E60 M5 on its first 2 week and 2,500+ kms with us

[GorGasm 563]

Don't like the mats.  Love the leather, awesome colour and material.

[Twistee 453]

I've had those types of mats in two cars and they are great for me, I have a red chip driveway and fill the interiors with stones in no time flat. I  understand they are not for everyone. They are great for catching everything and cheap. 

[Jun 233]

17 minutes ago, Twistee said:

I've had those types of mats in two cars and they are great for me, I have a red chip driveway and fill the interiors with stones in no time flat. I  understand they are not for everyone. They are great for catching everything and cheap. 

Yes they are actually very practical, covers the sides etc.  and relative cheap ($75) as well.  I actually bought a floor mat for another car almost $300 for those 3D washable ones, then I saw this on the side.  I do wish the color was light grey like in their photos it could have been a good match.  For now I guess it's more practical than the OEM mats or those rubber mats from supercheap.... the color is just bugging me... I did try to put a small amount of bleach on the backside to see if it would change color..... fail the test site did not change color. 

This was the advertised photo....

[Jun 233]

It has been an uneventful few months. We still love the car. Really a Sunday car, I find the experience to be very visceral now, as our daily is a Model Y. So jumping into the M5 I can just hear everything especially the V10 intake sound. Contemplating on some minor mods, but it will have to wait. Here it is a few weeks ago at Southward Museum where it may end up when our custodian duties are done a few decades in the future 

[Jun 233]

I haven’t updated this thread for a while, we had an eventful 50th BMW M anniversary day on AND after the event.  Some people here who are in my Facebook friends know about this.  So this will be pretty much a reposting,  I will cut it down into different post with dates on the top of each post.

Date: 3/12/2022 - 50th BMW M Anniversary day

It was a great day, also doing it for a good cause.  Photos and videos this thread. 

We participated on the event, however my wife couldn’t make as she wasn’t feeling well, so I was by myself this time.  This would be a very important detail later as the day unfolds.  Here is our car on display.

[Jun 233]

Date: 3/12/2022 - Going home time, not sure what time but it was about 2:00 pm

Event was winding down, I started the car to warm it up (as these M cars are closer to race engines than normal cars).  I then walked up to my friends to say goodbye and leave.  I walk back to the car only to see the car locked itself.  We then decided to just get my spare keys, as our house is not that far.  Andrew Thomas gave me a ride home to get my spare keys.  On our way back to the event venue.  Our car’s coolant system failed and coolant started to drain, as it was idling more than 30 mins and I guess the cooling system of these older cars was aging.  Before I could make it back, it started to smoke.  Pete called me told me it was smoking, I thought he was just kidding me.  But he was serious and asked me permission to break into the car by breaking the glass.  Unable to break the glass, he was a poor criminal.  He saw an opening on the sunroof.  Pete eventually was successful in using a pole to reach the central lock and unlock the car.

I sat there with many thoughts.  Fire truck came to see if they needed to put a fire out.  Pete told them what has happened, and car has been turned off.  It didn’t turn into an emergency incident, but I felt really gutted as I don’t know what to tell Tina (wife/owner) who was home.

We managed to tow the car to  Powerhaus, but they are now closed for the weekend.  Phil Hoyland  (MP Vehicle Recovery) was great and very kind, as he really just offered his time and service as a helping hand.  Pete and Andrew was great in giving me a lift and talking to me.  Pete even called our previous mechanic (Jon Begley) who was far away now, asking for advice on the car.  Anyway I got home and went back to Powerhaus where we dropped of our car.  I got some of my camera gear and stuff out of the car.  As I was leaving it over the weekend.  But I couldn’t leave Tina’s car behind not knowing if its the end or not.  So I got on to do some quick work on it, put in some water.  Moved it, reviewed to the fix the error codes, etc.  So far it seems promising, no error codes and the car is seems to be running normally aside from the small crack on the expansion tank.

In hindsight I should have not left the car closed window after starting it.  We have it set to auto lock after the car moves, it must be buggy as it can auto lock after just idling. I am not used to it, Tina reminded me that the car locked itself before.  I forgot about it as it was a long time ago, as Tina was always with me.  She would just unlock the car as she was sitting inside the car.  However Tina wasn’t feeling well today, she really wanted to come and help the fund raiser.  The  only time I went to an event where she wasn’t there, the car tried to kill itself literally…. Locking it self, damaging the cooling system.  I hope this is not the end of our adventures with our car, that there is an eventual good ending.  Although I guess if it’s the last drive, then there is no more fitting day to do it than 50th M car anniversary.

We are very stressed at the same time touched by the people who helped us.

Edited February 11, 2023 by Jun

[Jun 233]

Date: 4/12/2022 Sunday, a day after

I went back to Powerhaus they are still closed by I decided to look at the car a bit more as my mind is much more clear after sleeping it off.  Did the following checks:

✅ check any leaks underneath from overnight parking. Clean  no leaks

✅ check coolant level, same as yesterday 

✅ no weird sound after staring the engine, idle looks normal

✅ oil temp 75c after 10 mins, normal increase of temp 

✅ 2k rpm sounds normal

✅ oil temp 85-90c 12 mins, still normal expected warm up

✅ 3-4 rpm sounds normal… like a race engine 

✅ no new error codes

✅ no leaks underneath or on top under normal pressure 

It seems the crack on top of the expansion tank can hold pressure for about 15-20 mins

Edited February 11, 2023 by Jun

[Jun 233]

Date: 5/12/2022 to 9/12/2022

Went to Powerhaus and chatted with Reuben (owner and head mechanic).  He said based my story and what I did it would seem the maybe ok.  He will check it this week to confirm.  I didn’t see any overheat, etc. just low coolant warning when I first started the car to drive it up to the flatbed.  Reuben said when he scans it, there maybe a code for the overheat if it did overheat.  He said it can generate a lot of smoke as the manifold is underneath the expansion tank, it doesn’t mean it lost coolant and had lots of smoke that it has already overheated.

Powerhaus run a test to check of exhaust gases (I think locally its called a TK test).  Anyway basic concept is to put the tester part of the cooling system and if it changes color there is exhaust gas inside the cooling system. This is usually used to confirm head gasket failure.  So this means my head gaskets are in very good shape.  My diagnosis: this may mean it didn’t got hot enough to damage the head gaskets, which likely means there are no lower damage (piston rings, cylinder, etc.)

Powerhaus can’t run further test, as a pressure test will not work as I have a cracked expansion tank.  They actually patched it, so it would hold up better when I drive it home.  I saw the repair, it was actually done very well… better than my hack up jobs before.

Since there are no expansion tank in the country, we opted to drive our car home which was less than 15 mins away during the night.  So got everything ready with my tools, tow rope, etc.  Turned the heater on max heat and started to drive home.  I know the car works fine for about 15-20 mins as I tested it a days ago even with a crack on the expansion tank. They also have test driven the car and patched the crack, so I was confident we can drive home w/o any issues.

So I have to just wait for new expansion tank.  They also suggested to change the thermostat as sometimes it gets damaged on high temps.  I will do that, but I think the thermostat is fine.  During my drive home, I plug in a scanner.  On my phone I can see the temp go up to 80 C in 10 mins or so.  I also see the temp being stable at 80 C afterwards, so I think it is ok (my diagnosis, not Powerhaus).  I will replace the thermostat regardless.  They also advice to get the oil change as soon as practical, I will do that when we back from our trip.

For now it is looking promising, so the plan is to replace the expansion tank, replace thermostat.  Run a pressure test after.  I may not opt anymore for them to open all 10 cylinders and borescope each to look at the cylinders if there is no issues after using the car after the repair.

 

Edited February 11, 2023 by Jun

[Jun 233]

Date: 21/12/2022

Germans always understate their performance including delivery times. This was supposed to be 6 weeks delivery time but got it yesterday (just a bit over a week). Well shops are closed for the Christmas break… so a good excuse to DIY this next week 😅 I have changed the oil and driven it to get a WOF. 30 mins running, 30 mins rest, 30 mins running… even gave it a bit of a kick through terrace tunnel… coolant level is good no leaks, oil looks visually normal no metal shaving… abnormal for M5 🤣. Been monitoring the coolant them via OBD scanner it’s really doing well 80c stable after 5 mins of warm up. Looking promising, so I fix this up and next year I get it pressure tested. I will also change the thermostat (even it’s clearly working) and also use those 10 new injectors on the shelves….

Also got paint custom mixed to fix that scratch near the sunroof

[Jun 233]

Date: 27/12/2022

I have replace the expansion tank today, so far which just stationary test no leaks. 5 minute job!…. Not 😅

 

[Jun 233]

Date:28/12/2022 

First test drive after replacing the expansion tank.  So far everything looks good, very stable coolant temp at 79C as spec.

 

[Jun 233]

Powerhaus did more tests on our car. 2nd TK test, mechanic said our car did not even change the color, better than most cars he tested that didn’t even needed head gasket replaced. Overnight pressure test, no leaks. Test drive, etc. I told them not bother with a compression test, too impractical. My amateur fix has been inspected by the pros, we are clear to drive it 😅

I remember talking to Pete during the day while he gave me a ride home.  I hope this is just a great story we can tell folks and our grandkids, it’s well worth the cost an expansion tank and some coolant.  It seems to be a great story for a movie: me, Pete and Andrew didn’t script this… its a true story.

