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Just a heads up, I finally figured out why the hell my CC info got stolen a month ago:quote:Dear Customer I figure a few people in here have used ECS before.
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Jun 26, 2012 02:19
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What kind of half-assed system are they using where all that info is available in the same place, with out a salted hash?
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Jun 26, 2012 02:28
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Guinness posted:Best thing about people who spends ridiculous amounts of money on rimzzz is the huge assortment of OEM take-offs on craigslist, forums, ebay, etc. Just looking around on Craigslist, there's a few sets in the $300-$500 range. If anybody can ID the wheels I have on the car now, the Tire Rack is local and I'd imagine a single knockoff wheel and tire would be cheaper than even a new set. I could be wrong though, but I won't know till I price it. I really don't mind how they look, and I figure a set of OEM wheels could be a long-term wish as opposed to a more immediate need.
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Jun 26, 2012 02:37
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quote:As a result of this incident, ECS Tuning, Inc. has implemented additional security measures, eliminated the storage of all credit and debit card information and follows industry best practices to prevent this type of occurrence from happening again in the future.  Of course they would store stuff they shouldn't
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Jun 26, 2012 02:45
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Yeah I don't plan on every buying from them again unless it's something I absolutely can't get anywhere else. Not really happy about having to get a new CC# and having no idea when/how my info got stolen for the last month.
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Jun 26, 2012 02:55
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This is why if you aren't sure about a company, go get a prepaid card at walmart and use that.
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Jun 26, 2012 02:59
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Crustashio posted:Just a heads up, I finally figured out why the hell my CC info got stolen a month ago:
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Jun 26, 2012 03:32
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I got a new pair of tires on the back of my 1996 328is today, and while they had it KalTire (who I like, really good customer service) had a poke around. They didn't say anything about the dangling wires from my shredded post-cat O2 sensors, but they mentioned - Dirty air filter (easy! hurray!) - Serpentine belt is "cracked badly" - Left sway bar link is loose My Haynes manual suggests the belt replacement is not terribly involved or difficult, though it suggests I remove the cooling fan to make some room; that requires a 32mm narrow open-ended wrench and remembering to turn it the other way. Other than that, it says to "engage a hexagon bolt and extension bar with the tensioner bolt, and lever the tensioner clockwise". I've never seen the term "hexagon bolt", but I have a set of hexagon-shaped bits for my screwdriver, is that what they're talking about? I haven't looked into the sway bar link, yet. Any weirdness there I should watch out for? I'm also planning to change the oil this weekend, so I'll be under it anyways. Assuming it doesn't try to kill me again, but I think I've got my problem of jackstands digging in and tipping solved (concrete pad behind my apartment building is much, much better than my gravel parking spot, plus some boards to spread out the weight under the feet of the jackstands). EDIT: Hey! It's page 325!
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Jun 26, 2012 05:09
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On my E36 I found it's completely unnecessary to remove the fan to change the serpentine belt. I did remove the airbox, though. Makes a hell of a lot of room. The 'hexagon-shaped bolt' is an allen socket. I have scribbled down in my Bentley 5/16" for the A/C belt tensioner and 1/4" for the main belt tensioner. There should be covers on the tensioner pulleys so you'll need to pry those off with a screwdriver first. CornHolio fucked around with this message at 05:16 on Jun 26, 2012 |
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Jun 26, 2012 05:13
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ExecuDork posted:I got a new pair of tires on the back of my 1996 328is today, and while they had it KalTire (who I like, really good customer service) had a poke around. They didn't say anything about the dangling wires from my shredded post-cat O2 sensors, but they mentioned For the love of god always use plywood under the jackstands. Even on asphalt I had them dig in and drop my e30. I'd post a horrifying picture but I'm at work. Its possible to change the belt without removing the fan. You need to feed the old belt out around it, then feed the new belt back over. Honestly I'd get the tools to pop the fan if you can, it makes it so much easier. Which sway bar link was it? The fronts are very easy to replace, but the rears are harder to get at and remove.
