What's up bf.c...
I figured that now would be a good time to start logging what I do to my car, so I can reference it from time to time, or use is it as a maintenance log when I sell the car.
A little bit of my background with BMW. My first car in high school was a 1997 528iA that was black/black. It was a hand-me-down from my dad, and it sparked my love for these German machines. The car had 260k and was already on its last leg of life before it finally crapped out on us.
Fast forward a couple of years, I found myself in a late model E30. A good buddy of mine got me into them, but I ended up getting into a huge wreck. I hydroplaned on the freeway, spun across 4 lanes, and landed in a ditch. Miraculously I survived. I credit German engineering (and God's plan I guess) for that. I was looking for pics, but I can't find them. If I find the pic of the car, I'll show it to you. -- NVM found it:
Another year later, I found myself in another E30 -- except this time, it was an early model sport. Sadly, it was an automatic and I really wanted it to be manual. I thought about sourcing parts, and doing the swap, but it never came to fruition.
During this time, I needed a more reliable car to daily, and I always knew I wanted to get back into an E39... I loved everything about this car -- and I've always felt that for its age, and in the period it was from, it was highly advanced. I'm sure you E39ers can agree that there aren't many cars that can give you the same feeling you get by owning/driving an E39.
Anyway, enough of story -- here is a bit about the car. I bought it about a year ago, May 2015.
2000 528i M52TUB28
160xxx miles
Order options No. Description 210 DYNAMIC STABILITY CONTROL (DSC) 248 STEERING WHEEL HEATING 459 SEAT ADJUSTM., ELECTR. W. MEMORY 494 SEAT HEATING F DRIVER/FRONT PASSENGER 500 HEADLIGHT WASHER SYS/INTENSIVE CLEANING 640 CAR TELEPHONE PREPARATION 694 PREPARATION FOR CD CHANGER 818 MAIN BATTERY SWITCH 925 SHIPPING PROTECTION PACKAGE Series options No. Description 283 LT/ALY WHEELS BMW STYLING II 302 ALARM SYSTEM 354 GREEN STRIPE WINDSCREEN 441 SMOKERS PACKAGE 473 ARMREST, FRONT 520 FOGLIGHTS 534 AUTOMATIC AIR CONDITIONING 540 CRUISE CONTROL 645 RADIO CONTROL US 676 HIFI LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM 845 ACOUSTIC BELT WARNING 850 ADD FUEL TANK FILLING FOR EXPORT 853 LANGUAGE VERSION ENGLISH 876 RADIO FREQUENCY 315 MHZ 992 NUMBER PLATE ATTACHEMENT MANAGEMENT
Here's how she looked when I got her (well after a wash):
Some weird paint issue... Looks like PO tried to do some colorsanding and failed.. idk
The first thing I did to the car was refresh the cooling system. I changed the radiator, water pump, upper/lower hoses, coolant expansion tank/cap, pulley, and thermostat
The I found a pair of M5 front brakes on CL for $70... Came with calipers and rotors... Couldn't say no! Here's a pic of just the rotors
I then bought some 18" Mpar reps that were black, and I wanted to remove the paint, but ended up selling because I got lazy to do it to all 4 wheels:
My original hood had this nasty paint chip the size of a silver dollar, so I was going to replace it when I found a CF Seibon hood on CL that I got for $450... Thought it was a good deal... anyway. +25hp here
Surprsingly the fitment was good, except for that I still need to file down one of the nozzle holes to get this washer jet to fit
Because this car is a daily driver, and I'm not looking to put it on the track, I was looking for coilovers to install that were budget friendly and would help with handling/cornering. I ended up getting a set of budget NNR coilovers from a local seller in Santa Clara, CA. Here are some pics of the install, and the first pics after she was lowered.
I figured, I'd paint my chrome window trim black using SEM trim paint... I've been looking to get OEM shadowline -- but have been unsuccessful removing them from junkyard cars... Any tips?
And here are the most recent pictures of her, after a wash. Still need to do some paint correction.
Lastly, this is my most recent purchase, still waiting to put these on. OEM 17" E39 fitment Style 5 -- PO bought BBS center caps (don't know how I feel about them)
In about a week I will be rolling my fenders to accommodate for the extra inch in width and height for the Style 5s, and I'll update this thread with some pictures!
Maintenance plans:
- Transmission/Diff fluid flush
- New spark plugs
- Fuel filter
- Front door seal (driver's side)
What else should I be looking to do?
Cosmetic plans:
- M-technic bumpers front/rear
- Facelift headlights, CELIS tails
- All black side moulding
- 18" or 19" OEM M-Pars
Misc. plans:
- CDV delete
- 545i Short Shifter
- ZHP Shift Knob
- Magnaflow 18316
- Re-tint
To christen the car, I'm taking her on a road-trip down the Pacific Coast Highway in August with my girlfriend for our anniversary... Anything that I should do in order to prep for that?
