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Ahh, that makes sense. Thanks for the prompt answers, guys. It's a relief to know I won't have to replace the very expensive blower motor.
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Mar 24, 2011 03:31
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Has anyone replaced the sound system in an E34 5 Series? Specifically, I want to at minimum put in a decent headunit, ideally new splits in the doors, new speakers in the rear shelf, and a decent sized sub in the boot. It's gunna be a gigantic pain in the rear end isn't it? I looked at e34.net, but the guides there are sparse and seriously out of date. Any advice or should I just stick to casettes and tinny, lovely, 22 year old speakers? Don't know why I'm even toying with the idea, she's getting a service tomorrow, and considering no interior lights work except the passenger sun guard flippy thingo (hosed if I know what it's called), and the AC is dead despite being perfectly physically perfectly fine and gassed, I've probably got bigger electrical issues to deal with. But damnit, I'm sick of lovely music. I had to roadtrip 2,000 miles last week with nothing but AM radio. I can live without interior lights and AC.
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Mar 24, 2011 04:31
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The headunit is dirt easy, I can swap one in less than 60 seconds. Just get any 1-din unit and an E34 -> ISO adapter harness ($5 or thereabout) Speakers are pretty much standard sizes, just remove the old ones and reuse the wiring. Any E34 or BMW DIY site will tell you how to remove panels to get to them. Draw new wiring and split any way you like. My E34 had the 10-speaker business system with a proprietary amp, but this is pretty rare. Oh, and fix your interior lights! It's just a matter of replacing the bulbs, and it feels so much better when poo poo is in order!
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Mar 24, 2011 09:19
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Fermunky posted:Mine occasioanlly does this, and I always thought it was just the "Auto" part trying to maybe calibrate itself. However, there is a Final Stage Unit, or some call it a Final Stage Resistor (FSU, FSR...) which controls the blower speed, and is a common item to fail on E46, and I think E36 models too. Other symptoms of a failing FSU was the blower staying on when the car is shut off. Is this a cheap / easy fix? My E46 M3 does this exact same thing. I just figured it to be the blower motor or something. It still works great after a couple minutes.
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Mar 24, 2011 23:21
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The factory e34 amp sucks. It would help a lot to replace it. If you do component speakers you can mount the crossovers where the amp was and if you want to trash the old amp for the connector, you could make it a plug and play affair.
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Mar 24, 2011 23:33
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VibrioCholera posted:Is this a cheap / easy fix? My E46 M3 does this exact same thing. I just figured it to be the blower motor or something. It still works great after a couple minutes. You can get an OEM FSR for about $100 or so; depending on how nimble your fingers are, it can take between 30 minutes and 3 hours to replace. It is fairly straightforward, from what I gather, just really, really confined.
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Mar 25, 2011 00:18
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VibrioCholera posted:Is this a cheap / easy fix? My E46 M3 does this exact same thing. I just figured it to be the blower motor or something. It still works great after a couple minutes. DIY thread with plenty of pictures: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=472392 It's near trivial, just a bit tight as MrChips notes.
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Mar 25, 2011 01:48
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As predicted, gunna have to hold off on the soundsystem for awhile. AC compressor is completely blown, cooling system needs a flush and several new hoses, front sway links are virtually non-existant, Auto is showing signs of starting to leak, engine and transmission mounts are showing serious wear. I loving love this car, but man, the costs rape me twice a year! Now excuse me while I go back to dubbing cassettes 
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Mar 25, 2011 02:06
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Penguin Radar posted:Now excuse me while I go back to dubbing cassettes I use one of those "tapes" with an mp3 line in, those actually work pretty well with my BLAUPUNKT stereo. I only wish it didn't automatically eject the tape on my e30 when you turn the drat radio off to retract the antenna.
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Mar 25, 2011 02:30
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Crustashio posted:I use one of those "tapes" with an mp3 line in, those actually work pretty well with my BLAUPUNKT stereo. I only wish it didn't automatically eject the tape on my e30 when you turn the drat radio off to retract the antenna. Since I'm always listening via aux line or a tape adapter, I wired a switch into the dash using an OEM foglight switch to raise or lower the powered antenna. It's a super simple and easy as it's only one wire that you have to switch.
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Mar 25, 2011 03:38
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On that note, does anyone know of a headunit that actually looks like it would fit in an e34 535i? One of the big reasons I haven't swapped it sooner is that all I've looked at look like poo poo, and clash completely with the 80's Orange LED/woodgrain combo, whereas the stock headunit just loving fits perfectly. I wish I could upgrade the speakers/amp/splits and chuck in a sub, and leave the current headunit to keep the looks. I know I "could", but I also know it'd be a complete waste.
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Mar 25, 2011 09:06
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I'm a weak person: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270658968919 At least they were only $40. Hoping I can black out the M logos somehow, I don't want them visible on my non-M car.
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Mar 25, 2011 10:10
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Penguin Radar posted:On that note, does anyone know of a headunit that actually looks like it would fit in an e34 535i? One of the big reasons I haven't swapped it sooner is that all I've looked at look like poo poo, and clash completely with the 80's Orange LED/woodgrain combo, whereas the stock headunit just loving fits perfectly. Here are a few I was looking at for my E34. My thoughts were that the best unit to not clash would be one of the ones with few buttons that are sort of a slab of black http://outlet.crutchfield.com/p_764FZ409/Clarion-FZ409.html http://outlet.crutchfield.com/p_613KDCX794/Kenwood-Excelon-KDC-X794.html However I'm having a bear of a time finding a good looking unit with rear USB, iPhone support, and bluetooth handsfree. I prefer to wire up the rear USB to a cable under the dash, and then to a windshield mount cradle and let the iPhone do all the music. 8ender fucked around with this message at 15:43 on Mar 25, 2011 |
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Mar 25, 2011 15:37
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double post 
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Mar 25, 2011 15:43
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Penguin Radar posted:On that note, does anyone know of a headunit that actually looks like it would fit in an e34 535i? One of the big reasons I haven't swapped it sooner is that all I've looked at look like poo poo, and clash completely with the 80's Orange LED/woodgrain combo, whereas the stock headunit just loving fits perfectly. I have this one, the JVC KD-HDR50 in my E36: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-IOMshRgXAxM/p_105KDHDR50/JVC-KD-HDR50.html Although I think it's been updated to the HDR70 at this point. The cool thing about it is that you can select the color of the display and buttons to match the lighting in your car. So I have mine set to match the amber buttons and lights in my car. Another cool thing is that it's ready for a sat radio and bluetooth input, both of which I did. The extra pieces tuck away under your dash and get controlled through the unit, so there's no extra clutter in your cabin. It's a pretty swank setup. 
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Mar 25, 2011 16:23
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I'm on the hunt for an e30 325i or is and this popped up in my search: http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/2277350471.html I emailed the guy asking what, exactly, needed work and got this back: "1. Steering rack/rods. 2. Struts/Arms/Bushings. 3. Drive Axles. 4. Rotors/Pads/ABS Wiring. Inspection is current. Timing belt was replaced by prior owner. I'm not sure about the WP. No records. Odo stopped at 157k - that is how I purchases it." How bad of an idea is this car? I'm having visions of a money and time pit here, but I thought I'd ask.
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Mar 25, 2011 21:29
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dreggory posted:I'm on the hunt for an e30 325i or is and this popped up in my search: http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/2277350471.html
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Mar 25, 2011 21:35
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Kenshin posted:Probably not a very good idea. Not going to be cheap, your talking at least $3000 to fix the listed things, and thats just parts, not to mention the stuff he failed to disclose.
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Mar 25, 2011 21:49
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Dyscrasia posted:Not going to be cheap, your talking at least $3000 to fix the listed things, and thats just parts, not to mention the stuff he failed to disclose. I agree that it's probably not worth it, but don't you think your estimate is a bit high? I can see about $1K in parts there...
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Mar 25, 2011 21:58
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McMadCow posted:I agree that it's probably not worth it, but don't you think your estimate is a bit high? I can see about $1K in parts there...
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Mar 25, 2011 22:06
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And that is only the obvious stuff he's telling you. I wouldn't even pay 1700 up here in a salt-filled land. Mabye 1k if I wanted a beater car. I would think living in the soutern US you could find a much better example.
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Mar 25, 2011 22:14
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Crustashio posted:And that is only the obvious stuff he's telling you. That's what I figured, but between craigslist and autotrader I've only seen a handful pop up. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. It's been a while since I've been in the market for an older car.
