Danny's Japan Rot 540i Touring Thread

[DJ12341]

I'm 17 here but I've been told I look like 20 lol

Sent from my N9132 using Tapatalk

[dk500]

I'm 17 here but I've been told I look like 20 lol

Sent from my N9132 using Tapatalk

Your profile pic says it all haha

[DJ12341]

😂

Sent from my N9132 using Tapatalk

[DJ12341]

Changed it to something a little more immature so people won't get confused anymore lol

Sent from my N9132 using Tapatalk

[dannyzabolotny]

Late to the party, but congrats on yet, another E39 lol.

Good thing you got one in a color you actually wanted. Maybe you'll keep this one! Haha.

I have to say that the MPars look great on the touring, and on that red. Congrats again!

Thanks! I'm definitely going to be keeping this one. I've been driving it everywhere and it's just super solid. I've checked out everything in and around the engine and it's clear that the car has been super well maintained. No oil leaks whatsoever, it has a completely dry and spotless valley pan, and all of the plastic pieces are in great shape too. It's hard to believe this car has 177,000 miles, the engine looks cleaner than most 100k mile 540i's that I've seen. The only parts of the car that really need work are the suspension components.

Nice wagon! Looking good!

Thanks!

Over the past few days, I've noticed that the rear air suspension was a little uneven, with the right side sagging down a little bit. The sag is constant, regardless of whether the engine is on or not. It never gets worse either. I did a little troubleshooting with the air springs and noticed that the left air spring was replaced with a remanufactured one at some point, so that might be why it seems to be a little higher up than the older right air spring. The compressor works fine which is a relief.

I posted a thread about it over on the touring section, and a few guys suggested that I should calibrate the ride height with INPA to see if I could even things out a bit.

So then I went and installed INPA, it was pretty painless. It read all the car's modules, no errors or anything. Live stats are super cool too. I dunno why everybody makes INPA sound like a difficult thing to set up. I had the one click installer and a cable that I bought from BCables.com, worked out perfectly when combined with a 20-pin round adapter (my car is a 2000 so most things have to be done from that connector). I now have NCSExpert, DIS, TIS, INPA, WinKFP, and a few more all set up.

Anyways, I found the self-leveling suspension settings, so I ran a few tests and confirmed that everything is functional. I'm still amazed at how I could raise and lower the suspension with just a button on an old laptop... makes me feel like I'm in the future (if 1999 was the future lol). I eventually found the function to adjust the ride height in the rear, and since I'm an idiot I went and overdid it, raising everything to monster truck heights haha. It is pretty level though, so it was definitely a calibration issue and not an air spring issue. Though I might still have to replace the air spring in the future since the older right air spring needs so many adjustments to be level. The values were already jacked up, probably from the shop that installed the new left air spring under the previous owner.

With a little more tweaking I think I can get it perfect. In the meantime, I went on a little midnight grocery run, which was super fun because there were almost no cars on the road. I may have smashed some of my groceries with the mild hooning that I did on the way home, whoops. I love that this wagon can throw me back in my seat when I need it to It's certainly no M5, but it's definitely a lot faster than you'd expect a wagon to be.

[purplecty]

Oh wow im a fan! Car looks great! I like it on mpars. Weatcoast has all the nice cars... I am sure you will have it looking even better in due time... Nice pickup!

[dannyzabolotny]

Oh wow im a fan! Car looks great! I like it on mpars. Weatcoast has all the nice cars... I am sure you will have it looking even better in due time... Nice pickup!

Thanks, man! The M-Pars look sweet, and they'll look even better once I get a proper staggered set and refinish them. Facelift bits will come once I finish going through some mechanical maintenance. And for sure, the West coast has some great, rust-free cars. This touring lived in Cali from day one, so it's completely rust-free and clean on the underside. It'll stay rust-free and nice because it's even drier in Arizona. The only risk to the car here is sun damage to the paint, which I try to minimize by keeping the car waxed and storing it inside my garage at all times.

I also made a video for E39Source about the touring a few days ago, it got posted up today. Excuse my awkwardness on camera, I'm still getting used to it.

[AquilaBMW]

On one hand, I am thinking I hope I make it back West in one piece with the M5 and that I get a chance to see Danny's Touring. On the other hand, I am wondering if he will still have it by the time I get there? Danny?

