ease2underpants

540 is the best car I've ever owned (I've owned 25 cars over the years). Deep pockets required though.

last time I had my MY2000 540 up at Manfeild, the auto box started playing up in the afternoon. Between 130 & 150 it was taking about 2 seconds to change up (presumably 3rd to 4th?) and then with a big shudder/thump when it did. I took the car off the track and left it be for the rest of the afternoon. It drove absolutely fine all the way home, and has since been up to Taupo & back from Wellington. Is it likely the problem was overheating or something, or is it a more permanent issue that I'm not seeing because I'm not getting the car up to track speeds? Any advice would be appreciated - I've searched the forums and can't find any similar problems reported.

Just a reminder to get your entries in now. Put "Bimmersport forum" in the box for Group on the entry form and it's $150. Looking forward to hooning the 540 again after the dreary Xmas driving!

Cut off depends on numbers. Probably early-January but I'll post up here if we need to commit earlier.

Here is a link to the entry form. Put Bimmersport in the Group Booking Reference and it's $150. http://www.trackdays.co.nz/Entry%20Form/TXPENTRYFORMFebruary22014.pdf

Excellent - one more and we are there! In terms of $h1ts and giggles, certainly is. Make sure you've got great pads and recently changed brake fluid though. I used Bendix CT pads and they were pretty good. Any better recommendations on pads?

If we can get five people together from the forum, Trackday XP will give us the group $150 per car rate for their next trackday at Manfeild. It's also $80 for second drivers in the same car and $20 for any spectators. You get morning tea and lunch. I've done a couple with them now - they are very well run and you get loads of laps. My missus and me did 261km (79 laps) last time! It's a nice informal day but it's not a race - no overtaking under braking, which basically means no overtaking through the corners. Let me know and I'll sort out entry forms etc. Russell has asked that we individually join through his website at www.trackdays.co.nz

Bought the grom from grom audio themselves off their US website. They ship to NZ. I don't have the Bluetooth one, just the android compatible one and my music is on a USB stick. It's not the most reliable bit of kit - needs frequent reboots and the display is crap. It does the job but it's hard to recommend. Very fussy on formats too - you can't mix mp3 and wma in the same folder for instance.

Missed the Saturday run - unbelievably the car is still off the road with alternator dramas. Cut a long story short, opted for a rebuilt one off trade me, started grinding and wailing on start up so pulled it out again, sent back to AKL for another rebuild, tested it today out the box and can still feel bearings or something dragging as I rotated it by hand. Going for a new one now at $$$$$$$. Thanks for the tip on the cooling. The radiator looks in amazing condition but the shrouding etc. is very perished which probably means all the other plastic components are on the way out. BTW, mulling over getting an E30 for the 2k race series.....

Looking through the Tui Brewery link, it is the Upper Hutt Caltex at 8:45am on Sat if I do get the car back on the road?

Unfortunately it's still at the workshop getting the alternator replaced. May be back on the road by Sat, but I doubt it.

It's the high one.

I took my 540 up to Manfeild last month and had a blast. Before I went I had the brake fluid changed and put in Bendix CT pads. I was doing 10+ hard laps at a time with no fade, and did over 70 laps throughout the day - then drove home that evening. Yes it's heavy, yes you need to brake early, but it performed amazingly.

Hi all, Finally got the car I'd always wanted in Jan this year. I have been hanging my nose over E39s since driving a friend of my brother's 535 back in 2001. A 1$ no-reserve auction on trademe finally got me there. It's a 2000 540i. Seems to have had a fairly easy life, with only 78,000km on it when I got it. A bit of Vanos noise and some dead pixels on the OBC but that was about it. I've replaced the OBC panel, fitted a grom audio unit to replace the CD player and upgraded the rear anti-sway bar. Apart from a seized alternator it's been pretty reliable so far.