So far it seems to be our car lives on, maybe the next custodian of the car can still bring it on the 100th BMW M anniversary day.  Hope they read this story and remember to make the car happy or else it might try to kill itself again.

[Jun 233]

We went to today’s British and European car day, nothing too exciting happened today.  I guess the car was happy as my wife was there with it.

more photos and videos here of the event: https://photos.app.goo.gl/pxbC9tMnpHcFaxUZ7

Edited February 14, 2023 by Jun

[E28E30 335]

I saw you there @Jun just as you were leaving, fantastic car fella

[Jun 233]

Small update, car has been doing well still. Some minor issues, some very rare occasional glitches likely electrical related. Replaced battery, someone here had a 55DIN AGM Varta battery for a $100 bargain that is still in very good condition. Powerhaus can’t replicate the issue or find anything wrong. I had A1 tech check all electrical of car, no issues but I did get A1 replaced with the updated IBS. @Olaf suggested this a few months ago, so finally did it. Aaron of A1 needed to buy a few harness, old IBS is not sold anymore. Only odd issue he saw the car only had 2 days electrical history. So maybe the IBS is breaking in weird ways. Diff is still grinding when car isn’t getting used much. New Liqui Molly + Redline FM oil probably not good enough, slightly worse than OEM oil binds after more than a week not running the car. Anyway after getting the IBS changed got all stats reset and a quick squeeze of the pedal got me 2.5km/l… oh well about right when you run it fast 😅

@treone your old E31 is still there at A1, Aaron still hasn’t sorted it yet 🤣

[treone 647]

8 minutes ago, Jun said:

@treone your old E31 is still there at A1, Aaron still hasn’t sorted it yet

Haha - not a surprise at all, apparently its been there for a 'few years' lol. Took me down memory lane when I spotted it under all that dust. I knew straight away it was my 'first' one haha.

Reminds me, I need to get them to sort an airbag light on my green one!

Nice work on your M5 - have to admit, I've been getting the M5 itch again! 🤔 🤣

Edited May 25, 2023 by treone

[Jun 233]

1 hour ago, treone said:

Nice work on your M5 - have to admit, I've been getting the M5 itch again! 🤔 🤣

I don’t know your full ownership history, but here is what I know.  Your ownership history:  E31, E60 M5, E36 M3, E61 (current car), looking for E60 M5… I think you will get a E36 M3 in the next 5 years.  You need to seek some professional help 🤣 or you can save that money and stop selling your cars.

[treone 647]

6 minutes ago, Jun said:

Your BMW ownership history:  E34, E39, E31, E39, E36 M3, E83, E60 M5, E53, E36 M3, E31 (x2 -current cars), looking for E60/61 M5

Fixed it haha! looks like I do need professional help 😢. Proud to be in similar multiple car ownership company aye @Jun bahaha 🤣🤣

[Jun 233]

1 minute ago, treone said:

Fixed it haha! looks like I do need professional help 😢. Proud to be in similar multiple car ownership company aye @Jun bahaha 🤣🤣

4 minutes ago, treone said:

Your BMW ownership history:  E34, E39, E31, E39, E36 M3, E83, E60 M5, E53, E36 M3, E31 (x2 -current cars), looking for E60/61 M5

Looking at your fixed ownership history, I believe the crystal ball is telling me that you will be buying not just 1 but 2 E60 M5 soon! 

(chatGPT/Bing Chat) does seem to agree with me:

 

 

[jon dee 500]

On 2/11/2023 at 10:08 PM, Jun said:

Date: 3/12/2022 - Going home time, not sure what time but it was about 2:00 pm

Event was winding down, I started the car to warm it up....

Lifted from another forum...

Quote

 

I have heard in the past to warm up the M5 e60 when you start up the vehicle. After research I found the following from the owners manual: "Do not allow the engine to warm up by leaving it running while the vehicle remains stationary. Instead, begin to drive immediately at a moderate engine speed."

 

Generally speaking, letting your car idle to warm it up is one of the worst ways to treat your engine. At idle the engine does not generate enough heat... much better to start it and drive away conservatively without using high rpm's. The engine will warm up much sooner and the risk of bore wash is reduced. 

Cheers....

[Jun 233]

On 5/26/2023 at 1:54 PM, jon dee said:

Lifted from another forum...

Generally speaking, letting your car idle to warm it up is one of the worst ways to treat your engine. At idle the engine does not generate enough heat... much better to start it and drive away conservatively without using high rpm's. The engine will warm up much sooner and the risk of bore wash is reduced. 

