There’s something so satisfying about bringing a neglected car back to its former glory (or near enough). It’s a shame so many people don’t look after their vehicles. Some people are absolute pigs.
2 videos in less than 24 hours?? Love it! Glad the blower motor resistor/final stage unit fixed it. Had to do that in our 325i and glad it was the cheap fix vs. the expensive one. The X5 did have to have the blower motor assembly replaced a few years back. Climate always fun to deal with on BMWs.
I started buying my parts from FCP since seeing your videos. best thing a bmw owner can do, lifetime warranty on everything means i only have to buy parts once for life.
flipfinish the best thing a BMW owner can do is sell the BMW and not be a BMW owner anymore. I owned an F10 550i with the dreaded n63 engine. It’s great while it’s under warranty... Worst 6 mos of my life. I put less than 3k miles on that car bc it was broken so much.
Cory Miller I can understand that, as a BMW mechanic I could have told you not to buy the new ones. The e46 M3 however, or the M54 powered cars like the one in this video, those last forever and are solid, true “drivers cars”.
flipfinish I shouldn’t swear off all BMWs. It’s the ones that are like 2004 and newer that you should avoid. The late 90s M3s are beautiful cars and super fun to drive. One day I might go back. But I just can’t give up my Toyota reliability in my IS350. I love this car.
Cory Miller I hear that. BMW lost their way after the e46/e39 generation IMO. The Lexus IS350 is a great car, I have experience with the lesser IS250 and really like it. Great lines, modern design and still looks great today.
*Some tips about those Android Head-units for those interested:* - These are all made by a handful of Chinese companies. Many of the models are similar because they probably come from the same assembly lines, just with different branding. I've had good luck with Seicane, since they have a pretty good selection of OEM-style units for a lot of makes/models. But they also have standard 1 and 2-DIN size units. You'll just have to get a model-specific harness adapter for those (use Crutchfield's site to help you find what you need). - You'll come across models that look *exactly* the same for your car, but vary in price by sometimes over a hundred dollars. Pay attention to what version of Android they run (9.1 is the latest) and the radio's specs. Cheaper units will have a slower CPU and less Ram, and will boot painfully slow when starting the car (IMHO). You're looking for one that has an 8 core CPU, and at least 4GB of Ram (not Rom) for the quickest boot times and most responsive interface. - You can do so much more then just radio duties on these head units. Keep in mind this is basically an Android tablet (with maybe a DVD player) in your dash. These have wiring provisions for a back-up camera, but you can use the USB for a TPMS monitor, dash cams, etc. If there's an app for it, it can work in your car. Have fun and good luck.
Man! That Android head-unit is about 9 years too late...I had a hell of a time rewiring my '97 e39 540i audio (w/DSP...makes it somewhat more challenging) manually. Took 8-9 hours IIRC...and lost the dash computer functions (first connector you disconnected from the two-piece radio).
Let's give Josh a shout-out for the donation of his time & garage space - & of course helping out on these recent builds. More people need friends like Josh.
Kudos to all your hard work. You have a sweet arrangement with Josh to use his garage. BIG shoutout to his for that and his help. Kind of missing Gabe though.
Manual swap it next! I manual swapped my E39 530i for $250 in two days in my friend's garage on jackstands. That was including installing headers and fabbing some parts of the catback! eBay headers really open up these inline 6's and they only cost about $70 on eBay, highly recommended!
I did all the same for my 530i, unfortunately having a sport screwed me over because the DSP audio isn't technically compatible with the Android system so I had to relocate the factory head unit to the glove box and wire it up to trip the DSP amp into taking "on" signal from the factory head unit and all other signals from the Android head unit and now it works but adjusting base audio settings with a pixelated upside down glovebox radio isn't ideal, once you get a good baseline the Androids adjustability will work good enough though
I replaced a blower motor on a Chrysler van for my sister once. There is one screw that is angled towards the firewall that requires a snake driver to get to. I did not replace that screw. It did give my sister A/C in the hot Georgia summer.
