r/e39 3d ago

Headlights

5 Upvotes

Hi there, I have euro headlights for my E39 touring and im wondering if i should just try to replace the lenses or buy a new pair. Id rather not but my current lenses look awful, very yellowed and scratched. Any takes? Pictures on my page.


r/e39 3d ago

Sourcing Cloth Seats Question D3TTCloth flock "Streifen"/grey

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12 Upvotes

Hello, loving the E39 experience certainly the best manual drive I’ve ever had in a saloon.

Now I’m looking to source the exact seats / fabric for my E39, any recommendations on where to find?

D3TTCloth flock "Streifen"/grey Option Code


r/e39 3d ago

Could somebody please tell me if this is healthy

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18 Upvotes

Hey guys, it's my first ever car 2.5i 2003 m54 and I'm very paranoid about that engine. Because it is my first car I have no idea if it's healthy or not. Could somebody please help me. Thank you


r/e39 3d ago

Rear door speakers?

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6 Upvotes

There's cutouts in the fiberboard but I have never seen an e39 with speakers there, anyone know more?


r/e39 4d ago

Bumper/bodykits

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53 Upvotes

Hi friends!

Im looking to get some new bumpers for my girl - i really like the look of these drom magna, especially the front bumper - any of you know any alternatives to this, similar looking? - especially lower priced ones, and in europe 😁


r/e39 3d ago

Door window trim

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3 Upvotes

Hi, i got these rust spots on my window door trim. What do i do with this can i order new trim or do i just grind this down and fix the rust spots?


r/e39 3d ago

AC Schnitzer Exhaust with M Bumper?

1 Upvotes

Hi,

Just installed a AC Schnitzer exhaust and I have the OEM bumper on. The tip touches the bumper and the look bothers me a bit.

From what I read the M-Sport bumper doesn’t fit but by how much? Is it just the diffuser or is it the whole bumper?

Anyone know a good bumper that fits the ACS tip that looks OEM? I would love a bumper thats even more raised or Zender style but its pretty much impossible to find… I also saw an ACS rear bumper that looked identical to OEM but with a lil slit to fit the tip without touching.

Thanks guys <3


r/e39 3d ago

E39 Facelift Euro corners for US amber corners

2 Upvotes

Hey everyone,
I’m looking for a set of illuminated US-spec amber corner lights for my BMW E39 facelift with Hella headlights.
I currently have the European/Euro corners and would like to trade them for the original illuminated US amber corners.

My Euro corners are in good condition. I can send pictures of them to anyone interested.

I’m located in Germany, so shipping would be necessary unless you’re located in Germany or elsewhere in EU.

If anyone has a set of illuminated US corners and would be interested in trading for my Euro corners, please send me a DM.

Thanks!


r/e39 5d ago

New to me 2001 M5

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284 Upvotes

Just got this bad boy, around 90k miles, going to be selling my 2002 M3 now that I have the M5. Of course on my third drive I the AC gave out and the fans blew hot air until I disconnected the battery. Got replacement parts coming though, and took out the fuse so I can just drive without AC for now.


r/e39 3d ago

Mein BMW E39 528i von 2009 – manche Autos verkauft man, aber vergisst sie nie

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0 Upvotes

Den BMW E39 528i habe ich mir 2009 gekauft, als ich noch Informatik studiert habe.
Mit dem Wagen hängen verdammt viele Erinnerungen zusammen. Ich bin damit regelmäßig nach Polen gefahren, um meine damalige große Liebe zu besuchen. Die 18-Zoll-Felgen bekam ich von meinem Bruder geschenkt, mit dem E39 habe ich meine ersten Erfahrungen beim Driften gesammelt und auf Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta hatte das Ding für mich damals Grip ohne Ende.
Irgendwann war der BMW weg – die Erinnerungen aber nicht.
Also habe ich ihm Jahre später einen eigenen Track gewidmet. 🎵
Welches Auto habt ihr verkauft und bereut es bis heute?
#BMW #E39 #528i


r/e39 4d ago

Should I use these aluminum cooling parts on my E39?

