bekker

Hey everybody, Wondering if people can please recommend any panelbeaters in Wellington. Neighbour backed into my 5 and I figure I'm going to need some quotes. I wont be paying, so I'm after a quality job, not a cheap job. Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Cheers.

Have a look right at the top of this forum 0800 brakes These guys are great. They stock good product, know what they are talking about and wont sell you something you dont need. I bought some pads from them recently, Pagid. Very happy. You dont need to pay dealer prices for pads, but I would avoid anybody advertising pad replacement for low prices. You get what you pay for with brake pads and BMW's (IMO) are a little bit fussy about which ones work best. Sensor - cheap enough from the dealer, about $15 from memory. Mines an E28 525ee. Good luck.

Hi, Can someone save this? http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.as...amp;permanent=0 I'd dearly love to but simply cant afford it at the moment. It's in Auckland but sounds like the seller might chuck it on a truck for someone. M535i replica anyone? (and before someone points it out I know they were post facelift). Cheers.

Sorry, should have said, I only notice it when I'm stationary, like at the lights. It may happen at other times too but its not significant enough to be able to tell. Cheers.

Hi, Does anybody know what might be causing a little pulse and clicking sound, about every 5 seconds that I feel only through the brake pedal? Its an 88 525ee and it does not have ABS. Any thoughts? Cheers.

I really like Penrite oils. They're an Australian company and their products stack up very well. I think they are very good value for money too. Check out www.penrite.com.au and they will put you in touch with the rep, or I believe Pioneer auto parts stock their better products. Some products are sold at Supercheap auto. Good luck!

Yip, thats the one! Cheers Will, appreciate that. Thanks.

Does anyone know where the 2.7 stroker article that used to be in this topic went? I did a search and can't find it. Cheers.

Umm, I don't think its such a great idea to drive it without 3 litres of fluid. I presume your talking about an auto trans? When you change ATF (auto trans fluid) you usually only take out a quarter to a third of the fluid. The rest remains in the torque converter. I'm not absolutely sure, but the dipstick might site somewhere near there. How was the level on the dipstick before the drain? Id say that the colour on the dipstick just seemed different. I definitely wouldn't drive it again until you have topped up the fluid! BTW, I'd use a good quality ATF like Penrite, Redline, or Amsoil. If you love your car, that is. Good luck!

Yeah I'd like to get my hands on the little bastard! Sorry for you dude, hope the repair goes well. This is just another very good reminder of why I would never insure with State. I have yet to hear anybody say a good word about them - especially on Fair Go where they are regulars!

Thanks, I thought about just getting another car but I love this one. Its got good history and great spec being the EE. Regarding fuel consumption, it is a factor, this is my work car, but lets face it, if I was really that worried I'd be doing an M10 conversion! Its good to know that someone else has done the conversion but left the motronic in place, thats my first preference. I think the 525e ecu was set up for economy so a chip might be a good idea, but what about the 535i motronic? The 525e and 535i were the only e28's running motronic (did the M5?). Did the 535i have a better chip? The only other question I guess I have is which head to go for? Are there any real differences? As you point out, there are a few on trade me so the options are there. Cheers for the help guys.

Thanks, its an auto. I'm reasonably keen to keep the auto, its my work car and I'm on the road and on the phone a lot. I'm planning a substantial rebuild later this year so will look at the head job (!) then. Thanks for your help Gus, really appreciate it. Cheers.

Thanks Gus appreciate your help, but just so I'm clear, are you saying the m20 upgrade is easier and would I need to upgrade the trans for the m30? I know the m30 is a bit heavier too, so I need to consider that also. I thought they both used the 4hp22 auto trans? I'd be pretty happy with 190 bhp, thats about the same as a 3.2 m30. What would I have to do for 190 bhp? Cheers

Thanks Gus, I did read the article but, and perhaps I didnt read it right, it seemed to be more about taking b27 bits and putting them onto other m20's. I dont think it said about the ecu and I think it also mentioned swapping pistons and perhaps more. Thanks very much for your reply. Out of interest, on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being easiest) how hard do you think an m30 conversion would be? Cheers.

Ok so this has probably been covered many times, but perhaps someone could help me out. I have an E28 525ee and I'd like a bit more get up and go. I started a post about an m30 conversion but didn't have any responses and have since looked into it a bit more and its probably more work than I want to do (unless I'm wrong?). But the 2.7 stroker is interesting. If I do the b20, b23 or b25 head replacement, what else should I do? Im open to suggestion about intake manifold etc, but do I have to replace the motronic or can I just swap the head and leave the electronics alone? I know some people on the net are qouting around 200 bhp for this (full) conversion, and that would be nice, but realistically I'm mostly town driving and I just want to have a bit of fun doing it. Cheers for any help.

Never heard of Lexus? Where have you been for the last 20 years! Id also question whether the Avanti's would be better quality. If they are genuine Lexus they are probably made in Japan and are premium quality. But they probably wont fit a BMW though, sorry. Cheers.

Has anybody noticed her fingers? I cant look at them! I know that sounds mean, and she is a good weather reader!!!

Anybody got a half decent one surplus to requirements? Cheers.

Penrite. They do both mineral and synthetics. They stack up very well against the likes of Redline, Amsoil etc and are fantastic value for money. BTW, they do a fully synthetic 15w40 engine oil which is very well suited to a lot of BMW's. Cheers

Ok Im fantasizing a bit here, but I am planning with the next 12 months or so to give my E28 525ee a 20th birthday present by way of a ground up rebuild. While driving home tonight I wondered how easy it would be to repower it with an M30 engine. From memory the 525e shared much more in common with the 535 then any other model in the E28 range. I think they both used motronic, had the same diff ratio and even the suspension was from the 535. So would it be a relatively straight forward swap or too complex to worry about? And before anybody suggests it, I know you can pick up 535's pretty cheap, but I'm kinda attached to my car, just wouldnt mind a bit more go. BTW, Im not fixated on the 3.5, would also consider 3.0, and 3.2. Cheers for any help. RB.

Just for future reference, to avoid damaging the thread in the anchor hole if drilling from underneath the parcel shelf, do what I did and use a solderong iron to melt through the shelf from the boot. This also avoids the danger of catching the threads of fabric on the drill and ruining your shelf. It is far tidier. Cheers.

Hi, Just wondering if anyone out there has had any experience (good or bad) with LED replacement bulbs in their taillights? I am considering getting some, but not really out of choice. My other car (not the Beemer) uses an unusual 27/5 watt tail / stop bulb and I'm having real trouble finding replacements. I've been told that the LED bulbs are brighter then normal bulbs. Is this true? And how long do they last? Anybody bought any off Trade Me? Any feedback appareciated. Cheers

I wish I could! http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/C...on-70169147.htm If finances were better I would buy this in a flash! $500 bucks no reserve! Would make a great Targa car. Anybody? Really would be a shame to see it parted out. Cheers.

I havent had much experience with coolant. However when I did my all-alloy engine Honda, my mechanic recommended this one from Valvoline. http://www.valvoline.com.au/products.cfm?m...0Boil%20Coolant Seems like a very good quality coolant, but not the cheapest. Should be readily available. Check the ratio too. For my BM they recommend a 60/40% water coolant ratio. Hope this helps.

Hi, Does the 540 V8 has a coil per cylinder? If so, my Honda has the same set up and on the Legend you diagnose a faulty coil simply with a multi meter. If the resistence of the coil is outside factory specs (high or low) its faulty. Could the 540 be tested the same way? Just a matter of finding out what the normal resistence range is for the coil. Dont know if that helps or not. Cheers