Is there inspection schedule somewhere online?

[hk20000]

hi guys,

my bimmer is now 228 thousands KM yet it's running like a champ (albeit sluggish as hell but hey it's a 525 bear with me) but I'm worried about what's next inspection going to be for? I just did an oil change on her from my garage and reset the oil change interval indicator. Does anyone know when's my next inspection? Do I just wait for the light to come on and ask BMW what to do and let them squeeze my wallet to oblivion or is there somewhere on the intarweb where I can find the info and I can perform the check myself? I'm quite handy with my wrenching I rebuilt 2 motors before in my garage (albeit Toyota easy-like-lego ones). How long does the M50 engine last usually? Should I be worried about the engine or transmission giving up at 228000km??

and I'll use this post as kind of my intro and show you guys some pics of my bimmer:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid221/p1af5374e00b0490020d1113d1eb42f04/eb74b2b9.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid220/pf8a775886268e99059c7a02ebfa94415/eb9de815.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid221/p87e1a6c4a732003d4bfd95ac66585c88/eb74affe.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid221/pc04460b3f4fdc8dd24e5bb389630781e/eb74af22.jpg

I think it's a cold weather package with ski bag, heated seats n LSD. Full OBC and headlight squirters. Very solid car brakes and shocks very good condition it rides like it's brand new....Heck the whole car feels like it's brand new. I just bought the car last month and overall I can't be happier with it. No plans for it yet but a turbo lkit that's coming off a crashed 325i available in my area sounds tempting. I would think the slush box wouldn't be too happy about doubling the horsepower though. All electronics are in good shape too. I'll be bugging the board a lot more in the future so bear with me.

[Chris'91'525i]

Service level I & II are done at 12,000/24,000 miles, I believe.
If you don't have it's service history you may want to change all the vital fluids and filters through out the car, or at least visually inspect them for obvious breakdown and do it ASAP.
I usually just replace all of them to have a baseline to go by, to start it's new service history if there's none to go by.
I don't go by the service indicater lights myself. I go by length of time or mileage, rather than what the service lights indicate.

This link has a lot info on repairs, also one link in there shows whats needed on a "Level II" service. A Bentley or other BMW E34 repair manual shows all the service info needed for your car too.

http://www.e38.org/e34/

http://www.e38.org/bmw_service.html

[632 Regal]

http://www.thecitypress.com//850/wheels/inspection_i.pdf
http://www.thecitypress.com//850/wheels/inspection_ii.pdf

[repenttokyo]

the cold weather package came with an lsd? that's good to know - I have all of the other options you mentioned on my car as well.

My yellow inspection light came on, and I just bought the car last month. Naturally prior to purchase I had the car inspected and made the necessary repairs, so I have the feeling that all I need to do is change the oil (even though it changes itself through a valve cover leak quite nicely ;)

[hk20000]

Just go out in wet parking lot or something and try brakestand in it and check if smoke is coming out from both wheels :P

and try doing drift circles in 1st gear if the car slides around nice you have an LSD. 1 Tire fire is an easy symdrome to figure out even during normal daily motoring.

and then ASC+T won't let you do any of the above - not nicely anyway - and so you can tell right away.

[repenttokyo]

i don't know how much of a smoke show an m50 engine could make :p - but the car does slide nicely in the snow, so i am tentatively thinking it is lsd equipped...although some open diff cars slide nicely as well.

[632 Regal]

jack both rear wheels off the ground, when you spin one and the other turns the opposite way you dont have LSD

[hk20000]

that test has a flaw. on one way clutch type LSDs spinning one wheel will result in the other wheel spinning the opposite way anyway.

reason is that one way LSDs only lock up when power is coming in from the driveshaft, wheel induced torque does not engage the clutches.

I tried in my AE86 that didn't go as planned. But it had a brand new 1 way LSD for sure I installed it myself. It felt totally like a proper LSD too.

just go do the donuts. :p

[Alexlind123]

I dont think i have an LSD, but my car does cookies just fine...I think only solid rear axle cars without LSDs wont do cookies.

Edit: Also, in snow, a blip of the throttle will send twin rooster tails of snow far behind.

[Paul in NZ]

gime goes oil service inspection one oil service inspection two oil service etc etc.Each service goes at about 12000 km if you let the lights run down but it is dependent on throttle use (supposedly)if you are due an oil service the dispay shows oil on the left(i think) of the lights and if its an inspection 1 or two it shows inspection on the right side(i think) You have got to keep track of the 1's and two's yourself Also each year there is an "annual" inspection but th should be covered by a sensible maintenance regime.Its main aim is to remind you that coolant and brake fluid should be REPLACED every two year MAX.Here (http://www.bmwe34.net/) is an excellent resource for the E34 owner.

[repenttokyo]

I dont think i have an LSD, but my car does cookies just fine...I think only solid rear axle cars without LSDs wont do cookies.

Edit: Also, in snow, a blip of the throttle will send twin rooster tails of snow far behind.


i've owned non lsd IRS cars, and they do peg leg burnouts real well.

[RallyD]

ah yes, the good 'ole one wheel peel