Hey powers1 what is the difference between the two halos? I like the E46 shroud better, good work.

Thanks :thumbup:
Unlike Usa Depos,European depos have 5 to 6 T5 x2.3W lamps per light and are hardly visible in daylight.They also look like individual dots.I have converted mine to CCFL as per pic...(Not too sure I actually like them on the car ,especially the blacked out turn signal,so going to change it again :dunno:)

Ah I see. That is a great improvement. What don't you like about them aside from the turn signal?

Thanks :thumbup:
I prefer the look of LCIs too:thumbup:

Regarding pre fracelift serviceability ,we win some ,loose some!I just had to cut open 2 sets of July 2002 OE headlights,which throws out the window those who thought it was only after October 2002 :(
We need to look at the production date stamped on the clear lens,not on the headlight!

Briiiiighhhht eyes
 

Not all done today but the last 2 weekends.
headlight restore...which came out great.

I thought i did a great job(even if i do say so myself) on the front until I finished the rears :) I will do the fronts again now that I can see how good I can get them.

Through in some d2s night breakers, white 6k led halo..I've got some night breaker fogs to fit now.

also did a coolant flush(it was red coolant, halfrauds special :() now it G48, R&R the reservoir too.

also flush power steering and R&R'ed reservoir.

and also did the auxilary water pump which has made a noise for the last 2 years.:thumbup:

Lights are a huge improvement. This is something I must attack pretty soon too, as my fronts are a bit foggy.
Tell me please - how did you flush your power steering fluid? I think mine might be the original stuff and I would like to give it some fresh fluid if it's not too difficult.

very easy. DONT GET IT ON YOUR PAINT!!

Youtube it

BAV to the rescue!
http://tinyurl.com/nkwtbth


Make sure you use the correct fluid. Mine was ATF dex 3(red)...some use CHF(green)

Okay - thanks for the link to the video. I watched and am still curious. Is there no way to access the filter within the reservoir and change or clean it, or do you have to buy a new reservoir?
Process is simply diluting the old fluid until you get mostly new, from what I can see. I've read that some members regularly use a turkey baster (to suck fluid out) and simply top up with fresh fluid, as a maintenance regime. I will admit that one of the hoses on my reservoir appears to be leaking slightly, so I should inspect it and may as well change the reservoir if that's the only way to do the filter, at the same time as putting on decent hose clamps/inspect hoses etc. Again - thanks for the info.

There is no way to clean the filter. It's not expensive here in the UK but I believe you Aussies get fleeced harden then we do.

My hoses were leaking too. I just used some new jubilee clamps. If the leak persist I will change the hoses...some people cut the swollen end off but I will just replace.

Okay, cheers for that. I think I'll remove the reservoir, inspect etc. I'll check out prices for a new one too. eBay is my only friend here at the moment and our dollar is pretty weak now, so that makes it even worse for us.

For my track E36 328, I use a turkey baster and regularly suck out the fluid and replenish. I might do it every year on the X5. The 328 is perfectly clear ATF fluid. X5 looks decent.

Replaced the 5 ignition coils that hadn't been replaced in the last year. They had been going bad, one at a time I figured the labor to do all of them was about the same as doing one- so I figure I'm saving a ton of money long term. Car runs like a champ.

Mechanic drove it around the block when he was done, came back and said "Damn. I never realized how fast this thing was."

Schwaggen | '03 | E53 | 4.6 | Full on Dinan

Fixed my erratic AC. Would blow high and then drop down to mediumish and low settings. It was the FSR. I had an old failed one laying around that I fixed and now the AC blows harder than it ever has, YAY!

Nice work on the lights :thumbup:
I get a lot of "fogged up" lights,here in Portugal ,because of the sun!Didnt expect that in rainy UK :D

Dreaded 'Self Level Suspension Inactive' message came up about a month ago. Like everyone else I started going piece by piece until I had exhausted my mechanical abilities. Many dollars later, I've got new front air struts, a new compressor, and a new ECU (had to suck it up and take it to a shop) but I'm back on the road and happy my baby is back. Next up new CV boots in the front.

wiper/badge delete

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/k...psgv2urpkg.jpg

^Yesssssssss! Love my rear wiper delete for over 2 years now and never regret it one bit, so clean in the rear now

I bought it a Bentley manual. Damn this thing is thick. It's bigger than some of my textbooks.

http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/v...psslfqgncw.jpg

It's a great reference tool and you'll learn to love it.

I was just flipping through it. It'll be an excellent reference. I have one for my E30 but it isn't as detailed as this one. Plus is has a detailed explanation of the one thing that I wanted so it easily paid for itself.

go to the back of the book and check out all the schematics , only a few pages

I hope you don't have a N62 engine:(....It is still a godsend for the other parts though

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^ looks like he has the 3.0i .

just installed the 2 rear lft and rht stabilizer links, 1 was totaly gone (popped out and doing nothing at all. basically stabilizer on left side wasn`t linked at all).

I found him a playmate!
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/07...cfe3f4ae59.jpg
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/07...806efb0d19.jpg
Why buy one when you can buy two for twice the price? Her (white one) is named Lumba2 (refers to lumba-lumba means dolphin in Indonesian.


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New Zimmerman front rotors. Cleaned the MAF.

