The BMW UUC Digest Volume 3 : Issue 35 : "text" Format Messages in this Issue: Scotts audio dilema Re: Scotts audio dilema Re: Scotts audio dilema E34 Audio Solutions <E34> Seeking Audio Solutions Re: <E34> Seeking Audio Solutions Re: <E34> Seeking Audio Solutions Re: <E34> Seeking Audio Solutions Re: CARFAX help please! (Thanks) Question about replacing windshield Wiper Motor on E36 325i.. Re: E30 diff cover bolts - torque?
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 14:33:42 -0800 From: Steve Albrecht <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Subject: Scotts audio dilema Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Scott, From most perspectives, the iPod is the best solution. Especially since your daughter already has one. There must be room available for a few additional albums of your choice on hers. The FM transmitter is a quick and easy choice, but the music quality isn't all that great. A cassette tape adapter is cheap and works better than the FM transmitter. I have tried them both. The best solution is one of the units that look like a CD player to the head unit. They are a bit expensive at over $200 however. They are easy to install, just plug into the CD socket on the rear of the head unit. The audio quality is extremely good from these units, and the included iPod cradle supplies power. If the tape deck truly doesn't work, then the choice is between a FM transmitter or a CD mimic. It's all about trade-offs as usual. Good luck Scott Steve Albrecht ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 18:37:22 -0500 From: "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Scotts audio dilema Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I'll second Steve's assessment, and even go as far as to say it is greatly understated. FM transmitters are horrible. Never could find one that worked worthwhile enough to keep using it. The sound quality is worse than FM, and often plagued by various types of interference. The best type of aux-in for the iPod is the kind that only plugs into the bottom, achieving a true signal-out only. Anything that plugs into the headset plug is an amplified and sub-optimal signal. - Rob From: Steve Albrecht <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Subject: [UUC] Scotts audio dilema Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 14:33:42 -0800 ----- Original Message Follows ----- > Scott, From most perspectives, the iPod is the best > solution. Especially since your daughter already has > one. There must be room available for a few additional > albums of your choice on hers. The FM transmitter is a > quick and easy choice, but the music quality isn't all > that great. A cassette tape adapter is cheap and works > better than the FM transmitter. I have tried them both. > The best solution is one of the units that look like a CD > player to the head unit. They are a bit expensive at > over $200 however. They are easy to install, just plug > into the CD socket on the rear of the head unit. The > audio quality is extremely good from these units, and the > included iPod cradle supplies power. If the tape deck > truly doesn't work, then the choice is between a FM > transmitter or a CD mimic. It's all about trade-offs as > usual. Good luck Scott > > Steve Albrecht > Search the > ARCHIVES:http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] > t.com > > > __________________________________________________________ > ________________ 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: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 20:05:35 -0800 From: Donna S <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Scotts audio dilema Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Wandering around ebay and epinions, I found the $200 JVC KD-G720, which has a USB port and an aux-in port. Also, I found a cable that connects a JVC's CD-changer port and the headphone jack. Unfortunately, the G720 won't be available until Feb 6, but it looks like what I will want for my 325. Donna On 1/15/06 3:37 PM, "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I'll second Steve's assessment, and even go as far as to say > it is greatly understated. > > FM transmitters are horrible. Never could find one that > worked worthwhile enough to keep using it. The sound > quality is worse than FM, and often plagued by various types > of interference. > > The best type of aux-in for the iPod is the kind that only > plugs into the bottom, achieving a true signal-out only. > Anything that plugs into the headset plug is an amplified > and sub-optimal signal. > > - Rob > > > From: Steve Albrecht <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [email protected] > Subject: [UUC] Scotts audio dilema > Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 14:33:42 -0800 > > ----- Original Message Follows ----- >> Scott, From most perspectives, the iPod is the best >> solution. Especially since your daughter already has >> one. There must be room available for a few additional >> albums of your choice on hers. The FM transmitter is a >> quick and easy choice, but the music quality isn't all >> that great. A cassette tape adapter is cheap and works >> better than the FM transmitter. I have tried them both. >> The best solution is one of the units that look like a CD >> player to the head unit. They are a bit expensive at >> over $200 however. They are easy to install, just plug >> into the CD socket on the rear of the head unit. The >> audio quality is extremely good from these units, and the >> included iPod cradle supplies power. If the tape deck >> truly doesn't work, then the choice is between a FM >> transmitter or a CD mimic. It's all about trade-offs as >> usual. Good luck Scott >> >> Steve Albrecht ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 15:07:42 -0800 (PST) From: kjk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Subject: E34 Audio Solutions Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Scott: I would go with a Nakamichi in dash changer. I have an older Nak unit and the reddish-orange lights match the BMW dash quite well. Not cheap but with the stock amp and speakers it sounds better than many others I have heard in