BMW 5-Series Maintenance and Repair

snagiel · October 2002

Hmm...interesting. Unless this is some intentional volume-adjusting function the head-unit is performing, have you tried adjusting the balance and fader controls to ensure that it's happening on the right-hand speakers only? If so, it's got to be either the head-unit, the speakers, or the wiring in between. I wasn't aware the base system has a separate amplifier; I thought only the "premium" system did, and that the base relied on an internal amp within the head-unit. Perhaps try with another dealer? Otherwise, post up at roadfly.org; the audience there is larger, and there's a fair number of folks (especially in the A/V board) who're obsessed with all-things audio.

spyderred · October 2002

DRL's don't use the zenon lights, they use the highbeams at 60% illumination. You will not have the zenon lights on at all. So there is no worry. I debated this myself and finally decided on having the dealer activate the DRL's. It is a good safety feature, you become more visible for other driver's on the road.

Spyderred

sergeym · October 2002

Now I am confused. From the day one I turned my fog lights switch to the ON position. That's how I had them on my previous car. I assumed that this means that when my lights are turned on (I keep them in the Auto mode, but that should not matter) the fog lights will turn on too. I also noticed that I have my lights on all the time so I assumed that I have DRLs feature activated. Am I wrong?

srfast · October 2002

SergeyM:
1. The fog lamps will only come on only if the park lamps or/& headlamps are ON. So if you want your fogs on all the time, leave them on the "ON" position and whenever your headlamps come on, the fogs will also.
2. DRLs are only the highbeam lamps illuminated at low power - the lowbeam lamps/park lamps are off.
3. If your your lamps are always on and you are in AUTO MODE, you might have a problem with the auto mode sensor resulting in your lights being on all the time situation. Have the system checked.

Hope this helps....JL

mrnsr · October 2002

The other day I noticed a very visible gouge / scratch - 3-4 inches long - in the rear bumper of my titanium silver '01 540i/6. Looks like while I was parallel parked somewhere somebody did a park by braille job behind me.

Of course I didn't notice it until it was in my garage at home. The bumper appears to be plastic. Any suggestions on how to repair it?

Thx,
Mrnsr

darkblue · November 2002

Pap5, I took the car to the dealer for the third time about 2 months ago. They didn't find out anything wrong with the tranny again. And of course, I couldn't duplicate the problem for the dealer (not to the extend that we can call it a problem). I believe the problem is that the car does not downshift to the 1st gear when you slow down. It remains in the 2nd gear. As such, when you speed up again it shifts to 1st gear. I'd like to hear from others if they have similar problems and have found a solution. I told the dealer about the trottle module. He did not want to change it and frankly I wasn't in the mood to argue that day. The problem doesn't bother me as much now.

darkblue · November 2002

The original factory warranty on my '99 540i run out about a week ago. I've been debating if I should get an extended one. A couple of dealers tell me that the only one they would honor is Warrantech (spelling??) Repair Masters. Does anybody have any experience with them (good or bad)? Also, does anybody know of a different or better company that I can use?

spyderred · November 2002

I bought a 5year/100,000 mile warranty, zero ded. diamond plan for $1800 for '98 528ia when the car had 35,000 miles. So far they paid for $900 in repairs without hesitation at a southern California BMW dealer. Even the dealer was impressed on how easy it was to work with 1source. Read the language carefully of Warrantech. I considered them but I think it states in their contract that they don't cover electronic transmitting/receiving devices. I tried to get clarification from Warrantech what that meant, but no luck.

Good luck with your decision and let us know who you went with and your experience,

Spyderred,

riez · November 2002

spyderred... What you paid for your extended warranty is probably about what a BMW CPO buyer might expect versus buying the same car thru a non-BMW dealership. Might actually be a bit more if you know how to negotiate hard and well with a BMW dealer on a CPO car.

