That's a fine plan. I was thinking of just rebuilding mine using spring copper out of a tiny relay.

You can bet that if I do a $3 repair of a $300 part I will make an awr-fix thread about it.

I m amazed myself when I fixed wife's disa valve for under 20¢ using just 6/32 bolt and nuts.

DAYUM!!!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9614001304.jpg

Makes mine look like, “The Little Engine That Could”.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...c473f43443.jpg

That E53 is vicious!

Is that the M Division's toy with the 6 speed?

X5 LeMans V12

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

No more dirty carpets!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...04b42d2c2a.jpg

These will help. :thumbup:

They are great was one of my first purchases for my new to me e53.

Find the video it's incredible

Good to know! [emoji106]

Sure is!! [emoji16]

I had a customer bought a new Audi Q5. He got a dealer perk he could pick one of about 4 things worth about $100-140.

One of the choices was rubber floor mats.

I sent him a picture of the current state of my driver's side floor mat (completely covered in slush and mud).

His reply : "duly noted".

That's the one

Well dealer screwed me on the next day delivery for the SAS. I had to take off for a one week run and had to pick it up yesterday when I got home.

One of the easiest projects I have ever done on the X5, 1 hour start to finish including coding and taking my time. Not sure why so many struggle getting the shaft off the coupler, a couple of taps with a punch and it came off with a slight wiggle.

Anyway, replaced the SAS, coded it to the car, cleared the code and calibrated. 4X4 light off and back in business. :thumbup:

Well 1st weekend of vacation is here and the White Witch is obviously not interested in our upcoming road trips!!

Leaking RR tire, RF caliper sticking (glide pins[emoji849]), high cluster ribbon cable [emoji28] and RR pass window switch just dropped into the door card [emoji2962]...

With the muslim holiday of Ramadan things don't open till 1700 and stores close around 0200 [emoji2959].

So I am starting on tire and brake issues and then the window switch because it rattles from touching the speaker and the wife will definitely notice it [emoji15].

I hope to make it through the upcoming session of rolling eyes and foot tapping by using my 100% hearing loss (left side only) to my advantage.... [emoji57]

Sent from my SM-A730F using Tapatalk

Anyone know if adding a factory towing module to my 2003 (11/2002 build) will require coding to get it to work?

Changed the right front axle seal, put in a new axle while I was in there, Put in a new driver's seat belt, replaced the driver door speaker cover and put rear adjustment extensions on my BC Coilovers. I had to drop the stiffening plate to get the axle out. Put new nuts and bolts in, but didn't pay and arm and a leg for them. Bought them from Belmetrics. Six cost what one BMW cost. Same nut and bolt. Same strength, 10.9.

I guess when it rains it pours. I threw the E46 up this afternoon to give it its 6 month check up and found a drip of ATF on the rack boot. Inspected a little closer and sure enough, the right tie rod rack boot is full of fluid. :banghead:

Looks like another $1000 into the 3 series after just throwing $300 at the X5 for the SAS. I swear these two talk at night, I am guessing the 3 got a little jealous of the X5 getting some attention. :dunno:

Been trouble free for a solid year with a combined mileage of over 30,000 miles. Guess I shouldn't be too upset, I just wish the girls would space their needs a little farther apart.

Ouch!

Probably that damned 87 octane fuel :rofl:

:bustingup

That stuff seems dangerous..? :dunno:

With what I went through with my two, I am sure they were talking day and night. :rant:

You guys have it easy. ;) We have 4. And they are constantly bickering over who's more deserving of dads attention. :D

OB, What's the cost for rebuilding your steering rack over there?

Here it's about 1,500-2,000 riyals if they do the removal and reinstallation.

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There are a couple of independent rack reman outfits here, (Rack Doctor and Detroit Axle) but from reading all the reviews I am not confidant in the outcome or the downtime.

FCP has a BMW reman Bosch/ZF rack for $583 plus a refundable $450 core charge. That is complete to the end of the boots.

Fire the wallet cannon and be done with it. :thumbup:

I replaced my first door handle mechanism. I have done all four window regulators but this was the first door handle that failed. I actually found the job much easier than the window regulators, and had it done in about an hour. I used a Febi replacement which I bought off ebay for $51 shipped. Not too bad in the grand scheme of things.



I also got the Foxwell and the multimeter out again and took apart the wire connector for my third brake light, trying to figure out what was going on. I checked for continuity from ground to the neutral wire in the connector, and continuity was good. Then I checked for voltage when pressing the brake pedal, and there is no voltage at all at that connector at any time. (I made sure to turn the key to the on position before pressing the brake pedal.)



I looked through my Bentley manual but as far as I can tell, the power wire for the third brake light comes directly out of the lighting control module with no fuse, CB or relay of any kind. So I am a bit confused. It's much harder to check wiring now that Newtis is down though, the hard copy manual is difficult to interpret. Anyone have any suggestions?

Your Bentley is accurate according to TIS. After X138 (the connector up in the boot lid) it is a single black/yellow wire all the way to the LCM. I think I would start by testing the black/yellow wire in the right side of the rear compartment (should be in one of the bundles running down the right side D pillar). If you have +12v there (or whatever voltage the LCM uses for the light) then your likely culprit is a break in the wire at the rubber boot thing where the wire would go from the body of the vehicle. Very common for those wires to break after years of opening and closing the boot lid.

Well, now that's some helpful advice CW. I will check that when I can get myself out to open it up again. Thank you!

Took my X in to have alignment done since changing the bad left front axle and putting on the adjustable rear control arms for camber. Of course, they can't get the toe in spec because I lowered it two inches. They can now get the rear camber into spec. So, just dropped $160 on Meghan adjustable upper control arms so they can get the toe in spec. Until then I continue to scrub the shit out of the rear tires. And of course, they discovered an inner rear axle boot that had let go. $110 for a replacement boot from FCP. Oh joy. Just when I thought I had everything taken care of for a while. :banghead:

Replaced the battery. Lasted 6 years.

That's one of the things preventing me (and the cost keeps rising) from getting a Quickjack. I'd be tempted to look under the cars too often and, like Overboost recently, would surely find things that "need" attention. :bustingup

Not sure if it would have helped during the E70 trans swap I am doing now either. Have needed a lot of access out the sides of the truck for both egress and for jacks to support drivetrain.

After being under the knife for 4 months I got her assembled enough to start her up last night. Scared the crap out of me as she spent quite some time clearing her throat but once she warmed up and settled down she was purring like an angry bar maid. Music to my ears.

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

LoL.. Westlake, Here We Come..! :thumbup:

Let's see how these work outhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...7d162d525f.jpg

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Look a lot like the Conti DWS06

At a lot less cost.

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There are some good deals to be had, fo'sure....

I fitted four Goodride SA-57 tyres for around the same cost as ONE Conti....

The SA-57 works darn well too - driven nearly 10,000 miles on them and am very happy.

They look to be an unashamed copy of the Bridgestone Potenza S03..

