Parked ventilation is a special function of the OBC. It allows you to have the ventilation running while the car is parked and the doors locked. This is handy for these cold winters or hot summers. The drawback is the older E34 are not equipped with this function, even though it is expalined in the owner manual. So you've read everything you can about parked car ventilation. You've futzed with your OBC timer button in myriad combinations, hoping that just once, once, you'll see "VENT". You've read about other's frustrations and successes. OK. I'll stop. if you've been lusting after this feature, you'll be happy, too. Because it is NOT rocket science. It takes about $15 worth of parts plus I'd guess it'll take about 2-4 hours of your time depending on how familiar you are with how to remove and replace the: glove box, glove box cover, passenger front (by firewall) foot venting and: associated cover, radio, OBC. My disclaimer: I do not warrant that these instructions are correct. I furthermore assume absolutely NO responsibility, fiscal or otherwise, if you decide to do this procedure and end up frying something in your car.
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| How does it work? (Thanks to Ray) | |
| You call it "fresh air feature". Assuming you are referring to what I know as "parked car ventilation":
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| Procedure | |
Before you start work, REMOVE THE NEGATIVE BATTERY TERMINAL FROM YOUR BATTERY and ensure that your ignition is in the off position (remove the key). If you don't, you may only blow a fuse. But you could possibly blow your OBC. Or something else. Given Murphy's ubiquity and caprice, you'll likely nail something (or things that are) very expensive. 1. Remove the glove box and set it aside (see Bentley's, 513-4) At this point, you have access to the OBC connector and its associated wiring. The wires of interest on the OBC connector are connected to pins 21 (black/white or black/white/yellow, my car was the latter) and 9 (red/yellow, direct from fuse f20). The Bentley calls out OBC pin 14 instead of 21. Do not believe the Bentley. It is wrong. Pin 20 is likely not connected, but if it were, it serves as a timer trigger for heating. But I digress. My car was built in 7/90. It doesn't have a sword, it has a resistor pack. It also has the newer HVAC control. I only paid attention to wiring diagrams EWD-125 to EWD-127. A cursory glance at the '93 wiring tells me that this procedure MAY work with the 1993. Now for the relay installation: You now should have the parked car ventilation feature in place, once things are reconnected. At this point, you can test the installation. Reconnect the negative battery cable. Turn the ignition to position 1. Press the OBC timer If the above doesn't work as stated, you've got a problem. It is very likely a wiring mistake. Disconnect the negative terminal of the battery, if you have not done so. Go through the instructions again, checking your work. Check fuses, especially f20 and the fuse for the wire you tapped for the other "always-on" 12v. Check that the relay contacts are not touching each other or something else. Be meticulous. So you've tested things and you're satisfied it works. Time to button things up: Enjoy. Notes from Janis S: 1. I used standard automotive 12V 30A relay, which has different pin numbers. So in my case they were: |
OBC Parked ventilation retrofit on BMW e34
Performance chip on BMW e34
 | Cost: $250 Time: 30-40min | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The engine management systems used by BMW are the key to maximum efficiency and minimum fuel consumption... What we want is more power so re-tuning the factory chip provides substantial performance gains and more aggressive set up while maintaining emission standards. Only drawback: it is expensive (US$ 250) and you have to drive 92 octane gas. Only the EAT Ultrachip is affordable with it's 199US price.
Gain reported with Jim Conforti chip.
