The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com) - E34 M5 Discussion

new windshield - awesome deal

XaQ — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:30:20 GMT

I just had a new windshield installed for $160 (ppg glass). I bought new moldings from the dealer for $57 a side and the installer used his clips which were the exact same as oem. Fit and finish couldn't be better and the guy who did the work was great, 30 years experience and took his sweet time and care. Even when done, he adjusted the wipers several times until they were perfect and HE was satisfied. You don't run into this type and pride of workmanship much and I couldn't be more satisfied. I took a few business cards for my car lovin buddies, but for anyone else in the St. Louis area, I can highly recommend this guy:

Jerry Williams
Premier Auto Glass Inc.
(866)775-5394

The only thing he said was "don't send any Jags my way":hihi:

Fume smell when using Aircon, coolant leak spotted.

inertia8 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:04:20 GMT

Yesterday whilst driving with the air conditioning on for almost the entire trip (a first for me) I started to smell fumes of some sort, somewhere between petrol and cng gas i'd put it... this is the first time I've used the aircon for any period of time as the belt gives off an aweful screech when taking off 1st and 2nd gears... but I was taking my mother out for a drive to pickup some HiFi gear and it was 37.5deg celcius outside... and she's the only car left in our garage with a somewhat functioning aircon system ;).

Anyway, coolant temp gauge is rock solid, just to the left of center. Oil temp stayed at about 90-95deg.

I get home and park the car, remove the hifi gear etc and as I come back to the car I notice water dripping from the front left of the engine bay, PAS/airbox side. Thought it might have been condensation from the aircon system etc.

Later in the evening the patch of water is still there... given it's still 30deg outside this indicates it is not mere condensation... turns out to be coolant. The overflow tank level was about 1cm below the plastic lip on the reservoir before I left and when I opened it last night the coolant level was sitting right up to the plastic lip.

Going to do some fishing around this weekend and see if there's a leak... I really need to check if the return pipe to the overflow is working (the one that can lead to a localised hotspot causing a headgasket failure)..

I've read a few threads on here about leaks and one mentioned a rock strike to the radiator... about 25mins into my journey a truck threw up a rock that hit the windscreen :(. Another may have hit the front, will poke around.

Stupid question:

Is there an overflow hose from the overflow bottle? I couldn't see one in the fading light last night and have been unsuccessful on RealOEM... think I'll just used the mk1 eyeball tomorrow morning..

Another one with EDC GONE!!

BURTON — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:25:26 GMT

Hi All,

I have just recently finished off getting the EDC removed from my car and have fitted KW V2's. All I can say is wow, this setup is very good, I have been out in SS thanks to Dave and the ride of that car is very good also. But I have always wanted KW's so went with my heart at last after nearly 5 year of ownership.

Before anyone says oh how could you of done that EDC is the best etc, well its not for me and thats probaly the same for alot of you on here. I have renewed over the last few years, the bushes (Black PowerFlex), EDC struts, springs top mounts, everything and the car feels 10x better now than it did last month. Yes this is my opinion and yes I know alot of you like the EDC, but for me its not able to perform aswell as I would like.

Thanks to Sal for providing the KW's and sorting out the missing parts with out fuss! The car feels totally different, it is alittle harder than with KW's but most sporty cars are harder still, take a Mini Cooper the suspension on that is harder than my KW's, so it just goes to show there is alot harder stock stuff out there. I am not saying that KW's are the be all and end all, but for me they are ticking the boxes with ease compared to EDC.

Will post some pics once I have the camera charged!

Labor Hours - Head Gasket Replacement

keviha — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:52:40 GMT

I received some unfortunate news yesterday....the indy shop that I have my 106,000 mile car worked on confirmed the oil that's been leaking is towards the back of the motor and is leaking around the head gasket. This is doubly painful in that I spent $3.5K a few months ago on preventative cooling system overhaul, valve adjustment, throttle body syncronization and tune-up (wires, cap, rotor, plugs).

They're saying the book on replacing head gasket is 38 hours. I don't have any reason to doubt them, but is that correct? At $80 an hour that's an expensive proposition (I know....it's all part of being an E34 M5 owner). They did recommend having the head sent out for a valve job (since it will be off) and replacing timing chain, guides and oil pan gasket. They're quoting an additional 9 hours in labor to replace timing components and oil pan gasket. Does that sound right?

The total cost of all the work quoted (including valve job) would be somewhere in the neighborhood of $6K. Does that seem to be in the ballpark for this kind of work?

Lastly, I realize this question is highly subjective...but what are the thoughts on how long I could drive the car in its current state before I have to replace the head gasket? It's my daily driver....Monday thru Friday. I put on 20 miles a day...mixed use (freeway/city streets). I don't drive it hard...rarely going past 5500 RPM's...and then only after the car is good and warm. The amount of oil I'm losing doesn't appear to be significant.

On a related note, I did have an oil analysis done last year (Dyson), and it did show trace amounts of coolant in the oil, which at the time, was possibly attributed to slight head lifting. I'm thinking I should send another sample in to see if anything has changed. If there is no notificeable change since the last analysis, would it seem logical that my risk of imminent head gasket failure to be minimal? Again, I realize I won't find a black and white answer...but coming up with $6K on the heels of $3.5K just isn't possible at this time. :-(

I love this car...and I'll do what I can to keep it running. Cosmetically it's a 9 out of 10...and mechanically...until this issue reared it's ugly head, it has been well taken care of and runs strong.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts...and encouragement to keep soldiering on.

Kevin

[Winding Road] Article on all 4 generations of M5

kees — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:55:04 GMT

Great article with a test of all 4 generations of M5 on the N�rburgring with guest appearances of the M635CSi & M1.

Winding Road Magazine | Issue 52

Worthwhile reading!

Attached Images

Another RHD M5 Touring on Ebay UK ?

greenelekta — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:15:03 GMT

Anybody know about this one spotted on Ebay UK? 1992 Right Hand Drive M5 Touring

1992 BMW M5 MAUVE/PURPLE on eBay (end time 17-Nov-09 10:09:31 GMT)

Shift arm length

Lazenby — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:37:20 GMT

Can anyone help me out and tell me the length of the shift arm (25 11 2 226 138), as used in a right-hand drive Euro 5-speed? Apparently, the length is stamped on the actual shift arm, so I am hoping one of the workshop chaps happens to have one handy.

Part #1:
RealOEM.com BMW E34 M5 3.6 GEARBOX SHIFTING PART

Thanks,

Ron

Just picked up a black on black 1991 M5 for $2000

jpalmerm — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:44:07 GMT

I bought it from the original owner. No recipts in the lkast 5 years. It had the transmission replaced less than 25k miles ago
It has around 200k miles.

The bad:
Needs a paint job
It has 10-15 door dings/dents in it
Couple of the headlights are *******
It has some rust in spots where the paint is bubbling
The a/c , defrost button and drivers side heated seat buttons aren't lighting up
the Steering wheel makes this ticking noise (like the turn signal canceller) when you take a tight turn
All 5 wheels are curbed
All 4 tires are toast and the 2 frontds are totally bald on the outside edges
Stereo has security code showing (no idea what the code is ...help???)
The owner had the rear suspension disabled and it seems too low so its probably fudged up.
It seems like it revs slowly and seems kind of lethargic (why??)

The good:

It starts up and runs well no weird noises and or smells
it shift fine but it will need a short shift kit
Interior is in good shape for its age
All the dash looks good and all the lights work minus the ones from above
Exterior lights all work

So my questions are:

What should I do with the car in your opinion?
Is it worth the money to get the dings taken out and the car repainted.
How much is a valve adjustmnent and also what will it cost to get all the fluids changed?
What can be done as far as a tuneup?
Any ideas whey the tires are so worn out?
Where can I find the security code for the stereo?

Japanese M5 Imports

Han Dagith — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:51:40 GMT

I know there are several Canadian M5 owners (myself included) who imported their cars from Japan in the last several years. Most of these cars had very low mileage when imported, and I wondered if there had been any major problems (blown engines, etc.) since they were brought over.

In my case, I've put 40,000km on top of the initial 37,000km over the last two years, and besides the brakes, oil changes, a few leak repairs, and a valve adjustment, she's run like a top. I just wondered if others have had similar or worse experience.

Cheers,
Dan

Flying axes/stars aka turbines II ET question

ARMANCZ — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:20:48 GMT

I am going in the morning to see 2x8J and 2x9J set of flying axes.

M5E34 had ET20 and ET22 and 8series had ET10 and ET19.

Question Nr1 - where on the wheel is marked ET? Is in on the inner side of wheel or I have to take off the "stars"?

Question Nr2 - if wheels are from 8series will the front rub on 535i? Anyone have experience with 8series axes on E34/M5?

OMG!!!!....

