Ownership Verified: The Waft-O-Matic fat man car. Meet Sumo, Loose Units E39 523i

So, yesterday, exactly 15 minutes before people turned up to check out the Golf to buy it I decided to move the BMW. To my surprise it wouldn't start, shit.

So today I went ahead and replaced the Cam Position Sensor that I had bought previously and not installed.




This didn't resolve the issue, and now I suspect throttle position sensor... Maybe I should bite the bullet and get an error code reader.

*sigh*
 
loose_unit said:
Maybe I should bite the bullet and get an error code reader.
Click to expand...

Ordered one.

I also ordered new lights so I will be able to see at night.
 
What sort of reader did you go for? I'm just interested now I have one. :D
 
So, I managed to get the error codes from the car.

63bad17c0fed01db66cea82f6553393d.png


The cam position sensor has been replaced, so I will replace the throttle valve potentiometer this week and hope it helps.

I cleared the errors and started the car and got another crankshaft position sensor error but at 0rpm... so I am not sure. I will try the throttle valve potentiometer and see what happens before proceeding.
 
It says the CPS sensor error is present in the readout there.
 
Adrian said:
It says the CPS sensor error is present in the readout there.
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It has been replaced. It also says there is a short circuit in the throttle valve thingie too - Might be related. Who knows, I have ordered the sensor that I have not yet replaced :)
 
So, I disconnected the potentiometer that is creating the short, so far the car has run like a champ without any issues. I will replace it as soon as I get it!


Some lights arrived:






So I installed them:




Finished result, so awesome! It makes the car look so fresh, and I will actually be able to see at night:






Compared to:

 
Took it for a quick rinse as it was covered in dust from sitting outside:




Finally it got dark enough so I adjusted the lights to where I think it's correct ish. It feels good to be able to see again! The old lights would have been at the bottom of the hedge in this photo:

 
So, I believe the water pump is toast as there is a bit of coolant being sprayed around the engine bay, so I have booked the car in at a local mechanics to get the water pump done next week. I would do it myself, but I don't have time this weekend even if I could get the parts and I need it done by next weekend.

It's slightly annoying that I won't be able to do it myself.
 
loose_unit said:
Finally it got dark enough so I adjusted the lights to where I think it's correct ish. It feels good to be able to see again! The old lights would have been at the bottom of the hedge in this photo:

Click to expand...
If you can wait until October - every year there is a campaign to test your lights for free: www.licht-test.de
 
I would curse at you if your lights were adjusted too high so it blinds me when you come the opposite direction...

Since you have a second car, you can compare the height of the beams with the MX-5, I think that's better than just guessing the correct-ish height.
 
Eye-Q said:
Since you have a second car, you can compare the height of the beams with the MX-5, I think that's better than just guessing the correct-ish height.
Click to expand...

Actually, the MX-5 is completely off. I was going to use the self adjusted BMW ones to set the height of the MX-5's! T?V man will tell me if it is fine or not.
 
It's not exactly rocket science, at least the vertical adjustment. Car headlights (in Germany) up until 1990 are supposed to be tilted downwards by 1,2%, newer cars should say somewhere on the headlight. Just get a 75kg person to sit in the driver's seat and position the car on a level surface infront of an even wall, make sure the level adjuster is set correctly, turn on the light and mark the upper end of the bright spot with the car standing infront of the wall. Then move it one meter back and the top part of the bright spot should have moved 1,2 cm down on the wall.

Of course moving it 5 meters or 10 meters will give you more accurate results, just calculate the percentage accordingly (6cm down/12cm down). You can also correct the sideways-tilt by marking the middle of course.
 
Car is back - Water pump replaced, seems it was okay but they may have identified a hose that is leaking a tiny little bit.

It cost ?219 for the whole job and of that ?81 was labour - They did a coolant flush and change, changed the aux belt and put a new waterpump in, and the car was ready in around 17 hours from dropoff time. That is pretty good value imo.

They also do tires there, and given it is 2km from home, I think I found a new place when I need work done that I can't or don't have time for myself!

This weekend I will drive it to the north of Germany and back and put around 1,000km on it. Hope all goes well!
 
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