Seeking advice on known issues concernin 03 540i/6

[pm179]

Thanks,

I did not know that ;-)

Curious ... why do you say "rare"?Michael in MD

2003 540i 6-speed
Sterling Gray / Black

[pm179]

Michael in MD

2003 540i 6-speed
Sterling Gray / Black

[540sport]

Many more automatic sports were sold, but they are not true 540 Sports.

Replace the CDV, get the adaptations reset and make sure you are turning the DSC off when you are trying to launch. Turn it back on after second gear.

The clutches in these cars are not robust, they are less than 9 inches and the CDV makes them heat up and wear if you are trying to launch fast.
Vin
98 540 Sport with everything & extra hots
BMW CCA, Boston Chapter
"The 540 is the head-case supermodel girlfriend..." Eric S.
"The worst thing you could do with your money is save it." ~ Jackie Gleason
If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough. Mario Andretti
The United States is a nation of laws: poorly written and randomly enforced. - Frank Zappa

[Craig in Canada]

I'm sure having the car adapted to you really helps. I have to say that some of these effects you'll only really notice when you come from a car that doesn't have it. You really notice all of the drive-by-wire frustration when you usually drive a cable-throttle car. Every drive-by-wire car I've ever driven, standard or automatic, drives me batty. I'm sure the car's owners get used to it. Same goes for rack-and-pinion vs. recirculating ball steering. When I switch back and forth the 540 feels dead even though it still goes where you point it just fine.

Both my dad's 1999 and 2002 exhibited the same annoying tendancies. Shortly after my dad got his 2002, I felt it was far more in tune with what I wanted it to do on the road (not including "precision" operations like pulling up onto ramps) but over a couple of months it got just as frustrating as his 1999 was. A big part of it is probably my dad's long term training.

As I said, no matter what I try to do I can't get it to pull away from a stop moderately briskly and smoothly. It's either sitting there doing a chauffered limo ease away or a chirp-n-roar. If I go into a transmission mode that my dad rarely uses (like M) it's somewhat less noticeable. He probably hasn't trained it. As I said, every time we need to put it on ramps I'm very afraid. Only once did it ever go smoothly. There's even trouble when pulling into my garage which has a 1.5" step up (the asphalt is sinking over the years I guess). He got "stuck" on this step up and he was trying to gently apply enough throttle to overcome it (no problem in my cable throttle manual). It was pretty much tuning out the throttle application until suddenly it decided it was go time. I'm sure it's less of a problem with a manual when the driver also has clutch control to factor into the equation.

Since we're telling stories, there was another time where he was backed up onto ramps which were on the sloped driveway, with the ramp and driveway slopes almost canceling out (good for fast rear end fluid changes). He had to overcome the dish of the ramps plus a little bit of uphill from the driveway to pull off by gently applying slightly increasing throttle - stuck... stuck... stuck... shot a ramp down the driveway.

We get better results now with a checklist - transmission in steptronic, select first gear, air conditioning on (to raise the idle), two feet plus hand brake at the ready (instead of locking the fronts while pulling onto ramps and just pushing the ramps along). I think the default use of 2nd in D was part of the issue. I go up and down ramps with no spotter and no drama all the time in my 528.

I haven't driven a 540i6, only 540iAs, but I've driven a bunch of I6 manuals and autos with and without drive-by-wire.

I don't notice the interference of EBC nearly as much, but I'll never forget that one story... IMO, controls should do the same thing every time they're pushed a certain amount. Think about driving on the track - if you get back on the throttle to help with an oversteer situation and you applied it 30% quickly, do you want 30% throttle or 100% because the computer saw you apply that 30% quickly? I know my answer... I also realize that I'll have no choice but to drive by wire for my next car.

[JimLev]

be very careful that you don't get the fitting cross threaded going into the slave cylinder, it's very easy to do. The line is hard tubing and will need to be bent, so be sure to get the alignment correct. If you want a gutted CDV I have a few that I will sell for $20, this includes shipping.
Here is a pic showing the slave cylinder removed from the tranny. The hole it mounts in is in the upper right corner of the pic.
The clutch is 9.5" OD, but even so it's easy to smoke them if you don't let the clutch up quickly in any gear at higher RPM's.
I replaced mine at 105K, it only slipped a little when I turnd on the extra (at the time) 150 HP.

[juststeve]

It's my opinion that if you own a 540 with one or more of these original engine parts approaching this time frame; it's time to replace them. now....
The replacements on the other hand; may (or should) go to 90K and beyond. But, regardless of manufacture, 60K cooling system replacement is excellent insurance. You can always keep a full set of "replaced parts" as back up if you plan to push that time frame.

I laugh as I read of posters who tear the entire front of an engine off just to replace one part. My time is worth more than that.

[JimLev]

Click on the Specs in this link

From the Dinan catalog I have it only shows 9/98 to 2001 production figures. This is for the 540.
Most of the gain is in the midrange, part throttle operation.
Peak HP Gain part throttle 16 HP @ 5700 RPM
Peak HP Gain part throttle 9 HP @ 4500 RPM
Peak Torque part throttle 25ft-lb @ 2500 RPM
Peak Torque Gain full throttle 11 ft-lbs @ 2500 RPM
Rev limit increase +300 RPM
Also you will get a little better performance with higher octane fuel.
If you like shifting in the upper region it's nice to not have the engine going into RPM limit below 6000 RPM in 1st gear. The other gears the limit is about 6300 RPM. With a Dinan download you can get ~6200 RPM out of 1st and ~6600 RPM from the other gears.
Throttle response isn't a night and day difference. I only notice it's shortcomings when you are accelerating from idle. In an automatic this is more noticable that in a manual tranny car. With a manual you already have the RPM up a bit before you are ready to let the clutch out. I find that 1500 RPM is a good speed to take off from if you are looking to pull a hole short or something similar, no drive by wire delays.
540NJ said he had trouble chirping the rear tires, don't remember what size he has, but my 265/40/17 PS2's can break free without using any additional power adders.