Cheers....

Yes agree, but I do keep it idle for 1-2 mins.  I don’t really wait for the temp to go up,  I don’t drive immediately on the first start to check everything is working and no funny sounds.  I think the to warm to temp and not to warm is a bit  pedantic, no real study either way.  Since modern cars with ECU adjusts its timing, etc the engineers have designed it to be driven.  I do drive it as no real point in wasting petrol, but the thermostat and engine is surprisingly efficient.  Only monitored this after the expansion tank burst, seems to be within temp of 79c in 5-10 mins only.

To keep the rpm low while driving got this tip  from M Tech guy, Christchurch based YouTuber. An easy way to keep the car at low rpm, is just put it in auto as M5 auto always reset to shift 1.  This means it goes up the gear, hardly touches 2k rpm if driven normally.  Surprisingly less cumbersome than shifting early in manual.

[jon dee 500]

1 hour ago, Jun said:

Yes agree, but I do keep it idle for 1-2 mins.

The recommendation against extended idling for warmup is pretty much universal and has been for many years. Way back adding a lot of extra fuel when starting a cold engine was standard procedure. Modern ECU's have a lot more tricks at their disposal for reducing the amount of fuel at startup... electronic idle control valves, drive by wire throttles and ignition control as you mention. One of the driving forces for these improvements is avoid damaging the catalysts. So a couple minutes idling while you clean the ice off the windscreen and kiss the wife is not going tp kill your engine. But letting the engine idle for 15-20 minutes so the car is warm and cosy to get into by the time you leave the house is not good practice.

The oil temperature is more important than the water temperature, to the extent that the 335i has an oil temperature gauge rather than a water temperature gauge on the dash. Water temperature hits "normal" long before the oil is warm enough to provide the correct viscosity and flow to the bearings. That is the reason why no-one should ever beat on a cold engine, and this is especially true for BMW's. Not saying that you would ever do that... it's just part of the bigger picture about treating your engine nice so it lasts  

By the way.... seems some people don't know the difference between smoke and steam. Fortunate you didn't get a busted window !!!!

Cheers...

Edited May 27, 2023 by jon dee
Thinking about eating...

[Jun 233]

Minor update, ever since taking that longer road trip to Mangatainoka the diff chatter is significantly better. I guess it only needed a real long drive to get diff oil in.  So far no electrical panic since changing the IBS as well, only discharge warning when it had to be left while we where out of town. I had never had this warning, so likely that old IBS is really busted. Aaron also couldn’t get any data out of past 2 days. I also just changed the wipers, so far 2023 has been a boring year… knock on wood 😅

Got also parts accumulating in the shelves and to do items. 10 injectors, fuel pump, thermostat, throttle body actuator gears, etc. I am looking to change our keys, the battery is probably super low now. I know you can replace the battery by soldering, but I might buy an aftermarket key and code that in case I break the original keys.

Edited August 14, 2023 by Jun

[Jun 233]

Finally fixed my electrical issues: abs, dsc, smg, trunk not opening, key, lights, etc... the culprit is an ABS front wheel sensor. Its seems the original is shorter as per Aaron at A1 auto electrical caused all the chaos, shipped 2 new ABS wheel speed sensors to replace it. Errors are gone, after it being persistent in the last few weeks instead of being intermittent over a year.  Revised part number is 34-52-7-853-583 about $145 USD each for original BMW.  Local dealer is around $500 NZD each. I still have the old pair if anybody wants it but will throw them away eventually. 

[Jun 233]

I guess M5 ownership means something has to happen every year.  Got a misfire a few weeks ago, I just thought hmmm this is odd just got 10 new coils and 10 new spark plugs less than 10k kms.  Anyway, I read a little and I found a good potential culprit... Ionic Current Control unit.  Fancy pants distributor that BMW experimented on the S85.  I thought it doesn't seem to be hard to diagnose so I gave it a try.  Swap the left and right unit around, sure enough the misfire just went from cylinder 8 to 3.

The part wasn't cheap, but to reach it was relatively easy.  Just remove the airbox, it's cover and wire harness.   My daughter helped me a bit, as I have a finger injury.  We discussed it a bit, why I think my theory is correct and just order the part.  Ordered from FCP Euro with a kind discount from the CEO, about a week after it arrived along with some other parts.

 

Today my daughter helped me again, my finger is taking ages to heal.  Top part is the new one, bottom is the broken one.  The other working seems to have been replaced as well by previous owner.  I may order another one eventually, ordering 2 will definitely attract customs.  Test driven the car, that sorted out the misfire which will appear when car in on temp.  I hope the rest of the year will be boring... 

Edited February 3 by Jun