E34's. Should run in the $400 range? When I bought my M5( in '98) I just bought a Nakamichi changer for the trunk to match the existing head unit. In hindsight, I wish I had spent the extra $$$ for the in dash (one reason is the older changer won't play MP3s). Kevin '91 M5 '00 323iT __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 17:27:20 -0500 From: Whit Lowell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Scott & Charlotte Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: UUC Digest <[email protected]> Subject: <E34> Seeking Audio Solutions Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Scott, Opinions on audio are like assholes, everybody has one. Granted, I'm neither an audiophile or an expert installer, but I think I've found the perfect compromise of cost (about $100) and functionality in my E34. I've tried a couple of audio system renditions the car, related to my habit of converting everything to MP3 and having limited interest in spending lots of money. The car came prewired for a CD changer, and I was given a changer for it but ultimately couldn't stand to use it because I don't like carrying around audio CDs. The car arrived with a broken tape deck, as well. For a while, I drove around with an iRiver Slim-X connected to an FM transmitter. It became a hassle when changing CDs or batteries. Audio quality was, at best, adequate. Levels were never good enough. I acquired a Clarion DXZ-815mp on eBay for around $100 shipped. It took about an hour to install this single slot CD player with MP3 decoding capabilties and a host of other features. This head unit isn't without its quirks, notably an early and sometimes faulty implementation of MP3 decoding, perhaps a biproduct of being one of the first models on the market with such a feature. The adjustable amber backlighting isn't an exact match to the car's interior (later units have palettes of hundreds of colors to choose from, giving a better match). However, it is a world of difference in audio quality over the stock head unit, even with the stock speakers and amplifier. It handily roundhouse kicks the shit out of the Kenwood in my 325 -- admittedly with a worse set of speakers -- in aesthetics, form and function. And given that my 815 is at the low(er) end of the model line, with no Burr-Brown DACs or the like, I wouldn't hesitate to buy one of their top end units. I'm not into the doof doofing type of audio setup, but for me, a good Clarion head unit is a slice of fried gold in terms of bang for the buck on these cars. I considered an iPod, if not only for file redundancy, but concluded that a burned mp3 CD is cheaper own and much less appealing to steal. best, whit On 1/15/06, Scott & Charlotte Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > (Cross-posted to E34 Yahoo group, more or less.) > > Just bought a '93 525iA, and in less than 2 weeks we'll be driving it > to and from Southern Kahleefornya. That'll be about a 700 mile round > trip, not counting the time we spend stuck in L.A. freeway traffic. > The car has an original factory stereo which sounds fine, except: > > 1. No CD changer > 2. According to wife and daughter, the tape deck does not work. > > I'd really like to improve this situation before our trip. Before we > found out about the cassette player, I was thinking of looking for one > of the two factory CD changers for the trunk. Now I'm considering a > couple of options: > > A. Replace the head unit with an in-dash AM/FM/CD unit. Can anyone > recommend a compatible unit? Bonus points for the lighting matching > the BMW orangey color. > > B. Daughter's idea: buy an i-pod (she already has her own), load up > our music and get one of those FM transmitter gizmos. Some of the > transmitters don't work that well, but a friend of hers has one (costs > about $100, she said) that works well. Another option: is there an > adaptor thingie to plug an i-pod directly into the factory head unit? > > As much as the i-pod idea is appealing, I really don't have time to > load up an i-pod with CDs before the trip. But it will also take time > I don't have to install a new head unit, or take it to someone to > install. So at this point I'm not ruling out either idea. > > Feedback? Suggestions? > > Thanks, > > Scott Miller > GGC BMW CCA > > > > Search the ARCHIVES:http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > > __________________________________________________________________________ > 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: 15 Jan 2006 23:16:26 -0800 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [email protected] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: <E34> Seeking Audio Solutions Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Scott, Put your daughter to work now loading up the iPod. FM transmitters are well under $50. I was just this evening road testing a Griffin iTrip, and it worked fine. If you get a Griffin, I recommend the "LCD" version for its ease of use and zero installation time. Go to <http://www.pricegrabber.com/> and search for "Griffin iTrip LCD". Some people will tell you that FM transmitters are NFG because there are no unused FM frequencies in metropolitan areas. That will not be a problem on most of I-5; YMMV when it becomes "The Five" in El Lay. Another alternative is an adapter that routes the iPod audio to the CD connector on your radio. A third alternative is a new head unit; most modern ones have an input for an MP3 player. Under no conditions should you spend money on what was known as a "CD changer", the device that became extinct when the Earth was showered with iPods in the early years of the 21st Century. Curt Ingraham '72 2002tii, '76 2002 Oakland, CA > (Cross-posted to E34 Yahoo group, more or less.) > > Just bought a '93 525iA, and in less than 2 weeks we'll be driving it > to and from Southern Kahleefornya. That'll be about a 700 mile round > trip, not counting the time we spend stuck in L.A. freeway traffic. > The car has an original factory stereo which sounds fine, except: > > 1. No CD changer > 2. According to wife and daughter, the tape deck does not work. > > I'd really like to improve this situation before our trip. Before we > found out about the