A handful of Chinese companies make them, for the most part they are all the same with different branding. Seicane has a good selection of OEM style units for a lot of makes/models. They also sell standard 1 and 2 Din units, but you would have to get a model specific harness adapter for those. *Something to look out for* - you'll see some models that look EXACTLY the same, but vary greatly in price. Always pay attention to the version of Android they run (9 is the most current) and what type of CPU/Ram they have. The models that use an 8 core CPU, and have at least 4GB of RAM (NOT ROM) will boot-up MUCH faster. You can also hook up back up cameras, dash cams, and even TPMS sensors directly to the head unit. Good luck.
Great videos there,I have a 2001 525i sport which I've owned for twelve years now which I absolutely love,and strangely enough it's been much more reliable than the BMW's Hoovie buys.😀
Excellent work, John - but, hey, it does need a proper detail (the back of the driver's seat is a bit grubby). You gotta give us a detail and paint vid on this lovely car.
As far as that airbag light...most likely the seat pad gone bad either passenger or driver side. Known issue with BMW. I bought a bypass unit and it worked perfectly. Came with seatbelt warning bypass as well. Airbag will deploy now, however, will deploy no matter if someone is in the seat or not so...no kids in front seat. Very inexpensive solution to an expensive issue. I hate warning lights of any kind.
This seems like it'd be a ton of fun to do... I'd love to get a saab 900 again and do this kind of upgrade/update to everything in it... although it also seems like it's a ton of cash to do too... without sponsorship of course. ;D
Looks good! It feels so good when we do the work our self and just having everything working again. I one for any faults.. can't stand them. I replaced entire center council on my 2001 e46. Looks amazing! 🙌
How did the headunit turn out? Any faults with it? Saw alot of reviews saying alot of bad things but it sure looks good, want to know if i should order or not to my E39 1998 528 model
I have an 06 ford fusion replaced the starter, the plugs breaks and oil change basic maintenance will keep any car running in looking for an old mobile cutlass next
hey dude. quick question where did you buy all your interior part especially the touchscreen tablet. i have the same as yours, you have a beatiful car btw.
I am talking about the rear suspension struts not the trunk struts. Because in the last video watch john Ross Ross go he sad the rear suspension struts were toast. !NOT THE REAR TRUNK STRUTS!
Hey JR. I have a Toyota Estima Lucida( right hand drive Previa) The radio is Japanese and does not pickup US broadcast. Can I replace it with one of those Android systems you used in the BMW? Where do I shop for such a thing? Thanks!
For the 10,000th time - JR doesn't have the skill or resources to do the R8. He did it ONLY for the clicks/subs and it will NEVER EVER get finished outside of an Audi dealer or authorized shop done by professionals who know what their doing.
Metro Music seems like an expensive way to get subscribers, and I’d venture to say he didn’t even get that many from it. The car wizard has nearly double the subscribers in a smaller period of time.
Question: Are the climate control and electric windows somehow connected together? I seem to remember some one out there having that available, something about modulating of the cabin something something else... Nice job man, keep it up and sorry about the RR rear end issues, I was really looking forward to seeing how it would run. Oh well next year i guess.
I'm guessing it's a cheaper version. Many sell models that look exactly the same, but one will have a slower quad core CPU with 1GB of Ram. When for less than $100 more you can get the same one with an 8 core CPU, 4GB Ram, and boots MUCH faster.
@@edwardgreenjr167 Good to know. Im looking for a similar thing for my car, but I had slow-booting head units before, and they suck ESPECIALLY using the back up camera. I would have already backed up and been on my way before the damn thing would boot up.
@@edwardgreenjr167 Yep. exactly the problem with mine... and the boot screen is two gay android characters dancing.... so embarrassing. The commie bastards are probably laughing their butts off.
Unfortunately the video doesn’t load. Only up to 1:35. After that it just sits there and tries too load. Every other video works. I already tried restarting, different browser, phone (over wifi & cellular), iPad etc. Only this video won’t load. Wired. I will try later again
Im curious about the airbag recall over there, In Australia they are compulsory buying back alot of older cars instead of fixing the problem. They offered one old guy 3grand for his immaculate 90s bmw
In Canada I just had my Airbags done on my E46 under the recall for free. However after that I almost immediately got an airbag light (there wasn't one before) and am told i need to deal with that my self. It's got to do with the seat belt so I need to replace the seat belt unit on the passenger side to fix it. ( which I will do after getting the part from the pick N Pull junk dealer here).
