-------------------- 1 --------------------
#1. RE: [E36M3] even more alternator woes... PLEASE HELP! - from Kit Wetzler
Top
Date: Sat, 12 May 2001 18:38:23 -0700 From: "Kit Wetzler" <kitwetzler@mindspring.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] even more alternator woes... PLEASE HELP! Jim Powell said: > Uh-huh. Doubt me not grasshopper. :) sear's wouldn't have helped the problem, yah ol' redneck! ;) -kit
-------------------- 2 --------------------
#2. HELP, I need the MSRP for a 95 M3 - from Steve
Top
Date: Sat, 12 May 2001 18:39:30 -0700 From: Steve <sgrigory@pacbell.net> Subject: HELP, I need the MSRP for a 95 M3 I still have the window sticker from my 1/95 build M3. The MSRP was $36,800. Just for fun, the options were priced: Sunroof- $1,120 Heated Seats- $370 Cruise- $455 Computer- $430 Destination- $470 It also has the Gray M-Cloth (& suede) upholstery instead of the leather. steve
-------------------- 3 --------------------
#3. Re: [E36M3] even more alternator woes... PLEASE HELP! - from Jim Powell
Top
Date: Sat, 12 May 2001 18:43:44 -0700 From: Jim Powell <jsp98m3@apexcone.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] even more alternator woes... PLEASE HELP! Sure they would. They would have proven that you had the right output out of the alternator with a load on it. Then you follow that big 'ol wire off it to the next point and check it a'gin you whippersnapper. Any darn place with more than a 1/10 of a volt drop is sure nuff gonna be trouble. That's why I asked you to measure the alternator output with the output cable removed. To see if it was at spec and if it changed. Then we'd of had sumpthin. You just played follow the cable, didn't ya? Jim Gotta go momma's day shopping for the ol lady or I'm not gonna be boofed no more either. Bye. Kit Wetzler wrote: > Jim Powell said: > > Uh-huh. Doubt me not grasshopper. :) > > sear's wouldn't have helped the problem, yah ol' redneck! ;) > > -kit
-------------------- 4 --------------------
#4. Re: [E36M3] even more alternator woes... PLEASE HELP! - from Andy Radin
Top
Date: Sat, 12 May 2001 19:09:25 -0700 From: Andy Radin <fourfa@mindspring.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] even more alternator woes... PLEASE HELP! >Why are you replacing things based on the readout from the OBC? the car initially died during use and wouldn't turn over. New battery (was the right age to die, most common M3 electrical failure) started the car but wasn't getting charged. The alternator/regulator was a good (although unfortunately expensive) guess. The OBC readout matched the voltage between the positive engine bay terminal and the battery, FWIW. andy r. 98 m3/2 (kit's housemate)
-------------------- 5 --------------------
#5. Re: [E36M3] 1st time M3 owner tells all - from Luis Veras
Top
Date: Sat, 12 May 2001 23:52:42 -0400 From: "Luis Veras" <veras@tricom.net> Subject: Re: [E36M3] 1st time M3 owner tells all BMW odometers are ones of the most accurate in the market. You probably did hit 142 MPH, and your car is sharked or the PO otherwise removed the limiter at 137 MPH. How can you find out if it's sharked? On neutral, step on the accelerator and see where the rev stands. If it does so at 6800 rpm it's in its stock state, if it limits at 7000 rpm it's probably sharked. Also, if it is limited at 6800 rpm, but you still can brake the 137 mph barrier, then probably some other modification was made to it. It's very common. In my experience, I have yet to see an M3 with the original 137 mph limit, as it's very easy to remove it. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lee Conte" <leeconte@home.com> To: "E36M3" <e36m3@bmw-m.net> Sent: Saturday, May 12, 2001 2:24 PM Subject: [E36M3] 1st time M3 owner tells all > Date: Sat, 12 May 2001 11:16:01 -0700 > From: "Lee Conte" <leeconte@home.com> > Subject: 1st time M3 owner tells all > > I bought my first M3 last weekend, a silver 98 coupe. It was a pretty > heartbreaking week last week. I bought it from a Lexus dealer in Santa > Monica. When I went to see it, I took it for a test drive, but Santa Monica > on a Saturday afternoon doesn't seem to have anywhere within miles to do a > really good test drive, so I was limited to a few quick pulls from 0-40, up > and down a few streets, and