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LSB e46 or bust.
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Mar 1, 2014 22:32
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I can't imagine planning to buy a specific car 3 years out. My tastes swing so wildly day to day.
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Mar 1, 2014 22:35
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ThirstyBuck posted:Ugg. I leave for work at 6 in the morning and the seats are so cold when it is 0*F out that I eventually just tossed a blanket over the entire seat. It doesn't help that I essentially wear pajamas to work. How hard would it be to add heated seats to an e36 m3?. Difficult. The cars that didn't come with it from the factory don't have the harnesses under the seats.
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Mar 1, 2014 23:00
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Somewhat Heroic posted:Pros of my 'dream' E46: Honestly, if you're that specific about what you want in an E46 you should start looking now. It may take you a long while to find what you want since neither LSB nor cinnamon were popular choices. Your E9x criteria is way less picky, so that would be easy to find a match at any time if you give up on looking for an E46
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Mar 1, 2014 23:46
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SuperDucky posted:Difficult. The cars that didn't come with it from the factory don't have the harnesses under the seats. Though on the plus side, hitting a junk yard up to find an e36 with heated seats and taking the specific harnesses out wouldn't be all that awful.
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Mar 2, 2014 00:08
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Craigslist posted:89 BMW 325i - $650 I wonder if this is worth investigating - it'd be nice if it just needed a fuel pump or something.
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Mar 2, 2014 00:11
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blk posted:I wonder if this is worth investigating - it'd be nice if it just needed a fuel pump or something. Even if you need to run a new set of fuel lines or wires to the pump, its still cheap if its not ratted out.
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Mar 2, 2014 00:11
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If it's not rusty and trashed, that is a great deal. Just don't trust that mileage, e30 odos are notoriously lovely and break a lot.
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Mar 2, 2014 00:13
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Man, that is a hard choice. I can't tell you much about running costs unfortunately, I've never owned one of these cars out of warranty. All I know is an oil change runs about $150 because the S65 uses a twin oil pump design and takes 9L of Castrol TWS motorsport. Deviating from that can be bad because of the extreme tolerances in the main bearings. So if you're going used, you want someone who broke it in correctly, and changed the oil more frequently than the computer says to. Blackstone told me that the S65s should have their oil changed every 7500 miles, samples they have from people who follow the computer had broken down too much to be very effective at maintaining lubrication. That's the main reason I bought new instead of used, that and I know from experience that the EDC doesn't really work on the track, at least in stock form, although the 19 inch wheels make the problem worse so it might be better on some light 18s. Most of the other options weren't much use to me so instead of going CPO this time I special ordered one. I'm not aware of any significant issues with the E9x - it's an extremely solid car. The cheapest way to add power is to change the midpipe, which removes the very restrictive Euro V mandated primary cats and replaces them with either 200 cell high flow or none at all. That and a tune is good for 40RWHP and is discussed in detail here: http://www.motoiq.com/MagazineArticles/ID/3393/Project-E90-M3-Part-2--Macht-Schnell-Bypass-Track-Pipes-and-EAS-80mm-Exhaust-Tips.aspx With some suspension work you can make it handle extremely well, it's already good but KW or Dinan stuff really make it feel sharp and planted. The E46 is a different car - it's smaller, the interior feels more driver-focused and less utilitarian, and the car feels lighter when you drive it. I think this is more down to suspension tuning than actual weight personally, but I think design-wise the stock E46 is a harder edged car than the stock E92. The popular changes I've seen to E46s are things like Evolve's version of the CSL airbox, BBKs and the subframe reinforcements. The E46 will obviously need more maintenance but the initial cost is also a lot less. You have to adjust the valves every 30K, beware of things like the timing chain guides and the suspension weak points. These are all well known and most have out of the box solutions, such as the Dr. VANOS kits. I think either way you're looking at cars that are hugely rewarding to drive. The point in my mind is the naturally aspirated engine in a great chassis. Once you start talking about the FI cars you're losing the essence of what makes the cars special. FWIW I drove a 1M and M3 back to back and the V8 makes a car like the 1M easy to forget about, especially given its inflated price.
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Mar 2, 2014 00:44
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I was driving my E36 on the freeway and a rock hit my side window. It completely shattered it. Anyone have an idea how much it would cost to have it fixed at a glass shop? Or is it a repair I could possibly do myself?