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Mar 25, 2011 22:38
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8ender posted:Here are a few I was looking at for my E34. My thoughts were that the best unit to not clash would be one of the ones with few buttons that are sort of a slab of black I have the unit in your second link in my e36 and have been very happy with it. It also has everything you're looking for minus Bluetooth, which you get with the X-994 for $50 more, plus you get more options for display colors rather than just white, including orange. http://outlet.crutchfield.com/p_613KDCX994/Kenwood-Excelon-KDC-X994.html?cc=01&search=Kenwood+(Refurbished)
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Mar 26, 2011 03:47
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televiper posted:I have the unit in your second link in my e36 and have been very happy with it. It also has everything you're looking for minus Bluetooth, which you get with the X-994 for $50 more, plus you get more options for display colors rather than just white, including orange. Fantastic. How is the bluetooth?
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Mar 26, 2011 07:40
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dreggory posted:That's what I figured, but between craigslist and autotrader I've only seen a handful pop up. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. It's been a while since I've been in the market for an older car. For all that stuff to be shot, someone has been driving this thing for 50k while strenuously resisting every impulse (including that of self-preservation) that would suggest some routine maintenance might be in order. It sounds like an unusually bad example. If you can't find anything in the next couple of months, never fear, that car will be back up for sale as a non-runner.
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Mar 26, 2011 07:47
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8ender posted:Fantastic. How is the bluetooth? Unknown, I went for the cheaper model as I was being given a gift and didn't want to be greedy (they weren't on the outlet at the time, so the price difference was more like $300 vs $400 or something)
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Mar 26, 2011 14:58
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I'm looking to replace my sound system in my 1999 BMW E46 323i. I bought it used and with the sports package. I'm not very knowledgeable on car audio systems, so I was going to go to a local shop but don't want to be ripped off and would like to do some of my own research. The bass in my system has just been blown out and I'm looking to replace that and the speakers, however, I'm not looking for the best system, I'm only trying to spend $200-$300. Any recommendations or resources I should check out?
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Mar 26, 2011 20:47
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People may or may not know that I went through the displeasure of changing a window motor yesterday on my E36 coupe. It took forever and was a ballache but it got done, leaving me with a functional window... for a few hours. I try it again last night and nothing, just clicks. To add to my misery, it turns out the old motor still works fine... so I wasted money on a part that still worked and didn't really fix anything; or at least I only fixed it temporarily. What the hell could the issue be? The motor clicks like it wants to go but is stuck and the lights in the car dim slightly as it draws power. The regulator might be shagged but why would it work for a while and then die? I greased the hell out of it to make sure it wasn't that... so what the hell is broken?
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Mar 26, 2011 23:26
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Selling my wife's 2006 BMW 325i in Florida
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Mar 27, 2011 02:11
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runwiled posted:People may or may not know that I went through the displeasure of changing a window motor yesterday on my E36 coupe. It took forever and was a ballache but it got done, leaving me with a functional window... for a few hours. I try it again last night and nothing, just clicks. Sorry to disappoint you mate, but it's almost certainly the regulator. I've literally never seen a failed window motor unless the car has been in some kind of accident, but the regulators fail constantly. Their flimsy plastic parts are guaranteed to fail eventually.
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Mar 27, 2011 17:46
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I'm looking to do the radiator/water pump preventative maintenance on my e36 '98 323 convertible with 91,xxx miles. So for I have come up with: 17-11-1-469-179-M75 Radiator, 11-53-1-708-499-M101 Radiator Hose, Upper 11-53-1-726-344-M101 Radiator Hose, Lower 82-14-1-467-704-M9 BMW Antifreeze, 1 gallon 17-20-1-719-414-M200 Rubber Insulator for Upper Radiator Mount 17-11-1-178-412-M200 Rubber Insulator for Lower Radiator Mount 17-11-1-723-339-M9 Radiator Mounting Bracket Lower Left 17-11-1-723-341-M604 Radiator Mounting Bracket Upper 11-28-1-469-266-M21 Belt for Alternator/Water Pump 11-51-7-527-799-M52 Water Pump Graf 11-53-1-265-084-M16 Thermostat O-Ring 11-53-1-740-437-M17 Gasket, Thermostat Housing 11-53-7-511-083-M164 Thermostat, 92 Degrees 17-11-1-742-231-M148 Radiator Cap 2.0 BAR PEL-SW50189 Redline Water Wetter PEL-TOL-1032T Fan Clutch Wrench PEL-TOL-3008 Counter Holder 11-52-7-505-302-M6 Fan Clutch 11-28-1-470-024-M21 Belt for A/C Compressor 11-53-1-722-531-M9 Thermostat Cover - Plastic 17-11-1-712-788-M9 Bleeder Screw for Expansion Tank 17-11-1-723-520-M9 Coolant Expansion Tank 17-11-1-723-580-M9 Mounting Clip for Coolant Expansion Tank 61-31-8-360-855-M375 Coolant Level Sensor for Radiator 17-11-1-723-521-M21 Water Hose, Expansion Tank to Radiator Anything I am missing? For the thermostat cover, Pelican says that they have an aluminum one, but I couldn't find it on their site. Is it worth getting?