Anyway -- just wanted to share with you the car I love so much!
Thanks bf.c
Last edited by JPR10; 06-18-2016 at 05:30 PM.
AAA card.
Those are early 540iA wheels.
Ed in San Jose '97 540i 6 speed aspensilber over aubergine leather. Build date 3/97. Golden Gate Chapter BMW CCA Nr 62319.
Looks really good! M-Pars will look sweet. Get the 18" OEM M-Pars, the 19" reps don't quite look right in my opinion.
For facelift taillights, get the CELIS retrofit kit from Schmiedmann. It's $310 shipped and it has ballasts included so it's completely plug and play without throwing any errors. I threw those into my prefacelift M5 and now I have beautiful OEM taillights. It's plug and play, well worth it.
As for the M-tech bumpers, try to find a used OEM M5 bumper if possible. Sometimes people sell cracked ones for reasonable prices and you can always fix those pretty easily. The fitment will always be better with an OEM bumper. If you don't want to go that route then the DDM Tuning ABS M5 bumper is a good aftermarket option— it supposedly has the best fit of all the aftermarket M5 bumpers.
1995 525i 5-speed - Thread
Thanks. I'm actually considering something other than CELIS if possible... Are there any reputable 3rd party options? I hear that sometimes people have sealing issues and their car allows leaks when installing Hella CELIS... Is this something I should be concerned about?
There aren't any real third party options that look decent in my opinion. While there are some nice aftermarket headlights out there, nobody seems to get the taillights right. I personally haven't experienced any leaking issues with Hella CELIS tails, but it never rains in Arizona so I'll never really find out haha
1995 525i 5-speed - Thread
Little update here...
Tried rolling the fenders on the fronts of the E39 -- Eastwood roller wouldn't fit over the hub.. Has anyone ever had this issue?
Ended up putting the Style 5s on, and clearance is really tight... Might lift the fronts up a bit, at least until the fenders get rolled. Notice a lot more road noise now, due to the lower profile tire.
Here are the pics:
On a side note -- my old wheels are for sale. (5) style 33s, very clean.
-- if you're interested.
Next thing: getting an alignment. Still haven't done it since I installed the coils.
Last edited by JimLev; 08-11-2016 at 08:28 AM. Reason: No for sale here
small update here:
Since I last posted, I still haven't gotten my car aligned. Need to find time to get that done... Car is starting to pull very slightly to the right, but it isn't really noticeable.
I've also sold those stock wheels. The person who bought them got them for a great deal... 5 wheels for 300 bucks. I was about to move, and didn't realize the the apartment I was moving to had the storage space for it... Bummer -- would've loved to keep them as a spare set.
Also, I'm starting to regret buying cheap coilovers... Nothing wrong with the ride quality, although at low speeds (parking lots) while turning I hear creaking coming from the front end of the car. Any thoughts on what this might be? I've read around, and some say the top nut might be loose... Others say it could be worn bushings? Why does it happen while turning the wheel?
Still waiting to put the M5 front brakes on. Need to get 18s to clear them... Keeping my eye out for M pars. What should I do with them? Rebuild? Paint?
Also picked up a set of US Hella CELIS tails, but now I'm reluctant to put them on... Can someone talk me into it? I'm lazy to source the correct LCM, and code it. Also lazy to actually fit them. Not to mention they don't have the plugs/pigtails -- what are my options then? (these are for sale btw, so PM me if interested)
Lastly -- I picked up a Gruppe M Cold (HOT) Air Intake. Got this for a deal that I couldn't pass up. Here are some pics:
Ordered a K&N recharger kit to clean/re-oil the filter before I install it... Should be fun!
Some things I still need to do, but have been putting off:
- Replace windshield washing system (original broke while changing out hoods)
- Get a spare key from the dealer -- what are my diff options here?
- Spark plug replacement
- CDV delete
- Driver's side door seal replacement
- Tranny/diff fluid flush
- 545i shifter + zhp knob
Thanks for reading!
Last edited by JPR10; 08-10-2016 at 01:38 AM.
Hey all, was wondering if you can help me pinpoint/identify this creaking noise.
I hear it while turning at low speeds, and even stationary.
I'm currently saving up for BCs -- so let me know if this creaking noise is a problem with the coilover itself, or with my top mounts (which are brand new), or other related suspension parts like bushings, etc.
Would love your feedback here:
- - - Updated - - -
I also wanted to update that I've installed the GruppeM intake that I recently acquired (for an awesome deal). Installation was a breeze, and took less than 15 minutes overall... I'm looking to remove the intake silencer. Any thoughts here? Should I just insert a PVC plug/cap and reinforce with a clamp? Or I also read somewhere that the E46s with the M52TU use an intake boot without the outlet for the silencer/resonator... Let me know what you think.
