Good job, what a fun project! I had to remove the hood to be able to have a clear access to the driver side rear cylinders. Yeah, acrobatic maneuvers are necessary, and being fit helps a lot:D.

All the best:thumbup:.

Yeah, it's really been fun! I'm just holding out hope that I'll have an old BMW with no leaks after all this is over with :rofl:

Between the power steering hoses, alternator bracket gasket, upper timing gaskets, and valve cover gaskets, this thing was absolutely covered in oil. It even reached all the way back along the underbody plastics to the rear subframe.

Ahhh old Bimmers. My E61 is like this. Just replaced the OFHG, CCV, valve cover, and replaced 4 front broken head bolts that were all hemorrhaging oil. Still have leaks from RMS and oil pan gasket. LOL. Car has 200k miles on it though... so I'll just add a quart of oil if I need between changes. :D The other repairs were necessary so as to not soak the belt drive system and throw a belt, which on an N52 can then get ingested through the crank seal and destroy the engine. :rolleyes: Oil was being flung all over the engine bay prior to the repair.

I did the OFHG and all the power steering lines a few months ago, which was great but I should have popped the pan off because that is still leaking pretty good. Seems to be quite an achievement to obtain a leak-free E53. And I don't even have the V8.


Regarding my weekly activities, I swapped my A/Ts back on. I kept the snow tires on this late in the year because we actually had several solid snows throughout the month of April. And I dread putting my A/Ts on every year because they are such garbage tires -- loud, crashy, and poor grip. But I think this will be the last year I have to put up with them, because they are 9 years old and starting to look a little bit worn (only 30k miles). One of the front wheels must have thrown a weight because there is significant vibration in the steering on the highway, so I'll have to make a trip down to the tire shop. I'll have to start researching what tires get the best ratings for driving over the curbs at the starbucks drive through.

Yeah after I'm finished, I will have done the upper and lower oil pan gaskets, oil filter housing gasket, oil level sensor gasket, dipstick o-rings, alternator bracket gasket, oil cooler O-rings, upper timing cover gaskets, vanos solenoid O-rings, vacuum pump O-ring, valve cover gaskets, valvetronic actuator seals, valvetronic cam sensor seals, spark plug tubes, and all power steering lines and reservoir. I'm just waiting for the lower timing cover gasket to start leaking and I'll have to do most of that all over again :rofl:

Have your tried oil saver? (Liquimoly). I put in customer's n52 for starting weep on OFHG to punt until I have time to take his car home. It nearly eliminated the leak haven't added any oil since I added the oil saver.


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I'm happy with the wife's Dunlop winter sport and the Michelin I have on my car for curb hits; they both have time protection. The tire comes out past the rim.

I regularly drive on top of a curb for drive in forward parallel parking and the tires put up with the torture.

Will try that. I guess AT205 is still unobtanium? I am going to Seafoam the engine first though and flush the oil (again) as the previous owners were very unkind and must have stuck to BMWs (at the time) 15k mile service intervals. The interior of the engine still has quite a bit of sludge. But after a bunch of servicing... runs great. Just updated the DME, CAS, KOMBI, and VTG yesterday to newest integration level.

What did I do foor Rolf today...cried just a bit.
 

Hey all,

No, nothing bad happened, I'm just getting everything ready for Rolf's new owner and I'm sad to see him go. I hadn't intended to sell him, but in February I got the itch for a sports car and bought a 2016 M4 Competition. I don't have enough bays to keep both of my babies AND the wife's car garaged so Rolf must go.

This crazy car market is a blessing though. ;)

Today was the 1st roadtrip with the Turner bits installed. And yeah. Do it.

You ever felt that sorta 'wiggle' on a hard brake or in the middle of on offramp? Not with these silly things. Road feel was amazing for ~4 hours. Smoothest thing I have driven and been UNconcerned about road construction, road debris- or even missing ANY of it if I wanted to. It's just so damn solid.

It really does feel like this is what they were after when it was designed. But none of the housewife target would have the harshness. Screw them, fellas! That's not HARSH! That's what we like to call- the ROAD! So. Like when ya lose a fnckin tire.. ya KNOW ab it before the light comes on and your a$$ is off the bridge! (I Haaaaaate bridges):huddle

This thing will haul and haul and haul. And it'll haul ass doin it. :nanana: I just did the math for today's road trip. 17.33MPG. In a gussied up 4.8is with rollers in the back, I think she did pretty well! I usually have cruise set to 88MPH cause of where the needle is and so forth... But there warn't NOBODY out, so I ran near triples on a few occasions. I might actualy LIKE runflats. :(

A few stereo mods and I think we'll be done. Though there ARE those Euathane rear bits... ;)

We sold both our e53 for trading "sideways" for E70s and I was lothe to "sidegrade" to e70 after reading lots of posts regarding loss of road feel/feedback and then wife got hers about 9 months before me.

It is true the wonderful road feedback is dulled. However, note that I've driven 5-6,000 miles with the N55 and 500-1000 in wife's N63, I'm mostly on board with the "improvements".

My 35i rides a lot smoother than my old 3.0i and smoother than wife's 50i. I'm very happy with the trade "over".

Where the E70s beat the crap out of the e53 since we just had m54s; the passing power is amazing. 70-100 zone to get around some traffic to get into an exit lane etc as wife says; "don't even worry about it, she'll get you there".

I never got to drive 4.6 or 4.8 e53 and that was meant to be my next car when corona car pricing made a nice e53 cost more than a decent e70. I wanted to get a newer model year to stave off some of the plastics degradation.

I still read/post on e53 forum prob more than the e70 since my '01 e53 was my first BMW and prob still my favorite.

I run an 01 4.4
I’ve recently driven an E70 4.8 which I found it to be a bit sluggish- or maybe requiring more throttle pedal travel- to get it going at a bit of pace.
I did drive an E53 4.8 a few years ago but didn’t find it different enough from mine to warrant buying it. I regret it now though as it was only £2000..

Anyway, I’ve just replaced the main driveshaft giubo trying to chase down a vibration. I’m probably going to keep it now as I reckon prices will start to creep up in the next 5 years or so due to constant pressure to ‘tackle climate change’ or some scam so old school V8’s will be sought after. Just my opinion.

Changed oil and replaced oil level sensor. I was hoping the new oil level sensor from a different manufacturer would give me oil temp readings in the Ibus app on my Avin4 - nada:(. In any case, I have to say that after tightening up the reinforcement plate bolts, my X5 handles much better! They must have gotten loose with time. I didn't replace them but torqued them up to 56 ft/lb + 90 degrees. What a difference. Steering and suspension feels tight and smooth!

I get oil temp with mine. But you have to cycle between oil level or temp. You touch the label and it will switch between the two.

Cool, thanks! Is your X5 4.4 or 4.8? Mine is a 4.4 N62 and I can only have coolant temp or oil temp options in the Ibus app, where Oil temp is always at 0 F. May be I'm missing something, but haven't seen that toggle between oil temp/level. I'll check again, but which label are you referring to? Could you please take a picture?

:( I left mine at home While I flew in airplane fir the 2st time since March, 2020. I was a wet noodle for the days approaching but I remembered today how it could be a fun way to run around. I found some new folks at he counter.. missed some others, and met some more..

In case you're wondering, we've DONE a roadtrip to BOS before. t was awesome. Bjt yeah. Rallied from the last 1k miler on Thursday and just was OT gonna take the x-cross country drive. No this time anyway;)

It's full of new Xtrons stuff, TPMS stuff, and general goodies.. But that E38.. it just WANTS so much LOVE!

I have a 2006 3.0.

My left taillight (blinker) is going out again. I am pretty tired of fighting with these things and repeatedly trying to repair them. It looks like I can get brand-new ULO replacements for about $150 per side on either ebay or AutoHausAZ. I looked at FCP, ECS, and Pelican and they are all more expensive than that.



I don't think buying used would be a good option because I would just be rolling the dice. Some of the used taillights on ebay look alright, but the sellers never take pictures of the housing with the gasket off, which means I can't see whether there are any broken plastic tabs.



Anyone else have any other options?

Ugh, even tail lights are common problems on these things? Is there any part that doesn't commonly fail? lol. I thought I was getting toward the end of the "common problem" list with all the repairs I've done.

