Bmw 540i 1997

Model 540i made in 1997 by Bmw got 36 consumer complains as well as 12 service bulletins. Consumer complaints with reference, among others things, to air bags and electrical system. Technical service bulletines regarding air bags and electrical system. The car has one 4.4l engine.

540i year 1997

Model
Technical Service Bulletins
Consumer Complaints

Car dealers

Model 1997

Engine [L]	Cylinders	Transmission	Drive	Estimate MPG (city/highway/combined)	Unadjusted MPG (city/highway/combined)	Fuel	Fuel cost	Class	Release date
( 4.4L)	8	Lockup/automatic, 5 gears	RWD	18/24/20	20/31/23	Premium	$ 1050	4	960825
( 4.4L)	8	Manual, 6 gears	RWD	15/24/18	17/30/21	Premium	$ 1168	4	960825

Bulletins

Bulletin	Bulletin date	Replacement Bulletin	Item no.	Summary	Added
AIR BAGS
72 08 97	02/01/1998		600300	Various information regarding deactivation of airbags. *yc	05/06/1998
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY
65 04 98	03/01/1998		600879	Condition with dsp amplifier drains battery.*yc	06/10/1998
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
16 04 97	02/01/1998		600433	New evaporative (charcoal) canister purge line. all e38 and e39 modele introduced into production approximately 3/97 dbyc	05/14/1998
EQUIPMENT
04 17 97	01/01/1998		600527	Situation with the tension rod test gauge. *yc	05/20/1998
EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL - RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
84 01 97	12/01/1997	84 01 97	53945	Bmw navigation system cd v 05 operating software for mark i system.	02/29/2000
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
16 01 98	03/01/1998		600874	Information on evaporative emission control and fuel filler cap / filler door labels. *yc	06/10/1998
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - STORAGE - TANK ASSEMBLY
16 06 97	11/01/1997		53948	Fuel level sensor may have been damaged during production which will cause fuel gauge to read approximately 3/4 full even if tank is comopletely full. *ak	02/28/2000
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR - DISC - PADS
62 01 98	02/01/1998		600431	Condition with brake pad warning stays illuminated after brake pad replacement. *yc	05/14/1998
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
34 01 98	02/01/1998	34 03 97	600434	Experiencing an intermittent momentary event where the brake pedal does not immediatlely return. models built prior to 3/97 dbyc	05/14/1998
STRUCTURE
11 05 97	07/01/1997		53344	Left side engine support may contact the front subframe, causing a drone noise. *ak	02/29/2000
STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR
51 03 97	02/01/1998		600299	Exhibiting a creaking noise from the upper door area exhibited in some e39 models built prior to 4/97 dbyc	05/06/1998
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
04 01 98	02/01/1998		600226	Subject on tank ventilation leak couplers. *yc	04/30/1998

