New to the forum, just got my first BMW!

[chenjianxi 0]

Hi Everyone

It is great to be here and join this awesome local community! I have always loved the looks of E39 BMWs and finally I have got myself one!

It is a 2003 525i with 72k on the clock, the car is in very good condition and almost everything (as far as I can see) is working - a couple of pixels are missing from the dash display and the "check engine oil level" warning randomly comes on for no reason.

I bought it from auction with 3 years of machanical warrenty so hopefully it will keep me out of trouble for a good while.

It drives...oh man...it drives brilliantly! Although it weighs one and half ton and has only 2.5L 185hp it can go like a rocket! Especially when you put her into sports mode. I also own a 85 Mazda RX7 FC3S and I have to say the BMW feels quite different but not much slower. When you go fast you feel like you are in a space shuttle gliding smoothly, rather than riding on a RPG rocket floating and dodging like I felt in my RX7! The straight six engine sounds wonderful too!

And what makes it even more beautiful is when it settles down it instantly transforms into a luxury, comfortable family car that my wife loves to be in - she HATES my RX7 for obvious reasons: too fast, noisy, smelly, too low, too hard etc...

I have only attached one photo of the car as I figure you have probably seen enough of them to know them inside out, and my car is a stock standard JP imports anyway.

Oh, I also have a quick question for you guys - there is a small ashtray like thing on my driver's side door that I can not figure out what it is for (please see attached photos). Can anyone please give me a clue? Thanks in advance!

Hope to come here often in the future - have already browsed through a lot of the posts and found some great great knowledge out there!

Cheers!

Chris

[mossline 15]

Welcome! its for you loose change (parking meters, toll roads and what not.

You'll love your 5 series! Congrats

Hi Everyone

It is great to be here and join this awesome local community! I have always loved the looks of E39 BMWs and finally I have got myself one!

It is a 2003 525i with 72k on the clock, the car is in very good condition and almost everything (as far as I can see) is working - a couple of pixels are missing from the dash display and the "check engine oil level" warning randomly comes on for no reason.

I bought it from auction with 3 years of machanical warrenty so hopefully it will keep me out of trouble for a good while.

It drives...oh man...it drives brilliantly! Although it weighs one and half ton and has only 2.5L 185hp it can go like a rocket! Especially when you put her into sports mode. I also own a 85 Mazda RX7 FC3S and I have to say the BMW feels quite different but not much slower. When you go fast you feel like you are in a space shuttle gliding smoothly, rather than riding on a RPG rocket floating and dodging like I felt in my RX7! The straight six engine sounds wonderful too!

And what makes it even more beautiful is when it settles down it instantly transforms into a luxury, comfortable family car that my wife loves to be in - she HATES my RX7 for obvious reasons: too fast, noisy, smelly, too low, too hard etc...

I have only attached one photo of the car as I figure you have probably seen enough of them to know them inside out, and my car is a stock standard JP imports anyway.

Oh, I also have a quick question for you guys - there is a small ashtray like thing on my driver's side door that I can not figure out what it is for (please see attached photos). Can anyone please give me a clue? Thanks in advance!

Hope to come here often in the future - have already browsed through a lot of the posts and found some great great knowledge out there!

Cheers!

Chris

[leithcm 0]

Welcome!

The "ashtray" thingee isn't for putting coins in for the toll road, parking, whatever, is it?

[hotwire 352]

Welcome & nice car!!

Pixel failure is common - can be repaired though.

Get that oil warning checked though. Might be a rogue issue but best to get on top of

[chenjianxi 0]

Welcome & nice car!!

Pixel failure is common - can be repaired though.

Get that oil warning checked though. Might be a rogue issue but best to get on top of

Thanks guys!

I have had the oil checked - actually the oil and filter have been changed just before I bought the car. And I have check oil level multiple times, every time after the warning had showed up - but the oil level is bang on. So I guess it could be a faulty oil level sensor. The warning is totally random and the guy who reset my service light said he can not reset this warning.

