|
ExecuDork posted:Is there a consensus opinion on BMW's X-drive AWD system in e30 form? I'm considering my options & budget for my next car (current car is a 1988 Honda Prelude with serious rust issues), and because I drive on bad roads in winter on a regular basis I'm aiming for AWD. I'm also aiming to have some fun, and drive in autocross/rallycross/icecross events. I really like the way the e30 looks, too. Xdrive isn't what the e30 has. Xdrive is electronically controlled AWD. The e30(/e34) system uses a viscous center differential (similar to a plate type LSD) to transfer power when one set of wheels slips. It is actually a decent system for the time (70/30 split by default iirc) and incredibly fun in the winter, but the fluid can get bad over time requiring disassembly of the transfer case and installation of a new unit. If you check my posts in this thread, I should have one somewhere about costs/maintenance unique to the iX. The AWD parts are quite expensive and not very common. When you do have to work on them it loving sucks because the engineers didn't really think much about maintenance for some of the parts. Removing the transfer case on an iX is especially painful. A lot of the AWD parts also have stength issues. If you want a fun winter AWD car, the 325iX is fantastic, just don't expect it to be cheap. It's still a BMW, it needs good preventative maintenance and just about every bushing will need replacing, probably suspension too. I can almost guarantee any winter driven iX is going to have rust. You won't see it because of the plastic cladding on the running boards/fenders. 3200 is far too much for that car. I got an '88 eurospec coupe with 110k miles and no rust for 4k that only needed a little work. It doesn't run now, but that is more related to my ridiculously hard to find ECU. Personally I wouldn't even go near an e30 with 300k, that gives me nightmares about all the potential failures.
|
#
?
Jun 22, 2011 03:38
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 28, 2024 04:03 |
|
|
Thanks for the quick replies! The ridiculously fun in winter / feels like RWD when pushed part sounds exactly what I'm looking for, but the mileage on that car does give me serious pause (my Honda is at only a little more - 330K km - and is close to done). According to Wikipedia, no AWD system was offered on the e36, so it's not like I can find the equivalent in a mid-90s vintage. Oh well. Mostly I'm trying to avoid getting a Subaru like every. other. winter. driver. in this part of the world - at the last icerallycross event of the season, in March, 8 cars showed up, and 4 were Subarus. I have nothing against them, but I don't want to join them.
|
|
#
?
Jun 22, 2011 04:47
|
|
|
ExecuDork posted:I have nothing against them, but I don't want to join them. You will be assimilated. Also, if you want to stand out there are the teclipson (talon/eclipse) that have AWD systems as well and are fun to drive. There is Audi as well if you want to slit your wrists.
|
|
#
?
Jun 22, 2011 04:54
|
|
|
I didn't mention the unholy 4-rings in this thread, but they're the others I'm considering at the moment. The teclipson is also interesting, I haven't seen very many of those around and they're not bad looking, but I've owned a Chrysler product in the past - about the only thing that didn't give me headaches (besides the A/C - but Vancouver rarely gets that hot) was the rust issue - it had only a little the day it was parked in a junkyard (the fact it was a 1990 Dodge Grand Caravan with the horrible A604 transmission may be colouring my memories somewhat). Crustashio, I found some of your discussion with 8ender from last September about him looking at a 325ix, and I was struck by something he said: 8ender posted:Honestly it looks like everything I'd want out of a BMW but I don't think its a good first BMW.
|
|
#
?
Jun 22, 2011 05:03
|
|
|
ExecuDork posted:Crustashio, I found some of your discussion with 8ender from last September about him looking at a 325ix, and I was struck by something he said: I'm now the happy owner of an E34 
|
|
#
?