SA-57...
https://dtm-tuning.com.ua/image/cach...1-500x500.jpeg

Potenza S03...
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/sp8AA...XIR/s-l300.jpg

I think people get hung up on tire brands almost as bad as car manufacturers
Its all about marketing, just ask Bose :P

I have run non big name tires on almost everything I have ever owned 30+yrs... never had a problem.
One of the tires that I have loved the most and actually have currently on my Z4 and M3, are the Hankook Ventus V12 evo2
I have Nokian snows on the E53, but for summer have been running Nitto, but had to replace this spring, Nitto no longer makes that tire in an 18, 20s and up :( I was all over the map looking at a decent tire, settled on some General UHPs, so far so good. I even looked at some of the newer asian tire brands, just the size was limited for the 18s again

I have a set of V12 Evo2s on my Mazda family wagon and I can't speak highly enough of them. I had some original V12 Evos on an older car as well. They are quiet, sticky, reasonably priced, and for such a sticky tire they last 35k+ miles which is great. I am actually hoping to autocross my Mazda in the next year or two with them.



But I would say Hankook is a "big name tire" now, they are definitely one of the big guys in the industry. The cheap chinese knock-off brands are where I hesitate. Some of them are fine but some of them are garbage.

when I started buying the Evos they were the no name brand :P I think they were like $100 each too

Kumo/Nitto I have been around a long time on the road race cars so no worries there.
Some of these "no name" brands are very big time in other countries, its just we dont see them over here.

Yeah, I think I paid about $400 for the first set I bought, but I paid almost $700 for the second set (admittedly the second set was 19").


Still a good deal over the Bridgestones or Pirellis though.

I just ordered an OEM towing module (used) and reproduction wiring harness. Gonna get my tow wiring all sorted out and working correctly instead of spliced in. Decided that we are 5 years into E53 ownership and the car runs so well that we want to get a few more years out of it.

Found broken rear spring...
 

Fun :(


Also for those who insist that one should use OEM BMW parts....please note the tag on the spring:stickpoke
Please explain to me again why steel is supposed to be superior to air bags?

I saw a repair for this same problem in the documentation that came with my X. In fact it was within the warranty period.



It's either a manufacturing defect, or a poor design. Steel is indeed superior to rubber :P

The "superiority" is the simplicity.

Air spring suspension requires a shit ton of supporting hardware and software so there are many times the failure opportunity.

I greatly prefer air suspension in the back mostly for the self leveling function but it's also a smoother ride on the highway. I don't mind having springs in the front. Half as much shit to go wrong.

Pictures not entirely clear did the spring break? Same happened a few months ago for another xo member

Ok, picked up some 4.6 exhaust today and there’s a bolt or a nut in the muffler.

Does anyone have a cutaway of the muffler?

Or

Does anyone know how to get a bolt or nut out?


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I finished 1 headlight and started on the other (before a sandstorm stopped me) and installed new HiD driving lights.

New boots all around[emoji3060] and a new wheel bearing [emoji2959] and then I found this...[emoji90][emoji90][emoji90]

Now remember my front end was replaced somewhere between "oh, come on and are you fucking kidding me!!" ago.[emoji24][emoji24]

I'll upload some more pics later after I finish sobbing quietly..

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8f0824524d.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8d16a3f05b.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e4860b53bf.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...22849ab7c6.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...16f7025127.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...da8e73fa2f.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9f6ee7443c.jpg


Additional pics..https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...f94696070c.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...61f54c4d82.jpg

Febi.. again [emoji15]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...6cbac67512.jpg

pock mark hell!

Sand for extra grip.

got the summer wheels back on... do look great :)

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

also checked my CEL codes again (I assume that is a BMW thing by now, the bloody thing is more regular than me on a prune diet)

I had a P0115 which is a bank 2 O2 sensor (precat). The sensor was replaced, stll the same code. Swapped the left and right sensor because I figured the wrong one was swapped out... but no! still a P0115! So... wire break/ ba connector? The sensor was tested on the road and the values were good. Car runs good except for the occaisional SAP running with a warm engine... seems very intermittent.

Check your code again. P0115 comes back as ECT engine coolant temp sensor error which would also explain SAP running when warm.

Does your scanner allow you to monitor ECT real-time?

Wheels look great it's one of my favorite style.

Engine temperature is really stable, never really looked into that other than a pesky coolant loss. I think my scanner can monitor it real time...

when we looked at the O2 sensor the readings just jumped every now and then, which seemed to imply the sensor was bad. But the sensor was replaced and the fault code remained. Then the sensors were swapped and the code remains, so I was thinking bad connection. But your suggestion makes sense, I'll look into that!

How are you monitoring ECT that you say it's very stable?

The dial on the dash is not a gauge it's a three position indicator.

1) temp below 65C aim to the left
2) temp from 65C to 120C aim story up
3) temp > 120C, aim right.

(The exact values may be differen but that's the basics)

I drove for months in open loop because of the insanity of that non dial.

You can use they hidden obc menu to observe engine temp real-time

Umm, it's not a gauge? seems like it haha!

it's always in the vertical position without flutcuating, even in hot weather and slow traffic.

I'll put the scanner in the car and will have a look at the water temperatures during a ride to see if there's anything strange happening that would kick off the P0115.

Yesterday I guess I hit some diesel on a roundabout... nice controlled 4-wheel drift to the outside (to stay on topic :P )

^ What andrew means is that from the factory that gauge is a true "idiot" gauge. It does not show you actual temperature, but at any point a range of temperatures. I don't know the actual temps, andrew does I'm sure, but unless you code the gauge to show proper temps, I wouldn't rely on it as a true indicator of engine coolant temp.

Makes me really happy I installed an Android head unit with the iBus as it shows ECT on the home screen.

Same, worth every penny.

The worst part about it not being a thermometer is that it looks like one.

The temp can vary something like 30-40C and stay in one position.

Vertical just means "within that range". Like I said it's really a three position indicator.

1) warning up
2) warmed up
3) way way waaaaay too hot

You'll understand better when you watch real-time temps and notice the needle doesn't track with changes.

great info, I figured a temp gauge might not be too accurate but at least shows a general direction. seems that is not the case. I find it interesting that a german car maker employs such crappy gauges :)

This is how literally every gauge installed in every mass-produced car has behaved going back 40+ years. Now they just have dummy lights that turn red when the car overheats and blue until it's warmed up. Because that does exactly the same thing that the gauges do.

They did it that way to avoid too many calls from customers. Note that current BMWs don't bother with the non gauge and just have warning if it overheats.

The big annoyance is that it will point straight up at too low of temp to run closed loop. You'll find out the next fall when ambient temps get low enough that you can't get cabin heat due to failed open thermostat.

I don't have the software or I'd reprogram mine to be more useful.

Use the hidden menu to track actual coolant temp. I have a strong feeling it won't read accurately

I got a little OCD in the midst of my OCD...