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| Procedure | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1) Locate E-Box (Electronics Box) in the engine compartment |  |
 | 2) Remove E-Box cover by loosening (4) screws securing cover to box and lift cover straight up |
 | 3) Release DME harness from DME by lifting up on DME harness latch |
| 4) DME harness may now be removed from DME unit by lifting up
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 | 5) Remove the DME mounting clips (pull upward) that secure DME to E-box chassis - DME will now be able to be slid/lifted out of the E-box 5b) On certain model (like the 535i) the DME is held by two screws. |
| 6) DME Unit removed. To remove the DME chassis cover, remove the (4) #20 Torx screws securing the DME cover to the DME chassis. Next you need to lift outward on the white pin on bottom of DME chassis to unlock the mounting pin in the center of upper DME board. | |
| 7) Lift upper DME board away from DME chassis | |
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8) You may now lift / pivot the upper board away from the DME chassis to expose the chip location that will be involved with the chip swap. |
| 14) Stock chip removal: the white or black stock chip cover will need to be removed first, this is done by inserting a narrow screwdriver into one of the pry slots on the chip cover and prying to release the cover from the chip (note - cover cannot be installed when performance chip utilizes a decryptor board) Installation of the chip is quite easy. Assure that the tab/notch on the chip you are installing is in at the same end as the stock chip was. Gently press the chip into the socket - assure the the chip is fully seated into the socket. | |
| 15) On the 530i/540i, since the decryptor board was used in this application - the chip was too tall and the aluminum case needed to be lifted slightly away from the top DME board to prevent excessive rubbing between the TMS Conforti chip and another IC on the lower DME board | |
| Important: Start the car and let it run for at least 1 min for the computer to reset. If the car starts, everything is fine, if not... you may have a bent pin or the wrong chip and/or fried your computer... Arg! | |
Door Removal on BMW e34
 | Cost: Cheap Difficulty:  | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Procedure and photos courtesy of Scott Shackelford | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| If you have a problem with the door stop, the electrical windows or anything located inside the door, you will have to remove it.
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| Procedure | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Leather treatment on BMW e34
After 5-10 years, the seats of your Bmw E34, E32 will probably look like mine, with small cracks and discoloration. It is time to renew this leather.
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| Procedure | |
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| 1. This is my seat before applying the leatherique products. You can see the difference of colors and little cracks. 2. Vacuum the surface of the seats well or use a soft brush to remove large particles of dirt, paying particular attention to seams, folds, and cracks. |  |
| 2. Apply the Rejuvenator product on all seats with your bare hands, massaging the leather. 3. You have to let the car sit in a warm spot (sun will be perfect)to have a greenhouse effect, for a day. In cooler weather, or for long-term storage in a garage, cover the seats with plastic wrap, and "warm" with a hair dryer. |  |
| 4. The seats absorbed the product and the leather is softer. What you see is simply the dirt, grime, air pollution, perspiration, salts and other toxins that have floated out of the leather to the surface. If you don't dye the leather, Apply Prestine Clean by hand or with a soft Terry Cloth towel and massage out the dirt. |  |
| 5. Using 300 grit, lightly wet sand the leather to smooth out any cracks and hangnails in the surface, and to remove the surface of the old dye and as much of the old dye that is loose and worn from age. Do not attempt to cover over damaged dye.
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| 7. Apply the Prepping Agent liberally with a terry towel or shop rag, and clean to remove any remaining dirt, ensure the top layer of old dye is broken down. Resand with wet 320 if needed . If you are filling cracks with crack filler, this is the time to do that step. Apply crack filler only into cracks only. Allow to dry 20 minutes and refill as necessary. Resand with 500 for a smooth, flawless finish if needed. Let it sit overnight or about 6 hours to allow prepping agent and crack filler to dry. | |
| 8. Brush (top quality synthetic, acrylic type brushes) or spray on your new dye in a dirt free environment, preferably indoors. Thin dye to prevent heavy buildup of color. Temperature of 20-30C (70-85F), low humidity, no rain. |  |
| 10. The only mistake I have done is that I should have cut the die with water, it was too thick so you can see the brush pattern. I sanded the seats with 500 grits sand paper until the seats are smooth to the touch... hummmm, I love that. | |
Carpet Dying DIY on BMW e34
After going through the door panel/dash dying, I wanted to give the dye another go. My carpet was subpar, and probably the worst part of my interior. The previous owners left me with stain after stain, and the carpet itself faded into a light "poo" looking mat. So, I said, why not dye it? I did look around for a black carpet, but I was getting too high of quotes to even bother. That will just become a last resort. So, I had 2 cans of Satin Black VHT Penetrating Dye from the doors and dash, and gave the passenger side a go. Here is what I used to get this done:
- VHT Penetrating Dye, Satin Black (9 or more cans)
- Big Nylon brush (VERY IMPORTANT)
- Shop-Vac/Vacuum Cleaner
- Big Box Fan
- Face mask
- Anything to remove all the seats from the car (16mm deep socket, T-50 Torx, and so on)
- Flathead/Phillips screwdrivers
The first thing to do is to go ahead and remove your seats. If you don't know how, just search around the forums. I don't really want to go into detail, because this can be used on any car, really. Anyway, after all the seats are removed, remove anything that may get in the way, like the center console, any lower dash pieces, pedals, side trim, and so on. Now, take a vacuum to every part of the carpet, and use the nylon brush to brush any dirt up for the vacuum. Get it as clean as possible. If you want, you could steam clean the carpet, but it is not 100% needed. If you do steam clean, give it a day or two to dry, so the dye won't have any issues. Alright. Once it is all nice and clean, go ahead and grab a can of the VHT carpet dye. Shake up the can for a good 2 minutes. Now, here is the main trick that concerns most, if not all of you. What you do is just spray the dye in a long line in one direction. Now, take the nylon brush and brush it in that direction. Quickly go the opposite direction with the spray, and then brush it in that direction. Do this until you get a nice, even, black look to it. Now, repeat that until your carpet is black. Now, wait overnight, and go for another coat. You should be able to get 4 cans of the dye per side on a 3 series. It might be more if you are dying a bigger car, like a 5 or 7 series. When you are dying, WEAR FACE PROTECTION. This dye can be vary harmful if you breathe it in, so I recommend finding a mask that is used for paint. You can easily find one at Home Depot/Lowes. Also, to help with the fumes, take a box fan and set it in between the front door, and work on the opposite side. Take your time and go slow if needed. When you are done with the dying, let it sit one more night, and then vacuum one last time. Reinstall everything, and you are done! Here are some pictures of the process:
VHT -
Brush (Notice that I did go out and buy a bigger one) -
Shop-Vac -
16mm Socket -
Fan setup to pull fumes away -
First coat, first side -
You can see the bigger brush -
First coat, second side (and yes, you can dye the mat, it holds up fine and looks really good) -
Some more pictures -
Done, but now dirty -
Sidenotes:
- No, the dye does not make the carpet rough. That is where the nylon brush comes in. The brush is a MUST to keep the carpet soft and to lay down even coats of the dye.
- Yes, I probably should have removed the center console and lower dash covers, but I am a lazy man and they need redyed anywho. A lesson to be learned here is to always add more coats then needed. It lasts longer and looks better.
- Do I like it? Hell yeah! It turned my interior into a newer interior, just with the carpet. Now, if I wanted to, I could reupholster my seats and go completely black.
- It will smell a bit for a week or two, but you could easily have it disappear faster if you used something like fabreze on it.
- Will it last? Probably. My door panels have seen a better life since I dyed them, that is why I told you to get an uneven number of cans. Leave one of the cans in your garage for any future touch-ups.
- Any questions? Post them up.
Blacking Out Chrome Trim On BMW E30
On the BMW 3 Series models from 1990 to 1991, the exterior trim was updated slightly to receive new body colored front and rear bumpers as well as a blacked out window trim instead of chrome as on the early models. In my opinion, this was a huge improvement of the looks and character of the car. My car was manufactured right at the cutoff between years, so while it does have the body colored front and rear bumpers, it does not have the blacked out window trim. Instead it features the chrome trim. I’m not a huge fan of chrome trim on cars. In order to keep it shiny, it requires constant polishing and cleaning. In my case, the chrome trim had oxidized; leaving a hazy, bluish appearance that would not shine no matter what I did to it. Believe me, I’ve tried everything from Bon Ami to toothpaste. Nothing worked. So I decided to simply go ahead and paint them black to complete the look of the later cars.
