Talk:BMW 5 Series (E34)

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Untitled

The 530i section sounds like it's BMW's own advertizement. It may or may not be copyrighted (BMW probably doesn't mind it being here), but it certainly doesn't seem encyclopedic. Luqui 09:17, 2005 Feb 14 (UTC)

Ready For Prime-Time?

Nice entry. Does anyone who has an interest in this article know whether it meets the standards for Featured Article status? I'm still a relative newbie so I don't know how that's judged, nor how to go about nominating it. Longshot14 18:41, 6 March 2006 (UTC)

The E34 range included the 525td and 525tds diesels, these are not E39s although described as so in wilkipedia. The 525d was an E39 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.9.182.165 (talk) 21:47, 16 June 2011 (UTC)

530i engine

The 530i DID NOT have a V8 engine...it had a inline-6. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.133.136.148 (talk • contribs) 22:00, November 8, 2006.

My Bentley service manual for the 5-Series credits the 94-95 530i cars with having the V8 M60. The article mentions that some 530is do have 6 cylinder engines, though it is pretty clear they were available only in Europe. --GargoyleMT 16:47, 11 November 2006 (UTC)

From 1987 - 1992, the 530i was equipped with the M30B30 inline-six. From 1992 onwards, the M60B30 V8 took its place. Alexey Topol (talk) 23:53, 17 September 2009 (UTC)

External Links

I'm well aware of the "no linkspam" policy. However, I, as an E34 owner, find the three sites below (with which I am not affiliated in any way) to be an invaluable resource for all things E34. Therefore I think that they should be in the article. Please let me know your opinions. DonIncognito 19:32, 21 June 2006 (UTC)

• BMW E34 Website
• BMW E34 Forums (RoadFly)
• BMW E34 Forums (BimmerBoard)

Forums are generally not considered reliable sources. I have no opinion on bmwe34.net though. --AbsolutDan ^(talk) 20:51, 21 June 2006 (UTC)

Perhaps not for the content of the article, but I do find these two particular ones an invaluable resource for the owner. DonIncognito 22:58, 21 June 2006 (UTC)

Ok I respect your opinion. Could some other editors of this article chime in with their thoughts on the links? --AbsolutDan ^(talk) 00:57, 22 June 2006 (UTC)

The only truly reliable site is in German - surprise, surprise, it's a German car after all. LOL. Link: www.e34.de Alexey Topol (talk) 23:55, 17 September 2009 (UTC)

Advertisement??

Some parts of this article, notably the one about equipment, read like a brochure/car magazine review. Should this be removed as unencyclopedic?? Also, the versions available, should that be converted into a table??

I'm going to try and fix this article - when the errors are sorted out!! that's if there are any... --SunStar Net ^talk 10:40, 16 June 2007 (UTC)

Images

seems that the images on here do not fully represent the different types of E34's availble. --Bahnstormer (talk) 22:39, 6 December 2007 (UTC)

540i Top Speed.

Do we bother listing theoreticals? The differential in this car is so incredibly tall that the theoretical top speed is over 200, though the engine only has enough power to get it to around 150 before it succumbs to aerodynamic drag. With performance mods it can go faster, or simply a shorter gear set. Exproject (talk) 04:40, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

The 540i got enough power (286hp) to reach at least 170mph, if unleashed. Regular stock models are governed - i.e. electronically limited, although their power would permit them to go faster - to 150mph (early models) and 155mph (later models), respectively. The ALPINA B10 BiTurbo even does 182mph with its 360hp. -- Alexey Topol (talk) 01:49, 1 March 2010 (UTC)

M525i?

I just spotted a car with an M525i badge a few minutes ago, and a quick Google search suggests that it's an E34. Is this for real, or one of those fake badges?

Tebello TheWHAT!!?? 05:17, 20 February 2009 (UTC)

It might be a special edition for the Canadian or US market, with some ///M-parts in its suspension or something, but never heard of it. There is however an M535i - but not of the E34, only the E28 ! Alexey Topol (talk) 23:57, 17 September 2009 (UTC)

Fake as fake can be. Of course you can put ///M-parts in any E34, even a 524td, but that doesn't make it any faster. And there was never a M525i edition officially sold. There was however a 540i sold as M540i in Canada, with manual 6-speed box and some ///M parts - but not faster or more powerful than a regular 540i w/ 6-speed, either. -- Alexey Topol (talk) 01:41, 1 March 2010 (UTC)

