Honestly, I don't know that it's worth a thread.

I think that the biggest note is that there are a lot of different ways that people are hooking up the air distribution rail from the manifold to the valve cover outlet.

The absolute easiest way is to use this piece: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...se-11617504535

I did that, but honestly, I hate it. You end up needing to use TWO vacuum caps, which adds a very real source of future leaks, and the one by the 90 ends up very visible.

Beyond that, I like these for caps:
https://www.amazon.com/HPS-Temperatu...083QJNZDZ?th=1

Kind of ugly, but way more durable than the usual shitty rubber caps. You'll need one in 3/8 or 10mm for the dipstick no matter what - and that will be out of sight.

Edit: Corrected to remove suggestion that M56 distribution rail is usable. It turns out that it's permanently bonded to the manifold.

Sort of late, but changed my ATF and filter over the weekend. Even though my truck only has a hair under 45k on the clock, the fluid was still gnarly.

See, I think that is great information for a thread. Also how you selected the correct valve cover and what other parts you needed. I didn't do this when I first did my CCV because it seemed like I would have to do a bit of trailblazing, given the amount of information on the project.

Maybe I'll throw this into a thread later.

I have a few other notes.

New factory windshield and molding installed at the dealership, paid for by insurance. Now the rainsensor is working. Also replaced the lower oil pan gasket myself and, of course, did an oil change with new filter. Used BMW performance 0W30 oil. My 4.4 seems to start better in the bitter cold.

Had my vehicle's suspension inspected and found that the rear end basically has to be rebuilt.
So, ordered the first phase of parts: rear lower ball joints, integral links and upp, fwd control arms.
Thought it would be a normal amount of work but the eccentric bolts holding the control arms on were seized into the bushing, so the sawzall took those off. Ordered new eccentric bolts with nut and washer, $160cad for both sides. Removing the lower ball joints was fun when I realized that a standard c clamp style press wouldn't work. Ordered the proper press off of Amazon ($65cad) and they were both in and out in a half hour. Reinstalling the links was also fun as I didn't realize how loaded the lower control arm was. Removed and loosened everything holding it in place then installed everything, torqued everything at ride height and now all is well.
Next phase is subframe bushings and upper, rear control arms.

Just ordered 2 new FAG front wheel bearings, if one is bad, both really are

Anyone have any life expectancy on how long the one in there might last since it just started making noise?
I really want to wait for it to warm up a bit outside as doing this job in the driveway in 36F weather is not my idea of fun

Started shaking on braking 2 days ago. Even at high speed and jumping on the binders shaking stayed until released then reapplying brakes it was smooth, never pulled off-center.

All this made me think bad bushings and with the haji roads it would be expected [emoji58]

But, no....

I had invented a mobius disc brake somehow [emoji1787]
I got a used disc and had it turned along with my other ones and went to town getting done, which led to a complete alignment and balancing.
I then attempted test 21 to fix the discrepancy between fuel tank and guage... No joy there but that could have been due to me being tired from the above playtime.

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You've likley got a few thousand miles on a noisy bearing before it gets bad enought to fail but YMMV.

And they can fail independantly from each other - it's not just age/miles that wear them out. Water ingress and/or pot-hole damage can take one bearing out while the others are fine.

I agree with wpoll, wheel bearings rarely fail quickly unless they have been damaged by an impact. And sometimes the noise can be mis-diagnosed and is actually caused by damaged or just noisy tires.

just wondering

I normally change them out quickly once they start making some noise.
they have 220K miles on them and I am sure if one is starting to go, the other is not far behind. with 100K of those miles on michigan roads... I am pretty surprised they have lasted this long.

Been enjoying the 4.6 without much problems... *knock on wood*

I do notice a bit of a rattle sometimes during heavy(ish) acceleration with a cold engine turning right.... motor mounts or impending doom? :D

Been enjoying the 4.6 without much problems... *knock on wood*

I do notice a bit of a rattle sometimes during heavy(ish) acceleration with a cold engine turning right.... motor mounts or impending doom? :D

Light acceleration is best with a cold engine.

Could be spark knock but only on right turns indicates something else. Doesn't sound like motor mounts since it is only on right turns and when the engine is cold. On right turns the left side suspension is loaded. Suggest troubleshooting there first.

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

+1


E53 RiPPeR
XOuTPoST jUNkiE
ReVELaTiON 22:21

rattle while turning and acceleration tends to make me think a CV joint

cheers for the suggestions gents! No I don't use heavy acceleration on a cold engine, I'd say engine oil is about 40 degrees and it's between 3-4k rpm. CV joint could be possible, but then I don't hear anything with a warm engine. I do have a persistent CEL for one of the O2 sensors, maybe the mixture is off a bit sometimes, because swapping the sensors didn't make a difference, camshaft position (1 out of 4) sensor also gives a code.

Just a nice quick wand wash today.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...225332ff63.jpg

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Nice brake caliper color. :thumbup:

figured I'd paint them Burnt Orange when I rebuolt the 4.8iS calipers and installed them.
Someone else here has the same color and I used that for inspiration. Is it you Crytstalworks?

very nice!

Yes, myself and TMV had them as well on his 4.8is. I cleared mine though so they are a bit shinier and I wanted them to be easier to clean.

I baked the burnt orange color on but for some reason I didn't bake the clear coat on so that came off. But I still love the look. I only did the fronts as the rears are not large (4.4 and 4.8iS share same rears, so no upgrade there)

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Fired it up, wiped off the few specks of dust and drove her over for a safety and Emissions inspection. Passed. Driven a whole 200 miles last year. LOL
This shop calls me "Mr Clean" as every vehicle is always detailed BEFORE being presented for State Inspections. Inside, underhood, and exterior. No one brings in clean cars. Most are trash cans on wheels. You have to laugh out loud at some of the crap people drive while waiting in line. Bald tires, stop light broken, wiper with the rubber falling off on the rear, etc. Having been an State safety/emissions inspector in a past lifetime, you come to the conclusion real quick that people are pigs.

Want to have a different response from your local inspector? Clean the damn thing and do a complete walk around. That way you will eliminate all the surprises from light bulbs out, tires bald, etc. You think it was common sense, but 80% don't do it. Most car guys do so maybe you all are like me, clean car, owner inspected, ready for State review.

Tip: if you have obvious faults/failures, the inspector will find it and fail you as his driver's license is on the line if he passes you and you get pulled over. States are constantly running around with bogus cars seeking shady inspectors. Note: some States have centralized State run Station facilities while others, including VA, leverage decentralized inspection stations, ones where it is a local garage and local licensed techs. Inspectors are human treat them as a you would like to be treated, friendly. I personally tip them for doing their job.

200 miles last year? I thought I was being frugal with mine adding only 2000 miles. :D These thing appear to be ticking up in value finally. Clean 4.8's and manual M54 examples anyway. And yours is one of the cleanest for sure. :thumbup:

I agree on the cleaning a car before bringing it in for anything. Guaranteed way to piss off a tech having to reach into an engine bay that hasn't been clean since it was sold at the dealership.

Also agree on being courteous to inspectors. They're doing their jobs. I don't tip them, as they are being paid a wage, but I treat them with the respect anyone deserves who is working for a living. :thumbup:

I have 64K on mine so it is a garage queen (as if I need another). The challenge for me is I have to move 2 cars to get her out of the rear load garage area. The end results is it never goes out in the rain, sleet or snow as "Why drive a clean car in nasty weather?" Stays dry and happy. I try and take them all out bi-monthly for a 28 mile romp and stomp on dry days while the streets are clear.

