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peterjmatt posted:The only real test is to remove the valve cover and loosen the head bolts, then re-torque them. If they strip out then your motor needs to be replaced. If God had written the 10 commandments of auto mechanics, one of them would be the fact that you never re-use a gasket, particularly one as delicate as the head gasket. By loosening and re-tightening the head, the gasket's tight seal will be ruined. Overheating doesn't necessarily destroy an engine. How does it start, run and sound? If it runs fine and continues to do so, you got lucky and shouldn't do anything about it.
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Jun 15, 2009 16:01
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DevCore posted:So after doing some research, I think I found a much better deal: Price seems pretty high. 12-13.5k seems a bit more appropriate.
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Jun 15, 2009 16:49
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BraveUlysses posted:Price seems pretty high. 12-13.5k seems a bit more appropriate. The milage is pretty low and it looks clean. I wouldn't rule this one out, but I would want it inspected by an independent mechanic - M3s are prone to being abused - and I'd try to talk 'em down at least a grand. When I buy a car I try to research the gently caress out of it before I ever go near the dealer, and then go over it with a fine tooth comb at the dealer. Being able to look the salesman in the eye and say, "This is wrong and will be $250 to fix, this is wrong and will be $100, this is wrong and will be $500, and with this model in so many miles it will need this major service for $1500...." often puts them on the defensive and drops the price pretty quickly. Point out everything wrong with it, and quote dealer prices. I've had $300 in minor repairs save more than $2,000 off the sticker price. It also helps to go at the end of the day when their desire to haggle competes with their desire to go home.
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Jun 15, 2009 17:29
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Got an interesting letter in the mail today. Apparently there is a class action lawsuit against BMW for the subframe issues in the E46 3-Series. I was a former owner, so they sent me the letter asking if I wanted to participate. The settlement is still pending, but if they win, every participating owner will get the subframe repaired or be reimbursed for any expenses incurred repairing the subframe. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you E46 owners out there.
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Jun 15, 2009 22:09
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Pilsner posted:Do not do that. If you do that, you're certain to have ruined the compression and require a head gasket replacement (expensive and very time consuming), plus potentially have stripped bolts stuck in your block. What kind of brute-force test is that anyway? I replaced the cooling system parts and bled the system. It's been driving just fine since. I'll definitely be be keeping an eye/ear on it. And not taking any chances if the temperature goes up again.
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Jun 16, 2009 00:02
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Brock Landers posted:Got an interesting letter in the mail today. Apparently there is a class action lawsuit against BMW for the subframe issues in the E46 3-Series. I was a former owner, so they sent me the letter asking if I wanted to participate. The settlement is still pending, but if they win, every participating owner will get the subframe repaired or be reimbursed for any expenses incurred repairing the subframe. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you E46 owners out there. How do these things work if you're the 2nd owner?
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Jun 16, 2009 01:20
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Pilsner posted:Do not do that. If you do that, you're certain to have ruined the compression and require a head gasket replacement (expensive and very time consuming), plus potentially have stripped bolts stuck in your block. What kind of brute-force test is that anyway? That's actually a required test on these motors before replacing a head gasket for an over heat concern, and it's only performed if you suspect engine damage or a blown gasket. I was not recommending he perform this test. It was merely a response to his statement that nothing looked damaged. Certainly he should replace the thermostat and diagnose the water pump before worrying about the engine.
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Jun 16, 2009 01:39
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Deceptor101 posted:How do these things work if you're the 2nd owner? The letter simply states "If you have EVER owned or leased a 1999-2006 3-Series", so ownership rank doesn't matter. I was technically the 2nd owner of my E46 (CPO car) and they sent me the letter. There are several exclusions, the two most important are: NO aftermarket suspension parts or modifications and NO aftermarket wheels. More info can be found at: https://www.e46subframeclassactionsettlement.com
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Jun 16, 2009 02:16
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Brock Landers posted:The letter simply states "If you have EVER owned or leased a 1999-2006 3-Series", so ownership rank doesn't matter. I was technically the 2nd owner of my E46 (CPO car) and they sent me the letter. There are several exclusions, the two most important are: NO aftermarket suspension parts or modifications and NO aftermarket wheels. More info can be found at: https://www.e46subframeclassactionsettlement.com Does that thing have a shot at winning in court? Have people died from exploding E46 subframes or something?