BANKROBBER — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:26:05 GMT

....my car is running like a SCOOBY....this is not good!
drove my car to work np today,when i left it was running fine.popped into a sh*ll garage and the only fuel available was 97RON.so i just put �30 in to tide me over.driving off the forcourt was ok,slip road to a23 was ok....then it started to missfire and lose power.
now,thinking it was the fuel,i limped to the next garage and filled the tank to full with 95RON,hoping that the 'mix' would help.i had difficulty starting the car and ended up reversing slowly to a parking bay to have a quick look under the bonnet.
not much i could do but i ohms tested each coil on the outer pins to 1.2ohms per coil.
i checked the spark plugs,all of them the same...a little sooty but i think i could put that down to unburnt fuel as i had only been able to drive at 45mph.if i did try to get more,it started to 'pink',so of course i tenderfooted it after that!
once i limped back home,i changed all the coils from my other engine and cleaned the plugs....and i still have the same problem.
its too dark to get at anything tonight,just wondered if anyone had had similar problem regarding fuel/coil packs etc?
i have been reading through various posts and i have a few things to get a check on(compression/fuel pump/lambda/wiring/tp sensor,etc).....i hope it is a simple problem.i just cant see how it could of just gone 'off' so quick!

ROB

Damn -its failed the MOT

e34guy — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:22:11 GMT

I don't have the facilities to break it for spares so does anyone want a project car?
I'll get the fail sheet when I get home tonight but its corroded brake pipes & rotten sills.
Needs a drivers side wing too and its been stood a couple of months and its now running lumpy .

Its been running perfectly before now and returning 25mpg.Good M Par's , new tyres with less than a 1000 miles on them.I'm gutted but now's the time to part company and i'll stick to motorbikes as I know what i'm doing there.....
:bawling:
Steve

Goin to get some fuel.....or so i thought

Josco010 — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:39:37 GMT

Hi, this is me last night after watching Xfactor with the Mrs and the little one, i decide to go park brutus in the garage then whilst procrastinating stumble on Fifth Gear with Jeremy Clackson, Richard hammond and James may discovering the best driving road in the world according to them is in ROMANIA:M5thumbs: and not the Stelvio Pass in Switzerlandhmmm. So i jump in the car and think oh well get some fuel in the car before parking for the week, i thought i'll take the long way to the petrol station;), then it dawn's on me the roads are pretty quiet which is quite unusual :cool: but then again this is 10:30pm on a sunday night so i guess it is expected. i keep driving slowly as the car warms up, all of a sudden i am on the A40 Brompton Road around Earls Court area in london short drive from home, i think to myself what the heck i'll go for a little drive :cool: :M5thumbs:........hmnnn hmmmnnnn. So i continue and then i decide you know what it's been one of those weekends i have had this car for over a year and it's mostly been sedate driving, i think i should give her some beans today, the roads are not busy, it's not raining i need to cheer myself up a bit and most important stretch her legs a little so i decide i head out of london this at 11pm. There are still a few cars on the road so i take it easy as i normally do anyways doing 30-40 as dictated on the speed signs untill i get to the motorway, so after 15mins or so i hit the M3(A316) and the sign shows motorway speed:thumbsup:, drop down a couple of cogs to 3 whilst in the slow lane make sure road is not too busy turn off the stereo wind window down a bit:noSMG: then i floor it......phwoooaaar i hit 6500rpm in third i am already in 70mph i do it again in 4th making sure to change at 6500rpm i hit (%mph do it again in 5th an i am already in !@)mph damn i say to myself this thing is a monster and before i know it, road starts to get busy further up, road works limiting speed to 50mph i do as is required, I say to myself take it easy when i get to the next turn of point i will turn the car around and try all over again but this time i will try from 20mph and work thru all gears using 6500-6900 no more. So much goings on, on the road so i stick to under 70mph and manage to miss two turn of points then i take the 3rd one i negotiate slowly to turn back and wait till safe to do so on the entry to motorway, once clear of too much traffic and safe to do so, and from 20mph all through the gears to the 5th gear i absolutely bury it winding it all the way to 6800rpm and in a few secs i am in speeds i will not mention here. But Phew what a car and the EDC really does shine {not that u really need in UK} before i could spell James Robertson 2wice i was back in london i wind down to 50 and just take it easy, but funny thing is the moment i get of the motorway who do i see........ yep you got it, cops in front of me:nono: if i had kept my antic on ......, but this time i am already driving sedately :hihi: and with my radar flashing like crazy every 3mins approx from Speed Camera's to Speed scrubs to CCTV, Yes its back to london i certainly am, big brother state. So now i then go to get petrol as intended and slowly drive back home and park up the car....as she ticks and clicks from cooling down i look back and think the story is not finished between us{Brutus n I} not just yet, but for now tank is full and we are both happy..........:hihi:. Any one with similar experience or tales.....:typing:

///M1 Procar

///Mariom5 — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:06:23 GMT

Enjoy it !

YouTube - BMW M1 Procar Onboard HD Video

Need Help with finding S38B38 pin outs

PPHILPOT — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:34:02 GMT

I am in dire need of the S38b38 Main ECU pinouts any help will be apperciated.
I am trying to wire my DTA ECU to this baby....This is what I am working on...:checkeredflag:

O.Z. Racing / Hartge 3 piece wheels now on my car!

IAmCman — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:18:59 GMT

Just put them on yesterday after sooo much waiting. Hope you all enjoy:

Yeah, I'm happy. Just a bit.

Pics aren't of the greatest quality obviously, I'll take some better ones soon enough...

Next up: Ground Control coilovers will be installed later this month :). edit: oh, and also some smoked Hella taillights.

RD Rear Spoiler

Blitzkrieg Bob — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:06:18 GMT

RD has some more E34 stuff....

What do you guys think?

Deal or no deal?

RDSPORT BMW E34 REAR WING SPOILER RD SPORT 5 SERIES M5:eBay Motors (item 180432265078 end time Nov-16-09 20:00:00 PST)

HID Lighting recommendation

Wharthog — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:06:20 GMT

Can anyone recommend a good HID conversion kit or replacement kit?

PS/2 are discontinued

1day — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:17:57 GMT

Had a set a Michelin PS/2 on order for weeks (couldn't get the 255 / 17 / 45 rears from stock anywhere in the UK).

Received a call yesterday from the tyre shop (Micheldever sp?) saying that Michelin have announced that they have stopped making PS/2 now :-(

so what now then?

New e34 m5 owner with some questions : )

aaronlosey — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:04:35 GMT

Hi!

I just picked up a really nice e34 m5 and have some questions. I have spent the last couple days searching, and while I have found a lot of good stuff, it is pretty tough to find good e34 m5 tech. If anyone has some good links for me, I would really appreciate it. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with the car yet, because its too nice to do what I originally planned for it, which was drift it. I have had an e39 m5 in the past, and a sc e36 m3. Now I mostly drift my LS1 240sx.

1. Is there a good e34 M5 service manual pdf that I can download?

2. Is there a good resource of S38B36 dyno sheets comparing parts, and stuff like that? I'm curious if there is any power held up in the stock header, because it actually looks pretty nice. I found a super cheap dinan chip, and would like to see some good chip comparos if there are any, with clean simple dyno sheets.

3. I'm looking for some place to find a walk through on valve adjustment on the car, tools you need, stuff like that.

4. Are there any cool suspension things you can do to the car, like toss e39 or e46 suspension stuff on the front? Or are you limited to all the stock suspension parts with just KW or GC coilovers?

5. What is the best place to buy all your maintenance engine parts, and aftermarket engine parts. I found VAC, is anyone else good.

6. Are there any good walkthroughs on stuff like smog pump delete, stuff like that? I found a cool site bmwe34.net which has some stuff, and bimmerforums, and this site. Any other good ones I'm missing?

While I fix some little things wrong with the car, I am debating what to do with it. It is in super clean shape, and it would be a shame to destroy one of these cars. I might sell it and go get another e39 m5 to beat on, so I can have a clean conscience, or let my wife keep driving it around, since she likes it. But then I think 40R turbo and a 3.8 crank, and it makes me want to do that.

If anyone wants to come drifting with us, I run a site called index that hosts all the drift events in Texas. We have some great BMW owners out there, with some really neat cars.

Difference between 535i e34 and m5 3,6

ARMANCZ — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:32:51 GMT

Hi everybody, I am a friquent reader but not poster yet as I have no "M" to drive (yet) :)

Currently I have '91 535i with Mpacket(suspention, design goodies... you know) and from my amature point of view its in a pretty good shape.

Today I had a quick 3-5minutes testdrive on straights in M5 3,6 in local car dealership and... I was pretty much dissapointed, maybe I was expecting it to be a hurricane on wheels I dont know hmmm Ofcourse M5 is stiffer, a bit more agile but there was no "oh sh*t" moments if I compare it to my 535i. M5 looked to be in a pretty good shape except for minor bodywork dents and rust.

Anyone had/have 535i and can say what is a difference between M5 and 535i? I mean the price of M5 here is 3-4x higher than good 535i and running cost of m5 as I red are waaaay higher than for 535i if anything major goes wrong.

Think Central locking is draining my battery-diagnostics?

Dome — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:40:16 GMT

Hi guys

Over the past few months the M5 has been draining its battery over a week or so. I connected a multimeter between the battery and the positive lead and started pulling fuses to see where the current was draining from. None of the underbonnet fuses had any effect, however there are 3 under the left hand side rear seat and the removal of one of these lowered the current drain, this one seems to control the central locking.

