Hi there I’m the technician from NZ who inspected the vehicle and carried out some of the repairs . Thanks for not being harsh on the dealership . I would like to let you know that I have been working on BMWs since leaving school in 1988 and continue to do so . I remember this car well , don’t see them much anymore ! Just wanted to say that some things that were noted by me did not get on the estimate list . I’m sure I noted the heater fan issue and definitely the on board computer lights . As for some of the other stuff such as door seals etc I think that the velour was coming away from the rubbers ,just a cosmetic issue . Also I think I noted the interior door panels vinyl coming away from the card , again cosmetic . The pcv hose was not connected and I’m pretty sure I managed to put it back on but the hose was hard so suggested replacement due to age , same with emission hoses . Doing 1 do them all . Interesting to get your opinions on my work ! Keep up the videos Cheers mark
@@MarkPainter-e8f WOW! What a small world. Cheers Mark!! Thank you for dropping in. You’ve been working on these cars since before I was born, so I respect your knowledge and expertise greatly! Im sure you could teach me a thing or two as well. I didn’t realize regarding estimates that cosmetic things made the cut, hence my opinions on the door seal replacement. Makes all the more sense now! The work done on this car especially the diff was beautifully done
S38-B38 3.8 Does not self check the Intake Flap actuator up on engine start. Perform the classic test, put little grease on the actuator arm and go drive it to the red line thru 1st and 2nd then check if the grease made it to the stopper/limiter. BMW realized that there is no need to premature wear out the diaphragm with self check every single time one starts the engine as on 3.6. Very nice car.
@@m638csi Never been fan of that method for DIYers. One has to be very carefull not to over rev the engine by accident/mistake specially the 3.8...Road test is safe.
The dealership that carried out the inspection in 🇳🇿had the car for approx 4 weeks while replacing a similar value of required maintenance and waiting on parts. Very knowledgeable old school mechanic that worked on e34's when new I believe. 50/50 recommendations are due to me telling them to inspect everything and if in doubt replace. Great installment Josh, nice to watch in NZ, thank you.
Valve cover gasket was probably recommended due to the valve lash recommendation. The door seals is most likely due to the caliber of the car someone with an M5 is more likely to go do cosmetic repairs. Also is there wind noise when driving could be another thing they considered before recommending it.
@@m3nameisjosh464 especially fluids etc , worked at a shop fluids and items that looked new but had no history we're recommended based off over 100k miles alone completely legal
Since that car is a keeper I would remplace every hose, filter, belts if needed, plus the things that you mention. The car is worth "perfection for your colection".
Loving the E34 M5 content. Looking forward to you minting this one out and getting the red one up to nice driver status. Shops certainly are hit or miss. Seems like they had a decent shop back in New Zealand. But they’re never as thorough as an enthusiast.
Just my $0.02 based on 18 years of non-mechanically inclined 1991 M5 ownership: 1. Use the correct differential oil, it's hard to get. I forget the specification on it though sorry. I can call my indie shop to find out if you need the info. If you don't you will have a diff grinding on you and working incorrectly while destroying itself. On the Getrag tranny, I found no big difference in transmission fluid from Royal Purple or Redline. 2. Tighten the rear sub frame bolts underneath the rear seats. They might be the same bolt for the seat belts. I forget, but the creaking this caused was really had to pin down at about the same mileage as your car. Mechanic had to ride around in the back listening for it while I drove. It was oddly intermittent, really frustrating when it would disappear for a time. Looks like your car had this addressed, but just FYI the noise comes from the rear seats. 3. A knowledgeable BMW mechanic is worth his weight in gold. I had to go through several BS German Autohaus styled self-certified bMW "specialists" until they gave up the name of someone they go to for real problem expertise. He was a wizard who worked at a BMW dealer in the 80's-90's, finding the problem of a leaking almost new distributor cap that I couldn't believe was the culprit in poor running/stumbling/stalling issues I was having. Replaced the cap, runs perfect. 3 other shops with years of experience couldn't figure this out, nor could I. I went through many new wires and plugs unnecessarily. 4. The air conditioning is a bear, the worst thing about owning this car. You know about the cabin fan resistor getting leaves in it causing fires, check that to be sure. Mine had the 'sword' so fires not a problem.
