New E82 Owner (TX)

[djacinto]

Alright y'all,

I was able to get some stuff done today since the weather was just warm enough for me to work on the car. I will post pictures of everything tomorrow when i have some better lighting

so starting with spark plugs and ignition coils, I went with Delphi coils and NGK 95712, it was definitely needed. looking into the wells and i thought the carbon build up was a little bit more than I am used to. What do your guy's engine look like? Any easy way to clean them up a bit?

Next was brake fluid, I went with ATE type 200 and went through the whole process. Rear lines had a decent bit of bubbles but by the time I had gotten to the front, the fluid was nice and clear. Girlfriend noted the much more stiff and bite to the pedal

Lastly, I did the power steering fluid and reservoir. That fluid was so dark! It was nice seeing that fresh, green pentosin. To answer apexwerks , the girlfriend immediately noticed a difference in the steering. Saying it was much more responsive, linear (not her exact words but what she was trying to say), and lighter to turn. I followed this guide

My final thoughts of today's work was why does BMW make everything out of plastic? lol I broke the passenger side tab that holds the cables on the front of the black cowl. I also lost the metal cylinder that goes into the power steering reservoir mounting bracket so I am looking that up on realoem right now!

Edit 1: part is called a "spacer sleeve" and it's number is 07146977328 for anyone curious

[djacinto]

Alright here are the pics of what I did

View post on imgur.com

messed up the order on the first 3 lol. The previous plugs were the same NGK 5987's I replaced them with so that's good. Something that stood out was 2 of the coils had different dates. cylinder 1 had 16 on the plastic boot and cylinder 3 had 13, while 2,4-6 had 14. When I asked the PO before, he said all were replaced. Don't know if that's what he got or he had to replace 1 more recently '

Here is

View post on imgur.com

Nothing crazy, just dark brownish green. Nothing shiny luckily, it was really fun to watch the old fluid be replaced by the new as the color changed!

[djacinto]

Got the new tires today!

Already rides MUCH better than the Bridgestone rft so I'm glad were out of that realm

Got a great deal on them for 680 with replacement certificates rather than the 800 we'd normally be paying so I'm super happy there

They do look quite chunky but I like the looks on the 17's

For those in a similar situation in the future, the previous tires were a square 215/50/17 Bridgestone driveguard, a non-oem size interestingly. I went to a square 225/45/17 conti dws06+

[djacinto]

Alright so first semi-big issue to come up: Battery problems.

No crank, no start. Hooked up the jump pack, and it started up. This happened a couple days ago, and checking through bimmerlink, the charge level was about 46%.

I drove around for a little bit and got it to 50%, but with the plan that I was going to charge the battery first and then get it checked out.

Well today I was planning on heading to discount tire as the back right tire is also having some issues, and there was the same issue, no crank no start. Tried both the battery packs I had, fully charged, and nothing.

I pulled the codes from the car and the only two to come up were 2ecc and a0c1.

Looking through some past threads, it seems like the cable connecting to the starter and alternator from the jump cable frays or disconnects.

Part from fcp

My next step is to charge the battery fully. The charger should get here later this evening, and I will let it charge over night before reinstalling. once done, if it does start, I still plan on checking the cable listed above along with the ground cable underneath the car. I am not under the impression that the suppression band is part of this, but I guess it can't hurt to look at again.

If it is that starter cable, does anyone have a good thread to remedy this? Along with a cable crimper and terminal, if need be

quick edit:

View post on imgur.com

[djacinto]

Alright so battery was charged overnight and car started right up when I tried. Read codes and the ones I posted yesterday were not there after I cleared them yesterday.

After driving to get gas and back, I checked that power cable that many people have issues with and tugged on it with a little bit of force but to no avail. It's on pretty snug. I checked the suppression band thats close by and that looked fine as well. I didn't check underneath but it still looks ok.

Next step is to find a place that can maybe load test the battery as well as check underneath the car for the ground strap and see the condition of that.

Lastly, I plan on not driving the car again till Friday when the tire appointment has been scheduled, that'll give the car time to settle and I'll see if there's any parasitic drain and if the car starts up

[apex_prd8r]

Originally Posted by djacinto

Got the new tires today!

