[uucdigest] Friday, April 14 2000 Volume 03 : Number 602 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | 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] Running wire down the a-pillar [uuc] <WTB> 530iT [uuc] WTB <E34> 92 or 93 535i 5spd [uuc] <E30> 325is First Impressions (LONG) [uuc] used aftermarket exhaust wanted! [uuc] E36 coupe pillars [uuc] <UDE> Ultimate Driving Experience - What to expect? [uuc] LA 3er new to this digest [uuc] Headlights - follow up [uuc] <E34> <M60> Oil Filter Housing AGAIN! [uuc] Cleaning the headliner in an E36, help please. Re: [uuc] Re: Touring Side Pillar [uuc] Re: Battery Replacement Re: [uuc] <E30> AC not cold Re: [uuc] <UDE> Ultimate Driving Experience - What to expect? Re: [uuc] Warped Euro Rotors??? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 12:00:31 -0700 (PDT) From: Chester Wong <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Running wire down the a-pillar Hey guys. Many people have replied on this so I thought I'd issue a public thanks. As you may know, I followed up that same night with pics ;) Have a great weekend, Chester ===== __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send online invitations with Yahoo! Invites. http://invites.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 15:02:42 EDT From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [uuc] <WTB> 530iT I'm looking for a '94/'95 530iT Touring. Preferably one that already has a new engine or still in the extended engine warranty period (6Y/100M). I'll take any color besides Beige/Bronzit. Looking to pay under under $19,000. E-mail me privately if you have any leads. Thanks. Stephen ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 15:23:24 EDT From: "Berkeley Jeffress" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] WTB <E34> 92 or 93 535i 5spd I'm in the DC/MD/VA area. Preferably with heated seats. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 14:04:48 -0700 From: Scott Catlin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] <E30> 325is First Impressions (LONG) Well, in my search for an E30 325is I just drove my first example at lunch, an '89 with 148k on it in champagne color. I'd like to share my impressions with the group and get some feedback. I kinda need to know whether what I felt was just that specific car, or if I can expect to find similar attributes in all 325is'. Thanks for any input. 1. Suspension: This car needs a new one so we'll just skip this part. It's unfortunate because I assume alot of the fun of driving this car is the tightness of the suspension. Plus it was raining and the tires need replacing so I didn't really tear up any corners. 2. Body: I could never buy this car because the POS PO drilled a hole in the top of the trunk to install a CB antenna. WTF!? One thing I did notice, the spoiler was a different color than the body, it was a more gray color. Do you guys think it was a replacement one? Other than that f__king hole it was straight as far as I could tell. There were no signs of leak in the trunk, other than in the toolkit which was right under that f__king hole. Dumbass. The spare was a full sized spare with the factory alloy wheel, is that standard? Also, the roundels looked white where they should've matched the silver of the wheel. They're probably off another car, or are they just old and faded? 3. Tranny: I got to take it out without the salesman with me, so I really got to put it through it's paces tranny-wise. The synchros are good, a 60mph downshift into third was smooth. The tach is broken so I have no idea what RPM I was at, but it felt good. But when I wound it out it sounded like a 747 taking off. Is that typical of BMWs? Is that a tranny thing or an engine thing? Also, the clutch seemed to engage rather high in the travel of the pedal, I assume that can be fixed with some clutch adjustment, yes? 4. Braking: Interesting. I think I might be used to the non-power braking on my Rabbit, but it felt as if at first the brakes were weak, then with the pedal 1/4 down it really grabbed hold. It didn't pull to one side or the other, all in all I'm impressed with the braking. 5. Interior: OMG, so much more refined than my Rabbit! I love the steering wheel! But I think the PO left this thing in the sun too long. Some of the plastic on the turn signals, headlight knob, dash was faded. Will I run into that alot or is it just lack of care on the PO's part? The shift knob's leather was torn, the tan plastic pieces in the interior looked dirty. Hmmm. For some reason there was black overspray on the roundel on the steering wheel. Bad omen. 6. Electrical: Besides the tach issue; a light was out on the dash when first starting it, it was the "Brake Width" light, or something to that effect, that should go on when the key is in the ON position before starting it, right? Also, the "Check Engine" light would flash after first starting it and would continue to flash until I revved the engine a bit. There was a button missing from the console on the right hand side of