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Another update on this, since I did it, it has flickered with LED lights on the stop lights, and thrown bulb faults on the indicators. Since I had wired the US receptacle in parrallel with our 7pin flat style one, I made a dummy plug with resistors on indicators and stop lights. This solved the indicator showing as bulb faults, but still had flickering stop lights, read somewhere this could be due to the test pulses checking the top lights on the car's bulbs (the trailer module takes the brake signal in through a wire connected to the brake lights) and that taking it from the high stop light is a better option since there is a filter on it. Sure enough, moving that wire got rid of the flashing stop lights. So now it works all good!

Well the trailer module didn't quite last 2 years. Hopefully it was just a dodgy specific module rather than a 2-year consumable! Just put another one in and it works, so will make use of the FCP Euro returns policy. Will put the reverse light in while I'm doing things... And also drop the pinout here in case others are going through the same process.

As per picture, I think this module has failed. Looking for a replacement.

Update on this is the 16in rim didn't clear the caliper (about 10-25mm out), and 18in rims tend to be wider so the tyre availability isn't there in the narrow (205mm) range that would fit in the stock tyre hole. Even the OEM spare rim tyre size isn't showing up. So I've decided to get some of the standard size 255 (too late on the above offer unfortunately) and lift the boot floor to suit, hopefully I'll be able to make it fit in well with the original design, the OEM plastic tray thing should hide a few sins anyway! The 50mm lift should add space for a few tool trays as well, handy for my work/hobbies.

Got my x5 regassed in Nov prior to summer road trips, as it was only blowing slightly cool on the passenger side so quite low, was $350 including vac test, I don't think there was a nitrogen pressure test in there, likely they just checked it held pressure with the refrigerant gas refill. Not the best on the wallet at the time, but having them vac/test it makes it pretty likely it'll last another 10 years I reckon, so not bad value. Especially with an upcoming 5 hour trip with a 2month old...

2k for a quick sale is a pretty good deal! Collected an engine and trans for a darn sight more than that last year...

Thanks @Family Wagon, but I should have mentioned I'm looking for a spare that could fit in the spare tire hole in the boot, which by my measuring is only good for a 205mm wide option.

As in title, ideally OEM spare, which appears to be a bit over $300NZD for the rim plus shipping from FCP euro, which sets approx price range I'm thinking. Unsure on cross-fitment, open to any suggestions. As far as I can tell it's a 120x5 PCD and 8in wide rim, spare is an 18in. Might be able to get away with a 17 or 16in (22s on at the moment have around 65mm clearance so the 16s would be very tight), far more common and reboring the center bore is a fairly easy job, but figure it's worth seeing what is around first... Course now I'm thinking about how good those e36 style 45s I have sitting around would look in matt black with some off road tyres and a lift kit... 🤣

E36 did square-ish design language right, this one, not so much, too much contrast between the intakes/etc and the rest of the bodywork. Performance body kit looks a bit better as it leans into this contrast a bit more and makes it seem more deliberate. A lot to be desired in their new design language overall I feel, then again, I'm probably not the target audience... ... and then there is the naming scheme, M2 is bigger/heavier than the M3s of old, where's the super sporty, lightweight, nimble handling option. Humbugs be bah'd!

Check for a round connector (aka pacman connector) under the bonnet. You can figure out if it is the old interface type OBD1, aka ADS (requiring a special tool) or the OBD2 type which just needs an adapter (which are pretty cheap and I may even have a spare I can send you). This link seems to describe it well https://www.car-auto-repair.com/bmw-obd1-obd2-and-ads-socket-knowledge-introduction/

A stone (1000+grit) with some oil will take off the high spots if the scratches have left any, though mostly it looks ok, I wouldn't go with sandpaper for anything more than a light go, as it's more likely to create an uneven surface. But yeh, would have expected better from a machine shop, presuming it was in better condition when it was dropped off to them, I wouldn't expect them to fix those surfaces if they were already like that.

But if the duck has the $$$, give him the car! I think just go straight to setting criteria for the cash in hand, buyer to seller meet, it's a real quick way to let scammers know it isn't worth their time...

