Put in the DINAN mats even though I havent repaired the driver side binding yet. I couldn't help myself. They cleaned up nicely but the backing has gotten a little grainy from age. This is how they looked when the 4.6 arrived and then after me scrubbing the hell out of them...Attachment 78304Attachment 78305Attachment 78306

Been gone a week racing Mid-Ohio and got home and took the X5 out for a few errands. First time I hit the right turn signal, I got the fast blink. :facepalm:

I asked the better half how long that had been going on and got the "deer in the headlights" look. :bustingup

Replaced both side marker/front turn signal bulbs since one was done after 16 years so the other can't be too far behind.

Loved taking the headlights out to change the side marker bulbs. German engineering at its finest. :dunno:

I was surprised when I got my x5 to see you had to remove the entire headlight to replace the front turn signal bulb. Maybe they are like the trans fluid and are supposed to be "lifetime"?

:bustingup :bustingup :bustingup

On a positive note, the E46 performed flawlessly up and over the Appalachian mountains both ways. I was a little concerned about the first transmission fluid and filter change on a ZF gearbox at 207,000 miles. Those mountain inclines can test an automatic gearbox for sure. :thumbup:

https://www.e46fanatics.com/cdn-cgi/...00-jpg.906490/

So GM3 module go to Scott Friday and I got it back Sunday. Wow. Don't know if the GM3 is affecting bg my rogue rear wiper, or it's just better from me poking at it. But it's acting right as of now.
Still need to pop off the thermostat and change the gasket/o-ring

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Was just about to start thinking about maintenance on my e70.....
 

.....and I guess my e53 noticed these unfaithful thoughts and got jealous :) My son was trying to board the driver's side after (for)getting his face mask and looked perplexed at the door when it refused to open! After 17 years my driver's side door handle carrier is toast it seems.

I know there is a fix but 17 years is not a bad run and it is not too hard to get to. Ordered a new OEM item.

No wiring problems discovered in that boot harness then? How did you narrow it to the gm3?

I didn't cut it open. Just from peeling it back and seeing the nylons cover underneath that.

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Gave the X a well deserved washAttachment 78317

Over here a turn signal is never used so if it wasn't for a message from the LCM I'd never know...[emoji1787]

Good to have you back OB

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B...E...A...utiful.

Time for me to do the same.:thumbup:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...f11fcf71ae.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9cdc94f538.jpg

Tugged a bent fence post back to vertical so the gate would latch.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9cca07d326.jpg

I learned from experience, best to pull sideways and just go back and forth with the car in a zig-zag. More force more control and when something snaps it shoots past the front of the car vs. into the windshield.

Swapped out that damn brown driver side mirror. Cracked it while at it. Not sure why I didn't look up how to do it before I started. Lol.
Should've changed that long ago.
Now if only I could fix the power folding and get rid of the excess play
I also drive it this morning for the 1st time in a while. After flushing coolant, changing the drain plug on the radiator. New radiator cap, and new seals on that stupid ECS tuning 90c thermostat. All seems to be holding fluids without leaking.

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Replaced the windshield gasket and programmed 1 touch unlock which is the best thing to have a child who likes to yank on the door handle before they are unlocked.Attachment 78343Attachment 78344

Is that a super old sirius or xm antenna on the roof? Aftermarket GPS? That poor paint.

I'm beginning to wonder if I need wheel bearings. This thing still has a slight hum while rolling at 80+ mph.

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I think it is or It may be the GPS antenna for the aftermarket radio. Why do you say "that poor paint"?

Poor paint from either the damage caused by its method of attachment or by having a less faded spot from where it "protected" the paint is my guess.

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Yes. It's starting to pull off too so it is going to start slapping the paint at speed. It's probably not a huge deal right now purple, but could get there if left alone.

The rubber cover that goes over the wires to the antenna just needs to be set down with a dab of silicon or something as it doesn't tuck under the windshield gasket. The paint there is perfect. The angle of the picture may have caused it to look bad in that spot but there doesnt seem to be any issues there...

I used a bit of dental floss to get under the Terk antenna and get it loose. I was then easily able to get the remainder of the adhesive tape off my paint just by rubbing with my fingers. Cleaned it well and waxed the roof. All gone.

I'm sure it's fine, didn't mean to sound alarmist. :thumbup:

Swapped out plugs to the NGK Ruthenium. Not sure what to expect. Getting ready to hop on the highway and open it up. No noticeable improvement in idle.

This car is newish to me a (a year this month) and I don't drive it much. The pics I posted here are from just one cylinder. I haven't ever seen this before. Loose plug? Even the coil pack was saturated. It always ran fine with no CEL. Your thoughts? :popcorn:

Usually that's a sign of bad inner valve cover gasket...

+1[emoji106]

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Just had those done a few months ago. That is likely the culprit. Must have leaked inside during the repair? :dunno:

Totally forgot about that. Thanks for the reminder Purplecty :thumbup:

They should have been cleaned out during the repair. Clean it out really good and then check back in a month and see what it looks like. On the M62 with the plugs installed, I would spray brake cleaner in there and let it sit for a few mins and then blow it out into a wrag cuz it'll get messy and dry up the residual oil. You can also use a shop vac with a straw taped to the end to suck out all of the oil as well...

I have a great indy shop but, that is where he tends to get a little lazy. After he did the gaskets, I still had a bunch of oil on the stiffening plate that was leaving oil wherever I went. I had to take it to the DIY carwash and pressure wash it myself. No leaks or drips now! For what he charges and being a certified BMW master tech, I'll take a little time to clean on my own. :thumbup:

If the hum changes in left vs right curves very likely wheel bearing. You can't tell left from right side based on which curve makes it sound better because there are four zones of race that are involved (inner, outer, and top and bottom of each).

I've discovered that swapping between 255 and 235 tire will flip the race loading from inner top, outer bottom to outer top, inner bottom and can be a fantastic was to determine which wheel is at fault. It can be painfully difficult to determine which wheel is the cause.

That said, if the sound only is at speed,
You could just have a minor off balance that is finding a harmonic frequency of something

Highway test went as expected. Runs great. And I actually did notice a smoother idle.

Did the cooling system overhaul 2 weeks ago. Nailed it, too! Only had to perform the initial bleed. Didn't even have to top it off!

I'm always amazed at how easy bimmers are to work on. It's like they are engineered to repair! I have worked on many, many cars in my day and I'll take a bimmer every time!

Hmmm.

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I've changed six so far between our two X5 and one is overdue i have the part just not the time.

Swapping to the spare tire was the best confirmation of failure in my case. The 255 was silent bearing and when I put on the 235 it instantly howled like a wolf.

I put Ruthenium plugs in my M54. No noticeable difference. No change in fuel mileage either.

You have a badly leaking valve cover gasket.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...ba350d9bb0.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9ff1b54958.jpg

Transported a 40' ladder 80 miles.

I cut a tenon using the tow eye as the mortice and that couldn't have worked better! I took some canvas strap wrapped around the ladder and screwed to the upright. I attached the ladder so it was slightly higher than the front roof rack so I could snug it down right.

Great idea. I'll need to keep that in mind for long lumber loads. Some of the rough cut stock I buy can be 16 feet long and the front of the boards really get to flopping around in the wind.


2002 X5 3.0 378,400 miles
2014 428i 67,700 miles


2004 325i sold at 123,600 miles
2001 325i sold at 66,000 miles


1970 Firebird under restoration

Great idea! Now I can figure out how to carry the lumbers for my new trellis project!

Anyone tried carrying some of these longer lumber/pipes the way plumbers used to by strapping them center line underneath?

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That was my original plan for the ladder.

My roof rack is made from unistrut rail so I can hook on clamps for most sizes of tube. Also have spring nuts for 3/8 and 1/2" and the corresponding angle brackets makes the rack very versatile.

[emoji106]

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Did somebody say trellis? This one was 14 Ft x 8 Ft. Notice the roof crossbars lost their inherent upwards bow.

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

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...c01e70fcd1.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...da99d6f908.jpg

Option two: These are 16' 2x6. They were wet and super heavy. My crossbars are only 3/4" tall not designed to hold much load but with only 16' I can shift toward the back and support up from my tail rack.

I borrowed wife's tow hook in case I needed to do a bipod but the mono pod was perfect

My 7 yr old at the time son was with me and loved how it makes the car feel like a tank

Option 2 is another good idea. I'll probably go that route in the future since I've got a cargo carrier also. I've determined the maximum roof load with the two factory crossbars is 5 sheets of 3/4 inch walnut plywood - 335 pounds. The crossbars are fine because the load is spread evenly across them, but the front tips of the side rails lifted up off the roof 1/4 inch :yikes:. Fortunately they sprung back in place when the load came off. I wish there was a center crossbar to even out the load on the side rails better. Two just aren't enough.



2002 X5 3.0 378,500 miles
2014 428i 67,700 miles


2004 325i sold at 123,600 miles
2001 325i sold at 66,000 miles


1970 Firebird Under restoration

That looks like a stylish trellis! Thanks for sharing!

I made my own crossbars so they are flush with the top of the stock roof rails, sheet goods lay flat agains the whole rail front to back following the curve.

I try to stay close to the 100kg load limit per BMW but I’m sure I’ve gone over a few times. Those 16’ wet 2x6 was one of those times.

As shown in the photo there, the support from your tail rack is adding stability (and is surely helping a lot in that regard), but cannot be taking much load at all off the roof racks.

To understand why, without drawing a free body diagram, imagine if you yourself were holding those beams with your hands, in the middle of course. Then your 7-year-old tank commander went and tried to help by lifting at the very end of the beam. They could very easily move that end up and down, without taking hardly any of the load. You'd still be carrying the same weight.

With the beams strapped securely to the two cross bars, it may be possible to exert some force on the end. But that will not be taking any of the net load off the bars, the force will be counteracted by the torque between the two bars. The net force on the bars remains the same, with the extra torque superimposed - so it's actually worse in terms of having a peak force causing structural failure.

The added stability and reduction in bouncing will definitely be helpful though.

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

Incorrect. The things you may be overlooking is that I preloaded the back post. Not enough lift to transfer much weight from the back to front crossbar but enough that the back was probably holding 20-30% of the weight with maybe 40% on the front. (40-30-30).

The thing is: those 2x6 are flexible so even though they were secured at the two crossbars, the first 30-50# of force up on the back maybe half of that is unloading the back cross bar the other half is removing flex from the beam and loading the back point.

I did similar when transporting the ladder. But since it weighs so little I actually set it up 40-0-60 or so. Actually more like 60, -40, 80. I set it up with the ladder floating off the front crossbar and then ratchet straps pulled it down tensioning the ladder so it wouldn't have any wobble at all.

The only wobble was side to side when one side of the car hit a bump.

It is a delicate balance to lift the back without just transferring the load to the front bit it's not difficult when paying attention as it's definitely better to spread the load.

After 3 error codes for Thermostat over 8 months, I decided today was the day to change it. Job done.

If you want to really know then, a free body diagram will show it clearly, but ...

Anything you're doing with "flex" is primarily creating a torque which is offset by the pair of crossbars which must create a counteracting couple. The 40-30-30 ratios you're talking about may be true, but what matters is the net actual forces on the bars, not the ratios.

Here's one way to think about it:
1. consider the case where there is no rear support, just that of the crossbars. Assuming the load is centered, it's pretty easy to see that the weight will be split equally and carried by each crossbar.

2. then consider the case where the beams weigh nothing at all, and you jack up that rear support, creating internal stress in the beam, countered by forces on the crossbars (since the beams are strapped down). In this case, the front bar will push upward on the beam, and the rear bar will pull it downward, with the couple providing a torque exactly offsetting that from the rear support. The amplification factor will be greater based on ratio of overall beam length vs. the spacing of the bars.

3. now consider the case you actually have, where there is a rear support, and the beam is not massless - a combination of 1 and 2 above. Since all this analysis is linear, the answer in this case is a sum (linear superposition) of those two other cases. So whatever you had in case 1, you can just add the answer from case 2 to it.

4. OK? If so, since the answer from 2 showed that the front bar had an upward force on the beam, then this means that the force on the beam applied by the front bar (so the force on the front crossbar is this amount, downwards) will be greater than it was with no rear support. So although the pre-loading from the rear beam may be decreasing the stress on the rear crossbar (if the forces and distances are in the right range), it is guaranteed to increase the loading on the front crossbar. And of course that is not good. You just need things to fail in one spot to cause problems.

Another way to possibly help understand it - consider if you had a single crossbar supporting things at the center of the beams, and a pin-joint trying to push up on the rear end. Think that all the way through. Then consider two crossbars closely spaced, etc. - that will change things slightly, but not materially. In this extreme case (very closely spaced bars), the forces on the bars needed to create the counter-acting torque will vastly exceed the net upward force due to the rear support.

As long as the bar spacing is a lot shorter than the overall beam length, the force increase due to the counter-acting torque will exceed any reduction in force due to the rear support.

Main thing is to not think you have any extra rack load capacity due to something you're doing just on the back end like that, with something that is basically a pin-joint. That could lead to problems.

If still not convinced, it would be a lot easier to just do the calcs vs. trying to explain it intuitively, so feel free to provide the dimensions, weight, and rear support load (estimates of course are perfectly useful) and I'll get hard numbers.

After battling with a sticking fuel gauge (stuck at about 12 gallons) for a 2400mile round trip, pulling 4,000# of U-Haul trailer and load, I finally changed out the left side fuel level sending unit.

I had thought the float was sticking because when I tapped on the top of it with a long extension and BFH, the gauge would go to the proper level.