the heater sliders, what button is supposed to be there? The factory radio just said "CODE" and wouldn't work. How difficult will it be to get a new code? AND to top it off, the OBC wasn't working at all. Is there a special button you have to push to get it to work or does it just go on automatically? Umm...other than that...OH! Isn't this thing supposed to have electrically adjustable seats? What about heated seats? What year did those options start appearing in the E30? And what's that button on the right-hand side of the gear shifter do? 7. Engine: This looks so fun to work on! First thing I noticed was that the silver on the ?intake manifold? and ?valve cover? was coming off and leaving a yellowish color. Is that common? The engine was clean, but that's to be expected from a dealership. I especially like fuse box placement, so easy to get to! All-in-all I was impressed. It's the first BMW I've ever driven and although it had all these problems I can see that when I do find the right one it'll be FUN. Thanks for letting me ramble, and TIA for any responses you guys can give. I'd say thanks for reading this far but you guys don't have anything better to do :) - - Scott ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 23:24:27 +0200 From: mill <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] used aftermarket exhaust wanted! Hi everybody, I am looking for a used aftermarket exhaust for a friend in NY for his 325is. So, if you have an aftermarket exhaust for a 325/328/m3 (or a used m3 exhaust) which is collecting dust, don't hesitate and contact me : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks, mill, 1993 M3 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 14:12:40 -0700 From: Herman Chan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] E36 coupe pillars >>> The "A" pillar holds the windshield. B is between the doors, C is behind the rear door. Tourings have a D pillar way in the back. >> so coupes without doorframes, like the E-36, dont have a B pillar, right? E36 coupes do have B-pillars, cleverly hidden behind the glass, as do the E46 coupes. E31 coupes don't. Nor do Mercedes S-class coupes. Herman ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 14:11:57 -0700 From: Herman Chan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] <UDE> Ultimate Driving Experience - What to expect? I'm signed up for the Ultimate Driving Experience next week. The X5 will be the star of the show. Can anyone here who's been to one tell me what to expect? Or tips to maximize the experience? (more seat time, less sales pitch -- they don't need to sell me on the virtues of BMW's). Sez here you need to be 21 to participate. And don't bother with the 750iL unless you're 25. Herman ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 14:14:04 PDT From: "DAVID NGUYEN" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] LA 3er new to this digest new to this digest and new to the LA area! anyone on this digest from the LA area? thinkin of getting toys for my E36 from D2technik in alhambra. anyone have experiences i need to know from them? email me at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or reply on the digest daVid '94 325is ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 14:32:39 -0800 From: Don Cicchetti <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Headlights - follow up Hi all, Previously, responding to a post about DRL's and running headlights at reduced voltages, David Ellsworth said: - ------------------------- The reduced brightness is a result of reduced voltage. This may cause a problem with halogen headlight bulbs, it may cause a major reduction in their life span. It has to do with the halogen cycle that occurs within the bulbs when they operate properly within a limited range of voltage. The tungsten alloy filament actually vaporizes to a very small degree the whole time it operates. If the voltage is right the vapor condenses back on the filament at a rate that almost equals the evaporation rate. Change the voltage and the cycle brakes down, resulting in short bulb life. - ------------------------- I was curious as to whether that was indeed the case, so I sent off an email to Ron Francis Wire Works (ronfrancis.com - who sells the unit to run your headlights at reduced brightness as DRLs) Ron's reply follows: - ---------------------------------- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 16:03:21 EDT Subject: Re: Question To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Don, I forwarded your e-mail to the company that supplies our DL-20 daytime running light system. The following is their response: The customer is concerned about the shortened bulb life that may occur due to incomplete halogenation cycle taking place within the bulb capsule. It has been shown that exactly the opposite occurs when the voltage is reduced causing the bulb to burn at a lower temperature causing the halogenation not to be complete. As the bulb runs at a cooler temperature in the DRL cycle, the incomplete