Started the S62 guide job today. Much easier outside the car! Need to replace a VANOS board and some other small things. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Same here and I keep thinking about it. Basically want the M5 engine + gearbox in there, brakes too... For years E39 owners have been spoiled with the Dynavin head unit, a factory appearing nav that's properly modernized and works as well as a 2017 unit....It never fitted the E38 properly as needed to cut into the HVAC to make it fit (which to me defeated the whole purpose, the E38 is a proper luxury car so making the AC not functional is retarded). I found by chance the other day this unit: https://avinusa.com/avant-3-for-bmw-7-series-e38-android-multimedia-navigation-system.html Deletes the CD part (which is pointless these days, as few people use them anymore!). Looks great to me. (yes no affiliation and so on).
That Avin unit looks sweet. Assuming it all works would be significantly cheaper than retrofitting a newer BMW iDrive unit like this guy had done on his S62'd E38 (about $2500, installed): Image Unavailable, Please Login
That looks ridiculous lol. I like the stock E38 head unit and user interface. We had a '98 740iL with the old school phone and 4:3 monitor. I still prefer that BMW interface with the date and time at the bottom when you opened the doors and the very simple but elegant design. I don't like the Android or Apple carplay setups...they look cartoonish. What was the name of that aftermarket company that could sell you the TV tuner function on the E38 screens? Everything had a factory appearance and it just added the european TV function basically. Edit: bimmernav...haven't heard that name in forever.
Why are you selling it Drew? I thought you were in the market for one? I didn't know you found another already. I still have you in mind should I ever want to sell, I sure as hell want to right now LOL. (my mood changes day to day) WOW, 16k and already has the dash pixelation problem LOL. Stupid. That was one of the first things I fixed on the car when I bought it and began sorting. That's a sweet ride but a terrible deal if you're looking to drive it. That car is going to have 10 grand plus worth of work ahead of it in the next 5 years GUARANTEED. So the total cost will be forty, yikes. Anyhow I've been on a nice little roller coaster ride with mine these past 6 months. After completely replacing all of the cooling system components about 2 years ago including upgrading to the aluminum radiator, expansion tank, thermostat, waterpump, etc. I began to of course get the "check coolant" woes again. Unbelievable. So I begin digging and guess what? The HCV valve in the car can ALSO leak coolant! Hehe. So I order the rebuild kit, knocked it out yesterday and sure enough, I still have a dodgy coolant needle and check coolant lights! I figured I must have been bleeding it improperly but my mechanic looked it over and said all is well and that the cooling fan clutch was bad. So another 300 dollars and we'll see what's what. Oh, and I also had to replace a rear wheel bearing a few weeks ago that was screaming loud. So all told I'm in march and I'm already up to my bring on another thousand program for my E38. I really do despise this hunk of crap. But it drives performs, and acts with such grace. And add on the looks to kill and it just keeps me in check somehow. One thing is certain, it will be my last BMW. I love the car, but never again. They truly are utter pieces of crap when it comes to build quality. Worst and least dependable car I've ever owned. Always wanted a Z3M, E36 and E46 M3 and E39 M5 but no way, not after all of this LOL. I'll be buying a W140 S500 coupe, another Phaeton, or a first gen LS400 whenever this thing dies. It's a classic IMO but not worth the hassle. Oh and I almost forgot, I replaced the sagging windshield right after I bought mine 4 years ago and guess what? It's sagging again! LOL, you can't make this stuff up. Luckily it has a lifetime replacement warranty. Never knew of any car that needed a windshield replacement/adjustment every four years. I only do 10k a year in this thing, can't imagine how I'd feel if I were doing 20!
What was the history of your car prior to you owning it? The chains on cars that are not neglected usually hold up, like you said it's the guides that snap eventually, but most cars are said to be able to do 300k roughly before that happens. Give or take. There are some guys on the BMW forum that have over 400k on original guides. I figure in mine should I take it to the limit and it breaks, I'll just sell it as a project car for a few thousand bucks or consider dropping in a transplant motor. I'm not going to spend 3 to 4 grand replacing them when I should be able to get another 5 or six years out of the motor.
Mine doesn't have this, and just turned 86k today. I wonder if some owner in the past already fixed it? I've been driving it the past few days, and it's been working wonderfully. I'm starting to see what you guys are on about.
Oh the previous owner certainly fixed it. No way the Original one would still be working! It's a hell of a car isn't it? And the looks are to die for. So simple yet so stunning. And it's only going to look better and better every year as more and more of them become deceased. You rarely see them anymore as it is. Every time I walk toward it in a parking lot it makes me grin a bit. Give it 4 or 5 more years and I'm sure it will be one of those cars that people will start walking up to you and giving compliments. I get them here and there but it's mostly due to the color. Just be sure you have another means of transportation should an issue arise I'm going to take mine to the limit, when it dies it dies. And when it does I'm going to move my R129 into my daily driver spot for awhile while I wait patiently for something to replace it with. Drove mine down to Florida from Charleston twice this winter including one trip down to the keys, back up through alligator alley into Sarasota and back. She makes a long trip worthwile. Feel free to make fun of my former winter bra. I only use it on long road trips these days. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I see your dash has the arrows lit up on each end of that display. What error/warning did it throw when you started the car?
Sold it after about four years of ownership. Just ready for something else. I do/did love the car but felt it was time for something else. I'm still tempted to jump back in with an Imola Red one. What's the deal with the sagging windshield? That's a new one to me. Interestingly enough, the car ended up in North Charleston, South Carolina. Is that anywhere near you? I was hoping it was going to stay semi-local (at least in the Western US!) but not the case here. I hate to be "that guy", but in my E38 ownership, not once did I experience the low coolant warning. This after buying the car at 72k miles and putting on about 30k in temps ranging from below 0 to above 100. Of course it pretty much had every other E38 issue at some point!
North Charleston is just 10 minutes south of me, may catch a glimpse of it at some point. The sagging windshield is a common problem on these, suprised you dodged that one as well. I put in the new fan clutch yesterday but am still getting the "check coolant" light LOL. I've gone through every component now minus the valley pan and the head gasket issue. I know it can't be the head gasket as I said I just did two 1,000 mile road trips in it and it did't leak anything . So I guess it could be the Valley pan gasket having a tiny leak or air still remaining in there somehow. The needle stopped waving around so all is well again. Going to keep bleeding it and see what happens.
Nope, windshield, I've talked to many other owners that have had it as well. It will sag to one side or the other over time.
Interesting I've never heard of that. My father had his '98 E38 until 2008 and never had that problem.
Ha, what a small world. I was surprised that the guy would buy the car sight unseen from across the country but he currently has at least one other E38 and said he couldn't get enough of them. I was happy to see it go to a fellow enthusiast. Can you describe the sagging windshield? Is it that the seal loosens and it shifts in some manner? I swore off old BMWs after selling the E38. I love the car and the era but just too much money going into fixing dumb stuff. So what I am I doing Tuesday? Likely buying another old BMW. This time an E46 330xi. A local dealership has one for $4,900 in phenomenal shape with 87k miles on the clock and service records. Somehow I have convinced myself it will be a cheap, under the radar daily driver. We shall see.
I love those old 330ci coupes in manual. Perfect driving position and pretty cars. I think they made a really rare version of your car with an M package. I remember driving it, I think it had a short shifter in it and a suede steering wheel. Only saw a handful of them ever come through the dealer back in Indianapolis. Anyway, here is the sagging windshield. This time it is falling on the passenger side, last time it was the driver side. I didn't even notice it when I bought the car, not something you'd typically look for when inspecting. You start getting windnoise the lower it goes. Safelite is coming out tomorrow afternoon to fix it. They went ahead and just replaced it last time, wonder if they will do the same this time again. This windshield is four years old. I had it replaced just days after I got the car home. Bought it out in Los Angeles and drove it all the way back to the Chicago area, it was quite a trip! Did a party night in Vegas along the way. The whole car is stock minus the aluminum radiator and the black suede headliner. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Oooh, black suede headliner! What did you do for the B pillars and sun visors? I wanted to go suede but I couldn't figure out what to do for sun visors so they would match, so I just bought OEM fabric and went with that.
I bought it with 127k miles and 15 yrs old, and it had had a number of owners and incomplete records. Soon after buying it I upgraded the tensioner and changed the oil every 5k or so but who knows if that helped any. FWIW the pixels are fine and so is the windshield, but the OEM headliner started drooping last year.
I had it done at an upholstery shop back up north. I pulled the headliner, all pillars, and visors and they did it for $635. I believe he said his wife did the visors. You can usually get stuff like that done through a seamstress who doesn't mind doing it. Most upholstery shops don't want to do it. I had planned on doing it all along and then the headliner began sagging in the back a few years ago so it was time.
Dang I didn't even catch that part about the headliner. Is it actual suede (leather-based) or alcantara (synthetic, but looks like suede)? $635 is an awesome price regardless imo.
Pretty sure it's just your average auto grade basic suede, nothing too fancy. Looks good and the car smells even better. (Not that it needed much help anyhow)
