My 97 540i needs a valve cover gasket replacement to pass smog.

why did you post two 540i's?

>>17787327
Top is the Mazda

>>17787299
why did you buy a bmw if you don't want to foot the bill when it breaks? The driving experience should be worth it to you or you should've just bought a civic.

You buy the bmw for the fun with all its side effects. If you are willing to toss it because it was too expensive, you shouldve gotten a shitbox. Keep it and fix it. Dont be a lil bitch. And it helps if you do it yourself

>t. own a 540i wagon and E39 M5

>>17787299
fix it
smog it
sell it
buy corolla and put rest in savings

>>17787299
It's a valve cover gasket. A gasket. It's a wear item, every car goes through shit like that. Things break, since you're already balls deep into replacing shit I'd just keep it and replace the $10 gasket.

Simple fix

>>17787616
I've been told by many it'll be at minimum 700 to fix. But yeah I think I will keep it cause I do enjoy driving it

I quit my job to go to school for a medical degree so right now I'm just relying on financial aid

>>17787704
700 for someone else to wrench, you mean.

>>17787713
how much could I fuck it up as I have no experience with cars at all.

>>17787299
>97 E39

look at the bright side, you don't have VANOS to worry about

>>17787713
>>17787704
but doesn't changing the head gasket also mean resurfacing the heads?

>>17787857
It is a vanos system

>>17787872
I thought E39s didn't get vanos until 98

>>17787299
I'll buy your 540.

>>17787869
if it was the head gasket yes you need to resurface the heads but if its a valve cover gasket, you'll do more work pulling off anything in the way than you will actually changing the gasket.

If it just needs the valve cover gasket and you haven't got much money do it yourself. valve cover gaskets are 1 out of 10 hard.

You've also already spent a heap of money on the car so why sell it? that would just be flushing money away. you may as well keep it and fix things that pop up till nothing needs fixing. sure it won't be cheap, but you won't be throwing money away like you would if you sold it to buy another cheap car that could also need work

>>17787299
https://www.oembimmerparts.com/BMW-540i-Valve-Cover-Gasket-Kit-W-Grommets-OEM-p/540valvecoverkit.htm?gclid=Cj0KCQjw_o7NBRDgARIsAKvAgt3FrdIqF4HFGhITvElETfqYzLT7LSjrTxUbectxAJKjeba9tZNhOz8aAmG3EALw_wcB&click=18110&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=shoppingengine

youtube
" how to replace valve cover gasket in 1997 bmw 540i"

Done in a saturday... cmon man

>>17789125
forgot to mention, if that is your car in OP then don't fucking sell it. It's sexy and if those wheels are genuine they are probably worth as much as the car.

wait a few years at least and fix everything, e39s are starting to gain momentum

>>17789139
i'll give it a try, by the way that is most likely the cause for my check engine right?

it always says my bank 3 and 4 are screwed