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Just a quick update. Managed to find a second hand front passenger seat in the correct trim. 1o mins to remove ols seat, 10 mins to fit replacement. No Airbag light issues, and seat belt indicator system, working as expected. 😃🤘 Thanks Guys for you suggestions.

Hi guys, turned out it was the 'Idler Pulley' in the belt. Local autoshop figured it out. $100 repair. Thanks again for your help, appreciated! Norm.

Lol… @Greydog just pops out and strips two cars … I managed to find a matching pair of socks! success all round!

Morning All The X5 is back on the road front calipers changed so no more binding brakes As the sun was out I also fitted new front bushes and rear drop links to my wifes Subaru Outback must be the warm weather 😅😅 This morning I feel like an Old Bloke who spent yesterday rolling around on the garage floor 🤣 🤣 Now cut the grass hedges and tidy the garden Dave

Hi Andrew Welcome to the Forum First the Dealer is a business and will try to generate Profit where it can. If you are capable of changing Oil and Filters yourself do so and keep all reciepts as part of the cars History Spark Plugs these are normally mileage based for change or if of course showing signs of failing the same applies to coil packs Micro Filter and Air filter these items I change annually as the cost is so low If you are not into DIY then Google the Register of BMW Specialists these garages normally are BMW trained technicians with all the equipment to maintain your car but their hourly rates are often about half that of a Dealership (someone has to pay for the Free coffee) With the BMW Specialists many can register your service records held on the BMW servers and update them. When servicing my own cars annually I buy Mann Filters Air and oil (OEM suppliers)and Castrol Magnatec 5-30 oil which meets BMW LL04 standards cost is around £70. I carry out the work near to MOT time so I can check the car over. I have my own BMW Diagnostics allowing me to rest any service points and of course find and reset fauts Dave

Decided on reflection, that from these red flags and service history/MOT concerns, I'm not going ahead with the purchase. Thanks for the advice!

Hi Philip Welcome to the Forum If I recall the Power Steering Fluid was originally a Febi part not sure if it was the Green one to protct seals etc Try taking a look at www.realoem.com Classic section or even ask your Dealer Parts dept they do some good deals on older models Dave

Morning Mike Welcome to the Forum Sadly we do live in times where extra protection is needed The good old Stop Lock is an excellent visual deterent. Whether the investment in a ghost immobiliser as well is worth the money no one can say untill it is needed. Personally the Stop Lock would be my choice (I use one when we are away from home) Dave

Hi Dave, It appears that my Ista+ was out of date and the idrive(ecu) software in the vehicle is running the 2018 version, therefore, reading the vehicle with the up to date remote ista from the dealership shows there is nothing wrong with the car. It's already booked for a software update with the 2025 version Thanks!

Stu, this is tremendously helpful, can't thank you enough. I've ordered the unit from AZ. I'll update you on the results. Thank you. Norm.

Morning Stu Ouch!! Fuel pressure check would be my starting place. From memory (old and dodgy) should be around 50psi any thing lower will give the symptoms your getting If I remember Pelican Parts did some great write ups on Fuel delivery and pressure plus stuff on injector testing worth a look at their site I have been told it only hurts when you laugh 🤣 Get well soon Matey Dave

Thanks Dave, the original map company don’t have a clue what could’ve happened as the garage shouldn’t have been able to do anything. I’ve got it booked in tomorrow somewhere else to take ECU out, see if the map is still there/gone dormant and remap if needed. I’ve just done a 500mile round trip fishing at the weekend to wales so I know for certain it’s not driving as it was and the fuel consumption for this journey I do 2-3 times a years has gone up as well as the car being lethargic. As for the headlamp washers…thanks, I’ll get new ones fitted.

🤣 They may have their own Whats App Group 🤣🤣 scary who knows with AI Guess that means we are in trouble Dave

I know that feeling Dave, same thing after rolling out from under my Z3 at the weekend and the realisation that I'm not 21 anymore 🙂

is the new battery coded to the car? Does the car try to start or does it click once? If it clicks once, check the starter motor.

Hi all, I hope you are all well! I thought I’d let others know about my positive experience I had with Precision drive near Southend airport. I was recommended by a friend, who had his E90 updated a while ago. I had messaged Chris at precision drive about getting my F36 updated & addition of CarPlay. He replied with the cost & answered any queries I had. Dropped off car & left it with him. I got a call after 1.5hrs to say the whole car had been updated but there was an issue whilst installing CarPlay (he doesn’t yet have dedicated broadband at his workshop, phone tethering wasn’t sufficient) He has kindly offered to come to my house & apply the CarPlay at a later date. It turns out that my cars never had any software updates applied since new! Instantly I noticed the shifts were smoother & engine was quieter. Should anyone else require their cars updating give Chris a message/call (search Precision Drive) I paid £120 for whole vehicle update, £60 to be paid at a later date for CarPlay activation.

