[uucdigest] Tuesday, January 14 2003 Volume 03 : Number 6020
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Send 'em to [EMAIL PROTECTED] |__________________________________________________________________ In this BMW UUC Digest: Re: [uuc] radar detector recommendations Re: [uuc] E36: 2 questions (yellow + brighter fog lights and TC butterfly) [uuc] Re: '93 318isA ?s [uuc] Re: Car Washes was: x5 [uuc] <E36> Winter Tires RE: [uuc] <E36> Winter Tires [uuc] BMW CCA Driving Events (was Insurance, again) [uuc] Re:<E36> Winter Tires [uuc] RE: <E36> Winter Tires ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2003 14:14:32 -0500 From: "Rob Levinson * UUC Motorwerks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] radar detector recommendations - ----- Original Message ----- From: "allegro1" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] radar detector recommendations > Brett Anderson Wrote > > Often wondered if a laser guided missile could react fast enough to follow the > > beam back to the asshole's eye ball. > > This just happens to be my bailywick. In fact guided rockets/missiles in > the army's inventory, as well as some under developement, could do just > that as many will accelerate from 0 to about Mach 2.0 in one second. > Launch delays are a very small fraction of that time. > > Peter du Bois > '87 325iS - Soon to have 19 tube rocket launcher on it Ah, so that's rumored the military-developed "Valentine V2" unit! Actually, I got pulled over last night (this morning) at about 2am in the E46 M3. No detector in the car (slap self silly), radared at 75mph in a 50mph "construction zone" (2 miles of unhindered highway before an area where there actually is something going on in the daytime). My reply was "75 in a 50? Oh, sorry about that!" Not my best get-out-of-ticket line ever, but I suppose being nice always works. The Gentleman and an Officer was nice enough to let me off with a warning, quite decent of him. - - Rob ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2003 13:12:41 -0600 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [uuc] E36: 2 questions (yellow + brighter fog lights and TC butterfly) "Scott Brown" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > 2. Last week there was a thread on ABS vs. Traction Control and > one post talked about disabling the TC butterfly so only rear > breaking would take place. Is this easy to disable temporarily > to test the differences and put back if necessary? Any tips or > comments is appreciated. Scott, You could just unplug the TC harness from the TC butterfly (hopefully it defaults to max open, but you will find out for sure). That might set a CE code, so be prepared to reset it. Other than that, the preferred solution it to unbolt the TC butterfly choke plate from inside the TC throttle body. I believe it is held in place by two philips screws. alex f ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2003 13:39:19 -0600 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [uuc] Re: '93 318isA ?s [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > I just bought my daughter a '93 318isA to get her through college. It > has 130K and is in very good cosmetic condition. Here's my ?, the > driver's side electric window likes to reverse itself during roll up > or roll down and sometimes won't budge at all when it's down. I did > take the door panel off. I found the connection plug to the motor and > by cleaning, connecting and disconnecting the plug the window would > sometimes try to move, but never fully roll up or down. Is it time > for a new window motor? Evan, The motor has a built-in "safety roll down" regulator that is detecting excessive resistance to window roll up or is plain faulty. If it's the former, you are shopping for a new regulator. I do not believe the sensor is available separately. Hopefully it is the latter. If so, a liberal annual application of $5 BMW rubber gasket goo "gummypfludge" - definitely the wrong spelling, will help. Another possibility is that the $1 plastic sliders that connect the regulator to the window rail are broken. In that case the window either does not move much at all or collapses entirely. > Problem # 2, the AC compressor stays on all of the time the engine is > on unless I disconnect power to it. What could that be? Bad AC switch? FWIW, E36 cars run AC whenever you select to recirculate cabin air. > Problem # 3, has to do w/ the keyless entry. Sorry, can't help there as I don't have that gizmo. Hope this helps, alex f ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2003 11:57:02 -0800 (PST) From: david kroth <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Re: Car Washes was: x5 The wheel tracks/guides can mess up your rims if you have low profile tires - the track can guide your car via the lip of the wheel. I get some scraping on the X-brace of my lowered E36, but I'm not concerned about that paint on the X-brace. > ------------------------------ > > Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2003 14:10:00 -0500 > From: "Rob Levinson * UUC Motorwerks" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [uuc] re: <BMW X5 4.6is> > > Not for nuthin', but it surprises me