Greydog

Morning Peggy Welcome to the Forum 🤣🤣🤣 BMW Dealers have a twisted sense of humour don't they 🤣 Then they will tell you you should have a pair Take a look at www.realoem.com it is a BMW online parts list (same as the Dealers use) put the last 7 digits of your Vin number into the search box it will call up your model search the Light section for the part number for the Headlamp. Once you have it carry out an internet search you should find a replacement for about £200 upwards depending on source, any sensible home mechanic will be capable of changing them over Dave

Morning Aaron Check www.realoem.com put the last 7 digits of your Vin into the search box it will bring up your model. Then check the sections for what you need Dave

Morning Rudy Another thought in the UK there is an online list of BMW Dismantlers I have used Quarry Motors in Sheffield UK several times maybe an email exchange may help If you end up changing the LCM/FCM you may get a tamper dot against mileage don't worry it is a fairly simple fix Dave

Morning Robin Start with the basics check for any air/vacuum leaks check all engine bay connectors and looms are in good order. Make sure the battery is in good condition and fully charged. You have a Diagnostic tool now is your chance to learn how to use it, Use the internet to decipher Fault codes then apply some logic and you will get there Dave

Morning Steve There is a register of BMW Specialists you can find online so you should have one not to far away (Note doesn't mean they are not as anal as some dealers) The job is within the scope of any reasonable mechanic but is much easier with a ramp to use Good Luck with the hunt Dave

Morning Rudy Welcome to the Forum Not sure where you are in the world, if you are in the UK there are several repairers Try ECU Testing in Nottingham or Cartronix both have Websites Good luck Dave

Morning Robert Welcome to the Forum Sounds an interesting project I did read an article about swapping EPS into a normal power steering BMW a few years ago. From memory it was fairly painless just requiring some Vin registering (not real coding) to allow the rack to operate with full servotronic function I will try and find if there are any other information Good Luck Dave

Morning Paul I had not considered this before, the winter wheels for my E53 cover around 2k a year and are 4 years old I better check them. My wife's Subaru Outback covers a similar mileage to yourself it just (Oct) sailed through it's MOT with no comments/advisories, worth checking though That takes care of Sunday morning 😂 Dave

Morning Gavin Welcome to the Forum I have seen that Fault code before which is a power management code, in my instance triggered by a parasitic drain. The result was low battery voltage so check the battery voltage before start under the bonnet at the charging points. You should see at least 12.5v on a fully charged battery, anything less could indicate a failing battery or a parasitic drain. Engine running you should see 14+v at the same place An incorrect or unregistered battery can have it's life shortened by incorrect charging. If you have the kit to register the battery you should find it. Good Hunting Dave

Morning Larry OK tyres are good so one major cause of Transfer case issues out of the way. There are many more X3's running staggered wheel sets than you would imagine. Changing the gear set in the servo motor isn't a service unless, you had asked him to do that as well If the Transfer case was serviced you need to make sure the correct Fluid was used and levels are correct. Transfer case should on your car be ATC400 Fluid should be BMW TF 0870 1000ml You need someone with ZF or BMW capable software to carry out the service and recalibration Not trying to teach Granny to suck Eggs here just my experience Dave

First thing is get the bonnet open so you can sort issues As for diagnostics BMW ISTA/INPA is the best but you will need a laptop to mount it on. There are also i-Carsoft,Foxwell and Autologic that will work Dave

Afternoon Larry Welcome to the Forum If all he did was change the gearset there should have been no problems unless it needs recalibration What size wheels and tyres are you running ? Are the tyres fitted the correct sizes and wearing evenly? BMW's with staggered wheel sets (wider rear) need the front rear sets of tyres to be closely matched and preferably the same manufacturer BMW use (Star) marked tyres from nominated suppliers to avoid this problem Dave

Afternoon Adrian Welcome to the Forum The code you have can be a number of things so checking time 1. Is the Battery fully charged and in good order (low Voltage can trigger this) 2. A faulty ECM or connection to the ECM 3. ECM Harness has a fault some connection open or short to earth 4.ECM control module circuit has poor connection (check for corroded connectors or pins) 6. PCM my be the cause it may need replacing or re-flashing 7. Same process as above The fault is triggered when the cars self test systems check each module and the check sum is wrong Get the guy who reset the EWS to check if the PCM is OK as it clearly isn't communicating with the EWS and ECM resulting in Limp Mode Hope this helps not hinders Dave