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Mar 2, 2014 02:53
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Powershift posted:I can't imagine planning to buy a specific car 3 years out. My tastes swing so wildly day to day. You can't tell me that you don't have an attainable dream car that trumps any random browsing of Craiglist for a car. I've found that planning and setting goals has been effective for me in life so yeah, I'm planning out. If I get there faster then sure it can be done in less than three. SlapActionJackson posted:Honestly, if you're that specific about what you want in an E46 you should start looking now. It may take you a long while to find what you want since neither LSB nor cinnamon were popular Yes I agree but I have no intentions of financing a dream. That why for the E46 I've planned on the higher budget because getting what I want will no doubt be more costly than nominal market value. Das Volk posted:I'm not aware of any significant issues with the E9x - it's an extremely solid car. Thanks for your insight! While I'm familiar with a lot of the E46 nuances it's good to know about the E92 and so far it seems like a really excellent car. Couldn't agree more about the FI cars. I know most people would say get a N54/55 engine and tune blah blah would do circles around an E46 with less hassle but they don't ignite the same emotion for me.
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Mar 2, 2014 03:18
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Crustashio posted:If it's not rusty and trashed, that is a great deal. Just don't trust that mileage, e30 odos are notoriously lovely and break a lot. I'm kind of out my depth. I've never looked at a car that didn't run before and don't know how to otherwise assess besides looking for rust, leaking fluids, worn rubber, electrical, etc. Question 1: What should I look for? I'm also guessing that since the seller has the level of knowledge to identify spark plugs, wires, and coils that the fix isn't something as simple as a fuel line or pump. Question 2: What would you guess is causing the fuel issue?
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Mar 2, 2014 03:33
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Check the timing belt... make sure its not trashed. Otherwise, look at the oil and see of there's anything obvious and if it smells overly like fuel. Its a gamble but if the engine turns out to be hosed, there's always a market for parts from E30s. Walk up with 500 cash in hand and see what the guy says. Worst thing that happens... car is hosed. Sell it for scrap for 200 bucks, a life less and down 300.
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Mar 2, 2014 03:43
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blk posted:I'm kind of out my depth. I've never looked at a car that didn't run before and don't know how to otherwise assess besides looking for rust, leaking fluids, worn rubber, electrical, etc. On the M20s you can still see the valves through the oil cap. Pop it open and have him crank it, look for valve movement. If they don't move the belt is broken and you should walk away unless you need a parts car. If the belt is good I'd pull the plugs if he'll let you, they're really easy to get at on an M20. The big question is if it's just no fuel, or no fuel AND no spark. And I wouldn't assume he doesn't know the fix is simple, he may just be throwing parts at it. I threw a new set of plugs, wires, and distributor at my old e30 and it turned out to be a bad crank sensor. I learned my lesson on that one, sold it as a parts car and the guy had it running after he towed it. If it's just fuel but getting spark it should be pretty simple. There's a relay, some wires to the pump, a filter, regulator and lines. The bentley would probably guide you through all the common tests. Always start with the relay. Then check voltage at the pump itself. If it's good electrically, something needs to be replaced. The pump is the most expensive but usually the problem. If it's a no-spark+no fuel situation it is most likely one of the sensors that the ECU requires isn't working.
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Mar 2, 2014 04:44
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So I did the dumbest thing ever. I use an OBD II bluetooth device with my Android phone running Torque. I got a great new phone mount, so I've been using some of the real time dashboards and such. So yeah, getting into the car the other day, my foot kicked the OBD II device, tearing it from the ECU connector. The connector is now completely broken loose, although I'm assuming it's still functional. I don't care that I destroyed the 20 dollar OBD thing. Soon as it's not 10 degrees everyday, my friend and I are going to attempt to some how rig it back into place (providing it's still functioning, but I'll find out when I order a new OBD II unit).  
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Mar 2, 2014 11:23
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Keep in mind that the e46 is an old car right now. In 3 years' time even the newest one is going to be 11 years old, with an average one being 15. Dream cars have a way of becoming nightmares when they get older and break. On the bright side, e92 m3s will have dropped in price even more.