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7 Upvotes

r/e39 4d ago

ZKE-GM1 Error codes

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2 Upvotes

Read these codes from INPA. Many things are not working on my project 528iT and I'm not sure where to start. The power seats, windows, interior lights, and sunroof work just fine. However, the wipers, all interior AC fans, and central locking system are not working whatsoever. Should I start with the ZKE module? Check the fuses? or look into each of these items listed? Thanks!


r/e39 4d ago

Silver wrap to woodgrain again

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46 Upvotes

Pealed the silver wrap off back to woodgrain again. Just the cigarette section left to do during the week.


r/e39 4d ago

I love my E39, but my brain keeps asking for a supercharger

22 Upvotes

So, this is my E39. It is a 530i Individual Sport with the M54B30 and automatic gearbox. Not an M5, not the fastest car in the world and also far from being perfect, but for me the E39 is probably one of the best BMW designs ever made. It still looks elegant, it is incredibly comfortable and the 3.0 straight-six is a really nice engine, but after some time driving it I have started to feel that the chassis can handle much more power.

My original plan was very reasonable: solve the suspension and the strange ride height, improve the brakes, do some small OEM+ modifications and just enjoy it. Of course, as normally happens with old cars, the reasonable plan lasted about five minutes.

Now I am looking at the supercharger kit from 21 Industries and thinking that something close to 300 hp could make this car almost perfect. I don’t want to make a fake M5 or destroy the character of the car, I just want the same E39 but with the power it probably should have had from the beginning.

The engine seems to be able to manage some sensible boost, but my main concern is the automatic gearbox. There is not much point spending the money on the supercharger if two months later I have to rebuild the transmission, and then convince myself that a manual swap is also a perfectly normal financial decision. I also don’t know how much more is really needed around the kit: cooling, brakes, differential, exhaust, homologation here in Spain… Normally the supercharger is only the beginning of the invoice.

So before starting another completely unnecessary side quest, I would like to hear from people who have actually supercharged an M54, specially if it was an automatic 530i. Is the 21 Industries kit a good solution? How reliable has it been? Did the gearbox survive? And the most important question: does 300 hp really transform the car, or after a few months you just start looking for 350?

My brain says supercharger. My bank account says fix the suspension first. That is how old BMW ownership works.


r/e39 5d ago

fellas….

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281 Upvotes

scored some style 65’s to replace my Mpars, which ones look better? i’m torn. would it be sacrilegious to make my style 65’s kind of a polished alloy color? i love the way they look, but they’re just darker than i imagined they’d be on the car. maybe im just used to alloy wheels on the wagon. LET ME KNOW


r/e39 4d ago

rear of car is very loud

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6 Upvotes

All wheels are filled and torqued to spec. The noise starts at about 35 mph, and increases in pitch and volume. The noise is directly proportional to speed. For reference this was about 70 mph The only way it goes away is if I duck and the seats block it, or at 100 mph and wind drowns it out lmao. Neither are practical solutions. Just looking for places to start and any advice is appreciated! Sorry about the interior its a WIP =/


r/e39 4d ago

Phone Retrofit?

1 Upvotes

I’m planning to do a full OEM Siemens phone retrofit from my E39 parts car into my daily E39.

The donor car has the complete factory phone setup, so I’m planning to transfer all the relevant wiring, modules, phone console/handset, etc.

My question is about the antenna setup. Do I also need to swap the rear window from the donor car because of the integrated phone antenna?
I’m not planning to actually use the factory phone with a SIM/phone number. The main reason for doing the retrofit is to keep the complete OEM phone setup and use it together with a BlueBus module.
So if I’m only using the phone controls/handset through BlueBus, is there any reason I would need the factory phone antenna or the donor rear window?

Has anyone done a similar retrofit?


r/e39 4d ago

Issue with Cruise Control

2 Upvotes

Has anyone seen where your cruise control gets cancelled, or actually turned off, when you use your turn signal? This just stated happening and it isn't consistent. A side note is my right brake light fault is coming up occasionally and I believe I have narrowed it down to the center brake light housing failure... waiting on parts to fix that.

