BMW 5 Series E39 (1995–2004) — common faults, maintenance guides and repair tips.
The most common cause is a wheel speed sensor, its wiring or a dirty sensor bore. Read the fault codes first, clean the bore and check the sensor fitt...
1. Set a multimeter to the DC range (about 10 A) in series between the battery negative terminal and the clamp, with the ignition key off. 2. Lock the...
The Webasto shuts off when the voltage drops too low, and the limit rises as it gets colder. Heating therefore ends long before the battery is empty. ...
The Webasto has a lockout that engages after three failed start attempts. It is reset by disconnecting the battery negative cable for at least 10 seco...
The factory-fitted Webasto has no separate diagnostic socket, so the codes are read through the car's OBD connector with BMW's own diagnostic tool. Be...
The most common cause is worn rear subframe (rear carrier) and subframe bushings, i.e. rubber mounts. Replacing them has removed the vibration complet...
The cause is often play in the front axle: worn thrust arm and lower control arm bushings or joints. A sticking brake caliper and a warped disc or hub...
The pump in the tank lifts the fuel to the transfer pump under the driver's seat, which raises the pressure to suit the high-pressure pump. With the k...
Values exceeding ±2 are a sign that the injectors should be investigated. Compare all the values with each other: a value well in the negative can mea...
The cause is often a faulty rail pressure sensor, a poor sensor connector or the pressure regulator. Injector leak-by and the pressure regulator seals...
The most common causes are the front passenger seat occupancy mat, the connectors under the seat, the seat belt tensioner circuit and the belt buckle ...
The most common cause is a burnt-out resistor pack, also called the hedgehog or the blower's output stage. The fault shows as intermittent airflow, we...
Behind the grille on the front panel of the control unit there is an interior temperature sensor and a small fan that draws air over the sensor. If th...
The auxiliary water pump circulates the engine's residual heat in REST residual heating, not normally at idle. It is under the water valves and is not...
Yes. On the M62 the long timing chain guide can crack and start slapping the block when warm. Ticking can also come from low oil pressure or a connect...
Moisture condenses inside the breather pipe when the inside is warm and the outside is in frost. The moisture freezes and blocks the pipe, so the cran...
The separator diaphragm or the hose leading to the dipstick tube can crack and let oil into the intake manifold. This increases oil consumption and ca...
Air is escaping from somewhere. Common leak points are a bellows with a hole at the fold, a leaking air tank, a leaking valve or a rusted pressure tan...
It is a typical cluster fault: the contact strip between the display and the circuit board comes loose or gets dirty. More rarely the fault is in the ...
The cause is usually the sender unit in the tank or its wiring, not the instrument cluster. A wire can be broken inside the insulation even though it ...
BMW treats the oil as lifetime fluid and there is no official change interval. This does not forbid changing it, but BMW does not recommend it. Under ...
Limp mode is indicated by a yellow gear symbol light or the message transmission fail safe mode. The cause can be a weak battery, a failed transmissio...
Often the fault is the wiper relay, whose contacts are worn. The relay is replaced first. Cleaning the contact surfaces has helped in some cases. If t...
Rust and dirt build up between the shaft and the grommet, so the movement slows gradually and finally stops. The fix is to take the shaft apart, remov...
The thread is left-handed. The nut loosens by turning it to the right when looking at the car from the front....
Check the slack in the cables at the lever and the parts inside the drum, because worn parts weaken the grip. If the parts are old, it is worth renewi...
A puller is needed, because removing the bushing without one is almost impossible. You can make or borrow one before starting the job. A 16 mm rod wor...
Use a suitable puller so the rubber boot does not tear. If the puller does not help, a short, steep wedge-type fork separator released the joint with ...
Code 81 means an open circuit in the pressure sensor and code 115 means a pressure sensor fault. Cleaning the sensor connector and the DSC unit main c...
Symptoms are an uneven idle and a warning light that comes on occasionally when the adaptation values are exceeded. First check for intake leaks and t...
The tank typically cracks at the sensor opening, and the fix is to replace the tank. If you replace only the gasket under the tank, the tank often lea...
The most common cause is broken plastic adjuster pins or rods in the sealed headlight unit. If they wobble freely when you test the bulb holder, they ...
Replace the solenoid O-rings (11367830828 and 11367830829, 8 of each) and the cover gaskets. In addition the diaphragm rings 11367833218 (4 pcs) and t...
In cold conditions the correct fluid is a CHF type, for example Pentosin CHF11S, and the reservoir cap says CHF only. Aftermarket fluids may not work,...
The most common cause is too much negative rear camber (the top of the wheel tilted inward), which makes the tyre run on its inner edge. A lowered car...
The most common cause is too little coolant or air in the system, so no coolant reaches the heater core. The cause is most often a leak, not a cylinde...
Choose the original manufacturer's FAG bearing; the same bearing can also be bought in another brand's packaging. In cheap, often Chinese bearings the...
The most common causes are a loose thrust arm ball joint, worn control arm bushings and ball joints, anti-roll bar bushings, the top of the shock abso...