r/e38

I'm trying to do research into getting a new stereo head. I still have the OEM bmw head unit. Not everything works and who the fuck listens to actual radio in 2026, no Bluetooth, no aux, and no USB.

Everything online says I need a specific head unit that's $700+ at this point. It's saying because I have the gps package I need a special unit, but I don't care if gps or car stuff works, I just want stereo and phone nav.

I am currently working on purchasing a pre-LCI 1998 740il with 137k miles. It is part of an estate sale, getting it for what I believe to be a relatively friendly price so it's hard to turn down. It's not exactly a desirable spec: non-sport, silver exterior, gray interior, but it seems to be clean and properly maintained. Not sure if I want to keep it yet, but I love the E38 body lines and would be nice to at least own it for a short period, hence my interest. Just curious on what everyone's ownership experience has been like. Do you ever regret buying an E38?

Assuming I don’t get into an auto accident and I am patient enough to pay for all the run of the mill repairs that my 728i needs, will it run forever?

Currently on 220k miles

Or will there be a day it will just blow up and be beyond repair ?

I have a 1997 car and i have purchased e60 m5 callipers
How do i actually make them fit i have seen it been done on google
Is there an adaptor or do i need to make new holes?

Has anyone swapped anything else in their e38, had a engine build go wrong on my m62tu and been trying to find another motor and can’t find one for the life of me, looking at older range rovers and other bmw’s with the same motor, no luck.

Has anyone did a ls swap, or swapped with anything else, cost and difficulty?

If you guys have any info let me know,
Thanks boys.

I will try to keep it short.
I own a BMW E38 735i from 1997.
The car was in the workshop for 10 weeks. I paid €3000 for EWS module repair and a full electrical power supply (voltage distribution) cleanup/rebuild.
After picking up the car, I drove it for 3 days. It started normally and ran smoothly. The only issue was that I could not consistently rev past 5,000 RPM. Sometimes it would go up to 6,000 RPM or higher, but most of the time it was limited around 5,000 RPM.
So far, everything was fine. I then drove about 300 km to my workplace. After about 150 km, I took a break. When I tried to restart the car after the break, it did not start at first. The starter motor did not react at all. After 5–6 attempts, the car finally started again.
I continued driving to my destination, but since then the car will not start anymore.
I opened the E-box and started diagnosing the issue myself.
It became clear that the green starter relay in the E-box clicks and operates normally when attempting to start. However, the blue relay next to it (DME relay) does not switch.
My measurements so far:
Green relay (starter relay, 5-pin): switches normally during start attempt
Blue relay (DME relay, 4-pin): does not switch during start attempt
When I bridge the blue relay (30 to 87) and turn ignition to position 2, the DME powers on.
When I bridge the green relay (30 to 87), nothing happens, likely because the blue relay is not switching.
Green relay measurements:
Terminal 30: 12V
Terminal 87 (1): 12V
Terminal 87 (2): 0V
Blue relay measurements:
Terminal 30: 12V
Terminal 87 (1): 1.5V
Terminal 87 (2): 0V
That is basically the current situation in my E-box. Can anyone help identify what might be wrong?

Hello I am from Macedonia, and I am trying to find a 740il to buy in Europe, can anyone help me find one?

Has anyone any experience with installing a FM Modulator in their E38?

If so, how's the performance, and where exactly are you supposed to plug it in?

I have a pretty pristine e38 740il which has been serving me well since last fall. I ran an errand yesterday, came home and parked. Later I backed the car out of the garage and the STOP OIL PRESSURE warning come on so I stopped immediately. Turned the car off but I can still hear a electric pump on the left side of the motor running.

Disconnected the battery, checked fuses, tapped a bunch of relays JIC but as soon as I reconnect the battery (even a day later) the pump comes on and the car doesn't even attempt to crank despite checking the battery (less than a yr old) on the multimeter. Oil level is good and plenty of oil in the filter canister.

My guess is maybe the famous oil pump screw issues or a sensor but why no attempt to crank and is there anything else I should check for a quick fix?