|
Let me put it another way: if you cannot afford the ~$4000 for that car plus taxes/registration/etc in CASH then any repair/maintenance is going to ruin you.
|
#
?
Jul 17, 2012 22:59
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 26, 2024 10:46 |
|
|
Fair enough, like I said, I don't really know a ton about the car, or about car buying in general. Thank you for being gentle and putting it in perspective haha.
|
|
#
?
Jul 17, 2012 23:02
|
|
|
AmericanGeeksta posted:Fair enough, like I said, I don't really know a ton about the car, or about car buying in general. Thank you for being gentle and putting it in perspective haha. No worries. If you actually NEED a car (seriously, if available you should really ride the bus or light rail to/from work etc) then you should be looking for something that you can easily afford and where the maintenance is going to be very cheap. I didn't have a car for many years, but when I bought my E36 M3 I paid for the entire thing in cash, and I still sometimes cringe at what I have to spend for replacement parts.
|
|
#
?
Jul 17, 2012 23:18
|
|
|
My DICE mediabridge came in today. I had to get the DSP adapter since my car has DSP (I'm assuming I can't bypass it). What's the best place to wire in the switched +12V in the trunk? (E39 2000 540i) edit: I found this. Is this the best place or is there an ignition source in the prewired phone bundles? Or is that what that is? CornHolio fucked around with this message at 01:32 on Jul 18, 2012 |
|
#
?
Jul 17, 2012 23:59
|
|
|
Need to get a sunroof. Does anyone know if this part: 54128206386 is complete? As in, includes fabric shuttle + everything else? I don't need a motor but other than that I need a 100% complete unit.
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2012 01:21
|
|
|
"This is the complete sunroof assy. Includes the panel, the cables and the tracks. For cassette style cars this is the entire cassette as it unbolts from the car. Does not include motor." -Googin
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2012 02:12
|
|
|
Motronic posted:This won't end well. You already know that or you wouldn't be asking. You're just hoping that you're wrong. You aren't. This is wise advice. I'm glad I didn't follow it very often, else I wouldn't have gone on many (expensive) adventures. Solid advice none the less. CornHolio posted:My DICE mediabridge came in today. I had to get the DSP adapter since my car has DSP (I'm assuming I can't bypass it). Post pics of your install along with any commentary on usage, I've been looking hard at those DICE units since I got my E39.
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2012 02:14
|
|
|
Lowclock posted:"This is the complete sunroof assy. Includes the panel, the cables and the tracks. For cassette style cars this is the entire cassette as it unbolts from the car. Does not include motor." -Googin My main concern is the fabric shuttle and exterior painted panel. Obviously unpainted, but I would expect the shuttle to be there and lined with the correct headliner. I have a couple motors so that's not an issue.
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2012 02:39
|
|
|
BMW goons, I would like to pick your brains. The girlie friend's 95 318i is having a spot transmission problems. It is a GM 4L30-E which has been used for a pretty drat long run in a lot of vehicles. I will preface this by saying that the fluid is only about 30K km old and was done by the previous owner, and I have done a proper check on the level once the trans was up to temperature and in neutral. The fluid is a nice red color, not burnt or milky. This whole thing seemed to start after she took a 60 km drive home and was only about 500m from her parking garage. She said it felt to be in third, going about 50k, and it just began revving and not transmitting power. As soon as that happened, the transmission light came on. She was able to come to a stop, while staying in gear, and get to her parking spot without problem. After that, it sat until I was able to drive it. I took it for a spin and it will go into every gear and load the drive train just as normal. The engagements are not slow or weak. In drive, it did the false neutral to me in various gears, ta any speed 15km and up. No rhyme or reason; putting along, or spirited acceleration. If I went through the gears (1, 2, 3) it did not slip for me, and it seemed to shift well and firmly. The only problem seemed to be going from 3rd to D (overdrive - 4th?) It would not kick down even at 4k rpm. I was only up to about 70km at that point though. After playing with it for a bit like that, it threw the transmission light and seemed to go into limp mode. It seemed like it was taking off in 2nd even in drive, and shifting between 2nd and 3rd would load the drivetrain more / less, much like going from Reverse to Drive in any automatic. If you shut the car off, even for 5 seconds, the transmission light goes away, and it seems to take off in first gear in drive, and shifts well until the next incursion. I have an OBD1 scanner, but not the adapters use on the round BMW data connectors. From doing some reading around, this could be a range sensor being dirty and not properly sensing the selector position, and feeding incorrect signals to the solenoids / force motor. Had any one heard of this before, or know of some tests to do? Or, will I be updating the mechanical failures thread sometime soon?