Ya see, I spent the morning cruising an X5 in the pull a part yard. No, I did NOT take any pics of the donor, but I *did* find a silhouette of my lil wifey's past lovah... (It took a minute to get her on the dark side, but she's here to stay. )

https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._163109745.jpg

The worst part ab this whole thing? Is what I wanted.. I wanted those little plastic nuts that hold the plastic shit that buttons the floor nice and flush into the damn whole car! :banghead: I mean.. you guys know what I mean?.. RIGHT?!ouch: And so it was after unsuccessful attempts to unlatch the damn thing in the junkyard, I fished those little plastic bastards out of ab 2" of water. Further, were it not for the bravery of my extended magnet, a 10mm 1/4" driver might've given it up for the cause.:usa: I'd already fished glass out of my fingers for the front door glass. The finicky nature of a finger cut was annoying enough. While standing atop the base of what I assume was a GM product, I fished three of those little bastards out of the donor. This is what I needed to button up the vibes on mine. Simple enough, right? But who among us can just keep it simple? It was after all, a birthday of sorts..

https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._175819229.jpg

So, after changing in the parking lot the $5 part from the donor into which the left rear floor snaps and STILL not finding satisfaction, I was off with the OCD-bug buzzin. Once home, I found myself determined to install replacement rear deck lenses I'd bought a few years ago. :yikes: (It's been a weird time, lets just say that. ) :( You know how they crack and stuff? in a way that only we can see? Well.. mine are sparkly new. (These are the old ones) Free to the reader for shipping:

https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._191140828.jpg

Well, the sound deadening material I had to move out of the way made me wonder if I couldn't go one (OCD) step further... I was quickly disassembling the plastic cover and test fitting the stuff I've had for years with this project in various stages. Everything came together so well and the hatch closed with such.. affirmation that I forgot to take a pic until the final application.

https://xoutpost.com/attachments/tes..._195656147.jpg

So for those of us with one of 'those' X5's that sounds like no BMW anyone has ever heard, you know, we can hear that in the cabin, right? O I was thinking.. I wonder if adding this will allow me to hear some of that audio that I installed a couple years ago.. :boogie: And dewd.. That JBL stealth with a measly 500w amp and narry a rattle to be found will *hit*! The *armrest* vibrates! And yet.. you can have a conversation (albeit not a quiet one) among the front and rear passengers. It's just crazy. It sounds SO good.

And so, after taking the time to button up a loose spare tire and finally get the rear floor flush with the body, I am finally ready to hand over the keys to my wife. Until the *next* road trip that is... Mooohahahha

Picked up rear fender arches with the flares on them. Trying to make a 4.4is [emoji16][emoji16]

But

The guy has two 2003 4.6is’ and they are for sale.

Pump the bakes lads, there’s a catch.

One is Black, good interior, silver trim, straight body, buuuuut the motor needs to be put back together annnnd installed. As it sits, the guy wants $1200. Don’t know the mileage

The other is Emola Red, interior is not that great, no motor, body is straight, front and rear bumpers normal wear and tear. No silver gauge cluster

These are in Washington state by the way.

Any, thought I’d share. Maybe one of you X5 fans would be willing to have something shipped to you.

If you’re interested, I can put you in contact with the guy. PM me.




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I discovered that if my AC won’t run because the electric fan is defective I can jumpstart it with my fox well and it will stay running.

So while I am waiting to get my next paycheck and order a replacement I can at least have aC as long as I’m driving fast enough for the manual fan and motion to do the job to cool the condenser.

My first try this trick through the HVAC menu and it would not stay running but when I go through the DME menu to active test and engage the AC compressor it will stay running.

I installed a used AHM (towing) module along with a wiring harness from seller "bahgelsson" off ebay. I had to take off the bumper cover to route the wiring, and then had to trim it to fit the wiring plugs, but overall it looks very good and now I have factory tow wiring with a new OEM-quality combo plug (4-pin and 7-pin). I am waiting on another pin so I can wire in my tekonsha.

Wasted an entire friggin' day with what should have been a simple axle swap. Got an inexpensive axle, pulled the old one with the cracked boot. Figured out the replacement wouldn't fit. I had previously ordered a replacement boot from FCP before I had come across the "deal" on the axle. So I pulled the broken boot off and the CV joint, put the new boot on and went through the agony of dealing with the CV. Got it back together and slid it up to mate with the CV collar only to discover it was too big. Called around to see if any of my local auto parts stores might have an axle not expecting they would. They didn't. Since I need the truck for work tomorrow I pulled the CV joint off again, pulled the boot that didn't fit and put the old one back on. Before I did that I cleaned the boot and super glued the crack as a temporary fix to try and slow down the flinging of grease under the truck. Then went through the torture of putting the CV joint back together, again. Then I put the axle back in. After test driving, surprising to me was the glued crack hadn't opened up yet. Ordering an axle and I'll be talking to FCP about the "Genuine BMW" boot tomorrow. What a frustrating day.

I got mine to show in the dash (avin4). Super critical info right on the dash every time. I've seen the middle position in the gauge range approximately 176-223f.

The inexpensive axle wouldn't fit???It wouldn't go into the hub?

I am also surprised the genuine boot wouldn't fit..unless your orig axle was not OEM.

Good thing you are in CA...just getting the axle out/in in the rusty parts of the country are a bear.

There are two sizes of boot. Real oem has pictures of the axle to determine which

Very cool. How did you manage that?

Which part didn't fit? I have had either side not fit initially but in both cases got it to fit.

1) when didn't fit into dif, tuned out to be incorrect snap ring, just swapped old ring from old axle

2) when didn't fit into hub was just surface rust on the "new" axle and inside hub.

I made a tool from the end of an old axle that is small enough to pound completely though. The end is cut off to have a sharp edge. It scrapes out all rust. I pound it though the hub until I can push though witout tools. I use a wire wheel and drill to clean up the axle end.

Important tip: always test fit hub/axle joint before installing a new axle/hub. Also best to test fit the dif side without the clip to make sure it goes in without effort.

The selection is made in the IBUS app on what to display in the dash - coolant temp, date/time, vehicle speed, mpg, vol control, GPS directions, currently play music info, etc. It's all displayed in real-time - very cool feature! You can scroll through them using the stalk push button to select which one you wish to be displayed all the time.

The CV at the diff was extra thick which would require longer bolts to install. I didn't have longer bolts. I have a reman on the way. I'll swap that in, just so I don't have to deal with the CV. They are a PITA. Come apart easy. Go back together not so much.

Went back and checked the info on the boot I bought. Turns out I effed up and bought one for a manual transmission X instead of auto. :banghead:

I was hoping to also get my new Megan racing adjustable toe arms installed after I did the "easy" axle swap, so that will get done this weekend. Lowering my X made it so they couldn't get the rear alignment into spec. I put adjustable camber arms hoping that's all I'd have to do. No joy. They couldn't get the toe into spec. Ran around long enough with the toe out of spec on the right rear that I scrubbed the shit out of it and I'll need to be replacing my rear tires now. :banghead: FML

You can also see it on the IBUS app screen. Along with oil temp, RPM, speed, etc

How does one get to the IBUS screen?

If you have the IBUS interface and app it can be selected. Many of the items on the IBUS screen have options that you can toggle through by touching them on the screen. For example you can toggle between horsepower and torque.

Stating the obvious here - iBus is an Android App that runs on Android head units, like the Avin 4 or Seicane units etc. ;)

I think I've seen the IBUS app tutorial somewhere - perhaps in the IBUS app developer's website or the avin4 site?