Already rides MUCH better than the Bridgestone rft so I'm glad were out of that realm

Got a great deal on them for 680 with replacement certificates rather than the 800 we'd normally be paying so I'm super happy there

They do look quite chunky but I like the looks on the 17's

For those in a similar situation in the future, the previous tires were a square 215/50/17 Bridgestone driveguard, a non-oem size interestingly. I went to a square 225/45/17 conti dws06+

Interesting choice. The 207M wheels should be staggerd (7"w front / 7.5"w rear), that came originally with 205/50 tires up front and 225/45 tires on the rear. I'm surprised the wider tire on the front doesn't look a bit more ballooned than the rears. Let us know if you feel more tire role with that wide tire on a narrow wheel.

[djacinto]

Originally Posted by apex_prd8r

Interesting choice. The 207M wheels should be staggerd (7"w front / 7.5"w rear), that came originally with 205/50 tires up front and 225/45 tires on the rear. I'm surprised the wider tire on the front doesn't look a bit more ballooned than the rears. Let us know if you feel more tire role with that wide tire on a narrow wheel.

It's the same with my f32. I went square 255/35/20 on 8 fronts and 8.5 rears. Tires look identical, I'm on dws 06 non plus so I'd assume the over profile looks fairly similar

It drives really good. Compared to my car (albeit mines awd and much heavier), it's nimble and direct. More so than on the Bridgestones and the pirelli's on my stocks for my f32

[djacinto]

Originally Posted by djacinto

Alright so battery was charged overnight and car started right up when I tried. Read codes and the ones I posted yesterday were not there after I cleared them yesterday.

After driving to get gas and back, I checked that power cable that many people have issues with and tugged on it with a little bit of force but to no avail. It's on pretty snug. I checked the suppression band thats close by and that looked fine as well. I didn't check underneath but it still looks ok.

Next step is to find a place that can maybe load test the battery as well as check underneath the car for the ground strap and see the condition of that.

Lastly, I plan on not driving the car again till Friday when the tire appointment has been scheduled, that'll give the car time to settle and I'll see if there's any parasitic drain and if the car starts up

Quick update to this one. Got the battery tested at autozone, bad cell by the looks of the reader. Swapped to a duralast platinum h8 95ah agm battery and coded with BimmerLink down to 90ah.

All is well, car starts much faster and less strain. Im not ruling out anything else yet, so if this issue comes along again, I will post updates

[apex_prd8r]

Originally Posted by djacinto

It's the same with my f32. I went square 255/35/20 on 8 fronts and 8.5 rears. Tires look identical, I'm on dws 06 non plus so I'd assume the over profile looks fairly similar

It drives really good. Compared to my car (albeit mines awd and much heavier), it's nimble and direct. More so than on the Bridgestones and the pirelli's on my stocks for my f32

Thanks! This is really good to know as I'd like to move to a square setup next time I need tires but won't necessarily have funds to upgrade to a new wheelset.

[djacinto]

Originally Posted by apex_prd8r

Thanks! This is really good to know as I'd like to move to a square setup next time I need tires but won't necessarily have funds to upgrade to a new wheelset.

Yeah, ask any other questions you have as well. I'm fairly ish versed in tire stuff, that's like all I research

Wheel specs though, are not!

[djacinto]

Originally Posted by djacinto

Quick update to this one. Got the battery tested at autozone, bad cell by the looks of the reader. Swapped to a duralast platinum h8 95ah agm battery and coded with BimmerLink down to 90ah.

All is well, car starts much faster and less strain. Im not ruling out anything else yet, so if this issue comes along again, I will post updates

All right well another update. It's freezing cold this morning at 30° and the car did not start up however it was able to be jumped

pulling on the power cord again it still does not seem loose I will check the ground cable underneath

does anyone have any suggestions?

[tracer bullet]

Originally Posted by djacinto

does anyone have any suggestions?

Is the battery still charged and in good shape, ready to go?

Just wondering what path is next - 1) good battery isn't reaching the starter, or 2) it's battery issue / something draining the battery.

[djacinto]

Originally Posted by tracer bullet

Is the battery still charged and in good shape, ready to go?

Just wondering what path is next - 1) good battery isn't reaching the starter, or 2) it's battery issue / something draining the battery.

