Green on green e39 M5 - intergalactic mileage
Discussion
Jacking points are in my list... well one of them certainly is because it’s been removed in a previous repair.
There is a bit of other body work that needs addressing so I’ll probbaly get that done towards the back end of the summer and renew the under body protection in readiness for next winter.
Whilst we’re taljing jacking points.. have you got all of your rubber bungs? I read on a US forum that if they’re missing it increases the wind noise that sounds like a leaking windscreen!?
There is a bit of other body work that needs addressing so I’ll probbaly get that done towards the back end of the summer and renew the under body protection in readiness for next winter.
Whilst we’re taljing jacking points.. have you got all of your rubber bungs? I read on a US forum that if they’re missing it increases the wind noise that sounds like a leaking windscreen!?
Hello hello !!
So it’s been a while and there have been some more jobs attended too..
There was an irregular habit for the temperature gauges to flip to max after about 20 mins. The turn it off and on again fixed that but it was always running cold - which doesn’t do the mpg any good.
Following a trip to centre gravity it was discovered that my “healthy calipers” were in fact shagged on one side.
So... back to what you know and who you trust - so I took it to EMC for free long term storage, I mean for the boys to fix it...
A bit longer than you’d really want, but sooner than I was expecting it came back having had the following.
New water pump and temp senders
Replaced the prop donut - more on that later
Refurb the calipers
New racing Brake fluid
Polished head lamps
Fixed my dodgy fuel issues - more on that later
MOT.
So prop donut. - had the vibration in 4th so the agreed wisdom is replace the rubber donut thing. When they dropped the prop shaft I got a call asking me to pop in to see them ( never a good sign ). So the gator at the end had split and filled up with water - basically knackered the prop. New one from bmw - £950
A bit of digging from the boys and the coupling is the same size as the one on a 996 Turbo. So Roberts your mums brother - £950 saved!!
Dodgy fuel - so as you may recall I was suffering from less than all my tank being available which I’d gotten it down to the scavenger pump being kaput - turns out that the pumps are all fine, it’d have just come out of its clips and fallen over so was not in the swirl pot. Again, thanks to my mums brother Robert- more money saved.
So the car is back, it’s running at the right temps - it’s stopping properly - and I’m either driving with a smile, a semi or both.
I flipping flopping love this car!!!
Oh one thing that they didn’t work out was why my stereo screen appears to have “crashed” I get the radio sound until I go over some bumps but no screen. Any ideas? Or what should I swap it out for that has an OE look and feel??
So it’s been a while and there have been some more jobs attended too..
There was an irregular habit for the temperature gauges to flip to max after about 20 mins. The turn it off and on again fixed that but it was always running cold - which doesn’t do the mpg any good.
Following a trip to centre gravity it was discovered that my “healthy calipers” were in fact shagged on one side.
So... back to what you know and who you trust - so I took it to EMC for free long term storage, I mean for the boys to fix it...
A bit longer than you’d really want, but sooner than I was expecting it came back having had the following.
New water pump and temp senders
Replaced the prop donut - more on that later
Refurb the calipers
New racing Brake fluid
Polished head lamps
Fixed my dodgy fuel issues - more on that later
MOT.
So prop donut. - had the vibration in 4th so the agreed wisdom is replace the rubber donut thing. When they dropped the prop shaft I got a call asking me to pop in to see them ( never a good sign ). So the gator at the end had split and filled up with water - basically knackered the prop. New one from bmw - £950
A bit of digging from the boys and the coupling is the same size as the one on a 996 Turbo. So Roberts your mums brother - £950 saved!!
Dodgy fuel - so as you may recall I was suffering from less than all my tank being available which I’d gotten it down to the scavenger pump being kaput - turns out that the pumps are all fine, it’d have just come out of its clips and fallen over so was not in the swirl pot. Again, thanks to my mums brother Robert- more money saved.
So the car is back, it’s running at the right temps - it’s stopping properly - and I’m either driving with a smile, a semi or both.
I flipping flopping love this car!!!
Oh one thing that they didn’t work out was why my stereo screen appears to have “crashed” I get the radio sound until I go over some bumps but no screen. Any ideas? Or what should I swap it out for that has an OE look and feel??
So... I love a bit of Man maths me... but even this one has been a bit of a stretch.
So.. without going into all the numbers in detail. I bought the car last August - for a number that started with 3xxx
It’s 18 years old. Even if it had delivery mileage on it there are things that just need replacing after 18years.
I wanted the car to be “tight” - so as soon as I had the engine checked out the rest of the “upgrades” I’d have done on any car I bought.
Tired suspension needs replacing - I had options - I chose the Bilstein and powerflex combination because it’s one that I’ve used a number of times before and it always just works.
If it had 60k /90k /120k it’d still needed to have this done to me happy that it was up to the level that I wanted.
The brakes have been an annoyance, and the money saved on replacing the prop shaft means I’ve got more to put in the petrol tank!
So... do I regret buying it? No, not yet.
The only regret is that I didn’t buy one sooner!!!
Honestly - I’ve just done an A/B road run through Oxfordshire and I got called a weirdo by my daughter who was in the passenger seat because I was singing “Love Love Love my car I f**ing, love my car” to my self when I pulled away from the lights.
If you haven’t already - try one. You won’t be disappointed.
So.. without going into all the numbers in detail. I bought the car last August - for a number that started with 3xxx
It’s 18 years old. Even if it had delivery mileage on it there are things that just need replacing after 18years.
I wanted the car to be “tight” - so as soon as I had the engine checked out the rest of the “upgrades” I’d have done on any car I bought.
Tired suspension needs replacing - I had options - I chose the Bilstein and powerflex combination because it’s one that I’ve used a number of times before and it always just works.
If it had 60k /90k /120k it’d still needed to have this done to me happy that it was up to the level that I wanted.
The brakes have been an annoyance, and the money saved on replacing the prop shaft means I’ve got more to put in the petrol tank!
So... do I regret buying it? No, not yet.
The only regret is that I didn’t buy one sooner!!!
Honestly - I’ve just done an A/B road run through Oxfordshire and I got called a weirdo by my daughter who was in the passenger seat because I was singing “Love Love Love my car I f**ing, love my car” to my self when I pulled away from the lights.
If you haven’t already - try one. You won’t be disappointed.
Hi Mudy.
The guys at CentreGravity are superb. The attention to detail and desire to get the job done right is what drives them and what makes others drive to them.
There are plenty of people with Hunter alignment kits and stuff.. but “all the gear and no idea” extends beyond expensive sporting equipment.
I was there on Friday with the 993 investigating 2 clunking noises. Which were found to be a loose spare wheel - complete dick school boy error!
And a loose lower control arm fixing.
They really understand Porsche suspension and its this that makes the difference. You can alter the rear toe on a 993 the easy way or the right way.. one makes it look right on paper, but it makes the drive horrid. The right way is more difficult but it’s right.
I think they are currently booking about 2 weeks in advance- they’ll normally give you a couple of date options.
Do it... you won’t regret it.
The guys at CentreGravity are superb. The attention to detail and desire to get the job done right is what drives them and what makes others drive to them.
There are plenty of people with Hunter alignment kits and stuff.. but “all the gear and no idea” extends beyond expensive sporting equipment.
I was there on Friday with the 993 investigating 2 clunking noises. Which were found to be a loose spare wheel - complete dick school boy error!
And a loose lower control arm fixing.
They really understand Porsche suspension and its this that makes the difference. You can alter the rear toe on a 993 the easy way or the right way.. one makes it look right on paper, but it makes the drive horrid. The right way is more difficult but it’s right.
I think they are currently booking about 2 weeks in advance- they’ll normally give you a couple of date options.
Do it... you won’t regret it.
Edited by Nurburgsingh on Sunday 1st July 14:23
So the gift that keeps on giving- gave some more today.
It’s a bit hot in the sun, and yes I’d expect the car to be a bit hit and bothered - the M5 engine is a bit like a Disney’s genie right? “Phenominal Cosmic Powers - itty bitty living space “
Anyhoo... literally at the bottom of my road after being on the MWay for 1.5hrs. I Start slowing for the roundabout and the car stalls instantly - I’m pretty sure it died before I dipped the clutch, the first I knew about it was when the steering went rock solid. ( note to self: eat more spinach)
So I’ve had a google and it’s either a dirty ICV or a shaggerdoodled fuel pump relay.
I’ll do both and never know which one it was. It’s not a situation I want to have repeat when I’m being a bit more spirited approaching a tightening radius with a ditch between the road and field.
Happy (?) motoring!
It’s a bit hot in the sun, and yes I’d expect the car to be a bit hit and bothered - the M5 engine is a bit like a Disney’s genie right? “Phenominal Cosmic Powers - itty bitty living space “
Anyhoo... literally at the bottom of my road after being on the MWay for 1.5hrs. I Start slowing for the roundabout and the car stalls instantly - I’m pretty sure it died before I dipped the clutch, the first I knew about it was when the steering went rock solid. ( note to self: eat more spinach)
So I’ve had a google and it’s either a dirty ICV or a shaggerdoodled fuel pump relay.
I’ll do both and never know which one it was. It’s not a situation I want to have repeat when I’m being a bit more spirited approaching a tightening radius with a ditch between the road and field.
Happy (?) motoring!
George Smiley said:
There is little doubt they will cause problems
You can replace with vag parts for a lot less or tune then out.
Mine had robbed over 40bhp....
I’ll add them to the list. !! You can replace with vag parts for a lot less or tune then out.
Mine had robbed over 40bhp....
Found some videos with Bosch part numbers and it looks like an easy enough job so I’ll give that a go.
Wow its been a long time since I shared anything about the big green beastie...
So... Mileage has gone up... now at 235k miles so we've hit the moon and we're on our way back.
The headlights have gone completely now, they're so steamy that Steven King has been on the phone asking to borrow them as a back drop for a shower murder scene he's working into a movie.
SO I have sourced a pair of face lift OE units and found some harnesses online to deal with the wiring and they'll be going in over this mad period of isolation.
My DBS Amp has also given up the ghost... another one to sort out while Im sat at home, hopefully the fixers are still working a skeleton crew so I can get some tunes for when this all over and i hit the road again.
So... Mileage has gone up... now at 235k miles so we've hit the moon and we're on our way back.
The headlights have gone completely now, they're so steamy that Steven King has been on the phone asking to borrow them as a back drop for a shower murder scene he's working into a movie.
SO I have sourced a pair of face lift OE units and found some harnesses online to deal with the wiring and they'll be going in over this mad period of isolation.
My DBS Amp has also given up the ghost... another one to sort out while Im sat at home, hopefully the fixers are still working a skeleton crew so I can get some tunes for when this all over and i hit the road again.
PowerslideSWE said:
Could you share the part numbers please? I'm looking to replace mine aswell but I don't fancy BMW's prices.
From Carpartsforless.co.uk which is the online only version of Euro Car Partshttps://www.carparts4less.co.uk/search/434110520
Bit of an update
So having just sat about for most of lock down I decided to give the old girl a run out..
Flat battery!! - never mind - got it charged and gave it another go, Boom started on the button.
Next day went to go out again and Crap! Flat battery!!
Poo and double poo... went through the charge and try cycle again and the same thing... so got a replacement battery and what do you know... same again.
So it’s off tomorrow for an investigation as to what’s draining the battery.
Honestly there’s more drama in an e39 than Eastenders!
So having just sat about for most of lock down I decided to give the old girl a run out..
Flat battery!! - never mind - got it charged and gave it another go, Boom started on the button.
Next day went to go out again and Crap! Flat battery!!
Poo and double poo... went through the charge and try cycle again and the same thing... so got a replacement battery and what do you know... same again.
So it’s off tomorrow for an investigation as to what’s draining the battery.
Honestly there’s more drama in an e39 than Eastenders!
So.... this is a bit embarrassing
Got a call from the garage today following their investigations on the car.
“Everything seemed fine, car goes to sleep in under 10 mins. That’s really good. So we ran a full diagnostic and we cleared a couple of codes and when we went to re start it it was dead.
So, we figured it was a battery issue and what we found was.... you haven’t tightened the battery terminal clamps enough. So we’ve tightened them up for you “
Well don’t I feel like the end of a bell !!!
Still it’s all sorted now which means me and the green machine will be making the most of the summer solstice and heading out for a dusk raid.
Got a call from the garage today following their investigations on the car.
“Everything seemed fine, car goes to sleep in under 10 mins. That’s really good. So we ran a full diagnostic and we cleared a couple of codes and when we went to re start it it was dead.
So, we figured it was a battery issue and what we found was.... you haven’t tightened the battery terminal clamps enough. So we’ve tightened them up for you “
Well don’t I feel like the end of a bell !!!
Still it’s all sorted now which means me and the green machine will be making the most of the summer solstice and heading out for a dusk raid.
Yeah thats true... always good to have some extra petrol tokens to use rather having to spent a bucket load on a part thats bound to have some M tax applied to it
So.. once the thunder and lightning stops this week I'll give it a clean and get out there for a long overdue bit of RRRRAAAAAARRR
So.. once the thunder and lightning stops this week I'll give it a clean and get out there for a long overdue bit of RRRRAAAAAARRR
Well bugger me if that wasn’t a fantastic weekend of M Power fun!!
So having had the embarrassing moment earlier in the week with the battery I thought I best test it so I left the car alone for a couple of day’s.
Roll on Saturday and I go to unlock the car, click all good, get in and the steering wheel moves like it should - turn the key, lights come on, turn it a bit more and boom the engine turns over and starts on the button! Woooohooo!!
So I figured I’d ease the old girl back into action, so did a little bit of country lane and a bit of motor way too to just clear the cobwebs from the car and me...
.... needless to say that didn’t last long.. the easing part !!
The Mpower devil on my shoulder kept whispering - “go on, squeeze the throttle a bit more” and “come on stamp on the throttle on the exit of this roundabout” and of course the classic “ do it, you know you love it when you drop 2 gears and floor it...”
Oh my sweet jeesus I’ve missed this!!
So today we took advantage of the summer (pissing it down ) solstice and went out for an early morning drive.
Oh the road manners of the M5 are just brilliant, the drive started in the lashing down rain and on the pilot sport 4’s it’s just rock solid, total control and no silly surprises as we hustled the lanes and avoided all the big puddles.
We were out for a couple of hours and the roads dried and the sky turned blue so the right foot devil got a bit more vocal.
Wow wow wow wow... just so happy that I’m lucky enough to own one of these classics.
I used to have an E28 M5 ( yes the proper one) and sold it when they were worth nothing - literally!! That is the one car I regret selling more than any. So this one... is a keeper.
The combination of the Bilstein kit and powerflex bushes keeps the car feeling so steady and predictable on the road. It’s lost a bit of its factory floatiness but for me that’s fine, on a really crap road it’s a bit jiggly but the trade off when it’s twisty and you need to press on is well worth it.
Annoyingly one of the xenon bulbs went this morning, but I’ve got a set of angel eyes to swap to so that’s something for this week.
All in all as Father’s Day / solstice weekends go... this one rocked !
So having had the embarrassing moment earlier in the week with the battery I thought I best test it so I left the car alone for a couple of day’s.
Roll on Saturday and I go to unlock the car, click all good, get in and the steering wheel moves like it should - turn the key, lights come on, turn it a bit more and boom the engine turns over and starts on the button! Woooohooo!!
So I figured I’d ease the old girl back into action, so did a little bit of country lane and a bit of motor way too to just clear the cobwebs from the car and me...
.... needless to say that didn’t last long.. the easing part !!
The Mpower devil on my shoulder kept whispering - “go on, squeeze the throttle a bit more” and “come on stamp on the throttle on the exit of this roundabout” and of course the classic “ do it, you know you love it when you drop 2 gears and floor it...”
Oh my sweet jeesus I’ve missed this!!
So today we took advantage of the summer (pissing it down ) solstice and went out for an early morning drive.
Oh the road manners of the M5 are just brilliant, the drive started in the lashing down rain and on the pilot sport 4’s it’s just rock solid, total control and no silly surprises as we hustled the lanes and avoided all the big puddles.
We were out for a couple of hours and the roads dried and the sky turned blue so the right foot devil got a bit more vocal.
Wow wow wow wow... just so happy that I’m lucky enough to own one of these classics.
I used to have an E28 M5 ( yes the proper one) and sold it when they were worth nothing - literally!! That is the one car I regret selling more than any. So this one... is a keeper.
The combination of the Bilstein kit and powerflex bushes keeps the car feeling so steady and predictable on the road. It’s lost a bit of its factory floatiness but for me that’s fine, on a really crap road it’s a bit jiggly but the trade off when it’s twisty and you need to press on is well worth it.
Annoyingly one of the xenon bulbs went this morning, but I’ve got a set of angel eyes to swap to so that’s something for this week.
All in all as Father’s Day / solstice weekends go... this one rocked !
So another couple of months on and another couple of bills to pay!
These were all on me though so its not the cars fault.
My old headlights were worse than useless, not only from an out put point of view but also because they were full of condensation and just a bit dull.
So I spent some time on the usual market places and found some angel eye Xenons at a bargain price so they were swiftly snapped up and fitted. Hadn't appreciated just how different they look when they're off. And now that my car doesn't look like its crying its even better!
Next up was my dodgy door mirrors, one of the shells was loose and the glass in both had leaked so i had double vision on what was behind me.
Again found some that were well priced and local and they were snapped up. The guys at EMC dismantled the mirrors and did an organ transplant so I didn't have to have the replacements painted.
So now I'm back to just filling her up with petrol and enjoying the smiles that go on for miles and miles...
These were all on me though so its not the cars fault.
My old headlights were worse than useless, not only from an out put point of view but also because they were full of condensation and just a bit dull.
So I spent some time on the usual market places and found some angel eye Xenons at a bargain price so they were swiftly snapped up and fitted. Hadn't appreciated just how different they look when they're off. And now that my car doesn't look like its crying its even better!
Next up was my dodgy door mirrors, one of the shells was loose and the glass in both had leaked so i had double vision on what was behind me.
Again found some that were well priced and local and they were snapped up. The guys at EMC dismantled the mirrors and did an organ transplant so I didn't have to have the replacements painted.
So now I'm back to just filling her up with petrol and enjoying the smiles that go on for miles and miles...
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