[uucdigest] Wednesday, July 9 2003 Volume 03 : Number 6554
_________________________________________________________________ | | 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] X5 won us over in the end. RE: [uuc] Dyno Results for M50 2.5 Re: [uuc] Re: Any experience with TSW wheels? Re: dealer surveys - was RE: [uuc] X5 won us over in the end. Re: dealer surveys - was RE: [uuc] X5 won us over in the end. [uuc] Overheated e36 [uuc] FX45/35 vs X5, etc. RE: dealer surveys - was RE: [uuc] X5 won us over in the end. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2003 22:49:20 +0100 From: "Andrew Thomas" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] X5 won us over in the end. Eric <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: "Make sure they are throwing in the floor mats for free. Mention that you know about 'The Call' you will get from BMW after the purchase, and a few freebies will make you more likely to give them all five's on the survey. That is, of course, if they deserve it. ;-)" I gave my dealer fours and fives as they made buying the car a pleasant, painless experience. However I did notice that having negotiated free mats (�22k for a modest two-litre sedan and �90 for the mats? No thanks), the final invoice presented to me on the day, in an envelope, included the mats, for �95. (The invoice was reissued due to a change in spec.) The blame was laid at BMW Finance GB - on whose letterhead the invoice was printed - for preparing the invoice incorrectly, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. The dealer hadn't noticed - or perhaps had, but ignored it. I slightly regret not nailing the dealer and letting themselves argue the toss. In the heady delights of taking the keys to a new car, things like this can often get overlooked, especially if the car already has a few extras and the whole invoice runs to a couple of pages or more. I happened to catch it, but I've bet BMW (in all its guises) has stung plenty of punters before me. Andy T ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2003 18:07:38 -0400 From: "Stephen Andersen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] Dyno Results for M50 2.5 >Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2003 11:53:46 -0400 >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: [uuc] Dyno Results for M50 2.5 > >Anyone have Dyno results for a 2.5L Single Vanos (M50), A/F results, etc. > >My 325Ti has been Dyno tested, and I'm looking for comparisons. > > >Phil My 1993 325is with 98,000 miles on it did the following last November prior to installing my "under development" twin-screw supercharger kit: 171.6 rwhp at 6000 rpm 157.5 rwtq at 4750 rpm This was with a UUC exhaust (the single silencer model), K&N cone intake with homemade heat shield, and a racing dynamics (autothority) chip. Testing was done on the Mustang Dyno at Cyntex in West Chester,PA. Ambient temp was around 55F with 90+ % humidity. Steve ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2003 15:18:30 -0700 From: "Paul M. Moriarty" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Re: Any experience with TSW wheels? I've already replied to Nick privately, but as my experience runs counter to what many have said about TSW wheels, I am replying to the list as well. I had a set of 17x8 Hock Rs on my E34 540i for 6 years and 50k mi and had no problems with bending, balancing, pitting, etc... They are heavy though. - - Paul - '88 M5 '73 02 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2003 19:17:53 -0400 From: "Michael Lawrence" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: dealer surveys - was RE: [uuc] X5 won us over in the end. In my opinion, if you felt that way about the salesman, you should have taken your business to another salesman or dealership. Since you accepted his faults and bought the car, I don't know what will happen by filling out the survey and putting him on the hot seat. Was he new to the job, just starting etc? I would not think it would take very long for someone to learn features of a car line they sell, as most are generic over the line and just being a car buff I know most info on just about every car available. I would think someone who does it for a living should atleast have knowledge of their product, so I would have been very hard on the person before the sale, demanding a knowledgeable person or atleast one who could find the info quickly. Now if they were new but nice, I would just take it for that and not say anything about it. On the other hand, I would rather peel my toe nails back than deal with a car salesman. I actually don't even blame the salesman's so much as the training they receive to act that way. There have been too many occasions where I was treated the same way for me to think the individual person was just being an ass, they were too rehearsed in the pitch, so I know they are taught to be that way by the management. I have dealt with many dealerships and salespersons since being able to afford cars. I can think of about 3 that were worthy of even remembering, the rest are at the lowest level of human scum on my scale of POS. It amazes me that the dealerships even manage to stay in business using such practices and people tolerate and BUY from these guys. Totally amazing. I would love to know how the public in general became duped by car dealerships into thinking that the 2nd largest purchase one usually makes in life, needed to be done on the first visit, in less than an hour, that day. I really wonder who was the first idiot to get talked into a car that easily so the dealerships learned to be high pressure, close now type places? I believe the principle of being nice, no pressure must work, as Saturn is still around and its not because of their product surely. Carmax seems to be doing ok, which I have strong opinions about too, haha. I personally still believe in the free market place, without fixed prices. It is fun to haggle, save a few bucks by being informed and straight up from the beginning. It is not fun to be insulted, waste 3 hrs to be told "well we understand if you cant afford the sticker price" etc etc. I have not bought a car from a dealer since 97, so I figured they must have improved in this PC type of mood we have been in for the last few years. Hahaha, boy was I wrong. Took a trip with the roommate to look at VWs, salesman was ok for the test drive, looking the car over etc, really seemed like a nice guy. The second we asked about price, it turned to "are you buying today" Uh, I don't think so as we just started shopping and are just getting a feel for the product. "well I cant go to my sales manager unless you are buying today" I just lost it and tore into this guy about what BS he was spewing. Didn't matter, if my roommate was not willing to sign a paper right then, he was not going to even discuss price. Thoughts