Greydog

Morning Steve Is the BMW Bluetooth memory full I believe they only allow 4 phones to paired at a time, there is a procedure to clear down the bluetooth memory try this. 1. Press & hold the button call button (the one with the face profile on it), then after about 3 seconds turn the ignition key to position 1 and release the button after approximately 3 seconds. "BLUETOOTH PAIRING" appears on the display or monitor. 2. Press the button again for approx. 10 seconds until you hear a triple acoustic signal. "PAIRED DEVICES DELETED" appears on the display or monitor. 3. To conclude the deleting process, turn the ignition key to position 0. Hope this works Dave PS. Bluetooth is turned on on your phone ?

So annoying that a 10p clip because we know that is what it will be either not fitted or broken causes all this grief Have you tried a search on the babybmw forum? Dave

Morning Atiq Welcome to the Forum First the PDC sensors on the X5 are a PITA very sensitive little devils, there are many copies on the market and not all reliable. If you have 1 sensor down the system is down. First do you have rear sensors or front and rear? if you have an issue with a front sensor it will shut down the rears there are many folks who have changed all the rear sensors to discover that the issue is at the front. Mine go on strike after jet washing or car wash then after they have dried out and stopped sulking back to working. The PDC unit is easy to access and change as are the sensors, well the rear ones are the fronts on your car I think the bumper has to come off to access the corner ones. One consideration do you have a Tow Bar fitted? if so make sure the correct wiring bypass has been fitted it should bypass the rear sensors when the trailer electrics are plugged in. If you haven't already take a look at www.newtis.info its a BMW Technical information site which should help Dave PS. Or you could fit a reverse camera

If they tell you how you will probably have to sign an NDA so it stays secret !!! You know the sort of thing "we could tell you but then we have too **** You

Morning Darren Just at the moment I would say you are in a strong position with the announcement on Wednesday last week that new car sales are down 97% I would think used car sales are in a similar position. I am no finance expert but PCP finance as I understand it works that you get lower Deposit and monthly payments but at the end of the term you pay a balloon payment to own the car often around half the purchase price. If you don't want to make the balloon payment you give the car back however if you do that you have nothing, in effect you have rented a car for 3 years. Or if there is equity left in the car you can use it as part or all of a deposit on another car. You say your current car has a trade in of £11k, do you own the car or is there a loan or finance against it that has to be cleared? If there is that will complicate the deal slightly. Bottom line is at the moment car sales are down across the board due to the lock down situation any buyer is in a strong position, any deal offered get it in writing so you can consider it then after 24 hrs or so call them and say it's to much or more than you were budgeting but you really like the car but as it is you will have to look else where. Then wait, I will bet they don't want to loose a deal right now, also the nearer the month end it is the more pressure will be on the sales guy figures are calculated and commission is paid monthly. Good Luck Dave

Hi Martin My 4.4 ran LPG absolutely brilliant, it will depend on what wheel/tyre combination you are running. My 4.4 ran a 19" staggered set up the spare was 17" and is still in the garage unused from the day it was put in the car, while I ran the 4.4 I purchased a small compressor and some tyre goo and carried that as an emergency kit. When I had to replace the 4.4 with the 4.6is it runs 20" staggered wheels/tyre set up there is a space saver in the boot but it seriously looks like a bicycle tyre. I transferred the compressor and tyre goo over. Touches wood now, I have never needed it but it has saved the bacon of two other stranded motorists. Dave

Other than a loose cable run chattering against the ducting I am at a loss here, the worst part is the disproportionate amount of time labour to sort it if that is what it is As a shooting man I have a solution "ear plugs" Dave

Morning Rob How frustrating is that !! So no physical key location above the number plate? Jump points under the bonnet don't supply power or enough power to use the Key Fob with the battery missing ? I am at a loss apart from finding a way off access to the boot from inside the car as there is a manual release in the boot lid. Dave

Morning Gavin By their very function Forums often appear to paint at best a confused picture, we have by and large 2 types of member 1. The Enthusiast here to tell us about there car and share their knowledge and 2. Those with a problem that they would like it diagnosed or a fix explained. Most posts on any Forum are the latter so to those who initially look it seems as though our Beemer's are all falling apart. Due to the manufacturing process which is roughly (1) Designer/Engineers produce a concept, (2) Production Engineers re-engineer all sorts of stuff so it can be built and maintained, then (3) the Accountants get their hands on it so it will be made as cost effectively (cheaply) as possible maximizing profit. So to repeat something I wrote recently, in the film Apollo 13 Tom Hanks just before launch says something like "here we are sat on top of $50m worth of parts all supplied by the lowest bidder" We all drive an Apollo 13. So regardless of Marque or Model every single one, at one time or another will suffer failures most due to outsourced components. The frustrating part of this are the Dealerships looking down their noses and insisting only OEM parts at exorbitant cost be used for repair, even when that part is known to be a contributing factor. I suffered this with my first E55 AMG less than 6 months old and rust issues were evident, while they were repaired twice they were still there and eventually the car was changed by Mercedes. I learned later "body panels had been purchased outside the normal supply chain effecting some models" I interpret that as they were cheaper. Did it stop me buying other Merc's no, I had 3 AMG models, all had their issues. If the ML had not been so ugly I probably would be driving one. So we either drive leased or company cars that are fixed/maintained in the dealership circuit and moved on every 3 years or so the issues while frustrating tend to be just that (I used to be in that group). Or we enjoy our cars and have a drive/need to understand them and fix/improve them where we can. i as an inquisitive Engineer have always been in this group, even when my cars were company or leased. The knowledge gained is then available to all Forum members and hopefully some of it is useful !!! Dave