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2012 07:16
|
|
|
That thing is a weird piece of poo poo with 4th gear being like it's own little transmission. Make sure it has enough fluid (coming out the fill plug a little warm in neutral with engine running). If the fluid looks brown/thick/opaque just get a car that doesn't have that transmission in it and save yourself the headache.
Lowclock fucked around with this message at 07:48 on Jul 18, 2012 |
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2012 07:46
|
|
|
revmoo posted:My main concern is the fabric shuttle and exterior painted panel. Obviously unpainted, but I would expect the shuttle to be there and lined with the correct headliner. I have a couple motors so that's not an issue.
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2012 08:08
|
|
|
Lowclock posted:That thing is a weird piece of poo poo with 4th gear being like it's own little transmission. Make sure it has enough fluid (coming out the fill plug a little warm in neutral with engine running). If the fluid looks brown/thick/opaque just get a car that doesn't have that transmission in it and save yourself the headache. From what I gathered, the OD was stuck on arbitrarily on the front and said was good to go. The fluid is a great color - better than my jeep with half the miles on the fluid. It was ever so slightly coming out of the plug on the rear left side of the pan when the car was warm, and in neutral.
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2012 08:22
|
|
|
First problem with the e90. Daytime running lights on the drivers side are out for no apparent reason. Here's to hoping it's just a fuse.
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2012 12:21
|
|
|
Lowclock posted:I don't think that part number includes either of them. They're not in the same assembly or anything on ETK. If you get it used though you will probably get both. Make sure you get the right year. Why does year matter? I know there's a difference in coupe and sedan but this is the first thing I've heard about year making a difference.
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2012 13:15
|
|
|
Hadlock posted:
I plan on it. At least initially I'm not going to run any wiring up to the cabin. I can't find my ipod anyway and I'm not worried about making calls through the bluetooth (so I don't need the mic). I'm mainly getting it for the USB port (already have a 16GB flash drive loaded with music) and bluetooth (for Pandora and Slacker). It looks pretty simple. Plug the main unit into the CD changer plugs, the DSP unit into that, and somehow power the DSP unit. Whichever disc the stereo is on is the mediabridge's source. Which reminds me, quick easy question: I will have no issues disconnecting my E39's battery, right? I know some newer BMWs you have to take it to the dealer to reinitialize everything but I don't know when that started. ---------------------------------------------- edit: I was tooling around on the internet and I found THIS. It's a guy very unhappy with his E32 750iL. Looking over his repair log, he bought the car when it was nearly ten years old and takes it to the dealership for everything. Seriously, here is something he had done for it: quote:Recharge A/C with freon; cap, dipstick, cover replaced And the cost: quote:$1279.78 (LINK) He claims that "My 750 has been in the shop over 100 times since 1990, costing nearly $37,000 for repairs and maintenance." It looks like the website is old and hasn't been updated in awhile, but I think it's pretty funny reading about somebody that 1) bought used what was once one of the most expensive sedans money could buy, and 2) takes that car in for every little thing that is wrong with it. And then complains about how much it costs and blames BMW. 
CornHolio fucked around with this message at 14:35 on Jul 18, 2012 |
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2012 13:23
|
|
|
From a couple pages back:an oddly awful oud posted:Wow, I was just cleaning my 2003 E46 and I noticed the bixenon headlights are manufactured by AL... I had always been told that all E46s from the 2002 facelift onwards had crappy ZKW xenons and their easily-scorched plastic reflector bowls. This is a pleasant surprise. I take it, then, that the ZKWs are only on the 2004 and later models? I think it depends on chassis. Coupes generally have ALs and sedans got ZKW. My 04 sedan has ZKW. A coupe I was looking at that was 04 or 05 had AL. So far so good with my ZKWs at 63k.
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2012 15:14
|
|
|
revmoo posted:Why does year matter? I know there's a difference in coupe and sedan but this is the first thing I've heard about year making a difference.
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2012 15:30
|
|
|
DefaultPeanut posted:Transmission problems.  Best of luck. My advice is to just drive it. It shouldn't pose a reliability issue...the worst problem its ever given me is getting stuck in 3rd on the highway. When it dies, part/sell the e36 or 5speed swap it.
|
|
#
?
