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maxallen posted:I've been getting an intermittent coolant light on my '01 330Ci. I kept forgetting to check the level when it was truly cold, but I finally did this morning, and it was right between the two dots on the stick. Do I just have a bad sensor, or is there something else that could be causing this? On a related note, I've never seen my temp sensor climb more than a tick above straight up, so I don't seem to be having any cooling issues. I've had the same problem, but I know that I need to replace my cooling system. I'm confident my issue is a stuck float level sensor - yours may (or may not  ) be the same.
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Jan 6, 2009 00:59
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frozenphil posted:so I made out alright. Some of us disagree 
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Jan 6, 2009 01:49
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CornHolio posted:Some of us disagree I have a project car. I didn't need a daily driver that takes just as much maintenance and money to keep running as my project.
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Jan 6, 2009 04:48
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I saw an E93 M3 yesterday and couldn't figure out what the gently caress it was. I saw the roundel and the M badge, but my mind was going, "that can't be an M3". The E93 looks wonky as gently caress. :/
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Jan 6, 2009 12:41
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multiprotocol posted:I've had the same problem, but I know that I need to replace my cooling system. I'm confident my issue is a stuck float level sensor - yours may (or may not I'm guessing the float level sensor isn't the same as the bob I see in the tank? I'm having trouble with the diagram on realoem, got a link that shows me what I should be looking for? E: I think I found it, the leveling switch as labeled on the diagrams, Coolant Level Sender on Pelican Parts? I'm guessing the best course would be to not mess with it since it's attached to that lovely endtank unless the problem starts to actually become an issue. maxallen fucked around with this message at 15:14 on Jan 6, 2009 |
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Jan 6, 2009 15:09
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ad infinitum posted:99 M Roadster and track days Your lucky, the club up here wouldn't let me run a miata with a welded on hard top, full cage, seats and 5 point harnesses. To answer your question though look at other clubs in the area, BMW club tends to not like convertibles on the track. Some of the other manufacturer clubs are ok with them as are some of the other groups that host HPDE events.
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Jan 6, 2009 17:56
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I bought a '99 BMW 323i several months ago. As the temperature as dropped I have noticed that the car doesn't run very well when it is cold outside. If it sits out in below freezing temperature overnight when I try to go to work in the morning, I will have to get it up to 3-4000 rpm to start moving. But, after about 5 miles of driving it gets much better, but never really feels like it is running optimally. It think the rpm is still too high and it feels sluggish compared to other cars. I can usually mitigate it a bit by leaving it in park and running the engine for a few moments to warm it up. But that just keeps me from having to rev the engine to 3000 rpm at red lights for the first few miles of driving. I know virtually nothing about cars, but after doing some research online I decided that it was either 13621433077 or 13621433076 and had them replaced by my regular mechanic when I went home for the holidays. But that didn't help much. At this point I am probably just going to take it to the dealership, but I would appreciate it if someone has some ideas or reassurances. I just don't want to take it to the dealership and pay them several hundred dollars to do something and not see any results.
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Jan 7, 2009 01:23
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3000rpm to get the car moving from a stop? Something is horribly wrong and you should take it in right away. I don't see how cooling system parts would have anything to do with it either. A faulty temperature sensor isn't going to prevent any motion. You sure a brake isn't seized? You didn't mention whether it was stick or an automatic, but if you slowly ease off the clutch at idle does it move at all (an automatic should just move when you are off the brake)? Crustashio fucked around with this message at 03:23 on Jan 7, 2009 |
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Jan 7, 2009 03:21
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Crustashio posted:3000rpm to get the car moving from a stop? Something is horribly wrong and you should take it in right away. I don't see how cooling system parts would have anything to do with it either. A faulty temperature sensor isn't going to prevent any motion. It's an automatic. Yes it can take up to 3000 rpm from a stop after it has been sitting out in freezing temperatures overnight. If it is a pretty warm day it doesn't seem to be as bad. The reason I thought it might be a temperature sensor problem is because it only does it really bad for the first few minutes of driving after having sat for several hours (~10 hours or so). I can drive to work and experience it pretty bad initally, but then when I go to lunch it just feels a little sluggish, and when I drive home in the evening it is just sluggish. But, in the morning it will be really bad again. I was thinking the sensor might have been reading that the coolant was warm even though it wasn't. How can I tell if a brake is seized? Is it something I can tell by looking at it? The guy I bought it from mentioned that he had had the brakes replaced\serviced recently. Altoids fucked around with this message at 04:10 on Jan 7, 2009 |
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Jan 7, 2009 03:53
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Altoids posted:It's an automatic. Yes it can take up to 3000 rpm from a stop after it has been sitting out in freezing temperatures overnight. If it is a pretty warm day it doesn't seem to be as bad. I would agree with the brakes and saying you're getting brake fade, but that you say sitting in park it warms up, sounds like your transmission is low on fluid and/or making GBS threads the bed. Have you bottomed out or anything recently that could cause a fluid leak?