Thank you for sharing this valuable information!! Really appreciate it. Can you elaborate what you mean by leaking distributor cap? Sounds like an idea id like to have regarding projects.
@@m3nameisjosh464yeah i mean i had a worn out rotor on the distributor so i replaced it with an aftermarket part. A year or so later the M5 was stalling out and running horribly. I thought it was bad ignition wires or maybe spark plugs getting fouled, or maybe fuel filter or pump. It was none of that, it was the cap on the distributor. A whiff of humidity could stall the motor, like driving over a creek or bayou here in Houston. Replacing it again cured the behavior, this time with OEM quality part.
Awesome video. When changing the cabin air filter, make sure its a RHD one, which is two piece. I made the mistake of ordering one from US for my RHD Australian spec car.
I think they may have meant the lower door trim strips that clips the bottoms of the doors...? Unique to M5's and 535i/540i Sports. Plastic not rubber, NLA and they were £££££. Yeah, original RHD centre drag links are red, made by TRW. The oil leaks will be cam cover gasket and sump, maybe even the crank front oil seal. Looks a very clean and worthwhile car - you can tell it's not lived in the UK!😂
@@berwhaletheavenger the technician from the dealership commented and mentioned it was in fact the seals. No issues with the lower trims, either way I think the seals are pretty expensive new! Luckily this car was exported from UK immediately
Just stand outside the driver side with one foot inside on the throttle and with the bonnet open you can spot the vacuum clock on the intake. IIRC it should engage at around 4000 rpm.
My blower is also working only on 4th position and it was kinda sorta working on 3rd position sometimes it turned out to be the speed control switch rather than the blower motor resistor. Thats also important to look at before ordering parts. I think the valve cover gasket was included because of the valve clearance job.
Is the invoice of $ 7627 in New Zealand currency ? The NZ currency is the New Zealand Dollar... FYI, 100 USD is $ 163 New Zealand Dollar !!! If this invoice is in NZ dollars, the final cost is more in line with BMW US dealers...
You are making very good videos. But only one thing I couldn't understand from your Blower Resistor Videos is if Euro-Spec non-A/C cars have the same blue Resistors too. I couldn't find him in my car. 1991 525i Touring, no A/C. Still thanks a lot for your Videos
Thank you! Im honestly not to sure on the euro non AC cars. I think maybe they have the earlier sword? Which would be on the passenger side of the center console.
@@m3nameisjosh464 thanks, I'll definitelly have a look. Tbh in Europe E34 isn't that famous for catching fire because of blower resistor, more for rust on lower door edges. I guess since EU Specs were common without A/C another type of resistor doesn't nake as many troubles.
Was this car originally sold to New Zealand from new ? Do you have the last 7 digits of the VIN , GE00*** ? I am still watching your video and will comment further in due course.
Your not gonna believe this but there popped up a daytona violet E34 s38b38 with a hurricane alcantara interior here in Germany. With 40k miles wtf. 2 days and it got sold again :/
josh bro what will a 2 car inspection & possible repair cost me, i definitely trust you more than any stealership or ‘specialist’ near me 😭 southern MN lmk
Hey Josh, do you detect any difference in the handling between the RHD and LHD models? I drove RHD in UK before I moved to the US. I thought the LHD drove better and when i looked it seemed to be a different steering box on the LHD to RHD because of space constraints with the exhaust etc. both were ZF but seemed to have much better feel and centering with the LHD version.
as a dealer tech we just doin our job lol, older classics for sure are gonna take a hit, its more of a thing to cover our ass because the customer could come back and say well HEY this needs replacement (according to them) why didnt you quote it type shit. granted some things are a little bit overpriced and probably not necessary. we get paid by the millisecond at least in the US, based on time, lots of quotes factor in the bullshit of older cars that you have to deal with. im not defending the scammerships but for ex here at porsche and other german brands, we just try to do our best and cover our asses as techs (especially cuz the cars are higher end and worth more to the owners)
@@m3nameisjosh464 no worries, a lot of it is unfair to someone who can work on their own car, ofc im not gonna pay someone to put on wiper blades type shit. to the normal person its what we gotta do.