Jul 18, 2012 16:14
|
|
|
Sunroof is killing me. My price at the dealer is gonna be 720 or so with new fabric shuttle and everything.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2012 01:24
|
|
|
How did it break in the first place? You can't reuse your old panels? I'm sure you can get one way way cheaper than that from a forum or craigslist or junkyard or Bavarian auto recycling or somewhere.
Lowclock fucked around with this message at 02:12 on Jul 19, 2012 |
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2012 01:40
|
|
|
Infinotize posted:From a couple pages back: Mine is a sedan. I don't understand it. I'm pretty sure my previous E46 sedan, which was manufactured earlier (in late 2002 instead of early 2003, but both MY 2003), had ZKWs. I don't even think it's a case of the previous owner swapping over the guts of the light, because the "AL" logo is etched on the inside of the lens, at the corner nearest the grilles. These are complete, factory stock xenons made by AL.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2012 01:59
|
|
|
an oddly awful oud posted:Mine is a sedan. I don't understand it. I'm pretty sure my previous E46 sedan, which was manufactured earlier (in late 2002 instead of early 2003, but both MY 2003), had ZKWs. My sedan had ZKWs, I swapped them with the Bosch (AL) units - they are OEM and it was just a mix of what cars they went to. Everyone claims they are "inferior" because the projector lens isn't clear, but I couldn't give two fucks. This is what the ZKWs looked like when I disassembled them: 
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2012 02:13
|
|
|
Lowclock posted:How did it break in the first place? You can't reuse your old panels? I'm sure you can get one way way cheaper than that from a forum or craigslist or junkyard or Bavarian auto recycling or somewhere. Long story but I'm trying to fix it correctly. I've already recovered the headliner and done a lot of other work. I want new.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2012 02:18
|
|
|
Crustashio posted:My sedan had ZKWs, I swapped them with the Bosch (AL) units - they are OEM and it was just a mix of what cars they went to. Everyone claims they are "inferior" because the projector lens isn't clear, but I couldn't give two fucks. This is what the ZKWs looked like when I disassembled them: So you found a set of complete xenon light assemblies made by AL for the 02-03 headlight design? Like I said, I was under the impression that after the 2002 facelift, they switched from AL xenons to ZKW bixenons and never looked back, and if you wanted reflector bowls that didn't scorch on a MY 02 or later car, you had to retrofit the bowls from the AL units onto the back of the ZKW projectors. e: I was so curious that I went out and checked, and mine are true bixenons. So they must have used both manufacturers after the post 02 facelift for at least some period of time... I wonder if there's any rhyme or reason to which got which? an oddly awful oud fucked around with this message at 02:27 on Jul 19, 2012 |
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2012 02:21
|
|
|
an oddly awful oud posted:So you found a set of complete xenon light assemblies made by AL for the 02-03 headlight design? Like I said, I was under the impression that after the 2002 facelift, they switched from AL xenons to ZKW bixenons and never looked back, and if you wanted reflector bowls that didn't scorch on a MY 02 or later car, you had to retrofit the bowls from the AL units onto the back of the ZKW projectors. They made AL units all the way to MY06. You can even order them brand new if you want: http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/catalog/shopcart/BE46/POR_BE46_ELlite_pg10.htm I got mine off ebay, 700 for a set. More expensive than retrofitting, it didn't require any disassembly and modifying. Well, mine did but that was because of a broken autoleveler clip on my ebay headlights. One thing I noticed is that item #10 in This assembly isn't shown as different for both, even though it is. The AL and ZKW headlights have the ballast in a different spot.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2012 02:32
|
|
|
Crustashio posted:They made AL units all the way to MY06. You can even order them brand new if you want: http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/catalog/shopcart/BE46/POR_BE46_ELlite_pg10.htm I wonder why that's not more common knowledge? Like I said, I'd always been told it was a simple matter of pre- or post-facelift. And still I wonder why certain cars got certain lights- I mean, your car and mine should be nearly identical, since they're the same year and same options and can't have been made more than a few months apart since the ZHP package didn't come out until midyear 03, but we got different headlights (unless mine were swapped by a previous owner, which is quite possible although unlikely).
