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ynotony posted:If you want to do a fan delete that's OK, but make sure to fix your fan destroying problem first. Could be your shroud and hoses coming loose and tangled, could be your water pump (fan is attached to water pump), could be your engine mounts causing the entire engine to slide forward under braking... could be all three. My 1/4" line from the top driver side of the radiator to the overflow tank detached at the tank and was flapping around. I ran a new line and put new hose clamps on each end. Cooling system is ~50K old, radiator and water pump. Everything looks fine, no leaks or rust anywhere. Pretty sure the motor mounts are still pretty good but I've also suspected those in this situation, I guess the motor shifting forward and slamming into the rad is common-ish.
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Mar 11, 2009 17:24
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I'm thinking of purchasing a used car for a daily driver, and I stumbled across this M3. What do you guys think? It seems priced a little high for the miles, but 4 doors and a 5 speed aren't that common, and it also seems to have been maintained very well. I sent him an email yesterday and he told me it was sold. Today he emailed me back saying the buyer backed out. I wonder how I can ask why the guy backed out and be sure I'm getting a truthful answer. http://atlanta.craigslist.org/cto/1070827450.html Also, what do you guys think of using an e36 M3 for a daily driver? Will I need a backup car (I have 2 <$3000 beaters already, I'll sell at least one of them if I get this)? Will maintenance/repairs be over $1000 a year on average? I know the inspections are every 2 years or so at 10,000 miles a year and those cost $300-$800 from what I read online. The one I linked to will probably need some suspension work eventually even though he says it is good. Anything else to worry about besides that and the cooling system (which they already replaced). BossTweed fucked around with this message at 00:16 on Mar 12, 2009 |
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Mar 11, 2009 22:09
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The ad shows as 'deleted by author'. As far as daily driving an M3, a friend of mine drove his '96 M3 to work every day until last fall, when he traded it in on an E46 M3, which he drives every day. He's never mentioned any real issues with maintenance problems, and I can only remember one time when it was in the shop, and that was for the 75k mile checklist. I can't answer your questions about ongoing maintenance costs, since I haven't had mine long enough, but I don't really see a reason why an M3 would be any more expensive to daily drive than a 325 or 330.
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Mar 12, 2009 00:13
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The Locator posted:The ad shows as 'deleted by author'. Oh, thanks. He took it down and then put it back up. I was looking at a cached version. In case people don't want to look at the link, it is a 1998 M3 with 94,000 miles priced at $11,900. It is pretty though. http://atlanta.craigslist.org/cto/1070827450.html BossTweed fucked around with this message at 00:28 on Mar 12, 2009 |
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Mar 12, 2009 00:18
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BossTweed posted:Oh, thanks. He took it down and then put it back up. I was looking at a cached version. Buy it. That M3 looks amazing, and Modena is a rare interior color.
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Mar 12, 2009 00:28
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I hate to bring this up again, but I always thought (having been told by the dealership, BMWCCA forums, and pelicanparts.com tech forums) that even on a manual, if the transmission says ATF, to fill it with ATF. In this month's roundel, Mike says "Please do not email tech talk asking whether to use ATF in a manual gearbox. The answer is always going to be no, no matter how many times you ask or who says otherwise." So should I go against the giant "ATF only" sticker on the gearbox itself, and against the dealership's recommendation (they were astounded that I had put 75W90 synthetic gear oil in there when I called them last summer, like only a moron would do that).