that BMW owners > still think that modern > clear-coated paints are in any danger when run > through a modern carwash > devoid of brillo pads and emery boards. I think my > local carwash has > nothing harsher than the unshaven beard on the mat > vacuum guy. > > I love these cars... but they're modern cars, not > Buggatti Royales. > Carwashes give me more driving time. > > - - Rob ===== David Kroth [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2003 15:13:30 -0500 From: "Dorffer, Rich" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] <E36> Winter Tires Kirk says > > You have opened up the proverbial can of worms asking about snow tires again. > This was a hot topic about 6 weeks ago. Get it..hot topic...snow tires :-) I think many will actually agree with you, the Blizzaks are a good tire. The Michelins may not be as hard-core a snow tire and offer better "middle season" performance (when it isn't as cold or snowy, wet) than the Blizzaks with a stiffer side wall. It really depends on how you are going to use them and what you expect. > Most will disagree with me, but > these are the people that I am passing at 80mph on the ice and snow covered > highways that are doing about 40mph.... You won't be passing me though on my Nokian Hakka Qs ;-) We could probably caravan together though. Got your V1 :-) Later, Rich - just playing around with Kirk ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2003 14:16:17 -0500 From: "Robinson, Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] <E36> Winter Tires I've found that for winter driving, my P-Zero Asymmetrico's provide much more consistent grip than the Victoracers..... ;-P Lee > -----Original Message----- > From: Steve.Goldstein [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Tuesday, January 14, 2003 10:50 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [uuc] <E36> Winter Tires > > > This being the first winter I've owned my 1999 323is, and what > with all the snow around here (Boston area), I'm thinking hard > about snow tires on steel wheels. Yes, I know I'm a month late > already, but better late than very late. > > Any comments regarding Michelin Arctic-Alpin vs Blizzak WS-50? > They're about the same price at TireRack. And what about the > Michelin Pilot Alpin at $30 more in 205/60-15 fitment - what > does it offer for the added cost besides the H rating? > > Needless to say, I'm hoping for actual user comments here - I > can read the blurbs on TireRack's web pages as well as the next > guy, and the specs on all three tires look darned close to me. > > Thanks all. > > Steve > ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2003 15:04:00 -0600 From: "Al Buchanan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] BMW CCA Driving Events (was Insurance, again) The question appears to be: Is personal insurance coverage for driver education events excluded (under the quoted policy language), merely because the participant's subjective intention is to "practice or prepare for" a "prearranged or organized" racing or speed contest? At most, in my view, it's only "excluded" in the metaphysical sense. It's like arguing that a 16-year old who is learning how to drive should have no insurance coverage for the rest of his life, simply because he aspires to apply those driving skills as a professional racer some day when he grows up. Taking the argument to this extreme (albeit necessary) conclusion demonstrates its fallacy. The connection between the activity resulting in a claim and the excluded activity is just too tenuous. So if my own policy was written like the one quoted below, and I had a claim arising from a BMW CCA Driving Event, I would certainly expect my insurer to cover it. And I would expect a court would likely agree with me, in the event that my insurer refused to cover and I decided it was worthwhile to litigate. (Whether I would actually submit and pursue the claim in this market, at the risk of drastic premium increases and potential non-renewal, is another issue entirely.) If my insurer wanted to exclude "driver education" events, I would expect that exclusion to be spelled out clearly and unambiguously in the policy. Of course, if something called "driver ed" takes place in close temporal and physical proximity to an actual race (e.g., same track/ same day), consists exclusively of racing participants, is timed, and has few rules and lacks formal instruction... the question becomes much closer. In that instance, an insurer might legitimately question whether the event is actually "race preparation" masquerading as a "driver school." But that is not how BMW CCA - authorized Driving Events are conducted. The foregoing represents only my personal view if I was in this situation. However, as a volunteer risk manager for BMW CCA, Inc., I can say that our organization carefully delineates a detailed protocol for true "driving schools" and disclaims any affiliation with or sponsorship of ambiguous events such as "hot laps," "lapping days," etc. Participants who enter authorized BMW CCA Driving Events (as well as their insurers) should feel confident that BMW CCA, Inc. does not view these events as "races" or even "preparation" for