On my old E83 X3 I put on about 20,000 km and it was still going. There's several stages of growling bearing noises and towards the end it sounds "square". like a lego brick rolling down a hill.

Currently I've put on about 5,000 km and counting on a rear bearing that I bought already growling.

After driving mine every day through the recent Texas ice days, I parked it for a bit and drove my other car when it got nice out. I hopped in the X5 to make a grocery run only to find it misfiring.

replaced the coils and plugs and she's good to go again. I did spot a minor leak on the valve cover and the oil pan, but not bad enough that they're spotting the driveway yet...

After driving mine every day through the recent Texas ice days, I parked it for a bit and drove my other car when it got nice out. I hopped in the X5 to make a grocery run only to find it misfiring.

replaced the coils and plugs and she's good to go again. I did spot a minor leak on the valve cover and the oil pan, but not bad enough that they're spotting the driveway yet...

Just did mine today. Got the FCP kit which worked out well. Nice of them to give an extra pan bolt. It’s almost like they knew one would slip and fall right down the 50 gal waste oil topper hole and into 30ish gals of crappy fluids.

Pan came off fine after draining everything that would come out. It seemed like a lot, but it only took 4ish quarts on the refill before it started coming out again. Started it, cycled thru the gears, left it running and pulled the plug again…another quart-ish, repeat and it was done.

My fluid was sadly dark too, but the pan was very clean. The magnets has an eighth or so of gunk on them. The valve body looked squeaky clean as well. The gearbox has only got 20k or so on it.

While I was down there I put cable wrap on the transmission harness. The plastic cover had long since turned to dust and I did a quick fix with tape during the motor swap. This time I put new plastic wire sheathing on it. I also install two new O2 sensors on the right side. I had done the left side last year, and the right side sensors looked terrible when I pulled them (original).

Does anyone know what the odd cylinder is that is bolted to a bracket, next to the exhaust by the rear o2 sensor? Seems to be solid inside, no wires, etc., but needed to come off to get to the sensor.

Pics when I get a chance.

Happy Marci Gras.

It's a vibration "absorber"

I think the correct term is "tuned mass damper" but that's splitting hairs :D

I was just going off what it is called on RealOEM. Tuned mass damper works for me.

yep, TMD, there is a NVH frequency they are trying to reduce with that thing.
the OEMs dont add mass to a vehicle for just any reason, some times its sound and or vibrations, some times its really durability. I have seen test vehicles destroy parts without them

Most cars have them in many locations on the car nowadays too.

:wavey: We just arrived for our stay in Metairie. Not going to NOLA.

Left Front wheel bearing is replaced, actually did that Tuesday since it was almost 50F in Detroit.

A lot of the scarry noise is gone, but the right side I am sure is making noise, unless its also diff noise(hope not). Will need to do the other side and ordered 2 bearings so it will wait till it warms up again.
Outside on the ground in 30ish deg weather is for the young, and I am not anymore :P

I got under the car looking for a clunk that I am starting to hear whenever I tap the brakes. I was thinking it might have been something I didn't tighten when I recently did the front pads and rotors, but everything was tight. I yanked on all the control arms and the clunk is actually coming from what I believe is called the "tension strut." The front right is pretty wobbly but the front left is not far behind it.

https://www.pelicanparts.com/techart...eplacement.htm
I have never had to replace any links on this car (I am still only at 128k miles), though the previous owner had the "front thrust rod bushings" replaced at 72k miles (I am not sure what those are). Would be happy to hear any experiences with replacing either the entire arm or just the bushing, and whether I should do anything else at the same time.

I just replace entire units in the car, and in pairs. I’d likely save a buck and do just the bushings but I figure buying a press, or special tools would make it a wash to do these things once every 10 years.

I do everything suspension-wise symmetrically. Tension struts aren’t difficult but everything should have its final torquing with the weigh of the car on it and settled as much as possible (off jacks and bounce up and down on the front bumper a bit). Id recommend getting new bolts and nuts too, if you live in a place with wet salty roads. Otherwise just new nuts on each end.

Thanks Henn28, my car is a lifelong PNW car so it never saw any salt at any time. (Or at least I bought it from Portlandia before they started salting their roads, since that's a very recent thing.) Hopefully it will be an easy job.

Wheel bearings don't wear they can last literally a million miles. Almost exclusively damage from impact (pot holes etc). They are not a maintenance item keep the extra as a spare you are exactly as likely to need to replace the same one you just replaced as the other side.

Also I've done about ten of those on car replace, search for my threads on the subject. I don't get on xo often anymore but if you pm I think I get an email notice so I can check in.

Good to hear from you Andrew. Was just thinking about you yesterday and that I hadn't seen a post from you in some time. I don't post as much nowadays either, but it's nice to see you, OB, Prop, and others still posting.

As for the E53... haven't been doing much mechanically. But have been working on the audio system. Finished up my sub install, rear fill (Infinity Reference 2 way components), and sound deadening the rear doors. Came out very nicely and now I'm pretty satisfied with the resulting audio after some tuning of the AudioControl DSP. Still need to track down a small engine/alternator whine in the system, but it hasn't bothered me too much to pursue it in depth.

Attachment 83018

Still going to make a beauty board for the front at some point but it's always hard to find time to work on things that are currently working well. All the broken stuff around the cars and house take priority... :dunno:

Attachment 83019 Attachment 83020

Attachment 83021 Attachment 83022

All the doors sound like bank vaults now. Probably added 5-10lbs of deadener to each one. Also wrapped all the harnesses is 2 different Tesa tapes to prevent any door rattles.

Attachment 83023 Attachment 83024

Factory speaker harnesses and a protective capacitor were soldered on to these before installation.

Attachment 83025

And the obligatory E53 door repair and preventative maintenance of all the plastics.

Attachment 83026

Is Lemforder a good brand for replacement bushings? It looks like "Corteco" is the OEM but I have never heard of them. I thought Lemforder and Meyle HD were pretty OK and they are half the price.



Likewise... Lemforder or TRW for ball joints?



I am specifically speaking of the tension strut. I will do the bushings and the ball joint at the same time.

I've used Lemforder and Meyle. Both are good. I replaced the bushing on the tension strut with poly. Lifetime warranty and there isn't a chance no you can damage them by tightening them incorrectly.

Changed the transmission fluid and filter. Pan gasket was leaking, so had to take it off anyway. Good I did, the fluid was pretty dark. Lots of metal "paste" on the magnet. No metal chunks. 271,000 miles and still going strong.

I have just short of 100K miles on my Meyle HD tension bushings... and I live in Detroit, where the roads are worse than most of the 3rd world countries I have visited

But when I replace bushings on BMW I look for Meyle/Lemforder as they are OEM to BMW, maybe not that exact application, but they dont make junk

I dont believe TRW is OEM to BMW at all, so...

Yeah but they are outrageously priced! $87 plus shipping for two poly bushings? $72 for two solid poly sway bar bushings??? That is twice the price of an OEM from FCPEuro (with lifetime warranty). Why are poly bushings so expensive for BMWs? They cost almost nothing on other cars I have owned.

Only $87? Cheap! ;)

Poly' can get very spendy... Down here a set of four rear sub-frame bushes, in polyurethane, run about NZ$800 (AUD$730)!!

https://powerflexaustralia.com.au/ro...-chassis-bush/

You don't need to put poly on the sway bars. Really, the one place to use them is on the tension struts. They're under the highest loads. Yes, if you buy standard ones from FCP they have a lifetime warranty. I've made use of that warranty. Most likely though, you will never have to replace the poly bushings. Even if FCP sends you new bushings under warranty, you have to spend money to send them back. And you have to spend the time changing the bushings.