Removing the bracket for the head unit is an ugly time consuming job I found. You have to remove the trim on either side because of the screws which hold the bracket in place. I tried this on my 2002 530i found I am going to have to remove the glove compartment in order to get the trim out of the way it looks like. Anyone have insights in getting at the bracket without removing the glove box to move the trim?
There’s something so satisfying about bringing a neglected car back to its former glory (or near enough). It’s a shame so many people don’t look after their vehicles. Some people are absolute pigs.
2 videos in less than 24 hours?? Love it! Glad the blower motor resistor/final stage unit fixed it. Had to do that in our 325i and glad it was the cheap fix vs. the expensive one. The X5 did have to have the blower motor assembly replaced a few years back. Climate always fun to deal with on BMWs.
After recently buying a 2000 528i, this channel is going to help a lot with the interior parts. Very well at explaining everything about it
These interiors were so nice and quality I miss them and the smell
Chris Romanczuk omg the smell of leather used to really hit you
The BMW has the best new car smell. VW is the worst (crayons).
@@ShinyRedGrapple Really? My VW b5.5 and b6 passat had that leather smell though 😮
@@cromanczuk *some* VW's then
I have owned 4 e30's and 2 e34's and they all had the same smell...love it
I started buying my parts from FCP since seeing your videos. best thing a bmw owner can do, lifetime warranty on everything means i only have to buy parts once for life.
flipfinish the best thing a BMW owner can do is sell the BMW and not be a BMW owner anymore. I owned an F10 550i with the dreaded n63 engine. It’s great while it’s under warranty...
Worst 6 mos of my life. I put less than 3k miles on that car bc it was broken so much.
Cory Miller I can understand that, as a BMW mechanic I could have told you not to buy the new ones. The e46 M3 however, or the M54 powered cars like the one in this video, those last forever and are solid, true “drivers cars”.
flipfinish I shouldn’t swear off all BMWs. It’s the ones that are like 2004 and newer that you should avoid. The late 90s M3s are beautiful cars and super fun to drive. One day I might go back. But I just can’t give up my Toyota reliability in my IS350. I love this car.
Cory Miller I hear that. BMW lost their way after the e46/e39 generation IMO. The Lexus IS350 is a great car, I have experience with the lesser IS250 and really like it. Great lines, modern design and still looks great today.
Cory Miller I second this. My F10 550i gave me more issues than my E60.5 M5
Just got a 528i and I’m getting ready to replace the whole interior 🤜🏼🤜🏼
I love the radio android I got when the car comes on the bmw logo pops up first
*Some tips about those Android Head-units for those interested:*
- These are all made by a handful of Chinese companies. Many of the models are similar because they probably come from the same assembly lines, just with different branding. I've had good luck with Seicane, since they have a pretty good selection of OEM-style units for a lot of makes/models. But they also have standard 1 and 2-DIN size units. You'll just have to get a model-specific harness adapter for those (use Crutchfield's site to help you find what you need).
- You'll come across models that look *exactly* the same for your car, but vary in price by sometimes over a hundred dollars. Pay attention to what version of Android they run (9.1 is the latest) and the radio's specs. Cheaper units will have a slower CPU and less Ram, and will boot painfully slow when starting the car (IMHO). You're looking for one that has an 8 core CPU, and at least 4GB of Ram (not Rom) for the quickest boot times and most responsive interface.
- You can do so much more then just radio duties on these head units. Keep in mind this is basically an Android tablet (with maybe a DVD player) in your dash. These have wiring provisions for a back-up camera, but you can use the USB for a TPMS monitor, dash cams, etc. If there's an app for it, it can work in your car. Have fun and good luck.
Man! That Android head-unit is about 9 years too late...I had a hell of a time rewiring my '97 e39 540i audio (w/DSP...makes it somewhat more challenging) manually. Took 8-9 hours IIRC...and lost the dash computer functions (first connector you disconnected from the two-piece radio).
The e39 needs much more respect ✊- literally the best driving and moddable bmw
Let's give Josh a shout-out for the donation of his time & garage space - & of course helping out on these recent builds. More people need friends like Josh.