Hi Josh, I have question how often you have experienced any ECU problems in your E34's? eventually all Motronic ecu die blah blah... then what? finding replacement donor and all that mess what comes with it. this is scary topic. 💀 Just want to be one step ahead 😂
@@knightrida6829 could have just been a really weak line causing weak clutch which sometimes associates with higher biting clutch. Otherwise not sure why a new hose would change anything at all
I dont think the avg BMW dealership can handle this. They like current production models. Just for that I would charge you like 20k for wasting our time.
Stop wasting everybody’s time with nonsensical videos, do the thing you and all the enthusiasts want to see, you want money? You want 1 M viewership? Start doing the left hand swap that you picked up that red e34 for. Also Drop a 6 speed on l, it changes the entire character of the engine, ask me how do I know, and for this to happen, start looking for that unicorn drive shaft as well.
Lol you don't know what you're talking about. A six-speed with the matching 3.23 diff has the exact same gearing as the five speed, with an overdriven sixth. I know because I swapped the six speed in my own car, and no it doesn't mean he'll get 1M subs.
Hi there
I’m the technician from NZ who inspected the vehicle and carried out some of the repairs .
Thanks for not being harsh on the dealership .
I would like to let you know that I have been working on BMWs since leaving school in 1988 and continue to do so . I remember this car well , don’t see them much anymore !
Just wanted to say that some things that were noted by me did not get on the estimate list . I’m sure I noted the heater fan issue and definitely the on board computer lights .
As for some of the other stuff such as door seals etc I think that the velour was coming away from the rubbers ,just a cosmetic issue .
Also I think I noted the interior door panels vinyl coming away from the card , again cosmetic .
The pcv hose was not connected and I’m pretty sure I managed to put it back on but the hose was hard so suggested replacement due to age , same with emission hoses . Doing 1 do them all . Interesting to get your opinions on my work ! Keep up the videos
Cheers mark
@@MarkPainter-e8f WOW! What a small world. Cheers Mark!! Thank you for dropping in. You’ve been working on these cars since before I was born, so I respect your knowledge and expertise greatly! Im sure you could teach me a thing or two as well. I didn’t realize regarding estimates that cosmetic things made the cut, hence my opinions on the door seal replacement. Makes all the more sense now!
The work done on this car especially the diff was beautifully done
S38-B38 3.8 Does not self check the Intake Flap actuator up on engine start. Perform the classic test, put little grease on the actuator arm and go drive it to the red line thru 1st and 2nd then check if the grease made it to the stopper/limiter. BMW realized that there is no need to premature wear out the diaphragm with self check every single time one starts the engine as on 3.6. Very nice car.
Wow! The more I know!! Thank you so much. I figured it didn’t make sense for it to not work, car runs perfectly and feels powerful.
Don’t need to play with grease. Simply push tb linkage to full throttle. And watch it
@@m638csi Never been fan of that method for DIYers. One has to be very carefull not to over rev the engine by accident/mistake specially the 3.8...Road test is safe.
@@anridemirdjian5011 obviously some safety measures should be taken. Better update on vanos build please.
@anridemirdjian5011 over rev? Its got a rev limiter...
The dealership that carried out the inspection in 🇳🇿had the car for approx 4 weeks while replacing a similar value of required maintenance and waiting on parts. Very knowledgeable old school mechanic that worked on e34's when new I believe. 50/50 recommendations are due to me telling them to inspect everything and if in doubt replace. Great installment Josh, nice to watch in NZ, thank you.
Thanks for the Insights Jon! The tech did a good job inspecting!
good content, man. I like what you're doing here. channel has really been elevated.
Thank you so much. I appreciate this!!