that was it. It seemed fine, everything worked > as it should have, acceleration was fine, no weird noises, etc (I've been a > passenger in friends' M3s for years, so I was at least somewhat familiar > with them from that perspective.) For the last year I have been driving a > manual Isuzu Rodeo (SUV), so perhaps you can imagine the severity of > adjustment I needed to make to drive the car. Yes, I had some trouble with > 1st vs reverse ... I imagine it must be a rite of passage to get that sorted > out. > > Anyway, the car was in excellent shape externally except for some > almost-worn tires. It had 78k miles on it, and I wound up buying it for > $25k. Driving home to the San Diego area from Santa Monica, I couldn't > really do much since a friend who didn't know the way was following me in > the dreaded Rodeo. But after an hour of ~65mph driving I noticed something > very strange, nothing I'd ever experienced in any car I've ever driven (all > of which have been manuals since I stopped driving my parents' hand-me-downs > years ago). In 5th, I would occasionally hit the gas to accelerate, and it > would barely accelerate while the tach would climb several 1000 rpm. At > first I had no idea what was going on, but I soon realized that the clutch > was slipping ... arg!! > > I brought it to Cunningham BMW in El Cajon, not far from where I live. They > advertise that they're one of the top 5 BMW service departments in the US, > and I can see why, they were great. Well, not only the clutch, but the > flywheel and other associated bits were completely torched, one of those > "amazed it could be driven at all" type of things. Getting antsy about how > well this car had actually been taken care of, I asked them to do a > compression test on the engine. I got a call back later on that upon > preparing to do the test they found that the spark plugs were extremely old, > and #6 was jammed in so hard they stripped the hole removing it (which they > rethreaded at minimal charge). After hearing that, I asked them to just go > ahead and do an Inspection II. > > Well, the damage to my wallet was to the tune of $2500, I think probably not > bad considering all the parts and the work that was done. The service tech > was happy with the results - the compression test passed fine, and after > they changed the usual filters, fluids, etc and gave it the set of new > plugs, the engine was running great. I finally got it back from them > yesterday. > > So, I had been having serious withdrawal symptoms from this car all week > while it was in the shop, even though I had hardly had a chance to drive it. > Of course I had to take it on a test drive immediately, and so I did. > > Went out East on I-8 and, well, what can I say. All the superlatives are > true ... everything about how perfect the engine/clutch combination is, how > the car just goes exactly where you point it effortlessly, and all the rest > of it, it's all just the simple truth. When I found a long empty stretch of > highway ahead of me , I started to wonder about the accuracy of the speedo. > It looked like I had hit 142 (before I lost my nerve), but I thought these > cars are limited at 137 unless they get rechipped. After I get new tires I > will have to try that again! > > My first real drive yesterday was an absolute epiphany. I can't stop > thinking about the car now. Even now as I type, I am daydreaming about when > I will next be taking it out. Driving will never again be about simply > getting from point A to point B. > > As for Santa Monica Lexus, well, I'm not quite through with them yet, but > that's another story. > > Lee Conte > Spring Valley CA US > NIA#6917 > > > ************************************************************* > 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. > ************************************************************* > > >
-------------------- 6 --------------------
#6. E36M3 Leakdown Test Results - from Chris Brown
Top
Date: Sat, 12 May 2001 23:51:50 -0400 From: "Chris Brown" <ChrisB@Drextec.com> Subject: E36M3 Leakdown Test Results Hi Folks - Anyone done a leakdown test recently on the M52 engine? What sort of values did you get and what was the mileage? Thanks! Chris Brown ------------- Looking at some poor leakdown numbers...
