Im In Boys! - New Owner Down Under

[wjp005]

...

[Patrick-Irish]

Well done, looks good. Love the silver mirrors.

I recently did my dead pixels .... came back as new. I did replace the ribbon though, it was a test of patience to do it properly but great results.

The indicator light coming on is a "feature" actually. It's to warn you that the parking light is out. If you replace the parker bulb I bet that will be the end of that issue.

I bought my X5 in Jan'10. Aside from the colour it looks identical to yours in every other way. I discovered a few things too ..... like the rear window wiper being broken and simply laid in place by the dealer in a way you wouldn't notice. It was interesting when I first switched it on .... the thing just fell to the road so new wiper arm. I had a leak inside .... a drip coming from the cluster where the sunroof switch is. A clean out of the drain plug just under the sunroof glass at the front solved that.

There was no window washer fluid cap on the fluid tank in the engine bay. Minor but annoying .... how the hell did that happen ??!

Current issues I have are my auto-adjusting xenon headlights are pointing too much to the road. Am currently investigating to see how to adjust them. Also I'm keeping my transmission under review .... there have been some judders felt while driving and I'm seeing how it develops.

Also my sat nav is shot. Expensive to replace the DVD unit in the boot though so I'm very slow to take the plunge.

My drivers seat has a hole in it from where the heating element burnt through. The heater still works fine, but I'll repair the hole before using it.

I've already done a coolant flush. There are two drain plugs on the engine block for this, but only one of them is accessable. The other is buried behind various things on the side of the engine block and I couldn't reach it.

I've done all filters (air, cabin, oil). Full oil change with Mobil 1. Spark plugs changed. Theres a gasket behind the strip over the rear number plate area, below the BMW badge. It was perished so I replaced it, along with both number plate light units because water had gotten in and corroded them.

What else .....

I've done a few other bits and pieces too. While doing the coolant flush I replaced the thermostat. I've put new tires on, and had it professionally buffed/polished.

It's a lovely car. I also need to replace the tie rod ends ..... the steering has very slight play in it which can be felt sharphy through the steering wheel, especially when going over a speed bump or something.

You'll have hours of fun with yours .... enjoy !

[wallyx5]

[hypnotiqdmg]

Great pictures and CONGRATS!

[m5james]

Originally Posted by wjp005

Full service - Oil & coolant change, pollen filter, air filter

1. Instrument Display Dead Pixels - Hopefully a clean of the contacts will sort this out.
2. LH Parker light is out, but LH indicator comes on when parkers are on....hmmmm?
3. A/C Condenser fan is a bit sluggish - will attempt to locate the fan speed controller, but perhaps the contacts are just worn or dirty.
4. RH Rear tailgate lock/latch isn't working properly - not sure if it's related but the car chimes "Rear Hatch Open" after starting
5. Small plastic fitting at top of radiator (with the hose that goes to the header tank) cable tied in place - WTF!
6. Missing plastic trim on RH side front bumper, the one where you screw in the towhook
7. Maybe a tint job
8. Second key - I hate having only one key to a car....AARGH!!!
9. RH rear doorlock sometimes doesn't unlock with the other doors. a couple of tries with the key sometimes gets it to fire up.

That's it for now, but I'm yet to give the car a full going over to get a complete list together.

Anything else I should put on the agenda boys? I'm aware of the transmission issues but also know about the theory behind the fluid + filter service...sediment disruption.... BANG!!!.

1) Cleaning the contacts will sometimes help, other times making it worse. There are places you can have it sent to like www.vdorepair.com and you can still drive while the cluster is being repaired. For the price, I've considered just upgrading to a 4.6is cluster, but then again, it'd be another stock cluster just waiting to fail, so it's a toss up.
2) It's a dual filament bulb, easy fix.
3) That could be anything from dirty contacts to a tired battery. Keep us posted.
4) They're related, but also, an esay fix. Peel of that stupid chrome strip while you're at it, then follow up with a nice waxing.
5) I was going to say with your refresh...depending on the mileage, I always recommend a COMPLETE cooling system overhaul. New radiator, waterpump, hoses, expansion tank, valley pan gasket, etc. To each their own though.
6) Ebay, junkyards or even here if you can find someone parting out a wrecked X in the For Sale subforums.
7) Yeah, I was surprised it didn't even have a slight tint on all but the windscreen and front side windows like it seems they always do here in the US.
8) That was something I negotiated from the dealership when gettting my X only because I knew what they costed.
9) Sounds like someone had the door panel off before, hopefully they replaced the window regulator while they were in there! Taking it off is pretty easy, and if it actuates easily without the panel on, they it was simply installed wrong causing binding. I've done it and seen it done, but it can be fixed.