Think the BMW CPO warranty is superior in time (6/100), roadside assistance, financial backing, ease & speed of use at all BMW dealerships (since they all honor it immediately). Your plan doesn't have a deductible, but I wonder if the coverage is as complete as BMW CPO. What sorts of limitations and exceptions lurk in the fine print? And how reputable and long-term is the company? 3rd party warranty only as good as the company and the contract. BMW CPO is backed by BMW and honored by BMW everywhere inside BMW.

cbgb1975 · November 2002

Can anyone recommend a source where I can find a clear colored lens to replace the amber colored turn light lens in front headlight assembly of 2003 530i? My dealer told me each headlight assembly would have to be replaced at cost of $400 each as it is all one piece. I am unwilling to pay that price and was just wondering if there is an alternative. Thanks.

snagiel · November 2002

I don't know the best source, but I can confirm that you need to replace the whole headlight unit. If you have the xenons, you're probably looking at around $1200-1500 for the pair; for the non-xenons, probably $700-800 or so. You might try discount parts dealers like circlebmw.com or pacificbmw.com.

cbgb1975 · November 2002

Thanks, snagiel. I appreciate the referrals. Those amber lenses are okay for now. Hopefully a less costly replacement will come available in the future. I also am learning a lot based on your responses to others. Thanks for sharing.

spyderred · November 2002

I bought my '98 528ia with only 24,000 miles and at that time it was 3 1/2 years old. I would like to keep it for 5 years and I put about 15,000 miles /year. The CPO program is excellent because it is backed by BMW, however, it is not as comprehensive (e.g. CPO doesn't cover the stereo). Also if it was a CPO (6 years/100K mi start from when the car was first put in service), my warranty would have expired in only 2 1/2 years from the date I purchased my car from a private individual. I researched long and hard and I made my decision to go with 1Source, so far they have been excellent. They paid for my trunk latch, water pump and thermostat including all labor, etc. at a BMW dealer in Southern Calfornia. 1Source does also provide for rental car reimbursement, towing service, etc.

I hope that if I have to use 1Source again they will come through for me just as well, but only time will tell.

Spyderred,

feliksny · November 2002

I am leasing a 2002 530 since May of 2002, and until two weeks ago
I had no problems with the car. But then, I started to have problems with
my audio, it would turn off by itself,and then turn on.. The sound was also
having some distorted sounds, thus I was unable to listen to music in high volumes.
I took the car to a BMW service and they did not find anything. Then two days
ago while I was driving, I showed a left signal, the blinking on my car console
did not show up at all, then I tried to turn on the high-beam light, and that symbol
would not show up as on the console as well, but I can see the light in front of me.
I stopped, restarted the car, and then it seemed to work.
The next day, while I was at work, alarm went off on my car, three times in a row
(my neighbors told me), no one has touched the car, it was in a driveway, and then
the alarm stopped by itself.

When I came back from work, I noticed my car was completely dead, I took it to a shop
by calling BMW roadside assistance help, the service guys looked at it, and called me
at work, saying that I had 6 inches of water in my trunk, and that it has created
electrical problems for the whole car, and that is why it is dead now....

BMW is saying that they will put the car in the extensive car wash, and try to find
the leak in trunk. But if they don't find it, they will make me pay for it, because
they would assume that I left the trunk open. But I know for sure that I did not, as
I kept a lot of stuff there, so if I did leave it open, it would get all wet, therefore
it must have came from sided of trunk or somewhere. Did anyone have the same problem?
Is there a way for me to prove that it is the leak, even if they don't find it?
We had showers for some days in the last three weeks, they would never be able to reproduce
20 hours of rain in their car wash!!!

snagiel · November 2002

I love how some dealers assume people can be so dumb.

Sorry to hear of your problems, but you might want to look at a couple of "water in trunk" posts in another forum:

http://bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/forums/e39/archives/forum.php?postid=240789&page=2

and

http://bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/forums/e39/archives/forum.php?postid=509634&page=1

Synopsis: the rear lights may have leaky seal.

feliksny · November 2002

snagiel...thank you very much for the links, without your helpful reply, I don't know what could have came out of the "6 inches of water in the trunk deal". I haved called BMW service guys, told them about leak coming from the back light, and they have founded it right away, gave me a free rent car, Chevy Impala 2003 (of course, nothing compared to my Bimmer). Anyway, they said, that will fix it, and Monday Dec. 1st, I can pick it up....