The float was not sticking, it slid effortlessly on the wire wound resistors embedded in the unit. The resistance of the old unit was about 18 ohms at empty, 250 ohms at half travel and 500 ohms at full up.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw...-no?authuser=0

The new unit has moved down from 12 gallons to 10 which was never happening with the old unit, which would hover around 11 and 12 gallons forever.

On my trip I used the miles traveled and MPG shown in the iBus app to estimate my fuel consumed. In all but one fuel stop this proved to be workable. One fuel stop I took 23.75 gallons for a presumably 24 gallon tank :wow:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw...-no?authuser=0

This was a much nicer fuel stop (SAM'S CLUB Joplin, MO) on that trip!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw...-no?authuser=0

PS: I also installed the bigger O-ring that this forum highlighted for the jet pump connection.

Hopefully all well for now.

Mike

Missing a CRITICAL Part of the equation.

The load is almost .centered on the REAR crossbar so when lifting up from the back it puts more load on the front but the goal to end up split the load closer to equal

The beams were almost teetering on the back crossbar before I put the back support.

If you started with a centered load the brace in back or front just limits additional forces from the turret torque which is very helpful but when the forces can actually be held by the front and back that's a whole different story. The tow eye could easily hold more than the rating of the entire roof hence my desire to get it into the mix.

The next time I move some 16' lumber I might favor the front if I can get to also reach the back. Just like I did with the ladder, it could have negative load on one of the roof crossbars putting most of the load on the back and front bumpers

Not to worry. :thumbup: I've put as much as 24.1 gallons in mine.


2002 X5 3.0 378,500 miles
2014 428i 67,700 miles


2004 325i sold at 123,600 miles
2001 325i sold at 66,000 miles


1970 Firebird Under restoration

What I understand is he got where he wanted to go, wood didn't fall off on the way, and there was no damage. I wouldn't have the nerve to even try. My input is Good Job!

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

In addition, the load was about double the rating of the roof rack so I went very slow I had my hand on the load though the sun roof to judge how much it was moving and went only 2 miles.

The ladder, however I needed that secure it was going 80 miles much of that at 80 nph

Also: Demonstrated a possibility that can be done.

:wow::wow::wow:

Did you push it in? :rofl:

Mike

I've done the same. Almost every car or truck I've owned would take more gas than what the tank supposedly held.

capacity of e53 is I believe 92L = 24.3G. The tank sensors do not register either the top 10L nor the bottom 3.6L


The low fuel comes on at a registered 8L on the 6 cyl and 10L on the 8 cyl. When the gauge reads 0.0 gal = 0 distance to empty the tank has 3.6L of fuel.

What? For real?

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Great info. Thanks!

The red light on mine (4.6is) went up yesterday, so that means I have I 10Litre/2.6 gallons left in the tank?

I refilled 21 gallons this morning to top it off. That adds up to about 24 gallons.

As a side note, 91 octane is 3.25/ gallons today in Los Angeles!

Washed it and put on some tire shine ;)

https://i.imgur.com/PDobH5Yh.jpg

Looking great!

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i was on a 2 hour road trip and i heard two clunks my rear end s sagging but my self leveling dash light is not on. but i do have fail safe mode on light on bc.. wondering how to see if my air bag is bad or something totally different

Thank you

10L = 2.64 but you have to add on the 3.6 not on the gauge 3.6+2.64=6.24 g remains. The 3.6 buffer makes it really hard to run out of gas without trying because you can go 15 miles or so past 0.0 DTE. It's designed like that to make it near impossible to run the pump dry or have a problem with the pump inlet sucking air when you are at a steep angle and low on fuel.

I was at about 30 miles DTE when I just filled up:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...254d1dd615.jpg

93 octane @ 2.50/g it auto stopped at half speed at exactly 24.000 warranted a photo. I regularly will put in just shy of 24g since I wait for the low fuel light before getting gas unless I know I'll be where low density of stations or before going to Chicago I will put in enough to get home where the fuel is $1.10 lessa gallon.

I put in just enough to get out of Illinois and it was 3.60/g.


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Finally received my long awaited gloss black grilles. They are aftermarket and seem like good quality. They need the notch for the hood release lever cut out for the driver side but other than that they are solid and super glossy.Attachment 78385
Attachment 78387

Oooo. Whered you get them

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China!Attachment 78388


https://a.aliexpress.com/_dWM4u31

New expansion tank due to float sensor area deformation [emoji28] float was still vertical but had shifted all the way to the fender side of the opening but no leak at the time [emoji2962]

New MAF (Bosh)

Trying to fin a replacement cap for the washer reservoir (apparently never sold in ME) without buying a whole new tank.

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I bought a generic one was a tiny bit too small but a couple cuts around the perimeter and it snaps on just fine.

I may have to give that a try [emoji106]

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The retaining slot didn't fit but the original didn't do its job anyhow so no biggie.

I just matched the hood release lever cut out the best I could with some tin snips and pliers. The plastic was definitely thicker than the old oem grilles. A dremel may have worked better but I didnt really care about the finish, i just wanted to get it to allow the hood to open properly and not be stuck closed...

Expansion tank (done)[emoji3060]

New radiator cap (dane)[emoji3060]

New MAF (done)[emoji3060]

Test drive (not priceless)[emoji107] check brake linings comes on

*Brake wear sensor (awaiting tomorrow)
*from my rear wheel that sucked in that plastic bag awhile back [emoji2959]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...c2b25cf617.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...1407af8fb0.jpg

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My client hit a retread in the freeway. Took out his wear sensor but also knocked his brake pads out of alignment. The pads ended up about 4mm off the disc and started to wear funny also squeal which is how I found out it even happened. You can twist the wires together to remove the dash light while waiting for a part FYI.

I could if I hadn't been "slightly" unhappy as I (gently) ripped that bastard off [emoji28]

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FCP Euro has them: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products?keywords=61667467951

You may have to do what I did when I replaced mine, drill a small hole in it. The replacement cap was a tighter fit than the original and wouldn't allow the air in the tank to escape when it was heated up. That pushed the washer fluid out through the washer nozzles. I think the original fit looser and allowed air to escape. After I drilled the hole, no more problem.

[emoji106] beats reallocated parts downtown

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Installed chrome front turn signal bulbs...

The 2004 E53 with about 138k miles needs some repairs.

Alternator failed so on replacement I am going to replace the OFHG.

The PCV is not working as I am experiencing a huge increase in oil consumption so I am replacing that too. While that is out replacing the intake manifold gasket.

Lastly the fuel pump is on the fritz. Going to get a fuel pressure test first.

If that needs changing is there anything else anyone can suggest? The lifetime fuel filter maybe?

Thanks in advance.

Brad

How long ago was your suspension done?
Guibos, engine, transmission mounts?

Just throwing it out there due to fun I've had doing my 4.8iS [emoji850]

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Thanks for the reply.

