My 2001 740iL Project Car

[BlueCrabMafia]

Removing old Tint and trying to save the defogger lines.

Used this...

Ummmmm........WOW!!!! Glad to see you restoring this car, but using AC paint remover to take off window tint?! That's about as harsh as you can get. Just for future reference any citrus based cleaner and a non abrasive scrub pad will take off tint residue from a rear window without damaging the defroster lines (Can't say the same for that AC paint remover, that stuff is pretty caustic). Peel the tint down from the top leaving about a 2-3" strip attached at the bottom. Spray the citrus cleaner on the glue and let it sit. Then just scrub it off (the debris will fall onto the tint you peeled off which should be laying on the rear deck). If the tint comes off in pieces, take a heavy duty black trash bag, cut it open flat, spray soapy water on the outside of your rear window and place the bag on the window. Let it sit in the sun for a few hours and it will heat up the glue allowing for easier removal.

For tint removal on side windows, you can use the same citrus cleaner and razor blades. Make sure they are stainless steel blades and not the carbon steel ones. Use the flat of the blade to scrap off the glue. You should have been able to strip that entire car of tint in less that hour without disassembling anything.

Google or YouTube tint removal for demo videos of what I'm talking about.

[purplecty]

I watched a window show take a blow torch to the outside of the glass and the tint came off like butter...

[roys740]

wow a blow torch seems extreme.

[BlueCrabMafia]

wow a blow torch seems extreme.

You would think, but no different than using a heat gun as long as the flame is set correctly. I've seen guys that use torches to mold window tint with. The only concern I have with that is dropping the torch on the window as its more likely to damage the car than say dropping a heat gun on it would.

[purplecty]

Yeah not for a long time. On the outside of the glass just to heat up the glue and make the tints slide off. This was after me goofing with it for a while on a car I had years ago. When they did it all came off in a matter of minutes...

[purplecty]

You would think, but no different than using a heat gun as long as the flame is set correctly. I've seen guys that use torches to mold window tint with. The only concern I have with that is dropping the torch on the window as its more likely to damage the car than say dropping a heat gun on it would.

Dont drop it

[dville]

I tried ALL the window tint removal tricks to save the rear defogger.
Slow peel, raw ammonia, steam gun, direct heat, scraper, garbage bag inside and out in sun, etc...
I found out about this stripper from an LS1 forum post where that guy had exhausted all options like I had with my tint from hell.
You can still see pieces of my garbage bag sheets where I used raw ammonia in hot Florida sun

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That magic eraser worked great! I need to try that on my mpars

Just use it sparingly, only when needed.

Its like 3500 grit sandpaper with a dirt trap is how it works.

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Ummmmm..
For tint removal on side windows, you can use the same citrus cleaner and razor blades. Make sure they are stainless steel blades and not the carbon steel ones. Use the flat of the blade to scrap off the glue. You should have been able to strip that entire car of tint in less that hour without disassembling anything.

Your not trying to scare me with how harsh and dangerous the stripper is are you?
That job is done, and look how beautiful my back windows look now and my defogger still works.

This is some gangster freaking, bullet proof, kryptonite tint man!!!!
the side windows did not even peel off when I applied the stripper to it with a rag.
I ended up taking the glass out and soaking it like you see in the pics.

[dville]

Fixed Cluster:



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Fixed Windows:
http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?2183647-Solved-my-bmw-e38-740-rear-window-regulator-broken-pulley-problem-for-good



Fixed Subwoofer:
http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?2183946-How-I-got-DEEP-bass-from-REAR-SUBWOOFER-using-factory-enclosure&p=28557091#post28557091

[clarkitect]

^^^Nice cluster! I'm sending mine in next week for Concrete Donkey repair. Can't wait for that to be fixed.

[europlus240]

[QUOTE=dville;28557249]Fixed Cluster:



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Makes me jealous. Need to do mine. Did you do it yourself?

[Sansouci]

I'm curious about the stuff you found in the trans pan. Are you losing the valve chain guides? Hearing heavy rattles?