[dannyzabolotny]

On one hand, I am thinking I hope I make it back West in one piece with the M5 and that I get a chance to see Danny's Touring. On the other hand, I am wondering if he will still have it by the time I get there? Danny?

I'll definitely still have it. This one is the keeper— I'll be selling the M5 and the other 540i/6. I'm trying to downsize my garage to save some money haha.

[aharbaugh9]

I'll definitely still have it. This one is the keeper-- I'll be selling the M5 and the other 540i/6. I'm trying to downsize my garage to save some money haha.

I'm sure you considered this, but I would swap the 6 speed from the 540i sedan into the touring before selling the sedan. Drive the M5 during the swap, then sell the M5. That way, you won't have to source parts for a 6 speed swap or have an auto trans to sell down the road.

[dannyzabolotny]

I'm sure you considered this, but I would swap the 6 speed from the 540i sedan into the touring before selling the sedan. Drive the M5 during the swap, then sell the M5. That way, you won't have to source parts for a 6 speed swap or have an auto trans to sell down the road.

I gave it a brief thought, but that's a whole lot of work and I honestly do want to keep the touring an automatic. I didn't really buy the touring to make it the fastest thing ever, so I don't mind the slushbox in it. That way my girlfriend can drive it on road trips if needed, and it just makes for a very comfortable and easy daily driver. The sport mode in the auto really isn't bad, and with a good tune/map the auto will be even better.

I'd rather have a second car with a manual for hooning around. I've been looking at getting an S52 Z3 M-Roadster, as it's a small and relatively light car with a pretty good power to weight ratio and the parts are much cheaper than E39 parts so I'll be able to abuse it more for a lot less money. Abusing an M5 gets pretty costly, what with the expensive oil, expensive rear tires, and expensive clutch replacement. And maybe I'm just a bad driver, but I smell the clutch burning every time I have fun in the M5, so I don't really let myself have too much fun with it.

- - - Updated - - -

Anyways, going back to the topic of maintenance, here's some stuff I noted from inspecting the car more thoroughly last night:

- The rear air suspension is sagging to the right again. Not as much as before, but visible so. I'll mess with it some more in INPA, but I'm started to suspect that the right air spring is not holding air as well as it should be. The ride height sensors in the rear are both in good shape and neither are visibly bent, so that's not the issue either.
- The guibo will need to be replaced at some point soon because it's starting to crack.
- Transmission mounts are new.
- Motor mounts need to be replaced, they both look pretty gross.
- The power steering system is somehow not leaking. Amazing.
- The front bumper is cracked on the underside. Typical. I'm not worried about it since it'll be replaced with an M5 bumper in the near future.
- Driveshaft is still original with a 1999 sticker (the car is a November of 1999 build).
- Fuel filter is a Mahle and looks somewhat recent, but I'm replacing it just to be sure, especially since I can't seem to find a date code on it.
- The differential is in good shape, with no visible leaks. I'll still change the diff fluid in the near future just to be sure.
- Transmission oil pan gasket appears to be leaking. No worries, I plan on changing the fluid and filter next week anyways.
- The suspension components look pretty solid for the most part. Center link and tie rods are solid with no play, and I really couldn't feel any movement out of any of the control arms when I messed with them. I'll eventually replace all of the front suspension components once I sell the M5 and free up some cash.

Since the suspension seems to be decent for the most part, I'm now looking at the wheels and brakes as the cause of the 30-50mph shaking upon acceleration and braking. At higher speeds it's relatively smooth, but at those lower speeds the steering wheel shakes back and forth quite a bit. All of the wheels look pretty beat up, and two are replicas, so I suspect that some of them may be bent or otherwise damaged. I'll have my local tire shop take a look at them and see if they're bent or just need some balancing. I was also thinking of having the real two wheels be in the front, with the replicas in the back. Thoughts on that? Right now there are two real wheels on the driver's side, and two replicas on the passenger side. The brake rotors all need to be replaced too, since they all have pretty deep lips and some of them have random grooves closer to the center.

