[uucdigest] Tuesday, January 18 2000 Volume 03 : Number 053 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | For all available Digest commands including unsubscribe/subscribe, | visit the BMW UUC Digest page: http://www.uucdigest.com | Send SUBMISSIONS to [EMAIL PROTECTED] | Complaints? Send 'em to [EMAIL PROTECTED] if you must. | Visit http://www.bubbaclub.com | www.bimmers.com - "serving enthusiasts on the 'net" | Visit http://www.bimmer.org - ultimate BMW bulletin boards! | Subscribe to the Zionsville Autosport Parts Digest: | http://www.zionsvilleautosport.com/majordomo.htm ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ In this BMW UUC Digest: Re: [uuc] Torque on wheel lugs [uuc] Hint: Knowing when your oil is up to temp without a temp gauge Re: [uuc] re: Photo radar [uuc] E34 Auto tranny questions/problems.. [uuc] Re: [E36M3] Hint: Knowing when your oil is up to temp without a temp gauge RE: [uuc] E28 Automatic Transmissions [uuc] Re: Torque on wheel lugs [uuc] Re: <MISC> pull over for emergency vehicles? yah. [uuc] Re: If you're being serious (and even if you aren't)... [uuc] FS: tires - 2 17" and 2 15" [uuc] Xenon Light purchase? [uuc] Silver State Classic (?) [uuc] HK Stereo in '95 M3? [uuc] <E28> Purchase/Maintenance Observations, Part 1 of 3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 22:09:15 -0600 From: "Christian Els" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Torque on wheel lugs Back it off a bit (quarter-turn or so) then tighten it back down to spec. If you attempt to torque it whilst it is still tight, you get an inaccurate clamping spec due to residual stress in the fastener. Cheers, tiAn '94 325i '93 BSME, hasn't been used since...sigh - ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Now the question arises, do you simply put on that wrench and give it a pull > till it clicks, or do you back the lug bolt off a little with a wrench then > re-torque it? ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 20:29:12 -0800 (PST) From: Chester Wong <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Hint: Knowing when your oil is up to temp without a temp gauge Well, for those of you who have held out thus far from buying a VDO gauge kit and installing an oil temp sender, I have a tip for you based on my observations. To recap, we all know that the water temp gauge on the dash is not an indicator as to when the oil is up to proper operating temp. So the outside temp has gone way down....and what I've noticed when the oil temp needle barely hits my minimum temp mark (120 degrees farenheit), that's when some sort of heat comes out of the vents (meaning that you actually turned the vents on because what's the use of blowing cold air?) =) FWIW...YMMV, etc... just thought some might appreciate that. When you get a really nice hot air coming out, temp should be fine. HTH, Chester ===== __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 23:39:31 -0500 From: "Rob Levinson - UUC Motorwerks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] re: Photo radar Hell, if they actually use flash then defeating it is EASY. Flash "slaves" used in photography can be installed to "return fire" instantly and overexpose the plate or the entire image. Sounds like a UUC product I need to engineer! - - Rob - ----- Original Message ----- From: Michael J. Greto <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] re: Photo radar > They are starting to talk about these devices in Florida for speed and red > light enforcement. I don't know if it will pass muster as the Florida > Constitution is much stronger in protecting rights than the U.S. Const. > Anyone have any experience with those coatings that supposedly overexpose > your plate to the flash of the camera?? Sounds good in theory, but > everything works in theory. > Michael Greto ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 22:53:55 -0600 From: "Dave Lacki" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] E34 Auto tranny questions/problems.. Hello, Well Ive been reading and hearing for a while now about the demise of the automatic transmissions in the E34 cars. I have a 90 535 and was wondering if some of you can tell me what im in for. I have 115k on the car and the transmission seems to be working fine. Ive never owned a car where the transmission went out so the only symptom I would recognize is if the thing just quit moving or I left a trail of parts along the road. Im the second owner and as far as I can tell from the records the car has been well taken care of. I look at the transmission fluid often and it looks nice and red. No leaks or other signs of trouble. Is there anything I can do to prolong the life? When it does go what are my options? Is there anything I can do now to see if its on its last leg? How long do I have? Thanks in advance for the info...even though I probably dont want to hear the answers. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 20:54:04 -0800 (PST) From: Chester Wong <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Re: [E36M3] Hint: Knowing when your oil is up to temp without a temp gauge Yup. The water gauge, even during the middle of winter, goes to it's upright position within a few blocks of normal driving. Chester - --- driver8 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > hey, thanks chester....that's pretty valuable info for us gaugeless types. > at that point (warm air), your water temp gauge has already been at the mid > point for some time right?? ===== __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 00:00:19 -0500 From: Phil Marx <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] E28 Automatic Transmissions Don Eilenberger wrote: > >At 05:50 PM 1/17/00 -0500, Dave Lehmann wrote: >>I was very lucky. I bought a 1986 528e new...put 240k on it and the only >>transmission problem was a broken shifter cable at 148k. This is one of my >>2 good luck stories, and this one is true. >Dave - good to hear. I think the problem was less with the 528e >due to less power, less RPM's - and I think the 'e' never got the E >variant of the trans.. I suppose the original question was about longevity. My wife has an '86 535iA with over 226,000 miles on it. It has been in the area since new and I have all the service records. Quite early on it was worked on for poor shifting behavior and TWO new trannies were installed under warranty. Problem seemed to never have been cured until a new transmission harness was installed around 50K. We have never had a problem with this transmission and have only serviced it infrequently, the last time being 200k and it had been done about every 60k prior. Still shifts fine; nice and crisp, expecially in "sport" mode. Sure, I'd rather it was a manual but I'd have probably had to do a clutch by now (those nasty stiff 535i pressure plates) and would have given up all the fantastic fuel economy that the auto gets over the 5sp (had a 535is 5speed). Running 85mph turning something near (under?) 3k rpm is a hoot, too. This car is a workhorse and family truckster. We'll miss her when she goes. - -Phil ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 23:58:37 -0500 From: Filippo Morelli <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Re: Torque on wheel lugs At 11:18 PM 1/17/00 -0500, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >I have had a going conversation with some buddies and we are not in agreement >as to how to properly torque and re-torque wheel lug bolt/nuts. Our BMW >chapter suggests that you check your wheel lug bolts for proper torque before >you go back out on the track during driving schools. Now I don't have a >problem with that policy but the procedure is in question. Everyone agrees >to wait till the wheels cool down. >Now the question arises, do you simply put on that wrench and give it a pull >till it clicks, or do you back the lug bolt off a little with a wrench then >re-torque it? Between sessions?! Seems a bit paranoid (someone is going to jump on me, I can see it). Frankly, if you've torqued your wheels properly, there is no reason the lugs should be backing off the wheels. Along those lines, you could re-torque your control arms, brake calipers, jack your car up and check those ball joints for play, not to mention wheel bearing play. Did I mention checking the brake rotors for excessive fissures from heat cycling? You can only be so paranoid -- if you torqued the wheels properly, in my humble opinion, you should be just fine. The torque to remove the fastener is not necessarily the torque at which you set the fastener. I believe the torque to loosen a fastener is typically called "break away torque". If you want to know that your lug nuts are at, say, 82 ft. lbs, the way to do that is to loosen them at set to 82 ft lbs. Then, of course, there is the "cheap" torque wrench variance of measurement but I'm afraid of digressing in to a topic that's been abused on this List and every public car mailing list I've ever read. Hope this helps, Filippo ///M ///M ///M ///M ///M ///M ///M www.bimmers.com = = ( ) ( ) = = "Supporting enthusiasts on the Internet!" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 00:02:55 -0500 From: UUC Admin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Re: <MISC> pull over for emergency vehicles? yah. As an ex- NY'er I can vouch for this. Chase the cop or ambulance, you might get there 1.2 seconds faster, which in NY is an eternity. Mike (Who likes it in the south, but misses the rotten apple on occasion.) At Monday 07:24 PM 1/17/2000, you wrote: >Here in the New York City area (especially in >Manhattan), the general technique is to get out of the >Emergency Vehicle's path, but keep yourself in a good >position to be the first one *behind* it as it goes >by. Kinda like the Red Sea parting on Third Avenue ;-) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 00:28:08 -0500 From: UUC Admin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Re: If you're being serious (and even if you aren't)... At Monday 08:47 PM 1/17/2000, you wrote: >If you're being serious (and even if you aren't)... > >Safety has nothing to do with speed and vice-versa. Determining factors in >safety are the conditions and driver's GOOD judgement and skill. Speed limits >are draconian, 85% of people ignore them and drive the speed they feel is >safe. I believe the USDOT did a study on this some years ago and found that the slow driver was the cause of more accidents than the fast one. Please note that *I* have never seen this report, and only heard about it third hand... The (*&$# USDOT server search engine isn't working right now, so I can't do a search for it. If anyone finds this information, please post it. >When laws fail to serve the constituency's best interest, they cease to be >laws and become strictly revenue-generating devices. I agree to this, regardless... I was once pulled over, out of a crowd of cars (20-30 vehicles) for doing 75 in a 55 zone on Interstate 285 here in Atlanta on a sunny afternoon. (This may have been due to the fact I was driving a black Toyota Supra, which looks like it is speeding while parked) The State Patrol officer came up to the window, and started the "safety speech". This ticked me off to no end, and it is the one time in my life where I've broken my "be exceedingly polite and do what the cop says rule". To keep a long story short, the few lines that stand out in the conversation were: Me: "Officer, answer me this one question. Vehicles traveling in the same direction, at the same speed, will not hit each other, correct? Cop: "Err.. Yea, I guess that 's true... " Me: "So this isn't about safety is it?" Cop looks up for a second, then says: "Go on then, but slow it down a little..." I'll NEVER do that again, I was lucky he was in a good mood or feeling honest... Mike ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 00:42:51 -0500 From: Ken W <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] FS: tires - 2 17" and 2 15" I have the following for sale: 2 Toyo Proxes T1+ 235/40-17. These came off the front of my E30 M3 when I replaced all four since the rears were shot. It looks like there is at least half tread left, and they are evenly worn. $150. 2 Yokohama AVS A1-55i 205/55-15. These came off two of the stock rims of my E30 M3. One is from the front and the other from the rear. One looks brand new, and the other has a lot of tread left. I have never heard of these tires, so make me a reasonable offer. If it helps at all, in little letter on the sidewall is written something like "Yokohama Motorsport Racing Program". The tread looks a lot like the AVS Intermediates. I live in the Boston area and would prefer to deal locally so I don't have to ship them. Thanks. - -Ken '91 M3 '86 GTI - -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] AIM: ScopusFest ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 22:28:00 -0800 (PST) From: James <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Xenon Light purchase? What happened to all the group purchase deals? As much as I hate some of the immature people at bimmer.org, they seem to pull a lot of great group purchases. I think right now, they are running a group purchase deal for Hamann PG2 18x8.5 rims for $310, which is an excellent deal. Anyhow, I'm curious if anyone would be interested in getting everyone together for a Xenon group purchase. Last I checked, Turnermotorsport has them for $719. I'm sure if someone could get it down to $400 or even lower, there would be a flock of people interested. Now, not that I'm lazy (actually, I am). I just don't have a good e-mail and people coordination that others have. So how about it? Someone want to pull a Xenon group purchase? Who here lives around Turnermotorsport? James ps. with the amount of people on uuc digest and bmw digest, I'm sure we could get a lot of people. Not to mention if we advertise this on bimmer.org. pss. Before you laugh your socks off on the $400 for the light, I just want to mention that I have no clue if thats possible or not. I'm not even sure how much Turner's cost is. pss. Last thing. Does anyone know how much markup is on rims? Seems like there is a big mark up or else they wouldn't be able to sell it for that cheap. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 22:29:52 -0800 From: Donna Seeley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Silver State Classic (?) I think that's the name of the bracket race in Nevada. Does anyone know where & when it's held and how to sign up? Donna ------- 88 M3, new track car. 95 330isA, retired track car http://www.infoasis.com/people/dseeley/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 22:30:36 -0800 (PST) From: Juan Carlos Bruce-Novoa <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] HK Stereo in '95 M3? Hi all, I was wondering if anyone knows if it is possible to retro fit a '95 M3 (production 9/94) with a Harmon Kardon Stereo system from a later M3? What is entailed in doing this? Is the wiring significantly different etc.? Thanks, Juan Bruce BMW CCA GGC '95 M3 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 22:32:21 -0700 From: Pearson-Franks Family <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] <E28> Purchase/Maintenance Observations, Part 1 of 3 Fellow Digesters: It has been a while since I have shared this, and I have been updating as experiences dictate, soooo The following notes are a collection of observations and experiences with my fav Bimmers: older 5ers. My observations are just that, not necessarily the Truth (capital 'T'), but _my_ experiences and judgements, leavened with mucho experience from other Digesters. My thanks to Mssrs Anderson, Boylan, D'G, Eilenberger, Levinson, Lin, Lyle, Stock, Tangen. I randomly include wildly personal prices, for ballpark info and potential purchase price negotiation. I look at them from the point of view of the DIYer, parts plus shop time (if required). Comments, corrections, additions all welcome. With any luck at all, this will be useful to others who enjoy these cars as much as I do! I grouped the the classic E28 look-for's: 1) Head, cam & engine 2) Cooling system 3) Oil (& oil leaks!) 4) Other engine compartment stuff 5) Tranny and clutch 6) Driveline 7) Suspension, steering and brakes 8) Interior, Electrical 9) General (catch-all) 1) Head Gasket and other Engine Notes: - Top end work a frequent 100,000ish requirement. $1500+ for parts (do all belts and hoses, too!) and shop time. - Compression or leak-down test very informative, look for 160+ on all cylinders, +/- 5 OK, +/- 10 marginal. If you want details on my many recorded numbers, or a rap on the leakdown test, drop me a note. - If you pull the valve cover (which I would recommend) check that the two 12mm head 'banjo bolts' that secure the oil bar to the head are snug. If these are loose this is _bad_. There is a new variety with a thread-locking feature, distinguished by a circle on the top; pn 07 11 9 917 511. Ought to replace both crush washers as well, pn 11 42 1 252 343 (you will need 4 - duh! <g>). - Check the cam rubbing surfaces: the peaks of the cam lobes should have no discernable wear (using the patented fingernail technique) and the rubbing blocks on the underside of the rocker arms should all appear the same in profile. If the banjo bolts were loose, TAKE YOUR TIME doing this part! If replacing the cam, add $300 to head job. - Easy things to look for in this department: coolant. If someone is concealing a known head gasket problem, the coolant may be clear and/or rusty, meaning they consume a lot, and have been just adding water, or the coolant may be suspiciously clean, meaning added to all the time. - Spark plug condition. In addition to the normal interpretation found in every Haynes manual (the color picture page), look for differences in plug color. Cylinders leaking coolant will have _very_ clean plugs. Pressure washed, if you will. - If you are pulling the plugs, run a thread-chaser - just like a tap only it is driven with your spark plug wrench. This will clean the carbon, etc. out of the threads; making it oh-so-much easier to run in the new plugs. You _are_ using anti-seize on the plug threads, aren't you?!? - Coolant burners (cracked head or bad head gasket) will put out reams of white smoke (actually steam) when they are first warming up. Smells kinda sweet, not unlike coolant. - Coolant system pressure and leak-down useful, but not definitive for head leak problems. Cracks, or high porousity areas may not show up with a static pressure test. - If you are looking at an 'e' motor and do not have conclusive proof that the timing belt has been replaced in the last 5 years or 50,000 miles, just do it. Better than bent valves, etc.! - The ECU cares a lot about what temp the coolant is. Or, thinks it is. If the sensor or wiring to it is bad, the ECU thinks it is 0 degrees F or something, makes the mixture rich as heck, which causes black smoke in the exhaust, bucking, hard starting and then no start. If you are in the no-start mode, pull a plug and see if it isn't soaked with gas. If so, drop in a new set and it will start right up, but run rough, prolly with aforesaid black smoke. Check the sensor, a single-wire white thingie in the thermostat housing. The crimp on the terminal itself dies, the wire can be broken inside the insulation (tricky!), but you can test for that by pulling on the terminal. The sensor itself measures something like 1-2K ohms at room temp. - I happen to believe in retorqueing the head bolts on occasion. Beliefs and experiences vary here. If interesting in pursuing, drop me a line. 2) Cooling System - It's my experience that radiators are a 8 - 10 year consumeable. The E12's have brass cores and tanks and can be rodded out. The E28's have aluminum cores with plastic tanks clipped to them with one-time-use crimps. And, the plastic ages badly, leading to broken hose connections, etc. Not worth repairing IMHO, but some Digesters have had good luck with Reseda Radiator. - Normal water pump inspection: check the water pump by rocking the fan, both in line and 90 degrees from the pressure of the belts. Play should be small, and the same in each direction. $45 part, add $200 for all belts and hoses. - When replacing the water pump, replace all the 6mm (10mm head) cap screws. _And_, run a 6mm tap into each hole. This can save mucho grief with holes filled with gunk, that cause the cap screw to bottom out and either leak or shear off :(. - From underneath with a light, find the 'weep-hole' just aft of the fan clutch mount. Should have no 'tear-tracks' left from a bad bearing seal. - Belts and hoses should be uncracked and not bulgy, respectively. - Temp guage should run at 10:30 to 12 o'clock under any and all conditions. After a test drive, leave it idling for 15 minutes or so and see what it goes up to and settles at. Anything over 12 o'clock means maintenance coming up. Radiator likely, typical consumable. $240 part. - If suspicious of guage/sensor inaccuracy, wrap your hand around the upper radiator hose: if you can squeeze it for an indefinite amount of time, <50 C, not warmed up yet. Hold several seconds, 70 - 90 C, OK. Can't hold 1 second, >90 C, which means trouble. Or, use a candy thermometer. Find one of the depressions in the thermostat housing, fill with a bit of water (to conduct heat) and stick the thermometer in it. It will read within a degree or two of a good thermostat spec. - Check fan clutch. Should not freewheel when spun, but have a certain resistance. Should give more resistance at temp, but this is hard to 'feel', in my experience. $30ish. - Heater control solenoid fails, resulting in erratic heat, or heat all the time. $25 for kit which replaces innards. The three thermistors that regulate temp also fail. Easy fixes, write for details. End-o-part-1. Larry F. - -- Pearson-Franks Family Issaquah, Washington ------------------------------ End of [uucdigest] V3 #53 ************************* _________________________________________ | Please visit these UUC-approved BMW parts vendors/service providers: | (listed alphabetically) | Bonneville Motorwerks . http://www.bonnevillemotorwerks.com | Circle Tire Co. 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