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BMW E39 525i Sport Build
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08-12-2014 2:32am#1Finally decided to put one of these up, while I'm procrastinating from study :pac:
SO a few weeks ago I finally picked up the car I've wanted for a very long time, an E39 M Sport. I was lucky to find one down here in Cork and a tidy enough one at that, I did take a chance on it though as it doesn't have a service book, I think it never came over when it came to Ireland. It has a few niggly problems but every time I put the boot down =
Here's a few pictures as it is now:
To Do List:-
Sort out PDC.
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Remove rust on Bootlid and tiny bit on rear wing.
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Smart Repair the small parking dings.
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Repair cracked bumper.
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Acquire Towing Eye cover.
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Replace pixelated head unit with a Nav unit.
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Refurb Style 66 Wheels.
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New Style 37 M-Pars or Style 95's.
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Sort out Cruise Control problem(Have the new Brake Switch bought that should hopefully solve it).
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New Shift Knob.
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Pressed Irish Plates/Sorrounds.
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New Alternator Belt at next service.
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Repair/Replace Driver Side rear tail light as it has condensation, not too worried about it.
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New Service book/Manual :pac:
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New Angel Eye Bulbs, either Halogen or LED, I'm not sure yet.
Think that just about covers what I want to get done :pac:
Already sorted out the cooling system with a new Radiator, Metal Water Pump, Thermostat and Coolant Tank Cap so that's good for another few years I hope.
Thanks for looking
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Few bits done to the car in the last few weeks, new Bonnet badge, Nightbreakers, Bosch Wipers, Irish Pressed plates and a new Ignition coil gone into Cylinder 6, hopefully sorting my Idling problem. Brake Switch and PDC to do next.
E39 M54 Ignition Coil Replacement
First thing to do when replacing the coil on the E39 is to remove the Air ducts:
This simply clicks off the airbox and a twist and pull to take it off the bulkhead.
Next, remove these two a$$holes with a 10mm socket and take off the oil filler cap to remove the cover.
You will then be met with all the ignition coils, 1-6 with one being closest the bumper, replace the oil cap while working to prevent anything foreign getting in.
Pull out the clip with a flat head screwdriver and undo the two securing bolts
Pull out the offender
Then it's simply a matter of putting in the new one and putting everything back together
Other various pictures of the car right now
New plates:
New badge:
Will be tackling the PDC and Brake Light Switch next 0 -
Replaced the old, pixelated head unit with a new OEM looking unit, really brings the interior up in years!
Before
After
The unit is an Eonon D5124F if anyone is interested in it, seems well worth it so far and I have plans to utilize a Raspberry Pi to make an in car PC.0 -
Fitted the new LED lights last week:
In Day-Light:
In night/dusk light:
While the pictures show a lot of "bleed" from the rings, there's actually zero, they're very crisp, my phone's camera is not good enough to pick up on it. Very happy with them, well worth it and makes it look way better.0 -
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New lights - Excellent.
New headunit - Good
New plates - Good.
M badge on Grille - GACK.
Yeah I know, I'm ashamed to say I'm getting to like it
So have a few others :P
Tempted by a black grill, not sure yet though.
I've ordered an intake boot for the MAF to see if that solves the idle as the current one is hard and a bit cracked.0 -
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Chuck_Norris wrote: »Thanks for the pics. I've always loved the e39, and so tempted to get one next time around. Would just have to convince the wife. Subbed now. And looking forward to future pics.
Thanks man! They're a great car, everyone that gets into mine can't get over it being 13 years old! It has as good a spec as most decent new cars, mine has PDC, Sat-Nav, Bluetooth+A2DP, DVD, TV, Dual Zone Climate, Leather, Cruise Control and most importantly, 6 cylinders
Small update today, finally replaced the faulty brake light switch, the auto seems to be shifting smoother, the Cruise activates/knocks off perfectly and there's no random braking, so far anyway. Hopefully this keeps up so all that'd need to be sorted mechanically is the rough idle which I'm hoping the new intake boot will solve.0 -
Not much to report other than still absolutely loving it. Very happy with the bodywork that was done except the front bumper got scuffed last week :crying: I'd say a buff will sort it out though.
Here's some recent pictures
The lower front passenger door was badly dented but here it is now:
The front bumper after it got tidied up:
Still have to get a tow hitch cover for it!
It's getting new brake pads this week as the light has just come on, already have them bought, just need to install them.
To Do List:- Sort out PDC.
- Remove rust on Bootlid and tiny bit on rear wing.
- Smart Repair the small parking dings.
- Repair cracked bumper.
- Acquire Towing Eye cover.
- Replace pixelated head unit with a Nav unit.
- Refurb Style 66 Wheels.
- New Style 37 M-Pars or Style 95's.
- Sort out Cruise Control problem(Have the new Brake Switch bought that should hopefully solve it).
- New Shift Knob.
- Pressed Irish Plates/Sorrounds.
- New Alternator Belt at next service.
- Repair/Replace Driver Side rear tail light as it has condensation, not too worried about it.
- New Service book/Manual
- New Angel Eye Bulbs, either Halogen or LED, I'm not sure yet.
Getting there!0 -
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Still love these cars. Noticed that you aren't running the climate control in auto - any reason? Is it broken? I used to leave mine at 21c on auto and then just turn the dial in between the vents if you want hotter or colder in your face!
I have bumper bars & a rear diffuser in the garage which were taken off my 530d when it was 4 years old if you're ever stuck for them!
