japan only *525i*

[eddy89]

do you know any indy mechanics around the richmond area? You live in BC too?

[shanek]

I live in Alberta but there are 2 in Edmonton that are great so I'm sure there is one somewhere in your area. I'm moving to Kelowna next week though so the search for a new mechanic begins.
Check http://www.bmwclub.ca
I just think its a really bad idea to have someone work on my car that hasn't worked on BMWs before.

[shogun]

if you have a problem to get parts, contact me, I live in Japan.
But generally you can replace those parts against others.
For example if you look into the fuse box, the LKM (light control module) might have an "J" after LKM-B or LKM-L.
J stands for Japan.
The cat will probably have a temperatur sensor on the back of the cat. This one is there to give an alarm when the temperature rises over 800 degree Censius or so. But this sensor has no influence on the electronic management of the engine. If you replace the cat against a local one, just disconnect it , and just fix it to a pipe or whatever keep it there. It does not harm the engine managemnt.
Front and rear wire looms are different from European versions. No fog rear lights usually. The econometer shows kilometers per liter, while the European version shows liters per 100 km consumption.
Radio will probably not work in your country, as in Japan we have different FM, which starts at 88 and ends at 108 MHz.
Where do you live?
Pls give us the VIN (chassis number) number, so that we might be able to check out something more.
But you can also lift up the rear seat and you will find a small paper folded in there with all details of the car and the options which were ordered, even the day the car was built.
Here is some info on this
http://shrubbery.student.utwente.nl/...ptions750.html
You might even have a japanese transmission from JATCO inside. Go to my website below and run the VIN decoder to see which transmission you have inside.

[Kakaire]

I bought my mine from Japan 2 years ago now...

Vehicle came in very good condition with 67,000km on the dial, I took it to a dealer at Mombasa cost where I was and they said all was okay. I was preping for 1800kms journey back home.

I made my journey home safely in one and half days, I had cloth interior too and right hand drive, green coolant. Car is still fine today can't believe its two years now and still driving same tires I got it with, I made 100,000km a few months back. Goodluck and welcome.

[shogun]

I belive cloth seats are an advantage in climates where for example you live. Leather is really hot in summer here when you enter the car and the car was parked outside in the sunshine.
Sometimes I wish I had cloth instead of leather in summer time here, where we have around +/- 40 degree C here and humidity over 90 %.

[tnt525i]

i'm almost certain that the japanese spec bmw's have the japanese tranny, made by isuzu. when my tranny went last year, i went to a friend of mine who imports bwm's fron japan and then realised it was an isuzu tranny

[eddy89]

so if my transmisson blows up or needs repair i cant change it with a tranny from canada or US? Do i have to import it back from japan?

Also, will teh vin number on the jpanaese import car show any history?

[old bob]

I bought my 525i from Japan. Could have cried when I saw it paint work was sh.t, front end was all over the place. I have slowly fixed things up. New rotors and pads, new thrust arms and tirod ends,& repaint Next week I am having the timing belt done.also put in a new radio & replaced the fuel pump.
The wife didn't like it at first but now I can't keep her out of it. Great car to drive and worth everything I have spent on it.

[shogun]

Also, will the vin number on the japanese import car show any history?

If it has been serviced by BMW Japan, YES.
But of course in Japanese language, as you can imagine.

When I bought my second 750 Highline I asked a friend in Germany who works for a dealer to run the VIN for me. So he could tell me that on a certain day in 1999 at dealer xxx in Japan one of the hoses from the coolant system was changed, and that the exchange of the cap for the coolant reservoir from old to new under recall # xxx has not yet been done.