Allanw

Not on this one It's the proper stock exhaust burble from those pipes that were on all the 325i SE's.

I was walking with a workmate to another building here at the hospital, and I was saying something about Dads E30. He thought I was joking when I paused and said "He's here! I can hear it" I looked around for a bit, and he'd just pulled out onto the road we watched him drive away My workmate thinks I'm a freak!

If you're getting hideous consumption in an E39, check this: http://bimmersport.co.nz/topic/47848-e39-obc-secret-menu-ktmp-coolant-temperature/?hl=%2Bsecret+%2Bobc+%2Bmenu The temp gauge on the E39 is about as useful as those blue and red lights on a Yaris - The read normal even when the engine is cold or hot. if it's running just a bit cold, it'll eat gas. It's like short trips eat gas, as the engine never gets to temp.

According to carjam, the odometer is in KMS (which is really simple to change on these - just software), but it's not the first time carjam has been wrong. The 535i was still only a 5 speed manual wasn't it (doesn't really matter - still not auto!)

so... fixed! No need for the Universal German Car Repair Procedure:

Big job! May as well supercharge it and do a manaul conversion too

Agree on the updates. Just because we don't reply heaps, doesn't mean we aren't interested/watching. I'd been fiddling with VW stuff, though not quit as in depth. Reading EEPROMs and altering IMMO pins etc, so it's cool to see stuff like this. Keep it up!

Code it to flash the indicators when locking, then set angels as additional turn signals. Easy (with BMW Scanner 1.4, or NCS). I ca do it for you... but the 10 hour drive is more expensive than the software costs: http://www.xcar360.com/bmw-scanner-1-4-0-car-diagnostic-interface-tool-code-reader.html US$29.99

but aren't in an E39

^^^ Everyone However, they are a pretty good car. The ecomomy difference in these compared to the V8's is actually pretty good, but they are not fast! Basically you either buy the 728i, or the 740i. Or V12... but that's whole different car (some said that once... ) The smaller V8's (3.0 and 3.5) have basically the same fuel costs and maintenance as the 740i (sometimes worse even!), without the go. The 728i probably goes better than most expect too - it's faster than the 3.0 V8 730i in most situations.

Most of the cheap angle eye LEDs will "strobe" during bulb checks, and its dangerous and looks ghey. Mine were about $20 from ebay 2 or 3 years ago. They strobed initially, so I fitted the LCM4 to stop it because the flashing while driving on dull day made a few people wave at me while looking blankly at me... and there is a possibility that someone may think you're giving way to them, and they pull into your path causing an accident... which could potentially be blamed on you. If you survive. The strobe occurs several times at start up and then every so often while driving (a minute???) one light, then the other. It looks arse. More expensive ones SOMETIMES don't (Mtec? don't, but are about $100 or something), but you need to check. "Error free" or "Can bus compatible" does NOT mean they won't strobe, it means they won't cause bulb out errors. You can code out the errors anyway, but the ONLY way to code out the strobe from the checks is to upgrade to an LCM4 from a late E39, or an E53 X5. You can also try a myriad of capacitors and relays etc, that work for SOME people. You can't code them as DRL's, you have to rewire them for that to happen. You can't really get enough light out of them to bother having them as DRL anyway - they basically look OFF unless it's a dull day. The fibreoptics in the lights don't allow enough light around, regardless of the bulb brightness. They'll never look like the more modern BMW's without a lot of work. You can set them as additional turn signals though.

I'd say 530i then 525i, in that order.

Oh yeah^^^^^ Massive essay

The engine size has very little to do with economy. The car weight makes the most difference. Even the V8's are very good if they're driving similarly. The 520i's don't save fuel at all in real life usage, and may even use more at times - more passengers etc, with it working harder. The facelift 520i's are actually a 2.2 which is WAY better than the earlier 2.0 ones. Be aware that Jap import pre-facelift 523i's are badged 525i, but aren't anything like a facelift 525i. Some facelifts are registered as year 2000, but are actually 2001 models. The 525i and 530i are good allrounders, with generally lower running costs than the V8's. I'd look at them, and not the 520i. Our 525i is factory manual, and I can tell you it's a FAR better drive than an auto one when you want to push it a bit. You can take advantage of the torque in the manual box, where the auto box will just downshift and rev, unless you stick it in tiptronic. However, if you're only after Auto, I wouldn't even consider the 2.0, unless it was way cheaper to buy or something - you won't be saving anything in running costs. My wife somehow manages to average around 11L/100kms, where I did 9.something while she was overseas, and I did the same run: drop kids off, drive across town to work and back again. She's a gas on, gas off, brake on, brake off, gas on etc driver . I drive faster, but l more consistant. I did a run from Whangarei to Warkworth by myself, and got it down to 7.0L/100kms, travelling at normal speeds, but trying to squeeze some economy out of it (by myself). On a run with the family in the car, I got 8.2L/100kms heading up to Bay of Islands - not really economical roads, so pretty good really. AC is ALWAYS on auto too. I'd expect a 530i to average a tiny bit higher consumption than a 525i, and i wouldn't be at all surprised if the 520i was at least as hungry, or even hungrier. Like in E30's, the 320i auto used more fuel than both the 318i and 325i in most circumstances. On Fuelly, which isn't enitely sceintific, but had a pile of data that should give a good enough "average" 6x 2003 520i average 11.6L/100kms over 100,000kms (one of them appears to be a 2004 E60 though, and there are no other facelift 520is on there, excpet 2003) 30x facelift 525i average 10.9L/100kms over 350,000kms 43x facelift 530i average 10.1L/100kms over 920,000kms 32x facelift 540i average 12.2L/100kms over 442,000kms So that suggests the 530i is the better allrounder, considering likely lower running costs, though if you like power, the 540i isn't going to kill you (unless the timing chain fails!)

Yeah - it stopped a while ago, and I'm damned it I can find it anywhere else on the site. Some of the other sites might still work though. You may find it'll become something they'll charge us for, like VW's erwin

Glenn from Botany Motor Worx is on here a fair bit. I have some vague recollection of MAF probelms, Crank Sensor Problems and variable turbo vane actuators being liekly culprits, though you'd need to see what codes were logged and what it shows during driving. There aren't too many diesels in NZ, so the knowledge base is going to be a lot smaller than overseas.

Glove box torch charging socket is an easy one.

I vote R32 conversion.

The 728i isn't as slow as most think, because it's geared lower to compensate. They are surprisingly cheap to run too. It's not like you're going to be driving it at high speed on an autobahn, so the acceleration is OK for most NZ conditions. Of course after a V8, it will be dissapointing. Basically with an E38, you either get the 728i, or a 740i (or 750i, if you're into that!). The 730i (V8) is slower and hungrier, and the 735i (V8) is as hungry as the 740i, slower and has the same maintainance costs. The late M52TU 2.8 (as a 2001 will be) is a lot better than the earlier E38 728i with the M52.

I though you were going to post something cool when it said Caddy:

Good result really! Not too major compared to what the options could have been! They really should quote GST inclusive - you have to pay it - it's not like they're wholesaling stuff to other businesses as their main line of work...

It makes the coffee taste better for one thing!

Ha - I thought that too. OOps. We all are - when we think we know everything, someone changes the rules (or you have kids, and they really DO know everything!)

I agree - just because you can't hear pre-ignition, doesn't mean it isn't there... and it's potentially worse, because you can't hear it, you don't back off the throttle. Over a long period, it can do damage too.

Yes. you asked . Seriously though - they'll probably look cheap/nasty/ghey in real life: $300+ can probably be spend on something that's poked: Cooling, suspension, cup holders, headlights, Vanos etc