Welcome Me Back to the E53 Club
 

After four tortuous years of not having one - I picked up a “project” 2004 3.0i.

Yes, she needs new control arms all around, possibly a strut on the rear right, and CV axle on the front right... but all the “majors” have been addressed, like the valve cover gasket, window regulators, door handle carriers (except left rear), cooling system, etc!!

Plugged ISTA+ in the other day and the only codes I’m getting are MAP activation and secondary air pump and a couple of LCM faults likely related to the aftermarket hitch the 3rd owner installed.

I’ve missed you guys terribly. Once you get have an E53 it’s hard to not have one, even as a spare.

So, everyone chime in with what y’all recommend I do first!

Welcome back neighbor! If you're ever in the Birkdale area, let's grab a Starbucks, I would love to see the new whip.

Depending on the mileage, maybe a full fluid change (brake fluid, power steering fluid, diffs and transfer case, engine and transmission oils) is an easy first project. :dunno:

Post up some pics!

:iagree: with OB, fluids is always a front runner in my book followed by pulling plugs to check condition of those and the coils and then maybe air and cabin filters, just so you know they're new.

Welcome back!

So do you also have an e30M3?

Or s50/s52 swapped E30? :D

Welcome back. Like the e39 chassis, e53 is addictive and hard to shake.

Welcome back.

Seems like a nice place to be! Welcome back!

Apologies for the delay — with COVID exploding again I’ve been busier than lately at work. That, and I wanted to have a chance to get some of my more mechanical novice questions answered by my dad. Truthfully, even with my old E53, I didn’t do an often lot of mechanical work myself. Other than some electrical stuff, whenever something went wrong or needed attention I drove it (or had it towed) to the dealer and said “fix it again, Brad.”

But with this one, I’m going to try to challenge myself to do as much as possible short of throwing my keys at my service advisor.

@the couple that asked about the E30 M3: nah. I had an E30 in high school and fantasized about getting an M3 one day. This has legit been my profile name for most everything online for over 10 years.

@Overboost — would definitely be down for that! Oil, PS, and transfer case fluid changed just prior to purchase. Vehicle has 228k miles on, don’t think it’d be wise to even let her hear the words “transmission fluid.” It shifts perfectly, even Steptronic. So it’s possible it’s had some work done to it.

@Purplefade: cabin air and engine air filters replaced last week. I’ll add plugs and coils to my list of things to learn about. Would they throw any codes or any symptoms of failing?

So, as previously mentioned, I’m a complete novice at most things mechanical. I’m gonna ask a couple of questions and pray y’all go easy on me.

A) can’t identify which exact parts have failed and thus I need to order for at least the rear suspension. Yes, tires are wearing unevenly on right side. Videos here:

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0ieV...VVrj0Q9dy4a34g

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0e8w...qn09EICtBt7Kdw

B) Light, but noticeable clunk coming from front end, usually at low speeds. Control arms or CV axle?

C) Right exhaust noticeably lower than left. Bad weld, bad mount, or did something get bent? Photos of mount here:

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0gGf...txmsR9IrjKDUdA

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0rQD...lRAMBaDAzFouhQ

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0KvM...KrKA#Rock_Hill

D) Last one, promise: Has anyone else managed to separate the panel from the top plastic piece that attaches it to the door frame below the window? What adhesive works best for getting these two pieces back as tightly as possible? Yes — I “may” have accidentally not used enough care when prying off 16-year old plastic.

E) Just kidding! Not the last one! The headliner, not the fabric but the actual panel, seems to be missing a fastener directly behind the sunroof on driver side and possibly another one closer to the motion sensor, making for an even more squeaky driving experience. I’ve read the TIS procedure, studied the EPC, and tried to find relevant videos but am coming up short. What kind of fasteners does this part of the headliner use? Is there a trick to replace them that doesn’t involve removing the sunroof?

Pics
 

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0jDg...NU-g#Rock_Hill

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0xqn...KAZA#Rock_Hill

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0eYZ...notQ#Rock_Hill

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0YhZ...XqHg#Rock_Hill

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0b1V...X4-A#Rock_Hill

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0H_F...chWg#Rock_Hill

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0hDd...Kog#India_Hook

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0FXY...tfA#India_Hook

So far I’ve corrected the LCM faults (less the RR tail light which will likely have to have the Mercedes W164 fix), the tilt sensor, and steering angle sensor. Hoping to make it up the junkyard soon and scavenge for a secondary air pump since replacing secondary MAF didn’t work. Already have the lock actuator, just need patience to install it. And I’m not too worried about the thermostat since P1620 isn’t being thrown.

Still trying to retrain myself on how to use NCS Expert so I can start coding. The F10 got my spoiled. Coding the F-chassis cars is a breeze.