Greydog

Morning Where are you going to mount the compressor up front under the bonnet or in the back? Where ever it is I think I would take a feed with an appropriate in-line fuse direct from the battery (in the boot or the jumpstart point under the bonnet) through a 30/40amp relay to the compressor. I would switch the relay from an ignition controlled source such as the radio in the boot or heater fans upfront. I know what you mean about the "meandering masses" we keep the horses at a yard that is accessed by a 3/4 mile "Private" single track road. Since the first lock down and because it is paved the meanderers with there dogs and children have adopted it as they can wander up and down and not get their white trainers dirty !! Explaining that the road is "Private" and not a public right of way can earn you some serious abuse and often the men are as bad ??🤣 One group of mountain bikers have broken down a fence to access a local forest where they have dug jumps and rams. I have repaired the fence several times but they somehow think they have a right to do what they like one of the girls at the yard challenged them and was told **** Off we aren't doing any harm !! Maybe a minor heart attack when the Gatwick Express sneaks up on them would work and be damn funny to watch Dave

Hi Tony That's different !! a Train Horn !! I thought the rear sockets were live until the car goes to sleep You could take a switched feed from the rear fuse box to control a relay as the main power source for your BEEE BAHHH horn God thats going to be loud Dave

Hi Hubss Welcome to the Forum Not sure which Brembo calliper but you could take a look at www.realoem.com I know the BMW Msport 135M used 340mm discs up front and the Msport Callipers are 4 pot Remember if you upgrade the calliper you will need more clearance with the wheel 18" would probably be smallest and the offset would need to clear the calliper' I would look at realoem get the part numbers for the Msport stuff then use Google to see if you can get them at a good price. A friend of one of our sons has a 120d 2006 he managed to find a full set Front and Rear discs, callipers (in Blue) and pads for a sensible £800. The big plus was being Msport parts they all fitted without pain, he was already on 19" wheels. Dave Forgot to say when you look at realoem for the part numbers if you double click the partnumber it will call up a list of alternates and the models they are used on

Morning Jack Ooops I would definitely back track over everything you have done plus check the fuses. Just hope your short circuit hasn't damaged sensors or the control module First disconnect the wind deflector (you know the connections now) If the hood works then you will know for certain that it isn't a disturbed or damaged sensor. Then reconnect the wind deflector if it all works time for a beer and a pat on the back. If not then time to get out the tester and the diagnostic scanner if the crossed wires triggered a fault in the control module it may need the fault clearing and resetting before anything works. Dave

Hi Aldis Welcome to the Forum I was under the impression that the flaps in the radiator shrouds around the Auxiliary Fan (Front) and Engine or Electric fan (Engine bay) are just hinged and open with air flow when the car is moving. If you have Auxiliary heating there should be another small rad in the Wheel arch. Dave

Morning Kenny Glad it helps There used to be a BMW TIS site available that ran alongside realoem which was a massive help to guys like us. Both sites are USA based (due to the access/competition laws I believe) but BMW found away to pull the TIS site and make it subscription only!! Hope things go smoother now Dave

Hi Phil 57/58 MPG 😲 your asking a man with a V8 if that's good !! How about 18 mpg but Oh what a glorious sound 😂 I would say your doing OK if you were on a motorway journey it would be about 10% higher I would guess Dave

Morning Kenny No I had missed the cut wire I was searching for part numbers 😕 My neighbour sent me the attached PDF which is direct from the dealer work shop manual so get another beer and your reading glasses ready 🤣BMW Wiring Lights E60.pdf This is the Dealer workshop instructions for upgrading Pre-LCI to LCI lights. as you will expect it has many warnings (in case numpty's like us get our hands on them) A quick look at the wiring diagram shows the White with Black trace wire attached it also appears left side is White Black trace (WS/SW) and Right should be White Red trace (WS/RT). Who tried the upgrade initially came from the Jeremy Clarkson mechanics school "I mean how hard can it be" ?? If all the basics make sense and meet up with these pages getting the car to recognise the upgrade should be straight forward Hope this helps Dave