[dville]

[QUOTE=europlus240;28561699]

Fixed Cluster:



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Makes me jealous. Need to do mine. Did you do it yourself?

I send my cluster to Concrete Donkey for repair by joining the group buy.

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I'm curious about the stuff you found in the trans pan. Are you losing the valve chain guides? Hearing heavy rattles?

Those pieces there are the gasket material from the edge of the pan that have fallen in after I started scraping it off.
Nothing but fine metal shavings on the magnet at the bottom of the pan was found.

Transmission symptom was "hunting" to find top gear, like it was going in and out of overdrive very subtly.
My other '99 E38 had no real identifiable transmission symptoms, but when I changed it, boy what a difference it made. You don't know how smooth it should be until you change it.

[dville]

Last month was getting this intermittently..... trifecta ABS DSC Brake light trio.



Sometime accompanied by the speedometer not working..

I ordered a Meyle rear ABS wheel speed sensor and installed it.


Solved the problem so far...

(yes, I know they are made in China, but I have a lifetime warranty on them.) :-)

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5/5/15
Removed rear passenger side regulator. Pulleys not broken, but warped, cable slipped off both pulleys, and from center reel


5/9/15
Installed Honda/Acura 2003 TL Rear Right window regulator (upside down) in RR door. (http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...oblem-for-good)
Used metal straps and bolts to secure it. Auto roll up/down works ok. Battery died, charged.


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5/14/15
167289 installed repaired speedo from Bavarian Audio. Cleared CEL "secondary air" Will check into that later.

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5/19/15
167477 dropped off for alignment and front tire balance at Goodyear $25

5/20/15
167501 Left Rear window last run, sound of death. Locked it out.
Front control arm shimmy during braking is back again.

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6/13/15 168102
Installed 2 new Lemforder thrust arm bushings from FCPEuro w/lifetime warranty.

OLD control arm traction struts



OLD and NEW




NEW




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6/13/15
Installed old DICE unit donated by a friend...






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I made the old DICE unit Bluetooth compatible by adding a USB Bluetooth receiver.

The old DICE audio quality is terrible...
I connected the iPhone directly to the DSP adapter and the sound was amazing, run it through the DICE and sounds like crap.
The PT-810 Bluetooth receiver was not great quality either, but good enough.

See the wire routing from the two RCA jacks ? :-)

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6/26/15
Right Front regulator failed. Blocked window and disconnected motor.

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6/29/15
Let my mom use the car all week. Battery died when Hazard lights left on accidentally. Jump started.
She maybe hit a speed bump too fast and banged up the underbody plastic cover (covering the fuel pump)
Part #
Covering Outer Right 51718242710
Covering Outer Left 51718242719

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7/2/15
168K Battery died again. 10v after sitting for 30 mins.
Bought new Duralast Gold 95R-DLG from Autozone. Battery is made in Germany and seems to have been made in the 46th week of 2014... $191 (w/core).
850 CCA


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The battery does have the hole for the vent tube, but did not come with the elbow to connect it to the vent tube.

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7/5/15
Removed center link and bushing end of ALL control arms to test.


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Passenger side joint at end of center link: Felt tight


Front Control Arm (left and right): Felt tight when arm when wiggled.


Traction Strut control arm (left and right): Felt tight when wiggled (they better be, I just put them on)


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Tie rod ends (left and right): Felt tight when wiggled (these Lemforder units were replaced last year, so they were expected to be good)



Tested Driver's side center link end joint: Felt loose (no friction)


I decided to order a new TRW brand center link from FCP with the lifetime warranty.


This happened to the harbor Freight front end tool that I was using to disconnect the center link to Pitman arm .


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7/5/15
This happened to my front emblem while driving home from Miami....




I forgot where I bought it....

[Hueristic]

This happened to the harbor Freight front end tool that I was using to disconnect the center link to Pitman arm .

Yeah, my harbor freight ball joint removal tool did the same thing. The peice flew by my head at Mach 1 !!!

I forgot where I bought it....

Fleabay?

