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BMW 5-Series Maintenance and Repair

2394 messages,  Last post on Nov 08, 2009 at 11:34 PM

You are in the BMW 5-Series Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens

What is this discussion about? BMW 5 Series, Electrical, Engine, Sedan, Wagon


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#2340 of 2394
Re: BMW 540i 1998 A/C repair [mhutchinson] by Mr_Shiftright HOST
May 30, 2009 (5:21 pm)
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Replying to: mhutchinson (May 30, 2009 2:11 pm)

Oh no I meant injury from pressurizing and depressurizing the AC. I assume you're smart enough not to poke yourself in the eye with an air nozzle--LOL!
 
    * The oil should be replaced whenever a ruptured component is replaced, because the quick discharge causes some of the oil to be released along with the refrigerant
    * Use only PAG oil in an R-134a system (not mineral oil)
    * Use only mineral oil in an R-12 system (not PAG oil).
    * Add the right amount of oil into the system when replacing a major component such as the compressor; condenser, or evaporator.
    * When replacing the compressor; drain the oil from the old compressor and measure the amount. Turning the clutch plate by hand helps "pump" out any remaining oil. Inject an equal amount of fresh oil. Note: service compressors are shipped full of oil; this oil must be drained before the new compressor is installed.
    * When replacing the condenser or evaporator, add 2 oz. of oil to the system.
    * When replacing a receiver/dryer, add 1 oz. of oil to the system.
    * You do not need to add any oil when replacing a hose, since hoses do not collect much oil.
    * Oil can be added to a charged system using the Robinair 18065 oil injector and a manifold gauge set, or the injector bottle on the ACR4 unit.
 
Now those figures are not "total fill capacity", which I guess is for a total overhaul of everything.
 
Those specs are:
 
Nippondenso 160 ML +/- 15 ML
Seiko 180 ML +/- 20 ML
 
So I guess what this is saying is that you still need to know the capacity of the compressor and then add extra if you replace the dryer or the evaporator, right?
 
The total fill specs seem to indicate something like 5 or 6 oz. I think an ounce is about 30 ML
 
Funny German names in there, huh?
 
PS: Watch out---from 9/98 build date, you have different refrigerant capacities than prior to 9/98.
 
Minimum Charging Pressure is 10 BAR
#2341 of 2394
Re: Switching BMW Motor Oil to Synthetic Oil [dfrilot] by mrfinagle
Jun 05, 2009 (6:15 am)
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Replying to: dfrilot (Mar 17, 2009 9:32 pm)

great idea to change trans and differential fluid every other yr.
 
full synthetic does not have naturally occurring aromatic hydrocarbons and other compounds which cause sludge like dyno oil, so I would stick with that, although topping off with dyno between changes is fine. Amsoil is not snake oil, its a great oil if a) you can afford it, b) you change your filter every 5k but not the oil, and c) test the oil for breakdown around 10k to decide whether to change it. I'd rather buy Q from wally world and change both every 5k.
#2342 of 2394
Darn rodents!> by andys120
Jun 05, 2009 (7:14 am)
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I had the CEL switch on in The Blue Max, my '00 528iA. They checked the codes and it came back as a fault in the Evaporative Emissions System. They checked it out at the indie shop I go to and found that rodents had eaten away at the hoses connecting the gas tank to the charcoal canister, cost to repair (mostly labor $90/hr)=$190.
 
I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I had to replace rodent damage to a previous car when they chewed on the A/C wiring ($700!) in the fender and have taken several anti-rodent measures including D-Con packs and moth (camphor) cakes under the hood.
 
I don't mind those chipmunks running a Club Med for rodents on my property but this *&# has got to stop.
 
Any ideas.
 
#2343 of 2394
Re: Darn rodents!> [andys120] by Mr_Shiftright HOST
Jun 05, 2009 (8:26 am)
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Replying to: andys120 (Jun 05, 2009 7:14 am)

All I can say is that for some reason, rodents prefer German wiring and hoses. Is this a sinister plot by German parts manufacturers?
 
As for discouraging the little buggers, I think trapping them or that sticky paper stuff might decrease the surplus population. But an all out cure? Probably not possible unless you rodent-proof your garage, which isn't easy unless it's all concrete.
#2344 of 2394
Re: Darn rodents!> [Mr_Shiftright] by roadburner
Jun 05, 2009 (6:34 pm)
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jun 05, 2009 8:26 am)

As for discouraging the little buggers, I think trapping them or that sticky paper stuff might decrease the surplus population. But an all out cure? Probably not possible unless you rodent-proof your garage, which isn't easy unless it's all concrete.
 
We have a couple of outdoor cats and we have had zero rodent problems since they arrived.
#2345 of 2394
alarm problems by galama
Jun 09, 2009 (7:18 am)
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I have 2002 530i stick and my alarm is going off on its own i had this problem with many cars i owned don't know why me. I dont think i have aftermarket alarm im sure its factory unit. Did anyone have any similar problems liek me.
#2346 of 2394
Re: alarm problems [galama] by andys120
Jun 09, 2009 (9:59 am)
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Replying to: galama (Jun 09, 2009 7:18 am)

I have 2002 530i stick and my alarm is going off on its own i had this problem with many cars i owned don't know why me. I dont think i have aftermarket alarm im sure its factory unit. Did anyone have any similar problems like me
 
I've had similar problems w my E39 and other cars. They occurred because the motion detectors are VERY sensitive and can be triggered by falling leaves or even a gut of wind especially if the sunroof is left open. If you don't believe me try dropping a pencil thru the open sunroof after locking the doors.
 
 The cure is simple, the motion detector can be disabled by a second push of the lock button (after the first push to lock the doors) on the remote.
#2347 of 2394
I'm having trouble removing my key... by andys120
Jun 22, 2009 (1:15 pm)
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after switching off my '00 528iA. I called my Indie Bimmer techs, without seeing it they guess it's probably the tumblers in the lock which can be replaced.
 
Anybody ever have this problem on any car?
#2348 of 2394
Re: Flat Tire? Perhaps... [ny540i6] & bdr127 [totalsystm] by ron2hoff
Jul 14, 2009 (7:07 am)
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Replying to: totalsystm (Nov 19, 2005 7:31 am)

BWM refuses to acknowledge that their rims are defective and crack as a result of normal driving, especially their 18 inch rims when coupled with run-flat tires. We have a 2006 530i with standard 18-inch alloy rims and run-flat tires that came on the car. The car is driven 90% on Los Angeles freeways, and the other 10% on well-paved local roads. The car has never taken off road or driven on a particularly bumpy/potholed roads. Nor do we take speed bumps at 40 mph, run over curbs, or not slow for a pothole . . . events that might possibly crack a rim or break a tire. I tell you all this because BMW’s excuse for not replacing 2 cracked rims was that the cracks must have been caused by the driver impacting some object, like a pothole, rather then a result of a defect in the design of the rim. In the past several years we have owned 3 BMWs . . . but this will be our last.
 
After reading all of the threads on many websites about BMW’s problems with these rims and run-flat tires, it became quite clear what the problem is. The rims were designed too weak to take the impact of normal on-road driving. The problem is exacerbated by the run-flat tires, which are very hard and have strong sidewalls resulting in too much of the normal road force from small bumps being transmitted to the rim rather then absorbing some of the shock in the tire. Confirming the hundreds of comments on reliable Internet sites about the faulty rims and too hard run-flat tires is the reviews of Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Run Flat tires on cites from every supplier of these tires. In general, the comments conclude that the combination of weak 18-inch rims and 245/R40/18 Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Run Flat tires (original equipment) was a very bad mistake by BMW. One comment, similar to most, says: “These tires are terrible! Harsh ride, noisy and prone to impact bubble in the side walls from hitting small potholes. . . I am going to switch to non run flats . . . What was BMW thinking when [they] picked these tires?” [http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/readReviewsTire.do?postalCodeSelected=90291&ra- =%2Ftires%2Fbridgestone%2Fsize%2FviewProductResults&pc=25428&ar=40&rd=18&cs=245]-
 
We asked the Service Manager at Santa Monica BMW to replace the rims under warranty. Not only was he rude, but he was uninterested in any discussion about comments on many websites about the defective rims. It seemed apparent to me that he had been through this problem all too often before and did not want to deal with it again.
 
I then called BMW NA Customer Service. They were very nice, but totally useless. After four phone calls and escalation to a customer service supervisor, I began to understand the way it works. Customer Service has no authority whatsoever, all they could do was call the Service Manager at the dealership and get the same answer you had already had gotten. They seem to be in business of playing “good guy” to take the heat off of the Service Manager by providing the same answer as if it came from an independent, higher authority at BMW, which it does not.
 
Not willing to accept the result, I contacted the Director of Parts and Service at Santa Monica BMW, and told him of our displeasure with how his Service Manager had handled the problem, and asked him to involve BMW NA regional “team” to evaluate the problem and try to get some help. To his credit, he seemed very professional and appeared to want to help. He clearly understood the problem . . . you should be able to drive a BMW on normal streets and not have the rims break. Next day, he got a response from BMW regional team . . . “they would not participate” . . . meaning they would not cover it under the warranty or assist the dealer in any way.
 
My next step is to contact the General Manager of BMW Santa Monica and alert him to the problem. We certainly won’t be buying any more cars at Santa Monica BMW so he loses a loyal customer because the service folks won’t handle this problem. No response from the GM of Santa Monica BMW after two calls.
 
Next step is a letter to the CEO of BMW North America, and a compliant with U.S. DOT about the situation with these failing rim/tire combination. Perhaps DOT will investigate.
#2349 of 2394
528 Steering Question by markhotop
Jul 14, 2009 (12:00 pm)
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I have a BMW 528 with nearly 180K on it. It has recently started to make funny noises when turning. The noise only happens when it's cold, once the car worms up it stops.
 
There are some vibrations along with the noise, but the car steers OK. Could this be a belt? I've had the car serviced, and the mechanic could not repeat the problem - but said every checked out fine.
 
Any ideas what this might be?

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