Later today I'll be going to AutohausAZ to pick up some maintenance items— I'll be changing the oil and filter, replacing the old MAF with a brand new one, replacing the engine air filter, replacing the cabin air filters, replacing the fuel filter, and replacing those awful blacked out side marker lights with the proper facelift clear ones. I might also replace the spark plugs, since the 6NGK Iridiums are quite cheap at my local Autozone. It'll be good to get all this basic maintenance out of the way, especially since I have no records of any of that stuff being replaced recently. No idea when the last oil change was either. I was thinking about trying a different weight of oil this time around— normally I use Mobil 1 0W40, but maybe the engine will run a little quieter with 5W30? Keep in mind that the average temperature here is like 100º right now.

[RSBBlackM3]

Danny, have you assessed the condition of the sub-frame bushings? They are the touring's real achilles heel, suspension wise.

I just went through mine-worlds of difference and I have some thoughts for you if you want to upgrade, especially having m5s around. I did M5 torsion bars and powerflex poly bushings. Feels solid as FFFFF

[dannyzabolotny]

Danny, have you assessed the condition of the sub-frame bushings? They are the touring's real achilles heel, suspension wise.

I just went through mine-worlds of difference and I have some thoughts for you if you want to upgrade, especially having m5s around. I did M5 torsion bars and powerflex poly bushings. Feels solid as FFFFF

I took a look at them and they looked okay. While I do plan on replacing them at some point, I don't think they're the cause of the shimmying, because I feel that coming from the front. Handling-wise, the touring doesn't feel all that much different from my M5. Yes it's a bit looser in some aspects and the steering isn't as nice, but it handles quite well. I've never felt unsafe in it, even when going sideways.

[RSBBlackM3]

I took a look at them and they looked okay. While I do plan on replacing them at some point, I don't think they're the cause of the shimmying, because I feel that coming from the front. Handling-wise, the touring doesn't feel all that much different from my M5. Yes it's a bit looser in some aspects and the steering isn't as nice, but it handles quite well. I've never felt unsafe in it, even when going sideways.

Looked ok? Like no fluid leaking? Good, if so. I got powerflex rear subframe bushings and it feels fuggin awesome. Sounds like not priority for you now but you shoud check into it if this one is your "keeper".

Peace, love that red, hella jealous of the paint!

[ColtonBH]

Saw your car on E39 Source

[jp5Touring]

What did you use on the Black trim ? Looks pretty good.

[dannyzabolotny]

Looked ok? Like no fluid leaking? Good, if so. I got powerflex rear subframe bushings and it feels fuggin awesome. Sounds like not priority for you now but you should check into it if this one is your "keeper".

Peace, love that red, hella jealous of the paint!

There's no fluid leaking at all, they look fine to me. Maybe they're a little worn out on the inside, but they still look decent. Does upgrading to the powerflex bushings add to the NVH? I'm trying to keep this car as comfortable as possible, I don't want a rough ride.

I love the red too, but black wagons are sexy as well. I just wouldn't be able to live with one here in Arizona, it's way too dusty for a black car. When I had my black Mercedes S-Class it was such a chore to keep it clean, and it looked dirty all the time no matter how much I washed it. Thankfully the red paint doesn't show dust as much.

Saw your car on E39 Source

What an astute observation! Especially since I posted my E39Source video earlier in this thread. The guy who runs E39Source loves my touring, it's certainly one of the most unique cars on that channel.

What did you use on the Black trim ? Looks pretty good.

I used Mother's Back To Black. You can buy it at Autozone or Walmart, it's like $10. You apply it with an applicator pad, let it dry for a few minutes, and then buff off. Some trims need several applications to really bring them back to life. I did two coats on the roof racks since they were really faded. Make sure to not get any on your paint, because it dries black and will look really obvious. I was real careful to keep it off the paint and glass, and I immediately wiped the surrounding areas after applying it.

[RSBBlackM3]

There's no fluid leaking at all, they look fine to me. Maybe they're a little worn out on the inside, but they still look decent. Does upgrading to the powerflex bushings add to the NVH? I'm trying to keep this car as comfortable as possible, I don't want a rough ride.

No more NVH, that typically comes more from motor/trans/diff mounts. This just makes the rear subframe MUCH more secure to the body. The m5 torsion bars also strengthen the already strong e39, they may be overkill, but are cheap. Its still bags back there, no uber stiff coilover system so its great. Handles are great, for what it is.

