Hydraulic boot

[rudutoit]

Hi Guys!

Awesome forum you guys have going on here! Great to see that we have a community in South Africa too! :clap:

Anyways, is there anyone out there that has experience with the e38's hydraulic boot? It is driving me crazy because the thing stopped working one day. Just dead!

I have checked the fuses and everything that I could think of... The x431 diag computer doesn't see anything wrong but there is not even a sound coming from the back? I am thinking that it is electrical but where do you start looking? There are not leaks (well that I can see) and the bootlid is :cursin: heavy! I am not enjoying the fact that I have to lift it myself... That is just to much manual labor! :shocked:

 

[freerider]

Your best bet here would be BimmerMan, he also has a 740i, and does a hell of a lot of DIY work on it.

 

[rudutoit]

Your best bet here would be BimmerMan, he also has a 740i, and does a hell of a lot of DIY work on it.

Thanks! I will give BimmerMan a try! I don't even want to know what a repair like this will set me back at the dealers!

 

[Hellas]

Don't even think of turning up at the dealer with a E38... They got christmas bonus in mind when you pull up in there.

 

[rudutoit]

Don't even think of turning up at the dealer with a E38... They got christmas bonus in mind when you pull up in there.

I know all about that! A Key for my car is R 2700 and the EXACT same key for the e39 is R 1800... :cursin:

 

[BimmerMan]

Hi Guys!

Awesome forum you guys have going on here! Great to see that we have a community in South Africa too! :clap:

Anyways, is there anyone out there that has experience with the e38's hydraulic boot? It is driving me crazy because the thing stopped working one day. Just dead!

I have checked the fuses and everything that I could think of... The x431 diag computer doesn't see anything wrong but there is not even a sound coming from the back? I am thinking that it is electrical but where do you start looking? There are not leaks (well that I can see) and the bootlid is :cursin: heavy! I am not enjoying the fact that I have to lift it myself... That is just to much manual labor! :shocked:

Hey Man

Welcome to the forum! Finally another E38 owner...I dont feel so alone anymore

I cant say that I know a lot about the hydraulic boot...it was a rare option fitted around these parts...is a common site in the US and UK though!

My first thoughts would be to check the oil level at the motor. I think it has a switch that turns off the motor if the fluid gets too low... Have a look at this link...

http://www.meeknet.co.uk/e38/E38_Hydraulic_Boot_Info.pdf

Other than that...it could be that the wires have someone come adrift from the hydraulic unit or that the unit itself has failed.
If the boot will open only a little bit, but no more, I would say that you need to replace the boot gas struts (this is probably why you say that your boot lid is so heavy as it should be light as a feather to lift).

I will do some more digging and see what I can find

 

[rudutoit]

Thanks Bimmerman!

Very informative! I will only be able to check this over the weekend but I will most certainly report back with my findings!

So we are the only people with taste on this forum? Hmm (KIDDING!!!)

The e38's are awesome cars and i should have bought one years ago! I went from a e39 523 and I have to say that I am very impressed with my new baby!

I have a lot of work planned for it and I will keep you guys up to speed with pics (there are a lot of tiny cosmetic issues with the car)

Thanks again for the help... I might be PM'ing you soon with other questions!

 

[BimmerMan]

Thanks Bimmerman!

Very informative! I will only be able to check this over the weekend but I will most certainly report back with my findings!

So we are the only people with taste on this forum? Hmm (KIDDING!!!)

The e38's are awesome cars and i should have bought one years ago! I went from a e39 523 and I have to say that I am very impressed with my new baby!

I have a lot of work planned for it and I will keep you guys up to speed with pics (there are a lot of tiny cosmetic issues with the car)

Thanks again for the help... I might be PM'ing you soon with other questions!

Sure man...I try to help where I can
I have put a lot of DIY procedures up on the 7 Series side of the board. May help you with a few things if you already have problems...
Drop me a PM or a post if you have any questions...someone will let me know if I miss the thread

I went from a 525I to the 740I and I have to say, what a difference! Totally different machine. In some ways its better than the 525I and in some ways its worse...but that is just my opinion :thumbsup:

At the moment, mine is a love hate relationship and is turning into a bit of a money pit lately...but I still love her and that is why I keep on paying for it to be repaired!

Can I ask what mielage you have on yours? Mine is sitting at 171500KM...

 

[rudutoit]

Wow that is freaky!

Mine is sitting at 175000 and still going like a dream! I have had some issues with the gearbox but now that its sorted the car is 100% mechanical! (I HOPE!!!)

I've always wanted one since that James Bond Movie and I love owning it... It's a bit like driving your dream car but without the excessive payments!!

 

[Nooka]

WOOHOO and we have another 7..... fantastic :thumbsup:

 

[rudutoit]

Just an update for you guys:

The fuse was blown, so I replaced it and heard the motor going bonkers without any boot lifting action...

I then put fluid in as per the instructions provided by Mr. Bimmer

When I tested it, it worked fine up to halfway, then it started spewing hydraulic fluid everywhere from the ram...

I got a quote from BMW for a new ram but at R6500 without installation this does not seem like an option! I have a buddy that owns a earthmoving company and his hydraulic guys are apparently the best... So I am taking my ram to them tomorrow to see if they can hook me up with new seals!

fft: take that dealers!

 

[calypso]

Sounds fixable, good luck.