[uucdigest] Thursday, April 3 2003 Volume 03 : Number 6278
_________________________________________________________________ | | 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] Re: Questions about adjustable shocks Re: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit RE: [uuc] Funny Fan Re: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit/lifetime fluids Re: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit Re: [uuc] Strut Mounts Re: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit Re: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit RE: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit [uuc] <OT> Brake fluid flushing, domestic auto mfrs. RE: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit/lifetime fluids RE: [uuc] Re: Questions about adjustable shocks ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 03 Apr 2003 16:01:09 -0500 From: Neil Maller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Re: Questions about adjustable shocks on 4/3/03 3:41 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > BTW, where is the adjuster on those new externally adjustble rear SAs? Top > of bottom? It's just like the Koni front strut cartridge insert - the adjuster comes up inside the main shock shaft and ends with a pair of flats on the top end above the main nut. Too bad it's not a simple external knob on the shock body like the Koni SA I helped a friend install on his Z06. They're even easier to adjust. Neil 96 M3 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 16:02:04 -0500 From: "mike" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robinson, Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Lee->maybe someday we'll just all buy cars where the hoods are welded > shut......when your car breaks, time for a new one Boy, BMW sure would have had to make lots and lots of E-30 M3s if that had been the case, bhwhhahahahaha. Ducking Mike ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 12:56:24 -0800 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [uuc] Funny Fan Ping, do the school, your opportunities for driving schools are limited. The fan can wait. Not a safety factor, don't sweat it. (Hmmm, did I just pun?) Scott Miller GGC BMW CCA >Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2003 11:49:44 -0800 >From: "Gordo, Ping" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: RE: [uuc] Funny Fan > >NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Don't say that, Alex! Are you sure? I just forked >out $500 for a new water pump, resistor pack and thermostat! That hurts. > >The radio just lost it's display also, maybe I need a new one too, eh? >Got to break the piggy bank now. There goes the school this weekend at >Buttonwillow. Be wrenching this weekend instead. Oh well. 122K, I guess >that's expected. > >Thanks. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 15:04:19 -0600 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit/lifetime fluids Eurowerks <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > With the newer trannies accepting only "factory" synthetic fluids, > this makes flushing (not changing and diluting) the transmission not > very cost effective. Kirk, You have way more experience with this than I do, but IMHO the "factory-only" fluids mandate is highly questionable. I had spoken with a few independents in our area and their advise is either to dilute the OE fluid with dyno ATF and flush it every 15K mile or use RedLine's synthetic D4ATF and keep flushing 1/2 of the fluid every 30K miles. I found a high end independent shop that stocks barrels of Shell's magic BMW branded lifetime tranny fluid. They put it into the trannies of their BMW/MB customers whom they do not expect to see on regular intervals. The rest get regular ATF (or RedLine by special request). No failures as of yet, though the milage on most 'lifetime' fluid trannies is still in low triple digits. alex f ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 16:10:32 -0500 From: "mike" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit I must have known her sister in college. She was hot though! Chick gets a new maxima for college. After about 2 years, it dies on her. She calls MY apartment at 3 am to come get her. This really bothered me as I was not experiencing any benefits to justify getting up at 3am to go get her. Anyway, I do, look at the car, pull the dipstick the next day checking it out, BURNT like a crispy piece of bacon, haha. Tell her there is no oil, she just gives me that same look as I had just handed her a Organic chemsitry test or something. "what is that?" I am not kidding, true story, I probably would not believe it unless I personally knew her. She had no clue about servicing a vehicle, nobody never told her etc. So, it gets towed away and she gets a Tahoe for her stupidity. I got huge bonus points for helping, and I helped to check her oil several times thereafter. Mike - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robinson, Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 3:31 PM Subject: RE: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit > I had a friend who had this stupid fiancee. ....this is great...."the salesman told me this car would go > 100,000 miles between tune-ups". ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 16:12:03 -0500 From: "mike" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Strut Mounts I wasnt going to say anything about them being crystal, I was just wondering how often they talk to ya? Mike - ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: "Mendoza, Al" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 3:42 PM 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 15:11:59 -0600 From: "Ben White" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit - ----- Original Message ----- From: "mike" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit <you said in part> > Boy, BMW sure would have had to make lots and lots of E-30 M3s if that had > been the case, bhwhhahahahaha. Ducking > > Mike _______________ What about E46 M3s? Ben White/Ocean Springs, MS ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 13:17:32 -0800 From: steve lyon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit Another ignorant owner story... I had a friend in high school who bought a used Honda Civic. He decided one day to change his own oil, and was doing fine until he got to the part about filling the engine with new oil. He *FILLED* the engine. All the way to the top, oil level right up to the top of the valve cover. The unbelievable part is the car somehow started and drove for about a block before it quit. He blew out all the seals and had oil leaking/sprayed/dripping/puddling everywhere. I asked him how much he put in - he said something like 9 quarts. steve Robinson, Lee wrote: > I had a friend who had this stupid fiancee. <snip> ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 16:28:45 -0500 From: "Robinson, Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit Oh jeez, we're going into stupid college girls now.....I dunno if the UUC has enough bandwidth for that???? Ducking & running in a serpentine fashion.... Lee > -----Original Message----- > From: mike [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 4:11 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit > > > I must have known her sister in college. She was hot though! > > Chick gets a new maxima for college. After about 2 years, it > dies on her. > She calls MY apartment at 3 am to come get her. This really > bothered me as > I was not experiencing any benefits to justify getting up at > 3am to go get > her. Anyway, I do, look at the car, pull the dipstick the > next day checking > it out, BURNT like a crispy piece of bacon, haha. > > Tell her there is no oil, she just gives me that same look as > I had just > handed her a Organic chemsitry test or something. "what is that?" > > I am not kidding, true story, I probably would not believe it unless I > personally knew her. She had no clue about servicing a > vehicle, nobody > never told her etc. So, it gets towed away and she gets a > Tahoe for her > stupidity. I got huge bonus points for helping, and I > helped to check her > oil several times thereafter. > > Mike > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Robinson, Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 3:31 PM > Subject: RE: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit > > > > I had a friend who had this stupid fiancee. ....this is > great...."the > salesman told me this car would go > > 100,000 miles between tune-ups". > > ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 13:29:18 -0800 (PST) From: Jonathan Brush <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] <OT> Brake fluid flushing, domestic auto mfrs. "Gary Derian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> sez: "GM also has no specific brake fluid flush interval. Anecdotally, they discourage it on the basis that they expect their technicians to screw up something during the flush. After 10 years or so, the brake system needs everything replaced." Same thing with Chrysler. When I asked the dealer to flush the brake fluid (after 70K miles) on the minivan, as it was in there for a recall anyhow, I was told that "the factory does not specify any need for this". Then, when I said, "How about you do it anyway?" I was told, "We have no equipment to do it". That's when I knew it was past time to use an independent. How dumb can you get. Mebbe they figure the tranny will go soon anyway and it will be in the junkyard before the whole brake system corrodes to uselessness. Jon<----guess I could have told them how to get the shop gofer to pump the brakes while they bleed out the old fluid, but somehow I *knew* they would screw it up. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - File online, calculators, forms, and more http://tax.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2003 15:44:49 -0500 From: "Robinson, Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] Potential Dex-Cool Class-Action Suit/lifetime fluids I think it's these folks that consider cars finished at 100k that BMW & other companies are relying on. Kelly's dad was really surprised that I would recommend a 323is with 93k miles on it. In his eye, a car is dead after that. But, it's the first owners who, in general, drive the market. Let's say you're Joe/Jane Average consumer with 40 large to buy a new car. You want a 3 series. BMW wants you to keep buying/leasing (even better) 3 series. How to do this? For one, cut the number of trips to the dealer down by using "lifetime" fluids & 100k plugs, minimizing the need for tune-ups. Besides, what's the chance they're really going to keep the car long enough to start experiencing problems from this anyway? Good business strategy, bad for the folks who thinks a BMW's life starts at 100k. Look at all the guys on this list with BMW's at 100, 150, 200, 300k miles with the original drivelines in them.....My 88 M3 has 144k miles on the original drivetrain, & it runs like a champ.....we'll see how many E46 M3's are like that in 15 years..... I wonder if other world markets are dumbing down cars this much. I think not. Lee ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 Apr 2003 13:42:34 -0800 From: "J. Ochi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] Re: Questions about adjustable shocks Gee - I just put a 3/8" drive hex key socket on a breaker bar, then put the bar on the floor. Stand on the handle, put the shaft on the hex key, compress and turn away. Piece of cake. Jim Ochi At 12:53 PM 4/3/2003 -0800, Marco Romani wrote: >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 #6278 *************************** | | 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 |__________________________________________