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Jun 16, 2009 09:00
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I just wanted to share that I am about to go pick up my 530 (e39/sports) after 2 weeks in the shop. My neighbor managed to scrape up the bumper deparking, and my shop managed to talk State Farm into a new bumper rather than a sand and polish job. I'll be so glad to be driving the bimmer again, the rental G6 makes me sad. And I only drove it from the shop home and once to drop someone off for a grand total of 12 miles.
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Jun 16, 2009 15:51
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solarbeam fucked around with this message at 17:06 on Aug 7, 2014 |
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Jun 16, 2009 18:35
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Bahamutsrage posted:About to join the snob society Welcome to the club -- our snobbery knows no bounds! You'll like the Z4 -- chassis wise, they're astoundingly firm given the soft-top, and the power output is quite well suited to the car. I'd personally consider an slightly louder aftermarket exhaust (Remus?) to butch it up a bit.
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Jun 17, 2009 16:54
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Bahamutsrage posted:
Congratulations. Helpful tips; don't put change in the ashtray or anywhere in the center console, don't leave the drink holders open when you get out of the car, that is all, it's a wonderful car (except for the clutch).
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Jun 17, 2009 17:26
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Aquila posted:Congratulations. Helpful tips; don't put change in the ashtray or anywhere in the center console, don't leave the drink holders open when you get out of the car, that is all, it's a wonderful car (except for the clutch). What's wrong with the clutch? Is BMW still using those retarded reducer fittings upstream of the slave cylinder?
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Jun 17, 2009 18:19
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I picked my e46 320Cd up at the weekend, it'a great car and really shifts compared to my old Punto. Today I've fitted the charger bit for my k800i phone (genuine part sourced off ebay) after a bit of fun with the phone tray (the catch appears to be broken, so I've just removed the eject springs). I've found the part number I need 51167110646 - Insert for telephone console (Black) but I've no idea where I can get this in the UK, any ideas? The only downside is that on the way home tonight, about 2 miles from home, the run-flat indicator light came on. I take it home steadily and park up, check to see which wheel it is and I can hear air pissing out of the rear driver-side wheel - not good  I've found a mobile tyre fitter and attempted to book a slot tomorrow, however I got home after they closed so I'll have to wait
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Jun 17, 2009 21:54
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I own a 1972 BMW 2002. A while back I had accidentally ran the engine out of oil, chewed the pistons, and hosed my crankshaft up. At this point I contemplated selling the car because I had no real knowledge of how any motor really worked. Undeterred I set on my way and reordered a new crankshaft, pistons, bearings, and obviously gaskets. I had the block honed and bought some over sized piston rings to make up for the gap created. Got the engine all put back together and had the head rebuilt. Upon taking the head to the machine shop, they spotted 3 major cracks in the head, but for some reason it was still maintaining pressure and was not leaking anything. Go figure. I have a feeling though it is only a matter of time before it gives way and I need to find a new head or a new motor. I had the air intake ported and bored out the top of the intake where the carburetor sits. The new pistons I put into my car weren't like my old ones. My old ones were flat top pistons and these new ones are the piano top pistons. The story doesn't stop here. I put the motor back into my car, got it all hooked up and running great. Did its initial 500 mile break in at a decent RPM range. About a week later after its initial break in, I am pulling out of work and decide I am going to punch it when the red light turns green. I dropped the clutch and my car took off, I shift quickly into second gear and drop the clutch again and the worst sound in the world emanated from my floor board. It sounded like grinding metal. Turns out the coupling between the driveshaft and transmission (The flange with gears heh) had stripped completely. I drop the transmission to inspect what is wrong with it about a week later and come to the conclusion that I need to buy a new transmission because the gaskets on it and other various parts were showing their age. So I bought a rebuilt Getrag 4 speed transmission for $500. Put that in my car along with a short shifter and now my car runs like a champ. There is no other car like a 2002. Bar none.  After all of this poo poo I had to deal with, I got to thinking. I want to put a straight six into this car along with a new suspension and bigger tires. Possibly the suspension from an M5. Does anyone have any suggestions what I can do for a new motor? I thought about doing an E46 conversion or an E36. I'm going to keep the paint job the same way but I am going to strip the entire car and rerun new brake lines, fuel lines, electrical, etc...
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Jun 18, 2009 14:38
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  I've had this '93 325is for a couple years now, got it when it was around 105k miles for $4500, which I thought was a pretty cool deal. Most recently it had its flex disc replaced (it was very bad, causing vibrations on heavy accel and I was clueless for a while), and the water pump and radiator totally hosed up within a week of each other a couple months ago. Had a question though on lower control arm bushings: My mechanic is warning me that these will need to be fixed sometime in the near future, and I'm aware this is normal for older e36's. I've been hearing something I can only describe as a sort of muffled, lower-pitched popping sound coming from under the car somewhere probably in the front when I turn sometimes. Is this probably something to do with the control arms? What are bushings exactly? Is this gonna be expensive? Also: How bad is it to hold off on a brake-fluid change interval?
