£450 740i what could go wrong?

£450 740i what could go wrong?

Author
Discussion

TonyRPH

12,963 posts

167 months

Tuesday 17th January 2017
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pits said:
<snip>
Abs light on
DSC light on
No speedo
<snip>
These will surely be the ABS module.

It's called the "ABS trifecta" or something like that.

I had the exact same issue on my E39.

mx-6

5,983 posts

212 months

Tuesday 17th January 2017
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That's great that you've got the car driving now and seems to be alright mechanically. The speedo issue is annoying, but as said above, I'd guess that those warning light faults are related to the same problem...

rxe

6,700 posts

102 months

Tuesday 17th January 2017
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Great start! Failures probably all related - car can't work out how fast is it going....

helix402

7,832 posts

181 months

Tuesday 17th January 2017
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Rear wheel speed sensor does the speedo.

*Al*

3,830 posts

221 months

Tuesday 17th January 2017
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helix402 said:
Rear wheel speed sensor does the speedo.
I had this on a BMW E46 330i, speedo stopped working so all the lights, ABS, traction etc came on. It was the ABS or speed sensor on the NS rear that picks up the wheel speed.

pits

Original Poster:

6,423 posts

189 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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Well I'm going to try new speed sensor on rear, I've already got some one looking for an abs pump, just a bugger to do as need recoding but hopefully can do that myself.

Will try get it plugged in this week and see what it throws up, got a load of pictures to post as well.

Seems to run sweet though, gearbox seems quite lazy though.

Not sure how much more important going to out into it but will see how it shapes up for mot.
As it stands just need to do
Door
Tyre valve
Abs fault
Wipers
Bulbs

bungz

1,960 posts

119 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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I love a MOT list that starts off with

A door.

laugh

Best of luck with the disco lights on the dash.

bluenosewrx

391 posts

114 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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Thanks for keeping this updated mate, just read it all, good luck

C70R

17,596 posts

103 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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BMWs of this age can occasionally throw up multiple fault lights for a single ABS sensor failure (my e46 showed ABS, DSC and brake warning lights when one of my fronts failed).
Given that a bluetooth OBD tool costs less than a tenner, it's a no-brainer to start here.

pits

Original Poster:

6,423 posts

189 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
quotequote all

bungz said:
I love a MOT list that starts off with

A door.

laugh

Best of luck with the disco lights on the dash.
Well it does need to open and close from inside and out, I've got it to now do both, however not being able to use handle on outside and only Bowden cable on inside I've now stretched the cable so it won't open on handle from inside.



C70R said:
BMWs of this age can occasionally throw up multiple fault lights for a single ABS sensor failure (my e46 showed ABS, DSC and brake warning lights when one of my fronts failed).
Given that a bluetooth OBD tool costs less than a tenner, it's a no-brainer to start here.
I think for the few quid it will cost I'm going to do wheel sensors first and hope, as I so only have orange lights and they do come on after driving, not when hot unlike abs pump, but who knows.



Got door on today, I'm now part of the two tone 740 on 8 series wheels club (running joke between friends, we know someone with a two tone 740, on 8 series wheels)

However as you have read, I've buggered the Bowden cable, so door card isn't going back on till thats done.

C70R

17,596 posts

103 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
quotequote all
pits said:
I think for the few quid it will cost I'm going to do wheel sensors first and hope, as I so only have orange lights and they do come on after driving, not when hot unlike abs pump, but who knows.
Are you kidding? Have you actually read the codes yet?

pits

Original Poster:

6,423 posts

189 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
quotequote all
C70R said:
pits said:
I think for the few quid it will cost I'm going to do wheel sensors first and hope, as I so only have orange lights and they do come on after driving, not when hot unlike abs pump, but who knows.
Are you kidding? Have you actually read the codes yet?
Yes briefly before it set on fire,showed speed sensors dead, but with the abs/DSC fault it could either be one of 4 speed sensors gone, for £6 each or so it's cheaper than abs unit,so happy to throw £30 at cheap sensors if they work briefly and fix it.

Rather do that than go down abs unit route, at least it eliminates something, albeit briefly because cheap parts

Morningside

24,110 posts

228 months

Friday 20th January 2017
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Brilliant and well done. These old seven series need saving. What I did find is that although the car cost £2000(ish) the spares are from an original £85,000 car and that's always something to remember.

I am still very temped to buy another seven in the future as a weekend car.

pits

Original Poster:

6,423 posts

189 months

Friday 20th January 2017
quotequote all
Morningside said:
Brilliant and well done. These old seven series need saving. What I did find is that although the car cost £2000(ish) the spares are from an original £85,000 car and that's always something to remember.

I am still very temped to buy another seven in the future as a weekend car.
Good breaker should sell parts quite cheap, and a lot of consumables are cheap these days.

Well this one will be up for sale soon, my 530 needs help or selling and I am half tempted to sell all and buy just one decent 39 Sport Tourer

zon0

7 posts

85 months

Wednesday 8th February 2017
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pits said:
Morningside said:
Brilliant and well done. These old seven series need saving. What I did find is that although the car cost £2000(ish) the spares are from an original £85,000 car and that's always something to remember.

I am still very temped to buy another seven in the future as a weekend car.
Good breaker should sell parts quite cheap, and a lot of consumables are cheap these days.

Well this one will be up for sale soon, my 530 needs help or selling and I am half tempted to sell all and buy just one decent 39 Sport Tourer
did you ever finished this project?
I am planning on doing something similar and need some input.
Here is the link to mine.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Thanks

pits

Original Poster:

6,423 posts

189 months

Wednesday 8th February 2017
quotequote all
Not yet, I've put it up for sale as is at the moment as I wouldn't mind the cash back, but going to get it insured and take it to garage end of the week, possibly.

Quick read of yours, not sure I'd touch either but blue one I'd do a sniff test, pressure test and compression test

pits

Original Poster:

6,423 posts

189 months

Friday 12th May 2017
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Think it is time I update this, I have been flat out for the past few months and this the only time I have had to work on the car and sort some stuff out with it.

Fired it up for the first time in months the other day, semi reluctant to start apparently they need something called petrol(?) we then plugged it in and cleared all the fault codes and this removed the ABS lights, briefly then comes back on and now speedo doesn't work, so it looks like it is a speed sensor as opposed to ABS pump, but never know with these things.

I have taken the steering wheel off and recentred it.

Washer now working, albeit not very well but they work

Which leaves two things to sort out, couple of bulbs and find what ever tool it is that I have quite clearly left in the drivers door, sounds like an extension bar.

Looking to see if I can get it MOT'd next week sometime

DatV8

69 posts

166 months

Friday 12th May 2017
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RE: ABS fault and lights, does this happen from a cold engine? Mine would only appear when the engine got hot and a broken circuit/solder surfaced from within the ABS module. Was on my E39 M5 anyway so not sure whether it's a similar set up on the 740. I had to have my ABS unit repaired by an ECU specialist and resolved the problem. Wasn't the speed sensors in my case.

pits

Original Poster:

6,423 posts

189 months

Friday 12th May 2017
quotequote all
DatV8 said:
RE: ABS fault and lights, does this happen from a cold engine? Mine would only appear when the engine got hot and a broken circuit/solder surfaced from within the ABS module. Was on my E39 M5 anyway so not sure whether it's a similar set up on the 740. I had to have my ABS unit repaired by an ECU specialist and resolved the problem. Wasn't the speed sensors in my case.
From cold, so will be something else as opposed to the abs pump which hopefully will be the speed sensor

TonyRPH

12,963 posts

167 months

Tuesday 3rd October 2017
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Any updates on this?

I was watching with interest, then the thread died and I forgot about it...

Was only reminded by the revival Alpina thread.