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So, swapping seats. I drive a 528e, of the e28 vintage. I have been living with a broken driver's seat, but realized the other day that I was actually having to hold myself up with my hand on the wheel when I was accelerating. It made me hate to drive the car, and I love this car. So, let's swap some seats! I for some reason thought e39 seats would fit, so I bought one. Turns out that's incredibly false, so now I have a $100 credit to Absolute German in Seattle. So, uh, anyone want to buy a $100 credit to Absolute German in Seattle? Right, anyways, ZE PATIENT  You can see that the driver's seat has a serious pimp lean going on, just from the headrest position. Here's why...   Yea, so that blows. Time for a change! Dusty Deutsche donor  On the face of it, removing and installing a seat from the e28 should take 5 minutes, tops (that's for both the removal and installation). It's stupid simple. There are 4 17mm hex-head bolts at the 4 corners of the frame, and 1 17mm hex-head holding the seatbelt on. Slide the seat all the way back and remove the front two (I'd say an angle joint for your ratchet is required). Now slide the seat all the way forward, and remove the back two bolts. Finally, pop the cover off the bottom of the seatbelt where it connects to the seat, and undo that bolt. Keep all the hardware. Now tilt the seat back, and undo the giant molex connector, and the smaller 2-wire connector. Remove seat. (You should also vacuum. Guess what I didn't do a good enough job at?)  OK, that was the easy part. A CHALLENGER APPEARS!  Let's examine this specimen, shall we? ZOOM, ENHANCE! First, note the loop plates at the front.  Those need to come off. Here's where the internet started getting poo poo wrong. Those are the most true definition of rivets: Solid metal slugs holding the loop plate to the frame. Do not drill them out, as suggested by the internet, that takes for loving ever (ask me how I know). Use a cutoff wheel, knock the heads off, then hit it with a hammer and chisel until it pops off. Only takes a few good whacks. Then trim down the excess with the wheel. Now grab your drill or whatever, and get to reamin'! See, the channels for the hooks are literally 1mm too narrow to fit the bolts. So, shave a millimeter off both sides of the channel on both frame rails, and you're golden. Rattle one of the 4 M10x1.5 25mm Grade 8.8 cap-head bolts you purchased around in the channel to make sure it fits. (Oh yea, you're gonna need those, otherwise the seat can't move. More on that in a second.) Right, so about that "seat can't move" line.  See the piece of metal inside the main frame rail? That's what slides back and forth. If you try and stick one of the whacking great hex-head bolts you pulled off earlier, that little \/ triangle piece at the bottom of the assembly runs right into it, and you're hosed. Also, while there are access notches cut in the rear of the frame, because this mechanism originally used a hook mounting up front, there aren't any up there. Using the cap-head bolts allows you to stick a ball hex key in and tighten it that way. OK, two things left. Second-to-last, replace the e32 seatbelt socket... receiver... connector... grabby thingy... what the gently caress are these things called?! Anyways, replace the one on the e32 seat with yours from the e28. Again, it's a 17mm bolt on the e28 seat, undo it, and bring it along. DO NOT snip the wire, free it from the seat and bring it with. On the e32 seat, stick a 12mm socket on that weird outside Torx bolt and get rid of it. You can snip the wire on this one. Stick the e28 piece down the same hole... and realize that it's bent the wrong goddamn way. Enter hammer, stage left! Once it's been persuaded to bend the right way, bolt it up using the bolt from the e28 seat. Note, it still ends up wrong way 'round, but IDGAF. Route the wire for the seatbelt sensor through the bottom of the seat, and you're golden.   Final step. Prepare the wires. As a funny aside, there are two wires that are purple and white. One is white with purple stripe, the other is, you guessed it, purple with white stripe. Can you tell the difference?! TIME IS RUNNING OUT! *24 noise* So, here's what you need (Note, either my lumbar motor is jacked, or I didn't get it hooked up. So there's probably one other wire you need.) The big brown bastard The small brown/tan wire The big ol' red/yellow wire The medium green/black wire The small purple/white wire The two browns get twisted together and crimped into a male yellow bullet connector. This is your ground. The other three get twisted together and crimped into a male yellow bullet connector. This