halogen process deposits itself on the cool side of the bulb. This continues until the bulb is turned on to full power state. When this happens the residue that deposited on the bulb is evaporated off the surface of the bulb and redeposits itself on the filament. This process will be repeated every time the vehicle is run in a DRL and then full power mode. "No damage" occurs to the halogen bulb during this process. It is the function of the bulb that as it's voltage decreases, it's life increases. Note the new line of long life and energy efficient bulbs for household use that are actually run at lower wattage's. Also note that a bulb run with a dimmer control in the home lasts virtually forever. The same is true for a vehicles headlights. If you decrease the voltage going to the headlights by just 5%, you will double the life of the bulb. However if you increase the voltage by 5%, you will decrease the life of the bulb by 50%. In the case of the DRL's, we decrease the voltage by 24% from 14 volts to approximately 10.5 volts. Please note that each vehicle will be slightly different and that the voltage that matters is the voltage at the headlights. By doing it in this matter, the life of the headlight will be increased by 4500%. This is the reason why all major auto manufacturers are producing cars with low voltage DRL's for low or high beam. They have experienced no warranty problems with the head lights burning out prematurely. - ----------------------- Hope this helps DC no commercial interest in any of these companies or products - -- ____________________________________________ Don Cicchetti CCA member - San Diego guitar player '71 02/M42 "Ingrid" -Beatnik Motor Works- ____________________________________________ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 14:33:31 -0700 From: Aleksandr Milewski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] <E34> <M60> Oil Filter Housing AGAIN! OK, this is the FOURTH time in less than 20k miles that the oil filter housing has started leaking on my '95 540i/6. Shortly after I bought the car (at 58k miles) I noticed an oil leak from the left front corner of the engine bay. Some poking around showed that there was oil leaking _through_the_casting_ of the oil filter housing. I had this replaced by one dealer, and the same leak reappeared a few thousand miles later. The same dealer replaced the housing again, ("Gee, I hope we don't have a bad batch of parts.") and sure enough, it leaked again. Enter dealer number two. They kept the car for about a week, going back and forth with BMW NA about possible causes, and came up with the fact that a spacer was missing, and that the previous dealer was tightening the housing down to close a gap where a spacer should be. This was cracking the housing, and causing it to leak some time later. Well, that lasted about eight months. ;) It's leaking again. So, has anyone seen this, and does anyone have any bright ideas I should present to dealer number three? I'm trying another dealer that hasn't seen this car yet, but has done excellent work on my other two BMWs. Oh, and they're going to try the M60 engine test again. Wish me luck. Frustrated, Zandr - --------------------------------------------------------------------- Aleksandr Milewski BMWCCA #166568 SysAdmin, 530i.org '95 540i/6spd [EMAIL PROTECTED] '00 740i Sport Ben Lomond, CA '00 M Coupe ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 16:00:05 -0400 From: "Thomas J. Noto" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Cleaning the headliner in an E36, help please. Hey guys, A few weeks ago, I had the local Bell Atlantic Mobile store install a hands-free car phone kit in my '95 325is. I just noticed that the installer left some greasy fingerprints in the headliner, which is a light gray "mouse fur" material, along the area where he ran the wire for the antenna. Can anybody recommend a product/process to clean this type of material without adversely changing the color or the way the nap of the fabric lies? I'm concerning that the cleaning I do might look worse than the fingerprints themselves. I'd also like to clean around the sunroof switch, which is also getting kind of stained from fingerprints. Also, is there an archive of this digest? How about the old Welty digest? I'm sure that this has been asked before, and I'd like to avoid wasting people's time if it can be avoided..... Thanks, Tom ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 18:10:38 -0400 From: "Rob Levinson - UUC Motorwerks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Re: Touring Side Pillar That's a "K" pillar... as in Kammback. ;-) Just kidding. Very cool car, we had a 2002AD calendar with a picture of one that I admired. - - Rob - ----- Original Message ----- From: Keith Wollenberg <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Re: Touring Side Pillar > Rob Levinson wrote: > >D: tourings only: between rear side window and hatch. > > Everyone keeps saying this. But, REAL Tourings (the ones with the round > taillights<g>) do