Jun 22, 2011 06:59
|
|
|
ExecuDork posted:Is there a consensus opinion on BMW's X-drive AWD system in e30 form? I'm considering my options & budget for my next car (current car is a 1988 Honda Prelude with serious rust issues), and because I drive on bad roads in winter on a regular basis I'm aiming for AWD. I'm also aiming to have some fun, and drive in autocross/rallycross/icecross events. I really like the way the e30 looks, too. http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?3948075 I would say your biggest issue is rust. That said, the chassis usually survives fine IF it hasn't been damaged. Panels almost inevitably will have some rust somewhere if the car has seen winter. If this one REALLY doesn't, it's a miracle. As far as traction goes, I've managed fine with snowproxes, RWD and an open diff in our heaviest snows - albeit they will be nothing like your heaviest snows! With a RWD LSD car and really hard-core winters on steel rims, you're going to be able to go pretty well in the snow, without the maintenance hassle, extra weight and the relative lack of throttle steerability of the AWD system. I'd almost say your limiting factor will be ground clearance and snow packing up, as with most things that aren't a truck or SUV. Just IMO, but if you want an AWD sedan or wagon to handle really bad snow, just bite the bullet and get an Impreza or a Legacy like everyone else. -x owners will probably disagree however. I just think you're taking an E30 and removing or detracting from a lot of what's great about them. Throttle steerability, lightness (compared to more modern stuff), relative simplicity and robustness for example. e: I guess just adding to the posts above - Crustachio has pointed out the AWD components are not tough and maintenance / access was not thought out very well. Note this is the opposite of the rest of the E30. In my experience, e30 parts are tough and access is about as good as you get on a car. Which suggests this first AWD sysytem wasn't really their best effort. As far as A*** go, I can only say I've hear nothing but swearing and hatred from a couple guys I know who've owned 80s and 100s and have the empty wallets to prove it. One now has a 328i... Saga fucked around with this message at 09:59 on Jun 22, 2011 |
|
#
?
Jun 22, 2011 09:53
|
|
|
Any tips on finding a lease buyout for an 08-09 M3? Right now I'm just looking on some of the BMW forums. Seems the people that leased in this time frame got really low buyout prices because the economy was poo poo.
|
|
#
?
Jun 22, 2011 13:38
|
|
|
ExecuDork posted:Thanks for the quick replies! The ridiculously fun in winter / feels like RWD when pushed part sounds exactly what I'm looking for, but the mileage on that car does give me serious pause (my Honda is at only a little more - 330K km - and is close to done). According to Wikipedia, no AWD system was offered on the e36, so it's not like I can find the equivalent in a mid-90s vintage. Oh well. The only thing I know about the E30 AWD is the expensive parts. Do not let the RWD of all the other E30's fool you. I drive an RWD E30 in Wisconsin winters no problem, I just have a set of steel rims with winter rated all seasons. Its a blast, and works perfectly fine.
|
|
#
?
Jun 22, 2011 14:43
|
|
|
Dyscrasia posted:The only thing I know about the E30 AWD is the expensive parts. I can agree that's it's perfectly doable to drive a RWD E30 in the snow (also in Wisconsin). Having owned both a 325ix and now a 325is, I didn't really miss the IX's AWD in the snow after a winter in the is with snow tires. I do prefer RWD in the snow though because stomping the gas is so much goddamn fun.
|
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2011 00:08
|
|
|
Deceptor101 posted:So on my 99 328i, I changed my FCA's (to the new style) and FCABs in January at 162,000 miles. I followed the Bentley and some online guides, it seemed to really improve my handling and some steering wobble that I'd felt at various speeds. Now however, all the same symptoms are back, only 6 months and 10,000 miles later. So either I did something wrong, or there's something in my steering/front suspension assembly that is causing huge wear to these bushings. Any ideas? Any ideas anyone?
|
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2011 00:14
|
|
|
This is interesting. http://novascotia.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-trucks-2002-BMW-5-Series-540i-M-Sport-Sedan-W0QQAdIdZ292604346 I swear to loving god the same car was on sale on kijiji in quebec a few weeks ago. I know it's a dealer, but I'm gonna have to go check this out. I've all but given up on finding an E34 sport anywhere within 2000km of NS.
|
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2011 02:52
|
|
|
16 grand seems like a pretty fair bit of cash, but then again M5's with the same mileage are about 8 grand more expensive in my area.
|
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2011 16:37
|
|
|
Crustashio posted:This is interesting. I bet you could find an M5 in that price range without too much more work. They're a fair bit more expensive to maintain, but the extra 120hp and better suspension do make a difference. rscott posted:16 grand seems like a pretty fair bit of cash, but then again M5's with the same mileage are about 8 grand more expensive in my area. In the US, at least, you can get an E39 M5 for $18k easily, $16k with some work. KaiserBen fucked around with this message at 18:57 on Jun 23, 2011 |
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2011 18:49
|
|
|
Crustashio posted:This is interesting. That is maybe a bit much; if you can make the trip to Alberta or BC, you can find a pile of E39 540s (both auto and manual) of a similar age and mileage for probably $13k. KaiserBen posted:I bet you could find an M5 in that price range without too much more work. They're a fair bit more expensive to maintain, but the extra 120hp and better suspension do make a difference. Unfortunately, we can't do that well here in Canada. The absolute cheapest E39 M5 I've ever seen listed was for $21k, and it was in pretty poor shape. $25-27k would get you a decent example up here. Unfortunately, BMW Canada makes importing a car from the US a huge pain in the rear end; by the time you pay tax, duty and spread your cheeks at the dealership, you've spent as much as a similar car would cost here.
|
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2011 19:50
|
|
|
MrChips posted:Unfortunately, BMW Canada makes importing a car from the US a huge pain in the rear end; by the time you pay tax, duty and spread your cheeks at the dealership, you've spent as much as a similar car would cost here. Sorry man, this is just flat out wrong.
|
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2011 20:26
|
|
|
Nitr0 posted:Sorry man, this is just flat out wrong. Good of you to provide evidence or even an anecdote to back up this claim.
|
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2011 21:04
|
|
|
Nitr0 posted:Sorry man, this is just flat out wrong. Oh? Until I had a stroke of luck and found my E46 330Ci, I was actively shopping in the States, mostly in the Bay Area. For a car with the options, age and mileage I wanted, the going price was about $11k or so. Now even though we are better than parity, the bank will still want their 2-4% on the exchange. At the border, you need to pay the RIV fee ($195) , A/C excise ($100), a 6.1% duty on your purchase price (unless you're buying a NAFTA-assembled BMW), plus GST/HST/PST on all of that (including the duty) as they apply at the border crossing. Then, you need to federalise the car; this must be done at a BMW dealership. For the 330Ci example, it would have cost roughly $1500, assuming everything else is in working order. Then, they need to issue a recall clearance letter, which can be up to $6000, depending on the age and model of the car (for a 2002 330Ci, it would have been an additional $800). All of a sudden, that $11,000 330Ci has cost you north of $15,000 all up, which is a few thousand more than I paid for my local car. MrChips fucked around with this message at 22:22 on Jun 23, 2011 |
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2011 21:24
|
|
|
rscott posted:16 grand seems like a pretty fair bit of cash, but then again M5's with the same mileage are about 8 grand more expensive in my area. There is no way in hell I'd pay that price for it. I assume the usual used car dealer markup of about 2-3k is on that. I'd probably offer 12k if it needs nothing and has no rust, and go from there. Anywhere close to 15 and it'd be cheaper to catch a flight to ontario and drive one back. I'm not in a rush so if it isn't what I want I'll just walk. KaiserBen posted:I bet you could find an M5 in that price range without too much more work. They're a fair bit more expensive to maintain, but the extra 120hp and better suspension do make a difference. I've seen about 2 e39 M5s in canada list for under 20k, and those were heavily modded or have ridiculous mileage. If I were to spend that much I'd just get an E34 and put money away for repairs.
