Trifecta cleared itself, cause never found.

Today's issues are low voltage to intake air temp sensor and a reading of -40c

100% dead drivers seat controls.

Hopefully fuse 20, 21 or 13/44 and an obvious reason why...

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

You ever get rain? My self-clearing trifecta was wheel speed sensor connectors.

Most intermittent trifecta are bond wires inside the abs brain. Heat cycling breaks the wires they didn’t engineer stress relief into the lengths.

Can you move your steering wheel? Can you access the seat control with foxwell (did you get that sorted)? Lots of electric fault starting to feel like a damaged loom.

–awr–

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I rotated the tires and changed the oil yesterday, 48,042 miles. 920 miles since last oil change, slightly over a year ago. High-mileage Mobil 1 5w30... for the age, not the mileage :thumbup:

https://i.imgur.com/8ZeXtgc.png

I wouldn't worry about it unless it does not reset. I've found on mine that low voltage will cause the trifecta to turn on. Even a low battery crank to start will cause the light to turn on.

This is how I know when my battery is needing a charge - the 4x4 light pops up during cranking... goes out once engine starts though.

That’s neat feedback


–awr–

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Only problem for me is that I have a new battery and I'm getting 14.1v to 14.3v while running and battery shows 12.7v after engine shutdown.

Normally it'll stay between 14.1/14.2 or 14.2/14.3 but if it shows 14.3 and drops to 14.1 is when the intake sensor goes wonky. [emoji2369]

All fuses were good and on startup... everything was back to normal, seat included... I'm after of the fun I'm about to have![emoji28]

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-40 is likely open circuit, I think the intake temp sensor is in the MAF on the V-8s as Wayne pointed out in another thread.

I thought he was saying ambient air temp (from bumper duct). Did you mean ambient or intake? I went to ambient because I’ve seen the -40 when it’s unplugged before.


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Intake

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Ahh then it’s in the maf usually. Got anybody with a spare sensor? DME def needs to know that temp to math the injection


–awr–

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I've got a couple of spares, but the temp comes back after a bit and it is when I get that tiny deflection from 14.2 to 14.1 yet the -40 doesn't bounce back in sync with the v hitting 14.2 again but if I show 14.3 then 14.2 no temp issue shows and my voltage is 90% steady at 14.2

I don't know if it's related but it's sure as hell suspicious.

I know these fluctuations are minor, it is just something I've noticed.

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The small deflection typically for load changes like when you turn on your seat heaters and defrost.


Bwaahaahaa!


–awr–

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This.... heater of seats of which you speak, isn't solar powered?[emoji848] [emoji1787]

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Well did deep enough *everything* is solar powered.

My favorite YouTube channel refers to firewood as stored sunlight.


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Just in the process of doing a rear suspension rebuild. All new arms and ball joints. Everything is fighting me. I'm even installing new shocks from Monroe.
Both lower ball joints were absolutely knackered and full of rust. They were replaced about 6 years ago by myself so they didn't last long.

A little polishing goes a long way.
 

Did the annual 1000 mile round-trip to Toronto, ON and the X5 held up without a hitch. The weather was well below freezing but it fired up every day without problem. Replacing the seal behind the throttle body resolved the idle issue completely.

On a different note, recently bought a DA polisher, one of my other cars was delivered with too much swirl in the clear coat and I decided this spring I am going to give it a good polish. To practice I figured the hood of the E53 would be a good object. I could never get it to truly shine no matter how much I used rubbing compound.

So, started by claying the hood (very little contamination this time around) and then got the buffer and the medium pad out. Used Chem Guys VSS. After a couple of passes I figured it was good enough and washed the VSS off. After a pass with Butter Wet wax (from CG as well) it looked like below. Since I am not a trained detailer I am not confident to go after the deeper scratches, don't want to burn thru the clear. Still, I am pleased with how it came out.

Got the right front caliper replaced and R/L hoses up front replaced and system bleed. also finally 3D printed a pressure cap for bleeding.

still have a 56-65MPH ish rumble that feels like its probably a wheel bearing but nothing obvious and they were both done not that long ago 2yrs maybe.

will pull the winter tires off later this week in prep for a chicago run and see if its just the tires.

Wobble/rumble at a particular speed more likely a balance than bearing issue. Swap tires to other axles. Have you balanced recently? A thrown weight will give that symptom.


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hasnt thrown a weight, I always outline with a sharpie and then alum tape them, goes back to the road race cars.
Summer tires going on later in the week, so that will eliminate that as it wasnt doing this last fall.

I have had wheel bearings get noisy at certain speeds, or at least get worse at them in the past.
weather has sucked so bad in Detroit that I have had zero motivation to get outside and dive into this.

Still no delivery on gasket & seal set or the water transfer pipe. So haven't been able to do a damn thing. Apparently DHS is twitchy about drone attacks [emoji849]

I am getting all the suspension parts together, motor/transmission mounts, guibo, rear subframe bushings including brakes/caliper rebuild.

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Fixed two annoying dings at start up. Two sets of LEDs caused CAN Bus errors. Finally, a third set advertised as CAN BUS free error LEDs worked perfectly. On installation, the red wire end needs to go on the right. Black on the left. The sets have to be turned correctly to mount too. The insert tab on one side is offset. This new set fit better than the one that failed. Even better than the two new ones that set CAN BUS errors.

I love how replacement LED lamps, installed to fix an issue you didn't really have in the first place, create more problems! :banghead:

The first set lasted three years with no CAN BUS error. A power wire became unsoldered. I couldn't remember where I bought the original set. CAN BUS errors will drive you nuts. :bmw: These new set fit nice and snug.

In Austin traffic, any attention you can get will avoid someone smacking into you!

Same on a motorcycle - anywhere!! :yikes:

I have these, but there're overly bright such that the white light hits the bumper. I wish they were a tad less bright so that only the license plate is illuminated. Maybe it's how they're aimed:dunno:.

Summer tires are now on, so it will snow in detroit next week.

tiny click in the front end heard at slow speed pulling in a driveway or parking lot IDd, drivers side inner tie rod end, both inners will get replaced soon.

Vibration at 60mph +/-5mph has probably been IDd too.... freaking drivers CV AGAIN.... I just replaced the original replacement that didnt last a year, this one is less than a year.... they are lifetime warranty, but I expect them to last longer than that.... :banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

Changed the engine air filter after 4 years / ~6k miles.

Checked the coolant, ps fluid and oil. Added a small amount of coolant.

Changed my ancient Kensington LiquidAux Bluetooth adapter for a new one with Bluetooth 6.0 with LDAC support from Ugreen.

https://i.imgur.com/I42Mfia.png

7 miles on the odometer since the oil change on March 31... a trip to the park and back:

https://i.imgur.com/N3bgP12.png

goddamn that’s low miles.

Decided at the last minute to use the 4.6 for a scheduled weekend out. So took care of some last minute PMS stuff.

Had the transmission fluid and filter changed, used ZF Lifeguard 5. Pricey for a non-synthetic but no equivalents so oh well.

Had the brake fluid done while on the stands. Flushed and filled with Ate Typ 200.

Had some front suspension noise traced to the steering column lower joint. Another item I'd been putting off as it isnt inexpensive but another good one to do on the stands. Glad I did, no more noise makes it so much more fun!

Engine oil, coolant, front/rear diffs, transfer case, and tires all done recently. Ready and looking forward to this trip!

I used redline D4 ATF in my 4.6is. It made the transmission noticeably happier and also eliminated a strange 2-3 rough upshift around 3500 rpm.

Thanks for sharing that, nice to know there are options!

Chasing a long crank before start issue that was getting worse and now happening all the time.

Had a check valve installed at the fuel pump outlet. Still starting hard.

Just put in a new fuel filter. Rubber vacuum hose to fuel pressure regulator on filter was disintegrated and put in a new rubber hose along with the new fuel filter.

Looks to have fixed it! Just not sure if it was just the hose, the filter/regulator, or both, that did the trick

So ten years later, to the month, here I am doing this thermostat job again: -

https://xoutpost.com/1079662-post7235.html

Only difference is that with ten years of inflation, a Chinese part costs $100, a Mahle/Behr part costs $150 (ex. Latvia) and a genuine part costs around $400. So I went with this...

https://i.ibb.co/0RPnzpnK/20260414-171900.jpg

(That and I broke off the radiator drain bolt - of course!! :rolleyes:)

Engine now running at the proper temp again. Time will tell... ;)

^gawd yes. I am searching for stuff and I LOL when I see I have posts in the thread I click on ��

Congrats on getting it running right again (till the next thing pops up lol)!

I've been busy on mine. Full rear suspension overhaul completed. Front inner and outer tie rods replaced along with one anti roll bar drop link and a control arm.
I even reinstalled my original steering UJ shaft as the new on I put in only lasted a few months. The UJ on it had a load of play in it. Chinesium parts..
I set the alignment up myself with my camber gauge and string lines. It now drives the straightest it's ever driven so I must have got it pretty much spot on but will get it on a machine to make sure.

They look like this on mine. Very bright illuminating even the bumper itself, a little bit too much.

I bought replacement LED units for the puddle lamps in the doors, but found replacement LED bulbs vs the entire bulb holder for the other internal lights.

It's 100% LEDs inside and on the rear hatch and license lamps. No CANBUS errors.

A 2006 LCI showed up in the pull-yer-part yesterday, in horrible shape. Engine (M54) and transmission gone. No wheels. Fresh body damage I guess from being extracted from a cave... but intact right rear door vapor barrier (!!) and wiper washer tank (WTF I was there and mine is suspicious).

I now have the last missing vapor barrier for $3! FCP wants $80 for a new one, and who knows for how much longer.

I think the biggest surprise is finding and removing an e53 vapor barrier intact.

They are paper thin, much thinner than an E39 v.p.

Agreed, but so far I have found 3 intact ones for driver and both rear doors. The passenger front was surprisingly in good shape the one time I had to get in there.

Having a sharp knife or box cutter helps a lot in removal, as does warm weather. Go slow. WD40 will melt the butyl sealant but it’s super-messy.


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Finally changed out the screaming banshee secondary air pump. Much quieter now. Even though its a chinesium one. We'll see how long it stays quiet. Of course in the course of doing that, I cracked the tube from the pump to the exhaust valve. :banghead:

Set a new cost record for filling up. $60.19. I try not to let it go below half tank.

Be glad you aren't paying our prices. I filled up, near empty, and it cost me $127. I've hit that before, but its been quite awhile since I have.

Last one was 18.3 gal for $80.36 on April 21

... the previous one was December 3, 21.7 gal for $69.47.

I usually don't let the tank get so low.

Mine was just under $400 to fill recently.... :yikes:

Wow... that's ~$235 in greenbacks!

That's crazy. I guess that's what happens when you live on an island.

Possibly a long post....

I was doing 70kph and had to lock it up to not crash. I went 70kph to 20kph in 1 car length (holy shit the new brakes are good) but the Witch felt like it got hit in the ass, guages all froze, ALL warning lights came on, brake pedal froze in the up position and couldn't be pressed, engine died. After restart trifecta has become the Witch's national flag, but she's drivable

I believe my transfer case motor is toast now (hopefully) or my chain is now looser than a discount whore (removal today)

My wheel speed sensor is 100% fried and my interface for the stereo is also fried.(removed) so no reading fuel consumption or tests from the stalk will work.

Still missing some gaskets for engine rebuild and my timing chain guides had to be reordered, but my coolant transfer pipe arrived.

All driver side DHCs replaced. Wife may replace me if this great luck continues. [emoji28]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8061a31084.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...207a5cec8e.jpg

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Seems it had a power glitch. Did any codes clear afterwards?

Nope. Transfer case motor destroyed itself, but the gear was pretty good looking. Not sure if it's possible to basically "slug" the motor by stopping emergency style like a combine harvester. [emoji2369] Cost me 260 USD for a new one on short notice. [emoji849]

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I've had a fuel tank purge valve fault code for years and always got a whiff of fuel sort of around the back of the car too. So yesterday I thought I would replace the purge Vale. Of course the pipe connectors were all brittle and broke so a bit of clever engineering came into play there.
At the same time I noticed the coolant temp sensor was weeping around the thread so that came out only to reveal that the pump body surface where the crush washer should seal was all rough and pitted - like it had never been machined in the first place.
So again I had to do a clever bit of gentle filing with some abrasive paper and a flat edge to get that right.
I haven't ran it yet so I hope it stays sealed.
Another camshaft position sensor is on the way as I ordered the wrong one last week.

I've run 93 octane in this thing since I bought it.

Last fill was 87 at about 1/4 full. It does not seem to run any worse. No knocking.

What grade US fuel do y'all run? I get gas at Costco, and a few times when it was near E I did half 93 and half 87. Ran fine. So I've probably been setting money on fire with the 93.

I buy my gas at Costco. Its much cheaper than the other stations around her. Highest octane here is 91 most everywhere. You can find 93 at a few stations. They call it "race gas". :rofl:

The engine is designed to detect the knock from predestination, the result is usually less power.

With my m54 i lost enough mpg with 50/50 87/93 that it wasn't worth it. The one time i put in 87, (out of fuel due to a stuck fuel float), i forgot to tell the person bringing gas to bring premium, the engine misfired on the initial launch to freeway speed and i got to limp mode to gas station.


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Snort. My Costco has 87 and 93. No in-between.

There was a Shell station where I used to live in GA that sold 100-octane "race gas" for almost $10/gal. Sorry, the closest race track was about 60mi away...

I really cannot sense any difference. But I also don't drive this old bitch hard either. I need it to last a few more years.

I did of course use full throttle to get to speed on 70 zone expressway. My suspicion is that mid grade or using bottle of octane boost can get the job done. I've seen them on sale for $1


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This weekend I changed the rear wiper motor because the rear washer has not been working for quite some time. I think it was 80stech said there is a chip in the motor package that gets burned out so the washer pump for the rear won't come on. Got tired of not being able to wash the rear window. Well I got a be careful what you ask for . Washer works now, but it also squirts some fluid every time I shut off the car. Not to mention it covers the rear of the car in washer fluid which doesn't really blow off. I should have known better. This pump is going back and the old one is going back in.

Got notified that a 2006 hit the local Pull-a-part this morning. Went before a trip out of town. M54 automatic, pano sunroof that was intact and closed, low spec, had nothing I needed.

My ‘01 has a belt or pulley or accessory squeak going on, every rotation not constant. Need to check that out.


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Use FFT app to locate. Or stethoscope. I'm going to get some chassis ears next big car job so I can check all for wheel bearings at once for example.


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Wify has not driven the X5 for almost 2 months. I leave it a home today. Two miles to the grocery store. She decides to roll down all the windows instead of opening up the pano roof. :wow: I get receive this picture and a call. :wtf:
I get home and remove the door panel. First, the sun shade. I lift the glass and hold it in place with one large body dent removal suction cup. I use a little body suction cup as a backup. Seems the plastic clip broke. Are they the same part numbers as the front? I'll upgrade the bolt clip too, Thursday. :doh:

Gorilla tape will hold the window up while waiting for parts


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How do you get that shade out. I tried it before and gave up. Couldn't figure it out. Thought I had a bad DHC, figured out the child lock had been flipped on the door, so ended up not having to pull the shade and panel.

Sunv shade on back door has ab hidden clip. Once you learn where it's easy


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Where is it?

From tis

Attachment 85313


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I haven't worked on e53 since '21 so memory getting a little fuzzy but i thought there's a spring clip on top you need to release to pull out the guide then you have a screw like T20 to remove the hidden clip. I'd see if you can find a YouTube video. I had to remove a few times over the 6 years working on our two e53s. It became automatic.


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Aha! Thanks!

Look carefully. There's a small opening on the forward side. Use a small flat screwdriver. Push the tab down! Once it's far enough down, the shade pops off.

I'll order new parts today. With the door panel off, I'll replace the bad speaker too. It's the only speaker not working.

Thanks!

I had to grab my Gorilla tape. My neighbor called me late yesterday afternoon. The two suction cups didn't hold the window up. I taped the top and one side. With black window trim, you can't see the tape. You have to be up close. I could probably drive it and no one notice the tape. :bustingup:
Since I had time, I reached into the door and felt around. I felt a string or spring of some kind. It wouldn't come out. The regulator is probably broken good. I ordered a replacement regulator from FCP. It's been almost a year since something broke on it. I might take it out of service next week. On the list, rear wheel bearings, new RR speaker, new regulator, and waxing.