The Vault: An E39 Touring Story

[az3579]

As some of you know, owning an aging BMW with more miles on its odometer than a trip to the moon takes some dedication, skill, money, and luck. Most of you are well aware that my ZHP has been busy during its time with me, having taken it from 75k in 2010 to over 312k as of last week. The more I drive it, the more it shows its age, not necessarily mechanically (with one big exception), but cosmetically. It's beat up pretty badly. Mechanical things are more likely to bring my car down for service for longer periods as the bigger ticket items need attention, an engine rebuild being one of them. Being my only car, that could only have meant one thing: I needed a second car.

Enter, "The Vault". The Vault is an E39. The Vault is large. The Vault is quiet. And, more importantly, The Vault will give me freedom for when I decide to give the ZHP some much needed mechanical and cosmetic love. Oh yeah, and save my ZHP from the perils of things such as airport runs and salty roads...

I found The Vault while bored at work on a Friday afternoon, just window shopping for cars like I sometimes do. My sights are usually set on things I can't afford... F31's mainly, but also with plenty of searches for E46 Tourings and things that make actual sense, like... Hon*yawn*das. I didn't have much of a budget because I probably wouldn't have been able to afford it anyway, but I digress.

I found this beastly creature on r3vlimited, of all places. R3v is an E30 enthusiast forum... yeah, an E39 listed on an E30 forum. What are the odds. The listing was posted back in August. Fat chance of that still being around, especially for the asking price of $2500. What the hell - sent a message to the seller via text and went about my day. He responded and said it was still available. Crap.

The next evening, it was in my driveway, assistance provided by the usual suspect (Charlie). Kudos to him for dropping his plans on working on the Speed Sled to help drive Wobz back from Jersey so I can transport The Vault across the [state] border(s). Yeah, my cheapass talked him down to $2000, though that was a figure he was already considering anyway. I'd like to think that was my sharp negotiating skills, but I'd be lying to myself.



What the hell is The Vault, anyway? That is what this thing turns into when you close the door. You feel like you've sealed yourself into a bank vault with nothing but your thoughts, and of course your thoughts of money flying out of the pockets trying to get this thing back into shape. This thing ain't exactly what I'd call mint, but I didn't buy a cheap car because I wanted something mint.

Flawless paint? -- Nah.
Tip top service history? -- What's that?
Gobs of power? -- Dream on.
A manual, at least?? -- Actually, ye... no.
Surely, a winning color combo? -- I laugh in your face.



This is The Vault, a silver-on-grey E39 525iT with a glorious Steptronic automatic transmission. This is what dreams are made of, folks.


https://i.imgur.com/MxdBbtX.jpg






Mmmmm, woooooooooood... ish.


https://i.imgur.com/qs5PuyU.jpg



I will tell you this... the seller took a lot of photos. For those who need meds for their psychotic condition, you can check out the full album at the following link, but for the more sane of us, I'll just post the juicy bits later on.

(Full for-sale album)
https://imgur.com/a/U9wFaY1



Here's some juicy stats:
* It's an '01, so I can take comfort in it being a facelift. Facelift > pre-facelift, any day of the week.
* This puppy had 162k on it when purchased on 11/03. It now has a little over 164k. Don't you worry - I'm dailying the ZHP now that the E39 has only 3 usable tires out of 6 left. :facepalm
* Self-leveling suspension in the rear means I'm halfway there to baggin' 'dis bee-hotch! :shifty
* There are some nifty options on this sucker:
--- Xenon headlights (not Bi-Xenon, unfortunately)
--- Heated seats, headlight washers, and HEATED STEERING WHEEL!
--- Park Distance Control
--- Sport suspension (no sport seats though, which is fine by me)
--- Style 5's... yeeeeeeeeeeaaaahhh buddy!
--- A lovely juicy tidbit: I've had a set of E39-fitment Style 32 wheels in my mom's garage for years... now I can use them! Remember these from when you bought that Step Orient/NB ZHP, Shawn??
* 3800 pounds and still manages 29mph highway, and 24-26 mpg mixed. How the hell?



So what's wrong with The Vault? Welllll, let's just say it's never heard the terminology "service history". Apart from a new water pump and some belt tensioners, I don't know what's ever been done to this car. Did I at least put that sucker up on a lift? You're damned right I did, even if it was after the purchase. But... details, details. The findings was a mixed bag of the shits and sighs of relief.


The bad:
* I've got enough oil coating the underside components to properly lube the sex industry for the next century. Despite this, it STILL doesn't consume nearly as much oil as my barely-leaking ZHP does, but whatever!
* Some of my sway bar end links, front and back, don't really want to do their jobs. I see layoffs in this car's future.
* Brakes. Need 'em. All of them. Rotors, pads, sensors, you name it. Probably fluid too.
* While the rear suspension airbags are still functional, the rubber on 'em look like they've seen better days.
* This one's got the infamous auto tranny that could at any point decide it doesn't want to engage reverse anymore.
* There's a nasty rust spot on the passenger rocket panel. Wait, rocker panel... WTF??? Yep, the rockers on the E39's are METAL and part of the car's structure. :facepalm
* The LCD on the radio unit is... let's just say, illegible.
* Since purchasing, I've been chasing SES light after SES light. I never signed up to play 'tag', man! I've replaced the intake boots, resolving one set of codes. Then the light came on again for something else, a fuel tank breather valve flap stuck. Replaced that valve, another code came on. Oh damn it, I didn't quite put the intake boots back on correctly... cleared it again! Phew...
* There are (4) Style 5 wheels with tires, and (2) Style 42's. (2) of the Style 5's are mounted in the front with... 'okay' tread all-season tires that are 7 years old. The (2) Style 42's are on the back, with winter tires that are... let's just say... scary looking. One of them has a gash so deep in it, I can see the steel belt through the crack. How the hell is this thing holding air? Let's not even talk about the completely bald inside edges of these two. Why aren't all four Style 5's mounted? I'll tell you why. One is bent and doesn't hold air, and the other has a tire mounted on it that is beyond corded. Was the car drivable? Yep. Is it drivable now? Nope. One of the fronts decided to let all its air out and I can't fill it back up. :facepalm :facepalm


The good:
* New water pump... yay, I guess?
* New tensioners... I'm supposed to yay, again, right?
* A LOT less rust on the underside than I expected. The underside components actually look like I could service them without cussing up a storm and blaming Canada. (I'm looking at you, Spenser!)
* The auto tranny has been properly trained in engaging reverse, so it is doing its job dutifully at this time.
* I've got the 'low' OBC instrument cluster, which means no pixels to die off. This display looks almost exactly like the E46 one, and I do not believe has the typical issues E39 clusters tend to have.
* It is remarkably clean on the inside, and the clear coat issues on the outside are limited to only the plastics. The rear peeling clearcoat is just plastic trim that SHOULD HAVE BEEN BLACK! I guess that's one facelift feature I'm not too enthused about (body-colored bumper and door trim), but this can be solved with some elbow grease and some trim paint.
* Looks like I have won the SES battle. Haven't had a code since, so looks like everything else is working properly.