cassette player, I was thinking of looking for one > of the two factory CD changers for the trunk. Now I'm considering a > couple of options: > > A. Replace the head unit with an in-dash AM/FM/CD unit. Can anyone > recommend a compatible unit? Bonus points for the lighting matching > the BMW orangey color. > > B. Daughter's idea: buy an i-pod (she already has her own), load up > our music and get one of those FM transmitter gizmos. Some of the > transmitters don't work that well, but a friend of hers has one (costs > about $100, she said) that works well. Another option: is there an > adaptor thingie to plug an i-pod directly into the factory head unit? > > As much as the i-pod idea is appealing, I really don't have time to > load up an i-pod with CDs before the trip. But it will also take time > I don't have to install a new head unit, or take it to someone to > install. So at this point I'm not ruling out either idea. > > Feedback? Suggestions? > > Thanks, > > Scott Miller > GGC BMW CCA ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 17:29:45 -0800 (PST) From: "Kazuto Okayasu" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "UUC Digest" <[email protected]> Subject: Re: <E34> Seeking Audio Solutions Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 1. No CD changer > 2. According to wife and daughter, the tape deck does not work. > > A. Replace the head unit with an in-dash AM/FM/CD unit. Can anyone > recommend a compatible unit? Bonus points for the lighting matching > the BMW orangey color. You will be hard-pressed to find a new head that will be aesthetically decent for a E34, let alone light amber-only (or close to it). You will quickly see that most now have silver faces and buttons and multicolor displays that look like a rave club. Many older Sonys and some other makes from the mid 90s have orange that is very close. I have a used CDX-C910 ca. 1997 in my E24, and it almost looks like it belongs. But new will give you the most media and connectivity options, such as MP3 burned to CDR, line-input for iPod, etc. > B. Daughter's idea: buy an i-pod (she already has her own), load up > our music and get one of those FM transmitter gizmos. Some of the > transmitters don't work that well, but a friend of hers has one (costs > about $100, she said) that works well. Another option: is there an > adaptor thingie to plug an i-pod directly into the factory head unit? I also vote against FM xmitters. Cassette adapters are cheaper and sound better, given the cassette deck works enough for the adapter (even if it can't spool tape, it might work with one of these). I do not know of a changer->AUX/iPod solution that works with pre-96 (Pioneer-style) BMW interfaces. If your factory head happens to be one of the one or two models that have the straight-up Pioneer changer interfaces, a Pioneer MBus aux adapter may work, but we're really starting to get more nuts-and-boltsy than might be practical. :) > > Scott Miller > GGC BMW CCA > -- Kazuto Okayasu Administrative Computing Services University of California, Irvine ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 18:09:57 -0800 From: "Paul M. Moriarty" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Subject: Re: <E34> Seeking Audio Solutions Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > 1. No CD changer > > 2. According to wife and daughter, the tape deck does not work. > > > > A. Replace the head unit with an in-dash AM/FM/CD unit. Can anyone > > recommend a compatible unit? Bonus points for the lighting matching > > the BMW orangey color. I'm under the impression that the Clarion DXZ745MP will match closely. It's a fit for the E28, don't know about the E34. - Paul - ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Jan 2006 23:35:34 -0500 From: "David Taylor" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "uuc Digest" <[email protected]> Subject: Re: CARFAX help please! (Thanks) Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Thanks to Dave and Tom. I got my carfax. Thank you, David -----Original Message----- From: David Taylor [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, January 15, 2006 10:10 AM To: uuc Digest Subject: CARFAX help please! If someone with a current CARFAX account could run one for me. I'm trying to buy a Toyota Tacoma? Vin 5TEWN72N72Z109233 Email me directly @ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks in advance, David '98 M3/4/5 "looking for a Tacoma" ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 11:25:37 -0500 From: "Chamberlain, Jesse" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Subject: Question about replacing windshield Wiper Motor on E36 325i.. Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hi All, On my 93 325i sedan (177K miles), my wiper motor is almost dead and needs to be replaced. What I mean by almost dead is that in the cold weather it barely moves, but in warmer weather, it almost works normal. I just bought a used wiper motor from Zionville (45 dollars vs the 225 for new). My question is, how hard is this to replace? I guess I will find out soon, but I was hoping someone has done this before, and could give me some hints. I am going to go home tonight and read the Bently manual to see if they have anything on it. Thanks for the help. Jesse C. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 10:54:50 -0800 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [email protected] Subject: Re: E30 diff cover bolts - torque? Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cart loose, I think I used 42ftlbs on those bolts. -Kevin ---------------------------------------------------------------- This e-mail communication is confidential and is intended only for the individual(s) or entity named above and others who have been specifically authorized to receive it. If you are not the intended recipient, please do not read, copy, use or disclose the contents of this communication to others. Please notify the sender that you have received this e-mail in error by replying to the e-mail. Please then delete the e-mail and any copies of it. Thank you. ---------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ End of [bmwuucdigest] digest(11 messages) **********