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Mar 12, 2009 00:51
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CornHolio posted:I hate to bring this up again, but I always thought (having been told by the dealership, BMWCCA forums, and pelicanparts.com tech forums) that even on a manual, if the transmission says ATF, to fill it with ATF. If the transmission calls for ATF, use ATF. Seems pretty straight forward. From about 86-97 almost all BMW manuals were filled with regular old dexron. Since then they've switched to mtf-lt fluids (manual transmission fluid, life-time). Most likely the writer at Roundel was referring to a newer vehicle which definitely does not take ATF. Brock Landers posted:I did for my 318iS. I used Redline-MTL. Seemed to help shifting quite a bit. I read someplace (probably Mike Miller) that ATF was used by BMW to help address complaints about cold weather shifting and that MTL will probably help the transmission last longer. In any case, there are lots of people who put MTL in and I haven't read any horror stories about blown transmissions. Yeah, at the start of production on e30s they were using a standard gear oil to fill the Getrags (i think it was either a 75 or 80 weight), but by the late 80s there were enough complaints about transmission noise in cold weather to warrant a service bulletin about changing the tranny fluid to atf to address the noise concerns. After that they pretty much switched over completely to ATF in the manuals. I've also heard nothing but good things about the Redline range of products, though I'm still filling my old 260 with Dexron. It's free and I have no noise or effort issues even in the crazy temperature swings we get here in Colorado. Ethelinda Sapsea fucked around with this message at 02:47 on Mar 12, 2009 |
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Mar 12, 2009 01:11
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CornHolio posted:I hate to bring this up again, but I always thought (having been told by the dealership, BMWCCA forums, and pelicanparts.com tech forums) that even on a manual, if the transmission says ATF, to fill it with ATF. I did for my 318iS. I used Redline-MTL. Seemed to help shifting quite a bit. I read someplace (probably Mike Miller) that ATF was used by BMW to help address complaints about cold weather shifting and that MTL will probably help the transmission last longer. In any case, there are lots of people who put MTL in and I haven't read any horror stories about blown transmissions. EDIT: If it makes you feel better, put in Redline D4-ATF.
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Mar 12, 2009 02:24
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BossTweed posted:Oh, thanks. He took it down and then put it back up. I was looking at a cached version. In case people don't want to look at the link, it is a 1998 M3 with 94,000 miles priced at $11,900. It is pretty though. Sure looks like a good car. Be sure to do your research on what 'wear items' you can expect to need to replace between 95k-110k miles (bushings, motor mounts, brake switch, ignition switch, etc.) and be prepared to deal with those items.
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Mar 12, 2009 02:28
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I have been in the market for a while, looking for a used BMW. I live in NY area. I guess I am pretty scared of dealers, that's why I guess I prefer a BMW authorized dealer and a BMW certified car. But I realize my options are pretty limited with a budget around $18K - $19K. Here is one that seems to fit my budget: http://tinyurl.com/bsraas 2004 BMW 325 Ci - $18,995, 51K miles, convertible. BMW certified from an authorized dealer in NJ. Am I being over paranoid about this certified thing? I see so many dealer Internet ads (that are NOT BMW authorized sellers) that offer much better deals in NJ/NY area, but then I get discouraged reading bunch of negative reviews after 10 minutes of Googling.
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Mar 12, 2009 04:33
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personaljesus posted:I have been in the market for a while, looking for a used BMW. I live in NY area. I guess I am pretty scared of dealers, that's why I guess I prefer a BMW authorized dealer and a BMW certified car. But I realize my options are pretty limited with a budget around $18K - $19K. BMW's certified warranty is good for 100,000 miles or 6 years from the "in-service" date. That 2004 is going to have 1 year of warranty left. Maybe less if was sold at the end of 2003 as a new model. Probably not worth paying a premium over. I would more concerned with how the car was cared for overall, rather than a warranty. I'd buy a 1 owner, fully documented (all service records) car from a private seller before a I'd get a certified car with no history from a dealer.
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Mar 12, 2009 12:17
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personaljesus posted:I have been in the market for a while, looking for a used BMW. I live in NY area. I guess I am pretty scared of dealers, that's why I guess I prefer a BMW authorized dealer and a BMW certified car. But I realize my options are pretty limited with a budget around $18K - $19K. Personally I wouldn't put so much stock in the CPO. It's not an extension of the bumper-to-bumper warranty, and there are many things it doesn't cover. Some third party warranties cover more than BMW's does if you really want the peace of mind. It's easy to get swept up in the marketing that certified cars are cream of the crop, babied cars but I didn't find this to be the case. I went with a CPO e46, and paid the price premium. I really like the car, but I wouldn't buy another CPO BMW - the difference between this and a well looked after 'regular' used one doesn't justify the price difference. I'd agree with Brock Landers, a private sale car which has been well looked after could be a much better bet. Many enthusiast owners will have done stuff like extra oil changes, which is pretty much unheard of with a leased car (which many CPO cars are).