To all other BMW owners, I would recommend checking the place where spare wheel is located in the trunk, to see if there is any water there...

mseals · November 2002

I have a 98 528i CPO that has roughly 2 years and 20k miles left on the warranty. I was wondering if there is a company that I could purchase an additional warranty from that would go beyond my 100k mile warranty now?

darkblue · November 2002

Riez/Spyderred,

The Warrantech is not considered CPO by the dealers as I understand. Warrantech does not CERTIFY the vehicle. According to my BMW dealer, not all BMW dealers honor Warrantech, although they all honor CPO warranties. The only way you can get CPO on your used BMW is to purchase your car from a BMW dealer as a CPO car. For me and people like me whose warranties are expiring, you cannot get CPO's. You have to stick with Warrantech, 1Source and other. Is that your understanding as well?
Spyderred, are you sure that 1Source is honored by all BMW dealers? Also, did you compare the items that either company warranties (or doesn't for that matter). Did you find 1Source to be better in term of items that they cover (not just price)? How can I get more info on them? I know that our cars are prune to having the tiny bulbs in the instrument or stereo clusters burnt. It can be very expensive to replace them if your warranty doesn't cover these items.

riez · November 2002

darkblue... Keep in mind that extended warranties are warranties that cover beyond the initial period offered by the original manufacturer's new car bumper-to-bumper warranty. Yes, there are two kinds. One by the original manufacturer (see all the CPO programs from BMW, Lexus, MB, Ford, GM, etc.) and others by 3rd parties not affiliated with the manufacturer. The warranties differ on coverage periods and coverage details. They are essentially insurance policies. Some original manufacturers will let you buy an extended warranty at the same time you buy the new car or within say about 12 months or 12,000 miles of taking original ownership (e.g., Infiniti & Lincoln). Unfortunately, BMW doesn't.

Only way to get BMW's CPO warranty is to buy a used BMW from a BMW dealer who has had the car certified. The CPO warranty extends beyond the original 4/50 b-to-b BMW factory warranty. You can't buy a new BMW and then later buy a CPO warranty on the same car, unless you sold it back to dealer first and s/he resells you your own car back as CPO. (Haven't heard of anyone ever doing this but there is always a first time for anything.)

Not sure there are any companies, new or 3rd party, that offer coverage after 100,000 miles. If they do, costs start to rise dramatically--as actuarially the likelihood of problems starts to rise dramatically. Not aware of any BMW warranty program that extends beyond 100,000 miles, though every now and then there might be rare exceptions for specific components on particular vehicles (thought I read somewhere about special extentions just to the Nikelsil (sp?) V-8 engines in the mid-1990s, but those might only have gone to 6/100).

I'm not a fan of 3rd party warranties. Too many horror stories from buyers. Too many failed companies that went bankrupt and left policy holders high and dry. And often their coverages are filled with exceptions. Can be a hassle to get the 3rd party to pay the claim and sometimes a dealer will have problems getting it paid, so many often require you to pay up front.

If you want to ensure you get every BMW dealer in the USA to cover your car and use BMW parts, then BMW CPO is the only way I know. It has its flaws and isn't perfect, but is about as good as it gets for BMWs. I only wish BMW let you buy an extended warranty they honored at time of new car purchase. I did that once with an Infiniti product. Really gives you peace of mind and I could finance it at time of sale and roll into monthly payments.

bmwluver · November 2002

My 530 (love it) recently developed a clunk in the front suspension. It has only 8000 miles on it. Have been told by dealer that I need to have ball joints replaced. Is this something other 530 owners are experiencing? Anybody know the cause of this happening so soon? Having just come out of an Acura Legend that didn't require anything for at least the first 60,000 miles this is a bit disconcerting. Thanks.