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Jan 7, 2009 04:10
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maxallen posted:I would agree with the brakes and saying you're getting brake fade, but that you say sitting in park it warms up, sounds like your transmission is low on fluid and/or making GBS threads the bed. Have you bottomed out or anything recently that could cause a fluid leak? I had the transmission fluid replaced over the holidays. I think the car does have some transmission problem though. If I hold the brake down and shift through the gears, I can feel the car bounce a bit as it moves from P to R to D, etc... But when the mechanic replaced the transmission fluid he said that there wasn't any metal in the fluid. Which is apparently a good sign? He lifted the car up and showed me a rubber "bearing" (I think?) that was cracked, and said that that was probably the problem.
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Jan 7, 2009 04:16
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Altoids posted:I had the transmission fluid replaced over the holidays. I think the car does have some transmission problem though. If I hold the brake down and shift through the gears, I can feel the car bounce a bit as it moves from P to R to D, etc... But when the mechanic replaced the transmission fluid he said that there wasn't any metal in the fluid. Which is apparently a good sign? He lifted the car up and showed me a rubber "bearing" (I think?) that was cracked, and said that that was probably the problem. Had the transmission fluid ever been replaced before? Where exactly was this bearing? (torn guibo?) E: i'm an idiot Is this it? http://www.rogueengineering.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=GUIBO maxallen fucked around with this message at 04:41 on Jan 7, 2009 |
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Jan 7, 2009 04:39
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maxallen posted:Had the transmission fluid ever been replaced before? I don't know. I bought the car with about 97,000 miles and when I hit the 100,000 mark I decided it was a good time to have it replaced. The manual mentions that the transmission fluid is "lifetime" so I would guess it has never been replaced. quote:Is this it? http://www.rogueengineering.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=GUIBO No that doesn't look like it. What he showed me was towards the back of the car, between the rear wheels or under the back seat, approximately. It was more encased in metal.
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Jan 7, 2009 04:54
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A shaft coupling isn't going to restrict your speed. They're designed to handle misalignment and impact loading, and they either transmit power (not failed) or they don't (failed). A failing shaft coupling can cause some vibration issues. I'd be inclined to agree with a fluid being the issue if sitting in park while everything heats up solves the problem. edit: Altoids posted:No that doesn't look like it. What he showed me was towards the back of the car, between the rear wheels or under the back seat, approximately. It was more encased in metal. Rear differential? It looks like a cast metal box where the main driveshaft connects to the front and the drive axles come out either side, approximately perpendicular. Crustashio fucked around with this message at 05:02 on Jan 7, 2009 |
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Jan 7, 2009 04:56
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This thing at the top with the two arrows pointing to it looks very similar. I'm not sure if it is the same thing or not though. From this thread on some forum. I will take it by the dealership tomorrow morning and have them look at it. Altoids fucked around with this message at 05:11 on Jan 7, 2009 |
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Jan 7, 2009 05:03
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Altoids posted:I don't know. I bought the car with about 97,000 miles and when I hit the 100,000 mark I decided it was a good time to have it replaced. The manual mentions that the transmission fluid is "lifetime" so I would guess it has never been replaced. High mileage fluid swaps tend to dislodge deposits which then proceed to flow around your transmission and gently caress things up. Did you tell him/did he do a filter swap, or did he just do the regular high pressure suck and blow swap? If it's the latter there's a good chance what I said earlier happened, if you did a filter/fluid swap there's still a slight chance. On a related note, I still haven't decided whether or not to change the fluids in the auto my '01. 115k on the clock, assumedly never been swapped. My original plan was to drain, clean magnets, fill, run it a bit, drain, swap filter/clean magnets, fill, and go, and hopefully I might avoid this. Anyone got opinions on that?