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Mar 12, 2009 12:52
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CornHolio posted:I hate to bring this up again, but I always thought (having been told by the dealership, BMWCCA forums, and pelicanparts.com tech forums) that even on a manual, if the transmission says ATF, to fill it with ATF. If it says ATF, use ATF. However, Royal Purple has a gear oil for manual transmissions that take ATF. I want to say its called Syncromesh. I put that in my 91 318IS and it works great, but it is a little stiffer to shift in 0 degree and below weather.
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Mar 12, 2009 13:46
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Taymar posted:Personally I wouldn't put so much stock in the CPO. It's not an extension of the bumper-to-bumper warranty, and there are many things it doesn't cover. Some third party warranties cover more than BMW's does if you really want the peace of mind. Agree 100% Also, 19K for an e46 is seems pretty high, you can get a nice e90 325 for that price.
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Mar 12, 2009 18:03
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How low do the brake pads have to get to trip the sensor? I know my fronts are getting low, and my light's not on but its not burnt out either. If the sensor is bad, would it keep the dash light on all the time? Last year my rears got real low and I replaced the sensor when I did the pads/rotors, even though the light wasnt on. (E36) I just want to know if I should buy a new sensor or if I could save $10.
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Mar 12, 2009 19:31
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The official spec for brake pads is 3mm. The sensor usually trips within 1mm of that. The sensors are just a big wire loop that the cluster monitors. If one sensor is broken, the light comes on. Older cars can't differentiate between front and rear. It's always a good idea to replace the sensor when you do pads, even if it looks okay. The wires are thin, so it's pretty easy to break them. Brock Landers posted:I'd buy a 1 owner, fully documented (all service records) car from a private seller before a I'd get a certified car with no history from a dealer. As previously mentioned, CPO doesn't cover everything. Aftermarket warranties aren't much better: the co-pays can be higher (CPO is a flat $50, no matter how many lines are on the ticket), it takes forever (in flat-rate time) to get work authorized, they can underpay labor time, sometimes forcing you to make up the difference, and the cheaper ones won't cover much more than the CPO warranty. Obviously, it's a good idea to shop around.
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Mar 12, 2009 19:42
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CornHolio posted:I just want to know if I should buy a new sensor or if I could save $10. I believe they're just pressure triggered, and once they trigger, the light stays on until the sensor is replaced. I've always swapped pads before getting down to the sensor, but on my wife's old E36 I needed to swap them out (both front and rear set) when I did the brakes.
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Mar 12, 2009 19:44
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Mad Dragon posted:The official spec for brake pads is 3mm. The sensor usually trips within 1mm of that. The sensors are just a big wire loop that the cluster monitors. If one sensor is broken, the light comes on. Older cars can't differentiate between front and rear. If the sensor isn't working, does it by default trip the light on the dash though? ie, does it continually send a signal to the car sayings its working and the pads are fine?
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Mar 12, 2009 19:56
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CornHolio posted:If the sensor isn't working, does it by default trip the light on the dash though? ie, does it continually send a signal to the car sayings its working and the pads are fine? As far as I know if the sensor isn't working it's saying your pads are worn out. At least on E30s that's the case. Also on E30s the sensors are so fragile, they're useless. My turned back on 2000 miles after i replaced them along with new pads. You're better off connecting the sensors and leaving them out of the way so your light doesn't trip, and inspecting your brakes the old fashioned way.
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Mar 12, 2009 19:58
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CornHolio posted:If the sensor isn't working, does it by default trip the light on the dash though? ie, does it continually send a signal to the car sayings its working and the pads are fine? The 'sensor' is just a loop of wire molded into a piece of plastic. As the pads (LF and RR) wear down, the plastic wears with them. Eventually, the wire is exposed and cut by the rotor. The cluster 'sees' this open circuit, and the brake lining light is lit.