Initial impressions:
- Increase in throttle response
- Increase of power in higher RPMs (3-4k+)
- Sexy induction noise (duh)
Here are the pics:
Small update here:
Took a picture of the car to include in the best parking spot thread, but decided to not post it... but here it is. Luckily have (somewhat) covered parking at work, allowing me to protect the paint/interior from the sun throughout the day.
Ok, onto the update.
Some of you might have seen in a previous thread, but I've recently upgraded my stock OEM radio with an aftermarket Android Lolipop 7" unit.
Xtrons PF7539BA 7" Android 5.1: 64-bit Operating System Quad Core: 32-bit CPU Processor
This is what it looked like w/ packaging from Hong Kong... Arrived in one piece!
The installation was fairly straight forward... Removed the MID, removed the cassette player. Popped off the trim pieces above the glovebox, and behind the steering wheel. Removed the accompanying screws... Wrestling the damn cage out was the hardest part... but after 10-15 minutes, it was free!
Before:
After:
And here's a better shot, with a better POV.
Looking to add a rear view / back up camera fairly soon... Something that also looks OEM, and integrates nicely with the body.
This is what I'm looking to get:
Overall initial impressions:
- Looks OEM
- Buttons have full RGB capability for backlight... (I will post a shot later, but I got the amber to match up well with the rest of the interior)
- Stock EQ settings aren't that great, but you can create a custom one
- Operating speed is awesome, and seamless.
- Beats the stock radio by 1000x
I'd be happy to answer anyones questions in further detail about this unit. Overall, I'm very happy/satisfied, and would recommend it to those who don't have a Dynavin in the budget.
Suspension Update
I also wanted to mention in regards to the video in the above post about the creaking -- the creaking is gone! I'm not sure what happened, but I'm no longer hearing the creaking while turning at any speeds (slow or fast).
With that being said -- I'm still making the decision to upgrade from cheap-o NNR coilovers to something a little bit more reputable... I was able to pick up a set of KW V2s, (which were rebuilt as V1s apparently, so we'll just call them V1s) for a good price.
Been waiting to find time to install these... but haven't gotten around to it yet.
Wheels that I'm looking for currently:
- 18inch OEM Mpars
- 17/18 inch ACS Type 3 2/3 piece.
Some questions I have that you might be able to answer:
- I think I have vinyl seats/interior... Do you have any recommended solutions for refreshing the seats?
- I also acquired a set of pigtails to install a set of CELIS tails that are sitting around... Any idea of how to wire these up to the pre-facelift harness?
- I'll need to source an LCM3b, or 4... Any clue as to which software is needed and is compatible with each? INPA, NCSExpert, PASoft, etc?
Let me know what you guys think!
Last edited by JPR10; 09-21-2016 at 08:06 PM. Reason: removed photo with personal info
A little update here.
I was able to trade the KWs I picked up on Craigslist for a set of Style 37 M Parallel wheels + cash on his end. The 2 rear wheels are from an E38 (bored to 74.1mm) which have a lower offset of +13, and the fronts are off of an E39. Both are 18x8, but the rear tires are slightly meatier.
I took off the Style 5s, and replaced them with the M pars only to find that I'm rubbing slightly in the rear. I'm also glad I did, because my tires on the style 5s were becoming pretty bare...
I can't tell if it's my bumper or the fender itself. I've placed some blue tape for the time being to see if I can decipher where the wheel is rubbing.
Here are pics of the tires of the Style 5s:
And here are some pics of the car as it stands now:
Ordered some genuine 68mm center caps (newer style) which should be coming in a week or so.
I'm going to get an alignment done to correct the toe in the rear, since I haven't done that since lowering the car.
Anybody know if other alignment specifications can be modified on the E39? Camber/toe in the rear? Toe in the front?
Very nice.. i liked the Style 5's but the Mpars are sweet. The SEM trim paint made the car "sportier"..love it.
Thanks. SEM trim paint is the best.
I still have the Style 5s... not sure what I want to do with them. Sell? Refinish? decisions...
These came in the mail today:
Immediately put them on, but can't take any good pics in my work parking lot. Will follow up with some better pictures later!
Also, will be getting an alignment tomorrow. Hopefully getting toe close to 0 will help with rubbing. Rolling fenders might be the only other option.
cant beat mpars on an e39... mmm
Looking good! Those M-Pars really modernize the car I'd say, and the new wheel center caps are just gorgeous. Any plans to facelift the headlights and kidney grilles? Those still make the car look a little old.
