator....) but that's about it! It has 145,000 miles on it and it is an amazing car! Best car I've ever had. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it. Someone gave me their 2010 Lexus ES 350. Now, I know what you are going to say. And yes, it's no BMW, but let's face it....the Lexus is more economical in the long run. I'm not a wealthy person, so I have resigned myself to sell the BMW and stick with the Lexus. There is no use in insuring two cars, registering two cars, etc. It's a brilliant metallic burgundy with tan interior and chrome after market wheels. The most beautiful BMW I've ever seen! So, I'll sell it and it will break my heart. I feel emotionally attached to it! Anyway, had to put my two cents worth in....thank you...

[@Jerrypintoswe]

Sell it and buy the third gen Firebird you want after filming the K.I.T.T. video! I highly recommend a 87-92 Formula with a 5 speed, that´s what i got

[@adriannalvarado9201]

I just sold my unreliable 335i & copped me a 98 740i in amazing condition with 200,000 miles with mo check engine lights & no leaks . Love this car

[@1250GSX]

I had an e39 4.4 for a couple of years. Daily driver..Drove big road trips (melbourne to adelaide), never had an issue. But it was really really well maintained by the previous owner who was a bmw specialist mechanic. I really regret selling it.

[@HelloRoad]

Perfect long road trip car.

[@thegxpguy]

to do a manual swap on this car you would need a custom drive shaft and shift linkage, no way around it, when i did it on my 98 740i (swb) i bought a 740i/6 manual drive shaft and shift linkage from a parts car in Germany. i did this after putting a used transmission in mine and that transmission being a clunker. the 97-98 models have the m62 without vanos which is great and likely why this one hasn't given you any major issues. however the 97-98 also comes with the same transmission as the other m62 cars but it has a different part number and slightly different valve body/small differences. what this means is that its harder to find.. significantly harder for some reason and its much more expensive than 96, or 99-01 models. since this is a pre '99 you can simply wire the shift selector wires together, theirs a combination of four of them. you will need a transmission cross member from a bmw z8 (that's what i used, as the 540i swap kit i bought cross member wouldn't work) and you can use the 540i pedal assembly but you will lose the parking break. it is possible to still purchase a e38/manual shift boot new but only in black.

[@douglasbrmn2]

I have a 2000 740i with the sport package with 17,500 miles and in almost mint condition. I don’t know what it is but I love the car even though it’s 20 years old.

[@DannysGarage]

I mean, when an E38 is at 200k+ miles, it's either headed for the scrapyard or it's been maintained well enough to make it there. At that mileage most of the usual failure items will have been addressed. Plus you did only drive your E38 for 5k miles over a year, I'm curious as to how reliable it would be if you drove the average 12k miles a year that most Americans drive.

[@2009warsstar]

I’ll take/buy it! I’ve got a 320,000 mile 1997 E38 awaiting a suspension rebuild and an eventual LS swap. It’d be cool to have another one to leave stock and pristine, and then go nuts with the one getting the LS. It’s in bit rougher shape than yours is too. I like the fly and drive idea too. I’ve already done one road trip from California to Indiana, I’d be down for doing it again!

[@luccasmom9092]

Hi Marshall I'ts for sale! Someone gave me a Lexus with really low mileage so I have to sell one. Go on craigslist.org sf bay area and type in 2001 BMW 740il. Mine is the burgundy one that shines above all the rest! Don't know where you are located, but living in the Bay Area, the weather is always mild. It's never been in the snow! Anyway...check it out....

[@marcusmarine4144]

Keep it to see how LONG it will last ,I just bought one that needs a fuel pump it was going to the scrap yard with a broken driver's side window and missing the front BMW hood Badge. so I saved her😎🔧🚘

[@jamesmullins301]

I just bought a 2000 740il from my uncle today for 900 pretty good steal only problem so far is a leaking radiator reservoir

[@bal9109]

When I got mine I had to spend 8,000 dollars on repairs and I haven’t had any problems ever since

[@Wunderbaumsporting]

That's a nice example of a cheap E38. In Finland all of these have rusted out and leak gas for similar kind of money.

[@ZuperMineCraftMaN]

have the same car love every second of it!