This E53 is new to me in the last two years with no service records. I have done some regular maintenance. During a state inspection the suspension was looked at and I was told it looked good and I have done nothing to it. Don't notice anything driving wise with the suspension or mounts.

Thinking of the flex disc I was wondering if sometimes on clutch uptake a small shudder occurs but that could just be my nearly 45 years of learning how to manually shift.

Thanks again,

Brad

Try the speed bump test.

Go over a speed bump with JUST enough speed that the tires get to "fall" off the backside not launch and if you hear a lite thunk it's the bushings (short arm on the upside of the speed bump, long arm on the drop)

Engine, transmission mounts will give a vibration in gear at a stop and guibos can too.

I believe your engine is one that had possible issues with the harmonic balancer rotting away but not positive and I'm sure the others who're more knowledgeable on your engine will chime in shortly.

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That speed bump test is a keeper


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Perhaps this list of my maintenance/repairs will help.
On a regular basis:

> Rotate tires, inspect pads & Rotors, CV boots, general look over every 5000 miles
> Oil / Filter change every 8000 miles
> Brake fluid flush every 30,000 miles
> CV Boot replacement generally every 75,000 miles
> Replace belts and clean CCV every 100,000 miles
> Replace differential and transfer case fluid every 100,000 miles
> Replace sparkplugs every 120,000 miles
> Replace expansion tank, coolant and hoses every 150,000 miles
> Replace brake pads every 163,000 miles (Akebono ceramics)
> Replace rotors-once at 63,000 miles (315,000 miles on current Brembos)
> Automatic transmission fluid – leave it alone in the GM 5L40-E

My unplanned repairs have included:

> Front axles at 60,000 miles (Prior owner didn't maintain CV boots)
> FSR at 78,000 miles
> Two sparkplug coils and accessory belt tensioner at 124,000 miles
> Alternator at 126,000 miles
> Front driveshaft and transfer case at 136,000 (used a salvage TC for cost savings)
> FSR (again) at 159,000 miles
> Thermostat and OFHG at 176,000 miles
> Front tension struts and power steering pressure hose at 192,000 miles
> Rear differential seal at 200,000 miles
> Secondary air pump at 224,000 miles
> Rear suspension bushings and upper control arms at 242,000 miles
> Thermostat (again) at 245,000 miles - at least it was warranty this time
> Steering column double U-Joint shaft at 245,000 miles
> Valve cover gasket at 245,000 miles
> Both fuel tank sending units, fuel pump and canister at 245,000 miles
> Aux fan when the harness got chewed up in the mechanical fan and shorted out at 259,000 miles
> Pre-cat O2 sensors at 260,400 miles
> Water pump at 262,800 miles
> DISA Valve and MAF at 264,000 miles
> Thermostat (again) at 299,000 miles (don’t know what’s going on with these)
> Driver door handle carrier again at 310,600 miles (thought they had these fixed finally)
> Intermediate accessory belt pulley and oil level sensor at 310,600 miles
> Valve cover (not just the gasket) and OFHG at 317,000 miles
> All spark plug coils, MAF and fuel filter at 342,400 miles
> Third FSR at 347,000 miles
> Fourth FSR & harness connector at 357,000 miles – warranty this time
> Engine mounts and rear driveshaft guibo at 357,000 miles
> MAF, Thermostat (again!!!), All front CV boots 361,700 miles
> Pre-cat O2 sensor (Bank #1) at 366,000 miles
> Secondary air pump at 368,000 miles (prior was a used one off eBay)
> Air injection check valve at 377,000 miles
> Front brake tension struts at 378,000 miles


All in all, except for the front driveshaft job that cost $4200, I have really been happy with the vehicle. It doesn't get babied, but I do monitor and maintain it. I think a lot of my good fortune is due to four things: I live in Texas with short winters so I don't have a lot of the CCV condensation problems, my daily commute is 60 miles so the engine oil always reaches full operating temperature, I run the "M" series viscosity engine oil from May through September when I my driving includes 3000 miles of towing a 1400 pound Waverunner and trailer, and I stick with Shell gasoline.

I do believe I’ve figured out what goes on with the thermostat failures. Each one occurred within days of an extended idling period (3-4 hours) while commuting home at a crawl during very cold, icy weather. Under these conditions, every bit of engine heat was consumed trying to keep the windshield clear and the interior warm, so the engine thermostat would have been powered to stay closed or nearly closed most of the time. I suspect a higher current flow to the thermostat for that amount of time simply “burned it up”.


2002 X5 3.0 378,900 miles
2014 428i 68,000 miles


2004 325i sold at 123,600 miles
2001 325i sold at 66,000 miles


1970 Firebird Under restoration

Technically not today....

Saturday, I rolled into Grandma's driveway and she was outside on the front porch. So I rolled down the rear window so that my kids could wave at her. Roll the window back up and POP! The window doesn't move. My wife and my mother in law look at me like I've broken the window, why can't I make it go up? I can't, it's broken. 1 hour drive home with the wind blowing in my toddler's faces wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.

Sunday, I know there is an E53 that is pretty fresh at the local pull your own parts yard so I go check it out at 8AM. 3 of the window regulators have already been removed, destroyed, and laying on the ground next to this X5. However the door is closed and locked for the door that I need. I purposely brought my power drill and some extra wire for this. I energized the vehicle with my Ryobi drill battery long enough to unlock the door and then get it opened. I popped the panel off and there was the regulator that I needed. pulled the plug off the regulator motor and used my drill battery trick again to power the window down so that I can line the bolt up with the window in the regulator track. 4 quick zaps from the 8 and 10 mm in my drill and out comes the regulator.

Install was just as easy. I did notice some cracking in the plastic on the freshly installed regulator. This has me a little concerned that my fix may be temporary. Who knows it might last a few years and at $26 it isn't much of a gamble. I will probably be pulling a spare regular from the next junked X5 that I come across.

Nice.. I have 2 E53’s which mean 8 windows with possible failed regulators. I have a box of window spares including at least one regulator for each door and 6-8 of the plastic clips which break as often as the regulators do. I have fixed these windows so often I am thinking of keeping a set of clips and Tools to remove The door panel In the truck for on-the-road repairs.

Some have reenforced the plastic with JB weld

haha... This thought has occurred to me as well.

I was out of epoxy but I did manage to squirt a little super glue into the crack. It'll probably do nothing since it isn't fixtured but I made a small effort.

I have replaced only one window regulator since buying new, driver's side. I have done nothing special to extend lifecycles though with Texas heat the air-conditioning is almost always in use.

Thanks for the amazing repair detail.

I noticed a failing rubber boot up front and have done nothing about it in the 15k miles I have driven. Have to put that closer to the top of the list.

The alternator has been replaced. Now I can at least get around as this E53 one of my favorites to be the loose nut behind the wheel.