Search here https://www.ibus-app.de/index_en.html

Here's the IBUS app wiki (select your language of choice as it defaults to DE i.e. German):

https://wiki.ibus-app.de/index.php?title=Hauptseite

Got this text message from the wife

https://i.imgur.com/g41ciRY.jpg


:rolleyes:

No plastic. Niiiice. At least not a full grown goat like my mom brought home in our Cadillac.

ex-wife :rofl:

Q - Why didn't you use one of the tarps from the garage?

A - I thought they were dirty

:dunno: sometimes I know when to walk away, this was one of those times.

This is why it's her car. You can't share certain things when people live their lives like that :D

In her defense I probably wouldn't hesitate to throw something I found valuable in the car either. It just wouldn't be a yard of wet mulch

A couple months ago I scored a transmission for my e46 for $50 and threw that in the back of the X...

on top of one of her woven blanket or whatever it is (looked like some kind of rag to me)

which ended up with a few wicked grease stains

which did not wash out :doh:

My years in Catholic school said something about throwing rocks and sinning. What was it again? Whoever throws the rock furthest gets to sin first? I'm sure it will come back to me

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

And I was trippin, when I had to load 8 sealed bags of mulch in mine. ;)

You know, she probably could have fit more in there if she kept the hatch closed and shoveled it in through the sunroof. Next time.

That. Is. Awesome. :thumbup: But only in a "because that's someone else's car" kind of way. :bustingup

I just don't know what to say.

Me either. That's why I never let wife drive my car.

Sweet Mary and Joseph.

Careful not to let her feel too bad, she could clean it real good .... :D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_FtEmkPIMk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew4F6vixMDg

I'm still scratching my head about how she got all that bark in there. Did she shovel it in or did she actually have somebody load it or something?



Is there a whole yard in there or just a half?

I think the back is about 62 ft.³, that's > 2 yd.³

Nothing quite like raw doggin :thumbup:

I know right? Rookie move!

Just think of what she could do with my convertible

Installed adjustable rear toe arms so they can finally get my rear into proper alignment. Already installed adjustable camber arms, but they couldn't get toe into spec. Back to the alignment shop I go. Also replaced a leaky suction line on the power steering.

I wasn't there for the festivities so I have no idea how she got that in there, but it definitely had to be shoveled out. My guess it was all done by hand.

I know from experience that a yard will fit into the back of a Ford Focus wagon and the X is larger than that so I'm guessing it's at least a yard, probably more.

Which adjustable arms did you go with?

I found a set of camber arms from Russia or Latvia, can't remember which, they were on Ebay. Took a while to get them, but even with the shipping they were significantly cheaper than the one I could find that were domestic. Best thing and best price I could find for the toe arms was Megan Racing. Got those off Ebay as well.

Funny mention. I've moved things with my z28 convertible that wouldn’t be possible in a sedan including 27” tube tv in the box, 2 21” computer monitors in boxes and my favorite: Queen size mattress.

Being able to lower the roof to put a large item in that was far far too big to fit through a door in a sedan was used regularly with the z28.

The first thing I ever moved with my x5 was 1100# of flagstone.

The car was like one week old to me and the interior looked new so I did stop at a McDonald’s and get like 10 boxes from their recycle dumpster to line the inside.

I also did some googling to estimate the volume of 1100# of stone so I wouldn’t overload the car too much.

:high5:

You should use this occasion to tell your wife about how nice it would be to buy a cargo trailer... or pay someone to deliver bark next time.

I've gone down this route before...and believe it or not, I talked her out of buying a cargo trailer.

After going to pick up a few loads of mulch with the Ford Focus I did the math for her.

cheap mulch was $20 a yard I think, but came with a 120 km round trip, x2

Even in a Ford Focus it's still going to cost you in gas. At the time she didn't drive so I had to come along :rolleyes: and after all was said and done you could have someone deliver it to your door for that money.

Next year she was at the local diner when a tree pruning crew was having lunch. So after being out of town a couple days for work I came come to find about 6-7 yards of mulch dumped at the end of the driveway. So I had to find elsewhere to park :rolleyes:

This time around she stumbled across this pile for free down the street from the house so I can....let's say accept the line or thinking. Not so much filling the car with mulch but left unsupervised these things will continue to happen.

I have mixed feelings about her getting a driver's license :D

I hurt inside every time I see all that mulch in the back [emoji30]🥲


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Let's see...
I bought a used 6hp26 tranny and COMPLETELY rebuilt it, new seals, bushings, frictions, etc. Removed my existing tranny (no lift, in my garage on jack stands). Replaced the main seal. Replaced tranny coolant lines. Replaced motor mounts and OMG they were shot, especially the driver side one. Saw that my tie rod ends were worn so I replaced them too. Replaced sway bar bushings. Replaced transfer case actuator. Changed out transfer case oil, front and rear differential oil. Replaced all guibos. Installed newly rebuilt tranny. Installed factory tow hitch I scored from junk yard. Now mind you, all this was not done in a day, but TODAY I can say I am finished. Just need to fill it with tranny fluid and do the tranny adaptations.

^Nice work domino. All in a day? You work much faster than I do. I am on month 2 of doing much of that same work on my back on our e70 diesel. The damn dpf makes everything 100x harder. Anyway, nice job spoiling that 4.4i, going to feel like a new truck. :thumbup:

I'm curious as to your tranny rebuilding experience.

Have you done this before?

How difficult of a job is it?

What was the cost in parts?

I've been curious about rebuilding my own tranny (I picked one up for $50) but have 0 experience. I watched a few youtube videos and I understand that these guys were pros making it look easy, it still doesn't look like anything I might not be able to pull off with enough time.

Same questions.

I have the 6hp26z that came out of the E70 that I would like to learn on too. The E clutch bearing failed on it and would like to attempt to repair it if cost effective.

Wow, please update with the results. :thumbup:

No, not all in a day...I was at about 3 months total time. Took my time. Had to wait for parts to arrive as I was replacing items if I saw items that needed replacing.

First time doing a 6hp26. I have done a couple GM 4l60e's back in the day. Actually, the 6hp26 is pretty straightforward and not too difficult if you take your time. Having a service manual with all your specs is a must!! Most of my time was actually spent cleaning up and inspecting/replacing everything I had access to after I had the tranny out. Stuff like motor mounts, rear main seal, hoses, etc. I am not in a hurry other than my wife nagging me to finish so she can park her car in the garage. It would have made a HUGE difference if I had access to a lift! (my back and knees would have appreciated it).

You actually found one cheaper than I did! I have not totaled up the cost, but I got the tranny from my local pull-a-part for like $110 ($25 core that I can get back). I put all new ZF parts inside and mostly everything was less that $600 which is still cheaper wayyy cheaper than any of the tranny shops here locally wanted to touch it. I bought from different online places like FCP Euro, Ebay and even Walmart, who by the way had the best price on the ZF Overhaul kit. Some items I already had from when i did the valve body job a year ago so I am not including them. All parts btw are ZF. Only special tools I bought were a transmission spring compressor which I had to modify to make it work for me.

The main problem I think with these tranny's are the E clutch failure due to worn bushings. It was the culprit on my tranny and even on the junkyard tranny I picked up, the bushing was worn.