[pm179]

Hi Jim,

I can't really pass that up can I?

I tried clicking on your name to email you but it doesn't go through ... my email is pm179@yahoo.com so we can finish this up off list.

Thanks,

Michael in MD

2003 540i 6-speed
Sterling Gray / Black

[540nj]

I can break'em free, but need to preload the revs and dump the clutch a bit to do it. They are the OEM 18s. Also, have never deleted the CDV, which doesn't help any. I ordered a motive bleeder from a local porsche shop, will install the CDV when I bleed the brakes soon. I also have PS2s.

With the 16s and snow tires, it takes no effort at all to break loose.

dave
03 540i6

[JimLev]

"Drive It Like You Stole It, A Sickness for Quickness"
The Bottle Rocket "King of Spray" 2 Stage Nitrous Oxide
Dare to be different and stand out among the crowd of me-to-cars!
No guts, no glory! Tire smoke, not traction control!
Zionsville all aluminum radiator to replace the 3 leak prone Nissens Radiators!

NOS Progressive 2 Stage Controller with port injection
Snow's Performance Methanol/Water Injection
Dinan downloads, VAC Under Drive Pulleys
Dinan Carbon Fiber CAI
Dinan Front Strut Bar
Electric Cooling Fan w/PWM controller
NGK Iridium Plugs
DDE Enhanced Angel Eyes, Smoked Lenses
Koni FSD's/H&R Springs, BAV Brass Caliper Bushings
Eisenmann Race Exhaust (from H8-Rain's car)
///M5 3.15 LSD
///M5 Sway Bars, Front & Rear
Energy Suspension Polyurethane Sway Bar Bushings
///M5 Gauge Cluster Rings ///M5 Lip Spoiler
///M5 Mirrors and Switches
Leather Z weighted shift knob (thanks H8-Rain)
Rogue “Octane” Short Shift kit w/WSR
Rogue Tranny Mounts
StopTech Brake Lines Front & Rear
Axxis Deluxe Plus pads Front & Rear
Staggered M Parallel 66, Xenons
Modified CDV, UGDO
Euro Storage Tray (thanks Zombywolf)
Redline in Diff and Tranny
Passport 8500 X50, Escort ZR3 Laser Jammer
G-Tech/Competition Pro Data Logger
Auto Enginuity OBD-II Scan Tool
25% Tint, X-Pel, LoJack
PIAA Driving Lights
BMW CCA Member Boston Chapter

[540nj]

Let me know a good location for you - maybe Pane Vino in E Hanover?

[JimLev]

"Drive It Like You Stole It, A Sickness for Quickness"
The Bottle Rocket "King of Spray" 2 Stage Nitrous Oxide
Dare to be different and stand out among the crowd of me-to-cars!
No guts, no glory! Tire smoke, not traction control!
Zionsville all aluminum radiator to replace the 3 leak prone Nissens Radiators!

NOS Progressive 2 Stage Controller with port injection
Snow's Performance Methanol/Water Injection
Dinan downloads, VAC Under Drive Pulleys
Dinan Carbon Fiber CAI
Dinan Front Strut Bar
Electric Cooling Fan w/PWM controller
NGK Iridium Plugs
DDE Enhanced Angel Eyes, Smoked Lenses
Koni FSD's/H&R Springs, BAV Brass Caliper Bushings
Eisenmann Race Exhaust (from H8-Rain's car)
///M5 3.15 LSD
///M5 Sway Bars, Front & Rear
Energy Suspension Polyurethane Sway Bar Bushings
///M5 Gauge Cluster Rings ///M5 Lip Spoiler
///M5 Mirrors and Switches
Leather Z weighted shift knob (thanks H8-Rain)
Rogue “Octane” Short Shift kit w/WSR
Rogue Tranny Mounts
StopTech Brake Lines Front & Rear
Axxis Deluxe Plus pads Front & Rear
Staggered M Parallel 66, Xenons
Modified CDV, UGDO
Euro Storage Tray (thanks Zombywolf)
Redline in Diff and Tranny
Passport 8500 X50, Escort ZR3 Laser Jammer
G-Tech/Competition Pro Data Logger
Auto Enginuity OBD-II Scan Tool
25% Tint, X-Pel, LoJack
PIAA Driving Lights
BMW CCA Member Boston Chapter

[Whorse]

i ordered mine from zeckenhaus a long time ago and havent installed it yet, i never bled a clutch before so Ive been waiting to "cut a check" (let a mechanic do it) when i have enough money laying around to do a clutch and flywheel at the same time.

Andreas
Queens NY
BMWCCA# 186796
86 325es (wrecked by careless driver)
87 325 (project for life)
00 540is 6spd (daily driver)

[JimLev]

clutch job done you might as well wait until then to do it. They will either disconnect the line or unbolt the slave cylinder before they pull the tranny.