This is my introduction and project video for my newly (and strangely) acquired 2002 BMW E39 540i/6 sedan. E39Source website: www.e39source.com Help support E39Source by donating: www.e39source.com/donate
Thank you so much for the comment! This was a very satisfying project, and I've been driving the 540i far more than I anticipated. And to echo Nate-- we'd love to meet you next time you're back in So-Cal! I hope your 530i project is coming along well!
@@E39SourceI can imagine, 540i is a great all around package. Thank you for the invite! I'll definitely stop by next time I'm in CA. Touring is back on the road :)
Love this kind of content. Would love if you started having more of this style of videos. I would have something more to watch when m539 restorations havent uploaded :)
As a 2k 540i owner in Monterey Co. I do very much appreciate your due diligence on your stock of vehicles and not settling for half way measures but displaying complete solutions as it should be. Well done.
@@E39Source Yes I do! Just rolled over 166k and just passed 4 years of ownership last month. No longer my daily driver, but it's still going very strong. Thanks for asking.
Ryan, you crack me up because I was initially thinking this was going to be a relatively long term project; but, then I see the car completely and- nearly instantly transformed. Not too surprised, though. You are a perfectionist with no tolerance for defects
Loved this video, thank you for sharing. I always loved the e39, I had 3 in the past, starting with a 525i, a 540i like the one you are restoring and an M5, just one of the more perfect cars for me.
37:10 i thought I was the only one that enjoyed listening to that German E39 showcase video while doing DIY! Great video Ryan would love to come and visit if I’m ever stateside. Regards, E46 M3 and 330Ci owner UK.
Great video Ryan, I also enjoy watching your RU-vid content. I had a battery that was down to 11 volts on my 2001 530i, I also could not get the engine to start by jumping it with my other 530i, and my friends Crown Victoria Police Interceptor with a 300 amp alternator. I put a 1 amp Schumacher battery charger on it, along with my Pulse Tech passive Battery desulfator, for 4 days, and the battery was fully charged, and started the car each week it sat until I could retire it with the State of California Bureau of Automotive Repair as it was rear ended on the freeway and was totaled by the insurance company.
Excellent! So addicted to these types of videos. Makes me want to improve my E39. In fact, ended up buying a replacement door sill for my car while watching the video 😂. Now jumping to watch the E39Source video on how to replace them. Thanks Ryan!!
Hello E39 Source! I have a 97' 540iA "100% stock" Alpine White nicely equipped. I spent about 10k in maintenance when I bought it in 2009 with 130k miles on the odometer. Became my daily driver for 30k miles. The biggest investment was a new transmission. Since 2015, I have stored and done minimal maintenance on it. Rust free, 100% stock. Runs great but needs considerable maintenance/refresh. Your videos on this particular project, in my view, are very important to great e39s which are, unfortunately, being overlooked for the great value that they are. Thank you for this video.
Impressive work and attention to detail…I’ve Always enjoyed watching your videos especially on maximizing your car’s potential with improvements, upgrades and restoring them to near perfection. Thanks for sharing what you’ve learned. As an owner of 3 older models, 2000m5, 97 540/6 and 91. 850i/6 I can simply watch vids from your channel to get the best diy content.
Very soothing, seeing a neglected car brought back so nicely. Great work, as per, Ryan. Should make an excellent road trip car, and be reliable now you’ve sorted the usual M62 niggles. Hope 2023 brings continued success and many happy E39 miles.
Great video. What a rescue. You are a wealth of knowledge. I rescued a 2002 525i with 58,000 miles on it for my daughter's first car. It sat outside for a few years here in SE Texas, so it has taken some sun damage. Overall it runs good. I am new to BMW, but admired them as a kid. Was around Audi and Porsche as a kid since my dad was a mechanic on them all my life. Started working on the small issues so far...new battery, leaking valve cover, leaking power sterring hoses, seat twist and new headlights (someone onstalled horrible amazon aftermarkets) and over deep interior cleaning. Plan on doing the water pump, new cooling hoses, thermostat, DISA valve and whatever else I can find as I go. These are amazing cars from what I see so far. Wish I was local to you for sure.
Thank you! Great work on the 525i, those are incredibly reliable cars when any effort is made to take care of them. At that mileage, you should get loads of good use out of it!
As always a very detailed diy video. My crappy internet wouldn’t play the video properly so not sure it you put one in but The low temp thermostat works great with these engines. Extends the cooling systems , plastics and rubber lifespan plus I’m betting the valve cover paint will last longer.
I really enjoyed watching this Ryan. Your attention to detail and encyclopedic knowledge of the e39 chassis is inspiring. It’s interesting that you could not find a shop to agree to powder coat your valve covers. I had that done on my car years ago and they still look as good as the day I got them back. My 2003 540i M Sport with a six speed makes me smile every time I drive it. It has developed a small rear main seal leak that isn’t yet dripping but wets the transmission case a bit. Living in Asheville NC is too far away, but otherwise yours would be on the short list of shops I would trust to service my car.
Thank you Jay! I was surprised that nobody wanted to do it either, but in hindsight I'm glad I just went with new ones. Sounds like it's time for a road trip!
What am awesome upgrade to a classic German masterpiece. Looking forward for more videos. Keep up the awesome standard of work. Greetings and God bless from South Africa 🙏🏿
It is a special car with the sport package and the 6-speed Getrag trans. These are VERY rare. The style 32 wheels only came on this Model.The parts alone are worth more than you paid for it.
Hey man I want to say I love your content, when I first started really getting into E39s, your channel was one of the first to show up and have been subscribed since then =D Also I wanted to offer some advice for jumping dead BMWs, it's always best to connect the dead car at its engine bay start assist points too because our old ladies aren't intended to be jumped directly at the battery, it can cause electrical problems like activating the pyrofuse in the positive cable head (usually only activated from an airbag deployment). Also that 540i manual is incredibly rare in the US and Germany and actually if you were to restore it more, I've seen them selling in Germany for as much as 25,000 euro. Again I freaking love your channel man! You're awesome and I look forward always to any videos you upload! =D Happy holidays!
Thank you so much for your comment! I generally do jump from the front but I don't believe I'm loosing too much juice by trying the trunk, those are some meaty wires going up to the starter that should carry the amperage no problem.
That strut stand is nice. I wish I had room in my garage for one. One of the things that makes me really nervous is replacing the front struts. I've got a hole in my garage ceiling from a strut mishap a few years back. I'm lucky it didn't hit me in the face. I'd take the headliner and pillars to the same shop that did the rear deck.
Hi Ryan. Always have fun watching your videos. Really always clean, great work. I like this. I have a tip for you for the black plastic. I use the Koch Chemie Plast Star or Koch Chemie Nano Magic Plast Care. This makes faded black plastics look like new again.
Thanks for saving a manual 540i and not turn it into yet another M5 wannabe. Also, the flickering light sometimes it's caused by a diode that's spliced about halfaway from the alternator to the E-box on the terminal 15 wire (or was it terminal 30?) the thinest of the 2 thick wires that goes to the alternator. It's tucked in the bank 2 wire box sometimes. If that diode blows out it ends up taking out the alternator's VR as well. It's worth checking since if that's kaput you'll fry 2, 3 or 4 alternators until you go on a wild chase and figure that out. (ask me how I know lol) Thanks for having helped me for sooo many years of E39 ownership.
Thank you for this comment Juan! Thankfully, the replacement alternator fixed the flickering issues a few thousand miles ago. I will certainly keep the diode in mind should this return.
I'm so glad you got the same car I have. Mines a little different, the bumpers are different, interior has the brushed metal trim parts, it has the automatic trans with the shift select to the left. M sport package with the same rims. I've been working on it 2 years, replacing a lot of parts, trim and engine has been gone through, repainted the valve covers and all gaskets associated with taking those off, including the kit for the intake manifold. I just did the (4) front lower control arms. Fender liners n pork chops replaced. Still chasing a battery discharge and I don't have passenger seat control, 3 windows don't roll down, and my trunk button doesn't work.
@@E39Source it very much is!! I also have an 02 745i I have not started on. I had it flatbed towed home and my main problem with it is since the transmission and emergency brake were disengaged the car won't start, even after putting it back per instructions. I won't be bothering with it until my 540 is done and on the road. I build torpedoes full time so I have to weekend warrior these things. I did get the Bentley book for the 540i, I mostly needed the wiring diagrams to diagnose and put right the things the previous owner(s) improvised on. I want to bring it back to stock condition.
I knew it from the start you will not have the heart to treat this car with lesser attention than your beloved M5. You love this e39's too much and I bet even if it was a 520d you had done it right from head to toes🤗 Well done! Superb ! Again a true inspiration for any e39 lover about how to maintain these gems. I wouldn't delete rear doors sunshades... is a pretty rare option in Europe... I also noticed something different at your fog lights switch... You mentioned about the rattling noise in the front doors when close with the window opened. Could you be a little more specific witch bolt is about perhaps some pics...
Thank you for your kind words! If the sunshades added any value and weren't in constant need of expensive repairs, I would have kept them. The US fog light switch is just for fronts, we didn't get rear fogs (though I retrofit them to my M5). The bolt I am referring to is in the clamp that holds the glass to the regulator. It's a T25 or T30 bolt. You may have to adjust the window a touch to cleanly access it. But once you're in there, you can't miss it.
Dang, you did a lot to this thing. My 01 e320 needs a lot of those little things done, but I just can't afford to do it anymore. It runs really well, though, so I'm not worried about it. I had a 2003 530i for a while when I lived in San Diego, and I loved the way it drove. I don't understand why BMW couldn't figure out how to put rack and pinion steering on their eight cylinder cars. Happy holidays.
Thanks for the informative and entertaining video. I was able to sort my 530i passenger door issue. It was not stuck in the lock positron. I agree with replacing the actuators as preventative maintenance. I am still sorting out my 99 528u sport wagon with 5 speed manual. Are you ever going to restore some touring wagons? Maybe an M5 engine swap? Happy New Year snd thanks for the fantastic videos.
Awesome video Ryan, as usual. Are those M-Sport II or whatever they are called shocks the same ones of the M5? Looking for alternatives to the crazy prices of the OE shocks for my car.
These are M-Sport I, so notably softer than the M5 and 540i M-Tech. My advice is save up the cash for the Genuines on the M5, nothing else rides as well.
Looking fwd to seeing your solution for the broken 'magazine holder' pockets in the rear of comfort seats. The ABS plastic in there shatters and there's no replacements to be had. I reconstructed mine with 'Visabella Speedfix' glue, but I can't see you spending a weekend piecing old ABS fragments back together.
Yeah, I'd have no patience for that. I hope to replace these seats with heated black sport seats eventually. For now, they're just going to sag open. At least they both look the same!