I will. Still waiting for ZF Lifeguard 6 to arrive.

Ah, I removed the "not" in your post and read it as "mind you, this was all done in a day." Apparently reading is hard. :D

You're right about e clutch being/bushing failure being typical. That's what took out my 6hp26z in the e70. Threw in an 88k mile trans and had valve body rebuilt when attempting to fix the old trans. It was a hail Mary so want too upset when it didn't fix the trans. I won't be putting in zf lg6 though... Going with Valvoline max life multi vehicle. Lg6 was too thin for my liking when I was experimenting with different trans fluids. Tried pentosin, liqui moly, zf lg6, and redline fluids. Valvoline was the only one that would get the trans back into 4th gear at all.

Have 6 quarts of lg6 if anyone local wants to buy them...

Recent work and upcoming
 

Last week decided to change the oil after 3000 miles and about a year since the previous oil change. Also emptied the power steering reservoir and refilled it with fresh fluid. Both fluids drained did not contain any obvious issues. No codes in the DME, indicating the engine systems all settled back in to a working routine after the long slumber it had between 2015-2019.

A few weeks back I put in the ABS module for the third time and things are finally working again as designed. The refurbished module I got last January started to give me errors for the ABS pump (15) as soon as the weather warmed up. The error appeared only once the car came up to operating temp and was then parked for a few minutes, clearly a heat soak issue. In the mornings it was always ok. After checking/cleaning the contacts between the module and the valve block did not help, I got a replacement sent out by module repair Inc. Great service from Gino.

Since the left headlight had to come out anyway to get at the ABS module, I put back the (re-)modified headlights which I now like a lot. They look like they were meant to be this way. See picture below.

I am still down one key and struggling to make a used key work by transplanting the chip into my own key. Not sure why this doesn't work.....

In the process of messing with my keys I let my battery run down and the GM3 slipped in to permanent error with INPA reporting "energy savings mode". ISTA showed Transport Mode. Seemingly impossible to clear with INPA or ISTA. Dealer wanted $179 just to check. There are many GM3 modules on Ebay for a few $ and I decided to get a used one with the same part and SW number. After installing it in the car all the lost functions immediately came back (Central Lock, wipers, interior lights). Checked that all the coding was the same as in the original module and fix done.

So now I need to install the permanent wiring for the AEs and fix the mirror folding mechanism on the driver's side with some new gears that have been lying around. Another long delayed task is to adjust the new screen I installed in the NAV for position, which is slightly off to the right, and wire the OEM microphone to the Bluebus.... Still haven't put the summer tires on as there is a bit more use to be had from the (excellent) Dunlop winter tires but they are definitely being retired this summer. The paint is in need of a clay and polish session. These are small tasks best handled on weekend mornings but none are terribly urgent.

The E53 is running super smooth and wife/kids run most errands with it :) I put a roof rack on to carry the longer 12-16 feet trim pieces I need to complete my house remodel, so I wind up using it for Home Depot runs......

In September it looks like both kids will attend college in person again (they have been virtual since March last year) and my son is likely to use the E53 as his DD, completing about 70-80 miles a day. Hopefully I will have time to get all the small niggles fixed before that. EDIT: I also need to get the windshield replaced which has been cracked for years.....

Funny you mentioned how lg6 seems thin. I agree. I too think it seems thinner so I chose it with the thought that I am breaking in new clutches and would like to use it because of that. To be honest, this will be the first time that I actually used LG6. I have used Pentosin, Febi, and Ravenol and all seem to work just fine (except when my tranny started acting up). I think my tranny worked pretty good with Ravenol even with the bushing issue since I had fewer Fail Transafe issues. I just couldn't find it available at the time I was searching for more. I have also got a case of Mercon SP that I will probably use later after the break-in. Truthfully, I think as long as it meets the Shell ATF M-1375.4 specification it will work just fine.

How hard is it to remove and install the transmission? I realize that may be a vague question, but just trying to gauge the difficulty level. Is it a matter of time and patience or?

Remove transmission.
 

On the E53 V8 it can be done single-handedly but a helper makes it less annoying to lift the exhaust out of the way and when splitting the trans from the engine.

You need lift or a flat surface where you can raise the car at least a foot off the ground. Remember, the car will there immobilized for a few days or even weeks depending on what it is you need to do.

Some of the bell housing bolts are not so easy to access. You will need some long extensions for your socket set and knuckles or flex joints. Removing the exhaust maybe an issue as the studs in the manifold can be brittle and the bolts joining front to rear can seize. (Make sure you get a MAP gas burner to assist wit rusty fasteners)

A transmission jack is helpful but I did mine without one. The two top bell housing bolts are easier to access from the top. At the time I did the valley pan at the same time, so a lot of stuff was off the top of the motor already. Not impossible to tackle a trans removal but patience and a more than a handful of tools is needed. When I went for round two (re-seal engine and chain guides) I just removed the front end and pulled the engine/trans out in one go.

I'd rate it a 6 or 7 on scale 10. Time is more the issue than complexity.

^ What he said, but after doing an e70 diesel trans swap... I bet it would be downright enjoyable to pull a trans on a gasser e53. Competitively speaking of course.

Oh and get the $100 trans jack from harbor freight. Pulled the trans without it, installed it with it. 10x easier with it.

Makes sense. How much did the full rebuild cost you? I was tempted to just change the e clutch bushing/bearing and possibly the clutches should I ever get the time/motivation to work on the trans I pulled out. There is an Aussie fella on YouTube (zero to 60) who did a 5hp in a 4.6is and made it look downright "simple.".It was his first time doing internal trans work.

TriX5 summed it up quite nicely. I would also add the higher you can safely jack up your X5 the better. The extra clearance helps when it comes to removing both the transmission and the exhaust. I found out that I could not remove the passenger side muffler unless I had the rear high enough to angle it out of the X5 without removing the bumper. In my case I did remove the bumper since I was also installing a factory hitch, however, after I put my bumper back on, I realized I couldn't get the passenger side muffler back on at the height I had it.

I gave everything a spray with PB blaster penetrant and let it set in and did not have any issues with removing any of my bolts. But having a torch handy is a good idea. Another tip I used was to take pictures of everything before and during your removal and install.

I haven't had to pull my transmission (knock on wood) but I will say that the exhaust is heavier and more unwieldy than you think!! I almost got a new part in my hair when I pulled mine off while on a lift.....[emoji28]

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When I first began I thought about just doing the e-clutch bushing as well, but when I got the "donor" tranny, I decided to do a complete rebuild since I did not have any history of it. I think I will just replace the bushing on my original just for shits and giggles and have a spare tranny on hand.

I just added the tranny parts alone (not including the tranny fluid) and it came out to $353 +tax/shipping. This also does not include any internal valve body parts which I rebuilt the valve body 9 months ago using new ZF solenoids and installed a zip kit. I also bought a harbor freight engine bar on sale for $49. I already had the transmission jack. Oh and I paid $30 for an ATSG Transmission rebuild manual.

I also watched that 0 to 60 video and yes he made it seem so simple. I was definitely hating on him for it! LOL. If I had that lift of his, I feel that it would have been a breeze to do mine. But the actual rebuild of the tranny was not hard at all, actually enjoyable for me and did not take me very long. Just keep everything clean an organized.

yeah this!!!:iagree:

I use floor jack to lower exhaust when car is on stands. Yes heavy.

