major problems with my M5 - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

Sunny5 · 7th April 2002, 13:29

Hi ,
I bought this one year old M5 (2000 year model) recently with 32,000 kms on the clock.After only 4 months of use I started facing foll problems:
a)Loss of power and too much vibration during accelaration - my dealership advised that the clutch plate and the fly wheel will have to be changed.This was very surprising considering this is a relatively new car with complete maintainance record.The dealership said this was normal for such a high performance car.

b)Engine oil leakage which happens very frequently - this problem has not been fixed till now and the technicians can't really figure out what this is due to.However,they do say that many M5 owners have been complaining re this problem and no permanent cure has been found yet.

I don't think this can be true for this ultimate driving machine.
I would like to know if anyone here has faced similar problems and you can offer me any advise or cure.Thanks.
Sunny5

Steve Morling · 7th April 2002, 15:47

Sunny5: Sorry but it's true. A quick search on the board will bring you more than a few threads dealing with our clutch problems (the weakest link). There are also several threads on oilleaks (usually Vanos-related). Yes, the ultimate, ultimate driving machine is not yet perfect (& that's why there will be an E60 M5 and an Exx etc.).

tfung · 7th April 2002, 21:45

32000km on a year 2000 car seems to be about time when the clutch should be changed.. of course it depends on how the previous driver drove the car.. if he abused the clutch, it will of course shorten it's life...

not sure about engine oil leakage problem though...

1C00lVC · 7th April 2002, 22:00

There's a good chance that the 2 problems you have are related. If you have oil leaking through the crank seal, the oil will leak into the clutch space and you'll experience clutch problems. the oil will cause the clutch to slip, heat up and glaze over, and from the intense heat, the pressure plat (and sometimes even the fly wheel), will warp, causing the vibration you feel...

If I am guessing right, you should get it fixed ASAP...

rvacha · 7th April 2002, 23:04

Ask your dealer to put tracer dye in the oil - with a black light they'll be able to find the leak easily (usually). And I bet VANOS is the culprit...

Sunny5 · 8th April 2002, 11:45

Thanks everyone for your advise !
I finally met the BMW workshop manager today who has agreed to change the clutch plate and the fly wheel under goodwill warranty considering they had a good maintainance history on the car.However this will be the first and last time they do this.

Secondly,re the oil leakage,I guess most of you were right.It was indeed the Vanos.They need to replace this in order to stop oil leakage and the vibration.This is a major expense.

My car will be parked with them for next 14 days

as they are awaiting these parts from Germany as out of stock here.
It's a pity that a car of such calibre should have these problems and so quickly.As a matter of fact I found out that there are several other owners like me here who have faced a similar experience.I am now wondering re the long term consequences of keeping this car.Will these problems be a regular feature?It's very frustrating especially when I started enjoying the car and wanted to keep it for next couple of years.Now I am in two minds to probably sell it.Can you please guide me?Thanks again.Sunny5

Fedde · 8th April 2002, 12:48

Dear Sunny5,

I would say that sometimes people really do have a simple case
of extreme bad luck. A while ago I owned two cars with V12:s
in them and before buying them everybody was telling me I
should not do that as such engines were known to be very error
prone and expensive to maintain.

During the years I owned those cars I never, ever had a problem
with them, while at the same time I would also see people who
bought one and could have enormous problems just weeks after
their purchase.

I have just owned my M5 for about a month now, but the car
does feel stable and I surely hope I will not have problems with
it...in the case of BMW I think it is hard to say that a given model
is bad...sometimes it's just an individual car that has problems.

I truely do hope that you won't have further problems with your
car in the future. The beasts are really a joy to own and drive...

Best regards,

Fedde

Vince5 · 8th April 2002, 13:53

Sunny, I am sorry for you and hope the problems stop there. I was curious, where was the oil leak located ? Did you find oil under the car after parking it or was it just in the engine bay and if so where ?

Sunny5 · 9th April 2002, 10:46

Dear Vince5,
The oil was always found underneath the car when it was parked.
Yes,as Fedde put it ,this has been sheer bad luck !!!!
B.rgds
Sunny5

Gustav · 10th April 2002, 02:17

Weird, please do keep us updated on it.