The BMW UUC Digest Volume 1 : Issue 51 : "text" Format Messages in this Issue: Re: Help with Ebay purchase Re: Help with Ebay purchase Emission report Re: runout Runout Defined Re: Runout Defined/1602 owner! :) Differences! Re: Bicycle Lift Question TechFest East 2004 Reston VA May 13 - 16, 2004 Re: TechFest East 2004 Reston VA May 13 - 16, 2004 Re: TechFest East 2004 Reston VA May 13 - 16, 2004 Help needed! Locks driving me nuts!! Exhausts Wanted(M3 and 92 525it) <e34> Coolant leak Chapter closed [was: Re: Help with Ebay purchase]
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 09 Dec 2003 12:23:31 -0500 From: "Dave Kelley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Help with Ebay purchase Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I wonder if this could really be a broker. I just received an unsolicited email from a broker that offered to list my 98 M3 on eBay for me. I was not interested but thought it was kind of shaky having a third party list a car on eBay. Dave Kelley 98 M3/4 94 325i > Search the > ARCHIVES:http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > I posted this to one smaller list recently so pardon me if it's old > news to you: > > Over the weekend I became the high bidder ($1900) for what appears > and is described to be a decent '87 735iA w/153,000 miles. It's > intended purpose is as a safe sled for my daughter to drive before she > heads off to college in the fall. The auction says and the seller > reiterated on the phone that EVERYTHING works on the car, and that > included my asking about where the heat comes out, etc, from my > experience with the E23 model over the years. > > The dealership is about 20 miles north of Philly, and they have 100% > > favorable Ebay feedback. But this is where the story gets strange. The > company has about 123 vehicle auctions listed in their auction > history, current and past 30 days, with only 15 feedback reports. In > addition, they have a rather large instance of cars being sold and > then being resold a few days later, as well as some fairly decent cars > at very low opening bids with no reserve still getting no bids in a > 7-day auction. As an example, on Nov.8 they get 20 bids and sell a '95 > 5 series which is pictured as an E38 Seven. The same VIN is up for > auction with the same pictures listed as a 5 again on Nov.19 but > pulled on the 21st for a problem in the listing. The same photos are > listed with a different VIN for sale this time as a '95 7 on Nov.20 > and sells for $9100 on the 27th. These anomalies give me pause and, as > I'll have to drag myself and some other willing body roughly 10-hours > round trip to see if what I've bought is worthwhile, I'm wondering if > anyone near Philly or Trenton might be familiar with or be able to do > a drive-by on the ProBest Auto Group, 194 Lincoln Highway, Fairless > Hills, PA 19030. For some interesting reading, check out their > auction listings at: > > http://tinyurl.com/y8f4 > > Also, if there's someone in, say, the DC area interested and willing > > to participate in a road-trip to Philly, I'm in need of someone to at > least help me get the potential purchase part-way back to > Charlottesville, VA. Their business hours are 9am-7pm. > > Admonitions concerning Ebay purchases are welcome, albeit too late, > and will probably be ignored. I am slightly concerned this may be just > another Ebay scheme to harness credit card info, though we have > confirmed the "dealership", though newly located, actually exists. My > other old BMW "driver" (535is) was purchased on Ebay about two years > ago (priveate sale) and has given me well-over 40k of reliable service > at minimal expense and is still running strong. If it blew-up today my > total cost on a monthly-use basis would ba around $125/mo. over the > two years and it's dropping every month! Sure, I wish I was made of > money, but at least I'm driving a BMW! > > Please answer me directly and off-list (unless you want to share > your replies!) since I'll get your reply much faster that way as I'm > in Digest mode. > > Thanks, > > -Phil Marx > ______________________________________________________________________ > ____ In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of the > BMW CCA. > > UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning and home of the Ultimate > Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! 908-874-9092 . > http://www.uucmotorwerks.com > ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 09 Dec 2003 15:37:41 -0800 From: "Scott Brown" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Help with Ebay purchase Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Looks like I missed that part while reading through the PayPal user agreement and the protection I thought would be there is indeed waived when PayPal is used. But I did call my credit card company and asked what their position position was in dealing with PayPal and Merchant Resolutions (as they addressed it because I grant PayPal permission to charge my account). The credit card company said they have taken past Merchant Resolution requests from the buyer / cardholder up with PayPal and have successfully recovered funds (either from PayPal or from the other party's PayPal account / relationship) successfully. Not 100% protection but it is better than nothing. Scott Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2003 12:47:01 -0500 From: "KMS - Brett Anderson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: Help with Ebay purchase ... _________________________________________________________________ Winterize your home with tips from MSN House & Home. http://special.msn.com/home/warmhome.armx ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2003 17:28:41 -0500 From: "Gaudio, Stefano" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'[EMAIL PROTECTED]'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Emission report Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For your reference my 98 E36 m3 with dinan chip and 88K miles (w about 10 track events and countless autoX) just got an inspection in