Am I correct to assume I can ignore the warning as long as my oil level is physically ok? Or could it be a more serious issue and I should take it to the dealer and get it checked?

So the "ashtray" is for coins? Japanese coins? There are two round spring thing in these and I guess I should press the coins into them? LOL... I shall give it a go but it doesn't look like our $2 coin will fit in there.

By the way, how hard / much would it be to retro fit some storage space into the central armrest - the only annoy thing so far is the lack of interior storage space. I have lid in the central armrest that I can pop open and find a phone cord in there - I'm not going to get a phone in so I wonder if I can get rid of it in exchange of some storage.

[mossline 15]

Yeah I went from a subaru forester to my 540i and it is annoying the lack of storage space. The forester had cubby holes everywhere!

Thetre are kits you can get from ebay that can turn the armrest into storage space and still keep the sliding mechanism (if yours has that)

Cheap and relatively easy to do.

Here is a great link to everything you will ever need to know on your 5 series and more.

http://www.e38.org/e39/

Thanks guys!

I have had the oil checked - actually the oil and filter have been changed just before I bought the car. And I have check oil level multiple times, every time after the warning had showed up - but the oil level is bang on. So I guess it could be a faulty oil level sensor. The warning is totally random and the guy who reset my service light said he can not reset this warning.

Am I correct to assume I can ignore the warning as long as my oil level is physically ok? Or could it be a more serious issue and I should take it to the dealer and get it checked?

So the "ashtray" is for coins? Japanese coins? There are two round spring thing in these and I guess I should press the coins into them? LOL... I shall give it a go but it doesn't look like our $2 coin will fit in there.

By the way, how hard / much would it be to retro fit some storage space into the central armrest - the only annoy thing so far is the lack of interior storage space. I have lid in the central armrest that I can pop open and find a phone cord in there - I'm not going to get a phone in so I wonder if I can get rid of it in exchange of some storage.

[allan 295]

Welcome Chris to the forum and the 5er family. As Hotwire stated get that oil warning light checked out might be fine now but if left could be a head ache later on believe me. A quick check of the plug connection on the sump may reveal something, mine played up after going through water the connection was loose and water got into it. The pixel problem is a common one if you are game their is a write up of how to repair it yourself but a good electronic's place would be a safer bet, mine cost me around $300 odd. Do you have any other plans for the car?

[hotwire 352]

Adding to - you don't want the scenario with the oil warning with complacency & ignorance - only to ignore it revealing a future genuine problem

[chenjianxi 0]

Ok, i will get it checked as soon as i can. Is there any point for me to take the sensor off and have a look? I have seen the way to take it off from somewhere, however I have no way to check whether it is faulty unless the fault is really obvious. Or i should take it straight to a mechanic? (I might check with my insurance first to see whether it is covered.

@allan: as this is suppose to be THE family car (we only bought it as my wife is pregnant) I dont think I would be modify it in anyway. I may not even be able to drive it in he future cos wife said she will take over after she's gotten her nz lisence. It is unfortunate as i have seen plent of HOT mods in this place. And, well, e39s have certainly got protential.

I have seen the write up regarding fixing the pixels. I have to say It is probably out of most of our touch - certainly out of mine. I can take it apart but Im sure I wont be able to put them back together. Lol

@mossline: thanks for the link mate, i have saved it for future reference.

Edited July 17, 2011 by Chris 525i

[hotwire 352]

By all means check it yourself for an obvious problem - if you can solve the issue then all good. EDIT: Oil light I mean

Robinson Instrument Services in Auckland are one option for pixel repair

Edited July 17, 2011 by hotwire

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2132]

By all means check it yourself for an obvious problem - if you can solve the issue then all good. EDIT: Oil light I mean

Robinson Instrument Services in Auckland are one option for pixel repair

do you have any contact details for them? i have sent my cluster away to another company and they couldnt fix it, said company was recommended to me by a few members on here, cant remember the name but wasnt these people. id like to give them a go

[allan 295]

Chris so is my 530 a family car but I did a few subtle mods ie rear spoiler, Led angle eyes. M5 type rear mirrors and clear Euro kit etc as mine is dark blue just made it a bit sharper IMO.