Replaced Bump stop for rear hatch. Older one was cracked.
Added missing spring clip for Air filter box.
New Engine and Cabin air filters

well replaced bad spots in my brake lines under neath drivers side rocker, and while removing air from system decided to flush brakes , the fluid was dark brown, now nice and clear used prestone dot 4 full synthetic.wish I got a bleeder system ,but the wife worked out at pumping the brakes , she didn`t complain to much lol.

fixed my broken pdc's :):)

Thought I'd take a break from wrenching on cars this past weekend and started to work on my sled. Managed to snap off an exhaust stud. All attempts to remove failed so I'm looking at a new cylinder and top end rebuild. Seriously? So much for "taking a break".

Maybe the common thread here is staring me in the face....... :)

End links came. thought I ordered Lingenfelter.

Am I supposed to have 2 per side and is this brand ok?

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...psgbmmom4l.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...pscfsdi4ho.jpg


They came from here fwiw

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...t-x5-x5linkkit

The Audi guys have had good luck with Karlyn. FCP uses them to make their VAG control arm kits that everyone raves about. I'd try them. Worst case you send them back to FCP and get something else.

Thanks, I'll give it a shot. It's still not under 95 so I'll be going to the indy the 10th to have them, the strut tower bearings & alignment done.

So I just bought a newer X5, a 2005. My wife liked driving mine so much she want't her own. I have had it for 2 weeks now and still haven't done anything with it. I have been out of town in Indonesia now for a few weeks while it just sits in the drive. It's a 3.0 basic. When I get back next week I will buy plates and check it out. btw I have been working with a seller on a 2004 ML350, he accepted an offer of $1500. So when I get home, I will be busy. The ML needs allot of work.

changed the rear wiper arm to E70 style arm, fitted flat blades to the front wiper arms, fitted HID lights in dipped beams, fitted led bulb to the angel eye bulbs, fitted aftermarket sub and amp and replaced the current badges all round with carbon / black colour ones.

I've considered doing this for a while but I still catch myself using the rear wiper in heavy rain. It looks great but you guys don't find yourself wanting to use it?

On a separate note I didn't do any actual repairs to my e53 yesterday but I did save it from hail (first time in my life I've experienced that in Boston).

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/OP...g=w566-h754-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/4Z...A=w566-h754-no

I am with you Feen. I like my rear wiper. Use it as well. Even that one time, I don't have to get out of the car in a snow storm to clear the rear window, it is worth it. It is a feature, and I use it.

+1 I use it in the most unexpected ways!

Love everything about your X P.H. especially the wheels & running boards. Some day I shall possess them (not yours) :P

I hate when you guys post pics with running boards :( (I get even more sick when you post a pic of the front bar)
Prop how is/was the trip? I haven't seen any recent updates in the other thread I don't think.

Its controversial, yes I know, but I keep my glass clayed and sealed religiously, I still haven't found one time where I said "I wish I had it back" in 2 years, personally.

Not much sticks to my glass and beside some standing beads it never gets to the point where I can't see out of it. In snow as well, once it defrosts it rolls off anyway.

What size plug did you use and from where? Lowes?

Its 1 1/8"

If you want a fancy plug you can get it from Uro Tuning (I know you like cleanliness)

Uro-Wiper-Delete Rear Wiper Delete Plug, Mk4/Mk5/Mk6/Mk7 Golf/GTi and B5/B6/B7/B8 Wagons

I actually got a free sample from www.caplugs.com a couple years back which worked perfectly, you can try to get a sample from them as well. No silicone was needed as it was a snug fit and snapped right in place.

https://www.caplugs.com/series/Butto...eads/1046.html

BPF-1 1/8-6 - If you can get a sample order they will send you 2.

Like usual - thanks. lol

:thumbup: PM me if you need anything man

Thought I would make you sick...
Question 1 - Why when I attempt to upload an image, is there is a pop-up window asking me for the url? I always have to attach as a file?
Questions 2 - Why do some members, when posting pics of their car, obscure the licence plate? Is this for security purposes or what?

Question 2

Should You Bother Obscuring Your License Plates In Photos?

I don't block it out.

Thanks for the link. Not really an issue over here. Plates are issued to the vehicle and not the owner and stay with the car when sold, unlike in the US (or so I believe), unless they're personalised plates.

Prepare/detail the beast for the last time. Will have it listed for sale.
We have more vehicles than drivers, and the beast barely get driven since we both work from home now. Between the iS and the M5, I would have to let the iS go.

KVC I always host pictures external of xoutpost (I use google photos but you can use flikr or any of the other hosting sites) and then link the URL which is what its asking you to do.

:(

I know you've been going back and forth for a while about selling and am sure you will have luck since the vehicle is in great shape just be sure its what you want. Maybe it was because I owned it for a short period but I regretted selling the Lemans almost immediately after buying it.

Thanks for the heads up 525iT Feen. Will try to adjust size of image so I can attach as a file.
Pic of my beast with factory 'nudge bar'. Anyone else with this option? I'm thinking of adding an LED light bar, to assist in identifying the numerous 'roos on my night drives. They can cause an awful amount of damage to a car!

The outcome of hitting a 70Kg (150 lb) kangaroo in a Z4 at 225 km/h...

I keep my glass clayed and sealed as well, but it doesn't help with snow/sludge buildup during the winter, which is when I do most of my driving. Not that I need to see out of it, I just enjoy watching the idiots behind me spin out and hit the ditch.

Air bag door inserts came, I thought 4x.xx was alot, they are better quality then the originals.

