Greydog

My wife's renewal earlier this year was with the Admiral (she has been with them for years) and although they had an increase it was £70 mine comes in next month that will be interesting

Hi Guys In 2001 BMW stopped using a "soft" adhesive to seal the lenses on Headlamps, you used to be able to use a heat gun to soften it and prize them apart. I fitted "angel eyes to many E53's and 3 series up until then, After October that year it was a Dremel used very carefully and a Hot glue gun to seal them up again. With the condensation a friends Jag XF was suffering after a lot of Head scratching and to avoid Jaguars suggestion "fit new Lamp Units £££ (all dealers are the same) We got some small bags of Silica Gel removed the lamp units from the car and removed the bulbs and holders, then a heat gun was used to dry them out as much as we could then a soft cloth on the end of a Bike brake cable outer we cleaned the inside of the lens as best we could. A small bag of Silica Gel was attached to a piece of fine wire (Fuse wire in this case) and lowered just inside through the bulb access hole formed and trapped there by the Bulb Holder and bulb when in operation they cant be seen and he 'had condensation problems since Worth a go Dave

Hi John Sadly they seem to reward "New" customers with sometimes great offers but don't make any attempt a retaining loyal customers ?? You would think that one of their "clever" marketing people would work out retaining customers is often cheaper than having to find new ones all the time. Good Luck hope you enjoy the 635 Dave

Morning Mark Welcome to the Forum Check www.realoem.com it is a BMW parts list put the last 7 digits of your Vin into the search box it will call up your model, then search the Exhaust section I believe they are available in Black Chrome not sure about Carbon but once you have the correct part number even a search of the After market will be easier as the supplier will know the correct fitment (or should) Good Luck Dave

Morning Steve Welcome to the Forum There are a number of things (1) Do you have the Android Auto app on your screen and phone? (2) I believe the first connection needs a wired connection? Good Luck Dave

Morning Paul Welcome to the Forum The gearbox is ZF their service intervals are between 60k and 100k dependent on Climate/Use. Google ZF service centres and specialists cost is normally similar to an engine service Good Luck and Enjoy Dave

Morning Joseph The cable is fairly easy to change but before you do check the the bonnet catches are properly lubricated and working as they should. Dave

Morning John Welcome to the Forum One word "Greed" my insurers last year tried to tell me it was because of Brexit ?? Covid ?? and the rising cost of repairs ?? (we are in the same age group with similar history) Time to get the Meerkat working and all the other comparison sites Good luck Dave

Morning Murphy If the Turbo is spinning up with no noise vibration or smoke, no oil leaks changing out the actuator may work Good Luck Dave

Hi Murphy Welcome to the Forum While Diagnostics are an immense help they only tell part of the story I would delete all codes then run the Diagnostic again to see what comes back. At 175k (you don't say what the service history is) I would not be surprised if the turbo and turbo actuator were getting really tired. A rebuilt Turbo and actuator plus either a thorough clean of the EGR system would work wonders I should think. Sensors can be tested and or replaced if needed If your not a fan of DIY then you need a conversation with your Mechanic to work out the most economical route Good Luck Dave

Hi Niall Welcome to the Forum As your car should smooth and quiet some things to try in order to narrow down where the noise is coming from First is it quiet and smooth when stationary engine running, if engine revs are increased is it still quiet and smooth. If it is then that rules out belts tensioners or pulleys. Last make sure nothing is touching the engine fan Next drivers wheel off and check for any loose under guards . While the wheel is off check the back plate and calliper are the pads loose/rattling. Fiddly but check at the back of the hub that nothing is caught in the reluctor ring, last spin the disc by hand and listen for any noises from the wheel bearing Good Luck tracking it down Dave

Morning Rob 1st The temperature sender in the water pump housing is dual purpose it sends a signal to the DME which interprets that for both Oil Temp and Water Temp I would change it when changing the Thermostat If the Aux Water Pump isn't recirculating coolant, (1) is the Coolant level correct (2) You can hear the Aux Pump running but it doesn't seem to be moving coolant so check the Coolant valve on the nearside inner wing (not uncommon for these o fail) Is the noise the Vacuum pump (constant) or the Emissions air pump stops after a short while? If all sensors are operating as they should there could be a problem with the cluster it is better to repair the original if you can there are a few companies who do it ECU Testing or Cartronix come to mind. Good luck Dave

Morning Kev Welcome to the Forum If you drop down a gear or two to increase revs what happens? When was the car last serviced ? A misfire could be Coil Pack failing Plug failing a vacuum or air leak on the inlet, I would start with a diagnostic scan and go from there. Dave

