e39 forum

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Bwana

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Can someone recommend an active e39 forum? I've been browsing bimmerfest, bimmerfourms, the M5 board, etc. I haven't spent days culling thru each one so I can't really tell yet which one has the most traffic and expertise.

I'm on a couple of motorcycle forums and there is a vast difference between them but it's difficult to tell from a brief look.

I've got a 2000 540i with all the M options except the engine and I really like it. Total hot rod without the engine issues. I'm probably going to start working on it myself as the local shops around here have been extremely disappointing but I'll probably need some pointers.
 
I haven't been as active on the e39 forums lately, but can offer some perspective. Unfortunately, the answer to your question depends on what you are seeking.

All three of those forums have something to offer. M5board is very sophisticated, but as a 540 owner you will often ask questions they cannot answer. That said, if they hit on a topic you are interested in, and you can do your own translation to the 540, they are really good. Bimmerforums and Bimmerfest both have their own strengths; if I remember correctly, Bimmerforums is good on electronic stuff.

What exactly are you looking for? I've done lots and lots of work on my 540, and there are a handful of other e39 guys here.
 
I have used the m5 board for the e39 m5 when I had a very specific issue and found reasonable information. Way too much and of little interest to follow on a regular basis.
 
I'm looking for some of the more medium difficulty "how to" maintenance procedures. Oil changes, suspension bushing replacement, brake flushing (while considering the anti-lock system), brake maintenance, starter replacement, that sort of thing. How many operations require dropping the front sub-frame? Oddly enough, I found some great "how to's" on YouTube.

At the time I posted this, I was mainly looking for details on changing out how and when on the cam chain guides. I've got 177,000 miles on mine and couldn't find out if they are way beyond service limits or still OK. They have no BMW service limits. I've found guys that change them at 125,000 miles and another guy that has well over 200,000 with no noise. My car has zero chain noise so I guess I'm still OK. Looks like the whole procedure is not for the faint of heart but I may not have to pull the engine. Or would that be easier?

I have the FSM and will probably break down and read them this weekend.
 
The only thing I can add to the chain noise topic is that I buy a lot of V8 BMW's because of timing component problems/failure. Typically though, they're making a lot of noise and haven't failed completely, so I'm guessing they normally give you a little warning before they go. They're usually up around 180k miles and higher when I buy them...

Dan
 
Yeah, I have not confronted that one yet, but my understanding is that the engine sounds like a Mercedes diesel for a while before they let go.

I've done all the other stuff on your list (but for starter replacement, which frankly I have not heard anyone need).

I've dropped my front subframe twice; once to install a larger anti-sway bar and once to replace the motor mounts. You can do both the sway bar bushings and the dog bones on the ends without moving the subframe.

I presume you have seen this: http://www.bmwtips.com/tipsntricks/
 
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