Hi Gavin I had a dash rattle in the X5 it would start at around 40mph then disappear above 50mph I was on the verge of taking the dash to bits when while under the bonnet I noticed 2 clips on the cabin filter housing were undone, without thinking I did them up. Later that day it dawned on me the rattle had gone, at service they must have either not done them up properly or not at all. The rattle resonated in the ducting so seemed to come from the dash. Rattles can drive you to the edge can't they Dave

Morning Paul Welcome to the Forum I do remember reading some time ago about a turbo issue with the 2.0d. From memory it was a problem with the variable turbo vanes. One unhappy chap wrote a lengthy letter to Auto Express due to BMW or his Dealer seemingly not able or willing to help. If I recall he had 2 or 3 turbo's under warranty as the actuator was an integral part of the turbo. Not much help with a solution sorry, have you tried babybmw.net to see if there are any pointers there Dave

👍 Good Stuff

Morning Robert Welcome to the Forum Well that's a new question, based on the fact you have asked it it sounds as though as we go electric we are going to end up with a garage full of charging leads and adapters just like we all have for mobile phones. In a grown up world we should hope, no expect that the manufacturers would get together and have universal cables if the computer industry can do it surely car manufacturers can follow their lead (no pun intended). I have a neighbour who is on his second Tesla and his wife has an i3 I will give him a call later and see how they cope. Dave PS Just called Vic apparently there is an adapter called a "JDapter Stub" which lets them charge the i3 on his Tesla charger. He got his from Amazon hope this helps

A pleasure let us know how it goes Dave

Hi Philip My X5 is 17 years old and the only rust on the rear subframe is surface rust (that I am aware of) so my answer would be "no not common" but depending where it spent it's early life, say near the sea or North of the Border where there may have been a lot of road salt in the darker months. I would balance the cost of welding against maybe sourcing a complete subframe from a dismantler? It could be rebushed cleaned and painted then swapped over bleeding the brakes is the only tricky job. Dave

Morning Ollie Welcome to the Forum Just had a quick look at www'realoem.com a BMW online parts list and the part numbers are the same pre and post LCI. A word of caution though you may need a lot of additional mounting clips and trim covers. Take a look at www.realoem.com there are exploded drawings which will give some clues, also you may find fitting help at www.newtis.info this is a BMW technical information site Good Luck Dave

Morning Damian That will please the kids!!! I don't have experience of Xtrons but I do recall a Clarion unit that had a wire that needed to be connected to the handbrake switch if it wasn't it showed the warning you have if it was earthed you could watch TV/DVD on the move. Not that you would of course Dave

Morning Nick Welcome to the Forum Have a look at www.realoem.com put the last 7 digits of the cars Vin into the search box it will bring up your model. Then search the relevant section for what you need it will give you a partnumber. Use the part number to search Google for a source then you should find it will fit. Try Euro Car Parts they have some good discounts at the moment Dave

Morning Adrian All cars reach an age where OEM Parts (BMW) and their often exorbitant pricing (someone has to pay for the "free" coffee while you wait) becomes uneconomic. The answer is all Marques including BMW do not make their own components such as alternators, starter motors, aircon compressors, switch gear, sensors, audio equipment, suspension parts and bushes the list is endless. Yes BMW specify the functionality and duty cycle but they buy parts in from several sources for each part to ensure continuity of supply and because they specify that their logo and part number on them or the box we pay, oh do we pay (not just BMW). There are many many component manufacturers who supply original parts to all manufacturers but also supply the aftermarket as well, basically same part but no part number logo or expensive box. Remember Tom Hanks speech in Apollo 13 just before launch he says something like " here we are sat on top of $50m worth of equipment all supplied by the lowest bidder" makes you think. Delphi are a world wide supplier so their stuff is well recognized in the motor trade. I have used Delphi stuff in the past with no issues but not on the BMW, the last time was our sons abused Toyota Pickup pressure sensors and lift pump. So unless you are obsessed with originality in your restoration (always admired but at a cost) or whether you are happy with a solid usable classic is a question only you can answer. Me I would have a usable classic every day. My own E53 4.6is is getting there, just over 800 were registered in the UK just under 400 left. I use it every day, it tows a horse trailer and is used off road in the shooting season. I have completely rebuilt the suspension all with "non original" bushes and parts at a fraction of the OEM cost. I have fitted several "non OEM" engine parts such as Throttle body, aircon compressor Vanos solenoids with no ill effects on the car but several significant benefits to my wallet. This year I need to sort the paint work (it is 17 years old) and sadly there isn't any way you can save money there unless you own a body shop. Dave

