Author: BIMMERZEIT

E39 Touring Wagon Rescue Project Series

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Last year in the midst of the Pandemic, I, like many other car enthusiasts, decided to rescue a cheap project car. Many people dove into new projects as a way to cope with the stress of the pandemic, and to focus on something positive. Mine was a $900 E39 Touring I found for sale online back in February 2021. In typical enthusiast fashion, I quickly poured significantly more money into the car than it was worth. I changed the interior, body panels and overhauled the cooling system, brakes, engine and suspension. This financial loss was realized when I sold the car last summer for a loss of over $1,600. Well, at least I have this four episode series on YouTube to remember the good times. Knowing that this BMW wagon or “Touring” was made in very small numbers, I knew it was special enough to try to save. Besides, it was an experiment in creating a rescue series on YouTube for the Bimmerzeit channel. Did any of you buy a BMW project car during the …

My 1984 BMW e28 533i is For Sale

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For the last five summers I’ve been enjoying the e28 I bought from just outside Portland, Oregon from its long time owner. The previous owner bought the car in July 1987 and kept the car until July 2018. I wrote about the long time owner here. It’s a 1984 533i which was only sold in the US and Japan in small numbers. This 533iA is one of 2,514. This rare model has the 3.2L version of the M30 making it just as fun to drive as the 535iS. The 533i is also lighter than the 535i and 535iS. Alpinweis paint over rich Pacific blue leather interior. One charming feature of early e28’s like this one is that they used horsehair cushioned seats; this gives the cabin a wonderful scent reminiscent of a vintage Porsche. The later model e28’s used foam, so they lack this quality. This car has been a joy to own and has been meticulously kept throughout its life, primarily by the previous owner – who has kept hundreds of service records detailing …

How to Replace Program and Register a new BMW Battery

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If you’re a long time BMW driver, owner or enthusiast you may be surprised to learn that installing a new battery is no longer an easy 10 minute DIY job on modern models. Starting around 2006-2007 most BMW cars require the battery to be programmed and registered when replaced. This is because of more complex power management and battery management software. When replacing the battery, you need to tell the car that a new battery has been installed and input parameters such as the amp hours capacity and type of battery (AGM vs. lead acid). While this seems like an unnecessary hurdle to DIYers, it’s actually just a result in the evolution of technology that makes a lot of sense. If you’re still driving an E30, E28, E34, E36, E32, E39, E53 or E46 then there is no need to program a new battery with software; you simply remove and replace the battery. Nice and easy. Thanks to inexpensive scan tools made for BMW’s found on Amazon, you can program and replace your battery yourself …

How to Remove Replace Install Register and Program a new battery in an E70 X5 BMW

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So it’s time to replace your battery, but you don’t want to pay the dealership $600? Well, my DIY guide might help you save some cash and time scheduling a service visit to BMW. Before you start this job, you are going to need a handheld OBD-II scan tool that is compatible with the E70 X5. Many versions that work with older cars like the E46, E39 and E90 may not communicate with the E70 due to its updated electronics. You’ll need the scan tool to register and or program the new battery after it’s installed. Alternatively, if you have a PC laptop, cable, and BMW software such as INPA or ISTA you can use that to register the new battery. I personally use the NT510 scan tool available here on Amazon for under $200. This will quickly pay for itself after avoiding costly labor diagnostics charges at BMW. In Fairfield Connecticut, as of 2022, the current rate is $185 an hour plus tax. Yikes. How to Remove and Install a New Battery in your …

Rare 2001 E39 530i Sport Package with Manual Transmission For Sale

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For sale is an exceptionally clean 2001 E39 530i with the desirable sport package and manual 5-speed transmission combination. In my opinion, this is the best all-around BMW you can buy today. Nothing that came before it, and nothing that came after the E39 really lives up to all that this car offers in one great value package. What other car offers: timeless styling, the ability to drive a modern classic on vintage plates with discounted tax and insurance, comfortable for the family yet still sporty with direct road feel and confidence inspiring handling unmatched by any other five series? This car actually belongs to my Father who lives out in the suburbs north of Chicago, Illinois. He bought this car from down South so it is very clean and solid, never exposed to road salts and has been garaged and driven only in Summer under his ownership. I have personally driven this car while visiting my family last summer; the car drives beautifully (and I’ve driven a lot of E39’s). The manual transmission is …