riez · November 2002

bmwluver... The latest issue of Roundel, BMW CCA's monthly publication, has a wonderful technical section titled "Tech Talk". Check out the latest issue, November 2002, p. 107. Item titled "BMW Ball Joints: A Continuing Problem". As their tech expert, Mike Miller, writes, "BMW has had huge problems with the ball-joint wear on the E34, E36, E38, and now the E46. There has been no official explanation." He believes it is just due to "substandard parts". Or sometimes due to "incorrect alignment settings from the factory". He recommends having your ball joints checked annually. And you might have a full 4-wheel alignment, ensuring everyting is in spec.

If you haven't joined BMW CCA, you really should.

Bimmer magazine also has some wonderful technical information. I'd recommend subscribing.

mb22 · December 2002

i'd like to buy a 5 series sedan of, ideally, the 1995/96 vintage, but have been told to stay clear of them due to the nikelsel (spelling?) block problem. i've also read that this problem relates only to the v8's, not the straight 6s, of the era. does anyone know the facts on this? are the 6s free from the cylinder block issue? any advice would be greatly appreciated.

riez · December 2002

mb22... Roundel and Bimmer magazines both have had extensive discussions about the Nikasil Engine Debacle. Issue is tied to premature cylinder bore wear.

In USA it afflicted E34 530i V8s, E34 540i V8s, E32 740i/740iL V8s, and E31 840i V8s. These are the M60 V8s used from MYs 1992-1996: 3.0L (2997cc) and 4.0L (3982cc) engines. {Rest of world also had Replaced in MY 1996 by the M62 V8s, of which USA gets the 4.4L (4398cc). [For rest of world there is also an M62 3.5L (3498cc).] See James Taylor's book "Driving Machines, The BMW Story", 2000, for discussion about all the various engines and their applications.

I pulled out a couple back issues of each. April 2002 issue of Bimmer has a Tech Q&A question on the subject. Response opines that most Nikasil V8s were replaced under warranty, though some still remain. You have to ensure the engine block is Alusil, not Nikasil. You need to check out the block casting number. Says a good source of information can be found at

www.koalamotorsport.com

Click on the "What's wrong with the V8 engines?" FAQ. You might check that site out.

September 2002 Roundel has a Tech Talk article titled "Aging Nikasil 740? Sell!" Letter writer has a '94 740i with 86,000 miles now experiencing rough idle and periodic loss of power. Writer states his block casting number is 1 742 998, a Nikasil block. Roundel's tech guru, Mike Miller, says that rough idle is a "harbinger of the low-compression situation that signals the Nikasil debacle." Cylinder-wear problem. He points out that BMW extended engine warranties of the Nikasil blocks to 6yrs/100,000 miles. That was on the V8s made BEFORE 3/95 (automatics) and 5/95 (manuals). Miller thnks most Nikasil's were replaced under warranty.

The August 2002 Roundel has a sad letter to the editor titled "I Want a 250,000-Mile Warranty." Writer has a 1994 740i with 98,000 miles. Tries to sell the car thinking it is worth about $12,000-15,000 but when he goes to trade it in on a new X5 he is only offered $5,600 from BMW dealer. Low figure due to his car still having the original Nikasil block. So far he hasn't experienced the problem.

See at least three options: find a nice Nikasil-block car and buy it cheap (realizing you'll likely have an expensive engine replacement down the road); be careful and ensure the engine has been replaced, verifying that carefully; or avoid the issue altogether by buying an E39 5 Series, the current generation.

teejet · December 2002

My 2002 530 is beginning to sound pretty clunky in the left front suspension as well. The car goes in this coming Thursday for a check. I'll report back once we know the cause. How was your problem finally resolved?