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Jun 26, 2012 12:25
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CornHolio posted:I have scribbled down in my Bentley 5/16" for the A/C belt tensioner and 1/4" for the main belt tensioner. Good god, no. Go pick up a set of metric allen wrenches & sockets. Shouldn't cost more than a few bucks each.
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Jun 26, 2012 14:02
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So unfortunately, I've been bitten by the BMW-bug. I've decided to go and look at these two. I feel the most trepidation about the 525 due to the entire "needs tune up", but really love the look of it. Is there anything I should really be looking out for in terms of "OH CHRIST I BOUGHT A LEMON"?  
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Jun 26, 2012 15:15
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Short shift automatic transmission? Must be an error of some sort there.
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Jun 26, 2012 15:34
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Lowclock posted:Yep I got this too. I loved their prices, but I did not love having to call my bank when over $5k in charges showed up on my credit card and having to change numbers and poo poo. Willing to bet their business has dropped sharply. They sure lost mine. I last used ecs back in 9/2011, can't remember which card I used but I had to replace both cards in the past few months. I usually make a habit of not letting vendors keep my CC info if prompted, but I wonder if they kept the info anyway. They're on my shitlist now!
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Jun 26, 2012 17:49
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Alright, summertime has struck again and the E36 is running hot. No clutch fan, but I do have a 16" e-fan wired to ignition on. Radiator is solid with no holes and I have removed it and flushed it forwards and backwards. I've bled properly (I think)and am running about 60/40 water/antifreeze. Running hot under load, the worst case scenario is going up a hill on the interstate, or low revs in a high gear in town. Temp comes up to normal and camps out right in the middle as it always has been, but after 10-15 minutes I think it's heatsoaking. Doesn't go into the red zone but it can get up about halfway between the second and third marks; I can coast in gear and/or downshift and run the motor about 4k for a few seconds to drop the temp. Does this feel like a water pump issue? It kind of does to me, having inadequate flow at low RPM but enough at higher. Overflow tank is fine, hoses are fine, and no HG issue as far as I know. Coolant stays clean and happy. Heat properly goes hot/cold, no air in the lines. I did replace the overflow nipple on the radiator a couple months ago but that fix is rock-solid and I am confident it's not the issue. I have to get back and forth to work the next couple days till I can pull the pump, so I'm going to remove my hood so I can get to and fro. Jonny 290 fucked around with this message at 21:16 on Jun 26, 2012 |
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Jun 26, 2012 21:13
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fingerling posted:So unfortunately, I've been bitten by the BMW-bug. I've decided to go and look at these two. I feel the most trepidation about the 525 due to the entire "needs tune up", but really love the look of it. It's always up to you, but I really think the e34 525 with the M20 (1989, maybe 1990 version) is painfully slow.
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Jun 26, 2012 21:49
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Jonny 290 posted:Alright, summertime has struck again and the E36 is running hot. No clutch fan, but I do have a 16" e-fan wired to ignition on. Check your thermostat, too, it could be not opening correctly.
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Jun 26, 2012 21:55
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e: Well gently caress. everything i was gonna say was already said but much faster  Yeah don't even bother with the water pump (or hood).
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Jun 26, 2012 21:58
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Uh Oh. I used ECS once a while back and just again yesterday. I never got any email like that, though.
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Jun 26, 2012 22:23
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Okay, thermostat-ing in a couple hours as soon as she cools down, that's an easy one.
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Jun 26, 2012 22:42
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Jonny 290 posted:Okay, thermostat-ing in a couple hours as soon as she cools down, that's an easy one. Hope that's what it is, I've got the same job ahead of me this weekend only on a 540i and I'm hoping the Thermostat is the culprit. Anyone have experience with Akebono Euro Pads and Brembo rotors as a combination? I've heard good things. I didn't really need new brakes but I've still got a little vibration after rebedding and am kind of anal about my brakes being perfect. Already ordered em
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Jun 26, 2012 22:46
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Same thing happened to my E46, was the tstat. It made it well into the red, but I live in Arizona. Limped it home with the heat on full blast, luckily it was only like 5 miles. 
