[uucdigest] Thursday, April 3 2003 Volume 03 : Number 6277
_________________________________________________________________ | | 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: Re: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit/lifetime fluids Re: [uuc] Strut Mounts RE: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit RE: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit Re: [uuc] iX motor Re: [uuc] Strut Mounts Re: [uuc] Re: Questions about adjustable shocks RE: [uuc] Re: Questions about adjustable shocks ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 13:05:28 -0500 From: "Eurowerks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit/lifetime fluids As to the "lifetime" fluids that BMW and others are using, isn't "lifetime" in the eye of the beholder? I know several of my clients that consider a car "finished" at three years old. I also know of people that expect their cars to last for their lifetime, which is who knows how long. Automatic transmissions are designed to slip between gears, causing wear with each gear change. None of "US" actually believe that there is a lifetime fluid do we? We all know better, or should. Regardless of what the manufacturers are saying, no such thing! I have seen several cars approaching 100K and a few that have a few more miles than that, that the fluid was black as diesel oil, with a very grainy texture! When the trans pans were pulled, it looked like a mud/sludge buildup of over 3/4 of an inch in the bottom of the trans. pan. With the newer trannies accepting only "factory" synthetic fluids, this makes flushing (not changing and diluting) the transmission not very cost effective. The last BMW and MB trans. flushes that we performed were in the neighborhood of $425.00 for the 20 quarts of fluid that is necessary to completely flush and top-off the trans. level, and the filter kits, and the labor. (labor only about 90.00 of which) Kirk A. Gilchrist EURO-WERKS / Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volvo Service and Repair 8 South Highland St. / Winchester, KY 40391 / 859-745-0125 [EMAIL PROTECTED] / 888-522-0271 toll free ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 14:31:53 -0600 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [uuc] Strut Mounts "Mendoza, Al" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > The time has come to replace all for struts however, I don't know > how to tell if the strut mounts requires replacement as well. Your > advice and suggestions will be appreciated. The car an '88, E32, > 735i with 129k on the clock. Thanks. Al, My crystal balls says that your rear shock mounts (RSMs) are shot (replace with ground-control.com ones) and that the front camber plates should still be fine. There is a small possibility that your front camber plate bearings are heading south. The only way to tell for sure it to remove the spring and spin them around. If you hear any grinding or notchy resistance, they've had it. HTH, alex f ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 15:17:40 -0500 From: "Robinson, Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit Recently, we (well, not me) had Steve Dinan come do a seminar in Atlanta. He was talking to some extent about this. He was more referring to all the automated timing & mixture, etc adjustments cars do now. I guess the idea is that while one tech may be very good at adjusting a car, the guy in the next bay would be an idiot. It was all of these adjustments that apparently let cars run like crap.....so why not just automate those guys out of the equation (we here at Siemens do the same thing with factories & power plants). According to him (not my opinion--just restating), if BMW thinks they have a car with a major internal problem, they will drop a new motor in the car & send the old one back to Germany for rebuilding (actually, I can see the Germans doing this). The idea being that there are very few guys who could really rebuild an engine. Maybe it doesn't make quite the ultimate peak performance that a really skilled tech could do, but it increases drivability across the board. Maybe not the worst thing....I know that some of the common problems with E30 M3's are the lack of people who can really work on these cars well (specifically, the S14). I bet you could count the guys in the US who can properly set an S14 up.....do a valve adjustment, base idle adjustment, base CO adjustment, etc....on one hand. But the motors, when properly tuned, start to approach the 100hp/liter mark. I imagine the S38 is the same way. But how many people who pay $40-80 for an M3 or M5 want to have to deal with that? A very small number of us whackos..... BTW, after seeing the guys at the Saab dealer, maybe I will flush my own brakes. I had a huge fight with a service writer. He wanted me to buy a new oil pan because it was damaged.....when I went to change the oil, the plug was in soooo tight, I had to use a breaker bar with a 3' pipe to break it loose. Aluminum pan....can't be. The torque spec for my M3's drain plug (same set-up steel bolt-aluminum pan) is 24ft-lbs! Plus they rounded the plug. I put everything back like it should be. He told me I did it, while I could see his gorilla over his shoulder using an impact gun to run a drain plug into someone else's car!!!! I won. Lee->maybe someday we'll just all buy cars where the hoods are welded shut......when your car breaks, time for a new one ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 15:31:10 -0500 From: "Robinson, Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit I had a friend who had this stupid fiancee. She leased this Mazda Millenia. 