I've not got conclusive proof that this is the cause but I do have the dreaded double bounce on the central locking. I need now to go around all the doors and the boot to identify which one is causing it. This is the bit I'm not sure about as all the door locks move at the same speed with no obvious stragglers, also the wiring to the boot lock seems OK to-although the car won't lock/unlock from the boot which previous BMW's of mine did. Could this be a sign that the boot lock is faulty?

How do I find out which door it is that's causing the problem? I have a multimeter and, due to being made redundant, plenty of time on my hands. Ideas welcome!!

Cheers

Brian

Need Fir-Ex Mounting Plate & Tyre Pressure Label

jorijori — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:31:43 GMT

Hi, I'd like to buy from member here who has:
1. Fire extinguisher mounting plate (NLA)
2. Tyre pressure label

Please PM me, TIA

cheers,
Oemar

Windscreen washers

Chucks — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:16:38 GMT

Hi folks. Lurked on here for a while & have been running a 3.8 for the last 15 months. Touch wood it's been pretty reliable so far, a testament to the care it's recieved from other board members before me.

Now have a couple of minor gremlins that need looked at this weekend. First is a non working passenger window but more importantly the washer jets aren't working. I haven't investigated this yet but suspect it might be a bad electrical contact rather than a blockage. Just wondering if this is a a problem anyone else has come across & whether the pump or switch is a known weakness.

Cheers :wroom:

Charlie

M Parallel *******

Rail47 — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:55:36 GMT

Hi,

Anyone had a M parallel crack on them. One of the rear wheels was found to be ******* at the rim running vertically about half an inch long. Has been replaced, I'll add a photo in time. Had to have a new wheel! Also one of the fronts had a distorted inner rim, I've not had a close look at this one as yet. So two wheels replaced. You will find if you do have to replace a wheel and fit the genuine part that the outer rim comes painted. Whereas the originals are polished alloys.

The ******* wheel looks like fatigue to me. The distorted rim I guess was caused by a pothole possibly.

Anyone else had this experience. I am going to get the damaged wheels refurbished if possible.

Trim piece at bottom of windshield

piancu — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:49:02 GMT

Does anyone know if part #10 in the realoem diagram is the same as part #9? I'm trying to determine where the water is coming from to the driver's footwell area. I suspect it's either the windshield seal or the drains below the wiper blades. In case I need a reseal, I need to know the correct part to order.

UPDATE: I poured some water through the cowl grill beneath the driver's wiper blade and half the water drains to the ground and half goes to the driver's footwell, but not through the vents. Could partially blocked drains cause half the water to go inside or is some seal or grommet at the firewall not working properly?

Paul

RealOEM.com BMW E34 M5 3.6 GLAZING SINGLE PARTS

Very nice interior!!!

MpowerBulla — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:26:24 GMT

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...STRK:MESELX:IT

:M5thumbs:

On the subject of wheels M system ii style.21

richardbaxter — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:30:35 GMT

I'm fascinated as to why BMW produced two indentical wheels one being Forged with a weight of 9.060kg (8J) and light alloy 8.640kg (8J)?

I'm not aware that they have ever produced alternative weighted wheels for any other M cars so why the M5? and how I wonder did they decide on which cars to fit which weighted wheels?

Whilst on the subject I would like to purchase 2no 9J x 17's and 4no of the style.21 throwing star covers. On the condition of the 9J's, I'm not worried about paint finish as can get them refurbed but definately want straight wheels with no dents or that are so badly surfaced that the refurb would not enable a good finished appearance?

need help with throttle body balancing screws

Konfused Pete — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:09:49 GMT

Hi all.

Here's my problem. I have my throttle bodies off to clean them up etc and one of the vacuum adjusting screws was stuck so i had to use ezy-outs to free it. i ordered a new one using the part number 13 54 1 402 567 as per RealOEM and the pic below shows what I was supplied. The taper is all wrong and there is no stud for attaching the anti-tamper cap. (original left, replacement right)

Does anyone have any ideas on more correct part numbers? Is this a case as per with the thermostat where something is superseded and the replacement isn't quite the same?

Or does anyone have any of the correct ones spare which they would like to part with?

cheers!

Respray time, avus vs. daytonaviolett

daytonaM5 — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:20:39 GMT

I am reconditioning my 3.8L (1992 model, 172.000 km)

Engine is getting new internals as I am fabricating a system with two sweet turbochargers, goal is a daily driver, pump gas, M5 twin turbo.

Regarding body parts, many parts will be replaced with new ones. From accelerator bowden cable to door weather strips.

Every rubber strip, molding, covering, sound insulation will be new.

It is also time to check for rusted zones and repair them.

The hole M5 will be resprayed.

Original color is Daytonaviolett, whereas I am leaning towards Avusblue.

Daytonaviolett looks under some sunlight conditions better, in dark weather it looks like black.

I love the avusblue color, with the grey side sills.

What would you do? Respray in daytonaviolett or in avusblue?

Clutch replacement - comprehensive of list of bits to replace

Lazenby — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:59:45 GMT

I am about to embark on a 3-stage wrenching of my Macau blue/Champagne 1990/06 Australian delivered M5, with around 140,000 kms on the clock.

First up is the clutch, followed by valve clearances, MAF, etc., and lastly a refreshing of the suspension (SLS). I am staring at the point of no return!

While the clutch is being replaced, I want to make sure all other bits and pieces also get done, as I do not want to have to pay to have the tranny taken out again, at least not until the gearbox is in need of replacement.

I have chosen an aftermarket shift kit that promises to retain the ergonomics of the factory lever, but provide increased durability, and without developing ‘slop’ over time that tends to occur with the factory parts (autosolutions - performance accessories for BMWs). I imagine this means no warranty on the OE clutch and driveline related parts, so it’s OEM from the usual online suspects. That and I am having trouble swallowing the costs of OE parts at local prices. I know Faz found that OEM suspension parts did not last him anywhere near as long as original parts, but I am hoping this will not be case with clutch/driveline related parts.

Below is info I have gleamed using the search function and realoem.com. I have included part #s as these may be helpful to others, but please be aware that some parts will be particular to my car’s build (right-had drive early 3.6).

Any comments, especially if there are any gross omissions, or areas where OEM parts may be better avoided, would be much appreciated. The list is:

Clutch kit from Pelican parts or Bavauto (approx US$500). Typical contents of such a kit are:

Contains:
- Clutch disc
- Pressure plate
- Throw-out bearing
- Rear engine seal
- Pilot bearing
- All transmission seals
- Exhaust gaskets
- A pivot pin

Clutch slave cylinder, aka Output cylinder clutch
Part # : 21 52 2 226 484

Flex Disc, aka Guibo, aka Hardy-disc, aka universal joint
Part # : 26 11 2 226 527
Flex Disc Hex bolt x 3
Part # : 26 11 7 523 709
Flex Disc Hex bolt x 3
Part # : 26 11 1 225 754
Flex Disc SELF-LOCKING HEX NUT x 6
Part # : 26 12 7 536 563

Oil Pan Gasket
Part # : 11 13 1 722 695

Centering sleeve in the driveshaft
Part # : 26 11 7 526 611

Center bearing (GROOVED BALL BEARING)
Part # : 26 12 1 225 071?
RealOEM.com BMW E34 M5 3.6 DRIVE SHAFT-CEN.BEARING-CONST.VEL.JOINT

Shifter linkages and bushings
In my case I will be installing an aftermarket shift kit with replacement linkages and bushings (autosolutions)

Seals from the gearshift linkage and the driveshaft
I imagine these are covered in the bavauto kit under “All transmission seals” and “Rear engine seal”

Prise-shaft seal of the gearbox and if possible the prise-shaft bearing
What are these? Alternative names?

Flywheel. I am guessing this a judgement call after inspecting the condition of the current part.

Thanks in advance,

Ron

Engine bay paint browning....

SewickleyBMW — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:51:58 GMT

Hi all. I'm looking at a 91 M5 that seems to be in great shape. One thing is turning me off a bit and making me think twice about it. The car is alpine white. On the outside it looks great, but under the hood the paint looks browned in a lot of areas almost a tan/beige hue. Is this common on the e34's that are alpine white? It may just be from engine heat and age but I wanted to ask around before assuming anything. Any insight is greatly appreciated.

Steering Box Refurbishment

hugo — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:45:52 GMT

Hey Guys,

I thought it would be nice to let you know I had my E34's steering box refurbished along with all the control arms and bushings. I can only say that the difference is remarkable. The improvement in directness is beyond what i expected. A little bit of play remains in the center but is no longer irritating. I guess that is just the set-up of the box. What i love the most is the feedback you get while drifting. Before, when in a drift, i had to correct a lot more and feedback through the steeringwheel was limited. Now i'm able to adjust and place the car within inches thanks to the new added directness. This applies not only for drifting but for spirited driving as a whole. Note that i have black powerflex bushings and a Bilstein B12 chassis.