[@FishfryOGMcTaco]

Damn nice car for someone to fall in love with beamers.

[@indiangiver1120]

Give it to me! I lucked out at bought at 1998 e38 $1400.. 61k miles, is why I bought it. It now has 80k and has never done me wrong! They are just a good bmw!

[@noelaguirre7104]

I owned one till one week ago. I decided to sell it took 24 hours to sell yes place the ad on Craig's list and within 24 hours the car was gone, to top it off a mechanic bought the car. he was looking for that particular trim and color. BTW that car turned out to be very reliable I kept it for 4 years absolutely no regrets. The reason we sold it: one too many cars in our driveway and it was automatic, yes we're crazy to prefer manuals.

[@billybowbob2071]

My 750il hD so many issues, I have no idea how it could have ran with them all for the last guy! -alternator not charging -next to no pixels -abs, traction, airbag, parking brake lights on -third brake light out -torn intake boots -leaking power struts -leaking power steering hoses -broken glove box -no spare tire -3 bent rims -2 leaking tires -4 worn out front links -front brakes metal on metal -tape deck jammed -CD changer not working -loving it!!!

[@HelloRoad]

😭

[@KushBoyzEnT562]

Greetings frm Long Beach CA i recently got a 7 Series E38 for only 700 DOLLARS and i absolutely love it had to do the Vavle cover gaskets Spark plugs Oil Change and Batt replacement but even after that im.only at 970 Dollars in total even tho cosmetically mine needs work i love it and plan to keep it forever and 2 Boot mines is a 1996 and is only running 178k on Miles its def a Gold Mine that i uncovered but ive wanted a BMW since a young boy particularly an E38 fell in love wot them when i saw James Bonds in Tomorrow Never Dies

[@anthonylee2566]

Love the white on it, still looks nice! James Bond drove one in some movie😉

[@ElizabethCarvalhoisakamuni]

I'm looking at one today!!!!!!!

[@borborygmus5873]

Mine has 186,000 miles on it. It's just like this one in that everything that matters (motor, transmission, etc.) works perfectly, everything unimportant (cup holders, trunk lock, door hydraulics) is broken.

[@IHATEYANKS41]

Incredible that those pixels fixed themselves never heard of that, wish mine would do it!

[@HelloRoad]

I know right? Funny thing is they've started to go out again!!

[@IHATEYANKS41]

Hello Road / Ethan Tufts when I bought my 728i the guy said they are more visible in the daytime when it’s sunny, and I think there is some truth in that!

[@user-pe4xf6hd5q]

These are complex autos …ongoing maintenance with mid mileage cars could be the norm..Well maintained high mileage examples could be the best value. I’ve owned three 7s…. all costs little $4-9,000 to purchase..but higher costs to pay later to maintain …overall works for my needs. Love the 12 cyl.

[@georgelamontagne647]

If you want to send that bad boy back to New England I will take her off your hands! Love the videos brotha! Keep on truckin!

[@HelloRoad]

Haha nice!!!! Not sure what I'm gonna do yet but I'll letcha know! Thanks for watching dood!! :) :)

[@christoffers1686]

e38 is a very classy car, would love to have one.

[@spirosmousouris3908]

nice video. hey what's with the name of the car spelling 74-OIL ? is this a hidden message from BMW, that anything oil-related will eventually kill this car? ps, yeah, cannot wait for the podcast

[@HelloRoad]

Haha!! Thanks for watching. Podcast coming soon!!!! :) :)

[@playjett1290]

i love this car to the last bit,i wish you can ship it for me but lots of money will be high.

[@TechBankPC]

Gotta love the E38. I've got 3 of them. Most reliable car's I've ever had!

[@kd1896]

So i guess you have owned Audi, Jaguar, and Range Rovers previously. LOL (said the guy with an e53 x5)

[@TechBankPC]

@@kd1896 xP

[@ernest5385]

I’d really love to get 3 series E46 in condition similiar to this white unicorn but this will be really difficult here in Poland.

[@marunero3]

That lovely door sound 3:06

[@HarMageddo]

I have 1997 740il. I love it!

[@HelloRoad]

Nice!!! Great cars.