And now the section you probably scrolled to because you were too lazy to read everything above this... Pics! These were all taken by the seller, so cut me some slack. :p


https://i.imgur.com/49A79eb.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/78NRsuC.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/psJfcCE.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/0OjQ4ls.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/2HdcM7O.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/IwXGk7I.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/i958go9.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/pGHi4iR.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/LHaTBHf.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/WLfbrIR.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/liIudKJ.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/IlY1uF0.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/oyPZ9Yc.jpg

[704sw]

Subscribed.

[DeathTrap]

*Shrewd negotiator

I was really expecting to see * ASTEN EAT BELTS* on the dash. That is hilarious!

[Oli77]

Properly done Botond!!

Yes! The price is right, and that wood! Immediate love right there, and all that properly lubin' of the sex industry for the next century (I read everything), that is a must with so much ... wood!

[slater]

Congrats, BP! I love it. Auto and all!! It’s awesome. And half the miles of the ZHP... LOL!!

I have a set of crazy E39 comfort seats that have every adjustment known to man.... you can have them for cheap if you want. They’re black. :)


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[fredo]

Congrats ! :thumbsup

[az3579]

Subscribed.

Hopefully just for the entertainment, 'cuz this bad boy is unlikely to get any real mods.

Now where have I heard that before only to see that plan blow up the next day? "This car is going to stay stock"... hmm... I think it had something to do with a Porsche 911 Turbo. What's that guy's name again?


*Shrewd negotiator

I was really expecting to see * ASTEN EAT BELTS* on the dash. That is hilarious!

Man, as much as I would love to get a daily comic trip looking at my cluster, I'm not sure I can handle two displays with text in an extraterrestrial language.



Yes! The price is right, and that wood! Immediate love right there, and all that properly lubin' of the sex industry for the next century (I read everything), that is a must with so much ... wood!

Very wood. Such awesome. Wow.

Wood Doge approved.


34329

[az3579]

Alright, I'm sure y'all saw this coming. My laptop has already had its way with The Vault's OBD2 port. Maybe some of that oil from the bottom of the car was involved, I dunno...

It turns out the E39 doesn't have quite as many useful coding options as the E46. Bummer, because I've gotten used to a lot of them.

I will say the #1 thing on my coding wants list was to get rid of the idiotic US brake light scheme. You know all 'dem 'Murican cars with a single red light for braking and turn signals? Yeah, that's how this Beater Sled was coded from the factory. What in the motha'stinkin' hell were you thinking, BMW??? That means these lights came on for both brake lights and for turn signals, the top part and bottom part below the LED running light strips in the middle:

34330



Nah bruh, I don't play that. While there isn't anything I can do about the red turn signals (which still pisses me off) without swapping to euro tails, at least I got the brake lights and turn signal lights separated now. This at least is significantly safer than having both bulbs do both functions.

https://i.imgur.com/qki5ZWy.jpg



Other coded items include:
* Comfort close all windows
* Unlock all doors with single button press
* Ignition acoustic disabled
* Seat belt acoustic disabled
* Fog lights with high beams enabled



Now, if I could only figure out how to properly correct the built-in reedonkulous speedometer error. The hex values I found online didn't do anything to recitfy the problem. I want to know precisely how fast I'm going, damn it! Keep on diggin'...

[BMWCurves]

Solid choice, BP! I'm having serious nostalgia of my father's E39 540i. It was such a comfortable car. I miss it.

[Sreten]

Welcome to the E39 world! These are hella good daily drivers and having a ZHP as well is a winning combo.

One of the first things I always do on an E39 is headlight upgrade with new projectors and lenses. Stock projectors are just crappy and adjuster always break due to age so there's an idea. :)

[cakM3]

I was wating for this project thread.....good times!!


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[ELCID86]

Cool beans. So how many cars do you own now??

[RUS_ZHP]

E39 touring, hell yeah!!!! Great purchase Botond!!!!
For 2k it's an excellent car considering that it's running,tranny works well and cosmetically it looks good, except for those rear wheels.
It's going to be a great daily. It's spacious, comfortable, practical and with your BMW experience will be reliable as well.
I cannot believe it has both parktronics. Do they work?
Heated steering wheel is a nice bonus for NE winters.
That thing probably burns oil in the same rate as your zhp. Since you tracking all your oils top off, I am curious to see what the results are going to be. Are you planning to run this engine on Shell oil as well?


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[johnrando]

Freakin' awesome BP! Great intro and story into the car.

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[az3579]

Solid choice, BP! I'm having serious nostalgia of my father's E39 540i. It was such a comfortable car. I miss it.

I actually had a serious bite of nostalgia as well when purchasing this car. I have very fond memories of my brother's '97 Tobagoblau 540i Sport 6-speed. To this day, that car is the only car I've experienced serious power loss in............ while bouncing off the speed limiter at 155 mph. [emoji23]





One of the first things I always do on an E39 is headlight upgrade with new projectors and lenses. Stock projectors are just crappy and adjuster always break due to age so there's an idea. :)

Yeah, I was adding that one to my list the day I made contact with the seller. lol
I've read how notorious these adjusters are for breaking. Thankfully it doesn't look as bad to repair as an E46 one appears to be. I figure if I'm going to be taking the headlight lenses off, I might as well do the projectors and replace the actual lenses, as these are replaceable once they're baked. This, however, is super low on the priority list. For now, all it's gettin' are new bulbs, because these are dim!




Cool beans. So how many cars do you own now??

Just 2. I'd go bankrupt if I even thought about a third car!




E39 touring, hell yeah!!!! Great purchase Botond!!!!
For 2k it's an excellent car considering that it's running,tranny works well and cosmetically it looks good, except for those rear wheels.