3/36k lease. After 2 years & 87,000 miles she called him broken down on the side of the road. Apparently, the oil light came on & then the car died about 2 days later. He checked the oil....nothing. Asked when she last had the oil changed....this is great...."the salesman told me this car would go 100,000 miles between tune-ups". I find it amazing how little most people actually know & understand about cars. Even engineers I work with. Had a colleague tell me his Accord was running like crap, no real pick-up & hard shifting. He was convinced he needed a new tranny. Been 50k since a fluid change....I suggested that. No new tranny in that car. This was from a mechanical engineer!!!! One who takes care of not-that-different system in steel mills & processing lines. Lee->not an expert, but at least I have a concept of how that stuff works & can even fix it in a lot of cases.... > -----Original Message----- > From: mike [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 2:23 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit > > > But Alex, > > How would you feel buying a car, the maker TELLS you that is > recommended to > leave it for 100k miles. AND you know nothing about cars. > > I think that changes the point. It is FALSE advertising > regardless of how > good the product is if it DOESNT achieve the claimed. > > I am just waiting for a few more years to see how well the > Lifetime fluid > trannies etc hold up in BMWs. Wonder what lawsuit is going > to challenge > the meaning of Lifetime. > > You could put water in a trans and claim it is lifetime > fluid, as the tranny > will fail so its life is over, haha. > > Mike > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: "UUC Digest" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 1:59 PM > Subject: Re: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit > > > > "Brian Daley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Considering the recent discussion of a possible link > between coolant PH > > > and plastic radiator neck failure I thought folks might > be interested in > > > > > the following: > > > http://www.bigclassaction.com/class_action/dexcool.html > > > > Brian, > > I'm not sure what point you are trying to make. > > DexCool is an excellent coolant. Sulfate and silicate free > and with a low > pH level of 8.3. > > The coolant should be flushed every 2-3 years regardless of > what some > > sales/marketing monkey might be blabbering. > > IMHO, anyone who believes that coolant should be left alone > for 5+ years > > and 100+K miles fully deserves what's coming. > > > > > Brian Daley > > > 94 325ic (with Dex-Cool that's gonna get changed long > before 100K miles) > > > > Same here. > > > > alex f > > '95 M3 and '98 328i both filled with DexCool as well as a > mixture of Mobil > > 1 and RedLine lubes > > > ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 12:35:55 -0800 (PST) From: James Muskopf <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] iX motor BTW--In case anyone was wondering, NO, the iX engine does not fit a 2WD E30. > Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 11:50:49 -0800 (PST) > From: Vince Leo <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [uuc] iX motor > > I have a friend on Rochester, NY that just had his iX rear-ended > causing a boat load of damage. I think he wants to sell it. He > just had the motor re-built (literally a few thousand miles) so if > you need another motor, this may be the ticket??? > I can get you his e-mail. > Vince __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - File online, calculators, forms, and more http://tax.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 14:42:57 -0600 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [uuc] Strut Mounts Alexander V. Fadeev/EMPL/TX/[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > "Mendoza, Al" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > The time has come to replace all for struts however, I don't know > > how to tell if the strut mounts requires replacement as well. Your > > advice and suggestions will be appreciated. The car an '88, E32, > > 735i with 129k on the clock. Thanks. > > Al, > My crystal balls says that your rear shock mounts (RSMs) are shot (replace ^ That should have read "crystal ball". Don't event go there you perverts... alex ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 14:41:50 -0600 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [uuc] Re: Questions about adjustable shocks "Neil Maller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > on 4/3/03 2:33 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] at [EMAIL PROTECTED] > wrote: > > > BTDT and could not disagree MORE. > > Read comments within. > > > No need to remove the RSM. Just the unscrew the brace from inside > > the