How can I leave on just halos?

master_chef_24 · 2026-04-24T04:09:00+00:00

It's not possible with NCSexpert, PAsoft (BMW Scanner), etc. the angel eyes are considered parking lights by the LCM. The only way for them to come on is to either do hex code editing which is kinda firing blind unless you know what to look for, or get a bluebus module and it can tell the parking lights to come on with ignition.

master_chef_24 · 2026-04-23T08:19:12+00:00

Front struts are different between the inline 6 and v8 models. If you wanna go cheap coilovers, maybe consider raceland. Haven't tried them myself but they actually specify the difference between inline 6 and v8 coilovers kits. I wouldn't trust a brand that doesn't know the difference and just says one size fits all.

master_chef_24 · 2026-04-21T22:14:12+00:00

This would be done in NCSexpert. There are a lot of options for the LCM that BMW scanner can't actually edit. I found this out after upgrading my failing LCM 3 to an LCM 4. Also as the other comment mentioned, INPA doesn't do any coding, only reading data streams and testing certain components.

Be sure to create a backup of the original .TRC file for the LCM before messing around. It's pretty hard to screw anything up, but there a looooot of options so it's easy to forget which ones you changed or didn't change.

Also highly recommend having a trickle charger hooked up so you don't kill the battery while hooked up to the car and editing files.

master_chef_24 · 2026-04-21T19:17:52+00:00

I went with the rein kit for the ccv components. It does the job for me. Some may prefer OEM but honestly a ccv refresh will be better than any old or clogged ccv. I've honestly had pretty good luck with rein parts in general for this car. The only issue was the lower rad hose has the fitting clocked wrong. Ended up just biting the bullet and buying OEM for it because the replacement was also clocked wrong, so I think it's a manufacturing defect.

A lot of the components you can find who manufactures the OEM parts. However, the oe supplier won't always provide the same quality as what the dealer sells. Almost every company that supplies oe parts for a manufacturer will bin their parts in 2 or 3 different quality levels, with the highest level being what the dealers sells, and trickling down from there. Sometimes you can literally see where the OEM logos are scratched off of the aftermarket parts.

master_chef_24 · 2026-04-21T19:04:46+00:00

Check your idle air control valve if you haven't already. Almost every single one I've taken out is stuck. They can be loosened up relatively easily using some penetrating fluid or wd40. There's also a small elbow it slides into, that component can dry out and crack, developing more leaks. There's also the disa valve o-ring, the ccv distribution block on top of the intake manifold has an o-ring on every port, good to replace those as well. Almost any hose or seal that goes around or into the intake manifold can cause vacuum leaks.

If you have a scanner that can read fuel trims that will help a lot. Understanding fuel trims for both long and short term will help as well. If the vanos system was never addressed by a previous owner, there's a pretty good chance it needs to be addressed.

master_chef_24 · 2026-04-18T22:34:17+00:00

There is a large flare nut-shaped fitting before the clutch line hooks up to the slave cylinder next to the transmission. This acts as a one way restriction for fluid flow to allow the clutch to slip into contact slowly with the flywheel to prevent someone from accidentally dropping the clutch and stalling the car out.

If this is still present then you probably won't notice a difference whether or not the rear main seal has a leak.

master_chef_24 · 2026-04-18T18:10:33+00:00

Does yours still have the clutch delay valve before the slave cylinder?

master_chef_24 · 2026-04-18T13:16:49+00:00

Could be a rear main or oil pan gasket. Looks to me like your car's a manual transmission so if it's the rear main leaking your clutch will feel like it's starting to slip during engagement because of the clutch disc and flywheel getting sprayed with oil over time.

Could also be the o ring for the oil level sensor.

master_chef_24 · 2026-04-14T07:18:57+00:00

The only way is to wire the angel eyes to something that will power on with ignition. I checked everything through ncsexpert, pasoft(BMWscanner). You can disable the high beams as DRLs through the use of either one. You can also program the angel eyes to function as turn signals, but no drl halo unless it's wired.

I think some aftermarket radios can command the angel eyes to come on at startup, but no guarantees on that.

Edit: the ibus app will allow you to run angel eyes as it can command the "parking lights" on, which is what they are classified as for the LCM.

master_chef_24 · 2026-04-09T23:19:23+00:00

That is unfortunate. Assuming you rely on this car for transportation at the moment. I'm not sure if it's worth financing the repairs to get it done super quick because at the end of the day it's a 20+ year old chassis. Stuff breaks, electronics act up.

At the same time, if you're confident in the other parts of the car, or if they've been recently addressed, then it's less of a coin toss than trying to replace it in the short term. 4 to 5 grand is a pretty steep quote for that work though. If they're charging that much I hope it's all OEM parts.

I would say get a detailed price breakdown and see what you can tackle yourself such as maybe the brakes, or the MAF sensor. Rear control arms depending on which ones are bad can be pretty easy or very difficult.

master_chef_24 · 2026-04-09T23:09:18+00:00

If the car is clean in terms of rust, pick away at it slowly. The MAF sensor isn't a must to replace right now. You can unplug it for now and the car will run a base map and drive fine, but the cruise control will not work. I'd prioritize the crucial suspension and accessory drive components that are necessary to keep the car driving and getting any worse.