You know, I was a little bit nervous when I told my mom about it (after I showed up at her house for a visit in it) because I didn't want to "hear it". She's very conservative with money, and doesn't spend where she doesn't need to. For her, the concept of having a second car for a single person is lost on her. But, when I told her how much it cost me, she goes "ah, that's nothing!". I got a real kick out of that one; this Touring cost me significantly less than the 2004 Focus I bought her 2 years ago. :)





It's going to be a great daily. It's spacious, comfortable, practical and with your BMW experience will be reliable as well.
I cannot believe it has both parktronics. Do they work?

The M54 was definitely a good choice because I'm rather familiar with this motor. The only thing that would've made it better is if it was a M54B30 instead of a B25, but... you can't have it all!

The PDC system itself is disabled because of one ultrasonic sensor in the rear left side. These sensors are dirt cheap, at less than $15 on eBay. I verified it's just one by listening to all of them, and this one sensor was the only one that didn't want to sing me a tune. I'm about to fire that mofo!





Heated steering wheel is a nice bonus for NE winters.

The default state of my hands in the wintertime: frigid.
The new state of my being when I turn the wheel heating on: elated.





That thing probably burns oil in the same rate as your zhp. Since you tracking all your oils top off, I am curious to see what the results are going to be. Are you planning to run this engine on Shell oil as well?

The oil consumption isn't even close. I haven't topped it off yet, and I've driven it over 2k miles. The statement the PO made was actually hilarious to me. It went something like this (not exact words, but you get the gist):

Him: "It does use quite a bit of oil though..."

Me: "How much? Surely it can't be as much as my ZHP..."

Him: "I have to top it off once every oil change"

Me: 34332




Freakin' awesome BP! Great intro and story into the car.


I was wating for this project thread.....good times!!

Thanks dudes. We seem to be making a habit of buying cars together, eh Charlie?

It took me about 2 hours to get this thread set up with pictures and all that typing. That's why it took me almost a month to get my ass in gear and get this thread going!

[RUS_ZHP]

I doubt that there is any other M54 that has the same mileage as yours and it burns oil at same rate-:)
In addition, you are tracking it.
I can see how conversation about oil usage turned once you said to the previous touring owner what is your story with oil and what is the mileage.
Actually, with you annual driving, you will be in 200k miles club pretty soon.
Are you planning for a fully winter hibernation for ZHP or it will be driven time to time to keep fluids moving?

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[az3579]

I doubt that there is any other M54 that has the same mileage as yours and it burns oil at same rate-:)
In addition, you are tracking it.
I can see how conversation about oil usage turned once you said to the previous touring owner what is your story with oil and what is the mileage.
Actually, with you annual driving, you will be in 200k miles club pretty soon.
Are you planning for a fully winter hibernation for ZHP or it will be driven time to time to keep fluids moving?

Sent from my SM-G900V using TapatalkStupid Tapatalk keeps crashing so I can't break up your quote into the areas I want to address...

Actually there are a few people I've seen comment that they have to put a quart in every 600-1000 miles, just like me. I don't think tracking has anything to do with it for that reason. It's a design fault with the engine's piston rings.

As far as winter use goes - hell no, I'm not parking the ZHP. If the ground is clear of salty slush, then it's getting driven. I don't believe in "winter hibernation"... whatever that is! [emoji6]

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[cakM3]

As far as winter use goes - hell no, I'm not parking the ZHP. If the ground is clear of salty slush, then it's getting driven. I don't believe in "winter hibernation"... whatever that is! [emoji6]

I believe in “winter hibernation”....[emoji57]


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[Sockethead]

Good to see you in a winter beater/backup car. I remember you saying over the years how hard maintenance was for you because your car is your only car... that just got a lot easier now eh? Except they are both BMWs so you still have a good chance of both of them being broken at the same time :)

If the air bags look iffy, just replace them. Leaking airbags will cause a whole world of wallet pain because they lead to a cascade of failures in the whole system.
We got the ones for the X5 from Arnott... Good reputation and a lot less than BMW

[az3579]

Good to see you in a winter beater/backup car. I remember you saying over the years how hard maintenance was for you because your car is your only car... that just got a lot easier now eh? Except they are both BMWs so you still have a good chance of both of them being broken at the same time :)

Well I'd like to think the ZHP is in pretty tip-top shape. The only things it needs are things that are not a big deal. It needs an engine rebuild for oil consumption - otherwise the motor works fantastically. It needs the exhaust manifolds replaced because it lacks power and gets horrible gas mileage due to the clogged cat - but once again, not a "leave me stranded" item. The oil pan gasket can wait, like it has for years. Everything else has been replaced. My policy with that car is anything that can leave me stranded gets replaced preventatively. As far as the Vault goes... well, we'll have to see. I don't know if I'll be spending quite as much money on that as the E46 purely because it's supposed to be a backup car, but we'll see.



If the air bags look iffy, just replace them. Leaking airbags will cause a whole world of wallet pain because they lead to a cascade of failures in the whole system.
We got the ones for the X5 from Arnott... Good reputation and a lot less than BMW

At first I was just gonna wait 'till they failed, but you mentioned Arnott so I looked it up. They're a good 50% less than the Genuine BMW ones... wow. They're actually... dare I say... affordable!

So what kind of failures are we talkin' here, if I wait 'till they start leaking? Surely the system in the E39 can't be as complicated as the X5, right? Did the X5 have bags in the front as well or just the rear? What kind of issues other than the leaking bags did you experience?

[Sockethead]

The 4.8is has 4 air bags, the older 4.6 has just the rear like your car. Commonly, when the air bags start leaking, the compressor has to work a lot harder and fries it out. For some reason, the control module goes bad after that. At least that's what happens in the X5s. I'm sure it's the same technology. You can thank Range Rover for the air suspension system...
If the bags look original, I'd replace them as PM. They're cheap enough and when the bags get worn, they start weeping so there won't be an obvious hole.
A sign that the bags are leaking is when you come out in the morning and one side or the whole rear will be sagging. The system is designed to keep the car level even when its turned off but eventually the system will time out to save battery life. Arnott sells the compressors for half the price of OEM and there is a guy on eBay that sells a compressor rebuild kit if you ever have to go down that road...

[az3579]

Thanks for the info. Based on that, leakage is not a problem at the moment; the ride height stays the same whether the car is on or off, even after several days of sitting.