not have a D Pillar. Just A, B, and C. > > Keith Wollenberg > 2000 tii Touring ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 13:42:08 -0700 From: "Kevin Kelly" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Re: Battery Replacement Kirk A. Gilchrist of EURO-WERKS wrote: >Interstate batteries are the only way to go for a >replacement battery. Don't forget to have them >give you a vent kit with the battery. You could also >really splurge and get yourself an Optima. This is >actually the ultimate battery, but also very expensive. I have been able to buy my last two red top Optima Batteries for under $150 each, not cheap but I bet most people who can't get a car to start on a cold night in the snow wished they spent a little extra on their battery. Optimas seem to crank the engine just as fast in the snow as they do on a summer day. I also have no problem starting the cars in the morning if I leave the parking lights and interior lights on all night. Optima batteries are sealed (you can use them on their side or even upside down) so you don't have to worry about venting them. I first heard about Optimas a few years back on the off road lists since you can bang them around and you don't have to worry about plates coming loose. The first one I bought is still going strong after about 4 years in the Range Rover. Kevin Kelly BMW CCA 50039 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 18:03:34 -0500 From: "Daniels, Jason S" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] <E30> AC not cold You have a leak somewhere, either past the seals in an old compressor or the return hose, mine leaked several times. If you are planning on keeping the car, you should convert over to 134A and a new more efficient compressor. I did and it works great. The usual big places sell the kits (for professional installation only) $700-800. And worth it. jason D - ---------- > From: Chris Baisley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [uuc] <E30> AC not cold > Date: Thursday, April 13, 2000 9:19 PM > > > After a winter of non-use, I've discovered that the air conditioning in my > 89 325i isn't blowing cold. Here's what I know so far: > > - blue snowflake light lights up as it should > - compressor is turning (drag on engine and change in idle speed confirms it) > - fan blowing OK > > The Bentley isn't too much help. Any internet sources on what to check, or > common problems I can look at myself? > > Thanks, > Chris > -- > Christopher P. Baisley, MBA, P.Eng. > Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada > [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Personal) > [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Business) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 19:12:20 -0400 From: Steven Schlossman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] <UDE> Ultimate Driving Experience - What to expect? At 2:11 PM -0700 4/14/00, Herman Chan wrote: >Can anyone here who's been to one tell me what to expect? Or tips to >maximize the experience? (more seat time, less sales pitch -- they >don't need to sell me on the virtues of BMW's). Check out the different autocross courses first. The UDE I went to had two short courses and one longer one. There is no sales pitch. BMWs sell themselves. You might also want to turn off the DSC or whatever the traction control is called now. ...steven ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 20:11:31 EDT From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [uuc] Warped Euro Rotors??? Hey gang, Just got back from "seat time" at Summit Point yesterday. Looks like I managed to warp my euro floating rotors on my '95 M3. This is a first for me...which is good (if you know what I mean!) but cause for some concern. I just bought the rotors in October last year and prior to yesterday, I had run at Road Atlanta in October for a two day school. Thats only 3 days at the track and they're history! I've been using Porterfield's R4 race compound pads on the front and rear. I am not running any kind of brake ducting and maybe that's my next step, as well as different race compound track pads. Oh, I failed to mention that I do run ATE Super Blue but do not have stainless brake lines. I'm looking for any suggestions from those of you that have BTDT!!! I've actually started entertaining the thought of calling Steve D' for the Big Red Brake conversion! The frickin Nasdaq though is delaying any such expense : ( as I'm throwing my dollars that way right now...Sorry Steve! One more thing...is the metal in the "euro" floating rotors supposed to be better than the US spec stock rotors for the E36 M3 or is it merely a better design since it's a "floating" rotor that supposedly cools better/faster? Thanks for any suggestions. Ken Arutunian '95 M3...with lots of shimmy ------------------------------ End of [uucdigest] V3 #602 ************************** _________________________________________ | 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 ����������������������������������������
