First BMW 630i

[waynedear]

carinaman said:

Congratulations, nice looking car that doesn't have that cup holder thing on the centre console.

Thank you, I can not recall ever using a cup holder for cups, I'll live without one...

[waynedear]

And she's home, drives very different from the diesel giulietta... In a good way, makes a decent noise as well.
No idea how to work the iDrive...
Jobs for tomorrow... Both dipped bulbs, came with the car, clear out the front drains, polish the head/fog lights, learn some iDrive.

[d_a_n1979]

Lovely stuff; looks a great car

I'd also recommend getting a Creator C310 code reader off Amazon for c£50; can come in very handy for codes and will also register a battery to the car for you (like for like replacement)

Or get Bimmercode on your mobile (iOS and Android) and the necessary Bluetooth dongle off Amazon and that'll sort you out for any coding you want to do to the car etc... Well worth having in your arsenal

Bookmarking this; I never went for an E63 in the end, went for an E65 and F01 instead, both times I looked into them

[MikeM6]

waynedear said:

carinaman said:

Congratulations, nice looking car that doesn't have that cup holder thing on the centre console.

Thank you, I can not recall ever using a cup holder for cups, I'll live without one...

Haha, the cupholder is removable, fits in the rear section of the armrest. I've got two of them, but never used either

[sidewinder500]

Is it just me or do they look better with age?

Did like them back in the day a lot, especially with the larger wheels, but they really stand out today, on a positive note. Even the bangle butt is kinda cool.

Nice car OP

[CrippsCorner]

Nice, I have recently really fancied a 650i so read all the threads on here about the 6 series! Not the right time for me unfortunately... will be keeping a keen eye on this thread too

[waynedear]

I would say it was only 6 months ago I did not like them... Suddenly I do...
Though I am finding my none comfort zone rechargeable (completely discharged) key a PITA.

[Mr Tidy]

Your key issue may be because it hasn't been used much recently. They charge inductively (or wireless) when they are being used so they discharge when they aren't getting used.

Some BMW owners have found putting them next to a Braun (others brands are available) toothbrush charger brings them back to life - or just go for a long drive!

[MR2 Steve]

The Bangle designs got a lot of stick at the time but that’s aged well.

[carinaman]

MikeM6 said:

waynedear said:

carinaman said:

Congratulations, nice looking car that doesn't have that cup holder thing on the centre console.

Thank you, I can not recall ever using a cup holder for cups, I'll live without one...

Haha, the cupholder is removable, fits in the rear section of the armrest. I've got two of them, but never used either

I didn't know they were detachable.

waynedear said:

I would say it was only 6 months ago I did not like them... Suddenly I do...

They grew on me when I had some time to kill waiting for someone in 2011/12 and there was a black one with brown, I think, leather parked in a quiet corner of a village and I spent my time looking at it kerbside.

That's a great colour blue. Very classy and tasteful.

[waynedear]

Mr Tidy said:

Your key issue may be because it hasn't been used much recently. They charge inductively (or wireless) when they are being used so they discharge when they aren't getting used.

Some BMW owners have found putting them next to a Braun (others brands are available) toothbrush charger brings them back to life - or just go for a long drive!

Mine is and has been since last night, sat on her toothbrush charger.

[oldaudi]

Just one more comment from me on your lovely new motor. The battery in the boot. Get the health of it checked and if it’s old replace it. My 2006 was on its original battery and in 2021 it started to do funny things to the car. I received the Irregular battery discharge message on the I drive, followed by flickering lights, a dimmed and then non functional I drive and then eventually it struggled with ignition.

An old battery can be the cause of some weird electrical issues with these. Update us when you’ve had it for a long drive.... found myself looking at these again and would have another.

[Lotusgone]

My 645ci tells me when I haven't used it enough, with some whirring and clicking from the lower dash. That usually stops once I've taken it a few minutes up the road. Hopefully that's not a battery issue.

It's better than my old E39 540, you could hear it consuming electricity just by walking past it.

[waynedear]

Update from my full of tools and an Alfa, lockup.
5' scaff pole to crack wheel nuts, no valve caps.
Near side xenon dipped beam not working, access from wheelarch, much easier with the wheel removed, if everything is perfect then it can be done with a right full lock.
Wheel, removed, arch cover removed, bulb cover removed, removed 3 jubilee clips... All I can think is they were some sort of wedge.
Replaced bulb, back together, still not working, tried another bulb, nothing, apparently when the bulb pops it can take out the igniter unit.
It could also be the ballast.
Tomorrow I will take the bits from the offside and swap some parts to try and narrow it down.
Hand polished the headlights, refitted trim bits inside, ashtray cover will not close, that can stay like that for a bit yet.
In general, previous owner has little love for his vehicles... But I am liking the car.
ps... 19" wheels are bloody heavy. ..

[d_a_n1979]

waynedear said:

Update from my full of tools and an Alfa, lockup.
5' scaff pole to crack wheel nuts, no valve caps.
Near side xenon dipped beam not working, access from wheelarch, much easier with the wheel removed, if everything is perfect then it can be done with a right full lock.
Wheel, removed, arch cover removed, bulb cover removed, removed 3 jubilee clips... All I can think is they were some sort of wedge.
Replaced bulb, back together, still not working, tried another bulb, nothing, apparently when the bulb pops it can take out the igniter unit.
It could also be the ballast.
Tomorrow I will take the bits from the offside and swap some parts to try and narrow it down.
Hand polished the headlights, refitted trim bits inside, ashtray cover will not close, that can stay like that for a bit yet.
In general, previous owner has little love for his vehicles... But I am liking the car.
ps... 19" wheels are bloody heavy. ..

Balls Hopefully you'll get the headlights sorted soon enough... I had a similar issue with my E65 back in 2018. Sorted it with a replacement OEM ballast off eBay (used but working fine)

And yes, the E6x wheels are heavy; c14kg a corner IIRC and that's without a tyre!

[CornedBeef]

Lotusgone said:

My 645ci tells me when I haven't used it enough, with some whirring and clicking from the lower dash. That usually stops once I've taken it a few minutes up the road. Hopefully that's not a battery issue.

It's better than my old E39 540, you could hear it consuming electricity just by walking past it.

Mine does this! From somewhere behind the steering wheel, only during winter mornings at random. Mine gets used every day and has no excuse.

OP - sounds like a few challenges to kick things off, as you say the previous owner sounds like they never fixed anything that went on it. Hopefully once you get over these challenges you'll have happy motoring though.

[d_a_n1979]

CornedBeef said:

Lotusgone said:

My 645ci tells me when I haven't used it enough, with some whirring and clicking from the lower dash. That usually stops once I've taken it a few minutes up the road. Hopefully that's not a battery issue.

It's better than my old E39 540, you could hear it consuming electricity just by walking past it.

Mine does this! From somewhere behind the steering wheel, only during winter mornings at random. Mine gets used every day and has no excuse.

OP - sounds like a few challenges to kick things off, as you say the previous owner sounds like they never fixed anything that went on it. Hopefully once you get over these challenges you'll have happy motoring though.

Is that not just the small fan in the dash that reads the internal temps for the HVAC system?

That's what the E39s do and they can be a hidden battery drain; they get gummed up with dust and it shorts etc

[MikeM6]

I had an old tracker that was draining my battery, disconnected and replaced battery and all is sorted now.

I think the CD changer can be a drain too.

[CornedBeef]

d_a_n1979 said:

Is that not just the small fan in the dash that reads the internal temps for the HVAC system?

That's what the E39s do and they can be a hidden battery drain; they get gummed up with dust and it shorts etc

Not the fan in this case, it seems to come from the shroud behind the steering wheel - I think that fan is on the climate control panel in the centre of the dash. The same noise I can hear occur just once, if I'm sat in the car after turning it off a few minutes - which I assume is normal. At random on cold mornings, it'll do the noise about 50 times I'm assuming there's a little moving part in there not completing a movement or something, in certain conditions?

[d_a_n1979]

CornedBeef said:

d_a_n1979 said:

Is that not just the small fan in the dash that reads the internal temps for the HVAC system?

That's what the E39s do and they can be a hidden battery drain; they get gummed up with dust and it shorts etc

Not the fan in this case, it seems to come from the shroud behind the steering wheel - I think that fan is on the climate control panel in the centre of the dash. The same noise I can hear occur just once, if I'm sat in the car after turning it off a few minutes - which I assume is normal. At random on cold mornings, it'll do the noise about 50 times I'm assuming there's a little moving part in there not completing a movement or something, in certain conditions?

Unusual; is the steering column electric?