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#1. Re: [E36M3] Clutch/Dual-Mass Flywheel Replacement??!! - from Chester Wong
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Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 13:31:08 -0700 (PDT) From: Chester Wong <chester_p_wong@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Clutch/Dual-Mass Flywheel Replacement??!! Good question. I think the answer you'll find is that "it depends". If your local dealer hears many people bitching about the dual mass flywheel, then they are more likely to agree with you that the dual mass is toast. If, on the other hand, you live in an area where people don't know any better or just listen to the dealer's advice and replace the clutch only, then when you go in for service, guess what's going to happen? I went to the dealer a few months back complaining that the dual mass was junk. From archives, it appeared that JimC himself was able to get 2 or 3 replacement units swapped in by the dealer to no avail. The dealer (usually very good at repairing what I say isn't working properly) took the car for two days only to tell me that the clutch was gone and that since it's a consumable, it would cost me $800 to replace... no thank you! So...my car with 32k miles had a worthless clutch. I took the dual mass out and though I don't know how a new one behaves, I could rotate the outter mass with respect to the inner mass with my bare hands and not very much effort. Wayne Miller's flywheel is even easier to rotate the two masses against each other. Though I did learn to drive a manual with my M3, I don't think I slipped too badly for too long. I've never dumped the clutch and I rev match...so I didn't think I was too hard on the clutch. People who get 100+k miles on the clutch...that's amazing! So the real question is why would you want to replace the clutch with another factory dual mass only to have it fail within another 30 - 40k miles. Instead, I replaced my setup with our new flywheel/clutch kit. This includes a steel flywheel that weighs less than 13 pounds, Sachs Sport pressure plate..and here's the kicker: a spring centered clutch disc. When you have a stock dual mass flywheel and solid clutch disc, the flywheel gives a little slack in the drivetrain. Now you get the typical aluminum flywheel and you have a solid/solid setup. Some like this setup as in reducing the rubberband effect, but I think I would rather have some slack....I don't match gears perfectly and a little cushion never hurts. Looking around, the only company that, IMO, has a correctly engineered product is Dinan. Of course, that will set you back $3k for parts alone. We will come in significantly lower than that! Benefits: - Improved acceleration (most noticeable through the first three gears) - Extremely responsive throttle response...heel-toeing just got a lot faster - Continuation of drivetrain cushion (spring centered clutch disc) - Polar moment of inertia that, IMO (will have to measure), betters than of a typical aluminum flywheel/stock pressure plate setup which means bullets 1 and 2 are better with this setup - No idle problems whatsoever - No driveability sacrifices whatsoever. In fact, the clutch effort is actually a bit lighter...I don't know how people with super heavy duty clutches can heel/toe after driving that AA Turbo M3 with the super heavy duty clutch that requires you to get mad at the clutch pedal to stomp on it! Disadvantages: - With the super light setup, transmission rattle occurs. We had hoped that the spring centered clutch disc would alleviate some of the harmonic resonance, but it seems that the E36M3 tranny was engineered with a lot of slack built in (with the tranny dismounted from the car, grabbing the output end and twisting it back and forth produced a lot of gear noise...not exactly the most precise of gear meshing). --> If the rattling doesn't bother you...GREAT! ...you're done. Otherwise, you can fill with (in order of increasing noise reduction) Redline MT-90 or 70W140NS --> Another option is going with the non Sport Sachs pressure plate which instead of an aluminum piece with a hardened steel piece bonded to the face, you have a solid steel or iron piece. This increases weight by about 2 pounds, but it's along the perimeter so that should dampen things down (we have a test car with that setup coming up so we'll know for sure soon). - Reduced rear tire life because now you get rear wheel spin even from a rolling start in 1st. =) Chester --- "Heckendorf, David" <DHeckendorf@broadband.att.com> wrote: > Anyone have experience with their dealer replacing the Flywheel and/or > Clutch under warranty?? I suspect that my Dual-Mass flywheel (and perhaps > the clutch) may be on it's way out... While the car is cold (it seems to go > away once the car is hot), as I let out the clutch, there is a "hesitation" > to the acceleration (it feels like the clutch is slipping); however, it > continues a little after the clutch has been let out completely. I don't > feel this problem in any other gear even under hard acceleration. The fact > that it goes away when the car heats up seems counter-intuitive to the > Clutch being worn-out (at least in a traditional sense) as I would think the > heat would make the problem worse not make it disappear. This is happening > during normal (i.e. not aggressive at all, 1000-1250 RPM) acceleration from > a standing stop in first gear. > > I can't imagine that this is from abuse as the car has ~33K miles on it and > I don't abuse my clutch by doing "drag race" starts and "slipping" the > clutch during shifts. Thoughts/experiences with dealers replacing under > warranty? How many miles has your stock clutch lasted you? ===== __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? NEW from Yahoo! GeoCities - quick and easy web site hosting, just $8.95/month. http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info1