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Mar 12, 2009 20:24
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Mad Dragon posted:A CPO car is going to have a full repair and maintenance history. Everything that's done at a dealership while a car's under warranty is documented in BMW's database. All you have to do is ask for a DCS report. The only things that won't be on there are extra (non-15k) oil changes, tires, and wheel alignments. If it was serviced at the dealership who's selling it, they will have those in their records. Right, so if work wasn't done at the dealership, it won't be in their database. Hence they don't have a full maintenance history. The CPO car I bought showed no service at any BMW dealer until ~20,000 miles, when the oil was changed. Then nothing at all until ~50,000 miles when the car was certified. The rest of the maintenance was done at an independent shop closer to the owner's home. The only way I found this out was by tracking the owner down and asking them. I got no records with the car. EDIT: I should also say that I don't believe the car was properly serviced. It needed new lifters and new camshaft bearing ledges pretty soon after I bought it. Plus a new alternator, A/C compressor, new secondary air system, 3 new coils, and a partridge in a pear tree... all covered under CPO warranty (which is the only reason I got the car with such little history). At least none of the pixels were burnt out in the cluster  DOUBLE EDIT: Looking back, I believe BMW says all certified cars must have been serviced at a dealership in order to qualify. My car probably should never have been certified in that case. It's gone now, so I don't really care. Brock Landers fucked around with this message at 23:21 on Mar 12, 2009 |
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Mar 12, 2009 23:14
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I brought home a '95 Daytona Violet M3 a couple weeks ago. The color has been steadily growing on me since then. Avus Blue was my original choice but for the price I paid for this car any color would have been just fine. I don't think it really deserves its own thread so this post should be plenty 
spipedong fucked around with this message at 00:28 on Mar 13, 2009 |
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Mar 13, 2009 00:26
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Even if a car isn't CPO you can call any dealership and ask for its warranty service history (DCS report). So that's not really a selling point. Buying a CPO car is pretty much the same as buying any car with an extended warranty. There are certainly no guarantees that the car was better maintained or that nothing will go wrong with it in the future. The dealership just fills out a 4 page checklist and makes sure that everything is currently working (and depending on who does the CPO check they might not even do that: in my experience the CPO techs tend to be a little haphazard). The only real benefits are: The car will have a minimum of 30% of it's brake and tire life remaining upon purchase; all services and recalls will be up to date; when a covered item fails you know you're not going to have to argue with a third party warranty company (some are real nightmares to deal with); during repairs you'll get OEM parts without question; and the work will get done without authorization delays (standard procedure from most aftermarket warranty companies is to send an adjuster within 2 days of receiving a claim, then there can be an even longer delay while the company decides what they're willing to cover). Honestly, like any other warranty it's just a gamble. If something expensive breaks then it's a life-saver. If it doesn't, you threw away a lot of money up front on a service you didn't need. Brock Landers posted:EDIT: I should also say that I don't believe the car was properly serviced. It needed new lifters and new camshaft bearing ledges pretty soon after I bought it. Plus a new alternator, A/C compressor, new secondary air system, 3 new coils, and a partridge in a pear tree... all covered under CPO warranty (which is the only reason I got the car with such little history). At least none of the pixels were burnt out in the cluster This guy doesn't sound happy with his car but he certainly got his money's worth from the CPO- the price of the repairs in that list easily surpasses the cost differential between a regular and a CPO vehicle. Also, dead cluster pixels were covered under CPO last time I checked. Most suspension, audio/entertainment/communication, interior trim, anything considered a wear item (belts, ball joints, brakes), many rubber components (certain power steering and air hoses), light bulbs, and many other items are not however. Ethelinda Sapsea fucked around with this message at 01:23 on Mar 13, 2009 |
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Mar 13, 2009 01:15
