The BMW UUC Digest Volume 2 : Issue 26 : "text" Format Messages in this Issue: Re: Lose spark plug chain of events E28 535I questions Re: E28 535I questions Re: E28 535I questions Re: <rant> autoextremist on BMW collision repair dallas Alternate Roundels Re: <e36 M3> TAB time Re: E36 Rear Shock Mount Replacement Re: The Bug is biting Painting OEM Wheels Re: Painting OEM Wheels Cone Filter Question <Misc> CD Changer - No power
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 22:59:35 -0600 From: "Sam Drake" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: Lose spark plug chain of events Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> You bet I'm on my way to a new distributor cap. As I monitor this situation I'm wondering about the explanation for the really thick carbon bulb encasing the electrode (the metal finger from the case over to the electrode actually). Is running the plug loose the explanation? The plugs have approximately 10K miles. What happens to injectors when a cylinder misfires due to faulty ignition? Has the injector been compromised? The car has approximately 200K miles. there is a injector recall completion sticker under the hood but I do not know how many miles these injectors have on them. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, February 13, 2004 1:05 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [UUC] Lose spark plug chain of events Search the ARCHIVES:http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sam, I had this same problem (same symptoms also) on a 320i many years ago and it turned out to be a cracked distributor cap. Worth a check even if it's new. -Kevin __________________________________________________________________________ In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of the BMW CCA. UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning and home of the Ultimate Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! 908-874-9092 . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 21:42:07 -0800 From: Avinash Heroor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: UUC Digest <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: E28 535I questions Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I have a few questions for the people who are e28 savvy. Car is a 1985 535i with a manual transmission has ~ 179K miles. 1. On very cold mornings, turning on the blower makes a screeching sort of noise. Leave it on for a few minutes and the noise stops but the blower continues to work. The noise appears to be coming from somewhere inside the center console. Any ideas on what this is? 2. Rear door on the left side doesn't centrally lock but does unlock. The wires going to the actuator have a butt splice and seem to be wired wrong (blue harness wire to white and vice-versa). PO mentioned that door was replaced after an accident. By itself, actuator appears to work. I'm going to try to reposition it slightly and see if that helps. Any other ideas? Thanks, Avi. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 22:18:20 +0700 From: "Sean Cordone" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Avinash Heroor" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "UUC Digest" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: E28 535I questions Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 1. On very cold mornings, turning on the blower makes a screeching sort > of noise. Leave it on for a few minutes and the noise stops but > the blower continues to work. The noise appears to be coming from > somewhere inside the center console. Any ideas on what this is? It's the blower itself. The bearings are wearing out. Greasing them might provide a very temporary fix, unless the bearings are so far gone that the fan vanes are contacting the shroud. If it only happens when it's very cold, you might make it through until it get warmer and put the repair off until next season, but the only real fix is replacing the blower. If the squealing is severe it might be close to seizing, which could leave you with no heat or window defroster. It's pretty easy to replace the blower in the e28 - it's behind a plate in the firewall in the engine compartment, so no interior disassembly is required. > 2. Rear door on the left side doesn't centrally lock but does unlock. > The wires going to the actuator have a butt splice and seem > to be wired wrong (blue harness wire to white and vice-versa). PO > mentioned that door was replaced after an accident. By itself, actuator > appears to work. I'm going to try to reposition it slightly and see if > that helps. Any other ideas? Sounds like a wiring problem there bud. Get the Bentley's or the ETM and make sure you've got it right. -- _____________________________________________________________ Web-based SMS services available at http://www.operamail.com. >From your mailbox to local or overseas cell phones. Powered by Outblaze ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 21:51:53 -0500 From: "GA Carnut" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: E28 535I questions Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> My e28 was doing that. I ignored it for a while, now every time I run it it smells like it's burning up. Be careful that it doesn't happen to you. Time to see if the bearings can be regreased. Or replaced. I don't know if it can be taken out w/o fooling with the A/C unit. Every time I set about to fix it, we get a warm spell here in Georgia and instead of running the heat I'm running w/ the windows and sunroof open. :-) Anybody know of a page to regrease the heater blower bearings? I haven't look in the Bentley yet. Chip Chip Mautz '65 Austin Healey Sprite '88 BMW 528e '03 Chevy Suburban I didn't grow up - my toys just got more expensive. Your mileage may vary. My odometer broke years ago... _________________________________________________________________ Check out the great features of the new MSN 9 Dial-up, with the MSN Dial-up Accelerator. http://click.atdmt.com/AVE/go/onm00200361ave/direct/01/ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 15:08:12 -0000 From: "Andrew Thomas" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: <rant> autoextremist on BMW Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Lee <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> remarks: "You're right Rich, I really dig the E39M5 for a daily driver. Maybe some day. As for the E46M3, it's just expensive fodder for Z06's. I still say they should've dropped the ALMS-based V8 in that, especially with it's somewhat portly 3500lb weight." Well, at least "autoextremist" is aptly named. By definition, it would have been an instant death knell if they'd come up with any kind of balanced comment. Somehow I don't think BMW had the Z06 in its sights when it put the M3 together - both cars have four roadwheels and lots of power, but little else in common. "Entry-level" Porsches and AMG-powered Mercs were probably the target. I think BMW should have made the CSL the regular M3. It would only have been slightly more expensive - the ~?30k premium is mostly speculative profit, and not much of a reflection on what it cost to make. Andy T ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 09:13:09 -0600 From: "Rich Jenkins" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Bmw uucdigest" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: collision repair dallas Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hi; Can anyone recommend a body shop in the Dallas area? I was victim of our only snow storm of the year and a truck bumper that didn't come close to touching mine! My car has over 100k miles and I'm hoping to keep this one off of insurance and use a shop that will find used parts (esp. hood.) The dealer's body shop held my car hostage for a month last time so looking for another option. Thanks in advance! Rich 97 740i ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 10:25:12 -0600 From: "Christian Els" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "UUC Digest \(E-mail\)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Alternate Roundels Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I've lost three new trunk badges in less than a year, all having the blue and white delaminate from the backing and leaving my car with just a shiny chrome disc (bling!) on the trunk or hood. I am looking for a more permanent replacement like the older enamel badges, or alternately there was a nifty 'Motorsport' badge that BavAuto used to sell. I think the BavAuto part came from the Beemer side, it had a white background and an art deco/industrial sort of design in the Motorsport colors. Anybody know where I can find either of these pieces to fit an E30? I guess I could just get one of the No Fear or AC Schnitzer roundels out on eBay but... Cheers, Christian Els Columbia, MO ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 10:55:03 -0500 From: Neil Maller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: <e36 M3> TAB time Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> on 2/13/04 4:27 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Sean, > I would NOT put them on a street car. At least not the GC ones. > For one simple reason that they squeak incessantly. Every time the trailing > arm moves. Which is to say all the time. > Liberal lubrication helps partially for a week at a time. > Amazingly annoying. Curious. I installed the GC TAB shims shortly after they first became available, and they've never squeaked, at least not that I notice. I've never lubed them either. Neil 96 M3 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 10:54:39 -0500 From: Neil Maller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: E36 Rear Shock Mount Replacement Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> on 2/13/04 4:27 PM, Brian Daley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > It's time to replace the shocks and struts on my 94 325ic. At 106,000 miles > I'm sure the rear shock mounts are also in need of replacement. My question > is this: The UUC tech tips recommends using the E46 RSMs which are priced > around $18 each. I stumbled across this alternative at Bimmerworld: > http://tinyurl.com/2twol > Just wondering if anyone has tried these and has an opinion on whether they're > better than the E46 mounts. This car is a convertible and will never see a > track, so I'm not interested in Turner or GC billet mounts, etc. No reason to > spend $100 for something I don't need for my purposes. I'm going to have to disagree with Alex F's response to you, in part because he has an M3 (as do I) and you don't. During track season I run a fairly extreme suspension setup (Koni DA coilovers with 450/500 lb springs), but in winter I refit the stock M3 suspension. So I have current and ongoing experience with both setups. With the track suspension I use the GC RSMs. These are very robust, great for aggressively suspended cars, but also quite stiff and transmit noticeable NVH into the car. With the stock/winter setup I use the E46 M3 RSMs, which while considerably more durable than the E36 equivalent, also have decent compliance in the rubber. In my opinion, in a stock E36, they're likely to last the remaining life of your car. Furthermore the E36 cabrio isn't the most rigid chassis in the world (which is why the M3 version was so disappointing), so you really do want to cushion the suspension as much as possible. > On that note, how about the Z3 reinforcement plates? Any reason to put them > on a street car? Yes. Cheap, easy while you're replacing the RSMs. There's also an available reinforcing plate for the front from the 96+ M3 if you want, also cheap. > Are the front strut mounts likely to need replacement? Possible but not likely. > How can I evaluate their condition? Check for play or rough turning while they're off the car. > Should I replace the spring pads? Might as well while the struts are disassembled. > Should I use new fasteners? Bentley has some specifics on this. The front strut hat and RSM bolts are captive to the part, use new lock nuts. Neil 96 M3 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 10:32:23 -0800 From: "Bora Akyol (BMW)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Andre