How much difference did they make when you added them (the tension strut bushings)? I agree they will probably last longer and be easier to install too.



I found this other brand which is a bit cheaper. Are their "radius arm" bushings the same as the tension strut? https://psbushings.com/product-category/bmw/x5/x5-e53/

I put a full poly bush set on two or maybe three of my old MR2s. They were all macpherson strut of course, but I could get a full set of poly bushings including all four corners plus sway bar bushings for $100ish. Solid polyurethane is cheap cheap cheap! The only reason for the high cost must be that some of them are three-dimensional or very complex molds.

I didn't really notice a difference between the polys and the standard bushings. They are supposedly made so they have similar "give" as the rubber ones. As best I can tell from the website you linked the "radius" arm bushings are the ones you want. I'm not familiar with that particular brand.

Today I gave my (new to me) 2004 4.8is it's first oil change and new spark plugs (Denso Iridium TT Spark Plug IK20TT)

The coil packs were a pain in the arse to pull off but apart from that everything went quite smoothly. Oh and a couple of trips to the shop to buy tools along the way (female star sockets for the coil pack brackets, size 8 hex to remove sump plug and a 24mm spanner for the oil filter).

Took her to get an alignment. Didn't really *need* one but I have a free lifetime alignment so figured I may as well after replacing a wheel bearing. I guess it was mid-00's bimmer day today :)

Hi
i like to ask if same body have retrofit the auto tailgate system to e53 from e70
thank you

It has been discussed but I don't think anyone has actually done it.

There are a few aftermarket options (kits).

I put my battery on charge, ran diagnostics, cleared all faults, went for a drive, codes returned.

So I gave it a wash to make me feel better lol

thank you for your help

Love the M3! Had that car in Imola red but the post Katrina roads here made it too painful to drive. Sold it to a guy from Miami who bought with a stack of bills it and let me keep driving it for a few months before he came to get it.

Just got back from a 1500 mile trip to Asheville with the X5. She was perfect and just crushed the miles like a beast. I need to go to war on the rattles, squeaks and wind noise though. It reminds me that the car is over 20 years old. I seem to remember it as it was brand new back in 2002. I am going to go to school on UCSBWSR’s fantastic write up on silencing the noise in his x5. I have a front passenger airbag to troubleshoot, and maybe speakers to install so I might do it all at once. I hate pulling the door cards off these days as the plastic is really fragile.

Interestingly the post fluid change transmission was noticeably smoother, most of the time. However, I did feel the occasional harder shift, both up and down, usually from 2 to 3, but not always. I’ve got plenty of fluid and will swap it out again shortly in an attempt to get more of the darker existing fluid out. I wonder if the Porsche shop that did the transmission install 4 years ago used OE BMW fluid, or something they had on hand, and now I’ve got mixed fluids. Who knows.

***edit***
A new master key from the bmw mini store showed up today and I got it programmed after a few attempts. I was mistakenly putting my old keys in the ignition when trying to program them as additional keys. Figured it out and I’ve got 3 working keys, one brand new and 2 over 20 years old. I’m using the new one!

Did Nolasport do the install?

They did. Good people. I used them quite a bit when they first opened, and for a few years thereafter, including the transmission r/r. Then they got quite expensive and less willing to use the parts I would show up with. I fully understand that parts are a big part of the business, but my “business” is wrenching on my cars, sometimes screwing them up or get in over my head and then asking for help. I’ve usually got the parts on hand by then.

Logan out at the BimmerShop is super easy to work with, and has done a good job for me when the car gets dropped off at his doorstep. This has tended to be off a flatbed over the past year as I’ve worked the kinks out from my motor swap. He’s also put rear axles in for me as I was sick of pulling axles, sorted out my pulley issues and a blown heater hose that I mis-routed. Good dude too and a wealth of knowledge about M6x powered cars. I will say that he’s always quite backed up, so you’ll need to be prepared to be without your car for a week or so if you take it to him. I drool over a ratty looking M6 he’s had out in front of his shop for a long time. The owner won’t part with it, but won’t fix it either.

I may use him to do a full Bilstein shock, strut and spring refresh including bearings, pads, the works. I think I’m getting a lot of noise from these worn out pieces and parts. On the other hand, this is easy driveway work, or should be anyway. I think I’ll just do the B4 pieces as a firmer ride isn’t what I’m going for with my x5 project, but I suspect the Bilstein units will be a nicer solution than OE.

Yeah, I've heard Nolasport is quite expensive and have also heard good things about Logan.

I'm itching to swap the slushbox in my E53 with a manual, but have a lift and consider myself somewhat mechanically inclined, so I'll probably do it myself.

A manual conversion is my holy grail project too, but will likely never happen. Seems to expensive and too much custom work on the 4.4/6 motors to be even remotely practical.

Following Clavurion's advice on how to remove mirror glass, it's so much easier to see slow traffic being left behind. A nice OEM all weather mat was also found. Mine has minor rips from use. The mirrors don't match out three X5s found in Austin. None of them had folding mirrors. Plus, I discovered mine has auto dim mirrors. Both have second connections. I'll try out these blue mirrors. If I like them, then auto dim mirrors will be ordered. Picked two towing eye bolts, a flashlight, and one pano roof allen wrench.

Is there a way to lube the moving mirror mechanism? The right mirror sticks. Plus it doesn't return to previous angles after backing up.

Yep I have a few creaks I'd like to get rid of. Where is this write up?

Cheers

I was curious myself and did some searching

I think this is it: https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/...t-stfu-x5.html

Yep, that’s it. I took the passenger front door card off today to troubleshoot an airbag light and code which turned out to be (hopefully) just a loose connector. Mine have been plugged and unplugged way too many times at this point and are pretty loose.

While I was in there I covered the inside with some leftover dynamat extreme I had from another project, just to see how it would go. I ended up with probably 80 or 90 percent of the inside of the door skin covered, so we will see how that helps with wind noise, etc. from that area. I also got to reglue some more door card pieces that wanted to stay on the door rather than on the card.

I’ll order some more dynamat, or maybe something cheaper and have a go at the drivers side, then the trunk lid and the rear wheel wells, I think as I get lots of noise from that area.

A huge source of creaks on my E53 was the seat motor control trim. I took both front seats apart, and found that my driver's side trim had some cracked tabs so I ordered a new piece. Despite it being just a simple plastic piece, the new one made a massive difference - it's completely silent now. I tried applying a light layer of grease on the plastic tab touch points for the passenger side piece and also did the felt tape trick in this link, but it still creaks. It's actually coming from the housing for the seat buttons. I think I'm going to bite the bullet on a new trim piece for that side as well because the spring force on the plastic tabs just wears out over time.

I am getting lots of squeaks, etc. from my seats at this point too, but I think mine are coming, or some are coming from the seat springs themselves. I've got my "new" seats with the upholstery shop (still waiting on the leather) so I'm not going to bother with the old ones. They will go in the dumpster eventually, after I rob the motors and controller/switch-gear off them.

I get some very loud noises too from the trunk lids (top and/or bottom). I've put new upper "stoppers" on the body side, and still need to replace the stops on the uppper lid itself...part number 51247004475 I think. Mine are worn out.

Does just ordering a new heater control valve count?

thought after doing the oil pan and replacing/tightening all the clamps on the PS hoses I had all the leaks gone. Then late last summer I noticed a small spot drivers side mid engine showing up.... almost though one of the brand new motor mounts started leaking or something....
low coolant light came on and I decided I better take a closer look at things
leaking between the body and solenoids....
debated between the rebuild kit($24) and new($26) since its winter time I will put a new one in and rebuild the old one later this summer as a spare

I've read decent reviews about "Noico" brand sound deadening from Amazon.

You might also want to consider using some closed cell foam combined with the sound deadening mat.

The deadening mat is better suited to add mass to the metal panels and decrease vibration where as the closed cell foam helps more with wind noise and road hum as opposed to rattling from subs.

Noico works very well. Used it many times. Posted some pics of the rear doors I just did a few pages ago. Done quite a bit of Red in it at this point. Still need to do the roof, hatch, and if the carpet ever needs to come out, the floor pan.

Tip though: Apparently word has gotten out about Noico so the price has about quadrupled on the big packs. So this time instead of ordering my usual 36sqft pack, which has now gone to $220 (used to be $66.00). I ordered 4 of the 10sqft packs which are a much more reasonable $27/ea. :dunno:

But as c-bass mentioned it's mostly for metallic resonance and road noise. A dense foam product would be better for plastic rattles/creaks I would imagine.

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

I wouldn’t mind quieting some of the road noise, and plastic creaks and rattles. But, there is no way I am willing to add any weight to my setup.

Would it even matter with how loud that X is anyway. LoL.. The plastic rattling is annoying though. :(


E53 RiPPeR
XOuTPoST jUNkiE
ReVELaTiON 22:21

Thanks for the tipper, I'll price out Noico tonight as I've used most of the rest of my Dynamat today on the drivers door. I have to say it sounded noticeably better when I drove it to the store this afternoon. Of course it could have been all in my mind, but the car seemed quite a bit quieter and the tunes sounded fuller, and with deeper base. A door cavity full of Dynamat couldn't hurt. I've got a little left which I plan on using strategically around the hatch tomorrow. I need to pull the plastic trim and troubleshoot a loose rear wiper assembly, which probably has just backed off (bolts?) over the years.

I seem to have fixed the airbag light, which did turn out to be a simple connector issue on the front pax unit. The connector is pretty worn where the side clips engage the airbag female end.

I also think I finally figured out why my pax door makes a '72 pinto level of racket/rattle when I close the door with the window not fully up. It turns out a piece of foam is missing from the pax door that I think cushions the window when the door is closed. The pic below has a circle where the foam is supposed to be, just below the handle carrier and on the structural "beam". I suspect the window can rattle against this area as there is no rear window channel on these cars (same guy who designed the clips I bet).

https://i.postimg.cc/DyGvsYRF/pax-door-markup.jpg

Unfortunately I didn't put 2 and 2 together until I had buttoned up the pax door and opened up the driver's side door and saw the foam. Next time I open the doors up will be to upgrade the speakers so I'll glue/stick some replacement foam in that area then.

Mine does not have any foam there either, PS or DS. When you hear a crazy door rattle (way worse with windows down or partially), I've found it's usually related to the black clip that goes onto the metal latch being broken or not present. Doors sound like a bank vault if that is latched properly. But if they aren't... door sounds like a bucket of bolts.

Attachment 83050

Dang.. Sloppy Jalopy, hahaha..

My doors are fine. It’s the headliner lighting thing, the hatch, and seatbelt adjusters. Cruising around town, no biggie.

Highway speeds where certain vibrations come into play (nothing mechanical malfunctioning, just road conditions), or the subwoofer bumpin hard, that’s when the rattles happen. Oh well, I guess at nearly 22 years old it’s expected. Heck, I have a few creaks, and rattles myself. LoL..


E53 RiPPeR
XOuTPoST jUNkiE
ReVELaTiON 22:21

These are good tips. My doors make a lot of racket after I had replaced all the regulators a couple of years ago. I will have to open up noisiest one and check this out when I get some free time.

I investigated the problem after I did a regulator on my left/front door. Afterwards it would clank and rattle fiercely. Opened it back up and the black clip had broken. Replaced it and it went back to being rock solid. Then it got even better with the sound deadener treatment.

It's always something my friend. Always something. :D Just do what I do: turn the music up. ;)

I'd love to turn my music up but I can only hear FM (AM doesn't work, CD changer works but only silence and occasional electronic squeal) and the tunes aren't to my liking :D

My doors are pretty good although the driver's front door card is a tad loose.

Replaced my fuel filter and washed it

Either you have a bunch of broken door clips. The little round white ones... I buy them in bulk on Amazon because of all the Bimmers I own and work on. Always replace 2 or 3 when I do a door.

Or, and this is just as common, your plastic mounts for those tabs are loose or separated from the door card itself. Super common on E36, E39, E53, and E83 chassis. Probably others too, but those are the ones I've repaired. Have a look at this video I made.

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

Words of truth CW..! Yep, cranking up the tunes is indeed the solution. Funny fun fact.. My wearable device notified me the other day that, the ambient sound while driving OLe’GiRL is possibly elevated. LoL.. :lmao:


E53 RiPPeR
XOuTPoST jUNkiE
ReVELaTiON 22:21

Excellent video! I've worked my way through about half of the little plastic mounts over the past year or so. I still have several that haven't failed yet when pulling the panel off, but I have two-part epoxy standing by whenever I do need to pull the panel as I just expect one or two of them will come off each time.

It took me some trial and error, but I've found that JB Weld Plastic Bonder (light brown syringe) works best over time for me.

Went for a short drive across town, if 56 miles is a short drive. Using new toys, running data was collected. I was surprised to see running temps down to 174F. Cool morning but not cold. Rush hour traffic temp was 204 solid. Most running temps for a cool morning were 185-188 F. The Hella thermostat works great. Fuel trims are near 0 when added up. Bank 2 is slightly higher than bank one. All data looks normal to me. I would like to see colder air intake values though.

onboard data display(s)
 

I've got similar data on my display, also, as I'm always wanting to know if my 21+ year-old M54 is feeling well, and not relying on the BMW dashboard alone, for that info. I don't have the high cluster nor a MID installed, so the aftermarket data helpers are my only way to get it.

Your running data is quite similar to mine: temperature, fuel trims all OK (though my fuel trims never stay totally zeroed out...bank 2 is usually higher, too). I don't think I'd ever trust running on the BMW-furnished dashboard data ever again, so I'm looking to expand my info gathering capabilities further.

At present, I see that you're using Torque Pro (or similar app) for data display while driving. Is it the same Samsung 10.5" tablet you discussed in another thread https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/...e-options.html? or is it on a laptop (bottom of your photo shows a computer taskbar (I think)?
Attachment 83054 my 8" tablet's display is on the left


You've got similar dials on your single, larger, screen, that I have to use 3-4 screens to fully display, and both of us choose some extra info that isn't as important as well (I also use my main screen to check on altitude and direction...helps me on backroads in unfamiliar hill country, near my home; Google Maps on another screen, too). The main data I want to observe are always there: MAF, fuel trims, coolant temperature, vacuum (old-school tuning and driving aid), with other sensor data out of constant sight, since I might do "distracted driving" while looking at too much at a time.

I'm OK using my tablet as a data center, as it is within easy sight & reach, but I'm currently trying to find or fabricate a mount for my 13.3" Windows 11 laptop, so I could do the same as with my tablet. I've got INPA, OBDWiz (the Windows version of OBDLink Android app, and quite similar to Torque Pro), and Google Maps installed on the laptop, and I think it'd be better while driving...better, more detailed info, better mapping (the laptop is capable of online maps, whereas the tablet is offline on the road). And, the tablet obscures my radio display and controls.

I wonder if the insulating double glazing glass would quiet things down?!?! I know Prop did this glass but can't remember if he said it was worth it.

New fan shroud
 

And a new transmission cooler coolant hose (runs across the bottom of the radiator) as well as the transmission thermostat I had never thought about changing the latter until I looked into replacing the hose.

Decided to do an oil and filter change while it was apart. A bit short interval this time about 2.5k but I plan a long drive next week....

I have been experience a really nasty creaking sound which I have diagnosed as the passenger side inner tie rod. There is no play but just a loud creaking sound when I move the wheel left and right from the center. It could be the rack itself but here's hoping.....in any case it will have to wait until I get back from the upcoming trip.

X5, can you please share what app that is? Would like to get it. Also, any info on your Hella tstat. Do you have any codes/warnings using lower temp stat? Doing this very soon on my 4.6 and want to do it correctly. Thanks!

I didn't notice any difference in noise- except an *increase* from lt passenger window. I think the install on the fixed window sucks. Hands down my least favorite mod. NOTHING like the E39 and E38.

I drove another 500 miles yesterday without any unstable idle issues at all. Maybe the problem was really solved by just removing and cleaning out the ICV?



I did see that i had "fuel trim exceeded" codes again on the Foxwell, but they were just the "shadow" codes which did not illuminate the check engine light on the dash. Like I said before, the last two times I took this trip in the past 6 months, those codes tripped the CEL on the dash multiple times on each trip.



I did get a couple of CELs for evap system leaks, but who cares about those. (I don't have smog in my area.) Other than that, a very smooth road trip where I got about 20-21 mpg in California driving to stay alive among the murderous maniacs which inhabit every single one of the roadways there.

Quick reply. The data app is torque. I’m using an ODBLINX adapter for faster response times. It’s on an Android tablet. Same tablet I’ll use ALFAODB to change body control module functions on my Ram. The Ram requires a gateway module bypass.

My 3.0i had temp warnings for being too cold. The thermostat was stuck open. A Hella thermostat was used. No warnings pop even running at the lower cooler temps. The Hella is stock temp rated. I guess it runs cooler than stock set point. The 158,811 mile M54 runs great.

Which OBDLink adapter did you choose? I've got two OBDLink LX adapters, which work pretty good on my 2001 X5 and 1998-2009 GM vehicles, but might not be the best for later models. There are several alternatives I might eventually replace or supplement them with https://www.obdlink.com/products/

The LX was mid-range cost when I bought them in 2016, as a way to use their OBDLink Android app (the app only works with their adapters) as the backup I sometimes use to check the veracity of the Torque Pro app. And, the LX can be left plugged-in full-time, and won't drain the battery. The only problems I've had using the LX are

• 1) failure to connect, if there are other bluetooth devices nearby (like the radio, which constantly interfered with the pairing process, solved by turning-off the radio's bluetooth), and
• 2) sometimes the firmware updates were wonky, making the LX not work correctly for awhile, so I used my old BAFX adapter (bought in 2013), until the LX corrected itself (usually within a day)

. Since the last time I had the bad update problem, I no longer update their firmware (not needed, no new car!).

I also am considering buying their MX+ adapter, since it'll enhance "advanced Ford & GM vehicle networks (MS-CAN and SW-CAN)" accessing the brand-specific OBD data on the GM cars I own, but not sure about the old X5. If I owned a newer BMW, they have the CX adapter, which is "optimized for best experience with the BimmerCode car coding app", but my old 2001 X5 isn't covered by the Bimmercode app, AFAIK. And, lastly the SX adapter/cable, which would not require the bluetooth-pairing method at all, but directly connects to a Windows laptop or Android device, is faster, and also might add more features. But, at present, I'll be using my LX adapter(s), or my OHP INPA OBD2 Cable for 1999-2007 BMW's (K-LINE INTERFACE,with FTDI chip), when I need the laptop out there.

I’m using the OBDLink MX+. It the only one fast enough for my Ram network. My brother also used it on my niece’s 08 Nitro. So far, no issues connecting with four different vehicles.

CapeX5,
I need to make a correction. I was thinking about another part. The thermostat replacement is Mahl/Clevite. 5600+ miles on it and no codes. It's rated at 97C.

Lost my only diamond key and bought a new one yesterday at the dealership, not bad $240ish. It should arrive on Thursday.Yaya!

Edit: just received a phone call that it is in today!

Changed the inner & outer CV boots, front outer track rod end, new front brake caliper seals & dust boot, pistons were in good order so just gave them a bit of a wet 400grit paper on the exposed top minor corrosion. New front brake rotors, new front brake pads. Thought I was done, went to turn all the wheels, rear brake disc backing plate had decided it would be a good time to let go of the handbrake shoe assembly.

“E53’s, the gift that keeps on giving…”

New one ordered, fit. Job’s a good ‘un…. or so I thought…
Washed the car… “now would be a good time to have random water penetration” the E53 thought….

“E53’s, the gift that keeps on giving…”

Now left with self levelling suspension error on the dash and a weird buzzer coming from somewhere near the FSR location when the ignition goes off until the car goes to sleep.
Cue several nights laying in bed wide open eyes problem solving instead of sleeping.

I can hear the E53 mocking me from the driveway… “think you can spanner me…???? Let me throw some random electrical gremlins your way…. deal with that now…???!!!?”

It’s found my Kryponite….

Haha

Great write up for the fixes and new problems.

Eyes wide open at night problem solving, we've all been there lol

Made a practice garage test fit for two vehicles. My C10 and X5 both fit. The X5 will be garaged for a coolant system refresh.

Would I need access to the right engine side for a system refresh?

Actually, you might be OK. All the heater hoses as well as the aux pump are on the left side of the engine, IIRC.

Completed a rount trip to Toronto, ordered adjustable rear upper control arms
 

We did a round trip to Toronto, ON and covered about 1200 miles in total. Pleased that the X5 ran perfect, only complaint was the loud squeal from my rear brakes on initial application. They are quiet at full brake pressure. On return I took them apart and checked that all is well. Lubed the back of the pads and chamfered the edges slightly. Improved things but the kids had about a 90 mile drive yesterday and this morning the noise is back. I will chamfer the pad edges a bit more next. Anyone have some suggestions what else to try?

I am tired of fighting the rear alignment, it refuses to adjust camber to less than 2.3. Toe is zeroed out pretty well but the winter tires are showing more wear on the inner shoulders than I like, not terrible but not perfect either. I want camber to be about 1 degree. The alignment guys recommended adjustable bushings for the inner lower arm but I haven't found any that I like. So, instead ordered adjustable upper control arms from Silver Project. It will take a week or two, I guess, before they arrive. Not sure about the poly bushings but I guess it will improve wheel control. Let's see how that goes....

did a search but couldn't find any specific threads; I was thinking of adding some wheel spacers on the summer wheels, I was thinking 20mm front and rear? Who is going to dissuade me? :D

I'm not too well versed on suspension terms and adjustments, but would that be too much positive camber? I always thought that the X5s suffered from excessive negative camber (tops of rear tires tilted in too much...I think), although my suspension guy tells me that the adjustment window for the X5 allows for a lot of negative camber. He simply cranks the rears as far positive as possible, which still looks like a tiny bit of negative in the end result. So far so good though on the tire wear on my Geolanders at about 9k miles.

Let us know how the adjustable arms work out. I recall a guy on the other forum doing this and one of them bent in short order, but it was on a 5 series perhaps and he could have been flogging the car!

On a related note: I'm sitting down to order new rear shocks and all the extras (guides, bump stops, washer-gaskets, etc.). I'm going with Bilstein B4s (touring), and will move on to the fronts after I get the rears done.

Also, can anyone remind me what the small hose fitting on the bottom front left of the radiator does? I recall a hose going from here, across the bottom of the radiator to somewhere, but not the specifics. I did a quick RealOEM look and its not obvious to me what that fitting and hose support. Thanks.

How old are your rear ball joints? When I had camber adjustment problems in the rear it was because the rear ball joints were shot. Replaced those and no further issues. Until I put coil overs in and lowered the truck two inches. Then I had to put in adjustable upper and lower control arms to get it aligned to spec.

Ball joints
 

These ball joints are about 22k miles old. You are right tho, worth checking them. Might just do a preventive overhaul when installing the new upper control arms (which arrived last Wednesday, very impressed with the speed of shipping, six days! :-)

I'd be curious to know how you like those after you get them installed. I looked at them when I was buying my adjustable control arms, but chose to go with Megan.

Well, after a bunch of idle issues and a hunting and searching and a single miss step early on I have finally fixed it.
So its got a new Mass Air and Cam Sensors, and HAD a new Idle Air Controler, the old one was fine and the new one is bad, runs at 60% just to keep it at idle and causes all kinds of problems.

Glad that is fixed.:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

I think my front growling noise is now the right side support bearing, has anyone ever tried and or seen the part # for just the bearing? the whole housing with bearing and seal is 31507503115 but would love to just press what is probably a $30 bearing in it along with a new seal.

According to the info in RealOEM, it's not replaceable as a separate part. You could order the carrier get the size info for the bearing and order one, then return the carrier. Cost you some shipping, but $180 for the carrier, you might still come out ahead.

Well, its happened.

I didn't take the time to put the 2004 X5 on the battery tender like I always do when traveling during the winter.

I came home after three months to a dead and locked X5.

Wouldn't be too bad except I cannot open the front doors from the outside.

What BDBH would do something like this?

He is typing this right now.

Have mercy.

Brad

Introduced it to a long-standing fantasy of the pressure washer-powered foam cannon. I need alone time. This was magic.


Of course, I wouldn't be f'ing ancient history old if I didn't include that when I went to store this where these things go, I discovered that I also had always wanted one of these in like 2018.... I obviously just forgot I had one..

You should be able to manually unlock the drivers door with a key.

I'm guessing broken dhc so handle not working, explain why doors don't open from outside.

If you have a trailer hitch, factory hitch power has an always live pin that will work to back feed power.

Often when battery completely dead your key remote will lose pairing so you still might not be able to get in.

Getting the hood open method is documented you usually have to cut a hole in the panel surrounding the radiator.

Odds are good key fob wont be working even if you get power to the battery you will need to use traditional method to locksmith your way in.

Bend the door with an air wedge and a stiff rod to push the central lock button to undo the double lock then a very long rod with hook to pull the door handle from the other side to open the door.

If passenger door dhc ok you only have to pull once to unlock which is easier that second pull to unlatch is a lot of force not easy with a rod.

If you don't have factory hitch you might have a harness with power you can with any luck find the power pin with DMM there should be a few volts at the least.

Thanks so much Andrew.

Yes the dhc's are broken.

The lock cylinder works so if I can power up just a little I can lower the windows by turning lock cylinder to unlock and roll down the windows.

No trailer hitch but I like your thinking.

Maybe if I can backfeed 12v from the starter motor I will have something?

Thanks again,

Brad

A quick 12V supply should work. I opened two rear hatches at a junkyard. I put a jumper pack at the engine bay terminals. Pushing the console button opened the rear upper hatch both times.

I spent some time today marveling at my X5's ability to read minds, as I was reading its codes and checking fuses. A few days ago I was reading some posts about the Trifecta, and thought that I had been quite lucky so far in not having to deal with this PITA. Two days later as I'm driving my wife to pick up her Jeep from the shop...you guessed it, the Trifecta appeared.

DSC, ABS and Red Brake lights, dead cluster with the addition of the temp guage maxed out (hot), and an intermittant Transmission Failsafe message. The car is clearly locked in 3rd, or 4th, but otherwise running and able to get to the shop to get my wifes car, and get me home. An assortment of codes that all seem to point to a failed DSC/ABS module. In fact it wasn't even communicating on the bus at the time.

Today it kept popping a "brief power interruption" code in that module and the other usual suspects (wheel speed sensors and steering angle sensor) that seem to go along with a red brake light (from my reading on this forum), all test fine. The pumps tested OK too via my foxwell.

what ever it takes to get inside the X5
 

I also keep my 2001 X5 (and my other cars, and one camping trailer) on a battery maintainer at home, and carry a 5-10-50 amp charger in the trunk, as well, if I need to charge up away from home. But, if I can't get inside, what good will a charger do me?

Others have shown what to do if the battery fails (and so does the manual entry key); since I have flakey keys, and my battery is several years old, I fear getting locked out away from home. So, I rigged a jumper solution soon after I got the X5, just in case.

I've posted this in another thread, but it can't hurt to share it again. I hooked it up when I was spending a lot of time underhood, while installing a hi-powered electric fan, and also had the hood latch cable come loose (now fixed). I figured a small jumper cable (just intended to power the remote door locks, not to actually get the engine started) would suffice to enable entry, without a locksmith's help. I haven't needed it (yet) but it's ready.
Attachment 83118

Thanks for the reply.

I wish I could access the engine bay terminals. I could then charge the battery.

Since I cannot access the interior I cannot open the hood.

Thanks again,

Brad

just crawl under the car and attach positive alligator clip to the starter +B and the engine block for negative from your trickle charger, wait a day and come back.

:popcorn:

Just topped off another 14 oz from the last previous drive. When this jug runs out, this may be the last jug I buy.....and off she goes

Just did brakes on all 4 corners on a new to me '04 4.8is.

and based on what I've read here, I've started shopping for door handle carriers and window regulators.....

Why?

I ran a car load of parts over to my Indy repair guy, who is going to chase down the trifecta for me. As long as it will be there a while (long line of Bimmers at his shop waiting for attention) I asked him to short cut my to-do list with a caliper rebuild and the rear shock refresh I have been trying to find time to do. My wife was happy to see the large FCP box with the Bilstein B4s, mounts, bumpers, etc. disappear from the dining room.

I also dropped off an EBay DSC module, with the pump on. I couldn’t track down an exact part number match, but the Indy can reprogram it so I went with a several years newer E53 part. All evidence points to my module intermittently loosing power as the car heats up, so hopefully the used part will fix it and I’ll send my original off to get repaired and add it to the spare shelf.

I was able to do some driving trips for work in my X, and subsidize a parts order with the mileage reimbursement:



New BMW driver's door lock actuator
New BMW shifter boot
New tension struts and ball joints for the front (figured out this was the source of my clunk)


Mileage reimbursement is up to 65 cents/mile, which is enough to keep even an E53 X5 running. Looking forward to finding some time to put all of it in.

Wash, clayed and Waxed. Interior detailed and leather treated. Posted it for sale on BMWCCA website.

Replaced the driver side door window as the original was really badly scratched from grit in the outer wiper seal. Can't believe the difference it makes to the look of the car..

Installed a new center support bearing and CV joint on my driveshaft. Man, what a complete pain this thing is to remove. The rear flange on my 4.8is was tucked way under the stupid exhaust heat shield, unlike the pelican parts how-to shows. Had to drop the exhaust to wiggle the heat shield out of there and despite having no rust on my car, the driveshaft was seized pretty good to the rear diff so that took a lot of coaxing to get it off. I was only planning on replacing the support bearing, but when I removed the driveshaft, I noticed that the CV joint was really gritty feeling so I decided to replace that too.

On the m54 the starter is on top. I can't remember where on the v8s. If you have trailer hitch it has B+ on it you can slow charge but it's fused likely 10-15a

You can open the hood though the kidney but you need to cut a small hole in the skirt around the radiator

I tapped a concrete pillar in a pitch black parking garage while reversing at maybe 1 mph... Which of course pushed the bumper in enough to cause the end of the bumper cover to pop off at the wheel well. Great

Bottom right side of the motor. A challenge to get to without removing the stiffener plate, or the right wheel well liner. Although I did change mine a few months ago without removing the plate. Realistically I would have saved time by removing it though. Trying to shortcut Bentley rarely works out for me.

Photo? I hit a snowbank and pushed in Paris of my front bumper cover. Was able to push them right back in with my hands after getting spray shields out of the way

actually found a pair of your wheels, it has significant scuff marks on one of the wheels, not sure if it's worth the purchase, thoughts?

He was kind enough to offer 500 for all 4 wheels

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...ssenger_banner

Right front wheel bearing replaced
low rumbling noise is now gone so that is good.

Looks like I will need to replace the front bushings in the tension rods, I guess 100K miles on michigan roads wasnt to bad out of them

I pulled it apart and the metal bumper support (the piece that the plastic bumper cover is directly attached to) is bent.

Does anyone know if that metal piece is the same for all cars, or did the OEM hitch kit come with a different piece? RealOEM only has one listed but pictures on eBay look a tad bit different than mine. (I have the OEM hitch btw)


BTW: the good news is no frame or hitch damage.

Looks like the hitch version is different... And I can't even find a part number for it, much less find one on eBay or CL. Might have to just try to bend mine back.

Piece of metal you can't see? Definitely just bend it back.


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If I can... It is pretty heavy gauge steel. It was pressed around the big mounting through-bolt.

Start a thread about it and send pictures. I’m sure I would be able to figure out a way.


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What are you hoping to get for it?

I spent a couple of hours on it but was able to pry it somewhat back into position. And by leaving a few of the plastic fasteners off, it attached to the wheel well just fine. Bullet dodged! Because I am pretty sure I would have to buy a whole nother hitch kit to replace that piece.

$20K Otherwise I will keep her and put her into daily driving (which at my house means 5K a year. LOL as I have more than a few cars to drive.
The reason for sale is my wife never drives it as she curbed both NEW front wheels the first time she did.

Yes, The OEM hitch came with a modified rear bumper support bar.
It was definitely worth your while bending it back.. I bet a little heat would help, though it sounds like you have it.

People have been able to modify a stock bumper support bar with a grinder to get it to fit with the OEM Hitch.

Thanks for the reply! I was wondering if I could just cut out that center panel from an OEM hitch and use it. Well, maybe if I keep the car around for a while I may find a new bumper skin and try that. My bumper skin has a big gouge in it with some chipping paint, which will probably get worse over time. We will see how much it bugs me.

Developed a clunk and creak in the steering. Tracked it down to the rack and then to a loose pinion tension bolt. Tightened it up and it's no longer creaking or clunking.

Self centering is still fine.

I sense a rack replacement in the not too distant future, though.

Good job finding that!


I had a steering wobble that turned out to be worn steering gear. I bought a used one but before I installed it my car was totaled. PM if you'd like to arrange a deal

I appreciate the offer, but i'll be going with a rebuilt rack when I do. If I'm going to put in the effort, you know...

And yeah, tracking it down was a little annoying. It was hard to localize. Had to break out the stethoscope to track in down. It was almost equally loud on both sides, and wouldn't make noise if the suspension was unloaded. End up having to put it on stands, and then jack up the suspension just short of lifting off the stands.

Lots of connected metal and sound travels 17x faster in steel than air so it's literally possible for sound to find a path behind you then the closest visual path.

Yeah. I've had that experience before. Front clunk that I was absolutely certain was in the rear.

My favorite was when the sound from a latch for my convertible that was in front of my head was far louder behind my head. Sound went though a rib between the latch and the first hinge in the roof.

OK, after further driving, there's definitely a balance between clunk and steering centering that I'm riding with this rack.

So yeah, it'll definitely get replaced in the not too distant future.

I had somebody steer through the play when engine off and with hand on the rack could definitely feel the clunk when the gear lash was caught up.

I had a wobble (think shopping cart) on certain roadways where the crown of the road didn't bias the wheels one way or the other. Felt just like worn front control arm worm out.

thrust arms and ball joint replacement, windshield rubber strip replaced, and oil pan gasket replaced

tomorrow we install the V8 mufflers and xpipe

All the rear windows tinted 5% black. Very mafia like...

May I ask what made you do 5%?

Tony Montana checkin in lol

I carry tools around so it's tricky to quickly look in.

makes sense, I kept my 20% all around with 50% on the windshield, perfect balance imo

Took the X5 for a Valentina's Holyfield breakfast taco. When the roads are wet, xdrive is always great. :thumbup:

Cosmos black interior trim to replace wood.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9e9b2e1833.jpg


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Mods can move this... Is there a place for a feeler thread for X5 parts?

new smoked side dynamic turn signal markers, cheap from amazon, go perfect with the weather trim

Did you replace trim or wrap?


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Do you have your old wood trim still, my driver side and passenger side have minor cracks, I've replaced all my other pieces to be pristine as can be, love the black dude!

Just had a guy find another set of my rims. Have some rash but he wants 480.00 USD for all four.....

Just have to check for cracks and find a place to hide the spares from the wife. [emoji28]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...6e07d3488d.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...6881d91a4a.jpg

Not bad, $120USD a wheel.

Ya betta hide them well..!! Because if she finds them, a fresh batch of Dinuguan when you come up missing would silently reveal your demise!! LoL.. 🤣🤣🤣


E53 RiPPeR
XOuTPoST jUNkiE
ReVELaTiON 22:21

[emoji1787] At my age it'd probably be Lechon Kawali or maybe just a rolled up carpet [emoji848]

I already screwed up and said that I think that 1,600 USD per month was too much for Montessori schooling....

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Oil change, German Auto Solutions DISA upgrade, wash/wax.
New to me as of a couple of weeks ago so I'm still making a 'to do' list. :)




https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...923/9R1eyD.jpg

getting some new 6000k bulbs for my angel eyes that will match my low beams, updated my side markers to smoked dynamic turn signals

Don't expect much from your angel eyes. I put 60 watt leds in and that was the highest wattage I could find and they really don't light up that much due to the way they were designed. The light is traveling through a plastic tube. I also put very bright leds in my fog lamps and programed those as DLRs. They are brighter than the headlights! I've also done the smoked side markers. They are much cleaner look IMHO.

Yes I know this already as my current ones that I updated in 2018 have a slight yellow tint, found these new ones for 15 bucks and will be full white, regardless I want both the low beam and angel eyes to be the same lumen, most likely my OCD kicking in. I love the smoked side markers, matches the weather trim perfectly imo

FYI white is 5000-5500 both of which are far too blue for effective visibility. BMW knows what they are doing at 4300 gives you by far the best visibility to avoid driving into things. Maybe 20% better distance than 5000 and 30% better than 6000k.

I put 5000k in my e53 and instantly noticed the dramatic loss of visible range. Fortunately I still had 4300 high beams so at least in the country I had good visibility.

I've worked in illumination including aircraft landing lights for a couple of decades and do know what I'm talking about. One of the most powerful hand held lights it's called the maxabeam. They cost $2000 20 years ago no idea today anyhow you light up a tree with one and the entire tree will look as flat as wallpaper. You guessed it: 5000k. Use a 3000-4000k bulb in a less focused reflector and you can see the full depth of the tree.

Hint: when driving; the more 3d the better, the higher the K the worse 3d. 5000 does make the concrete jungle light up nice and white but turns it two dimensional unfortunately. It was very obvious when I kicked in my high beams on the e53. Instant 3d with high and back to 2d on low.

One of my first purchases on both my e53 and e70 were hid lamps and though I got 5000k to be more white with the e53 I learned my lesson and went with "see much better" with the e70 and 4300k. (Especially important since only one bulb for both high and low)

You have to decide: do you want to "look more annoying" to oncoming traffic with ≥ 5500 or "avoid more accidents" with ≤ 4300 but that's a choice everybody can pick on their own. At least be informed.

Apologies for being harsh but 6000k is good for nobody. They should be uninvented.

I mostly agree with this with the caveat that I think the CRI is a bigger issue than the temperature in terms of quality of vision. Xenon headlamps tend to have a pretty low CRI for a start, and the aftermarket bulbs with non-legal color temperatures are likely to be even lower. (It costs money to improve CRI, so price sensitive manufacturers of "off road use only" parts are even less likely to spend it.)

CRI is import for sure but in real world testing just about nothing I'm nature likes to reflect light at 6k. Nature is yellow and brown and reflects like hell at 4300 but terrible at even 5000 much less higher. The white is pretty at 5000 and reflects white concrete pretty well but at the cost of depth perception. There's a world of difference between my 5000k of past and 4300 of current car.

personal preference at the end of the day, I drive my car locally to the gym and errand running since I work from home lol, totally ok Andrew I get it, appreciate the advice!

I think that it's worth noting that one of the big problems with the color temperature scale is that it 6000K in one light is not the same as 6000K in another light. After all, daylight is around 6000K. (100 CRI light sources should be the same at a given temperature, mind you.)

6000K xenons produce a shit ton of blue because xenons are kind of shitty light sources. Hell, it looks like the Phillips 85122 - a OE level 4300K xenon bulb is 65 CRI.

I was OK with my relatively high k temp. I just like people to be informed I just like people to be informed and not surprised. I didn’t like the loss of 3-D so when I had an option on my second car, I chose the lower color temperature a better 3d.

Sunlight is the gold standard of white and that is between 5000 K and 5500 K higher than that is blue and usually not very comfortable to peoples eyes. that’s why I mentioned annoying blue light from oncoming headlights is piercing..

properly aimed BMW headlights will not be pointing in peoples eyes so he won’t be a big deal even with blue tinted lights. at some point they will be as mentioned above meant for off-road, only because safety will become a concern.

6000 is just about the top of personal preference is Ok. much higher than that they actually are a safety concern.

very true about what people call different color temperature.

I'll let this say my $0.02... :D

https://i.ibb.co/2kwhWb9/AEs-edited.jpg

^You hit the nail on the head, I recently completed a very high architecture, high design, high just about everything Project and got to work with the client and lighting consultant on specifically sourcing light sources for custom and semiautomatic fixtures. CRI is THE factor they choose on. The higher the CRI the more of a nuclear fusion type (the sun) light output, the lower the CRI the more 1980s flourecent desk lamp.

Beautiful!


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if that's what you like that's all that matters, to me that's too much yellow/orange tint but it all comes down to the owner at the end of the day :thumbup:

Absolutely! Couldn't agree more... and I DO like the whiter halos - on the newer cars.

Me, I'm a fan of the menacing, glowering look that the OE system has.

I'm also a fan of, well, OE. I like my cars to be as the designer intended.

And yes, all the other stuff too, about CRI and CT - understand and agree with what Andrew and Nick are saying. I use Osram 4300K HID... thumbup:

BTW, lumens is a measure of light output, not colour. ;)

agreed I'm no car expert at all so was def a good learning experience, appreciate all the help and input everyone!

1500 for a set of decently conditioned style 87's with good all season tires too much?

Eh. I mean, tires are the key here. It's a thousand bucks, at least to put new tires on. What are the date codes and the tread wear?

Toyo Proxes ST? Never heard of them tbh and tires have only 500 miles on them

Toyos are ok. The date code is the real question.

OK? they are great tires, but then again most people dont believe anything other than good years are good.....

Goodyears are crap.

I've been very impressed with NITTO tires (over here at least)

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Nitto is Toyo’s lower tier brand. They’re generally fine.

Removed the tail gate lights (reverse and rear fogs) to wash dust etc. from the interior. After drying in the sun and with a hair drier, there are now a few water stains inside the lenses.. grrr... should have used dishwasher rinse aid! :rolleyes:

If anyone out there could say a little prayer for my pano-roof ?!?!?!
 

I ask this because after 5years with my 4.8is and NO issues with door handles and NO issues with window regulators...last week, I lost BOTH front door handle carriers AND the passenger window regulator! ALL three in ONE WEEK. Needless to say - it would not have been a good week to touch my pano-roof as the third "expected" body failure item. If anyone is listening, thanks for the support!

Makes sense... I had about 12-16 month period in 2018-2019 where all four of my window regulators failed, and one did twice! Never had any other regulator failures for the life of the car.

Well crap!! Now everyones e53 will want to follow your trend....[emoji28][emoji28][emoji28]

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

I ignored my broken dhc for months I just used my key fob to roll down the window.

Then I managed to lock my key in the car!

I was out of town on biz but I had the replacement carrier not just with me but NOT in the car.

I used it for practice to figure out how to use a long thin flat blade screwdriver to push on the cable to the latch and got the door open.

I also made a breakaway bolt holding the dhc on for in case of emergency I could get access if similar happened. I keep a spare key hidden inside the car in case I lose my key.

I don't know what changes have been made in the e70 but they don't appear to "double lock" which is a sad regression over the can't smash and grab feature of e53 that the inside door handle is disabled when you lock the car.

found plastic clamps for the stupid cupholder that broke year ago, ordered 2 packs since all of mine are broken :nervous:

If you have the newer design, they are fitted from the front (inside the cup holder) - the older versions had to be pushed in from the outside (inside the damn console... nope!). :rolleyes:

About those grips: be careful with fancy bottles that have a rib at the bottom. It locks on like a fish hook. You'll need to shove a thin piece of plastic down around all sides (depending if you still have for grips). Found that out the hard way more than once! There are at least two brands of iced tea that lock in and you can't lift out.

I have that issue with soda cans in the rear cup holders.

It's crazy because nothing will fit in the cupholder except a can. Yet it's like the whole thing was designed to grab the can in a way that breaks it. Drives me batty.



Serb404, where did you get replacement clamps?

I've had that happen al also just with certain brands with very thin aluminum


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just be glad you dont have a E85 Z4, cup holders are JUNK, a small coffee will break them. Worst engineering I have ever seen, at least a Yugo worked for a while