My wife found some door/puddle lights that show the BMW emblem when you open the doors, but they didn’t fit in the original holes.

Took a while to figure out how to mount them without it costing anything, or messing with the door panels.

So I cut up the light housing/plastics used them to hold the new lights. Attachment 80273Attachment 80274Attachment 80275Attachment 80276Attachment 80277Attachment 80278Attachment 80279


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Few days ago had a break in the rain... it's back now but the X5 is under her cover again so no matter. So I took the opportunity to wash her as I was (of course) forced to drive it during the rain and it got dirty. The BMW dealer is close to the wand wash I use so I stopped in there to look at the used lot before heading home.

Attachment 80280

As my luck would have it, during the one night my truck spent without its cover on (was dirty before the wash pictured above the next day) a stray cat took the opportunity to sharpen its claws on the paint. Awesome. Some of this will buff out, but one or two of the long ones are easily too deep and can be felt by fingernail. Anyone know of a savory (or unsavory) way of keeping cats off your vehicles? Please PM unsavory ideas so as to not upset the cat lovers out there. I have looked at some of the sonic motion sensor ones and might try putting a couple of those on our car port poles. Cats are just as much a nuisance as rats and have plagued my cars for years with this kind of damage. :angryfire

I am really glad this happened before I got the hood painted though. I'd have been really mad. As is the hood has lots of pock marks and character so the scratches look bad, but at least they aren't the only blemishes on the hood. I guess anyway, if I'm looking for a bright side. :(

Attachment 80281

Attachment 80282

She still looks fantastic CW. Anyone from the service department come out and look at your beauty while you were there?

Thanks OB. Not this time. I was only there in front for about 10 minutes after the wash. She does usually draw a crowd when I take her in for inspections or picking up parts.

After all this rain stops and I finish the E70 I'll get it back in the garage and see how much of the cat scratches I can get out.

High fives all round - Lord Burly passed the Abu Dhabi Vehicle Inspection test yesterday!!

The previous 'warning' (fail) was to replace a CV boot, get two new front tyres, and deal with an oil leak which precipitated a full trans refurb ($$$ ouch!!) since the shifting was clunking and not immediately going into reverse on a cold start.

I also replaced the DSP amp to reanimate the Subs and got rid of the intermittent hissing and popping. I also FINALLY received two replacement door handles shipped from eBay UK via my parents since I could NOT find any clean ones here for love nor money - Abu Dhabi BMW main dealer told me it was not even guaranteed to get them from Germany as the E53 is now such an "old model" (hey!!) ... at the same time the handles went on I replaced the drivers' side window which long ago I cracked trying to lever it back after the lifter collapsed.... and matched the tint at the same shop as I treated the other windows, which thankfully was still in business!!

... and I even had a few dollars left over for the wife's Birthday! :rofl::rofl::rofl:

result!

Not as easy as it sounds cos the ADNOC inspection guys are Filipino BMW fans and I think they believe we all have enough money to get our cars back into 'showroom condition' with a limitless restoration budget! We all get killed on the cost of private school fees here, so we just have to do our best with our car maintenance budgets :Phttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...481b08232f.jpg

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Crystalworks, where did you get your blacked out 4.8is badging? I’m trying to find them for my 4.4i


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Fixed my central lock/hazard button.

Some condensation from a large iced tea dripped into the switch buttons and apparently re-activated an age old soda spill.

Turned into goo and stuck three buttons down and/or together.

Symptoms:

Doors locking and unlocking on their own, press hazard button and no hazard but the door locks operated instead.

I was sure the liquid got in and shorted the ckt so I went to remove and was expecting a soldering job was in my near future.

One of the easiest fixes "of ever"

Took about five-eight minutes and do to the luck of having a bottle of water near me and a utility knife I never left the driver seat!

Press a utility knife blade down the back and then there front (or two at once) and pry the sucker out.

The frame of the switch is only held on with tiny clips that can be released with the same utility blade.

Take apart all the plastic parts and clean them with soap and lots and lots of water. Almost always the defect is just that the buttons get stuck depressed. You can confirm by operating the buttons on the circuit board.

Wait until you hear what happened minutes before this.

Last Friday night while attempting to drive 1/2 mile, car stalls, refusing to restart.

Pull out foxwell and command the pump on; I hear noises but definitely not normal.

Fortunately I had a spare pump, less fortunately, it was 75 miles away.

Back to fortunately; my best friend happened to have the spare in his garage and was free the next day to drive it to me.

Had only one complication swapping the pump; the center seat belt was locked and I couldn't figure out how to release it and my "always with" socket set under the passenger seat was out because I used it to remove the stiffening plate.

So: utility knife to the *rescue*.

Replacement genuine but used pump worked great and back in action, I also took the opportunity to fix my left sender unit which only went down to 7.8L so the car would never go below 30 miles to empty.

So that issue resolved.

However; today driving about 40 minutes to job site, car stalls exactly same symptoms from 5 days earlier! WTF.

Scan showed typical errors from gas related stall but the more interesting part; pressing on gas test point valve pin and air comes out like venting a tire! Lots and lots of air!

I pull up test six and it shows 40L which is way higher than the isthmus between the tanks and the right side was reading zero.

(That is physically impossible without something broken).

I figured I must have pulled the discharge hose from the right tank when I fixed the level sensor on left tank so I open the right side first since it's a much better view of the siphon jet outlets.

Crap; they are ok, but I did visually confirm the right side was bone dry, not 4oz of fuel at the bottom. 4 paper towels would have made it dry.

So: off to the left side to solve this mystery;

Pulling out the sender unit the problem becomes instantly apparent;.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e44f547d45.jpg

Holy what the fug!

Somehow I managed to get the "foot" of the sender unit between the two hoses from the aft siphon jet! The float arm was caught at apparently 40L or so.

The silver lining;

I figured out how to remove the resistor unit from the sender unit to repair it without removing the sender unit (it's non trivial to unclip that thing and not mess up the seals, one that is plastic on plastic).

So after refurbishing the resistive unit and testing the full sweep with test six, I put the thing back in and put the sender unit back in non moronically this time!

Drive to gas station with 2g of gas a brother delivered to me, I just finished fixing the issues when he arrived

After repair the left side read 1.4 which is a bizarre coincidence being what the right side will read at flood stage.

Minor quibble; 1.4 extra liters vs. 7.8 won't throw my DTE off

The real bonus is the only way to really test your siphon jet is to drive the tank dry which nobody should ever do on purpose.

The result; siphon jets working perfectly! There was not 300ml total both sides of the tank!

I'm a moron for a day for not watching test six after fuel pump replacement! Rookie mistake!

I would have immediately noticed left tank not dropping and especially when the right tank gets below 1.4L. (that's reserve fuel only).

When operating correctly, when right tank says 1.4 you actually have 5.0, starts dropping below that, it's time to immediately get gas and confirm your siphon jets are working.

On the 2g trip, the right side measured 0.7 to 0.9L even though we put in 7.6!

So only five liters fits in the right side untill the left fills enough to flood over the isthmus, so all things equal any amount over 5L should get you a reading of 1.4L, however since there is a lot of fuel pumping around in circles, and into the left side to get siphoned to the right, the right side will read lower while all gas is depleted.

As long as test six will show any value in the right tank, you should be able to drive ten miles.

A sheriff stopped to check on disabled car, he was a little surprised when I said I've already diagnosed the problem and should be fixed in 20 minutes (using only a crowbar and 10mm socket), and brother on the way to deliver gas.

So the moral of the story; always always check test six after anything fuel supply related; always!

And the silver lining; the only way to know for sure if siphon jet is fully operational is to drive to empty so mine passed.

(The far better way is to just monitor test six and drive until right tank reads 000). If there is any reading on left side there is a problem with level sensor or siphon jet o-rings. Until you refurbish your siphon jet o-rings you should do that test twice a year.

When the o-ring fails, the right side will drop with left side reading 15-20L

Miraculously I had only half load of tools so back seat was up!

Learn to read test six and when needed fix your o-rings.

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

Round two with some seal fix. I’m using a brand that I could find in a local store and I have a perfect way to compare using the size of drops on the driveway

They don't exist in any retail fashion. Had to remove the stock ones, Plasti dip them, and reinstall. Pain, but looks good. Some people spray while still on the car and peel off the overspray but I don't subscribe to that method.

https://i.postimg.cc/ry19KNT4/20190211-235653-1.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/HsT958Wh/20190213-012214-1.jpg

How’s the plastidip holding up? Does is still look like new?


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Excepting one little chip, yes, still look like I just did them.

Dip a toothpick in a puddle you spray on a piece of cardboard and you can fill the chip


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Just for fun, I decided to make use of the 3.5mm AV IN jack at the back of the car - I recently installed a headrest TV (DVD/ SD player) for the youngest which has AV output, so I married this up to an AV jack cable so the wife and I can also watch Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends on the head unit TV while waiting for the lights to change. (with the sound on the stereo).