"It's made of iron I assure you it will sink"

I had it on the lift so I used a Jamal stand, but he was way too short to help truth be told...[emoji1787]

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Is Jamal anything like my hired help I call Manuel labor? (S. O. B. Helper).

Thanks for the tips. Not urgent but I'm having a slow leak at # 5 when the vehicle is packed for a couple of days. I find a drop or two of coolant on the floor and I traced it to that part. I could take the opportunity to service the trans too as I was also planning trans fluid and filter change as well as the seals and solenoids. I already did the coolant pipe and valley pan gasket. Might as well replace # 7 while there. Sigh, never ending projects but I'll do anything for her :D.

Got the infamous "SELF-LEVELING SUSP INACTIVE" dash message. Replaced rear airbags + ride height sensors.

Tips-

At 130k, the original bags were not in good shape. Even if they didn't leak I would replace. Picture says it all.

Arnotts version of the bags are great quality, don't hesitate to use them.

The "C" clips that came with the Arnotts bags weren't great. They seemed inferior to the original BMW clips. I re-used the BMW ones.

Stabbing the old airbags to release the air was easy.

I replaced the ride height sensors too. I wish they came with new connecting arms. The original ones were rusty and didn't move freely. Silicone lube helped a bit.

Overall this was a very simple job.

The sensor arms are about $7/10 at fcpeuro.

I came up to wife's new to us e70 today and the right rear air spring was flat.

It airs right up when turned on the car but already have arnott spring ordered.

Tight budget just spent a ton on new toolboxes and entire rear suspension kit for my car so I'll do her air springs one at a time but will get the other done before a road trip this summer.

Mine are still working at 196k miles! Hers just failed at 76.

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Picked up my new Milwaukeee packout tool boxes.

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Mind blowing difference

Wow nice!



What's the big "A" for on the back window there?

I am betting that Andrew now has so many BMW's he's had to label them for inventory purposes. [emoji1787]

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Nice boxes! Expanding your mobile capabilities? Or just making your life easier? Edit: probably both now that I think about it. :thumbup:

It's from a promotion my wife did for AT&T. I took the letter from the wrap they put on a 15 passenger van for the promo and stuck on my window on a lark. I ended up liking it and left it. (it stands for me).

My truck gets "taken over" and I will regularly lose my entire trunk and back seat for months.

Needed a way to get the crap out that I can pick what I need to bring with sorted by job type etc.

It's working out amazingly so far.

Just finished a semi-big job/s on the new to us e53, 06 n62 4.4l.

Replaced fuel filter and pump (pump was the original from factory), the temp gauge was all over the place, so I replaced the dual sensor and fan switch sensors, which fixed the gauge issue, also thermostat was stuck open, so replaced that too.

I also decided to refresh the vanos solenoid seals, that ended up causing issues because the connector wires were shorting and the connectors were dirty. Cleaned that up and repaired the wires, all faults fixed and the V8 is running great!

All in all, the above took 5 hours and the car is fantastic, even with 302k km’s!

Wow...very nice!

My transmission rebuild is complete!! Finally received the ZF LG6 fluid. Filled her up, reset adaptations and completed the adaptation procedure. Been driving her around for about 50 miles and it drives like a new car! The shifting is eerily smooth and positive. I say eerily because it has NEVER shifted this good before so it is kinda freaky to me that it is the same truck.

I was so happy about how she was running that I wanted to wash off all the garage dust that was on her and on my way to the car wash I rolled up the windows and got the dreaded "pop" from the front drivers side ANNNNND the passenger front!! :banghead: So now I am fixing windows.

Still I call today a win.

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

That's awesome. No just the two but wife's may count at two. Def has enough HP for two.

Although that reminds me of a fun anecdote:

Bumped into a vanity plate: THU

Immediate thought comes to mind:

Must be nice to own seven cars.

I'm 2 away! But they're all BMW's so usually only 2 are 100% roadworthy at any one time. :rofl:

Replaced one of the rear axles. It was going great until it turned into a cluster when I discovered the holes in the metal part of the boot were too small. Had to take stuff apart and drill them out then put stuff back together. Something should have been simple made more complicated by an incompetent parts remanufacturer.

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

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More fine-tuning of my tool organization.

And I can actually fold my back seats up.

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I can’t fit all the boxes behind the backseat if I don’t need everything.. Sizes worked out so perfect with that triangular bag at the top about 90% of the volume behind the backseat is full.

Not cheap but worth every penny.

You work in a trade of some kind Andrew?

Dentist maybe... ? ;)

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

Home improvement mostly.

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Tricky solution such as this crazy trim match across a threshold.

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Patched not painted. It will be a seamless transition between old 3/4 and new taller trim.

I replaced the old floors with new hardwood and it lowered the floor 3/4 “ and the basic quarter round no longer reached the baseboards.

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Another example of 19th century carpentry. The seams will be invisible once caulked.

I am all too familiar with this type of work doing various remodels on our 54 year old home. Nice work Andrew. Caulk/paint and those baseboards looked great I'm sure. With home improvement, "The last 10% of the work makes 90% of the difference."

And takes more time than the earlier 90% of the project...in my experience.

That is very very true.

Case in point;

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95% done

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98% done.

Those were 8.5/10 difficulty.

Dropping three floor means the door jamb no longer reached three ground making it at least 3x the difficulty.

I managed to figure out a way to mate with the jamb by cutting more off the bottom so I could go straight under the stop, problem being then that the jamb was twisted like 5°

Why did the floor drop so dramatically,. Was the old one layered?

In that case above I think I would have brought the jamb down, cutting the profile out of MDF or something. Looks like 1/2" would have slid right in. That's just my approach though. Your skills with a miter obviously out pace mine so I avoid miters if possible. In the immortal words of Clint, "A man has got to know his limitations." :D

The old floor was hardwood suspended 1.5" above the floor on 2x2 "sleepers" with no subfloor. Since the floor was floating relying on the t&g to hold it up, all the boards move=squeak.

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Sorry sideways but shows the old floor with part removed.

We removed the old floor and sleepers, put down a proper T&G subfloor over the original subfloor after nailing that down. We nailed new 3/4" hardwood to the new subfloor.

Plywood has tripled in price or we would have added two layers so to save $1000 material $600 labor on a $7000 job we lowered the floor.

Also: part of the house they already had replaced the hardwood with interlocking floor where they had doubled the subfloor to match the height; I was able to pull the top layer from two rooms and save$150 in material by re using it.

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

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Haven't seen my back seat in months. Possibly since '20.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL...JdOUdmhIpvpDaT

Made a playlist so I can share videos. The cleaning the chaos video is a hoot. I used a snow broom to sweep out the chaos.

I'm going to make a time lapse of taking out and putting in the boxes. I have a feeling it will be a little mind blowing

That must have been one noisy floor. Figured there was an odd situation(s) and that there was a logical/economical reason to wrap the baseboards. Whatever the case... nice miters. Was going to look for some shots of mine... but there's no reason. Think miters "good enough" to use backer rod or cut cardboard (my go to) + caulk to look like a fairly good finished result. 1/8"-1/4" gaps. :D

I use fiberglass insulation if available vs. backer rod. Fills to any size. Often the gap to tight for backer

Nice work Andrew.