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

There is a wired fix for the problem. I don't recall the specifics I think a bulb holder from a Mercedes is hard wired to the wiring loom and completely eliminates the contact problem. Each lamp gets directly wired as virtually all cars on earth are done.

Otherwise a proper fix as I've demonstrated in the past is not difficult. Tinning with solder for example is no more a fix than wrapping the bulb contacts with aluminum foil.

Rebuilding the steel contact plate with heat proof shims and self tapping screws is a near permanent fix. (You do need to also keep three contact clean by remove and replace the bulb socket maybe annually to scrape off the corrosion that leads to the overhearing that melts the plastic)

That said, I replaced my headlights with aftermarket halo models and was planning on doing similarly for the rears. I would look into some nice LED tails that will refresh the tail end for a "butt lift" concept

Finished the last of the valve stem seals today. So satisfying to have that all complete and without any real hitches. I only dropped two valve keepers during the entire job and both ended up right on top of the little brushes that come with the AGA tool kit to plug up the oil passages. I also bumped one of the intake cams followers off it’s spring and it took a bit of head scratching to get it back on, but once I figured out a good method, it went on pretty easily. A nice long pair of pliers helps to compress that torsion spring.

Now I need to replace the driver’s side upper timing cover, and then re-assemble everything, start her up, and pray there aren’t any leaks!

Fantastic work. Looking forward to hearing how it started right up.

My wife's brother in law built a crate. He's driving 2.5 hours to pick up something for me. It will be crate protected until I pick it up this summer. Never hurts to have extra parts! Anyone want to take a guess at the mystery part? :bustingup

Thanks, me too! I'll put together a summary thread of the work I've done so far. It's going to take some work for me to put it all together.

That's a serious crate... lol. Headliner or sunroof cartridge? Not sure what else is that large, flat, and fragile :confused:

It's easy to come to the conclusion by following the forum that E53s have a huge number of common failures. Members post because of problems but seldom about how few problems they have had. I bought my 4.6 new. Now has 122,000+ miles. In comparison to what I read here I must be the luckiest owner on the planet. I have had very few problems, even those that are called common. Stay the course.

Agree completely. With a few exceptions my E53 has been extremely reliable, since new in 2002. I did what was called for by the maintenance sked until it became my kids car and then I neglected it utterly for several years in anticipation of getting rid of it after getting them off the payroll. That I kept the car has been costly in that I've had to do a lot of deferred maintenance, but I would have had to do that anyway, over time if I hadn't neglected it.

The exceptions have been window regulators and clips, which drive me crazy and are a woefully inadequate design, bordering on engineering malpractice. I think one could argue too that the cars shouldn't leak as much as they do, starting at an early age. I have, and have had significantly older cars that don't leak anywhere near as much as my BMW's have.

Speaking of deferred maintenance, I'm about to order Range Rover L322 spring conversion front struts for my X5. I need new struts and my hope is that they are 1.5 to 2" taller than the X53 struts so I can yank the spacer lift I am using now up front. I read that BMW cribbed the RR L322 suspension and subframe design in mass for the E53 and the struts do look like carbon copies in terms of steering knuckle attachment, strut tower bolt placement and sway bar fitting.

I have replaced one window regulator. I had one leak but it was the sunroof drain.

Yeah, I'd call you pretty lucky then. When I picked mine up with just under 100k on it, there were leaks from:

- Power steering hoses and reservoir (massive leak)
- Alternator bracket gasket (massive leak)
- Valve cover gaskets (driver's side was particularly bad)
- Upper timing cover gaskets
- upper oil pan gasket (albeit small)

From all my experience with this generation BMW and older, it's the same story. My 2002 maxima with over 250k miles on it has oily residue along the edge of the timing cover but it's never had a leak that drips. That's 4 years older and 150k miles greater than my leaky X5.

Not saying BMWs aren't worth the extra effort, but let's call a spade a spade here :)

Yup, a free working pano roof cartridge! The glass and spare parts are hard to pass up. I'll pick it up in Alabama this summer.

:thumbup:

I toggled between oil level and temp and no change - oil temp 0 F. Did you change the oil level sensor or is it factory?

Consider an important distinction. I bought mine new. After the warranty expired I have done all the regular and do preemptive maintenance. As an example I change the oil and filter every 5-6,000 miles. I did a complete overhaul of the suspension at 75,000. I change the transmission fluid and filter every 50,000 miles. IMO, ones experience purchasing any vehicle with say over 75,000 miles is heavily weighted by how that vehicle was been maintained.

I have not had to replace power steering hoses, alternator gasket, upper timing cover gaskets or had an oil pan leak. I am suggesting there is a rest of the story out there of experiences better than yours.

Got the comfort windshield installed!


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Comfort windshield..what’s that? Heated?

Nice. I need a new winshield, again. Huge rock divot at eye level.

Does the comfort glass interfere with GPS signals?

Kind of the opposite: blocks IR light keeping the car cooler.

https://bmwglass.com/details/f/bmw-c...t-75529cbb9434

I'm not really clear on what impact maintenance has on gasket leaks.

Same question here.

I bought my car from the original owner at 93k miles -- it was always promptly and properly dealer maintained, and I have ten thousand dollars worth of dealership receipts from the original owner (just from the out-of-warranty period from 60k to 93k miles). They didn't maintain it themselves, but they paid a huge sum of money to keep it maintained at the dealership about as good as it could be.

Yet I still have had massive amounts of failures in my ownership (only six years and 30k miles). Five window regulators, one door handle, continuous issues with failing bulb sockets, broken sunroof, all of the power steering hoses, the entire CCV system and all vacuum hoses, failed OFHG, failed VCG, and I am still working on the pan leaks.

I don't know how any maintenance routine would have prevented any of that.

When I hit about 16 years on the X, it became very clear that I was going to have to invest some time and money into my E53. If I had not, serious failures could have arisen.

Rod bearings, and a flywheel failure were not planned. These repairs were costly, and time consuming.

Now at 20 years, and almost 99,000 on the clock, and a total refresh, she is running great! Of course minor, or even major repairs that arise, will still have to be addressed.

Any first impressions? I suppose you'll notice it most on a hot sunny day.

The metallised foil does interfere all electromagnetic signals. For this reason for example E39 touring was never offered with comfort klima windshield because the GPS receiver is under the front dash.

I did change the oil level sensor a couple years ago because it was throwing a fault code.

Maybe you have a bad oil temp sensor. NewTis shows it as a separate sensor located on the base of the oil filter housing.

Temp on m54 is as mentioned

I am not familiar with the term "impact maintenance".

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Maintenance reduces sludge. No sludge = no excess heat build up on gaskets. A well cooled and lubricated engine will last thousands of miles. As for other stuff; wear and tear.

Are you yanking our chain? Those who actually aren’t familiar with the phrase that means “hit it with a hammer "

I removed the clutch fan and installed an electric puller fan many years ago. It runs after the engine is shut off to prevent heat soak which is also helpful.

260,000km. Performed another oil service, with INPA checks etc.

Found a couple of error codes for the aux heater (short to ground etc.) but they are listed as sporadic and the heater appears to be functioning to spec. - something to watch.

Hasn't been hot yet and haven't had much of a chance to drive it.

It doesn't interfere with GPS signals.

It was 60F=15.556 c today and I was quite warm in the cabin. I'm quite confident that the comfort glass performs as advertised


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I’m just going to point out that poorly maintained engines also generally last for “thousands of miles.” :)

I can’t say that I’ve ever tracked any relationship between sludge and gasket life. Other than that sludge often hides leaks.

.......but look like this one! :confused:

Sludge on the outside means a very slow leak. (eg. Not really a problem). A problem leak will run down and make everything wet including your garage floor.

Well... I found out that the rear coil conversion is a royal pain in the you-know-what. Removing the air spring was cake, but installing the coil spring was another story. After removing the upper control arms, suspension level sensor, and sway bar end link, I still wasn't anywhere near getting that spring in there when stepping on the knuckle. I also broke my spring compressor trying to do the trick to compress the springs and install a chain to keep it somewhat compressed before installing, so that's fun. After getting annoyed, I threw in the towel for the day with about a billion interior trim pieces, suspension parts, tires, etc. scattered all over my garage.