Also, reading a story in the latest Road & Track about Frank Stephenson, Mclaren design director came across this.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...psq1mw5gux.jpg

Installed new all weather mats. I went with OEM bmw ones purchased off amazon. They are nicer in person then I thought from pictures. I much prefer them compared to the weather tech ones which I found somewhat cheap feeling

I like the OE all weather mats too. I don't know how much they are on amazon, but they were only like $70 shipped on ebay. Totally worth it

Took my car to the muffler shop to have the x-pipe installed. Interestingly the inlet side of the muffler is 2 1/8" and the outlet is 2". Bought the 2 1/4" Magnaflow x-pipe and with a little flaring of added tubing etc. the install went well. Note to others considering this mod - the couplings post manifolds need to be loosened to drop the exhaust pipes enough to weld around the tops. Ensure the person doing this pulls the excess cable for the 02 sensors BEFORE he drops the pipes. Thankfully I was watching & helping during the process (most are not permitted in the workshop area but it was a friend who did the job) so immediately saw what was about to happen and pulled the slack before anything broke.
The 4.4i sound quite nice now, with a bit of rasp to the exhaust note, not dissimilar to the Corsa system I have on my 6.1 Hemi. No noticeable drone from inside the cabin, but a definite 'note' from outside. Very happy!

changed my lower temperature sensor and cleaned the bonnet alarm switch

New Brakes (Rotors, Pads, Sensors) all around, Brake Fluid Flush, New Front Lower Control Arms, Road Forced balanced all 4 Wheels, another Alignment, Driver Door Seal.

Next Month... Rear Sub-Frame Bushings.

Power steering pump reservoir and fresh fully synthetic ATF. Discovered the source of the leaking hose from reservoir - PO had overtightened clamp, resulting in broken threads/loose clamp. Replaced with new hose clamp and checked for leaks - all good now.

Gave her a full detailing, polish and wax, Sienna Red looks great in sunlight when its clean.
http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps9pfbsnkt.jpg

I scored it some goodies off of craigslist.
http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/v...psokiyqkaq.jpg

today cleaned up all the rust in the door jams and seam sealed them after.
also on the rear left side lower part of the door ,the rust from inside the doors creeped to the lower outside part so I had to repaint that too. not too bad for using spray bombs. and for some reason only the drivers side doors were rusting. nothing at all on the passenger side doors.

One my first upgrades since my used x5 came sans mats. The only thing about BMW mat vs weather tech is they are rubbery vs plasticy so they grab dirt. I wouldn't have it any other way. Spilled something in the mat the other day and simply pulled out and hosed it off.


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http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08...390293063a.jpg
Helped somebody deliver a few hundred pounds of lumber from Home Depot. He was trying to put all on his Honda CR-V.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08...4f12ae5889.jpg
Here's the pair of trucks just before leaving.

My custom rack works better than planned for dimensional lumber. It has right angle brackets that are held tight with 1/2 inch bolts. I leave a little space at a slight angle for a composite shim and hammer that sucker in there tight. The load stays perfectly in place. The cross bar is a little bit flexible and takes some shock when hitting bumps.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08...22bee6d05e.jpg
A close up of the system holding some baseboard. I've used a dozen methods to carry construction materials and nothing comes close to this one! I was surprised how well it dealt with the 16ft. lumber since the cross bars are not even 4ft. apart. I designed it to carry 10ft. long conduit or 4x8ft. sheet material.


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today (well last night) I shouted at it !!!

after all the over heating issues ive had I thought I had them fixed but noooooooooooo,
so today I watched the expansion tank on warm up . ill post in my other thread :(

:(

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08...5beab8f8fd.jpg
Delivered 250# of wet gravel on the backpack

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08...b282c2084b.jpg
To fill this ginormous pothole that was over 6" deep trying to break my axle when entering this driveway of my client

Was awesome to have the external rack for this! The bags had pinholes and were leaking gravel slime. The open rack also worked great for dispensing the gravel: just cut the bags and spilled the rocks into the hole


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Front brake pads and rotors! Interestingly, Advance Auto Parts, Auto Zone, and CarQuest(pretty much Advance) all had the rotors for the 2001 X5 with just 6 holes. The 5 bolt holes and the rotor screw. I had to go to several stores to find the rotors with the 8 holes (+2 for the locating pin things). Other than that it was suuuuper easy. Not too happy with the Advance brake pads so far though. Not enough brake bite, although they stop fine.

Swooped an E39 Msport wheel today off of craigslist for pesos. Also came with an airbag. The trim on it is in rough shape but that is easy to fix. Can't wait to get a new trim piece and install it. It is much thicker than the pre facelift sport wheel which is really nice.

http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/v...psfdjvldsh.jpg

^^Amazing, agreed the trim is easy to fix! Enjoy

Strut bearings done, pass side was about to go.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...psdzsk3vrg.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...pslzsksz6q.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...pse0k2buam.jpg

Feels like it's on rails.

Those were shot!

Too True.

Installed my new eibach rear sway bar. Lets see how much of a difference it is over my stock sport sway bar. :driver:


http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/v...psjyhqvrpd.jpg

I also installed my M Sport wheel. Even though it needs a new trim piece, the thicker wheel and slightly smaller diameter is so much nicer.

Looks good Josh. driving pleasure is the best return on investment as far as Suspension goes.