Hi Rob Here are the solutions that I found from searching. Someone else has suffered what you are suffering 1) 2008 models and before actually have key lock on the trunk - it's hidden above the license plate frame. 2) Some models have a trunk pass through which would allow access through which you could pull the manual release within the trunk using a coat hangar or something. 3) You can apply power to the car from the engine area -there's a big red + and a ground point nearby. Once power is on the car just push the trunk release in the driver's footwell. This is almost certain to work for most everyone. I'm not sure why it didn't work for me, but I'm guessing it has something to do with the fact that the battery was completely removed and the cable were lying loose. That was strike three - I felt like I was out. 4) The only solution that worked for me was to run down the wiring diagrams and locate the "central locking drive, trunk lid" that's the solonoid that actually releases the trunk. Most of the effort was getting the information - the job itself was actually pretty easy. Here it is: a) Take out the two torx screws just below the glovebox on the left and right to remove the panel below the glovebox. Disconnect the power socket and the light which are attached to the panel. b) Below the fusebox there is a big flat horizontal junction box (Junction Box A4010). You can spot it easily because there are two big connectors going into it facing you. There is a flat wide connector plugging into the BACKSIDE of this same junction box. There are about a dozen small wires going into it and one big brown ground. This is the one you need to get to. (Connector X14270) Ideally, you'd want to disconnect this, but I could not manage to get it out from that position. c) Identify the small wire which is gray with a stripe of green (it looks mostly gray). If you get the connector out, this is pin 12. It's the only grey/green wire in the bunch though. d) You need to very briefly apply 12 volts to this lead to pop the trunk. I did it the ugly way - I very carefully razored off some of the insulation to expose it. Then I just attached some leads to my new battery. I stuck the ground lead into brown wire connector for the power socket I had disconnected when I removed the glove box panel. Then I just brushed the positive lead against the exposed pin 12 wire. The trunk popped instantly. Hope this helps Dave

Hi Adrian Welcome to the Forum Start us off with the easy questions Eh ??? Delphi manufacture many equivalent parts at sensible cost, try Euro Car Parts as you have the part number even the well known Auction site may help. Don't know if you are aware of www.realoem.com its an online BMW parts list put the last 7 digits of your Vin into the search box it will bring up your model. You should be able to get part numbers for panels then Google is your friend, Ebay Euro Car Parts etc. The Americans loved the Z3 so you may find panels there, here it may be pattern parts or may be panels from BMW Specialist Recycler's I have used Quarry Motors before and found them really helpful. Dave PS. just had a quick look on Ebay Delfi sensors are about £30

Morning Rob We have all sat on that step ?? Couple of questions, 1. can you open the drivers door with the key? 2. Open the bonnet? If you can then in the engine bay are the jump start/charge points, jump leads from your charged battery to those points will let you operate the boot release internally or from your key. Be ready with your key as the alarm may trigger. Once the boot is open replace the battery as normal Dave

Hi Anthony 2 web site that should help, www.realoem.com a BMW parts website put the last 7 digits of your vin into the search box, it will bring up your model then search the relevant section there will be some small exploded drawings it will also give part numbers and an indicative cost in US dollars. The part numbers are useful to make sure your buying the right part. www.newtis.info this one is a BMW technical information site, this information is the same as BMW Dealers use for service and repair. As a clue the sounder on my E53 X5 is under the dash in the drivers footwell. Dave

Morning Oneel I would think that there will be some discounts available for the parts in the current climate. I would guess £150 to £300 depending if you buy just springs or springs and shocks, personally I would spend a bit more and do springs and shocks my thinking being if your in there it wont take much longer and you know its all new. As for fitting, if you are using a Garage cost will vary due to labour rates around the country for example my local Indy is around £50 p/h my BMW Specialist £65 p/h my BMW Dealer £200+. So if I were doing this at home I would estimate about 4 hours work obviously make sure you have the necessary tools to hand (in my case a younger bendier son or two is a great help) Good Luck remember before and after pics Dave

Morning Anthony Welcome to the Forum Simple things unplug each sensor and spray the connector with electrical contact cleaner (not WD40) do the same with the sounder. If that doesn't cure t then you need the codes read to point you in the right place. From your description it could well be the sounder but a read of the fault codes will confirm it. Dave PS> Take a look at www.newtix.info for more help it is a BMW Technical Information site the same information that dealers use.