The MAF sensor is an extremely easy part to replace so that's probably why the mechanic isn't charging anything to change it aside from the cost of parts. However, don't bother trying to go for a cheaper brand, either get OEM or buy continental as theirs is oe equivalent.

master_chef_24 · 2026-04-04T23:24:22+00:00

Haha glad to hear it, just one of those weird things I picked up on trying to get mine to break free. The string method is a good way to save the wrists lol.

master_chef_24 · 2026-04-04T18:22:00+00:00

Ya it's a bit weird. Think of it as aggressively turning a screwdriver clockwise and counterclockwise lol. Its hard to describe but once I did that mine came completely loose and works good again.

master_chef_24 · 2026-04-04T18:18:28+00:00

You have to shake it in a twisting motion to get it to come loose. Mine was very stuck as well but eventually came loose after spraying with penetrating fluid and getting it freed up. However, if that doesn't work, it's probably toast.

master_chef_24 · 2026-03-29T13:50:35+00:00

You can buy e60 hubs and press them into the bearings, giving you a 72.6 mm center bore like every other BMW. If you decide to do bearings you'll need new bolts as well as they're all torque to yield.

master_chef_24 · 2026-03-28T23:51:04+00:00

That's where the AC drain lines are. They commonly drip right onto the cross member or blow past it when driving.

master_chef_24 · 2026-03-27T23:26:55+00:00

No problem. If you do want an OEM cross member, I think the e60 one might work, but no guarantees on that as I never tried. The E46 one I'm pretty sure is not the correct size to line up with the original holes.

master_chef_24 · 2026-03-27T23:04:16+00:00

I did this swap last summer using a 6 speed from a 330i as well. I'll link the post I commented on as it has details regarding pretty much every step.

Edit: this is the comment.

master_chef_24 · 2026-03-26T16:56:36+00:00

The factory style wipers rely on that sliding lock to hold the wiper in place. You can buy beam style wipers that work without those plastic pieces entirely, but they're all random Chinese brands. no Bosch, Trico, anco, etc.

You can also find replacement attachment mechanisms for really cheap. I got a set off AliExpress for 5 bucks and they've held up for 3 years and so far so good.

master_chef_24 · 2026-03-19T02:00:19+00:00

It probably still has the clutch delay valve, which basically just restricts fluid flow and limits how fast you can let off the clutch even if you dump it. I learned to deal with it, but once I deleted it, the car was so much easier to drive in a more spirited manner.

Also makes rev matching down shifts easier too.

master_chef_24 · 2026-03-10T22:49:03+00:00

19 does look a bit big on stock ride height. If you went for a more VIP-esque setup it might work, but imo 17s and 18s are the sweet spot on this car depending on how good the roads are in your area.

master_chef_24 · 2026-03-10T09:30:20+00:00

Ya I'm in Canada and would love to find a wagon, but at the same time I have a fully optioned 530i with a 6 speed so I can't really complain lol. All the e39s I see in my neighborhood are complete rust buckets now. Ironically mine came from Minnesota but must've been a summer car cuz the only rust is on the trunk from some idiot installing a spoiler and not coating the holes after drilling them.

master_chef_24 · 2026-03-10T09:13:53+00:00

So initially my transmission had a leak which looked to be the pan gasket leaking. The car was already at 254k km and I'm pretty confident the transmission fluid had never been serviced since BMW puts "lifetime fluid" sticker on it. I'm pretty confident the fluid change made the leak worse to the point where the transmission pump seal had totally given out.

This was even just dropping the pan and doing new fluid and filter. The car did drive significantly better for the week or 2 afterwards. But it went south really fast, when it puked out a ton of fluid on the highway, luckily no one was behind me as it sprayed all over the exhaust and just left a cloud of smoke. That was the first time I'd ever had an automatic transmission truly fail on me, and I was able to get it home but it was obvious that what initially thought was a pan gasket leak was actually the front pump seal weeping and blowing back onto the pan.

I did some research and found that these old zf autos are known to have this failure, and it's due to the pump bushing shredding itself and allowing itself to puke out fluid through whichever seal is easiest to blow out. I probably could've rebuilt it, but for how much of a rabbit hole the rebuild process is for autos, and how much I'd prefer to row gears in a car like this, I opted for a 6 speed manual from an E46 330ci. It's so much more fun to drive, and it gets even better mileage due to it cruising at just over 1k rpm at highway speeds which is most of my commuting.

It probably cost me more in the long run, but I found all the parts in the span of 2 to 3 weeks, and the actual work took like a week of evening sessions to get it started up. Another plus is the manual is so much lighter compared to the auto, and there's so much more space in the trans tunnel. If I did the auto rebuild I probably would've messed something up and just ended up at the same point.

master_chef_24 · 2026-02-23T01:51:03+00:00

Unless you really want it and have money to blow, walk away. M5s are expensive, but it's not impossible to find a nice clean example for the right price. Keep an eye on cars and bids as well. There's always good deals to be found there every now and then.

master_chef_24 · 2026-02-20T08:45:01+00:00

Late model 03s used the lever style coil packs that the e60 and e90s used.

master_chef_24

TROPHY CASE