[uucdigest] Sunday, April 9 2000 Volume 03 : Number 577 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | 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: [uuc] Park lights on, tranny downshifts. [uuc] Home made power bleeder. [uuc] <E28> A/C Question Re: [uuc] Attn. Engineers: Garage Exhaust Fan Re: [uuc] swaybar settings/carrying front wheel [uuc] Exploding Barke Rotors Re: [uuc] H*LP: E28 Failing NOX [uuc] Chicago Area Mechanic/Independent Shop Recommendations [uuc] 5 series wagon dual sunroofs RE: [uuc] 1984 533I Fuel pump problems. [uuc] Supercharger Boost Question Re: [uuc] Exploding Barke Rotors (WARNING: was really Imola results!) [uuc] My BABY !!!! [uuc] Two Tire Questions Re: [uuc] Two Tire Questions ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 03:41:09 -0500 From: "Randolph Peters" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Park lights on, tranny downshifts. Hi digesters For the past six months ago I have had this problem with my 87 535is auto: when the park lights are turned on the tranny shifts down to first. I received a whole lot of suggestions from the generous and great bunch of people who frequent this digest and other bimmer hangouts and I tried them all: partially rewiring the fuse box to relocate fuses 5 and 6, pulling the connector on the tranny, checking the mode (economy,etc.) switch near the shifter,etc. all to no avail. Lo and behold yesterday the tranny worked fine with the park lights on but with the number plate warning light on. On visual checking these were indeed off. (I had previously checked these, cleaned connections, etc.). I then disconnected the grey/white wire from the back of the light switch assembly and everything works fine albeit without said number plate lights. The questions to you electrical gurus out there are: 1. Is it easier to run another wire from the switch to wherever that grey/white wire at the switch goes than to cut into the harness, find the point of illegal contact and repair it? Cutting into the harness (and retaping after) seems a daunting prospect given the cramped space underdash. 2. Can anyone at least make this last task easier by tracing for me the path of the wire from the light switch to its final destination at the license plate lights? Once again thanks in advance for your help. Randy 87 535is 89 735i (To be divested as soon as da 5 is refurbished. Yep, Duane, switching to this upscale Crown Vic is like taking the first step in "going gently into the good night". At 55 I feel I still gotta "rage, rage".) ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 03:46:07 -0500 From: "Randolph Peters" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Home made power bleeder. Hi folks, Me again. A while back there were details posted about making a power brake bleeder using an Ace Hardware sprayer. I had saved it but unfortunately it remained on my old computer after an upgrade. Can anyone redirect me to the web page (if there is one)? TIA Randy 87 535is 89 735i ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 07:55:16 -0400 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [uuc] <E28> A/C Question Can anyone tell me why E-28s have a seperate a/c blower while same year 3 series don't?Any advantages or disadvantges to this system? Thanks... Keith 85 535i ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 08:16:29 EDT From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [uuc] Attn. Engineers: Garage Exhaust Fan Why re-invent the wheel? Just buy the pre-engineered kits that have that all figured out, must be a bunch of them available thru the aftermarket.... M Sipe BSME & common sense, too. << I have a catalog of a zillion different kinds of fans. Can anyone tell me what CFM of air delivery the fan should be rated at for a building of this size? I know, the more the better, but what is the minimum acceptable CFM rating? >> ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 09:24:49 EDT From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [uuc] swaybar settings/carrying front wheel In a message dated 4/9/00 4:38:20 AM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: << Logic seems to dictate that the closer I get to the bend in the bar the stiffer the setting and the end setting would be loose. Is that correct?>> Yes. <<If my car is raising one of the front wheels about 2 inches in certain turns at the track, would that have anything to do with the sway bar settings or is that indicative of another type of problem? >> The main reason for picking up the front wheel is because the rear springs are soft and these cars have twice the wheel travel in the rear as in the front. Most of the typical aftermarket spring kits seem to maintain the rear spring softness bias. The UUC Swaybarian kit attempts to address this by using a 26mm front swaybar instead of the more typical 27mm std. for this application, which only half-way addresses the situation. I personally believe that the real track solution is to run stiffer rear springs, even to the point of needing a softer rear swaybar, but the street ride will suffer some. It will help relieve the broken rear swaybar mount problem, though. In your case, set the both bars to full stiff and back off the front bar to balance. If you get to the softest front setting and it's still too loose (most likely won't be though), only then do you resort to softening the rear bar and start over at the front adjusting from full stiff back. However, that said, IMO people worry too much about his front wheel-carrying thing. Is the car balanced or not? If you don't think it's balanced, is it really car setup or driving style? I've gotten into BMW's the owner said had terminal understeer and the damn thing was so loose I could barely keep it under me. At a recent SCCA Pro Solo event on very high grip concrete, spectators told me that the only time my stock-chassis Z3 coupe had both front wheels on the ground was during braking, but I couldn't tell it from the driver's seat; the car was just balanced, hooked up, and flying. Watch the old videos of factory BMW drivers, not amateurs like me or you, but the names you read about at LeMans and such. This was before all the super high-tech Touring car suspension stuff. The cars had massive rear wheels and fender flairs, and would carry the inside front wheel all the way through long sweepers.....and win. In an ideal world carrying the front wheel is considered a flaw, but don't kid yourself into thinking that it's the reason you're not faster; a less than 10/10's driver isn't going to get 10/10's from the car. If most enthusiasts spent only 10% on bettering themselves as they do on their cars they'd be a hell of a lot faster in a factory stock vehicle than they are in their tricked-out, but under-driven, current ride. I see it all the time. Mark Sipe Mark Sipe ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 09:45:38 -0400 From: "rd444" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Exploding Barke Rotors So I lied! Imola results: 1. Schumacher 2. Hakkinen 3. Coulthald(sic) 4. Barichello 5.Villneveuve 6. Salo ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 10:28:42 -0400 From: "Gary Derian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] H*LP: E28 Failing NOX Low CO and high NOx usually means a lean mixture. It could be lean to the engine (fuel injection or air leak problem) , or lean to the catalyst (air leak in exhaust). The catalyst needs a reducing atmosphere to strip the oxygen from the nitrogen (NOx to N2) and use it to combine with CO (CO to CO2). If there is excess oxygen in the catalyst, the NOx to N2 conversion does not take place. Gary Derian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Hi, Guys, > > I hope someone can h*lp me with this one. I'm in Los Angeles, California, > probably the worst place to be with an older car on your hands. Our > pollution limits are stricter than the rest of the state. And let me tell > you -- it's not fun. > > The car (85 535i US 3.5L engine, US airbox, Euro computer, cat, 02 sensor) > emits twice as much Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) than it's supposed to. At the same > time it emits 0.0 volumes of Carbon Monoxide (CO). I know the two are > related but I don't understand how. This is where I was hoping someone on > the list with engineering background could come in. What would I need to do > in order to increase CO? > > I can list attempts of fixes, and test numbers upon request, for fear of > turning this e-mail into a book. > > Those of you who feel like h*lping me out, please respond privately. > > TIA, > Jan. > ______________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com > ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 11:41:53 -0400 From: "Dean Boucouras" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Chicago Area Mechanic/Independent Shop Recommendations A friend of mine is looking to buy a used Porsche or perhaps a BMW. I told him that he needs to find a good independent shop to perform a pre-purchase inspection and to service the car after he buys one. Does anyone have any recommendations or places to avoid? Feel free to email me privately at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks in advance, Dean ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 09:02:06 -0700 From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] 5 series wagon dual sunroofs My dual sunroofs are in need of some sort of lubricant to get rid of major squealing when operating. Any suggestions on safe lubricants and locations to place the lubricant (tracks, seals, etc.). TIA-- Kip Peterson ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 09 Apr 2000 12:40:43 -0400 From: Don Eilenberger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] 1984 533I Fuel pump problems. Robert the III'rd asks: Good troubleshooting BTW.. >The external fuel pump on my 1984 533I is making a "whining" noise. In an >effort to troubleshoot the problem I have done the following. >1. Crawled under the car at the passenger side rear end and confirmed >the source of the noise. >2. Disconnected the power supply to the external pump. >3. Opened the trunk. >4. Exposed the top of the "in tank" fuel pump. >5. Disconnected the fuel line on the outlet end of the "in tank" fuel >pump. >6. Cranked the engine and no fuel came out of the outlet line from the >"in tank" pump. This is interesting - ummm - just outta curiosity, the pump outlet line was directed to a large container someplace... or it could have been exciting if it WAS working.. >7. Checked the power supply to the "in tank" pump and it was okay. > >I surmised that the external pump is literally "whining" because it is >having to work a little harder because the "in tank" pump has failed or >the filtration system on the tank pump is clogged. Before I change out the >tank pump I wanted to ask our learned group if my logic and approach is /was >sound. Should I just replace both pumps? In-tank pump only. Usually the main pump will get noisy when the fuel level drops as the in-tank starts to go - but in a severe case (total in-tank failure) - it gives your symptoms. >Is there an acceptable amount of noise that is made by the external fuel >pump? Should I have expected to see fuel emerge from the "in tank" unit >when the engine was cranked? Yes. Yes. Acceptable noise is that of a pump running, which with REALLY good ears you might hear next to the car - but a buzzing means it's working really hard to pull fuel up out of the tank through a non-working in-tank pump. >Aside from the noise the car runs fine. I understand that the car can >function with just the main pump as the tank pumps serves to help prime the >line, prevent vapor lock etc. It pumps at a very low pressure. As >always, help and or wisdom on this matter is greatly appreciated > >Thanks > >Robert Smith III Dunno if it will apply here - but a lotta the in-tank pumps used in these systems (Volvo uses an identical sorta design) can be replaced by low cost AC-Delco in-tank pumps.. might require a bit of fabrication on the mounting bracket. BTDT on a Volvo many years ago. Volvo wanted $100 or so for the 'official' pump (also made by AC-Delco) - was $20 or so from car parts place (and no - I didn't keep the part number). Case of take old one out - go to friendly car parts place (small places, mom-pop ones where you've been going for years are best) - open parts book and start looking at the pictures. Don't be surprised to find an indentical one made for a Chebby or something :-) You want one with 3-4 PSI output pressure (which any of the small ones submersable will do..) HTH, Don Eilenberger, Spring Lk Hts, NJ JMP#1 [EMAIL PROTECTED] NJ Shore BMW Riders web page: http://www.monmouth.com/~deilenberger "You're absolutely right, and I apologize" --Darryl Richman "Silly me... I apologize." --Tim Hall "Sorry..." --Magwa "Sorry, no exceptions" --Roozbeh Chubak ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 09 Apr 2000 11:05:00 -0600 From: Mike Murrell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Supercharger Boost Question HI I have a newly installed Dinan Vortech supercharger on a 97 M3 to which I have added a VDO boost guage. Where is the best location to plumb in the tubing to read boost? I currently have it right off the intake manifold but this gives me erratic readings (a quick 2 psi of boost and then nothing). There are no obvious leaks so I am wondering about the monitoring location. Also, have people tried different size pullies on this system? I am at 7000 feet and I am wondering about the idea of a smaller pulley for more boost. Thanks. Mike Murrell Santa Fe, NM ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 13:48:02 -0400 From: "James Sheridan-Peters" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Exploding Barke Rotors (WARNING: was really Imola results!) > So I lied! > Imola results: So, someone asks politely to not have results posted immediately after the race so that those that can't see it live will have a chance to enjoy it and you decide to not only deliberately spite them, you also try to trick them into seeing the results against their will... Um, real mature there, bud. While you're off cackling in joy and nudging your pals in the ribs over your great "joke", remember that people that you might one day desire assistance from consider you a total ass (and one that can't even spell). May you get what you deserve, 100-fold. - -- James Sheridan-Peters [EMAIL PROTECTED] National Capital Chapter '98 323is '85 SCCA Spec RX-7 #00 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 13:58:42 -0400 From: "Duane Collie" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] My BABY !!!! Ben sexz: >i'm looking for E36 M3 coupe owner who would be interested in swapping >interiors with the Bambislayer. all the grey leather and grey console >pieces for the black ones. AArrrrghhhhhhh!!!! .... HURT ME !!! - - Duane P.S. Rollbar is still grey. heh. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 09 Apr 2000 15:02:34 -0400 From: Dave Meyer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Two Tire Questions -First Question: Recently attended my first autocross; was fun, learned a lot, have a lot to learn. Was told good autox tire pressures are 42 front/40 rear. True? -Follow on question: What are good street tire pressures for enthusiastic driving (99 328is Sport, 17x8 Fikse FM/5 wheels, 235/45-17 Bridgestone S-02 Pole Position tires). -Second Question: Gotta drive to Denver in July (bummer, huh? ;) Will several thousand miles of steady summer slab driving eat up my nice S-02's? -Follow on question: Should I mount my Michelin Arctic Alpin winter tires/steel wheels instead, to preserve my nice S-02's? Thank you as always in advance for your experience & wisdom! Dave Meyer 99 328is Lorton VA ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 14:48:38 -0500 From: "Daniels, Jason S" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Two Tire Questions Dave, I wouldn't worry about the tires on the trip, I have SP8000's on 17" wheels on a 530 touring and have close to 17K on them and they are still well over 1/2 of the original tread depth. I drive on the highway A LOT! average about 120 miles a day. I would use the steel wheels for the winter, (I use my factory alloys) just to save some nit wit from scratching up your nice (jealous) wheels. Not to mention the cost of the swap. Sorry I'm useless in the autoX department, as I have only done one myself. It would be interesting seeing a touring on the track though? - ---------- > From: Dave Meyer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [uuc] Two Tire Questions > Date: Sunday, April 09, 2000 2:02 PM > > -First Question: Recently attended my first autocross; > was fun, learned a lot, have a lot to learn. Was told good > autox tire pressures are 42 front/40 rear. True? > -Follow on question: What are good street tire pressures > for enthusiastic driving (99 328is Sport, 17x8 Fikse FM/5 > wheels, 235/45-17 Bridgestone S-02 Pole Position tires). > > -Second Question: Gotta drive to Denver in July (bummer, > huh? ;) Will several thousand miles of steady summer slab > driving eat up my nice S-02's? > -Follow on question: Should I mount my Michelin Arctic > Alpin winter tires/steel wheels instead, to preserve my nice > S-02's? > > Thank you as always in advance for your experience & wisdom! > > Dave Meyer > 99 328is > Lorton VA ------------------------------ End of [uucdigest] V3 #577 ************************** _________________________________________ | Please visit these UUC-approved BMW parts vendors/service providers: | (listed alphabetically) | Bonneville Motorwerks . http://www.bonnevillemotorwerks.com | Circle Tire Co. (used & classic BMW parts) e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] | Curry's Auto Service . http://www.currysauto.com | Eurosport . http://www.eurosport-hp.com | Koala MotorSport . http://www.koalamotorsport.com | Taylor BMW - http://www.taylorbmw.com - Doc Bimmer! | The Ultimate Garage . http://www.ultimategarage.com | UUC Motorwerks . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com | Zionsville Autosport . http://www.zionsvilleautosport.com ����������������������������������������
