Folks,

As you all know, my 16 valve still have the Idle blue. I decided to remove the electrical to the ICV. It actually not so bad, the engine struggle to maintain idle for the first 2 minutes but after that it idles mighty well. I just checked the mileage and it doesn't do too bad neither, about 20miles/gallon.

I bought a 97 528I 5 spd about 10 months ago, I like it very much very good on gas for a decent size car, very good and reliable but the suspension suckzzzzzzzzzzz, bad design, going through control arms like in no time and I thought Mercedes was hard to work on, BMW is the worst especially suspension, bad... bad design BMW. Still love my 16V
Alex

Too bad you didn't get a 540. I have been totally amazed that two cars that have a whole chassis number designation the same (E39) could have suspensions as different as a Ford and a Chevrolet.

The 540 has a reciprocating ball steering gear and the 528 has a rack and pinion. Every suspension part is different including the subframe. The design has longitudinal struts going forward in one and backward in the other. The 540 represents the first BMW that removes the wobble from the term BMWobbly.

While not necessarily being as durable as a MB, there is not a MB that compares to the drive. I'm on my second E39 540 with a E430 in between (briefly).

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

Steve! the maestro of Mercedes is loving his BMW... Sorry if I offended you, but obviously I own a 528I and this suspension sure is flimsy, and if you have to do any work on them you need special tools and these special tools are dog gone expensive.

It took me maybe six hours to replace both struts on my 16V without any special tool whatsoever about a month ago, and here I am into two weeks and the Bimmer still on jack stand, why is that...Playing the game of waiting for tool to arrive.

But any way, I'm glad to hear the 540's suspension is better so perhaps in the future if I can afford it,I will upgrade mine...

Thank you for pointing that out to me though.

Alex

No offense taken, I just find it so weird the differences that I had to point it out.

__________________
Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician