Yendor1972

And now I have a coolant leak. I think it is leaking from the plastic piece just under and towards the pass side of the oil filter housing. I ordered an aluminum one, we'll see how that goes. Should be an easy swap. The car runs so smoothly, I just need to get it to a point that it runs all the time and keeps its fluids inside of itself.

Yendor1972

Update: I replaced the piece last week and I am on day 6 of driving 60+ miles round trip to work. So far so good. This car is a fantastic highway cruiser. Plenty of power and such a smooth ride. I do have a clunk when braking or turning coming from the front end. I have replaced the sway bar end links, but they seem to have had little to do with the issue. I also have a new thrust arm on the passenger side, I think I may have to replace the drivers side now too.

icantfindaname2

you have perfectly described 85% of the experience most people have with a N54 E6x vehicle.

welcome to the club

msportwagon

check your stabilizer bar bushings, control arm ball joints to the wheel hubs, make sire your calipers are properly seated, check strut mounts, check for any play in the steering tie rods

Yendor1972

In the saga that never ends, my thermostat failed. I am glad they fail open, but now I realize that I should have just bit the bullet and swapped it when I had the radiator empty. That was last week by the way, keeping the cars record of failing before 2 weeks has elapsed from the last repair going. One day it will run right for 3 weeks, that's when I will be struck by an inattentive driver. I hope all my airbags work. I've been driving it with the failed thermostat and monitoring the temps, no issues so far. Will need to get that stuff on order.