Since only 3 out of the 6 available tires on this car are actually usable, I got the spare set of Style 32's out of my mom's garage and will be mounting a brand new set of Blizzak WS-80's on 'em on Monday. I live on a hill, and my place of work also requires a hill climb to get up, so I figured getting a set of proper winters instead of something in the "all weather" category (not to be confused with all season) would be wise. This is especially true considering I have both a Steptronic and an open diff working against me.

I think I also got a friend convinced that winter tires are far more valuable than AWD... hopefully she goes down the 'tires' route instead of buying a new car!

[az3579]

One step closer... *plays 'One Step Closer' by Linkin Park in the background*

The dangerous tire situation can now be called RECTIFIED. New meat has made its way onto The Vault's spare set of shoes in the form of (4) Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 tires in the 225/45R-17 size all around. It's nice to see these spare Style 32's go to good use. They've been sitting in my mom's garage for years... and I got 'em for free. Sometimes it pays to be a car parts hoarder. :cool

There is one downside to these free wheels though; two are flat black and two are gloss black. Well, the fact that all of them are black is an issue in itself (I don't like black wheels) but for my winter beater set, these will do for now! Thankfully I like the style, so all I have to do is get them refinished, one day when I hit the lottery.

The flat side...

https://i.imgur.com/tU5HihD.jpg



The glossy side...

https://i.imgur.com/ZqG8OMT.jpg



No sooner that my car was done at the tire shop, I go to start it so I can depart the location and... click, click. Battery dead. It was dead last week since the car was sitting, but I thought it would at least last until next paycheck. No such luck! Got a jump, and off to Advance I went to raise the amount of credit card debt to my name.

From what I hear, AGM batteries are all the rage nowadays, so I decided to do what I did for the ZHP and get The Vault an AGM battery as well. I feel it would be worth the $20-30 premium for a battery that supposedly lasts longer and performs to its peak longer.



AutoCraft Premium H8-AGM

https://i.imgur.com/pjcmtuo.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/GFLU1RC.jpg



The old one, a flooded battery. I forgot to check the date on it; will have to do that tomorrow morning when I head towards the garage.

https://i.imgur.com/7ZPbWx6.jpg



Installing this thing was quite a bit more work than I was expecting. The space the battery fits in to is quite tight considering all the crap you have to move out of the way. I had to move this black thing over - anyone have a clue what this is? I couldn't find this in any of the DIYs and videos I looked up for touring battery replacement. Thankfully it just unscrews from the bracket and swings out of the way.

https://i.imgur.com/36BdqKI.jpg



After swinging the mystery box out of the way, removing the battery bracket, disassembling the positive cables, and removing the ground strap, I was finally able to heave the old one out. It was a pretty tight fit and required a ton of back effort to get it out. Sometimes it's impossible to lift without using your back. This is why I removed as much out of the way as I could, to make sure it wouldn't get caught up on stupid stuff.

https://i.imgur.com/K61imWP.jpg

[Sockethead]

That box was the subwoofer in the X5 but it doesn't look like that.
If it was me, I wouldn't be able to put it back without figuring out what it was lol

[az3579]

If it was me, I wouldn't be able to put it back without figuring out what it was lol


Having cold wind blow up your back tends to make you not care about these things in the moment. lol
I really wanted to investigate but it was too damn cold!

[John in VA]

That box was the subwoofer in the X5 but it doesn't look like that.
If it was me, I wouldn't be able to put it back without figuring out what it was lol
According to the blue sticker 65136910371 = Subwoofer box HiFi System

[danewilson77]

Loving the vault

Sent from my Note 9 using Tapatalk

[az3579]

According to the blue sticker 65136910371 = Subwoofer box HiFi System

I didn't even see that sticker. Was in too much of a rush to patch up because I was freezing. lol
Good catch!


Loving the vault

Sent from my Note 9 using Tapatalk

And it loves you.

[az3579]

BAM. Pants nearly pooped.

https://i.imgur.com/aqTQiLI.jpg



Not to worry; Safelite got my back. My insurance, not so much. :shifty
DOT 1038 glass from Fuyao, a Chinese company that apparently produces some glass in an old GM plant in Ohio. That's where mine is from. Not only is it made in the U.S., but... it also has provisions for rain/light sensor. That's right; smells like a retrofit.

https://i.imgur.com/ICo7buV.jpg



I've already got some parts ready to go in, including the rain/light sensor, an autodim mirror that came as a package deal with the rain sensor (score!) as well as E39 specific covers. I scored a nice Auto headlight switch from someone in NY parting an E39, so now all that's missing is the wiring for the sensor and a new LCM. The LCM isn't part of the retrofit, but I'll be doing "a thing" that the LCM IV will allow me to do that my LCM IIIb won't.

https://i.imgur.com/6Ma0jlf.jpg

[RUS_ZHP]

That is a massive damage on the windshield! Damn!
Looks like we are going to get a cool story of rain sensor retrofit on e39. Nice!

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[az3579]

Looks like we are going to get a cool story of rain sensor retrofit on e39. Nice!



Yes - when Peter finally sends me the harness pigtail! [emoji12]

Finally got the autodim mirror installed. Thankfully it was as easy peasy as I thought it was - plug & play. I didn't bother installing the covers because those are a royal PITA to install and I still have to install the rain sensor and wiring for it. What's even more surprising is that the autodim mirror works perfectly, and doesn't yet need to be rebuilt. Score! I remember these being super expensive when I was looking for them for the ZHP a while back (well over $100) but now all of a sudden I'm finding autodim mirrors for $30-50. What the heck?

https://i.imgur.com/tiQi7QB.jpg

What bothers me about it at the moment is that I didn't even notice that I already have a garage door opener / Homelink (not sure which) installed in the upper panel next to the sunroof switches, so now I have two sets of garage door opener switches. This is gonna bother me... gotta let it go...............



Also got some much needed brake love. For some odd reason, the owner before the previous owner thought it was acceptable to run two sets of pads on a single set of rotors, both front and back. The lips on the rotors were MASSIVE! The rotors were also very grooved, which showed on the brake pads as well, so this car definitely was in need of some brakes. New rotor screws and new brake wear sensors topped off the brake service, for now. In the future, there will be some stainless lines in the mix as well as some fresh fluid, but that can wait.