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Jan 7, 2009 05:14
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maxallen posted:High mileage fluid swaps tend to dislodge deposits which then proceed to flow around your transmission and gently caress things up. Did you tell him/did he do a filter swap, or did he just do the regular high pressure suck and blow swap? If it's the latter there's a good chance what I said earlier happened, if you did a filter/fluid swap there's still a slight chance. I've heard anecdotes both ways. Some people have problems afterward and other don't. And who's to say the ones that don't have problems would have had problems if they didn't swap the fluid? Most mechanics say to leave well enough alone after 100,000 miles.
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Jan 7, 2009 20:17
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These finally arrived today: Full set of 15" iX specific basketweaves with the centercaps. Once summer comes I'll be able to mount properly sized tires and keep the 14" basketweaves as my winter tire set. I had to watch ebay for 4 months just to get a complete set. Crustashio fucked around with this message at 02:46 on Jan 8, 2009 |
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Jan 8, 2009 02:42
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Crustashio posted:These finally arrived today: Are these BBS or Speedline? BBS ones will be obviously stamped BBS, Speedline will be marked Made in Italy. It's not really Speedline, but some small offshoot that has a different name.
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Jan 8, 2009 03:57
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My '02 E65 735i   I've had it just over a week now. She's got just under 50,000 miles, full service history and is in beautiful condition with all the usual bells & whistles that I'm still trying to learn. I'm sadly not a rich old man, but I was bitten by the luxury car bug a while back when I bought a Jaguar XJ6 Sport and completely fell head over heels. Eventually I decided to get something easier on the pocket and traded it in for a Ford Mondeo (not sure what the US equivalent of this is - Taurus?, think dull family saloon) but it just wasn't me. Chanced onto this 7 series with an offer I would have been stupid to walk away from and I have to say I'm over the moon.
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Jan 8, 2009 10:03
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Dogtanian posted:My '02 E65 735i it looks rad though, front end is like a fat old guy who is totally bored by whatever you're saying to him
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Jan 8, 2009 12:40
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Dogtanian posted:My '02 E65 735i That is quite a beautiful car. I'm envious, we never got the 735i over here - which in light of recent developments (re: oil prices) is a giant mistake in my opinion.
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Jan 8, 2009 15:06
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Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:it looks rad though, front end is like a fat old guy who is totally bored by whatever you're saying to him Hahaha! I don't think I'll ever look at it now without thinking this. multiprotocol posted:That is quite a beautiful car. I'm envious, we never got the 735i over here - which in light of recent developments (re: oil prices) is a giant mistake in my opinion. Thankyou. It's thirsty enough too, I can't imagine what it would be like as a 6.0 V12 (although I bet it would be good fun).
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Jan 8, 2009 17:01
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You'll love the V12 until you have to do any maintenance out of warranty. 5 hours labor for spark plugs? Thanks, but no.
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Jan 8, 2009 22:34
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Shopping around for a new cat for my '90 325i, every place online seems to think my center pipe is single inlet/dual outlet. Was this stock on earlier E30's or something? I pulled that loving pipe off myself and it is most definitely dual pipe parallel all the way down. Thinking about just getting a magnaflow 94008 (http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=mpe-94008) and having a shop weld it on, as that's the only thing that looks like it'll fit properly. Funny thing -- I was at the local BMW dealership parts department getting new exhaust manifold studs (.52/piece! I actually didn't get raped! It was amazing) and the parts guy looked up a new cat/center pipe for me for shits & giggles. $1850 w/ exchange of the old piece. Hilarious.
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Jan 9, 2009 00:08
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Mad Dragon posted:You'll love the V12 until you have to do any maintenance out of warranty. 5 hours labor for spark plugs? Thanks, but no. How does that work? I did the plugs on my V8 and it was probably faster than some of the I4/V4s I've done in the past (from Dodge to Toyota). I like the look of the 735 up there. Nice car 
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Jan 9, 2009 00:15
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Xenoid posted:How does that work? I did the plugs on my V8 and it was probably faster than some of the I4/V4s I've done in the past (from Dodge to Toyota). I hope the 2002 735 doesn't have the same problems as the 745.
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Jan 9, 2009 00:50
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miklm posted:Yes, MINIs (and even Minis) can play too Took delivery of my new MINI on the 6th (put the order in on November 15. Totally worth the wait). I love it so much.  
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Jan 9, 2009 02:06
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Doctor Grape Ape posted:Are these BBS or Speedline? BBS ones will be obviously stamped BBS, Speedline will be marked Made in Italy. It's not really Speedline, but some small offshoot that has a different name. BBS. I don't know if speedlines are stock, but the iX wheel aftermarket is basically nil (unless you absolutely love honda aftermarket wheels). This is thanks to the 41mm offset and north american e30 owners buying a lot of the 15" basketweaves and using spacers.
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Jan 9, 2009 03:32
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I'm about ready to finally pull the trigger on an E36 at the end of this month (when I should have my tax refund too), and I'm trying to figure out if I'm missing anything. What I want: E36 92-95 (I hear about VANOS issues 96+), as close to, preferably under, 100k miles, manual (duh) preferably 2 door but will settle for 4, and paying about 3500-4000 in California. I've read up on all of the maintenance for the E36s of about that mileage (IE: http://edgemotorworks.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=55), have about 1500 budgeted for the said parts (car will not be a daily driver, or at least one that I will DEPEND on, as I don't commute to work, public transportation) My questions are these: For the maintenance stuff above, what am I looking in terms of "skill" and tools needed to get that stuff done on my own? Time is not a factor, as, like I said, I don't have to drive it to work or anything. I've done maintenance and part replacements on my Sentra but nothing really crazy like messing with the engine/transmission/suspension. What should I look for as being signs of "something bad" while taking it out on a test drive from a potential seller? What's a shop that's NOT filled with shady assholes in the entirety of San Jose, CA that I could trust should something go amiss that's good with BMWs? I swear to God when I had my Sentra I used the mechanics as a diagnostic tool only and they STILL never found the correct thing that was wrong with the car at any given time, and this was about 6 shops total. Finally, what's a good community resource (other than Bimmerforums which I've registered on) for other "work on your own car" enthusiasts around the San Jose area? Thanks, I look forward to joining this thread proper soon. :p
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Jan 9, 2009 04:51
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OxMan posted:I'm about ready to finally pull the trigger on an E36 at the end of this month (when I should have my tax refund too), and I'm trying to figure out if I'm missing anything. You want a VANOS car. The 'issues' are not significant enough that they should deter you from wanting one with the variable timing, in my opinion. The added power is incredibly addictive. Skillwise, I tend to think that working on BMWs is easier than working on many other types of cars. YMMV. Tools, you'll need at least a good torque wrench and a complete set of metric sockets + wrenches. Something bad... look for rust, obviously. Check the rear strut towers for signs of damage (not likely). See if the car makes weird noises in a parking deck while making tight radius turns. Check to see if the steering wheel rumbles or vibrates above 80mph, and while braking sharply. Check for power steering fluid leaks from the PS cooler attached to the rack (should be obvious). There's a million little things I could think of, but don't have the time right now. Bimmerforums is the 'least bad' BMW site, I think. My favorite BMW resources are the Bentley E36 manual (get it, now, before you get the car), 101 Projects for your 3-Series (also available via PelicanParts.com), realoem.com (basically the entire BMW ETK/Parts list online), and getbmwparts.com (Tischer BMW in Silver Springs, MD - fantastic service when it comes to ordering and shipping weird parts).
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Jan 9, 2009 05:24
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So a coworker is interested in the X6 for some reason. I've heard they have atrocious reliability or something, anyone have any info on this? I'm trying to push him towards and M3 or S5 instead.
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Jan 9, 2009 06:13
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Aquila posted:So a coworker is interested in the X6 for some reason. I've heard they have atrocious reliability or something, anyone have any info on this? I'm trying to push him towards and M3 or S5 instead. Haven't they only been on the market for like less than a month. Isn't it a little early to start declaring them atrociously unreliable?
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Jan 9, 2009 06:56
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OxMan posted:What I want: E36 92-95 (I hear about VANOS issues 96+), as close to, preferably under, 100k miles, manual (duh) preferably 2 door but will settle for 4, and paying about 3500-4000 in California. 92 is the only non-vanos E36. It is popular for turbocharging because the top end is stronger. 93-95 has the 2.5L OBD1 M50 with Vanos, 96-98 has the 2.8L OBD2 M52 also with Vanos. 92-95 has the better intake, 96-98 has the better exhaust manifold (You can swap them around to get them both if you want). Also, the OBD1 ECUs are cheaper to modify and error codes can be read on the dash. Vanos is good, worst case you might need to replace some seals if it isn't operating properly.
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Jan 9, 2009 07:18
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I'm relatively new to the BMW fan thing, but am looking into getting a slightly older 740 IL for myself. Why? I like the looks of the car, the tech specs seem impressive, the reviews I have read are pretty much all positive, and it seems like there are a nice selection of decently priced ones in my area (Michigan). What I want are the opinions of some people in here with more knowledge than myself. I'm kind of a babe in the woods here, don't know what specific problems to look for, what a real good price is, etc. Hopefully you guys can give me some tips, and things to look out for, along with anything else I need to know about these cars. Below are some craigslist links to ones in my area, they seem to be pretty indicative of what's available. http://detroit.craigslist.org/ctd/985160877.html http://detroit.craigslist.org/ctd/983544754.html http://detroit.craigslist.org/ctd/980370902.html http://detroit.craigslist.org/cto/978578162.html http://detroit.craigslist.org/cto/972397941.html Bit of extra interest in the last one, simply because it seems like the guy has really maintained the vehicle and has proof of it. Thanks.
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Jan 9, 2009 09:54
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Xenoid fucked around with this message at 11:29 on Jan 9, 2009 |
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Jan 9, 2009 11:25
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Been searching BMW forums and I can't find help regarding it. My 97 540i has a problem where, when the heat is blowing, there is no warm/hot air coming out the vent in the backseat. Only cold air. What could be the reason for this? I'm assuming it involves ripping apart that center console so I thought I'd find out what I'm dealing with here first. As for the 740, most people agree that they're the most expensive to repair and most prone to problems because they get new tech before the other BMWs when it hasn't been proven yet (electricals). If you did get one, you MUST get one that has proven maintenance records (I'd say that about any BMW though) and they are typically very cheap for a reason. The 540 is a good alternative (with a 6 spd manual option if you care) and they are typically a little more or about the same price. Mad Dragon posted:You have to remove the intake to get to the plugs. That is downright ridiculous. OxMan posted:My questions are these:
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Jan 9, 2009 11:29
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Mad Dragon posted:You have to remove the intake to get to the plugs. The whole manifold?
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Jan 9, 2009 13:58
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OxMan posted:I'm about ready to finally pull the trigger on an E36... Welcome to the fold. In case you missed it: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?noseen=1&threadid=2809820&pagenumber=4#post341871087 Some good first-timer info. If you're going to be doing DIY work, know that a full set of metric tools is required. Most of the Costco sets are missing sizes that BMWs commonly use -- 16mm and 18mm for example -- and that, in addition to one of those cheap Taiwanese kits you will probably want to grab some other job-specific tools. For example: - 32mm bike head wrench when you do the cooling system - 18mm impact socket and universal joint for the front suspension (if you have an impact gun)
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Jan 9, 2009 17:55
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Need some advice to fix a really irratating issue. The jets for the headlamp wash are knackered and I need to get to the back of the lights. Is there anyway to drop the grille and lights out of an E30 without dropping the bumper off? 325iS with the tech2 kit
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