|
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2011 22:15
|
|
|
Beach Bum posted:Good of you to provide evidence or even an anecdote to back up this claim. I quote from January. Nitr0 posted:So I finally bought in.. MrChips posted:The bank will still want their 2-4% on the exchange. I'm not sure what banks you're dealing with but when I converted 24k cad to USD I was charged 24,400CAD. This was when it was JUST hitting par. MrChips posted:At the border, you need to pay the RIV fee ($195) , A/C excise ($100), a 6.1% duty on your purchase price (unless you're buying a NAFTA-assembled BMW), plus GST/HST/PST on all of that (including the duty) as they apply at the border crossing. That is not the case for me. At least in BC you only pay the RIV fee and the AC fee and duty. They also charged me PST(7%) but not on the duty, just the purchase price of the car, duty was the price of the car as well. GST(5%) was paid at the insurance office (ICBC). The tax isn't really a concern anyways considering you have to pay HST on a used vehicle in Canada as well. You're not losing or gaining. MrChips posted:Then, you need to federalise the car; this must be done at a BMW dealership. For the 330Ci example, it would have cost roughly $1500, assuming everything else is in working order. Then, they need to issue a recall clearance letter, which can be up to $6000, depending on the age and model of the car (for a 2002 330Ci, it would have been an additional $800). This was just plain not doing your homework. If your car has daytime running lights (selectable through idrive on mine) and it has metric on the spedo then it's Canadian ready. There is no need for a cluster change, there is no need for re-programming, nothing. BMW will try to push anything they can onto you including swapping the dash cluster out for the "only Canadian approved cluster" for 2k and a couple hours of re-programming to ensure your DRL's are on! Read the RIV website, it tells you specifically what needs to be done on a car. Don't trust BMW. The recall clearance letter is also just a BMW sham. You can ask for a warranty inquiry letter from any us BMW dealership. On the top and bottom of the pages there is a message that says in big bold red lettering "NOT TO BE USED FOR IMPORT OR EXPORT PURPOSES" but you don't give a poo poo about that. Run that through Acrobat 9 and boom, text is gone. RIV accepted mine the same day. Free. There's no way you would get charged $6k for a piece of paper stating all the recalls are done. Anyways, this isn't always going to work out in your favor. It really depends on the age of the vehicle and how well it has kept it's value. Obviously the margins would probably be too low on anything made before 2000. I would suspect a 2002 is right on the bubble but don't make huge blanket statements saying it's not worth it because you're wrong. Edit: Here's a copy of the letter riv accepted. http://i.imgur.com/Z94rl.png Nitr0 fucked around with this message at 06:28 on Jun 24, 2011 |
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2011 22:58
|
|
|
OH HAY GUYS CAN I PLAY TOO? 1990 325i, 166k, 2k off Craigslist. I love Craigslist. Short term plans are fix broken things (intake boot, gas gauge, temp gauge I think, probably other things I haven't found yet), long term plans are finding some cheap steel wheels for snow tires. I live in Fargo, so winters are a bitch, but at least the state doesn't use salt. From the little I've driven it so far, I've decided Fargo needs many more cloverleafs. boxen fucked around with this message at 02:04 on Jun 24, 2011 |
|
#
?
Jun 23, 2011 23:55
|
|
|
Regardless of the car I end up with, studded winter tires on steelies are going to happen. In this province it's perfectly legal to run studs all year round (if you feel like being that dumb), and I've seen the difference they make on hard-pack and other forms of ice. Today I finally sat down and worked out a budget, looks like I can afford to throw $500 at my Prelude (tires) and drive it until October, then spend $5000 on something. Today, $5000 in this town gets something like a 1993 325is with cash leftover for new tires, though I see some currently available getting up there in mileage - like 250 000 km or more. How much mileage is too much? Should I be worried about 18-year-old BMWs with 275 000 km? All of this talk of LSD + winter tires = fun! is making me happy, I can picture myself in an early e36 or late e30.
|
|
#
?
Jun 24, 2011 02:19
|
|
|
I finally drank the Cool-aid. Picked up a 2008 328i with only 21,000 miles on it. Previous owner was a lessee in NJ who apparently did not drive very often. After tax, title, and license it was only about $26k. When I asked my mechanic his opinion on purchasing it, his only reply was "You need to buy that loving car!" so i took that as all the endorsement I needed. My previous vehicle was a 2001 Nissan XTerra 4wd, purchased new. I have to say that I am amazed how much I love this little car!    Only weird thing is the manuals... I can very easily find free PDFs of the normal owner's manual on the BMW website, but nobody seems to be able to track down a copy of the version for the 2008 3-series without iDrive unless I want to pay one of the dealerships $65.
|
|
#
?
Jun 24, 2011 02:33
|
|
|
Crustashio posted:
If they're modded right, buy the modded one. I bought mine with Dinan Stage II suspenion, Dinan chip, strut brace, few other odds and ends. Dad bought his with a set of coilovers on it, chip, Dinan exhaust + MAFs, etc. Buying one pre-modded typically means you save money on nice mods, people who do stupid poo poo typically don't buy M5s. Plus, most mods are legit enhancements, the stock suspension is a bit soft, the stock exhaust too quiet, the strut braces are kinda pointless but not harmful, etc.
|
|
#
?