[kiwi535 538]

Ok, i will get it checked as soon as i can. Is there any point for me to take the sensor off and have a look? I have seen the way to take it off from somewhere, however I have no way to check whether it is faulty unless the fault is really obvious. Or i should take it straight to a mechanic? (I might check with my insurance first to see whether it is covered.

@allan: as this is suppose to be THE family car (we only bought it as my wife is pregnant) I dont think I would be modify it in anyway. I may not even be able to drive it in he future cos wife said she will take over after she's gotten her nz lisence. It is unfortunate as i have seen plent of HOT mods in this place. And, well, e39s have certainly got protential.

I have seen the write up regarding fixing the pixels. I have to say It is probably out of most of our touch - certainly out of mine. I can take it apart but Im sure I wont be able to put them back together. Lol

@mossline: thanks for the link mate, i have saved it for future reference.

if nothing else see if you can plug /unplug/clean the connector a few times it may solve the problem if it is a poor connection

[hotwire 352]

do you have any contact details for them? i have sent my cluster away to another company and they couldnt fix it, said company was recommended to me by a few members on here, cant remember the name but wasnt these people. id like to give them a go

Google:-

http://www.robinsoninstruments.co.nz/

[chenjianxi 0]

Its funny how my 525 really didn't like driving in snow: too heavy + rear wheel drive = getting stuck.

[_Matt_ 42]

Its funny how my 525 really didn't like driving in snow: too heavy + rear wheel drive = getting stuck.

but both those things are advantages

[chenjianxi 0]

but both those things are advantages

Agreed! It surely felt safe sitting in there - even though I was driving as gingerly as I can.

After driving the car for 4 weeks, I went back to drive my old Mitsubishi Galant once, felt like I climbed out of a tank and got into a tin can.

[hotwire 352]

Agreed! It surely felt safe sitting in there - even though I was driving as gingerly as I can.

After driving the car for 4 weeks, I went back to drive my old Mitsubishi Galant once, felt like I climbed out of a tank and got into a tin can.

You did... a pretty good tank though And German too!

[kiwi535 538]

my nickname for the 535 was the panzer

[chenjianxi 0]

Was refueling yesterday and wondering whether 91 will do the job instead of 95? The instriction in the fuel cap says 91+. Have been putting in 95 since i got the car. What do you guys think?

[Michael. 2313]

It will run, but the engines were designed for optimum efficiency with a high octane/quality fuel.

So by using 91 you will probably get less mileage out of the same quantity of fuel if it were 95 or preferably 98.

My advise would be, stick with 95.

[E36 M 9]

Its not a BIG deal, ive been using 91 in all my cars because i get paid in peanuts, but it doesn't ruin your car, just like E36V8 said, will get less mileage

[chenjianxi 0]

It will run, but the engines were designed for optimum efficiency with a high octane/quality fuel.

So by using 91 you will probably get less mileage out of the same quantity of fuel if it were 95 or preferably 98.

My advise would be, stick with 95.

Its not a BIG deal, ive been using 91 in all my cars because i get paid in peanuts, but it doesn't ruin your car, just like E36V8 said, will get less mileage

Thanks guys! Nice explaination!

I think I will stick to 95 for now - or until I have lost my job.

BTW, I feel guity now as I still have not got my "check engine oil level" warning thing sorted out, as Hotwire has suggested. It still comes on and off, particularly after a long drive, or when the engine is hot enough - or at least I think. I think I'm going to wait until next service and get it checked out altogheter - along with this high pitched noise thing (refer to my post in the maintenance section). I do check the oil level every week or so and it is bang-on. Weired!

[E36 M 9]

Meh i get around 640km on a tank with 91, with 95 i get maybe 10km more if im lucky, good thing owning a 4 cylinder