Valve cover gasket was probably recommended due to the valve lash recommendation. The door seals is most likely due to the caliber of the car someone with an M5 is more likely to go do cosmetic repairs. Also is there wind noise when driving could be another thing they considered before recommending it.
So true. Neither of those crossed my mind. I guess Im a low calibre owner😭🤣
lets not forget dealerships federally nation wide are allowed to base services simply off mileage alone so take that into account big josh !
I actually did not know this. Thats crazy
@@m3nameisjosh464 haha but this is a kiwi car 🚗 seems like they were pretty spot on tho just crazy in prices!
@@startingtech3900 yes but the exchange rate means the cost in US would be closer to half of the stated value, forgot to mention that lol
@@m3nameisjosh464 especially fluids etc , worked at a shop fluids and items that looked new but had no history we're recommended based off over 100k miles alone completely legal
Since that car is a keeper I would remplace every hose, filter, belts if needed, plus the things that you mention. The car is worth "perfection for your colection".
It will get there soon enough!!
That was very informative and helpful. I needed to know because my M5 has roughly the same amount of miles so now i know what to look for.
Happy to help!!
@12:36 I started wheezing when you said “thats a pretty wicked setup” 🤣🤣😭
@@lahnie95 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣was at a loss for words on that😭🤣
Loving the E34 M5 content. Looking forward to you minting this one out and getting the red one up to nice driver status.
Shops certainly are hit or miss. Seems like they had a decent shop back in New Zealand. But they’re never as thorough as an enthusiast.
Im excited as well. Lots of work ahead 😅. Agreed, this dealership did well!
Just my $0.02 based on 18 years of non-mechanically inclined 1991 M5 ownership:
1. Use the correct differential oil, it's hard to get. I forget the specification on it though sorry. I can call my indie shop to find out if you need the info. If you don't you will have a diff grinding on you and working incorrectly while destroying itself. On the Getrag tranny, I found no big difference in transmission fluid from Royal Purple or Redline.
2. Tighten the rear sub frame bolts underneath the rear seats. They might be the same bolt for the seat belts. I forget, but the creaking this caused was really had to pin down at about the same mileage as your car. Mechanic had to ride around in the back listening for it while I drove. It was oddly intermittent, really frustrating when it would disappear for a time. Looks like your car had this addressed, but just FYI the noise comes from the rear seats.
3. A knowledgeable BMW mechanic is worth his weight in gold. I had to go through several BS German Autohaus styled self-certified bMW "specialists" until they gave up the name of someone they go to for real problem expertise. He was a wizard who worked at a BMW dealer in the 80's-90's, finding the problem of a leaking almost new distributor cap that I couldn't believe was the culprit in poor running/stumbling/stalling issues I was having. Replaced the cap, runs perfect. 3 other shops with years of experience couldn't figure this out, nor could I. I went through many new wires and plugs unnecessarily.
4. The air conditioning is a bear, the worst thing about owning this car. You know about the cabin fan resistor getting leaves in it causing fires, check that to be sure. Mine had the 'sword' so fires not a problem.
Yeah the blower resistor is stupid but a small aluminium heatsink and some thermal epoxy stops it burning out.
Thank you for sharing this valuable information!! Really appreciate it. Can you elaborate what you mean by leaking distributor cap?
Sounds like an idea id like to have regarding projects.
@@m3nameisjosh464yeah i mean i had a worn out rotor on the distributor so i replaced it with an aftermarket part. A year or so later the M5 was stalling out and running horribly. I thought it was bad ignition wires or maybe spark plugs getting fouled, or maybe fuel filter or pump. It was none of that, it was the cap on the distributor. A whiff of humidity could stall the motor, like driving over a creek or bayou here in Houston. Replacing it again cured the behavior, this time with OEM quality part.
@@jaketherake71 ahhh okay gotcha. Thank you!
@@m3nameisjosh464, your 3.8 has coil packs, so this is not an issue
Awesome video. When changing the cabin air filter, make sure its a RHD one, which is two piece. I made the mistake of ordering one from US for my RHD Australian spec car.
