Allanw

I checked with BMW parts here in Nelson yesterday and at a cost of $470 for a new key I need to save up.

Same key, WAY cheaper: Milland. Mine was under $320 (E39 diamond key). Genuine key, cut to your chassis number. You can get a non-remote one cheaper too - but you can keep your old one as a spare anyway.

There's a little procedure to program it to the car, but it's easy (check online, it took me 5 mins to do).

I saw a cast aluminium version of the factory ones..... somewhere... weren't cheap either! At least you'd never have to buy another!

The auto up/down can be programmed to work or not, dependant on which settings are laoded for that key. BMW or someone with the sftware can do it for you.

Whizz

It's what outboards have been doing for years! 175, 200, 225's are usually all the same displacement, just the cards and exhaust used to change. Now it ALL the same, and it's the ECU that does it.

Neighbour owns a marine repair shop / dry dock etc. He's the Volvo Penta agent. He can upgrade your 200HP Volvo Penta to a 400HP Volvo Penta using his computer. VOlvo charges his a lot to do it via the software, and he passes it along to the customer. Expect it to be available soon - Service, power upgrade and a new rear badge... $14000

It's a 1990 Australian Import

Doesn't really make sense... Maybe it was a beach tractor?

I guess being such an early car, the may not have had the processes sorted properly yet... I ALWAYS avoid the first few years of a new model (never buy new either though).

Found the 17,000km unicorn:

Shame... it's done nearly 20K now. Does that mean it's just a horse?

You can get a key from BMW Germany, they cut and code them to suit your car. Takes a couple of weeks though.

I've got a spare key on order from Paul at Milland.co.nz. It was more than $100 cheaper than the dealer, and comes from the same place (BMW Germany). You'll need some ID etc to prove ownership, but Paul will sort that out for you.

Sounds like you'll want to order at least 2 keys You can get a full remote, and just a plain key if you want to save some $.

Hi everyone, finally decided to buy a BMW and it's really a great car.

Thanks to alot of good advice provided by these forums I finally settled on a manual 335i.. dear god it's quick, and surprisingly fuel efficient.

love it!

Awesome! I hope new BMW buyers continue to order manuals so we'll have something to buy when they get down to sensible prices. BMW 6's make the best noises ever

Very nice looking car - It is quite impressive fuel economy from these things, considereing the weight and performance.

Quite an eye- opener as to how difficult it can be to get to where you want to live in Auckland.

No kidding!

It looks hard to get all those requirements in one place. The house prices down there are ridiculous!

Hi

New to this forum. Did one of those inane web searches for my chassis number when online using the Real OEM site to search for a part and came up with this discussion.

Thought I'd join up a I have owned e34 540i/6 BK35169 since 08.2006.

Cosmosschwartz metallic, leder bison/ schwartz, ASC, M sport sus, etc.

I love this car. An ongoing project and a keeper. Inside very tidy, outside some paint required but presentable. Mechanically very thoroughly maintained.

It's just turned over 200K km with ease

Keen to share knowledge and parts info on this car with other owners

Ashley

Wellington

MMMMMMMMM.... I tried desperately to get the Mrs keen on an E34 540i/6... She doesn't like them and doesn't "need" a V8. Who NEEDS a V8! It's a WANT!

Anyway... had to settle for a E39 525i - at least it's manual though!

Awesome car dude! keep it well looks after!

It was a limited run FWD production special. They decided pretty quick that they were crap and not worth continuing with, so sold the plans, specs and production equipment to Nissan.

Genuine BMW ones are extremely rare, they only made a couple before they realised their mistake, and no-one in their right mind ever bought one.

Clearly the "M" badge has been stolen off it's boot too! Bastards!

I'll just add before anyone says it.... No we didn't have the wheels off. We did the control arm bushes and lower arm bushes in place on the car without having to remove the wheels. We do all our cars like this. It was I that suggested to Yongxi to check his wheels.

I see what you did there - got in quick before someone gave you a bollocking for not using a torque wrench Teeheehee.

Hmmm... not all USB to RS232 cables work with the software, it seems.

A PCMCIA card adapter is more likely to work from What I hear, but it may be easier to load it onto a desktop which you can move close enough to the car, or borrow a laptop with a serial connector :-(

im a badass and just talk on my cellphone.

Just like everyone else

slooking smart!

Hello.

Wierd... Deja-vu...

scarily.

I have a friend whom has to hold their hands up to work out left and right when instructed of a direction to take whilst driving.

And yet... She can remember which way around to hold up her hands - palm up or palm down changes it... Dummer than a bag of hammers

Or try these guys:

Headlight recoating

If I removed them and dropped them is was $145, or $180 (I think) on the car. They replace the UV coating which protect the polycarbonate.

I brought new ones though. $645 for genuine Hella angeleyes

..., and I knew another guy through work who wasn't so lucky when a truck wheel landed on his windscreen.

Which is why trucks now have to be torqued and have pointers installed - to visually see if the nuts are moving.

There is a reason why the torque is specified. If a person doesn't torque wheel nuts, why would they torque head bolts. Just rattle 'em, they'll be fine. Right?

something I should've done from the very beginning lol

the amount I've spent on my car I could've easily afforded an M3 and had spare $$ left over for mods or an inspection II service lol

But if you'd bought the M3, you'd still have ended up spending the same money on it... It just happens

Ones that have been lowered on stiff springs and shocks can 'mushroom' the strut towers - look it up on google and you'll see what i mean.

Actually - any of the suspension can do it too! My 525 with fatory motorsport suspension had done it, as the shocks were poked. The bumpstops had worn down to nothing (one was actually gone!). I made a 10mm thich plate and fitted it to the strut top to raise the car 10mm, AND strengthen the tower - plus a strut brace on top to sandwich the tower in. The strut top mount is alloy too, so is very easy to bend and provides no support to the tower.

Beisen systems do a slightly thicker spacer that quietens down the Vanos gears - quit a lot cheaper than a "proper" rebuild.

A friend has an NZ new 540i Touring. He's just rebuilt the motor at 265kms - it had an oil consumption issue from the oil separator self destructing (it was basically powder) and the timing chain tensioner was basically worn right through and at least one end had snapped off and disappeared!

The are an impressive motor though!

You'll want to get the trans serviced, with the correct oil and a genuine BMW filter (cost is irellevant anyway - you hardly ever change them). It's probably never been done, as they are "sealed for life" which means BMW won't pay to change that oil under warranty as part of the free servicing introduced for some markets!

but it would be more beneficial to know the miles on the motor / box / diff, etc.

Only if they all came from the same car as the cluster

Seems the mentality of some people will tarnish the good car enthusiasts.

Seems to apply more to some makes than others.

Got them all right except one, I refuse to give way to cyclists regardless of the give way rules. Maybe when they pay registration and don't ride so slow

That's some good logic right there...

So when you start paying as much as a truck or bus, then they will have to give way to you??? But not until then.

You also don't give way to old ladies crossing the road? She's got no plates either.

If EVERYONE drove their car with one person in it, instead of any alternative, you'd be going a LOT slower!