racing. Our view is: if you want to race, there is a program for you and it's called "Club Racing"- not "driver education." Al Buchanan Risk Manager/ Legal Counsel BMW CCA, Inc. - ------------------------------ Carl Sewell wrote: Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 14:29:48 -0500 From: "carl sewell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Insurance, again All the recent comments re insurance prompted me to request a specimen policy from my carrier, Travelers, since the annual billing/statement does not include the "fine print." Travelers (in Virginia) says they will provide neither liability, collision, nor comprehensive coverage for: Any vehicle located inside a facility designed for racing for the purpose of: a. Competing in; or b. Practicing or preparing for; Any prearranged or organized racing or speed contest. Obviously many driving school participants have no intention of ever racing, and I wonder how the group sees "prearranged or organized..." If you never race, are you covered? If you ever race, have you no coverage for driving schools? Any comments welcomed. Carl Sewell Charlottesville VA e36 M3/4 CCA 151298 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2003 15:37:37 -0600 From: Clarence <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Re:<E36> Winter Tires Kirk Gilchrist wrote: <snip some> > You have opened up the proverbial can of worms asking about snow tires again. >This was a hot topic about 6 weeks ago. <snip the rest> I think I can claim the dubious honor of starting that thread. After much handwringing and pacing the floor I went with the Hakka Q's. In fact, I picked them up the day we had our only real snow. And *#@(> it hasn't snowed since!!!! What I can say is that I'm satisfied w/their dry performance. Not much squirming. My poor driving skills are probably the reason the tail tries to hang out on corners. I must remember that salt too reduces traction and I should drive accordingly. A few times I have lamented the speed rating of 100mph (darn Honda kids). And each night I pray for a snow storm. One club member (also in Wisconsin) commented that the Hakkas were as good as the Blizzaks the first year, and much better each year after that. He based this on events that take place on a frozen lake, w/and w/o snow. Kirk is the first I've heard state that the qualities the Blizzaks are known for lasted more than a season or so (and I'm not questioning or criticizing this). I was also told the newer Blizzaks are improved in that sense. Also, the few tire dealers I spoke w/in this area all said Blizzaks were unsurpassed (then again, they were not familiar w/the Hakkas). Now, I'm not telling you to buy Hakkas or Blizzaks or K-Mart specials, just providing you w/more fodder to chew on. Good luck on your choice. And thanks to all those who shared their experiences. Clarence West Bend, WI ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Jan 2003 15:41:00 -0600 From: Clarence <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] RE: <E36> Winter Tires Kirk Gilchrist wrote: <snip some> > You have opened up the proverbial can of worms asking about snow tires again. >This was a hot topic about 6 weeks ago. <snip the rest> I think I can claim the dubious honor of starting that thread. After much handwringing and pacing the floor I went with the Hakka Q's. In fact, I picked them up the day we had our only real snow. And *#@(> it hasn't snowed since!!!! What I can say is that I'm satisfied w/their dry performance. Not much squirming. My poor driving skills are probably the reason the tail tries to hang out on corners. I must remember that salt too reduces traction and I should drive accordingly. A few times I have lamented the speed rating of 100mph (darn Honda kids). And each night I pray for a snow storm. One club member (also in Wisconsin) commented that the Hakkas were as good as the Blizzaks the first year, and much better each year after that. He based this on events that take place on a frozen lake, w/and w/o snow. Kirk is the first I've heard state that the qualities the Blizzaks are known for lasted more than a season or so (and I'm not questioning or criticizing this). I was also told the newer Blizzaks are improved in that sense. Also, the few tire dealers I spoke w/in this area all said Blizzaks were unsurpassed (then again, they were not familiar w/the Hakkas). Now, I'm not telling you to buy Hakkas or Blizzaks or K-Mart specials, just providing you w/more fodder to chew on. Good luck on your choice. And thanks to all those who shared their experiences. Clarence West Bend, WI ------------------------------ End of [uucdigest] V3 #6020 *************************** ________________________________________ | Please visit these UUC-approved BMW parts vendors/service providers: | (listed alphabetically) | | Autoscope-Motorsports - http://www.autoscope-motorsports.com | Camptown Automotive - http://www.camptownauto.com | Circle Tire Co. (used & classic BMW parts) e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] | |==================================================== | | 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 |__________________________________________
