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Used BMW 5 Series Alternator

All used BMW 5 Series Alternator listed on Breakeryard.com are tested, original (OEM) manufacturer parts and come with a 14 day money back guarantee. Breakeryard.com list cheap new OES or aftermarket car parts at discounted prices or used OEM car parts up to 80% cheaper than main dealer prices for BMW 5 Series from premium breaker yards from across the UK.

About Alternator

5 Series BMW alternators work in conjunction with the battery to produce power for the electrical parts of the car.  5 Series BMW alternators function by turning the mechanical action of the car’s turning drive shaft into electricity. They do this through the use of rapidly-spinning magnets. This magnetic field in turn produces an electrical current, which is used to power the car electrics. The 5 Series BMW alternator is also essential for re-charging the car battery, ready to provide the spark necessary to start the car next time.

Alternators are generally quite small in size (a similar size to a roll of toilet paper) don't weigh much and are usually located at the front of the engine.

Usually most modern 5 Series BMW alternators are maintenance-free and may have a lifespan of a decade or more. Eventually, however, these rapidly-moving car parts start to wear out, made worse over time by dirt and extremes of heat and cold. At best you might experience lights that dim sometimes, or warning lights temporarily flashing on your dashboard. More seriously, a battery that is not being fully charged during motion may mean that your car is difficult to start, or that the ignition fails completely. 

In some cases, such problems are put down to an older battery, but more often than not the real culprit is the alternator which is not successfully charging the battery. Check the voltage on your car which should be around 14 volts. Anything less than this and it is likely that the 5 Series BMW alternator is worn out and will need replacing.

BMW 5 Series trivia

  • The Tom Cruise action film Mission: Impossible - Fallout features several BMW 5 Series. The most often seen onscreen is the ‘86 BMW 5 Series Sedan.
  • The BMW 5 Series E39 was the first of the range to come with aluminium parts used in the front suspension. There was also a dramatic increase in the amount of aluminium used in the chassis. The goal was to reduce the overall weight of the E39, and the target was achieved by also adding in the first four-cylinder engine in a 5 Series.
  • We all recognise the three-digit naming convention that BMW uses, but it was the 5 Series that started it all off. That means the 5 Series was the very first BMW to use the word ‘series’ in its official name.
  • Although it became an immediate bestseller, the BMW 5 Series is no longer BMW’s biggest selling vehicle (it’s the 3 Series). However, in January 2008 the five millionth 5 Series rolled off the production line. It was a 530 sedan and was a Carbon Black Metallic colour.
  • The Amazon-produced show Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan had a huge number of BMWs in every episode. The model used the most is the BMW 5 Series sedan, but there are also a lot of SUVs and vintage coupes.