I'm used to having left- and right-side specific rotors on the ZHP because of directional cooling vanes, but it turns out the E39 doesn't have directional cooling veins, so the rotors are the same part for left and right. Love the look of fresh new rotors. I wish I had time to paint the rotor hats black, but time wasn't a luxury I had so I just installed them and called it a day.

https://i.imgur.com/pRzMais.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/EdLU6uj.jpg



Also installed were both front sway bar end links to eliminate most of the clunking, and the right-rear sway bar end link. That rear one proved to be so much of a PITA that we ran out of time and couldn't do the left one, so hopefully can get that addressed this weekend. The headlight leveling sensor was also incorrectly mounted and the arm looked pretty rusty, so I replaced the leveling sensor arm and mounted it correctly.

Now if I can only just get some money to have my buddy do my oil pan gasket... it's an absolute mess down there.



The Vault desperately needs a new set of headlight bulbs. I can barely see anything at night!

[John in VA]

What bothers me about it at the moment is that I didn't even notice that I already have a garage door opener / Homelink (not sure which) installed in the upper panel next to the sunroof switches, so now I have two sets of garage door opener switches. This is gonna bother me... gotta let it go...
Pick up cover 51448206529 - it's hellgrau & has cutouts for the sunroof switch & microphone, but not the Homelink. ~$20 new.

34489

[az3579]

Pick up cover 51448206529 - it's hellgrau & has cutouts for the sunroof switch & microphone, but not the Homelink. ~$20 new.

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=34489&stc=1

Eventually I will. Unfortunately right now that piece takes a back seat. I've got to put that money towards an LCM4 (so I can use LED bulbs) and the rain sensor harness first so I can complete my rain sensor retrofit. Then I will work on repairing my MID, and finally get a Dension Gateway BT Lite to top it all off. All these are essentials for my daily driving routine. Then I can start working on stuff that I "want", versus need. :) Thanks for looking up that part number; I saved it so I don't have to look it up later on. :thumbsup

I have to see which garage door opening mechanism is more current, the mirror or the center panel switch. I know some of these older units aren't compatible with HomeLink, which is a feature I will need when I replace my garage door opener. Whichever one is better I will end up keeping. If the mirror is the outdated one, then I may swap it down the road for a mirror without the buttons, but for now it is a super cheap extra I got with the rain sensor I purchased, so it was worth installing anyway. Looking forward to getting the essentials squared away so I can work on the other stuff.

[johnrando]

Loving the progress, just keep plugging away.

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[Sockethead]

Yes, it's fun watching BP give his car the BP treatment :)

[az3579]

Yes, it's fun watching BP give his car the BP treatment :)

I'm already going down a rabbit hole I shouldn't be going down... I was looking hard at the interior wondering how much work it would be to dye the door card outers black, and how much a black carpet and dash would run. :facepalm

Gotta rein it in. This is supposed to just be a hauler/shitty weather car.

[Sockethead]

This is supposed to just be a hauler/shitty weather car.

You need to rename your thread to this :)

[Vas]

I'm already going down a rabbit hole I shouldn't be going down... I was looking hard at the interior wondering how much work it would be to dye the door card outers black, and how much a black carpet and dash would run. :facepalm

Gotta rein it in. This is supposed to just be a hauler/shitty weather car.Talk to stuart. He has his old wagon interior for sale I think.

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[az3579]

Talk to stuart. He has his old wagon interior for sale I think.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using TapatalkThe one he has isn't a complete interior. Plus, I'd be looking to two-tone it; the partial interior he has is all black. I'm thinking something more along the lines of dying the door cards and dash to keep the costs down. Not sure yet; we'll keep this decision as a surprise. [emoji6]

I definitely want to keep the non-sport seats and keep 'em grey. The two-tone will make them look sick, I think. [emoji12]

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[az3579]

Hungarians FTW!

It turns out both of the items I ordered as part of my "Daily Driver Acceptability" program, in this case for on board entertainment, are made in Hungary!
The Dension Gateway Pro BT unit is made by Dension, a Hungarian company. This one came from an eBay seller in Germany, since you can't get these in the US for some reason. I loved the Dension I put in my ZHP shortly after purchasing it, so this will fit the bill very nicely while retaining the stock head unit look. This unit will give me USB, Aux, and Bluetooth capability, all the while being able to control everything from the steering wheel and MID controls (unless using Aux, but I don't use Aux) and having song information text display on the MID.

https://i.imgur.com/IJvOF1X.jpg



Also made in Hungary and actually shipped by a seller whose name I recognize as Hungarian (sorry this is a treat for me), is my MID repair kit. It consists of a screwdriver, a silver ribbon cable, and extremely nice color-photo instructions on how to repair the MID. Mine's seen much better days with a couple of rows of dead pixels going horizontally. I also added all the bulbs necessary to repair the backlighting.

https://i.imgur.com/q7EW56D.jpg?1

[DeathTrap]

Nice! I'm guessing you picked these up off of eBay? I need to upgrade my audio, eventually, but I have no desire for a screen in my car (I already stare at enough screens)

[az3579]

Nice! I'm guessing you picked these up off of eBay? I need to upgrade my audio, eventually, but I have no desire for a screen in my car (I already stare at enough screens)German eBay, yes. It's way cheaper than buying from Dension's site. Their site is great for determining compatibility though, and exactly which model to get for your vehicle.

https://www.dension.com/automotive

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[Sreten]

Pixelfix is great! They are from Hungary and they ship from there. I used their silver ribbon cable to repair speedo pixels on 2 separate occasions and just now I ordered another one to repair the MID on E31. Can't say enough good things about them, they send detailed instructions via email and a hard copy along with the cable, youtube videos and always provide great support.

[az3579]

Pixelfix is great! They are from Hungary and they ship from there. I used their silver ribbon cable to repair speedo pixels on 2 separate occasions and just now I ordered another one to repair the MID on E31. Can't say enough good things about them, they send detailed instructions via email and a hard copy along with the cable, youtube videos and always provide great support.Good to know that their parts are worth it! I plan on repairing my MID this weekend.

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[johnrando]

Nice!

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[RUS_ZHP]

Hey Botond,
I gave me an idea on which way to go on my wife's white zhp. For ~$100 I can get a Bluetooth calls and music streaming. I was not planning to buy any Android head unit, which is roughly $300.
But, first I need to find a resolution to my weird wire connectors.

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[brettbimmer]

Hungarians FTW!

