Allanw

But if the sensor bypass unit is telling the car that the sensor is there, but no passenger is there (like some of the eBay ones do) then it won't go off - Dodgy.

IF you do the occupancy sensor bypass, you will probably want to check (INPA?) That it senses the seat is occupied. On the UK forums, many have discoveredthe eBay bypasses get rid of the light, but DON'T tell the car that there is someone there - so the airbag doesn't go off! It MUST be set to say there is someone in the seat, otherwise there's no protection. I don't think it's so much the weight that's the issue, more people kneeling on the seat etc, putting a lot of weight in a small spot. Personally, I'd fix it and tell people not to kneel on the seat. Even after checking with the software, I'd still be worried the Bypass wouldn't work and have no airbag at accident time Car sounds like a good deal. 540i's are awesome. Shame there's not more manual ones, Or I'd have waited to find one

Australia is listed, NZ can't be to hard for them to do. Group buy anyone? I've seen osme good US reviews on them too.

Not according to BMW - facelift E39's were all 2001 models. That's what they made them as, and what they come up as in EKTA. So when I look for parts, I have to look for 2001, not 2000, otherwise I'll be looking at an M52TU powered, non facelift car. I'm sure it confuses a lot of people when they go parts hunting.

Noooooooooooooooooooooo! Buying a new one???

Genuine Xenon Retrofit kit arrived Installed the lights - Awesome , now just have to do the self levelling loom install - Prolly another hour or two if I fit it through the car interior The lights only took 25 mins for the pair.

Wow - that's expensive though! On Ebay, there was a guy who would paint it to code, and ship to NZ all for NZ$750 - but didn't include the extra kidney grilles. Dunno how good the paint job would be - pics looked OK from memory. I'm still tempted to order one sometimes, but the Mrs prefers the standard bumper

They seem to have the first rego year... my E39 is a 2001 Model (facelift) but was built november 2000... so it says 2000, even though 2001 Models start in september 2000 for BMW.

Well, at least he doesn't look like you Congrats dude! I have number 2 coming in August. WHY OH WHY are we doing it again... Glad all is well. Enjoy it! Having much time off? I should have five-ish weeks by then! Awesome!

Can't be as confusing and me and "Allan" ! Welcome, BTW. I wanted an E38 728i or 740i, but the Mrs thought they were too big

So it's not an M3? At least she's not STILL trying to pass it off as an M3, like the "other" one, which is M3 running gear, but has the Vin from a 318i!

Sounds like a drive shaft vibration, and the bearing carrier or similar is vibrating against something sound like the body work, but itmight sound different because of the microphone. Maybe when the mounts were done, it has moved the position a bit??? Or something wasn't tightened. I had the same thing on deceleration is a subaru once, and the bearing carrier was loose on it's mount on one side.

Not really, if you wrap them in plastic, tightly, might be $50 or so - Seats are quite big.

I can't go on you tube at work, so will have to look later. I don't mind coming to work, it's the 8 hour wait to go home that's a pain in the butt.

I think mine were less, from Milland. $29??? Maybe? It's cheap in the scheme of things Certainly cheaper than other bits. If you're going to spent shitloads, you may as well go the whole hog and really get yourself in trouble. My Mate recently upset his wife, because he spent on his 540i touring, what our 525i cost us to buy! He's not quite divorced

Mainfreight, they can deliver them to the CHCH depot, and he can collect them there - makes it a lot cheaper.

I brought a cheapy strut brace to help reinforce the strut towers - Was $100 from a sponser on here... can't remeber who though The metal plate just helps sandwich the tower in between the tophat, and gives it more strength. I was raising mine up a bit, so I have a 10mm aluminium plate under the tower also. Buy new bumpstops too! If the tower is mushroomed, the bumpstops will be poked!, they're cheap enough, as are new boots.

Zionsville to an all alloy radiator for them, but it's $$$ Someone here could make you one - do you have the normal hose conenctors, or the quick fit later type? We put a replacement Nissens unit in Dads E30, it lasted about 8years - the lower fins started to corrode (wasn't leaking yet, but didn't want it too!), and we recently put in another one, about 2 years ago. Whatever you get will prolly only do the life of the original OEM ones, unless you go alloy, which are mega-dollars for a good one, and it can still corrode. Put a good plastic one in, and plan on doing it again it 8 years or so. Use the correct coolant too!

Bummer dude! You know 4WD's/SUVs are arse in snow, right? Sounds like Subaru time, or maybe X5!

Leave them is the sun, out of the car, until the glue heats up, so you can get the fronts off. There's a bit of work involved. I've just got a set of brand new genuine Hella xenons on the way - if you want brand new complete units, they're about NZ$1400, but they come with the ballasts etc, which you already have (I only know of one set at that price though). A brand new set of Halogens is now about $800 plus courier. Prolly worth repairing if they're in otherwise good condition.

Shame you aren't still up here - I'd be straight back there!

The gauges have a designed "normal" range. The engine temp fluctuates, and the "normal" position is always displyed over a range of engine temperatures. I know the gauge in M54 powered cars shows normal over a very wide temperature range - seemingly from mid 70's to abou 115C! Hence their intolerance to being "overheated"! An E30 probably doesn't show "normal" until it's near or into the 80's, so might actually show normal much later than an M54 powered car, even though the M54 is actually at a cooler temp. I guess the short answer is that the gauges are NOT linear. Older cars used to show the temperature fluctuations of the engines, but it started to worry people, so the curve of the gauge was altered to hide them.

SWEET! "It makes it safer AND more fuel efficient, Sweetie" I went for the carbon, cost an extra $75, but it really cuts out the heat - I had to turn the temp on the AC up driving home, and you can see out really easy in the dark - Had to go to the shop earlier tonight, in the pissing rain! Took about 40 mins to do! I was stunned. Looks really tidy. I did remove the rear parcel tray for them though, as the fabric is a bit loose on it and I didn't want it to get knackered... of course when I removed the 3 car seat tethers, the threads stripped! Lucky the mate I'm staying with is a engineer (has a 540i Touring and E21 "race car" project). So I re-tapped them all and fitted high tensile cap screws. I pulled the fuses for the windows... but it kills the central locking. I hope the Mrs remembers not to move the windows! Shitty phone pic... I wish I'd taken it AFTER I'd washed it - covered in road grime from the drive down!

I got Sachs (oem) motorsport fronts from Paul at Milland.co.nz for our 6cylinder. I THINK they were about 275+gst??? Could be wrong though. Be aware that E39's are known for bending the strut top hat, and mushrooming the shock towers - that could be the cuase of some of your rake - especially if the car is on harder springs. I fitted a 10mm spacer to lift the front of the car, and it came up 20mm, because of the bent parts I replaced.

I'm sitting in the Car Folie waiting room, while the E39 gets it's tints done I told the Mrs it makes it way better for the kids, and is much safer. I wasn't sure I could get away with telling her it makes it more fuel efficient though...