What, like 10 years? So we should instead go back to being influence by the oil industry? Our energy production technologies isn't ready for widespread FCEV, it's just not energy efficient enough to produce clean hydrogen yet, so we still rely on the oil industry to produce the Gray/Blue hydrogen in vastly greater quantities than the Green hydrogen which would actually offer significant climate change benefits vs a petrol car. But hey, something to be said for slacktivism right! FCEV's currently cover both sides of the coin, they're able to be used with renewable energy created elsewhere like a BEV, or from non-renewable sources like dino-burners. The technology offers some benefits in range and 'recharge' time but efficiency is key in so many applications. Long term FCEVs will be a dead end the same way that Lithium Ion batteries will be, but both systems are stepping stones in the right direction, and we're seeing a lot of innovation that comes with exploration of newer technologies that can only benefit the industry/products/consumers overall. To be clear though, Elon needs to pull his head out of his arse, and drop the battery semi truck idea until techology catches up.

Let's not overlook any congestion effects, stop/start faffing around getting off the lights slowing up the car behind, surely that's a net increase in fuel being used?

Pantographs is a pretty cool idea, wonder if we'll see a more modern incarnation with wireless charging embedded into the roads... Could be some interesting side benefits, microwave a few possums for pest control, or electromagnets up some extra downforce for lane-assistance

Problem with electric cars is they need high peak load to be charged, problem with distributed generation is they don't produce all the time... maybe there is something that balances there? We've looked at DG at home, there's a huge opportunity to incentivize and improve grid loadings via distributed generation and storage (already cars on the market that can feed back in and power your home) for the best technical outcome, however the payback/pricing structure makes it a waste of time. Conversion losses when storing it in batteries aren't great, maybe 10% round trip, though having generation closer to consumption removes grid load so you'd see less grid losses, maybe a few percent. Guess it depends how good the grid storage is whether it is worth it, not sure if we waste anything much during peaks with all our hydro... I think the ability for the grid managers to control the large loads is a good idea, taxing it any different to other electricity usage isn't though.

Few people at work muttering around the e-bikes and whatnot, one got a 6k pedly, might be a few L to pay off that! Motorcycle tipped over the 40$ mark to fill this week, still gives two weeks of commute though, not the greatest in the rain though... Brand new ranger at work, still felt like it was years behind my e70... Sales pitch must be like, 'is ute, is ford, sold'

These are strange economic times we live in. Seems like pricing on so many different things is getting so far distant from what the cost of said thing is. The oligopolies and taxation seem hard at play for fuel pricing. But in contrast to many things, incentivizing less driving is of benefit to wider society, reduce congestion on the road, free up our time from commuting, help the polar bears. I don't see much likelihood of what has driven the pricing up being reversed either, sure there might be some reductions in the overall upwards trend, but as Julian said, $1000 per tank is probably on the horizon, sh*t I'm a quarter of the way there already with the X5.

I haven't done the suspension on mine yet, done wheels and manual conversion though (would recommend LSD too). Wheels are Style 194s powder coated bronze, 17s with a bit of stretch on the rear to account for the staggered widths. Gearbox is a G220 with a single mass flywheel, it's a cheaper box but seems good for the stock M52b28 engine, clutch I got is a bit heavy so might be something to watch for.

Like others, I see the main environmental challenge to Hydrogen in its production, not its distribution and consumption, but the private car market is massive so I'm sure it's prudent for technology to develop on the other aspects of the problem. Also worth noting, just because it is Hydrogen, and electric motors, doesn't mean it's all about the environment. Hydrogen power density is huge, as are electric drivetrains, batteries let down the system. 100kg gets you 250kW out of the fuel cell, add another 150kg of motors and drives gets you a good megawatt of power to the road, another 100 for supercaps and battery buffer to hit the motor peak power, 50kg for a hydrogen storage tank and you probably got 1000km of range. 1:1:1 kw to kg to km-range? Pretty sure there's a market for that despite hydrogen being the fuel, hell, if you had to juice dolphins for the tank I'd expect there'd still be a market... Is it any more of a disaster than other ship fires? I get that lithium fires are pretty hard to put out, but do they release more harmful gases etc than anything else?

Be interested to see how you get on, bought a very similar 95 328 about 6 years ago for 4.5k. One of the bugbears I've had with mine is it is OBD1 rather than OBD2, so that could be a selling point, as is the nice wing, rims, msport suspension/seats and paintwork.

Haha, I'm still a ways off it yet, gotta clear out a few other projects, and save up some coin...

Good stuff guys, I have an M54B30 in my garage awaiting a rebuild so shall watch for any tips and trick here

I think it's the potential fatigue of the top mount chassis steel. I wonder if you'd get further with a cage that mounts to the shocks, to spread the load away from the thin chassis steel.

I've found the Rheingold ISTA to be fairly easy to instal and such. But I haven't done heaps in ISTA, I mostly use NCSexpert and INPA to be more useful for the detailed stuff on E series.