NY and here and are the results: HC CO NOx limits .60 10.0 1.50 results .30 5.1 1.13 It was 20 degrees outside so that may have played w the readings (higher I'd expect) Stefano _________________________________________________________________ This e-mail and any attachments may be confidential or legally privileged. If you received this message in error or are not the intended recipient, you should destroy the e-mail message and any attachments or copies, and you are prohibited from retaining, distributing, disclosing or using any information contained herein. Please inform us of the erroneous delivery by return e-mail. Thank you for your cooperation. _________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2003 15:02:02 -0800 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: runout Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Using "runout" in a sentence: "I'll be right back, I'm just gonna runout and get some beer." Scott Miller GGC BMW CCA >Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2003 10:58:37 -0800 (PST) >From: John Bolhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Re: runout >Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > <snip> > > For the benefit of those of us watching, can you define runout in >layman's terms? ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 09 Dec 2003 19:06:04 -0500 From: "David A. Leonard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Runout Defined Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>For the benefit of those of us watching, can you define runout in layman's terms?>> Runout: Here goes.. If you mount a round object (in this case a theoretically 'round' wheel) on a bearing, or spindle, or chuck, and spin it, the outside diameter will never spin in exactly concentric to the centerline of the part, the part or wheel will always be a little oblong, or off center, or both..the outside of the rim will wobble up and down a little..think of a bike tire and the way it appears to rise and fall in relation to the brake shoes. It is hard to machine something exactly round. This is radial runout. If you put a brake caliper on, and watch it wobble side to side, due to warping or not being exactly true to the mounting flange, this is axial runout. Runout is usually measured with a dial indicator, and expressed as T.I.R , "total indicator reading", as usually the amount the part is off center is moving in a plus and minus direction, and the actual difference in size, or oblongness, is half of the TIR reading. I hope I have shed light rather than confusion.. Dave Leonard Former owner of a 1602 from 1969 as well.. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2003 20:55:45 -0500 From: "Eurowerks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: Runout Defined/1602 owner! :) Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> David, Great cars aren't they?! Weren't they I should say. Kirk A. Gilchrist EURO-WERKS / Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volvo Service and Repair 8 South Highland St. / Winchester, KY 40391 / 859-745-0125 [EMAIL PROTECTED] / 888-522-0271 toll free > Dave Leonard > Former owner of a 1602 from 1969 as well.. > ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 09 Dec 2003 16:28:53 -0800 From: Steve Albrecht <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Differences! Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Donna said...if we all liked the same thing, it would be hard to find our cars in the parking lot. I like that statement Donna, it sums up a lot of different things in a few short words. Cheers Steve ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2003 20:57:12 -0500 From: "Andy Messer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: Bicycle Lift Question Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Murray, Unless BMW has changed, they use the Thule (pronounced 'Tool-ie') racks. They've been making racks for a long time. I'm pretty sure every brand of rack made today is modular so the racks can be fit to any car with a specific fit kit. If you have a Thule rack, you should be able to go on to thule.com and look in the ROOF RACK GUIDE for your E36 application. Do the same for your Merc. IF they match, you're set. If they don't, then you can order whatever parts you need. There are several rack brands available, and the two biggest are Thule and Yakima. Both are very well engineered products that are very expandable to fit your needs. I've used mine for about 5 years on three different vehicles with great success. Andy 88 iX *********** I have the bicycle lift/rack that BMW sells retail. It mounts on the standard BMW Profil roof rack. I note that the same lift system is sold by Volvo, VW and Honda, (i.e it can be mounted on their roof racks) but can't find any mention of this lift system for Mercedes anywhere on the web... My question is: "does anyone familiar with this product know whethere there is a method of mounting this bicycle lift onto a Mercedes roof rack?" Sorry if this is somewhat OT... Murray '97 318i ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2003 23:16:33 -0500 From: Steven Schlossman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: TechFest East 2004 Reston VA May 13 - 16, 2004 Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Just a heads up. The National Capital Chapter, BMW CCA will be hosting TechFest East 2004. TechFest East is a continuation of the Gateway Tech program held by the St. Louis Chapter for more than 20 years. The dates will be May 13-16, 2004 at the Hyatt Regency Reston in Reston Virginia. We have lowered the full registration price to $150. Thursday Welcome Reception, Friday and Saturday tech sessions all day and probably Sunday morning too. Lunch and Dinner will be included Friday and Saturday. It's a great location. Special co-registration social only rate includes lunch, dinner and vendor area for significant other. Plenty of shopping across from the hotel as well as restaurants and a movie theater. Airport shuttle from Dulles Airport. Details to follow shortly. -- ...steven 2003 