Allanw

From the LTNZ website: "High intensity discharge (HID) conversion kits HID conversion kits (an HID bulb with a high voltage power unit or ‘ballast’ which fits into the original headlamp unit in place of the original bulb with no change to the headlamp lens, reflector or housing) are illegal on any vehicle being used on New Zealand roads. However, a complete halogen headlamp unit can be replaced with a complete HID headlamp unit provided that the replacement headlamp unit complies with approved standards. If in doubt, get advice from a vehicle lighting retailer you trust."

The oil you use does depend on the frequency of changes to a certain extent. A lot of the things BMW specify are around the long life of the oil. Having said that, 6.5 litres of oil can stay in for a while before it gets as dirty as 4L would in the same conditons. I thought the M54 had 0-w30, 0-w40, 5-w30 or 5-w40 specced by BMW??? Can't really recall now. Regards to the grade, 5-W40 and 10-W40 will be about the same thickness when up to temp, and to be honest, the difference between the 10 and 5 when cold probably makes little difference. If you are really pedantic about oil, you'll want oil that meets BMW's specs - LL01 AND ACEA A3/B4. Castrol Edge 0W-40 A3/B4 was at Repco when I did my oil, and it meets the grade very well. I'm going to run it to 15,000 instead of the 22,000 or so the service lights run to in our car. It's the ACEA A3/B4 that says it meets the viscosity, shear and temperature specifications from BMW. Having said all that, there's plenty onf BMW's out there running the wrong oils, and they (mostly) don't seem to have major issues. The temp gauge thing... have you made sure that you are full of coolant? If the level is low the sensor may come out of the liquid, and it may start to read low (unlikely though, as the cooleant temperature sensor for the gauge is quite low on the block). The M54 does adjust the thermostat electronically, but it opens is artificially, by heating the mechanical part of the thermostat. 1/4 on the gauge is getting down to about 60C, which is very low - normal is about 80 under load, but cruising can be well up into the 90's. Weird.

I think there is a small filter in the Vanos Solenoid inlet, that could be clogged. I guess they could burn out the solenoid too, but I'd have thoguht that would give a code for the solenoid being open circuit. The DME measures how the Vanos is working by watching the exhaust camshaft advancing in relation to the crankshaft position. Maybe it isn't actually moving.

+1... Very!

Probably easier to get here anyway - about NZ$120.

FYI, I put my carsoft on trademe for $70-ish start, no reserve shipping included. Sold for $110!

I shouldn't think a good tuner will have any problems with setting them u, although I'm sure some are FAR easier tan others! The DTA does have some good specs. I'm not in a rush, so I'll have time to check out support forums etc anyway. Traction conrtol would actually be very handy too! It seems a lot of the newer high end ones (which I'm stuck with due to the engine) do have them built in, but I'll keep that in mind, if I like one that doesn't! HAHA! Will do! I'll actually need the engine "complete", as in ready to install, including the power steering pump, but no AC etc. I was thinking of pricing the 3.6 too, but I'm sure they'll be a lot more as they are more rare, although probably not such a demand for them either! I'll also need a late model (99+ 8 bolt bellhousing) turbo trans and a flywheel to suit both trans and engine. An LSD front diff would be handy, but not essential. I'll PM you my email - rough prices are OK, it will be at least a few months before I'm ready to purchase those, although the trans will be first on the list - If funds get short too fast, it may just have another 2.5 put in until the Mrs goes back to work (unlikely though). I did see the Vipec has drive by wire built in! Nice! When you say the same as a link, do you mean they ARE a link in a different dress? They do look very much the same. Is it just the over seas branding or something??? Like I say, I'll be looking into these over the next few months before I decide, finally! This whole thread is off topic, but I do that a lot I don't mind where this thread goes, as long as the Mods are happy! I didn't post it in the off topic section, becasue it seemed to fit MUCH better in the performance tuning area, and the actual ECU info I would like to hear is quite non-specific, so should be of help to others anyway. There are things about them that suit BMW models too, and things that don't. Some I have found will only run variable camshaft timing on the inlet cams, while others do both. Some can only operate it on 2 cams, some do 4. I need 4, 2 exhaust and 2 inlet, plus the lift control system too! This whole project is quite an expensive exercise... by the time this project is done, I'll have a van I paid $4500 for... that I will have spent about another 18K on, including the extras and mods done so far.... and it will still look like crap! A good chunk of the money will come from the sale of my other conversion though - it should nearly fund the parts of this entire project, but I'm then expecting about 150 hours of my time to complete the details. Will be faster than last time though! It is nearly part camper and it has some stealth mods and some not so stealth (like 16" steel rims that came new from mercedes, poptop roof, lowering springs, full suspension rebuild, added power steering, factory from lip spoiler, sliding windows all around, swivelling front seats etc...etc,etc,etc... ) It's a great cfamily camper that also seats 8 and I want it to be very practical. It'snot meant to make sense! Anyway... (was that off topic enough?!) The transmission drive is reversed by flipping the diff in the transmission, which is an old VW trick that's been done for years for mid mount engines, or from the factory even, in old Kombis with reduction boxes on the rear axle(2 big gears to raise the height and shorten gearing). The problem with the Subaru trans, is that it is a offset hypoid crownwheel/pinion arrangement. So to do it, you need a custom crownwheel and pinion shaft cut the opposite way, so that the teeth will mesh. These gears and output shaft flange adapters run about NZ$2800 currently.

It's a plastic BMW part. I bet they do just fall off

+1 leave it in a room with a dehumidifier for a while. water blast, shampoo with something (gentle scrubbing) then waterblast again. You'll be amazed at the colour of the water that comes off!

Manual 530i Touring would be awesome. I'd buy one of them for the Mrs if I could find a decent one (or one at all!)

AHA! See - I knew i'd get help. Hadn't found DTA, but will certainly have a look. I'll take recommendations on tuners too!More on features below... I don't have the engine yet, but I know henderson parts world can do them. May not be the cheapest at the end of the day, but when I need one, I probably won't have the luxury of waiting months to get a cheap good one. I thought I may as well spring the extra for the "R", since it sounds like aftermarket ECU is easier on all the EZ30's anyway. I haven't checked for price or availability, but I might do, for the 3.6L version too. All the other conversions I done, I've used the stock ECU's. The engine will be a while down the track, as I have to swap mine into the guys van I sold it too, then build a reverse diff'd Subaru trans to hang the EZ off. I do know the Link will do it, 6 injection channels and coil-on-plug for the 6 too, plus yes, the valve systems. I actually want to keep the drive-by-wire (the link will do it with another module for about $380+gst), because I currently have a 5.5 metre long throttle cable from the front of my van to the EJ25 - it's OK, but electronic would be much smoother (better control for drifting etc ) Thanks guys! Any other input welcome too

Hi all, this is a bit off topic, but I know this is probably a good place to ask I want to know what is a good brand of aftermarket ECU to use for a project. I'm thinking Link (G4 Xtreme does what I need), but I wonder if it's worth investigating some other brands, and where to have the final tune done. I'm based in Whangarei, abut will travel to Auckland if required, when the time comes for tuning. I really want good support and backup, as well as something most good tuners are happy to work with. It will be running a Subaru EZ30R 3.0 flat 6 in my VW Van, as I "accidently" sold the EJ25 Subaru conversion that's in there now. 200ish KW should be "adequate". Thanks Guys!

BBS cap tool please! Will PM!

Haha... my mate brought that from you :-) the economy readout on the OBC has never been as good as when he brought it I think he replaced the throttle with an on/off button. It has quite a hunger for thrust arm bushes - the genuine ones didn't last warrant to warrant. It's got a bit of milage (up to 270+ k now), but whiteline urethane bushes seem to be lasting ok. He just fitted new shocks a couple of weeks back too, as the originals (!) were practically gone. It sure is harsher than our motorsport suspension equipped sedan though!

Pics are cool Don't clean it. The classic ones look butch, the new ones look PANSY! If you clean it, it might start looking pansy.

I didn't get that far... were you bored?

Are the battery connections tight, and clean inside on the contact surfaces? dirty or poor connections can cause a bunch of weird issues!

Probably only on the import ones though... ... yeah right.

Is the OP's E38 liekly to be a Jap import with the IR keys? They are line of site, so have to aim it at the sensor. Euro version are RF, and don't care where you aim them.

Yeah, they changed to lifetime fill a few years back.....

Young guy up here has one with a wagon R turbo 1000cc engine. Goes awesome! 75Kw.

The motorway would be the most stupid place in the world to go, though really, there must be some weird reason for the crash - she SHOULD have been able to keep control of it with that weight in it. I bet someone in the car did something stupid.

Amateurs. We drove to town with 10 of us in my sisters Mini once. Didn't crash it though.

Rust was ONE of the issues... The dealer up here said that as part of the PD service, they had to send them to the panel beaters to have the rust in the doors fixed up I'm surpised how well the spoiler fits to be honest!

I got these: G9 LED replacements From deal extreme, for US$5.96 (3 price) and they are a nice warm colour - not quite like the incandecent ones, but very good for the bathroom. We used to only have 1 bulb in each set of 3 that ever worked, because as soon as you put 3 going ones in, they'd start blowing! The LED ones have been in for ages now, Heat is FAR lower, light is better. If I take into account the cost of continuously replacing halogens, they are very cost effective. Be aware that LEDs often are not dimmable.