Jun 24, 2011 05:09
|
|
|
Nitr0 posted:Many more words this time I was just too lazy to dig all that poo poo up  Good on you to do the work for him!
|
|
#
?
Jun 24, 2011 06:09
|
|
|
boxen posted:OH HAY GUYS CAN I PLAY TOO? Spare wheels on 14" cars over here were usually skinny steelies, so e-bay should have tons. That's what I'm using for my winters - about £10 a wheel. I'd do the water pump, thermostat + housing, top and bottom hoses and accessory belts if the water pump & belts are elderly. An easy weekend job (assuming you're happy bleeding the cooling system) and none of the parts are pricey assuming you buy a pattern/OEM pump and get the rest from a dealership. I'm assuming it's not due a cambelt. Also gives you a chance to get a good look at anything that might be broken or leaking. I really like the 15x7 basketweaves over the 14s - they're a great road rim for the E30, but then again they may not be available as readily/cheaply in the US as they are here. Execudork, having owned E30s and E46s and driven a few E36s, for $5k I'd rather have a solid, rust-free well-maintained E30 325i and change than an e36, let alone one hanging on by its fingertips and just waiting for an opportunity to dump all its coolant on the tarmac. While the Z axle has a very different feel and no doubt the later chassis will ultimately go faster in the right conditions, the E36 is a much heavier car in road trim. If you have twisty second and third gear roads (i.e. up to ~70/80 on the straights with 30-60mph apex speeds), the E30 for me would be the far better buy. If you're talking about cruising down highways and the occasional fast slip road, the E36 will be quieter and more composed. Basically the mass and grip of the E36 and 46, to me, are't really suited to dicking about on fun roads. poo poo gets serious pretty quickly. The E30 is the sort of car where you can back off your corner speed and dial in a bit of pointless oversteer when no-one's looking ... and yet is still controllable by a very average level of talent. My E30 has had far less in the way of random poo poo breaking than my e46 as well - not impressive given my E46 was a couple of years old, whereas my E30's an end of run 12/93 touring that's been abused and neglected for about half its life. I can't speak to the E36 ownership experience but if you read back a bit in this thread, there's talk of crack and leak prone cooling systems and stuff like rear shock mounts tearing out of the rear towers. The E30 is also just plain easy to work on, albeit the I4 cars are easier than the I6s.
|
|
#
?
Jun 24, 2011 14:13
|
|
|
Saga posted:...whereas my E30's an end of run 12/93 touring that's been abused and neglected for about half its life. They made E30s all the way into the end of 93? I had only ever heard of the convertible making into 92...
|
|
#
?
Jun 24, 2011 16:41
|
|
|
McMadCow posted:They made E30s all the way into the end of 93? I had only ever heard of the convertible making into 92... Tourings (and cabrios?) were made into '94 production months. Remember that the touring was a mid-life introduction for the E30. It actually bridged over - there was no E36 touring until later in the E36 chassis's life, which is why E36 tourings are an uncommon sight. Or non-existent, if you're American. See here: http://bmwfans.info/parts/catalog/identify/1994/february/ Last production month for the E30 AFAIK.
|
|
#
?
Jun 24, 2011 16:54
|
|
|
SlapActionJackson posted:I would still recommend getting a 16mm ratcheting box wrench to fill the gap in your set. It's handy.  Score. Lucky for me these were the last ones. They look like older models (unpolished), but have a lifetime warranty, so I could potentially bring it back and get the polished replacements if/when they break.
|
|
#
?
Jun 24, 2011 18:00
|
|
|
Ever do that thing where you see a car for a good price on ebay and you think, "Eeeh, I'll throw some money at it, and I'll probably get outbid, but if I don't, HEY cheap car!"? I apparently now own an e30. Details later.
|
|
#
?