The refurbishment was done by www.hydroline.nl here in Holland and they used my bmw somewhat as a testcase. ''We'' found out that the older the steering boxes become the more things need to be refurbished. I'm not a technician so i'm not able to give all the ins and outs. Another thing is that ZF stopped refurbishing steering boxes and now focuses a full 100% on gearboxes. I also feel that I should thank them for all the effort they put in to help me!

If you have any questions feel free to ask them. :)

Lower section of Front Wings

richardbaxter — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:02:32 GMT

With most well used cars (like mine) I thought it might be useful to highlight the rust issues at the lower section of the front wings.

The inner wing plastic shields do protect the vulnerable area behind them but only to a certain extent!

5 years ago I noticed some rust bubbles on the wings just above the plastic sill covers. After removing the sill covers and the wings the build up of fine silt was quite amazing and of course this material holds moisture allowing rust a feeding frenzy. The lower section of the wings had been eaten away leaving the lower section paper thin in metal content.

I decided to replace both front wings and in so doing prepared them for longer term protection by having the inside painted and then covered the new paint with waxoyl.

This weekend I removed the front spoiler (for repaint) as it is stone chipped to buggery, the inner wing plastic shield has to be removed (to remove the front spoiler) and it gave me the opportunity to check the lower front wing.

These were again filled with 'moist crud' and fortunately the earlier protectant has just about! done a good job in keeping the rust at bay.

So it seems to me this is a very vulnerable area and would strongly advise a 3 year check to remove the crud and check all is well!!! My concern is whether in the years to come the front wings will still be made available if not this will be a tricky repair to carry out.

Preventive maintenance is crucial here!

silly sls question

m535man — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:18:33 GMT

being completely new to the wonderful world of hydraulics, I have a quick question which I would be very grateful if someone could set my mind at ease!

I've just changed a rear SLS strut on my 3.6 M5. How do I refill the hydraulic fluid in the strut / sphere - is it as simple as topping up the power steering fluid reservoir?

TIA:thumbsup:

O.T. Gimme, Gimme, Gimme...

Dan Kelly — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:04:18 GMT

This is what happens if you have far too much money and a lust for all things automotive. I wonder if it drives as good as it looks?

VWvortex Forums: V10 E30 M3 Build

M5 Cecotto for sale

Gustav — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:45:31 GMT

BMW M5 Cecotto | �sterg�tland | Blocket

1 0f 22

Interior upgrade options.

stedes — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:49:27 GMT

Hi guys...

E34 M5 1990 production with standard black leather/M-cloth interior. (Outside is Calypso Red)

Thinking of re-trimming the seats and door cards. M-cloth very expensive to find so thinking of going to full leather. Would you go for black all round? That seems the logical option but I quite like light coloured seats/door cards with black dash/door plastics/centre console look. Something like light grey or champagne.
Does anyone have such a 2 tone interior? Pics would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

Restore turbines or buy new throwing star covers? Your opinion?

stedes — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:46:05 GMT

Hey guys,

Own a 1990 production E34 M5 in Calypso Red. Car has turbines on in need of restoration. Previous owner changed bonnet/grille to facelift model's and also added the motorsport door mirrors.

Would you:
1. Restore turbines and plan to return the car to pre-facelift look with new bonnet/grille
2. Purchase throwing star covers from dealer and restore only edge of rims to complete the facelift look.

Thanks.

Headlining Overhaul

dscam — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:32:55 GMT

Like many of you, my car is 17 years old and although the interior is in remarkable condition overall the headlining has always let it down a little as it had begun to delaminate and sag in places. As a result there were several very obvious 'droops' above the rear seats near the grab handles and the areas around the sunvisors and sunroof were also baggy. Over and above this the sunroof liner was a bit baggy and there was an unsightly gouge out of the drivers side inner door seal trim. I had hoped to document the process as a step-by-step photo guide but confess I remembered only once I had already removed the old headliner. Sorry!

Anyway, I purchased a new hedliner, fixings and door seal trim from the dealer and set to work:

To remove the existing headliner you must carefully remove all the ancillary fixings such as the sunvisors, clips, vanity lights, grab handles etc. It is also useful to at least partially unclip the A, B and C pillar trims. Just go slowly to avoid breaking the fragile securing clips on these parts and carefully store each screw and fastener removed!

I also fully retraced the sunroof as I wsa removing the sunroof liner too but this also made it easier to see where to unclip the old headliner around this area with a series of metal clamps which can be pushed out.

Old saggy headliner removed:

Bare roof:

The new headliner supplied by BMW has almost all the necessary holes pre-cut, however if you have the vanity lights under the visors the rectangular holes must be cut for these by hand before you install the new liner in the car. Helpfully, the reverse (non cloth) side of the headliner has the shape marked out so you can carefully cut as necessary with a sharp Stanley knife. I would caution that cutting slightly smaller than the outline is best as these need to be a tight rather than slack fit and it would be awful to have the vanity lights rattling around in your new headliner when you put it all back together!!

Note the 3 square plastic clips along the rear window line - these slide into 3 brackets on the rear of the headliner and are pushed into spring clips in the roof to secure. Very important to remember and order 3 new ones as they tend to get damaged removing the old headlining:

To get the old headlining out and the new one in safely the best option is to remove the rear seat cushion, recline the front seats fully, then adjust the front seats to their rearmost position and you can easily angle the headlining panel in at an angle through an open rear door (you can also just make out the 3 brackets across the back of the headliner that I mentioned):

Once installed you need to attach the metal clamps around the sunroof apeture on the new headliner - again it's best to buy an ample amount in case you break/lose one or more and I'd recommend 20 or so. These clip onto a pre-fitted metal bracket around the sunroof apeture of the headlinder and then secure this along a corresponding metal bracket around the roof. Makes more sense when you see it perhaps in the absence of good pics here. You can see the bracket around the apeture in this picture:

These are some of the clips & clamps you need:

Once the headliner is secured front and rear with the clips the remaining parts that were removed serve to secure it firmly such as the sunvisors, clips, vanity lights, grab handles etc. You can see here the finished result and it looks so much better:

I finished the job off by fitting the new driver side door seal. This was a pain to do as the new seal is a very very tight fit, especially around the corners of the door frame. I recommend heating it with a hairdryer or similar as you go and it makes life a lot easier. The finished result is a nice fresh door trim felt in the cabin:

I also splashed out on a new sunroof motor cover panel as they are about �15.00 and compliment the new headlining nicely:

Overall I am very happy with the job and am just waiting for the sunroof liner to be recovered by a trimmer as BMW now longer supply these. Again, it has delaminated a to a degree and the original glue is not holding up. Once this is done the interior will be a lot fresher and more befitting the car.

I would definitely recommend this as a DIY job as various quotes ranged from �400 for a retrim of the exisiting headliner with no guarantee of a colour match to the A & C pillars etc or �200 just to fit the new BMW headliner. If you have the parts, fixings and a helping hand it can be done in around 4 hours. Total cost about �230.00.

Parts used:
51 44 8 126 463 - Headliner Silbergrau Sunroof Option
51 44 8 126 472 - Motor Cover Silbergrau
54 21 8 195 800 - Clip x 3
51 43 7 194 187 - Clip x 3
51 44 1 957 623 - Bracket x 3 (essential)
51 44 8 181 426 - Clamp x 8
51 44 1 938 868 - Clamp x 20 (essential)

Hope this is of interest/use to some of you. Feel free to ask any questions about the procedure and I'll do my best to help.

Duncan :)

OT: BMW Built E32 V16 7 Series

dronfieldm — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:48:48 GMT

A mate of mine emailed me this a few days ago, and I thought I'd share.

A bit like the E34 M5 coupe and convertible..............."just one more push and we'd have had them......"

......it was not to be.

All the best
Mark

:cheers:

Attached Files

e32_v16.pdf (1.38 MB)

SLS Fluid Quantity ?

tomson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:45:42 GMT

Hi all, I have done a search but I cant find out how much fluid the SLS suspension system holds.
Does anyone know?
It's available in 1Litre tins and BMW are actually cheaper than GSF though they both only sell the newer 11s fluid!
As my car has been off the road for a while I am going to renew all the fluid rather than just topping it up...

Also, if anyone has a set of original BMW E34 M5 owners handbooks/wallet thingy and wants to sell them please get in touch!

Anyone selling a e34 M5 Touring in the States?

Cosmos — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:52:07 GMT

Was thinking of picking up an e34 Touring so putting some feelers out.

Thanks

A/F ratio adjustment???

