topnotchrally

Price now $32,900.

Its down to $7500🙄

This is a luxury high-end automobile. What hillbilly ordered it from BMW with no cruise control?

Thanks Eagle for the tip. I found the immobilizer, it was fine 😞 The problem was the ‘start detection relay’. A small relay in the fuse box. The documentation is a bid sketchy. There are actually 2 relays, one for the fuel pump and one for the starter, the documentation only shows one relay. I figured out which was which with a volt meter and I put the fuel pump one in place of the starter one. The starter then worked but wouldn’t start... no fuel. I took the relay out of the my 523i ‘rear window’ (thanks REALOEM for the location help), put it in for the fuel pump and wa-la, starts and runs. 🙂 Something to get on my next run to Pick-a-part.

1995 E36 M3 Sedan. The starter has been dodgy for a few weeks. It wouldn't always engage when switched to 'start', but a redo would get it going sometime first try, sometimes another. Now it has quit all together. Nothing at all happens when switched to start, not a single sound. I suspected the immobilizer. I have just confirmed this by wrangling my arm and a 12v wire up underneath onto the the starter and found that the starter does infact work if it gets the 12V signal to the solenoid. Also confirmed no 12v when the key is switched to 'start'. Also confirmed there is 12v on the ignition switch in 'start' position.Getting to the point, finally, I can't find the immobilizer. See attached diagrams. Is 95 'early', or 'late'? Anyone have any experience finding the immobilizer relay? Or, is there another relay somewhere that has failed (not according to the wiring diagrams but who knows?) It would seem it's behind the glovebox but I'd like some confirmation before I go though all the trouble to remove the glovebox. I looked behind the LH speaker panel, there's nothing... or should it be RH since this is a RHD car and the diagrams show LHD? An interesting side note, I have been bump starting the car (push it, pop the clutch) which works no problem, so it seems the fuel pump is not controlled by the immobilizer. The wiring diagrams show that it is on some cars (Canada) and not on others (USA). So I guess it isn't on Europe as well, assuming I am correct about the immobilizer being the issue. Any help appreciated.

Yeah, careful not to slam the door on the seat belt.

Make a sensible offer. I'd like to free up the garage space.

I was going to keep quiet, but I can't. I love alcantara too, much better than leather. Also love green and caramel (my M5 🙂 ) but I like the tan too. Though, it is a bit on the light side on this car.

Perhaps this is his inspiration. M54B30 with 400hp. (rebuilt, fitted with a very cool supercharger)

That was me, because I love CC and every luxury car should have it*. It's shocking to me the lack of CC on 'classic luxury BMWs' in NZ. I'm not from NZ. In Canada every E39 sold would have had CC as standard. I use CC on every 'out of the city' trip I take, which is all trips, since I live rurally. *every car should have it, and people should use it! (also, I have a 523iT, manual, with working CC (imported from UK))

So, he spent $50k on a $10k car. That's a bad investment unless you keep it and really enjoy it. Also, (rant coming) it's a classic car. Don't put adjustable suspension on, it's not a race car! Stock springs(airbags) and B6 shocks, there's nothing better for NZ roads. Big stereo, ok, but you can't get the money back. $7k for seats! You can't get that back. 19" wheels, I don't get it. 17" nice, 18"- a stretch.... really, there's no need for 19" (but that's just me) ok, I'm done. I'd love to have it but not anywhere near the asking price. I think I'll buy that M5 for $26k on FB and spend $5k on it, which I will get back (eventually)

This is my beloved 1999 523iT manual. The engine light has come on P0170 P0173, fuel trim malfunction. Clearly there's a vacuum leak somewhere under the intake manifold. Anyone had this before? Can recommend where to look? I fear I will have to remove the intake manifold to find it. I had something like this before, it was the hose on the top that was leaking, fixed that about 10 years ago. The 'wailing' sound is there at the start of the video but is more obvious after I blip the throttle and it comes a back. It's quite loud, sounds like a vacuum cleaner, oddly enough. M52vac-leak.mp4

I'd buy that! LWB though. Comfort!

FWIW I agree.. I love those stock wheels. The BBS are damn nice too. GLWS

What are the 2 things on the right side of the centre console?