I am about to perform a fuel pressure test as its experiencing a similar issue I have had in two other period BMW E39's. I have never done this test before but appears to be fairly straight forward. Any tips appreciated. I have a new OEM pump on hand to replace it with. If its anything like the E39 that has a new pump this M54 will run very nicely indeed.

Thanks again

Brad

Funny you mention that, because when we left for a week-long camping trip last week, as we got on the highway towing the trailer, I asked my better half to roll down her window to adjust the towing mirror. Guess what didn't come back up.



In a feat of unqualified success, I had the door taken apart and the window pulled back up in less than ten minutes in a parking lot! Disaster averted... but yes I may invest in some more spares so I can do field repairs. We almost only use this vehicle for towing during camping season.

I had to do the same once in an AutoZone parking lot when out of town at a tennis tournament. Nothing more embarrassing than pulling into the hotel valet in your freshly washed imola 4.8is only to have your window not go back up. :rolleyes:

Often that won't go up is the bottom bolt got loose and the window will derail at the back. A couple pieces oi strong tape like gorilla tape can help lift the back of the window for a quick temporary fix. ; you can also pry the window forward but that method is a little risky so I've recommend the tape solution

So I just spent half the day trying to figure out why my side mirror won't hold after some f#### pushed it in at the parking lot. Is there any way to program the side mirrors to open and close automatically? I tend to forget it half the time when I park. I tried to look through BMW Scanner 1.4, but couldn't find it anywhere.

Fixed the intermittent bulb out warming again with a new bulb carrier and some solder. Seem to have to do it every 2 or 3 years.

So in the past 10 days or so...
Replaced expansion tank, cap, RR bag, air compressor [emoji3060]

Today... constant suspension inactive message.

Lower expansion tank hose popped off a block from home[emoji2959]

It's only 45c so...[emoji848][emoji3060]?https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...a0e3143573.jpg

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While still smiling over the great result of my ABS rebuild and the subsequent need for new pads/rotors all around (yes, racer syndrome..LOL)...I headed out yesterday got 3 blocks and the engine goes into failsafe and stalls in the middle of a busy road. Got it to restart and immediately it stalls again. Finally, I used the "two foot" method to keep up the RPM and get it into gear and out of the roadway. Grabbed my Foxwell and saw a MAF code P01012. Limped it back home and took off the MAF and cleaned it several times. Cleared the code, reinstalled, and went for a drive. CEL popped up again with P0102. Disconnected the MAF/IAT sensor so I could drive it and ordered one from Pelican. That's what I did for the Silver Streak today. LOL

Put LED fog light bulbs in and used the IBUS app to set them up as DRL's. They look great! Super bright. 6000k light at 48000 lumens.

the transfer case for the x5 is about 1600 plus 300 for front drive shaft at northside imports and install cost me 600 i am happy with the results.... i am now need to replace speed sensor or tranny and maybe the yaw sensor not sure ... i did pan service and oil cooler thermstat and cooler replacement. to see if the that will cure the fail safe mode because fluid is too hot and cause me to be fail safe mode after 2 hours of driving

I noticed a bit of oil on the fan in the engine bay, found a messed up connector on a hose that connects to the air intake of the engine. Am I right that this tube belongs to the PCV system?

https://i.imgur.com/fUbnnlR.jpg

I also changed the cracked logo on the hood and buffed out a scratchy spot that I stupidly created while revoving a giant bird poo (I basically live in a seagull breeding area at the moment)

No doubt. Luckily they give signs that failure is imminent. Both of mine that failed (both fronts) made clicky cracking noises for a few raises before dying.

Stretched her legs today. 185kph for a good 45 km.
Amazing numbers after that blast!!https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e57b421f20.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...a2a7c76f9f.jpg

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Can't imagine how your coolant hose popped off. Speaking of which: removing my fan last Sunday and when the wrench hit the upper radiator hose, it pulled the pipe right off the thermostat!

Learn from me: don't rely on the upper hose to catch the wrench. I've done this method to remove the fan a dozen times or more and no problem until Sunday.

Second hit on the wrench I know something wasn't right when I hear a waterfall of coolant at my feet.

The best part: caught on video because I was taking video to show xo how to remove the fan. I'll have to redo there video showing the improved method with something to catch the wrench.

On the video I noticed that the hose was compressed from vacuum do very likely that is why it broke. Under vacuum the hose became stiffer and pulled harder on the thermostat.

Karma came full circle though when I found a 1.1 CT VS1, EF color diamond in a parking lot. Retail price on that stone is worth more than my X5.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...d012715087.jpg

Damn now that's a find!

Hell yeah! Nice. Any engraving? Hope the owner has it insured.

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

No engraving I've searched any lost and found internet site related including one specific to rings. I'll check for a week or two else praying they had insurance and I'll take it as: universe gives me a win (after self destruct of my thermostat being a moron).

I volunteered to carpool with a friend from Chicago to east NY state and in the trip found leaving a Wendy's in the parking lot.

What? I be the only person who likes to have their X stretch it's legs[emoji1787] but seriously I really recommend people double check the clips on their hoses as doing it by feel doesn't always work [emoji28]

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Having just replaced thermostat can affirm it's very difficult to tell these hose clips are locked in. I like to try to leave the clip pushed in to hear the click when it locks but often that won't happen. So definitely always try to remove the hose. Several times the hose has popped off and I had to reconnect it.

Had a rock chip in the windshield filled at the recommendation of my window tinter. I guess these aren't cosmetic repairs and are just help the integrity of the windshield. It was a 30 minute job and I did not take before pictures. He drilled a small hole and then had some sort of bridge attached to the outside of the windshield with a mirror attahced on the inside of the car. He then used an aluminum tool that has chambers in it to remove the air and inject the resin? Anyone have experience with these types of repairs? Here is a close up pic from the inside after the repair...Attachment 78508

I did on a 93 full size Bronco and other than a slight distortion it was way less noticeable than what yours looks like. But they use a diamond bit (super small) to end the crack running from the chip.

From chip to small crack end would be covered under a. 25 cent piece.

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Interesting and good to know! It was only $50! I only did it because my tinter who tints and wraps mainly exotic cars saw it and immediately declined to put a sun strip on the top of my windshield due to the crack, even though it wouldn't have been on top of the crack. He said tinting can potentially cause it to crack more. I did not expect it to be any better cosmetically and now he will tint the top few inches of my windshield.

Yeah mine used a thing like a suction cup on a pneumatic muni injector (similar to an air hypodermic)

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I have experienced a small chip expanding into a crack and would definitely get the service done to solidify a window

I've taken to applying a very minute amount of dielectric grease on the o-ring before sliding it on. Reduces the friction and in doing so you can definitely get a feel for when it clicks into place.


I started doing this while keeping the kids older, higher mileage BMWs on the road to reduce brittle plastic breakage when doing their repairs.

I'm also using a small smearing of grease/assembly lube. I've had zero negative side effects.