The first step is to wash the trim thoroughly. You want to remove as much surface dirt as possible. Just use soap and water on this. Harsh chemical agents such as acetone or thinner may spill onto the paintwork and damage the vehicle’s finish. I elected to paint the trim while still installed on the car. I could go ahead and remove the trim, however I run the risk of bending or breaking it.
The next step is to lightly sand the chrome trim with 600-grit sandpaper and a little bit of water. This will rough up the surface enough to allow the paint to adhere to the chrome. Just use light pressure. Once you have sanded the trim, you should notice that the chrome appears to have a dull finish. This is exactly what we want to see.
Now get a hold of some painter’s tape. This is a blue tape that has a low adhesion point. We want to use the painter’s tape because it will not damage the surrounding painted surfaces of the car. It has just enough stickiness to stay on the car. Now mask off around all the chrome trim. Use newspapers to cover the windows and body around the area. It’s a good idea to leave and excess of tape around the edges of the trim. This way we can either trim away what we don’t need with a razor blade or tuck the excess under the trim. Just make sure you mask off everything. Don’t skimp on this.
Now we are ready to paint the trim. There are many paints out there on the market for painting trim, however I have found that the best paint for this is Wurth. This stuff is easily the best spray paint I have ever used. It flows smooth, does not run and dries quickly. This is also the paint that the BMW factory uses to finish wheels and trim. It is also available from Pelican Parts (shameless company plug, sorry.)
I decided to use Wurth’s Satin Black Trim paint for this. It is designed to be used on chrome surfaces. Before you begin to paint, make sure that it is at least 70 degrees F. outside and not over 90 Degrees. This will make sure that the paint flows correctly. It if is too cold or hot the paint could run. Now, shake the can until the mixing ball inside starts rattling and shake it for at least a minute. I usually shake it for a good 3 to 5 minutes to make sure the paint has mixed. It’s also a good idea to shake the can in between strokes to keep the paint mixed. Now we are ready to begin spraying.
As with anything else, painting anything takes time and practice. It is an art form mastered only by a few. (That’s why is costs so much to paint a whole car!) If you have never painted anything I suggest you practice your technique on a scrap piece of metal. The key here is control of the flow. What you want to do is keep a steady hand about 8 to 10 inches away from the surface and move the can parallel to the surface you are painting while moving the can across the surface. Try not to arc the can as you spray. It’s also a good idea to wipe the surface you are painting with what is commonly referred to as a tack cloth. This is a rag that will collect any particles of dust that may have landed on the surface. It’s also a good idea to paint in a large dust-free environment with plenty of ventilation, or you may end up stammering and stuttering like Ozzy Osbourne. Paint contains fumes that can cause brain damage. Use common sense. (I must take this opportunity to show my everlasting respect to the Ozzman for using him as an example)
Now start by spraying a light coat over the trim around the whole perimeter. Don’t worry if it does not get over the whole trim. This first coat is what is called a tack coat. This first coat will provide the next coat with a surface to adhere to. Let this first coat dry for an hour before continuing.
After an hour, go back and spray the next coat. This coat will cover everything. Make sure you paint evenly and do not arc the can as you paint. Keep it 8 to 10 inches away and parallel. Now let this coat dry for three hours. After three hours, spray one more coat around the perimeter. This will be the final coat. Now let this coat dry overnight.
Once fully dry, start to remove the masking tape by grabbing one edge and peel it AWAY from the car at a 90 degree angle. This will prevent you from pulling off any of the paint on the trim. Go SLOWLY, and remove all the tape. Once all the masking has been removed, look for any overspray that may have gone onto the body or windows. If it has gone onto the glass, very carefully use a razor blade to scrape it off. If it has gone onto the body, Use car wax to remove it. Just use a very light amount and buff the spot until the paint is removed. It’s probably a good idea to wax the whole car anyway now to accentuate the freshly blacked out trim.
Sunroof on BMW e34
 | Cost: $40 Time: 1hour |
| Procedure and pictures courtesy of Russell Jones | |
| There is two problems with the sunroof: the seal seems to last 10 years only and the sunroof holes gets plugged sometimes (putting some water inside the car).(BMA sells the sunroof seal).