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Jun 18, 2009 19:51
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Do you guys think these wheels are real OEM rims or a reproduction/copy? Do you know any tricks for finding out? If they are OEM, they are lightweight forged rims. http://atlanta.craigslist.org/cto/1226821251.html They have the ///M stamp between the lug nuts, which is supposed to be there on ones that dont have "BMW MOTORSPORT" stamped into them, but the way he says "M3 style" and the price make me think they are knockoffs. Maybe he doesn't know better? I sent him an email asking for the size of the rims to see if they are staggered and what type of tires are on them. The tires might be worth near $300 on their own if they are any good. BossTweed fucked around with this message at 20:53 on Jun 18, 2009 |
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Jun 18, 2009 20:45
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My AC does not work any more. I think the compressor is fine because when I hit the AC button I am greeted with all the familiar strain. The thing that bothers me is that the failure was somewhat sudden, it was only a month ago that the AC was working fine. But I also wasn't using my AC often enough to provide real data. How much should a simple recharge cost? edit: e36 325i if it matters. edit 2: got off my rear end to check, and compressor and clutch are working fine. ynotony fucked around with this message at 21:06 on Jun 18, 2009 |
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Jun 18, 2009 20:57
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Loco posted:[I've been hearing something I can only describe as a sort of muffled, lower-pitched popping sound coming from under the car somewhere probably in the front when I turn sometimes. Is this probably something to do with the control arms? What are bushings exactly? Is this gonna be expensive? The noise could indicate really badly failed FCABs, but more likely you've got loose sway bar mounts. Replacing the bushings is fairly easy -- I wouldn't pay more than $150 for it, but there are lots of locals that work on BMWs for cheap here. A shop quoted me ~$350, which I find absurd for 45 mins of work and a $30 part. As far as the brake fluid goes, don't sweat it too much. If you're going to track the car, it's very important to change, but for daily driving the ATE fluid that's in there is more than enough, even when fully saturated with water. BossTweed posted:Do you guys think these wheels are real OEM rims or a reproduction/copy? Look real enough to me. Buy! Sterndotstern fucked around with this message at 22:25 on Jun 18, 2009 |
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Jun 18, 2009 22:20
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I'm seriously considering buying a 2004 325i. They're asking 14k for it and it has 60,000 miles. The car note would basically end up costing me the same as my current vehicle, but would extend the loan 3 more years than the Blazer's. My question is how afraid should I be of maintenance? I drive maybe 6,000 miles a year, but I really don't want to spend a thousand bucks a year or more on maintenance/repair costs alone...advice from some experts?
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Jun 19, 2009 03:51
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BossTweed posted:Do you guys think these wheels are real OEM rims or a reproduction/copy? Do you know any tricks for finding out? If they are OEM, they are lightweight forged rims. Just look for a BMW part number on the back- it'll be a 7 digit number and will most likely say BMW. edit: Not all style 24s were stamped- it depends on year of production. Ethelinda Sapsea fucked around with this message at 07:22 on Jun 19, 2009 |
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Jun 19, 2009 04:03
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Loco posted:Had a question though on lower control arm bushings: My mechanic is warning me that these will need to be fixed sometime in the near future, and I'm aware this is normal for older e36's. I've been hearing something I can only describe as a sort of muffled, lower-pitched popping sound coming from under the car somewhere probably in the front when I turn sometimes. Is this probably something to do with the control arms? What are bushings exactly? Is this gonna be expensive? I did this all DIY, but the parts are pretty cheap. You will know your LCABs need to be replaced when the car vibrates like crazy under turning on the freeway. BossTweed posted:Do you guys think these wheels are real OEM rims or a reproduction/copy? Do you know any tricks for finding out? If they are OEM, they are lightweight forged rims. Real OEM LTW wheels will have BMW MOTORSPORT stamped around the center. ynotony posted:My AC does not work any more. I think the compressor is fine because when I hit the AC button I am greeted with all the familiar strain. The thing that bothers me is that the failure was somewhat sudden, it was only a month ago that the AC was working fine. But I also wasn't using my AC often enough to provide real data. If you lost A/C coldness somewhat suddenly, it could be indicative of a leak or malfunctioning component. If the compressor is working fine, it could be the condenser. An evac/recharge of oil and R134a will probably run you about $100, but it's a very temporary fix if a component is busted or a leak is present. rap music fucked around with this message at 07:13 on Jun 19, 2009 |
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Jun 19, 2009 06:19
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peterjmatt posted:Just look for a BMW part number on the back- it'll be a 7 digit number and will most likely say BMW. Thanks. I wish the guy would call me back!