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2012 02:39
|
|
|
revmoo posted:Long story but I'm trying to fix it correctly. I've already recovered the headliner and done a lot of other work. I want new. Does this mean you'll have a spare E36 fabric shuttle when all is said and done?
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2012 03:31
|
|
|
Anyone have experience upgrading angel eyes? From what I've seen my options are: ARC Angel H8 bulb Pros: simple swap Cons: don't look much whiter than stock LED Version Pros: whiter light Cons: cost, possibility of error/fault codes Is that a fair assessment?
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2012 03:59
|
|
|
Dantu posted:First problem with the e90. Daytime running lights on the drivers side are out for no apparent reason. Here's to hoping it's just a fuse. Mine actually just went out a few days ago on my e92, but I figured it probably just burned out and ordered some replacement ones today, let me know if it was just a fuse, my car is in the shop at the moment thanks to hitting a pot hole that took out both passenger side tires. Oh well, wanted to upgrade to Michelin pilot super sports anyway.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2012 04:52
|
|
|
I saw this commercial last night, and instantly though of the movie Heat. Interesting choice of music for the advertisement.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2012 13:21
|
|
|
_firehawk posted:I saw this commercial last night, and instantly though of the movie Heat. Interesting choice of music for the advertisement. What are the similarities? Sure you're not thinking about Sunshine or something similar? It's a nice commercial, with great music, though all the focusing on the model moto chick looking all modelly spoils the ethereal mood a bit. edit: Ok, they share the song, got it. Rnr fucked around with this message at 14:58 on Jul 19, 2012 |
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2012 14:53
|
|
|
Dantu posted:Anyone have experience upgrading angel eyes? I love how you don't give a model of car, year, anything. I've got lights and i want other lights what i do??????????
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2012 16:46
|
|
|
Nitr0 posted:I love how you don't give a model of car, year, anything. I'm pretty sure he is talking about an e9x/e82, I have the arc angel H8 bulbs in my 135. The arc angels don't look any whiter than stock unless the headlights are off. Once the headlights are off the angel eyes look pure white. The programming of the car makes the angel eyes dim when the headlights are on, making them look yellow with even after market bulbs. If you get the LED kit you have a chance of fault codes coming up as well.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2012 16:55
|
|
|
Sunroof saga continues. I'm up to 800$ used or new either way now on the price so I'm thinking about alternatives. What's the best way to find a E36 with a blown motor? E: How much value does having a brand new sunroof and headliner add to a e36? revmoo fucked around with this message at 22:16 on Jul 19, 2012 |
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2012 22:12
|
|
|
revmoo posted:Sunroof saga continues. I'm up to 800$ used or new either way now on the price so I'm thinking about alternatives. What's the best way to find a E36 with a blown motor? I know there's one up in Seattle here that regularly has multiple E36es at any one time, I've pulled stuff from them.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2012 22:17
|
|
|
Why not just fix what's actually broken? Almost every part is available separately.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2012 22:29
|
|
|
Too complex. I might end up trying it anyway, I dunno. I'd much rather rebuild the engine. Honestly I'm just complaining. I have a guy at BMW that will do the labor for $40 and I can get the parts almost at cost. I'm just thinking that for the amount it's gonna be I could almost get a whole new car.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2012 22:39
|
|
|
doogle posted:I'm pretty sure he is talking about an e9x/e82, I have the arc angel H8 bulbs in my 135. Thanks, exactly what i was looking for. ARC Angels it is.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2012 23:34
|
|
|
revmoo posted:Too complex. I might end up trying it anyway, I dunno. I'd much rather rebuild the engine. Honestly, it adds zero value to the car, but it might add value to you as an owner. This is money you're never going to see again, so do it only because you really want to.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2012 23:51
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 26, 2024 10:46 |
|
|
Yeah that sucks. The car's doing pretty well these days, new Ireland Engineering exhaust, 3.91 gears, chipped, remote start, A/C etc. I know the in the end I'm gonna keep it and fix it, It's just that I'm literally crossing the line between sensible and gambling with this repair. My intent is to do seats this fall, suspension in the spring and then paint/body next summer and have the car back to a 'new' condition. I'm halfway there. I've done most of the rubber/seals and glass already. And preventative maintenance.. It runs like a top. The temptation to sell it and get an E46 is strong but I think if I spend just a few more dollars I'll have the car I really want.
|
|
#
?
Jul 19, 2012 23:56
|
|