[uucdigest] Thursday, August 21 2003 Volume 03 : Number 6684
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Send 'em to [EMAIL PROTECTED] |__________________________________________________________________ In this BMW UUC Digest: RE: [uuc] Re: Digital Climate Control Conversion Re: [uuc] Re: Digital Climate Control Conversion Re: [uuc] 1995 525 iT Valve Cover question (M50 tu) RE: [uuc] Re: Digital Climate Control Conversion Re: [uuc] Re: Digital Climate Control Conversion Re: [uuc] Re: Digital Climate Control Conversion Re: [uuc] Re: Digital Climate Control Conversion Re: [uuc] Re: Digital Climate Control Conversion Re: [uuc] Re: Digital Climate Control Conversion Re: [uuc] Re: Digital Climate Control Conversion [uuc] RE: M30 valve noise, Metric Mechanic ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 10:28:30 -0700 From: "Marco Romani" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] Re: Digital Climate Control Conversion I really don't get why anyone would change the heater controls. I find the "analog" E36 M3 vastly superior to the "digital" ones on my wife's E39 540. With the E36 I don't even have to look at it. I can do it all by feel. On her car I have take my eyes off the road and fiddle around with a zillion buttons. Don't even get me started about how many times the digital one has freaked out and just randomly picked its own settings. replaced under warranty, but a PITA to deal with. KISS. Marco - -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2003 9:49 AM To: R o d r i g o Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [uuc] Re: Digital Climate Control Conversion "R o d r i g o" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Has anyone converted their rotary style HVAC to the digital style found > on later model e-36's? I remember reading that someone on the E36M3 list had done that. > I want to change mine (1992 325i sedan) to a digital (1998). > How is it gonna be possible, what are the parts I'll need? Anything is possible given enough $$$. For this project, you will need at least a new '96+ E36 HVAC interface box, new heater box with electric step motors for all three air passageways (I would not buy that one used) and possibly a new wiring harness. You will need to tear apart the dashboard and likely splice a lot of wires to replace and hook-up all of the above. This is all doable, but neither simple, nor inexpensive nor for the faint of heart. > Does anyone have any step by step procedure? Someone probably does. Try google.com Good luck, alex f ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 14:07:37 -0400 From: "Gary Derian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Re: Digital Climate Control Conversion I have a procedure. 1) sell car. 2) buy later model with digital climate control. 3) enjoy new car. Unless you really enjoy tearing your car completely apart for some silly feature creep system, this is a poor use of time and resources. But then not everyone is like me. Gary Derian > > > > Has anyone converted their rotary style HVAC to the digital style found > > on later model e-36's? > > I remember reading that someone on the E36M3 list had done that. > > > I want to change mine (1992 325i sedan) to a digital (1998). > > How is it gonna be possible, what are the parts I'll need? > > Anything is possible given enough $$$. > For this project, you will need at least a new '96+ E36 HVAC interface > box, new heater box with electric step motors for all three air > passageways (I would not buy that one used) and possibly a new wiring > harness. You will need to tear apart the dashboard and likely splice a lot > of wires to replace and hook-up all of the above. > This is all doable, but neither simple, nor inexpensive nor for the faint > of heart. > > > Does anyone have any step by step procedure? > > Someone probably does. Try google.com > > Good luck, > alex f > > ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 14:08:49 -0400 From: "Gary Derian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] 1995 525 iT Valve Cover question (M50 tu) Just a baffle. Check the rubber insulators on all the holddown screws. They can take a set and reduce the clamping force on the cover. Gary Derian > I have been having problems with a leaking valve cover on my 95 525iT. The > gasket was replaced soon after I purchased the car in March and has > continued to leak. For test purposes I have replaced the valve cover with > and extra a friend had. While doing this I noticed a place in the valve > cover, where the breather hose attaches that has a cover with 2 phillips > head screws (on the cam side of the cover). Without inspecting further, I > replaced the valve cover. > > My question is this: > Is there a filter or valve in there or is it just a baffle? If there is > a filter or valve in there could this be bad and cause "back pressure" to > create a leak? Or is it possible that the valve cover is just warped enough > to creak leaks? > > I must add that it appears that the head had been replaced. I can only > assume the dreaded water pump impellor failure occurred and overheated the > engine. I did replace the plastic thermostat housing with a metal one and > the water pump (which had the metal impellor) soon after purchasing the car. > Also, it looks like oil is seeping out around the intake. Is there oil > passages around or through the intake? > > Thanks in advance > > Kevin B. Hipp > 1995 525 iTa > ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 11:08:02 -0700 (PDT) From: Andre Yew <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] Re: Digital Climate Control Conversion On Thu, 21 Aug 2003, Marco Romani wrote: > I find the "analog" E36 M3 vastly superior to the "digital" ones on my > wife's E39 540. With the E36 I don't even have to look at it. I can do > it all by feel. On her car I have take my eyes off the road and fiddle > around with a zillion buttons. I wholeheartedly agree. One of the worst misfeatures of the E46 are the pushbutton climate controls --- I'm always envious of E36 dials that are easy to set and turn off. The worst thing about the E46 controls is that you can't just hold down the "down" button to turn off the system. After it arrives at its last increment, you have to release and press it down one more time to turn it off --- really stupid because it's distracting to look down to make sure you're at the last increment before you press it again. On a tangent, I'm surprised no one has copied the Audi/VW sunroof control dial --- it's easily the best user interface idea I've seen in years. Except for controls with only two states, buttons are for the birds. - --Andre ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 11:47:45 -0700 From: Mark Dadgar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Re: Digital Climate Control Conversion Andre Yew at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > On a tangent, I'm surprised no one has copied the Audi/VW sunroof control > dial --- it's easily the best user interface idea I've seen in years. I totally agree! This struck me as sheer genius the first time I saw it. It just works so well. - - Mark - -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 14:27:35 -0500 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [uuc] Re: Digital Climate Control Conversion "Mark