[uucdigest] Thursday, July 24 2003 Volume 03 : Number 6598
_________________________________________________________________ | | 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] Free CarFax reports [uuc] E30 exhaust recommendation Re: [uuc] window tinting [none] RE: [uuc] Re: Carfax Re: [uuc] [e34] My headlights melted. [uuc] Failed window regulators? RE: [uuc] [e34] My headlights melted. Re: [uuc] Carfax/Brett Anderson/Professionalism RE: [uuc] Re: Carfax ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 05:37:42 -0700 (PDT) From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [uuc] Free CarFax reports There were a couple requests on the list for CarFax reports...this news website is offering free reports (until July 31st): http://beta.kpix.com/xtra/focus/shopping/used_cars.html They direct you to use this link: http://www.carfax.com/cfm/promo.cfm?name=kpixonly Enjoy! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 08:59:23 -0400 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [uuc] E30 exhaust recommendation Just looking for a good exhaust system without spending Supersprint money on my eta. (places to buy?) Doing my guibo/center support bearing/exhuast. Anything else that falls under the "while you're in there" category? ...given the banality of my question, please reply to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks (as always) Dave 84 ETA.....love it. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 08:06:19 -0500 From: "Ben White" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] window tinting Stan, You are correct. I was under the mistaken impression that FMVSS#205 included tinting standards. Many states do, as you pointed out have tint standards. I think that your impression with respect to enforcement is also, sadly I add, correct. I suspect that from the enforcement standpoint, this like so many laws and regulations is an excellent example of those instituted to make someone feel good or go away. Best, Ben White/Ocean Springs, MS - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stan Jackson Jr." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, July 23, 2003 10:54 AM Subject: Re: [uuc] window tinting <snip> I am completely unaware of any NHSTA regulations regarding tint. I > believe it is simply state law that rules. If there are any federal > regulations, I doubt anyone enforces them. > ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 13:54:41 +0000 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [none] Mike, All the stuff you replaced at 20K is certainly due again. If you kept the 325 control arms (I can't tell for sure from your message), then the ball joints can be replaced on the existing control arms. You can also put 95 M3 control arms, which have higher performance ball joints, but they aren't individually replaceable. The rear symptoms are indeed indicative of TA bushings gone away. There is no difference for M versus non M cars, they all use the same part. I would also recommend looking into the Ground control TA bushing reinforcement disks (aboub $60). They make a noticable improvement. Hope this helps, Rob Norwalk 93 325 01 330 Mike wrote.. Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2003 22:18:17 -0700 From: "Clan Hood-Douda" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] e36 front ball joints and rear control arm bushings Our '95 325i has about 120K miles on the clock and I'm just now thinking that the front ball joints are at their service life, as well as rear control arm bushings. At about 20K miles I replaced the stock sport package suspension with H&R... I've been noticing a bounce effect when transitioning across joints in the tarmac on city streets, where the rear seems to step out a bit when it unsettles. Is this a sign of worn rear control arm bushings? The front and rear shocks are still nice and firm, and the H&R springs are in good shape. Should I embark on this preventative maintenance program, is there an upgrade opportunity here? Like M3 rear control arm bushings or front lower control arms and ball joints? Thanks for any advice, ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 10:01:41 -0400 From: "Robinson, Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] Re: Carfax > > Anyone ever really found any useful information from a Carfax report > they couldn't determine from looking at the car? I know in my state > they pick up absolutely nothing that isn't on the title. To expect > major accident repairs to come up on Carfax is a fantasy as nothing > gets reported unless the car is totalled and resold as salvage in > most states. My Toyota pickup was totalled after I hit a deer and I > purchased the salvage. It sat for five years until I pieced it back > together with non-Toyota (affordable) new parts. I still held the > original title and simply paid a new registration fee. There's > nothing anywhere to alert any subsequent purchaser to the deer > encounter my truck went through. Carfax did help me track down what my M3 went through (damn shady BMW dealers). In the case of Kelly's 323is it revealed 2 minor accidents in 'Bama. > > I think dealers use them like they do Blue Book values; to bolster > the confidence of the buying public who assume a clean Carfax means a > clean car, and that retail prices under the inflated values in Blue > Book are somehow a good deal. It's just not so. I have to agree here. I think it was started in a noble fashion, but has now become the "be all, end all" in car buying. You can't imagine how many people I know who will look at a car without having it inspected because "carfax said it was ok". In the case of the above mentioned 323, a lot of people missed out on a great car because the Alabama state partol sends info to carfax. The two accidents that came up were right side to curb & right side to street sign (damn women drivers--ducking & running). Minor incidents at best. I knew the fender had been replaced due to the DOT sticker. People are still amazed....you bought a car Carfax said was wrecked? > > YMMV. > > -Phil Marx Lee ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 07:27:57 -0700 (PDT) From: Jonathan Brush <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] [e34] My headlights melted. "JS Nord" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> sez: "Many folks have reported good results with the US ellipsoids and a modified 9005 bulb. http://www.bmwe34.net/E34main/Upgrade/More_light.htm"; I second this opinion, have used the 9005 Sylvanias for about 2 years and people actually comment about my car (92 535i) having good headlights. Before anyone comments on an anomoly, the 92 came with really P**S POOR non-ellipsoids which I replaced with ellipsoids from a 95 540. Talk about poor headlights, those were the worst since my 59 VW bug with the 6 volt system. What was BMW thinking when they put those kerosene lamps on their upscale cars? And to make matters worse, they designed their own mounting system so you can't even fit Cibie's in there. Maybe they were thinking ahead to HID's and wanted to make the contrast even more noticeable? Jon PS I *really* appreciate the technical advice of pro and non pro list members. Keep it up, Kirk. Also, the level of discourse on this list is so much better than the usual drivel on the internet and no one posts about putting lighted valve stems on their phat rides. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free, easy-to-use web site design software http://sitebuilder.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 07:39:03 -0700 From: "Chris Marino" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Failed window regulators? Group, My M6 has a problem when you roll the window up/down it grinds/slows down for a second before resuming normal operation. I've had the door taken apart and shown that the regulator has failed because there is this huge rivet in the center of the regulator arms which has, over the last 15 years, under the weight of the glass, begun to come loose. Anyone else seen this/experienced this? Chris 88 M6 89 M3 http://www.inlacal.com 01 X5 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 09:46:42 -0500 From: "Malcolm Reitz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] [e34] My headlights melted. [MMR] >PS I *really* appreciate the technical advice of pro [MMR] >and non pro list members. Keep it up, Kirk. Also, the [MMR] >level of discourse on this list is so much better than [MMR] >the usual drivel on the internet and no one posts [MMR] >about putting lighted valve stems on their phat rides. And I was just about to ask if purple valve stem lights would look good on the M5 and or should they match the neon blue color of the windshield washer jets... Malcolm '88 M5 '98 328i ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 10:50:05 -0400 From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Carfax/Brett Anderson/Professionalism Great to hear you are still with us Kirk! Some us need all the help we can get, and it's never good to lose a resource. I hope all of us appreciate the help we receive on this type of forum, I know I do. We all have bad days, I have had quite a few lately. Last week: M3 overheated, A/C went out at home, found out I need a new A/C AND gas furnance! When it rains it pours! Thanks to Brett's help this past week, I got my M3 running again, after the dreaded water pump/overheat failure last week. I actually had a DOA thermostat, and with Brett's advice I was able to isolate it. $30 later for a 2nd new stat from the dealer, and my baby is back to normal, with no obvious signs of head damage. Rick in ATL BMWCCA 135481 >Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 08:37:11 -0400 >From: "Eurowerks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Re: [uuc] Carfax/Brett Anderson/Professionalism >Apologies to all! This was not personal to anyone. I have no right to >waste the bandwidth of this forum with my rantings. I assure you all that >this will not happen again. >I have too much time and money invested in this career to lose interest and >stop altogether. I owe you all. Thanks to everyone for the kind words and >to the moderators for even letting that one through. Any help that I can >give, I will do so freely. >"Just one of those days" >Kirk A. Gilchrist ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 09:50:43 -0500 From: Dennis Wynne <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] Re: Carfax I would never buy a used car without seeing a CarFax report on it first. That said, I sure wouldn't buy a car w/o additional inspection just because it had a clean CarFax report. If there was something "bad" on the report that could be explained and the other inspections came up OK then I MIGHT buy it anyway. I would have to get a great deal and be planning on keeping the car for a while. Like your "permanent record" from school, the black marks on the CarFax report will follow you everywhere. You get ready to sell the car and folks will walk away just based on the CarFax report, dealers won't trade with you, etc. So the "deal" you get now better be a good one :-) One other thing to note: Some of the after-market extended warranty companies report to CarFax. The last time I had a CarFax account I checked on my old Miata and it LOOKED like it had a sad history after I sold it. Motor work, etc listed on the report. Then I checked my boss' 5 series - it had the same kind of notes on the report. Nothing wrong with his car (that was not fixed by the dealer under the extended warranty) - but it sure made his car appear in a bad light. Most cars would just have entries for yearly inspections and when they are sold, his (and my old Miata) had notes about "cooling system" and "engine", etc. So if you see these on a report I wouldn't let that scare you off. "Cooling system" could be a cracked overflow tank had to be replaced - that kind of thing. The owner should have documentation of what was repaired, why, and who did the work. If they don't, then I might look for another car. Dennis 330i At 10:01 AM 7/24/03 -0400, you wrote: >Carfax did help me track down what my M3 went through (damn shady BMW >dealers). In the case of Kelly's 323is it revealed 2 minor accidents in >'Bama. > > > > > I think dealers use them like they do Blue Book values; to bolster > > the confidence of the buying public who assume a clean Carfax means a > > clean car, and that retail prices under the inflated values in Blue > > Book are somehow a good deal. It's just not so. > >I have to agree here. I think it was started in a noble fashion, but has >now become the "be all, end all" in car buying. You can't imagine how many >people I know who will look at a car without having it inspected because >"carfax said it was ok". > >In the case of the above mentioned 323, a lot of people missed out on a >great car because the Alabama state partol sends info to carfax. The two >accidents that came up were right side to curb & right side to street sign >(damn women drivers--ducking & running). Minor incidents at best. I knew >the fender had been replaced due to the DOT sticker. People are still >amazed....you bought a car Carfax said was wrecked? > > > > > YMMV. > > > > -Phil Marx > >Lee ------------------------------ End of [uucdigest] V3 #6598 *************************** | | 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! | |==================================================== | Turner Motorsport Inc . The Ultra-High Performance BMW Specialist | 207 Elm Street, Amesbury, MA 01950 | 978-388-7769 / fax 978-388-4202 | http://www.turnermotorsport.com | |==================================================== | | UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning | and home of the Ultimate Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! | 908-874-9092 . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com |__________________________________________________________