rear wheel well and take the shock out with the RSM still > > attached. > > If you had not cut the rear bump stop, it may be necessary to remove > > the center of the GC RSM to get the long bump stop out of the way. > > Alex, > > If you can compress the shock enough to engage the internal adjustment > mechanism without first removing the foam bump stops, then by > definition your bump stop is serving no purpose. > Conversely, if you do have functioning foam bump stops, it is necessary > first to separate the RSM from the shock in order to remove the bump stop. Neil, You are obviously right. You've also outed my trigger happy rear bump stop cutting binge. Well, at least on one side I did. Guess on which side SAs were easier to adjust ;-) If you bump stops are still functional, they will need to come off. > On all the other points I defer to your apparent experience, hitherto > quite unsuspected by me, as a former OB-GYN and Sumo wrestler. <g> Make that amateur OB-GYN ;-) > > I had gotten the process down to a 5 step 5-10 minute per side > > process until I got bored with the adjustments and left them > > alone. The shock adjustment novelty took all of 2-4 months to > > wear off. > > Exactly. Most people come to think of the normal Koni SA rears as > "pre-settable" rather than "adjustable." Agreed. Same goes for the 'adjustable' camber plates and 'adjustable' ride height coil over suspension kits. > However now that there's a reasonably priced externally adjustable > version, we all can have the opportunity to screw up our suspension > settings much more easily. Good point. BTW, where is the adjuster on those new externally adjustble rear SAs? Top of bottom? alex f ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 12:53:34 -0800 From: "Marco Romani" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] Re: Questions about adjustable shocks Must be the 30lbs you have on me ;-) I don't see how you can turn the shaft when you have it jammed into the ground. I need an allen key to turn mine. Marco > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 11:34 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Cc: Marco Romani; Scott Brown; Neil Maller > Subject: RE: [uuc] Re: Questions about adjustable shocks > > > "Marco Romani" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > That was classic and sadly too true. > > > > BTDT > > BTDT and could not disagree MORE. > Read comments within. > > alex f > > > > Neil Maller wrote: > > > on 4/3/03 12:10 AM, "Scott Brown" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > I am thinking of going to aftermarket shocks and was thinking about > > > > the adjustable Konis. I don't think I want to lower my car much > > > > more than it is now with the sport suspension. Are the Konis that > > > > easy to adjust without tools or jacking up the car? > > > > > > Bwahahaha! > > > > > > Oh, sorry. You've obviously never tried to adjust Koni SA rears. > > > Whereas the fronts have a simple adjustment stem at the top, the rear > > > adjuster is an internal dog clutch. > > > > > > Here's the exact procedure: > > > 1) With the shock off the car, disassemble the RSM and remove the > > > bump stop. > > With GroundControl RSMs, shock removal is a 3 minute process (including > jacking up the rear). > No need to remove the RSM. Just the unscrew the brace from inside > the rear > wheel well and take the shock out with the RSM still attached. > If you had not cut the rear bump stop, it may be necessary to remove the > center of the GC RSM to get the long bump stop out of the way. Quick > zip-zip with 80 ft/# napOn portable impact gun (same one you use to swap > the wheels) makes this a 15 second exercise. > > > 2) Brace the shock's eye against the floor and fully compress. > > 3) Go to Emergency Room to have 10mm hole in your hand from pointed end > > of shock shaft repaired. > > 4) Once you get back, wipe blood off shock and reassemble RSM to use as > > handle. > > 5) Repeat step 2, this time avoiding severe bodily injury. > > Try fliping the shock upside down and pushing on the fat bottom cartridge. > Makes steps 2-4 unnecesary. > > > 6) While maintaining about a zillion pounds of pressure to keep the > > shock compressed against its internal gas pressure, rotate the shock's > > shaft with respect to the body using a delicate touch, until you feel > > the internal dog engage. (Previous experience as an OB-GYN helpful.) > > I don't remember it being that difficult. > And I used to adjust them many times/autoX until the novelty wore off, I > set them to 1/2 turn from full stiff (H&R stage 4 springs in the > back) and > left them alone. > > > 7) Keep the shock compressed, and rotate the shaft in your choice of > > direction until the end stop is reached. Don't force. > > 8) Back off the shaft to the desired angular setting. No, there are > > no clicks. Why yes, you do still need to hold compression. Feeling > > the strain yet? (Previous experience as a Sumo wrestler helpful.) > ------------------------------ End of [uucdigest] V3 #6277 *************************** | | 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 . 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 |__________________________________________