bmwluver · December 2002

teejet: Here's the solution for the front end clunk on my BMW 530 with 8,000 miles on it. They started off by replacing the ball joints. When the clunk continued they investigated further and decided it was something else. The eventual fix states "Replaced both control arms. Replaced both thrust rods for front stabilizer. Replaced right front tension strut and bushing." The sound, they concluded, was coming from right thrust rod, both control arms and sway bar links.
There was an interesting glitch when I picked up the car at night and discovered the dim lights were now pointed only about 8 feet in front of the car. When I returned the car, the dealer said they did not understand this since "they had not touched the lights." With my rudimentary knowledge of cars, I knew BMW used an automatic leveling system to adjust the height of the lights relative to the chassis. Sure enough, a technician fixed the problem in about 1 minute. My guess is there was an electrical connection that he had forgotten to reattach. All returned to normal. Hopefully, your dealer will be a bit more conscientious. All in all, however, although I was not keen on a repair with so few miles, BMW did a good job of fixing the problem. Good news is that the car now steers and handles better than it did when I took delivery in Munich. And I had the use of a 528 for the 4 days it took to fix the problem. Bad news is that I found the handling, steering and "sounds" preferable on the 528 to my new 530. The 530 does ride better and the brakes are superior to the 528 I used. I'll be interested in hearing how they fix your car. And if they hook your lights back up!

vinu_neuro · December 2002

I really love the the feel and the telepathy of Bimmers. This would be the first European vehicle for me. I have a couple of questions.

1.) I have heard mixed things about the 5-Series in snow. Is it driveble without sport suspension and snow tires?

2.) What is the "a" in 528ia mean?

srfast · December 2002

vinu_neuro:
1. "Driveable" is relative. How extreme are the conditions.
2. "a" = Automatic (transmission)

Hope this helps....JL

snagiel · December 2002

srfast is correct, but just to add, "528ia" is common shorthand in message boards and the like, but not a real model. All of them are 528i, some with manuals, some with automatic transmissions. In other words, you won't see a "528ia" badge on any trunklids.

billytong · December 2002

Is very difficult for me to make a decision to buy a used 2000-528ia or new 2003 honda accord V6 coupe. The price is almost the same. The only different is the 100%new and 28K used. I'm not very rich to buy a expensive car. My only concern is the average maintance costs between honda & BMW. My friend told me BMW need to fix a lot of problems when it's getting older. Is anyone can give me a good advice.

rtboon · December 2002

Light just came on on my 97 528i with 72,000 miles and was wondering what the more common problems are that cause this?

Bob
97 528i
99 328i

riez · December 2002

is to improperly fuel up your car. The OBD II systems can be particular. Never fuel up with the key in the ignition or key in & turned on (either with car running or not). Fuel up with the car off, key out, and nothing running. And make sure to properly put back the fuel filler cap. Follow whatever instructions are there.

zeen · December 2002

No question that BMW's are more expensive to repair than Hondas. Hondas can last forever if properly taken care of. I have seen 4 cylinder Hondas speed by me in my 528 on the highway. They are great cars.
That being said, there is nothing like the 528 driving experience. My 97 528 rides better than most new cars and it has 63,000 miles. Repairs have been minimal. There is also the prestige factor of course. An Accord is just another car on the road.
I found a local mechanic who repairs BMW's and has all the latest diagnostic equipment. He charges about a third less than the dealer.
My vote is the BMW.

fjm1 · January 2003

http://www.bmwlemon.com/

sharris · January 2003

I recently picked up my 2003 530i after doing ED in late October. Car is great, but I'm having a problem with the NAV system. I used it while in Germany (brought the German NAV CD with me) and it worked flawlessly. Now the car is in the states, and just a few days ago I received the new NAV DVD for the US. I loaded the DVD, only to find that the car still "thinks" it is in Germany! It shows the current coordinates as about 53 degrees N latitude, 8'30 degrees E longitude. That is around Bremen, in northern Germany (near the port of departure, if I'm not mistaken). I can enter a destination and it will display the correct map, so I know it is reading the DVD just fine. But when I try to get it to display directions to the destination, it shows something like ">10kmls", which I take it to mean the destination is over 10,000 miles from the current location (which would be true, if the car were still in Germany!).

