<![CDATA[1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget.]]>So I figured I should start a thread on the new ride.  It's got 257k on it but you can't really tell.  Seats are in fantastic shape, engine is dead silent even when cold, and trans shifts like butter.  Being my first V8 bimmer, I'm blown away by the power.  Hits 70 before you know it, and you don't even feel like you're going fast.  

Initial issues:

-The brake light switch is out, as the rear brake lights stay on when the car is on.  

-Tires are noisy and need to be replaced (anyone spare some 16" winters?)

-Odd electrical noise coming from the front of the car on occasion, accompanied by a vibration from the rear.  (ASC issues?)

-Could use a front suspension overhaul.

-Needs moar low. Looking at coilover options.  

-Slight ignition hesitation on cold start.  And by slight, I mean just enough to pique my curiosity.

-Odds and ends need to be sorted (bulbs, cleaning, buff&wax)

Small list for a car with a quarter million miles.  I have a couple other things in mind, but all in due time.

10847779101526259387784324134586869124

]]>https://wibimmers.com/topic/3317/1997-540i-a-high-mileage-ballin-on-a-budget.RSS for NodeWed, 16 Sep 2026 05:45:24 GMTMon, 08 Dec 2014 02:27:59 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Tue, 17 Feb 2015 19:02:46 GMT]]>

rampelsauce said:

Never did this.  Couldn't get lift/shop space.  Fuck.  On top of that, I need to drive to Minneapolis today for a work conference.

If it will make it around the block, it will make it around the world.  Right?

Just giver, I took my family on a 2k mile round trip to Alabama with an e30 which I had just bought and done a manual swap.  Only put around 500 miles on it before the trip and it ran flawless.

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/54339https://wibimmers.com/post/54339Tue, 17 Feb 2015 19:02:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Tue, 17 Feb 2015 16:18:15 GMT]]>

rampelsauce said:

I'm doing my transmission filter, trans flush/fill today. Pictures to come.

Never did this.  Couldn't get lift/shop space.  Fuck.  On top of that, I need to drive to Minneapolis today for a work conference.

If it will make it around the block, it will make it around the world.  Right?

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/54321https://wibimmers.com/post/54321Tue, 17 Feb 2015 16:18:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Sat, 14 Feb 2015 16:22:06 GMT]]>I'm doing my transmission filter, trans flush/fill today. Pictures to come.

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/54225https://wibimmers.com/post/54225Sat, 14 Feb 2015 16:22:06 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Sun, 08 Feb 2015 23:46:36 GMT]]>i realized it may have not been chronologically accurate.

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/53954https://wibimmers.com/post/53954Sun, 08 Feb 2015 23:46:36 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Sun, 08 Feb 2015 21:47:03 GMT]]>I liked your comment more before you edited it.

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/53945https://wibimmers.com/post/53945Sun, 08 Feb 2015 21:47:03 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Sun, 08 Feb 2015 21:35:00 GMT]]>At least this year the dead battery happened AFTER the ice event

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/53942https://wibimmers.com/post/53942Sun, 08 Feb 2015 21:35:00 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Sun, 08 Feb 2015 21:11:53 GMT]]>So I decided that I should clean out my cabin air filters and do some cleaning up under the hood while I was in there. I cleaned out the cabin filters/housings and cleaned out my air box as well.  I removed the intake silencer as an experiment, see what kinda sounds it makes without it.  

I may just go ahead and replace my windshield washer pump while I'm at it.

Also, I left my key in position 1, so my battery is dead.  My girlfriend is out and about, so looks like I'm stuck at home today.

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/53941https://wibimmers.com/post/53941Sun, 08 Feb 2015 21:11:53 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Sun, 08 Feb 2015 19:48:00 GMT]]>Nope, it was 2/3 of the way down all the way home. Good thing it was pretty warm out.

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/53935https://wibimmers.com/post/53935Sun, 08 Feb 2015 19:48:00 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Sun, 08 Feb 2015 19:43:15 GMT]]>Didn't you have it up before you drove past me? Haha

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/53934https://wibimmers.com/post/53934Sun, 08 Feb 2015 19:43:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Sun, 08 Feb 2015 19:29:58 GMT]]>So my passenger side front window regulator got all messed up at the Gefrorenfahrt. I had to drive all the way home to Port Washington with the passenger window open. So I parked it in the garage because I didn't feel like messing with it til today. So here's what happened.

post-2584-142342371468thumb.jpg

post-2584-142342376479thumb.jpg

So I took my factory tool kit and fingers and put the cables back in their little tabs.  FIXED! 

post-2584-142342379247thumb.jpg

So now I don't have to worry about it ever again!  Unless, that is, I decide to roll the window down.  This is a spring to do list item.

