All posts tagged: BMW

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 …

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 …

BMW Ownership: A Decision Made in the Spirit

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Last week I came across an interesting document while browsing vintage BMW literature online. The document is a 1989 Preview Brochure for the 3er, 5er and 7er series BMW cars. In my 17 years of BMW ownership, I had never even heard of a preview brochure. I was shocked at how well the introduction was written; it really sums up our collective enthusiasm for BMW car culture in an eloquent and simple way. We have to appreciate how this kind of marketing material could only have come from a boutique, West German auto manufacturer in 1989, just months before the Berlin Wall fell. Back then, the company was not the corporate behemoth that it is today. One can recognize where the copy must have been loosely translated directly from German, as the wording has a kink or two. Today, that marketing copy would be so highly polished by the BMW executives that something like this would never see the light of day in the US market. Here’s what it means to be a BMW enthusiast. …

Five New YouTube Videos on my 1990 E32 735iL

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Recently, upon late night browsing of Facebook Marketplace, I stumbled upon a 1990 735iL available for sale. Days went by, then a week. I saw that the car was still available and it was on my mind; I couldn’t stop thinking about how great the car’s condition was. It had been garage kept and driven less than 1,000 miles per year since 2008. Then, Facebook’s sneaky notification buzzed my iPhone. The asking price had dropped from $3,500 USD down to $2,900 USD. I asked for some details on the car, checked out the VIN number, and prepared my offer. I asked if $2,500 USD would do. It was accepted. One week later on a Sunday afternoon the seller delivered the car to my driveway two hours from New York! This Fall 2020 E32 project began as an accidental purchase of a classic BMW that I really should not have purchased. My day job is a stay-at-home Dad to my one year old daughter. I run a business and YouTube channel on nights and weekends, which …

BMW Intermittent Random Stalling Issue Help

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If your BMW is randomly stalling out, it is dangerous to your safety on the road, and it must be resolved ASAP. Here are some of the common reasons why your BMW might be exhibiting stalling issues. The fuel pump is faulty and needs to be replaced. 2. The crank position sensor is faulty and needs to be replaced. This is common on older classic cars such as the E30, E32, E34 and E36. But it can also present as an issue on modern cars like the E39, E46. 3. One of the most difficult to diagnose stalling issues is when the intake camshaft position sensor is beginning to fail. This part will fail very slowly overtime, and will not always throw a service engine light with stored code. This makes diagnosis next to impossible. This stalling happens in slow speed such as coming to a stop sign or slow drives around a shopping center parking lot, for example. If your BMW is showing these symptoms of intermittent stalling, with no trouble codes present, it …

BMW Door Handle Gasket Seal Replacement E31, E32, E34, E36

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The rubber door handle gaskets on the E31 8 series, E32 7 series, E34 5 series and E36 3 series cars will all fail in time. The original BMW gasket dries up in the sun from UV exposure over the years causing cracking and crumbling. Unfortunately BMW does not sell the gaskets separately, so you must purchase the entire door handle if going with the genuine replacement. This can add up to several hundred dollars for a sedan. Instead, quality aftermarket gasket kits are what most people use, coming in at around $29 USD for a set of four gaskets. You can buy a set here. How to Remove the Door Handle Cover Plate and Gasket Open the door and look at the jam on the edge of the door With a nylon pry tool, remove the plastic cap covering the access hole. Avoid using a metal object for this step as it can damage your paint. Spray lubricant such as WD40 onto the sliding brass mechanism and allow to sit for a few minutes. …