What it’s Like to Own an E28 BMW for 30 Years

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Its July 1987: Full Metal Jacket is playing in movie theaters nationwide and the E24 M6 graces the cover of the July issue of Car and Driver. Gasoline hovers around 0.90 cents per gallon and U2’s Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For hit top of the Billboard Hot 100 music chart. I wasn’t even born yet – until December that year. The Summer of 87 is when the previous owner of my E28 began shopping for and ultimately purchased his 1984 533i from an ad in the local paper. The dealer invoice I have dated July 16, 1987 indicates a sale price of $19,000 which became $21,084.50 after tax and title. He would drive the car for the next 31 years until I bought the car in July 2018. Last week, I sent an email to the previous owner to ask some questions that I had hoped would help me understand more about the car and it’s long time owner. We hadn’t spoken since the pandemic began in 2020, but I knew I wanted …

My First Electric BMW

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Recently I teamed up with the marketing guys at BMW of Bridgeport Connecticut to test drive my first electric BMW. I took out a 2018 i3 on loan, a car that I’ve wanted to test drive ever since I heard about its development in Leipzig, Germany. Here’s a video I posted to my YouTube channel sharing a little bit about the experience.

E90 BMW Broke Down with All Warning Lights On and The Car Won’t Drive

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If you’re experiencing the classic dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree scenario in your E90 3-series BMW, you are probably thinking that something horribly catastrophic just happened to your car. But don’t worry, yet. Recently my 2007 335i broke down on the highway on the way home from my mother-in-law’s birthday celebration. I was with my wife and daughter and it was just getting dark out. It was also the hottest and most humid day of the year so far with temps around 90 degrees. This was the worst possible time to experience a break down! The car was cruising along for 15 minutes on the journey home, without any hint of a problem. All of a sudden, every warning light in the car came on and it began slowing down. The speedometer dropped to zero, even though we were going 65 MPH. The transmission shifting felt clunky, too. The coolant, ABS, airbag, DSC dynamic stability control, brake, service engine soon, yellow gear of death, and others, came on and cycled through like a …

Rescuing a Classic BMW E39 Touring Sport Wagon

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It’s been nearly five months since I last posted a video on YouTube. It was a fun video where I just drove around in our E53 X5 during a blizzard here in Connecticut. That was early February, 2021. Check it out below: It was around this time that I came across a very sad 525iT which was just listed for sale locally on Craigslist. With several feet of snow piling up during a tough New England winter, there wasn’t much to do but indulge in the pastime we all love: browsing online car ads for old BMW’s. It wasn’t long before I saw the touring ad on Craigslist Fairfield. It had been advertised for $1,600 which seemed like a steal at first glance. That was of course, until I saw the car in person. It was definitely the worst condition car I’ve probably ever seen, let alone purchased. Nearly everything was broken and needed replacing. Service engine soon light illuminated. Seats torn. Driver seat not moving. Interior disgusting. Rust. Dents. Dings. Sunroof stuck closed. Curb …

Test Driving a 2021 Tesla at the Milford, Connecticut Gallery

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About a month ago I made a video called The End of Gas Powered BMW’s where I drove around in my 1990 735iL just talking to the camera about electric cars and my desire to drive one. I’ve been curious and interested in electric vehicles for a long time. In fact, I gave an elaborate presentation on Toyota’s hybrid technology for an engineering class at The University of Connecticut back in 2006. Wow, it’s hard to believe my college days were that long ago. Anyway, after uploading that video, it turns out that one of my subscribers is a Tesla employee who also happens to be a BMW enthusiast. Hey, even Elon Musk began his passion for cars with BMW, long before the idea for Tesla was born. Elon’s mother tweeted the photo below two years ago: Elon working on his E21 BMW in 1995! In the photo, it looks like he has the door card trim panel removed to repair a broken window regulator motor. The steering wheel also appears to be a three …