What have you done to your BMW today?

[RichardM5]

MightyBadger said:

danb79 said:

Full ATE PowerDisc and Ceramic pads overhaul on my 540i:

By far the cleanest 66s I have ever seen, looking good with those discs.

I thought they were relatively dirty, for Dan!

But the 66 is such a simple and functional design that really suits the E39, ideal for winter tyres.

[g3org3y]

Swervin_Mervin said:

I've just this year had an advisory for the rear subframe (2006 330i) but for the first year no advisories for covers fitted that obscure the view. Can a man not get a green MOT ffs? Subframe is still solid as - it's just surface grot.

My local garage loves to put 'sill covers' (or words to that effect) as an advisory.

[g3org3y]

Mr Tidy said:

JakeT said:

The subframe is getting grizzly on my 2005 330i, but solid still. I sand and paint it yearly in the summer, to try and buy it some time. At 240k it also likes a drop of the black. A litre of 5w-30 around every 3,000 miles. I can t fault it that really.

I got an advisory for subframe corrosion on my 2005 330i in 2024, but not in 2025 so it can't be too bad!

Self healing issues are the best.

[danb79]

RichardM5 said:

MightyBadger said:

danb79 said:

Full ATE PowerDisc and Ceramic pads overhaul on my 540i:

By far the cleanest 66s I have ever seen, looking good with those discs.

I thought they were relatively dirty, for Dan!

But the 66 is such a simple and functional design that really suits the E39, ideal for winter tyres.

They are (thanks for pointing that out)

I haven't washed either car for 2 weeks now; freezing temps, snow and now constant rain... They'll get a spruce up when the weather holds off next

[bodhi]

125i made it in for its MOT today and it failed

Turns out one of the rubbish Sonar aftermarket headlights the previous owner fitted (albeit 12+ years ago) is no longer attached to the car properly, so currently pricing up getting some OEM headlights fitted. Not liking the prices I'm seeing on Autodoc etc I will be honest!

Also had a few advisories - bit of surface rust on the rear springs (which are 17 years and 186k miles old), some rust on the subframe and on another part of the chassis corroded within 30 cm of a mounting point?

Oh and my handbrake is st and barely legal.

The joy of running an old BMW

[JakeT]

bodhi said:

125i made it in for its MOT today and it failed

Turns out one of the rubbish Sonar aftermarket headlights the previous owner fitted (albeit 12+ years ago) is no longer attached to the car properly, so currently pricing up getting some OEM headlights fitted. Not liking the prices I'm seeing on Autodoc etc I will be honest!

Also had a few advisories - bit of surface rust on the rear springs (which are 17 years and 186k miles old), some rust on the subframe and on another part of the chassis corroded within 30 cm of a mounting point?

Oh and my handbrake is st and barely legal.

The joy of running an old BMW

Get a pair of used standard lamp clusters. Plenty available!

[Mr Tidy]

g3org3y said:

Mr Tidy said:

JakeT said:

The subframe is getting grizzly on my 2005 330i, but solid still. I sand and paint it yearly in the summer, to try and buy it some time. At 240k it also likes a drop of the black. A litre of 5w-30 around every 3,000 miles. I can t fault it that really.

I got an advisory for subframe corrosion on my 2005 330i in 2024, but not in 2025 so it can't be too bad!

Self healing issues are the best.

[bodhi]

JakeT said:

bodhi said:

125i made it in for its MOT today and it failed

Turns out one of the rubbish Sonar aftermarket headlights the previous owner fitted (albeit 12+ years ago) is no longer attached to the car properly, so currently pricing up getting some OEM headlights fitted. Not liking the prices I'm seeing on Autodoc etc I will be honest!

Also had a few advisories - bit of surface rust on the rear springs (which are 17 years and 186k miles old), some rust on the subframe and on another part of the chassis corroded within 30 cm of a mounting point?

Oh and my handbrake is st and barely legal.

The joy of running an old BMW

Get a pair of used standard lamp clusters. Plenty available!