Consumer Complaints

Fail date	miles	occurences	Purchase date
AIR BAGS - SIDE/WINDOW
08/05/2002
	Turned on ignition and side airbags deployed. cause is unknown. please provide any further information.*ak
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
02/09/2005	53777	4	04/07/1997
	1997 bmw 540i fuse to the fuel injector blew out.*no answer required* mr the vehicle would all of a sudden die when in motion due to the blown fuse(s) to the injector. the thermostat temperature sensor had an internal short which caused the wire to melt and blew the fuse. the sunroof was inoperative due to the rail lift pieces being broken. sc the wiper blades were not cleaning the windows properly. *jb
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION
08/05/2002
	Turned on ignition and side airbags deployed. cause is unknown. please provide any further information.*ak
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - FRONT UNDERHOOD
05/24/2004	93000	1	06/20/2003
	While driving on the freeway, the electronic coolant thermostat shorted out and caused engine wiring harness the burn up. this caused the enigine to stop running. luckily, burning was restricted to wires and no other components were burnt. car is still waiting for a new wiring harness at the bmw dealer ($2000 est for repair). i have heard of similar occurances with this model car and with 740i of about the same year. this seems to be a dangerous situation and should be prevented by a fuse or fusable link.*ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
02/09/2005	53777	4	04/07/1997
	1997 bmw 540i fuse to the fuel injector blew out.*no answer required* mr the vehicle would all of a sudden die when in motion due to the blown fuse(s) to the injector. the thermostat temperature sensor had an internal short which caused the wire to melt and blew the fuse. the sunroof was inoperative due to the rail lift pieces being broken. sc the wiper blades were not cleaning the windows properly. *jb
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM
12/03/2002		1	11/01/2002
	Serious safety issue complete loss of coolant at speed. dt
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
04/10/2005	127075	1	05/15/2004
	The radiator neck broke off while driving at highway speed on my 1997 540i. it is a common problem with bmw by all accounts, owners, technicians and even my own previously experienced it with an 1988 735i. plastic parts on the radiator is unacceptable, dangerous and costly. this has been a problem for more than 10 years on these expensive luxury vehicles with no resolution by bmw.*ak
11/27/2004	55000	1	09/05/2002
	(1) replaced water pump and accessory belts. on a forum that i read, many suggest replacing the radiator when replacing the water pump, as preventive maintenance due to the radiator's high and frequent failure. replace the radiator as preventive maintenance?!? i would rather not. a radiator is not an oil or air filter. (2) upper neck on the radiator broke and released more than a gallon of coolant, in less than 50 feet, in the form of liquid and steam. the steam obscured vision on the drivers side of the vehicle. luckily i was making a right-hand turn into a parking lot. (3) no repair as of yet. the failure of the radiator occurred at approximately 11:00 am. i made it home at 12:05 p.m. i called the local bmw parts department (one hour and thirty minutes away) to arrange to pay for the radiator by credit card and then have the part left with one of the salespersons, because the parts department closes at 1:00 p.m. but they no longer accept credit card purchases over the phone from in-state customers, even after practically begging. very poor practice unless they want to loose customers. actually immediately after i submit this i will go on-line and try to find an after-market radiator. probably of better quality anyway. sad but true. i encourage the release of the information contained in this questionnaire to the manufacturer of my vehicle.*ak
03/01/2001	75000	1	06/01/1999
	The radiator in my 1997 bmw 540i has failed twice since i have owned it. i see this as a safety issue. *ak
08/21/2003	77500	1	10/15/1999
	My 1997 bmw 540i 6-speed had a radiator failure at 77,500 miles. the plastic radiator connection point for the top hose snapped off. this appears to be a well know issue after speaking with bmw service techs and searching bmw internet sites.*ak i believe that the manufacture should take care of this issue.
06/22/2003	71560	0	06/10/2003
	I own a 1997 bmw 540i. radiator broke at plastic attachment point. coolant leaked all over the windshield and engine. this seems to be a well known defect among owners of this car due to the plastic attachment point at the junction of the hose and the radiator. *nlm
05/30/2003	57500	1	02/25/2003
	My 1997 bmw 540i6 radiator broke on me while driving on a highway on 5/30/03. *ak
05/19/2003	77500	1	03/01/2001
	1997, bmw, 540i radiator failure @ 77,500 miles (detected by bmw dealer during routine service inspection); radiator replaced at my cost.*ak
01/11/2003	51635
	Radiator failure on bmw 540i with only 51k miles, causing loss of traction and almost a wreck
01/04/2003	118900	1	05/02/1997
	The upper radiator hose unexpectly separated from the radiator. inspection showed that the plastic radiator had broken at the hose fitting. the resulting steam cloud and water deposits on windshield abruptly obscured vision, leading to a very dangerous situation. non-reinforced plastic is an unsafe material for use in this application.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM
01/20/2009
	I exchanged the lambda sensor of my car a couple of months ago. suddenly my mileage went down and i started an error search. since i was doing a couple of other things on the car i didn
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
11/01/1997		1	09/01/1996
	Catalytic converters failed. mjs
OTHER
11/04/2001		1	02/01/2000
	No summary. dt
07/23/2001		1	01/01/1997
	Driver uses remote key to lock auto from distance away sealing passenger in car: outside temp. 114 degrees. car design has no escape device from inside inside
POWER TRAIN
12/01/2010	130000	2
