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Thanks. I am not going to be playing amateur mechanic. I just like to be informed so when my car guys talk to me about stuff I have a rough idea of what theyre saying. Wading through squillions of google posts is a waste of time to find the nuggets of info amongst tha manure. I am also looking to find out what OEM parts have been used , are any good etc so I can order stuff myself for my mechanic to put in. For some reason the BMW garages here will only insert factory stuff sold by themselves and local garages will try and flog other e38 junk used parts from the wreckers. I have yet to find a mechanic that is competent with a BMW here in Auckland that will not want to clip the ticket on parts and its becoming a pain in the proverbial that quality new parts can be imported from europe/usa cheaper than wreckers yard junk. So if my queries seem boring and unsexy then please dont answer if the answer isnt going to be constructive or positive. I'm not using this forum because I know heaps of shi.t I am on here because I dont.

Part of the question is asking what OEM manufacturers names are considered to be just as good as those with the BMW stamp on them but without the BMW price hike.... For a heavy car like this I would imagine this is a sensible question to ask?

great help... if dr google is the response then why bother?

yeah... its just EDC shocks are 800 euros a corner on ebay

OK, so now I am really confused. My car tirns out to have EDC Does this mean I am stuck with the super expensive shock/strut replacements or can one fit 'regular' shocks? Whats involved and what effect does it have if one replaces EDC with 'regular'? Please use simple English,., I am obtuse when it comes to car parts. Thanks

I have found Milland to be frustratingly slow to reply to queries so I cant be bothered dealing with him. Surely its not hard to answer an email or a message left through trade me in a timely manner? Rant over.

surely for most car enthusiasts this is a simple question to answer?

no one seems to like sensible unsexy questions?

OK, I am seeking to refresh my shocks. My car is the e38 728. It is a family sedan. No interest in racing. I have come across Meyle shocks. For both rear and front shocks I can get these new for about NZD $400 plus shipping etc Meyle is a BMW supplier so why wouldn't they be as good as the Sachs Boge already on the car? Am I missing something here? The price is awesome. Cheers

If youre paying someone to skim the brake discs you might as well buy new discs. Not much difference price wise.

Where did you get your kit from Jared? HAs anyone had original factory shocks reconditioned? Who did it? And is it false economy spending money on reconditioning such parts? Cheers

Hello... When I reverse the car out of a car park with the steering wheek cranked all the way to one side I get a nasty clanking noise that I assumed would be a CV ball joint... but the parts guys at BMW tell me there is no such thing on the front of a beamer... any ideas here? cheers

For me I replaced the front brake discs and instant result

Yeah, main reason is to refresh the factory ones I have on. Its for a family sedan not a ridiculous boy racer monkey machine... The front end doesnt feel 'fresh' despite new tyres and some new suspension components... and the back right side I get a bit of a 'swoosh' sound when going over speed bumps... I dont mind a little lowering as I think the factory standard set up is a little too high... so basically a fresh up for a comfortable ride... Oh, and what other models of BMWs or other cars would have the same suspension set up to my e38? Thanks

does anyone know who may be able to offer full sets of used suspensions taken off relatively new cars imported into nz? not everyone who buys a relatively new car wants the boring factory stuff so they would replace this with a more upmarket set... so i assume somewhere out there are importers or suspension shops that take off perfectly good sets and sell them on... only who does this? any ideas? cheers klaus

good afternoon... are there any good quality alternatives for cv joint boots for a 7 series e38? anyone know where to get them from? alternatively, can anyone suggest who may have 'factory' ones at a sensible price? thanks klaus

Oh, and who are BMW official partners for rebuilds? One mention was Auto Trans in Grafton with BMWorkshop... anyone know who McMillans use?

Now... I dont mean to be ungrateful... but may I ask if the names thrown around are by personal experience with a rebuild (and hence happy? unhappy?) or are the names being suggested as they appear on a google search? I have no idea how to tell a 'good' shop from an average shop, apart from the obvious trade associations they have. Again, thanks for the Takanini update... but they dont really promote that they do luxury euro cars... I dont know if that is important or not. But I assume since a rebuild for a bmw costs twice as much as for a honda there must be a difference. BMW wont comment on where to buy reconditioned units as they want to sell you a new one or refer you on and clip the ticket for a rebuild. Which is strange... since I got a Honda reconditioned Honda tranny from Honda here in NZ about 12 years ago when my recently out of warranty Accord died...

Adeeb... if you would be so kind so check your BMWorkshop receipt to see who did the tranny work. Would be awesome. I should also mention, I am only interested in considering a refurb by proper trade association members... I googled Terry Moon Takanini and nothing comes up. I am not looking for the cheapest solution but I am looking for viable alternatives to simply buying a new tranny... hence the question who does quality refurbs and who sells quality reconditioned units. Thanks in anticipation of more feedback!

Hello, For an E38 auto tranny rebuild who can you recommend in Auckland? Who sells reconditioned trannys in NZ? I don't want second hand...ie someone elses junk... but $6000 for a new one at BMW raises these questions... Thanks Klaus

fellas... your email details are incorrect... any chance you could update ? cheers

Thanks fellas. Great advice.

Thanks. I am trying to free myself from the shackles of having to pay the Newmarket BMW guys twice the amount for parts that cost half the price at a main dealer in europe. And since many companies supply parts that are then branded 'BMW' then there must be more economical options available. I dont mind paying extra for local but when brake pads cost $300in europe at any BMW dealer for a full set but $600 in Newmarket BMW...then that is almost criminal. Have you used any european (british or german) parts suppliers that ship to NZ? And has your experience with Pelican or Milland been favourable? Thanks

The radio amp is faulty. Keeps cutting out. On occasion the head unit flickers. CD works fine. Even the tape deck works fine. Sat Nav is original and I havent updated as use Garmin on dashboard. Question is... can I have the amp removed and replaced with standard amp from audio shop without a full rewire or recode? Or to replace the head unit 16:9... dont modern ones have a built in amp, making the original factory one obselete? I am after a nice sounding system but dont need fancy. Who can folks recommend in Auckland to sort me out. The guys in Newmarket quoted $700 to remove old amp/cd changer/head unit and rewire (leaving in current speakers) and replace head unit. This estimate does not include the cost of the head unit... no fancy upgrades were requested, no fancy amps or woofers etc etc... just the labour to remove the old and replace with a simple headunti. Does this sound like the very top end of pricing or are there quality alternatives. I have no idea if this is a 7 hour job or not. Cheers

crikey...seems very quiet on this forum... can anyone advise where to obtain the best priced brake pads for a 7 series? either factory original or quality alternative. NOTHING made in China or Brasil etc. with regards to brak pad sensors... if one replaces the pads before the sensors are activated do you need new sensors replaced at the time of new pad replacement? or are the 'old' sensors still good to go? cheers