Jun 24, 2011 21:55
|
|
|
Nitr0 posted:
No HST in Alberta, we only pay GST. The issue comes when you compare buying a car from a private individual here in Canada. When I registered the car, the registry office did not collect GST from me. If I bought a car in the States, even if it was from a private individual, I would have had to pay GST. Nitr0 posted:This was just plain not doing your homework. If your car has daytime running lights (selectable through idrive on mine) and it has metric on the spedo then it's Canadian ready. There is no need for a cluster change, there is no need for re-programming, nothing. BMW will try to push anything they can onto you including swapping the dash cluster out for the "only Canadian approved cluster" for 2k and a couple hours of re-programming to ensure your DRL's are on! Read the RIV website, it tells you specifically what needs to be done on a car. Don't trust BMW. The recall clearance letter is also just a BMW sham. You can ask for a warranty inquiry letter from any us BMW dealership. On the top and bottom of the pages there is a message that says in big bold red lettering "NOT TO BE USED FOR IMPORT OR EXPORT PURPOSES" but you don't give a poo poo about that. Run that through Acrobat 9 and boom, text is gone. RIV accepted mine the same day. Free. The federalisation work and recall clearances are issued at a dealer level. As we've all come to experience, there are dealerships who will treat you fairly, as well as dealerships who will try to take you every dollar they can get away with. Unfortunately, the BMW dealers here in Calgary tend to be the latter. The issue is that because BMW demands to do all the work themselves, they can really take you to the cleaners, as they are entirely within their right to deny federalisation to a car, according to the letter of the law. It's not very ethical and it might not even stand up to a legal challenge, but that's the way it is, and they know it. When they first came out, I was looking to buy a 135i, as I was rather flush with cash, and with the Canadian dollar reaching prime at the time, there were some screaming deals to be had buying a car in the States. I could have had a brand new 135i across the border for less than $40k, which would have been several thousand less (and well within my budget at the time) than if I bought here in Canada. Unfortunately, all the dealerships at the time knew of people doing this, and decided to make the process not only extremely difficult, but so expensive that you might as well buy the car here. Where I got that $6000 for the recall clearance letter was a quote from the local dealership at the time. Beyond that, there was still the unresolved issue of warranty; once again, this was about the time they decided they were no longer going to honour US warranties. After arguing and wrangling with both the dealership and BMW Canada for several days, I called up the dealer in Seattle and cancelled my order - there were just too many roadblocks, financial and otherwise, put in my path.
|
|
#
?
Jun 24, 2011 22:07
|
|
|
MrChips posted:Where I got that $6000 for the recall clearance letter was a quote from the local dealership at the time. From my understanding, you can get the recall letter from any dealership - doesn't have to be local.
|
|
#
?
Jun 24, 2011 22:58
|
|
|
Saga posted:Execudork, having owned E30s and E46s and driven a few E36s, for $5k I'd rather have a solid, rust-free well-maintained E30 325i and change than an e36, let alone one hanging on by its fingertips and just waiting for an opportunity to dump all its coolant on the tarmac. Saga posted:If you have twisty second and third gear roads (i.e. up to ~70/80 on the straights with 30-60mph apex speeds), the E30 for me would be the far better buy. If you're talking about cruising down highways and the occasional fast slip road, the E36 will be quieter and more composed. Saga posted:The E30 is the sort of car where you can back off your corner speed and dial in a bit of pointless oversteer when no-one's looking ... and yet is still controllable by a very average level of talent.
|
|
#
?
Jun 25, 2011 04:15
|
|
|
rawrr posted:From my understanding, you can get the recall letter from any dealership - doesn't have to be local. That's true, but at the time, just about every dealer in Canada was doing the same thing; many of them didn't even want to talk to me about helping to import a new car period.
|
|
#
?
Jun 25, 2011 05:55
|
|
|
Any one own a E60? I am thinking here with in a few months I want to replace the other driver in the house with a E60, The prices are starting to drop on the 05's and yes... the Bangle design is starting to grow on me. I have been thinking a 525i.... but willing to spring for the 545/540i. The aftermarket community is really starting to explode with products.
|
|
#
?
Jun 25, 2011 08:05
|
|
|
Does the E46 require a complete cooling system overhaul? Or just the thermostat, tank, and pump? I'm at 108,000 km, and every time I drive a small part of me is mentally prepared to be stranded.MrChips posted:That's true, but at the time, just about every dealer in Canada was doing the same thing; many of them didn't even want to talk to me about helping to import a new car period. From what I've read, people have had more success asking for them through dealers in the states.
|
|
#
?
