Did a valley pan replace on the wagon. took my time and did some cleaning up of grime and grit in there, changed out coolant, replaced a heater hose, o-rings on coolant pipes and probably a couple other things. FWIW I pulled the accumulator in the rear rather than the water pump. Used the URO Premium pan which has the raised outer lip and Viton gasket. Those 6 bolts holding the accumulator are a pain to R/R. These old hands are really wanting a cordless ¼ ratchet tool. Also tried to replace the tank vent check pump but the one I got had a 4 pin connector and mine has a 3 pin. Put a new o-ring in that assembly so maybe it'll quit throwing a "tiny leak" code. Used my new cordless impact gun to remove the wheel and man is that more convenient and quieter than the pneumatic version. Been thinking about selling the wagon and getting a Z3 but after I spend hours wrenching on it and remember how many new parts are on it...
Replaced the spark plugs and coil boots on my 228k mile 530i. Used my new iphone borescope and took a picture of the piston top, it's got some deposits. The engine leaks/burns a lot of oil but runs fine otherwise. I've recently replaced the bad CCV and a bunch of other stuff. With the new spark plugs (old ones had 90k and were overdue), a new coil, and no vacuum leaks it runs better at 228k than it has in a while. BMW piston 228k miles.jpg The picture is not from the cylinder that had the bad coil. All six pistons looked about the same.
Add to the list of "things to do when you buy an E39":
I had vacuumed the interior of my 530i when I got it. But shortly after I got myself a nice strong shop vac and I vacuumed out the vents under the front seats. On the driver side vent I sucked out a disposable lighter, a plastic army solider, some blank slips of paper that used to be receipts, and 45 cents in change. On the passenger side I vacuumed out two lighters, some receipts, two dimes, and a $10 bill.
When the second tail light bulb in two months went out (first a brake light, second a backup light) I replaced all the rear bulbs. Cheap, fast, and bought peace of mind.
Last edited by LuckyBill; 03-09-2024 at 08:11 PM.
Present car: 2003 BMW 530iA M-Sport, Premium Package, 160K+ miles, Darth Vader Black. Conti ExtremeContact Sport 02 tires, Dinan ignition coils
Previous car: Original Owner 1989 Ford Taurus SHO 317K miles (totaled 2017 by a SUV texting & driving)
Don't Text & Drive
Present car: 2003 BMW 530iA M-Sport, Premium Package, 160K+ miles, Darth Vader Black. Conti ExtremeContact Sport 02 tires, Dinan ignition coils
Previous car: Original Owner 1989 Ford Taurus SHO 317K miles (totaled 2017 by a SUV texting & driving)
Don't Text & Drive
I was talking about other things one needs to do when purchasing a car that started out with God knows how many others have used it before you buying it. Sure, the discoveries of items from previous owners is always fun, but stuff like bulbs, air filters, oil, the fuel system, brakes, brake fluid flush, the cooling system, making sure the HVAC drain pipes are clear, the vapor barriers on the doors, the sunroof drains, Hell, the sound system and proper cupholders, all that should be addressed at acquisition.
Set the controls for the heart of the sun
I found this when replacing the tail light bulb ….
Looking for an E39 belly pan , passenger front inner fender liner …
It's normal. All the cars that I've seen had surface rust on the lip of the weather seal of the trunk.
If you remove it and spray paint, it'll come back after some time.
I did it.
Spray cavity wax on it and in the seal where it sits on the lip. This will prevent new and slow down or maybe stop the existing surface rust
You can do the same for the taillight socket. Or just put a tiny dab of grease on that spot to seal it.
If you live in a moisty area, it'll happen regardless.
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If they would help you, then do it, but I doubt that after a couple of years, they would take any responsibility.
It just doesn't feel normal, I mean, you have a warranty on the work done, maybe 1 to 2 years, but not a couple.
In Europe, regardless of the country, no one would take you seriously. They respect the law religiously, but a day after the agreed warranty, it becomes your problem. If something happens while still in warranty, they will also check that the warranty conditions were met.
Plus, you'll need proof of purchase just to initiate the warranty procedure.
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