[uucdigest] Wednesday, March 5 2003 Volume 03 : Number 6182
_________________________________________________________________ | | Search the ARCHIVES: | http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] | | Visit Richard Nott's Ultimate BMW Database: | http://www.bmwdatabase.com | | 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: [uuc] Play in quick-release steering wheel? Re: [uuc] BMWs Getting Too Complicated (was <E34> Problem witha/c) [uuc] Re: [CR] Play in quick-release steering wheel? Re: [uuc] WAS inexpensive helmets, NOW roll bars and harnesses Re: [uuc] BMWs Getting Too Complicated (was <E34> Problem witha/c) Re: [uuc] Play in quick-release steering wheel? Re: [uuc] <OT> Bentley/Rolls (was Lightnings ...) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2003 22:49:19 -0500 From: "Michael Gilbert" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Play in quick-release steering wheel? Hi all, I just installed a quick release hub / momo steering wheel and there's a significant amount of play between the wheel and the hub when fully attached. The play is about 1 mm in and out (longitudinally) and about 1/5th of a mm radially (turning the wheel). Is this standard for a quick-release hub? Does anyone have a quick release hub with no play? I had thought that the hub would feel just like a solid steering wheel once it was on but it has too much slop for my taste. Has anyone tried the sparco quick release hub? how is it? Any suggestions? TIA, Mike 97 M3 #121 IS ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2003 21:52:6 -0600 From: "M Kittock" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] BMWs Getting Too Complicated (was <E34> Problem witha/c) My '96 E36 has the same climate control as the later E36s and, while maybe I don't hate it, I get very frustrated with it. My frame of reference is the climate in Minnesota. In the winter, I start off setting the temp at max, as the engine warms up the fan speeds up and the interior warms up. Then I need to tap the fan speed down, then the temp down (two buttons)to say, 68F. The next day it all starts over again. In the summer I leave the temp at 60F, turn on the A/C as required, and adjusting the fan speed as required. So, for me it is not a set and forget - I am frequently fiddling. And the buttons are an ergonomic nightmare - the rotary knobs are much easier to set to the desired point without taking eyes off of the road. Anyway, I don't see much improvement over manual control - plus I too had to replace the A/C board last year for $300+ ! IMHO Mark Kittock '96 328i Sport Pkg; 17"OZ,H&R Sport, X-brace,Turner Motorsport bars > [Original Message] > From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: Scott & Charlotte Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Brant Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; UUC Digest <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: 3/5/2003 3:18:53 PM > Subject: Re: [uuc] BMWs Getting Too Complicated (was <E34> Problem witha/c) > > "Scott & Charlotte Miller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > <rant on> > > This is what is wrong with the newer BMWs. (One thing anyway.) > > OK, luddite, lets have some fun with your post ;-) > > > >"Brant" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > >Without shutting the engine > > >off, they got the car onto their computer and discovered that they > could > > >not "see" the a/c control computer. After a shutdown and restart, the > > >fault corrected itself and they could "see" the computer. They > replaced > > >the computer and the problem has not recurred. > > > <snip> > > >Brant > > > > Why does a car need a computer to control the AC? What is wrong with the > > old systems? > > Old systems did not support climate control. > When it got too hot, you cranked the temp dial down. Or push the AC > button. Too cold? Crank it up. > If you want climate control, the above process has to be automated. Thus > the need for an HVAC computer. Sadly, that introduces inevitable the long > term reliability issues. > > FWIW, my '95 E36 has the first generation climate control with rotary temp > dials and driver controlled fan speed and air flow direction flaps. I much > prefer that to my old E30's crank up down temp dial approach. No more > adjusting the HVAC depending on how the sun hits your car or how slowly > the coolant is warming up. > > My wife's '98 E36 has the fully integrated digital climate control. That > baby automatically adjusts the air flow speed and direction depending on > your desired settings and available coolant temperature. If it's too cold > outside, it keeps the air flow to the minimum (zero to the face) until the > coolant warms up. Than it ramps up as the coolant warms up. Once the cabin > is