Seems like there are two blanked off (optional) switch locations there above the rear AC controls - anybody know what this location is used for??

This was actually yesterday, but inspired by BCRed's spotless engine bay, and having had a fair bit of work done recently without a wipedown, I decided to see how mine would polish up under the hood, too...
Not bad!https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...7286389d95.jpg

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Rear seat heating.

https://i.ibb.co/PhNyhR9/IMG-0892.jpg

At 7yrs old, I figured the battery is on borrowed time...so decided to give the Wally World battery a try since it's garnering some good reviews. It's the least expensive with the most warranty battery that I could find at the moment. Let's see how well it performs :dunno:

Still not sure whether I like the Aero Kit with or without the door trims, Does the car looks more muscular without them in real life?

Thanks for mention.

Your engine bay looks great!! I am always surprised at cars and coffee or local gatherings how much time and money is spent on the interior and exterior but virtually nothing under the hood.

It must be at least 4-5 years ago that I plasti-dipped my wheels and emblems. Still look new. Only damage I have had was from a Discount Tire rookie who installed new tires. Spraying and common paint repair methods don't work well because the material doesn't flow like paint and drys quickly. I followed the following method: https://www.dipyourcar.com/pages/videos-tutorials.

It is very important to watch applicable Dipyourcar tutorials about spraying techniques especially if coating rims. First rim I did looked terrible. I had to peel it all off. Only then did I watch the videos and actually practiced before starting over.

I didn't remove the emblems when I applied the dip. I peeled it away from from most places it shouldn't be, no Exacto blade needed. For the tiny spots like the closed portion of the 4 and 6 I used the point of an Exacto blade to just lift a 'corner' and peel the rest away.

I, too, like to live dangerously :rofl:

Thanks buddy :D

How posh is that??

We might have one or two days when the temperature dips to +15 Centigrade out here in the sandpit (< 60F) and the kids would be grateful for a warm behind :thumbup:

Appreciate the photo - great job with the charging ports there!!

Was thinking the same thing. Looks very OEM. Clavurion, are those a BMW part number off a newer chassis? Would love to do similar.

Hey...you got a 5MT so there's always the bump start option for you. Can't do that with my slush box :(

Actually I just used google to find picture of those rear seat heating buttons (which I actually have on my own E53) and stumbled across that post from our very own forum. It seems that the USB-C charging sockets from newer models fit on E53 too.

https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/...s-fit-e53.html

Well hot damn in think usb-c is in my future


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Bought a new set of steam rollers for the rear. Not in need of them yet but could not pass this deal up. Pair of new Pirelli 325/35/20 tires for $650. I think they retail at ~$500/each. Will put them on the rack until needed. Manufactured mid 2019 so have some shelf life left.

Attachment 80324

Also, remotely related, Red slept back in the garage last night! The E70 rides again 15 months after trans failure. Finished the LOOOOOOOONG list of work on it and have about 75 miles on it so far.

https://xoutpost.com/attachments/x5-...606_141554.jpg

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

Great deal on the tires!! Glad to hear you got the E70 up and running. That looked like a lot of work. :thumbup:

Installed new MAF sensor. Cleared codes. Started up to the sweet sound of secondary air flow jet take off sim then enjoyed the loping idle of misfire for a bit. Eased her out of apartment complex giving the worn out ball joints a good exercise on a few speed bumps. Quick acceleration into traffic until a red light. Crossing fingers it wouldn't die. Limp back home check OBD codes again. What a beauty.

Didn't do much, but added some items before I drive it around for the first time. I traded for the 2001 e53 3.0l with my neighbor that just moved away. I watched him restore/rejuvenate this truck for the last 3.5 years, but never rode in or drove it. I trust his work (an EE, and a meticulous worker on all his vehicles). My old Chevelle drag car for a classic e53... we've planned the swap for years. So, today I added seat covers over the front leather, put in vinyl/rubber floor mats, put a fire extinguisher in the door pocket (never leave home w/o one), installed a large cupholder for my 40 oz insulated bottle (never leave home w/o one), and restored the headlights with a 3m kit. Ordered license plate light cover and bulbs, and arranged to get extra parts he still has at his home. And to remind him to come get some Chevelle parts he left behind. All in all, much Ado about nothing. But it's a start.

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had to calm the wife down after she saw puddles under the car. I usually don't use the AC so looks and feels like condensation, though it's a bit weird it drips down from 3 spots under the driver/passenger seats several hours after driving the car....

Ok, still annoyed by the wooshing noise while driving, I decided to look a bit further into the clutch fan. With the car off it moves freely, with a good damping. Seems ok. Then I started the car (cold), the fan should be easy to stop from what I see on youtube... guess what: that's not stopping unless you do some serious damage (or turn the car off of course)


The funny thing is that usually when driving away with a cold engine when I get up to speed the noise drops at around 2500/3000rpm and the car sounds great. so that seems the fluid returns as normal and the clutch function actually works for a while. When the car gets hot again the fan gets loud, which I suppose is a good thing.

What worries me is that I don't know if this fan is properly capped at 2500rpm, because I can hear the pitch go up after that RPM range. This is a new fan that was installed after the old one grenaded and messed up the engine bay.

My feeling is I should replace the clutch fan again...

Got another alignment after getting the adjustable toe arms installed. Now I can replace my rear tires that I've scrubbed past the wear bars. Oh, all the tires. Fronts are too worn to be ale to replace one set only.

If the clutch locks up at high RPM, the blades will come off the fan and destroy anything in their path. You definitely want to replace the clutch.

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

Finally!! My wait is over! Found multi position seats with matching rear, door cards, heated steering wheel, grey cluster, and 4.8 exhaust.

So, I’ll have heated front and rear seats and 4.4 exhaust up for grabs, cheap!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...1d578305bb.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...33ae5cc83.jpeg


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I know the 4.8 doesn’t connect, but I’m going to see how much it will take to make it.

Otherwise, there’ll be 4.8 exhaust up for grabs.


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What color was your original interior?

I am sorry not to see/respond to this earlier. You are describing the correct operation of a working fan clutch... It grabs on cold start up and sounds like a bus (whooshing). Then it will release and sound quiet. When engine temp warms up - particularly in traffic, it will grab again and cool the engine, which is what you want.

There are differences in the different brands. The Meyle fan clutch makes the most noise, and doesn't release as quickly on cold start ups. The Behr /Sachs (OEM) fan clutch is much quieter.. I buy the Behr/Sachs when I can.

But I recently discovered that both my fan clutch and aux fan (elec) were bad. Since I had two, new Meyle fan clutches in my parts pile, I installed one and was back in business. If the sound really annoys me, I will switch to a Behr/Sachs unit..

I have never noticed fan act like this. Are you sure you're not confusing the sound of the SAP fan at start up? Also even when warm I've not had a problem stopping a fan clutch with the likes of rolled up paper.

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

OB, it’s black

The OEM Behr Sachs fans work well, with little noise.
I am certain the noise I described is not coming from Secondary Air pump. I replaced an SAP recently also and know what it sounds like.

But if you can stop your fan with a small roll of newspaper when the engine is hot, then you should consider replacing the fan clutch.

I just replaced mine on my "05 E53 3.0 with 135k. I knew it was bad when I couldn't even unscrew the fan clutch nut after I had loosened it with the fan clutch wrenches. My was nearly not grabbing at all.

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

It has been a marathon of abuse on my end lately. About 16 months ago, the remote control keyfob actuated lock/unlock died on my 2001 e53 4.4L. Me being naive, called my BMW German mechanic and mentioned it. He said that he was too busy that week but could look at it the next week. SO…. I drove the car for another 3 days, put a medical full O2 cylinder (with wheeled stand) in the car and drove home, planning to drop that cylinder off to a friend who needed it for his brother coming back from the hospital…. That evening, I go back out and try to unlock the car with my key, and the driver side (and only lock) on the car spins freely without any possibility of getting into the car….

Many searches and hours of trying to unlock the car myself, as well as having two lock smiths come out, ordering the special extension / air pillow unlock kits off amazon, trying the “double release of the door handle” etc., etc., etc. later, the car battery dies.

So now, it has been several days, I’m still locked out of the car, the door lock still doesn’t work and I have a dead battery. More YouTube and xOutpost searches, and I try:
- Taking the driver side wheel well apart,
- Taking the kidney out of the hood trying to get the hood to release,
- Removing the light out of the tail gate to try to recharge / jump start the car by connecting into the electrical system that way….

