[uucdigest] Saturday, October 11 2003 Volume 03 : Number 6807
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Send 'em to [EMAIL PROTECTED] |__________________________________________________________________ In this BMW UUC Digest: Re: [uuc] Re: Sad BMW-related Story Re: [uuc] Re: Sad BMW-related Story Re: [uuc] <E36> Balky shifting Re: [uuc] Re: Sad BMW-related Story Re: [uuc] Re: Sad BMW-related Story [uuc] Re: [bmwe39] New transmission oil Re: [uuc] Re: Sad BMW-related Story [uuc] New 530i [uuc] Re: Cross-Threaded Caliper Guide Bolt Re: [uuc] New 530i Re: [uuc] Re: Sad BMW-related Story ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2003 17:54:51 -0500 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [uuc] Re: Sad BMW-related Story - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Neil Deshpande" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > At no time was I tempted to ....speed > with it or anything. > Neil, I KNEW you were not human! Jon ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2003 18:33:51 -0400 From: "Gary Derian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Re: Sad BMW-related Story Some people shouldn't be driving ;-). Say Brad, perhaps a driving school or two would be a good idea. Don't blame the tires. Speed limits are no guaranty of safety. Gary Derian > By the way, I put my E28 into a telephone pole after > swerving for a dog, putting two tires into wet grass, > and skidding for 40+ yards. I was going below the > limit. > ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2003 23:24:10 -0400 From: "Gary Derian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] <E36> Balky shifting Change the fluid again. Make sure it is an ATF weight. Gary Derian > Gruppe: > > With the seasons changing and the temperature dropping, the gearbox > in my E36 318is is getting cranky again, continuing a trend that > started last winter. > > To wit: when the gearbox is cold, I'm finding that it is reluctant to > comply with gear selection that requires the selector shaft to be > pulled out of the gearbox, most notably shifting _out_ of 4th gear, > which requires an undue amount of force. There is no grinding or > jumping out of gear. > > Getting into 1st seems to be no worse than normal*, as is shifting > out of 2nd. Every so often, getting into 3rd will not be feel > totally smooth, but it slots in with no extra resistance. It seems > that the 3rd/4th gear plane is where the problem likes to manifest > itself most. (*normal E36 notchy gearbox standards) > > A new twist of late is a slight detent-like feel moving the lever > laterally into the 1st/2nd gear plane, coinciding with some > difficulty trying to find and shift into 1st. Perhaps this is > related to the 'rests in 5th gear plane' problem documented in the > Roundel, which also occurs occasionally. > > Once the gearbox is warmed up, all symptoms disappear. > > In what may only be a odd coincidence, all of these symptoms seemed > only to develop after the last fluid change with Red Line D4 ATF. > Previous fills with D4 and MTL have been no problem. > > The car has a 325/M3 shift lever from ShifterFest II, and while not > completely slop free, it doesn't feel like anything in the linkage is > in need of immediate attention. > > Any suggestions? A linkage/selector shaft/seal problem? Internal > shift fork problem? Fluid problem? > > Is the gearbox going to go out with an implosion worthy of an Aamco commercial? > > TIA > Herman > 92 318is 93k > ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2003 18:30:34 -0400 From: "Gary Derian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Re: Sad BMW-related Story My two boys were racing go-karts before they got driver's licenses. It taught them how to handle a vehicle, they learned respect for speed, and provided a safe outlet for testosterone driven behavior. Gary Derian ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2003 22:04:02 -0700 (PDT) From: Brad Couvillon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Re: Sad BMW-related Story Gary, This type of reply is the reason why I didn't post when it happened in the first place. :-) But seriously, I would do as many driver's schools and autocrosses as were offered if I had the time and the money to do so. When there is one in my area ("my area" means five hours away), I don't have time. When I have time, there's not one offered or I don't have the money. Even if I had the time and the money, I would still be risking breaking something and being 5 hours away from school. I agree that my driving skills leave a little (or a lot, maybe?) to be desired, but being the 352nd person to bring this to my attention will not resolve the situation. Brad Couvillon <-- speaking somewhat tongue-in-cheek - --- Gary Derian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Some people shouldn't be driving ;-). Say Brad, > perhaps a driving school > or two would be a good idea. Don't blame the tires. > Speed limits are no > guaranty of safety. > Gary Derian __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search http://shopping.