1995 525i 5-speed - Thread
Yeah pretty much haha! This is the only better option:
Thank you! M pars were my first choice to the Style 5s, but those came along first. Glad to finally put on M pars... ACS Type 3 is next on my list.
Will eventually facelift the headlights, and kidney grilles. There's a local set of black M5 interior that I'm tempted to pull the trigger on... My vinyl seats (faux leather) are great but I'm potentially looking for something different.
I'm hoping to do front/rear mtech bumpers and replacing my side moulding to match. Also updating my steering wheel, although my car came equipped with heated steering, which has been nice this time of year.
Got my alignment done for the first time since I've lowered the car. Sucks that my front camber is out of spec, and without camber plates I can't really correct it. We were able to bring the toe back to stock specifications.
The rear was the real reason why I needed to get an alignment. My rear left wheel had extremely negative camber at -3.8, and the best I could do is match it up to the right side which was at -2.4. Toe was to stock spec at .09in
My rear tires are a little too big at 245/40 -- I think once these tires wear I'll need to bring it down to a 245/35 or 245/30 to not rub.
I also don't want to raise the car in the rear because I'll have to drop another 100 bucks for an additional alignment.
Getting fenders rolled Friday/Saturday so hopefully that helps with the rubbing issues. If not, I'll need to consider other options...
Happy Thanksgiving everybody!
Just hit 190k -- starting my 3rd year of ownership...
This car has been generally mechanically sound since I've owned it. I've replaced the entire cooling system: radiator, hoses, wp, t-stat, pullies. I've replaced a few window regulators as well.
Besides that I haven't done anything else as prolonged/preventative maintenance. Now that I've hit 190k, what are some items I should be looking to replace/refresh?
Thoughts:
- Thrust arm bushings
- Vanos seals
- Front door seals
- Windshield cowl
- Spark plugs (have never done under my ownership)
What else?
Vanos seals are definitely a good idea. And if you're going to do the thrust arm bushings you may as well replace the thrust arms entirely— the ball joints wear out too. It might be a good idea to redo the entire suspension if it's still original at 190k miles. My 540i Touring rode like utter garbage at 176k miles on the original suspension components, but as I've replaced them bit by bit I've felt a noticeable improvement in ride quality.
1995 525i 5-speed - Thread
Have you got the rear view camera mounted yet? I'm thinking of buying the same if it fits good
I actually haven't bought this yet -- I'd like to do it but I'm a little preoccupied with the 530 at the moment.
--
I raised the fronts on the cheap-o coilovers after putting on the ACS type 3s -- I think it looks great.
Things i've done recently:
- detailed the interior/engine bay
- installed 17x8.5 ET15 AC Schnitzer type 3 wheels (I wish they were the racing 3 piece wheels)
Things I still need to do:
- CV joint grease repack or replacement (what is my best option here.... new/reman'd driveshaft?)
- paint correction... the black paint is so dull!
- driver's side door seal
- reconnect windshield washer lines (they broke after installing new hood)
Selling a set of style 42s, and M5 front brakes (calipers/carriers/rotors) if anybody is interested
Pics of the 528 now:
Super cool read. Turns out that I have the same Bridgestones on my Style 5s. Having driven them quite a bit, what is your impression? I am still decided what I think.
Did you ever figure out what is needed to code the LCM? I am looking at upgrading to an LCM IV since I would like DRLs and Pathway Lighting. The older LCM III (I think) in the MY 97/98 cars tend to go bad after many years and we lose things like high beams and turn signals.
Keep up the awesome work!
Wade
Did you ever figure out how to roll the fenders?
Do you still the NNR coil-overs on the car?
Car looks great BTW!
Looking for an E39 belly pan , passenger front inner fender liner …
Thanks Wade. I never installed the facelift tails, and I don't know if I'm going to go through that trouble anymore. I just bought a facelift 530 and I'm pretty happy with how that car has been, but who knows... I may change my mind in the future.
The Bridgestones were nice and performed great in dry/wet. I would recommend them.
Thanks Jason. Still have the NNRs though I raised them in the front since they are naturally lower than the rears (rears are at lowest setting). I traded away the KWs for the M Pars. Undecided if I want to buy suspension parts (incl. coilovers) for the 530 first, or if I should upgrade the 528... I need to take care of the 'tin-can'/glass marbles problem with the CV joint on the DS. Still haven't figured out which solution I'm going to take.
I'm also looking to source some real shadowline trim since the paint is chipping in some areas.
EDIT: About the fenders -- I didn't even end up needing to roll them except for in the rear when I had Mpars... It didn't even help much. The Type 3s are close to stock configuration (8.5 width, ET15) so they don't rub at all.
Last edited by JPR10; 06-12-2017 at 03:30 PM.
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