It turns out both of the items I ordered as part of my "Daily Driver Acceptability" program, in this case for on board entertainment, are made in Hungary!
The Dension Gateway Pro BT unit is made by Dension, a Hungarian company. This one came from an eBay seller in Germany, since you can't get these in the US for some reason. I loved the Dension I put in my ZHP shortly after purchasing it, so this will fit the bill very nicely while retaining the stock head unit look. This unit will give me USB, Aux, and Bluetooth capability, all the while being able to control everything from the steering wheel and MID controls (unless using Aux, but I don't use Aux) and having song information text display on the MID.

https://i.imgur.com/IJvOF1X.jpg



Also made in Hungary and actually shipped by a seller whose name I recognize as Hungarian (sorry this is a treat for me), is my MID repair kit. It consists of a screwdriver, a silver ribbon cable, and extremely nice color-photo instructions on how to repair the MID. Mine's seen much better days with a couple of rows of dead pixels going horizontally. I also added all the bulbs necessary to repair the backlighting.

https://i.imgur.com/q7EW56D.jpg?1I used Pixelfix too for the E53 cluster. Ended up pulling the stepper motors off for access, but then had to replace them as I broke a few on removal. Replacements came from ebay too. Please let me know if you need any help or have questions. I have some photos, but not in my phone if needed.

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[az3579]

I used Pixelfix too for the E53 cluster. Ended up pulling the stepper motors off for access, but then had to replace them as I broke a few on removal. Replacements came from ebay too. Please let me know if you need any help or have questions. I have some photos, but not in my phone if needed.

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Well, the repair was a miserable failure. After spending hours trying to get the ribbon cable attached to the LCD panel, I finally got it on, only to have it come loose again while trying to attach the other side. While trying to re-attach it, I broke the part of the LCD that has the pins on it, as well as destroyed the stupid metal clip that holds everything together. I was so pissed...

I broke down and purchased a rebuilt MID on eBay for a whopping $150. So much money down the drain... ugh. There was no way I was gonna order an LCD and go through that nightmare again, even if I could salvage the metal clip (totally destroyed).



I'm also fighting trying to get a set of clear outer tail lights so I can eradicate these stupid red turn signals. I have a line on a pair from a UK seller, but he's trying to tell me it's going to cost me over 100 pounds to ship the pair! They weigh next to nothing, and can be put in a medium sized box; they tell me they have the shippers they have contracts with and have no option to use a cheaper service. Unbelievable... that would put it at about $179 for just the outer pail of tails shipped. Helllllll no.

I'm messaging another seller to try to get the pair he's got, hopefully for a LOT less. Everyone else is quoting about 40 EUR to ship, so I really don't understand how the hell it could cost 100 pounds to ship a pair of small tail lights.

[John in VA]

Shipping from UK is ridiculously expensive. Have you checked with https://www.schmiedmann.com/? My '03 E39 sedan is LCI, so came with the white/clear Celis tail lights - don't know if they came on the US touring.

[brettbimmer]

Well, the repair was a miserable failure. After spending hours trying to get the ribbon cable attached to the LCD panel, I finally got it on, only to have it come loose again while trying to attach the other side. While trying to re-attach it, I broke the part of the LCD that has the pins on it, as well as destroyed the stupid metal clip that holds everything together. I was so pissed...

I broke down and purchased a rebuilt MID on eBay for a whopping $150. So much money down the drain... ugh. There was no way I was gonna order an LCD and go through that nightmare again, even if I could salvage the metal clip (totally destroyed).



I'm also fighting trying to get a set of clear outer tail lights so I can eradicate these stupid red turn signals. I have a line on a pair from a UK seller, but he's trying to tell me it's going to cost me over 100 pounds to ship the pair! They weigh next to nothing, and can be put in a medium sized box; they tell me they have the shippers they have contracts with and have no option to use a cheaper service. Unbelievable... that would put it at about $179 for just the outer pail of tails shipped. Helllllll no.

I'm messaging another seller to try to get the pair he's got, hopefully for a LOT less. Everyone else is quoting about 40 EUR to ship, so I really don't understand how the hell it could cost 100 pounds to ship a pair of small tail lights.

Nooooo!!!!!!!!! Oh man that sucks. I'm sorry! It is not an easy surgery on the cluster, and like I said I opted to removing (which thus destroyed) the stepper motors for the tach, speedo, and temp gauge I believe. Hopefully the replacement will work. If you have any trouble, let me know.

Also, if you need help with a seller in Germany who will not ship to the USA, I have a friend who owes me about 10 favors for me shipping 'Merican Muscle car parts to him, so let me know.

[az3579]

Shipping from UK is ridiculously expensive. Have you checked with https://www.schmiedmann.com/? My '03 E39 sedan is LCI, so came with the white/clear Celis tail lights - don't know if they came on the US touring.

I have Celis tails, but the turn signals are U.S. spec stupid red turn signals. I would have thought that Depo would sell a standard Red/Clear set aftermarket, but I can't seem to find any, so I'm going to assume it doesn't exist. So, I had to resort to Europe.

I got the coding done so the turn signals and brake lights are separate (another idiotic U.S. move, having turn signal and brake lights together), so now I just need the clears to complete the package. :)

Schmiedmann I think only sells the new stuff. I just checked to be sure and the tails they offer are new ones at about 177EUR per side, which is out of the question unfortunately.


who will not ship to the USA, I have a friend who owes me about 10 favors for me shipping 'Merican Muscle car parts to him, so let me know.

Thanks Brett - I'll keep you in mind. I sent Sreten a PM earlier and he mentioned that he's also willing to source me a local set and ship it to me if needed. There are tons of these in Germany, so that is a gold mine option!

I did find a seller on eBay who just put up a listing for a super awesome price and is actually willing to ship to the U.S., so we'll see if I can score this pair at a super cheap shipped price!

[slater]

Schmiedmann I think only sells the new stuff.

nope - they sell used stuff too! some great E46 bits there.

[Sreten]

Well, the repair was a miserable failure. After spending hours trying to get the ribbon cable attached to the LCD panel, I finally got it on, only to have it come loose again while trying to attach the other side. While trying to re-attach it, I broke the part of the LCD that has the pins on it, as well as destroyed the stupid metal clip that holds everything together. I was so pissed...

I broke down and purchased a rebuilt MID on eBay for a whopping $150. So much money down the drain... ugh. There was no way I was gonna order an LCD and go through that nightmare again, even if I could salvage the metal clip (totally destroyed).


Damn, that sucks. I just got my cable and going to attempt to repair the MID on E31 soon. I replaced the cable on e39 cluster 2 times successfully so far, I'd imagine MID should be easier.


