New BMW owner on a lark

[JamesAustin]

Replaced the automatic transmission fluid filter and pan gasket. Having a hard time getting the fill plug off--suggestions?

Replaced 4 or 5 tail light bulbs that were burned out, but the dash indicator still comes on for the rear passenger side. All lights work now so I'm not sure how to get rid of it.

What's the problem with the fill plug? Is it frozen, or just unreachable?

As for the tail lights, BMW is into "adaptive brake lights" which show drivers following you how drastically you're slowing down. So far I've failed to confirm whether your car has them, but one of the ways BMW has implemented them is with extra bulbs that only light up during hard braking at speed. They don't light up at any other time, so unless someone follows you in a place where you can safely brake hard from speed, there's no way to test them. Try going back in there again and just looking for bulbs behind red lenses that don't seem to have any reason to be there. One other way BMW has implemented this is with brake lights that get brighter when you brake harder; maybe they use dual-filament bulbs and you have one with ONE blown filament?

I know all this because the very first issue I ever solved with my E91 was a burned-out adaptive brake light bulb. Neither wandering around my car with something blocking the brake pedal, nor watching my car's reflection in a glass-walled building as I pumped the brakes, ever revealed them.

[pseto]

What's the problem with the fill plug? Is it frozen, or just unreachable?

As for the tail lights, BMW is into "adaptive brake lights" which show drivers following you how drastically you're slowing down. So far I've failed to confirm whether your car has them, but one of the ways BMW has implemented them is with extra bulbs that only light up during hard braking at speed. They don't light up at any other time, so unless someone follows you in a place where you can safely brake hard from speed, there's no way to test them. Try going back in there again and just looking for bulbs behind red lenses that don't seem to have any reason to be there. One other way BMW has implemented this is with brake lights that get brighter when you brake harder; maybe they use dual-filament bulbs and you have one with ONE blown filament?

I know all this because the very first issue I ever solved with my E91 was a burned-out adaptive brake light bulb. Neither wandering around my car with something blocking the brake pedal, nor watching my car's reflection in a glass-walled building as I pumped the brakes, ever revealed them.

The adaptive brake light is really a rear fog light in the e9x; I'm pretty sure e39s did not have them.

[JamesAustin]

The adaptive brake light is really a rear fog light in the e9x; I'm pretty sure e39s did not have them.

Or, perhaps, the rear fog light is really an adaptive brake light.

BMW disables the rear for light switch in the North American E9x. But that's easy to un-do.

As for whether the E39 has any form of adaptive brake lighting, I still can't find that out. It doesn't seem to have extra bulbs that also act as rear fog lights overseas, though.


I did just stumble over this site, www.bmwtips.com, which didn't tell me that but has a lot of good stuff (not exclusively for the E39 either...)

[BradleyinDC]

What's the problem with the fill plug? Is it frozen, or just unreachable?

No, it's reachable (the car is on stands right now) and been hit with PB Blaster and with a hammer. It won't budge. Now I've stripped it too, I think.

[JamesAustin]

No, it's reachable (the car is on stands right now) and been hit with PB Blaster and with a hammer. It won't budge. Now I've stripped it too, I think.

Dang.

Supposedly, one reason BMW uses those weird flat Torx-head & Allen-head fill plugs is that they are very SOFT; they will sacrifice themselves & strip first to protect whatever they screw into. I don't know how much you want to test that, though.

Blast, heat entire area, chill plug with ice cube, repeat?

[BradleyinDC]

Dang.

Supposedly, one reason BMW uses those weird flat Torx-head & Allen-head fill plugs is that they are very SOFT; they will sacrifice themselves & strip first to protect whatever they screw into. I don't know how much you want to test that, though.

Blast, heat entire area, chill plug with ice cube, repeat?

Oh, it's soft all right, and I've more than tested it unfortunately. I'm thinking of Dremeling a new slot for a screwdriver.

Really though, I was able to lower the pan level with some longer screws in the corners and add more than 3.5 quarts of AT fluid so I think that should be "enough" for now while addressing other questions. I'm really, really, hoping that takes care of my dash light.

[JamesAustin]

Oh, it's soft all right, and I've more than tested it unfortunately. I'm thinking of Dremeling a new slot for a screwdriver.

Really though, I was able to lower the pan level with some longer screws in the corners and add more than 3.5 quarts of AT fluid so I think that should be "enough" for now while addressing other questions.

Drill in a screw extractor?

[BradleyinDC]

Drill in a screw extractor?

Yeah, we debated that but don't want to risk getting any metal shavings in the transmission

[JamesAustin]

Yeah, we debated that but don't want to risk getting any metal shavings in the transmission

Drop the pan and let everything drip-dry for awhile, arrange some magnets around the inside of the plug (assuming the plug is magnetic), and then use an extractor?

Yeah, I know, I'd hate to do all that too. But I'm really worried that the 3.5 quarts you've been able to put in otherwise isn't going to be enough for the trans to shift properly.

What about the fluid you've already taken out? How did that look & smell?

[JamesAustin]

Yeah, we debated that but don't want to risk getting any metal shavings in the transmission

Use metal epoxy, or high-precision welding, to bond a nut or sawed-off bolt head to the plug?

[BradleyinDC]

As for the tail lights, BMW is into "adaptive brake lights" which show drivers following you how drastically you're slowing down. So far I've failed to confirm whether your car has them, but one of the ways BMW has implemented them is with extra bulbs that only light up during hard braking at speed. They don't light up at any other time, so unless someone follows you in a place where you can safely brake hard from speed, there's no way to test them. Try going back in there again and just looking for bulbs behind red lenses that don't seem to have any reason to be there. One other way BMW has implemented this is with brake lights that get brighter when you brake harder; maybe they use dual-filament bulbs and you have one with ONE blown filament?

I know all this because the very first issue I ever solved with my E91 was a burned-out adaptive brake light bulb. Neither wandering around my car with something blocking the brake pedal, nor watching my car's reflection in a glass-walled building as I pumped the brakes, ever revealed them.

Thanks, let's just hope it's the 3rd brake light. The car's at a friend's in Fairfax so I'll check again soon when I go back out.