Morning Dave Welcome to the Forum Very pretty You should find the service history in the iDrive/Connected Drive or a good BMW Dealer should be able to help (they may well charge) They will need proof of ownership and your Vin With your car only covering 27k and extended service intervals now common place it may be it has only had it's PDI As for Warranty talk to BMW service if your car has a BMW history they should offer an extended warranty (not cheap but comprehensive) If they can't help then search the open market. ENJOY your Beemer Dave

Morning Leena Welcome to the Forum Have you talked to BMW UK ? Certainly if the car has gone through 2 services at a BMW Dealer and they didn't fix the issue !! I would also contact Rogue Traders Dave

Hi Paul Well 1 down main prop shaft and centre bearing to check next also diff mounting bush in case the diff is moving under load. The air suspension takes up any slack in bushes which makes finding worn stuff harder Great teachers these cars 🤣 like they say every days a school day Good luck Dave

Hi Rob Welcome to the Forum BMW use 2 sources for signals to the temperature gauge which uses an average from the 2 First is the Temperature sender in the water pump housing (and yes change the Thermostat while your there) the second temperature sender is in the Lower Radiator hose. The lower one also provides signal for the Fan, normal operating temp should be between 75C and 115C (the needle in the middle of the gauge) I have an infra red thermometer and measure at the top hose Running the V8's to hot can cause all sorts of issues non of them are cheap to fix, the fact that your heater is blowing cold would lead me to check the level and quickly low coolant is a likely cause as is an air lock. Remember your trans cooler and engine oil cooler are linked to the Rad. If topping up get the correct coolant and dont use just water. Good Luck hope you catch it before any damage occurs Dave

Morning Paul Welcome to the Forum I would check the rear brake back plate I have seen this twice now both time s on E70's of the 2007/8 period To change it is a heap of work (hub dismantled) as the back plate is sandwiched between the brake shoe support plate and the Suspension hub I have cheated and once the disc is off remove the bolts holding the brake back plate and shoe support so it is all loose. Then I managed to change one by cutting it in half to get it off the new one I cut out the section where the Calliper sits then sliding it into place. The Brake shoe support plate and Back Plate are held in place by 4 m6 hex bolts. Still a faff but doable Dave PS. When your in there check all the area in case it is a heat shield loos or something on the driveshaft

Morning Ian In realoem double click the part number and it should show a list of all models that it was used in/on It will also show any alternate part numbers Fingers crossed Dave

Hi Ian Shame it didn't help I think with BMW it has less to do with cost and far more to do with control. I am told that some of the newer models (such as yours) have to be connected to the Dealers diagnostics which in turn are linked to Munich even Dealers have to book a slot. It may be interesting when the USA market challenge "restricted access" it's almost undoubtable they will Good Luck with the hunt Dave

Morning Jack Welcome to the Forum Not good news and although you aren't seeing visible signs, low oil pressure will over time start to reduce oil feed to probably the upper parts of the engine. As your garage found evidence of chain guide wear/brake up it needs investigation. I would start with simple stuff Check/change the Oil Pressure switch just in case it is that simple. The next bit involves dropping the sump to check the Oil Pick up pipe (I have seen one with a split "O" ring seal that gave similar symptoms to yours (flickering oi light at tick over) If the sump is off clean it out and I would change the oil pump tensioner and guide. Hope this is helpful Dave

Morning Ian Welcome to the Forum BMW had a Parts Number website and a Technical Information website which for folks like us and independent Garages was a great help as we could find correct part numbers and see what was involved in fitting them. Then in 2019 BMW decided to take down the Technical Information Site and make it Dealer access only the parts website they haven't taken down but the also haven't updated it since 2019 ??? Hey Ho Having said that www.realoem.com is still a massive help I just had a quick look (manual search) and have a part number 51477271174. You can check for yourself Google realoem then either try your Vin in the search box (may not be recognised as the site stops at 2019) or as I did search manually I used F45 Active tourer and searched the Trim section if you double click the Part number you will see a list of other models that it fits or you could use. Then as BMW have been so helpful ?? Look for the best price, don't ignore the local Dealer they are sometimes competitive on price I hope this helps Dave

Morning Sam Welcome to the Forum From what I have read the warranty extension on the part is because replacement parts deliveries are so restricted, delayed. I guess BMW have to consider manufacture of cars as well as recall/replacement of faulted parts All a bit of a mess really and poor communication doesn't improve things maybe Angela Ripon's show can help Good Luck Dave

Morning Connah If they are listed in www.realoem.com then you should be able to get them. If not then it is a search of the after market I don't remember seeing them separate (doesn't mean they are not out there) Good Hunting Dave

Morning Paul A wheel bearing normally protests under load when driving (groaning rumbling worse when cornering) CV Joint clicking sound, have you checked the condition of the CV Boots ? As an X5 pilot what condition are the tyres ? Have any or all been changed recently ? If the tyres (even 1) are out of spec Transfer case damage or diff damage can be caused (gives similar symptoms to those you seem to have Dave