Fordkoppie — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:38:33 GMT

HI everyone,
My S38B36 engine is now finally run in after 1200km of not taking it over 4000rpm.
So yesterday i floored it and took it for the first time over 4k and then, DISAPPOINTMENT!!
It goes nice up to 5000rpm and then chokes(does not want to go any further) when 'Wide Open Throttle' is achieved.
What was strage to me is that if you floor it and lift your foot just 1 - 2 mm up, then it revs smooth all the way to 7000.
I then bought a set of new spark plugs and it was better but the point of trouble now doesnt start on 5000 anymore but the same problem now arises at 6000rpm. it still goes smooth when just OFF W.O.T.
To check, i drove it with a gas analyser and the a/f ratio stays on +- 14.7 the whole time, but as soon as it is on W.O.T it overfuels the engine completely starting at a/f 12.9 at 3000rpm and rising up to a a/f ratio of 10.5 at 6000rpm where it starts choking.
What went wong??:confused:
Could the software go corrupt while standing without a battery for 4 months?
Can the mixture be adjusted or reset at all, because it seems to me that the allen adjustment screw on the MAF only affects idle and very small throttle opening?
This is now after i tried new: plugs, ht leads, distributor cap, rotor, MAF with no effect exept the plugs that extends the problem a 1000rpm further down the rpm range.
Thanks in advance
Chee"RS"
PS- the south african versions had no lambda sensors, nor cats, nor air pump, nor egr

A significant day

Grannyshift — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:16:43 GMT

:biggrinbounce: Hello Gentleman [and ladies if they're on this board :hihihi:] I took an 800 km road trip in the beast. I had a few WOT runs but mostly cruised at 140 km/h - In Ontario, if you're caught speeding 150 + km/h you have your car towed on the spot and your licence suspended too. But on my way back, my odometer red 250,000 km and she's still running as good as ever.

needs a left wheel hub, but after hibernation hihamaybe a paint job too - If im feeling generous.

Attachment 91537

Attached Thumbnails

Some reminiscing and questions about Tourings

Han Dagith — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:54:55 GMT

First some preamble:

As one who recently listed my e34 saloon for sale and has rarely posted, I thought I should de-lurk a bit. I've thoroughly enjoyed my car for the last 2 and half years. It's reliable and deeply satisfying to drive. Furthermore, having recently tried out a 2005 530, it is still remarkably refined. The throttle response, handling, and understated looks make me look forward to driving to work each day.And I always anticipate my infrequent trips through the Rocky Mountains. I've taken other decent cars for spirited drives in the Rockies and on twisty roads (a mercedes 500SL; a newer Acura TL), but neither delivers even half the experience of the M5. The car really gets in your blood.

My favourite memory was at a summer wedding at the base of a ski hill (Kicking Horse Mountain). The road leading to the resort was ideal - rolling, winding, beautiful sweepers insterspersed with hairpin corners. On the way up, we were behind a caravan of RVs and I lamented how disappointing it was to have to drive 30km/h on such a delightful road. The next morning, the wedding party realized that they had forgotten to bring coffee to the chalet. I volunteered to pick some up in the town below. At 7am, the road was abandoned, the sunlight was beautiful, and the drive was one of those you replay over and over in your mind. I volunteered to get fresh coffee every morning. The car is a work of art.

But the family is growing. And hauling all the associated kid stuff just doesn't work in a saloon. So I started thinking about M5 Tourings.

So my question is this - has anyone used a touring for intermittent family-type duties? Not as a daily driver, but for schlepping the kids to their relatives 10 hours away, or taking the odd trip down the highway for a weekend holiday? Is the cargo space sufficient? Are they safe? Is the rear seating the same as the Saloon?

Thanks,
Dan

So I was scanning through PistonHeads the other day......

FinalEditionE34M5 — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:00:43 GMT

and something caught my eye. It's dangerous stuff leaving me with an internet connection when I'm bored.... Looking at old BMWs is almost porn to me :eek7:.....!

So I went along telling myself that I would only have a look - and that I'd only take a little cash with me so I wouldn't spend it all......

However, it didn't work out - I ended up buying another E34 on Saturday - my excuse this time is that the missus can have this one - with the plan being that we'll keep it as a road-going car, that can be used for some 'light' track use. - For the future I have some light modifications in store...

What it actually is, is a 1994 540i 6-Speed Manual in Orient Blue, with Light Grey Full Leather Electric Sport Seats. (with traction control !).

Anyhow, here's what it looks like, as is, when I got it home :-

The guy I bought it off had done come mechanical improvements - and this has actually already done some laps of both Brands Hatch, and the 'ring, apparently !

There's a few things that stuck-out in the ad that quite appealed to me with this car - the previous owner poured a load of money into it during his 2 -year ownership:-

Full Replacement of all of the Air-con system - the auto-air-con (a system I've never seen before in an E34), works like the day it did when this car came out of the factory - nice.

Here's some of the bits that he also improved or changed :-

Exterior:
Orient blue paintwork with shadowline trim
HIDs 6k (white light)
LED sidelights
Clear front & side indicators and clear rear lights.

Engine:
M60 4 Litre 32v V8
Currently running an EAT chip from Mark d'Sylva in the US
KUDOS metal cone filter.

Gearbox - std
Differential - changed to an LSD with 3.15 ratio from a 750i.

Wheels:
Staggered 17" BMW 5 spokes

It's also had a load of suspension arms and bushes done, a new water-pump, radiator, battery, new rear discs and pads, and a stereo system that would put the local chavs down at McDonalds to shame - should go well on eBay - I reckon ;).

I felt that for the money, I couldn't really turn it down - although I have no need for it at all.

It needs some minor bits doing - the exhaust back box is well past its best, and the exhaust hangers are also looking a bit tired - will all need doing at the same time.

The bodywork is not terrible but it has quite a few dings, and the Orient Blue paintwork (which I must say is my favourite colour of any E34 I've seen so far), is a little tired and flat in places.

I'm not a fan of aftermarket / non-standard alloys, although the 17" Z3 2.8 alloys seem to go quite well. It's got a reversing 'dent' in the back bumper - so that'll need doing at some point, too.

On the plus point it's got a 12 month MOT and 6 months tax - so I'm quite pleased with this as it is.

Having test driven it - it seems to have a fair bit more go in it than the last E34 540i I had - even taking into account that was an auto, and I've read in a few places that they didn't make that many 540i RHD manuals for the U.K. Market - anyone know how many ?
I've given it to the missus as an early Christmas present. She loves it already !:cheers:

We'll get some bits done on it, and then she can join us on some track days in the UK - as she wants to learn how to drive a RWD Car properly - I reckon this is as good a place to start as any.

Before you ask, yes I think I do need some help.

M5 CSL....

Alan Archer — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:08:37 GMT

Hi Chaps,

Just passing on the link for your viewing.

Regards,

Alan.

BMW M5 CSL unleashed - Auto Trader UK - News and Reviews Hub

Immobilizer question/ coming to Germany

Gerg — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 02:25:45 GMT

My M5 Touring came with two of the little black immobilizer sticks. One works fine the other not at all. Is there a way to program the little wands to a different car? We never had this option in the USA.

Thanks,
Greg

Wednesday morning I'll be flying into Berlin, Thursday we have a tour of The Welt in Munich planned. Then some time near Frankfurt and we're going to try and make it to the Nurburgring. Quite a bit in six days.

FS:E34 Touring Rear White light kit

The Flying Banana — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:32:34 GMT

Took the white light kit off my Touring, so selling the lot,

i also have the two front indictaors, the side repeaters. The rears are as you know not available from BMW but have to be 'made'. I have already completed the job on both sides and have had them on my car but TBH i dont think the white suits the Calypso so I have returned it the standard orange ones.
The lenses alone are about expensive and come from Radikast in Sweden but please remember they are not OEM. The full kit - �150 posted

Attached Images

6 Speed with a 3.91 Diff

rick — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:10:35 GMT

Part one of my latest list of jobs is complete and I must say that this has transformed the car!!!

After the last 18-24 months of a slowly dying 5 speed box, this has now been transformed with the implantation of a 6 speed and what a difference this has made. It isn't just the box though, it is the combination of that and the big diff which brings the character out in this car, it is just begging to be driven like a hooligan!!:biggrin:
Unfortunately I haven't had the pleasure of driving a 'standard' six speeder (with the 3.23 diff) so I can't pass comment on how they would compare against each other, however I am sure that the new combination I have is nearly perfect for this car.
I was originally under the impression that 6th would have been like an 'overdrive' however 6th is the same as where 5th was on the old box - at 4000 rpm on the old box in 5th that equated to 95-100 MPH, the same rpm in 6th on the newer box it is a tiny bit under if anything at all. If it has lost a bit of top end it has certainly made up for it in acceleration which is breathtaking. After a long drive back to Germany from the UK yesterday I could not stretch her legs fully as the traffic was awful - plus the wife was following in the 335. I will obviously see if there is any difference at the top but to be honest I don't ever spend hours and hours at 175 mph so if it has lost a bit of top speed it has more than made up for it in other areas.

Next jobs on the list are (in no particular order):

New springs/shocks and EDC delete.
Bigger brake conversion.
New exhaust (possibly Supersprint however suggestions would be greatly appreciated from those that have changed exhausts).

A big thanks to David at Classic MD Autos for supplying the box and getting the car back to me on time.:applause:

Hi guy. Advise is needed. S38 B36 3.6 Head port question.

First e28 M5 — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:40:41 GMT

Hi guys,
I am rebuilding my S38 B36 3.6 Engine to go into E30 M3.

I want to port and polish the Head. My question is with how much I have to port the head ? Intake and the exhaust. 1mm bore open ?