I guess it's not a huge deal, though... since I'm removing all of this, I'm just replacing everything while I'm in there. Should have new control arms and swing arm bushing kit delivered on Thursday which is something I hadn't planned on doing until later. I'm also waiting on a freakin bolt for the cam oil line to come in since I lost one of them. Special order from Germany so 2-3 week delivery before I can install the second valve cover! ugh. The joys of working on cars.

I kept it easy since I don't have a garage :D

I used a headlight kit on the rear lights a while back but the sealer never cured and the result was terrible. So in attempt nr2 I got a 3M kit and followed instructions

https://i.imgur.com/LPqZOdG.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YDZMnzX.jpg

the finish is pretty good though there's a color difference between the outer and inner still

Like my OPG. :(

A smart Woman uses a good conditioner for her hair.. Why shouldn’t Ole’Girl use a good one as well.. ;)

Attachment 82143

I didn't do anything for my car today, but I did obtain a laptop that I can run PA soft on. I have been without a personal laptop for a couple of years. My boss offered to give me my old work laptop that I stopped using about a year ago. It is Windows 10 but it's a very nice high-end business-grade PC, and I have figured out how to get the Windows 10 USB drivers working after much weeping and gnashing of teeth, so it will do the trick. Finally I can code again.

Bdc101,
Can you link the cable used? I’ll be going WIN10 for INPA and DIS software. Did you use any older compatibility settings?

I like the Bimmergeeks cables: https://www.bimmergeeks.net

I keep three old thinkpads around for different garage duties.

I had a LOT of trouble getting a Windows 10 laptop to talk to PA Soft/BMW Scanner.



The first problem is that people who have it working think it is easy. I think your difficulties will vary depending on the exact PC you are using and the version of windows. For me, I had to install a particular flavor of a particular USB driver and reinstall it every time I wanted to use it, because Windows 10 will blow it away regularly and there is no way to stop it from doing so. Wading through tons of forum posts to find the exact thing to do (since there are no published instructions that match my issues) was a lot of time.



Second, I made the mistake of buying a cheap chinese cable off ebay first. It worked the first few weeks I had it, and then never worked again. I was able to identify it as broken and bought the correct cable from the place in the UK. (I would have to do some digging to find the actual place, the name escapes me right now.) The bimmergeeks cable looks legit though, hopefully that is a good one.

The FTDI driver may still be bricking some of the cheaper cables using counterfeit chips. That's been a problem in the past.

It certainly could have been my problem, but like I said, it did work the first few times after I figured out the USB drivers. I had also read that the cheaper cable had soldering issues with a couple of pins, which might also have been the problem.



Either way, I learned my lesson buying the cheap chinese version of something. Their ebay shop even closed up and renamed themselves by the time the cable had failed. Couldn't even leave them feedback or try to get a refund. This was actually one of the many reasons that led me to try to go through my life without buying anything made in china. But you didn't come here to hear me get on a soap box.

Definitely keep those “too good too be true” priced parts out of you E53. Pain usually follows.

Made the mistake of saying that the Witch was doing good and had no problems......

Well she killed her MAF on the way home. That's what I get for mentioning anything about the White Witch!![emoji849][emoji849]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...60279bc12f.jpg
How MAF's are sent to my parts place

Didn't you recently replace a MAF?

Yeah 2.5 years ago, but with the conditions on the surface of the sun lately I can't say that I'm surprised it died.

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

Pull her broom, and her pot! That will teach her!! :rofl: 🤣

I've been meaning to post the things I have done, but never got around to it. Probably a good thing as I can put all four in one go here now...


The front windscreen upper external seal, it dries out goes whit and breaks off. I purchased of AliExpress a T piece of rubber with double sided tape on it. plenty wide enough for the car, bought some Silastic windscreen seal, flexible, removed the remaining old seal and cleaned the hole out. Filled it with the flexi seal and then trimmed and fitted the T shaped rubber into it, using Prepsol to to wipe clean any excess sealant. Total cost All in Aussie dollars $13.50
https://xoutpost.com/<a href=&quot;<...ox&quot;/></a>
http://imgbox.com/11pEsS1D



Next was front mudflaps and blackout sequential side indicators, $75.00 I have a spare set of rear mudflaps as I had to buy a full set to get the two front ones.
http://imgbox.com/FYGggYYY
https://xoutpost.com/<a href=&quot;<...ox&quot;/></a>



I fitted DRL's from a kit for MB as they looked good and very bright, wired in so that they come on with engine running and go out with lights on. $40.00
http://imgbox.com/QYZ7YIA9
https://xoutpost.com/<a href=&quot;<...ox&quot;/></a>



Lastly, I fitted the tinted sun sheild on the side windows. $65.00

http://imgbox.com/IJdGTgFo

Took it out from garage. Battery was dead for sitting over month. Gonna change fuel pump tomorrow hopefully and need to get it inspected.


EDIT: fuel pump changed. did not help on the lean issue. It's little bit better but still getting lambda control tolerance codes on both banks. Lambda integrators seems ok'ish. Sometime few seconds over 10. Multicaptive is 11-12...

Still waiting for stealership to get my new MAF in, but in the meantime I'm running with the MAF unplugged and noticed that with it unplugged my air intake sensor is showing engine air at -40c on Torque Pro.....[emoji15]

If anyone has Torque Pro running could you see what readings you get MAF unplugged for intake temp please.

Thanks


PS I am hoping it's not the sensor killing the MAF via temp correction. [emoji28]

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Intake air temp sensor is in the maf.

But why does the no MAF closed loop use a -40c for predetermined data?

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Wow, toast MAF? Dang, I took the OEM one out to clean. I put in a $20 replacement so I could keep driving it. It's still running with a $20 MAF and got 24 MPG on Consumr1 readings for a 336 mile run. :p:

A genuine MAF from BMW is 1,790 SAR, I wish I could sneak into the parts department at night....[emoji2958]

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Can you post a link to the $20 MAF that you bought?

I'm wanting to test with another MAF because my Siemens MAF may be under-reporting and causing the lean codes I've been fighting for 6 months.

Since the $20 MAF works for your X5, perhaps the same manufacturer has a MAF that'll work on my M54.

I'd hate to spend $$$$ for another "OE,OEM, or Genuine BMW" MAF sensor, just to find out that my current (cleaned) sensor is working as well as the replacement; if as you say the $20 unit is good enough to keep using, then it just makes more sense to test with it, and

• 1) if it is better than the original, it solves my problem,or
• 2) gives the same readings, then it becomes a reliable spare, or
• 3) proves worse than my original, then I'm only out $20

.



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Replacement MAF
Mine has 8873 miles logged on it. One year's worth of driving in freezing temps (1 week :rofl: ) and hot Texas temps. I tried it because of one single review: "Used this for my X5 (e53), and it went in easy, and fixed my Service Engine Soon light immediatly. For ~$20, you can't beat this aftermarket product. 10/10 would buy again. 10/10 worth the purchase even if you aren't sure that your SES light is due to the MAF. It is good to replace them every 100k miles or so anyway." Other reviews are BMWs too.

Probably because running rich is a lot less harmful than running lean.

not available, not even on "mostplus" website
 

That link shows not available, not even on "mostplus" website. However, I looked up the interchange part number given on that link, 5WK96132, and the "other part number" 13621438871, and found it listed on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/MOSTPLUS-Sens...63601246&psc=1 for $23.58. Ordering it now. Thanks.

Have to say that I'd rather just go pull one at the junkyard than run that. :)

reasons not to go junkyard parts hunting
 

• 1) i'd have to find one nearby, that would even have a compatible match (no idea of "foreign car parts" recycling in my area),
• 2) my previous experiences (over many years) with local recycler yards has been very spotty, sometimes the cars were there, other times not, and seldom with parts I could use,
• 3) local yards aren't well-organized, but are swampy & snakey (not my preferred hunting grounds),
• 4) it's really hot out there, for an old guy with bad parts, to look for car parts,
• 5) I'd probably have to explore for hours, using $$ of gasoline (+ possible entrance fees to search),
• 6) the MAF at the junkyards may or may not be functional, so a semi-quality, cheap unit may be a better choice (I'd probably spend more on just trying to find one)

.

I'll take a chance on the new, cheap one, based on the recommendation. I don't 100% believe that the MAF is the problem, so this is just a quick way to see if there is a MAF element involved.

