Blogs

2019: The Story: Ryan’s 2000 BMW E39 M5:

2019

E39Source is now an LLC, with a brick and mortar location. We rented a 3,500 square foot shop up in Escondido, 30 miles north of San Diego. We had two lifts installed, and got a badass set of tools. You can read more about what E39Source is doing now here.

New-style BMW battery (black)

February, 2019

This first winter in California was ‘rainy’ by California standards. That meant that my dad’s 1998 Ferrari 355 wasn’t driven as much over the winter as it usually does. When we attempted to start it to attend a Ferrari Owner’s Club drive to the wine country in Temecula, we got nothing but a series of clicks. The battery was dead- which meant my M5 had to run with Ferraris with that. And it kept up beautifully! Here are some shots from the gathering.

Continue reading

2020: The Story: Ryan’s 2000 BMW E39 M5:

2020

I am now finally using this car for what I have been building it for for years! I wanted a reliable, daily-drivable M5 for when I got to California. It took me nearly a decade to build that car, and now I can finally use it. From 2014-2018, I drove the car around 3,500 miles per year. In 2019, I logged over 9,000 miles, and loved every one of them!

Continue reading

2021: The Story: Ryan’s 2000 BMW E39 M5:

2021

As the E39Source, LLC service business gains more momentum, I started having the opportunity to work with some very special and unique BMWs (and their owners!) This car is nearly my identical twin; a gorgeous Silverstone/Silverstone 2001 M5. We completed loads of driveline, suspension, and cosmetic improvements on this car, and delivered it to a very happy customer in late January. Per customer request, I thoroughly test-drove this car until we were happy with it’s drivability and new feature functionality. I made a video about our newly available services here.

Continue reading

2022: The Story: Ryan’s 2000 BMW E39 M5:

2022

We pick up 2022 while still waiting for the brake calipers to return from being refurbished. I took this opportunity to drop the exhaust and replace the various heat shields around and above the exhaust system. Mine were dirty, crusty, and had some of the mounting holes washed out due to aluminum corrosion. In order to remove one of the shields, the driveshaft had to come out. I noted a slight tick from the center support bearing, so I replaced that as well. Before installation, I installed a fresh flex disk while I’m in here. With the driveshaft out, I was staring at the bottom of the shifter assembly… with 6 year old bushings. See why I call this a can of worms? After new shifter carrier bushings, rod joint, and cup, I noticed a very crusty slave cylinder soft line. So, new slave cylinder, soft/hard line between the clutch slave and master cylinders, and all the brackets and hardware. While reinstalling the exhaust, I noticed the series of brackets were missing that hold it to the transmission. I checked photos from 2016, and they were missing then too! I have no idea what happened to those exhaust brackets. I ordered and installed the factory replacement parts.

Continue reading

Alex’s 1999 BMW E39 540i/6 Introduction

There comes a point in time when people decide that they want to make a change in life. For me, that change was owning a BMW. The first I heard of BMW’s was as a kid going to the auto show with my father, and grandfather. It wasn’t until high school that I really became a car guy. The very first time I rode in a E39 was in 2011, with Ryan’s 2000 E39 M5. I immediately fell in love with that car, and knew that I had to have one. It wasn’t until 4 years later that I can finally say that I am a proud owner of a BMW. I purchased this vehicle off of my good friend, Razvan who gave me a fantastic deal on this beautiful machine.

Continue reading

Alex’s 2000 BMW E46 328i Introduction

If I were to tell you that I’ve always been a fan of BMW, I’d be lying. Two years ago, if you were to tell me my first car would be an E46, I would have called you crazy! Living in Buffalo, NY, I pictured my first car as some sort of all wheel drive vehicle. I really was set on an older WRX, due to the decent performance, and great all wheel drive system. I was also your typical Fast and Furious type kid who drooled over JDM “riced” out cars. It’s bad, I know. Luckily, one trip to visit my brother in San Francisco changed my taste in cars completely.

Continue reading

Andres’ 2000 540i 6 Introduction

Hello E39 Source, my name is Andres and I’d like to introduce my 2000 540i/6. Here’s a little background information about how I found my car and what I’ve done to it. I’ve been a car guy for as long as I can remember; my grandpa’s a mechanic and my dad races vintage cars in SCCA. The day I turned fifteen and got my learner’s license, I was already looking into what my first car could possibly be. At first, I was looking into Subaru Legacy Outback wagons. Why?

Continue reading

Andrew’s 2000 BMW M5 Introduction

M5 ownership is a grand experience, even though it has been riddled with mistakes, hard work, and pure luck. My name is Andrew, and I didn’t start out with my current M5, but rather another BMW: my mother’s 2003 E53 X5. It has the 3.0 liter M54 motor, and a religious service history from the dealer/independent specialists so I would never be let down. It took me until halfway through my senior year in high school and I was using the X5’s utility to the max. I was a three sport athlete, and also a volunteer fire fighter, so I was driving to-and-from practice, my home, and the fire house quite often. A plain soccer-mobile X5 was boring for a trending high school senior, so I started to modify it subtly. However, the interior got hit hard with my crazy hormones, and my style reflected that; I put plaid fabric over the wood trim, and vinyled my center console so all my friends could sign it.

Continue reading

Andrew’s New Benz!

My past BMW’s were fun cars. I had a great time driving them, and I learned a lot fixing them. However, they got a bit repetitive after having cars so similar: the E53 X5, E36 318ti, and the E36 328i. These all shared so much in common that I could go through the motions to change out a thermostat or replace an oil filter housing gasket with my eyes closed. So, what does a car guy do when they need a new project to tinker on? He moves on and gets a 1995 W124 Mercedes E320!

Continue reading

Auxiliary Input Kit Installation (Non-Nav)

This article will go over the required parts and steps to install a hard-wired factory BMW auxiliary input kit to your E39 5-series without factory navigation.

Objective: Install a factory BMW hard-wired auxiliary input cable to your 5-series.

Applicable Vehicles: 1997-2003 BMW E39 5-series (Without Navigation): 520i, 523i, 525i, 528i, 530i, 535i, 540i, M5.

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.

Continue reading