Nooooo!!!!!!!!! Oh man that sucks. I'm sorry! It is not an easy surgery on the cluster, and like I said I opted to removing (which thus destroyed) the stepper motors for the tach, speedo, and temp gauge I believe. Hopefully the replacement will work. If you have any trouble, let me know.


Pixelfix sells a special tool to safely remove needles, I got it the first time I ordered from them but in both cases when I did the repair I ended up drilling the holes to get to the screws that hold LCD in place. I was skeptical about putting the needles back in correct position and potentially get false readings once I remove them.

[az3579]

Juicy updates! Picking up where I left off...

After the failed MID repair, a rebuilt MID magically appeared at my doorstep, compliments of eBay (and my money). No more dead pixels!

https://i.imgur.com/NcQs8Vs.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/iQ57T2D.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/LTo31qb.jpg



With a fully functioning MID, I could finally install the Dension media integration kit. The glorious sound of music I actually care to listen to made this purchase well-worth the price. Every time I turn it on, it just... works. Spoiled already, but this brings a new problem to the table. The more I listen to music I like, the more I realize that the speakers in this thing are just abysmal. "Hi-Fi sound system" my ass, options list... but I digress. That will be for another time.



A glaring issue kept staring me in the face: those damned red turn signals. Well, I finally decided to do something about it and ordered up a pair of outer tails, used ones, from Schmiedmann. To make it all worth the shipping cost, I threw in a pair of aftermarket aspherical mirrors ('Johns Autotelle' brand, whatever that is) and a passenger-side mirror cover, since mine is so broken, all the wires are exposed.

The used tails were in very nice shape, I admit. Oh yes, that is an LCM in the middle. I'll explain in a bit. Sitting on top of it, a new tailgate release micro switch. My current one is driving me batshit crazy.

https://i.imgur.com/CsGputD.jpg



My goodness the new look is PERFECT. Finally, some non-ambiguous turn signal action, and a little something to give the local enthusiasts a 'cue' that I'm not just a badge wearer. :)

https://i.imgur.com/sizf3I4.jpg



The side mirrors. Overall decent quality, but the aspherical part of it starts sooner than the line, more toward the middle of the glass (as seen in pics below). This is something I noticed with the Dubstop mirrors I have on my ZHP as well. The Genuine BMW glass on my E46 M3 mirrors don't do this, and properly distorts starting at the line. I guess that's the difference between an aftermarket glass and an OE BMW one. Small sacrifice, small price to pay for some proper safety. I did notice there's a little bit of an adjustment curve with my eyes using these, but I think that may just be from having driven the touring lately and being used to the US magnified glass.

The mirrors install very much like the E46 ones do. Adjust them all the way out and down, pry with a screwdriver, and off they pop. The retention mechanism is the same, and the glass interchangeable (one part number for both sides, 51168250438).

https://i.imgur.com/iqjpQhI.jpg



Tiny little wires

https://i.imgur.com/ODsVVtP.jpg



https://i.imgur.com/DPauyMy.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ZRGJ0E2.jpg



Since purchasing the car, the one of the rear PDC sensors, the extreme left one, didn't work. This would mean a constant loud beeping whenever engaging reverse. I lived with it for a few months but could take no more. eBay to the rescue once more; found a brand new round sensor painted in the correct TiAg color. Unfortunately the little bugger took a month to arrive, but I did eventually get it. It now resides in my rear bumper.

https://i.imgur.com/UIEU6az.jpg?1



Sadly, this didn't completely fix my issue. While the beep isn't a constant beep telling me the system is disabled, the beeps it does produce now are completely useless. If I engage reverse with nothing in front of or behind me, it still beeps rapidly as though I'm about to hit something, and completely varies its beeping intensity regardless of what is or isn't near me. It's incredibly useless this way.

My friend had told me that these sensors are very sensitive and that dirt could affect their operation. Unfortunately, they continue operating erratically even after cleaning. There are no codes that come up after a re-read having cleared the PDC error from the dead sensor previously. I'm baffled as to why it's behaving so terribly. Any ideas? Please don't say it's the harness because I'd rather shoot myself than take off the bumper. lol



So you must be curious - what's up with the LCM? Is mine broken? Nope, not broken. In fact, mine works perfectly fine. I am, however, an advocate of LED lighting wherever possible, and my existing LCM does not allow me to use LED bulbs anywhere without fast blinking. I tried this a couple of months ago only to discover that my CANBUS LED bulbs from the ZHP (error-free, no fast blink type bulbs) produced a fast blink regardless in the Touring.

A little research later, I discovered that the E39 had a few different LCM revisions, mainly LCM-IIIA, -IIIB, and IV. Anything LCM-IIIB and later would have sufficed, but I am particular and decided to go for the very latest part number, a LCM-IV P/N 61356961142 out of a 2006 X5. As much as I had hoped it would give me extra features, a quick search found that unfortunately there aren't any real extra features to be had with the later LCM other than the LED bulb capability I sought. I may still discover features, but for now I'm content with what I am now capable of, which is CANBUS LED bulbs that don't fast blink. This little bad boy went in tonight and coded with PA Soft for VIN and mileage.



Out with the old:

https://i.imgur.com/wTOlGyp.jpg



In with the new:

https://i.imgur.com/k3lICpw.jpg



The tailgate micro-switch proved to be a bit challenging. I found very little information online about how to swap this out. I'm actually finding very little touring specific information online at all, unfortunately. I guess driving a rare, typically non-enthusiast car has its disadvantages. After a lot of digging, I finally deduced that I have to remove the plastic cover from the micro-switch housing, but to do that I have to remove a screw that unfortunately is completely frozen from rust. Despite numerous PB Blaster applications and good blows with a hammer on the screwdriver, it just won't budge. I don't know how to handle these types of situations, so I have to wait until my friend has time to deal with this...

Why do I need to replace the switch, you ask? Well, mine will randomly activate the liftgate release while driving. Not only will it activate it and unlock the liftgate, but it will continue doing so in quick succession. All I hear is the darned thing activating at random times, and it drives me crazy. It also stresses me out, because I know eventually that motor will wear out with all these frequent activations. I attempted to find a fuse that would control it, but I didn't want to kill the tailgate release as well, so I ditched that idea. Then I found out that there are a couple of relays that control the tailgate and liftgate releases, so I pulled the liftgate release relay. Hopefully that'll stop it until I can get the switch replaced.




