# Newbie looking for advise on 1998 528i



## muskyman (May 11, 2004)

Been thinking about stepping up to a bimmer and found a nice 1998 528i 5 speed. Pretty much standard equipment for the model and year and all stock. Has 80,000 miles on it and going for 14,000.

My questions.
* Does that sound like a fair price? Based on everything I've looked at (Edmunds and Kelly blue book) it's under market value, but when I search on Ebay I can't find a similar car that has sold (key work is sold) for anything above 13,000.

* I don't have a lot of extra money to throw at repairs, should I be leary of possible repair bills for car of this year and miles? 

* Any other thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks!


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## marinakorp (Oct 3, 2003)

As with any car, It is subjective about that particular car.


1 - do a carfax
2 - go to a dealer and get a printout of the service history
3 - get a pre purchase Inspection

Generally speaking, 14k is not a bad proce... not knowing EXACTLY what options there are on the car makes it a little more difficult to pinpoint

all cars will need some maintenance... otherwise why would you sell the car?

The i6 motors are generally bullet proof, so not a whole lot there to go wrong, there are a few sensors that are prone to failure

MAF sensor Mass Air Flow Sensor
CPS sensor Camshaft Position Sensor

The ABS units have been failing at a fairly high rate recently among other community boards.

The big thing is to take it to a trusted Mechanic that knows BMW's and pay them 100 or so to go over the car with a fine tooth comb. they should looke for leaks, failing suspension components, etc.

After all that... you need to decide


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