Results 1 to 21 of 21

Thread: Our First BMW

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    118
    My Cars
    2003 BMW 530i (Auto)

    Our First BMW

    During last week we suddenly found ourselves the new owners of a 2003 530i Sedan in Sterling Grey/Grey Leather Int. It has 17" BBS/BMW style 42 wheels, 235/45R17 tires all around, Automatic Climate Control, etc. 4 prior owners.

    We're surrounded by BMW owners (they are all stunned with this car); and our mechanic specializes in them. Esp the 2000-2003 years. The car has a fresh oil change (Mobil 1 5w-30 Synthetic), all filters replaced, new tires & alignment, and cooling system flush.

    The comfort seats have the dreaded twist issue and will be replaced tomorrow with a matching pair of sport seats that have 100% functionality. There are a very few trim issues (needs a new windshield molding trim seal for example) but the car is immaculate inside and out, all the gauges & display cluster works, etc etc. No panel or paint mismatches. Quiet as a bank vault, stable, solid, tracks well and has a very strong, smooth engine. What a blessing.

    Working on getting a full svc & repair report. Car passed smog with flying colors.

    I've been desiring a BMW, this series particularly, for a long time. Now it's reality. And in my fave BMW color of that period. We're very thankful.
    Glad to finally join you BMW owners. Thanks for reading....
    Last edited by 1BlinkGone; 03-04-2019 at 02:59 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Colorado
    Posts
    348
    My Cars
    99 528i, 90 ZR-1 Vette
    Pics or it didnt happen.....
    j/k.... show us whutcha got!

  3. #3
    geargrinder's Avatar
    geargrinder is offline Having No Trouble Here BMW CCA Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    AndoverRockport MA & Intl
    Posts
    14,856
    My Cars
    E46M3Cic E39.540iT E84X1
    Sounds nice. How many mileages on it? The twist is fixable without too much trouble as you probably have found out, but the Sports are nicer. The only thing better are the E38 Sport seats which are basically a comfort+Sport best of all worlds setup.

    BTW are your old seats actually 'Comforts'? Or are the just base seats? Comforts would have an extra set of buttons for an adjustable upper backrest. If they are really comforts then they are worth fixing and passing on (or keeping for when your new sport seats eventually twist ) but if they are just base-seats then they aren't worth much except maybe 'mining' for the seat cushions and switches.
    2003 M3CicM6 TiAg
    2002 540iT Sport Vortech S/C 6MT LSD TiAg
    2008 Audi A3 2.0T DSG (the daily beater)
    2014 BMW X1 xDrive28i (wifemobile)

    Former:

    1985 MB Euro graymarket 300SL
    1995.5 Audi S6 Avant (utility/winter billetturbobattlewagen)


  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    118
    My Cars
    2003 BMW 530i (Auto)
    The originals are the leather (not leatherette) elect adjustable seats that have two toggles (up-dwn/back-fwd, seatback tilt) and one round "joystick" 4-way control for the lumbar. Our mechanic also called them comfort seats. So I'm unsure...they were also heated. What I DO know is now I have the Sport seats (all is well except one seat has one adjustment issue) however they do NOT have the heating element and I'm not happy about that... The original seats both would not rise level- the passenger seat would tend to dump you towards the door, and the seatback would twist the opposite direction if you tried to adjust it. But they both are in excellent cosmetic condition as is the entire interior. No plans to have them reinstalled. The Sport seats are so much better IMO, however they don't seem to slide back quite as far as the others....I'm back at maximum, and I could use just a bit more extension... and this wasn't a problem before.

    I'll likely sell the original seats as they CAN be completely repaired, Just don't know if its gears, cables, yet. We're going to take a look at them and see what they need for repairs or we may part them out.

    Having just driven the car home from getting the seats swapped, I can attest that the sport seats IMO are far more comfortable but not a happy camper that we lost the heating functionality and am not happy about that Also found that my passenger side fog lamp glass is now broken (must have been a kicked up rock)....I'm told they are exceptionally vulnerable and I should either just delete them ( I hesitate as the car came with them..) or put some Lamin-X on the glass. Since I'm ordering a lamin-x kit for the headlights they also come with protective film for the fog light glass...so I'm likely going to bite the bullet and buy a genuine BMW replacement fog lamp...mech says don't bother with the cheaper ones as they are not worth having. He also was pretty stunned with the car and said "under the hood doesn't look like it has 50,000 miles on the car". It does appear the water pump and ABS unit have been replaced. I can't wait to have this car really cleaned-up. It's been very well taken care of, by all appearances.