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| Sunroof seal change - PDF Info for BMW 5 series Touring Dual sunroof | |
| 1. Open the sunroof (back NOT tilt) to about 1/2 way
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| Roof drain Holes | |
| Whilst the roof panel is out you may want to check the drain holes are clear. There are 4, one in each corner - the 2 at the front are easily visible and can be cleared by feeding a narrow tube into the hole. I think the front tubes are metal by the way, so if these are leaking anywhere down this section because they've corroded it's mega-bucks to fix. The 2 at the rear are a bit more awkward to get to, but you can see where they are in each corner if you sine a torch into the roof. These tubes are rubber, and as well as the tube blocking, it may be squashed between the roof lining and the metalwork - causing water to flood out of the plastic roof section under the liner and leak down the pillars to the floor. On mine the rear tube was squashed on a cable clip! 1. Pull out the rear cabin light and feed it back through the hole it sits in as you pull off the rear quarter lining section (if there is a leak, the foam on the back of this section will be SOAKING!).
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| Refitting of roof section | |
| Fitting is the reverse of removal. 1. Put all the screws in (not too tight because you'll need to adjust it when in place) and close the roof. You'll probably find the roof will be a bit stiff closing until the seal beds in and squashed down a bit. Also, make sure the roof panel is pushed as far forward as possible to help this situation. I found that the roof had to be closed from the TILT position to get it closed properly for a while - it didn't shut properly from the SLIDE position. | |
Window track on BMW e34
At some point the right rear door window track lost the black fuzzy stuff in a few spots. This caused the window to grab the rubber track along the back edge and it got completely smooshed out of shape. The window was still sealed ok but it was a nasty looking mess and only a matter of time before the window would not be able to close. I obtained the $100 part and rolled up my sleeves. (The window track goes around 3 sides of the window, and has extensions that run along the front and rear edges of the door. It is a very complicated piece of rubber)
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| Procedure | |
| 1. Remove the chrome plastic trim strip from the upper inside edge of the door panel. It will snap up just before you think it will break, unless it breaks first in which case it needed replacing. |
Touring Roof Racks on BMW e34
 | Cost: $?? Difficulty:  |
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| There are not many reasonable options when fitting racks to the factory touring roof tracks. The BMW OEM option is very expensive. The Yakima rail rider has been successfully used, and there is also a Thule option. Both of these use "long" bars that stick out past the ends of the mounting towers which does not look as clean at the custom sized factory option. A more economical, but very high quality alternative that does result in a custom fit (no protruding bars) is the Oris rack made for Mercedes 124 coupes. The Mercedes towers fit well on the BMW tracks, and only one of the cross bars needs to be shortened slightly to make a prefect fit. Numerous options (ski, bike, etc) are also available with these racks, and seem to be well engineered and high quality.
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| Procedure | |
| 1. Procure the Oris Mercedes C124 racks (take note that both are different length, and have different height towers). I found mine at a local "performance" supplier. You now need to make/find "square" nut that will engage the M6 (6 mm) tower screws, and fit the track properly. There are a couple of possibilities. I used the BMW "fender" nuts (actually used for bumper trim) that have thin washers built in. Trim the opposite sides of the washer to fit track, then glue to nut with dab of 5 min epoxy (so nut doesn't turn). A neater alternative is the nut for a "Chinook" style windsurfing fin (little used these days). These stainless T nuts are just the right size - all you have to do is drill and tap for M6 (would have used them but didn't have 4). The next part is some "spacers" for the underside of the towers so that the downward facing ridge on the towers doesn't interfere with the BMW tracks. (You can see this in the picture) A 1/4 piece of fairly hard rubber works great - just cut rectangles to fit on either side of hold-down screw. I used double thickness of 3M headlight guard material - it has adhesive on one side and was at hand. I first cut the width, but a little long. Then stick to towers (use contact cement if necessary), and use profile of tower to trim ends. Now you're ready to install. Put nuts in track, engage screws, and move to desired spacing, tighten. You end up with a very clean factory look. | |