[@basiizroda]

These cars have way less common problems than the cars they make today, or than the next E65 7 series. Here a 740iL like yours sells from 5000$ and up. The same goes for BMW E65, Audi A8 D3 and other equivalents. These old beauties have came up in price recently, and their prices won't go down anymore. The are becoming classics.

[@StraightOuttaContent]

I had to Subscribe because im about to buy a 99 740il from my wife's ex husband's father for extremely cheap. The car has a bad transmission though. I want to restore it on my channel. Should I do It? I subscribed because I like that you buy older luxury cars

[@michu6777]

If you feel like giving it to a sub, count me in ;) I have so many spare E38 parts from my last 740iL (I regret selling it every day...) I'd be able to keep this thing running for decades. Also, that interior is beautiful! Mine had a black interior and I find the lighter two-tone beige/brown to be very easy on the eye.

[@stormerogers7162]

@myech _ how much for the parts I could use then for my current e38

[@michu6777]

@@stormerogers7162 I probably have $2000 worth of parts haha, but I bought a 750iL so I'll be keeping most of them. I have headlights, taillights, steering wheels, nav screens and DVD drives, wheels, tires, brake pads and rotors, wood trim, window glass and regulators, subwoofers, front seats, mirrors, tons of random V12 and V8 engine bits... and probably lots more that I'm forgetting.

[@luccasmom9092]

Check it out on craigslist.org sf bay area. Type in 2001 BMW 740il...mine is the burgundy one that outshines the rest.

[@chrismccarthy284]

I have a 2000 528i Touring in Alpine 300 White!!! I love it so much. it has 173k on it and starts up and runs like new every time. With proper maintenance, these cars will last forever. The people that say they are money pits are the same people who ask people for help putting air in their tires or filling their washer fluid. They expect to buy a car and drive it forever maintenance and problem free, which isnt true with any car.

[@robertmodzelewski2538]

I had one,never again!

[@joshuatorres3648]

Hey. I have same car, but black and I love it!!++

[@jaymum23]

E38s, like E39s, are appreciating. 740i M-Sports being the most valuable. Still, you’ll never find a 200k mile 740il for $1.5k now. I haven’t seen a single one asking less than $5k this year, including 300k mile examples. Low mile sporty shorties can go for $20-30k.

[@jajageo1]

How about a contest of some kind to give away the BMW? It's a beautiful car, I am working on my own cheap BMW adventure 94 325is and I agree some of the old BMWs were cared for and are great radwood cars.

[@HelloRoad]

So yes, I will definitely be giving this car away. Details soon!

[@jajageo1]

@@HelloRoad That is really an wonderful thing to do, I hope whomever you give the BMW to loves and enjoys as much as you do! I loved to find 7 series like that one day definitely an awesome car. What a great story!

[@spatrick5808]

If you need to throw that beautiful 7 series at someone I'd be more than happy to grab it! I love my 330Ci but I've always been a huge fan of these e38s!

[@HelloRoad]

Not exactly sure what I'm going to do yet, but it is possible I'll give away the car here on the channel! More info soon...

[@spatrick5808]

@@HelloRoad I don't blame you... It's hard to turn loose. It's a nice car! Especially if it's reliable! Speaking of which, I'll be under my e46 today replacing the giubo... again...lol. Thanks for the reply!

[@migueltorres7503]

Just bought a 740 IL love my car got a good deal on the car was sitting for seven years

[@thomasknight7734]

Mines got 285k on it and still drives But has a lot of electrical Gremlins (mostly due to the last owner being "an electrician") the reverse light wiring is completely gone and the brake lights light up wrong lol And the radio is a rats best But it still drives nice lol And yeah my cars glovebox and cupholder is broken too lol You can pull off the side of the glovebox and flip a latch and it will open

[@surgecaliber]

I’ll take the car 🥳, I’ve always wanted one ever since I was a child, when it premiered on my first James Bond movie is was stunned at how beautiful this thing would be right by my side cruisin’ down the highway and of course so on. Please inbox me if it’s not to late

[@HelloRoad]

I'm giving the car away: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2q4qGelaNWYm7s

[@KlaximumSkroeft]

love that SUN 0))) shirt!

[@zaccaira4649]

I have an e46 and I’ve driven it 60 000ks and it’s been super reliable.

[@itsvansalgado5545]

Hey I’ve been looking at a similar car for 1,200 dollars but it has 230k miles. I was wondering if yours has reached that mileage and if it is still running well?

[@Bwh-rm3py]

They look cool af.

[@Mysticfateee]

I would say do what my dad does with his cars... Drive it till it dies, if you can't sell it for a reasonable amount then it seems like the only other option to me

[@HelloRoad]

Yep, my dad always said "drive it into the ground"!

[@Brancovtn65]

Crazy.. I just picked one up and it has literally all the exact same tiny annoyances that yours has lol.

[@HelloRoad]

Haha yeah they're all like this, especially in the interior!

[@trippzy8048]

did you do the giveaway or do you still have the e38?

[@w12a3d]

Man, what you did with the cup holder? Mine was fine, the ashtray is in the place and the glovebox is like a new. Almost every e38 i saw in U.S. have the problem with OBD2 cover, cup holder, glovebox, but not here in Europe. Why?

[@HelloRoad]

No idea, all of the interior stuff was broken before I bought it.

[@alibaba495]

I would love to buy it of you, but sadly i live in Norway....

[@XRedstarXx]

I would keep it if I would be in your position. Just fix those things. I mean if it is nothing bigger. Just get the steptronic transmission and replace it with the old one. Do some interior and exterior work. Do all the service stuffs and i think the car will be very Good. I wouldn’t sell it for such an low price.

[@TheDoctor166]

I would gladly pay 2500$ for this e38 since thats how much i payed for my e36 318 and its in a bit of a worse condition but i live in a not so developed country (croatia) and your car prices blow my mind since even a miata goes for 3-4000$ here + e38 is gorgeous inside and out

[@HelloRoad]

I do think it is worth $2500, but just not many people are in the market for an E38, it seems.

[@jamiearellano8903]

Sad,now 2023 my e38 1998 13k

[@nenadvlahovic5335]

Ja uzeo 140w S 320 mercedes ta auta trose kao Zil i ovdje skupo za voziti a tek Balkan.

[@gregbez]

This was BMW’s best car. I miss mine.

[@lucasrustt]

What about an old S class Mercedes? Next project maybe?

[@HelloRoad]

🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@valeriepickens2533]

Well, if nothing else you certainly have me a few people to contact when my ultra reliable 2001 740 il breaks down. If ever,...it only has a 190 k on it. Oh, and I only paid 600 for mine.

[@heidihobear]

I have. A 1997 bmw 740il and this car has yet to fail me. I will admit it I bought it to make it in to a James Bond car as James Bond drove one in the movie tomorrow never dies

[@HelloRoad]

Nice!!!!

[@V59971]

Still beautiful

[@patsyypatsyy6458]

Keep it and drive it till it breaks then part it out, its worth more in parts

[@devonriffert6382]

i would treat this car so good i have 2 already and they will be mint soon, one to be a sleeper, one will be ls swapped and be a time attack car

[@corkscrewlifestyle]

It all depends on what life it has had like any car. When I first purchased my 2002 E46 325i facelift sedan in 2017, that car ran very rough due to vacuum leaks, a window regulator and in need of a tune up. Fixed those things the first year of ownership along with front struts and control arms. Then I did my thermostat, pulleys, belt and the cooling system at 99k-103k miles. After that, pretty much solid. Like anything 10 years and older, watch for key things ahead of time I think is the key to owning a old BMW and knowing someone that lives around BMW. My dads friend Aaron works and owns BMWs since the 80s. He helped me out many times when it comes to DIYs and getting parts for my E46. You should definitely keep it, it'll be worth something one day like my E46. Glad I kept mine instead of selling it ;)

[@MrOatcookie]

The “Nothing more expensive/unreliable than an old BMW/Merc” people are always the people who have literally no experience of ownership...

[@simonprickett]

I'd also take it to do a luxury barge road trip across the country in, then pay it forward to the next person... maybe that's a thing give it to someone, have them to do the same and see how far it goes :)

[@HelloRoad]

Ooh that's an interesting idea...

