[uucdigest] Monday, July 16 2001 Volume 03 : Number 4024 _________________________________________________________________ | | Search the ARCHIVES: | http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] | | Visit Richard Nott's Ultimate BMW Database: | http://www.gis.nsw.gov.au/staff/rnott/bmw/bmw.html | | 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. | Technical Problems? Send 'em to [EMAIL PROTECTED] |__________________________________________________________________ In this BMW UUC Digest: Re: [uuc] retailer for E28 lower control arms? [Ed MacVaugh <macvaugh@hom] [uuc] Re: retailer for E28 lower control arms? and other new parts info ["James Clay" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]] [uuc] Mini [Steve Albrecht <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>] [uuc] <FS> [Steve Albrecht <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>] Re: [uuc] retailer for E28 lower control arms? [Brad Couvillon <fatdaddyb] Re: [uuc] retailer for E28 lower control arms? [Ed MacVaugh <macvaugh@hom] [uuc] Re: Model Years (was E30 Seats) [[EMAIL PROTECTED]] [uuc] Snap-On dealer in SF Bay Area [Gleb Arshinov <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>] [uuc] antenna go up... antenna go down... [[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Re: [uuc] Snap-On dealer in SF Bay Area [Mark Dadgar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Re: [uuc] <1993 E36> [[EMAIL PROTECTED]] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 18:02:08 -0400 From: Ed MacVaugh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] retailer for E28 lower control arms? The hot deal for those is the aluminum ones from an E34 M5 or a V8 E32. I bought mine off eBay for around $80 each ($160 the pair, bought two pair really). They are Lemforder. Ed Patrick Burns wrote: > > So the last set of lower control arms I purchased, manufactured by Meyle if the > name embossed on them is anything to go by, wore out in 30k miles. Or their ball > joints did, to be more specific. I'd kind of like to not replace them again > before the road salt consumes the rest of the car, but of course I'm too cheap > to buy gen-u-whine BMW parts. Is Wholesale Parts Unlimited still the hot ticket > for affordable stock replacement parts? ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 18:36:45 -0400 From: "James Clay" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Re: retailer for E28 lower control arms? and other new parts info It really ticks me off that so many places out there sell absolute junk for new replacement parts. Our distributors put in our preferences as far as parts go and we had several options: cheapest, fair parts, good replacements and true OEM, or true OEM/genuine BMW only. You would be amazed at how many of the big parts places opt for cheapest, meaning parts made in Taiwan that are nowhere close to original quality, and still maintain the same price levels. I think that Lemforder arms should be the only ones used - they are still way cheaper than BMW (actually probably the same price that other places sell the junk for) but are true OEM parts. It doesn't matter to me if you buy the parts from us or others. I don't know about Wholesale Parts Unlimited, but ask what brand they are selling you or where it was made. Meyle and Butco is crap, most German manufacturers are fairly good, but verify what they tell you when you get the parts. There are plenty of good parts places out there and they are probably not the cheapest - Steve D and Turner come to mind. But the customer service and quiality provided by these places is well worth the buck or two you save at the discount places in my opinion. Build a relationship with a parts place with a good reputation, not the "hot ticket" of the moment - it will be worth it in the long run (ie. not replacing arms 30k miles down the road). James - ----------------------------------------------------------- James Clay http://www.bimmerworld.com Engineered BMW Performance BMWCCA/SCCA Racecar Rental Genuine OEM and Used BMW Parts (540) 639-9648 - ----------------------------------------------------------- "Stop Lights Timed For 35mph Are Also Timed For 70mph." Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 15:29:25 -0400 From: Patrick Burns <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] retailer for E28 lower control arms? So the last set of lower control arms I purchased, manufactured by Meyle if the name embossed on them is anything to go by, wore out in 30k miles. Or their ball joints did, to be more specific. I'd kind of like to not replace them again before the road salt consumes the rest of the car, but of course I'm too cheap to buy gen-u-whine BMW parts. Is Wholesale Parts Unlimited still the hot ticket for affordable stock replacement parts? ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 15:50:30 -0700 From: Steve Albrecht <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Mini I had the opportunity to see a new Mini last week, up close and personal, and I am very impressed with it. The exterior is very true to the original design, just updated with very cool headlights, wheels, tires, etc. All the new technology one would expect. The interior is quite nice. The seats are leather of course, and appropriately comfortable. I believe they will be pretty supportive to reasonable as well as unreasonable lateral loads. All the controls fall easily to hand, and the instrumentation is easy to read. There is plenty of room inside for my 6'1" framework, and I didn't feel the least bit cramped. Unfortunately, I didn't have the the opportunity to drive it. There was a new Z8 on display also, but the largest crowds were surrounding the Mini. I think we have a winner here folks! Steve Albrecht ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 16:01:40 -0700 From: Steve Albrecht <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] <FS> I have a no longer needed Bentley service book for the E34. Best offer takes it, and I'll pay the postage. Steve Albrecht ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 16:03:43 -0700 (PDT) From: Brad Couvillon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] retailer for E28 lower control arms? Ed writes: <<<<The hot deal for those is the aluminum ones from an E34 M5 or a V8 E32. I bought mine off eBay for around $80 each ($160 the pair, bought two pair really). They are Lemforder.>>>> I first learned about the e34 aluminum CAs on the Bimmer.org e28 board last month. Someone mentioned them on there, but no one replied to my post when I asked for more info on them. It's getting time for me to replace mine (front end shimmy on braking; and yes I've read that there are other causes, too), and I figure I might as well upgrade (of course, I'll probably have to upgrade bushings, as well, since these arms will probably be stiffer) to the aluminum ones. So tell me, what makes these aluminum ones better than the stock e28 arms? Stiffer? Lighter? More durable? Hopefully all three. TIA, Brad Couvillon '87 528e __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 19:14:20 -0400 From: Ed MacVaugh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] retailer for E28 lower control arms? I don't think they will affect the famous front end shimmy. That in the province of the steel arm with the bushing that I replaced with the Steve D'G milled 750iL bushing. The advantage to these is they look cool and replacing them will lower a little unsprung weight and they have a bushing tuned to a little heavier application than the stock E28 unit. Ed Brad Couvillon wrote: > > Ed writes: > > <<<<The hot deal for those is the aluminum ones from > an E34 M5 or a V8 E32. I bought mine off eBay for > around $80 each ($160 the pair, bought two pair > really). They are Lemforder.>>>> > > So tell me, what makes these aluminum ones better than > the stock e28 arms? Stiffer? Lighter? More durable? > Hopefully all three. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 16:37:45 -0700 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [uuc] Re: Model Years (was E30 Seats) Not that anyone asked (when has that ever stopped us), but my understanding is that there's more to the model year rules than Gary mentioned. For sale in the U.S., a car for a given MY can begin production prior to January of the MY, or it may continue in production past December 31 of the given MY, but not both. So a MY 2002 car can begin production on January 1 2001 and continue through December 31 of 2002. Or, it may begin production on January 1 of 2002 and continue in production through December 31 2003. But not both. But more to the point is this matter of BMW model years being different in Europe than in the U.S. For example, the last MY for the E28 in Europe was 1987, but in the U.S. it was 1988. Most of the U.S. 1988 E28s were produced at the end of 1987. I'm not sure why this disparity exists, but I'd bet that it has something to do with how long it takes to certify a new model with the DoT and the EPA. Scott Miller GGC BMW CCa >Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 13:26:07 -0400 >From: "Gary Derian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Re: [uuc] Re: E30 Seats > >By US law, a model year cannot be shipped before January of the previous >year. 2002 models can ship no earlier than January 2001, but they can be >built even earlier. > >Gary Derian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ------------------------------ Date: 16 Jul 2001 19:04:13 -0500 From: Gleb Arshinov <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Snap-On dealer in SF Bay Area Need to buy some wrenches. If, anybody had good dealing with local Snap-On dealer, please let me know (around San Mateo would be best). I'd rather buy them locally than mail-order. Thanks, Gleb ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 21:09:14 -0400 (EDT) From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [uuc] antenna go up... antenna go down... I just felt like reporting my victory for the day. I fixed some rust around the antenna Saturday. Had to go by the dealer today to get a replacement grommet so that the rust won't come back. Decided to get a new mast while I was there as mine was long ago broken off and "replaced" with this crappy push-it-on-over-the-broken-bit antenna. I install the grommet in seconds and try the turn on radio, wait, insert tail of the new