FAO Fox: Buying a E39 530i Sport

[Atari]

Anyone found a way to change settings such as selective unlock and auto lock when driving over 5mph? From what I've read some software can be used, or it can be done at a dealer, but I can't really find any definitive information or costs.

Dealers can do it but will likely charge an hour's labour. It can be programmed in with NCS Expert, DIS v44, or PA Soft. There's guys all over the place on various forums that will be able to do it for you for some beer tokens.

Yep, have done the VANOS. There seems to be a flat spot around 5k rpm. Under 3k rpm it just doesn't seem to have much "go". I'm going to hook the laptop up today but last time no errors.

What about coils and plugs? Idle is a little rough but I know most are.

If you go into the ECU section as normal, and then into analogue/digital options (can't remember the exact option off the top of my head), INPA should give you live values of the various engine sensors and indications of what the cylinders are doing which can be handy to identify misfires/rough running.

 

[Tesla]

If you go into the ECU section as normal, and then into analogue/digital options (can't remember the exact option off the top of my head), INPA should give you live values of the various engine sensors and indications of what the cylinders are doing which can be handy to identify misfires/rough running.

Yes, I've looked in to that before. I cannot pretend to fully understand the meaning of the figures though. I'll post some screenshots up later today.

 

[pepsilol]

ignore

 

[jr1104]

Dealers can do it but will likely charge an hour's labour. It can be programmed in with NCS Expert, DIS v44, or PA Soft. There's guys all over the place on various forums that will be able to do it for you for some beer tokens.

Thanks for that. Anyone on here in the Midlands area got the software and want to earn some beer tokens?

 

[Liampope]

Det ser drittbra ut!

Awesome job mate. Is RHD really not an issue on those fjordal roads?

Two years over here but I still had to run that through google. Thanks, I think

Nah RHD is really not an issue at all. I just hang back a bit (even in the UK if I was trying to overtake I'd not be on someones bumper anyway) and normally have no problem seeing past, through, over or whatever. The Norwegians drive so slow my time-exposed-to-danger is nice and low with the powaah of the 530 anyway. The only time its a real pain is if I'm on my own and need to use an automated ticket machine, but I've developed a pretty fast shimmy over to the passenger seat to help there .

 

[Atari]

Thanks for that. Anyone on here in the Midlands area got the software and want to earn some beer tokens?

Where about in the Midlands are you mate? There's a guy in Birmingham who I use extensively for coding and other general ECU/fault related issues that would be able to get your coding sorted.

Absolute whizz at what he does - got him to replace my ECU when I suspected it to be at fault when my engine decided to blow

 

[jr1104]

Where about in the Midlands are you mate? There's a guy in Birmingham who I use extensively for coding and other general ECU/fault related issues that would be able to get your coding sorted.

Absolute whizz at what he does - got him to replace my ECU when I suspected it to be at fault when my engine decided to blow

I'm down towards Warwick, so not too far away. Would be interested if you could pop me message? Cheers.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Dont pay any more than some beer money for this job because it quite literally takes about 2 minutes and requires 10 quid worth of cable, it is not a high skilled dark art

Note that with the E39 the BMW coded autolock is rubbish because it doesnt auto unlock - so you need to double pull the handle to get out of the car.

 

[Liampope]

Alternatively just use your beer money to get yourself the cable and software and you can do it yourself to your heart's content, and anything else you fancy playing with. There's a wealth of knowledge on BMW5.co.uk including a supplier of said cable/software who will walk you through it all if you get stuck.

Key and car memory settings such as the autolock can be played with with the 'easy' software, SSS. It's like Fox says though - locks but doesn't unlock. I thought it would be cool, but the lack of unlock is annoying and I soon disabled it. You can have unlock with a couple of the aftermarket addons that are available including the Intravee, if you fancied one of those.

 

[Atari]

Dont pay any more than some beer money for this job because it quite literally takes about 2 minutes and requires 10 quid worth of cable, it is not a high skilled dark art

Note that with the E39 the BMW coded autolock is rubbish because it doesnt auto unlock - so you need to double pull the handle to get out of the car.

All good advice I'd go with. I had him do the coding when he updated my gearbox software and the actual coding part took the best part of 5 minutes (he read my fault codes too).

I'll fire you a PM with his details. Good chap to deal with if you have troubles with the car in the future.

 

[jr1104]

Cheers for the advice guys, and for the details Atari. I figured the coding wouldn't be a huge job, I just don't have a laptop at the moment that I can use for it. Maybe I should just grab a cheap one and a cable, and start messing with it myself.

And yeah, the auto lock is rubbish, that's why I'm looking to turn it off. Everyone who gets in and out the car, including me, complains about it.

 

[Maccapacca]

Can you charge an E39 from under the bonnet rather than direct to the battery?

 

[mike gunnz]

Can you charge an E39 from under the bonnet rather than direct to the battery?

You mean jump start? If so then yes you can.

 

[Maccapacca]

No charge it up, I have a bit of a problem there's a wardrobe in the E39 and the battery has gone flat so I can't open the boot or get to the emergency release and the jump leads are in there as well, I was hoping I could connect a charger to the jump points in the engine bay and get enough charge to pop the locks.

It seems that if I reverse park up with the PDC engaged and sensing something it drains the battery even when off, I have to turn it off by the button on the dash first, I've sort of narrowed it down to that but the wife moved it and didn't turn it off.

 

[-westy-]

Why not just jump start it, the engine running will charge the battery. Win/win

 

[Maccapacca]

Leads are in the spare wheel well under the wardrobe and all the doors are locked shut apart from the drivers

 

[[TW]Fox]

You can get into the load bay from the passenger compartment though, and unlock the other doors from inside?

 

[Maccapacca]

The boot release is behind the panel on the tailgate which is firmly blocked by the wardrobe and the key only opens the drivers door and the rest, even from the inside remain locked.

 

[mattyprice4004]

The boot release is behind the panel on the tailgate which is firmly blocked by the wardrobe and the key only opens the drivers door and the rest, even from the inside remain locked.

From an outsider's point of view, that's a rather amusing situation to have gotten yourself into.

My 75 also had auto lock, and the double-pull to open the doors was a PITA so it got turned off.

 

[commited]

Wow, that's pretty bizarre - you can open the saloon boot with a dead battery.