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#1. RE: Near total-loss woes - from tristar500@mac.com
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Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 11:21:25 -0600 From: "tristar500@mac.com" <tristar500@mac.com> Subject: RE: Near total-loss woes As far as the left front is concerned, I think I win. http://homepage.mac.com/tristar500/PhotoAlbum.html The body shop says it's not nearly as bad as it looks. Went to look at it today and they had the engine and tranny out and the bent up stuff in the trash can. The frame rail really doesn't look that bad. Hate this crap. > Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 18:33:25 -0800 > From: "Rodger Keesee" <rodger@teutonic.com> > Subject: RE: Near total-loss woes > > Hi List, > > I put up some pictures of the wrecked car to answer some of > your questions. > > The pix are at... > > http://www.modernphysics.com > > As the shop is taking pieces off they are finding parts that > need to be replaced and finding that the damage to the front > frame rails is not as bad as they had initially suspected. > > I'm hearing good and bad things about SF BMW body shop. > Maybe a naturally occurring phenomenon? Anyway, I'll let you > know how it goes. > > Rodger > 97 M3 not at it's best > 90 325is not at it's best >
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#2. Re: Securing childseats in an M3/2 - from Wen Liew
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Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 17:26:39 From: "Wen Liew" <wwliew@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: Securing childseats in an M3/2 If you only have to secure one seat, go with the middle lap belt. On my coupe, the regular seat belts are useless since they don't lock and the childseat will still slide. Since I need 2 seats, I use the middle position for one seat and use the useless seatbelt and tie it down until it absolutely doesn't move for the second. I found using a rubber seat protector secures the seat bottoms better. On the 4-door, where do the seatbelt buckles, closer to the door or closer to the middle seat? Are the seatbelt system different between the non-fold down and the fold down rear seat? Wen >From: Jim Bassett <jimbassett@home.com> >Subject: Re: [E36M3] Securing childseats in an M3/2 > >At 12:50 PM 1/21/01, Bora Akyol wrote: > >Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 12:41:40 -0800 > >From: "Bora Akyol" <akyol@akyol.org> > >Subject: Securing childseats in an M3/2 > > > >How do you secure childseats in an M3/2. In the porsche, I used a >ratcheting > >tie-down in addition to the seat belts. In the M3 even with the locking > >clips, the child seats still move a bit. > > > >Any help will be appreciated. > >The rear seat belts should ratchet secure. Pull the belt all the way out, >then let it slowly retract - you'll hear it ratchet. No locking clips >needed. > >That should do it. > >Jim Bassett >1998 M3/4 - safely hauls Nikolas occasionally _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
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#3. Understeer with Eibach Bars - from DiVincenti, A.J.
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Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 12:09:36 -0600 From: "DiVincenti, A.J." <ADiVin@lsuhsc.edu> Subject: Understeer with Eibach Bars Yes, it's BSP for real. I just did my first event in BSP Sunday. There were no other entrants, so I got bumped into ASP. I got 1st place beating out a Toyota MR2 Turbo. Anyway, this was my first event with the Eibach swaybars. The car was flatter, but it still understeared like a pig. I even experienced some shutter in the front tires when I was making some cut backs for offset gates. I have the settings on soft\soft. I was using Kumho R compounds, but they were on 45 degree asphalt and never got warm. I also, for the first time, experienced axle hop at the launch. I'm having a hard time determining whether to blame the setup, the temperature, or my driving. I know that any car will push if you go in too hot regardless of setup. I don't know if I should go soft\stiff on the settings or if I approached my turns too fast. Does anyone have experience with a similar setup: Eibachs set soft\soft, stock suspension, X-brace. At what point is it the driver or the setup? Ron, Bob?? A.J. 95 M3
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#4. Re: FW: [E36M3] Alignment Specs & Advice - from nabli@attglobal.net