Well all done. If you need to do this you need an extractor to get the injectors out I made my own. Welded an M14 wheel nut to an M12 nut so I could use my Slide hammer 1 2 and 3 popped out really easily 4 5 and 6 no way? Then I talked to a Truck and Plant mechanic he told me they use an air driven vibrating tool to get injectors out. Back home and with the help of one of my sons and an SDS hammer drill with a blunt chisel attachment against the underside of the Slide hammer and it worked. It took the best part of Saturday to get the last 3 out but out they came. All back together battery fully charged plugged in the diagnostics and cleared fault memory then reset the Injector adaptions, then 30 seconds of cranking and she burst into life Dave

OK, so had the stethoscope test done and yes, water pump had gone. Not a bad life to be fair, 97K mls. New one installed and also had the belt changed as well. Onwards.......

Hi Daniel The only electrical connection is the under handle LED on the outside door handle. The door handle has a Bowden cable that connects it to the actuator, the actuator has electrical connections to communicate with the cars control system the actuator is bolted inside the door, the inside door handle is also connected to the actuator by a second Bowden cable To work on it you will have to take off the inner door card then carefully peel away the water membrane. Once the actuator is exposed you can get your hand behind it and unhook the Bowden cable then remove the outer handle and unhook the other end of the cable. Fitting the new cable is obviously the reverse Dave

Hi Ken It shouldn't be possible to fit an OEM or OEM style replacement wrongly as the joins are 3 bolt flanges. So my guess would be either it is an After Market exhaust or a support hanger is broken/missing If you are not aware take a look at www.realoem.com its an online BMW parts list, go to the Classic section then the model your considering check the exhaust section which will show both front and rear parts are fitted and supported. Dave

Thanks Paul I will trawl my notes and contacts to see if I can get any information for you Dave

Hi Shaun Welcome to the Forum I have read several times about this problem though not seen/suffered one myself From what I read the only solution is change the unit two choices, first BMW I have read £1k+ quotes and long wait times for parts. Second choice a used replacement first use www.realoem.com put the last 7 digits of your Vin into the search box it will call up your model get the Part Number for your car, double click the part number and it should show a list of any alternatives if they are available. Then Google to find the part and check prices Apparently it isn't a major issue to swap a DIY job then get your Mech friend to clear and reset codes Good luck Dave

My 2019 BMW 2 series GT 220d gearbox has gone on 60k miles. Getting it refurbished at present and costing around £4k. BMW absolute scum

Best wishes and here is hoping you all have prosperous 2025

Happy new year sir! thank you for your wisdom and knowledge throughout the year. enjoy a beer or two

Took it out yesterday and then shopping last night 4x20 mile runs and the car didn’t miss a beat. Still a few little nigly bits to sort, but hopefully the limp mode issue is solved! got a long run next week when I go on holiday so we shall see if I end up coming home via the RAC or not… now to fill it with more petrol!

Another year coming to a close 😁 Wishing everyonea Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Hoping nothing wears out or drops off and the same goes for your cars Dave

According to www.realoem.com the part is 06 Positive battery lead 1 61126929715 Looking at the drawing it connects between the power lead right connection in your Photo and the main power distribution on top of the battery arrowed in your photo Dave

Morning Darren Welcome to the Forum To be fair we don't see to many Mini questions which actually points to them being pretty reliable Get a good BMW/Mini capable Diagnostic reader they are well worth it BMW INPA/ISTA is best obviously as it gives dealer level access plus Workshop Information and many other functions. There are several alternatives these days iCarsoft, Autoligic, Foxwell are a few others www.realoem.com is an online Parts List if you enter the last seven digits of your Vin into the search box it will call up your model then search the sections for what you need. Having the correct part number means what ever you buy will fit (obviously) but also allows a good search for best prices. There is also a Register of BMW Specialists in case a Garage is needed and a Register of BMW Specialist recyclers Normal buying rules apply Condition, History, History and History make sure everything works I mean everything if all good then I hope you enjoy your Mini Dave

As BMW themselves produced a 116i 2.0ltr version parts shouldn't be to hard to track down use realoem get a list and see if finacially it's viable There is always the old syaing by Carol Shelby when a guy asked him how fast a Shelby Cobra was, His answer, "speed costs money son how fast can you afford to go" Remember back in the 70's Brabham Racing were using BMW 1.5 ltr engines in their F1 cars two turbos (1 big and 1 very big) 900/1000hp in race trim 1200hp for qualifying. The engines were standard blocks selected customers ran them on the road to get heat cycles into the blocks. Customer engines were swapped and the blocks went to Brabham.