@@thomasev1787 i NEVER would have guessed they were different. Wow. Thank you for informing me that
@@m3nameisjosh464 haha. I thought the same. Only difference is RHD is two piece, as the one piece will hit the clutch pedal when installing.
The gearbox refill plug is the one with the crush washer in the video.
Crack that before draining the oil from the Getrag 280/5
Thanks!
I think they may have meant the lower door trim strips that clips the bottoms of the doors...? Unique to M5's and 535i/540i Sports. Plastic not rubber, NLA and they were £££££.
Yeah, original RHD centre drag links are red, made by TRW.
The oil leaks will be cam cover gasket and sump, maybe even the crank front oil seal.
Looks a very clean and worthwhile car - you can tell it's not lived in the UK!😂
@@berwhaletheavenger the technician from the dealership commented and mentioned it was in fact the seals. No issues with the lower trims, either way I think the seals are pretty expensive new!
Luckily this car was exported from UK immediately
Rear sls can be rebuilt by nagengast - had mine done years ago and still working fantastically.
Just stand outside the driver side with one foot inside on the throttle and with the bonnet open you can spot the vacuum clock on the intake. IIRC it should engage at around 4000 rpm.
@@MZMotor95 perfect, thanks
My blower is also working only on 4th position and it was kinda sorta working on 3rd position sometimes it turned out to be the speed control switch rather than the blower motor resistor. Thats also important to look at before ordering parts.
I think the valve cover gasket was included because of the valve clearance job.
Thats a super rare failure mode compared to resistor😅😅. Noted! Right you are about valve cover
The drag link is red because its a RHD version, comes red from the factory.
Interesting! Thank you for that
I think those bump stops are for compliance for WOF, more like an advisory. I know it seems weird why not do the shocks at the same time.
Exactly!!! Super odd. That makes sense
Is the invoice of $ 7627 in New Zealand currency ? The NZ currency is the New Zealand Dollar... FYI, 100 USD is $ 163 New Zealand Dollar !!! If this invoice is in NZ dollars, the final cost is more in line with BMW US dealers...
@@1983dmd spot on. Forgot to touch on that valuable piece of the puzzle. It is in NZD. Price isn’t ridiculous by any means
good video josh🤙‼️
Thank you dude!
You are making very good videos. But only one thing I couldn't understand from your Blower Resistor Videos is if Euro-Spec non-A/C cars have the same blue Resistors too. I couldn't find him in my car. 1991 525i Touring, no A/C. Still thanks a lot for your Videos
Thank you! Im honestly not to sure on the euro non AC cars. I think maybe they have the earlier sword? Which would be on the passenger side of the center console.
@@m3nameisjosh464 thanks, I'll definitelly have a look. Tbh in Europe E34 isn't that famous for catching fire because of blower resistor, more for rust on lower door edges. I guess since EU Specs were common without A/C another type of resistor doesn't nake as many troubles.
@@vova_retroboy that makes sense!
Was this car originally sold to New Zealand from new ?
Do you have the last 7 digits of the VIN , GE00*** ?
I am still watching your video and will comment further in due course.
Sold new in UK
Why did you import a RHD car?
Your not gonna believe this but there popped up a daytona violet E34 s38b38 with a hurricane alcantara interior here in Germany. With 40k miles wtf. 2 days and it got sold again :/
Wowww, 40k miles is crazy!! Bet it sold high!
@@m3nameisjosh464yea 100k but for collectors thats still ok i guess, that thing was fresh.
@@Balrockk WOW
The best road trip entertainment 😄
🤝🤝🤝🤝
josh bro what will a 2 car inspection & possible repair cost me, i definitely trust you more than any stealership or ‘specialist’ near me 😭 southern MN lmk
@@shotty. unfortunately thats a ways away from me unfortunately 😅😅
Hey Josh, do you detect any difference in the handling between the RHD and LHD models? I drove RHD in UK before I moved to the US.
I thought the LHD drove better and when i looked it seemed to be a different steering box on the LHD to RHD because of space constraints with the exhaust etc. both were ZF but seemed to have much better feel and centering with the LHD version.