Agreed.
I'm loathing my current kitchen floor. PO did not know how to install T&G flooring and didn't glue an inch of it together. So not only does the floor float but each piece shifts as you walk on it. Can't wait to rip that one up.

I made that mistake as well. When we remodeled our kitchen a couple years ago, we deleted an island and made a peninsula instead. I had a couple boxes of the original hardwood T&G flooring out in the garage, and I patched it up, if I don't say so myself, pretty darn good looking. However, I neglected to glue it down and that patch creaks terribly. I am going to have to pull it up and redo it at some point.

Don't edge glue it unless you want to float it. We never edge glue t&G unless it's a floating floor. We aren't really installing floating floors any more. We're doing a lot of engineered hardwood for radiant heated floors. That's all glue down, but still no edge gluing. On solid floor for sure, no edge gluing. The boards have to be able to move with conditions. If you edge glue them and they shrink you could get cracks in your planks instead of gaps at the joints. Especially if the floor is nailed down. We're finding engineered flooring to be the most stable floor available. It also allows for wider planks to be had for less money. Be prepared though, any wood products prices are through the roof right now and our flooring subs are being told by their vendors that availability is very unpredictable for at least the next six months, possibly longer.

ya ya ya

T&G only supposed to be nailed, but if you have movement something define l definitely wrong. I used the best underlayment I could get for nailed floor. If you use foam underlay on T&G hw it'll squeak like hell.

You can glue OR nail not both. If you glue you have to turn the whole floor into a floating floor. If you glue and nail you risk binding and buckling. I recently had to fix a floor that was lifting up in the middle due to it being glued when it wasn't meant to be.

Just a matter of time. Honestly though, I thought you resisted the urge pretty well this time bcredliner.

The floor is supposed to be a floating floor. I know it is a thin laminate. Thin meaning between 5/16 and 3/8. All the floating floors I've installed either had a locking design that didn't need glue or they had to be glued at the interlock points. What I will call T&G. Maybe T&G technically only refers to the standard T&G hardwood floors that are NOT laminate but are hardwood flooring strips 3/4 inch thick?

If it is supposed to be floating, then the planks should definitely be edge glued.

Sorry BC

Sorry to turn this into a flooring thread but is there really a long lasting, durable laminate wood floor, that will not be destroyed by water? I'm not talking about gallons of standing water. I'm talking the mouthful of water the dog lets go every time she takes a drink. Or the little bit of water spilled on the floor when doing dishes. A hardwood floor should be able to take that type of abuse? It's either that or I tile the floor.

How about vinyl plank?

I don't think the vinyl plank has the longevity I'm looking for. I want the floor to last until I die, move or WANT to remodel again, LOL.

A quality hardwood floor should stand up to minor spills like you're talking about. We have dogs and the water spills at the water bowl that go with it and have no problems. 3/4 solid walnut. Other hardwoods if properly installed, finished and maintained should last a lifetime. The important thing to true longevity is maintenance. Keep the floors clean, put rugs or mats down at sinks or areas of countertops that people frequently stand at and have the floors screened and recoated every five years. That last one is the bitch.

Took the old beast out for a little ride after the coolant temp sensor was replaced. I hooked up the ODB reader to check out the coolant temperature. At 77 degrees the needle is horizontal. At 111 degrees (after some city driving and idling) it's still horizontal... what a joke. However, it didn't go up over 111 degrees so it seems the cooling system is doing it's work, but I read somewhere over here that it should be 108 degrees? Is 111 within range? During driving it hangs around the 108 but it can go up a few degrees.

As a side note, the SAP is even worse now when warm, it runs ofter and it needs revs to get it to turn off again (code P0115 keeps appearing). O2 sensors seems to work fine, no discrepancies in the readings. Would the thermostat be circumspect?

was a nice evening though...
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70—110 needle should* be at noon.

* It really should sweep with temp but the asinine programming points the needle to noon through any semi normal temp.

Is your electric aux pusher fan and fan clutch functioning properly?

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

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Moved a fridge and stove.

Getting on I had help. Off I only had an observer but he didn't take a video.

Fortunately these are going to scrap so I didn't have to be careful. One big shove took it down.

Played with an omni-directional microphone and an iPad app that allows visual representation of the sound at the driver's head. The amp I installed 2 years ago allows 80 lines of EQ including each speaker individually. The end result is that you can set each one up to reproduce the most accurate sound possible.

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Then, as my buddy was tuning the sub, I heard the dreaded gas cap rattle. That doesn't happen anymore. :D

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We're not yet done with another day of tuning ahead, at least. It may surprise the reader to know that I am not an audiophile. I *am* a nerd. So the idea of being able to visualize the audio totally cranks my propeller cap.

Also, not gonna lie- I love a project of extremes. Something so cool as a matched read out of the sound against something so easy as some sound deadener on the gas cap. That just taps all the right buttons.

The clutch is new and working properly, I haven't heard the electric fan kick in yet but the temp seems to stay stable... do you know at what temp that should kick in?

So everything showed was done over the past year. Attachment 80239Attachment 80240Attachment 80241Attachment 80242Attachment 80243Attachment 80244Attachment 80245Attachment 80246Attachment 80247Attachment 80248Attachment 80249Attachment 80250


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Not sure why there’s double postings of the photos.


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Nice work Plasstik! Looks great! I like what you did to the engine covers.

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I replaced my tension strut (bushings) and control arms.

I also remove my stiffening plate so I can track down and fix my oil leak.

I can’t tell the improvement yet because I get my crappy 235s on.

I have to put my new suspension parts in the rear as well before I can put my new tires on. I cannot wait I’ve been using the 235s for about four months they are just so not me. I don’t know how people drive on the spongy tires. Using brakes for cornering? Yeesh. I have a brand new set of 255s Dunlop extra sticky. Back to 45 mile off ramps and 35 mile an hour of corners in the cities. If I tried it with a 235 I’ll be either in a ditch or rolled over or both

that's one clean looking X5 you have there plasstik!

Nice work! Newly wrapped headliners make such a big difference to a vehicle's "newness" feel.

If the car is not getting correct coolant temps, it would logically run the SAP when it shouldn't also needle in dash could be whack.

The temp sensor in my understanding has two outputs so one could be the one you are reading and three other the DME using.

I don't know how to read the other value (or where to confirm the dual output; I read that somewhere not sure which engine it applies to).

Looks great Plasstik!

yeah the temp sensor was recently replaced but no luck there. I feel tempted to just unplug the SAP and live with the CEL at this point...

Thanks Gents!


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IIRC ignition 1 and 2 control each dual temp sensor output. With the cluster unlocked and test 7? the KTMP should show the same reading with the key at ignition 1 and 2...

Would be good to add year and model to your signature. Depending on the year and model----

The secondary air pump should run when the engine is started and shut off when the engine goes from open to closed loop, when the cats are hot enough to control emissions. However, it does not impact coolant temperature.