My goal is to make some small upgrades to have a better and easy going air flow, not HP.

I got JE pistons and raised the compression from 10.1 to 10.5 like on (B38 3.8).

I have also 3.8 cam gears marked A108 E108 with turner chip.

Thanks for your time
Anri

hi all....

BANKROBBER — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:39:02 GMT

....still got the 'green monster'.getting a little tired these days.
1. whining comingfrom front rh wheel...suspect wheel bearing?(best place to buy?)
2. quite a lot of 55mph wobble accelerating and breaking...bushes?(best place to buy?)
3.rear suspension is dying...will be replaced by GAZ coilovers asap.
4.looking at a black mcloth interior now....think it will look better!
5. the worst thing in my opinion!.....when i start my car,the engine after a few minutes would howl(some kind of valve?),it will go if revved a little etc.anyway,not sure but i think something gone inside mine....its an awfull ,best described as 'farting' noise!!now i do care,as it really doesnt gain me any favour in the close i live at.especially at 4am when going to work hehe!
what is this item and can i take the part from my other engine to put on here?(can i post a sound file?)

any help would be great!

ROB

Looking for a good 3.8 or LE

speedyellow — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:03:58 GMT

Hey guys,

I'm currently after a good late 3.8 car and want to make sure I find one in good condition. I can see there cars out there at the moment, to LE 34 and 39 I think and a late Blue car.

If anyone knows the histories or can point me to the best car out there, would be very grateful.

Have a cash budget of �12k for the right car out there.

Cheers

streaky windshield

nixter — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:24:49 GMT

I've noticed that when using my wipers I get a hazy/foggy effect that is left by each stroke of the wiper and then fades quickly, only to come back with the next stroke of the wiper. It's not my blades as the are clean and fairly new. I wonder if the surface of the glass has degraded somehow over 16 years and is causing this?

n

high idle when engine is in traffic

Grannyshift — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:39:02 GMT

Hello Gentlemen,

you guys have been a golden resource, cant thank you guys enough

Toronto's traffic is a mess - no matter what day or time - it's always a nightmare.

When my car sits in traffic for quite sometime - the oil will get to about 90 degree's Celsius [and the engine temp stays at center] and after driving it and bringing it back to idle it will rest at 1250 rpm - to about 1500 rpm.

If I give it a good rev - usually 3000+ it'll come back down to 1000 rpm or just slightly less.

does anyone know why this happens? I use sunoco 94 premium...

Failing fuel pressure regulator causing starter to fail prematurely?

piancu — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:17:15 GMT

Last weekend I replaced my starter as it was making a loud screeching sound for 5 seconds after the car started and the car was starting slow. Although now the car starts much better, everytime I start it up in the morning it seems to start slow. If I start it up again after the first start, it starts much quicker. Can a failing fuel pressure regulator cause the starter to work much harder and fail prematurely?

Thanks
Paul

The one and only BMW M5 Convertible (E34) and BMW M5 Touring E39 manufactured from BMW M GmbH

Gustav — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:50:45 GMT

"BMW has finally confirmed that it developed an M5 convertible 20 years ago, but canned it a week before it was due to be launched due to sales concerns."

BMW M5 convertible revealed - Autocar.co.uk

More from: http://www.bimmertoday.de/2009/10/29...e34-cabrio-18/

shaking in the driveline

///M5 Touring — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:38:40 GMT

hi.

i have a sort of shaking in the driveline in 2nd and 3rd gear. in 2nd gear its from 1400rpm-2300rpm approx. in 3rd its from 1000rpm-1500rpm approx.

anyone have any tips of what it can be?

'91 M5 S38 3.6L Cylinder Head - I'm Going In

LoneRyder — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:25:49 GMT

Just a quick repeat from my previous thread looking for info then I'll continue.

"Bought a 1991 E34 M5 (production 10/1990) with S38 engine. It sat up for almost a year due to a deer hit. Replaced fender, hood and radiator. Engine fired right up when battery charged but idle was rough. Checked all spark plug wires, replaced spark plugs, distributor cap and rotor, pulled injectors and had them cleaned. No reaction with engine running when I pulled wire from #5 cylinder so I check compression on all cylinders. All cylinders read 175 to 185 PSI except #5 which reads zero compression. No needle movement at all on gage however fuel/air mixture will blow out of hole when spark plug removed. No apparent blow by as none is noticed when dipstick pulled while engine running. I'm suspecting stuck valve or burnt valve not allowing cylinder to seal during compression cycle. I checked valve settings on all cylinders. Most were .012" with a couple at .011" or .013". Cylinder #5 was .012" for exhaust and intake. My obvious next step is to remove the head for valve inspection. "

That's where I'm at now. Valve settings were all good so the head has to come off. I'll be taking pictures at each step and posting them here with observations. Hopefully this might help someone else one day. If I'm taking up too much bandwidth, etc then let me know. I'm not a mechanic by trade but worked inside a few engines (GM) in my younger days. My buddy has been inside a few BMW engines so I'm not too far out on a limb. If anyone sees a glaring problem in a picture that I didn't pick up on then please speak up.

I'll be starting the removal end of this week and weekend. Initial observations were:
1. The head bolts require a 6mm allen wrench for removal. I thought they would be torx.
2. Same size allen wrench is used to remove the timing chain top shield bolts. Bolts were VERY tight. Twisted one allen wrench 45 degrees trying to break loose.
3. You won't see much oil around exhaust valve shims. Already siphoned it up. A $1 turkey baster works very well.
4. All cam lobes looked great. No pits or grooves.

First pic is of head over cylinders 1 and 2.

More Friday. If anyone would like a picture of a particular part location, etc let me know.

Don

Attached Thumbnails

Trying to inform m5 touring

mushroom — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:01:13 GMT

Peake Research Tool & new code table provided

Montanvs — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:24:09 GMT

I have recently been in touch with Peake Research regarding my scan tool. I had used it recently and was not able to find the code on the table that they stated it would be on in my manual. Through speaking with their department and providing them with my last 7 VIN they stated that a new code table that had not yet been published was coming out. As such they provided me with the new code table for our cars (at least for my car 3.8l).

The code that I had shows up on the table (1A Control unit supply). Seems the vehicle noticed that my battery had been unplugged and the DME was not getting power.

Here is the table for anyone else that uses the tool, or is thinking of getting one. This table (K8) seems to be accurate now.

Code System or Sensor

01 Electrical fuel pump relay
02 Idle speed actuator (close)
03 Fuel Injector, Cyl #1
04 Fuel Injector, Cyl #3
05 Fuel Injector, Cyl #2
06 Fuel Injector, Unknown
08 Check engine lamp
0C Oxygen sensor, #2
0D Oxygen sensor, #1
0F Ignition secondary monitor
10 Crankshaft sensor
11 Camshaft sensor
13 Secondary air pump relay
17 Ignition Coil, Cyl #2
18 Ignition Coil, Cyl #3
19 Ignition Coil, Cyl #1
1A Control unit supply
1D Idle speed actuator (open)
1F Fuel Injector, Cyl #5
20 Fuel Injector, Cyl #6
21 Fuel Injector, Cyl #4
24 Evaporative purge control valve
25 Oxygen sensor heating relay
29 Air mass sensor
2A Vehicle speed signal not present
30 A/C Compressor control
32 Ignition Coil, Cyl #4
33 Ignition Coil, Cyl #6
34 Ignition Coil, Cyl #5
36 Battery voltage / DME main relay
41 A/C Compressor
42 DWA/EWS Input
44 Knock Sensor, Cyl 5-6
45 Knock Sensor, Cyl 3-4
46 Knock Sensor, Cyl 1-2
49 Throttle position sensor
4D Intake air temperature sensor
4E Coolant temperature sensor
64 Output Stage, Group #1
65 Output Stage, Group #2
C8 DME Control Unit
C9 Lambda Control #1
CA Fault code memory error
CB Lambda Control #2
CE Knock control test pulse

squeaking sound from driverside front wheel

Grannyshift — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:39:54 GMT

Hello Gentlemen,

I'm about to go on an 800 km trip in my M5 with 250,000 km on the odometer.

I took it in for a safety check yesterday and the mechanic said my car is safe for a long distance trip.

Prior to, there was a squeaking sound coming from my left front wheel and I asked him to check. He said "he thinks" it's probably the wheel bearing, but is nothing serious and shouldn't affect anything.

I'm not sure what are the symptoms of wheel bearing failure on these cars, but when i do make a sharp left turn, I get a quiet "whom whom whom" sound.

Side note*** This car had 19" inch before I reverted back to the original throwing stars. There wasn't any sounds with the 19"s, so it opens up the idea of the sound coming from the rim itself.

Wanted S38 3.8 Connecting Rods (not stock)

jibbajabba — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:57:41 GMT

Looking for a set of 3.8 142.5mm Connecting Rods. Not the stock ones, something aftermarket / lighter.

Thanks.

