[uucdigest] Friday, July 25 2003 Volume 03 : Number 6602
_________________________________________________________________ | | 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] re: carfax RE: [uuc] <E46> Wanted: Used Control Arm Re: [uuc] 330iPP vs. Sport Package [uuc] 320i repair [uuc] <E30> Do I have a bad Evaporator Temperature Regulator? [uuc] <e36> Rear Camber Correction Arms & Rear Upper Strut Mounts Re: [uuc] <e36> Rear Camber Correction Arms & Rear Upper Strut Mounts Re: [uuc] 330iPP vs. Sport Package ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 22:14:40 -0500 From: Neil <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] re: carfax I just had to chime in here.... Just for run, I ran the VIN from my 325ix: WBAAE0300KED52163. It shows 1 owner (I'm the third), but 9 title changes, 4 of which are title issuances. It also shows no accidents. It's had two. One minor - mostly paintwork, and one major - total loss, which is how I got it (I bought it from the owners). It shows 89K at the last title transfer, on 3/9/01. The actual mileage then was 88k, and it was on 3/22/01 (purchase date was 3/5/01). It says that the car passed emissions inspection at 89k miles. We don't have emissions testing in Indiana. This is a good example of the irregularities one can get from Carfax, though I've never seen 4 on one title. I ran my other cars and they are mostly error free. Neil ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 23:25:32 -0400 From: "KMS - Brett Anderson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] <E46> Wanted: Used Control Arm Check your local dealer, they've probably got a stack 10ft high. BMW has long ago stopped requiring that the warranty replacements be returned, or do you want the latest style? Brett Anderson KMS > -----Original Message----- > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Gilbert Hoffman > I know someone has a set in the corner of their garage. Too busy > to bring it > to the junkyard, not willing to recycle or throw them out. Well > here's you > chance to get rid of one (or both.) What I am looking for is an undamaged > control arm from a non-M, non-Xi E46. Either side. Sloppy joints > OK. I'm not > offering any money, so if you're in the NY/NJ that would be great > for me to > come pick it up. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 21:10:02 -0400 From: "Gary Derian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] 330iPP vs. Sport Package Also measure the wire diameter and number of coils for the springs. Gary Derian > The BMW literature keeps talking about how the PP has "a more stiffened > sport suspension", but no one can tell me if it's any different than the > regular sport package set-up. I did some measurements and took some pics > today in the hopes that someone will be willing to compare these parts with > their sport suspension. > > The sway bars are approx. 24mm thick on the front and 18mm thick in the > rear. You can see a parts tag on the rear bar in this pic: > http://www.guagenti.com/330iPP/330iPP-Pages/Image10.html > > The front springs are marked with a red and white dot. The rear springs are > marked by 3 green dots. You can see pics of the front spring here: > http://www.guagenti.com/330iPP/330iPP-Pages/Image12.html > > The shocks are Sachs, with the front shock bearing the part number 2 282 > 459. I took a (bad) shot of the sticker: > http://www.guagenti.com/330iPP/330iPP-Pages/Image13.html > > If anyone can share what they know about the factory sport package (sizes, > spring rates, etc.), I'd appreciate it. I want to know what I'm starting > with before I make any mods. > > Thanks, > > -p > ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2003 00:12:13 -0400 From: "David A. Leonard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] 320i repair Steve Wrote"My son has found an 82 320i with ~125k miles that he wants to buy and I'm looking for advice..how easy to fix, intake off.. Steve, I skipped a generation in my BMWS, went 1602-2002-735i e32 and a 325ic e30, so I have never personally owned a 320i. The real question on this car is "do you guys want to fix up an old car". 125k isn't that many miles on a bimmer . 