Anyway, I don't see anything in the owner's manual that accounts for this. I wonder if there is a way to "reboot" the system, to get it to accurately update its position. I've got a service scheduled with my local dealer in about 10 days (it will be my first!), but meanwhile, if anyone has any ideas/suggestions on how I might correct this, please let me know. Thanks!

div2 · January 2003

Yes, http://www.bmwlemon.com/ is a terrific site-if you are a psychology student looking for case studies on psychosis, paranoia, and multiple personalities. It's composed almost entirely of unsubstantiated stories- several of which are posted anonymously. Here are a few examples of the "horror stories":

"1976 2002"- this genius is upset that an eight year old '02 is not as reliable as a new Acura. It had a squeaky heater fan and a bad u-joint. And he's dead wrong about M10 rocker shafts. They CAN be replaced. Notice he never cites the vehicle mileage.

"740i LEMON" Owner has been reduced to tears. Poor baby. She never describes the vehicle age, mileage, or the "problems".

http://www.bmwlemon.com/gasketb.txt - you have to read this moron's message yourself, I crack up when I try to type it.

"Gasket Problem"-The profile gasket failed and BMW UK fixed it under warranty. But it took them a week and they gave him a 316 sedan for a loaner. How sad.

"What another 318 Gasket problem?"-profile gasket died at 97000 miles. Mean old Munich wouldn't pay for the repair. How unfair!

"1994 525i"- Idiot buys a CPO and after purchase "discovers" problems that would have been obvious on even a brief test drive. BMW gives him another 525i but that's not good enough. The imbecile pledges to "fight on".

"BMW=DEATH" This guy blames BMW for the fact that his girfriend was tailgating the car she hit at "40 mph". And if the seat belt failed, why didnt she suffer any facial trauma from hitting the wheel, dash, or windshield? Can you say, "I can't drive, but it's STILL BMW's fault."?

The site is a true moronic convergence

jjohnjohn · January 2003

can anyone help? manual states check engine light is related to emission problems, but i cleared my emissions..can it be related to other problems? such as thermostat? my thermostat recently doesnt work, the needle is always in the cold/blue zone, and now the heater does not even put out hot heat, also the 'REST' function -allows heat after car is turned off- doesnt work too..please advise anyone...thank you.

riez · January 2003

jjohnjohn... Have your dealer's service department check it out. Then let us know what they find out. ("Check Engine" light can come on for a lot of reasons. OBDII system is rather particular. Sometimes it is just how people fuel up their cars. Advice I've seen about that in Roundel, Bimmer, etc. is to shut car off completely, ensure key is out of ignition, don't overfuel, and then put fuel filler cap back on carefully as per instructions.)

What year and model do you have?

div2 · January 2003

Yes,if your thermostat is stuck open it will activate the CEL. Get it fixed ASAP; you could kill your catalyst if you run it too long in that condition.

ibmb1 · January 2003

I continue to have problems with uneven inside tire wear on my 530i w/sport suspension. I replaced the original Continental Sports with same tire and have once again, experienced uneven wear on inside of all four tires. The alignment has been checked twice, suspension checked for damage, tires rotated at 3000 miles. Any suggestion on replacement tires that don't exhibit uneven wear with so little mileage??

snagiel · January 2003

Do you mean that the inside edge (facing the car, not the curb) shows greater wear than the outside edge on all four tires? (If it's the other way around--greater wear on the outside--that's normal.)

If so, I'd first check for proper and even tire pressure, but I'm assuming you've done that. Then, my second assumption would be that there's too much negative camber on the alignment, and/or perhaps a modest toe-out. But, still, I'd expect it to affect one or two tires at most, not all four. And, presumably, two alignment jobs should have corrected any such problems. After that, I would suspect worn or bent suspension arms (or other components), but you say that's been checked out as well.