MCS EB/W 1996 328ti ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 11:22:27 -0500 From: "DOUG FOSTER" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: TechFest East 2004 Reston VA May 13 - 16, 2004 Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Ok, Does anybody know much about Reston VA? How do I convince my wife to come with me and spend our anniversary at TechFest? She's very supportive of me working on the car (94 540iA), but I don't think she's that supportive ;-) If anybody knows of something nice in the area for her to do while I'm there, it would help. To do this, I'm going to have to work hard for the next couple of months to build it up. Doug ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 11:25:10 -0500 From: Steve Stoner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'[EMAIL PROTECTED]'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: TechFest East 2004 Reston VA May 13 - 16, 2004 Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> uuhhmm, well, lets see, Reston is about 17 miles from ground zero, ie the White House. That means you have the entire nations capitol at your disposal, monuments, musuems, etc. <<If anybody knows of something nice in the area for her to do while I'm there, it would help. To do this, I'm going to have to work hard for the next couple of months to build it up.>> ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2003 08:47:43 -0800 (PST) From: Randall Clark <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Help needed! Locks driving me nuts!! Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For the last month, I've been trying to find the cause of a failure in the central locking feature on an '89 535i. The driver's door will not unlock with the alarm button or with the key. All other locks work from the drivers' door with the key. I'm getting the unlock/relock when I try to unlock with the key. So far, I have swapped the actuator with another 5 and the problem still exists. I pulled the micro switch and swapped it with the passenger door and the problem is still there. I've pulled the connector at the 'A' pillar and everything looks good. What else is there that could cause this? Also, anybody know of a shop in the San Jose area that knows about this system and could fix it without charging more than the car is worth? Randy __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing. http://photos.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 09:11:03 -0500 From: "Paci, Noah" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Exhausts Wanted(M3 and 92 525it) Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hey all, I am looking for not one but two cat-back exhausts...I need a stock exhaust for my winter months, as my B&B is too loud on my 95 M3 when the windows are closed(sure sounds good when the sun is shining and the temperature is in the 50+ range though. And I need one for my wife's 92 525iT e34. I would use any M3 exhaust either 95 or 96+, both fit and the minor differences are fine with me. Anyone have either of these items sitting around and want to make some garage space? I am in the Washington DC area, and would prefer to do a local deal as shipping exhausts just sounds like a bad idea. Cheers, Noah Paci Vienna, VA. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 11:19:12 -0500 From: "DOUG FOSTER" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: <e34> Coolant leak Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Well, my slow coolant leak finally turned into a much bigger one. The good news is that now it is easy to spot. It seems to be leaking out of the hose that goes from the water pump (I think?) to the right (passenger) side of the radiator. I say "it seems", because the coolant was hitting the fan, and got sprayed all over, so I am guessing. I tightened up the clamps, and managed to snap one completely off. Had to walk up to the local NAPA and get a replacement, but that one is pretty junky, and can't seem to get too tight without stripping. So, after a quick test-drive, I still seem to be getting some fluid leaking. Is there a chance that it is the hose? Should I be looking to replace the hose as well? Could it be the plastic thing coming out of the water pump? With the clamp tightened down, it still is leaking, but it seems to be dripping from the bottom, which I can't see very well, could the plastic thing be cracked/loose/have a bad gasket? Until I get this fixed, I'm going to be going through about $15 - $30 worth of nice expensive coolant each week, so any guidence is appreciated. Oh, and where can I find a good quality hose clamp? Thanks in advance for the help. Doug Foster 94 540iA 117k miles ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 11:15:19 -0500 From: Phil Marx <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: Timothy Fries <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Chapter closed [was: Re: Help with Ebay purchase] Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Timothy Fries wrote: >IMO, this operation seems to be a step away from a curbstoner. If >you have not done so, do not send money, regardless of what the >terms are. Set up a time to complete the transaction and inspect >the car thoroughly. If anything at all seems odd, walk away. I'm a >little jaded from personal experience in >regretting that I did not do the same with this dealer group. Just >my two cents. Good Luck Timothy, I'd love to hear more about your experience with these guys but here's mine: First, thanks to all who took the time to reply, suggest, and even offer assistance. I managed to talk my 82-year-old father-in-law into a road trip from his home in DC on this wild-goose-chase. The clincher was that we'd more than double the mileage currently on his new Focus wagon, breaking it in before he took to the road visiting his children throughout the land. The Ford dealer told him it was only capable of traveling at 65mph for long distances, I think trying to get him into another Taurus at greater profit. We quickly disputed that claim when I took-over from him in the Maryland House rest area on I-95. The dealership was what I expected, having worked with wholesalers in the car business for over 25 years, and it reinforced the stereotype of the third and fourth level wholesale operations. Plenty of mega-dealers in the area and this place deals in their rejects. I suppose in the book I'll still refer to them as Russian Mafia and develop the characterization starting with their stealing and shipping cars to Russia, then leading into starting a "legit" operation to launder the money back into the U.S. But for now we'll deal in facts. 