Residency Evil fucked around with this message at 13:59 on Mar 2, 2014 |
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Mar 2, 2014 13:56
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Binge posted:So I did the dumbest thing ever. I use an OBD II bluetooth device with my Android phone running Torque. I got a great new phone mount, so I've been using some of the real time dashboards and such. So yeah, getting into the car the other day, my foot kicked the OBD II device, tearing it from the ECU connector. The connector is now completely broken loose, although I'm assuming it's still functional. I don't care that I destroyed the 20 dollar OBD thing. You didn't break any pins, really doesn't look to bad. Just use some pliers and straighten the pins then shove it back in there. Probably use some ducktape wrapper around the connectors to keep it secure. Also how is that Torque app? My brother just bought me the Bluetooth OBDII connector and gave me some appstore money to buy Torque Pro and I was gonna hook it up to the M3 but I was a little weary about it.
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Mar 2, 2014 16:16
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Residency Evil posted:In 3 years' time even the newest one is going to be 11 years old, with an average one being 15. On the bright side, e92 m3s will have dropped in price even more. That's a really good point on the age they will be and I didn't really think about it. Driving a '97 M3 now is hard to think that the car is 17+ years old already, but it was pretty cheap. I don't think I could spend what I'm planning on in a few years on a car from 1999. The more I consider things the more I'm leaning towards the newer model.
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Mar 2, 2014 16:36
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It's something you have to think about. I know a guy who bought a 1999 Viper GTS for 34K a couple years ago. It's a cool car and all but 34K for a car that is 15 years old seems like a bit too much.
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Mar 2, 2014 16:45
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Popete posted:You didn't break any pins, really doesn't look to bad. Just use some pliers and straighten the pins then shove it back in there. Probably use some ducktape wrapper around the connectors to keep it secure. Torque is awesome. There's a ton of things it can read and display. It's especially nice for reading and sometimes clearing, fault codes. I have my phone mounted on a clip that attaches to my vent and I keep up this dashboard I made:  I have no idea why the boost is constantly a negative number, and for some reason it won't show oil temp, despite having an analogue gauge on my actual dash for it. You should definitely get it, it's a fun toy. It has ways of logging and graphing various measurements too, although I've never tried it. It would be good for a track day or something.
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Mar 2, 2014 18:19
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Is there a consensus on a good obd2 bt adaptor? I'm assuming like everything else the ebay specials are total crap?
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Mar 2, 2014 18:50
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I have an eBay special and it actually works really well. I prefer dash command as an app because it looks awesome.
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Mar 2, 2014 18:52
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Binge posted:Torque is awesome. There's a ton of things it can read and display. It's especially nice for reading and sometimes clearing, fault codes. I have my phone mounted on a clip that attaches to my vent and I keep up this dashboard I made: Cool, it looks like a ton of fun to play around with I just didn't know how accurate it was. Are the torque/hp numbers pretty close?
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Mar 2, 2014 18:57
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The Torque developer warns people not to buy the cheap chinese manufactured units, but I did, and it works just fine. My HP/Torque numbers I'm guessing are, I got those values from an on-ramp onto the expressway. Really the only time I can safely gun it  I have an 08 335xi, and it's fun seeing the ridiculous amount of torque it throws down at times, I've had it hit 250ish before, but thats on winter tires in not the best road conditions. I can't wait to have it running at the HPDE in May I'm going to.I am going to have to try Dash Commander though.
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Mar 2, 2014 19:05
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Sharp_angus posted:Is there a consensus on a good obd2 bt adaptor? I'm assuming like everything else the ebay specials are total crap? Just go on amazon and find one where the reviewers say they are using it for Torque. The difference in price between one that works and one that might or doesn't is like a dollar. At least that was the case the last time I checked.
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Mar 2, 2014 19:13
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Sharp_angus posted:Is there a consensus on a good obd2 bt adaptor? I'm assuming like everything else the ebay specials are total crap? For reference this is the one my brother sent me, seems to be well liked. http://www.amazon.com/BAFX-Products-Bluetooth-diagnostics-Android/dp/B005NLQAHS
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Mar 2, 2014 19:36
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I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008U1MOM8?cache=efc397b2552e91905e1b977e8af5d173&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70#ref=mp_s_a_1_4&qid=1393785755&sr=8-4 Works great and it's much smaller than most dongles. Really easy to fit it in there and just leave it without worrying about breaking it off with your legs.