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Jun 19, 2009 15:38
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Synapse23 posted:I'm seriously considering buying a 2004 325i. They're asking 14k for it and it has 60,000 miles. The car note would basically end up costing me the same as my current vehicle, but would extend the loan 3 more years than the Blazer's. My question is how afraid should I be of maintenance? I drive maybe 6,000 miles a year, but I really don't want to spend a thousand bucks a year or more on maintenance/repair costs alone...advice from some experts? Is this a CPO or a private party sale? I would almost steer you to a comparable 330 instead at that price and of course a 5 speed. A 6 speed ZHP would be the ideal option but will cost over $17k in most cases. Failures on this car will involve mostly the plastic and rubber poo poo that fails after 5 years or so, all common parts and most pretty easy to moderate DIY's. Rubber front control arm bushings and ball joints, sway bar end links, rear trailing arm bushings, radiator expansion tank, DISA valve, crankcase ventilation parts, power steering hoses, radiator hoses, water pump/thermo.......etc etc. Also brakes on these cars are very easy to DIY.
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Jun 19, 2009 18:45
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BossTweed posted:Do you guys think these wheels are real OEM rims or a reproduction/copy? Do you know any tricks for finding out? If they are OEM, they are lightweight forged rims. the //M stamp doesn't really mean much anymore, there are tons of replica CSL/M3 rims out there now with M stamps. If the guy responds to you definitely find out what kind of tires those are as they look drat near new. Also you may want to find out if you can get the rims inspected somewhere as the seller could have curbed them and wobbled one or two of them.
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Jun 19, 2009 18:51
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Carbon Deity posted:
There are no leaks (I check religiously after replacing my cooling system earlier this year) and I can't imagine a condenser failing in anyway that wouldn't produce a leak. It's just tubes and fins. But I'll just have the system inspected first before a recharge.
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Jun 19, 2009 20:23
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KeyserSoze9999 posted:the //M stamp doesn't really mean much anymore, there are tons of replica CSL/M3 rims out there now with M stamps. If the guy responds to you definitely find out what kind of tires those are as they look drat near new. Also you may want to find out if you can get the rims inspected somewhere as the seller could have curbed them and wobbled one or two of them. I finally got a hold of him and he already sold them (only listed for 2 days). He said "yeah.. I kinda lowballed myself, I sold them for $400". So I guess he must have gotten so many calls and offers that he realized they were worth more than the $350 but he wasn't patient enough to get the highest bid. Thanks for the info though. I was mainly planning to get them just because they were local and seemed like a bargain, so no big deal.
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Jun 19, 2009 21:12
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Debadging feels so good. Sorry for the poo poo pic.
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Jun 21, 2009 01:13
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I think I've finally had enough of my E30. In the 1.5 years that I have owned it, I have had an engine failure on the freeway (last July), a fuel related fire in September (and another a couple months ago), and on Thursday my fuel pump went tits up again. I think all of these problems stem from a lovely (OEM Bosch) fuel pump, but still. I'm getting a new pump for free under warranty and I'm going to start looking to dump it.
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Jun 22, 2009 13:25
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two_beer_bishes posted:I think I've finally had enough of my E30. In the 1.5 years that I have owned it, I have had an engine failure on the freeway (last July), a fuel related fire in September (and another a couple months ago), and on Thursday my fuel pump went tits up again. I think all of these problems stem from a lovely (OEM Bosch) fuel pump, but still. That's a shame, but I guess I would have been quickly sick of any car that tried to kill me as well. I quickly amassed a collection of backup fuel pumps in my huge pile of bmw crap.
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Jun 22, 2009 14:15
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I have a 2003 E46 and it's got 107k on it. I fear clutch replacement time is fast approaching. 1. How can I tell when I need to do this? 2. Hypothetically, let's say it needs replacing and I don't realize it and I go on driving. What will likely happen? And what's the worst case scenario? This is the first manual transmission car I have owned so I don't know what the warning signs are. e: my mom repeats the joke in the thread title to me all the time. i love you too mom e2: About how much should this cost? I'm taking it as a given that the dealer quote of $1275 is too much. dr go hog wild fucked around with this message at 15:25 on Jun 22, 2009 |
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Jun 22, 2009 15:11
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Get going about 20mph on a flat, straight section, put it in fourth, declutch and floor it. If it slips at all, it'll slip then.