of seeing how many teeth I could knock out before the cops got there were flying thru my mind at this point. We walk out of his office, look at a few cars in the showroom for color differences and this guy has the nerve to make fun of us to 3 other POS in the corner. So then I had thoughts of how many bones I could break in 3 people before I was subdued, haha. Granted, I know there are good dealers with good salespersons out there, but they are few and far between. And the sad part, the organization teaches its people to act that way, its not the salespersons bad attitude causing it, but pressure from the top. I really hope anyone on this list walks when treated that way, but I noticed at the same dealer we were getting treated like dirt, they had a show room full of folks looking and buying. Mike Sorry about the rant, but I despise organizations with that type of work model. - ----- Original Message ----- From: "paul t" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > speaking of surveys, my gf just bought a new 03 xterra > SE/SC about a month ago. (would have love to get a X5, > but not enough $$), and we were NOT pleased with our > sales person. he was a nice guy but he was *very* > unknowledgeable, ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2003 16:49:14 -0700 (PDT) From: Jason Knight <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: dealer surveys - was RE: [uuc] X5 won us over in the end. Think of it this way - you are doing the dealership a service by talking to the manager / dealer principal first and letting them take care of you. It should be one of their promary concerns that you be happy. Filling out the form negatively will not endear them to you. Not filling out the form does nothing, except maybe leave you irked for a longer amount of time. Jason - --- paul t <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > anyway, i did get the survey from nissan about a > week > later, and it's still sitting on my desk right now, > i'm debating on whether to fill it out or not > because > i still get pissed thinking about the salesman. but > after reading "...a few freebies will make you more > likely to give them all five's on the survey..." > maybe > i should give a call to the dealer letting them know > that i have the survey and was very disappointed > with > the salesman, what would you do for me to fill out > this survey to all perfect??? would this be wrong? > (blackmail?) especially since it's after the sale? > or > should i just not fill it out because they would not > like it if i fill that out with honest answers. what > would you guys do/have done? > > i know this is non-BMW related, but just thought i'd > see what you guys think since it's related topic. > > thanks > paul ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2003 19:51:26 -0400 From: "Rick Cardinal" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Overheated e36 My '95M3 67k miles, had it two months, overheated on the way home today. My ex-wife had several such failures in her '93 325i. My turn. I didn't notice the gauge all the way over, it's blocked my the wheel, until I had been on the highway for about 5 minutes. I pulled over, coolant was leaking/spraying thru the cap. Fan running, both hoses hot, so I assume the thermostat is not stuck closed. I let it sit for about an hour, (AAA said two hours to get a truck- rush hour Atlanta). When the gauge was back to 12 o'clock, I topped up the overflow to a little over the cold mark with water. Then I slowly got back on the highway to see how far I could get. Not far, within a minute, the temp went right back up again. It took me another two minutes or so to find a place to pull over, and right as I did, I heard a pop and I killed the motor. The driver's side radiator POS plastic hose connector broke. So, some advice folks. Hopefully I don't have any head damage, I realize it's a possibility. But what do you guys think caused this? The famous POS water pumps they put in these? I don't know if it has the newer style or not. But the mileage is right where this crap starts. So do I try to fix the radiator, or just get a new one? Damn thing looks new. Any suggestions much appreciated folks. thanks Rick in HOTlanta ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2003 21:38:37 -0400 (EDT) From: "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] FX45/35 vs X5, etc. I write: Actually, I drove both the FX35 and 45 back-to-back a few months ago. To me they were both thoroughly unimpressive and not worth the money. Might as well buy a Nissan Murano - which (no matter what the salesman tried to tell us) is basically the same vehicle. I know the platform's supposedly different, but try telling that on the road. The funniest thing was that we said we were comparing it to the X5 and the salesman wanted to drive the FX45 down to the local Bimmer dealer and tell the BMW salesman that we were comparing vehicles and he should let us do a side-by-side demo and he would show how the BMW would lose in every category. I almost took him up on it just to see the look on the BMW salesman's face when he said that to him. - - John S. Lee wrote: > I hear the FX45 is really the gem...pretty light on it's feet with 300+ hp. > I know these look a little strange, but I kinda like it. Then Ben wrote: actually the car magazine reviews that I've read say that the FX35 is really only marginally less desireable than the FX45. the 45 may have the larger motor & a bit (35) more hp, but it's also $10k more expensive and several hundred lbs heavier as well. and it's only marginally faster. _______________________________________________ Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com The most personalized portal on the Web! ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2003 22:40:06 -0400 From: "KMS - Brett Anderson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: dealer surveys - was RE: [uuc] X5 won us over in the end. Don't ask the dealer for any favours before filling out the survey. Simply get an appointment to see the Dealer Principal. Take the survey with you, and sit down with him and ask him "Can you h*lp me fill this out, because I have a issue with <list of what you didn't like>" This then puts it on him to make you happy. If he offers you goodies, then he's doing so without you being "the asshole that asked for them". When all is said and done, the survey is how the dealer gets feedback, and you really should fill it out honestly. There are comment lines, where you can explain your reason for whatever selection you make, so fill it out and give them the feedback they claim to want. Brett Anderson KMS ------------------------------ End of [uucdigest] V3 #6554 *************************** | | 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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