The BMW E34's trailing arms (a.k.a. rear control arms) are basically the meeting points for the rear wheels and all critical suspension components. The trailing arm uses a series of bushings to connect it to the vehicle’s subframe. When a bushing wears out, it can cause the car’s handling to...

It’s no secret that the E39’s Achilles Heel is its dismal cooling system. Built almost entirely out of plastic, the system doesn't age well. When its components fail, they have a well-documented history of taking head-gaskets with them when the car overheats as a result of a lack of coolant or...

The GM 4L30E automatic transmission (a.k.a A4S-270R, a.k.a A4S-310R) used in BMW's E34 cars (and some years of the E36) have four transmission mounts. This DIY will discuss replacing the rear two transmission mounts. This is a fairly easy job with basic BMW parts for any DIYer with some very...

There are two times of year that usually have me changing the cabin filter on my cars: Pollen season and leaf season. But if you have an E39 like the BMW 525i, you should probably take the job one step further. One of the E39’s known design weaknesses is the compartment that houses the brake...

This is not a hard job at all. It just takes patience when loosening the spark plugs. It took us about 2 hours to do this job using all Land Rover parts from FCP Euro, including a late-night run to Wal-Mart to get another extension for the socket wrench. And yeah, we went to drive-thru,...

Changing oil is probably the most straightforward DIY projects an owner can tackle—as long as the manufacturer put all the vehicle’s oil holes in the right places. Once you can get past the Land Rover LR3’s stout skid plate, this job is fair sailing. Expect this job to take about 30-40 minutes,...

I spotted my beloved disaster sitting on a rural used lot instead of ancient pickups and rusted out Jeeps. “$600 Bad Transmission” was scrawled on the windshield in white paint pen. Truth in advertising. The 1992 525i Wagon’s body was good, but the paint was awful. The engine fired right up,...

There are two parts of the lower control arm on E39 models like the BMW 525i that will wear out: the ball joint and the bushing. To test these parts, raise the front end of the car so that the tires are off the ground, grab the tire with your hands at the 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock position and...