What did you do to / for your E53 today??

[x5Alpine]

complete cooling system rebuild, valve cover gasket, spark plugs, new DISA valve, and new fuel filter. this is my 6th E53 and I think ill keep this one for a while. a 7/03 production sienna red over tan with 139,000 miles and the leather bottoms still feel like new and are not hard and dried out like most E53's i see.

[andrewwynn]

Originally Posted by semcoinc

Thanks Andrew



I'll check out the hidden menu. Both the gauge and iBus app are showing fuel being consumed. Today I went from 10 gallons to 7 gallons in the iBus app.



Mike

Hidden 6 shows the liters in each side. Here are the basics to know if the senders are working properly;

When the left gets below about 25L, the right should stay at 1.4L until the left reaches zero.

If the right ever gets down to 1.0, refuel immediately regardless of left fuel reading.

Typical scenarios:

Left side has 17L and right starts dropping. This usuaky means the siphon jet is not working. This is the classic tm ran out of gas at 1/4 tank problrm. You actually do have 1/4 tank you just can't use it.

You can get very similar symptoms when the left sender unit is reading high. The main difference is that the level can be anything and the DTE will get stuck (when it happened to me my gauge read about 1/3 of a tank).

When you suspect a fuel system problem watch test six.

The right side should stop dropping when left is 25-27L and if you see the right slowly drip from 1.4 to 1.0, that's a sign the siphon jet is not working, but of the right side drops quicky from 1.4, the left sender is more likely the fault.

If you fill the tank and it shows 2/3 of a tank that usualky means that the left sender is reporting high (seems illogical: why if it reads high does the gauge read low: has to do with how it shows the average over time) this is why is important to reset with 21 if you work on the fuel senders.

[Overboost]

Originally Posted by Mouse

Also attempted DIY headlight restoration with proper sanding followed by minwax/mineral spirits cocktail. Not bad for first time. May sand a little deeper next time.

Before and after....

Looks fantastic Mouse

[andrewwynn]

Installed new starter. I still have to put my engine back together (I removed the intake ductwork and DISA valve to make room to work).

Also, in the end I disconnected both B+ and alternator cables so I could move the starter over fast enough to reach the nuts on the end of the solinoid.



Here is a pic showing how I got to the nuts using a long extension and a swivel.



There is a ton of space next to the starter, but it's cut in half by the dipstick tube. Turned out to be about 10x as easy once I removed the tube!

[Serb404]

Originally Posted by Mouse

Also attempted DIY headlight restoration with proper sanding followed by minwax/mineral spirits cocktail. Not bad for first time. May sand a little deeper next time.

Before and after....

well done sir looks amazing isn't it a satisfying feeling when it's all clean and shiny? haha

[Overboost]

Originally Posted by andrewwynn

Installed new starter. I still have to put my engine back together (I removed the intake ductwork and DISA valve to make room to work).

Also, in the end I disconnected both B+ and alternator cables so I could move the starter over fast enough to reach the nuts on the end of the solinoid.



There is a ton of space next to the starter, but it's cut in half by the dipstick tube. Turned out to be about 10x as easy once I removed the tube!

Nice work! Brand new shiny starter, should outlive the X now.

But I have to ask, what's with the toilet paper roll?

[EODguy]

Originally Posted by Overboost

Nice work! But I have to ask, what's with the toilet paper roll?

That's an easy one....

Parts for the e53, that shit is expensive...!!

But seriously TP rolls are cheap and moldable supports just like cigarette butts are the perfect plug for transmission lines!!

Sent from my SM-A730F using Tapatalk

[crystalworks]

Originally Posted by Mouse

Also attempted DIY headlight restoration with proper sanding followed by minwax/mineral spirits cocktail. Not bad for first time. May sand a little deeper next time.

Before and after....

Looks great man. Next time we'll open them up and install some proper halos.

[Overboost]

Originally Posted by EODguy

That's an easy one....

Parts for the e53, that shit is expensive...!!

[andrewwynn]

Originally Posted by Overboost

Nice work! Brand new shiny starter, should outlive the X now.



But I have to ask, what's with the toilet paper roll?

Good eye. It's actually paper towel roll and is what the starter is sitting on. It will be mentioned in my full write up.

Without the PT, the starter fell out of the hole into the floor. I put the starter in the space from below and then from above made the electrical connections.



From below. It's perched on the motor mount but precarious. After it fell out once I stuffed the PT roll in to hold the starter up while making the electrical connections; ∞ better worked like a charm.

I told my dad or would take between 40 and 300 minutes. Because I tried to do only from below, it will be very close to the 300 mark, spread over three days, but when wife's starter goes, it will take 60-90 minutes because I know the shortcuts that I had to invent.