brought to the desired temp settings, it ramps back down. Very slick. > > Unfortunately, that $300 digital HVAC control is yet another thing that > can and does frequently go bad. > > > One or two switches, a thermostat, a bunch of plumbing, a few mechanical > > parts and some refrigerant was sufficient. Now a computer fails and no > > one can figure it out without another computer to test the fauty computer. > > An experienced tech would probably tell you what's wrong with either E30 > or E36+ HVAC by just looking at it. > Alas, those are getting very rare at the dealership. > > > I'm all in favor of tech advances, I just don't see the point. > > The point is climate control. > And yes, it is more complex and inherently less reliable. $300 for the > HVAC controller and god know how much for all flap motors. > Wonderful when it works, mucho dinero when it doesn't. > > > I like my simple, albiet somewhat ancient, E30. Three levers. Each one > > controls the air going to one of three sets of vents. Set each for as > > much or as little as you want. Two AC switches - one for on/off, one > > for recirc. One temp knob. One fan speed knob with four settings. > > That's it. No computer, none needed. I'm perfectly happy with it. > > Scott, > You are forgetting to point out that the recirculation flap is a). flaky > and electrically operated; b). never seals properly. > There are only 4 speed settings (not enough, little too much, way too > much, unbearably noisy). > In the summer the car is always either too hot or too warm requiring > constant air flow/temp dial/AC on/off adjustments. > Same in the winter. > > > What would a computer give me that I don't already have? > > Climate control. > > > Not happiness. > > Yeah baby, I'm all for typewriters as well! ;-) > > Seriously, I would agree that computers introduce complexity and reduce > reliability. > But they also make life so much more fun. > On my car they only thing I'm still futzing with is the air flow selector > to keep the cold air from my hands until the engine warms up. Almost > perfect. > I can't remember the last time I futzed with the HVAC settings on my > wife's car. It's always perfect. > > IMHO, > alex f > ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Mar 2003 19:58:34 -0800 From: Mark Dadgar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Re: [CR] Play in quick-release steering wheel? Michael Gilbert at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > I just installed a quick release hub / momo steering wheel and there's a > significant amount of play between the wheel and the hub when fully > attached. The play is about 1 mm in and out (longitudinally) and about > 1/5th of a mm radially (turning the wheel). > > Is this standard for a quick-release hub? Does anyone have a quick release > hub with no play? I had thought that the hub would feel just like a solid > steering wheel once it was on but it has too much slop for my taste. Has > anyone tried the sparco quick release hub? how is it? That's a sign of a fairly cheap hub, in my experience. I tried a low-end unit and hated it. Then I ponied up for a SmartRacing detachable hub (about $220) and there's NO play in it whatsoever. It's a great piece of gear - easily worth the money, in my opinion. <http://smartcamber.com/ProdCat/Driver%20Comforts/Driver%20Comforts.htm> - - Mark - -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2003 20:04:37 -0800 From: "Joe Elwell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] WAS inexpensive helmets, NOW roll bars and harnesses The rollovers I've seen (without bar/cage) have all involved a fair amount of roof movement - enough so that someone constrained in a harness could be injured by it. The thought of that particular injury gives me the creeps. I'm with Mark on this one. - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mark Dadgar" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "BMW List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2003 6:44 PM Subject: Re: [uuc] WAS inexpensive helmets, NOW roll bars and harnesses > Dennis Liu at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > I based my own conclusion on the following observations. Nearly every > > single collision I've witnessed at the track, or that my friends have > > witnessed, in the DE environment, has involved hitting something (wall, > > armco, guardrail, mound, car), sometimes with multiple impacts, but never > > with a roll over. Do rollovers happen? Of course they do, even at the > > track. Do rollovers happen that cause a roof to collapse completely? Yes, > > of course. But not NEARLY as often as impacts without rollovers. > > I just saw a rollover at Thunderhill last Wednesday. The driver literally > walked away from it because her Spec Miata's roll