[@NWA-yl7ss]

97 e39 540/6 383k kms- 01 e38 750 V12 334k kms - 09 f01 750 297k kms All have been reliable and I drive a lot

[@tonybosen701]

I love it I just got a 96 740 IL and it's flawless the gentleman died that owned it died I got it for a thousand

[@jockobacumbo623]

Hi, did you end up giving the 97 White E38 740il away?

[@HelloRoad]

Yep gave it away a couple years ago.

[@20ilunga]

@7:01 my friend paul who drive a daihatsu...Yes a daihatsu...Lol

[@_Greasyzoku_]

My 1994 525i has been the most reliable car I’ve owned in a long time.

[@LionelLaCorbiere]

Dude if you give me the info today, I’ll buy it tomorrow!

[@HelloRoad]

Sorry it's not available anymore. I'm giving the car away: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJ7aeYGAea5oi5I

[@ericmetcalf861]

Give it alway!!

[@HelloRoad]

Ok! So yes, I will be giving car away. Details soon!

[@IHATEYANKS41]

Fair play to you man. Always better to have a ratty, but mechanically sound vehicle

[@mikejones1277]

My 98 e38 has 200k miles. But the stereo stopped working and no audio shop wants to fix it or install a new one. And also a fuel leak from behind front tires but my mechanic couldn’t find where it was leaking because it doesn’t do it all the time, so I’m thinking about just getting rid of it

[@dcoop1422]

e38 NEED a new battery. find the computer in trunk unplug white (radio) and blue (screen module) connectors from the computer, clean the pins of both sides with contact cleaner and a pipecleaner between each and every pin. Reconnect when dry. should be better. Or ebay another e38 radio screen 4:3 or 16:9 doesnt matter! both fit. very easy swap. E38 98 is hand built with real leather. those animals from the 90s with the a+++ grade leather from are extinct now. its fake on all cars now. never sell the e38. drive it until you die. better car than the replacement. fuel lines in and out rubber connect on firewall to metal. both might need a tighten with a screwdriver. quite accesible from above.

[@mikejones1277]

D Coop D Coop I tried looking on eBay for a radio but I can’t seem to find one that will fit the e38? Also I’ve gone through 3 new batteries with this car, I don’t know what it is but something is killing the batteries and they are not cheap!

[@dcoop1422]

​@@mikejones1277 Do try the cleaning of the connectors in the trunk/boot before looking for a second hand E38 radio though, this worked for me. If your battery is new AND has not been drained, AND you trickle charge it when not in use (until you solve the drain issue), then a battery drain issue wont affect the radio turning on in the short term for fault testing purposes. Buying 2nd/3rd batteries is a waste of money/not required. All E38 radios fit E38 vehicles (same electrical loom). If you have gps drive in trunk it might not turn off and can cause battery drain. You may hear a disc spinning constantly even after locking the car. Electricians who know how to use a multimeter can solve the drain issue in less than an hour.

[@mikejones1277]

D Coop cool I’ll try that, no nav but it does have the dsp amp and cd changer that doesn’t work either

[@dcoop1422]

​@@mikejones1277 Ah ok, now i get ya. Well the CD Changer will work again by increasing the power to the lazer which gets weak over time. Its probably needing a slight turn to the left, about a quarter, and voila it'l read cds again! should use a mutlimeter and as you turn the lazer screw ever so slightly, it will give you a reading to determine where it should be at. There is a document online about this.

[@indianabrookz7664]

If youre going to give it away, you can hand the keys to me. It'll look good next to my 99 e38. I'll come to Cali to pick it up and drive it back to NJ, making a roadtrip out of the whole thing

[@chrisfontanez2450]

They are all relieable 🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️ but not the x2 ,x3 , x4 etc.. they have heating preblems

[@SuperDurandt]

Any BMW is reliable if maintained and looked after correctly

[@classicgamereviews54]

Wow, i always see these one the side of the road never being driven, iv'e never seen one in traffic before. i always thought they were beautiful cars, i'd drive the shit out of it if i had one.

[@thegxpguy]

where is this at? my god the scenery

[@HelloRoad]

Southern California, just outside Los Angeles. :)