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Available from BMW, the perfect fit for your car. I researched this for a friend, they are same price in NZ as in Europe. PS: not cheap, but then, fantastic quality!

The dimmer uses PWM (pulse width modulation) to vary the duty cycle. This in turn reduces the average voltage and thus reduces the light output The amount of power used also reduces

NavCoder can now program the followig Daytime Running Lights options on BMWs: ECE-DRL (lowbeam, plus parking- (side)-lights/taillights), standard in Europe DRL-Lowbeam only (no taillights) DRL-Dimmed-Highbeam (no tailights). You can set the brightness value from 0 to 50% A lot of people with Xenons wish to switch off ECE-DRL and change to dimmed highbeams, so as to preserve the life of the very expensive Xenon bulbs. Now with NavCoder, you can do this. DRL is also now legally required in some Euro countries as it is a big safety improvement. DRL simply means: you don't have to remember to turn your headlights on during the day, the car does it all the time. And then turns the headlights off when you turn the key off. Valid for any BMW with LCM from coding index 18 to 30 - which means E38, E39, X5 (E53) from around Sept 1998 onwards E46 pre-facelift X3 and Z4 - not sure, you'd need to check the LCM CI version

X6 has 7 seats I think

Did you configure the audible alert to be active on all 7 languages? The 7 native languages of a Mk4 nav are: GB, US, D, E, IT, FR, NL Just wondering... often I would use a different language in my car for fun... German just somehow fitted well :-)

What a dodgy repair of a critical safety system! Fix it - use the diagnostics to determine what is faulty then repair the fault. Do it properly - airbags are desiged to save lives.

Go and view the BMW ipod kit on a BMW in the shop The BMW interface can be more expensive but does give you full control Note: vehicle software update will be required. Must be done by dealer.

CAREFUL - the availability of fixing points varies per market A tether is required by law in NZ when using a car seat in NZ, therefore the tether points are fitted to NZ market cars A tether is not required by law in JAPAN, therefore ex-Japan BMWs don't have the mounting points premade. (Jap baby carseats only need to be secured by seatbelts, not by tethers) Place an ex-Japan BMW next to a NZ-market BMW and the difference is plain to see. ...or am I talking Hondas...??

Hard to see sometimes Easiest is to mist up the window then switch on the demister Look for any demisting irregularities - a spot that clears faster = a hotspot in the wire = potential arcing When you see the irregualritie, mark it quickly with a permanent marker for later detailed fault-finding. You can clean the marker pen off afterwards. If an entire line doesn't demist, use a multimeter and tinfoil as the conductor (otherwise you scratch the wire more) and start following the conductor until you find the break. Measure from ground to wire, you'll see where the break is. If many conductors in one block don't demist, then suspect the common connection on the side of the window. If you live in Rotorua or a thermal area, the window may be beyond repair as all the copper conductors may have corroded away to nothing (I've seen this!) due to sulphur in the air.

To help you understand the keys: A BMW key has 3 x Security Systems on it. Mechanical Security The mechanical cut of the key allows it to be used just in your car. A locksmith can cut the blank key to fit. If the mechanical cut is wrong, you cannot turn the key in the door locks or the ignition locks Infrared or Wireless Central Unlocking The key also contains either a wireless or infrared remote control unlocking transmitter. This must also be synced to your car to ensure only your keys unlock your car. The syncing to the car can be done by the user or the dealer. Transponder for Immobiliser The electronic transponder on the key has a unique serial number. Your BMW can have, in its lifetime, up to 12 transponders synced with it. 4 are provided when new, leaving a max of 8 possible replacement transponders that can be sychronised. Syncing of the transponder to the car can only be done by BMW with the diagnostic equipment. If a mechanically-fitting key with a wrong transponder is inserted, the immboliser detects this, and does not enable the car. It stays immobilised. So when you get a blank key, you must a) cut it to fit your mechanical locks sync it with the car to allow it to remote unlock c) sync it with the immobiliser to allow it to enable the car for driving

The BMW 8 Series (chassis code: E31); is a V8 or V12-engined 2-door 2+2 coupe built by BMW from 1989 to 1999. It is too old to have a reprogrammable radio To make an 850i radio work in NZ, you need to exchange the radio from the Jap version to the Euro version If you wish to keep the 850i original and thus retain its value, research what radios the 850i had in Europe and then fit one of them. Alternatively, fit the RadioCD from the E34/E36 series of cars.