I think I would take my chances with a used unit from ebay for $40 rather than a $20 new one from Amazon. It might not cause problems today... but it's guaranteed that it will eventually!

MAF still hasn't arrived and it's still costing me $477 USD [emoji2959]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...d5ea673cdf.jpg

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Next time, we'll ship you a $23 unit. :bustingup

Thanks!!

By the way.... shipping is around 100 USD to here in East Jesus

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_0-uQ59Csw

Video might be helpful but don't agree with changing sensor every other oil change. I would only replace MAF with a new one from the original mfg. because of the damage a bad air/fuel ratio can do.

three scenarios foreseen, after buying a non-OEM MAF sensor
 

But, would you try a new (and recommended) non-OEM MAF just to test the possibility that your original OEM MAF might be inaccurate, and might be the cause of the bad air/fuel ratio in the first place?

I sure wouldn't/couldn't rent an OEM MAF just to test with, and I would never "buy" one, test with it, and then return it to the supplier (that's outright theft in my moral code).

So, after Xchemist recommended the $23 non-OEM MAF earlier, I figured it would at least tell me if my Siemens MAF (age unknown) is under-reporting the g/s airflow, and triggerering my lean codes.

• 1) At best, I get a solution, after which I'd buy a new Siemens MAF to use (as soon as I get the $$$ to buy it, and keep the $23 unit as a known-good spare),
• 2) second-place result, with no change or very similar to the lean codes and g/s readings I'm already getting, I've got evidence that my OEM sensor is still OK, and I've got a spare, and
• 3) worst case result, as the $23 MAF shorts out my DME, and the X5 burns to the ground, then I made a mistake and I lost $23 and my X5 (but proved those doubting the reasons to get a cheap sensor to be infallible).

That seems a good plan to me, workingonit - very sound thinking. :thumbup:

And I applaud your "moral code". ;)

Found 1000km used VDO maf for my X5, let's see if this finally fixes lean issue...

I just replaced my MAF a few weeks ago with a Bosch unit from Pelican, I think it was. Wasn't too expensive...$70 maybe? The first one made it 20 years, so that's a pretty good investment if the second one does the same.

My X went into the upholstry shop finally this week to get the headline and a,b and c pillars redone. It was all getting pretty ratty. Best $550 I've spent on the car in a while...not counting the new motor, wheels/tires, lift, suspension parts...and all the rest! But man, its nice to spend some money on creature comfort stuff now after getting the new motor sorted out.

I bought "new" pillars and plastic bits in black off of ebay, and 5 yards of classic black M3-like headliner material from ASC/BMW Fabrics, who is active on this and BimmerForums. While the liner was out yesterday I went back over to the shop and ran RCA cables front to back on the left and right sides for the future sound system upgrade, part two. The left side of the ceiling doesnt have any existing cabling/wires, but the right side does. Hopefully there isn't a lot of juice running through these thin wires that will put static into my future powered sub in the right trunk cubbie. Other than that, just some sweat, a wire snake and lots of swearing later and I had them run and zip tied up.
Original tan:
https://i.postimg.cc/RZ5hWfJn/headliner-brown.jpg

headliner out:
https://i.postimg.cc/rwFbCZ46/headliner-2.jpg

New liner and pillars:
https://i.postimg.cc/bNRWnfsH/headliner-1.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/dVHfWRRh/headliner-3.jpg

Makes me really want to do the seats now. I saw some pics of a beautiful E34 restomod that had some very cool cloth inserts in the middle of black leather seats. Got me thinking....Graham at BMW Fabrics has some very cool fabrics available, but I'd need to find something that matches tan as I like the tan leather. Also, I'm going to look for sport seats in good condition. I suspect they are hard to find a a decent price, but I like the thought of sport seats. I would imagine 5 series of the same model years would pop right in?

Now I want mine in black. Black interior but gray headliner.

Nice job!

need to pull mine and fix the sunroof, when that happens, headliner will be recovered.

Did the one in my M3 a few years ago, not that bad of a job

cheap MAF runs as good as OEM, or maybe better???
 

Thanks, it's just my way.

I hope it does (but are you being facetious?). I think I'm getting positive results, already, on just two run cycles.

Being retired, on a fixed income (with mounting medical expenses for both myself and the wife, and unexpected septic tank repairs, etc. this past week), I would rather have bought another Siemens MAF, like my maybe original from 2001, for $216 at FCPEuro, but deferred it to later. I could've gotten it a bit cheaper at Amazon (or even a Hella @ $72 or Bremi @ $93, both from Rockauto), but those would've been just substitutes at higher prices for the cheaper one that Xchemist had already tried, with success.

I received the MAF in the mail this afternoon, and installed it, and ran two start/run cycles, observing g/s at various speeds, then compared test data from both (at idle) with another test taken months ago.
Attachment 82177

Attachment 82178

Attachment 82179

Not much difference shown, this early-on, but I felt the new MAF reached higher g/s from 1500rpms-WOT, though I failed to capture the proof on my equipment. It does show higher g/s at idle (though temperature differences may have affected the readings), and for the first time ever, the LTFT's fell by themselves (no action by me) while I watched my Foxwell. Perhaps more run cycles on the road will bring the fuel trims nearer normal? and I won't have to keep searching for vacuum leaks, ad infinitum.

After you have enough informational comparison data, clear emission data. The DME will use long term data and short data to average engine fuel. Starting fresh will be interesting data. Wish I had mine here to give you comparison data. I reset emissions after installing new components. Good luck!

clearing data? the right way vs. my way?
 

How do I clear emission data? I don't believe I've read how, and on my Foxwell NT 510, I don't think I've come across that category, either. Reset adaptations?

If I'm correct about the new MAF reading more accurately, and not skewing the fuel trims towards lean, then shouldn't the fuel trims get back to near normal after awhile?

I found a way to reset the fuel trims to zero, by rapidly/repeatedly unplugging & replugging the MAF connector while the engine's running https://xoutpost.com/1219796-post1.html

Should I try that again, or is your method better?

Foxwell has a reset adaptations function and that's what you should use. It likely is in the service main menu.

seen it before; it cleared nothing
 

I've tried it before, and there was no difference in the fuel trims afterwards. I have used the "reset idle" and "reset fuel gauge readings" before, and they both worked, so I wonder why the "reset adaptations" didn't work as well?

What are you using to track the fuel trims? I noticed that the foxwell wouldn't show me the realtime fuel trims like dash command on iphone did


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Go to ODBII scanning. Read codes. No codes will show unless the SES light is on. Clear the codes. Even if none are present. All emission data will clear. Yes, over time, fuel will be adjusted. Starting fresh will give new MAF data. Once all emissions are set/passed, you’ll know if the new sensor is successful. Or it will show a problem still exists.

Thanks, I'll try it
 

Do you mean the OBD2 selection on the bi-directional Foxwell? and would my Innova 3100i scan tool (not b-directional) be able to clear emissions data, even if no codes are present? It never occurred to me to "clear" non-existent DTC's.

Yes. A standard scanner with ODBII or Foxwell will clear DME emissions data. Welcome to Kali or major metro OBDII emissions testing. I get calls all time when cars won’t pass emissions testing in Austin. Only diesel vehicles can pass inspection with an SES light on. Only with a few exceptions. A sensor replacement like MAF, O2, MAP, and EGR require reset or data clearing. The DME will run emission tests. When all test pass, the engine is within operating parameters.

OBDII code clearing will not clear adaptations.

blew out the vents in the sunroof. The driver side seemed blocked, now have good flow on both sides. I'll try the car wash again soon to see if that is enough.

One thing I noticed after fiddling around with the sunroof is that it has a tilt setting too :) (not bad after owning it for 2 years). There's a plastic drip tray in the back that was loose on one side. I snapped it into the post, but after going back and forth it came loose again on one side. Anyone has any experience with this?

He only needs to clear emissions. Adaptations are for wear and tear. The Foxwell will do this.

Interesting, mine has been trouble free for 20 yrs...broken plastic clip/fastner of some sort? Hope I didn't just jinx myself. Be careful with blowing the drains out as the rubber drain lines simply stretch over a tapered/knurled nipple on the sunroof tray. Its just a friction fit, which I can see popping off with compressed air into a restricted tube.

I've heard of guys snaking them with weedeater line.

Since my headliner pan was out this week I pulled each tube and made sure they were clear (blew thru them), then re-secured them to the nipples. The A pillar covers come off pretty easily.

I thought we were talking about resetting LTFTs? That's part of adaptations, not an OBDII clearing last I checked.

confusing LTFT's for adaptations or normal DTC's?
 

I am talking about resetting the current LTFT's (from the original MAF) to a clear status, so the X5 will go back to the "normal" fuel map, and use the new MAF as its' reference. Otherwise, it'll take quite awhile to get back to normal LTFT's (if the new MAF is actually the solution, and is measuring the airflow more accurately than the old sensor).

I did try resetting adaptations before, and the LTFT's remained the same, so the stored data isn't accessible thru the Foxwell, or so I believe. I'll try it again, but if resetting adaptations fails to set LTFT's back to zero, then I'll do the unplugging/replugging the MAF trick, to get back to zero.

I don't use the foxwell, but there are generally multiple places to reset different adaptions in DIS/INPA/ISTA. Finding the right one to reset can be a chore.

a laptop with DIS/INPA/ISTA would be nice to have
 

When I swapped for the X5, I knew that I'd need a more capable scan tool than my Innova 3100i, as I'd read about all the problems I'd be facing in the future, as I've no prior experience with BMW's. I knew I needed a bi-directional tool, which the Foxwell is, so I bought the NT510 Elite as an entry level advanced tool.

I bought it already programmed for GM vehicles, as I needed the bi-directional capability right then (it paid for itself in just a few uses on my GM cars), and the swap for the BMW hadn't happened yet (got the Foxwell in January, the BMW came in May). As soon as I received the X5, I bought the BMW programming for the scan tool. It's been quite useful, so far, but I'd like more capability down the road.

I thought I could renew/rebuild my broken '12 Toshiba Satellite 6GB ram/500GB memory laptop, so I could get INPA at the very least, but it would cost more than $300 in parts alone, and though I built a PC in 2019, I'm not sure I have the skills needed (and Best Buy quoted me a price of over $700, back in 2019, to fix it). So, for the present time, no diagnostic laptop for me.

You can usually pick up an old, perfectly adequate thinkpad in the $150 range. Frequently with an SSD already added.

Ironically, I also have a GM Foxwell. But it's sufficiently awful to use that I've never felt the urge to spring for the BMW pack when I already have a GT1 laptop and an INPA/ISTA laptop.

[QUOTE=workingonit;1220721]But, would you try a new (and recommended) non-OEM MAF just to test the possibility that your original OEM MAF might be inaccurate, and might be the cause of the bad air/fuel ratio in the first place?
No, never. I don't consider a few recommendations from folks I have no idea of their skill level or even if they really purchased an item to be verification of anything. I don't experiment with critical parts. I would troubleshoot until I determined if the MAF was the culprit. If I find it is I would only buy a new MAF that was made by the original MFG.
I sure wouldn't/couldn't rent an OEM MAF just to test with, and I would never "buy" one, test with it, and then return it to the supplier (that's outright theft in my moral code).
I wouldn't send an MAF back. Don't know where that came from.

So, after X5chemist recommended the $23 non-OEM MAF earlier, I figured it would at least tell me if my Siemens MAF (age unknown) is under-reporting the g/s airflow, and triggerering my lean codes.[list][*]1) At best, I get a solution, after which I'd buy a new Siemens MAF to use (as soon as I get the $$$ to buy it, and keep the $23 unit as a known-good spare),[*]2) second-place result, with no change or very similar to the lean codes and g/s readings I'm already getting, I've got evidence that my OEM sensor is still OK, and I've got a spare, and[*]3) worst case result, as the $23 MAF shorts out my DME, and the X5 burns to the ground, then I made a mistake and I lost $23 and my X5 (but proved those doubting the reasons to get a cheap sensor to be infallible).

If you can't be sure the $23 unit works properly it won't verify anything. Troubleshoot. Troubleshoot. Verify the source of the problem. If you are willing to take the risk of burning your X5 to the ground, that's fine. I've learned over the years that buying new parts from reputable brands is a far better route in the long run. I go through MAFs quite often because of the engine mods. I have a spare new MAF to slap in when needed. Even then I troubleshoot to verify the MAF is bad. I don't use the new MAF for troubleshooting.

response from a guy just "workingonit", trying to fix a small problem
 

[QUOTE=bcredliner;1220767]

Foxwell on BMW is completely different than the GM module which is nowhere near as helpful. Foxwell is very complete on bmw. Mine has gm, Toyota, Chrysler, BMW. BMW easily has 2-3x the functionally of any of the other modules.

Yeah I previously loosened the headliner so i knew the connection to the tray is easy to come off. I used a flexible hose and stuck that in a couple of inches before blasting at 6 bar. After that the flow was pretty good at both sides

1) I can't be sure that any MAF will work properly, so I am taking a chance on one that was recommended.
2) Troubleshooting without satisfactory answers leads me to try a new approach, i.e. "possible MAF under-reporting airflow", that wouldn't be necessary if there was data I could compare my tests to, so I am trying it.
3) No, my X5 isn't liable to burst into flames due to a MAF swap, but might be set afire if my wife catches me replacing
A) all vacuum lines,
B) intake boots,
C) fuel filter/pressure regulator/fuel pump,
D) O2 sensors,
E) SAP unit, etc.,
any of which might be the real cause of the lean codes, but which also has eluded my testing, without exhausting all other possibilities first.
4) After many years of working on cars, racing cars, and working on machinery in my job, I agree with you about reputable brands being better, but have found that you don't always get what you paid for, and sometimes trying a substitute works out. In this case, not having a supply of BMW spare parts handy, nor the money to throw at it just now, I think it is justifiable in trying the cheap part for my version of troubleshooting.

No justification of your decision needed. Was only input to consider, an opinion, and you know what they say about opinions.

And still no MAF......

A little bit longer and I'll be forced to get the all BMW all Land Rover MAF![emoji2959]

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Replaced the transmission mount bushing. 267,000 miles on it It was about tiime.
Cobbled together a tool for removing it and installing new. Saved myself $129 for a tool I'd never use again.

Put in a new VDO maf for X5, for 100km test drive all seemed fine now. No lean code's so far.


Also worked with F10. Washed it and retrofitted heated steering wheel.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/AB...qyJwgzoQ=w1186

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/sJ...yn6b6dJAg=w512
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/kL...CwCt2Q8bw=w512
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5p...n0QgOGnlA=w512

Have been experiencing a stiff steering when turning left and a creaking noise from the front. Noticed that there was play in both of the front wheels, especially in the passenger side. When rocking the wheel side to side, the tie rod was visibly moving back and forth. After two broken ball joint remover tools, I managed to change both of the tie rods and the stiffness and the noise seems to be gone. While there, I also noticed that the driver side outer CV boot was a bit torn and oily.

There is still some kind of a clicking noise coming from the steering at one point which I initially thought was coming from the tie rods but apparently it's not. After a quick research one typical cause for that could be the universal joint in the steering column assembly. Have to look into that this week. Could a bad CV joint cause similar issues too? Obviously the CV boot or the whole axle must be replaced anyway at some point.

What prompted you to change them? Did you feel any difference after the change? Mine are original too.

I've got similar symptoms in my steering. Although old, my tie rods seemed in good shape when I did my motor swap so I elected not to replace them at that time. I do have a very regular clunk that I feel and hear when I turn my steering wheel. It happens every 45 degrees, or so, going into a turn, but not when you unwind the wheel. It feels to me like it is in the steering column, up closer to the wheel, however I'm sure that it could simply be being transmitted up the column.

The steering wheel nut has been checked and is secure. I read the double joint can wear, and at 20 years old I wouldn't be surprised. Mine feels secure, and I retorqued the bolts holding the lower column in along with some loctite. There are several plastic bushings that are on the upper column and I'm sure would be a PITA to change, but I suspect one or both are failing. I wonder too if it could be struts? Mine need to be replaced and I have my eye on some L322 Range Rover spring conversion struts that I think would work well with my lift as I suspect they are about 2" taller than the E53 struts, but look to be identical in other respects. .

It's probably the steering joint.

+1

Attachment 82188

:woot:

Well, in some ways I'll be happy if it is, since that part is probably the easiest to replace. Unfortunately its not cheap.

Does the "lower joint assembly" part number 32306756962 ever go bad? I'm assuming this is the piece that attaches to the top of the double joint and goes thorough the firewall. The two bushings look like they help the thing turn smoothly at the fire wall perhaps. It doesn't look like it has moving parts, like the double joint, but there does appear to be a guibo type peice, and some bolts holding it in that could perhaps wear out. Its not cheap either.

If it's clunking, this won't help, but if it's making the steering feel stiff / binding, you can anti-seize the u-joints. I've done that in the past to buy a little time and pinpoint the issue.

As for the lower joint, the giubos do wear, but they don't wear that much. I wouldn't be inclined to worry about it until and unless there are actual signs of rubber failure.

Archer finally done? He's looking good in that grouping. I'm sure your daughter will be happy to get him back. :thumbup:

Yesss, completely finished!! He is indeed a mighty fine specimen!

Yeah, we’re all excited! Can’t wait to hear the purrr… Of that N62.

New coolant reservoir and sway bar bushings
 

Got a box from FCP with some goodies. My coolant tank was always slightly crusty even though an original obtained from AZ autohaus many years ago now. Even with a new radiator and all new hoses there was always a smell of coolant under the hood when hot. So, hoping this is now fixed.

The sway bar bushings are an easy fix with the front wheels off. The oil filler cap had cracked as it was near impossible to remove lately.

Then I thought to do a quick oil change but my stack of oil filters had finally run out. :-( So back to the FCP shopping cart. Figured I might as well get an air filter and cabin air filter. Once that comes in I also need to refresh the transfer case fluid and check the trans oil level. Finally I resolved to install the new front fuel hose that has been kicking about in my garage. Gives me chance to check the brake lines for corrosion as well.

This car is my kids' DD and it traverses some really broken up streets in Langley Park a couple of times a week (stuff I will only drive walking pace when in my pickup truck) and the e53 developed a tapping noise which seems to come from the LH/driver side shock tower. So, I am ordering parts 6,7,8,9,10 and 11 from the attached diagram. Hope that fixes it.

After that I need to remove the front head lights, sand them and spray some 2K clear coat on them. Never short of small projects on this soon to be 19 year old vehicle.... :-)

I replaced my driver seat module (fixed the seat and steering wheel), replaced my left taillight (fixed the constant light faults) and filled up my wiper fluid. NO MORE WARNINGS ON THE DASH! First time in months.

Boy that feels good!

Deliveries from FCP seem almost weekly with 6 Bimmers currently. :D Just got a credit back after sending some lifetime replacement parts back from working on my 5er wagon. Still need to send back the trans pan and bolts from my 6hp that I swapped out of our E70...

Nice! :thumbup:

I'm not going to comment on how long I've been dash light free for fear of Red looking over my shoulder and deciding it's been too long. :rofl:

That's like telling a good friend at an outdoor party; "you know; in my entire life I've never been hit with a water balloon".

Paraphrasing from Bruce almighty.

That ends today.

Just find a local Russian speaking Garage That knows BMWs and Looks legitimate. Theyll fix it in no time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3Wy...YRSfS&index=60



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3Wy...YRSfS&index=60

This thread hits close to home. Decent Indy BMW shops are hard to find around me, so over the years I’ve taken the X to some very reputable Porsche/Audi shops. Often they get it right, but in several instances they have missed the mark by a wide margin…a few years ago I had to completely redo a valley pan job. Leak was back within 6 months. On another occasion they forgot to torque the subframe stiffener. That will get your attention when you figure out where the clunking is coming from, and then think about the 50 or so miles you’ve put on the car with those bolts finger tight.

I always leave my Bentley book in the car when I drop it off at a shop, which isn’t often any longer, but sometime I can’t stomach another axle job, etc.

Finally got rid of the stupid turn downs. Fun fact: If you happen to acquire N62 4.4 tubes for the flanges, this is a stupid easy install. They insert into the 4.8 pipes almost perfectly. Make a slight positioning tweak, tack, go.

It's close enough that you could probably get away with clamps. (Last pic shows the difference between N62 4.4 pipe vs. 3.0 pipe.)

Exhaust tone is very slightly deeper, and there's a hair more noise when you get on it. The goal was no-more-turndown, so minimal noise changes are good for me. I was a bit worried after seeing some sound clips, but I think that those also included a resonator delete.

Do the 4.8 mufflers look the same size to you as the 3.0 or the 4.4, other than the tips of course?

When I swapped 4.6 mufflers onto my 2003 3.0, I was surprised to find that the only noticeable differences were the tips and a slightly larger pipe (10mm larger dia.) While the mufflers were identical, from the outside at least.


I will add that the swap was worth it for the looks alone. The turn down tips are so bad looking.

4.8 mufflers are definitely different. I’ll be going back to swap out for the 4.8 heat shielding as the 3.0 shielding touches.

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

Looks Good!! [emoji106]

I totally respect that not everyone wants to be heard a mile away. ;)

It’s fun, but not in the daily! :)

That's cool. I don't think there was any power gain, or change in noise, from the 4.6 muffler swap at all. Still I am happy with it. I agree that on a DD you don't want to annoy your neighbors.

LoL… My neighbor has an El Camino with two 750’s on a FAT ASS blower on something like a 6.0L, with headers and a dual 3” exhaust. That car vibrates the walls, so I am pretty sure I am good with him.

Although my E53 is my DD, I generally only put about 400 miles on her per month. So I don’t think I am disturbing them often. But in the back of my mind though, I am sure there are some neighbors that probably have an opinion about both my neighbor and I.

Honestly, i’m a lot more concerned about my driving fatigue and also tinnitus. One of my life regrets is not taking better care of my ears, especially while racing.

+1

I used to drive cars with fartcans when I was a kid and thought it was cool. And I love racecars and if I ever get that FD RX-7 that I someday hope to daily drive, I will probably put a fart can on it too.

But now that I am an adult, nothing makes me madder than my neighbor's kid and his friends, who are Diesel Bros, who love to sit outside in their fartcanned F-250s at 9pm just idling and checking their phones. All. the. time.

And who think that their modern diesels (all 2010 or newer) require 25 minutes of warm up every morning at 7am. So loud I can hear it in every room in my house.

I fully recognize how dumb I was as a kid... I was pretty dumb. But I just don't remember ever being that dumb.

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

Fartcans… :bustingup

The FD RX-7 is an amazing machine! One of my favorites for sure! You have good taste!! :thumbup:

“Diesel Bros” :lmao:

I bet those are straight piped. There is one around my way. When it passes, I swear I’ve got my ear directly on the turbo fan. LoL..

I don’t think you or any enthusiast is dumb (per se). When we’re young we think some things are cool, while other might find it obnoxious. LoL..

In 1999, I finished my 88’ Civic Hatchback. I had a 98’ B16B engine with Spoon upgrades. It ran on race gas, and had a 10,000 rpm redline. It had headers and a 2 1/2” stainless steel mandrel bent exhaust. Very far from a fartcan. But I am 100% sure that in the late 90’s, what sounded like an orchestra to me, was nothing but a nuisance to some. But it sure was fun smoking Corvette’s and SS Camaro’s in that little beast!

I would (and still) put earplugs in when going to bars. Friends would tease me and I would ask: "is that loud to you?" They would always answer yes. My reply: well (because I protect my ears), well it's literally twice as loud to me. (I can hear at least 10dB better than most adults and prob 20 (4x as loud) as people will minor hearing loss

Definitely..! The nightclubs I visited back in the days, for sure added to the damage to my ears from my Military service, and the obscene amount of bass and treble I had in most of my vehicles. :doh:

Very cool, I bet that sounded glorious! I was a Toyota guy myself (I had a series of MR2s) so in the early 2000s I looked down my nose at Wrong-Wheel Drive Hondas. But my attitude changed after I drove a few of them and especially after I helped a friend fix up an '87 CRX Si that he had hit a deer with. Now I find myself yearning for the Hondas of my youth. I've actually been looking for another first-gen CRX Si in good enough condition to daily drive for a couple of years now, with no success. All the great cars of our youth are disappearing. It's very depressing.