    Here is the car a quick and simple pic...meet "Sterling":

    530 pvt.jpg
    Last edited by 1BlinkGone; 03-04-2019 at 11:12 PM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Boston, MA
    Posts
    1,154
    My Cars
    99 528i/5, 05 ZHP conv
    Nice purchase. It’s possible the replacement drivers seat you had installed still has the clip in the rear of the track that prevents it from going all the way back. This clip is on the passenger (right) side track of the drivers seat, and you can see and pry it up from behind the seat. Move the seat forward, remove the rear plastic trim and have a look with a flashlight.

  6. #6
    geargrinder's Avatar
    geargrinder is offline Having No Trouble Here BMW CCA Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    AndoverRockport MA & Intl
    Posts
    14,856
    My Cars
    E46M3Cic E39.540iT E84X1
    Nope. Those weren't comforts. Those were base seats. Don't call them comforts. Mechanics wrong. They might be fine seats certainly but that's not what they are. The fix is cable related. The sheathing for the cable specifically. It's well documented, just search around.
    2003 M3CicM6 TiAg
    2002 540iT Sport Vortech S/C 6MT LSD TiAg
    2008 Audi A3 2.0T DSG (the daily beater)
    2014 BMW X1 xDrive28i (wifemobile)

    Former:

    1985 MB Euro graymarket 300SL
    1995.5 Audi S6 Avant (utility/winter billetturbobattlewagen)


  7. #7
    geargrinder's Avatar
    geargrinder is offline Having No Trouble Here BMW CCA Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    AndoverRockport MA & Intl
    Posts
    14,856
    My Cars
    E46M3Cic E39.540iT E84X1
    Oh. And the fog lights suck. That's not related to aftermarket or not. They are pretty pointless. Yes they also break easily unfortunately.
    2003 M3CicM6 TiAg
    2002 540iT Sport Vortech S/C 6MT LSD TiAg
    2008 Audi A3 2.0T DSG (the daily beater)
    2014 BMW X1 xDrive28i (wifemobile)

    Former:

    1985 MB Euro graymarket 300SL
    1995.5 Audi S6 Avant (utility/winter billetturbobattlewagen)


  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Colorado
    Posts
    348
    My Cars
    99 528i, 90 ZR-1 Vette
    I also had a busted fog lite lens... Ebay to the rescue. Genuine BMW/used 35 bux and its good to go. Funny thing is, I bought a clear one when I had obscured type on the car.... I liked the clear so much, I bought another clear off Ebay again OEM BMW/used 50 bux. So a mistake turned into something I actually was happier with.

    I find they are actually pretty helpful in certain situations mostly lighting the sides of the road more so than out in front of the car, but they do work.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    118
    My Cars
    2003 BMW 530i (Auto)
    Quote Originally Posted by geargrinder View Post
    Nope. Those weren't comforts. Those were base seats. Don't call them comforts. Mechanics wrong. They might be fine seats certainly but that's not what they are. The fix is cable related. The sheathing for the cable specifically. It's well documented, just search around.

    Thx for clarifying on #1...on #2 regarding the fix....some of the issues seem cable related as you indicate, one of them you can hear/feel the gear moving may have a broken tooth. There may be a hinge issue as well. I have been looking into this subject for the past two days. (I've taken a crash course on these cars, lol)

    Regarding the sport seats, I really like them so far. Big improvement from the base seats. BIG improvement. I just wish they were heated like the original ones were. BTW, the car has 166,xxx miles on it. Thanks for the tips!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    118
    My Cars
    2003 BMW 530i (Auto)
    Quote Originally Posted by effduration View Post
    Nice purchase. It’s possible the replacement drivers seat you had installed still has the clip in the rear of the track that prevents it from going all the way back. This clip is on the passenger (right) side track of the drivers seat, and you can see and pry it up from behind the seat. Move the seat forward, remove the rear plastic trim and have a look with a flashlight.
    Thanks! All in all it seems to be a GREAT car with just a few odds & ends to freshen up. I'll look at that seat track you described. The sport seats were pulled from another E39. The quietness of this car amazes me. It's significantly quieter than a brand-new S550 I drove a few years ago (a total disappointment, sad to say).

