F10: Centre-console / Arm-rest / iDrive-panel Replacement

The centre ash-tray had been replaced with an aluminium plate for the Police-light switches and stuff, so that needed replacing. The centre-console itself, apart from being black vinyl, which would never do, had holes drilled both sides to mount the Police radio / scanner. There was also blobs of glue all down one side, so after a brief attempt at titivating the damage, I decided a whole new one would be necessary and gave a welcome change up to a leather arm-rest!

E60: Removing Acoustic Engine-Covers for 6-Cyl. Diesels [525d, 530d, 535d]

Engine Acoustic Covers:

1. Remove the five screws holding the main engine-cover using a 5mm allen-key or male-hex socket and lift it off. The screws are located one either side at the front and rear and the fifth next to the PAS fluid cap.

2. Remove the left and right pollen-filter from the plastic panels by popping off the metal-clip and undoing the plastic nut with the arrow a 1/4 turn using a 13mm socket.

3. Disconnect the wiring connector for the 'bonnet-open' switch, located on the left hand plastic heater-duct in front of the pollen-filter.

4. Remove the left and right plastic air-duct panels from the back of the engine-bay under the windscreen by undoing the plastic nuts with the arrow a 1/4 turn using a 13mm socket. The nuts are located one either side under the pollen-filter and one in the middle joining both panels.

5. Remove the strut-brace by undoing the bolt holding on either side holding it to the suspension turrets and the two in the middle using an E12 double-hex or star socket.

6. Remove the two screws holding the rear engine-cover, one either side, using a 5mm male-hex socket or Allen-key and lift it off.

Air-box Housing / Air-Filter Inlet:

E21 316: Engine-Bay Painting 1.

Brake servo and 'Puralator' air-filter were in need a revamp, thought I'd do the scuttle-panel cover as well.

Quick rub-down, blast of zinc-primer and then a good coat of BMW Black spray.

The engine looks a bit more cared for now!

E39 530d: New Drivers Window Switch

Re: my post last week - 'Gotta have a teething problem - Drivers Windows Switch', the problem is now resolved, thanks to a whole new switch module. Well a used one, but advertised as "perfect condition" by nerijusnerka on eBay and it lives up to the hype thankfully, seeing as the unit was a little pricey @ £25 delivered, but not bank-breaking to have my driver's window back in action.

It's a piece of cake to get the old unit out and plug in the new one and as soon I tried the switch all functionality had returned - I tested each window and the child locks, all now working fine, so I'm glad my deduction was right and it's not the computer... I also noticed a chip on the edge of the broken unit where someone has obviously had a go at fixing it before, so it's nice to give the car a blemish-free interior again - I can't spot a single other mark in there!

PROCESS:

1. Fold a cloth over the end of a flat-screwdriver and gently prize it down under the edge of the switch-panel. Lift the edge of the panel up with the screwdriver a few millimeters and continue around the panel until it is proud enough to be lifted out by hand.

2. Starting with the rear one, unplug the two slim upper clips from the panel by depressing the button in the centre until the latch can be lowered. Lowering the latch completely lifts the plug clear of its socket.

3. Slide a flat-screwdriver down the gap on the rear-face of the large lower clip and lever the base of the clip outwards about 1cm until the wiring-clip slides freely out of the socket.

4. Reverse the process to install the new switch-panel.

E39 530d: Gotta have a teething problem - Drivers Windows Switch

The car has been better than good so far. It drives superbly, is quiet and refined, swift and economical - the 3.0 litre diesel engine is incredible, managing 184bhp and still getting me comfortably over 40mpg for my work runs! A far cry from topping up the Scooby tank by at least £40 every week, but not a world away from the horse-power... go figure.

The only fault I have to report though is a faulty driver's window switch unit. It worked fine for the first few days, then became sporadic and finally stopped working altogether. I tried it on my way home from work this evening and to my surprise it went down. Unfortunately it wouldn't come up again so I was forced to figure the problem out tonight. I drove around for a while in the hope that it would reactivate, but the window didn't budge an inch. I used up half a roll of black-tape sticking a bag over the open window on the windiest night of the year, only to then discover that the windows can operated from the remote key-fob. A genius feature of the techy BMW is that holding down the lock button will close any open windows and turn any electrics off. Holding the boot-release button causes all four windows to go down. I am impressed and very relieved!

The likely culprit was the switch-unit, but I prized it off to find 3 separate wiring harnesses leading to it - one each for the front 2 windows, rear 2 windows and the rear child-lock, so I became worried that the problem was elsewhere is the electronics system. The door-hinge wiring harness was a possibility - apparently they're prone to splitting and getting corroded - or worse still the car's brain - the GM5 computer, which controls the ABS, door-locks, windows, air-con, basically every electronic gadget and these are pricey to replace.

Luckily though, the drivers window responded immediately to the key-fob trick so the GM5 is sending/receiving signals just fine and the door-hinge wiring is still sound. Phew, this means it can only be the window switch-unit - when one circuit in it breaks it must kill all the buttons, regardless of which loom they plug into.

I've found a load of E39 switch-units on eBay around the £25-40 mark so I'll have to get one when I can and see if that puts the window problem to bed. It'll have to wait now though, as my new Angel Eye headlights have just arrived. Get in.