Yes. Brand new battery. From the threads I've seen it's this cable that connects the starter and alternator. I don't recall what the name was off real oem but will edit this comment once i do

For many people, the cable comes out of the terminal because the crimp gets loose or something else similar. Recrimping seems to work well.


I also wonder about something draining but there's nothing plugged in, so I may get a multimeter to check around as well. Still, the fact that I sometimes couldn't jump the car suggest a cable issue

[hoki06]

I purchased a 128i back in September and have been working through a minor electrical issue. I'll share my issue and troubleshooting tactics in case they might be useful to you.

Issue
Drove the car home 800 miles without any trouble. It sat in the garage for a couple weeks after and then I started to get a significant hesitation during starting events. Sometimes it would click a couple times then nothing, sometime clicking and starter firing, sometimes nothing. The issue was always worse after driving or sitting in the sun on a warmer day. One time leaving work it took me 15 mins of trying to get it to start.

No CEL but I was getting consistent A0BE, A0BF, A0C0, and A123 codes from the CAS system and 9CAB code from the body module. I also at times got A0B4, A0A9, and A0C1 errors from the CAS system. Always lots of clicking from the passenger footwell area.

Troubleshooting
Replaced the battery (original from 2010). It made the problem much better but still wouldn't always start with the first try, still had clicking in the passenger footwell. I put a battery tender on it since it doesn't get driven often and that didn't change anything.

Checked both engine ground cables (brand new before purchase) and cleaned all contact points. Suspecting bad positive cables somewhere like you, I used jumper cables to go from the battery to jump terminal in the engine back, no change. I do not have the IBS on my negative battery cable.

Ultimately I believe the CAS module is failing due to the consistent codes, possibly caused by bad engine ground that were replaced right before my purchase. I sent my original CAS, a spare CAS, and both keys to Precision ECU for repair/cloning. They reviewed my codes and agreed it sounded like a bad CAS. It's currently on the way back to me so I'll find out soon if it worked.

I would suggest checking all battery cables and connections, IBS, both engine grounds, etc. Make sure the battery cable recall in the passenger footwell fuse box has been completed. Use jumper cables to connect the battery terminals, first just positive, then just negative, to rule out cable issues between the battery and the jump posts. Connect the engine directly to the chassis via a negative jumper cable to test engine grounds. Also, check any stored codes and clear to see what comes back.

Good luck!

Follow up
1+ year later and the car has been perfect since the install of the new CAS module. I bought a good used CAS module on eBay, sent it and my keys to Precision ECU, and it's been perfectly reliable as a daily driver since.

[djacinto]

Originally Posted by hoki06

I purchased a 128i back in September and have been working through a minor electrical issue. I'll share my issue and troubleshooting tactics in case they might be useful to you.

Issue
Drove the car home 800 miles without any trouble. It sat in the garage for a couple weeks after and then I started to get a significant hesitation during starting events. Sometimes it would click a couple times then nothing, sometime clicking and starter firing, sometimes nothing. The issue was always worse after driving or sitting in the sun on a warmer day. One time leaving work it took me 15 mins of trying to get it to start.

No CEL but I was getting consistent A0BE, A0BF, A0C0, and A123 codes from the CAS system and 9CAB code from the body module. I also at times got A0B4, A0A9, and A0C1 errors from the CAS system. Always lots of clicking from the passenger footwell area.

Troubleshooting
Replaced the battery (original from 2010). It made the problem much better but still wouldn't always start with the first try, still had clicking in the passenger footwell.

Checked both engine ground cables (brand new before purchase) and cleaned all contact points. Suspecting bad positive cables somewhere like you, I used jumper cables to go from the battery to jump terminal in the engine back, no change. I do not have the IBS on my negative battery cable.

Ultimately I believe the CAS module is failing due to the consistent codes, possibly caused by bad engine ground that were replaced right before my purchase. I sent my original CAS, a spare CAS, and both keys to Precision ECU for repair/cloning. They reviewed my codes and agreed it sounded like a bad CAS. It's currently on the way back to me so I'll find out soon if it worked.

I would suggest checking all battery cables and connections, IBS, both engine grounds, etc. Use jumper cables to connect the battery terminals, first just positive, then just negative, to rule out cable issues between the battery and the jump posts. Connect the engine directly to the chassis via a negative jumper cable to test engine grounds. Also, check any stored codes and clear to see what comes back.