Sediment disruption wouldn't happen it the fluid was serviced regularily, but that's irrelevant now. Just be cautious of it, and if you decide to do it, use a BMW filter only and then you can use Valvoline MaxLife or Castol Multi-Import Vehicle as a fluid replacement vs the obnoxiously overpriced ESSO/BMW stuff from the factory. I've even read of people using plain on' Dexron II and just servicing it regularily...the only difference is that the ESSO compatible stuff is longer life, but if serviced regularily like any other vehicle, then it doesn't matter...but that's all opinion.

Congrats on your new toy!

[m5james]

Originally Posted by Patrick-Irish

Well done, looks good. Love the silver mirrors.

I recently did my dead pixels .... came back as new. I did replace the ribbon though, it was a test of patience to do it properly but great results.

The indicator light coming on is a "feature" actually. It's to warn you that the parking light is out. If you replace the parker bulb I bet that will be the end of that issue.

I bought my X5 in Jan'10. Aside from the colour it looks identical to yours in every other way. I discovered a few things too ..... like the rear window wiper being broken and simply laid in place by the dealer in a way you wouldn't notice. It was interesting when I first switched it on .... the thing just fell to the road so new wiper arm. I had a leak inside .... a drip coming from the cluster where the sunroof switch is. A clean out of the drain plug just under the sunroof glass at the front solved that.

There was no window washer fluid cap on the fluid tank in the engine bay. Minor but annoying .... how the hell did that happen ??!

Current issues I have are my auto-adjusting xenon headlights are pointing too much to the road. Am currently investigating to see how to adjust them. Also I'm keeping my transmission under review .... there have been some judders felt while driving and I'm seeing how it develops.

Also my sat nav is shot. Expensive to replace the DVD unit in the boot though so I'm very slow to take the plunge.

My drivers seat has a hole in it from where the heating element burnt through. The heater still works fine, but I'll repair the hole before using it.

I've already done a coolant flush. There are two drain plugs on the engine block for this, but only one of them is accessable. The other is buried behind various things on the side of the engine block and I couldn't reach it.

I've done all filters (air, cabin, oil). Full oil change with Mobil 1. Spark plugs changed. Theres a gasket behind the strip over the rear number plate area, below the BMW badge. It was perished so I replaced it, along with both number plate light units because water had gotten in and corroded them.

What else .....

I've done a few other bits and pieces too. While doing the coolant flush I replaced the thermostat. I've put new tires on, and had it professionally buffed/polished.

It's a lovely car. I also need to replace the tie rod ends ..... the steering has very slight play in it which can be felt sharphy through the steering wheel, especially when going over a speed bump or something.

You'll have hours of fun with yours .... enjoy !

The ribbon is the biggest problem since it's so thin, and then the contacts stick, breaking it from the film. Where did you locate the new ribbon?

The auto adjusting headlights have a sensor that is connected to the control arms via little nipple on the arm and a rod running to a sensor that can be adjusted. I've seen the little ball break from the nipple, giving it slop and not aiming the lights correctly. East fix.

Replace your NAV with one of the Hualigan/Dynavin units talked about on other posts on the forums. For the price, it's far cheaper and a great upgrade as well.

You need to actually replace the heating element in the seat before you can ever use it again. There are threads on here from simple leg burns to whole cars catching on fire from these broken elements. They're a simple mat with wires in them, but when they break, that voltage goes somewhere..usually in the form of an arc that burns you and everything around it. Replacing the mat is your only option, THEN fix your seat.

For your coolant flush, I hope you only used a BMW compatible coolant...stock stuff from the dealership or Zerex G05. The coolant has to be phosphate free, and the "all makes, all models" stuff out there isn't going to work. It'll cause more damage than good by clogging the heater diverter valve and everything else once the aluminum starts reacting. Also, only use distilled water, NO tap water.

As for your suspension, I'd replace it before you start getting steering wobble while braking or at speeds on the freeway...and you can fix you're headlight adjustments while you're down there. When replacing suspension components, FCPGroton on eBay sells lifetime replacement parts, and always make sure the vehicle is sitting on the ground under the vehicles own weight before torquing the bolts to spec.

[Patrick-Irish]

Originally Posted by m5james

The ribbon is the biggest problem since it's so thin, and then the contacts stick, breaking it from the film. Where did you locate the new ribbon?

I got the ribbon here :-

LCD pixel failure repair for BMW instrument cluster, MID radio & OBC unit.

While I was at it I also bought and fitted the chrome effect cluster gauge surrounds. The ribbin fit is a real exercise in patience, it's so intricate. But it's well worth it because if done right the pixels all come back to life like new. I'm very happy with how mine turned out.