[dville]

7/8/15 Remove PT-810 Bluetooth and installed GROM TSB1 / SB1 Bluetooth module in trunk car...
http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...SP-and-love-it


7/9/15 Installed new TRW center link, tightened all bushings at ride height. Steering feels tighter and more responsive.

7/10/15 Found several late E38s at LKQ.
Got new A pillar covers with factory material in grey:



Got new B pillar covers with the clips still good...


Measured them, because I am going to make a tab to glue in place if one is missing....

Rebuilt emblem



Removed logo, removed foam sticker, applied Clear Silicone RTV type adhesive directly to logo and emblem...

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My electronically dimmable rear view mirrors started to fall off...

Removed glass by sliding ring outwards behind mirror


make sure Plastic parts are good

[plokiu]

Thanks for the great thread. I envy your skills.

[psjr]

Did you ever vent the battery? It will cause massive corrosion if you don't.

[dville]

That was one of the things I got from the used car, full battery vent tube and plastic elbows.

Center link pic.

[Sansouci]

Impressive rehab. Beautiful car. I get down to WPB a few times a year. How does your air con work? That's always the weak point....
BTW, I was dubious of the glue gun solution. Let's hear about what parts held up and which didn't.
--Ken

[daniels635turbo]

Nice work.

[dville]

Impressive rehab. Beautiful car. I get down to WPB a few times a year. How does your air con work? That's always the weak point....
BTW, I was dubious of the glue gun solution. Let's hear about what parts held up and which didn't.
--Ken

Hot glue on bushing is for testing. Can be made to work permanently with a mix of materials if you want to experiment more.

Honda window regulator gets used every day, like I am really trying to break it. Time will tell.

Intake manifold leak repair by flipping intake bolt rubber spacers seemed to make the car run better, no check engine lights, smooth idle etc.

[zsm722]

looks really clean man. I need to try a little of Magic Eraser on my M-Parallels too.

[dville]

Did you ever vent the battery? It will cause massive corrosion if you don't.

I found OE vent tubes from a used E38 and vented both sides of the battery...


Ran hose between the jack and the battery to the ground side vent tube hole


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Got my M-Sport Steering Wheel from Blue Crab Mafia....excellent condition...


Quickly removed the four spoke wheel airbag...





Inspecting the new smaller airbag..


Thought I would have to be messing with the clock spring, but as luck would have it, I did not, it's a direct swap, plug and play. I only loose the A/C recirc button on the steering wheel.






Finished, easy install for an awesome feeling wheel. What a world of difference....



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7/15/15 before the steering wheel swap, my DSC light was locked in on.
The button did nothing. Reading forums typically this is a steering angle sensor calibration.


7/19/15 170041 miles, driving home from FTL, shifting a lot, transmission begins to remain in 3rd gear. starts off in 1, or 2, upshifts to 3 and stays there. Seems transmission is running hot. Need to check transmission heat exchanger for pluggage, and make sure coolant regulator for transmission is working OK.


7/27/15 170319 Installed new front rotors from Myle (with special coating), and ATE pads. I installed new fender liner and pad wear sensor.








7/27/15 Tested DSC modules with Ebay diagnostic cable and software ($52) and found Pre-charge pump not able to be activated by DCS, but will run when activated manually by powering pin 3(+) and pin 4(-) to turn on the precharge pump directly.

Powering pump directly


Powering pump via DSC connector.


Confirmed DCS needs a rebuild to fix this problem.

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7/31/15 Installed metal pulley regulator in Driver's side rear door.



8/5/15 Added one can of PAG oil to A/C low pressure side to try and reduce AC Compressor moaning. (did not help)

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Got lucky and found a DCS module at the junkyard from a 2000 E38 with a Module Masters sticker on it already.







My original Module from my 2001 E38




bought it, installed it and coded it using NCS Expert software...


No DSC Light anymore.....

[purplecty]

Some nice work going on here!

[dville]

Some nice work going on here!

Thanks.

Removed my factory cell phone and made room for my IPhone in the center console.

http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...center-console