Hi Tony If you aren't aware www.realoem.com is an Online BMW Parts List just put the last 7 digits of your Vin into the search box and it will bring up your model check the rear axel section and you will have an exploded drawing with all parts and parts numbers There were very limited Poly Bush options for the X5 when I did mine, literally Sub Frame Bushes Front Brake reaction arms and the Inner swing arms much more available now. As for making stuff it saves me being dragged into all the other jobs the "Chancellor" has on the "when your not busy list" like fitting the new stable door this weekend. Since I retired the last time I don't know how I fitted work in ??? 😂 Much more fun tinkering in the garage 👍 Dave

Morning Kenny Just had a quick look at realoem, there is a light set (Outer and Bulb holder) that fall into the date range you have for manufacture that are non exchangeable with the OEM fittings. So looking at the BMW part number on the bulb holder it is (last 6 digits) 177701 (left) 177702 (right) they are the ones marked non-exchangeable. I just checked TIS to see if I could find a reason for them not being exchangeable but cant find any bulletins, strangely BMW make the adapter harness so I assume they were produced for a specific market with lighting restrictions we are not aware of ??? perhaps lower resistance ?? My next door neighbour is pretty high up in BMW I will ask him if there are any internal bulletins that would help? I wonder if lust a change of lamp holder is possible ? Or if your unit should have LED lamps fitted ? The LCM is in the passenger footwell as you say, but I think you can only turn off bulb checks, not sure if you turn them off in the LM or through the IKE (X5 is IKE) OK just got some information which looks a bit of a faff so grab a beer your reading glasses and a comfy seat. This comes from a guy who made the change on his 06 530d The coding first as this will make more sense when I discuss the pin swapping on the retrofit harness. This assumes you are familiar with NCSEXPERT also, again there are plenty of guides on this. In the LM2, you need to change: KALTUEBERWACHUNG_BLK_H_L from aktiv to nicht_aktiv KALTUEBERWACHUNG_BLK_H_R from aktiv to nicht_aktiv WARMUEBERWACHUNG_BLK_H_L from aktiv to nicht_aktiv KALTUEBERWACHUNG_BLK_H_R from aktiv to nicht_aktiv FEHLERMELDUNG_CC_BLK_H_L from aktiv to nicht_aktiv FEHLERMELDUNG_CC_BLK_H_R from aktiv to nicht_aktiv all of the above are in relation to the LED indicators and this tells the LM2 to not carry out cold or warm bulb checks and not report any check control messages in due course. Lastly, you need to change: PWM_ANSTEURUNG_BL from wert_05 to wert_02 and wert_04 This disables the brake light being used as a side light (I will explain this shortly). Essentially it changes the voltage output from 6.598v to 0v PWM_ANSTEUERUNG_RL_33 from wert_05 to wert_04 This increases the tail light voltage from the default 6.598v to 100% (around 13.8v) PWM_AN_NSL_SL from wert_02 and wert_03 to wert_01 This disables the fog light from being used as a side light by reducing the voltage from the default 4.699v to 0v We have to disable the fog light and brake light as side lights as we have increased the voltage on the side light to 100% therefore you wouldn't be able to tell when pressing the brake or putting the rear fogs on as the brightness wouldn't change. The bulb checks on the Pre-LCI as standard for the inner side lights are turned off by default so we don't need to edit the coding on these. The plan is to use the increased side light voltage to power the LED rods to match the OEM LCI lights brightness. The brake light will be utilised in the fog assembly and the fog light will be placed where the brake light was before (the outer light). The inner side light will no longer be powered as that is what we are using. This gives us the Ricky brake effect. In order to achieve this the following pins need to be swapped on the retrofit harness: Left hand side rear light Pin 1 = ground - OK Pin 2 = fog light - move to Pin 6 brake light Pin 3 = Reverse - OK Pin 4 = Side Light - OK (when you get the harness, this linked to Pin 7 on the LCI connector, this need to be moved on the LCI connector side to Pin 4 (LED rods) as we are no longer using the side bulbs Pin 5 = Indicator - OK Pin 6 = brake light - move to Pin 2 Right hand side rear light Exactly the same as above but Pin 4 needs to be moved from Pin 7 on the LCI connector to Pin 2 on the LCI connector side (LED rods) And that's it!! Plug your lights in with 0 errors and give yourself a pat on the back as you have saved yourself £200+ on buying Bruce Miranda cables and you have a working solution with no need for resisters or relays etc. It took me a few attempts to get the coding right but hopefully this will help a few people who are interested in this upgrade. If you have welcome lights coded as well these will light up the LED rods now as well instead of the halogen lights which look a lot smarter. Just seems like a major pain in the backside as most LED lamps sold now have built in resistors I have LED front side lights LED number plate lights and LED third brake light with no warnings on the bulb check just a straight swap (well bit of soldering required with the third brake light) Dave