The next time I’m looking for a used car, I’m not buying it from a dealer, I’m getting a JR car!
I know. I've love to get my hands on that Rolls
No kidding I've been offering John Ross 500 for his Fiat 500. I might even go to Kansas to pick it up
Only bad thing about JRs cars is that they’re from the rust belt.
The airbag light is its own special tool to clear. $20 on eBay, hooks to the big round comp connector on the pass side firewall.
if it's not the mrs module. Mine had the same problem and unlucky me it was the mrs3 module :(
Nice job, my is 96 E39 over 300+ still running great. The maintenance is always help. Thanks for sharing
Dear JR,
Thank you for posting another great video. Please dont forget your fans that are awaiting an R8 update.
Sincerely,
A Concerned R8 Fan
He never forgets, as he has to trip over its entrails every time he walks into his house.
I believe we're more concerned with Gabe whereabouts. Wasn't him in Army? Did he went back to fight?
I'm sure if you send him money it would get done much quicker
Go fund me for the r8
We all need a friend like josh.
Thank you for showing how to get out the resistor for the blower motor!
Kudos to all your hard work. You have a sweet arrangement with Josh to use his garage. BIG shoutout to his for that and his help. Kind of missing Gabe though.
You guys should wrap that faux wood brushed aluminum , it makes the car feel more premium
Manual swap it next! I manual swapped my E39 530i for $250 in two days in my friend's garage on jackstands. That was including installing headers and fabbing some parts of the catback! eBay headers really open up these inline 6's and they only cost about $70 on eBay, highly recommended!
Can't believe how many basic parts on that car failed. Nice job!
I did all the same for my 530i, unfortunately having a sport screwed me over because the DSP audio isn't technically compatible with the Android system so I had to relocate the factory head unit to the glove box and wire it up to trip the DSP amp into taking "on" signal from the factory head unit and all other signals from the Android head unit and now it works but adjusting base audio settings with a pixelated upside down glovebox radio isn't ideal, once you get a good baseline the Androids adjustability will work good enough though
Interior fixes like this are strangely satisfying
I replaced a blower motor on a Chrysler van for my sister once. There is one screw that is angled towards the firewall that requires a snake driver to get to. I did not replace that screw. It did give my sister A/C in the hot Georgia summer.
You can also check the blower motor by connecting wires to it and to the battery to see if it has power and it'll spin
I am amazed by the fitment of that head-unit. Who makes it? I wonder if they do it that well for other makes and models.
Check out Crutchfeld. They fit most all makes.
@@jamesweaver7755 trust me, I have, this is the best fitment job I've ever seen premade.
I've got an E46 and an Xtron's 10inch tablet head unit... needed a tiny bit of the dash surround trimming but once that was off it fit perfectly.
There are better looking units out there that give more of an OEM look.
A handful of Chinese companies make them, for the most part they are all the same with different branding. Seicane has a good selection of OEM style units for a lot of makes/models. They also sell standard 1 and 2 Din units, but you would have to get a model specific harness adapter for those.
*Something to look out for* - you'll see some models that look EXACTLY the same, but vary greatly in price. Always pay attention to the version of Android they run (9 is the most current) and what type of CPU/Ram they have. The models that use an 8 core CPU, and have at least 4GB of RAM (NOT ROM) will boot-up MUCH faster.
You can also hook up back up cameras, dash cams, and even TPMS sensors directly to the head unit. Good luck.
I’m not even a bmw fan but I’ve always loved that generation 5 series. I’ve been thinking of getting one as a second car
One of the realest youtubers.
Great videos there,I have a 2001 525i sport which I've owned for twelve years now which I absolutely love,and strangely enough it's been much more reliable than the BMW's Hoovie buys.😀
Some say the R8 gets very optimistic and hopeful every time JR finishes a project.
You’ve have to wire the music player to a power line which does not cut off, since it’s resetting the music player causing it to restart every time.
I love those auto dim rear mirrors help a lot on night driving
Wheres gabe been ? Great group of friends you have
That android stereo is the bomb. It takes 10+ years off the car. Where did you pick it up?
Amazon, threw the link in description 🍻
Notification squad plus a twofer in one day
JR's favorite TV Series on the Science Channel - WHAT ON EARTH?
