BMW Repair: BMW 528i - Fuel & FM Radio, rear windscreen, fuel fm

Question
Hi Tino,

Thanks for the advice, makes much more sense now, the cars have become more complex over the years so to bring it up to original performance I would need to touch all the points you mentioned.

You are spot on with ribbon antenna, it comes on every time I wipe the edges with the glass cleaner. So once again is there a way to identify where the damage to the ribbon antenna might have occured through visual inspection or any other method?

The reason I am asking again is because as I mentioned earlier that the ribbon is working fine for the defroster & even when I inspect it visually there are no clear breaks. The reason why I wan to locate & isolate the damage is so I can explore ways (perhaps painful) to try & repair or at least reconstruct it to some extent.

Thanks,

Janak.
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
Hi Tino,

This is a follow up on my earlier question & your response for my 1996 BMW 528i.

My car does 10 lt/ 100km on highway & 16 lt/100km in the city. I agree this is good for a 2.8 lt engine but is still way beyond what the manual specifies (7.4 lt/100 km highway & 11.8 lt/100 km city). The engine is in good condition despite the 137000 km (which isn't much for German cars). I have had German cars before & technically they always live up to their specs. Is there any other area I should investigate (O2 sensor, injectors etc)?

As for the FM radio coming on every time I wipe the inside of the rear windscreen with a glass cleaner is there a way to isolate the damage caused by removal of the aftermarket tinting? I ran the defroster & the coil is working fine (lines appear where there was frost). Would application of a glass protection chemical help to get the connection back wherever it has been damaged?

Thanks,

Janak.


-----Answer-----
Hello Janak,
Let me touch on the subject of FM first. The problem is not that the tint damaged the FM ribbon antenna. The damage
occurred during the installation of the tint(when the installer cut out the excess tinting material from the edges of the windshield and inadvertently cut also the ribbon antenna).
Regarding the mileage issue, I agree with you that your current mileage is lower than factory specs. But ten years
(which is the age of your car) can mean a lot. And personally, the factory figures are not always reliable since it all depends on a lot of factors (condition of car, driving habits, driving conditions, fuel used, etc.).
Technically, you have to compare apples to apples, and not used apples. But if you insist on bringing your vehicle to
specs based on MPG, then you have to bring it to tip-top condition. Compression should be improved, valves should be
re-set, all vacuum hoses replaced, reseal intake manifold,
replace all injectors/sparkplugs, replace idle air valve, 02 sensors and airflow meter, etc., etc. Pick your choice where you want to start.
In plain language, you have to rebuild your engine.
Have fun!
Tino

Answer
Hello Janak,
I am sorry but I can not recall which among the several ribbon antennas present in the rear windshield is for the the FM radio. But I guess you can isolate it by doing a trial and error selective wetting of the ribbon antennas at the window edges. I do not know if using a magnifying glass can help.
And once you have located the cut/gap, the problem remains as to how to repair it. Your choice of solution is as good as mine.
Tino