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The Locator posted:Sure looks like a good car. Be sure to do your research on what 'wear items' you can expect to need to replace between 95k-110k miles (bushings, motor mounts, brake switch, ignition switch, etc.) and be prepared to deal with those items. Thanks, I have researched them pretty well and I think I can handle the potential issues coming up. I took it for a test drive today and it was pretty nice. All the electronics seemed to be working, A/C was good. He said there was supposed to be a light on the stick shift knob but it wasn't working (not a big deal to me). I don't really have a lot to compare to as far as sports cars go, I've been driving a '97 Jetta for the past 5 years. The clutch was way stiffer than the Jetta's and the shifter seemed a little notchy. It sounds like that is kinda normal though for M3s though. Didn't get to drive it on the interstate (rush our traffic would have made it a waste of time) but the alignment seemed good. He said the tires aren't wearing unevenly or anything and I didn't see anything wrong with them. I drove over a speed bump and didn't hear any squeeks or clunks so it seems like even though it is the original suspension, it might be good for a while longer even though it is at nearly 100,000 miles. Rims looks in good condition, just a little bit of curb rash on one of them. It had the full size rim and tire in the trunk, and the complete tool set. There were probably 3 little door dings (smaller than a nickel) and one scratch that had been touched up on the rear spoiler. Interior was nice although the drivers seat area near the door was a little worn, but that's expected. The "roundel" (did I get that right?) on the front of the hood was kinda worn out somehow. The engine looked clean, but I didn't really know what I would look for there with so much of it being covered. If I was to get to the point of buying it, I would put it through a pre-purchase inspection to get a better appraisal. I'm not really in a hurry to buy right now and I'm not completely sure I should get it. I'm still worried about the cost of ownership vs. a little newer Japanese car at the same price point and similar miles, so I am thinking I could give him a somewhat low price and let him come to me. He seemed like he didn't have to sell it, but he also was talking about a deposit on a RSX he was downgrading to. The only thing I wonder about is how many other people might be interested since it is fairly rare being a 4dr/manual with special interior (I don't care about the color really so long as it is clean and not bright yellow).
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Mar 13, 2009 02:48
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BossTweed posted:The "roundel" (did I get that right?) on the front of the hood was kinda worn out somehow. This is a 30 second, sub $10 fix. You order the roundel for $8.50 and two grommets for $0.25 each from Pegasus. You pop the old one out (you can use a credit card to pry up the edge enough to get a screwdriver under it), clean up the area and pop the new one in.
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Mar 13, 2009 03:25
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The Locator posted:This is a 30 second, sub $10 fix. Cool, thanks
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Mar 13, 2009 03:37
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Thanks everyone for the detailed responses on CPO. I decided not to pay premium on a CPO unless I find a really good deal. I guess I will take my time and be more patient until I find a good BMW.
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Mar 13, 2009 04:08
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I think I'm gonna SeaFoam my car tomorrow. Anyone done this on an E36? I'm putting 1/3 can in the gas, 1/3 can in the oil, and 1/3 towards the intake manifold. What vacuum line should I use?
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Mar 14, 2009 05:03
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Pissingintowind posted:I think I'm gonna SeaFoam my car tomorrow. Anyone done this on an E36? I'm putting 1/3 can in the gas, 1/3 can in the oil, and 1/3 towards the intake manifold. What vacuum line should I use? Brake booster.
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Mar 14, 2009 21:34
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Can anyone tell me how an M52 sounds in an E39, like a 528? I love the roar of the M30 in my E34 and have read that the E39 6-cylinders sound very muffled in comparision. Are there any tasteful ways of getting a bit better sound out of it?two_beer_bishes posted:I posted this in the stupid question thread also, but BMW experience doesn't hurt That happens too rarely with my M30B30 engine, maybe once a month. I have to crank it for about 5 seconds, and then it creeps up to normal idle speed within a few more seconds. However, to me, it only happens when I stop it warm, and then restart it within a relatively short amount of time. I just think it's a rare case of fuel dripping from the injectors or some valve, which then has to be burned off upon starting. It's not a big hassle and I've already swapped all injectors plus the regulator valve, so I can't be bothered to look more into it.
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Mar 14, 2009 23:40
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Here is a teaser of the upgrades on my E30.
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Mar 15, 2009 01:20
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Pilsner posted:Are there any tasteful ways of getting a bit better sound out of it? Add an intake and pull the sound dampening off the hood?