Wow! That was AFTER the repair? If I hadn't read I would have thought that was before the repair.


I've had good luck with the permatex windshield repair kits. Would have thought a windshield repair guy would have a better outcome than that.

I kind of agree! I have never had this done before and that is why I posted here asking. It didn't really bother me before and if it supposedly helps the integrity of the windshield I am all for it. Maybe I set my standards too high after watching this?
https://youtu.be/LjyUWc11PuE

I usually just wet the o-ring with coolant but next time I'll use some faucet grease.

Hey EOD....quick question. What do you do about sand damage to your windshields over there? I'm a little pissed off as I just replaced mine less than a month ago and I got caught in a wind/sand storm here and now I have damage again. I'm considering an attempt to repair it. There is a cool Youtube vid of a guy polishing a large scratch out of a windshield. I may try and if I can't come up with a solution...it may be back to AutoLite for another as my insurance won't do it again this quick. GRR.

Had my tinter do a limo darkness sun strip...Attachment 78520

Polish and always pull your wipers up and dust the whole thing off after cleaning the rubber


Forgot to add "be perpetually pissed"

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Fuel pressure test complete.

10 PSI Key on not running
50 PSI After start and running at idle
10 PSI Turned car off and within 30 seconds

Thanks

Brad

Fuel pressure test complete.

10 PSI Key on not running
50 PSI After start and running at idle
10 PSI Turned car off and within 30 seconds

Car is sitting at nearly 139K miles.

Just replaced the alternator and as I have seen here before both the alternator and fuel pump could fail at about the same mileage.

Thanks

Brad

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

Fuel pump lifespan is hours not distance but one of ours failed at about 130,000 miles the other lasted over 180,000 and was replaced before failure.

The FPR o-ring failed on wife's car at 185,000 or so leading to the drop of pressure when off as the easy to measure metric. 50 psi was 40 in seconds and 10 psi in a couple hours. (And zero overnight)

After replacing FPR it held 25 psi for 16 hours.

The o-ring seals between the high pressure side and return line of FPR.

I kept the old FPR so I can test when I replace my FPR/filter as I'm quite sure just the o-ring failed (typical BMW M.O.)

Thanks for the reply.

If the FPR is failing what is the next step?

Brad

You are describing the near identical steps I've just gone though.

It's a pain to remove the underbelly protection but once that is off it's easy.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...b66a0fa740.jpg

This o-ring failed. You could probably just replace or even wrap with Teflon tape and it would fix the problem.

The FPR is a combination unit with the fuel filter but does come off so you could likely just repair it.

EODguy, what do you use to polish your windshield?

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

Not to jump in the middle of your convo with EOD, but I use the same ceramic coating I use on the body, on the glass [emoji106].

It works WAY better than products like RainX and last WAY longer between applications. Only thing I do “differently” is that I feel like I “buff” the glass a bit more than I do the body.

Don’t know that product matters per say, I’ve used Nugenix, Chemical Guy, “auto zone” products, you name it and they were all better than glass specific coatings.


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I use Nu-glass polish and then rainx although one of the other guys a ceramic stovetop polish.

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Glass stove top ceramic polish was what actually got me to using the ceramic coat on my glass as well [emoji106]. It works a treat! And is as “durable” as on the body though heavy use of the wipers does reduce that some.


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Windshield is original. Have always used Rainx to make water bead.. Over the years I have tried many different polishes. They remove contaminants but don't remove pitting. The last few months I have tried to get glass experts to do something to get it back to new like. Input thus far is that I can't get there from here and it is best to live with it or replace it.

I have no personal experience with it but there is a kit called “Diamonid” I think it is that is supposed to remove deep scratching and etching from glass. If yours is “live with or replace” maybe it’s worth a shot?

Applies with a standard small pad buffer and maybe with enough time you could smooth the surface and then put a few layers / coats of cerami coat on to seal it and “fill” in some of the minor pitting. (Not that cerami coat has much depth to it...)


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It's not that my windshield is that bad. I would just like it to be appear new. Have looked at many kits. Most require buffing which seemed to be the major concern of shops. I guess it is quite easy to cause distortion in the glass using a buffing wheel. Thanks for the suggestion, will check it out.

No worries, Purplefade.

I have used Rejex for years as a sealer and then rainx on top of that.

Not sure if it is worth the time or effort to buff or polish the glass. I put a new St. Gobain Sekurit windshield in mine for $375 installed. One of the cheaper parts I have bought for the X. :dunno:

With the amount of sand blasting you have to contend with do you find yourself using an electric or air powered buffer? Or do you apply by hand since you're doing that on a regular basis?

Mine isn't THAT bad that I feel the need, yet, to replace it. Just one of those things that drive me crazy as I'm driving into the sun at dawn or dusk.


Wondered how many hours of polishing I would have to do...

Mine had a couple of highway dings in it and was certainly pitted from years of service. Unbelievable difference having it replaced, I never really noticed how pitted it was. 1 hour of down time and I didn't have to lift a finger. FTW. :thumbup:

Removed the oil pan cover on the M62 engine yesterday. The pan looks quite clean without any timing chain guide parts.

Big relief. I guess I can hold off on the TCG job a little longer.

Any tips on the gasket install?

I bought a gasket maker and a brand new gasket. I'm thinking of cleaning up the mating surface, put on a light coating of the gasket maker, then place on the gasket and reuse the oil pan bolts.

EOD...does the NuGlass polish work to "fill" the little pits in the windshield?

Purplefade...can you take a moment to describe the application process you use? Does it take care of small pitting?

Heard that... I have a spot in mine that I had fixed years ago and I can see it but the average passenger couldn’t... drives me nuts but I haven’t messed with it yet.

I would imagine it is easy to introduce “swirl” in to the glass, if you give it a go keep the pressure light and the buffer moving - less is probably more [emoji106]

And as Overboost says, worst case, new glass is under $400 at most places.

Good luck brother!!

Note, I found it again, it is called Diamondite.



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

Hey PS, I put mine on just like I’m applying it on the body, I just let it sit about a minute longer and use a bit lighter pressure to “buff” it off the windshield. Takes me a few minutes to get it clear/evened out but the guy I picked it up from said the letting it sit that little bit longer allows it to adhere to the glass a bit better [emoji106]

When I say light pressure, I use just enough to wipe the windshield down and once it’s dry and set, usually the next morning, I go back with a clean micro fiber rag and give it a quick once over wipe down a second time. (Probably not necessary, but old habits die hard..)


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I don't like the smear effect of a full rain-x treatment but I've been using the rain-x wahser spray for years. You can treat window when needed with 6-8 seconds of solid spray or 2-4 runs of the programmed auto wash. It still has the smear effect but only about an inch behind the blade.

Of you don't know what I mean by the smear effect and it doesn't bother you don't look under that rock (ignorance is bliss).