is your power. You can now test the seat functions if you have a 12v power source. To make installation easier, run the headrest all the way down, move the seatback as far forward as it'll go, drop the seat as low as it will go, and slide the frame so it is centered under the seat. Go into the e28 and grab the big molex connector off the ground. Leave enough room to splice these wires back together if you want to return to stock, then cut the big red/yellow wire and the big brown wire. Stick the opposite yellow bullet connectors on these. Now you're ready. Throw that bitch in the car! Grab a prybar, hammer, and block of wood for this next bit. Oh, and those 4 cap-head bolts, and some loctite. Connect up the power, red to red, and brown to brown (I really hope that was redundant). Slide the seat all the way forward and position the rear mounting holes over the receptacles in the body of the car. Get your loctite ready, and apply it to each bolt you install. Stick a bolt down one of the holes and thread it in part way. Move the seat and try to get it to line up with the other hole. Curse the internet and the guy that says "Oh yea, they drop right in!" loud and long. Grab your prybar and get to wigglin'! Once you get both bolts in back partially threaded, run them down so they're flush with the frame rail (so the mechanism doesn't collide) and run the seat all the way back. To install the front bits, you'll need to futz with the seat adjusters to gain clearance. You can get decent, but not perfect clearance. Get one of the front bolts in, then repeat the above cursing and wiggling until you can work the final bolt in. You'll see now why the allen socket on these bolts is a lifesaver. OK, all four are in? Slide the seat forward again so the back of the frame is exposed. Grab your hammer and beat it all the way forward. Tighten and torque the rear bolts to 35 ft lbs. Don't snap the ball off the end of your allen key like I did. Slide the seat back, tighten and torque the front two, 35 ft lbs again. Last step! Run the seat up to it's maximum vertical height, this exposes the mount point for the seatbelt belt. Go get in the back seat. Stick the belt down the hole on the left side of the seat, and pull it through. Grab the hardware that came out with it (M12 17mm hex-head, two washers, and a spacer) and another 1/4" of M12 spacer or washers. Stick the bolt and centering washer through the end of the seatbelt, then add the original spacer, and your extra spacers. Thread the end of the bolt into the welded on nut, and tighten down. You'll see now why you had to add those extra spacers. They allow the end of the belt to stay perpendicular to the bolt axis, instead of getting forced out of alignment by the teeth on the frame. See picture below.  You now have a new to you, fully functioning, back-supporting driver's seat! You also have literally 10mm clearance between the controls on the left side and the driver's door pocket. Best to do all your adjusting with the door open. fin Wombot fucked around with this message at 07:10 on Mar 25, 2013 |
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Mar 25, 2013 07:07
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| # ? Jun 5, 2024 11:50 |
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Fffffff. I just looked at a boston green on black sport package 328i sedan tonight. Mechanically in great shape - suspension, cooling system, steering rack and tires all done recently. Needs a bit of bodywork in one spot (corner of the fender near the rear door) but is otherwise in good shape. I am so close to buying it and tearing apart my very rusty e36 to use as a 5spd donor.
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Mar 26, 2013 01:00
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Boston Green on black sounds amazing.
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Mar 26, 2013 02:25
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It is, and not common at all. Just trying to wrap my head around the electronics. I can do the mechanicals in a weekend, but I'm not sure on electronics yet and I don't want to jump on it unless I can get it done.
Crustashio fucked around with this message at 02:37 on Mar 26, 2013 |
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Mar 26, 2013 02:32
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My e30's speedometer and odometer haven't worked since right after the time I bought it. I know its a common issue but I have a receipt where the PO replaced the odo gears. Here's the kicker: when its really cold, say below freezing, it will work for ~5 minutes then die again. Is this the sender in the diff causing this issue?