Dadgar" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Andre Yew at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > On a tangent, I'm surprised no one has copied the Audi/VW sunroof > > control dial --- it's easily the best user interface idea I've seen > > in years. > > I totally agree! This struck me as sheer genius the first time I saw it. > It just works so well. I'll be a dissenting voice: how often do you open your sunroof half-way? For me it's either tilted up for ventilation during parking or full open to take in the ambient air at slow speed. At anything approaching legal speeds an open sunroof is too noisy/turbulent. So the Audi switch, while cute, is an answer to the question I never did nor ever intend to ask. alex f ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 14:49:40 -0500 From: Dennis Wynne <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Re: Digital Climate Control Conversion So are exactly right! When I was test driving the S4 and A6 turbos I saw that and loved it. I ended up getting the 330i, but thought that was a real trick control. Of course, I use my E46 moonroof all the time but I either pop it up or open it all the way. So the "turn it to here for 1/2 open" feature would really be of no use to me. Auto open and auto close on all windows (and moonroof) used to be hard to find on cars - I guess the makers are afraid of getting sued, but that is showing up on more and more cars now. Dennis 330i silver/black/manual/sp/pp/xenon/cd P.S. I LIKE the auto climate control in my car. I don't like that there is no off switch or that the fan comes on with the car - but I love being able to set it and forget it. With an analog control I was always too hot or too cold. At 11:47 AM 08/21/2003 -0700, Mark Dadgar wrote: >Andre Yew at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > On a tangent, I'm surprised no one has copied the Audi/VW sunroof control > > dial --- it's easily the best user interface idea I've seen in years. > >I totally agree! This struck me as sheer genius the first time I saw it. >It just works so well. > >- Mark >-- >[EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 13:04:46 -0700 From: Bora Akyol (BMW) <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Re: Digital Climate Control Conversion That usually indicates poor sunroof design. My wife's car can be driven at 80 mph with barely any noise with the sunroof open all the way. Bora On Thursday, Aug 21, 2003, at 12:27 US/Pacific, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > At anything approaching legal > speeds an open sunroof is too noisy/turbulent. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 16:24:16 -0400 From: "Rob Levinson * UUC Motorwerks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Re: Digital Climate Control Conversion - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dennis Wynne" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Re: Digital Climate Control Conversion > P.S. I LIKE the auto climate control in my car. I don't like that there is > no off switch or that the fan comes on with the car - but I love being able > to set it and forget it. With an analog control I was always too hot or > too cold. I'd yank it OUT of my E34 in a heartbeat if it was simple and put in the basic manual controls. I have yet to encounter a BMW automatic climate control that works well, doing something other than constantly overcompensating in each direction. Buick was doing it just fine 15 years ago, BMW still has not got the technology down pat. - - Rob ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 15:28:47 -0500 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [uuc] Re: Digital Climate Control Conversion "Dennis Wynne" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I use my E46 moonroof all the time but I either pop it up or open > it all the way. So the "turn it to here for 1/2 open" feature would > really be of no use to me. Exactly! > P.S. I LIKE the auto climate control in my car. I don't like that > there is no off switch You would have never used it if it was there. In all the years I've owned cars, I don't recall ever keeping the blower at anything below 1 setting. It gets either too stuffy, too cold or too hot in a hurry without ventilation. Well, I did full with fractional blower speeds on the M3 for a while, but than quickly settled into speeds 1 or 2. > or that the fan comes on with the car Your dealer can re-program it to come on at the exactly same speed you had left it the last time. Much better than way IMHO. > - but I love being able to set it and forget it. With an analog > control I was always too hot or too cold. You are confusing analog climate control with good old analog blower settings. With '92-95 analog climate control settings, the speeds, zone temperature and airflow were set using rotary dial. Virtually the functionality (analog controls do not automatically speed up the blower), different interface. I have two E36s with both interfaces. Still don't know which one I like more. But I definitely fiddle less with the rotary interface! alex f ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 13:36:18 -0700 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [uuc] RE: M30 valve noise, Metric Mechanic Brad, this info may pre-date your participation here in UUC-Land, so I'll regurgitate it as best as I can remember. At least one (maybe two, I can't remember) list members bought MM engines. I don't remember which car or which engine. But part of the reason they bought those engines was because of the HP and torque claims in MM's ads. But when they put the cars on a dyno, they found that the engines were barely making more power than stock, nowhere near the numbers in MM's ads. One of those guys in particluar contacted MM about the discrepancy, and was not happy that MM would not remedy the situation or stand behind their power numbers. I don't think the customers would have been unhappy if the power had even just come close to the advertised numbers, but that was not the case. This could all be a case of one or two isolated incidents that are not consistent with the typical results of MM's engines. Or it could be the norm. The sampling is too small to know for sure. But you can see how one might get the idea that MM is all talk and no substance, and that their knowledge is debateable. In fairness, I have no personal experience here. But if/when it comes time to rebuild my engine or buy a new one, my preference would be to shop elsewhere. OK, the fact that they're halfway across the country from me also has something to do with that. Scott Miller GGC BMW CCA >Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 07:02:18 -0700 (PDT) >From: Brad Couvillon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Re: [uuc] RE: M30 valve noise, Metric Mechanic > >That they make good product or that they know what >they're talking about? > >I don't see how a couple of guys that have been >opening up BMW engines since before I was born (which >really isn't saying much, I guess) could be construed >as not knowing anything about the engines. > >Brad Couvillon ------------------------------ End of [uucdigest] V3 #6684 *************************** | | 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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