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Jun 26, 2012 23:03
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Infinotize posted:Uh Oh. I used ECS once a while back and just again yesterday. I never got any email like that, though. Neither did I :/
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Jun 26, 2012 23:19
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I didn't get an e-mail, I got an actual letter in the mail.
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Jun 26, 2012 23:27
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Lowclock posted:Might as well do the trailing arm bushings and those little pitman arm/torque rod whatever things while you're back there. I actually have replacement dog bones in hand. I just forgot to mention them.
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Jun 27, 2012 05:24
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Thermostat swapped. I only drained down to the thermostat filler neck to ease refilling. PO had a 174F in there,bleh. There was no air bleed hole in the old thermostat, and there isn't one in the OEM reco'd replacement I got. 10 minutes of idling/bleeding up to temp, followed by a drive down the street and back show it holding steady for now. The real test is the 22 mile hike to work in the morning. I forgot to mention that I've already replaced the water pump with a lifetime warranty model so if it's flaky the replacement is free. I have a sneaking suspicion my expansion tank is going too - it holds pressure fine, but I think that it's not drawing coolant back in properly and that one of the internal tubes is cracked.
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Jun 27, 2012 06:45
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Jonny 290 posted:I have a sneaking suspicion my expansion tank is going too - it holds pressure fine, but I think that it's not drawing coolant back in properly and that one of the internal tubes is cracked. Is this the infamous yellowish plastic expansion tank that BMW installed in everything in the '90s? If you still have that, replace it immediately, even if it's "ok". The yellow ones are prone to cracking suddenly and dumping all of your coolant with no warning. There's an updated replacement from BMW that's black plastic with a float inside to show the fill level. Runs about $100 IIRC.
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Jun 27, 2012 06:58
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It looks like it may have been the thermostat. We rolled up to work 22 miles in everything from 70mph to stop and go gridlock and it NEVER budged above the halfway point (looking dead on the gauge, not from the driver's normal position). Expansion tank is next and after that, the only thing left unreplaced in the cooling system will be the radiator.
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Jun 27, 2012 14:16
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Camped out right in the middle the whole way home, in: Fayetteville, AR: Clear, 100F/38C (H:100F, L:68F), Humidity: 20%, Wind: N at 0 mph. I think I'll be okay for now. Does anybody recommend going more water less coolant in the summer? I know water has a higher specific heat but there's a lower bound on how little antifreeze goes in.
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Jun 27, 2012 23:02
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I usually add half a bottle of Redline Water Wetter (http://www.amazon.com/Red-Line-80204-Water-Wetter/dp/B000CPI5ZK) to the coolant in the summer. The graphs on the back of the bottle convinced me.
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Jun 27, 2012 23:44
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CornHolio posted:On my E36 I found it's completely unnecessary to remove the fan to change the serpentine belt. I did remove the airbox, though. Makes a hell of a lot of room. Crustashio posted:For the love of god always use plywood under the jackstands. Even on asphalt I had them dig in and drop my e30. I'd post a horrifying picture but I'm at work. It looks like I need to buy only one new tool, the 32mm narrow open-ended wrench, which I hope will not be horribly expensive. From a quick look from above, I think I could get the belt off an on without removing the fan, but it would be very tight and awkward. The notes on my work-order say "LF has play"; it's good to hear the fronts aren't too difficult. The description in my Haynes manual looks fairly straightforward. Now all I need is a weekend with halfway decent weather. And probably a chisel to get past the inch-thick dried on gravel-road-mud that coats the underbody of my car. :/
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Jun 28, 2012 01:20
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One tip on the 32mm wrench is to check in bicycle shops, apparently it's a common tool for something related to them.
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Jun 28, 2012 01:29
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I'm about to have to buy a new car and I'm looking to spend 25-30k, and want something fun to drive. Like this 2007 Z4 3.0si coupe with 5k miles, is this a bad idea? I've mostly been looking at manual 2011+ mustang GTs, but I've always liked the looks of the Z4 coupe. Does the auto gearbox in these suck? http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp?tracktype=usedcc&csDlId=&csDgId=&listingId=92699047
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Jun 28, 2012 02:02
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Crustashio posted:One tip on the 32mm wrench is to check in bicycle shops, apparently it's a common tool for something related to them.