-------------------- 7 --------------------
#7. Pics of M3 with BBS RC's? - from Rob
Top
Date: Sat, 12 May 2001 23:02:13 -0600 From: "Rob" <motor@cadvision.com> Subject: Pics of M3 with BBS RC's? Does anyone have pictures of an E36 with BBS RC's?. I can't find any and I'd like to see them on the car before taking the plunge. TIA, Rob
-------------------- 8 --------------------
#8. Re: Front Speakers--Not What You Think - from Roger Baker
Top
Date: Sat, 12 May 2001 22:23:38 -0700 From: Roger Baker <rbaker@velodyne.com> Subject: Re: Front Speakers--Not What You Think Your dealer is telling the truth. The front door speakers are only available as a complete unit, you can't just buy the grille or trim ring. The whole thing is glued together by the mfg into one assy that simply pops thru the door & is secured by a clamp on the back side. You could start down the slippery slope of installing aftermarket audio gear, but that's certainly not going to be cheaper or easier. -- Roger Baker "Lee Hassig" <lhassig@earthlink.net> wrote: > I'm told by my BMW parts person that the bezels are unavailable as > separate parts; you can get new ones only by purchasing new speakers. > Can anyone with access to a parts list confirm that? > =20 > BMW wants $58 less 15% for new speakers. Is there something as good or > better out there for the same money or less? > =20 > Thanks, Lee > '95 M3
-------------------- 9 --------------------
#9. Re: [E36M3] E36M3 Leakdown Test Results - from Reid Conti
Top
Date: Sat, 12 May 2001 23:53:58 -0700 (PDT) From: Reid Conti <reid@conti.net> Subject: Re: [E36M3] E36M3 Leakdown Test Results Just had one done on a '95 (3.0l)... 194 195 193 191 195 198 shop says they don't like anything below 175, but the most important is that the ##'s are close, within 15psi. The results I got he called excellent. Had it done friday :) - reid > Hi Folks - > > Anyone done a leakdown test recently on the M52 engine? What sort of > values did you get and what was the mileage? > > Thanks! > > Chris Brown > ------------- > Looking at some poor leakdown numbers... > > > > ************************************************************* > 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. > ************************************************************* > >
-------------------- 10 --------------------
#10. RE: [E36M3] 1st time M3 owner tells all - from Adam Fila
Top
Date: Sun, 13 May 2001 10:21:32 -0400 From: "Adam Fila" <ylf@mindless.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] 1st time M3 owner tells all My car hits the limiter at indicated 142 mph. That's about 3.6% off - which is still very accurate as speedometers go. I think BMW claims anything up to +10% to be within spec (it might be +5%, I don't remember for sure - there used to be a tech bulleting about this on Suzy's site, before BMW made her take them down... maybe someone still has a copy) As far as I know, most M3's do err a little on the higher side, with most people with stock cars reporting hitting the limiter in the indicated low 140's, so this is perfectly normal. -Adam Fila '95 M3 > -----Original Message----- > From: Luis Veras [mailto:veras@tricom.net] > Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2001 12:04 AM > To: E36M3 > Subject: Re: [E36M3] 1st time M3 owner tells all > > > Date: Sat, 12 May 2001 23:52:42 -0400 > From: "Luis Veras" <veras@tricom.net> > Subject: Re: [E36M3] 1st time M3 owner tells all > > BMW odometers are ones of the most accurate in the > market. You probably did hit 142 MPH, and your car > is sharked or the PO otherwise removed the limiter > at 137 MPH. How can you find out if it's sharked? On > neutral, step on the accelerator and see where the rev > stands. If it does so at 6800 rpm it's in its stock state, > if it limits at 7000 rpm it's probably sharked. Also, if it > is limited at 6800 rpm, but you still can brake the 137 > mph barrier, then probably some other modification > was made to it. It's very common. In my experience, > I have yet to see an M3 with the original 137 mph limit, > as it's very easy to remove it. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Lee Conte" <leeconte@home.com> > To: "E36M3" <e36m3@bmw-m.net> > Sent: Saturday, May 12, 2001 2:24 PM > Subject: [E36M3] 1st time M3 owner tells all > > > When I found a long empty stretch of highway ahead > > of me , I started to wonder about the accuracy of the > > speedo. It looked like I had hit 142 (before I lost my > > nerve), but I thought these cars are limited at 137 > > unless they get rechipped. After I get new tires I will > > have to try that again!