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Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 13:18:39 -0500 From: nabli@attglobal.net Subject: Re: FW: [E36M3] Alignment Specs & Advice Rich, Thanks for the info and thanks to Brett for even more detailed and useful information. I want to make one clarification about Brett's remark about my "misinterpretation." Brett wrote: >One of the reasons BMW, and other manufacturers, would rather not see their >technical information made available to the public is misinterpretation. >Jim E, for whatever reason he chose, has left off the final section of the >Tech Info sheet he's referring to below. >The part where it says: >Adjust correct ride level for alignment = specified value +/- 2mm / for E36 >M3, E39 M5 and E39 with M sports package specified value +/- 1mm by loading >or unloading car. I apologize for not being clearer to this list although I did not go into detail about checking and/or adjusting ride height. I stated: >"2 x 68 kg on front seats (seats in central position) > 1 x 68 kg on rear seat (center) > 1 x 21 kg in luggage compartment (middle) and full fuel tank. > Exception: > M3 sports suspension > Normal position for car empty weight" Please note that the last sentence specifically states "NORMAL POSITION." This means that a qualified alignment tech. would have checked to make sure that your ride height is within BMW specs. Now I'm going to impose upon Brett for a more detailed response and further clarification. Brett referred to note 5 in the TIS but unfortunately left out the first sentence and did not refer to note 4. I will therefore take the liberty of adding them in their entirety and ask Brett to possibly clarify my confusion. Note 4 states" 4. Ride level check in normal position (see above); Ride level measurement see Rep. Instructions 31 33 095 Important! In event of deviation from spec. value, repair car (see Troubleshooting Rep. Instructions) and note 5 states: 5. On car with air springs, pull fuse of air supply system so that there is no regulation. Adjust correct ride level for alignment = spec. value ± 2mm / for E 36 M 3, E39 M5, E39 with M sports package spec. value ± 1mm by loading or unloading car. Note 4 specifically refers to the "normal position" to which I referred in my original post. It also goes on to point out to use Rep. Instruction 31 33 095 IMPORTANT. Inside this document it also refers you to another document which allows for a maximum deviation of +/- 10mm for ride level in normal position. Note 5 (which Brett partially quoted) specifically refers to air spring cars. Now I don't know of any E36 M3s with such a setup but doesn't +/- 1mm seem a bit small??? In my experience with alignments, a 1mm change in ride height will not make a difference in your final alignment specs but a 10mm difference will. IMO I believe note 4 applies to our cars. Any other opinions folks? :-) Cheers, Jim E. "Dorffer, Rich" wrote: Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 10:26:27 -0500 From: "Dorffer, Rich" <RDORFFER@CleIndians.com> Subject: FW: [E36M3] Alignment Specs & Advice List, After the Jim E. post with respect to alignments, I shot the email off to Brett A. and he responded with the following commentary. Best regards, Rich -----Original Message----- From: Brett Anderson [ mailto:brett@koalamotorsport.com <mailto:brett@koalamotorsport.com> ] Sent: Friday, January 19, 2001 6:24 PM To: Dorffer, Rich Subject: Re: [E36M3] Alignment Specs & Advice Rich, please pass this on to the E36M3 list. The weights are guides. You have to get the vehicle to the ride height indicated in the specifications. The Hunter machine simply states exactly what BMW does for weight placement, etc, on which models. Hunter doesn't do their own tests, they simply copy the manufacturers specifications and requirements. The locations are guides too. Working on average. BMW tells students at their tech schools to put the weight wherever necessary. Even to open the hood and place the weight over the shock towers if necessary/practical. The ride height spec is usually significantly lower than actual ride height. This is where BMW alignments get confusing. Most people who "know it all", as opposed to those that know...., come up with a line like "well, I want optimum alignment settings on the car with just me in it, because that's how I drive it most of the time...." Fact is, you couldn't ask for a more screwed up alignment, UNLESS, you have significantly changed the suspension characteristics of the car, i.e, solid bushings, severely lowered coil overs, etc. BMW builds thousands of model variants, even the E36 M3 could have possibly come in 500-1000 different variations throughout the world, when you include different body/interior/transmission/wheel options, all intermixed. Each of those variants weighs slightly different, so in order to avoid having to write different alignment specs for any one of 500 possible ride height scenario's, BMW took the heaviest car, subtracted a small amount from it's ride height and designed the alignment specifications for that exact position in the suspension travel. Theory being that if the spec is the same on all cars at that point, it will be at all other points. Now, I'm not arguing the pros and cons of this system, just explaining how BMW does it. Now, as to the weight specs, first of all, they are, as I said above, simply guides. Second, the M3 undoubtedly sits closer to this "ideal" ride height than any other model, because realistically, there weren't that many weight differences between versions, plus it had tighter springs that are effected less by minor weight changes. Therefore, there's no recommendation for a specific weight to be added. The car MUST still come to the specified ride height and even the BMW manual for the M3 states to add weight to bring vehicle to specified ride height. One of the reasons BMW, and other manufacturers, would rather not see their technical information made available to the public is misinterpretation. Jim E, for whatever reason he chose, has left off the final section of the Tech Info sheet he's referring to below. The part where it says: Adjust correct ride level for alignment = specified value +/- 2mm / for E36 M3, E39 M5 and E39 with M sports package specified value +/- 1mm by loading or unloading car. That statement pretty much says it all. Even though they don't tell you what weights to start with in the car, they still expect you to come within 1 mm (for M cars) of the specified ride height. As to techs that tell people "it makes little difference", these are the techs that either don't have ballast handy, or are too lazy to use it. On a current top of the line laser alignment setup like the one I use, you can see alignment readings change just by opening a door, or by moving a seat forward or backward. I challenge any tech that says it doesn't matter to put a car on the rack, print the settings, then load it to correct ride height and print the settings again. On an E36, it can amount to as much as 1 degree of camber in the rear, which in turn, effects toe. Hope this clears some stuff up. Brett Anderson www.koalamotorsport.com Home of the E30 M3 CD-ROM repair manual > From: nabli@attglobal.net [ mailto:nabli@attglobal.net <mailto:nabli@attglobal.net> ] > Sent: Friday, January 19, 2001 4:41 PM > Subject: [E36M3] Alignment Specs & Advice > As a point of reference, BMW Technical Information Bulletin 32 00 Wheel > Alignment - Normal Position / Inspection Conditions E38 / E39 / E46 / E36 > specifically excludes the M3 from being loaded with extra weight. > > It states: > > "2 x 68 kg on front seats (seats in central position) > 1 x 68 kg on rear seat (center) > 1 x 21 kg in luggage compartment (middle) and full fuel tank. > Exception: > M3 sports suspension > Normal position for car empty weight" > > Hope this clears up some of the confusion. > > Jim E. > "Dorffer, Rich" wrote: > > Daniel wrote> > > Bentley manual suggest loading the car with weights in > > the respective seats and a full tank of gas. > > Hunter says that the M3 chassis requires no loading, > > just a full tank of gas. > > Jim wrote> > I just had my car aligned, and asked about this. According to John at > Conversion Tech (SF Bay Area) weighting is not necessary since it affects > the alignment very little (if at all). > > I am by no means an expert on this subject matter, but when I had my car > aligned at Ganley BMW by Brett Anderson, he did use the ballast (trunk, rear > ************************************************************* List Commands UNSUBSCRIBE - (in subject line) unsubscribes you from the mailing list. DIR - sends a listing of files available in the list's GET directory. GET filename1.ext,filename2.ext - sends the requested file(s). To issue a command/request to the server: Send a message with the command you wish executed as the subject of the message. *************************************************************
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#5. Re: [E36M3] Securing child seats in an M3/2 - from vincent.a.leo@us.arthurandersen.com
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Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 09:12:09 -0500 From: vincent.a.leo@us.arthurandersen.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] Securing child seats in an M3/2 Bora, For vehicles without the ratcheting seatbelts, here's what I have done. I try to put both knees inside the car seat thereby using my weight to compress the rear seat foam as much as possible. You then have to set the clip so the seat is snug with your weight on it. Once you get off, the seat should be pretty tight... usually no movement. It usually takes a few tries, but works great in the end. This has worked consistently for me with both leather and cloth seats. YMMV. Vince 95 daughter 97 son 99 M3 89 M3 00 Chevy Silverado Z71 00 Volvo V70 R *******************Internet Email Confidentiality Footer******************* Privileged/Confidential Information may be contained in this message. If you are not the addressee indicated in this message (or responsible for delivery of the message to such person), you may not copy or deliver this message to anyone. In such case, you should destroy this message and kindly notify the sender by reply email. Please advise immediately if you or your employer do not consent to Internet email for messages of this kind. Opinions, conclusions and other information in this message that do not relate to the official business of my firm shall be understood as neither given nor endorsed by it.
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#6. Re: [E36M3] Alignment Specs & Advice - from Lee Hassig
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Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 13:57:22 -0500 From: "Lee Hassig" <lhassig@earthlink.net> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Alignment Specs & Advice Brett, Thanks for forwarding the comments on alignment. Do you suppose you could tell us through Rich what the "correct ride level" is for the M3 and where it is measured, i.e., between the ground and what point(s) on the car? Thanks, Lee Hassig '95 M3 > Adjust correct ride level for alignment = specified value +/- 2mm / for E36 > M3, E39 M5 and E39 with M sports package specified value +/- 1mm by loading > or unloading car.
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#7. Re: [E36M3] Securing child seats in an M3/2 - from Bora Akyol
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Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 10:57:34 -0800 From: "Bora Akyol" <akyol@akyol.org> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Securing child seats in an M3/2 Thanks to everyone with all the suggestions, I will give every suggestion a try and report on the results. Bora ----- Original Message ----- From: <vincent.a.leo@us.arthurandersen.com> To: <e36m3@bmw-m.net> Cc: <akyol@akyol.org> Sent: Monday, January 22, 2001 6:12 AM Subject: Re: [E36M3] Securing child seats in an M3/2 > Bora, > > For vehicles without the ratcheting seatbelts, here's what I have done. I > try to put both knees inside the car seat thereby using my weight to > compress the rear seat foam as much as possible. You then have to set the > clip so the seat is snug with your weight on it. Once you get off, the > seat should be pretty tight... usually no movement. It usually takes a few > tries, but works great in the end. This has worked consistently for me > with both leather and cloth seats. YMMV. > > Vince > 95 daughter > 97 son > 99 M3 > 89 M3 > 00 Chevy Silverado Z71 > 00 Volvo V70 R > *******************Internet Email Confidentiality Footer******************* > > > Privileged/Confidential Information may be contained in this message. If > you are not the addressee indicated in this message (or responsible for > delivery of the message to such person), you may not copy or deliver this > message to anyone. In such case, you should destroy this message and kindly > notify the sender by reply email. Please advise immediately if you or your > employer do not consent to Internet email for messages of this kind. > Opinions, conclusions and other information in this message that do not > relate to the official business of my firm shall be understood as neither > given nor endorsed by it. >
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#8. rowr - from Kit Wetzler
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Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 11:26:34 -0800 From: Kit Wetzler <kitwetzler@mindspring.com> Subject: rowr ok, my stupid sunroof rattle is driving me nuts. Anyone know how to fix this? I'm guessing this is going to involve taking the sunroof apart, but I have no idea where to start. Does it come off from the top? Or do I need to take the entire headliner apart? -kit, who is annoying and considering welding it closed... ;) 97 m3
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#9. Re: [E36M3] Understeer with Eibach Bars - from Rich Gay
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Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 13:28:01 -0600 From: "Rich Gay" <rich_gay@linbeck.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Understeer with Eibach Bars on 1/22/01 12:10 PM, DiVincenti, A.J. at ADiVin@lsuhsc.edu wrote: > Yes, it's BSP for real. I just did my first event in BSP Sunday. There > were no other entrants, so I got bumped into ASP. I got 1st place beating > out a Toyota MR2 Turbo. Anyway, this was my first event with the Eibach > swaybars. The car was flatter, but it still understeared like a pig. I > even experienced some shutter in the front tires when I was making some cut > backs for offset gates. I have the settings on soft\soft. I was using > Kumho R compounds, but they were on 45 degree asphalt and never got warm. I > also, for the first time, experienced axle hop at the launch. > > I'm having a hard time determining whether to blame the setup, the > temperature, or my driving. I know that any car will push if you go in too > hot regardless of setup. I don't know if I should go soft\stiff on the > settings or if I approached my turns too fast. Does anyone have experience > with a similar setup: Eibachs set soft\soft, stock suspension, X-brace. At > what point is it the driver or the setup? Ron, Bob?? A.J., you'll want to experiment. Try going to medium or stiff in the rear, that will definitely reduce the understeer. - Rich
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#10.Redline 10W30 motor oil - from Chester Wong
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Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 12:21:02 -0800 (PST) From: Chester Wong <chester_p_wong@yahoo.com> Subject: <FS> Redline 10W30 motor oil I have a case of 12 available for local pickup (I don't think the UPS guys will let me ship it...they'll say something about hazardous materials). I was thinking $8/qt OBO Chester ===== __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices. http://auctions.yahoo.com/
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#11. Re: [E36M3] rowr - from Sean Hester
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Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 12:27:40 -0800 From: "Sean Hester" <seanh_race@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] rowr >ok, my stupid sunroof rattle is driving me nuts. Anyone know how to fix >this? I'm guessing this is going to involve taking the sunroof apart, >but I have no idea where to start. Does it come off from the top? Or >do I need to take the entire headliner apart? > > -kit, who is annoying and considering welding it closed... ;) when mine rattled it wasn't the sunroof (the glass part) at all. it was the mechanism to open/close it. press UP on the rectangle "acces cover" where the open/close switch is, and see if that stops the noise. on my car it did. i used to take tissues, ball them up, and put them inside the liner. that cover comes off, just pry it with a screwdriver. this would stop the noise for about a week. then the tissues would be flat, and i'd need to make a new "tissue ball". i never did fix it for real. and neither could the dealer. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com