Ordered replacement alternator, belts, and tensioners in an effort to quiet the golf cart sound which has gotten worse. Still not sure if main sound is from alternator or the power steering pump. I did replace the PS reservoir and cleaned fluid which made zero change. As the noise is purely dependent on rpm and does not change when turning the steering the alternator (original air cooled unit 2005 104k miles) is up next.

Joshdub,
Curious to hear on that rear sway bar. Have you done any other rear suspension work, bushings etc?

Try some upgrade pads. You will be happier. Advance auto parts....geee what is your life worth?

Front control arm bushings are about 50k miles old now. The rest of the bushings I am assuming are stock. Next summer I plan to go through the entire suspension and drivetrain with new bushings and BC racing coilovers.

The sway bar was a nice improvement. It wasn't dramatic as I was going from the sport suspension rear sway bar which is 23.5mm and the eibach 26mm. I am happy with it. It'll go nicely with the eibach springs I plan on putting on in the next couple weeks.

Upgraded my tail lights to have all four light for brake. I couldn't understand why BMW put a dual filament light in the center spot and shorted the brake filament to ground so I did a crazy simple mod to my tail lamp assembly to make all four lights operate the same as shown in this video:

https://vimeo.com/136070687

(My 7 yr. old is operating the lights makes for some humorous bits)

I actually made the mod in effort to prepare for using LED lamps for brake: by keeping the Incan brake filament of the 1157 lamp I don't need to add a wasteful resistor kind of defeats the purpose of the efficiency of LED when you add a resistor to waste 100% of that saved power in the form of heat.

My e53 is an '01 but the previous owner replaced the stock taillights with 2012 design (maybe to have the clear top lens)? Worked to my benefit for sure: far more complicated to have to split the circuit for the brake filament on the stock assembly like my wife's x5.

The whole brake light upgrade snowballed from what I thought was just a simple lamp replacement on her 2001 x5.


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Ordered a set of Nt555's from Nitto Tire|4WO. Had good experience with the Motivo so I went with another Nitto but this time I chose their UHP summer tire. Let's see if I will enjoy a spirited drive with these tires.

Put a new battery in today. What a pita spot for a such heavy battery.

I changed my old pusher fan , in the rain , got drenched.
started car up , bloody thing didn't move
put on AC walked round to front of car, still nothing ,now I don't know if these things will only work when the AC needs it to cool the ac down more , or they come on regardless on this, and just when the ac button is pressed in ,
oh fuse ok ,
£130 quid lighter
but im damn annoyed, so much im having a beer !!!!!!

some reason I cant edit my post , was going to put , am I not leaving it long enough, do they take a few minutes to kick in , or are they instant?

Mine doesn't work the same way others claim it works. But it does come on when it is really hot outside.

oh, its 13 degrees and rain here , might be a reason why then :)

Changed the oil, flushed and bled the PS fluid because it seemed iffy since the rack replacement, and recharged AC because it wasn't as strong as I was used to in my e65.

Top off ( engine motor oil) : 2 Qts of Total Quartz 9000 Energy 5W40
Seems like I'm burning 1 qt per 2200 miles

That's really not out of the ordinary for BMW in my experience.

bought remanufactured front left air strut from Arnott. 393$ shipped after promocode and core refund calculated.

Had the Ac compressor and receiver dryer replaced.


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Also mounted a set of New Continental Extreme DW tires http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08...292d534179.jpg
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08...d0eddc922c.jpg


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Love those shots. I've got the DWS's and they're a nice tire. I run almost no toe on the rear and they seem to be wearing perfect (camber might be -1.8-ish if I recall). I've put on 11,000km on the new winters and about 6,000km on the DWS's and the inner rear shoulders are perfect.

today I changed my thermostat, which was a pain up da bum
but now I have a none over heating car :):)

JOY :)

On my 2001 3.0i, I replaced CCV with all new hoses and used a German Auto Solutions DISA rebuild kit. I replaced everything in about 3 hours the other night. Idle is much better. DISA pin had nearly fallen out too.

just had my AC re gassed , every thing ok , it was empty , now its full and its damn freezing in there :)

You are lucky. Mine is full but the darn electric ventilator is not working, so I can't switch it on safely.

This morning I got s check coolant message. The overflow took 1/2 a gallon. I drove 30 miles on the freeway checked the level after it cooled and it was where it belonged. It has been 112-117 here the last month could it have evaporated?

Did you put the 1.2 or 1.4 bar cap on the tank? Could have hit the pressure threshold if so and evaporated some excess coolant that way since the temps have been hot

I do have the lower pressure cap don't remember which.

I'll check.

^That's probably what it is then as the stock cap is 2.0 bar. I'm sure running around in 110+ temps probably is what did it, that system is working hard and the engine is running HOT.

Then again, adding coolant once or twice in the hot season if you have the lower pressure cap is not as cumbersome as having your system self destruct from the high pressures.

Add to that I sat engine and ac on for 20 minutes while my Wife "ran in" to Nordstrom to buy a pair of shoes.

I'm almost positive that all weather mats that BMW sells are MADE by weather tech. Unless thats changes, I'm near certain they were on my e46 and on the X

Mine are a completely different material. Rubber vs plastic but it wouldn't surprise me to find they just run a different compound for BMW client. They are phenomenal mats.


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I have the 140.

