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

[whodat]

Originally Posted by Salty B.

Today I drove it home after buying it. 2001 M54 5MT Oxford green, black leather. Cosmetics aren't great but mechanically everything has been done and it drives nice. 188Kmiles, no smoke/rattles/ticky from smooth and grunty M54. Been driving a 2014 F30 N55 6MT since new and hoooboy is this thing different, like the gearing made for a farm tractor (why am I in third @ 20mph?) but it handles much better than I expected. Two pages of replacement parts installed by seller who's a BMW lunatic.

So far, everything works. So far. Shakedown trip this weekend.

Needs a head unit with Carplay or at least bluetooth. It's got the DSP and CD changer in the back, but I don't own CDs anymore and I'm already tired of radio yapping. Suggestions? Don't care about CD/DVD compatibility. Already looked at https://www.bluebus.dev which would be OK, but the dash screen needs replacement anyway and I'd really like Carplay.

VIN starts with W which means Germany but I thought all E53s were built in Spartanburg. My F30 was built in Munich and both VINs start with WBA. Assorted VIN decoders say it was built in SC, not der vaterland.

New to this board. Hi. I'm also over on Bpost in the F30 forums.

Welcome! When cared for, these are some of the best trucks out there. Jealous of the third pedal!

[Bdc101]

Originally Posted by Salty B.

Heh. The seller replaced a lot of things and knows his stuff, plus he's not some craigslist rando and is a friend of a co-worker I trust. He's the one who turned me on to it and has know this car for a long time.

AC, locks, cruise, wipers front n back including rain sensor, seat motors, steering wheel adjust and heat, all the electrical things work. So far!

I'm not new to old cars; X5 is replacing a '91 Volvo I totaled a few months ago and I've had a number of old domestics. Done with Volvo, moving on.

Really needs a 6th gear!

Sounds like you got a survivor then. You have a lot of mileage so make sure that things like the cooling system and CCV are replaced. Either one of those can take the motor out so you need to make sure they are scheduled. Also, if the window regulators and clips haven't been done, you'll be doing them soon. It's best to keep a couple of the clips around since they're cheap.

[X5chemist]

Salty B,
You can add a bluetooth adapter at the CD player connection. I installed one. No DSP and Business CD installed on mine. The bluetooth adapter works with AUX. It's better than an FM Bluetooth cigarette lighter adapter. Answering a phone call is a hassle though. Without a mic, the phone picks up too much phone speaker noise. It's better to use the phone speaker options. Bluetooth music is crisp and full of sound for its age. Welcome to the board.

[andrewwynn]

Lubrication on the windows can save the clips. When I used some powdered Teflon lube my widows rolled up 60% faster

[guntherrex]

that's interesting... never heard of that. No grease on the windows?

[andrewwynn]

Originally Posted by guntherrex

that's interesting... never heard of that. No grease on the windows?

See this: https://youtu.be/b1odBu9tNmY

Here's a before and after on my wife's old e53.

https://youtube.com/shorts/m2bP9_k_lqE?feature=share

https://youtube.com/shorts/cxfji4KWGMI?feature=share

Sped up something like 50% but listen to the motor groaning on the before video.

[Salty B.]

Originally Posted by Bdc101

Sounds like you got a survivor then. You have a lot of mileage so make sure that things like the cooling system and CCV are replaced. Either one of those can take the motor out so you need to make sure they are scheduled. Also, if the window regulators and clips haven't been done, you'll be doing them soon. It's best to keep a couple of the clips around since they're cheap.

Rad/main+aux pumps/thermostat/exp tank/fan switch/all hoses/fan clutch were replaced approx 20K miles ago (I've got a spreadsheet of all the new parts, it's bonkers). Window clips are mentioned but unsure where. What is CCV? Crankcase ventilation?

I bought a new key+remote from BMW ($$$$) and now I can lock/unlock without the key. Left rear lock actuator makes a noise but does not unlock. Some kind of clip in there that broke? I'll pull the door card next week to have a look.

[Salty B.]

Originally Posted by X5chemist

Salty B,
You can add a bluetooth adapter at the CD player connection. I installed one. No DSP and Business CD installed on mine. The bluetooth adapter works with AUX. It's better than an FM Bluetooth cigarette lighter adapter. Answering a phone call is a hassle though. Without a mic, the phone picks up too much phone speaker noise. It's better to use the phone speaker options. Bluetooth music is crisp and full of sound for its age. Welcome to the board.

Thx. For now I bought a cheap Blutooth cassette adapter that surprisingly sounds pretty good (and surprisingly the cassette drive and motorized faceplte still work).

[Salty B.]

Originally Posted by whodat

Welcome! When cared for, these are some of the best trucks out there. Jealous of the third pedal!

Gotta admit, this trans and clutch are VERY trucky. Totally unlike my F30. But I still wouldn't have it any other way.

[andrewwynn]

Originally Posted by Salty B.

I bought a new key+remote from BMW ($$$$) and now I can lock/unlock without the key. Left rear lock actuator makes a noise but does not unlock. Some kind of clip in there that broke? I'll pull the door card next week to have a look.

Find my DLA thread. Search for awr-fix in the title.

Does the door lock but not unlock?

There are two motors and often one will strip but the normal failure is the brushes wear out and it will only go up or down not the other.

The motors can be found for $6-7@ and it's not a terrible DIY if you are handy. All four of wife's DLA died on her e53! $240 @ no thanks. $12 per corner to fix.