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Mar 2, 2014 19:44
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I have an E39 with the poverty spec audio system (Hi-Fi). I use a tape deck adapter but the tape player itself is starting to go, I was looking at FM modulators but I came across the SoundPlicity which looks way better, but their site is kind of short on actual examples so I kind of feel like I'm missing something. From what I can tell it's a hack on the CD changer harness so interacting with it is a little ghetto, but it's still supposed to get the audio buttons (forward, back, 'talking head' on the steering wheel for siri) and both displays working with my iPhone and that'd be really awesome. It's even got A2DP support and that's hard to find on any audio equipment to begin with, let alone some obscure, low-volume retrofit kit for a fifteen year old car.
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Mar 2, 2014 19:44
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NOTinuyasha posted:I came across the SoundPlicity which looks way better I'm also looking at picking that up as well. I've come to the same conclusions as you.
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Mar 2, 2014 19:55
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Popete posted:For reference this is the one my brother sent me, seems to be well liked. I have this one too, and I bought one for my brother as well. I use it with Torque and it works very well.
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Mar 2, 2014 20:23
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I got this for $10, though I haven't actually used it yet. Reviews say it works with Torque. It is pretty funny just getting a burned mini CD-R in an envelope. Not even sure what's on there...
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Mar 2, 2014 20:30
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 fffffffffiinally got my heater core put back together in the E30. FYI the 2-3 torx screws that hold in the heater core + the brace for the pipes is superceded by a bolt that is apparently NLA but 8x5/8 or 8x1/2 carpentry screws work juuust fine apparently. Now I just need to put all the interior back in and get it inspected and oh gently caress it's snowing again tomorrow. 
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Mar 2, 2014 21:38
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Binge posted:Torque is awesome. There's a ton of things it can read and display. It's especially nice for reading and sometimes clearing, fault codes. I have my phone mounted on a clip that attaches to my vent and I keep up this dashboard I made: If your car is naturally aspirated, "boost" should always be vacuum, which is often represented as negative pressure. It's also usually relative to atmospheric pressure, since that varies based on altitude and some other factors.  Seeing a peak of +3PSI on an N/A car is pretty interesting though. Do you live under 3m of water?
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Mar 2, 2014 21:54
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Crustashio posted:On the M20s you can still see the valves through the oil cap. Pop it open and have him crank it, look for valve movement. If they don't move the belt is broken and you should walk away unless you need a parts car. If the belt is good I'd pull the plugs if he'll let you, they're really easy to get at on an M20. Turned out to be no fuel and no spark - I didn't have time to bring a spark tester widget so we used a metal pick and a screwdriver. The seller said he bought it from his best friend to flip two years ago but didn't have the time. Said best friend apparently had a mechanic replace all the electrical mentioned in the ad and put in a new fuel pump. Valves and belt looked fine but the rest of the engine bay was a mess, like someone had taken everything out and rushed to put it back together. The rest of the car had some rust and dents in obnoxious spaces, lots missing trim and needed a new headliner inside. The car has been sitting out in the elements for a couple of years; paint was pretty much toast, etc. If I was really into E30s and had more time I might bite, but since it's not a concrete goal of mine to own one, I'm probably going to pass. Thanks for everyone's help.
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Mar 2, 2014 22:55
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Not even worth 600 in running condition. E30s aren't that hard to find, no need to buy something like that unless you have a cache of parts and plan to strip it to bare metal.
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Mar 3, 2014 00:10
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sofullofhate posted:If your car is naturally aspirated, "boost" should always be vacuum, which is often represented as negative pressure. It's also usually relative to atmospheric pressure, since that varies based on altitude and some other factors. My car has a twin turbo (e90 335xi). I was definitely interested to see how much boost it puts out, but I'm sure either there's gotta be a misreading somewhere, from the adapter or the ECU. When I get the new one I'll see if it has any different. It's never gone above 3 no matter how I drive, so something is up.
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Mar 3, 2014 00:45
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Speaking of all this torque talk. I'm in Australia so no obd2 port in the footwell of my e36. Even though I'm missing the port inside can I still get obd2 data from the connecter under the hood? Or do euro cars miss out on obd entirely?
