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2002 M5 Le Mans Blue M-Texture Refresh

42K views 159 replies 52 participants last post by  SVTforme 
#1 ·
Time to start my own thread here and hopefully help some other people out like the forum has helped me.

I have been looking for a 2001-2003 E39 M5 for close to 6 months until finally finding this car. I bought it on the coldest day of the year in Feb 2015 (since I am up in Canada) when most people were not even thinking about the summer. I plan to keep this as my summer only car. Once I saw it - I had to have it.

Specs:
2002 E39 M5
Le Mans Blue
M-Texture Alcantara interior (Canada only in the NA market)
All options (PDC, power sunshades, M-Audio..)
100% original no mods
2 owner car from same family
157k km (98k miles)

Here some pictures after a good washing. Still need to wax and detail the car and go over all the systems. It has some issues so I will address them here as they are fixed.
 

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#5 ·
I really dig the seats!
 
#6 ·
Congratulations! Love the alcantara seats.

Zaino FTW! I've been using their products for the last 10 years. While I stopped experimenting with every product known to mankind after I started using Zaino, I'm still very happy with the results.
 
#9 ·
Damn 1 of 6....Never seen M-Texture with LMB, nice pickup!
 
#10 ·
It almost looks like that is a slicktop (i.e. no sunroof)? Did BMWNA allow no sunroof E39 M5s to be sold in Canada? If so, that would be my perfect E39 M5 -- no sunroof and M-Texture interior! Nice car.

Regards,
Chuck
 
#15 ·
Very nice M5! I too like the interior.

I bet it is much more comfortable to get into in the winter and the summer.
I do very much prefer the cloth seats in my other car, it is just nicer when the weather isn't perfect. Cloth is also easier to keep clean as it can be vacuumed.
 
#16 ·
Thanks for all the comments. I wasn't sure about the seats at first until I saw them on person and had to have them. They are darker in person and not quite as bold.

The car does have a sunroof - just hard to see in the pictures.
 
#17 ·
In the next month I want to get all the initial service behind me. This is the list for now (some are done already):

- Clutch and flywheel
- Rear main seal
- Diff seals
- Rogue short throw
- Shifter and trans bushings
- New tires
- New center caps
- New wheel studs
- Fix oil filter housing bushings
- Replace all fluids
- Replace upstream O2's
- Fuel filter
- Cluster pixel fix
- Spark plugs
- Wiper blades
- Upgrade navigation to latest (M5 screen)
- Polish headlight lenses
- Deep clean and full Zaino treatment

I knew the clutch was on it's way out during the test drive and helped bring the price down a bit. Didn't realize at the time how much work it was.. but I know now :). Front tires are dry rotted and center are looking tired. Rears are OK, but I really want better ones so those will follow soon. Everything else is just easier with the trans and exhaust out. Short throw is a must!!

And so it begins..
 
#18 ·
Add to the list a hood switch. My hazard lights started flashing almost every time I locked the doors this past week. I think someone must have given up on this one and disconnected the alarm horn or pulled a fuse as only the lights flash and no horn like everyone else with the problem mentions. I disconnected the switch and all is well. $19 later for an OEM new switch on Ebay and we should be back to good in a week when it arrives.
 
#23 ·
I actually bought a Rogue shifter a month ago in the for sale section of this site. Hopefully I like it more than you did :).

Wow, Very good looking M5, Hoping I can find one that looks this good when I get my first E39 this year. Love the metal interior trim instead of the wood that you typically find.
It is amazing how much the interior trim can change the look from luxury to sporty. I think this trim is called Textured Graphite. The look of it changes completely based on the lighting.

Welcome fellow local? Where is SW Ontario are you?
She looks pretty.
I am in Essex County way down south.
 
#22 ·
Welcome fellow local? Where is SW Ontario are you?
She looks pretty.
 
#25 ·
Think these tires may need replacing. They are very old and had 2002 date codes. Replaced with Michelin Pilot Sport PS2's. Gave the wheels a good cleaning with CarPro Iron X. First time I had used it and worked very well. Make sure you wash it off your driveway quick otherwise you will have purple spots everywhere :). Did not come out as easy as I hoped.

New center caps (36136783536) and new bolts (36136781150) make the setup look new again. Painted the original wheel locks (missing in the picture) to match the new bolts. Shadow chrome finish is original and still looks pretty good.
 