Your not having much luck at the moment Demetrios. Do a search for BMW Specialists in your area normally they are about half the cost of BMW Dealers Dave

Morning Stu Could well be O2 sensors failing that is where I would start but normally they would throw an engine light. It needs a scan to be sure, could be just general accumulation of wear and tear. Things like MAF, engine EVAP system. Vacuum lines, Air leaks even a compression test Good Luck Dave

Morning Oh whoops, these places are cheap for a reason often using pattern part filters and low quality oils. Tighten the clamp do an oil and filter change using good quality parts (I use Mobil 1 and Mann Filters) and see how you go. If your Merc Mechanic uses Autolgic or Foxwell software he should be able to sort your Beemer. If not there is a Register of BMW specialists check online for the nearest to you Good Luck Dave

Morning Steve Welcome to the Forum Normally I would use 2 tools a small rubber plug and a 22mm spanner, make sure the engine is cool/cold. I have a rubber tapered plug (can't even remember where it came from) you can make one from a finger from a rubber glove with paper towel inside. Disconnect the sensor plug and loosen the sensor using the spanner, once loose you can unscrew it by hand. Coolant will leak out so quickly swap the sensor for the plug to minimise loss. I put a piece of towel below to catch the spill. Replacement is the reverse of removal when tightening the new sensor with the spanner don't over tighten. Wipe the area clean and check for any leaks remove the towel below check the coolant level and top up if required (Note. If you don't have correct coolant use distilled water not tap water). Run the engine up to temperature and make sure there are no leaks, Job Done Dave

hi Demetrios Welcome to the Forum Sounds like you need a Diagnostic scan and a full service Dave

Morning Peter No the spigot is the lip on the cars hub that the wheel locates onto which matches the centre hole in the wheel (or should) As I said BMW in their wisdom decided to change the size when the model changed from E53 to E70 Not sure if they did the same with the X3 as models changed E83 to F25 to GO1 The stud pattern PCD 120x5 remained the same across many models until the latest ones which I am told are different at 112x5 Dave

Hi Peter Just had a quick look at www.realoem Front wheels 8J x 20" ET 27 Tyres 245x45x20 Rear 9.5J x 20" ET 43 Tyres 275x40x20" if those are your sizes. If so then a set with 43 0ffset will fit front or rear, again realoem gives winter tyre size as 225x60x18" 104H or V The only other thing to check is the spigot mounting on the hub BMW usefully changed the spigot size on the X5's so E53 wheels don't fit the E70 I would check the size of the spigot/mounting lip on your car and get the vendor to check the diameter on the wheel just to be sure Dave Just read the add they are 17" wheels so may be to small to clear your brake calipers

Hi Neal Welcome to the Forum First suggestion get your car moved to a decent garage At a guess the FRM is toast and needs changing BMW will claim only they can do it which of course is rubbish you need to find an FRM unit with the same part number as yours then swap them. You will get a tamper dot beside the cars Mileage until you register the new FRM to your car/chassis a good garage who has a BMW friendly diagnostic scanner should be capable Dave

Morning Paul Welcome to the Forum The fans are designed to run after shut down if engine temp is high (high to the cars sensors won't necessarily trip warnings) If you can smell brakes put your hand near the wheel centre if you can feel heat something is binding. It certainly wont help your economy 😅 Dave

Morning Peter Welcome to the Forum I run 18" wheels and tyres on my E53 4.6is the standard set up is 20" Staggered the winter wheels are a square set up running Vredstien Wintrac Extreme 255x55x18. 18" rims are the smallest that clear the brakes on the 4.6 and although we haven't had snow in the sunny South for about 10 years we go each year into Germany and France visiting friends and skiing so they get plenty of use this is the 3rd set of tyres in 14 years. I have just brought a used set of 18" winter wheels and tyres for the E70 from that well known Auction site a bargain as they cost less than a new set of tyres and will last us a couple of seasons. You could check realoem.com put the last 7 digits of your Vin into the search box it will call up your model then search the relevant section Dave

Morning Stu 🤣🤣 That will teach you to go poking around under the floor 🤣 Now just respray the Caravan to match the car 😁 Enjoy your new weekend retreat Dave

Morning Paul Absolutely brilliant news If you had some snatching at low speed on lock or in reverse on lock it can be caused by miss matched tyres so check tyres and wear. Dave