Good luck!

Really appreciate those last points, I will!

As for the cas, I certainly hope it's not that. There's no clicking inside the cabin, and only the initial click of what I assume is the battery trying to turn the starter

I did get a few codes, which I only have a0c1 in common with yours at the moment. Again, can't rule out anything till we go down the list but I will continue to work on that.

[hoki06]

Also, check the battery safety terminal aka BST. Should be easy to circumvent using the jumper cable method to verify. One end on the positive battery terminal, other on the trunk ring terminal or engine bay jump post.

[tracer bullet]

Random things here -

I did see the new battery afterwards, sorry to repeat questions.

Hmm if you own a charger you might still be sure it's 100% charged up, hook it up overnight and see how starting it up feels the next morning.

If it's tip-top but not starting the car, then definitely thinking cables / connections / CAS (good thought hoki06 ).

If it's drawn down, then it could be 1) not getting charged up? Alternator type issue, or again back to the cable / connector thing. 2) Parasitic draw. For that, the overnight charge and / or later trying to disconnect it overnight will tell a story.

Maybe consider laying your back seats down, so you can access the trunk. Be sure you have a physical key to open the driver's door. So you can get back there. If you have a 100% dead battery it gets a lot harder to get into the car especially since you can't open the trunk from the outside w/ a key. Sometimes you can jump it to get in, sometimes folks start removing speakers and such to get to the seat folding lever.

[hoki06]

A failing IBS can drain the battery and/or cause weird starting issues. I would think it throws a code but maybe not always?

If it fails to start, have a multimeter handy and check battery voltage both at the battery terminal and at the jump terminal under the hood. Checking voltage drop during starting events can also be useful if you have a helper or longer leads you can clip on.

This might be helpful. He goes through lots of things to check for a no start condition in this era of BMWs.

[nioh_lbbm2]

Originally Posted by apexwerks

Following!

I haven't gotten to it in my thread, but I did complete a LED projector retrofit on my E82. It was a fiddly job but it wasn't too hard. All the aftermarket headlight units I could find came with halogen projectors, which are better than our reflector halogens (especially when fitted with HIDs) but still aren't nearly as good as a dedicated HID/LED projector. At least that's been my opinion/experience.

I'm glad to share what I found and what I learned if you're headed this direction. Otherwise the Depo's seem to be well regarded.

Hey! Don't mean to derail OP's thread but could you expand and what you did for an LED retrofit?

[djacinto]

Originally Posted by nioh_lbbm2

Hey! Don't mean to derail OP's thread but could you expand and what you did for an LED retrofit?

Ha ha all good Apex has a great thread on his profile if you wanna check his out

[djacinto]

Originally Posted by djacinto

All right well another update. It's freezing cold this morning at 30° and the car did not start up however it was able to be jumped

pulling on the power cord again it still does not seem loose I will check the ground cable underneath

does anyone have any suggestions?

Continuing our escapade and it was not the power cable nor the starter. That leaves me (off the top of my head) the cas and ground cable.

Here is what I did with photos attached on imgur

First, I started this morning by trying a start up, nothing. same issues as before, no start no crank, just a single click from the starter solenoid

Then, I tried unplugged IBS sensor and tried startup, nothing

Next, I tried jumping the car straight from the battery terminals, also nothing

Later in the day, I left to go to harbor freight to pick up a circuit tester and some cabling and it started up. This leads me to start thinking cas module like hoki06 said.

Once returned, I did a circuit test on the power cable that goes from the positive jump terminal, behind that plastic cover, the starter, and alternator. All lit up the tester.

Then I tested the starter as seen by the video, starter turned fine.

Lastly, I checked all the cables that were easy to access. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary other than a slight browning on the suppression band as seen by picture 6 and 7

I will try and test in a few days when its warmer, as temps in Texas are still freezing, hoping that its the ground cable so i dont have to replace a cas module. Can't expect that to be cheap or convenient

feedback appreciated!

[tracer bullet]

Any chance it all it used to have an alarm or anything else that would immobilize it?

I'm curious that - well it doesn't try to start, but - maybe that single click means something is being attempted? Might help rule some stuff out or at least rank the possibilities.

Starter relay?