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#26 ·
Replaced engine, trans and diff oil. Can't say I enjoyed the $90 cost of engine oil.. but what can you do. Took 7L of the Castrol 10W60, 2 Qt of Royal Purple Syncromax and 1.5 Qt of the Royal Purple 75W140 gear oil.

Noticed there was an oversized plug holding the engine oil in. Tried to put the ECS replacement one in and it just spun. Perfect - stripped oil pan bolt. Looks like next oil change I will be putting in a time-sert. Maybe I will get ambitious and pull the entire pan off with cradle and do the rod bearings.
 

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#29 ·
Replaced engine, trans and diff oil. Can't say I enjoyed the $90 cost of engine oil.. but what can you do. Took 7L of the Castrol 10W60, 2 Qt of Royal Purple Syncromax and 1.5 Qt of the Royal Purple 75W140 gear oil.

Noticed there was an oversized plug holding the engine oil in. Tried to put the ECS replacement one in and it just spun. Perfect - stripped oil pan bolt. Looks like next oil change I will be putting in a time-sert. Maybe I will get ambitious and pull the entire pan off with cradle and do the rod bearings.
Yr one step ahead of me...I'm loobing up right after my new windshield goes in tomorrow (with front/rear window seals).

Are you sure that the noted tranny and diff oil is the best/board approved?


;p
 
#27 · (Edited)
Up next - clutch replacement. Can't say this was the most fun experience ever, especially getting the exhaust off. Took a whole day to do. Here is what I learned and what I used. I used RockAuto for Luk clutch parts and ECS for everything else.

Clutch Parts - planned:
- Luk Clutch kit - 03042 (comes with install tool, pilot and throwout bearings)
- Luk Dual Mass Flywheel - DMF021 (has built in bolts)
- Clutch fork lever - 21511223302
- Clutch fork pivot pin - 21511223328
- Clutch fork spring - 21517570284
- Pressure plate bolts x6 - 07119904101
- Rear main seal - 11141710247
- Rear seal housing gasket - 11141736521
- Exhaust pipe gasket x2 - 18301728734 (didn't end up using)

Transmission/Shifter Parts - planned:
- Transmission mounts x2 - 22316771221
- Shifter bushing x2 - 25117507695
- Rogue Octane short throw shifter - OCT_E39_M5

Parts - not planned
- Crankshaft sensor - 1362783913
- Exhaust studs x4 - 11621704717
- Exhaust nuts x4 (hex) - 18107523805
- Exhaust bolts x4 - 11621716352
- Exhaust nuts (square) x4 - 11621741172
- 63.5 ID Exhaust clamp x2 - 18307536425 (money well spent)

What I learned:
- Exhaust sucks to take off, especially if it has never been removed like mine. Do yourself a favor and cut the mufflers off the exhaust!! Goes in and out soo much easier.
- Crank sensor did not come out nicely. Snapped it right off eventually. It may feel like it is turning, but you are bending plastic. There was no way it was coming out. Do yourself a favor and make sure it will come out. If not - you may have to pull transmission to replace at a later date.
- Copper exhaust nuts had disintegrated but steel thread inserts remained and would not come off. Had to cut studs with air saw and then heat up remaining pieces with torch and press out with air hammer. Was not too bad in the end.. just took time.
- Some engineer decided it would be a good idea to put 2 of the driver's side transmission bolts in non-blind holes and used nuts on the other side. These were a pain to R&R.
- Rogue shifter rod does not work well if you put in it backwards. I knew the "shifter this way" sticker was there but got caught up in the moment. Got everything back together and drove the car and it rubbed on the Guibo in reverse and made it vibrate like mad. Can be reversed without removing the exhaust (relief).

What I used outside of the standard tool set:
- Hoist - highly recommend
- Transmission jack - good for trans and exhaust back on
- Min 2 strong friends to remove exhaust
- NAPA S12LT60 T60 Torx machined in lathe as shown
- E10 and E12 Torx sockets
- Assortment of 2-3 ft 3/8 extensions
- 3/8 drive u-joint for trans bolts
- Air saw, air hammer and torch (damn exhaust studs)
- Suction gun for filling fluids
- M14 allen socket for removing transmission plugs
 

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#28 ·
More trans replacement pics. Note how front pinion seal threw up all over resonators. Replaced that too.
 

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