My LHD M5 front suspension is in complete despair, so Im not actually sure how it truly handles. Once its fixed up I will have a better idea.
@@m3nameisjosh464 thanks Josh, how about compared to your other LHD E34s?
@@simonkitchen-dunn2115 the servotronic steering of the M5 is sooo different from standard e34 that it is almost impossible to compare
as a dealer tech we just doin our job lol, older classics for sure are gonna take a hit, its more of a thing to cover our ass because the customer could come back and say well HEY this needs replacement (according to them) why didnt you quote it type shit. granted some things are a little bit overpriced and probably not necessary. we get paid by the millisecond at least in the US, based on time, lots of quotes factor in the bullshit of older cars that you have to deal with. im not defending the scammerships but for ex here at porsche and other german brands, we just try to do our best and cover our asses as techs (especially cuz the cars are higher end and worth more to the owners)
Makes total sense! Appreciate the insights from the other end bro🤝
@@m3nameisjosh464 no worries, a lot of it is unfair to someone who can work on their own car, ofc im not gonna pay someone to put on wiper blades type shit. to the normal person its what we gotta do.
Hi Josh, I have question how often you have experienced any ECU problems in your E34's? eventually all Motronic ecu die blah blah... then what? finding replacement donor and all that mess what comes with it. this is scary topic. 💀 Just want to be one step ahead 😂
@@olifs8083 to be honest, I have never ever in all 70ish BMWs ive owned, ever had one that had a bad ECU.
@@m3nameisjosh464 wow very positive info. God bless👍
hey Josh, what wand light is that you use underneath the car? harbor freight special?
@@shotty. www.amazon.com/Streamlight-76800-Stinger-Switchblade-Flashlight/dp/B077HX6T6W/ref=asc_df_B077HX6T6W/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693769127660&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7198370541127034301&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9021672&hvtargid=pla-567707465666&psc=1&mcid=178e56949ad43cf691cc5b594171d97f
“in English”😂…bro is a comedian!
🤣🤣🤣🤣 didn’t even try!!
this car reminds me of OOM-500
Can you give us some places to look if we want to get a m5 as well?
You can find them in the US. There's someone in Georgia that I know thatbis selling one with 80k miles. You just have to look. Try Bring a Trailer.
Bring a trailer for really nice ones. Facebook marketplace for average cars
how's customs going? DMV?
All done. Plates came in Today!
Question josh do you have any idea why the clutch pedal in my e34 m5 is super low since i changed the hydraulic line ?
@@knightrida6829 super low meaning the pedal doesn’t return up to the top? Or clutch bites low?
Bites low
@@knightrida6829 could have just been a really weak line causing weak clutch which sometimes associates with higher biting clutch. Otherwise not sure why a new hose would change anything at all
@m3nameisjosh464
I did replace the clutch master cylinder also ,maybe that silly spring by the pedal is the
Culprit
@@knightrida6829 could be or the master is adjusted differently. I thunk e34 ones can be threaded shorter or longer
All old BMW guys know it.
Dealer rhymes with .......
STEALER!!!!
That brake fluid looks nasty...
But you are made of money 😂
HHAHAHAH i wish
I dont think the avg BMW dealership can handle this. They like current production models. Just for that I would charge you like 20k for wasting our time.
gay comment, seem like an leased x1 electric type fella
😭😭😭🤣🤣🤣
Stop wasting everybody’s time with nonsensical videos, do the thing you and all the enthusiasts want to see, you want money? You want 1 M viewership? Start doing the left hand swap that you picked up that red e34 for. Also Drop a 6 speed on l, it changes the entire character of the engine, ask me how do I know, and for this to happen, start looking for that unicorn drive shaft as well.
I honestly cant tell if this comment is satire or not😭
Lol you don't know what you're talking about. A six-speed with the matching 3.23 diff has the exact same gearing as the five speed, with an overdriven sixth. I know because I swapped the six speed in my own car, and no it doesn't mean he'll get 1M subs.