So, what's next? All lighting...
* LED brake light bulbs for the rear - 1156 bulb type
* LED turn signal bulbs for the rear - either 1156 or 1157 bulb type, depending on whether I use euro bulb carrier that came with the euro tails
* LED reverse light bulbs - 1156 bulb type
* Front LED turn signal bulbs - 3157 bulb type
* New sidemarkers, since the lenses from both sides have fallen off
* Sidemarker LED bulbs, 194 bulb type
* Undecided: new headlights with bi-Xenon projectors retrofitted ($$$), or rebuild existing headlights with new lenses, new adjusters (mine are broken), and new projectors ($.5, but lots of labor)

[cakM3]

Nice progress Botond :thumbsup

[johnrando]

Love the progress.

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[BADCLOWN]

That center console unit looks brand new, nice!

[RUS_ZHP]

Clear tails make a such a big difference!
Love it

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[dannyzabolotny]

Love the clear tails, and I'm a fan of E39 wagons in general. Funnily enough, I went from daily driving a 540it to daily driving a 330i/5. I get much better gas mileage (the 540it averaged 15mpg no matter what) and parts are cheaper.

Let me know if you have any E39 questions, I've owned a dozen E39's over the past few years. Here's what my 540it looked like before I sold it:

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1817/29188096967_0c40c60978_b.jpg

[3LiterStraightSix]

Love the clear tails, and I'm a fan of E39 wagons in general. Funnily enough, I went from daily driving a 540it to daily driving a 330i/5. I get much better gas mileage (the 540it averaged 15mpg no matter what) and parts are cheaper.

Let me know if you have any E39 questions, I've owned a dozen E39's over the past few years. Here's what my 540it looked like before I sold it:

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1817/29188096967_0c40c60978_b.jpgM-parallels look so right on e39’s!

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[az3579]

Nice progress Botond :thumbsup


Love the progress.


Thanks dudes.


That center console unit looks brand new, nice!

The MID does indeed. The rest of the console though needs work. The slider tray under the arm rest is almost totally broken, being held on by one last bit of plastic. I did get lucky in that the wood trim all around is in great shape, with almost no clear coat cracking. Will be freshening things up eventually with new parts, and hopefully converting some other trims to black in preparation for the inevitable factory two-toned project.


Clear tails make a such a big difference!
Love it



Yeah they do. I simply don't understand why BMW decides to do something different for the U.S. vs Europe when it comes to tail lights; the European standard is perfectly suitable for the U.S and looks better to boot, on ALL its cars.


Love the clear tails, and I'm a fan of E39 wagons in general. Funnily enough, I went from daily driving a 540it to daily driving a 330i/5. I get much better gas mileage (the 540it averaged 15mpg no matter what) and parts are cheaper.

Let me know if you have any E39 questions, I've owned a dozen E39's over the past few years. Here's what my 540it looked like before I sold it:

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1817/29188096967_0c40c60978_b.jpg

That is absolutely gorgeous. Man, what I'd do for a proper set of M-style bumpers. I will be going around the car and painting all of the door and bumper trims back to black. The silver is too much for me and need to break it up. The paint on the plastic bits is also extremely faded and worn out, so the trim needs refreshing as well. All the clearcoat is coming off the door handles too. Thankfully silver hides pretty much everything!

15mpg sounds horrible to live with every day; I'm not surprised you got rid of it for that reason. My 525i touring gets on average about 22-23 mpg with mixed city/highway driving, which is actually pretty remarkable as its EPA figures are 17 city / 24 hwy, and I can certainly get between 26-28 mpg purely on the highway and 20 mpg purely city. It's still better than the X3 I was also considering before buying this. Those SAVs are horrible on gas.

As much as I love E46 tourings, the gas mileage is so much better that it would be worth saving up the extra money, selling this, and starting over on the E46. This car was too cheap ($2k) to pass up.



M-parallels look so right on e39’s!




The E39/E38's had such a great selection of wheels. I am thankful that mine came with Style 5's, which is one of the top wheels for BMW ever, right up there with M Parallels. My winter set is a set of Style 32's, which also look amazing.

[dannyzabolotny]

That is absolutely gorgeous. Man, what I'd do for a proper set of M-style bumpers. I will be going around the car and painting all of the door and bumper trims back to black. The silver is too much for me and need to break it up. The paint on the plastic bits is also extremely faded and worn out, so the trim needs refreshing as well. All the clearcoat is coming off the door handles too. Thankfully silver hides pretty much everything!

15mpg sounds horrible to live with every day; I'm not surprised you got rid of it for that reason. My 525i touring gets on average about 22-23 mpg with mixed city/highway driving, which is actually pretty remarkable as its EPA figures are 17 city / 24 hwy, and I can certainly get between 26-28 mpg purely on the highway and 20 mpg purely city. It's still better than the X3 I was also considering before buying this. Those SAVs are horrible on gas.

As much as I love E46 tourings, the gas mileage is so much better that it would be worth saving up the extra money, selling this, and starting over on the E46. This car was too cheap ($2k) to pass up.

I bought it with 174k miles and sold it at 219k miles... I put 45k miles on it in around two years. I don't even want to think about how much money I spent on gas, haha. While I did use the extra space a few times, most of the time I was driving it empty with just myself in it, so in retrospect it was a bit wasteful. But then again, people here in Phoenix drive giant lifted trucks that get 8mpg and never do truck stuff with them, so I don't feel as bad.

Unfortunately my 330i/5 doesn't have fold down seats, so my options are to either retrofit them somehow, or to just buy an E46 touring and transfer over the whole drivetrain. I don't have the money to do it yet, but once I do, I might just be on the lookout for a RWD E46 touring in Japan Red, as an homage to my 540it. That would be a pretty sweet all-around car that would handle nicely, get decent gas mileage, be fun to drive, and have enough room for IKEA trips and parts hauling.

[az3579]

Did a thing. Fully LED in the back. In addition to the factory LED running lights, my brake lights (red bulbs), turn signals (Amber bulbs), and reverse lights (white bulbs) are now super bright LEDs. :)


http://i.imgur.com/i2Q4tMC.jpg (https://imgur.com/i2Q4tMC)

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[johnrando]

Nice!

[RUS_ZHP]

Looking bright!

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[derbo]

I need to LED my E90 as well. I need help from Botond the LED specialist.

[az3579]

You know where to find me, bruh.