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Mar 27, 2011 21:23
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Thats a big list, I'm not seeing a new fan blade on there. You should definitely replace the plastic fan blade while you're in there. You don't want it disintegrating and taking out a brand new radiator.
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Mar 28, 2011 00:53
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revmoo posted:Thats a big list, I'm not seeing a new fan blade on there. You should definitely replace the plastic fan blade while you're in there. You don't want it disintegrating and taking out a brand new radiator.... ...and fan shroud, and hood, and anything else a broken plastic blade thrown at high speed might contact under there. Those blades can put some decent dents in a hood. Also consider a brass coolant bleed screw instead of the lovely OEM plastic one. I've heard stories of the OEM ones cracking and blowing all the coolant out. And finally, hose clamps. Not strictly necessary, but they could probably stand to be replaced as well.
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Mar 28, 2011 03:36
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Black88GTA posted:Also consider a brass coolant bleed screw instead of the lovely OEM plastic one. I've heard stories of the OEM ones cracking and blowing all the coolant out. And finally, hose clamps. Not strictly necessary, but they could probably stand to be replaced as well. Just quoting this as someone who has done several E36 cooling systems. Since you're being a completist, might as well replace every part you're removing. Might also want to throw a dose or two of the cooling system cleanser stuff in there, to un-gunk the rest of the cooling system prior to adding good distilled water and antifreeze.
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Mar 28, 2011 03:46
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Black88GTA posted:Also consider a brass coolant bleed screw instead of the lovely OEM plastic one. I've heard stories of the OEM ones cracking and blowing all the coolant out. And finally, hose clamps. Not strictly necessary, but they could probably stand to be replaced as well. Mine did exactly this. To be fair I think I overtorqued it but goddamn you can lose a lot of coolant quick through that little hole.
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Mar 28, 2011 03:48
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I bought the brass bleed screw. Haven't installed it yet because its going with my new surge tank. It is a very very nice bolt, and a lot more pleasant to work with than the plastic one, just from playing around with it briefly.
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Mar 28, 2011 04:33
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You play around with bolts?
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Mar 28, 2011 04:41
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So someone talking about E28s got me poking around my local craigslists for a 535i or iS, and now I'm pretty close to pulling the trigger (sorry) on an '86 535i. Here are the important details:
I've owned and loved my E46 for a couple years now and maintained it myself faithfully, and I think I'm pretty well prepared for the rigors of older BMW ownership. I don't have the most experience but I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty, am fairly mechanically inclined and in search of a mildly interesting project car. Not to mention I love the E30/2002 and older body styles and the hipster crowd has seemingly not caught on to E28s and driven the prices way up yet. So what do you guys think? Worth it? If so, should I offer him less? Is that aftermarket air/fuel mixture stuff going to end up being a huge headache? spodycart fucked around with this message at 08:49 on Mar 28, 2011 |
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Mar 28, 2011 08:45
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That looks like a bad idea to me. I would find one that hasn't been quite so hosed with.
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Mar 28, 2011 10:17
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Welp, can't decide if I should install a set of halo lights. What are your thoughts? Here's the ride for comparison's sake   Y/N? I've also been thinking of getting an E46 coupe in the near future. Or should I just wait for the new 3 series to debut and get an E92 after like a year or two? awesome-express fucked around with this message at 12:59 on Mar 28, 2011 |
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Mar 28, 2011 12:55
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