hotwire

Do you have power on the tail light circuit OR the brake light circuit? Both obviously different. If you have power out of the brake light switch & at the lamp (brake) - can only be an earth issue to the lamp assy

Yep me too. Or mine anyway. That & some of them have had a hard time over the years. Have to admit though - I did have that kiwi addition extension on the end That said - no more than any other time I have needed to. Yep need to charge someone, those things not cheap to replace... All this happened after the owner had previously tried & broken(split as well) the OEM wrench - then called the AA

Maybe they had the ulterior motive....

^^^^^^ That would have been a crack up to watch from nearby Tight wheel nuts - so you had more weetbix for breakfast huh Edit: Not as tight as the ones on a yank tank SUV on an AA callout on Saturday. Broke (split) my 1/2" drive Stahlwille socket on the bloody thing Had to recover it to the workshop to get the wheel off.

What a bloody embarrassment to the male fraternity Well done on the good samaretan thing. It is usually always the other way around (quite possibly with an ulterior motive though )

^^^^^ Wheels - I have decided - Yuk! Agree on the rest of what you say too

Boot opening button means nothing as to it having remote boot open function. It is merely electrically controlled rather than cable operated. You are correct that the boot (& glove box) won't open when using the Valet (or plastic service key if you still had one) - the whole point of this so that personal items can be locked away for valet parking etc. I don't recall E46's having remote boot open feature. My 99 E39 doesn't either Edit: I too have all 4 original keys. The plastic service key would be a right pain in the arse to have to use

Being a 99 car it should have a key shape as in the larger oval style. The diamond shape is a later type. There originally would have been two of these (master) + a valet & a service key. How do you know your car has boot release function?

Yep, as mentioned, from what I can see in the pic - damage looks minor - a guard & maybe a few suspension components. Insurance company - challenge them to find you another example in comparable condition. Don't let them walk over you!

Ahh, with a real engine Can't say I get off on the 46 Ti styling though

Your car is too early. It has a Jap specific tuner. World tuners came in 09/01> build. In your case you need to replace the tuner. PM me if you need help

mmmm Nice car, well done. Gonna keep this one more than 5 mins sh*t hose finger nails look dangerous... oops, I meant that speaker is f##ked

^^^^^ or lose the cat...

Hi, No it's not plug & play to reverse. The monitor equipped car has different wiring plugs to the monitor than what the standard in dash radio has. Being that it has a monitor, puts all the modules (radio, TV etc) into the rear of the vehicle. You would need to run a radio loom from front to rear of vehicle. A bit of a backward step considering the potential of getting current system to run NZ compatible, along with reverse camera etc options

^^^^^ LOL. Come on Raewyn - play the game & spill the beans

E30 Series doesn't run stock suspension. It is a controlled aftermarket King/Koni setup

Ken, I take it the parts have been replaced since the the light has been coming on? I assume too that you mean the engine check light. That light covers all parameters within the engine management so could be one of many things. If the cat is blocked -depending to what exitent it normally is noticed as affecting performance. Was it no code came up or no known code? Was the light on then? As for interior lights - are you meaning the front map lights?

Cant recall specifically on this engine but typically gauge senders are single wire. Anyway, check the resistance of each, the ECU sender will be around the 3k ohm when cold & down to 250 ish ohms at operating temp. Temp gauge unit will start at 180 ish & come down from that with rise in temp

The temp gauge & ECU sensors are completely different in operation. Can't recall colours on the M50 engine but the temp gauge will be a single wire unit whereas the ECU sender is dual - a signal reference back to the ECU. The temp gauge simply earths through the sender.

Not meaning to be snarky at all. As I said - I am happy to help people. I don't profess to know it all either. I am still learning every day, as I bet Glenn is too. My comments are in response to seeing his current knowledge & the pitfalls that can lie ahead for him - & replacing parts for the hell of it. The fact that several questions are so off base confirms this & makes me somewhat judgemental. It could be quite quickly & economically diagnosed/ sorted by someone with the tools & know how. I see that Amber-Leigh gained knowledge from Ray @ HellBM while working on her car - slightly different learning situation to trying to fix it blind on the front lawn. Good on her Yes BMW's can have specific faults, but engine systems are generic across all marques. As for recovering to Auckland - as I understand, there is a good non dealer BMW tech in Whangarei, along with I expect - several Auto Sparkies. If there was one specific answer that I knew to be able to fix this car - I would be happy to offer advice. In this case though, there are many possibilities/variables that need to be eliminated.

F##k, the popcorn was certainly needed here. Not meaning to be nasty, infact far from it, but you completely contradict yourself during this thread. You respond to me saying you have a mechanical/electrical knowledge, (reading through the thread I say - yea right!) then in the next breath asking every conceivable question of issues, test procedures, readings etc. Also most of these completely off topic to the fault you have You have one driving issue but intend replacing multiple components as a precaution - this is hardly an economical approach! And, not what any decent mechanic/auto sparky will do... Reading through is thread, the questions you ask, tell me you have a very limited understanding of the mechanics & engine management system. Mechanics/Sparkys with correct equipment can easily diagnose these systems/faults - much simpler cheaper than your "replace everything" approach. I am always happy to help/advise on here where I can, but I draw the line at trying to help someone with no knowledge/understanding or equipment to diagnose - that is why people bring cars to our work... Footnote: A scanner is only good for someone with a brain - knowledge/understanding of what they are checking - I have seen so many times where MAF, CAS, O2 ABS etc sensors have been replaced after throwing codes, only for the person to find a new unit has done the same - reacting to another fault causing the sensor outside its parameters. Then car bought to us to fix the actual problem It may well be a CAS fault, but then again...

Go for it, I'll grab some popcorn....

With respect, you obviously have no idea where to start in diagnosing this, so best you either get it to or retrieved by someone that is able to fix it. Adding to, unless you know & understand engine management systems - a scanner to those uninitiated can also be a can of worms.

As for black Plastidip - works on a white car as a contrast but certainly can't see it on a silver car. Shadow chrome - would imagine it will be a shop job with a skilled painter

I don't reacon your car looks boring with the style 66. Mine was bloody awful with the original 15" style 31 - sh*t BMW have made some hideous alloys in their time. Oh the joys though of 18" 65's - I have managed to bend 3 of the 4 alloys by hitting broken tar seal - 2 occasions. Luckily they have been able to be straightened, how the hell one was though is beyond me - it was warped in various directions. The guy did comment though that the BBS wheels were great to work with.