BozzaFC 300 Report post Posted January 7, 2020 On 1/2/2020 at 10:48 PM, Eagle said: What sort of dye did you use? VHT satin black vinyl dye Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BozzaFC 300 Report post Posted January 12, 2020 180,900 kms. Couple small jobs ticked off this week. On 1/1/2020 at 5:20 PM, BozzaFC said: Passed its WOF first go on Monday. Just two notes: one for the side indicators which apparently are very faded, and another for a weak handbrake. I'll sort both these out before the next one. Replaced faded side indicator bulbs as per WOF note. Replaced the nasty crumbling left headlight gasket with a fresh genuine BMW one. 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BozzaFC 300 Report post Posted February 5, 2020 (edited) 181,000 kms. Since I've had the car I've been battling a rough idle when cold, and more recently I've noticed an occasional small puff of blue smoke on startup. It did this at seemingly random intervals with no noticeable pattern. After a fair amount of reading online I decided my issue most likely stemmed from the PCV, which is located at the back of the engine. Rather than replacing the entire PCV unit (which never rarely fails), most people opt to replace the rubber diaphragm only which is far easier to remove. These rubber diaphragms are notorious for developing cracks or small holes which enables oil to seep through and thus create a puff of blue smoke on startup. I decided to try and tackle this job on my own with the aid of several online videos and armed with a flat head screwdriver (only required tool). At first access proved to be an issue, as most of the videos online were done using an E38 which has much more space at the back of the engine. I decided to remove all the plastic panels and other bits which freed up a lot more space. This made the job much easier and I was able to get access to the PCV, pop off the plastic cover and remove the old diaphragm (pictured below - I'll let you decide which one is the old). The old diaphragm was buggered, and fell to bits as I took it out. I installed the new diaphragm, put the car back together and took it for a test drive (pictured below - clearly much more powerful!). Upon start up it was still pretty rough and there was a small puff of smoke which was slightly disheartening, but most people say the system takes a few days to clear its throat. Once on the road the power deliver felt noticeably smoother and the engine overall happier. Over the next week or so there were probably 3-4 very small puffs of smoke on startup, which was completely eradicated after a week of driving. What's more, the cold idle was 100x smoother. Still slightly lumpy but a huge improvement. This is the most involved job I've ever done on a car by myself, which was satisfying and rewarding when it actually worked. I fixed something! This car is a great base to learn to wrench on cars in my opinion. It's great getting below the surface and discovering all of the other design elements of the car that 90% of owners will never see. Removing all of the plastic panels blocking access to the PCV was so methodical and beautifully simple (I'm sure not everything is this way!). Edited February 5, 2020 by BozzaFC 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BozzaFC 300 Report post Posted February 5, 2020 181,400 kms. When I ordered the PCV off FCP I noticed spark plugs were on sale. Taking advantage of this, I bought a set of NGK spark plug and swapped them in a couple weekends ago. After a pretty simple install I took it for a test drive (no tickets this time!). As soon as I pulled out of the driveway it felt much better. Power delivery much smoother and overall a very happy feeling M62. The real test was how it ran on cold start, and I am pleased to report that the next cold start was flawless; she ran silky smooth from stone cold. I've been trying to solve this rough idle since I got the car in September. It's so satisfying to have it running right now. Now time to enjoy it and work on some cosmetics before the National BMW Festival in March. 6 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hunter 408 Report post Posted February 5, 2020 noice, what cosmetics do you have on the cards? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
treone 647 Report post Posted February 5, 2020 Awesome @BozzaFC! Will you be taking it to the British & Euro show this coming Sunday? 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TermiPeteNZ 1318 Report post Posted February 5, 2020 Great result Boston 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3317 Report post Posted February 5, 2020 11 hours ago, BozzaFC said: This is the most involved job I've ever done on a car by myself, which was satisfying and rewarding when it actually worked. I fixed something! This car is a great base to learn to wrench on cars in my opinion. It's great getting below the surface and discovering all of the other design elements of the car that 90% of owners will never see. Removing all of the plastic panels blocking access to the PCV was so methodical and beautifully simple (I'm sure not everything is this way!). There's a 'late for work' ticket if ever I saw one! Fixed camera too, that's the one after Horokiwi just before Petone offramp. Bummer. Great result mate, this car's really coming together for you. I saw your 'ex-girlfriend Jane' the other day, still looking sharp though in need of a good wax. ? 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BozzaFC 300 Report post Posted February 5, 2020 13 hours ago, hunter said: noice, what cosmetics do you have on the cards? Just a few tidy up things. Like putting on a new steering wheel cover and refurbishing the wheels. Interior is overdue for a detail too 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BozzaFC 300 Report post Posted February 5, 2020 13 hours ago, treone said: Awesome @BozzaFC! Will you be taking it to the British & Euro show this coming Sunday? Thanks @treone. Unfortunately not! I’m out of town for the week Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BozzaFC 300 Report post Posted February 5, 2020 3 hours ago, Olaf said: There's a 'late for work' ticket if ever I saw one! Fixed camera too, that's the one after Horokiwi just before Petone offramp. Bummer. Great result mate, this car's really coming together for you. I saw your 'ex-girlfriend Jane' the other day, still looking sharp though in need of a good wax. ? Cheers! Yes I’ve seen it around a couple times too - always feels weird seeing someone else driving around in my old girl. But at least whenever I’ve seen it the new owner seems to be enjoying it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