If anyone knows the weights of any manufacturers rod, and wouldn't mind posting them that would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

Ugh, starved for fuel

Elekta — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:18:20 GMT

My M5T won't idle, and now won't start. I drove the kids to school this am at 7:30, and it was perfect. Up to temp and blasted to work. Just went downstairs 11am to make a post office run and it idled like it was out of gas, and then died. WTF? Could it be the new ethanol we have in Austin now? This is my second tank of the stuff and I buy my gas from the same station everytime...93 premium, but honestly, I have had zero issues with this car/engine for nearly three years. ZERO.

clogged fuel pickup? how do I check that? I'v scoured for a loose vacuum hose or something disco'd. Do fuel pumps crap out just like that? If you had bad gas, wouldn't I have noticed already...it's been 75 miles since last fill up?

Any trouble shooting ideas before I call AAA? Where do I look first?

Any help is greatly appreciated asap. About to be stuck at the office

Feeling pretty upset right now

richardbaxter — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:49:57 GMT

This is not directly linked to the E34 M5 but then again maybe it is?

I called my main dealer this morning to order a master cylinder for my E30 m3 Sport Evo. Last time I enquired (two years ago) it was available at a cost that I seem to recall was around �275.00. The price they quoted this morning was �504.00!

This is plainly ridiculous even taking into acccount the current �/Euro exchange.

I was quite shocked so rang an independant parts supplier and they quoted �223.00!

What is going on with BMW are they trying to ruin any relationship with their customers?

Are we expected to pay what seems an over inflated price by any stretch of the imagination?

Does anyone have a Switchblade Key?

Wharthog — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:49:03 GMT

I have two 'switchblade' type keys for my '93 E34 ///M5 and the dealer and local independent shops are scratching their heads saying it must be aftermarket. I seem to remember a friend of mine that ordered one in 1991 had such a key. It has the remote locks and trunk buttons on it. I will post a photo when I have a chance. Am I nuts? Does anyone else have one? or even better, a part number?

Thanks!

Member kiudog Cosmos Black BMW M5 E34

Gustav — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:14:48 GMT

Lovely! :thumbsup:

All pictures: The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com) - kiudog's Album: ///Madalena

When the repair costs reach your limit

piancu — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:48:38 GMT

After owning my M5 for a year and a half, I don't think I can say I regret spending the money on some maintenance items that my car needed. I've also spent some money on a used transmission without the second gear synchro issue that the original had. The money that I've spent certainly pales in comparison to what has been spent by other board members on engine rebuilds and new BMW rebuilt engines. I think for some owners money is a non-issue and they will spend whatever it takes to keep the car in top shape. I'm sure that the owner wanting to keep the car another ten years find it easier to spend money than those that want to sell the car in the next one or two years.

What is your limit for maintenance/repairs before you throw in the white towel and say this is just not worth it anymore?

Memebr Elekta BMW M5 Touring 1995 and his "trailer"

Gustav — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:37:57 GMT

Elekta, can you please share some more info on this :thumbsup:

Attached Images

HD video: overview collection of all generations BMW M5 in USA

Gustav — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:15:52 GMT

From my 2007 USA Trip! 5 weeks of BMW M5 and USA :thumbsup:

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e60...-tx-ks-mo.html

Massaschussetts and New York

My United States Round Trip in 5 Weeks with m5board.com Members Part 1/6: MA and NY

Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Caroline, South Carolina and Geaorgia

My United States Trip in 5 Weeks with Members Part 2/6:IN, IL, WI, MN, NC, SC and GA

Georgia, North Carolina and Florida

My United States Round Trip in 5 Weeks with m5board.com Members Part 3/6: GA,NC + FL

Florida, Atlanta, Louisiana, Texas, Kansas and Missouri

My United States Trip in 5 Weeks with Members Part 4/6: FL, AL, LA, TX, KS and MO

Colorado, Utah, Washington and Oregon

My United States Round Trip in 5 Weeks with Members Part 5/6: CO, UT, WA and OR leg

Arizona, Nevada and California

My United States Round Trip in 5 Weeks with m5board.com Members Part 6/6: AZ, NV,

trouble/w headlights

jquick — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:38:43 GMT

im having some issues with my headlights intermittently shutting off. sometimes the lights would shut off then after a few minutes it would turn back on. i was thinking possibly the headlight switch is bad or the headlight relay. anyone have this problem before, please help. thanks

Review of Stebro CATback Exhaust

Grannyshift — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:07:49 GMT

Howdy Folks,

about 1 month ago, I won a Stebro Exhaust system on Ebay for $800 CDN dollars and it was delivered to me by the owner of the company. He was in Toronto for the weekend and he put it in his trunk and dropped it off free of charge.

I had a custom exahust shop install it for me and I'll have to admit - it sounds really nice. There's a gentle vibrating burble between 1300 - 1900 RPM. Afterwards, you can't really hear it inside unless you shift and you have a nice drone when doing so.

The outside noice is clean and rythmic, with a deeper burble.

I'm satisfied with the sound, as the previous owner had a universal muffler [made my car sound like a honda Civic hiha] poorly welded into the original rear pipe which was rotting out.

This makes it sound like a BMW.

I've observed that the exhaust comes out in sheer force compared to the older muffler that was installed; like the exhaust is being forced out.

My biggest issue with the exahust was that the mid pipe that connects to the catalytic converter were not at all fitted. BOTH ends were flared and too narrow to fit.

The welder was pretty angry as he had to modify both the catback system and cut the Cat's ends to have them fit together.

As well, he had to weld a new hanger on the body to connect the system, as the one on the exhaust was in a place where there was nothing on the body.

I paid about $150 cdn to have it installed, and this guy is well known in Scarborough for customizing and repairing systems.

My only real problems to repair now is the leaking power steering, the failing master cylinder & the wierd squeeking coming from my rear wheels :confused:.

2009 E34 M5 & 540iLE Australian Alps tour

M540i LE — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:14:39 GMT

OK everyone, this year's tour is less than 6 weeks away (Frid 4, Sat 5 and Sun 6 December, in Vic/NSW area), so we need to get organised.

Can we please have an indication from everyone whether they are coming, still might be coming or definitely wont be coming?

Although it would be great to hear from you now, the nature of the tour does allow people to join us at the last minute - so please dont think that if you can't commit now, you can't come.

You could even turn up at Winton on the day without telling us and join us from there (but we would prefer knowing who is coming)!

If you want to join us after that, you will need to contact us so we can arrange to meet you at an appropriate place.

To finalise the details, I will also require a prefered email address. For security reasons, all detailed discussions about accommodation, route etc will be held by email.

If you like, please send me an email to davidcbushby@hotmail.com to advise your intent.

Any Australian M5 owners lurking on here - please see if you can come to part or all of the tour. We really would welcome you and am sure you would enjoy yourself. Contact me for details: davidcbushby@hotmail.com

Regards

'91 M5 S38 Engine Related Manual?

LoneRyder — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:46:12 GMT

I guess I'm the latest new guy so Hi everyone. Looking forward to spending a lot of time here - hopefully by choice not by necessity!

Bought a 1991 E34 M5 (production 10/1990) with S38 engine. It sat up for almost a year due to a deer hit. Replaced fender, hood and radiator. Engine fired right up when battery charged but idle was rough. Checked all spark plug wires, replaced spark plugs, distributor cap and rotor, pulled injectors and had them cleaned. No reaction with engine running when I pulled wire from #5 cylinder so I check compression on all cylinders. All cylinders read 175 to 185 PSI except #5 which reads zero compression. No needle movement at all on gage however fuel/air mixture will blow out of hole when spark plug removed. No apparent blow by as none is noticed when dipstick pulled while engine running. I'm suspecting stuck valve or burnt valve not allowing cylinder to seal during compression cycle. I checked valve settings on all cylinders. Most were .012" with a couple at .011" or .013". Cylinder #5 was .012" for exhaust and intake. My obvious next step is to remove the head for valve inspection. This is where the problem is. I can't seem to find any procedures specifically for the S38 engine. I could have sworn I found a procedure with pictures somewhere but can't find it now. I'm just looking for any and all info I can get on removing/installing the head on this engine. If a manual were available that would be great. The online manual I found directs you to a "Construction Manual" for head work which I can't find.

I've been on forums before so I know to always search before asking. I didn't seem to come up with anything related. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in Advance.

Don

Turbine II Wheels

Wizzkid — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:23:56 GMT

Although a proud owner of the 540i Sport, I am still looking for 1 BMW Turbine II 2-piece alloy wheel, see attached photo.

Does anyone know of where I can purchase such wheel?

WIZZKID

Attached Images

Alp Tour from a Friend

BURTON — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:51:46 GMT

I know its not a BMW but it is German... My Best Mans trip to Europe last month.

"Holiday Report (long and picture heavy)" discussion on Evo Community

Black Diamond brake discs/rotors

robbierd — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:08:08 GMT

Has anyone used these? Thinking of these as an alternative to the OEM discs/rotors. Haven't saved enough yet to get a full aftermarket brake fit like the Movi'ts or Brembos.

BMWCar Brands Hatch 26/11/09 Trackday

davidoli — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:44:57 GMT

BMWCAR magazine have organised an open pit track day at Brands Hatch on Thurs 26/11/09 ......