'WatchBMWGo' thank you Wichita, Kansas where multiple and diverse Car Wizards grow on trees.
Wichita has become in a gigantic mechanic lair.
The head unit was a solid upgrade from factory for sure.
I'm needing a tutorial on my.2003 745 li. I have the exact same issues yours had.
Excellent work, John - but, hey, it does need a proper detail (the back of the driver's seat is a bit grubby). You gotta give us a detail and paint vid on this lovely car.
ahh yes, very familiar with this. I usually use Eonon head units for the 'higher end' of the Chinese spectrum.
As far as that airbag light...most likely the seat pad gone bad either passenger or driver side. Known issue with BMW. I bought a bypass unit and it worked perfectly. Came with seatbelt warning bypass as well. Airbag will deploy now, however, will deploy no matter if someone is in the seat or not so...no kids in front seat. Very inexpensive solution to an expensive issue. I hate warning lights of any kind.
This seems like it'd be a ton of fun to do... I'd love to get a saab 900 again and do this kind of upgrade/update to everything in it... although it also seems like it's a ton of cash to do too... without sponsorship of course. ;D
Looks good! It feels so good when we do the work our self and just having everything working again. I one for any faults.. can't stand them. I replaced entire center council on my 2001 e46. Looks amazing! 🙌
Awesome video!! The new infotainment is much needed!!
Looks good. Is there any way to integrate CarPlay or Android Auto into those headunits?
that head unit looks like a nice replacement. any negative issues with it?
How did the headunit turn out? Any faults with it?
Saw alot of reviews saying alot of bad things but it sure looks good, want to know if i should order or not to my E39 1998 528 model
@WatchJRGo
After looking at your small used car lot front of your house, where's the white 4dr/4x4 sport tracker?
I HAVE A 98 E38. WILL THAT ANDRIOD WORK WWITH MY CAR? AND WHAT IS THE BRAND?
on the next episode of WATCHJRGO, still no R8 Update (theme music)
I would KILL for that car in that color combination
now the wood trim needs to be piano black to match the head unit.
I have an 06 ford fusion replaced the starter, the plugs breaks and oil change basic maintenance will keep any car running in looking for an old mobile cutlass next
Cup holder on the Suzuki Esteem is pretty nice I heard
I'm not really a BMW sorta bod, but that BMW is a lucky BMW.
@6.44 quick adjustment of jeans and groin 😂😂😂😂
Adenoid Clinkal hahaha you got your eyes on the details
hey dude. quick question where did you buy all your interior part especially the touchscreen tablet. i have the same as yours, you have a beatiful car btw.
Hey what about replacing the rear struts you said in the last video that the rear struts were toast?
Already done it
Trunk struts
Snoopy ....he did them in the last video.....first thing he did when he got the parts
I am talking about the rear suspension struts not the trunk struts. Because in the last video watch john Ross Ross go he sad the rear
suspension struts were toast. !NOT THE REAR TRUNK STRUTS!
I did that blower resister on my old 2000 528iT and it was a total pain to reach. Was that just some TV magic? or was i doing it wrong?
Took longer to record than to do, maybe 5 min total. I was surprised 🤔
I knew I had seen this car before. Then I saw the Pratt county plates. I'm sorry you ended up with this one
I just got my 97 528i today. My front cup holders are completely different. We're there different options for them?
Hey guys E39 owner here. I love that head unit. How is it working this far and what's the name of it seems to fit great
Looks much better!
Hey JR. I have a Toyota Estima Lucida( right hand drive Previa) The radio is Japanese and does not pickup US broadcast. Can I replace it with one of those Android systems you used in the BMW? Where do I shop for such a thing? Thanks!
Hows the roller coming along cant wait to see more of it
Im still confused.. You bought an R8 Motor. and we havnt gotten a single update on it since.
FALCORTON it makes no sense. It’s as if he’s trying to find things to do other than finish that car.
Gotta get the money together for finishing the R8 up. So fix all the other cars and sell them.
For the 10,000th time - JR doesn't have the skill or resources to do the R8. He did it ONLY for the clicks/subs and it will NEVER EVER get finished outside of an Audi dealer or authorized shop done by professionals who know what their doing.
