Noticed a slight leak on the ground at home and in the usual place where I park in work, which makes me think, it could be cracked turbo hose you suggested, but I will have the diagnostics checked for that EGR valve you also pointed out that could be at fault.  

The cars an '02 525d with manual gearbox.

Will come back with any findings, cheers!

flyingalexf68 wrote: Kin Mak wrote: Turbo lag? It's not an Impreza Kin. Turbos on diesels kick in around 1500rpm and are at full boost (peak torque) at around 1800.

Whatever mate, I don't drive tractors.

p.s. No offence... really.

Interesting post.... I've a manual 525TDS and there's nothing below 2,300rpm when the turbo spools up suddenly and spits you down the road - for another 1,500 rpm anyway! 

The car is pretty limp below that, to a point where it requires 1,800rpm and clutch slip to take off on an incline with any haste & to ensure it doesn't stall.

Car is smooth out throughout rev range, produces great economy (46mpg on long journeys measured from tank) etc and nothing from the running suggests there's anything wrong - except for above obviously.

Chatting to previous owner, he said that when he had lower end work done, there was a temp flywheel in, and garage adjusted fueling down via software and it ran as described. New flywheel went in, garage reset most stuff but never adjusted fueling up and owner just left it as it was until I bought it 50k later.

How feasible is this to do?? I didn't think fueling was that adjustable... or that doing so could keep the car runing smooth, refined, no spikes or flat spots etc.. just relatively dead until the turbo kicks in.

And before any smart lag comments Kin, it ain't lag!

Mine was the same as ye describe lads, the chipping did a lot for it but before hand there was just nothing at any rev range (with all of my 115bhp!)

Still the economy isnt missed and im on the look out for another one again.

This 525d is it any relation to the older 525tds? OR is a 5 cyl version of the 530d? Ive never actually seen one up close or under the bonnet..

P.s. how are you getting on with it Denis?

@ T.J, that is magnified even when it is chipped, i recall mine especially in 1st pulling away from a junction, if you let clutch out fully at say 1100rpm and floor it it would pause for a second, climb to 2200 slowly then whoosh... to around 4k ish..

@ Denis, hmmm 6 cyl, possibly a scaled down 530d so. Did you manage to do something about that timing chain..

Sure if you want a hand let me know ill be around,

Well it does feel torquey below the power band, i.e you can start in 2nd and all that but the peak power or at least the start of the peak curve comes on just above 2k rpm and then you feel the boost.

The 530d would be a much more sophisticated animal!

flyingalexf68 wrote: Pamela's mums Range Rover has the 2.5 BMW engine from the 525tds. It has all its power lower then 2300 as well. (not that it really has any power as it weighs 2.7 tonne empty)

I think you mean all the noise alex!

The 530d aint more sophisticated than a 525d but it should definitely have more grunt than mine. These 2 motors have the same engine model code. Only difference is obviously capacity and the resultant output in power and torque 163bhp for mine and 184bhp for the 530d, these are '02 figures of course. The latest models are well up again on this.

There's a definite problem alright with the pick-up in mine between 1 and 3 rpm, for since i've had the car, it hasn't lagged like this before.

Someone mentioned earlier, a 530d pinning you to your seat when accelarating, this thing used to do the same before this lagging problem. 

Interesting though, when I booked the car in with local BMW dealer today, (who has a GT1 diagnostics tester) and explained the problem, they asked if I had the replacement Mass Air-Flow Meter programmed in when fitted. Not realising this needed to be done, they pointed out that they would do this first before running the diagnostics test.

Incidentally, BMW diesel badging was first td, then tds and now 'd'. The latest 2.5'd' has an output of 177bhp and the 3.0d 231bhp.

In hindsight TJ, my previous 2.5TDS never gave any trouble after 208k when I changed for this one, a real bulletproof motor!   

flyingalexf68 wrote: Nice pic Ben. Looks like someone having a laugh. They've taped up the lights to make it more aerodynamic.

Ah Fe*k off! Thats a group A 350 bhp 242 being raced in oz in the early eighties... Wait til my T5 powered one is built ill take you for a scare in it!

@ jrafferty: 220k - nice!  I love seeing cars with big miles.

Mine drives like a 60k car too - a testament to the previous owner. Cheers Oisin!

Right, got car back from dealer today and got talking to technician. Denishogan and BMWCare you were very close, apparently it was a vacuum hose which had spilt and worked itself loose from the EGR valve, also there is a rod leading to the turbo which had seized.

So a new hose was fitted and the rod unseized. I also got a print-out from the GT1. There were unrelated faults which were dealt with and cleared. So the cars power is back to normal with the ability to pull tree stumps out of the ground!!! A good recommendation there boys! Thanks.

First off..its the fuel pump that needs a tuning I think!!it would give it that kick ye are looking for....

As before christmas on the old fuel pump in the engin bay,this was turned up to the last..great kick,but I still had difficulty starting and when cold it was a night mare stuttering down the road.the new pump was put in and the fueling also turned down and the kick was not the same..baverian Motors didnt want to turn up the new pump so early in its life,said it would do damage.

OH and..happy motoring TJ....those wheels look well...savage...........I miss my bemmer even more...

220miles on a 525tds.....love to hear that...love to know what been done to her