The BMW UUC Digest Volume 3 : Issue 185 : "text" Format Messages in this Issue: Job: Web engineer for motorsports software company (US, remote OK, principals only) E36 Trans Ist Kaput Re: E36 Trans Ist Kaput Re: E36 Trans Ist Kaput Re: E36 Trans Ist Kaput Re: E36 Trans Ist Kaput Re: 99 540iA Service Engine Soon Light
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2006 12:50:31 -0700 From: Brian Ghidinelli <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: uucdigest <[email protected]> Subject: Job: Web engineer for motorsports software company (US, remote OK, principals only) Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [Posted with permission of the list admins; figured a fellow enthusiast might like a shot at this job. (thanks Rob!)] If you're tired of long commutes to work on some boring back-office application, we have a fun opening available for a mid-to-senior level ColdFusion hacker. Our product, MotorsportReg.com, is an event registration and membership management service used by organizations and car clubs around the country like the BMW CCA, Audi Club, Porsche Club, SCCA and SVTOA to put on high performance driving schools, autocrosses, club races and social events. We are profitable and demand has been growing rapidly with serious expansion plans afoot. As founder, I am seeking a #1 gun to work as my right hand (wo)man and take over as lead developer. The job will flex both sides of your brain as you'll participate in engineering, product management and customer support. You won't be a cog in the wheel - this is a role for somebody ambitious who thrives on responsibility and stays on the leading edge of web technology. In addition to ColdFusion, experience with Java and Unix are big pluses. You'll be exposed to many topics ranging from AJAX to PGP. You don't need to walk through the door with all the answers but you will need to be passionate about learning and growing your skills. You can read some more details here: http://www.MotorsportReg.com/news/index.cfm/2006/5/25/Job-Opening-Web-Engineer And some more of what our system does: http://www.pukkasoft.com Please contact me directly at my company address (brian at pukkasoft dot com). Thanks! Brian -- Brian Ghidinelli > http://www.MotorsportReg.com MotorsportReg.com processes online registration and payment for your track, autocross and social events ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2006 18:54:16 -0500 From: "Jamie Howton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: E36M3 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "UUC Digest" <[email protected]> Subject: E36 Trans Ist Kaput Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Since I've been too lazy (actually too busy playing with my new car) lately, a couple of weeks ago I paid my local dealer to figure out where the minor oil seepage was coming from between my M3 engine and transmission. They diagnosed and replaced the transmission input shaft seal to the tune of $1,188. I picked the car up last Saturday and trailered it home only to find a small puddle of Royal Purple under the car in the trailer. I thought OK, maybe they just didn't clean the inside of the flywheel housing before they put the tranny back in and whatever was in there dripped out - I changed the trans fluid. The only thing I had on the shelf was some Redline MTF-80 so I used that. Cleaned everything up with brake cleaner and let it idle, in first gear on jackstands for a while. Drip, drip, drip - much worse than it was before I took it in. I called the Service Advisor, he said No Problem we'll take care of it; they sent a flatbed to pick the car up on Monday. I reminded them that I had a track day today and needed the car back yesterday. No problem they said. On Tuesday I got a call saying that the seal was replaced again and it was still leaking. They now thought that the transmission fluid is too thin for the application. I said, well, it's 80W MTF and is more viscous than the ATF that BMW uses but if it makes you feel better you can go ahead and fill it up with the BMW stuff. Wednesday I get a call saying that it sat overnight without leaking and the mechanic put about 20 miles on the car and it isn't leaking. I was a bit skeptical but said OK and went to pick the car up. It was bone dry on the outside so I loaded it up onto the trailer and brought it home, checked it again when I got it home and it was still dry so I locked the trailer and went to bed. This morning before leaving for the track I checked it one more time and sure as $hit there was a small puddle of fluid under the car so instead of going to the track I went to the dealer and waited for them to open. I watched the mechanic pull the trans, it took him 30 minutes total (WTF, where did the 8 hours of labor come from I thought to myself)! It was leaking from the center of the seal and as he grabbed the input shaft it moved within the housing about 1/8th of an inch. After a brief conference with the Service Manager and two other techs (and an examination of another Manual trans they had in stock) it was determined that there should