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#2. no shocks - from kitwetzler@mindspring.com
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Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 16:36:51 -0400 From: "kitwetzler@mindspring.com" <kitwetzler@mindspring.com> Subject: no shocks > shocks and leave the car sitting on the springs alone (don't even think > about driving the car like that), heh. I've actually done this with the rear shocks. Was trying to isolate a rattle, though it might be the rear shock mounts, so I removed the rear shocks and went for a drive. The car sat at exactly the same ride height, BTW... (h&r coilovers) It was pretty funny, you'd hit the gas and the muffler would bonk on the ground. Ooops. -kit -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ .
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#3. FS: JTD tranny brace - from Chester Wong
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Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 13:47:46 -0700 (PDT) From: Chester Wong <chester_p_wong@yahoo.com> Subject: FS: JTD tranny brace Selling for a friend who upgraded to a 6 speed so he no longer can use the JTD brace. Brand new, this brace sells for $329. Make me an offer chester_p_wong@yahoo.com Chester ===== __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? NEW from Yahoo! GeoCities - quick and easy web site hosting, just $8.95/month. http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info1
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#4. Ignition lock..."funny thing happened today" - from Steve Grigory
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Date: Mon, 08 Oct 2001 13:51:06 -0700 From: Steve Grigory <sgrigory@pacbell.net> Subject: Ignition lock..."funny thing happened today" I got in my car today after lunch and put the key in the ignition and turned the key. And the key just simply turned without doing anything! Very loose feeling. After a few "uh oh's" I turned it further and after one full revolution it started working normally and the car started. I turned the ignition off, pulled the key back out and tried it again. It worked normally and the car started. Anyone else have this happen to them? I'm wondering if it's "about to break" and I should think about replacing it. I'd prefer not to get stranded. Thanks, steve 95 M3
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#5. David Goldsmith from San Mateo, CA on this list? - from Steve Grigory
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Date: Mon, 08 Oct 2001 14:13:48 -0700 From: Steve Grigory <sgrigory@pacbell.net> Subject: David Goldsmith from San Mateo, CA on this list? I'm trying to find him. He has a nicely modified (from his description I read) M Coupe that I'd like to ask him a few things about. He wrote a letter to the editor in one of this month's car mags (Automobile I think) and it piqued my curiousity. So if David is on this list...give me a yell! If someone on here knows David, can you forward this to him? Thanks, steve 95 M3
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#6. RE: [E36M3] Ignition lock..."funny thing happened today" - from alex.fadeev@verizon.com
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Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 17:22:10 -0400 From: alex.fadeev@verizon.com Subject: RE: [E36M3] Ignition lock..."funny thing happened today" Steve Grigory [mailto:sgrigory@pacbell.net] wrote: > > I got in my car today after lunch and put the key in the > ignition and turned the key. > > And the key just simply turned without doing anything! Very > loose feeling. > > After a few "uh oh's" I turned it further and after one full > revolution it started working normally and the car started. I > turned the ignition off, pulled the key back out and tried it > again. It worked normally and the car started. > > Anyone else have this happen to them? > > I'm wondering if it's "about to break" and I should think > about replacing it. I'd prefer not to get stranded. Steve, You will indeed need to start shopping for a new ignition lock. You will need to have the dealer order a pre-keyed ignition lock cylinder for your car based on the VIN. I don't know how much it costs (bet over $50) since I got this covered under BMW warranty on my wife's car. Unlike earlier ignition locks, the thief deterrent measures inside E36 locks are plastic and subject to fatigue and premature failure. It's there to brake if someone tries to take a screw driver to your ignition lock. If you've ever manhandled the ignition key into turning with the wheel lock engaged, you were bumping against that theft deterrent pin. At least that's how she did hers in. I had to teach her to finesse the steering wheel into turning and disengaging the steering lock as you turn the ignition key. alex f
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#7. RE: [E36M3] Ignition lock..."funny thing happened today" - from Bruner, Phil
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Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 14:32:45 -0700 From: "Bruner, Phil" <bruner@littongcs.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Ignition lock..."funny thing happened today" I had this same thing happen on my '97 M3 Cpe. The dealer told me it was a know failure mode but not to worry just keep turning and it would eventually catch. I took several weeks to get the new part (the key receptacle) which has to be programmed for your VIN. This was about 6-8 months ago and all has been well but I can tell you it was very disconcerting especially the first time. PB -----Original Message----- From: Steve Grigory [mailto:sgrigory@pacbell.net] Sent: Monday, October 08, 2001 1:59 PM To: E36M3 Subject: [E36M3] Ignition lock..."funny thing happened today" Date: Mon, 08 Oct 2001 13:51:06 -0700 From: Steve Grigory <sgrigory@pacbell.net> Subject: Ignition lock..."funny thing happened today" I got in my car today after lunch and put the key in the ignition and turned the key. And the key just simply turned without doing anything! Very loose feeling. After a few "uh oh's" I turned it further and after one full revolution it started working normally and the car started. I turned the ignition off, pulled the key back out and tried it again. It worked normally and the car started. Anyone else have this happen to them? I'm wondering if it's "about to break" and I should think about replacing it. I'd prefer not to get stranded. Thanks, steve 95 M3 ************************************************************* 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 to the email address e36m3@bmw-m.net. *************************************************************
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#8. Funny behavior of gas gauge - from John
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Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 15:58:57 -0700 (PDT) From: John <m3john@yahoo.com> Subject: Funny behavior of gas gauge Lister, Have anyone have a problem like this before? After filling up my gas tank with key in hand and securely capped off the gas tank, I drove away to home. The next morning when I started the car, the gas gauge was playing a little dancing game. It went from full to empty (with empty light light up) while the car is running. I drove off and it dance again like that - full-empty-full. It happened about 5 times during a 30 miles drive to and from work. The next morning, everything else is fine. No more gauge fluctuating, everything is solid. Is my gas gauge or gas sensor about to go or is it bad gas? I've been filling up the gas tank at this place on a normal basis since I purchase the car new 3 years ago and nothing since now. Please help. Thanks, -John __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? NEW from Yahoo! GeoCities - quick and easy web site hosting, just $8.95/month. http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info1
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#9. Electrical Gremlins - from peter@guagenti.com
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Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 16:07:43 US/Pacific From: peter@guagenti.com Subject: Electrical Gremlins I am experiencing a couple of electrical gremlins in my wife's 4-door that I was hoping if anyone had faced/solved: - Intermittently, the turn signals will go into a "fast blink" mode and the front light does nto work. I thought this was a bulb issue, replaced the bulb, but it did not solve the problem. Some times it happens, some times it doesn't. - The electronic climate control mode will "surge" the blower every now and then, without a change of the actual blower settings. You'll be running the blower at a medium speed and it will burst for a few seconds, then return to normal. During this, the settings on the climate control will not have changed. Any advice on how to resolve these issues would be greatly appreciated. Regards, -peterg ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This message was sent using HiSpeed Technologies Webmail. http://www.hispeed.com
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#10. RE: [E36M3] Funny behavior of gas gauge - from jim.bassett@alloptic.com
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Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 16:11:06 -0700 From: jim.bassett@alloptic.com Subject: RE: [E36M3] Funny behavior of gas gauge > Is my gas gauge or > gas sensor about to go or is it bad gas? It's most likely the fuel level sender, which is part of the fuel pump. Just replace the fuel pump, and it should fix the problem (BTDT). Cheers, Jim Bassett 1998 M3/4