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2003 05:14:38 -0500 From: "Ben White" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Re: [bmwe39] New transmission oil Dave Plowman and Steve Albrecht wrote the two snips below regarding ATF changes in the E39 ZF transmissions. I am thoroughly disappointed with BMW regarding their automatic transmission choices. Surely they can purchase better, sturdier transmissions that use conventional ATF. I currently own my first and last BMW automatic transmission car. While I have had no problems with the 5HP30, I have heard the horror stories about valve body failures arround the 100k mark and experienced the high cost (at 65000 miles of the 'space age' fluid that it requires. I suspect that Dave Plowman is correct regarding marketing as opposed to sound engineering. Ben White/Ocean Springs, MS - ----- Original Message ----- From: Dave Plowman <snip> In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Steve Albrecht <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > There is a nice yellow sticker on the tranny case that mumbles > something about the fluids contained within are meant for the lifetime > of the unit. There is no definition of the term 'lifetime'. Sheesh!! > It's all marketing ya know. So's including servicing/warranty for 100,000 miles, but shooting themselves in the foot if the oil *really* has to be changed at some time. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2003 09:25:25 -0400 From: "Gary Derian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Re: Sad BMW-related Story Sorry Brad, I couldn't resist. You may have been very unlucky, or you may have some driving issues. I don't know. Considering you've been all over between Louisiana, Texas and California, I think you do have the means to attend a driving school. You need to raise the priority a little bit. Gary Derian > Gary, > > This type of reply is the reason why I didn't post > when it happened in the first place. :-) > > But seriously, I would do as many driver's schools and > autocrosses as were offered if I had the time and the > money to do so. When there is one in my area ("my > area" means five hours away), I don't have time. When > I have time, there's not one offered or I don't have > the money. Even if I had the time and the money, I > would still be risking breaking something and being 5 > hours away from school. > > I agree that my driving skills leave a little (or a > lot, maybe?) to be desired, but being the 352nd person > to bring this to my attention will not resolve the > situation. > > Brad Couvillon <-- speaking somewhat tongue-in-cheek > > > --- Gary Derian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Some people shouldn't be driving ;-). Say Brad, > > perhaps a driving school > > or two would be a good idea. Don't blame the tires. > > Speed limits are no > > guaranty of safety. > > Gary Derian > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search > http://shopping.yahoo.com > ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2003 11:22:08 -0500 From: Neil Maller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] New 530i Yesterday while waiting for my car to be ready at the dealer's service bay I was offered a test drive of the new 530i. This was the first one I had seen. It was a 530i auto, with some kind of full-boat luxe package (don't know the details, since the sticker was absent). My (of course strictly personal) impressions: Exterior looks better in the metal? Nope, looks just like all the photos. I always thought the E39 five looked clean, if a bit amorphous compared with the crisp, but dated, E34. The new 5 doesn't have very distinctive lines, and seeks to remedy that with surface detailing. Not entirely unsuccessful, but this is never going to be remembered fondly as one of those really good-looking cars. Yes, those sure are Dame Edna headlights, aren't they. The interior has a "wood" panel running all the way across the dash, and architectural, aluminum-finish slashes on the doors and elsewhere. These and the wood clash completely in style and execution. There are lots of Banglesque creases and visual hard edges in the interior trim, all of which make bold statements when I wish they would just shut up. I find the whole interior way over-designed. As with many things overtly trendy, it tends to look a bit cheap now, and I predict it's going to look very dated, very soon. The iDrive Lite is annoying and unnecessary, but more manageable at least than the 7 series version. Well, when you're not moving. At startup an annoying warning comes up on the screen telling you not to use the system when unsafe to do so, blahblah, until you click on "Accept." Getting rid of a bunch of individual buttons and controls leaves the dash looking rather bare, not helped by the hard plastic that remains. Stereo sounds good. Decent seats. Love that power tilt and telescope steering wheel. Proper BMW instruments. Good legroom in the back seat, large trunk. High beltline makes for "sitting in the bathtub" feeling. Now for the good stuff. Man, does BMW make a fine powertrain! Silky, silent six develops ample torque and works through a responsive 6 speed automatic, so you're never between gears. Manumatic mode works OK, but not much point to it in everyday driving. Wind noise is low. Handling is sound and predictable, car is very solid and comfortable, but it feels a bit bulkier than the E39. I found out afterward that the other demonstrator 5 had the variable steering system. I'll have to try that out sometime. My recommendation: the BMW chassis and powertrain engineers need to rise up in the middle of the night, seize their carbide tools, and cut off the heads of the stylists. These they can display impaled on driveshafts around the perimeter of the Four Cylinder building in Munich as a hideous warning to those that come after. Neil - what me opinionated? 