20 years is a long time though and usually the valve seals and valves have taken a long beating. All of the rubber is ooooold at this point too, stuff like the rubber on the drive shaft hangar, and the bearing there, the guibo, the brake caliper seals..maybe a cv boot or two Decent paint is at least $1000 if you care.. Can you wrench your own car? I mean like changing struts, drive shafts, cylinder heads etc, or do you have the bucks to throw at a pro? Do you like finishing long involved projects? Bimmers are extremely easy to work on and fix, as cars go I find them absolutely the easiest thing to twist wrenches on. If the body is straight and clean, and you want to fix up a car, the 320 i has lots of cheap parts available, and like all Bimmers, is built just the same as it ever was. Fixing the intake is totally dependant on what FI parts are there, and why it was apart. My recollection of the 2002 4 cylinders was that the valve guides on them little hi-revved 2 liter 4 cylinder jobs was quick, mine would always burn oil. If it were me and the intake was off, it would have been because I was pulling the head and taking it to the local NAPA machine shop for a valve job, which that little engine could definitely use at 125k miles. You can do a compression check on the engine, and it might run fine, but those ancient valve seals can make for a hell of a smoker... It would definitely be a great time to pull the head, as the intake is off... Then I take a wire brush on my grinder and tape off all but the cylinders with the pistons at the top, and grind off the carbon from the piston faces..suck the carbon out with the shop vac.. That usually costs about $400 with gaskets and machine work(including those intake gaskets you need anyway.) I'd expect to change the shocks and struts, for about $450 parts pretty immediately. Probably the front end suspension bushings(something back there in my mind on these 320s shimmying..hmm how rare with a bimmer?) Maybe a couple of tie rods. Probably some drive shaft/center bearing replacement. Brakes all the way around Exhaust maybe the radiator.. De we hear master cylinder? Gas tank? How bout that clutch slave cylinder.. Hows the clutch..an easy fix, but again someone needs to want to crawl under..and catch a falling gearbox.. But not all of this stuff will blow up immediately. I like to fix cars for some perverse reason. If you guys dig fixing cars, a $300 320i with a solid body could be fun, A $300 hooker with a solid body might be more fun, and she probably wouldn't come live in your garage and take up your driveway in pieces for years... You could just try bolting it all back together and see what you got..Probably get her running in a day.. But if you DIY, I don't think the bill is more than $1500 to tweak it into 'runs good' condition, at least for this year..but all that other stuff I just mentioned will break in the next 3 years in some kind of order on a 20 year old sled.. On the whole though, I like the ABS brakes, and the digital fuel injection on the late 80--early 90s stuff, and they get cheap too, and cost the same to fix, and you can sometimes find cheap solid 89-90 e30s, and they will be nicer and much more modern and convienient cars once fixed up, and the little 2.5 six engine pulls so fine. Back in the days when I lusted after a 320, the hot ride was the 323i.. a gray market Eurosled with the small six. I'd say find a used 325i, because when it is running well, it will be a much more modern car, and more reliable and easier to find parts for going forward. The 320is were built about the time when Bimmers were just becoming cool over here, and the Fuel injection, and interiors and ergonomics, and power window technology' and feedback emission controls were all still early in the technology development cycle, by the e 30, that stuff had been through many evolutions and the DME controlled Injection is much more evolved. Or you can have it live in your yard with a broken intake for the next three years and still be worth $300.00 Or get the kid a Chevy Truck. Did I mention I like trucks? Dave Leonard ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 22:17:49 -0700 From: Kurt Zimmerman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] <E30> Do I have a bad Evaporator Temperature Regulator? I have and '89 325is. I thought I wasn't getting any power to the AC compressor. So I started searching from the AC switch in the cabin to find where the power stops. My test light shows that power is getting to the evaporator temperature regulator (ETR). I also notice that the ETR is clicking about once every 10 seconds. Each time it clicks, my test light flashes when attached to a purple wire leaving the ETR. No other wires are getting power. I then check the power line to the AC high pressure switch, but this time I wait for 10 seconds. Sure enough my check light will flash about every 10 seconds. So can someone explain what's going on, or do I simply have a bad ETR? Thanks, Kurt ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 23:25:42 -0700 From: "Clan Hood-Douda" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] <e36> Rear