These events typically get booked up quickly .

�139 per car , �25 for an additional driver and �10 for a passenger . Expert tuition is available on the day �25 .

See www.motorsportvision.co.uk for details and hopefully Sebring Sienna and Calypso Candice will be joined by a couple more of our E34 M5 friends .......

D

Help! Heavy vibrations

Frits — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 06:43:29 GMT

Guys, I need some help here. We have an E34 M5 Touring in the shop, which has an annoying issue with vibrations.

It starts at speeds usually higher than 80 km/h. Haven't tried anything faster than 130 km/h. When you slightly hit the brakes, or go through a pothole, it can start. Not always. It starts with just an annoying vibration, but it keeps getting worse and worse, and a few seconds later the whole car is shaking. Yesterday I was driving it in the evening, with the lights on, and I could see the beams go from left to right. Even with no pedals pressed, it keeps on going.
I once tried to press the accelerator while it was vibrating, and it seemed to get better then. Not sure if it was just luck this time, or if it really helps.

Now, customer allready changed plenty of parts, all the bushes/arms of the front suspension, front rotors. We changed the front shocks too. Doesn't help at all...

We checked everything at front, but can't find anything. It might be the steering box, but that would be an expensive guess... So I thought it would be a better idea to get some help from the board. So guys, please help. Someone must have had the same problem...

Does the 1992 E34 in North America come with traction control

Grannyshift — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 05:19:47 GMT

Hello everyone, I'm still learning about all the fancy toys my car has to offer... :p

any idea if the 1992 M5 that came to north america has traction control?

Passengers: What to do with them?

///Manuel — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:14:06 GMT

I'm just curious to know how you personally handle passengers?

1. The hell with them, I'm driving the same no matter what, it's my car, doesn't matter if I get hit by flying objects or worse :D
2. I warn them first, then throw the rear end loose :wroom:
3. Respect, it's frustrating but I use a light foot :sad1:

Generally, right before 2. I switch my EDC to full stiff, they know someone is cooking.
I'm probably between 2. and 3., and sometimes I get yelled out for a 1.

Can't wait to drive the beast tonight!

Looking for 3.6 flywheel (US)

///Manuel — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:36:06 GMT

Hey guys,

I'm thinking about getting a 3.6 flywheel / clutch combo for my car.
Does any of you have a 3.6 flywheel laying around? Lower mileage preferred.
Thanks.

AutoBild article: 25 years of BMW M5

Gustav — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:04:05 GMT

Do not miss the mention of the upcoming BMW M5 F10! http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e60...ml#post1668337

Translated article.

"We drive on the labels provided with countless fan of the Nurburgring Nordschleife. Our cars: BMW M5 all generations. And their great predecessor M1. Finally, it was 25 years ago, the M5 up and running. We look back - and forward."

"Even the second generation of the M5 is rebuilt by hand - in the meantime, the staff of Motorsport GmbH has grown from 100 to 370 employees"

"The 5.0-liter V10 with 507 hp and maximum torque of 520 Newton meters. Of a maximum speed of 8250 rpm motor is designed to over 100 hp per liter."

1430 kg and top speed fo 251 km/h in 1985 :trophy_bronze:

1988 BMW M5

BMW M5 E39

Facelifted BMW M5 E60 :M5rev:

Top speed 330 km/h unrestricted apparantly :trophy_bronze: hmmm

speed sensitivity (servotronic)

1day — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:44:20 GMT

thinking that my servotronic system is only working intermittently, so wondering what it actually affects...

I know I have speed sensitive wipers and servotronic steering... but I also noticed the other day that my car stereo (original hifi system - 10 speaker becker tuner, headunit, amp etc) goes up in volume automatically @ 100kph. At first I thought I was going mad, but then I tested it and it does happen.

can anybody confirm that this is a part of the servotronic system - or is it just part of the stereo...

and I wonder what else could be servotronic controlled, or take a feed from the servotronic system? any ideas?

E34 m-parallel rim 9j

mushroom — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:13:40 GMT

Hello,

I'm new to this forum and i was reading your posts about M-Parallel rims. I recently purchased 4 m-parallel rims of a e34M5. Three of them are 8J's and one 9J. I was looking if i could find another 9J rim but reading your forum i came to the conclusion that finding a second one is practically impossible. So i have decided to buy another 8J and sell my only 9J rim.

So if there are members who wants to buy that one, you can contact me. Here are the specs.: The rim is 9J of a m34 M5 identification number: 36112227933 IS 22. The rim is in very good condition. Let me know if you are interested.
Oh just one other thing, does anyone know in what colour the m-parallel rims are painted originally?
Thanks GJ Joosen

RHD converted E34 Touring

ebbers — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:57:14 GMT

Thought I'd post this up for information.

Spotted over on the BMW5 Forum, not much in the way of information or photos but if you're after something that special you'll make further enquiries I'm sure...

BMW E34 M5 TOURING 3.8 RHD CONVERSION on eBay (end time 19-Nov-09 00:53:46 GMT)

TBH it seems a lot of cash.

Purpose of the air intake pressure accumulator?

///Manuel — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:42:19 GMT

Does anyone know what the purpose of that part is?

PRESSURE ACCUMULATOR

13711318387

Spending a week with my ///Mistress

Blitzkrieg Bob — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:50:53 GMT

Taking a week of vacation from work and spending it with the old ///M5.

Going to put in some Eibach springs RD Bilstein struts and shocks, UUC shifter and DSSR, tint the windows and get started on the parcel shelf, and headliner.

Then maybe refinish the wheels, remove the last appendages of the LAD/SLS system.

Yet another one of those... input shaft tranmission gearbox flywheel rattle thread! (calling gearbox specialists)

///Manuel — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:17:09 GMT

Hey everyone,

I am so close to getting my car sorted out. I even got the keyless entry / alarm fixed during my last visit to the dealer :applause: .

My clutch never felt right even after replacing the master, slave and hose combo.
My take is that it's either a defective or incorrect pressure plate in there so the gearbox needs to come out.
That will be done soon. Then I was thinking that since the tranny is out, I could have someone look at it.

My car has had an input shaft rattle which occurs in neutral with the clutch out.
If you lean the shift lever towards 4th and press gently against the gear, the rattle goes away (it's true for all gears but 4th requires the least amount of pressure).
If I let go of the clutch slowly, the rattle has less chance of happening.

I know it can be considered normal for those Getrag six-speed units but still it's loud enough for me to justify having someone look at it.
It sounds pretty much exactly how my old E36 M3 sounded when I switched to a lightweight flywheel :sad2: .

Besides UUC's famous miracle fluid mix, does anyone know exactly what the cure is for this issue, if there's one, and how long will a rebuild last until the noise re-appears again?

Also, I realize that my car is somewhat special, what is your opinion on installing a 3.6 flywheel in there while I'm at it?
I really liked the performance gain in 1st and 2nd with the E36 M3, and the M5 could use all the help it can to improve off-the-line / in-town performance, since I already have the rattle... :D !

UK Board Members' trip to the 'Ring - September 2009

FinalEditionE34M5 — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:18:16 GMT

Evening All,

I've not been on the board for some time now and having had a look at some of the recent threads regarding the board 'dying' and a lack of input from some of us older / senior members, thought it apt to put a pictoral update of our recent trip to the 'ring in September 2009 last month.

For the benefit of all members - on this trip were :-

Steve & Dave in 'Sebring Sienna' a Sebring Silver track-prepared E34 M5 3.6
Myself and Jon B in 'Project Calypso' - a Calypso Red track-prepared E34 M5 3.6
John B Senior - in his track-prepared E34 M5 3.8 5 Speed - very nice indeed in Avus Blue
Jaysen D in his recently-acquired 911 997 Carrera 2s
Barry in his 535d

It was Jaysen and Barry's 1st trip to the 'ring - and in particular Jaysen's 1st excursion onto the track in his new 911 pride and joy - so hats-off to them both.

Here you go then :-

1). Jaysen & his C2s

2). Project Calypso after another 'Hot Lap' - Jon B achieved a storming 8 mins 45secs according to the Racelogic box we now have fitted - Bridge to Gantry - outstanding driving, Jon !

...it was probably helped by not having my considerable mass in the car - after the passenger 4-point harness was condemned by the marshalls at the entrance to the circuit - our home-made mounting points clearly not impressing them at all .......:nono: :biggrin:

3). John Senior in action in his Avus Blue - quite possibly the tidiest of the three track-prepared cars by some margin - and performing now better-than-ever......

4). Sebring Sienna in action - Dave & Steve have got the car very well set-up indeed - they certainly took no prisioners on this trip during their laps, according to Steve !

5). More of Project Calypso on the track - the weather for the weekend was very kind to us indeed.......:-

6). Barry on the track in his Irish-Registered 535d - a torque-monster....... :-

7). More of John Senior's Avus Blue :-

All in all we had a fantastic trip - all of the cars performed faultlessly (apart from our overheating front tyres on Project Calypso - replaced for some locally-sourced Toyo R888s).

I think I speak for all when I say we're looking forward to next year already......