[uucdigest] Thursday, January 27 2000 Volume 03 : Number 126 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | 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 ����������������������������������������� In this BMW UUC Digest: Re: [uuc] Bad accident, any help would be really appreciated [uuc] Bad accident Re: [uuc] Re: Merc manuals lurking (NoBMWC) [uuc] E28 - A couple of electrical questions... [uuc] Re: Audi (warning, not a lot of BMW content) [uuc] [UUC] <E36> Fog light bulb? RE: [uuc] Re: <E30> M3 <FS> on Ebay Re: [uuc] WasAudi ==>tell us about the M5 warts Re: [uuc] Center console/arm rest E30 Re: [uuc] Bad accident, any help would be really appreciated Re: [uuc] Bad accident, any help would be really appreciated Re: [uuc] 528E Should I? Re: [uuc] Bad accident, any help would be really appreciated Re: [uuc] ABS stopping distances ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 04:04:04 -0500 From: albert jenab <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Bad accident, any help would be really appreciated Sorry to hear about your accident. I may be wrong, but I don't think the front airbags should come on in a side impact. Since you apparently did not sustain any head or neck injuries, the fact that the side bags did not deploy means nothing in a lawsuit. In other words, the "failure" of the system did not harm you. It may be that the dynamics of the accident were such that the side bags should not have deployed anyway and the system was functioning correctly. If the guard rail came into the passenger compartment (through the door sheetmetal?) it could be that the lateral deceleration was not great enough to trigger the system. Now if you'd slid into a concrete wall hard at 50 MPH and they didn't come on, that's another story. The (assumed) fact that your head/neck are OK also would lead me to believe that the lateral g's weren't great enough to trigger it. The side bags are meant to protect you from a T-bone type of impact at speed, and those peak forces are huge. A guard rail piercing the side of the car may have smoothed out the force curve to where the peak g's were below the threshold. How fast were you going? Just guessing here. Glad you aren't hurt any worse. - -Al 95 M3 >At 08:20 PM 1/26/2000 -0500, you wrote: >>On monday, I'm guessing I hit a patch of black ice because I completely spun >>out and side-impacted the butt end of a guard rail by the side of the road >>and totalled the car. The guard rail went straight into the driver's side >>compartment...no one else was in the car. Luckily, the car behind me >stopped >>and the driver cut me out of the seatbelt; I was able to pull myself out and >>wait until the police came. I was rushed to the hospital with a fractured >>pelvic ring and just got back today. I am a very lucky person. Anyway, >none >>of my airbags (front or side) deployed, and I am a little pissed to say the >>least. I had taken the '98 E36 328 to get inspection I the week before, >>along with a request to fix the airbags since the airbag light had been on >>for the past few weeks. The service advisor said it was a problem with the >>passenger-side seat belt buckle sensor and that the airbags were >operational. >>What can I do? Would a lawsuit hold up in court? >>Thank you so much for your help and consideration. >>Theo ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 05:22:56 EST From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [uuc] Bad accident Thank you for your support and advice (especially Mr. Eilenberger, Mr. Derian, and Dean). You guys are great. Just to clear some things up...My SRS light had been on for about a month before the accident, but about a week before the accident i took the car in for service, and the dealer noted on paper that i mentioned there was a problem with the airbags since the light was on. I got the car back later that day, with the dealership claiming that the problem was the sensor in the seat belt buckle and that the problem had been rectified. I understand that the front airbags should not have deployed, but the point of impact was just forward of the midsection of the side of the car. If the nice man behind me hadn't cut me out, I would probably have suffocated since the seat was bent in half around me. I still don't know how i survived without any broken ribs. My father took pictures of the car at the auto body shop were it's being held until the dealership can tow it away; the side airbag panel is even open a bit at the top left, and yet they didn't deploy. As for driving with "due caution," I was driving around 35, the speed limit of the road. The road conditions were clear, no snow on the ground....I should have been more careful. I got a nice present from the police officer though. He gave me a ticket for reckless driving while I was still writhing in the ER about to get my morphine. Know any good injury lawyers in Northern NJ? Thanks again Theo ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 10:52:19 +0000 From: Dave Robins <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Re: Merc manuals lurking (NoBMWC) >Um... well, you can have a manual tranny if you *really really* want one... > >> but until they throw a manual transmission into a US version >> of their cars (one that improves performance - unlike the one >> in the SLK) they'll all be geezer-mobiles to me > >I'd honestly stick with the auto. I doubt there are any manual >transmissions that improve performance. Just try a hill-start in a manual MB with the foot-operated parking brake. You need three legs. Dave. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 10:54:22 -0000 From: James Rowson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] E28 - A couple of electrical questions... 1. My rear heated window has packed up. It used to work sometimes, I've replaced the switch, but nothing happens at all....any ideas? 2. How do I get a continuous feed from the battery for my cd head unit so I don't have to keep setting it up every time I switch the ignition on. It has a lead for this purpose, but I don't know where to get a 12v feed from the battery from.... Any help on these would be greatly appreciated... regards, > james rowson > integration > 01635 565218 > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 07:15:22 -0500 From: "Steve D'Gerolamo" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Re: Audi (warning, not a lot of BMW content) I'm only reporting what Guido and some of his German customers have said. This was posted back in October 99 to the E36 list as many folks were getting nervous (at that time) about the new Audi competing with their M3's (ok, 330's and 332's). It was intended to calm these people and let them know that they had a pretty good car that would stand up to the new S4 at the track and under normal driving conditions (forget the snow). Of course I could pick apart the BMW's shortcomings also but many tuners and the aftermarket have already done so and have come out with new products to deal with these issues. I suspect there will be a strong aftermarket for these new Audis too.....Christian Abt is one of Guido's customers and he has made a name for himself in Europe as a fine Audi tuner. As to big brakes, you're right, their primary purpose in this country is to enhance braking at the track. BMW's brakes are more than adequate for the streets. I've convinced quite a few people to spend their $2000+ on drivers schools and leave their brakes alone. BMW's power is also more than adequate for what the factory intended. Why remove the top speed limiter when you'll never need to go there on our country's highways. The simple fact is car enthusiasts on these lists will continue to modify their cars, despite what logic says. There wasn't an "out of the box" BMW at the dyno session on Sunday....the last 2 cars to run were 99 M3's that already had the usual mods and the first car of the day was a 97 M3 with I suspect over $30k in mods. Again, the purpose was not to trash Audi's but to report a European enthusiast's perspective which is also different from ours. A French car magazine,reporting on BMW's new X5, said the brakes are inadequate, which is completely the opposite of what the magazines are saying here in the states. There's also been issues with the new M5 in Europe but I can see at this point, whatever I say is going to upset some folks. I'll keep these European comments to myself and only post from direct experience. I apologize to all Audi and Porsche owners who were offended. SD (PS-the last time I saw Don Salama was at Lime Rock in an A4...that's why I made the comment, kiddingly of course) ========================================= Steve D'Gerolamo - The Ultimate Garage 201-262-0412 / [EMAIL PROTECTED] / http://www.ultimategarage.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 07:53:13 -0500 From: "Colin S Whelan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] [UUC] <E36> Fog light bulb? Does anyone know if the fog light bulb is a standard 55W H3? Anyone know a Phillips number off the top of their head? One on the lights will only work if you tap on the lense, then it appears to work fine until you turn the fog lights off then on again. Then you have to use the same tapping procedure to get it to work. I figure the filament is broken and is making intermittent contact. Thanks! Colin '93 325is JC, Bilstein, M3-mfflrd, ram-air.... ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 08:25:06 -0500 From: "Cagann, Alexander" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] Re: <E30> M3 <FS> on Ebay > -the "///M 3" front grill badge is not in the correct > place... for $17+k I > would have to ask myself "self, why is that?" If it has a K40 built-in detector then the transmitter location may be the cause of the badge switch. This was how my M5 was when I got it. Alex Cagann ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 08:28:27 -0500 From: "Bill Matthews" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] WasAudi ==>tell us about the M5 warts Steve D'Gerolamo wrote: <Audi stuff snipped> > There's also been issues with the new M5 in Europe but I can see > at this point, whatever I say is going to upset some folks. I'll keep > these European comments to myself and only post from direct experience. Steve, As a new M5 owner I would appreciate a little heads up on what areas might be deficient so I know where to start the modification process. ;^) I am not so naive as to believe I have purchased a perfect car, there are too many compromises necessary in designing a car to ever make that possible. I have already heard and seen articles that the brakes could use some help when the car sees the track. And some talk of "excess" oil consumption. What other issues are floating up? Taken in the proper context it is all good information even if it isn't necessarily applicable to US (or even my specific) driving conditions. Bill Matthews Hockessin DE 00 M5 - Hibernating till the snow melts 3 V's 1 old and hibernating, 1 fast and posing as winter rally car, 1 hers with more ground clearance than the poser ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 07:32:20 -0600 From: Dog-n-Hog <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Center console/arm rest E30 David, Its either BMPDesign (www.bmpd.com) or BavAuto (www.bavauto.com) that sells an armrest that attaches to the driver's seat. It rotates up and out of the way when not in use. It is vinyl and comes in colors matching the OEM interior. I doubt it is listed on the website, but is I still believe in the catalog. I've had mine for about 10 years and works great. It does not change the console in any fashion. Norm David Topper wrote: > > Does anyone have any recommendations on an aftermarket > center console/arm rest for an 1989 325ia? I remember > seeing a few some years ago in a catalog. > > Thanks > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. > http://im.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 08:31:54 -0500 From: Chip Baines <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Bad accident, any help would be really appreciated Theo: You have our symathies for the accident you were in. I'm certainly glad you came out without any worse injuries. As for suing, I would second the idea of consulting an attorney, so that you know what your options are. However, based on your description, I'm not sure you have a case. Since the car took the impact on the passenger side, the front air bags would not have done anything to help. The side airbag on your door also may not have helped, since the force of the collision would have thrown you toward the passenger side, not your own door. So it's not clear that airbags would have prevented your injury. Also, I'm sure you're aware that you'll need to answer all sorts of questions designed to make you look at least partially culpable for your injuries - how fast were you going? Where you driving in a prudent manner given the conditions? Were you wearing your seat belt? Finally, you'll need an expert who can examine the car and testify that the service manger was wrong in his diagnosis, and that in fact there was something else wrong with the system. You'll also need an expert who can testify that if teh bags had deployed you would most likely not have sustained your injuries. Off hand, that sems like a long shot to me, but then I'm not a lawyer, so talk to one. Anyways, good luck, and let us know how it turns out. - -Chip '97 328iC '86 528e > On monday, I'm guessing I hit a patch of black ice because I completely spun > out and side-impacted the butt end of a guard rail by the side of the road > and totalled the car. The guard rail went straight into the driver's side > compartment...no one else was in the car. Luckily, the car behind me stopped > and the driver cut me out of the seatbelt; I was able to pull myself out and > wait until the police came. I was rushed to the hospital with a fractured > pelvic ring and just got back today. I am a very lucky person. Anyway, none > of my airbags (front or side) deployed, and I am a little pissed to say the > least. I had taken the '98 E36 328 to get inspection I the week before, > along with a request to fix the airbags since the airbag light had been on > for the past few weeks. The service advisor said it was a problem with the > passenger-side seat belt buckle sensor and that the airbags were operational. > > What can I do? Would a lawsuit hold up in court? > Thank you so much for your help and consideration. > Theo ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 07:29:11 -0600 (CST) From: "Kevin Jay (Mr.Fabulous)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Bad accident, any help would be really appreciated yikes - sounds pretty scary... glad you're ok but i find myself wondering what airbags would've done to help you in an accident like this (no slam to you intended, but i wonder about the real usefullness of airbags all the time) - - --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > On monday, I'm guessing I hit a patch of black ice because I completely spun > out and side-impacted the butt end of a guard rail by the side of the road > and totalled the car. The guard rail went straight into the driver's side > compartment...no one else was in the car. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 08:41:36 -0500 From: Chip Baines <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] 528E Should I? Yes, you can chip your car. I don't know whether JC has one for your year, but others do. I put a chip from Bavarian AutoSport in my '86 528e two years ago (before JC had one available). Results - at high RPM I sense there's a couple of extra squirrel power. Is it worth it? Probably not - keep in mind this car is geared for low RPMs, so what's the point? How often do you really want to be doing 50 MPH in 2nd gear? And with an auto trans you really won't be able to take advantage of it anyways. The baby 6 eta engine is never going to be a screamer no matter what you do to it. However, with care it should last a good long time. Save your $$ for suspension or wheel and tire upgrades. You can also do a lot of fairly minor cosmetic improvements to make the car look a little more like new. - -Chip Baines '86 528e '97 328iC > Anyhoo, I'm getting this feeling that I'll be buying an automatic > (ducking for cover...) after everybodys advice. And tonight I talked > with the owner (lady) of an '83 528e auto. > HOWEVER, tell me what I can do to a > 528e to make it go faster, handle better, etc... (can it be chipped?) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 05:47:29 -0800 (PST) From: Matthew Yip <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Bad accident, any help would be really appreciated - --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > On monday, I'm guessing I hit a patch of black ice because I > completely spun > out and side-impacted the butt end of a guard rail by the side of > the road > and totalled the car. The guard rail went straight into the > driver's side > compartment...no one else was in the car. Luckily, the car behind > me stopped > and the driver cut me out of the seatbelt; I was able to pull > myself out and > wait until the police came. I was rushed to the hospital with a > fractured > pelvic ring and just got back today. I am a very lucky person. > Anyway, none > of my airbags (front or side) deployed, and I am a little pissed to > say the > least. I had taken the '98 E36 328 to get inspection I the week > before, > along with a request to fix the airbags since the airbag light had > been on > for the past few weeks. The service advisor said it was a problem > with the > passenger-side seat belt buckle sensor and that the airbags were > operational. > > What can I do? Would a lawsuit hold up in court? > Thank you so much for your help and consideration. > Theo > ===== Matthew Yip [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.geocities.com/mgyip/ '87 GTi 16v - x2 '88 M5 '99 F350 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 08:50:41 -0500 From: "Peter Sterne" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] ABS stopping distances Michiel van Wessem wrote: > Very clear. > > 1. If the tire is rolling, there is a static friction at the tire contact > patch and a dynamic friction at the brake pad surface. > > 2. If the wheel is locked, there is dynamic friction at the tire contact > patch and static friction at the brake pad surface. > > Ok, static friction > dynamic friction. > > But this still doesn't explain why rolling tires stop better. I think you > need to add that the dynamic friction of brakes is bigger then the dynamic > friction of the tires. Slipping brakes are able to have more friction then > skidding tires. > > Otherwise, I thought that threshold braking stops faster then ABS braking? > > Michiel Threshold braking, perfectly executed, will stop a car faster than ABS. However, how many people can perfectly execute threshold braking, every time, especially in a panic situation? There are certainly people on this list who can do it (I am not necessarily one of them), but I'm talking about the driving population at large. In addition, even the enthusiast who is threshold braking has less directional control (steering) than the soccer mom with ABS (on the other hand, the enthusiast will probably think about where to steer and look in that direction, the soccer mom will probably look at whatever she is trying to avoid and drive right into it without even trying to steer). Regards, Peter Sterne '93 325is '91 Miata SE ------------------------------ End of [uucdigest] V3 #126 ************************** _________________________________________ | 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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