mast, turn off radio drill. Had to get a passerby to turn the radio off. I didn't tell them what was going on, so they see me standing there with a hand full of antenna and the radio on... must have been interesting. Anyhow, the mast fed in about an inch and stopped. Grrrrr. Must be some old bits still in there. I remove the antenna unit and open it up. About four pounds of dirt falls out and I start looking. All the teeth look good, motor turns, nothing binds up... what is that? I did this little crusty piece of something out from the guide blocks. Look what we have here. It is a tiny little set screw... just like the one that is missing from the crappy push-it-on-over-the-broken-bit antenna. So I go re-install the antenna again and this time it all goes like the packaging says. I tightened the nut and, as I said before... antenna goes up... antenna goes down... Yeah, it is a small victory, but that is all I had today. - -- Joe - -- Joseph M. Krzeszewski Network Operations [EMAIL PROTECTED] Jack of All Trades, Master of None... Yet ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 17:27:40 -0700 From: Mark Dadgar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Snap-On dealer in SF Bay Area Gleb Arshinov at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Need to buy some wrenches. If, anybody had good dealing with local > Snap-On dealer, please let me know (around San Mateo would be best). > I'd rather buy them locally than mail-order. > The South Bay Snap-On rep appears to be: Diego Occampo (415) 340-3755 I haven't used him yet myself. - - Mark '97 Carrera S '97 528i 5-spd '88 M3, track car, soon to be a JS racer - -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] (home) [EMAIL PROTECTED] (office) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 20:39:22 EDT From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [uuc] <1993 E36> I have a '92 325i and have had the problem with the tranny as well. If you turn off the ignition and then restart it the problem goes away. The dealer calls this "going into limp mode". According to the master mechanic at my dealer, there was a grounding problem with the ABS system in early E36's that caused stray voltages of up to 2000 volts. That would be enough to screw up any computer for sure, especially if it has CMOS chips like most do. Mine did it about 3 times but hasn't repeated for over a year now. I didn't want to pay the $80 the dealer wanted to charge just to hook it up to the computer and run a diagnostic on it. I may do that now, as my extended warranty is about to run out and if I need a new tranny I might as well get one now when I only have to pay a $50 deductible. Phil 92 E36/M50 71K on the clock and tranny is now making a chattering noise my independent mechanic thinks may be a pump starving for fluid....any ideas from anyone? Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 09:53:38 -0400 From: "Pat Green" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] <1993 E36> Adnan: >From my limited experience.... the Transmission Control Module had a sensor reading that was out of range and in an effort to protect the transmission, placed the automatic in a failsafe mode. When your friend started the car up again the sensor readings were within acceptable parameters. If it happens often, take it and have the TCM put on the computer. Remember a dealership will only replace the trans, they do not repair. I went through hell trying to get my auto trans fixed and after taking it to two dealers and an import trans shop, all to no avail, found out the computer cable to the TCM was only loose. For more info on my and others auto trans thoughts go to the unofficial e36 page and look up the topic trans mystery. Irish - - -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Merchant, Adnan Sent: Friday, July 13, 2001 2:30 PM To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' Subject: [uuc] <1993 E36> Hi, A question for a friend who has a 325is with an automatic: He says that the other day he came to a stop at a light and when attempting to take off when the light changed, there was no get up and go; he feels it was in third gear and wouldn't change. After he turned the car off and restarted, all was well again. Any ideas I can pass along to him? Thanks for your help, Adnan - ------------------------------ ------------------------------ End of [uucdigest] V3 #4024 *************************** ________________________________________ | Please visit these UUC-approved BMW parts vendors/service providers: | (listed alphabetically) | Camptown Automotive - http://www.camptownauto.com | Circle Tire Co. (used & classic BMW parts) e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] | Detailwerks Chicago Inc. "Chicago's Premier Automotive Appearance | Center" . http://www.detailwerkschicago.com |==================================================== | Koala MotorSport . BMW technical information, special tool sales/rental | http://www.koalamotorsport.com |==================================================== | Taylor BMW - http://www.taylorbmw.com - Doc Bimmer! | UUC Motorwerks . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com |__________________________________________
