[Vintoni]

What's the verdict? Repairable?

Filler cap recess:

Driver's side rear door sill:

And one of my rear PDCs doesn't look too clever:

I thought I would be done with rust moving to a relatively modern german car.

Vin

 

[chowdah]

First one is not that rare, and could be considered a design flaw. Second is, so I would remember to check the vapor barrier when next it rains. If you see standing water on the sill, replace the barrier+seal.

 

[Vintoni]

Yeah, I reckon the vapor barrier is shot. I noticed standing water in there after I cleaned it last.

I HATE rust more than anything!!! I suppose I'll get some quotes from local bodyshops. Probably looking at a couple hundred quid at least :sad1:

 

[RichardP]

Reapairing the filler cap area properly is quite a big job, you need to remove the filler pipe and get at the source of the problem, water comming up from the under side of that seam. You can just do it from the top, but after a year or so it will come back.

Rear door looks like a chip of some sort has been left, should not be hard to fix, but do the vapour barrier ASAP.

PDC sensor is an easy replacement, but the proper painted sensors are quite expensive, BMW say NOT to do it at a bodyshop and to order the correct colour sensor.

 

[feeblebob]

Filler cap recess is known to turn, as the folded lip catches moisture, any car not garaged in less than sunny climates is sort of waiting for that one. Other two, don't know is they're common or not, but would assume the PDC sensor to be simple to fix, pop the sensor out and take it to your local body shop.

As a note, no idea at all if this is common but I took my rear number plate off to change it over when the previous owner took his personal plate off, and it seems around the two circular plate mounts, I've got some considerable bubbling around these two mounts. No pic I'm afraid as it was raining and I needed to get the plate changed on that day, but perhaps one to be aware of. Most owners will probably never see behind that plate.

Rust is one of those things that's easier to treat sooner rather than later, so might be worth checking....

EDIT...Just seen RichardP's comment and I stand corrected on the appropriate points.

 

[vantaam5]

Tank filler flap rust is very common,the other spot in the door sill I also have seen a few times before...

On my 2003,the filler flap rust was done under warranty when I bought it 4 years ago.

I went the last few weeks through removing rust from trunk lid,right rear wheel arch,jack points and front door seams......
My bonnet also had rust in the seams,but replaced it with a CF one..

 

[Feld1128]

Rust usually starts inside the seam and then bubbles the paint on the exterior, it should be repaired accordingly. Dont use the cheapest guy because it can be repaired from the surface only and will come back soon, a proper repair will require cutting out all the rusted metal and replacing it and the area will be much larger than what you see now.

 

[Redneck M5]

Wow

 

[Mr.Devere]

Exactly the same as mine, had the sill repaired as caught it early, the filler cap is still to be done, as for the sensor, got silver ones of a E-bay re-painted them carbon black been OK since............

 

[Vintoni]

Just got a quote from a trusted bodyshop near me. I'll try and get a look behind the filler recess to see how bad it is before I take it in next week.

With regards to the sensors, is it OK to paint them? Mr. Devere, your's are working fine after you painted them? If so what's stopping my popping them out and getting the bodyshop to re-do them?

Thanks for all the replies people, much appreciated.

Vin

 

[nightkrawler]

the second area actually is a common wear spot, i noticed this on both m5's i've owned. the pointed end of the rubber molding at the bottom of the door rubs that area slightly, after 10yrs it starts to wear through the paint. easy fix, just snip off the point and it wont rub anymore.

 

[SodeM5]

I´d say quite easy repairs. My car also suffered the filler cap and trunk problem. I had them done before putting it away for the winter. Very common areas. Especially the design for the filler is rediculous...

Cheers,

SodeM5

 

[mailman]

Really typical E39 rust places...

 

[wilsodh]

These cars are getting up in years, and now is the time when exposure to water, salt, and preventative maintenance will be telling a story with many of our cars. Rust really is analogous to metastatic cancer in the sense that it spreads logarithmically. If it is detected, aggressive treatment is important. Once it gets a serious foothold, the car will go downhill rapidly. I've seen this with some of my older utility cars here in the rust belt, some that I've tried to treat in early stages, only to concede defeat a year or two later. It is sad to see, and I hope not to see examples of this on the M5board in the future.

You might want to do a thorough inspection of your car. Trunk lids and hoods are usually the most vulnerable. The rear quarter panel above the molding is also a common rust area for the e39. The gas cap filler area is a design flaw. I have bubbles in this area on my RR beast and have been keeping a close eye on them. They seem quite slow to advance, as I've had the car for over five years. The car will be in the body shop at first sign of noticeable progression. I also habitually dry this area after car washes or rain. Also look for signs of localized paint discoloration indicative of underlying oxidation taking hold.

We live in an oxidizing world, and reclamation of our vehicles by nature is an inevitability over the long run if we don't maintain vigilance.

Dave

 

[V.I.P.]

With regards to the sensors, is it OK to paint them? Mr. Devere, your's are working fine after you painted them? If so what's stopping my popping them out and getting the bodyshop to re-do them?

Thanks for all the replies people, much appreciated.

Vin

yes, parking sensors are ok to paint - I have heard from bodyshop that it is one layer paint and without lacquer.