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Mar 26, 2013 15:56
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I'm looking at doing the brakes on my 325es in the near future because I'm getting some pretty bad shaking of the wheel under braking conditions and I think I've got a warped rotor, plus the brake lining light has been coming on for a little while now. Is there anything I'm going to need besides this kit? http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin...20%281984-92%29
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Mar 26, 2013 17:21
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rscott posted:I'm looking at doing the brakes on my 325es in the near future because I'm getting some pretty bad shaking of the wheel under braking conditions and I think I've got a warped rotor, plus the brake lining light has been coming on for a little while now. Is there anything I'm going to need besides this kit? http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin...20%281984-92%29 I usually throw in the ebrake springs and adjusters when I'm in there. Otherwise that's pretty much everything short of calipers.
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Mar 26, 2013 17:30
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rscott posted:I'm looking at doing the brakes on my 325es in the near future because I'm getting some pretty bad shaking of the wheel under braking conditions and I think I've got a warped rotor, plus the brake lining light has been coming on for a little while now. Is there anything I'm going to need besides this kit? http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin...20%281984-92%29 If you're just looking to do front and rear pads and disks, that has everything you need that isn't a liquid/gel. Be sure to drop the stuff you don't need - the 318 pads, ebrake stuff if that's not on your to-do list, and whichever sensor wire you don't need. If you do intend on doing the ebrake, you might include a new spring kit, but otherwise, you're all set.
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Mar 26, 2013 17:34
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rscott posted:I'm looking at doing the brakes on my 325es in the near future because I'm getting some pretty bad shaking of the wheel under braking conditions and I think I've got a warped rotor, plus the brake lining light has been coming on for a little while now. Is there anything I'm going to need besides this kit? http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin...20%281984-92%29
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Mar 26, 2013 18:16
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Lowclock posted:Maybe not a need, but that CDC or Permatex spray Disc Break Quiet stuff seems to work pretty well. Might as well flush the fluid while you're down there too. Google DIY brake bleeder. If you're going to be bleeding pretty often, those ~$70 pressure bleeders are the heat. I lost mine when I moved 
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Mar 26, 2013 18:34
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televiper posted:If you're going to be bleeding pretty often, those ~$70 pressure bleeders are the heat. I lost mine when I moved
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Mar 26, 2013 19:51
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So this weekend my 99' E39 540it M-Sport with 150,000 started boiling it's coolant. It starts doing it as soon as the engine warms up but so far the engine temperature hasn't raised noticeably during short trips. I haven't gotten it over to my shop and up on the lift yet but best as I can tell there are no leaks in the hoses. I replaced the coolant temp switch (the one located on the bottom radiator hose) since that seems to be a common fix for these symptoms but no luck. I'm really hoping I don't have a thermostat/water pump job in my future but all the symptoms are pointing that way. Any suggestions?
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Mar 26, 2013 21:30
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When it's warmed up, is your radiator hot or cold? If it's cold, congrats on the thermostat/water pump job in your future (before you drive the car again). If your gauge isn't reading high, I doubt coolant is boiling. Do a leakdown to check for a bad head gasket.
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Mar 26, 2013 21:57
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Lowclock posted:When it's warmed up, is your radiator hot or cold? If it's cold, congrats on the thermostat/water pump job in your future (before you drive the car again). If your gauge isn't reading high, I doubt coolant is boiling. Do a leakdown to check for a bad head gasket. It's definitely coming from the expansion tank and boiling out from there. Head gasket looks OK from here, I'll check the plugs as soon as I get it to the garage.
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Mar 26, 2013 22:05
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Welp I just found a couple of rust spots bubbling away on my E46; one by the windshield, the other on the passenger side rear wheel arch, right above the bumper. It's too bad because the rest of the body and paint is in fantastic shape. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise, considering the car has seen twelve hard Canadian winters, but still... 
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Mar 27, 2013 01:37
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MrChips posted:Welp I just found a couple of rust spots bubbling away on my E46; one by the windshield, the other on the passenger side rear wheel arch, right above the bumper. It's too bad because the rest of the body and paint is in fantastic shape. Yeah, canada blows for cars. I've definitely seen worse e46s though, one that was in nevada until 2006 needed a new hood, hatch and serious windshield patching. I know it sucks, but I'd suggest looking at getting it fixed now if you plan on keeping it. I let the rust go on my e36 because it wasn't so bad and now it literally has rust on every panel except the roof, and the frame rails are rotten.