Me mate is on the case and tells me a pair has arrived this morning. He's just checking everything is there -- as the original lights were ripped out so making sure all the mounting brackets etc are there - then will fit, put a pair of night breakers in and get me 12 months ticket.

Also getting the handbrake looked at is it barely holds the car - needs to be on the last click of the handbrake otherwise it's rolling off....

[danb79]

Decided on tyres today for the Style 65s and have gone with 18" Hankook Ventus S1 Evo3 (245/40 fronts and 275/35 rears XL)

They get good reviews across the board; I don't drive stupidly, nor do I use my 540i as a B road hooning machine and I've managed to get a 25% discount via Halfords as I used them for the current Goodyear all seasons on the Style 66s. Very happy with that

Booked in Sat 31st 9am to get them fitted; that'll be them done then and ready to fit as soon as we're back from the Highlands mid Feb and temps start to rise

[The Gauge]

danb79 said:

Decided on tyres today for the Style 65s and have gone with 18" Hankook Ventus S1 Evo3 (245/40 fronts and 275/35 rears XL)

They get good reviews across the board; I don't drive stupidly, nor do I use my 540i as a B road hooning machine and I've managed to get a 25% discount via Halfords as I used them for the current Goodyear all seasons on the Style 66s. Very happy with that

Booked in Sat 31st 9am to get them fitted; that'll be them done then and ready to fit as soon as we're back from the Highlands mid Feb and temps start to rise

There's something nice about having a full set of new tyres fitted, not sure why, there just is.

[danb79]

Fitted the aFe intake kit I ordered from The States before Christmas; took a while to arrive

[danb79]

The Gauge said:

danb79 said:

Decided on tyres today for the Style 65s and have gone with 18" Hankook Ventus S1 Evo3 (245/40 fronts and 275/35 rears XL)

They get good reviews across the board; I don't drive stupidly, nor do I use my 540i as a B road hooning machine and I've managed to get a 25% discount via Halfords as I used them for the current Goodyear all seasons on the Style 66s. Very happy with that

Booked in Sat 31st 9am to get them fitted; that'll be them done then and ready to fit as soon as we're back from the Highlands mid Feb and temps start to rise

There's something nice about having a full set of new tyres fitted, not sure why, there just is.

Absolutely; more so as I don't do many miles either, so they tend to stay fairly new through my ownership

[Mr Tidy]

danb79 said:

Decided on tyres today for the Style 65s and have gone with 18" Hankook Ventus S1 Evo3 (245/40 fronts and 275/35 rears XL)

They get good reviews across the board; I don't drive stupidly, nor do I use my 540i as a B road hooning machine and I've managed to get a 25% discount via Halfords as I used them for the current Goodyear all seasons on the Style 66s. Very happy with that

Booked in Sat 31st 9am to get them fitted; that'll be them done then and ready to fit as soon as we're back from the Highlands mid Feb and temps start to rise

I think you'll find them fine.

I put a pair of Ventus S1 265/40 x 18 on the rear of my Z4M last May ahead of a trip to Scotland to hoon and found them really good, especially in the wet. I was pleased with the Kumho Ecstas I had before, but the Hankooks were much better.

Just to be sure I took it for a hoon around the Lakes in July and back to Scotland in September.

When I need new fronts I'll definitely go for the same.

[bodhi]

Had a not so great picture update on the 125i yesterday and the state it was in at the close of business yesterday - in pieces looking very sorry for itself.



I'm reliably informed it put up one hell of a fight to get the front bumper off, lots of corroded bolts, which is fair considering the bumper hasn't been removed in at least 12 years.

Today's was much better however. I've lost the Angel Eyes the aftermarket headlights came with, hopefully the tradeoff will be actually being able to see in the dark...





Just need to get it retested now and I should have it back.

Also discovered why the handbrake was rubbish - rear discs were heavily pitted on the back where the handbrake grips the disc, despite looking fine from the outside.