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Mar 15, 2009 01:21
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Would the people at the BMW dealership be terribly offended if i walked in, and wanted to test drive a car with the intent to buy it, but not in the near future?
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Mar 15, 2009 14:39
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gently caress am I getting angry. I cannot get the goddamn bolts off of my calipers. loving things are seized hard. I soaked with PB Blaster, still nothing. I'm about to go buy a fuckoff pipe or breaker bar and see how that goes, but it's not looking good. If I fail, should I try with my power tools or just go try to buy some air tools?
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Mar 15, 2009 17:10
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Arwox posted:Would the people at the BMW dealership be terribly offended if i walked in, and wanted to test drive a car with the intent to buy it, but not in the near future? It probably depends a lot on the dealership, but here in DFW it'd probably be next to impossible to test drive any of the nicer models unless you were about to buy it right then. I have a buddy who's a 40 year old banker, very well off, and there wasn't a BMW dealership he could find that would let him test drive the nicer models he was interested in. He finally got sick of the BMW dealerships and went to go buy an S2000, and they still didn't let him test drive it until he bought it. Any of the regular cars shouldn't be a problem, though.
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Mar 15, 2009 17:14
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Arwox posted:Would the people at the BMW dealership be terribly offended if i walked in, and wanted to test drive a car with the intent to buy it, but not in the near future? I all depends on the salesman and sales manager. If you're interested in a car you should definitely go give it a shot. Just don't say "well, I'm not actually going to buy the car but can I drive it please". I know most of the sales guys in our dealership are pretty cool about test drives and mileage on lot cars. I test drove our only f01 7 series a couple days ago and no one gave me a hard time about it. Pissingintowind posted:gently caress am I getting angry. I cannot get the goddamn bolts off of my calipers. loving things are seized hard. I soaked with PB Blaster, still nothing. I'm about to go buy a fuckoff pipe or breaker bar and see how that goes, but it's not looking good. If I fail, should I try with my power tools or just go try to buy some air tools? What model BMW? If you're driving a very old car with 13mm heads on the floating caliper bolts then yes, big breaker bar or half-inch impact gun might just break it loose without snapping the bolt...but it very well could snap the bolt. I've had the best luck with a 3/8th impact on a higher setting for smaller rusty bolts. There's not usually enough power to break the bolt (depending on the gun) but it still has some hammering action which helps shock the bolt lose. If you have a more modern car with 7mm hex slide bolts then no, a breaker bar or an air impact is a bad idea. You'll just round out the hex. I'd try an impact driver (a bit or socket driver that you hit with a hammer) and if that doesn't work then I'd just go ahead and take it to a shop. Unfortunately you can't heat the caliper bolts so if they are absolutely, 100% frozen the bolts would need to be cut and you'd have to buy a new caliper bracket and slide bolts. Man, I don't miss working on rusted cars. Good luck Ethelinda Sapsea fucked around with this message at 17:54 on Mar 15, 2009 |
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Mar 15, 2009 17:51
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Cool, im only interested in the 1 series so ill probably be alright.
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Mar 15, 2009 18:13
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quote:Can anyone tell me how an M52 sounds in an E39, like a 528? I love the roar of the M30 in my E34 and have read that the E39 6-cylinders sound very muffled in comparision. Are there any tasteful ways of getting a bit better sound out of it? E39 530 owner here. You definitely get a noticeable I6 roar when you get on it, but I don't have any seat time in an E34, so I can't say how that compares (or not).
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Mar 15, 2009 18:22
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I had no problem walking in (BMW San Francisco) and getting a test-drive of a 335i and an M3 - they didn't ask if I was going to buy that day, and I didn't volunteer it. I was pretty serious about buying at some point in the then-near future though, so maybe that was clear from our conversation and the kinds of questions I was asking.
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Mar 15, 2009 19:18
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Its such a nice day in St Paul today! I've been working on my car all day so far, I replaced the rear strut mounts with the reinforced ones. I really missed working on my car all winter If I'm feeling really ambitious I might throw in the new LSD this afternoon!
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Mar 15, 2009 19:47
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