The older BMWs are a little bit harder to get parts for, sometimes you have to make your own... (No, that's not me driving through the Swiss alps, my driving hat is a different shade of tan)

Firstly: the E39 is not an "average BMW", it's one of the best ever made. With regular preventive maintennace, with the odd bit of reactive maintenance, you should easily get 500,000 kms out of an E39 with the bigger engines (V8, six, etc). You could easily get 1 million kms as well, as long as you take care of the body and keep it garaged. Stay clear of the little underpowered 520. The best is the 530 (due to weight/handling = driving pleasure), 2nd best is the 540i

Love the optical DVD player ! I'm going to look for a non-optical DVD player and compare the difference. Where can I find non-optical DVDs? Seriously: why 2 x changers? Surely one would suffice...!!

You have a cut element in the rear demister which is arcing and sparking and causing radio interference 3 ways to fix it: 1. Fit a brand new rear window :-) 2. Repair the broken element using special conductive paint - go to Repco for a demister repair kit 3. Make the cut wider so it doesn't arc, which consequently puts the element out of action permanently.

I hear the new model sends you a text in the morning to remind you to stay in bed, roll over and go back to sleep

It's the ice warning, standard feature Means the outside temp has dropped to +3C and thus there is danger of ice on the road Standard warning feature, cannot be disactivated.

OK, so you have the new-gen car. Firstly, as your car is ex-Japan, I hope you have re-programmed the radio to NZ mode and thrown away any band expander that was fitted! Back to the phone: The E46 wiring does not distinguis too much betweem OG and NG So I'll refer to E39, which uses essentially the same radio TelMute is now pin 10 of the NG radio main connector (white/brown wire) Tel Audio on an E39 NG radio is as follows: Signal = pin 6 Ground = pin 12 on the 12-pin black sub-connector that also contains the CD-changer wiring. The sub-connector is mounted on the main radio connector. If your car has no phone pre-wiring, then get some pins from BMW, solder them to your aufio/mute lead and insert into the connector NOTE: this input may not be active on the E46, the wiring info shows nothing - try and see :-) The description of the TelMute function: Telephone mute (switching radio mute during telephone conversation) The "telephone mute" function mutes the radio together with its function (tuner, CD, CD-changer, cassette playback). The corresponding drive is additionally stopped in CD mode, CD changer mode or cassette mode. The mute is not cancelled if a traffic information announcement is received while the radio is switched mute.

What radio? Reverse/Business/Professional/Naviagtion What car? Coupe/Cabrio/Touring/Limo What genenration? Old pre Sept 2001/New post Sept 2001 I have wiring for everything, but you need to narrow down the options a bit OK, assume 318ti with Business radio, pre Sept 2001: Pin 4 on the radio main connector = TelMute (black wire). Connect to ground to mute the radio. The telephone provisions on the E46 provide for a separate telephone speaker on the drivers side footwell, in the cover under the dash, above the feet. There is no telephone audio input to the radio system You can choose to either have a separate speaker or tap into the radio system to access, say, the front driver's side speakers. Some systems eg FastMute provide for this.

had a car with the same symptoms once Was a cracked cylinder head - would hold compression pressure when cold, but not when hot. Measure the compressions

The worn rubber buttons is very common on older cars, eg around 7 years old and older. You can replace the rubber buttons by yourself. See here: http://www.e38.org/wiki/Replacement%20of%2...ons%20on%20Keys

Indeed, item 10: 10 sealing 1 51711944538 $17.52

Or to summarise the message: "Please obey the road rules and operate your vehicle in accordance with the law" Try retaliation the European way: keep flashing your high beams onto the car with his rear fog lights on (assuming no foggy conditions). Eventually he'll get the message and turn them off. PS: fog around Hamilton can get so bad that fog lights are a must. But of course, only in fog.

You have a PM

Yes, you can do this You need a retro-fit loom which connects into the existing loom. You'll need following parts: Retrofit instructions (PDF file, read before you start buying parts) Retrofit loom (with DSP) Screen Navigation computer OR TV tuner OR both (the TV tuner or the nav drive the screen, so you need one or the other) GPS antenna (if GPS being fitted) Radio module Brackets, screws, etc New CD changer trim cover New antenna amplifier if fitting a >2001/09 radio into a <2001/09 car Optional: Telephone/Bluetooth DSP amplifier, speakers, CD changer remain unchanged.