So, I'm stumped. Where do you live? What sort of roads do you drive on? What tire pressure do you maintain?

chibabe · January 2003

I JUST PURCHASED A 1997 520I AUTO. DRIVE WAS BRILLIANT 1ST WEEK. THEN I WASHED THE CAR. 2 DAYS LATER IT WOULD'NT START. I THOUGHT INITIALLY IT WAS DUE TO THE RECENT COLD WEATHER IN IRELAND AND THOUGHT THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. CHARGED THE BATTERY BUT STILL THE SAME PROBLEM. ENGINE CRANKS AND CRANKS BUT DOES'NT START. I THOUGHT IT COULD BE A FUEL OVERFILL AND TRIED STARTING WITH THE FUEL PUMP FUSE OUT STILL NO LUCK. HAS ANYONE EXPERIENCED THIS? IT WAS WORKING PERFECTLY WHEN I PARKED IT. THERE ARE NO WARNING LIGHTS COMING UP AND IT STILL HAS 6000MILES TILL THE NEXT SERVICE. PLEASE KINDLY HELP WITH POSSIBLE CAUSES OF THE PROBLEM. THANKS

ibmb1 · January 2003

I've had the alignment performed at two seperate BMW dealerships and both state alignment and suspension are "in spec". I live in South Florida and the roads are generally very good. Per recommendation of BMW service rep, I've been running 36psi rears, 34psi fronts. Still developed inside cupping on all four tires....Bridgestone re730 G2's have been recommended. Any experience with these second generation tires?

r1_97 · January 2003

You'll probably get better response if you turn off your cap lock key. It's rude; like shouting at everyone.

dsbp58 · January 2003

We have a '98 528 that we bought CPO in Sept. '01. Last winter and again this winter, we are having problems with the door latches - sometimes they freeze shut and you can't open the door and other times they freeze in the open position and they won't latch and instead bounce off the frame. We've taken it to MAG BMW in Columbus, OH and they claim they can do nothing. Needless to say it is very annoying not to mention very UNSAFE. Does anyone have any ideas on what is going on? Any solutions?

awd2003 · January 2003

I had problems with driver's door latch. Specifically the outside handle would remain in the "pulled out" positon and the door would not close. The dealer lubed the mechanism and it did the trick.

pobrian · January 2003

I purchased a 2002 530i in October, and I've noticed in the past month that I'm getting diminishing reception on certain radio stations, especially AM. Anyone seen this?

snagiel · January 2003

I don't know about "diminishing reception," but complaints have abounded for years about the E39's relatively weak AM reception. My guess is a combination of a mediocre antenna and weak AM radio signals.

jjohnjohn · January 2003

Just wanted to inform everyone, my problem was result of a broken thermostat. Everything works fine now...Recently I had a car wash that resulted in minor scrapes throughout the entire car...Best example would be if someone took a broom and swiped it all over the car!!! I can't stand to look at it...Any advice on how to get rid of the scrapes??? Buff it out? but will that ruin the paint? new paint job? how much?..Greatly appreciate any advice. Thanks

snagiel · January 2003

Start with something mild like 3M Hand Glaze, which is a superfine polishing liquid that does well in (temporarily) hiding minor swirl marks. Apply several coats, either by hand or with an orbital buffer, and follow up with a good wax. Use mild shampoos (like Sonax or P21S) to preserve the glaze and the wax as long as possible.

If that fails, you can advance to harsher compounds and/or clays, which are coarser and more abrasive: more powerful, but more dangerous. It's easy to make things worse fast if you're inexperienced with them, so it might be worth taking to a professional detailer to do. Last resort, of course, is a repaint. Cost there is probably a couple of grand, but unless this car wash scrubbed your car with sandpaper it probably won't be necessary.

jjohnjohn · January 2003

thanks for the advice....do you know anything about the p21s paintwork cleansing lotion vs. 3M hand glaze....i am wondering if i should use all the same company or if one is better than the other...i am planning on getting the p21s carnuaba paste wax due to your advice...well, much appreciate it, hope to hear from anyone about my problem. thanks!

BMW 5-Series Maintenance and Repair

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