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u/GeologistFunny5015

r/e39 r/MechanicAdvice
▲ 1 r/MechanicAdvice

Power steering noisy (BMW E39 525D 2001)

My 01 BMW E39 suddenly became very loud from the engine bay overnight. With the hood open, it was clearly the power steering pump, and the noise got much louder with RPM and especially when turning the wheel, worst at full lock.

I checked the reservoir and found brownish fluid with lots of tiny bubbles/foam. I had to drive the car for an important trip, and during the drive the noise became quieter but didn’t disappear.

After getting home, the fluid level had dropped significantly. Before, I couldn’t even see the filter because it was covered by fluid. Now the level is below the filter.

Interestingly, the fluid looks brownish, but on a tissue it appears reddish and still smells like fresh fluid.
The steering rack and power steering fluid were replaced and the system bled only 1–2 weeks ago, and everything was fine until this happened. One morning it suddenly became noisy on cold start.

No obvious leaks that I can see around the power steering pump.

u/GeologistFunny5015 — 2 days ago
▲ 4 r/e39

Power steering noisy

My E39 suddenly became very loud from the engine bay overnight. With the hood open, it was clearly the power steering pump, and the noise got much louder with RPM and especially when turning the wheel, worst at full lock.

I checked the reservoir and found brownish fluid with lots of tiny bubbles/foam. I had to drive the car for an important trip, and during the drive the noise became quieter but didn’t disappear.

After getting home, the fluid level had dropped significantly. Before, I couldn’t even see the filter because it was covered by fluid. Now the level is below the filter.

Interestingly, the fluid looks brownish, but on a tissue it appears reddish and still smells like fresh fluid.
The steering rack and power steering fluid were replaced and the system bled only 1–2 weeks ago, and everything was fine until this happened. One morning it suddenly became noisy on cold start.

No obvious leaks that I can see around the power steering pump.

u/GeologistFunny5015 — 2 days ago
▲ 1 r/e39

Factory radio problem

Hey everyone,

I have a 2001 E39 with the original factory head unit.

The problem is that the radio does not find any FM stations at all (it keeps searching but finds nothing). However, when I use a Bluetooth adapter connected to it, the sound works fine and I can play music through the speakers without any issue.

So the speakers seem to be working atleast.

My question is : could the head unit itself be repaired, or would it need be replaced? Or could this be caused by something else, such as the antenna, or wiring?

Has anyone had a similar problem on an E39?

Thanks!

reddit.com
u/GeologistFunny5015 — 18 days ago
▲ 2 r/e39

Power window error

I have a sedan E39 and one of the rear power windows is working in reverse.

When I press the driver’s window switch down, the window goes up, and when I press the switch up, the window goes down. The same thing happens with the window switch on that rear door itself, so both switches are reversed.

What could cause this, and how can I fix it?

reddit.com
u/GeologistFunny5015 — 23 days ago
▲ 2 r/MechanicAdvice

E39 A/C problem

Hi everyone,

I have a 2001 BMW E39 525d, and I’m having a strange issue with the air conditioning.

Sometimes, when I press the A/C button, it works perfectly and blows cold air. Other times, it won’t turn on at all, even if I drive for hours. Sometimes it will work for about 10 minutes and then suddenly stop blowing cold air.

Has anyone experienced something similar?
Where would you recommend I start troubleshooting? Could it simply be low refrigerant that needs to be recharged, or something else.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

reddit.com
u/GeologistFunny5015 — 1 month ago
▲ 2 r/e39

E39 A/C

Hi everyone,

I have a 2001 BMW E39 525d, and I’m having a strange issue with the air conditioning.

Sometimes, when I press the A/C button, it works perfectly and blows cold air. Other times, it won’t turn on at all, even if I drive for hours. Sometimes it will work for about 10 minutes and then suddenly stop blowing cold air.

Has anyone experienced something similar?
Where would you recommend I start troubleshooting? Could it simply be low refrigerant that needs to be recharged, or something else.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

reddit.com
u/GeologistFunny5015 — 1 month ago