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Jun 22, 2009 15:14
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dr go hog wild posted:I have a 2003 E46 and it's got 107k on it. I fear clutch replacement time is fast approaching. $1275 is actually about right from a dealership. My 530i's clutch (same transmission as the E46 330i) was $1500 IIRC. Independents will obviously be cheaper, probably $800-1000ish. If the clutch isn't slipping using Jonny 290's test, it's fine. My E30 has 191k on the original clutch. It all depends on how you (ab)use them.
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Jun 22, 2009 16:35
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dr go hog wild posted:...it's got 107k on it. I fear clutch replacement time is fast approaching... One thing about manual transmission cars that many people aren't aware of: mileage does not correlate at all to clutch wear. The only thing that wears the clutch is slip (during engagement), so if you drive short stop-and-go trips, it could wear out by 50k mi. Alternately, the car sees a lot of highway miles, it could last well past 200k.
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Jun 22, 2009 19:38
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The xenon headlight bulb of my 2000 328i went out, how do I find out what it is so I can get a new one?
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Jun 22, 2009 22:57
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two_beer_bishes posted:I think I've finally had enough of my E30. In the 1.5 years that I have owned it, I have had an engine failure on the freeway (last July), a fuel related fire in September (and another a couple months ago), and on Thursday my fuel pump went tits up again. I think all of these problems stem from a lovely (OEM Bosch) fuel pump, but still. If I didn't have my civic to get me to work I'd probably go mad just owning an e30 and nothing else (cmon, Clutch and no-start in the same month?) but god drat it's worth it when it runs. I've been pondering the idea of grabbing a cheap 4-door 318 to replace my civic and have 2 e30s. Chances should be (fairly) low that they both poo poo themselves in the same week.
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Jun 22, 2009 23:13
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Crustashio posted:If I didn't have my civic to get me to work I'd probably go mad just owning an e30 and nothing else (cmon, Clutch and no-start in the same month?) but god drat it's worth it when it runs. I've been pondering the idea of grabbing a cheap 4-door 318 to replace my civic and have 2 e30s. Chances should be (fairly) low that they both poo poo themselves in the same week. This is my dilemma. I absolutely LOVE driving the thing, and when it breaks I tell myself that I'll fix it then its time to sell it. Then I get it working again and I take it for a drive and I apologize to it for wanting to sell it. I really need a more reliable car though, thankfully I have until this winter to figure things out (like what to replace it with).
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Jun 22, 2009 23:42
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This seemed the appropriate place to put this. Today is a good day. Today I sent in the final check for my 2006 BMW 330i. I am the original owner. I bought the car 4 years ago today, as a lease. The payment was excessive, but I was able to write off most of it on my taxes due to the nature of my employment, so essentially it was very cost effective. I love this car. It is fast and beautiful. It does everything you want it to do, exactly when you tell it to do it. It is reliable and there is almost no maintenance that needs to be done. It is fun to drive. It sounds good. It looks good. It is comfortable. It is relatively economical (if you don't count the car payment). I got laid off from my high paying job in August of 2007. I had to make some very difficult choices regarding my budget, because there was really no realistic way to expect to be making the same kind of money I was making before at any other job with my experience and qualifications. I did decide, however, that in the early spring of 2008, a few months before my lease was up, that I needed to make a decision on my car, my beautiful BMW: turn it in at the end of the lease or buy. I agonized over the decision. I really did...I love my car. I knew I was going to have to sacrifice the house no matter what ( I did end up selling my house...my story is a long one, yet not really exceptionally sad), but something told me to keep the car. I went over to the dealer and converted the lease to a purchase. Now, a year later, I own my 2006 BMW 330i. I own it, free of liens and encumbrances; it is mine. I fully intend to keep this car until it is no longer drivable. It is the first brand-new car I have ever owned, and will likely be the last, knowing what I know now about cars and car buying. It is a reminder to me of really good days in my life economically that may not return for some time, but a good reminder nonetheless. I love my car. I don't care what other people think of me when they see me driving, I don't care what anybody thinks about the monetary choices I have made on my way to this day; this is my car.
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Jun 23, 2009 00:19
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buzzsaw.gif posted:
Congrats! The best BMW is one that's paid for and I hope it brings you many trouble-free miles.
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Jun 23, 2009 02:47
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