The electric fan should run run a test when engine is cold started. It doesn't go to full RPMS and it doesn't last long. On some models the electric fan turns on when the air conditioning is engaged. I don't remember if engine has to be at operating temp before that happens.

Do you know if the thermostat is working properly? Could it be stuck open?

Is it possible the temp readings you are getting are celsius?

Even though the clutch fan is new have you tried to see how easily it turns when engine is cold?

I would also test the new temp sensor.

cheers for the detailed info gents! Can I measure the dual output with a multi meter or through my ODBII scanner?

The thermostat has not been checked. Considering the car gets up to temperature within 2/3 miles it seems like at least it closes, though maybe not enough causing potential overheating?

The clutch fan moves freely when cold, trust me I checked since the previous one exploded in the engine bay :D

temps stated are in celcius indeed (european here)

If you are worried about 108 vs 111 temp, that very well could be within the tolerance of the sensor and or Tstat.... in manufacturing there is this thing called tolerances, its not perfect every time. it is 3deg and that does seem a bit wide, but wont matter to anything now if it was 10deg or something...

agreed, but considering I have a fault code I was wondering it that could be the cause :)

If you have a fault code for the tstat, then it's time to replace it...

well I have a P0115... scanner says O2 sensor bank 2, but that's been replaced and switched out... apparently it can also be coolant temperature but I'm no expert at this stuff

Plugging away at projects on my '02 4.4i over the past week.
-A new (4.8) instrument cluster is in, along with a reprogramed DME (courtesy of Fixels). Seems to be working great, including the cool oil temp gauge and electronic red-line.
- New (to me) headlights are in and working fine (OEM bought from another forum member).
- Ebay seat/memory controller is in and the steering wheel and memory work for the first time in a decade. Wheel 'in/out" motor is quite ratchety when operated so I might pull the covers eventually and see if some grease will quiet it up.
- Rattle can painted a new trunk lid actuator last night, with first-timer results - a nice drip along the front edge. I'll sand it off and try again today. Color match seems OK though. Apparently the design changed in '03 or ''04 so I couldn't just buy the gaskets, actuator button and lights to put in the old "frame" unfortunately. New one doesn't come in Topaz Blue either.

I put the code reader 1.4 software on for the first time and read 15 years of codes. Nothing really cosmic and the only active ones were innocuous (license plate lights, etc.). So I reset everything to see what might come back. I didn't need to wait long!

My daughters were driving it last night and got a message saying the engine was in limp-home-mode (can't remember the exact phrasing) along with the ABS and traction control lights. She ran like a top for them however, which seems strange. Not to mention the car ran great earlier in the afternoon on the highway and city streets to talk to a guy about painting the hood and roof. I wonder if I could have messed it up by reading and clearing codes?

At any rate, BMW Code Reader 1.4 went back on and the scan showed:
75 [117] Signal, throttle potentiometer
77 [119] Signal, throttle potentiometer 2

76 [118] Status DME Internal error
5A [090] Temporary Signal Deactivation

Its worth noting that the battery was off the car for a week while the cluster and DME were being worked on. When I first hooked it back up I had ABS and traction control lights until I drove it out of the driveway, at which point they cleared.

I read somewhere that the gas pedal must be pumped four times to fully reset potentiometer errors, while you reset with the scanner. I'll try that today if they come back.

I wonder how much of these, and other codes have been banging around the car's systems for the past decade that the cluster has been burnt.

Update
 

I drove the car 3 times today and it behaved like a champ. No drama, no codes, no limp home messages. My money is on it all coming back soon however.

The way you described the random errors usually means alternator problems. Is Alternator original?

Finally got the body work done from the rear end (plus some extras)
- cracked bumper swapped out for a used/re-painted one
- new trim with old sensors (they survived the hit)
- lower rear passenger door
- hood
- trailer hitch blasted and redone

When the bumper was off, we noticed the two lower outer cavities had completely rotted out. He cut out the garbage and welded in new floors. The rusted out bottoms had the heat shields loose and flopping on the exhaust. All fixed now. She's not a garage queen, but for the mileage looks, sounds (x-pipe, 4.8 mufflers) and sits nice (lowered front/rear, hard race adjustable rear arms, spacers).

Also got the tires balanced. Heads in for a full detail June 10.

I think I had it replaced, but many years ago. That would make sense as these cars seem to be so picky when it comes to electricity, or the lack thereof. I wonder too if the fact that it was sitting for over a week without the battery connected could have played a role?

On another note, the gasket on the trunklid grip is a pain in the butt. The plastic inserts that the four screws go into strip if you look at them wrong, but the grip needs to be very tight for the gasket to make a good fit and keep water, etc. out.

I'm thinking of just shooting some liquid nails into the holes and then screwing the thing in after it dries.

Replaced leaking coolant reservoir, two coolant pipes, transmission coolant thermostat and oil pressure sensor. It's the second time replacing the reservoir and sensor - always leaking after 3 or so years :(.

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

Replaced fuel pump, also re-worked the sensor on left tank as I've been having a problem with the fuel tank never reading below 7.8L.

Fortunately being the grand wizard of e53 fuel supply, I knew right away when the dte stayed at 39 miles for 10-15 miles that I had a stuck float or equivalent.

Sure enough, get test six active and it showed less than 1.4 right and 7 or so left tank.

The left tank didn't drop over the next few miles or change from g forces. Implication; bad contact etc that is adding some resistances.

Full sweep outside car gave me proper readings and reset with test 21 so I don't need to run several tanks of gas to know if it worked.

When I tested the gas pressure after replacing the pump, the needle flutters, implication the o-ring is failing in the FPR.

I would love to test me theory that more than likely just the o-ring failed, but at 197k miles I'll prob replace filter and FPR

PS: yes @upallnight, it's the one I got from you. My friend from Racine drove it down to Chicago and I replaced on the street.

I had a weird problem installing; the center seat belt would not come out off its shell; I ended up having to cut the belt to move the seat enough to work.

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

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...c8acb9e823.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e7431c590a.jpg

Brought 1000# of floor tile from Racine to Chicago.

Quite happy that the fuel pump decided to quit AFTER i got to Chicago. Less happy it did while the tiles were still in the car not at client.

(But I needed to move them all toward the back before I could remove them anyhow). I already removed my tools the previous day so there was room behind the seat for all the 43 boxes of tiles.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...446d9819e4.jpg

This was with tools and tiles.

1000lbs! How’d she handle?


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

Day in the park.

I've been 600# (10%) heavy even then it does a fine job. Hills you can tell with the 3.0 and I can't take corners without braking.

The first thing I ever transported six years ago was 1300# of lannon stone (that may be a local term): flagstone used for walk. Did that within a week of owning.

With passengers, tools on the cargo rack and 600# of CMU (What old people call cinder block but haven't been since 1920 or so), I was at 6600# gross.

I typically have 600-700# of tools in my truck so an extra 300 is like two passengers.

It was a bit annoying the timing of fuel pump failure but i much much prefer an outright failure vs. intemittent crap.

I have my skinny set of tires on right now so it was the smoothest ride is had in a while, half a ton does a fine job of smoothing out the bumps.

That’s freaking awesome!!


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