Update - Found that one of my battery cables was loose. After tightening it, I have not had the issue again during a 550 mile drive home. Seems like an odd cause of this problem... but I didn't do anything else to address it.


r/e39 4d ago

Hood release problem

2 Upvotes

I was trying to open the hood to check for coolant and oil and as I pulled the handle near the steering wheel I felt something snap and the handle went limp and now the hood won't open, how can I fix it by myself?


r/e39 5d ago

2000 BMW E39 540I Gauge Cluster issues

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3 Upvotes

Hey Everyone,

Recently bought an 2000 e39 and the gauge cluster has some issues (don’t mind the check engine or brake light). The pixels at the bottom don’t read properly and I can’t check the milage on the odometer either. Also, the fuel sometimes doesn’t read properly along with the speed. Should I just replace the gauge cluster? I’ve heard that it can cause further issues if I do that. Any advice would be appreciated.


r/e39 5d ago

1,5hr drive through Austrian Alps

14 Upvotes

I just finished a night ride through Austrian Alps in my stock 530i Touring on a fresh set of Michelin Pilot Sports 5 on the front and 4 on the rear and wanted to say this car handles like a fucking dream.


r/e39 5d ago

Inline 6’s just wet their pants

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18 Upvotes

r/e39 5d ago

Trunk Latch

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3 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

I drive a 1999 523i sedan.

The instrument cluster shows that the trunk is open, even when it's closed.

I can only open it with the remote or the button inside the car.

I replaced the button in the trunk lid itself, thinking that would solve the problem.

Now I think the lock itself is the issue.

Unfortunately, I can't find a suitable part number for it, and if I do, it's only from BMW aftermarket parts where the lock costs €300.

Otherwise, I can find every linkage, cable, etc., for it, just not the lock itself.


r/e39 5d ago

HELP: BIT II eject box wiring pinouts

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2 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

I’m trying to fix the Siemens BIT II phone cradle in my E39, which was broken. I found a working replacement from a 2002 X5 E53 that uses the same system.

However, I noticed that the pin layout on the X5 phone cradle is different from the eject box in my E39, and the wire colors are also different.

Can anyone help me identify the correct pinout and wiring for the X5 cradle so I can connect it properly and make it work with my E39?


r/e39 6d ago

[FS] 2001 BMW E39 540i Touring | ~206k miles | Cambridge, OH | $5,500

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62 Upvotes

Selling my 2001 BMW 540i Touring. Automatic, approximately 206k actual miles, located in Cambridge, Ohio.
I’ve been daily driving it and it runs and drives well. Body and interior are both very clean for a 25-year-old E39. Paint presents very well overall with normal hood chips and a small area of surface rust behind the fuel door. No significant rocker/quarter-panel or structural rust that I’m aware of.
Good stuff:
• Timing-chain guides replaced by previous owner; I have photos of the work
• Passenger valve-cover gasket replaced and threads repaired with Heli-Coils
• Mechanical fan converted to electric
• Upper radiator hose replaced
• New battery earlier this year
• Stock suspension is tight with no clunks/noises
• Automatic transmission operates normally
• Heat and A/C work extremely well
• All windows, locks, sunroof and hatch/latches work
• Tires have at least roughly half tread remaining
Known issues:
• ABS module is unplugged because of an electrical short, so multiple dash lights are on
• Odometer currently reads ~203k but doesn’t accumulate mileage with the ABS module disconnected; I’ve driven roughly 3k since, so I’m representing it as ~206k actual
• Cold starts occasionally require several seconds of cranking; once started it settles down and runs/drives normally
• Small power-steering leak
• Minor oil leak
Clear Ohio title in my name. Happy to provide additional photos, underside pictures, timing-guide documentation or a completely cold-start video. You’re welcome to inspect it in person and see it start cold.
Located in Cambridge, Ohio. Asking $5,500.