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    118
    My Cars
    2003 BMW 530i (Auto)
    Quote Originally Posted by ULtm8drvnmchn View Post
    I also had a busted fog lite lens... Ebay to the rescue. Genuine BMW/used 35 bux and its good to go. Funny thing is, I bought a clear one when I had obscured type on the car.... I liked the clear so much, I bought another clear off Ebay again OEM BMW/used 50 bux. So a mistake turned into something I actually was happier with.

    I find they are actually pretty helpful in certain situations mostly lighting the sides of the road more so than out in front of the car, but they do work.
    Thanks I'm checking there now. For me, if the car is equipped with it, I'd prefer them being functional (and there's the heated seat issue now...grr...) as I'd agree that there are certain situations that they are desirable...albeit vulnerable to easy breakage so I think the lamin-X will be a big help on those. I'd really like the yellow tint on the fogs, and clear on the headlamps but I think you can only get the set in one color. I'd do some checking. My mechanic said he may have a pair of black grilles stashed, and if he can find them they're mine. Car may look just a bit more aggressive with them and not uhh old... school...lol and just leave the brightwork around the windows and the BBS wheels for a splash of contrast. We'll see. Right now I'm just thrilled to have the car and am only focused on functionality and dependability...fixing what needs fixing.
    Last edited by 1BlinkGone; 03-05-2019 at 01:04 AM.

  12. #12
    geargrinder's Avatar
    geargrinder is offline Having No Trouble Here BMW CCA Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    AndoverRockport MA & Intl
    Posts
    14,856
    My Cars
    E46M3Cic E39.540iT E84X1
    Quote Originally Posted by 1BlinkGone View Post
    Thx for clarifying on #1...on #2 regarding the fix....some of the issues seem cable related as you indicate, one of them you can hear/feel the gear moving may have a broken tooth. There may be a hinge issue as well. I have been looking into this subject for the past two days. (I've taken a crash course on these cars, lol)
    Trust your elders young man. You haven't done enough reading. VERY doubtful a gear, almost certainly isnt a hinge unless some idiot effed them up in an ill conceived attempt to fix.

    The grinding is probably the cable still just clicking partiallly engaged. Its a square cable end that pulls out and if the end was barely pulled out it woudl go crunk-crunk-crunk like a gear grinding.

    OK OK maybe maybe its one of those things but the GearGrinder Statistical Center For E39 Failure Studies reports a 97.3% chance that its.just.the.cable and a 63.8% chance that new-guys half-assed guess about what is wrong, is wrong

    Good news is that the fix when the seats are on the bench is much easier. Search all the threads, you'll want a cordless drill to 'fix' the twist, and a 12V supply (fuse it!) to move the motors around... theres several ways that it is done, most of them work, some like one over another...

    Yes the Sport seats are way better.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by ULtm8drvnmchn View Post
    I find they are actually pretty helpful in certain situations mostly lighting the sides of the road more so than out in front of the car, but they do work.

    That's about right. Personally I dont find that all that helpful but if they do anything it is more like that.

    Dont get me wrong I'm fully for keeping the lenses in there so the car looks right and I even put yellow bulbs in mine so I get the "Lookit me I'm old skool Euro/French!" effect when they are on, but... functionally you can't even tell they are there without really trying...
    2003 M3CicM6 TiAg
    2002 540iT Sport Vortech S/C 6MT LSD TiAg
    2008 Audi A3 2.0T DSG (the daily beater)
    2014 BMW X1 xDrive28i (wifemobile)

    Former:

    1985 MB Euro graymarket 300SL
    1995.5 Audi S6 Avant (utility/winter billetturbobattlewagen)


  13. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    118
    My Cars
    2003 BMW 530i (Auto)
    Quote Originally Posted by geargrinder View Post
    Trust your elders young man. You haven't done enough reading. VERY doubtful a gear, almost certainly isnt a hinge unless some idiot effed them up in an ill conceived attempt to fix.