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Mar 27, 2013 04:12
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Lowclock posted:When it's warmed up, is your radiator hot or cold? If it's cold, congrats on the thermostat/water pump job in your future (before you drive the car again). If your gauge isn't reading high, I doubt coolant is boiling. Do a leakdown to check for a bad head gasket. Head gaskets on M62's are EXTREMELY rare. Not saying it wont happen, but that is pretty slim. I would bet a coolant system rebuild.
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Mar 27, 2013 16:12
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BrokenKnucklez posted:Head gaskets on M62's are EXTREMELY rare. Not saying it wont happen, but that is pretty slim.
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Mar 27, 2013 18:02
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Poll: what is your favorite 3 and/or 5 series that you've driven, and why?
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Mar 28, 2013 01:29
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blk posted:Poll: what is your favorite 3 and/or 5 series that you've driven, and why? Lowclock fucked around with this message at 01:45 on Mar 28, 2013 |
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Mar 28, 2013 01:42
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E39 540i. Good highway cruiser with abilities in the curves. Its no M car, but it has the right blend of performance, style, and comfort.
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Mar 28, 2013 01:48
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Easy and biased answer for me. E30 IS models. I am on my second 318IS and got a 325IS over the summer. The 318IS is perfect, stipped down with just the features I like included. The M20 engine sure is fun though.
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Mar 28, 2013 01:53
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blk posted:Poll: what is your favorite 3 and/or 5 series that you've driven, and why? E46 330i/Ci. Again, I own one, so I'm biased. I like how the car is good at just about everything; it's large enough to be practical for my needs, it's a nice, relaxed commuter and it's pretty competent when driven hard. Not far behind would be the E46 M3, the E9x 335 and the E39 530.
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Mar 28, 2013 02:01
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blk posted:Poll: what is your favorite 3 and/or 5 series that you've driven, and why? e34 Touring  Really though, Lowclock is right. They just feel good. Solid, direct, and very comfortable inside. e34's are great, and wagons are great so obviously an e34 touring is like, double great.
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Mar 28, 2013 02:02
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Hey, you know, since we've been talkin' about BMWs for the last couple pages, I figured I'd ask this. Anyone know of a way for me to get a good 4-color vectorized version of this scan I made? I tried the only online one I could find that worked and it just ended up looking like crap, and I don't have photoshop or know how to do this.
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Mar 28, 2013 02:07
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What kind of real world mileage does an E34 get?
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Mar 28, 2013 03:07
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Depends on the engine, but in general pretty bad. They do a lot better on the highway than in any sort of city or stop-and-go traffic. My 535i would get about 20 on the freeway, but like 15-16 in the city. Typical combined average was about 18 or so. The later M50-powered 525i is the most efficient E34 (in the US) and they get more like 20/25 if they're in good running shape. The V8 530i and 540i and even the old M20 525i would be closer to my 535i. That said, E34s are sweet cars and my 535i was really fun to drive for a midsize 4-door sedan. I still like my E46 better, though. Guinness fucked around with this message at 03:19 on Mar 28, 2013 |
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Mar 28, 2013 03:16
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Yeah the 535i is pitiful. Had one for a month and didn't even see 20 highway. And honestly, the power was a bit lacking coming from an e36. I've come to the conclusion that the power/weight ratio of an e36 328 is perfect in a daily driver. For me, at least. Too lazy to downshift so I like to pass in 5th.
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Mar 28, 2013 03:26
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aventari posted:What kind of real world mileage does an E34 get?