There used to be a treatment for the window that would clean the wipers when they park: they would cut very tiny grooves into the window to clean the edge of the wiper when they came out of park.

The best improvement I've seen on wipers is from my Z28 which when parked lifted the spring tension off the rubber. Greatly improved the condition of the blade and easily tripled the lifespan

I was just starting to notice the micro scratches on my windshield and wondering how much it would be to replace when "fate intervened" when I hit my window with my hand and shattered It. My new glass was $100 insurance copay installed.

I hate to say that’s too funny but I fully remember your “you can’t break a windshield with your fist” testing 🤪

Way to be a pioneer and heck, sounds like you need new glass anyway. Doh!


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I laughed my ass off. Ya have to laugh or you'd have to cry. The screen was Soo much clearer it was worth the $100 plus the life lesson of do that in junk yard card not yours.


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I just replaced the control arms.

Fixed another failed tail lamp. Put solder on the bulb contact points (inside the white holder) this time, as the fault seemed to be the bulb contacts rather than the holder contacts - just for a change!

Oh I have totally done that...

I was laying under the dash of a 1957 Chevy (that we had just painted two days prior) installing an MSD Ignition system and would have bet money that I was drilling into the upper dash plate... nope - drilled straight through the cowl... just about 3” from the good line...

That was one of those - damn, I’m stupid moments... - I figured the owner was going to lose hit crap but nope, he looked over my shoulder and honest to goodness said - yep, it went clear through, how do we fix it... - I was speechless. Needless to say some cold flow solder, lots of praying a little touch up work and a BUNCH of light wet sanding and buffing later and the problem was solved!

That’s when I TRULY learned the value of measure twice cut once...

We laugh about it now [emoji106]


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I didn't become "grabs master" of outside the box without dozens of little oops like described above.

It's pretty humbling any time you just destroyed a new part you are about to install.

Just a couple weeks ago putting a battery into an iPhone, tried to take a short cut and not disconnect the screen and manage to tear the ribbon cable to the home button. That cable goes though the display assembly so it's actually easier to replace the entire display. Fortunately wow cheap like $26 Amazon and Apple has a software home button allowing the phone to be used for a few days while waiting for the screen.

Just driving the E53 for the moment :) It is fun, feels pint sized compared to the other vehicles we own. Kids, wife, myself, we all like to take it out for quick runs. Even took it to Philadelphia a few weeks back. Yesterday drove it out to Silver Spring BMW to picked up a batch of E70 parts (Working on the E70 intake and vac lines).

I have a foot long crack in the windscreen on the passenger side. Too busy to find a good supplier right now so that will be the "one thing broken/outstanding" to ward off the gremlins!

Smart move. Veteran play every BMW enthusiast should take note of. ;)

It is a cloudy day so I took advantage with a wash and spray wax...Attachment 78530Attachment 78531Attachment 78532Attachment 78533Attachment 78534Attachment 78535Attachment 78536Attachment 78537

Man... I’m so jealous! If I could keep mine running long enough to not be working on it, I’d wash and wax mine too 🤪

Looks awesome!!


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Thanks! She deserved a bath after sitting and waiting for the ABS Module rebuild and replacement.

Love the Gremlins line

Have any of you ever had a wheel bearing go bad? What were your symptoms, how did you narrow down which wheel was the culprit?

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Scooby-Doo.... Ruh-Ro! ;)

Or more of a ruh-ruh-ruh-ruh actually, that increases in frequency matching your speed.

Hard to track down which it is. Turning sometimes give it away, increasing in volume with increased load.

Yeah. Its something on the passenger side, can't figure out front or rear. Seems like it changes depending on load on the car.

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I have deleted the resonator today. Very curious how it sounds in real life!

In my case it was the right-rear - but for months I thought it was the right-front. It finally got bad enough to be sure which it was. Drove me nuts though... :rolleyes:

Actually I've many times seen that the bearing whining gets worse on the side which has less load (inside when turning).

One trick is to rotate the wheel and have finger on the coil spring to feel snapping or light vibration. (Of course can't be used if you have air springs.)

I've seen that happen too.

The wheel bearings on the E53 are very large, double-race puppies and can be hard to diagnose. In the case of my failed right-rear, it was just a little pitting in the outer bearing race only - easy to feel the roughness once it was out of the car - but impossible to detect with the mass of the rotating parts attached.

I suspect it's the right rear, but sometimes it sounds like the front right.

Are they easy to pull, or do the need BMW specific tools for the race?

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The rear bearing bolts on to the knuckle - not a bad job but research it first. There are some standard tools that work - no need to an "special" BMW tools.

There's an AWR-fix for it - which includes a few "novel" methods. :thumbup:

https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/...e-replace.html

Thanks.

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Oil change and swapped out a sticky thermostat. Replaced it a couple months ago when the heater shorted out. New one is sticky opening and closing had temps as high as 212 to as low as 179. This new one is operating as expected.

Well, today I lost my cool with my E53 4.6is. I have been a good parent, provided shelter, food, and toys yet it decided to have a hissy fit with me today. I had my timing guide tensioner changed the other day along with a ton of other work. Well, today the damn chain rattle is back again on a cold start. I'm not seeing any codes for timing advance on BankA or timing retarded on BankA so I'm hoping that my V-guide is ok and hasn't lost its plastic layer. That said, as soon as the oil pressure is up the rattle is gone and stays gone until the next cold start. I hadn't planned on potentially tearing the engine down. Has anyone else had this with their 4.6 and worked it out short of a timing chain service? I'm running synth 5w30 in it but I'm wondering if at 100K miles I should change that up. I would love to hear from some of you all as I really don't want to tear out my engine at the moment.

I think the start up rattle has something to do with the oil filter housing spring getting sticky and allowing the oil to all drain into the pan so on cold start you get the rattle and when its been started throughout the day no rattle...

Purple...can you point me to anything? I love my X but at the moment, I'm quite unhappy with her. BTW...glad to hear your BlueBox is up and amazing. :)

Oil change since I have been driving it more than usual, as I havent even bothered to pull the M3 or Z4 out of storage this year.

Looked all over and trying to find the oil leak, from what I can see its not the OFH(have done those before on my M3), looks like its probably the pan :(
Just ordered some dye as I want to make sure before I take on that job :yikes:

BlueBox? Everyone with the M62tu had tested new vanos seals new check valves but has not installed a NEW oil filter housing due to the cost...

Sorry the BlueBox reference was for PurpleFade...that's my bad.

That's what I'm wondering about. I changed the tensioner as it was prudent but now I'm thinking I have the oil draining down to the sump. That would mean what?

1. Bad check valve in the head
2. Bad/stuck valve in the oil filter housing
3. Bad Vanos seals

Can anyone give me some troubleshooting advice on this one?