96 M3 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2003 11:36:35 -0500 From: Neil Maller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] Re: Cross-Threaded Caliper Guide Bolt on 10/9/03 3:26 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > May have cross-threaded front left caliper guide bolts on my M Coupe. Will > replace the bolts, but may have to tap the spindle to clean up threads. Does > NE1 know the thread pitch and diameter? TIA. They're a slightly unusual size: M9 x 1.25. My Sears tap & die set does have that size however, so you may be able to find it individually if you want. The guide bolts don't thread into the spindle, but into the caliper bracket. Given that this is kind of a critical component, and not especially expensive, I'd suggest ordering a new one. Neil 96 M3 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2003 13:07:10 -0500 From: "Ben White" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] New 530i I just read Neil's impressions of the new 5er. While I haven't driven the car, I share his overall impression of the exterior "styling". I think designers' laziness (all major companies included) has led to dependence on computers for design executions to the extent that styling has fallen by the wayside. I took several long looks at the 5 on static display at O'fest and came away each time comparing it to the Nissan Altima at less than 1/2 the price, from the rear 3/4 view at least! BMW can certainly do better; or can they? Since they decontented the I-drive somewhat for the 5, let us pray that it will be missing entirely from the E46 replacement. I want fewer rather than more gizmos. If I wanted this sort of stuff, I could buy a Nintendo. Best, Ben White/Ocean Springs, MS Maybe I should test drive an Altima... ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2003 14:23:46 -0400 From: "Michael Lawrence" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Re: Sad BMW-related Story I agree with Gary here, you made the time and effort to make several trips in the quest for 5ers etc??? Its only a matter of priorities. I made the first school in a $700 528i, drove from Miss State Univ to Sebring FL, saved for 4 months for the trip. It was by far the best event I have ever attended concerning BMWs, vs all the ofests, car meets, instructing, racing my LTW M3 etc. It changed my life now that I look back. You have the time and I am sure the money is around too. If you lived in a shack and drove a honda, we might believe you. lol. Mike - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gary Derian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, October 11, 2003 9:25 AM Subject: Re: [uuc] Re: Sad BMW-related Story > Sorry Brad, I couldn't resist. You may have been very unlucky, or you may > have some driving issues. I don't know. Considering you've been all over > between Louisiana, Texas and California, I think you do have the means to > attend a driving school. You need to raise the priority a little bit. > > Gary Derian > > > > Gary, > > > > This type of reply is the reason why I didn't post > > when it happened in the first place. :-) > > > > But seriously, I would do as many driver's schools and > > autocrosses as were offered if I had the time and the > > money to do so. When there is one in my area ("my > > area" means five hours away), I don't have time. When > > I have time, there's not one offered or I don't have > > the money. Even if I had the time and the money, I > > would still be risking breaking something and being 5 > > hours away from school. > > > > I agree that my driving skills leave a little (or a > > lot, maybe?) to be desired, but being the 352nd person > > to bring this to my attention will not resolve the > > situation. > > > > Brad Couvillon <-- speaking somewhat tongue-in-cheek > > > > > > --- Gary Derian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Some people shouldn't be driving ;-). Say Brad, > > > perhaps a driving school > > > or two would be a good idea. Don't blame the tires. > > > Speed limits are no > > > guaranty of safety. > > > Gary Derian > > > > __________________________________ > > Do you Yahoo!? > > The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search > > http://shopping.yahoo.com > > > > ------------------------------ End of [uucdigest] V3 #6807 *************************** | | 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 . 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