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Mar 28, 2013 03:57
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Crustashio posted:I've come to the conclusion that the power/weight ratio of an e36 328 is perfect in a daily driver. The last few times I've driven my car it's made a weird beeping at me, I think it's coming from the instrument cluster but it's hard to locate the sound. Three short beeps. It did it 4 or 5 times on my last Sunday Drive, which was about 5 hours of mostly highway boringness. I didn't see any pattern with respect to how long the engine had been running, whether it was still cold or up to normal temperature, or anything else. I used my el-cheapo OBD II scanner and pulled these codes: P0446 P0161 P1421 P1423 Then I cleared those codes, and scanned again - P0161 came back, but the others stayed away. The next time I drove it, a couple of days later (i.e. today) the CEL that's usually lit (because my post-CAT O2 sensors are trashed) was off. It beeped at me, those same three beeps, on my way to my GF's place that's about 5 minutes away; driving home later the CEL came back on (like the old friend it is to me) and no beeping. My googling of those codes leads me to think they're not a huge problem at the moment. They seem to be mostly concerned with things happening during a cold start, and it's been about -20 C around here for the past couple of weeks. I haven't noticed a problem with power, brakes, anything electrical, handling / vibration, fuel economy, or anything else except the blower motor seems a bit down on power. Has anyone else had mysterious beeping from their e36? Now is not the time to discuss the rust. The horrible horrible rust. Dollar signs in the eyes of a body shop's owner are in my future 
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Mar 28, 2013 05:33
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Just replaced the valve cover gasket on my e90. Apparently VCGs leaking oil is a common problem for BMWs.
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Mar 28, 2013 05:43
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ExecuDork posted:
I don't know anything about E36's, but the E46 has a mystery beep with no warning to inform you that the outside air temp is <0C and ice may form on the road. That usually throws people who aren't ready for it.
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Mar 28, 2013 06:39
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Guinness posted:Typical combined average was about 18 or so. This is my mpg exactly, in the 18s. If it's just in town I'll get much less.
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Mar 28, 2013 07:23
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My 530i gets 19.4 MPG mixed city/highway driving. Like 3/4 of my driving is highway driving though.
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Mar 28, 2013 07:38
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ExecuDork posted:I've never driven a BMW except my e36 1996 328is, I love it but I have no way to compare it to any other 3-series. Not counting the couple of similar cars I test-drove when shopping for this one. As someone said, the beeping is the temperature sensor telling you it is 3°C or colder. It's one of those weird BMW quirks. If it goes above and then back below 3 i think it will beep again. A CEL will never beep.
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Mar 28, 2013 11:43
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Lowclock posted:Hey, you know, since we've been talkin' about BMWs for the last couple pages, I figured I'd ask this. Anyone know of a way for me to get a good 4-color vectorized version of this scan I made? I tried the only online one I could find that worked and it just ended up looking like crap, and I don't have photoshop or know how to do this. Try Inkscape. It's free and not terribly hard to figure out. It'll probably take a few hours to reproduce, but I bet you can make it.
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Mar 28, 2013 12:15
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Yep, my E30 beeps at me when the temperature is close to freezing and for a long time I didn't put 2 and 2 together.
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Mar 28, 2013 14:19
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Crustashio posted:Yeah the 535i is pitiful. Had one for a month and didn't even see 20 highway. And honestly, the power was a bit lacking coming from an e36. I've come to the conclusion that the power/weight ratio of an e36 328 is perfect in a daily driver. For me, at least. Too lazy to downshift so I like to pass in 5th. I get 20 average out of my 535i regularly.
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Mar 28, 2013 14:23
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Crustashio posted:As someone said, the beeping is the temperature sensor telling you it is 3°C or colder. It's one of those weird BMW quirks. If it goes above and then back below 3 i think it will beep again. A CEL will never beep. Thanks. The weirdest part about this is that I drove it all last winter and it never beeped. My current guess is that some sensor or connector has worked itself back into position, possibly due to heating and cooling cycles. You'd think a sensor designed to warn of slippery ice conditions would respond to my habit of driving across frozen lakes and rivers.
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Mar 28, 2013 14:47
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| # ? Jun 5, 2024 11:50 |
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If your ambient temperature sensor comes loose it will always ding at you because your computer will think that it's like -26F outside.
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Mar 28, 2013 18:23
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