Morning Tony 🤣 I like that Best thing I did to the X5 was re-bush the suspension, I made all the bush removal/insertion tools myself with material scrounged from the scrap at a local engineering shop. Subframe bushes and inner swing arm bushes are now Poly Bushes, all the rest Meyle HD brought as a kit from the Bay. Ride improved, handling improved, tyre wear (inner rear) stopped. The most fiddly was the Diff mount bush but when done cured a slight vibration in the drive lines at 3k and above. Just remember AI was invented by someone who was born naturally stupid !! A skilled engineer doesn't need a computer, he knows instinctively what size hammer is needed Dave

Hi Kenny Check the lights where the bulb mount twists in any corrosion even a little can cause a hissy fit (common issue with the E53) I cleaned mine and rubbed a little conductive paste on (same as used to mount the chip in a computer around it no issues for 5 years. Loom adapter ? New one on me but as the old saying goes "Every day is a school day" check the earth connection though, odd ball thought could the extended length in the loom be the cause? Dave

Hi Tony Welcome to the Forum Seems your becoming a dab hand with the Beemer ENJOY Dave

Morning Kenny Considering what your learning about how your car has been chopped and hacked about that isn't a great surprise. Good news on the lights Front and rear for £210 sounds a really good price, just check the part numbers a good for your car (if you haven't already) also check whether the Control unit and Electronics unit (1 for each Headlamp) are there, they mount under the headlamp unit. The cars loom plugs into them then a short loom from them to the HID bulbs. If the units you are getting are Bi Xenon as long as the control unit and electronics box is right all should be OK. Remember double click the part numbers and you will get a list of part numbers that can be swapped without conflict. Disconnecting the battery for 30mins is a Dealer trick to reset everything maybe the seller had done that and not tightened things up ?? A scan for faults would tell you as even faults not present are held in the memory. Sounds like progress Dave

Hi BMW 118 Welcome to the Forum That sounds like a real result don't lose the Name of the Garage there may well be others needing it Dave

Morning Kenny Just Google inline resistors or Ebay them. If the rears you have are LED then the current they draw is less than half the standard lamps, when you turn on the car self tests and thinks the rear lamps have failed. The resistor fits in line in the power lead and fools the system. When looking for the replacement headlamp units try the specialist BMW Dismantlers, I have used Quarry Motors a few times over the years very helpful. Ask them for the loom plugs as well then if yours have been hacked a little time spent with a soldering iron will have it back to standard. Thats what I did with our sons friends RRS he had the same problem Chinese upgrade by the previous owner looked good would have been better if they didn't send the car into a hissy fit every time he turned the lights on. Dave

Morning Stuart Welcome to the Forum That looks good plus with no roof and some decent load straps you can stack loads of Grandchildren up in the back 🤣 Dave

Hi Kenny Yes you can use Carly though it is a subscription service (don't know the costs) The thinking was a scan would tell you more not turn off warnings. It was more to identify specific units causing the problems. The light types were (IIRC) Xenon dip beam Halogen Mains, then latter models Bi Xenon the Lamp Units can be set LHD or RHD on the unit on the Bi Xenon LCM/FCM unit is where it was switched at manufacture (dont quote me on this it may be my old head dreaming) To get back to standard what type of Light System did the Decoder list S522A or S524A that will tell us if they were Bi Xenon With luck the plank who did this adapted the plug on the lamps and not the loom if that is so then getting hold of replacement lamp units should cure the issues as for the rears it may be that it just needs inline resistors to smooth things out. The trick now is as X5 says is finding the sensible way forward that doesn't bend your wallet out of shape, any chance the seller would help? Dave

Hi George Welcome to the Forum Dave

Hi BMW Newb Welcome to the Forum First a few simple things, have you tried a forced reboot ? Press the CD and DVD Eject Buttons along with the Volume Button hold all 3 down for 5 secs the system should reboot The next is have the fuses all been checked ? Remove the CIC fuse for at least 15 secs this sometimes kick starts the system again If those don't work you could google BMW CIC repairers normally repairs are a fraction of the cost of replacement plus as the unit is already registered to your chassis you wont have the hassle of finding some one who can register a replacement to your chassis Good Luck hope it's the simple stuff Dave

Hi Bactongas Welcome to the Forum Are you looking for a complete mirror assembly ?? Or just the mirror cap ? And are your mirrors fold in or fixed ? I would check www.realoem.com put the last 7 digits of your Vin into the search box it will bring up your model, then look in the trim section for the part numbers you need as then when you buy you know it will fit. Then search Ebay or other sites for the best price for what you want, as for colour you can take off and paint the mirror caps on your surviving mirror and the drivers door replacement. Or get them painted if you don't fancy trying yourself. Dave

Morning Kenny I don't understand folks who spend good money to do an "upgrade" that makes it worse??? Use BMW Vin Decoder put your Vin number into the search box it will call up your cars build sheet. BMW use codes for equipment probably something like S522A (that would indicate Xenon I honestly thought all E60/61 and F15 builds came with Bi-Xenon not halogen. I have read a lot over the years of people trying to make the halo's brighter, not read anything about changing headlamps for aftermarket?? I have seen some bodges where headlamp units have been fitted that come from newer models (sorted a couple of Range Rovers for friends of our sons) It will be interesting to know what your car came with against what is there now. Do you have a BMW specific code reader? That would give us more information, a copy of INPA/ISTA or BMW 1.4.0 or i carsoft would cost about the same as a single diagnostic session at a Dealer. Plus going forward it will help a lot with knowing whats going on with your car. Dave

Hi Kenny Sounds a bit of a nightmare First stop if you are not already aware should be www.realoem.com it is an online BMW parts list. Put the last 7 digits of your Vin into the search box and it will bring up your model. Check the lighting section and find the part numbers for your car, if you double click the part number it will bring up a list of alternate models/types if they were available. I think it would only be E60/61 or may the LCI model which came in at the end of 2005 It is possible that someone has tried to upgrade to LED which if they don't have a diode in line will throw the lamp failure warnings. Just had a quick look at the listing for E60 which should come with Bi-Xenon lights as standard (you wont get much better) or Bi-Xenon Adaptive Part numbers are Bi-Xenon left 63127160195 right 63127160196 or Adaptive Bi-Xenon left 63127160151 right 63127160152 Looking at Realoem it seems some headlamp assemblies while from E60/61 models are not a direct exchange so the part numbers on your fitted units would help solve the issue if you can take some pics it may help Hope this helps Dave

Morning Ahsan Tyre types are chosen for many reasons, Cost, Looks, Grip, How long they last? For many just because "that was what it came with" Tyre profile has 2 effects (1) lower profile (side wall) tyres are stiffer offering less sideways movement so give better handling. Down side the ride can be harder, crashing over every imperfection on the road due to less compliance. (2) A higher profile sidewall tyre will be more compliant and help with ride comfort. Tyre ratings for economy run from A the highest to G the worst. I did read a report a couple of years ago that the difference between the best and worst was about 7.5% so if you get say 30mpg on an A rated tyre you will get around 28mpg with a G rated tyre. That is the theory but as said before the condition of Brakes, Suspension and the pressure in the tyres all have an effect. The same report also noted that 70% of cars sampled had at least 1 underinflated tyre which will undo any A rated choice. So your choice is fine, will look right and will give a good compromise between ride and handling, Tyre pressures should be checked regularly (I do mine weekly while checking oil and water) if you keep the tyre pressures correct you should give yourself the best chance of achieving good mpg and the best tyre life. To many car drivers today rely solely on the car to "tell them" if the oil is low, coolant is low, or tyres under inflated. Dave

Hi Ahsan If that is what you want that choice it will work fine As for consumption that depends on several things (1) the rolling résistance of the rubber compound the tyre is made from (2) Tyre pressures (3) Mechanical condition of the Suspension and brakes When choosing tyres you will see a consumption/fuel rating so look for the one with the best figure Dave