As an after thought just checked my rear sensor it had been dislodged and set back so was seeing th bumper edge as a hazard, Dohhh So check they are all sitting right Dave

Here you go Stu don't know if this helps or not You can see the Front sensors working the rear sensor is acting up after I jet washed it Dave P1000915.MOV

Hi Dave, thanks for the insight! Guess I might need to rethink my Bimmer plans if walking and cabs are quick and easy. Those museums you suggested sound awesome! I was also thinking about how to get to the Colosseum, I'll probably end up being one of those 'darned tourists' myself! 😂 I read that it might be possible to skip the lines and get tickets by hiring some local guides. I'll look into https://gowithguide.com/Italy/rome/guides if they book tickets in bulk ahead of time.

Hi Dave. Yes,at last and hopefully it will stay dry. I have just had the car washed and dryed at a local hand wash - car wash and hopefully that will produce a good result for my pension money investment towards keeping the car !! As they say "Watch this space"😁

Yeah, the ice cream was definitely easier to clean up than that. But gotta love the smile on the little one 😂

Morning Stu She has it in for you 🤣 The job is really simple takes longer to uncover the throttle body than actually change it. 4 bolts hold it in place unplug it and don't drop the seal when you take it off. As an aside have you checked the Vac lines that connect to it's mount. If I remember take the covers off take the big elbow that goes to the Maff off 4 M6 bolts (I think) hold the Throttle body to the inlet manifold there is a seal between the manifold and the throttle body dont do my trick and drop it 🤣 Check realoem that may help Enjoy your Saturday Dave

The 2 torques holding it in are not tonight tight but I can here it sooki g from there,will have to pull everything back off again,the car goes fine the engine management light came on so checked hoses and one of the jubilee clips were loose and there was a gap,have sorted that hopefully light will stay off now

Morning John Welcome to the Forum You need a BMW capable Diagnostic reader most readers will only see the basic Engine management. Your fault could be Fuel Delivery, Fuel rail pressure, Fuel pump relay, Turbo Actuator the list of possible causes goes on Dave

Morning Steven As far as I am aware you need to change the complete assembly as I haven't heard or read of anyone servicing them. You could try companies like Cartronix or ECU Testing (Google should help find them) both have good Reputations As far as I know the butterfly is closed until energised, then open enough to allow idle settings Good Luck Dave

Update! turns out i was not being silly! the actual Uk part number is 51238402614. it is specific to RHD cars and not on the parts lists. ( bmw have it as 615 showing the LHD version, which is all people seem to stock. ) picking one up from my next local dealership this week for £25! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Thank you for info. Got my manual at https://repairmanualnow.com/product-category/cars/bmw/ and it looks good will post some screenshots later on.

Morning Alistair Welcome to the Forum Check your handbook and settings in the iDrive/infotainment system, check the media for any videos that may help with settings If all else fails try your dealer as your car is under Warranty if it isn't something you have done they should fix it Good Luck Dave

Cheers Dave, thanks a lot! They're in the UK, so time will tell on something such as Group Litigation that will take place. Besides all that negative, I love the E30. Great site, great to be here.

Mainly issues from sitting in a garage for a couple of years, flat battery but runs beautifully once charged. Failed on two tyres which were at the end of their life two years ago, brakes sticking in caliper carrier so removed, cleaned up, lubed and refitted with a brake fluid change. Cleaned up headlamps and needed realigning.....jobs a good one and less than £50 in parts

Hi just thought I'd update my listing all my problems listed in this and in the pictures was due to an intermittent alternator regulator issue (over voltage) Cheers

Morning Jamie Welcome to the Forum As you have had a few "practice" models the E53 will be a doddle 😂🤣 All E53's feel heavy on the steering my wife won't drive the X5's unless it is essential (can be a bonus) Enjoy your new hobby Dave

Morning Veigar Welcome to the Forum The box in your car should be 5 speed ZF A5S440Z it may be cheaper to service/repair the box than look for a replacement. When was the box last serviced? ZF advise service every 60 to 100k (kilometres) If you were thinking of an upgrade there is a lot of work including ECU matching Good Luck Dave

Top Man thanks for the close out to the post

Hello Dave, I though to buy a used steering wheel but they are usually in quite bad shape, especially the leather. Mine is mint. And BMW made me change my mind with a new one.... I already cleaned and greased but, unfortunately, no result. I was thinking to restore the connection with the metal base by adding/soldering copper little strips over the old or just remove the old copper plated points (and see what is below🤔) and add (soldering) new ones. At the end of the story, they are not working anyhow......I cannot do big damage🤣🤣🤣🤣 Keep posted, thanks for helping Andrea

I go with Dodo or Zaino.