Yew <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: The Bug is biting Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I love it when people that have not driven an Evo or an Sti comment on the cars handling, brakes, etc. The brakes on the Evo are about the same size front/rear as a 996 Porsche and larger than the venerable 928S4/GT cars which are much heavier. The pads leave something to be desired, but that is a quick 5 min/side change and I have a set of Carbotech Bobcats waiting to go in. You can get aftermarket rotors for less money than what the dealer charges. Just as a comparison, I used to go through a set of BMW rotors on my E30 M3 race car every 3-4 weekends. I switched to Brembo racing brakes in the front, and guess what, they absorb heat so well and the discs are so thick that they literally show no wear after one Laguna and one Sears Point race weekend. Big brakes work, if I still had a BMW M street car, I would not hesitate to give Rob a call to get some decent brakes on it. Bora 03 Evo 89 M3 Both homologation cars :-) On 2/10/04 15:22, "Andre Yew" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On Mon, 9 Feb 2004, Bora Akyol (BMW) wrote: >> Evo VIII if you can live with the wing and punk kids wanting to race you at >> every stop light. I got one in Rally Red and it is nice. The brembo brakes >> work well and the power is enough and revs to 7800 rpms. > > Bora, > > Many cars today (even the Acura TL!) are coming with these Brembo > multi-piston racing-style big brake kits, which appear to me to be mostly > for show --- the TL has tiny little, non-vented discs for the rear which > seems incongruous to its front Brembos. I wonder what car owners will > think of the big bills they'll get when it's time to change rotors --- a > friend with a Nissan 350Z Track model, which has the Brembo BBK stock, was > quoted about $400 for one rotor. Are these rotors always this expensive? > Are there any places that sell them at a discount? > > ObBMW: I love the fact that the total parts cost for a 4-wheel brake job > on my E46 3 is well under $300. It won't stop as well the 5th or 6th time > from 100 MPH as some of those Brembo BBKs, but some ducting ought to cure > that, and I'm not sure how many TL owners are hauling their cars down from > 100 MPH repeatedly. > > --Andre > > __________________________________________________________________________ > In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of the BMW CCA. > > UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning and home of the Ultimate > Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! > 908-874-9092 . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 16:31:57 -0500 From: "David A. Leonard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Painting OEM Wheels Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I was looking at my black, lowered E30 the other day, and I decided I might paint my OEM Bottlecap wheels black too. the surface is in great shape, the wheels aren't very old. I was thinking of just masking the rim where the wheel weights go, and the first 1/2 of smooth rim, then painting the rest. I think the wheels are painted from the factory, so my thoughts are just to clean and then scuff them with a Scotchbrite pad. I don't see any need to remove the perfect old finish, as I assume it is a factory Urethane, and should make for a good base. Has anyone tried this? Dave Leonard 91 e30 ragtop ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 18:02:34 -0500 From: Ed MacVaugh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Painting OEM Wheels Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Factory is an epoxy finish. Lots of folks have done this or similar. Ed David A. Leonard wrote: > Search the > ARCHIVES:http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > I was looking at my black, lowered E30 the other day, and I decided I > might paint my OEM Bottlecap wheels black too. the surface is in > great shape, the wheels aren't very old. I was thinking of just > masking the rim where the wheel weights go, and the first 1/2 of > smooth rim, then painting the rest. I think the wheels are painted > from the factory, so my thoughts are just to clean and then scuff them > with a Scotchbrite pad. I don't see any need to remove the perfect > old finish, as I assume it is a factory Urethane, and should make for > a good base. > > Has anyone tried this? > > Dave Leonard > 91 e30 ragtop > > > __________________________________________________________________________ > > In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of the BMW CCA. > > UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning and home of the Ultimate > Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! > 908-874-9092 . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com > ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 17:54:58 -0500 From: "Nancy Fluharty" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "BMW Digest" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Cone Filter Question Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Where can I buy a reducer, as shown behind the cone in this picture: http://www.hmsmotorsport.com/eimg/4/69/E30.v8.03.jpg If it's 80mm-to-70mm, and I think it is, then it's what I need to make my intake work. Who sells? Bob Fluharty 95 M3 87 325is/3.0 Cincinnati ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 18:43:40 -0500 From: "Andy Messer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: <Misc> CD Changer - No power Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Marc sez: I can trace power past the fuse and into the connector to the board inside the changer, but the unit does not power up. Any obvious ideas before I pitch changer #2 in the trash? Not sure how the BMW changer works, but my aftermarket changer needs a signal wire, similar to a power antenna output to know when to turn on. I'd look for that and see if it has 12V when the CD changer function is activated. Andy ------------------------------ End of [bmwuucdigest] digest(14 messages) **********