treone 647 Report post Posted February 6, 2020 8 hours ago, BozzaFC said: Thanks @treone. Unfortunately not! I’m out of town for the week All good. Look forward to seeing Silver Titan at a catch-up sometime soon. Have a good one! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BozzaFC 300 Report post Posted February 24, 2020 (edited) 182,400 kms. Since the Silver Titan is fortunate enough to sleep in a garage both at home and at work, she rarely sees rain. However, when out of town earlier in the year she had to sit through a stupid amount of rain overnight. The next morning I walked outside and opened the rear doors tentatively to check for the infamous vapour barrier seal failure. Sure enough, the interior had a distinct musty smell and the rear carpets were damp. After a good airing out, vacuum and cleaning I went about fixing it. The rear driver's side was the only one leaking, but I decided to do all four doors to save myself having to do this tedious task again. Took the door panels off, applied some silicon sealant, left to dry and reinstalled everything. Unfortunately (fortunately), there hasn't been any rain since doing them to test my handiwork. Will update after some sufficient precipitation. In a very minor cosmetic update, I finally got around to installing the BMW rego holder I got from Winger last year. This was very needed! Edited February 24, 2020 by BozzaFC 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BozzaFC 300 Report post Posted February 24, 2020 (edited) After almost 2 years driving E39s I finally plucked up the courage to try out the factory cup holders. They worked! On a side note, the French Baker in Greytown is highly recommended! Edited February 24, 2020 by BozzaFC 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BreakMyWindow 1874 Report post Posted February 26, 2020 Did you use silicone rtv sealant in place of the butyl tape that seals the door moisture barriers? If so that’s going to be fun to deal with when a door lock actuator or window regulator fails... You can test the moisture barriers are sealing with door cards removed, close door, hose on the outside of door window, open opposite door, check for water leaking out between the door and moisture barrier. If the carpets got damp and it was musty smelling chances are the foam under the carpet is still wet and growing mould/mildew. 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eagle 1662 Report post Posted February 26, 2020 +1. If the rear carpet is damp then that foam underneath will be soaked. Probably pay to remove the rear seat and bottom trims and see if you can pry the carpet up enough to air it out, otherwise you may have to remove the front seats and center console. Sealing corners of rear quarter panel glass helps lessen water entering when the seals are aged. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
treone 647 Report post Posted February 26, 2020 ++1! If the carpets are damp, then the foam is probably soaked and holding water (they are pretty well insulated with thick foam). Also, if water has been getting in, especially over an extended period of time, then it is more than likely that both the rear and front carpets will be soaked. Good news is that the rear carpet can be lifted/exposed pretty easily and then the de-soaking and drying process can begin. Bad news is, its a bit harder to lift the front carpets without seats, middle console and trim being removed. If you have the storage/garage space and start that process then it probably makes sense for a 'carpet out job'. Then air dry them over several days. Lucky its the season for it ?. And you really don't want to pay someone to do it... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
treone 647 Report post Posted February 26, 2020 Oh and keep the updates coming! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BozzaFC 300 Report post Posted February 26, 2020 Thanks guys. Will look into it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tor 3 Report post Posted March 8, 2020 Bought a 540i with broken timing chain guides before Xmas, as the car was in such good condition (except the chain guides) Spent 2 months replacing chain guides, since then has not run right. First problem, I did not use the proper timing tools. 2nd problem once I fixed that and used the correct timing tools thanks to a forum member, the car would stall at 2500 rpm when hot, sounded terrible. Then would start and run OK My neighbour suggested Vanos issue, so I disconnected the wiring to the Vanos solenoid and car runs perfectly (noise gone, does not idle ok) but I am happy. Will replace the solenoid and should be ok to go. GREAT CAR. Look forward to getting it road legal and using it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GetCam 15 Report post Posted June 10, 2020 The photo of your speeding moment looks like a still from a film. It’s stunning! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HalfJobHarry 106 Report post Posted August 24, 2020 (edited) On 6/10/2020 at 9:12 PM, GetCam said: The photo of your speeding moment looks like a still from a film. It’s stunning! Love this. It's like paying for the photo at a theme park log flume (Probably cheaper too!) Edited August 24, 2020 by HalfJobHarry 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BozzaFC 300 Report post Posted January 20, 2021 Finally got around to updating this. The 540i sold to a guy just around the corner from me in Wellington. He was thinking about joining the local BMW club so I hope to see him and the car at an event soon . Having done a lot of long-distance trips over the New Year period I certainly miss the E39! The 540i is the best road trip car I have ever driven. I'll hopefully be back in an E39 in the future 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TermiPeteNZ 1318 Report post Posted January 20, 2021 We hope he joins up! Glad you enjoyed your time with the big V8 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hunter 408 Report post Posted January 20, 2021 What did you end up replacing it with @BozzaFC , you had mentioned a possible E36? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