    The grinding is probably the cable still just clicking partiallly engaged. Its a square cable end that pulls out and if the end was barely pulled out it woudl go crunk-crunk-crunk like a gear grinding.

    OK OK maybe maybe its one of those things but the GearGrinder Statistical Center For E39 Failure Studies reports a 97.3% chance that its.just.the.cable and a 63.8% chance that new-guys half-assed guess about what is wrong, is wrong
    lol, Thank you for calling me 'young man', as I distinctly recall the day the news report (in real time) going out on TV that President JFK had been shot in Dallas... the 'half-assed guess' as I described the symptom came from the mechanic, not me. Now that the seats are out, we can see what indeed is the problem.I don't think they've ever been touched or out of the car before... And YES i have done some substantive reading...and agree that it's likely a cable. Problem is, you can't tell this mechanic anything as he always knows more than you (about anything, mind you) and will arrogantly tell you that flat out... He knows BMW's pretty well, runs them himself, but I've seen his attitude make his work more difficult than it should be. I quit wrenching on cars in 2000 and do not have the tools, or venue to work on them like I once did. That may change. But I digress...

    Good news is that the fix when the seats are on the bench is much easier. Search all the threads, you'll want a cordless drill to 'fix' the twist, and a 12V supply (fuse it!) to move the motors around... theres several ways that it is done, most of them work, some like one over another...Yes the Sport seats are way better.
    Thank you, geargrinder. lol I'm already looking for another pair of sport seats that have the heaters in them....



    - - - Updated - - -




    That's about right. Personally I dont find that all that helpful but if they do anything it is more like that.

    Dont get me wrong I'm fully for keeping the lenses in there so the car looks right and I even put yellow bulbs in mine so I get the "Lookit me I'm old skool Euro/French!" effect when they are on, but... functionally you can't even tell they are there without really trying...
    heeharhee....that's more or less my thought...our aforementioned mechanic suggested the yellow Lamin-X on the glass to protect them and give that Euro vibe you so lovingly described.
    Last edited by 1BlinkGone; 03-05-2019 at 11:26 PM.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    118
    My Cars
    2003 BMW 530i (Auto)
    By the way, GearGrinder, I meant to ask you... are you always so genial to the new peeps here?

    Next week my windshield trim should be here, and I'm going to give it a go myself. I think it's doable. Careful prep and a bit of patience. Have any of you done this fix on your cars?

    Been reading the thread here:

    https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...lacement/page7

    If I can get a workspace set up, I may well check my original seats for repairs myself and follow your advice, GG. Thx.
    Last edited by 1BlinkGone; 03-07-2019 at 01:34 AM.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Shreveport Louisiana
    Posts
    762
    My Cars
    1999 5281
    surprisingly easy to replace the windshield seal. take a spray bottle of water with a bit of dish soap mixed in to it, modify a foot long length of 1/4" wooden dowel to a tapered blunt screwdriver like end, and itll be a breeze.
    working on the seat twist, i usually do it on the floor, put a blanket down to protect the seat, use a 5 gallon bucket to prop the upside down seat up.
    Last edited by mattmar1; 03-07-2019 at 08:20 AM.

  16. #16
    geargrinder's Avatar
    geargrinder is offline Having No Trouble Here BMW CCA Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    AndoverRockport MA & Intl
    Posts
    14,856
    My Cars
    E46M3Cic E39.540iT E84X1
    Quote Originally Posted by 1BlinkGone View Post
    . Problem is, you can't tell this mechanic anything as he always knows more than you (about anything, mind you) and will arrogantly tell you that flat out... He knows BMW's pretty well, runs them himself, but I've seen his attitude make his work more difficult than it should be.
    Yeah... You might want to shop around for new tech.... I know the kind you mean... Trouble is sometimes those guys ARE good and sometimes they KNOW lots of the old timey secret sauce. The problem is they're convinced they do all the rest of the time too!

    Quote Originally Posted by 1BlinkGone View Post
    By the way, GearGrinder, I meant to ask you... are you always so genial to the new peeps here?
    Wellllllll..... OK. Yes. Usually.