To no avail. So, I talk to my mechanics, and they recommend drilling out the lock and using a flat head screwdriver to get into the car that way….. Oops, that was a waste of time and money, I had already ordered the rebuild kit for the lock but that is now wasted money. Since the lock had completely failed trying to catch the lever with a screwdriver did nothing…. So, onto the “break the driver window to get into the car” that was 5 weeks ago….. Now the REAL fun begins :-):
- I tape the window every way possible to minimize the glass explosion,
- I broke the window and cleared up as much glass as feasible,
- Get into the car, FINALLY!!!!
- Open the hood, recharge the battery for about 25 min before it will start again, WOOHOOO!!! Put plastic on the window, clear more glass out of the interior while the car is idling to recharge the battery…. I shut the car down, go in, shower, come back out, finish sealing / reinforcing the plastic window while the car is idling some more, and the engine dies…. My guess, bad gas from sitting in the tank for so long…. Call my mechanic and have the X5 towed to his place since it will not restart even with a jump start…..
- Car sits around his lot over Memorial Day, he checks it out and says that it is the alternator that is dead….

So, I had the magical double whammy: Dead door lock and dying alternator, NO WONDER I could not get into the X5! He replaced the alternator, which entailed draining the fluids since it is “water” cooled, and recharged the battery and lo and behold, the beast came back to life happy as a clam. Now to tackle the broken window and drilled out door lock….
- Since we were already there, we replaced the clutch / pulley, serpentine belt and AC belts, since these were all showing signs of wear,
- I had already ordered a replacement window regulator for that driver side window since the window had been non-operational for a couple of months prior to this whole mess. Figured, if I’m going to break the window and have to replace it, might as well fix the darn thing as well,
- I ordered a replacement tinted window off eBay, and we replaced both the regulator, window and clips on the driver window, but…. It still would not work. Turns out it was the driver side control module that was dead, not the regulator, so…. Ordered one of those up and saved the old regulator since it was not dead after all…..
- Since I had the front driver side door card out, I glued all the panel anchors etc. back to the card so that it would go back onto the door more securely that it came off,
- We also replaced the door lock, so now I unfortunately have two separate keys one for the physical lock and one to use with the remote system and to start the car….
- Replacement driver side front control module arrives, I pop the old one out and pop the new one in, and all the windows worked, for a minute…. :-(, until the rear passenger window regulator gave a bad squeal, and the window dropped into the door…
- So, I ordered a new window regulator for the rear passenger window and off to YouTube to figure out how to take that door apart, including the privacy shade screens off of it,
- Several hours of taking things apart, glueing that door card anchors back onto the back of the panel,
- A couple of days of waiting and I received a replacement rear passenger door window regulator, so I assembled that, since I did not have a replacement clip for it (delays in shipping, they won’t get here until today), I took advantage of a trick that someone posted about using a plastic license plate retainer nut / screw to screw the window onto the regulator traveler instead of putting all that stress on the little brittle plastic clip that BMW engineers designed for the job. So, I clipped the last remaining nut retainer tab off the BMW OEM window clip, put the plastic license plate nut instead of the metal OEM nut, and used the license plate screw instead of the OEM M8 bolt, and VOILA!!! Fixed passenger side window, you say……
https://youtu.be/JwFFd7OJGaI

NOT SO FAST, turns out that window switch also died in the meantime, so that is ordered off eBay too :-),
- Thanks to [mention]mrbmwx5 [/mention]thread on how to reprogram the key fobs, I finally have both keys recharged and repaired to the remote and operational. After many YouTube searches, he had the magic sequence to get multiple key fobs re-paired to the central locking system in his battery replacement thread:
https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/...y-key-fob.html

Bottom line, the moral of the story is:
- If your central locking system starts acting up, DO NOT IGNORE IT, check the driver door lock for signs of eminent failure and save yourself a TON of heart aches and $$$$
- If your car dies, don’t leave it for over a year sitting in a parking spot, sitting around does not help old brittle plastic bits

Thanks to all the other gear heads, especially [mention]andrewwynn [/mention]on this forum who have imparted so much knowledge and advice, without all the searches that I did and reading up, it would have been even more expensive and more painful to get the beast back to working order!

So now that the marathon repair and bring back to life is behind me, I’m debating options to upgrade the OEM NAV screen. I already updated the DVD / NAV system in the cargo area, I mean the display portion in the dash. My options are:
- ~$150 for OEM Widescreen display off eBay and add some aftermarket bluetooth adapter / patch into the AUX input,

- $275 for Eonon BMW 5 Series E39 Android 10 Car Stereo 7 Inch HD Touchscreen Car GPS Navigation Head Unit with 32G ROM Bluetooth 5.0 Car DVD Player:
https://www.eonon.com/Android-Car-GP...VD-Player.html

- $298 for: Eonon 2021 Summer Car Stereo Android 10 Car Stereo Android Car Head Unit, Eonon Car GPS Navigation Support Apple Carplay/Android Auto/Bluetooth 5.0/WiFi/Fast Boot/DVR/Backup Camera/OBDII-7 Inch-GA9449
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082WS9YWF...ing=UTF8&psc=1

- $290 for hizpo 1 Din 7 Inch Android 10 Car Stereo Radio DVD Player Fit for BMW 5 Series E39 BMW X5 E53 BMW M5 Car Navigation Bluetooth GPS 4G WiFi OBD2 DTV TPMS 1080P + Rearview Camera:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H7GN2DR...ing=UTF8&psc=1

- $224 for in Dash 7 Inch Navigation Android 10 Car Stereo Quad Core Double Din Car DVD Player for BMW E39 E38 M5 X5 5 Series Support Car GPS Navigation Bluetooth 4G WiFi OBD2 DAB+ DTV TPMS:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MPVNQBR...ing=UTF8&psc=1

Anyone have recommendations / experience with these? I would prefer to retain as much of the factory look, while gaining bluetooth, CarPlay and the ability to add a rear view camera down the road and keeping the steering wheel controls functional. Having the ability to reconnect the factory system to be able to program the instrument cluster would a definite plus, but I do not think that any of the aftermarket ones provide that functionality, which would leave me with a BMW OEM Widescreen off eBay and 20 year old tech…..


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Wow what a story if I read correctly everything was fixed in the very end


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[mention]andrewwynn [/mention] yes, it’s all fixed. My mechanic did the alternator and half the driver side window regulator repair while I helped him, then I replaced the main window / mirror control module, broke down the passenger rear door, replaced that regulator, refitted that door card and put the whole thing back together. The car is up and running and fully operational. Hence, moving on to “features” rather than must have, looking at various head units to upgrade the mostly dead screen on the OEM navigation /head unit.


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Dang!! I felt all of the pain while reading.


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Cheers for the reply!

Yeah I can understand some startup noise, I checked and it's not the SAP that I hear, that shuts off nicely after 90 seconds and it fairly quiet.

What worries me is that the fan seems to lock way faster and more often than I'd expect, if I cruise on the highway at 60mph and turn off it is sometimes engaged already (outside temperatures under 80F), if the clutch should disengage at 66 degrees C that should not be the case, so maybe the bimetal is a little off or the fluid system leaks.

I think I'll have the clutch replaced for a behr one and get the thermostat replaced at the same time, because it's really annoying to have that noise all the time, makes the engine feel a bit sluggish too.

Removed the limo tint that was applied over the factory tint on my recently acquired 4.8is. I can now see through the windows! What a wonder! I'll probably match the factory tint on the front windows, but for now I'm just enjoying the gift of sight.

I also installed new spark plugs, coils, air filter, cabin microfilter, and wipers.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...thout_Tint.jpg

Who lunched a ball joint?

This guy.....[emoji15]

Here we go again and again and again and again [emoji2959]

Imagine my shocked face [emoji849]

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

Just changed a couple of those.

If the inisde bolt gives you grief save some time and just snsp the head off and drill out from the top and use a through bolt. M10x30 10.9.

I happened to have an old stiffening plate bolt I cut down to use vs. wait until the next day and buy a new bolt.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...5a16c7adcb.jpg

Finally changed the transmission fluid, filter, and all of the rubber pieces under the valve body. I’m sure with that it fixed the 5th gear shudder.


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

That's so satisfying.


So was this:

https://youtube.com/shorts/mKSH0v0MIgA?feature=share

I took stop motion of replacing all the moving parts on right rear

New headlights on order and a few repairs
 

Finally broke down and ordered a set of Depo Xenon headlights with angel eyes. My OEM headlights have been polished twice and are just no longer up to snuff. On top of that it seems the seal has deteriorated on the LH unit and I got a bit of moisture in it after a washing and the leveling motor is not happy.

Figured after almost 20 years it was time. Yes, for you purists I am stepping away from the OEM headlight appearance but I will keep the OEM units and see if I can refurb them well should I decide to revert some day. :)

Changed pass rear window regulator that failed the other day.

Changed out the drivers seat switch that was getting touchy as my steering wheel wouldn't adjust

Updated the software on my BlueBus (damn I love that thing)

Getting ready to reupholster the two front seats with OEM Nappa covers and upholstery foam that I found as new old-stock in the UK. Scored on that. Got the foam for both seat bottoms and both seat bottom covers for $850.

The last thing I'll need to do to be ship-shape again is to replace the sliding door on the console. The heat here in the desert finally caused it's demise. That job I think will wait for cooler weather in the fall as it appears to be fairly time consuming to pull out that console to get to the sliding door.

Somebody recently posted how to r&r the door without console removal


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Ordered my BlueBus. Now I patiently wait.......is it ready yet?!?! :)

Ordered a custom made Cover King windshield protector. The BMW X5 carboard folding cover didn't cut it. The new one covers from corner to corner. Tint is maxed out. It's hard keeping the black interior cool.

Definitely need aluminum reflector if serious about keeping out the heat. Added bonus that works great as a kneeling mat when changing a tire in the snow

Beeaauutttiful automobile!! <3 <3 <3 :thumbup:

Nice! :thumbup:

Well gang, I may finally be at a stage where I can be at peace with my car...

I had to get it inspected for the registration renewal, and to sort a lot of longstanding niggles (besides them insisting replacing two solid rear tyres because the date on the side-wall was 'old'), I also;

* Got all the seals done inside the tranny which was causing longer and longer delay to settle into reverse, also lumpy downshifts. It took an INPA adaptation reset to settle down those hard shifts, but a week later it shifts as smooth as a baby's butt!
* At the same time all the fluids accumulating under the car went away! (commented on the first inspection)
* Thought I was having a return of the failing valvetronic motor, but the misfire was just a worn spark plug - also replaced a plastic elbow joint from the master cylinder to eliminate vacuum leaks
* Two new rear tyres
* FINALLY got the interior front door handles, sent from an eBay UK seller - I was waiting to replace the cracked driver's side window and handles in one hit, and went back to the same tint shop to match the film with the other windows
* Just sorted the dead board monitor tonight (a week after replacing the DSP amp) with a new #75 fuse. Could have sworn the multimeter showed it was good though?
* Also picked up a fresh looking trunk cover from the breakers. A long time since I washed mine and the glue on the roller dissolved and left me with a piece in each hand :(:(
* I'm still of a mind to lower the front a couple of inches cos I swapped the air struts out for coilovers in two stages (front first, then back), purely due to logistics. The front is a teensy bit higher... it's just a matter of timing to get them done at the workshop. I also need to code out the suspension warning at some stage.


So chronologically from inserting the key; radio comes on, starts beautifully, goes backwards and forwards straight away(!), smooth gear changes and plenty of power at higher revs. I'm a happy man!

For now.... :rofl::rofl:

Thanks, I’m loving it! But your color combo is really the one I was lusting after. :luv:

:D

We had a couple of good ones to choose from at the time, 10 years ago this August, but the colour combo is sweet - it had to be Imolarot with ivory seats :p:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/SX9QoFhtVeP2jZGcA

Did I mention that I replaced the plastic bulkhead (where the positive terminal attaches)... Original one got shattered while the engine was being worked on.

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

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Replaced my cargo rack.

Painted the edges road stripe yellow to reduce how often people bump into it.

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

[mention]andrewwynn [/mention] Awesome! That is a sweet setup!

I drove down to a local breaker yard, since they had 2 e53 X5s in various states of breakdown and I saw that at least one of them had the passenger side (fixed) rear quarter panel window trim molding and my car has been missing that since I bought it….

So, not only did I score that molding, the other one also had it, so I pulled both, along with two clips for the trunk (boot for the brits) panel, the driver side front bumper insert that goes under the headlight and to the right of the center grill opening, the hitch cover in the center of the rear bumper and two passenger rear window privacy screen retainer hooks (all these items were also missing since I bought the car); a couple of window switches, and an OEM widescreen Navigation display all for the grand cost of $56 ($3 for admission to pull parts and $53 for all the parts). I’m feeling pretty good at this point, since I have only seen that molding for $249 or more, which made no sense to me that it would be so expensive….

Now, I get to figure out how to release the original (small) navigation screen display out of the center of the dash so I can drop in the updated one, and how to permanently install that window molding because I verified that it fits, but it doesn’t seem to want to stay in place securely until you bend some tabs to lock it into place and I did not have a tool to reach in there and bend the tabs without damaging the weather stripping in that area….

Anyone know how to get the original small screen navigation display to release off the top? Mine is sitting in its spot, I can pivot it up several inches since it’s not secured on the bottom, but it will not “pull” out through the top….

Sounds like it's missing the lower securing screws....

Harbor freight but needed a bunch of modifications.

The support bars under the expanded metal don't touch the metal until you put in enough load to flex the deck.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...a277cc0fc4.jpg
I put a double bend on the ends of each bar and the center bar as well to make the deck flat edge to edge (so stupid to have a 1/8" bump in the middle of the otherwise flat deck). (so that anything flat across the bottom would either teeter or bend).

My revision is perfectly flat edge to edge https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e4c08413b6.jpg

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

I was not trying to attach it, I was trying to remove it completely to replace it with an upgraded one… turns out that there are 2 Phillips screws along the top of display covered with black tape. Once you move the tape aside, you can unscrew ‘ pull the two screws and then angle the head unit out.

Once done, it was an easy swap, just had to cut the two excess tabs off the bottom of the frame to ensure the updated unit would fit in:https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...2c29e94e92.jpg

Now I may well have to order a BlueBus :-).

Bought a complete running board set...
 

I've been hunting for a nice running board set for my 4.6is...and thanks to this board...I bought a set today and they're only a short drive away. What freaking luck.

Now to get that damn Aux Fan working.

Great find! I'm still looking...

I'll keep an eye out. I also recently bought an entire hitch including the bumper carrier and electronics...but I might not install it after all...so might just have to list it.

Is it just a dead fan? easiest way to test is pull the sensor wire on the AC right on the frame rail with the AC on, if the fan doesnt come on, its dead.
I normally wont recommend EBAY parts, but this one is a big enough savings that it was worth the risk for me, 3+yrs ago and still going strong

Well...... I would say HELL MONTH is over.... but not sure yet

First of the month on a sunday night 3am after a race weekend at Road America, water pump went POOF between my buddies house and mine.... never got hot so....
205K miles so, you know the drill, its gettting most all the cooling parts. didnt order the 2 idler pullies as they were replaced 6yrs ago?
Monday after ordering parts, get a lift to go get the Z4 out of storage, that sunday Alternator goes pop, takes out my radio once I over night the regulator from FCP as no one had a VR in detroit.
Go to put cooling system back together and find the tensioner pulley have just enough play in the bearing that #&*#$ oh well, I will order both and just be done.... Package shows up Sat, minus one of the pulleys... WTF
Now its had an oil leak that has gotten big enough that I have needed to get into it to figure it out as its not the valve cover... could have sworn I did an OFH, but that could have been on the M3... Pulled it all apart since I had the parts in stock, doesnt look like it was but gave me lots of access to clean the CRUD off the motor.

Cooling system is all back together finally, UV DYE went in the oil and now to let it get good and dark to see if I can see anything glowing....
GOD I HATE CARS SOME TIMES

Dynavin N7 Pro head unit with rear camera and relay
Comprehensive pano sunroof cassette rebuild; included drop in head liners replacement
GM3 module rebuild by the legendary Scott Johnson; nothing wrong w/ window regulators.
Thrust rods.
I want to thank everyone who participates on this forum with objective posts, it helps tremendously.

I thought a ballast went out, but after pulling the bumper off to pull the headlight housing, it was the bulb. Boo and whatever. Now I know my headlights will work after replacing both. I will say it was not as hard as I thought it was going to be. And hear at the pics of the 4.6 exhaust. It’s a lot quieter then the 4.4 exhaust, for sure. Attachment 80490Attachment 80491Attachment 80492


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Do you mean the two sliding sunshades? or do you mean the whole headliner.

If the former, where did you get the sunshades? or did you have them re-done?

Craigslist pick ups
 

Camera and plate holders. :thumbup:

I upgraded my Resler iBus interface to the new Resler iBus module. It has some new features and was simply a 10 min job to pull the head unit back and swap out the modules. It has some great new features like folding mirrors on key lock/unlock commands and coming home lights programming. :thumbup:

Video below

https://youtu.be/r6DsXd8As6I

How old was the one you replaced? Mine will open and close mirrors on start and stop, not unlock and lock and it has coming home lights programming.

Where did you buy it? The version I have allows folding/unfolding mirrors only when ignition is turned on/off.

Our Resler iBus interface V6 modules are no longer made. The new orange one is the replacement from Resler.

Resler IBUS Interface

And the new one

https://shop.ibus-app.de/en/shop/acc...le-incl.-cable

Great, thanks. Just placed an order. Much cheaper than from avin, probably avin's still old stock of version 6.

Pulled and replaced the fan. Still no operation. Pulled the AC pressure switch to make the aux fan run...no go. Checked power from fuse 61 to the fan plug...that's ok. Ground wire is good. Waiting to have a shop put a scope on the signal wire to see what's going on. Hoping it's just a bad signal wire and not a DME/ECU issue...but I can send the DME and EWS out for service if need be. I'll update once the shop looks at it. Took the opportunity to also change the radiator output temp sensor so there is that. Also ordered a new air tube for between my air hood and the air cleaner/resinator. It had a crack I hadn't noticed. Also cleaned up and detailed the engine compartment again. :)

It is literally a plug and play although you need to run through these steps when upgrading to the new Resler Module from a working Resler V6 interface.

https://wiki.ibus-app.de/index.php?t...f_Resler_Modul

Just a FYI, the module only took about 7 days to my door from the EU.

About two years ago somebody had a non operating aux fan. Fan worked ok just never got the signal to turn on.

He made solution that ran the fan based on radiator in/out temp. I'm not sure how/why the AC worked but rather than replace/rebuild the DME it was a solid workaround.

PropellerHead and I found a couple of bugs in the remote key mirror folding. You can choose to open mirrors on ignition on or not. If selected not to use the ignition on command, it will open on key unlock as the video showed. But it was not reliable so I went back to key on unfold. Works every time with that sequence and this is how it was programmed by default. I guess Resler has some debug work to do but one thing I like is the new module allows OTA firmware updates. :thumbup:

Well THAT is a generous characterization! :rofl: All I did was stand there while you diddled with the remote.

Not unlike my story with the coding that OB did for my X5 yesterday while I stood around sweating through my shirt. I realized a couple days before that I would be only a couple hours away from him, so we set up some time to visit again. :cool: As I was headed out, I remembered he has a notebook and mad skillz. I *finally* got the cold check turned off for my LED signals and went ahead to do the license plate checks as well. :thumbup:

On the way home, I used iBus to turn on the high beams as DRL to match the angel eyes now on as turn signals. With iBus also using the front fogs as DRLs, I have major (illegal) filaments on while over 70MPH in the day time- which is when I have told iBus to turn on the low beams as well. At night, of course, its all normal (and legal).

The *other* thing he got done is reading HIS dynamic front lights and then matching those settings to mine. I confirmed late last night that the lights once again turn with the steering wheel at night. This was also not functional since the clear lens replacement in 2019. It's nice to see again.

Huge shout out to OB! Hope to see you sometime on the road, OB! Thanks again!

It was fun coding with you on your E53 Jae, that was a great day. You should take a video of the halos as turn signals, that actually looks pretty cool. :thumbup:

Minor work, but work none the less. Washed Red and cleaned up the engine bay as she actually got wet a couple of weeks ago (gasp) in a downpour. San Antonio has been like living in the PNW lately as far as weather is concerned... which is weird. Replaced the ACS badge with fresh one. It's the little things.

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Looking at the Dinan bar missing hurts me but I am looking for someone to weld the mounting eyelet back on the threaded shaft as it broke on the passenger side. I contacted Dinan... it is of course NLA. :rolleyes::( I've had it welded once but hit a particularly big pothole awhile ago that I think broke the weld. Or it could just happen over time... who knows. Wish I could get a replacement mounting eyelet. :dunno:

Looking great CW, although I was happy to see some dirt in your engine bay for once... cause I don't feel so bad when I open my bay.[emoji1787]

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Looking gorgeous as always!

Looking great [mention]crystalworks [/mention]! Did not realize that you’re in San Antonio!


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Thanks guys. I imagine it's hard to keep dirt (error sand) out of your engine bay EOD. Very hard.

Yes sir. I run up to Austin every so often to pick up craigslist or OfferUp finds. Used to have to go through frequently to round rock to visit Ikea. Now, thankfully, we have our own.

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

Photos? I'm pretty sure I could fix that without welding just normal workshop tools.

Sounds like you need something like a spade bolt something that is not difficult to fabricate and stronger than an eye welded to threaded rod. Something you can. Just buy in certain sizes and easy enough to fabricate in any size.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...2e8b3cb40d.jpg
An example spade bolt. I use them for a few different projects: one example is holding a handrail to the wall. 3/8 spade though a 3/8 ID aluminum tube. Tighten the bejesus out of it and have maybe 1800# of preload so the handrail is the stiffest you've ever seen. (this way I can get away with minimal finger smashing zones) it feels like welded metal handrail when mounted to studs.

My brother also runs a machine shop. Get me some exact sizes I'm pretty sure one way or another we can get that fixed for you.

So, you think you have rough roads where you are? [emoji849]

I am less than thrilled with how many suspension parts I have had to replace.!

Yeah!!! Weekend work in 47c[emoji48]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...10fdb5e60f.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...6ee36e3016.jpg

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You do know it's ok to steer around/slow down for pot holes, correct?

(Says the guy who bent a rim and dented the front subframe of his z28 by hitting pothole and super deep road crown).

The second one was not expected: where two roads cross the depth of the crown on the corner can make for a very big dip. I passed a turning car in the parking lane and bottomed out the car hard enough to hit the subframe and put a 3x4" dent about 1/4" deep in 1/4" thick steel!

What is this "slow" you speak of?[emoji848]
Is it mandatory?[emoji1787]

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Technically yes (says they guy who did 120 in a 70 just to get into an exit lane last week). (prob a good thing my car is 3.0 and wife has the 50i).

[emoji1787]

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Have had the Dinan sway bar since 2003, no problem. Are you sure there isn't a problem with a shock tower or a camber plate? Hitting big bumps shouldn't break the eye bolt in the bar.

The Abu Dhabi Municipality owes me BIG TIME for the amount of parts I replaced - eventually went to coilovers when the OEM air struts went up 15% to 2,200 Dirhams ($600) each. There are huge speed bumps/ pedestrian crossing humps everywhere - it's brutal!!

Refilled the obligated carry on spare quart of oil. Almost two months after replacing the OFH gasket, it needed a little topping off. Way better than 1 quart every 500 miles!

Running boards
 

Hey Purple...there are two sets for sale on E53 Xoutpost group on Facebook...one is $600 and the other is $550.

What’s the Xoutpost fb page name. Would like to join


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Finally found a amp for my stock system, but nothing is coming from the 6 disc player. It powers on, and I can change the tracks, but nothing. Any ideas?


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Oh man. Now I know who's beating me to Craiglist finds. :beerchug:

We'll have to do a local meet up sometime. :band:
I have a lot to learn about these X5s.

Oil change - Castrol 0w40/Hengst filter

It's called E53 Xoutpost

Check the coding on your amp. Sounds like its not coded to be aware of the CD changer. I also pulled out my CD changer and put in a BlueBus so I get full BT and streaming now! :)

I took some pics, will UL them tomorrow. Thank you very much for the assistance, hopefully machining a replacement won't be necessary, but may be the strongest option.

The bump I'm speaking was large. Truck got air time on both axles. Was more of a drop off than a bump. Think construction workers repaving on a Saturday before having Sunday off... "We'll scrape this layer off... it'll be fine with a 4" drop for 24 hours in a 75mph zone without a slope down. Screw people using this offramp." And it broke the previous repair, so it wasn't as strong as it should be. Honestly, I think I bought the X5 with the bar broken back in 2015 and just didn't realize it until such time that service dictated it had to removed. Then I discovered the broken eye-bolt, had it welded, and reinstalled.

I would be one of your competition, yes. :D;):thumbup:

I was going to tack on a reply to my last post about working on the iS but I went back 50 pages and couldn't find it. In forum time 50 pages is pre-industrial revolution (smdh).

Now the update: I did the timing guide job along with a number of other refreshes (like 6 months ago) but kept getting a P0021 after reassembly, retimed a couple times, traced every possible wire, reached out and spoke directly with Raj, a few of the original test group for the VANOS, and even wrote an email to Steve Dinan (he never replied). Finally after a whole hell of a lot of time spent NOT working on the ailing iS because the CEO said that the kitchen remodel was more important. I finally got her back opened up over the weekend and discovered that I am a DA of the highest degree. Timing is fixed. I should be back to terrorizing the communities surrounding Lake Houston shortly, erhm, well, a lot more shortly than the 6 months that the iS has been confined to the garage.

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

Each of the times I've done chain guides on M62tu I got P0021 error.

Resolved with real-time measure of the requested vs. actual cam angle which were not well matched to confirm computer didn't see the cam matching request with refurbished vanos and just redone timing with a new chain.

I wasn't sure from the read above what was the fix.

Did you do like me and hook up the timing alignment jigs symmetrically? Oops.

I have the GAS Master Tool Set so the timing jigs are labeled per bank so that wasn't the issue.

Here is an excerpt from my post on Bimmerforums explaining the resolution and why I didn't catch the issue the first two times I opened it up

"UPDATE: I finally carved out enough time to get her opened back up. So my last hunch was spot on. The Bank 1 Exh and Int cams were dead on and the tools slipped on dead flat (intake was turned manually until it stopped), the Bank 2 Exh and Int cams were both ~20* retarded (didn't measure the exact angle, I eyeballed it, it was enough for me). The two contributing factors it appears were:

1) When doing the timing the previous times I didn't have the chain tensioner tool as tight as I should have. I was scared to overtighten it previously because of all the warnings in the GAS and Beisan instructions. This time I almost bottomed the tensioner bolt to the tool body, the fact that the chain has had a chance to run some and rotating the engine a few times by hand while taking up the slack helped settle everything prior to timing the engine.
2) Turning the crank CCW even the slightest bit creates a big enough difference in the position of the chain and the relative position of the cams which likely made up the rest of issue. If you miss the mark when trying to set TDC DO NOT ROTATE CCW, turn the crank CW the entire 720 degrees!

Further I will state the hypothesis that the 41.93 crank degrees which coincides 20.965 cam degrees is in fact the physical limit of the VANOS. Which makes sense because for proper operation of 20* adjustment 2.5% is an acceptable added engineered tolerance. No one has ever shown more than 41.93 and 41.93 has appeared often enough to confirm that its not random."

Here's a link to the full thread if anyone is interested.
https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...d-INPA-Reading

Hell of a tale.

I used the GAS timing gear. The banks are labeled but with pins out both sides you can put them on wrong. (kind of a foolish design oversight).

I put them on in a way they were symmetrical, think eyebrows where in reality they have to not be.

I did figure it out before I put any chain guide covers back on though.

Yeah, kind of want to beat my head against a brick wall after all this. Master Tool Set I have has separate tools for each bank that are labeled with a single pin on one side only, and machined lip on each so it would be really difficult to mix up, I guess not impossible. I think GAS kept getting calls from confused customers so they went ahead and added the second tool.

I have had the parts to change timing guides for a year or more. Many posts over the years have claimed it is not that complex and don't be concerned about tackling the job if you have the right tools. But, in the same vein there have been many posts about having problems with the project. My conclusion is, I will have somebody help me that has done it before just to be safe.

Here you go Andrew.

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Then, not on the E53, but my Dad's F10. I got tired of looking at his very poorly etched screen on the odd occurrence I'm in it (brought it over recently for shimmy diagnosis and noise - warped rotor, noise TBD) and so ordered up a polishing kit from Amazon, a screen protector, and some polishing pads for the drill. Results are impressive. Going to do this to all of our OE screens now even though they aren't nearly as bad as his.

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CW, Looks brand new and amazing! Did the screeen protector come in the correct size or was cutting it to fit required?

Thanks. He was amazed. And grateful, a replacement screen is ~$1000 and all the used ones exhibited the same problem. Yes, the screen protector came cut to fit already. Was ordered from NuShield. Could have been a few mm bigger in all directions, but no big deal.

I bet using a good high strength spherical rod end vs the junk they used ....
I bet there is some sort of twist going on and that is snapping it.
having the ball end will prevent the twisting to go into the threads
figure out what sizes you need exactly and order from here https://www.afcoracing.com/
This is what I am talking about
even if you have to do a quick drill and tap to change the thread size its an easy fix.

https://www.afcoracing.com/store.asp...d-Chrome-Moly-

As you would expect from me, can you share the link as I have an NBT kit with the same screen I dream to one day put in my 4.6is and IIRC the screen had some minor scratching...

I have my 540i6 sitting next to the iS in the garage awaiting the same surgery. Now that I've been thoroughly abused by the iS, the 5 should be a walk in the park. It's really not a difficult job to do, physically it's easier than doing a timing belt on Z32 but the precision with which one must operate is what makes this an advanced level activity.

I bought the special tools to be precise so the advanced level is not the issue. I just decided experienced help should completely eliminate the risk of tearing it down more than once.

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

@crystalworks:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...7f989d024e.jpg


https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail...505423912.html

Here's the gist of what you need.

Fully forged stanless eye bolt. It's a bit tricky to find the small head style but I've used for fence hinges and other jobs.

Get me the thread pitch and id/od of the EYE and I can prob find you a part that is very close to what you have.

Update; search for forged dog eye bolt or anchor eye bolt to help find the exact type.

I replaced the LR window regulator. Went nicely except when putting the door card back on I realized just like when I did the LF regulator it gave me a hard time. The issue was that the top of the door card separated and was left on the door. Since it was the first time I ever removed a door card I didn't know what I didn't know. After carefully removing the rest of the door card from the door I am planning on using some gorilla epoxy to reattach the separated part back to where it belongs.

This is so much fun!

Be sure to use it sparingly and not too close to the top edge. I just picked up an E53, and someone had used gorilla glue for the same reason. Gorilla glue expands, and some of it is showing when you look through the glass. One of the many projects on my list is to remove the door card and use a blade to carefully remove the residue.

Thanks for the reply.

I have seen the gorilla glue expand. Does the gorilla epoxy do the same?

To repair the vapor barrier has anyone tried something like this?

Brad

That looks like exactly what I need! I'll see if I can get those specs. :thumbup:

Get a chrome Moly and go for spherical end or you will be replacing it again....
OR NOT...

I think there is no relative motion causing the need for a swivel end. That is a great part though. His only broke due to a significant impact. A forged eye will be a permanent fix.

Oil and filter change with high mileage synth oil. Pulled the filter apart and am happy to report no plastic bits therein. Of course they could all be in the bottom of the pan!

Also tried to do a fuel filter change but upon pulling the needlessly complicated protective cover over the gas tank and filter, I immediately noticed that I had been sent the wrong filter. The one I bought was twice as long and had different connectors. Not sure what it is supposed to go to, but definintely not the 2002 4.4i X5 that I put into the website. The vacuum hose rubber was completely shot but the lines and connectors looked almost new.

Got into the left front door as the window was jamming and found that both clips were barely hanging on, and the slide on one side of the regulator had come off the cable. Nothing surprises me with the pathetically poorly engineered window regulators in the X5...definitely don't live up to the usual German engineering standards. I have replaced two window regulators in my 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee in 29 years yet have thrown at least 6, and untold numbers of clips at the X5 in 20. I've got a regulator, vapor barrier and clips inbound from Pelican. Meanwhile I've got the door card under surgery as the plastic adhesive has failed in a couple spots where the clips attach the door to the card. Gorilla plastic epoxy seems to be doing the job, but we will see if it holds under stress. I'll probably upgrade the speakers in the door since I've got the panel off.

The fuel filters vary by production date. They have one for up to 03.02 and one from 04.02
I have an 07.02 4.6is and the fuel filter on mine must have the pressure regulator built into it.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/BMW-parts/X5...5&b=11&d=10&v=

That makes sense then, thanks. I thought the size may have just changed, but the connection flanges on the ports won’t take the snap ring design connectors on my car.

The o-ring on the pressure regulator is the weak link. The few one worked on the filter was fine at 160-180,000 miles. I do Recommend changing the filter and regulator together unless you are only replacing the o-ring which is usually all that is needed.

At 199466 miles I'm getting some signs of weak FPR but I'm only going to change the hard flat o-ring before either the FPR or filter.

Keep your window guides lubricated. You will probably never have to replace a regulator. All four of mine are original. Takes twice as much force To open or close the window that is in need of lubrication. I had one of my Regulators pull off the bottom of the window before I started lubricating them regularly.

fan conversion completed, air intake fixed, mothballs added
 

Finally finished the electric fan conversion project https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/...ml#post1206820, and two other things as well.

I installed a "MOTOKU Air Intake Hose Tube" since mine was totally dry-rotted and held together with duct tape. I had to use my Wagner heat gun to merge the piece with the air cleaner, and also with the air intake scoop. I'm sure that the BMW OEM replacement piece would've fit better (for 2.5x the price), but having spent >$300 recently on the X5, I'm skimping where I can.

While I was running wires thru the firewall, I noticed a lot of space near the windshield for mice, rats, squirrels to nest. I discourage them by using mothballs on all my cars/trucks, so I added a bag on each side, in a perforated plastic bag. I sure don't want the wires chewed on this vehicle...I'd never be able to figure it out then.

Great feedback on the knock off air intake


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Since if I cant find an answer this post will really turn into, I just did an oil pan gasket...

Does anyone know if the full oil level on an M54 3.0L is below or above the oil pan gasket on the right side?
The pan gasket is not level to the ground like on a Ford/Chevy V8 but slanted to the right...
Its been sitting for almost 2 weeks, nose up on stands waiting for a few parts to show up and its still leaking and I am about 100% sure its not the diff now. As I thought it was the O Ring for the Axle support bearing on the right side. No there is absolutely no oil from the valve covers

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

Thanks for the info for all!! I’ll look into it this weekend


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Got the lovely alternator bracket off to replace the seal yesterday. What a treat it was to gain access to all the bolts. The seal was hard and brittle so it's no surprise my engine looked the way it did with oil covering every surface on that side.

I'll start re-assembling today. I'm also replacing the alternator, all power steering hoses and reservoir, lower oil pan gasket, inner and outer tie rods, front wheel bearings and hubs, front and rear guibo, driveshaft center support bearing, fuel filter, brake fluid, front/rear diff fluid, transfer case fluid, transmission fluid, filter, and mechatronic seals. Trying to get this thing as worry-free as I can for road trips!

Management has been complaining about the automatic door locking and I finally got around to coding it out.

I found it extremely easy and was instantly kicking myself in the ass for dragging my feet so long since it appears I'm the only one that knows where the door unlock button is hidden :rolleyes:

Now that's done I'm getting a random wheel shake I'm trying to track down.

So far it doesn't seem to be consistent enough for me to completely rule anything out and it's been raining for days so for now we wait...

Start a thread for your wheel shake.

Made custom speaker pods using the factory speakers. Soldered the wires to the factory speaker wire connection so I could use the existing wiring harness. Attachment 80599Attachment 80600Attachment 80601Attachment 80602Attachment 80603Attachment 80604


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Fixed a flat (RR), ordered new rear latch/lamp assembly and then on the way home my MAF shit the bed so I had turn around and pick up a new one.
[emoji849][emoji849][emoji849]

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Nice! I did that with my speakers as well. I have the 1st set ready to go into the white one as soon as I feel like tearing it apart. :thumbup:

I replaced both rear tail lights (again). I had rear tail light errors on our road trip- and for a few months on and off again. I was upset for a minute until I looked back into the thread I'd made when I replaced them the 1st time. It was 7 YEARS back and ~110k miles ago. :wow: Since then, I'd tapped a mailbox and clipped the top edge of the left one as well as ran through some super fine desert dust that had infiltrated the right one. So, along with the new lift gate lights I put in this Spring, I am feeling pretty good with the tail end.

It's also nice to have all the lights working again for road trips. I will clear another 500 miles or so this week. Error free and lit up like they're supposed to be!

I wonder if I'll replace these? :popcorn:

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

[mention]Plastik [/mention] [mention]PropellerHead [/mention]
I’m probably being dumb on this one, but what is the point of creating the custom pods to re-house the factory speakers? Or am I misunderstanding what you typed and you mean that you are putting after market (upgraded) speakers into custom mounts and reusing the factory wiring? Do you have finished (installed) product pictures? Are you designing the pods to improve the sound by redirecting and filling in the “cabinet”?

There are significant upgrades to factory speakers that fit in existing enclosures and are plug and play. Though, depending on how particular you are, they may not be as good as you would like. The Seicane audio receiver also helps a bunch.

Sorry I wasn’t on point there. That’s not what I did. I re-used the factory plastic mounts and merely trimmed the speakers I wanted to fit within. The idea (at the time) was that I’d save the factory ones and replace when I sell the car. Well, after I picked some enclosures from a yard and modified some way upgraded units into the blue one, I kept the modified speakers and stock enclosures to install into the white one. That was only 2 years ago. :rolleyes: I’ll get around to it after getting the white one road trip ready. I think we’re ready after new front shocks and StopTech brakes. But the whole idea of an X5 that’s old enough to vote is replacing sh!t that *might* break far from home.

And who really cares if that’s a radio. :dunno:

Put in a new alternator. Battery light started to go on and off friday morning when I fired it up and headed to work. Fortunately, my jobsite is only 2 miles away. Got there and back home no problem. Ordered up a rebuilt Valeo and took an Uber to pick it up after work.

booked in an appointment for new rubber... fronts need replacing and the rear developed a slow leak. Also having the clutch fan and thermostat replaced soon.

Now it seems the right headlight is either off or burning with a reddish colour... bulb replacement is probably going to be a nightmare and/or big bucks i assume? :D

What tires are you getting?

Headlights aren't too bad although it's not like changing a headlight on 60's-80's car....[emoji2959]

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I'm getting the hancook K127's... another option were the michelin PS4's but looking at the differences the price hike seemed a bit much.

Never changed a xenon bulb before... see a lot of different types. Are they D2S?

I bought a set of Korean made for $40 for the pair. With a right angle screw driver and t20 it's not that difficult to change.

They are starting to turn darker but six years since reeplaced; replace in pairs.

Caveat: bumping the turn signal stalk will engage low beams so best to disconnect battery or ensure its impossible for the lights to get bumped on during the job. Eg work solo or lock the door if other people are around. 25,000v start on hid ignitor.

I forgot to add what I paid for the new rear hatch switch/light part... $159.00 USD and I would like to know how much it costs stateside if anyone has purchased it fairly recently.

If the cost stateside is significantly higher I can see about sending from here, but it would have to be soon. The APO is shutting down at the end of September because the new U.S. base commander is a dick who is canceling mail, exchange and commissary privileges for retirees. The Big Green Dick strikes again...[emoji849]

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I was looking for a new hydraulic jack since my old cheap low-profile jack kicked the bucket. I ended up with a Quickjack BL-5000SLX. Which may have been a teensy bit more jack than I needed. I found a 2-year-old one on Craigslist for a great bargain.

Super nice. Can you post a pic of it lifting the X5? I've been look at those jacks. I would go with a 3 ton set.

I can't at the moment, my X5 is camping with my family (it's the tow car for our trailer) and I am stuck working this week.



I actually have the lightest of all the E53s (only around 4400lbs iirc) being a base model 3.0 with coil springs and manual trans. So I felt like the 5,000lb load limit would be fine. It would be unlikely that I would need to put 500+ lbs of cargo in the car while it is on the lift. Curb weight includes a full tank of gas after all (which is 150lbs in the X5) so really there is plenty of breathing room. I am hoping I don't need to buy the extension beams for the X5 is all, but it will probably be fine.



It lifts my Mazda sedan up so high that there is 8 inches of room under the wheel when it's in the air. I live in an area where I need snow tires in the winter, so this will make changing tires much easier, as well as working under the car. Also, the wife doesn't know it yet but this will be great for using on a project car in the future. I really pulled the wool over her eyes on that one!

Nice! I've seen pics of them used in two different positions. Straight down the two lift points and across the under body to opposite sides. Each way has an advantage. Take a few pics when you can.

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

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...f3109f4cfd.jpg
Empty gas tank 3.0i 2001

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...80fe96c0f2.jpg
Full tank and me.

I would not have any concerns. Lifting devices have safety margins built in. The main problem is with the hydraulic piston being at the limits of capability.

I've used a 1.5T jack to lift the back of my car when it typically weights 3200 and I've hit pressure limits and vented oil. They are pretty soft fail, just leaked a little oil and and lost lift height until I topped off the oil.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...1d5252ccee.jpg

"Fully loaded".

Is that true? Is there really a rear weight bias on the E53?



Also, I agree, there will be a big safety factor on the quickjack. I am sure the 5k load limit is just the ability of the lift to pick up that much weight.

Sounds right for a 3.0i. I'm guessing no servotronic and associated other components, plus added weight of the V8s, that could add weight to the front axle for closer to 50/50.

From another forum:

Those are all actual weights taken off my e53. And yes definitely rear weight bias. For me my usual weight distribution is 1200 front corner and 1600 rear corner.

I have run the tires 32/39 like the door plate suggests which gets me 1200/32=37.5 in.² and 1600/39=41 in.² contact patches. I just installed brand new tires and with the way I drive I tend to scrub the outer edge of front tires I think I'm going to add a smidge of air.

1200/36=33.333 psi
1600/40=40 psi

1600/32=50 in.² (nine more in.²). Prob would be good for acceleration but not great for tread wear.

This weekend saw Archer (Mouse's X5) ~165k miles and Red ~126k miles getting oil changes and full trans servicing. Both vehicles took 7.5 liters of Valvoline Maxlife Multivehicle to fill after replacing the tube seals, bridge seals, and filters. Both trucks exhibited the 2-1-2 gear slam when slow rolling stop signs or stop lights. Of course we both drove around the issues to avoid it so as not to any damage to the trans. Some gear shifting delay was also present. As of now it seems both transmissions have been restored to normal operation. After resetting all adaptations (clutch pressures) shifting has been smooth and quick. :thumbup: :cool:

Attachment 80618

Attachment 80619

Pic shows Liqui Moly in front of Archer but we used the Valvoline Maxlife.

Attachment 80620

Here's what Archer's fluid looked like. I believe he has ~50k miles on it. Previous owner had a drain/fill done but I don't think they did anything else. Looks pretty clean and the magnets just had a fine film on them. Nothing to worry about. My fluid looked a little dirtier. Fortunately though it also did not have any metallic flakes/swirls in the fluid. Didn't grab a pic of mine but do have a video of it.

Attachment 80617

And for fun I took a couple of shots of my rather complicated exhaust setup. :D I'd like to remove the resonator, add an X pipe, and dumps from the cutouts to simplify things in the near future.

Attachment 80621

Attachment 80622

Oh boy! ReD is surely shining! :2thumbs:

Yep - this seems to be the attitude of my car recently - "hooman fix something - me go boom!!"... I did a full set of BMW spark plugs on Sunday (it's a working day here) and crawled through traffic for three hours to get home - *literally* the next day I drove it round the block and it did the wacky instrument cluster thing and shouted *TRANS FAILSAFE*! *ENGINE FAILSAFE*!! - from experience I knew this is a weak battery thing (the AC also dying) - so I pulled back into the garage, all the way in 3rd, you know how it is...

Alternator was running 14.1V thank goodness, so with the new battery we're done - for now.

Kinda scared me for a second, though...

I hear you and I guess I should be happy when things show up in clusters because if it was say... an issue each week then the White Witch would never move and I couldn't hide that from the wife!![emoji15]

The Sunday through Thursday work week only bugs me when I have to try and deal with crap Stateside and the day change along with the time difference makes it less than conducive to speedy resolutions....

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The attitude to old cars here being what it is, if I swapped Burly I'd end up with like a med-hi mileage Camry or Altima or some sh!t, as my only car! The cars which can do high mileage here still go for big dollars cos the locals want to and can afford to buy them at a ridiculous price. Nissan Patrol Super Safaris and Lexus LS 430s still go for 50,000 AED ($14,000) when they've done 200,000 Km (125,000 miles). I gotta keep on, because compared to the crazy maintenance schedule, the insurance and registration costs nothing. A newer car would cost more every year, and as I say, I'm priced out of the market for a low maintenance car!

It's not bad having the NYSE opening at 5:30 PM local time, but kind of weird trading on a Friday which is the big religious weekend day...

Disassembled the front hubs/wheel bearings. That was fun! Also got the last few parts from FCP Euro before putting the car back together. The front end will have new rotors/pads, wheel bearings, hubs, associated hardware including dust shields, end links, inner and outer steering tie rods, and control arm ball joints (the remaining bushings/ball joints looked to be recently replaced). Looking forward to feeling how it drives after this!

Next step will be the rear subframe bushings. I already have them + the press tool.

Now that’s some work! Nice job.
I spent today wrapping up the days of window regulator, clip and door panel surgery. Both front windows were shot and I have had a stick holding one closed for too long. A new regulator on the right side and new clips on both sides.

The panels have begun to fail internally…old glue failing and the plastic bits that hold the retainer clips stay on the door unfortunately. The JB Weld formula for plastic sets in 15 minutes and seems to work the best. Gorilla glue and Liquid Nails have failed miserably on me in previous attempts.

I have never been able to eliminate the rattle that comes with closing a front door with the window down, or down at least 75 ish percent. I know it’s the glass rattling against the regulator, or something else, but I can’t get it to stop. Anyone else experience this? Maybe I’ve been installing something wrong all these years.

I also bought a motor for my project.

Moved her over a bit. :D

I have been noticing some drive line noise when getting off the throttle and being in gear. On throttle the noise disappears. The transmission gear oil was replaced with Redline about 25k miles ago. I am preparing to change the transfer case and front and rear diffs which I have never done since purchased three years ago and about 30k miles.

Brad

Wife's e53 was starting to do that, I suspected the front dif. We traded in the car before I dug into the source off the sound to confirm.

Thanks for the reply.

About how many miles did your wife's E53 have when you noticed? How often did you change drive line fluids?

Oh, and what did you trade it in for?

I apologize for so many questions.

Brad

Started noticing some noise coasting maybe 180,000 miles. Traded in at about 193,000. Never changed any of the "lifetime" fluids.

Traded for 2012 e70 50i with 75,000.

Is the transfer case and differential fluid considered "lifetime?"


I have done the transmission and the rear diff, but not the front diff or transfer case yet. I am only at 115k miles though. Since I drive this thing so little that I forget about maintenance.

OEM differential and transfer case fluids are good for 100,000 miles. Coolant goes 7 years or 150,000 miles. Brake fluid 3 years or 30,000 miles.


I never changed transmission fluid in my 2002 E53, but it was equipped with the GM 5L40-E.

I increased the pressure of my rear tyres to 38 psi and it feels pretty solid - 34 on the front. Also for the contact area, the rear tyres are fatter than the fronts ;)

I have square setup but that doesn't matter. Contact patch is force (weight) / pressure. Wider tire just means less length front to back.

It's worth the $ to get a weight measurement on your truck to know what the axles weigh with a typical load then do a little math and see how big your contact patches are. It's not ideal to have exactly the same as more weight will be helpful to have more tread on the ground but if you like to corner fierce like I tend to, finding a balance that is not entirely understeer is a good thing.

Yesterday... But anyways new front output shafts. Old one's where shot after 260 000km.


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Zk...kJxXqhYOQ=w512


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/oE...sMPcK7rAA=w512
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/EU...BTlVcfH9A=w512

new K127's make a BIG difference in handling and road noise :D

unfortuntely the wronmg clutch fan was delivered so that project is postponed... new HID ballast and lamp fitted and thermostat replaced for a 105 degrees one.

Stock is 95. Why would you go hotter?

I change the transmission fluid and filter every 50,000 miles. I use only OEM fluid. That's based on a long discussion with a transmission expert at a DFW repair shop that rebuilds and modifies BMW transmissions.

I change transfer case and diffs oil the same time I change trans fluid. I change the oil and filter at 5-6000 miles.

What is a lifetime to BMW? X years, X miles or X years and X miles?

What do you mean by the way you drive?

Good question. I have almost 261,000 miles and 15+ years on mine. I'm planning to make at least 300,000. Been around 100,000 since I changed trans mission fluid and filter. I'm about due. Recently did the diffs. Need to check my records for transfer case. That could be due too. Oil changes every 5000 miles with Lubrimoly full synthetic.

That simple formula would be correct if the tires were balloons, with no structural rigidity. Reality is a lot more complicated. The following page I just found (top of the list when I googled your "Contact patch is force (weight) / pressure") goes into a lot (too much in some places?) detail on this, comparing with experimental data from a tire manufacturer. It's easy to get lost in the details he presents, but it all makes sense, and much closer to reality than the balloon model.

https://www.enginebasics.com/Chassis...t%20Patch.html

I tend to avoid brakes for hard corners. With a car that understeers that temds to scrub the outer edge of the front tires

Can it just stay pretty and new like this, please?? ��

https://i.imgur.com/1ke5IOd.jpg

I can only find 108 and 105 here? (4.6 IS)

Didn't realize you had a V8. Still sounds high.

Today I questioned the parentage of the White Witch as I got a transmission fail safe (code 5088) EGS sensor/trans switch L1-L4.[emoji2959][emoji2959][emoji2959]

After resetting everything so I wasn't on the losing side of the Haji-lition derby and then she wouldn't crank over. She did start after going to sleep so... Ignition switch too?

Before I get all medieval on her ass, can anyone think of any additional checks, tests or spells to do?

[emoji90][emoji872]M[emoji117][emoji108]!!https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...34cde31677.jpg

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That is usually a failure of the mechatronic transmission range sensor. The only way I know how to test it is to attach your scan tool and check to see that the transmission sensor agrees with your gear selector display. When mine went, it was fine when cold but once the trans warmed up the two would disagree and it would lock out the start sequence. The dash showed P...but the trans control unit was showing D...hence the startup lockout.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVu4cmoZ3xA

Some leaking power steering lines+ new reservoir.

Did BMW ever make a drip away adapter or something?

Front caliper seized on the Black Bastard about 10 km into a 500km trip.

Ahh that sweet sweet smell of smoldering brake pads brings me back to the days of driving overloaded trucks up and down san francisco type streets.

friendly motorist - "Your car is on fire"

me - "Nah she's just trying to get my attention"

A new exterior door handle was installed. It took me while to figure out how to lock in the forward part. I used a screwdriver to "open" the latch and then lock in the front into place. It's OEM and titanium. The color is slightly off due to sun age. The handle feels solid. I tell people to pull at the rear and up to open it.

Best advice to folk opening the doors is to use four fingers behind the handle and a thumb on the knob part that doesn't move. That way the can only exert pull/lift pressure from four fingers, not an entire arm and shoulder! :yikes:

Too easy. :thumbup:

Pushing away with the thumb is definitely the best way


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Out with the old (probably from the factory) in with the new. The cabin filter was replaced a little over a year ago with an eBay one, so it only made sense to put in a proper Made in Germany Corteco branded one...https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...fd3ae8df06.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...88a6b4537c.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...d1f7f1f6d5.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...677a5b39aa.jpg

Second best advice is to code the car to unlock all doors with ONE press of the button, not two..

Can be coded using BMW Scanner 1.4 (aka PA Soft)..

I did this a while back and love it! Noone has a chance to yank the unlocked doors and break the handles...