So it's had new discs and pads on the rear as well. Should have the car - and a sizeable bill to go with it - back tomorrow.

[danb79]

Mr Tidy said:

danb79 said:

Decided on tyres today for the Style 65s and have gone with 18" Hankook Ventus S1 Evo3 (245/40 fronts and 275/35 rears XL)

They get good reviews across the board; I don't drive stupidly, nor do I use my 540i as a B road hooning machine and I've managed to get a 25% discount via Halfords as I used them for the current Goodyear all seasons on the Style 66s. Very happy with that

Booked in Sat 31st 9am to get them fitted; that'll be them done then and ready to fit as soon as we're back from the Highlands mid Feb and temps start to rise

I think you'll find them fine.

I put a pair of Ventus S1 265/40 x 18 on the rear of my Z4M last May ahead of a trip to Scotland to hoon and found them really good, especially in the wet. I was pleased with the Kumho Ecstas I had before, but the Hankooks were much better.

Just to be sure I took it for a hoon around the Lakes in July and back to Scotland in September.

When I need new fronts I'll definitely go for the same.

I'm sure I will; my Dad had Hankooks on his X3M and said they were superb; but as they were still up to the Highlands and back quite a lot at that time; he wore through them quite quickly; so he went over to Dunlop Sports which he really rates too

I hardly do any miles; so I'm sure they'll be more than adequate

On my Jap import 540i I ran Nexen N'Fera SU1s on the refurbed Style 37s; always found them to be excellent tyres too

I don't drive like an idiot and always have a separate set of wheels for winter etc - I'd never fit budgets; but never had an issues with decent midrange tyres upwards to premiums etc

The sizes needed though; the premium tyres were nearly £1k and for 3k miles a year, if that; it's a bit steep!

[danb79]

Full clean inside; full wash outside and plugged into trickle; it'll sit there for the week nicely until it goes into my pals for the new bits to be fitted

[bodhi]

Mine was going through final checks and about to be sent for MOT when another issue appeared - the headlight aim adjustment knob on the dash doesn't work.....fs.

Looking into it I don't think the aftermarket garbage that was on there don't come with motors on the back to be adjusted, so I suspect it's been coded out.

All I'll say is aftermarket headlights - don't even bother.

[Pizzaeatingking]

danb79 said:

Full clean inside; full wash outside and plugged into trickle; it'll sit there for the week nicely until it goes into my pals for the new bits to be fitted

Nice setup, mines currently got an extension lead hooked on the wing mirror. When it warms up a bit I think I'm gonna add some sockets on the rafters in strategic places so I can drop them down between cars. Neaten it up a bit.

[JakeT]

bodhi said:

Had a not so great picture update on the 125i yesterday and the state it was in at the close of business yesterday - in pieces looking very sorry for itself.



I'm reliably informed it put up one hell of a fight to get the front bumper off, lots of corroded bolts, which is fair considering the bumper hasn't been removed in at least 12 years.

Today's was much better however. I've lost the Angel Eyes the aftermarket headlights came with, hopefully the tradeoff will be actually being able to see in the dark...





Just need to get it retested now and I should have it back.

Also discovered why the handbrake was rubbish - rear discs were heavily pitted on the back where the handbrake grips the disc, despite looking fine from the outside.



So it's had new discs and pads on the rear as well. Should have the car - and a sizeable bill to go with it - back tomorrow.

'new' lamps look great, and as you say, you should be able to see in the dark now!

[danb79]

bodhi said:

Mine was going through final checks and about to be sent for MOT when another issue appeared - the headlight aim adjustment knob on the dash doesn't work.....fs.

Looking into it I don't think the aftermarket garbage that was on there don't come with motors on the back to be adjusted, so I suspect it's been coded out.

All I'll say is aftermarket headlights - don't even bother.

IMO never use aftermarket lights; more often than not they never work properly

It's a sod when you're trying to find OEM headlights that work properly; but decent breakers like Rotrip and Quarry Motors should be able to help out