Only seeing this now! Thanks for the offer, much appreciated! I tend to only leave it on auto when I'm looking for heat as I find it a bit too powerful with the A/C on, I typically have the fan on only 1 or 2 bars when I have the A/C on at 16. I can be picky :pac:
New front pads fitted about 2 weeks ago now, make a massive difference to the braking and wheel cleanliness!
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To Do List:
- Sort out PDC.
- Remove rust on Bootlid and tiny bit on rear wing.
- Smart Repair the small parking dings.
- Repair cracked bumper.
- Acquire Towing Eye cover.
- Replace pixelated head unit with a Nav unit.
- Refurb Style 66 Wheels.
- New Style 37 M-Pars or Style 95's.
- Sort out Cruise Control problem(Have the new Brake Switch bought that should hopefully solve it).
- New Shift Knob.
- Pressed Irish Plates/Sorrounds.
- New Alternator Belt at next service.
- Repair/Replace Driver Side rear tail light as it has condensation, not too worried about it.
- New Service book/Manual
- New Angel Eye Bulbs, either Halogen or LED, I'm not sure yet.
Things are moving on a bit, getting a new tail cluster today and sorted my headlights out yesterday. Small bit of bodywork is needed due to an accident I had with no one to blame but myself.
Got a full 3 stage machine polish in the meantime and the transmission is getting serviced next week.
Headlights after being sorted:
Here's how she is now:
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Your fanatical love for this car despite the BS it gives you is great to see it reminds me of me. Looks really well too, the double din unit takes decades off the interior but i've probably said that before.
How much do you reckon you are into it financially? And what would you buy if you had all that money :P?0 -
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Toyotafanboi wrote: »Your fanatical love for this car despite the BS it gives you is great to see it reminds me of me. Looks really well too, the double din unit takes decades off the interior but i've probably said that before.
How much do you reckon you are into it financially? And what would you buy if you had all that money :P?
I think anyone that knows me on Facebook from here knows of my fanatical love for it, she's basically my SO until someone better comes along :pac:
The head unit makes all the difference, everyone that sits into it loves it!
If you exclude Tax/Insurance/Fuel/Detailing stuff I'm not into it too much:
Full set of Hankook's, €630
Head Unit, €510
Ignition Coil €50
Tail Lamp €140
Towing Eye Cover €70
Full Service €130
Transmission Service €180
Thats about it really. Now if we add in everything else for it, I'm into it well over €10k!
If I had that money would I buy anything else? No, would still get an E39, 540i if I could find one, for now, I'm very, very happy with this until I can get an M5Alanstrainor wrote: »
That's pretty much exactly what I'll be going for Alan!0 -
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Foxhole Norman wrote: »I think anyone that knows me on Facebook from here knows of my fanatical love for it, she's basically my SO until someone better comes along :pac:
The head unit makes all the difference, everyone that sits into it loves it!
If you exclude Tax/Insurance/Fuel/Detailing stuff I'm not into it too much:
Full set of Hankook's, €630
Head Unit, €510
Ignition Coil €50
Tail Lamp €140
Towing Eye Cover €70
Full Service €130
Transmission Service €180
Thats about it really. Now if we add in everything else for it, I'm into it well over €10k!
If I had that money would I buy anything else? No, would still get an E39, 540i if I could find one, for now, I'm very, very happy with this until I can get an M5
that's actually not bad going really with a decent looking car to show for it!
tax is a sticking point though i'd say, generally speaking. personally, i do feel a little bad handing out €180 a quarter for essentially nothing when that could be the lowering springs i want or two new bridgestones etc, so the 2.5 bracket must be a bitter pill :pac:0 -
Toyotafanboi wrote: »that's actually not bad going really with a decent looking car to show for it!
tax is a sticking point though i'd say, generally speaking. personally, i do feel a little bad handing out €180 a quarter for essentially nothing when that could be the lowering springs i want or two new bridgestones etc, so the 2.5 bracket must be a bitter pill :pac:
Yeah it's been pretty cheap maintenance wise, forgot to add brake pads front and rear to that list, new ceramic pads and new discs next.
€180 only got me one Hankook :pac:
I only paid it there yesterday, I said three months, yer man said Yeah grand €305 there so, the face on the fella next to me paying 200 for his full year 0 -
Everyone likes new parts! Got it for €140 instead of the usual €180 or so that they go for.
OE Hella Tail Light to replace the old Depo leaky one. Depo:
You can see the water in this photo!
The new:
Finally have two working rear clusters again:
Also found this in the unopened first aid kit
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I wouldn't bother with a 540i - the steering set up is different, not nearly as nice as the 530i and not that much quicker - all imho of course. 530i is the pick of the non-M5 range for me, M5 is the dream for me too but doing way too many miles to justify oneFoxhole Norman wrote: »If I had that money would I buy anything else? No, would still get an E39, 540i if I could find one, for now, I'm very, very happy with this until I can get an M5
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I wouldn't bother with a 540i - the steering set up is different, not nearly as nice as the 530i and not that much quicker - all imho of course. 530i is the pick of the non-M5 range for me, M5 is the dream for me too but doing way too many miles to justify one
My worry is the amount of insurance companies that'll be left that'll insure "old" cars, looking Grim to be honest!0 -
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Haven't been doing much with the 525 recently other than driving it! This week will be a big week for it as I have new Gloss Black Grills, new Cupholders, new Crankcase Breather System, new Thermostat and Coolant change and new Brake Pressure Sensor and Brake Fluid change. Should have all this done by mid January depending on various shipping times 0
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