PS:Don't bother clicking on the thumbnails.  They are huge and out of focus.

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/53933https://wibimmers.com/post/53933Sun, 08 Feb 2015 19:29:58 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Tue, 20 Jan 2015 17:15:41 GMT]]>😃

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/52964https://wibimmers.com/post/52964Tue, 20 Jan 2015 17:15:41 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Tue, 20 Jan 2015 16:24:08 GMT]]>​

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/52962https://wibimmers.com/post/52962Tue, 20 Jan 2015 16:24:08 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Tue, 20 Jan 2015 14:24:38 GMT]]>

Snap said:

OE german exhaust systems be cray

Is this what Dominic did to his car as well? That car sounds glorious

Thanks Snap! I removed both "tanks", not just the dead end one

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/52947https://wibimmers.com/post/52947Tue, 20 Jan 2015 14:24:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Tue, 20 Jan 2015 03:35:13 GMT]]>

Snap said:

OE german exhaust systems be cray Is this what Dominic did to his car as well? That car sounds glorious

Muffler delete.  My car is like that, but quieter.  Getting rid of the tank makes a huge difference.

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/52934https://wibimmers.com/post/52934Tue, 20 Jan 2015 03:35:13 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Tue, 20 Jan 2015 02:56:05 GMT]]>OE german exhaust systems be cray

Is this what Dominic did to his car as well? That car sounds glorious

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/52929https://wibimmers.com/post/52929Tue, 20 Jan 2015 02:56:05 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Tue, 20 Jan 2015 02:51:01 GMT]]>It got cold so I stopped snapping pictures. No more scuba tank. Sounds pretty damn good. Throaty under load, huge difference. I'll post some post op pictures and a video with some sound. I posted an instagram video of the exhaust before I patched it, so follow me @rampelsauce.

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/52928https://wibimmers.com/post/52928Tue, 20 Jan 2015 02:51:01 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Tue, 20 Jan 2015 02:48:32 GMT]]>e98359666412addbf132f79929380e35.jpgc445e60737c2c7dd929171b1e38b9c39.jpg915e674c5c743ded226d31526df4929a.jpg71b8e6a6e9958ba08f26fa46cf58edb8.jpg1e025f386af2550e1b0191785f890342.jpgf4b15502fc7e7aec4cb2b5a8e6faf14c.jpg

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/52926https://wibimmers.com/post/52926Tue, 20 Jan 2015 02:48:32 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Mon, 19 Jan 2015 01:08:35 GMT]]>

Snap said:

Yeah i think that would look nice, all the same color though, no black/silver/purple lip

If I don't sell them, I might keep the polished lip and do the centers bronze.

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/52880https://wibimmers.com/post/52880Mon, 19 Jan 2015 01:08:35 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Sun, 18 Jan 2015 15:39:48 GMT]]>Yeah i think that would look nice, all the same color though, no black/silver/purple lip

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/52852https://wibimmers.com/post/52852Sun, 18 Jan 2015 15:39:48 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Sun, 18 Jan 2015 14:29:07 GMT]]>I really like the bronze color though. Here's a sample piece I did. It's a bike hub.

89efafb9bfd1d73a16d9fa5544450950.jpg

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/52849https://wibimmers.com/post/52849Sun, 18 Jan 2015 14:29:07 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Sun, 18 Jan 2015 14:23:53 GMT]]>I say medium-dark gray satin finish

No metallic

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/52848https://wibimmers.com/post/52848Sun, 18 Jan 2015 14:23:53 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Sun, 18 Jan 2015 14:21:13 GMT]]>Nope. Black on black, murdah'd out.

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/52847https://wibimmers.com/post/52847Sun, 18 Jan 2015 14:21:13 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Sun, 18 Jan 2015 12:17:50 GMT]]>Is the interior tan?

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/52846https://wibimmers.com/post/52846Sun, 18 Jan 2015 12:17:50 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to 1997 540i/A: High mileage ballin' on a budget. on Sun, 18 Jan 2015 02:21:00 GMT]]>Snows installed, on car, kickin' ass.

So, I didn't get my 18's mounted yet because I'm trying to figure out what color to power coat them.

Bronze with a black lip?  Black with a bronze lip?  Hmmm.

I photoshopped a crappy picture of bronze with a black lip.

post-2584-0-08477600-1421547858thumb.pn

]]>https://wibimmers.com/post/52843https://wibimmers.com/post/52843Sun, 18 Jan 2015 02:21:00 GMT