be no lateral movement of the input shaft and that the transmission has indeed perished -- met its maker so to speak. The trans showed no syptoms of this failure at all. It shifted smoothly and didn't make any unusual noises, it just leaked a very small amount. It does have 108K miles on it and many of those are track miles so it isn't terribly suprising but I would have expected some sort of symptoms besides the fluid seepage. My Pilot bearing is still good, I replaced that three years ago when I installed the LWT flywheel and it still seems to rotate freely without any discernable lateral play. The bottom line is $1,900 for a rebuilt transmission and no charge for installation, and no track day for me today because Badger Bimmers does not allow Roadsters at their track days. I went there anyway in my Roadster just to hang out and take pictures. All in all, the dealership have been superb in their customer service (except for not fixing the actual problem the first time). I was only charged once, I wasn't charged for the tow, the trans fluid or the extra parts and I am told I am getting a 10% discount on the rebuilt transmission. They even offered me a car to take to the track today until I expalained to the Service Advisor that I would actually be driving it on the track and wouldn't be responsible for any damages that might ocurr; he had thought I was just going to watch so that offer was quickly rescinded. For a second though I was tempted to let that piece of information go unmentioned, they are a P-car dealer too... Regards -- Jamie Howton 2006 M Roadster 2000 M5 1995 M3 Hampshire, IL ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2006 07:32:58 -0400 From: "Gary Derian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Jamie Howton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[email protected]> Subject: Re: E36 Trans Ist Kaput Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Incompetent but honest beats incompetent but dishonest any day. Maybe it only needed a $100 input bearing. Gary Derian > Since I've been too lazy (actually too busy playing with my new car) > lately, a couple of weeks ago I paid my local dealer to figure out > where the minor oil seepage was coming from between my M3 engine and > transmission. They diagnosed and replaced the transmission input > shaft seal to the tune of $1,188. > > I picked the car up last Saturday and trailered it home only to find a > small puddle of Royal Purple under the car in the trailer. I thought > OK, maybe they just didn't clean the inside of the flywheel housing > before they put the tranny back in and whatever was in there dripped > out - I changed the trans fluid. The only thing I had on the shelf > was some Redline MTF-80 so I used that. Cleaned everything up with > brake cleaner and let it idle, in first gear on jackstands for a > while. Drip, drip, drip - much worse than it was before I took it in. > I called the Service Advisor, he said No Problem we'll take care of > it; they sent a flatbed to pick the car up on Monday. I reminded them > that I had a track day today and needed the car back yesterday. No > problem they said. > > On Tuesday I got a call saying that the seal was replaced again and it > was still leaking. They now thought that the transmission fluid is > too thin for the application. I said, well, it's 80W MTF and is more > viscous than the ATF that BMW uses but if it makes you feel better you > can go ahead and fill it up with the BMW stuff. Wednesday I get a > call saying that it sat overnight without leaking and the mechanic put > about 20 miles on the car and it isn't leaking. I was a bit skeptical > but said OK and went to pick the car up. It was bone dry on the > outside so I loaded it up onto the trailer and brought it home, > checked it again when I got it home and it was still dry so I locked > the trailer and went to bed. > > This morning before leaving for the track I checked it one more time > and sure as $hit there was a small puddle of fluid under the car so > instead of going to the track I went to the dealer and waited for them > to open. I watched the mechanic pull the trans, it took him 30 > minutes total (WTF, where did the 8 hours of labor come from I thought > to myself)! It was leaking from the center of the seal and as he > grabbed the input shaft it moved within the housing about 1/8th of an > inch. After a brief conference with the Service Manager and two other > techs (and an examination of another Manual trans they had in stock) > it was determined that there should be no lateral movement of the > input shaft and that the transmission has indeed perished -- met its > maker so to speak. > > The trans showed no syptoms of this failure at all. It shifted > smoothly and didn't make any unusual noises, it just leaked a very > small amount. It does have 108K miles on it and many of those are > track miles so it isn't terribly suprising but I would have expected > some sort of symptoms besides the fluid seepage. My Pilot bearing is > still good, I replaced that three years ago when I installed the LWT > flywheel and it