Indeed, mini F1. BUT…. 95’ MR. TWO… FIRE.!!

I look at this way, “things come, and go”. But for now, the E53 is killing it for me! Who’d ah thunk’it..? LoL..

I have a weird combination of good hearing and tinnitus. It makes the teenager repellent devices that some asshole stores like to use very uncomfortable for me.

Don't strap into a race car without earplugs, kids. It's a bad idea.

I just don't understand all the idiots who think their vehicles require 20 minutes of idling to temperature. That's also really common with E9x M3 guys, who think that they are protecting their bearings doing that.

Takes 5 min. of research to find that it's better to drive slowly than to idle to heat up a car. I read a study GM did in the 80s. That was the result. (even in cold climate where you want cabin heat; that doesn't build fast at 6hp (idle) your much better off driving.

I was able to finally find some time with my new (old) laptop to get BMW scanner working. When I went through this two years ago, wpoll and OldSkewel and others had great patience with helping me try to get it working. But I was happy to find that getting it to work on this PC was very easy. My last PC had lots of driver issues.



I also found a way that I hope will keep the FTDI drivers from being blown away by Windows updates on my Win10 PC.

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-d...tes-windows-10


I will report back in a month or two with the results. Previously I would have to reinstall the proper FTDI driver every week or two.

You would think people would figure it out, but no....

Especially with diesel being $6/gallon here. You would think people would figure out that idling your 6.7l diesel for 25 minutes costs you a lot of money at $6/gallon. Like, the kind of money that gets you a christmas card from the Saudi royal family.

X5 pass inspection for this year. Put it on sale. :(

protect your hearing; teach your teenager how to work, too
 

I also have that same hearing combination; what are the "teenager repellant devices" you speak of? Manual-labor jobs, manual-shift cars, and cell-phone signal jammers would be the only ones I know of.

It's just the Boomer (born in 1950) in me that makes me suggest those; I retired from my job at 65.5 (though I wanted to work longer), since I was the only one willing to do the grunt-work needed sometimes, and my body just wouldn't cooperate. The kids (18-22 years old) that upper management sent me wouldn't/couldn't do the hard work, or were "late to work/late from lunch/always on their phone" when I needed them. I spent more time babysitting than getting things done. And we all know they don't shift manual transmissions. Hahaha.

I admit I never took much care of my hearing, from the '60's rock concerts, gun shooting, and drag racing pastimes I had, to my job(s) in industrial environments, where I just used hearing protection occasionally. I got my tinnitus at a George Strait concert in 2014, but wondered why then, and not when working on engines or in the drag race environment, years before. Inevitable, I'm sure.

Wow, never run across one of those. I can still definitely hear above 17kHz as learned during my stereo tuning. Wonder how annoying that thing actually is? You said it's uncomfortable... I bet. :confused:

The good news is that they are generally just set up at the entrances to discourage loitering. But it generally knocks my tinnitus up a notch for a few hours.

natural repellant emitters
 

I never heard/detected one, before my tinnitus set in; I've tried to detect the frequency on several video/audio links, but can't.

However, I know of several people (some politicians, too) that are natural repellant frequency emitters, that still repell me, even with my tinnitus. My ex-wife is one of them.

Oil, air and cabin filter changed.
Transmission filter changed (still looked new) and found an electrical guy who is rebuilding the MAF (fingers crossed) with new hot film and connectors.

Grabbed a tailgate light and switch assembly from a rolled over 2005 4.8iS.

Siphon jet shit the bed!![emoji2959]

You'd think I'd be swimming home in this rains it pours scenario........[emoji849]

We also had to move to a different compound another 45km outside Riyadh by the camel souk that has no shade and a beautiful bouquet of turds from the shit plant added into the camel smell....[emoji25]

Plus side date night is cheap out here!!
[emoji248][emoji248][emoji248][emoji248]

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Siphon jet usually can be repaired. Just needs an o-ring and some teflon tape (and a zip tie to prevent self destruct)

Yeah, I bought a new fuel pump and this one will be my spare once repaired.

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Is there an o-ring part number? I'll have to search for this fix. Since a new pump is due for preventative maintenance, might as well fix it up right.

My daughter and I spent some time troubleshooting the X’s clunky steering. I was convinced that the source was the upper column, or a bushing at the firewall, however as soon as she started turning the wheel it became fairly apparent to me that the noise and excess play was at the double u joint every 30 or 40 deg as it turned. That not to say I don’t have other issues too with the steering, but I ordered a new double joint from FCP (pn 32306758076), and new bolts as a place to start.

Bentley has the torques listed fortunately (in section covering the steering rack), but little else that I can find. There are some good writes ups on the board though that I’ve found. It seems the key to getting the old joint out is to fully remove the bolts? I think I can do the job without pulling the heater hoses, hopefully. I’m still enjoying a leak and mess free engine and don’t want to make a zerex G48 mess so soon.

I need to read up on the siphon jet o-ring as I recall seeing that it can fail. I also have a new fuel pump laying around that I was going to install during the motor swap, but did t get to it. I think however, that my current (second) pump only had around 80k on it, so maybe I’ll hold off longer. Makes sense to do the siphon jet work and fuel pump at the same time though.

Well it wasn't today (last week, in fact) but I finally got the ol' girl back on the road after many months of downtime. Most of that was deciding what to do about the front diff replacement, and then waiting for it to arrive from Germany. I also worked on it 2 hours at a time every now and then during the week, and some weekends I'd spend 6 hours or so working on it. Items I replaced since the last time I drove it:

Engine: Valve stem seals, valve cover gasket sets, upper timing cover gaskets, spark plug tubes, eccentric shaft sensor seals, crank pos sensor O-rings, VANOS solenoid O-rings, valvetronic motor seals and O-rings, vacuum pump O-ring, intake manifold gaskets, throttle body gasket, fuel injector O-rings (2 per injector), all PCV breather pipes, MAF O-ring, both belt tensioners, idler pulley, crank pulley, drive belts, oil drain plug and gasket, oil filter drain plug and gasket, oil level sensor gasket, lower oil pan gasket, oil pump gasket, upper oil pan gasket, new oil, power steering hose banjo bolt washers, power steering fluid, motor mounts

Drivetrain: New OEM front differential, cv axles, right cv axle carrier, all axle seals and O-rings, front diff fluid, transfer case fluid, rebuilt transfer case actuator motor, transfer case / transmission mount

Suspension: front sway bar bushings, all front control arms and ball joints, all struts/shocks, all coil springs, rear spring pads, all strut mounts and associated hardware, rear upper control arms, rear lower ball joint, rear integral links, all sway bar end links, vehicle alignment, front brake hoses, brake fluid


To say that was a massive undertaking is putting it lightly. I'd imagine I saved about $15k in labor, if not more. That being said, I spent about $3500 on parts and $1000 on special tools. But now I have a beautifully smooth running N62 that has NO LEAKS and most of the engine bay crevices have been cleaned from prior leaks. It's truly a miracle considering it was leaking from every possible spot before this. The transmission oil pan and alternator bracket gasket were tackled on a separate occasion and they were also gushing before.

Next up is some cosmetic items such as new headlight lenses, and re-securing the headliner fabric to the pano sunroof shades, but I also need to code out the air suspension still and I'd love to reset the transmission adaptations....just seems like that process requires about 100 miles of road with zero traffic to accomplish lol

A massive project. Nicely done!

Nice! Headliner is on my list too. I need to got harvest all the black pieces - I absolutely refuse to re-do the headliner in (ugh) grey.

I get excited to sit in my X5 with the as-new headliner and pillars. The mechanical stuff is satisfying, but I really enjoy the creature comfort stuff, done by pros!

I'll shoot you the ebay seller I used for most of the black pillars and other pieces/parts when I get a chance to look it up. Decent prices and everything showed up well packed, in a timely manner, etc. One A pillar cover had crack in it, which was easy to fiberglass over. I couldn't get angry since every piece of plastic I touch in that car explodes.

Graham at ASC Fabrics hooked me up with the nice M3 like headliner material, and I'm planning on sourcing the anthracite Uberkaro for my seat inserts from him too. He's got a fantastic Z3 project going that he transplanted an N62 into: [email protected]

Looks like the black headliner is Out of Stock/special order :( as I need to do mine as well and wrap the A pillars

Yeah, the plastics used are incredibly cheap feeling. I think there were 8 clips in total holding the two side trim pieces around the rear window, and 6 of them came out with the plastic tabs being left behind inside the metal clip.... just feeling the cheap/brittle plastic, I can see why. I'm reaaaaally not looking forward to messing with the sunroof for that reason, but I gotta fix the crappy sag look from those shades. I have to mentally prepare myself to have no interior trim for a while because I'm fully expecting to break something and have to wait on a replacement lol

I'll trade you my black headliner for your 6 speed :rofl:

Just when things are going well…
 

I adjusted my parking brake yesterday and was thinking about how well the x has been running, and how much fun it’s been. Bad call as the X5 gods heard and visited their wrath on me. Took the car to get dog food and got the dreaded “ding”, with a low coolant message. The bane of my X existence.

There were a couple things that I did, or didn’t do during my motor swap that the little voice in the back of my head told me I might regret. Im batting 1000 so far on that. A quick look under the hood confirmed what my gut was telling me, the heater hose running from the aux pump to the rear coolant manifold had blown. The hose snakes down the the bottom of the motor (no idea why) and back up to the manifold. It has a metal section swedged in this area too, and it looks like the hose came loose of the zip ties I used to keep it anchored and got too close to the steering rack and wore thru. I think it got loose and the column wore a hole in it.

I inspected this hose when I put the new motor in and it looked fine, so I re used it. However, whatever bracket BMW used to secure it on its crazy path under the motor was long gone. Zip ties to the rescue. Clearly not my finest hour.

She didn’t get hot and I’m waiting on parts now. I’ll do the double joint at the same time. My problem is that I can’t figure out the routing around the rack, or the exhaust manifold, which it has to bend around at the back of the motor on its way to the manifold. Nor do I know how BMW secured this coolant line originally.

Good times. Back on the road next week hopefully.

I ran into my first problem since all my work also. Getting on the interstate yesterday, I smelled gas and thought "shit....something came loose" but I kept going since I only had 2 miles to get off the interstate again. Then I noticed my fuel gauge moving at a rapid pace.....LOL. Pulled off at a gas station and sure enough, the quick connect on the fuel rail hose had come loose. I know it clicked when I installed it, but lesson learned: ALWAYS give those quick connect hoses a tug to ensure they're clicked in properly. I lost 1/4 tank of fuel alllll in my engine bay. I did my best to clean it up and removed the hood insulation to clean that separately, but my garage will smell like fuel for weeks :(

Regarding your hose retention, have you checked realoem diagrams? Sometimes they're hard to figure out, but a bit of studying those diagrams normally leads to an answer.

Holy smokes man... sounds like you are lucky to have a car still --or maybe even still be alive.

Yeah, fuel vapors and hot exhaust...not a good combo. Lesson learned, though! Don't trust the quick connect click!

No kidding! Glad that didn’t turn out worse.

I have to chuckle at my coolant woes sometimes. I posted recently avout not wanting to yank the heater hoses to r and r my double joint, because I was still enjoying a clean motor and engine bay. The X5 muses definitely heard that and made sure a heater hose blew the next time I drove it.

The hose is part number 11537505949, and real OEM doesn’t show any routing or clamps, brackets etc. for the thing.

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=64_1064

Im going to call the local Indy guy I use and pick his brains. He’s into diesel BMWs now for his personal toys, but went through an extend M62 “phase” as he puts it.

Does your car have Number 9 on the diagram? It should be installed on a small threaded stud on the firewall that points toward the engine. My 4.8is doesn't have the hose that you need; it looks like they simplified these hoses quite a bit on the N62. However, mine still has that triple hose carrier, and only 2 spots are used.

It does have number 9, or did until it shattered some years ago. Now I’ve got the three upper hoses (to/from the firewall and valve/reservoir) cleverly zip tied to keep them secure. I ordered a new number 9 bracket but it isn’t available any longer. I need to get my eBay on for some misc brackets, and other out of production stuff.

The hose in question that blew on my car is number 12 and I couldn’t see how it could be routed securely, or where a hose clamp could go without drilling into the body or frame. Which I may have to do. It passes by the steering rack upright portion where the shaft connects, but on which side I don’t know. I routed it outboard, but clearly that didn’t work. Inboard however seems to take the rubber hose section very close to the exhaust manifold at the back of the motor.

Pulled the alternator out of the 4.8is as it be dead.

Tip for anyone else doing this project. Pull the fan shroud FIRST it will save your arms and allow the unit to come right out.

Dead at 63K Probably from lack of daily driving :)

I replaced my rear brake pads and put a new wear sensor in. However, the light on the dash is still lit up, and it dings at me to check my brake linings.



After doing a search, it looks like on E70s you have to reset some setting on the dash, but for the E53 do I need to do anything to reset the light? Or should I just go and check the connections on the wear sensor?

e53 should just reset. Check the connections

If the sensor lines are intact the light should go out when you turn ignition to pos. 1 and wait 30 seconds.

Thank you guys, I will try that when I get home. (Biking to work a lot lately because I drive a gas guzzler)

I pulled the sensor connector out, fiddled with it, put dielectric grease on it, and pushed it back in nice and strong, and still no luck. After I was done I thought I should probably get my meter out and see if the switch has any continuity. I will try that next.

Next subject: I got BMW Scanner working reliably (and figured out how to disable automatic updates to the USB drivers so it won't blow them away regularly). I dinked around with BMW Scanner for a while:
1. I enabled the convenient locking (roll up windows when you hold the lock button). Previously only the convenient unlocking was enabled on my car, for god knows what reason.

2. I tried to change my speedometer offset/scaling, since my speedo seems to read about 6-7mph high all the time, but couldn't find any setting for this in the IKE. Anybody know where to look?

3. I tried disabling my sunroof but even when I removed it from the menu, it still worked. My sunroof is on the fritz so I will continue to just not touch the button ever. I was also unable to remove this from the convenient locking/unlocking. There seems to be no option in my menu to turn on convenient locking/unlocking without sunroof.
Still learning about BMW scanner/PA soft. Any advice is appreciated!

This has been attempted by a number of us in the past - all I ended up with was a corrupt IKE flash!:yikes:

After fixing the IKE, I've not tried again... :rolleyes:

https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/...ffset-fix.html

Rats, well thanks for the quick reply, wpoll.


The last time I was in there (a couple of years ago) I changed the "mileage offset" from 7 to zero, thinking that that was the speedometer offset. I realized this time that it was the odometer offset, probably to make the odo read 0 miles when it got to the dealer lot. But the speedo behavior never changed, as far as I could tell, and that's why. Had it in my mind that I could figure it out somehow.

If you got all the way through the thread I referenced, the last word was that we thought we might have it figured out...

TLDR? - I chickened out and haven't (yet) tried what may in fact be the fix. After the coding failure and subsequent re-flash, my IKE and all systems appear to be working fine but to this day I still occasionally get this when I read error codes...

Error registration 2 : 0x00BF: IKI-EEPROM-Fehler, Codierung fehlerhaft/unvollstaendig <<<<!!! Error accurances: 0
--
--
--
ungueltiger Arbeitsbereich
--
sporadischer Fehler
--
Error code: BF 88 00

<translation> - Coding incorrect/incomplete :confused:

X5 Generations
 

Maybe I'll do a shoot with all of these together before I sell the E70. Would be kinda cool.

https://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/at...9&d=1655934141

https://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/at...0&d=1655934141

Please brotha, tell me how you keep your blood pressure down.? :yikes:

That's not what I want to know.

I want to know how you haven't been found in a rolled up carpet hauled to the curb by your wife?!?

If I hadn't seen how black budgets are hidden, my wife would have me wearing a sheep costume with a yarmulke in downtown Riyadh by now...

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Seriously! It must be a full time job with the budget of a smaller developing country to keep that fleet running.

New rear manifold to aux pump coolant hose finally in today and correctly routed this time. Another few gallons of Zerex (I should buy stock) and she’s back on the road. Given the proximity of the double joint to the hose in question, I took the opportunity to replace it too. My steering wheel had been giving me a very loud clunk every 45ish degrees for several months and I can report it was definitely the double joint. Steering is smooth as silk again.