Stuart Ford

2001 E38 BMW 735i Sport

Introduction

I own a 2001 BMW 735i Sport (E38) which I acquired in March 2010. I’ve always wanted one of these elegant luxury cars having been a BMW enthusiast for many years now. Detailed information on the range is avaiable on Wikipedia and there’s more enthusiasts’ links than anyone could ever know what to do with at e38.org.

Due the age and mileage of my example there were a few things that needed doing to it and a few other things that I want to do to it as and when resources to do so permit. This page is designed to document these things as I complete them so that other owners may benefit from knowing how I did things and what I learnt.

Satellite Navigation software and map data upgrade

This was a simple task requiring an upgrade kit from www.bmw-maps.co.uk. Your E38 will have a Mark 1, 2 or 3 CD based system and so you need the £25.00 CD-based upgrade rather than the DVD based upgrade which is for Mark 4 systems. The upgrade kit will contain a software upgrade CD and an up to date UK and Ireland map data CD. If you are upgrading from software version 18 or previous you will also require a key CD, so if this is the case be sure to tell Lee when you place your order. Software upgrades from versions later than 18 will not require a key CD.

To find out what software version you are currently running, first get the software version number from the Settings screen. It will be displayed in the top right corner of the screen when altering settings. Then look it up against this table:

Repairs to pixelated mid-dash LCD screen

LCD display with faulty pixels

This is a common problem where the ribbon cable connecting the LCD screen beneath the speedometer and odometer perishes, leaving you with a screen that only half works. It can be fixed by replacing the ribbon cable. Kits are available on eBay. However, despite having detailed instructions we failed to fix the problem using the kit, and indeed made it worse (the display now doesn’t work at all). We’re now just going to get a replacement part rather than try again. By all accounts the chances of success with such methods of repair are slim. Still, it was worth a try as it wasn’t as if we could effectively read the display in the state that it was already in.

New radiator

In May 2010 the car overheated on the M6 because of a radiator problem. Turns out that the expansion bottle sprang a leak and lost all the coolant from the radiator. The radiator overheated and ruptured, chiefly because it turns out that it had been previously repaired and the repaired area was weakened. We had it replaced with a new proprietary part for around £300.

Braking system problems

In July 2010 the car developed a problem with its braking system whereby it would switch off the Dynamic Braking Control, the ABS and the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) systems when the car reached 30mph. This is apparently a common problem and is due to a failed Bosch control unit that controls the ABS pump. Since the ABS is an integral part of the stability control it also puts that out of action, even though the DSC itself is otherwise functional.

I can still drive the car with this problem, it just means that I have to be careful since I will have no driving aids other than power steering, like in the old days. It means pumping the brakes manually if I have to do an emergency stop and it means not pushing the tolerances of the suspension as I go around corners at speed. No big deal.

All the information regarding this problem and its resolution can be found here, a page on the very excellent Timm’s 7 Series Repairs and Information website. I’ve not yet completed the repair as I have to find a local breaker to find the part, but I will update the page when I have done so.