Originally Posted by m5james

The auto adjusting headlights have a sensor that is connected to the control arms via little nipple on the arm and a rod running to a sensor that can be adjusted. I've seen the little ball break from the nipple, giving it slop and not aiming the lights correctly. East fix.

Yeah I'm aware of the sensors. I haven't looked into it too much just yet and hopefully the fix is that simple. I'm also wondering if the headlight aim needs to be calibrated.

Originally Posted by m5james

Replace your NAV with one of the Hualigan/Dynavin units talked about on other posts on the forums. For the price, it's far cheaper and a great upgrade as well.

You need to actually replace the heating element in the seat before you can ever use it again. There are threads on here from simple leg burns to whole cars catching on fire from these broken elements. They're a simple mat with wires in them, but when they break, that voltage goes somewhere..usually in the form of an arc that burns you and everything around it. Replacing the mat is your only option, THEN fix your seat.

Upgrading the DVD thing does sound interesting. I always hate screwing around too much with BMW electrics though so I'll have to wait until I'm feeling particularly brave !

Originally Posted by m5james

For your coolant flush, I hope you only used a BMW compatible coolant...stock stuff from the dealership or Zerex G05. The coolant has to be phosphate free, and the "all makes, all models" stuff out there isn't going to work. It'll cause more damage than good by clogging the heater diverter valve and everything else once the aluminum starts reacting. Also, only use distilled water, NO tap water.

Crap ... no I didn't. I just used some stuff out of a 5 litre tub I bought at the local motor accessories shop. Might have to do that one again .....

[AZX54.4]

Congrats!!
All the things you mentioned to do sound like good ideas. I would also recommend getting a tow hitch cap to cover the hitch when you aren't using it. Also, you would enjoy getting the windows tinted. Makes the car look better and its nice for the privacy.

[Patrick-Irish]

The ribbon will come with about 4 A4 sheets of instructions, written in German English with black and white photos. It'll get you about 80% of the way ... the rest is a bit of make it up as you go along.

Some things to note.

You will need a torx screw driver or two. The little screws in the instrument cluster have small torx heads. Once you've got the cluster out of the car (simple) getting the back cover off it is a pain in the ass. Having 5 hands would be useful because of various tabs and things that all need to be manipulated at the same time. Once that's all done you've to drill holes on the front of the cluster, tricky because you've to drill the holes behind the front plate but you can't remove it ... so you've to kinda lift it up a bit and drill behind it without lifting it so far as to damage the gauge needles.

Very delicate after this point. Remove the glass pixel strip and clean it. Also clean the contacts on the electronics board. It'll have sticky bits on that are difficult to remove. The old ribbon will have been baked on a bit and will leave a residue. I actually used a very fine grade sand paper to clean the contacts on the board side, filing down to reach bare metal so there would be good connectivity. Then used a fine needle to make sure the gaps between the little connectors were free of dirt that might short them out. I used an electronic cleaning solution to finally remove all residues.

Reassembly is tricky. The ribbon slots into designated lugs on the board side but the glass bit doesn't. So there's room for it to move. There's only a millimetre between contacts so you've really got to be careful lining up the contact points on the board and glass with the ribbon. They're near impossible to see ... you'll need a good light on the desk, that doesn't shine in your eyes and by tilting your head in particular angles to show up the contacts on the glass.

Getting the glass and ribbon back on the board is tricky. Scotch Tape helps, in fact I found it essential to anchor the ribbon to the board so it didn't move around. Remember - 1mm movement in the ribbon and your fooked.

Curling the ribbon is tricky. Again the Scotch Tape helps.

A small paint brush is handy for brushing away any shavings caused by the drilling. Plus any dust particles which become very visible when the whole unit is back in the car.

It took me three attempts (complete disassembly, re-seat the ribbon and reassembly) before I got it right. It was the Scotch Tape that saved the day in the end because I just couldn't keep the ribbon from moving just half a mm.

Gimme a message if you need help. And don't go at this job if you know you've to do something else later in the day. You'll need buckets of patience and perseverance. Take your time, keep calm and think through every move carefully. There are brain surgeons out there who couldn't perform this task !

[m5james]

There are cluster and MID disassembly instructions with photos on www.e38.org. I've learned it's either hit or miss though....I made an E38 MID worse by trying to tighten the hold on the ribbon cable, but I didn't care because I wasn't using it anymore anyways. Since the problem is that the contacts on the ribbon cable itself seperate from the cable itself or get hairline cracks overtime, a new ribbon would fix that. I've got a few coming in the mail now. Thanks for the link.