My vanos went out but I didn't get the rattle almost everyone gets instead I got the error of sluggish movement in direction of travel showing on the Foxwell and learned you really must use the menu to tell the e53 you're removing and replacing the vanos if you want to cut the chances of a vanos error showing on the new one. (Don't ask [emoji28])

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Im leaning toward the oil filter housing...

Best laugh I've had in a while.

Eeeeevvveerrryyy body that's driven the same car long enough will experience a bad bearing.

The tricky thing is they can fail so slowly you don't really notice it and then they are so connected to chassis that the sound goes everywhere.

Best way to confirm the corner is to put on the spare on the suspect corner. It will usually nearly eliminate the hum. (it can make it much worse)

One time I switch from 2:55 to 2:45 and discovered I had a bad bearing I wasn’t aware of. That’s how I discovered the method of tracking down a bad bearing

When you get the classic ruh ruh sound I refer to that as the UFO sound. That sound usually comes fast due to an impact damage like hitting a curb or a big pothole. And much harder sound to track to a corner is when it just starts whirring really loud. If there’s any wearable to the sound at all then you can use vibration isolation to figure out which corner

Replaced doesn’t mean fixed if my car did what you said I would be taking the tensioner outtrying a different one. You have to follow the symptoms regardless of what they are and what parts you’ve changed. fiber optic inspection camera you can go take a look at the chain guide through the oil fill port

Just looked up the rear wheel bearing job on these. Yeah dawg. That's a no for me.

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Thanks but now I've also been directed to look at reasons why my oil is draining out of my head into my sump as well. I've been told to look at the oil filter housing for a valve there, check Vanos (which will have to wait a bit), and potentially the oil check valve in the head.

I'll grab my camera and check my guides. Thanks for the suggestion as I was so frustrated I didnt think to do that.

I dont think the oil filter parts are replaceable but I can be wrong. It would require a new oil filter housing or at the least a low mile one. I have new guides (not done by me- so I cant say what else has been done) but I still get the occasional cold start rattle. My 740 gets it sometimes too and it has all new guides, tensioner, vanos rebuilt, new check valves. What kind of oil filters do you use?

I have the M54 motor which doesn't rattle at start but has an obvious lifter tick that gets twice as loud if my oil gets low. I actually count the seconds at start for the lifter tick to subside as pull pressure builds. If I takes more than six seconds I'm a quart low on oil time to top it off.

Check you oil level and maybe rather than exactly "full" (half way between marks), top it off to max line. Anything to help build initial oil pressure.

I think you mentioned using OEM new design tensioner. Just checking. It's critical to use a good quality tensioner.

The check valves are behind the chain housings. I think they are not low enough to require taking off the lower chain housing so it would be a solid half day. People often cheap out and don't replace the oil check valve when doing chain/guides. I just realized you'd have to re-time so lets hope it's not check valve.

Yep...ordered OEM redesigned form Pelican.

Check oil level. Add more. What's the viscosity you are using and is it different from the spec

Using BMW spec full synth 5w30....it's spot on the mark (exactly half way between the marks) as the oil was changed about 500 miles ago. Have you ever done a "hot" oil change and used 1/2 quart of ATF fluid, got it to temp...then drove 100 miles...and then did another change back to full 5w30 synth? Some folks swear it cleans the oil journals and gets any varnish out. I'm reticent but willing as long as I don't kill my X. LOL.

Ha I have a friend who has owned many 4.6s and he removes the spark plugs and full them with with wd40 and lets it sit for a few days and then smokes up the neighborhood. He swears this cleans all of the carbon buildup and restores any lost power. Anyways, here is a link to. NEW Hengst oil filter housing. I haven't found anyone including myself willing to drop the $300 to test this theory out...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/202318681009

My old shop manager used to do that with Mystery Marvel Oil, the cylinders, gas tank, engine oil, damn near drank the stuff... Like Franks Red Hot Sauce, you could say, he “put that *beep* in everything” [emoji38]

I don't endorse this... buuuuut I do have some experience doing similar. Bought a poorly maintained e61 5'er last year in March with ~180,000 miles on it. Poor thing had sludge on everything, the valvetronics were hard to recognize in areas. After doing a bunch of catchup maintenance I wanted to clean the inside of the engine. So I filled it with the cheapest Oreilly 5w-40 (I think that was the weight) and 1 quart of ATF. I ran it in there for about 300 miles. Made a HUGE difference. Car now has 192,000 miles on it and is our current daily driver. Below is the before shot, unfortunately I don't have an after as I did this after a VCG and all related gaskets, plugs, coils, etc so I didn't take the VC off again for after pics. But I did stick a scope in there and look around. Much cleaner.

https://i.postimg.cc/FzhKXkph/20190705-230031.jpg

Again, disclaimer; I don't recommend it but it worked great in this one particular instance. As a part of the disclaimer, it does throw a "catalyst efficiency below threshold" code every so often. Comes and goes. Not sure it's related to cleaning all the gunk out or just a symptom of cats that have 190+ thousand miles on them. :dunno:

On cars that used Dino oil I used to put a quart of kerosene in for about ten minutes right before change and wow did it clear out the funk.

It's sold by the quart for the purpose of flushing out the oil, probably had some additives but I was told it's mostly kerosene

New front struts, sway bar links and CV Boots!

Put a battery charger on the X as it was totally dead today. The vestigial SLSII module is causing a draw. Small bonus, since installing the Resler USB interface I have not had the SLS Suspension Inactive error pop up on the dash after startup. Only if I toggle the OBC functions with the stalk. So at least I don't have to look at the error or arrows while driving.

Not My X5 but I found and pulled a complete OEM hitch assembly from an X5 in the junk yard.

To sell or to install...?

I guess for sale and if not sold in a month then install.

Anybody want to buy a previously loved complete OEM receiver hitch assembly?

Have you considered coding out the SLS module on your build? If you put in coilovers you can remove the module from the car's programming ...it won't think it was ever supposed to be there.

I asked about doing this and was told if you remove the module the whole car goes crazy so I didn't try.
I was able to tell the dash to not display that message, using INPA, but my INPA is broken and after being without a battery for several weeks. The error is back. :(

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

I have. From what I gather I need to edit the vehicle order to remove SLSII option. But I lack the ability to do so ATM and have so many other projects that I haven't looked into getting a laptop and software to edit the VO. After it's coded out I can them remove the module. I think.

The other option is a piggy back module sold by one of the suspension companies but it is pricey and I'd rather code it out than leave i the module in and trick the vehicle into thinking it's fine.

Can you PM me how you did this? Mine is completely ripped off :D so a much needed repair in the works needs to happen lol

Yeah! Pull the old one out (hopefully in 1 piece)while the new one sits in the sun and softens up. After the old one is out line up the new one and push it in its place.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...ld-51317182004

With NCS remove(subtract) that bit in SA part of ZCS and then code instrument cluster and LCM or all modules (Code Car).

221 (SA) 0000000400000000 LFEDER_2_ACHS //2-axle-air springing