US-centric article

The article is completely US-centered. At the beginning it says e.g. that the E34 hit the market with the 525i and the 535i - in Europe, the full palette of engines was available at the same time in 1988: 518i (M40), 520i and 525i (M20), 530i and 535i (M30), 524td (M21) plus the M5. The article should either state explicitly that it only describes the E34 sold in North America, or include the different models available around the world. -- Alexey Topol (talk) 01:38, 1 March 2010 (UTC)

It was also equipped with automatic stability control (ASC) or traction control (ASC+T) in later years on higher-specification variants.[6]

"It was also equipped with automatic stability control (ASC) or traction control (ASC+T) in later years on higher-specification variants.[6]"

Basic ASC was in equipment list on all the time (some models), not only later years! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.191.165.232 (talk) 21:23, 10 December 2010 (UTC)

BMW 535i Sport

"If you are lucky enough to own the original 'E34' 535i Sport then you have 1 of approx 300 left on UK roads."

I was one of those lucky ones. Second hand cost in the UK was a mere £15,000 and the car was in A1 show room condition. It was tireless to drive with the cruise control and I have driven at 156 mph (251 kph) on deserted motorways in Germany.

Super comfortable seats with good lumbar support, excellent auto gearbox, which I seem to remember was 5 speed with lockup on top gear, and the BBS wheels with metric tyres. A better car than any previous of later models in my opinion.

Excellent and meticulous service from the local Blue Bell BMW Cheshire UK dealership. Ian Chattan 178.116.241.191 (talk) 12:33, 20 July 2011 (UTC)

Top-Speed

525i (M50) with 4-speed Automatic transmission ZF and GM derived transmission: [...] Top Speed - M50 Motor: 155 mph (electronically limited) - no BMW E34 525i EVER can reach a Top-Speed of 250 km/h (http://www.e34.de/e34/leistung.htm)

Tons of wrong numbers and missing information

Hi from Germany,

unfortunately, this page is full of wrong numbers and missing informations. Like e.g. 0-60mph of the 535i in 6.5 seconds - in your dreams, people! The real number is 7.7 seconds for 0-62.137mph (i.e. 0-100kmh, which is the measure used in the rest of the world), and I doubt it will be much less than that for 0-60mph - maybe 7.5 seconds. And this is only for the sporty manual transmission 535i, the automatic transmission version (in Germany we call cars with automatic transmission "pensioner cars", since they are only driven by old folks and people with disabilities, who are not able to shift gears manually anymore, due to their aging and failing bodies) is much slower than that. I will take care of this E34 page in the next couple of years, bit by bit, using my access to original German information and data sources. Remember, BMW is a German manufacturer (though they also got factories all over the world nowadays, as any big corporation), so I understand that genuine information is hard to come by for Americans or other English-speakers. As a native German, I do not face the German language barrier, and hence I have easier access to all that wealth of information about the E34. I don't know whether German sources can be cited on the English wikipedia, though. It would be a shame if they could not be cited, since much of that information is not available on English language sites as of yet. -- Alexey Topol (talk) 01:56, 2 February 2015 (UTC)

ASC and 535

I was removed part where article says that ASC was available from 1991. It is not true, such option was available earlier or even the whole time when they made 535. I even own by myself 535 with ASC from 1989 and I have seen them on sale as well with such option from late 80s. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.196.196.54 (talk) 05:48, 16 March 2016 (UTC)

External links modified

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550i?

A user at 87.110.35.43 added a entry to the Petrol engines section claiming that there is such a thing as a 550i eqiped with a V12 engine, the only referance I can find to a so called "550i" is from those who have swaped them, I can find no source clameing that BMW ever sold a E34 with a V12. If anyone can find a source I would love to see it, if not I will be deleting it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.68.186.52 (talk) 06:08, 9 November 2016 (UTC)

I removed it. If anyone wants to re add it find some sources. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.68.186.52 (talk) 13:25, 10 November 2016 (UTC)

Production Dates

Reading the BMW news item from 1988, they already confirmed in so many ways, that this car went into production for the range-topping 535i I6 variant on November 2, 1987 and launched the car 2 months later, in January 1988. Why change the production date to January 1988, when that was already not the case? There is a difference between start of production, first completey assembled unit, and showroom/customer delivery to dealerships. Please look closely at sources provided, before making such changes. It does undermine somewhat, the VERY hard work I went through with reading German language items and even if moderately proficient in German, BMW's archive database is DIFFICULT' to navigate and harder to do so in non-native language. Let's all collectively use that vast treasure trove of resources at BMW for other BMW models throughout the years, as several people are better than just one.--Carmaker1 (talk) 07:14, 10 March 2018 (UTC)