still seems to rotate freely without any discernable > lateral play. > > The bottom line is $1,900 for a rebuilt transmission and no charge for > installation, and no track day for me today because Badger Bimmers > does not allow Roadsters at their track days. I went there anyway in > my Roadster just to hang out and take pictures. > > All in all, the dealership have been superb in their customer service > (except for not fixing the actual problem the first time). I was only > charged once, I wasn't charged for the tow, the trans fluid or the > extra parts and I am told I am getting a 10% discount on the rebuilt > transmission. They even offered me a car to take to the track today > until I expalained to the Service Advisor that I would actually be > driving it on the track and wouldn't be responsible for any damages > that might ocurr; he had thought I was just going to watch so that > offer was quickly rescinded. For a second though I was tempted to let > that piece of information go unmentioned, they are a P-car dealer > too... > > Regards > > -- > Jamie Howton > 2006 M Roadster > 2000 M5 > 1995 M3 > Hampshire, IL > 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: Sat, 1 Jul 2006 08:52:55 -0500 From: "Jamie Howton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Gary Derian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: E36 Trans Ist Kaput Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Incompetent but honest beats incompetent but dishonest any day. Maybe it > only needed a $100 input bearing. Agreed on your first point. I sort of thought it migh just be a bearing too, but BMW dealers don't do any sort of tranny rebuilds these days. Replacing seals is about as far inside the transmission as they go. Soon it will be that way with engines too... Regards -- Jamie Howton 2006 M Roadster 2000 M5 1995 M3 Hampshire, IL ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2006 09:51:36 -0500 From: "Bill Proud" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'Jamie Howton'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "'E36M3'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "'UUC Digest'" <[email protected]> Subject: Re: E36 Trans Ist Kaput Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I hate to say this in these words , but I suspect that you just got screwed .....in all probability I'd suspish the input shaft bearing to be worn, thus allowing slight movement of the shaft against the seal (in effect creating a tiny oil-pumping action within the seal ) . Any good transmission shop with the right tools should have been able to R & R the bearing for much less $$ . The reason you didnt feel anything untoward when driving it was that to an amazing degree bearings will continue to do their function when worn without creating a whole lot of racket that you can hear inside the car (let's hear it for all that sound-deadening material ). Worn bearings do of course change the alignment of the gearshafts slightly, and if allowed to go unchecked there will eventually be some wear on the gears themselves . All of which is why BMW only sells fully refurbed gearboxes where all the bearings are replaced along with synchros and any gears showing wear .....thus their price seems high but you are actually getting a whole lot when you add up the cost of individual parts Big Bad Bill the BMW Boy Bill Proud. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Jamie Howton Sent: Friday, June 30, 2006 6:54 PM To: E36M3; UUC Digest Subject: [UUC] E36 Trans Ist Kaput Since I've been too lazy (actually too busy playing with my new car) lately, a couple of weeks ago I paid my local dealer to figure out where the minor oil seepage was coming from between my M3 engine and transmission. They diagnosed and replaced the transmission input shaft seal to the tune of $1,188. I picked the car up last Saturday and trailered it home only to find a small puddle of Royal Purple under the car in the trailer. I thought OK, maybe they just didn't clean the inside of the flywheel housing before they put the tranny back in and whatever was in there dripped out - I changed the trans fluid. The only thing I had on the shelf was some Redline MTF-80 so I used that. Cleaned everything up with brake cleaner and let it idle, in first gear on jackstands for a while. Drip, drip, drip - much worse than it was before I took it in. I called the Service Advisor, he said No Problem we'll take care of it; they sent a flatbed to pick the car up on Monday. I reminded them that I had a track day today and needed the car back yesterday. No problem they said. On Tuesday I got a call saying that the seal was replaced again and it was still leaking. They now thought that the transmission fluid is too thin for the application. I said, well, it's 80W MTF and is more viscous than the ATF that BMW uses but if it makes you feel better you can go ahead and fill it up with the BMW stuff. Wednesday I get a call saying that it sat overnight without leaking and the mechanic put about 20 miles on the car and it isn't leaking. I was a bit skeptical but said OK and went to pick the