NOTE: Perform these steps at your own risk. All P/N’s listed are a “best guess”, so please double-check with your local dealer. These mods and repairs were performed on my US-spec 1997 540iA (11/96 prod date, M62 engine) but there is no guarantee they will work on other E39′s. BMW lists different b-pillar P/N’s for [...]
E39 Seatbelt Click Fix
NOTE: Perform these steps at your own risk. All P/N’s listed are a “best guess”, so please double-check with your local dealer. These mods and repairs were performed on my US-spec 1997 540iA (11/96 prod date, M62 engine) but there is no guarantee they will work on other E39′s. BMW lists different b-pillar P/N’s for [...]


Battery Maintenance
NOTE: Perform these steps at your own risk. All P/N’s listed are a “best guess”, so please double-check with your local dealer. These mods and repairs were performed on my US-spec 1997 540iA (11/96 prod date, M62 engine) but there is no guarantee they will work on other E39′s. These instructions are provided for entertainment [...]


Armrest removal
This webpage is an update to my original posting of how to install the so-called “Euro Armrest.” I’ve gathered a lot of information on the armrest(s) since and thought I would post it all in one place for everyone to access. If you find any errors or inaccuracies, please do not hesitate to contact me [...]


Door Handle Replacement
The fix is around $25 – $30 for the part. Check Pacific BMW or your local dealer.The part # is 51 21 8 226 049. The replacement part is obviously made of plastic. They do not replace just the HANDLE but rather the whole handle housing: the black part on the sideof the door where [...]


Detailing Your Car
Detailing Your Car In this version of the Great Paint Project, I will build on the experience that I learned when polishing Barb’s 1994 Mercury Topaz to do a complete strip down, polish and wax of my Z3 using my new Porter Cable random orbit polisher. The job that I plan on doing on my [...]


Apple Ipod Installation
Purpose: To add an auxilliary audio input using the Tape deck audio outputs. The audio input will be used to connect an external MP3 player like the Apple IPOD. Since I never use the tape deck, we decided that sacrificing tape functionality was acceptable. Basically, we cut the preamp output from the head unit that carries the tape [...]
Battery Maintenance
NOTE: Perform these steps at your own risk. All P/N’s listed are a “best guess”, so please double-check with your local dealer. These mods and repairs were performed on my US-spec 1997 540iA (11/96 prod date, M62 engine) but there is no guarantee they will work on other E39′s. These instructions are provided for entertainment [...]
Battery Storage Compartment
NOTE: Perform these steps at your own risk. All P/N’s listed are a “best guess”, so please double-check with your local dealer. These mods and repairs were performed on my US-spec 1997 540iA (11/96 prod date, M62 engine) but there is no guarantee they will work on other E39′s. These instructions are provided for entertainment [...]