Ordered some new d2s night breakers. Will see if that fixes the Barely noticeable flicker. I'm good with the stock color. Also got some license plate led's and some led side markers to replace the upside down one I got a couple of years ago. Will report.

^Nighrbreakers are supposedly the shit. Please post night time shots when installed, I was thinking about them for my EvoXR's, along with 3K fogs in my Valeo projector fogs n

Yup. I've got a plan how to take before and after picture.

Finished up fitting a towbar. It's almost ready to hand over to the wife, while I disappear and go ride motorbikes in Laos for a couple of months.

I picked it up a month ago... an August '06 produced 3.0d. I've done the oil, oil filter, fuel filter, air filter, PCV valve, pollen filter.... new tyres and the towbar.

I've got new 356mm front disks coming and some iS calipers here to go with them. I've also got the trans fluid and filter here, but I can't see me getting to it before I fly out, Friday week.

Locked my keys in my trunk like a moron at a rest stop in CT on Saturday.
Did damage assessment yesterday and the AAA guy scratched the inside of both driver and passenger side doors and tore up my door seals :(

Going to drop the car off to a paint specialist to have everything addressed/touched up.
Stupid move.

May I ask how did you lock the keys in the vehicle? I didn't think this was possible from the drivers entry point

Lock the car, Open rear hatch to fetch a thing or two. Place keys in cargo area. Close the rear hatch, leaving keys in there.

Luckily never happened to me but I always carry both car keys when traveling out of town in any car.

You have to completely space out or just be a fucking moron (my case)

In my case I decided to take my girl to NY for her birthday and felt like the car was a little bouncy in back so I popped the trunk (didn't unlock the entire car), slid my cargo trey forward to get to the adjusters for my BC's, laid my keeps on the cargo trey, adjusted the suspension, slid my trey shut, and closed the trunk.

Realized immediately what I had done and had the initial enraged reaction of bashing the passenger side rear window out in my rage, sweat (it was 95 degrees), and irritation at the fact that I was delaying the trip. Luckily she and our friend managed to stop me before I did it but looking back it probably would have been better then having scratches inside the door and on the edge :banghead:

All in all I'm fucking pissed I did it and being the picky guy that I am I now feel like the minor damage has to be addressed. I'm sure between replacing the door seals and touching everything up I'm in for another $600 to $800 with friends helping me out. Sucks ass but I will definitely be ordering a second key and traveling with it from now on.

It happens Olek and sucks but it will get fixed properly. I'm still delaying stopping by the body shop as I don't know how much it will cost me to fix the inner rear door seams that are starting to rust and need to get fixed before I end up having to repaint both rear doors on the inside.

Sucks to hear about the trouble Olek.

Finally caved in and bought 30mm H&R spacers for rear. I am getting an alignment done anyway after install of the Arnott front left remanufactured air strut. so timing for spacers was good.

Question For the front, I figured without fender flares, spacers would look out of place.. Thoughts? Anyone running spacers in front without flares? If yes, what size?

Realize spacers are purely stance and no purpose but, got bitten by looks :-|

Yea shit happens. Thanks guys.

Ven,
I was just discussing spacers with X53JAY4.8iS through PM and sent him these three of my X pre the new wheel setup.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PZ...=w1006-h754-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/jM...=w1006-h754-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Sc...=w1006-h754-no

I know that Pat (4.8isX5) ran 30mm and 25mm for a while without front flares and I think for a little bit with them and it looked good. If you are low enough it can be pulled off but I think 20s work really well without the flares.

Olek so you were running 20mm front without flares as well? Which one spacers did you go with? The ECS 20 ? BMW E53 X5 N62 4.8L Wheels Spacers - ECS#257KTWB - BMW 20mm Wheel Spacers & ECS Conical Seat Bolt Kit - ES#260936

Sorry for the tangent in the thread. If I can nail this today, can get it all done same time. :)

Get the set you mentioned. I can take a picture of all of my spacers and adapters collected from over the years along with the 300 different size lug nuts and patterns. I just grabbed a set of the garage and put them on :rofl:
But yes 20mm front 30mm rear with stock style 168s and no flares as seen in those pics.

Thanks Olek. Ordered the 20 mm ECS for front.

got my ebay turn signal socket/subharness in yesterday and finally got my front left turn signal working properly again.

old socket kept losing contact with the bulb. bent the prongs, cleaned it...all kinds of stuff. just would lose contact constantly. new (used) socket works perfectly.

now to buff my headlights.

Yeah I'm going to go with then 25mm ones up front. Looks good on Pats vehicle. Thanks again for the insight Olek.

No problem guys. Its definitely safe to say
30mm Rear 20mm Front withouth flares
30mm Rear 25mm Front with front flares

Since June....

Hood Painted
Fenders Painted

Rear Control Arms
Rear Air Suspension
Radiator
Coolant Flush
Driver Seat Replacement
Driver Seat Control Module
Driver Seat Valance
Folding Mirrors Fixed
Alignment

XPel Paint Protection

Brakes All Around
Brake Fluid Flush
Front Control Arms
Road Force Balance Wheels/Tires
Driver Door Seal
Alignment

Lighter Illumination Ring
Hood Gas Struts
Hood Bracket

Rear Sub-frame Bushings
Kidney Grill Replacement
Another Alignment

Completed a six day, 2000 kms tour of the south-west of Western Australia. Drove through some pretty heavy rain, strong winds and deep puddles. 150 kms was on dirt roads, some heavily pot-holed and corrugated. The X5 was such a comfortable vehicle for this trip. No issues whatsoever - she ran like a Swiss clock. The recently installed Magnaflow x-pipe made the exhaust a bit loud early in the morning at one of our hotels, however the other early risers were Variety Club Bash drivers (charity fun-run of vintage cars) who came over for a chat and to share their travel stories.
Took a bit of an effort to clean and detail the car upon our return, but this is exactly what I bought the beast for. Very impressed with the car's performance and the missus was all smiles too (even when we were going a fair bit faster than the posted limits).

Had a local shop do:
install Remanufactured Arnott Front Left strut, old is cored, ride height calibrated
ecs 20 mm front, H&R 30 mm rear spacers installed. Will retorque after few days
Transfer case fluid changed, adaptations not reset.
Alignment done a another local body shop after front strut and spacers.

The tech who did alignment said, front camber is not adjustable (by design?) and is off by .97 degree (I think) both sides. He said we can install a bolt in place of one of the strut bolt and that will allow to adjust it, I declined but want to know what the consensus on this is. I can post my alignment before and after if needed.

You can adjust the front camber. I have had it done. Here is a link of a picture of mine with the pin out for adjustment on the driver's side. Passenger side was ok:
http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...shaking-2.html

Here is a link to some reference material:
http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...side-only.html

Swapped a transfer case on a 2006 3.0 X5 with 100k miles on it for a friend of mine on the street in front of his house :D pretty straight forward job :)

If the dude says he cant adjust the front camber he shouldnt be working on your X5

So true.

You are right RB and TiAg. The body shop was recommended in reviews and yeah, their advertised Alignment special was 79$, didn't think they'd drop the ball as far as knowledge goes.

I will post my alignment sheet later today, just for my sanity check.

Your lucky it was only an incomplete alignment.

On the E70 "broken rear diff" thread, the youtube vid of the damaged diff has a comment that states "Hi I had this exact failure on my 4.8i E70 2007. i put in a differential with a gear ratio of 3,70 while oringal was 3,91. my vehicle couldn't work properly and goes in limp home mood. do you think changing ratios could be the cause or does the damage affect other parts?...."

That's a classic example of someone who thinks being able to turn a wrench makes them a BMW repair tech.

Alignment report attached. The first 2 pages are before and next 2 pages are after alignment, If I am reading it correctly, Camber in 3 corner is off-spec? anything else I should be worried about?

I cleaned some bird poo off the hood, and that's about it , sorry :(

Rear toe is too much. Get set as close to zero as possible (0.02 total or so). This will save your rear tires. Otherwise you'll be shredding the inside shoulder.

I'd see why the one rear corner is at -2.25. That isn't terrible, but you should be able to get them the same. Might be indicator some other joint is off.

Rear camber is ok (1.9 I believe is on the max spec), ^^^he is right try to get rear toe to .01 or .02 on both sides to save tire wear.

There is an adjustment on the tower for the front camber but as long as they are both around -.5 degrees I think that is in the middle of spec.


That friggin printout looks like its from the late 90s Hunter machines, find a shop with a Hawkeye Elite to really dial it in

^ agree

Thanks for the input everyone! Much appreciated.

Leatherique'd the Dakota leather seats. Good workout as you want to put the 'rejuvenator' when the seats are warm and you can park it in the sun for a while afterwards. Fortunately, not a problem in Vegas...hardest part was not getting my sweat on the seats as I put the rejuvenator on!

I didn't take pics, but the results are nice. You do have to wipe the seats quite a bit with the second step as the seats will be sticky. I also did the front seats of the 2002 M3 at the same time. My microfiber towel was pretty dirty at the end of the whole process.

I noticed my driver side mirror was shaking/loose while driving. I took the mirror glass off, cleaned both surfaces and then epoxied it back together. I rarely drive the X lately (company truck) so who knows when/how it happened, but I suspect hail from the recent storms we had

removed the center air vent and the radio, then finally repaired my knurl on the air vent :)

just got to put it all back together now

:)

Fixed my reverse camera (first one from Jeff had a broken wire caused during my installation). I had ordered a cheaper one from ebay which was essentially junk and now reverted back to my second on from Jeff. Nice reminder to not be cheap (every time I try it back fires).

Also cleaned it after two long weeks of use and rain. I hadn't seen it that messy ever :(

Hottie!


Added coolant, oil top-up, and gassed the AirCon during my lunch break - just a light one today after last nights' late-night window sprayer reservoir headache; some of the plastic items are showing their age, like the pump nozzle that broke straight off into the tubing :(

New battery this week sorted a lot of niggles that I haven't had time to address during the summer break - splashed out on a proper one from the main dealer as a prelude to finally fixing my wonky suspension. Just one more damper, that's what I keep telling the wife....

Replaced Front bumper Upper Attachment plastic... Too many screws and junk just to get to the dang thing :D

Then I saw a gnarly scratch next to the kidney grill, and so some touch up paint is en route!

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08...df26bc7f20.jpg
Just received the personal plates for wife's copy we call her Lumba2 short for lumba-lumba meaning dolphin in Indonesian.

Also added a stencil :
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08...447649f9b5.jpg

Replaced the front wipers because they sounded funny (like flipping over too much). Turned out the noise was from a broken wiper linkage! So rather than buy a new one for $4-600 or used for $200 decided to fix it with some good old fashioned steel sweat and swears. I posted details on the what broke thread.


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Got a local shop to Drain and fill Front, Rear Differential with SAF-XO fluid. The drained fluid appeared to be factory fill.
performed Transfer case adaptation reset. The VTG fluid wear fault was set, now cleared.

Bought it a stable mate

http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/v...psezmjbej9.jpg

Josh :thumbup:

Agreed, very nice !

I've been avoiding my beast todo list. Getting started on the easy ones first.
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08...bdd0dd0999.jpg

Well pre cat O2 sensors changed, 10 min job if you know what you are doing.

The bosch units from Amazon look exactly to match factory originals that were on X since birth.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08...72aac28882.jpg

And new plugs. Old set was @104k miles. Not too bad for access. "6 extension, quick move of the cabin water valves (lift) and move of washer reservoir (disconnect one washer line, 2 x 10mm nuts and lift). Old plug set does not look bad but gap is nearly 2x.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08...3b79a3d2a6.jpg

What are they?

HOT!! My brother has a nogaro blue S4, I can only imagine how much fun yours is... Pictures please....

Nice Josh. Those are great cars. Does the tag say S5? Or did you pick up an S4? Those things drive awesome. Parts are $$$ though. I agree pics are necessary.

Thanks guys. It is a S5. I don't have much for pictures yet, been too busy driving. It's Daytona grey (Audi exclusive color) on magma red with a 6spd. It's pretty mint, especially for an 08. It only has 67k miles and every option.

http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/v...pskrtupkf0.jpg

:thumbup: Sub'd for MOAR.........

^ nice by the way.
well I replaced water pump and pulley (metal water pump, metal pulley), thermostat because my temp needle would barely make it to center ,stayed on cold side even in the summer, now its dead center so I`m hoping the x warms up quicker this winter. only replaced the water pump for preventive maintenance and glad I did ,starting to get bearing play. checked heater hoses still solid including o rings, rad so far so good. pullys still nice and tight including belt tensioners . looked up by the ofh and notice oil dripping from it over the years. I got a ofhg on order and will do it next year. not losing any oil between oil changes ,so it can`t be that bad. tell you the truth it was a lot easier than expected. but compared to chevs (80`s) to work on, just double your time. not hard work at all, just time consuming. the above items were replaced at 215250km

Josh WOOOOOOOOOOOOW a 6MT S5 what a friggin sweet score man!

Nice buy Josh. Congrats!

I actually bought a stable mate this weekend to. Also an S car :bustingup:bustingup:bustingup
A white 95.5 URS6

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/b9...=w1246-h934-no

Thanks guys.

Great score on the urs! Those are awesome. I had to sell my 90 20v qauttro when we got the X5. I miss it every day. Old Audis rock.

Installed the AUX input, so now I can listen to Pandora again! Also had the transmission serviced, filter/fluid, and the right rear wheel speed sensor. It was a busy day yesterday!

Still have the trifecta though so I'm still working on that.

Here is a solid question:

-I have a USA Spec iPod interface (30 pin). If I get a 30-pin to Bluetooth adapter I theoretically should be able to play Bluetooth SiriusXM app (I subscribe for internet listening) through my phone while driving, does that sound accurate?

Obviously I know if I upgraded to a Dynavin N6 in the future I'd get Bluetooth but for now I'm wondering if its as easy as a $10 adapter on my existing interface.

I would assume so. I don't see how the adapter could differentiate between apps, so it would just play whatever the output is. But that's just my guess

I'll let the video do the talking:

https://vimeo.com/137992857

About $10-15 in parts sourced locally. I'm fine tuning one of the springs and once I have the whole "kit" figured out I think I'll make a shareable wish list at Amazon so people can copy me if they want to have their trunk button "not be stupid"

For e53 of course. the "short version": discovered that the ends of the air Pistons screw right off so found some springs that would exactly fit over the piston rod and "did the math" to figure out exactly how many turns would fit in the 2" while compressed. It was not forceful enough so I found another spring that had the ID matching the first one but by incredible chance twists the opposite way so I put that over the first set of springs. It's a little shorter so it works incredibly: doesn't push all the way to the top so practically no different to close.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09...cf9fff2554.jpg

I'm going to search for a single spring with higher spring rate and figure out if I care to design a sleeve to cover the piston as they have on the lower tailgate. Changing the washer for a "spacer" and attaching a tube just wider than the piston would be exactly like the bottom tailgate look.



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^You do know there is a guy who sells the springs as a pre-made kit for $30 from Slovakia right, although I do appreciate DIY

Beat me to it. One of my all time favorite DIY's. Super fast shipping. I litterally will just sit there popping the hatch.

Details please?

That's really cool. I'm definitely going to order a pair. Thanks for the link Jay.

You're going to love it

Easy install? Looks like you just unscrew one end of the gas strut, slip spring over shaft, re-screw and re-attach?

Yup. Piece of cake. I had to use a little muscle to get the end off of the strut but it worked. I also cleaned and greased the little ball joints.

Cheers Joshdub - ordered my pair, now just have to wait... At least this eBay seller included free international postage, which is not common these days.

I got a set of those springs too. I can`t believe how awesome it works.

Wow guys, you guys made me pull the trigger with your reviews.

I have the springs too. My girl, who drive the car daily now and is like 5'4, absolutely loves them (and the sliding cargo tray).

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

I did know of that guy and almost ordered until I realized he's putting maybe an additional 60-70# of force on a plastic ball joint to achieve that simple solution.

I just finished the mod on Lumba2 and took a video and will post a thread describing. Anybody could copy for $10-12 in parts and it's a little easier on the joints solution.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09...6d9d97377b.jpg

I copied the "other guy" with the boost spring which makes infinitely more sense than a single spring rate. Having more spring kick in near close makes for a much more consistent force to open or close. It's a joy to operate even by hand now.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09...745b746a94.jpg
My solution adds an additional spring (per side) right onto an existing grommet hole. I screwed the spring onto the grommet cover, put a foot like on the bottom of a chair on the bottom and by only adding 20# of force per side to the spring am able to achieve a perfect open and close.

I have to buy another set to do my x5 and will make a BOM with a price list for anybody to copy me. It should take less than an hour. It takes a little longer my way because you have to add 4 springs vs 2 but with the "start" springs to get things moving it reduces the force on the little plastic ball joints by about half I'm guessing.


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Cheap,simple but practical sunshade for OE monitor
 

Got this from 7" 7 Inch Sun Shade Sunshade Sunshield Visor Anti Glare For Car GPS Navigator FT | eBay

Dremeled it to fit (still perfecting it) but its very practical and now I can see my screen in direct sunlight :)
It fixes on top,with thin (invisible) strip of double sided tape.

^Interesting... might have to consider one of those.

How secure is it? I wonder if the shade would come loose after time in full sun? Hard to tell from your pics, but it looks like it only shades the top 20% of the screen. Nice and cheap though and looks good too.

Changed radiator hose which leaked almost all the fluid out after a routine coolant flush (2 weeks after).

fsr died, replaced it, found a replacement already in there.

wow definitely ordering 2 at that price for when I wreck the first one :rofl:

I love the tire shine overspray marks on your driveway :D

Reasonably secured ,as long as you use a good quality 3M tape.Its 34 degrees C ,here and hasnt come off,yet !

Our OE Nav monitor is pointing upwards at about 25 degree angle,so any sun cover you get ,you will have to cut off from the sides ,about 25 degrees,for the cover to point forward,otherwise it will point straight up and it wont block any sun!

I am happy with the angle I cut which blocks 80% of sun,If I was to cut at 30 degrees or more,then from the driver /passenger sitting positions ,you wouldnt be able to see the top sdes of the screen!

A better alternative ,would be to remove monitor ,dismantle the back to access the tape drive motor,reverse the wires and alter the microswitch stop ,so that when you press the tape deck button,the monitor would now tilt forward!;)

For the price, I might buy this little eyebrow shade for the NAV screen and have a play to see what comes of it (one day when I'm bored...).

Finally got around to installing the interior LED's I purchased from eBay. Nice set, NOT from China, with each little bag clearly marked. Good communication from the seller, who included a couple of spares too: 18X BMW X5 E53 White LED Interior Lighting KIT | eBay
Installing the overhead console/map lights was a bit of a head f*#k but referring to my trusty Bentley manual I finally managed okay. Makes a huge difference to the interior illumination and I wonder now, why I didn't do this earlier.

Yep!Thats exactly what I did :rofl::rofl:

I was bored when I did this mod :D
Now I have great visibility in daylight and wished I was bored years earlier :rofl::rofl:

:rofl::rofl::rofl: If I move the cars out theres plenty of oil stains from years of owning v8 BMWs as well.

I opened up a can of worms :) Huge service... when she'll be ready, will write out what was done...:rofl:

Yeah it looks like someone is getting the royal maintenance treatment. Just what the doctor ordered.

I was getting the trans fail safe mode that was locking the trans into one gear. Diagnosed the system traced it back to a faulty ABS/DSC control module. Put in a new module and coded it to the VIN and all is good again. Now on to the front axle boots

I had that happen to me last week, and the diagnosis was exactly the same. faulty ABS sensor front right wheel.

Found my lovely alternator bracket oil seal.

On a 2005 4.8is (104k miles)
Yes you have to remove fan, alternator, unbolt power steering pump (leave high pressure line), remove front axles, unbolt front differential from engine.

No, you do not need to remove engine mounts or lift engine.

Old seal was nice, hard, sticky, and shrunken. Much like valve covers are and the seals in the transmission above the valve body.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09...781675d77b.jpg


http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09...598238262c.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/09...2cf2698135.jpg

Bi-weekly drive

Timing chain guide time? Valley pan gasket? Look like new brakes too.

Can you please provide more detail of the work. Maybe a separate thread. This is something quite a lot of us will need to do. I will update your thread when I get to do mine if you do so. Thanks.

Here I sit at my friendly neighborhood indy shop, getting new brakes and a fluid flush. Opted for Akebono ceramic pads and Zimmermann rotors. They're also going to replace the rubber caliper bushings too.

Then off to the alignment shop to get things straightened out (noticed a little bit of extra wear on the inside of the front tires).

I didn't do anything to it but I did find that someone hit the pass side door handle with what appears to be their door. It is worse than it looks in the photos. I hate people

http://i673.photobucket.com/albums/v...pspkiarbuz.jpg

Dude, that blows!

This summer, I had someone scrape the corner of my bumper. They thoughtfully left a note with their email address and said they were travelling from another country on business. After a few emails back and forth, they said their company should be handling it and they disappeared.

Sigh...now I gotta pay $600 to get it fixed.