1. The building does have a different name on the facade than that shown in the ad. Photoshop is a wonderful tool. 2. They did just recently move there but they do have a PA dealer license. 3. Not all the cars are trashed, but the decent looking ones are mostly high-mileage examples. 4. The 15-feedback Ebay rating must be self-submitted because they never returned and e-mail. I now see why their cars get re-auctioned, over and over! 5. Though on the phone they assured me everything worked on the car, in particular the heater controls that I'd asked about in the e-mail, and that they weren't aware of any repaint or bodywork, nothing could have been further from the truth. I'm not naive enough to expect perfection in any '87 BMW, much less one at a used car dealership, much less one selling for less than $2k. I did expect at least a partially-factual concerning if specific items I'd asked were in fact non-functioning. The car was not running but warm when I got there. Upon starting the defrost was on full-blast. The fan had one speed only (Hig. Big surprise!) and NONE of the push-buttons worked. They didn't even engage much less operate any features. It had a new "k-mart" radiator and the temp gauge was pegged well _below_ the "cold" limit. The only panels not painted were, oddly enough, the trunk and hood. The left rear quarter had been replaced which was obvious in the LR door threshold area. The LR door had had so much work it was obscene; the hinges were stuck as well as the outside handle. Tailight cracked, door panels split wide open, lots of dash cracks that were obscured in the photos, and on and on. On the good side, all the windows went up and down and both mirrors worked. And the car was so dirty and yet still stunk with the odor of the "shampoo" machines auctions use to recycle the water and nicotine from a hundred cars, passing along the grit and stench to the next 100. If you've never been to an auction, you won't understand. If you've done that type of work for years, I'm sorry to bring back the suppressed memory. Though the ad said, "no visible dents or scratches" there was a combo scratch-dent over 4- long on the RR quarter panel, pushed in about 1/8 inch. To his credit, Dimitry knew he didn't have a leg to stand on. At first he said he'd get his mechanic to attend to the non-working HVAC and I told him it wouldn't help. He kept pressing me to drive the car and offering a dealer tag. He must have watched "Used Cars" as a training film ("Get IN the MOTHERFUCKING CAR!"). The car had obviously been to at least three dealers since the owner traded it. It had multiple crumpled used-car warranty window stickers under the seat, none properly or legally completed, and another dealer sticker on the trunk lid from a store I recognized from prior auction experience. I explained he'd not accurately answered any of my questions about the car and never replied to my e-mails. He said he gets 300 e-mails a day and that he thought everything worked when he was taking photos of the car. I even pulled out the paint depth gauge, no real need but since I'd carried it along... Then he gave up and told me that since I was such a nice guy he try to keep any deposit. My father-in-law asked if I didn't want to make a lower offer and I replied I wouldn't take this car if it were free. He (an ex-Pentagon-type who will always be suspected of CIA tie-ins) then gave Dimitry his best five words of Russian in salutation and we departed in search of a senior citizen's McDonalds coffee discount. The dealership was a hoot, just a little shack with probably 100 cars jammed in a lot they hadn't even bothered to plow. Everyone milling about spoke in Russian and chain-smoked. Inside the "office" nothing was going on. I think they were all enjoying the Rusky Summer-like weather of 32-degrees and sunny with snow on the ground in PA that day. I did look at the M-tech convertible and got blasted with cigarette smell as I opened its door. Looks like any half-way decent car gets driven by the "boys", and they were mostly preoccupied with a new-er white Jag XJ they were just applying or reapplying the mandated used-car sticker to. In retrospect I could have saved a lot of time having someone else scope this one out but I doubt I'd have been in such a position of advantage when reneging on the sale had I not personally been there. I'll extrapolate this experience for someone else's possible purchase of a more expensive vehicle from an Ebay auction: Get someone you trust to look at it before you bid. Now I know that's not always possible and you don't want to bother someone just because an '03 M3's current high-bid is $20,000 and you know it'll nearly double in the last 30 seconds of the auction, but don't bid blind like I did if it involves real money! Don't trust photos, and (I mean this as sincerely as I can having 25-years in the business) don't trust used car dealers or salespeople you don't know. As it turned out, I had no money involved. I'd never use PayPal for such a transaction and that advice has been sufficiently corrected by others, but I did feel confident in the protection afforded by American Express, should I get billed in future weeks or months for some extravagant charge at some Russian porn site. Thanks again. I'll chalk this one up to the Life's Experience file and rationalize it as a chance to further bond with my wife's dad---even after 22 years of marriage to his daughter. -Phil ------------------------------ End of [bmwuucdigest] digest(15 messages) **********