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Jun 28, 2012 03:42
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One of my coworkers is moving out of the country, and she knew I loved her car. She offered it to me first, and I couldn't resist. It's been a few years since my 88 Scirocco 16v died, and I've been yearning for a German coupe for a while now. It's not perfect--some outside trim is missing, there's a dent in the driver rear quarter that shouldn't be too hard to pop out, the headliner is gone--but the seats and dash are nearly perfect. I'm really excited to have a fun car again. 1996 328is 
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Jun 28, 2012 03:43
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King of False Promises posted:1996 328is Nicely done. Any particular plans for the car?
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Jun 28, 2012 05:59
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When I bought my E39 last week, the driver's side xenon headlight stopped working when I got home. I fiddled with the connection and it worked again. Now it's not working again. Does this point to it being a bulb failure, a ballast failure, or a loose connection? If it's the ballast is there a good place to buy them? I see bavauto has them for $150 but I also know they tend to be on the expensive side.
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Jun 28, 2012 13:28
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I posted this in the For Sale thread, but figured I would re-post the BMW related stuff here before I threw it out. First, a Bavarian Autosport branded code reader. It's the round plug type and there seems to be an adapter cable available to go to the normal OBD-II style, but I don't have it. Worked on my E36 and E39, don't know what else. The book says 1987-2000. BavAuto sells it for $150, make me an offer.  Next, 16-inch wheels and snow tires that used to fit my E39 540i. Currently shod in Dunlop Wintersport M3 tires, 225/55-16. Tires are probably 7-8 years old and haven't been on a car for at least 4. Tread depth is around 7/32, no signs of rot, but they are old. Wheels are straight and in good shape with only some minor scrapes. They would probably run $100+ to ship, but if you're in the Eastern MA area (I'm in zip 02056) you can come pick them up for the price of a couple 6-packs just so they're not cluttering up my life.  Quesitons, offers, etc, e-mail me at thompsje at that mail thing that Google does.
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Jun 28, 2012 14:38
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AWWNAW posted:I'm about to have to buy a new car and I'm looking to spend 25-30k, and want something fun to drive. Like this 2007 Z4 3.0si coupe with 5k miles, is this a bad idea? I've mostly been looking at manual 2011+ mustang GTs, but I've always liked the looks of the Z4 coupe. Does the auto gearbox in these suck? What do you want to know, exactly? Here's a YouTube review of the convertible 3.0si where he goes into the automatic transmission a little bit. I've got the same car in manual, and I've taken it an a couple of day-length road trips. Be prepared for a firm ride, if you're not used to sports cars. It's a little noisy when cruising at speed, but not enough to be a problem. I'm planning to switch to non-runflats when the stock tires need replacing, which is supposed to help with both noise and ride quality. I chose not to settle for an automatic, but I had to wait over 8 months for one to pop up for sale in my area. If you're cool with it, go take it for a test drive and see what you think. The mileage is impressive, and the price seems about right to me. I'm happy to answer specific questions if you have any. E: While I'm here, thought I'd mention that I'm going to take it up to Brainerd for an HPDE in early September. Excited 
ColdPie fucked around with this message at 00:02 on Jun 29, 2012 |
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Jun 28, 2012 23:33
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ExecuDork posted:We also have a fondness for StarControl II in common, judging by your avatar. One of the best games ever! First off, I'm taking it to get the AC fixed, as no AC in Florida is something I lived with for 13 years and I'm done with that. I'm going to get the dent popped out (hopefully it's not too hard--doesn't look that bad to me) and then replace the missing front bumper trim and fog light. Then I'll work on performance modifications. Since my girlfriend has a reliable daily driver, I get to have fun with it. Doing research now on what are the best bang-for-bucks mods since I'm new to the whole BMW scene. Not really going to worry about fixing the headliner or door cards since they don't bother me too much and I'd rather put my money into the engine.
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Jun 29, 2012 00:36
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