Lesson Learned - My Way

THXKNUT · #1 10-22-2010, 06:59 AM

Yup my way, the hardest fricken way possible.

So the mods began yesterday. Got a brand new set of LED clear tail lights for the wife's XSuperior5. Easy enough right? A couple nuts were in hard to reach places but nothing that wasn't unmanageable. The connections didn't mate up exactly but that wasn't a hill for this stepper. Here's where all hell broke loose; while putting everything back together, 1, Uno, Single, Solitary, 3/16" socket fell while tightening the right side.......

HOLY SHEET.....I thought the E-46 had some Black Holes but the X5 takes the cake. fetch telescoping magnet on antenna - Bust telescoping magnet on an antenna. Fetch anything long & flexible and spend another two hours cursing Craftsman (Because it was their socket). Get dressed, drive in to town (After some teasing from the wife, my one red shoe leading the way), go to Autozone and buy every flexible magnet, or something to get in there they have. Come home and continue with the fishing side show. Spend another two hours cursing Craftsman & Autozone. NOW I'M PISSED!! Did the socket vaporize when it hit bottom? WTF? Remove half the crud in the rear compartment to include the OEM sub woofer and everything around it. Pick up socket (That was nicely sitting under the sub woofer smiling and laughing at me), call socket every name in the book and then throw it as far as I possibly can out into a field. Wife comes out to see if every things okay, says lights look nice as if it was only a 15 minute job.

Time to put everything back together........Now where did that socket go?

But Daggum It, I still love them BMW's!!!

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tonycajjo · #2 10-22-2010, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THXKNUT

Yup my way, the hardest fricken way possible.

So the mods began yesterday. Got a brand new set of LED clear tail lights for the wife's XSuperior5. Easy enough right? A couple nuts were in hard to reach places but nothing that wasn't unmanageable. The connections didn't mate up exactly but that wasn't a hill for this stepper. Here's where all hell broke loose; while putting everything back together, 1, Uno, Single, Solitary, 3/16" socket fell while tightening the right side.......

HOLY SHEET.....I thought the E-46 had some Black Holes but the X5 takes the cake. fetch telescoping magnet on antenna - Bust telescoping magnet on an antenna. Fetch anything long & flexible and spend another two hours cursing Craftsman (Because it was their socket). Get dressed, drive in to town (After some teasing from the wife, my one red shoe leading the way), go to Autozone and buy every flexible magnet, or something to get in there they have. Come home and continue with the fishing side show. Spend another two hours cursing Craftsman & Autozone. NOW I'M PISSED!! Did the socket vaporize when it hit bottom? WTF? Remove half the crud in the rear compartment to include the OEM sub woofer and everything around it. Pick up socket (That was nicely sitting under the sub woofer smiling and laughing at me), call socket every name in the book and then throw it as far as I possibly can out into a field. Wife comes out to see if every things okay, says lights look nice as if it was only a 15 minute job.

Time to put everything back together........Now where did that socket go?

But Daggum It, I still love them BMW's!!!

lost a clip for the air shock somewhere in the back while doing a moderately quick yob... took a lot of swearing to find it.

Orangebang · #3 10-22-2010, 04:13 PM

LOL. My car got broken into when I was in college. I was so pissed off (I had my wheels stolen just the day before), I threw my keys. (Don't ask why, it was probably because it was what I was holding in my hand at the time).

Spent the next 20 minutes in the parking lot searching for my keys.

X5Matador · #4 10-22-2010, 04:42 PM

Oh man, that just hit a little to close to home. I'm better now, must be my age.

wullaby · #5 10-22-2010, 09:18 PM

which set of LED clears did you get and did u have to install a capacitor? you have link to where you got them from? I am thinking of LED as my stock bulbs are triggering "check rear brake lights" I figure replace the whole damn thing!

Weasel · #6 10-22-2010, 09:32 PM

HA! I love these stories... I got to the point where I'd just assume buy another $30 snap-on swivel socket rather than spend 2 hours searching and pulling apart a customer's engine compartment. If I can't find it in 10 minutes I just accept the loss! But I even have a pickup magnet on a rubber vacuum hose for fishing a 16mm socket from a transmission bell housing in my tool box. Yeah, can't leave a socket in there!

So where in Louisiana are you THXKNUT?

THXKNUT · #7 10-23-2010, 01:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wullaby

which set of LED clears did you get and did u have to install a capacitor? you have link to where you got them from? I am thinking of LED as my stock bulbs are triggering "check rear brake lights" I figure replace the whole damn thing!

These - PartsTrain.com - Hard to Find Auto Parts and Truck Parts -

No capacitors on this vehicle (Did on my E46). Replaced the reverse bulbs and turn signals bulbs with single LED bulbs (Love those things)! I'm very pleased with the way things turned out. Hope the Depos go as well but I smell a capacitor job coming with the corner delete.

Quote:

So where in Louisiana are you THXKNUT?

15 minutes from Gods playground - Tiger Stadium! Jarreau, near The False River, North West of Baton Rouge. You? New Orleans?

THXKNUT · #8 10-23-2010, 08:20 AM

Weasel,

Do you know Mike from F1 Autohaus? Just curious because he did all the LED lighting on my E46 and when we were talking about doing the E53, he said he has a friend who's got an X5 he was getting ready to do a full interior job on. I love your ride and would like to know more about some of the mods you've done.

Today is THE day!!!

YouTube - THE LSU FOOTBALL(HYPE) 2010

Weasel · #9 10-23-2010, 06:24 PM

I'm actually in Metairie right by New Orleans right now, but the Family and I just bought a house in Tickfaw... which is where all my weekends go for the next year with all the work I gotta do to it. And no, I don't know anyone from autohaus.

Bet you wish this particular game was a home game huh! But them boys need to catch this up now! Still time left!

wullaby · #10 10-23-2010, 08:31 PM

[QUOTE=THXKNUT;776809]These - PartsTrain.com - Hard to Find Auto Parts and Truck Parts -

another question:

"Replaced the reverse bulbs and turn signals bulbs with single LED bulbs (Love those things)" - So these are additional parts purchased with the LED lamps? And if so, they can be found at same site?

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