Jun 25, 2011 08:31
|
|
|
MrChips posted:No HST in Alberta, we only pay GST. The issue comes when you compare buying a car from a private individual here in Canada. When I registered the car, the registry office did not collect GST from me. If I bought a car in the States, even if it was from a private individual, I would have had to pay GST. I wasn't aware of tax laws in AB. Lucky you HST(12%) on all used cars in BC. Dealer or private.MrChips posted:The federalisation work and recall clearances are issued at a dealer level. As we've all come to experience, there are dealerships who will treat you fairly, as well as dealerships who will try to take you every dollar they can get away with. Unfortunately, the BMW dealers here in Calgary tend to be the latter. The issue is that because BMW demands to do all the work themselves, they can really take you to the cleaners, as they are entirely within their right to deny federalisation to a car, according to the letter of the law. It's not very ethical and it might not even stand up to a legal challenge, but that's the way it is, and they know it. Again, a lot of this is either you not pushing hard enough or you're looking in the wrong places. You don't tell BMW US what you're doing. You buy the car and ask for a warranty inquiry letter and you're finished. If you looked on RIV's website the only thing it states is that you need daytime running lights and metric labels. Anything made after 2000 I believe has daytime running lights and metric labels. Also BMW NA has said multiple times and is even quoted on their website that any warranty work will be done in Canada on a US car. You just have to phone BMW once when you transfer the car. Just to let them know what your new address is. The only thing you can't get done in Canada is the included maintenance for 50k miles. (Oil change, brake pads, etc) However you are welcome to go back to any US dealership to have these done. I have been popping back to Seattle which is only an hour and a half away roughly. Unfortunately for you I don't think that would be an option in AB. So you would have to pay for your own maintenance. rawrr posted:From what I've read, people have had more success asking for them through dealers in the states. Yes! I would never try to talk with BMW Canada until I actually got the vehicle registered and imported.
|
|
#
?
Jun 25, 2011 09:00
|
|
|
@Nitr0 - since you also seem to be in the Vancouver area, do you have an independent mechanic you can recommend? I've read good things about Nixon, but I'm still looking around.
|
|
#
?
Jun 25, 2011 09:41
|
|
|
Deceptor101 posted:So on my 99 328i, I changed my FCA's (to the new style) and FCABs in January at 162,000 miles. I followed the Bentley and some online guides, it seemed to really improve my handling and some steering wobble that I'd felt at various speeds. Now however, all the same symptoms are back, only 6 months and 10,000 miles later. So either I did something wrong, or there's something in my steering/front suspension assembly that is causing huge wear to these bushings. Any ideas? I can't speak to the FCABs wearing out, but the RTABs are easily removed with a dremel. Use the cutting bit (this guy - http://www.dremel.com/en-us/Accessories/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=561) to cut out the rubber, and you may also have to score the aluminum sleeve to get that out too. You can also you use a regular drill to drill a bunch of holes in the rubber and pop out the RTAB. I've done both and the dremel way is much easier and faster. Just be careful going the dremel route - the bit eventually heats up and starts melting the rubber. Long pants and gloves will be your friends at that point.
|
|
#
?
Jun 25, 2011 15:36
|
|
|
rawrr posted:Does the E46 require a complete cooling system overhaul? Or just the thermostat, tank, and pump? I'm at 108,000 km, and every time I drive a small part of me is mentally prepared to be stranded.
|
|
#
?
Jun 25, 2011 16:36
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 28, 2024 04:03 |
|
|
I've got a bit of an issue here. I need to replace the Mass Air Sensor on my '99 M3. So, I went to the junk yard, and bought one. What I didn't realize is that my car is using a different size than is standard--probably because it has a Dinan Air Intake. So the one I bought is a Siemens 1 703 275, which is the one most of the auto sites list as the correct one for a 1999 M3. The one current in the car (that isn't working correctly) is a Bosch 0 280 217 806, which also is the one listed by Bosch's website as the correct one for a 1999 M3. It has a different (larger) diameter than the Siemens, so they don't match up at all on the Boot or the Intake hose. The problem is, I can't find that one anywhere. Pelican Parts has a Bosch, but it's a different part number from what I can tell (13-62-1-747-155-M14) and it's supposed to be the one for the M50 (3.0L) engine. I've followed various links from Bosch to online retailers, but I can't find that part anywhere. Does anyone have ideas on where I might look? Can I maybe get an auto parts store to special order?
|
|
#
?
Jun 25, 2011 20:45
|
|