[dannyzabolotny]

No more NVH, that typically comes more from motor/trans/diff mounts. This just makes the rear subframe MUCH more secure to the body. The m5 torsion bars also strengthen the already strong e39, they may be overkill, but are cheap. Its still bags back there, no uber stiff coilover system so its great. Handles are great, for what it is.

Ah, okay. I'll put those on my list of things to buy then, thanks! Surprisingly there's minimal vibration despite the bad auxiliary fan and old motor mounts. Should be smoother than glass once those are replaced!

In other news, I did some more simple maintenance tonight. I love having boxes of parts ready:

Photo Jul 15, 10 59 27 PM.jpg

Cabin air filters, fuel filter, MAF, engine air filter, oil filter.

I started with replacing the MAF. I wasn't sure how old the existing one was, but for only $130 it was worth replacing just to have it be perfect.

Photo Jul 15, 11 04 21 PM.jpg.

After that, I replaced the air filter. The old one was absolutely filthy:

Photo Jul 15, 11 06 26 PM.jpg

Then, I replaced the cabin air filters, which were quite dirty too. I guess that's what happens when a car lives in LA— the air is gross.

Photo Jul 15, 11 10 30 PM.jpg

The new filters also have activated charcoal, which I find helps to reduce odors when driving in smelly places.

After all these were replaced, I took the car on a quick drive around the block. The idle is definitely much smoother, and I seriously feel like the engine has gained a bit more power. It's more responsive and feels like it pulls harder. I'm sure the gas mileage will be better too, so we'll see how that works out in the next few days.

Tomorrow I'm going to go get the wheels checked out to see if they're bent, and then I'll be changing the oil. I might do the spark plugs too, just to complete all of the basic maintenance. I'll probably replace the fuel filter too, depending on how ambitious I am. My parts for the 540i/6 arrived today, so I'll be working on that as well.

[RRH]

Which M5 bumper you thinking? OEM or aftermarket?

I've had my eye on the ECS one but these damn headlight washers make me skeptical. Car looks awesome so far, but that new bumper would make it soooo nice. And there's something cool about a pre-facelift. Looks so european to me for some reason.

[dannyzabolotny]

Which M5 bumper you thinking? OEM or aftermarket?

I've had my eye on the ECS one but these damn headlight washers make me skeptical. Car looks awesome so far, but that new bumper would make it soooo nice. And there's something cool about a pre-facelift. Looks so european to me for some reason.

I definitely think the prefacelift wagons pulled off the prefacelift look a bit better than the other prefacelift E39's. Same goes for the 2000 M5. I think it's because both have normal looking taillights with just red and white, as opposed to the dated orange taillights of the other prefacelift E39s.

As for the bumper, I'm going to do my best to get an OEM M5 bumper. Most likely I'll source a used one, fix it, and paint it. I don't want to fiddle with the bumper fitment so I'd rather just do it right the first time. I see a few used M5 bumpers on eBay for around $300 with some minor damage, so that's a pretty good deal for an OEM bumper. I'll also hit up Clemster and see if maybe he can give me a good price since I've bought so much stuff from him over the past few months.

In any case, all of that will come after I sell the M5. Right now I have enough money to maintain the 540i and keep it running well, but not enough to splurge on major cosmetics.

[waters17]

Have you considered just getting a front lip? They don't look too bad. Also, that black grille kinda grows on you.

lip.PNG

lip2.PNG

chromegrille.jpg

[dannyzabolotny]

Nah, I don't like lips on bumpers, it just looks cheesy to me. I don't really like the non-sport bumpers so I'd rather just get M5 bumpers. And idk, the chrome grilles look pretty good in that last pic that you posted.

[dannyzabolotny]

Earlier today I went to my tire shop and got my wheels balanced. As expected, the genuine M-Pars were in decent shape and balanced out nicely with minimal weights. The replicas, on the other hand, almost seemed like a bad parody of what a wheel should be. They were so far from round on the balancing machine that I could hardly even call them wheels. I put the genuine wheels on the front and the replicas on the back, and that's definitely decreased my steering wheel shaking for now. I will eventually get proper rear M-pars, but this will do for now.

[dannyzabolotny]

Just changed the oil, put in a fresh Hengst oil filter and Mobil 1 10W40. I decided to go a little thicker than the usual 0W40 to make cold startups a bit easier. I guess we'll see how it works out. The oil that came out was quite dark and gross, so the touring was definitely due for an oil change.