Camber Correction Arms & Rear Upper Strut Mounts Both ActiveAutowerke and Turner Motorsport offer Rear Camber Correction Arms for the e36. Since I'm also experiencing high wearout of the inner edge of my tires (due to the lowered stance of the H&R Sports I believe), I'm thinking that a set of these would pay for themselves in tire savings over the years. Could anyone comment on either company's product? My biggest concern (besides their cost) is durability. On RUSMs, it would appear that the e46 RUSM with the Z3 reinforcement plate is the way to go, but Ground Control offers their custom solution (lifetime guarantee to original purchaser) with urethane bushings. My concern with the GC solution is unwanted NVH from the urethane bushing. Can anyone comment to their experience here as well? thanks again for the advice and experience, Mike - --------------------------------------- Clan Hood-Douda - Arcadia Farm Lacomb, Oregon ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 23:39:19 -0700 From: Mark Dadgar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] <e36> Rear Camber Correction Arms & Rear Upper Strut Mounts Clan Hood-Douda at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Both ActiveAutowerke and Turner Motorsport offer Rear Camber Correction Arms > for the e36. Since I'm also experiencing high wearout of the inner edge of > my tires (due to the lowered stance of the H&R Sports I believe), I'm > thinking that a set of these would pay for themselves in tire savings over > the years. > > Could anyone comment on either company's product? My biggest concern > (besides their cost) is durability. TC Kline makes/sells these as well. So does Ground Control. I've got a used set of the TC Kline ones on my race car and they came off a friend's race car. And he does not baby his cars. :) I'm guessing they'll hold up just fine on the street. Frankly, the factory piece is so wimpy just about anything would be better. > On RUSMs, it would appear that the e46 RUSM with the Z3 reinforcement plate > is the way to go, but Ground Control offers their custom solution (lifetime > guarantee to original purchaser) with urethane bushings. My concern with the > GC solution is unwanted NVH from the urethane bushing. Can anyone comment to > their experience here as well? I'm using the Ground Control ones as well. They are very nice, but I'm using the race bushings. Very stiff. Here's another option: http://store.yahoo.com/jtdesigns/suspension.html Two options, both very nice. - - Mark - -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2003 09:36:27 +0100 From: "Andrew Thomas" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] 330iPP vs. Sport Package Peter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: "The BMW literature keeps talking about how the PP has "a more stiffened sport suspension", but no one can tell me if it's any different than the regular sport package set-up. I did some measurements and took some pics today in the hopes that someone will be willing to compare these parts with their sport suspension. ... If anyone can share what they know about the factory sport package (sizes, spring rates, etc.), I'd appreciate it. I want to know what I'm starting with before I make any mods." I have been led by the ETK to believe that the sports suspension option (either option 226, or available in something like the Sports Package) is a "mild" sports suspension tuning, as opposed to the more aggressive M Sport Package II setup available in some places. I reckon the 330i PP is much like this M Sport Package II, because of the similarities in suspension tuning, bodykit, wheels and interior trim. This would also tally with BMW's assertion than the 330i PP has stiffer suspension than the regular sports suspension settings (whether bought standalone or as part of a pack). Your figures for the anti-roll bars match with those for e.g. the UK-market 330i fitted with sport suspension, and the part no. for the damper is identical (31 31 2 282 459). However 31 31 2 282 459 is also used for the regular 330i, where "sports suspension" is standard (it can be deleted and there are alternate parts numbers for this). So the position is not completely clear. Don't know about the spring rates, though. My car, with option code 226 (Sports Suspension) has 23.5 mm front anti-roll bar and 18 mm rear. Haven't seen a rear bar bigger than 18 mm on non-M 3ers. Andy T '03 318i 2.0 ------------------------------ End of [uucdigest] V3 #6602 *************************** | | 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 |__________________________________________________________