@@EweToobUsername No, he actually doesn't have the skill fix it on his own. How do you not know this by now?
Metro Music seems like an expensive way to get subscribers, and I’d venture to say he didn’t even get that many from it. The car wizard has nearly double the subscribers in a smaller period of time.
How do you never mention Saab parts at FCPEuro?
awesome almost back to back video love it
any vids on how the car looked when you first bought it?
Also you can make that head u it boot with the BMW logo the 4 digit code is usually 8888
Awesome job - thanks for sharing
4:30 did you just say "QA'PLAH!" like a Klingon?!
DID HE STUTTER, PETAQ?!
@@rwdplz1 tu'HomI'raH SoH ‘e’ Sov wo’
!!!
TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO DIE!
@@HooviesGarage oh damn... Hoovie is a Cardie! Spoon Head!!
Hoovies Garage yo why aren't you verified 😂
Keep up with the upgrades/restore!!!
7:28 Hey, easy there bud....
Supercharged the Bimmer son
So what happened with the camaro?
what was the total parts price, I miss the cool flips...with cars worth restoring. How much is the BMW worth?
"There's one of everything sitting here." Even a Josh! lol
Just go the same head united for my e39 525i, the audio isn’t that great, did I assemble wrong or is it like that? And any recommendations for that?
Question: Are the climate control and electric windows somehow connected together? I seem to remember some one out there having that available, something about modulating of the cabin something something else...
Nice job man, keep it up and sorry about the RR rear end issues, I was really looking forward to seeing how it would run. Oh well next year i guess.
How are you going to play your cassettes now?
Car is rad definitely loving the channel vibes 🥂🔥🔥
Thanks great remodeling
Did you connect the stereo a 100 percent? Just keen to know
Why you didnt bought Bmw E39 Android Radio which looks like original with navi?🙃Im just asking :P
Something missing from climate vents
Great work! I'm gonna pick up some wheels from you, soon, I hope.
Hi, Should you warm up your car in really cold weather?
Does apple make head units?
Damn that head unit takes way too long to boot. I would be tempted to wire it to a constant 12v supply
I'm guessing it's a cheaper version. Many sell models that look exactly the same, but one will have a slower quad core CPU with 1GB of Ram. When for less than $100 more you can get the same one with an 8 core CPU, 4GB Ram, and boots MUCH faster.
@@edwardgreenjr167 Good to know. Im looking for a similar thing for my car, but I had slow-booting head units before, and they suck ESPECIALLY using the back up camera. I would have already backed up and been on my way before the damn thing would boot up.
@@edwardgreenjr167 Yep. exactly the problem with mine... and the boot screen is two gay android characters dancing.... so embarrassing. The commie bastards are probably laughing their butts off.
how flush is the new radio compaird to the dashboard/ console ???
Unfortunately the video doesn’t load. Only up to 1:35. After that it just sits there and tries too load. Every other video works.
I already tried restarting, different browser, phone (over wifi & cellular), iPad etc. Only this video won’t load. Wired. I will try later again
same here
Joshua same here. ☹️
Me too
Weird. Works fine for me.
same here, i won't get it to load at all. All other youtube videos work.. must be a server related issue at google?
John, you are such a workaholic))
Im curious about the airbag recall over there, In Australia they are compulsory buying back alot of older cars instead of fixing the problem. They offered one old guy 3grand for his immaculate 90s bmw
In Canada I just had my Airbags done on my E46 under the recall for free. However after that I almost immediately got an airbag light (there wasn't one before) and am told i need to deal with that my self. It's got to do with the seat belt so I need to replace the seat belt unit on the passenger side to fix it. ( which I will do after getting the part from the pick N Pull junk dealer here).
I wish my Volvo XC90 blower resistor was that easy to change🙄
Nice video I enjoyed every bit of it. Very informative.
Come on JR, trade me! Don’t be scared of the e60
Will you sell the old head unit?
Removing the bracket for the head unit is an ugly time consuming job I found. You have to remove the trim on either side because of the screws which hold the bracket in place. I tried this on my 2002 530i found I am going to have to remove the glove compartment in order to get the trim out of the way it looks like. Anyone have insights in getting at the bracket without removing the glove box to move the trim?