	Incident #1 2010: accelerated the vehicle to 75mph to enter freeway. took foot off gas and vehicle continued to accelerate. engaged clutch to stop acceleration and rpm continued to rise to the limiter point (approx 5500 rpm). pulled over, started car and engine immediately went to the red line. on inspection, a plastic part on an accelerator cable had cracked, causing the accelerator to lock in the fully open position. if the clutch had not been engaged (i.e. if this car had an automatic transmission), this could have resulted in a collision and possible injuries or fatalities. incident #2 12/2/2012. started car and pulled away from curb. at about 3-5 mph the steering wheel locked. stopped car, turned off ignition and started it again. the wheel unlocked but there was an audible clicking sound within the steering column. carefully drove about one mile to house and turned off engine. steering wheel locked again and car could not be started. the wheel locking while the car was being driven was a condition that could have resulted in a collision and possible injuries or fatalities. *tr
12/01/2010	130000
	Incident #1 2010: accelerated the vehicle to 75mph to enter freeway. took foot off gas and vehicle continued to accelerate. engaged clutch to stop acceleration and rpm continued to rise to the limiter point (approx 5500 rpm). pulled over, started car and engine immediately went to the red line. on inspection, a plastic part on an accelerator cable had cracked, causing the accelerator to lock in the fully open position. if the clutch had not been engaged (i.e. if this car had an automatic transmission), this could have resulted in a collision and possible injuries or fatalities. incident #2 12/2/2012. started car and pulled away from curb. at about 3-5 mph the steering wheel locked. stopped car, turned off ignition and started it again. the wheel unlocked but there was an audible clicking sound within the steering column. carefully drove about one mile to house and turned off engine. steering wheel locked again and car could not be started. the wheel locking while the car was being driven was a condition that could have resulted in a collision and possible injuries or fatalities.
SEAT BELTS - FRONT - BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
05/20/2004	75200	1	08/01/2003
	Buckle on the seat belt is in a depressed position, preventing the latch from locking. consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, who said it would cost $400.00 to repair seat belt buckle. ak the set belt latch would become continuously depressed in which it would not spring back and would not connect into the latch. sc
SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - POWER ADJUST
01/15/2004	65000	0	01/10/2002
	The driver seat creates a clicking noise and moves out of place (very minor movement) at numerous times (as in not in locked position) while making turns. took to dealer and they want a fortune to check it out. the 540i only has 65k miles on it. it can be a dangerous situation, if the chair some how loses it locking. *cb
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK
04/07/1999
	While driving at 55 mph engine compartment caught on fire. insurance investigators claimed fire was due to brake fluid being expelled from abs system and iginiting exhaust manifold. *ak
SUSPENSION - FRONT
05/21/2004	43000	1
	Dealership was unable to perform the front spring strut recall 04v183000 repairs within a reasonable time. the consumer contacted customer service and received an insufficient reply. ak sc *jb
SUSPENSION - FRONT - MACPHERSON STRUT
06/19/2003	191784	2	12/06/2002
	The front strut spring perch failed on my 1997 model bmw 540i. the perch cut into tire. his happened at low-speed, so no injuries resulted (luckily).mw na has issued a recall, but my vehicle supposedly is not covered, i think it missed by two months. my build date is 08/96. i contacted bmw na on 6/21/04 and spoke to ryan, i was told the vehicle did not qualify for the recall and that bmw na would not reimburse me for the damages. i have digital pictures of the strut that i can email. i also have the struts themselves still in my garage if someone would be interested in seeing them. john. *ak
TIRES
07/01/2000		3	04/01/1997
	Delamination/separation of tire tread from caseing-3 of the 4 tires on the car, severe .( dot number: lmt8axbu tire size: 225/55r/16 )
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
12/27/2009	130000	1
	When cruise control is activated, the vehicle accelerates rapidly in out-of-control manner. sometimes it also decelerates rapidly, and lurches. *tr
08/15/2007	150000	1
	Whenever my cruise control is set, vehicle consistently overcompensates in speed fluctuations. it is almost as if the accelerator peddle gets stuck all the way down. this causes the vehicle to go from hwy speeds to extremely dangerous 80+mph speeds in a matter of a few seconds. cruise control must then be disengaged. i have owned this particular car for over a year and it has always done this. cruise control is not safe to use at any time. several times, it has nearly made me have a rear end collision because it will take off with no warning. *tr
VISIBILITY - SUN ROOF ASSEMBLY
02/09/2005	53777	4	04/07/1997
	1997 bmw 540i fuse to the fuel injector blew out.*no answer required* mr the vehicle would all of a sudden die when in motion due to the blown fuse(s) to the injector. the thermostat temperature sensor had an internal short which caused the wire to melt and blew the fuse. the sunroof was inoperative due to the rail lift pieces being broken. sc the wiper blades were not cleaning the windows properly. *jb
VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
02/09/2005	53777	4	04/07/1997
	1997 bmw 540i fuse to the fuel injector blew out.*no answer required* mr the vehicle would all of a sudden die when in motion due to the blown fuse(s) to the injector. the thermostat temperature sensor had an internal short which caused the wire to melt and blew the fuse. the sunroof was inoperative due to the rail lift pieces being broken. sc the wiper blades were not cleaning the windows properly. *jb

Car dealers selling

State	City	Zip	Name	Phone
CA	CONCORD	94520	CONCORD BMW	866-704-9479
CA	PALO ALTO	94303	ROSENTHAL	650 494 1021
CA	SAN FRANCISCO	94118	BMW OF SAN FRANCISCO	415-863-9000
IL	WESTMONT		LAUREL BMW
TX	AUSTIN	78750	DAVID MCDAVID ACURA