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Mar 3, 2014 00:46
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Phelan posted:Speaking of all this torque talk. I'm in Australia so no obd2 port in the footwell of my e36. Even though I'm missing the port inside can I still get obd2 data from the connecter under the hood? Or do euro cars miss out on obd entirely? OBD was only grafted onto the e36 due to US federal regulations in 1996. I don't know when your government mandated it (2000?) so most likely not. You do, however, have even more powerful diagnostic service available though that round 20 pin port. Google for INPA.
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Mar 4, 2014 00:11
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Oh man, I probably shouldn't be looking at E9x M3 sedans but prices are really looking better every day for the 08-09 models, mid-30's range. Any problems with the earlier models?
OBAMNA PHONE fucked around with this message at 18:55 on Mar 4, 2014 |
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Mar 4, 2014 18:51
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| # ? May 25, 2024 15:54 |
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Ok, this is starting to piss me off so hopefully somebody here will have some insight. Car: 2004 320d Touring non-m sport, right hand drive. 166,555 miles. Very used and abused. Symptoms: 1. Vibration when turning left, particularly hard turns when accelerating (like coming off roundabouts). Is felt through the steering wheel, appears to be from left (pass.) side front wheel. 2. After driving over bumps at speed, the vibration continues, fading away like a bouncing ball. Ditto on feeling it from the left wheel, feeling it through the steering. State of affairs: 205/55/16 Michelin Alpin tires, bought second hand, 7-8mm tread. One (not sure which) has a puncture repair. Same symptoms, possibly worse with a 10,000 mile old 205/55/16 Khumo Ecasta fitted to the front left (passenger). Symptoms seem to be independent of tyre pressure. BMW Wheels, not reps AFAIK. Wheel bolts properly torqued. Wheel alignment and wheel balance & MOT done 600 miles before control arms. New lemforder control arms 100 miles ago. Polyflex bushes on FCAB and front ARB 40-50,000 miles ago. New drop links 25,000 miles ago. All other suspension bits original, or at least 66,000 miles old. Misting on front left shock. Recent disks and pads, but disk locating screws MIA. Fitted by myself, so not impossible I done something dumb. Possibly a little slack in the steering (rack I think, track rod ends feel OK). Brakes drag a tiny bit (very little resistance felt when spinning by hand, wheels don't spin freely once you let go) - This i normal I think??? Wheel bearings feel fine, but obviously old. Clutch is probably on it's way out, prob. not relevant. Things I think it could be: Track rod ends. Steering rack. Steering Guibo. Wheel or brake disk fitment problem (possibly due to lack of disk locating screws?) Shocks. Shock tower top mount thing. Sticking brake calliper. It's getting a bit TLDR, but this is the myriad of symptoms over the past few months, from oldest to newest. -Running with disks less than 10,000 miles old, it develops a vibration under braking from about 60+ mph. Feels like front left wheel. I drive like this for a while because I'm busy as poo poo and a terrible car owner. The left hand front tire has a puncture fixed at some point. -I finally take the front left wheel off and check that my car isn't about to kill me. Seems fine, tyre low on tread though. I refit the wheel and now the braking vibration seems to have gone, but a few hundred miles later I start getting a bad vibration above 60. Still busy as hell so I just drive everywhere <60 and enjoy the fuel economy. -Stick in into the garage to get some winter tyres I picked up cheap fitted, 3 different wheels apart from the front left which gets its shot tyre replaced. Garage reckon the vibration was just the bed out of whack front left wheel, do a wheel alignment and it passes it's MOT (UK annual safety test) fine. -Car drives better, but now has symptoms above (vibration off bumps, corners). I fit new control arms hoping that is the issue, symptoms better but not gone. Any suggestions appreciated. Due to the work truck making GBS threads a driveshaft, and my driving licence being sent off for renewal I've got to drive it to the Isle of Uist via Skye from Dundee and back this week, which is 620 miles of almost every possible type of road - usually great when I'm in the BMW (as opposed to a ford ranger or chev. lacetti, which I'm usually in) but not so if it feels like it is going to kill me.
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Mar 4, 2014 20:36
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