car up. It was bone dry on the outside so I loaded it up onto the trailer and brought it home, checked it again when I got it home and it was still dry so I locked the trailer and went to bed. This morning before leaving for the track I checked it one more time and sure as $hit there was a small puddle of fluid under the car so instead of going to the track I went to the dealer and waited for them to open. I watched the mechanic pull the trans, it took him 30 minutes total (WTF, where did the 8 hours of labor come from I thought to myself)! It was leaking from the center of the seal and as he grabbed the input shaft it moved within the housing about 1/8th of an inch. After a brief conference with the Service Manager and two other techs (and an examination of another Manual trans they had in stock) it was determined that there should be no lateral movement of the input shaft and that the transmission has indeed perished -- met its maker so to speak. The trans showed no syptoms of this failure at all. It shifted smoothly and didn't make any unusual noises, it just leaked a very small amount. It does have 108K miles on it and many of those are track miles so it isn't terribly suprising but I would have expected some sort of symptoms besides the fluid seepage. My Pilot bearing is still good, I replaced that three years ago when I installed the LWT flywheel and it still seems to rotate freely without any discernable lateral play. The bottom line is $1,900 for a rebuilt transmission and no charge for installation, and no track day for me today because Badger Bimmers does not allow Roadsters at their track days. I went there anyway in my Roadster just to hang out and take pictures. All in all, the dealership have been superb in their customer service (except for not fixing the actual problem the first time). I was only charged once, I wasn't charged for the tow, the trans fluid or the extra parts and I am told I am getting a 10% discount on the rebuilt transmission. They even offered me a car to take to the track today until I expalained to the Service Advisor that I would actually be driving it on the track and wouldn't be responsible for any damages that might ocurr; he had thought I was just going to watch so that offer was quickly rescinded. For a second though I was tempted to let that piece of information go unmentioned, they are a P-car dealer too... Regards -- Jamie Howton 2006 M Roadster 2000 M5 1995 M3 Hampshire, IL 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 -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.7/379 - Release Date: 6/29/06 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2006 13:05:13 -0500 From: "Jamie Howton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Bill Proud" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: E36M3 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "UUC Digest" <[email protected]> Subject: Re: E36 Trans Ist Kaput Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > I hate to say this in these words , but I suspect that you just got > screwed .....in all probability I'd suspish the input shaft bearing to > be worn, thus allowing slight movement of the shaft against the seal (in > effect creating a tiny oil-pumping action within the seal ) . Any good > transmission shop with the right tools should have been able to R & R > the bearing for much less $$ . You are probably right in so far as if I had taken the car to a shop with the ability to repair the transmission I would have saved some money. Unfortunately, BMW dealerships do not have that ability, they only replace assemblies -- they don't repair them. I suppose I should have posted to the list(s) prior to making any decisions, however I am too far gone to turn back now. Thanks for the input. -- Jamie Howton 2006 M Roadster 2000 M5 1995 M3 Hampshire, IL ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 1 Jul 2006 09:09:37 -0700 From: "jchasd" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'Steve & Barb Conner'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <[email protected]> Subject: Re: 99 540iA Service Engine Soon Light Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> My 2001 740i Sport had the air flow meter replaced under warranty when the SES light went on. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Steve & Barb Conner Sent: Friday, 30 June, 2006 08:00 To: [email protected] Subject: [UUC] 99 540iA Service Engine Soon Light For over a year I have been trying to figure out how to troubleshoot a Service Engine Soon light that keeps coming and going. The car has 90k miles and I have recently changed all four O2 sensors. The intake manifold gaskets have also recently been changed to fix some leaking. I thought changing the O2 sensors would knock this out, but I still get two codes when reading codes with an Actron OBDII reader. The codes are P0171 - System Too Lean (Bank 1) and P0174 - System Too Lean (Bank 2). Any ideas? Steve Conner Kokomo, IN 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 ------------------------------ End of [bmwuucdigest] digest(7 messages) **********