cage includes a main hoop, > which is what a roll bar really is. > > Without the rollover protection, she'd have been screwed. > > The last E36 I saw roll over at the track had this fascinating new > post-rollover feature where the roof on the passenger side of the car was > touching the roll bar. > > Thanks, but I'll take belts and a bar or stock belts and no bar. You can do > what you want. > > - Mark > -- > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2003 23:07:07 -0500 From: "KMS - Brett Anderson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] BMWs Getting Too Complicated (was <E34> Problem witha/c) Mark, Why get frustrated by doing all the stuff you don't have to do? What temp do you want your interior? 70F? Set it at 70F and leave it alone. When you first start the car, cranking the temp to 90 won't help, because the coolant is cold. As the engine warms up, the interior air will warm up. When the system gets to your desired temp, it will throttle back. Setting it to max is something you do when you get into an already warmed up vehicle, with blue fingers, toes and nose. - ----------------------------------------------------- BMW Special Tool Rentals Pay per incident tech support - ----------------------------------------------------- Brett Anderson KMS (440) 338 1650 www.koalamotorsport.com OSS committee member - ----- Original Message ----- From: "M Kittock" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > My '96 E36 has the same climate control as the later E36s and, while maybe > I don't hate it, I get very frustrated with it. My frame of reference is > the climate in Minnesota. In the winter, I start off setting the temp at > max, as the engine warms up the fan speeds up and the interior warms up. > Then I need to tap the fan speed down, then the temp down (two buttons)to > say, 68F. The next day it all starts over again. In the summer I leave > the temp at 60F, turn on the A/C as required, and adjusting the fan speed > as required. So, for me it is not a set and forget - I am frequently > fiddling. And the buttons are an ergonomic nightmare - the rotary knobs > are much easier to set to the desired point without taking eyes off of the > road. > Anyway, I don't see much improvement over manual control - plus I too had > to replace the A/C board last year for $300+ ! > Mark Kittock ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Mar 2003 23:09:23 -0500 From: ben keyes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Play in quick-release steering wheel? Michael Gilbert wrote: > Has anyone tried the sparco quick release hub? how is it? I have not installed my Sparco QR hub yet, but it loose in my hands it does not appear to have any free-play in it at all. it's similar in cost to the one that Mark provided the link to IIRC. Ben ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2003 20:17:08 -0800 (PST) From: Tammer Farid <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] <OT> Bentley/Rolls (was Lightnings ...) Who needs an encyclopedia? We've got Ben! The new Automobile mag says VW plans on selling 10k Bentleys this year. While that's still not high-volume, I wonder what affect a 1000% increase in sales will have on the name's cache'. tammer f. - --- ben keyes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Roll Royce used to be one big company which included > Bentley, Rolls cars > and also Roll Royce airplane turbine engines. then the > automotive & aero > parts were split. BMW bought (or took a controlling > interest) in the aero > business (Rolls Royce built the Vanos units for the euro > 3.0l M3 engine). > Rolls Royce & Bentley cars ran modified versions of the > BMW 4.x liter > V8 for a while, but were not that popular with their > customers. then, a > a few years ago (3-4, I forget) VW & BMW got into a > bidding war/ > standoff over who was going to to buy the Bentley & Rolls > Royce car > making operations. VW won the prize, but BMW pulled a > fast one > & got the rights to the Rolls _name_ but not the cars, > so they > spent several years (3 IIRC) putting together the new > giant Rolls Royce > that they introduced at the Detroit auto show this past > January. > > > > Ben > __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more http://taxes.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ End of [uucdigest] V3 #6182 *************************** | | In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of the BMW CCA. |________________________________________ | Please visit these UUC-approved BMW parts vendors/service providers: | (listed alphabetically) | | Autoscope-Motorsports - http://www.autoscope-motorsports.com | |==================================================== | | Koala MotorSport . 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