• Sounds good to me.
  On a related note, I think it is more reliable to use production dates than years that the model was sold for. This is because the years sold can vary between countries, and it also invites confusion about Model Years. 1292simon (talk) 09:12, 11 March 2018 (UTC)
  • Okay, that works. The database is iffy at times, even if vast. Thankfully it has been better at confirming history, than other outside sources. I am finding outside sources to not always be so reliable, just as bad as present day. Where a source misinterprets things and reads it as fact.--Carmaker1 (talk) 03:15, 19 March 2018 (UTC)

Hi Carmaker1. Regarding the first Edit Summary from 13 June, I don't see how only stating the production years in the intro (when article goes into detail about the months in the Production section) would cause the reader to be misinformed about the year of the launch event? Cheers, 1292simon (talk) 10:16, 13 June 2019 (UTC)

Sorry, don't worry. One my later edits actually says "nvm". No problem from me again, it's fine. I think my issue is websites that borrow from here and make the false claim, that the E34 was in the marketplace in 1987, when in reality only BMW had access to the car and media publications. Not the public or consumer market, but what can you do about readers copying and pasting without the proper context.(shrugs) Sometimes I read false claims that BMW started selling the F10 5er in 2009 or E31 850i in 1989, which is false as a reveal is not the same as buying one.--Carmaker1 (talk) 22:15, 15 June 2019 (UTC)

Thanks for your later edit, I really appreciate it. Yes, the topic of production dates for any model can be quite murky on its own, so it is very frustrating when people then confuse it with the launch date or when sales began. Cheers, 1292simon (talk) 10:47, 19 June 2019 (UTC)

This is a bit off topic from what you and Simon are discussing, but what do you think of the touring dates? The archive says that production of the 520i touring started in September 1990, but it seems a bit odd that series production would start a full year before the debut? Toasted Meter (talk) 23:03, 13 June 2019 (UTC)

It's not off-topic, definitely relevant and welcome. I actually got the 1992 date from that site too and pushed it to the forefront as a reliable BMW source a few years. I originally assumed it went into production in 1991. I felt it was weird, considering how an LCI was issued in the autumn of 1992 to the E34 line and the touring come before that. Now the mid-1992 launch from the Archive made more sense in aligning with the first LCI, which pointed to July 1992 production and September 1992 launch. 1990 doesn't make sense, do you have a link?--Carmaker1 (talk) 22:15, 15 June 2019 (UTC)

[1] It claims that the 520i touring went into production in September 1990, and confirms that it was launched at the 1991 IAA show. This would seem like a very long delay. Toasted Meter (talk) 02:27, 16 June 2019 (UTC)

According to RealOEM and various other portals into the BMW EPC (electronic parts catalog), Touring models were produced as early as 11/90 (520iT), 12/90 (525iT Euro market), 10/91 (US market 525iT). Additionally, on the general topic of gaps between production and launch, many US-market "1994" 530iT were produced between 3/93 and 5/93 (I've owned three of them, all 1994 on the title but with these early 1993 build dates), and according to the factory wiring diagrams, were produced as early as 2/92. BlackNBlue (talk) 10:35, 21 December 2020 (UTC)

A limitation with those sources is that they often include pre production cars made for internal testing and validation usually not on the production line and definitely not for sale. This is not the same as a model year not being the same as a production date.

@BlackNBlue: I'm assuming you are from N.America. The N.American 1994 model year covers mid 1993 to mid 1994. The actual start/end dates vary by manufacturer, model and even per year - as long as the production run includes 1 Jan 1994. So it is likely that BMW choose March 1993 to March 1994 to cover the 1994 model year.  Stepho  talk  05:22, 22 December 2020 (UTC)

Infobox

It is not Wikipedia standard for the automotive infobox, to not be allowed to include months+years and instead, in a separate section[2]. Over 80% of Automotive articles with production sections included have months within them, but not the full date included as stated by @Stepho-wrs:. Three users having a discussion among themselves, does not exactly dictate how article inboxes are configured across Wikipedia, since it is not even listed here [3]. A much deeper discussion, with a widespread panel of users and not just a few out of many, would be a more proper form of consensus being firmly established.

A dispute resolution might end up needing to be opened, on the premise this is not even the standard across this site anyway and is being pushed. Carmaker1 (talk) 06:17, 10 May 2020 (UTC)

Discussion is at Talk:BMW 5 Series (G30)#Production in Infobox.  Stepho  talk  08:56, 10 May 2020 (UTC)