WooHoo - New Car - M5 E34 - And problem so PLEASE help!

My 1st Post, so Hello to all !! - Onto business.....please help my stranded M5!

This morning, felt like i'd won the lottery.....this evening, feel like i've spent the lot and got nothing to show for it........

Bought a "bargain" of an E34 with a few things that need sorting, one of which is an electrical gremlin that eats the car's battery I am told. The mile counter & window switches stay live (occas do go off), and the reason I mention this is because it possibly has something to do with my problem - The immobiliser. For love nor money the immobiliser won't disengage, it's a round touch too thing next to the foglight switch, which the previous owner says was BMW installed. Now coud it be the battery has lost it's voltage and therefore is playing up....? Sounds strange to me but a search on google does point to this problem. Also, for those in the know, there's a switch under the rear bench attached to the batt cover, again prev owner tells me it immobilizes the car, I assume just pressing it down will work fine?

Welcome to the world of M5 electrics ;)

As has been said, you need a good auto-electrician - and these cars have
miles of wiring, lots of locations for relays & fuses, and a good few spots
where wiring either becomes brittle or rubs.

What I at first thought was an immobiliser problem on mine, turned out to
be a sticking starter solenoid - we found that out after bypassing the
immobiliser and still not having it start.

mmm-five wrote: Welcome to the world of M5 electrics ;) As has been said, you need a good auto-electrician - and these cars have miles of wiring, lots of locations for relays & fuses, and a good few spots where wiring either becomes brittle or rubs. What I at first thought was an immobiliser problem on mine, turned out to be a sticking starter solenoid - we found that out after bypassing the immobiliser and still not having it start.

Thanks for the Welcome.....i've arrived already!!!
I don't think it's anything other than the immobilizer, as it'd be nice for that to disengage first, but I stand to be corrected.

Thanks for you help.

Recommending the recommender....If Paul recommended somebody he had used I would go with them without any hesitation

Good Luck and keep us posted,

Welcome to the wonderful world of E34 M5 ownership, we will have owned ours for 10 years at the end of Feb. 

Your electric window switches staying 'live' could be down to a door pin switch, as they go 'live' when a door is opened, so if there is a faulty switch, which is open all the time, the windows stay 'live' all the time.