    You pass the test (aka not gettin' all sandy about a little good natured, humorous n00b hazing...)
    2003 M3CicM6 TiAg
    2002 540iT Sport Vortech S/C 6MT LSD TiAg
    2008 Audi A3 2.0T DSG (the daily beater)
    2014 BMW X1 xDrive28i (wifemobile)

    Former:

    1985 MB Euro graymarket 300SL
    1995.5 Audi S6 Avant (utility/winter billetturbobattlewagen)


  17. #17
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    118
    My Cars
    2003 BMW 530i (Auto)
    Quote Originally Posted by mattmar1 View Post
    surprisingly easy to replace the windshield seal. take a spray bottle of water with a bit of dish soap mixed in to it, modify a foot long length of 1/4" wooden dowel to a tapered blunt screwdriver like end, and itll be a breeze.
    working on the seat twist, i usually do it on the floor, put a blanket down to protect the seat, use a 5 gallon bucket to prop the upside down seat up.
    Thanks! I was just looking under the hood a bit ago today, and it's obvious that the windshield seal base around the cowl area is in bad shape and in need of replacement in the near future. mattmar how did you deal with those two little rubber pieces by the fenders that the windshield seal slips under? They are uhh, "seasoned" but fully intact and I sure don't want to fracture them by prying up on them to tuck the new seal underneath. I think they can be removed and replaced if I read it right on the dedicated thread. Did you remove yours to seat the new seal and then put them back on? thanks again!
    Last edited by 1BlinkGone; 03-07-2019 at 05:46 PM.

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Alexandria, VA
    Posts
    9,049
    My Cars
    ‘01 540’00 528T’03 525T
    You talking about the two corner plastic/rubber pieces? They come off easily, just wiggle them a bit. If they are brittle, order new ones, they are cheap.
    Set the controls for the heart of the sun

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    118
    My Cars
    2003 BMW 530i (Auto)
    Thanks, GG! I figured you'd be game! heehehe glad I passed ye olde noob test. harrr....

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by BimmrMeUpSnotty View Post
    You talking about the two corner plastic/rubber pieces? They come off easily, just wiggle them a bit. If they are brittle, order new ones, they are cheap.
    Yup. those pieces in the bottom corners that look almost like a garden hand-shovel. These are pretty uhh, seasoned but fully intact. Pelican parts? Do you know what they are called? I may be able to find a pair on fleabay or cramazon....Thanks again!
    Last edited by 1BlinkGone; 03-07-2019 at 08:30 PM.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    118
    My Cars
    2003 BMW 530i (Auto)
    Quote Originally Posted by effduration View Post
    Nice purchase. It’s possible the replacement drivers seat you had installed still has the clip in the rear of the track that prevents it from going all the way back. This clip is on the passenger (right) side track of the drivers seat, and you can see and pry it up from behind the seat. Move the seat forward, remove the rear plastic trim and have a look with a flashlight.
    My friend, I looked into this this afternoon as I had a day off, and wouldya lookit that? Sure enough, the clip you described was there AS you described it. My mechanic wasn't even aware of these clips...anyways, I didn't have to pull the plastic trim, and easily removed it with a flat blade screwdriver. NOW I can put the seat exactly where I want it. THANKS!!
    Last edited by 1BlinkGone; 03-22-2019 at 01:42 AM.

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Boston, MA
    Posts
    1,154
    My Cars
    99 528i/5, 05 ZHP conv
    Good to hear...thanks for the follow-up...

Similar Threads

  1. Our First Company Detail [BMW Blue :: Honda Civic SI]
    By ShowSquare in forum Car Detailing and Show & Shine Prep sponsored by Autogeek.net
    Replies: 23
    Last Post: 07-29-2007, 09:05 AM
  2. i bought my first BMW today!
    By JRush000 in forum 1992 - 1999 M3 (E36)
    Replies: 18
    Last Post: 08-15-2002, 04:01 PM
  3. Just ordered my first BMW!
    By dick in forum General BMW and Automotive Discussion sponsored by Intercity Lines
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 03-08-2002, 11:06 PM
  4. MY FIRST BMW! Very nice E30! READ!
    By timers-88-325i in forum General BMW and Automotive Discussion sponsored by Intercity Lines
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 08-05-2001, 11:18 AM
  5. First Bmw Experience
    By M3D in forum General BMW and Automotive Discussion sponsored by Intercity Lines
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 03-05-2001, 05:08 AM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •