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#1. RE: [E36M3] Airbag light mystery - from Andrew E. Kalman
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Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 12:02:22 -0700 From: "Andrew E. Kalman" <aek@pumpkininc.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Airbag light mystery Re: >That makes sense. If you look into the place where the bulb goes, >there's a molded "passage" that faces the actual symbol on the >instrument cluster. It's molded at angle, and cannot be seen any >other way. It could very well be an LED -- the symbol seems "redder" >but dimmer than when it had a bulb in it. Well, the ETM shows a second bulb in parallel with the first. It's probably in that molded chute that I saw. So it's probably not an LED, but simply a non-serviceable bulb . Maybe if I took the clusetr completely apart I could get to it, but I won't bother ... So, it seems the best thing to do to keep the light off is to either put an opaque plug in there, or disconnect the ground wire back at the sensor under the rear seat. -- ______________________________________ Andrew E. Kalman, Ph.D. aek@pumpkininc.com
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#2. toluene or Xylene - from kitwetzler@mindspring.com
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Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 15:26:34 -0500 From: "kitwetzler@mindspring.com" <kitwetzler@mindspring.com> Subject: toluene or Xylene > I, too have a car that runs poorly on the "new" 91 octane > gas and there is no source nearby of anything better. I've been searching for a few days now for a local source of Toluene or Xylene. I'd actually prefer Xylene as it's a bit higher octane and less volatile and a bit less toxic. But, no one in the bay area seems to have it and shipping it is really expensive because you gotta pay the $25 hazardous material charge. :( If anyone has a source, please let me know. I've tried hardware stores, paint stores, etc etc... -kit -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ .
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#3. RE: [E36M3] Airbag light mystery - from Jeremy Conners
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Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 15:25:38 -0500 From: "Jeremy Conners" <Jeremy.Conners@compdevsys.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Airbag light mystery When I was first researching if there was a way for the DIY to reset the light, I read that there was an LED that would light up if the main SRS lamp were burned out. This was a sort-of redundant light for such an important safety item (street-side). This was probably to cover their butts in case of a burned out light and a main SRS unit problem. The circuit would look for an inf. resistance and then turn on the other light (IIRK). Anyway, I'm not about any more details on this, but thought I'd share it. I'd say that if nobody else writes back about it, I could be "puffing the magic dragon" again. (crude reference to Meet the Parents) Good luck Jeremy Conners 97 M3 - Hoping to be a track car someday...Mid-Ohio was mighty fun in that 00 Prelude SH -----Original Message----- From: Andrew E. Kalman [mailto:aek@pumpkininc.com] Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 1:40 PM To: E36M3 Subject: [E36M3] Airbag light mystery Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 10:34:47 -0700 From: "Andrew E. Kalman" <aek@pumpkininc.com> Subject: Airbag light mystery Hi All. I removed the airbags out of my race-only LWT some time ago.I also pulled the airbag light out of the instrument cluster, and put black tape over the hole. At Laguna Seca, I thought I would see the airbag light come on and off as I went through Turn 6, but I figured I was just hallucinating. Now that I pulled the rear seats out of my car and connected the airbag sensor harness ground strap to ground, the light shines brightly when the car is running. ???? Is there another, hidden lamp in the cluster that is sort of an extra-special-because-of-BMW-NA-lawyers lamp that lights up even if the main lamp has been removed? -- ______________________________________ Andrew E. Kalman, Ph.D. aek@pumpkininc.com ************************************************************* 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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#4. Re: Stero Survey - from Jay Miller
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Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 12:43:56 -0800 From: "Jay Miller" <jjmiller6@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: Stero Survey <html><div style='background-color:'><DIV> <DIV>Brand and model: Stock HK Mids and tweeters in the front, Pioneer Rears, JBL Twin 10s with custom, removeable encloser in trunk, Pioneer DEH P8200 Head unit+remote, Pioneer 12 Disc CD changer (mounted to roof of trunk)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Installation details: Mounted Alpine V12 amp to rear of encloser<BR></DIV> <DIV>Strengths: Head unit enables me to sub amp. Encloser takes up 1/3 trunk space. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Weaknesses: Different levels needed for different music. Minor vibration rattles I had to find and sort out around trunk deck and license plate.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Jay</DIV> <DIV>'95 M3 </DIV></DIV></div><br clear=all><hr>Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at <a href='http://go.msn.com/bql/hmtag_itl_EN.asp'>http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></html>
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#5. Re: Radar Detectors v. Chevrolet Trailblazer - from Ron Buchalski
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Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 21:10:09 From: "Ron Buchalski" <rbuchals@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: Radar Detectors v. Chevrolet Trailblazer A co-worker wears sunglasses that have blue reflective lenses. When he drives into the sun, he'll get occasional REAR laser alerts as the reflected sunlight sets off the V1. He also gets a FRONT laser alert when he honks his horn! It's probably due to a power surge (in his VW Jetta). Today, luck was on my side as I passed through a laser beam at 90+ mph while it was targeted at another car. The V1 told me how close I was to paying the piper... -rb >Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2001 12:21:22 -0500 >From: "Dorffer, Rich" <RDORFFER@CleIndians.com> >Subject: Radar Detectors v. Chevrolet Trailblazer > >I noted this issue on June 4, 2001 (good old archives) in a post I made >to the UUC digest when following a new Trailblazer. > >I suspected the CHMSL for the reasons Mike stated. Quite simply, the >fact that Mike responds to these types of issues and supports his >products years after any other electronics manufacturer would is just a >few more reasons to own a V1. > >This past week, I tried my V1 in a rented Hyundai Sonata. It falsed >laser continually but I am not sure what was causing it for sure. Ended up >driving to and from Charleston without the support of the V1 :-( but >managed unscathed ;-) > >Regards, > >Rich - V1 user for 8 years and used to falses from neon signs (and >ricers) as well as the sun light in certain setting/rising conditions. > >95 M3 - hardwired for V1 >89 325is - hardwired for V1 _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
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#6. RE: [E36M3] Re: Stereo Survey - from Seth Thomas
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Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 16:29:21 -0500 From: "Seth Thomas" <porsche993@mindspring.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Re: Stereo Survey Here is the setup in my 1996 M3: Head Unit: Sony Mobile ES CDX-C90. This is the best headunit I have ever had short of my old McIntosh. Nice display with great sound quality. Even the radio sounds like a CD with this one. Amplifier: McIntosh __-440. Had this amp for the last 4 years and cannot part with it. Very clean and accurate with a lot of power. But it is very efficient. 50W x 4 and 100W x 2. Built in crossover. Front Speakers: JL Audio separates. I don't know the details of them as I hate them, they came with the car. Too bright and not enough midbass for me. Can't wait to get rid of them. Anybody want to buy them for cheap. Anybody have something else they want to sell Rear: I don't know but they aren't stock. Subs: Image Dynamics IDQ-10DVC I love these subs. Very accurate and not real boomy. The car had JL Audio 10W3s in it when I bought it. To me they were way to boomy and did not hit that low. Replaced with these and it is night and day difference. This setup will change in the near future with a different front stage and a different sub setup in the trunk. If anybody has some advice on the speakers I need for the front. My LTW is a little bit different setup: Head Unit: Nakamichi MB-100. Nice but now as nice as the Sony. It is about to be for sale if anyone wants it. Amplifier: Xtant 3150. 3 channel driving the fronts and the sub. Nice clean amp that is mounted in the spare tire well. Fits perfect. Like the ability of the plug in modules. EQ: PPI DEQ-230. 1/3 octave eq that lets me make the fine adjustments Fronts: MB Quart Q-series 6.5" components. These are nice. I have them mounted in with the tweets in the kick panels behind the factory grilles. Fit nicely and add a very accurate front stage. Rears: None Sub: Same as above but one and that is all I need. Now for my E30 M3: Same as the LTW but it has the following differences: Head Unit: Sony Mobile ES CDXC910 Front: Image Dynamics 5.25" components in the kick panels. No EQ Seth Thomas www.m3ltw.com <http://www.m3ltw.com>
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#7. RE: [E36M3] Airbag light mystery - from Matt Malfa
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Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 16:32:54 -0500 From: "Matt Malfa" <matt@shortshifter.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Airbag light mystery A resistor is one nice, clean method. There is also a simple way to kill the seconday bulb. There are two connectors that plug into the instruemnt cluster. Look for a black and blue wire, which is pin 14 (baby blue connector). Open up the connector, remove pin 14, and put the connector back together. Now tape the wire and pin back, remove SRS light (if you haven't already done so) and reinstall the cluster. Done. - -Matt -----Original Message----- From: Andrew E. Kalman [mailto:aek@pumpkininc.com] Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 3:00 PM To: E36M3 Subject: RE: [E36M3] Airbag light mystery So, perhaps the simplest thing is for me to put a 1kOhm resister where the bulb was ... Thanks! -- ______________________________________ Andrew E. Kalman, Ph.D. aek@pumpkininc.com
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#8. RE: 1226 Fail Code and Intermittent Check Engine Light - from Ron Buchalski
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Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 21:52:35 From: "Ron Buchalski" <rbuchals@hotmail.com> Subject: RE: 1226 Fail Code and Intermittent Check Engine Light My car was showing the same code, and the occasionally flash of the Check Engine light, but it stopped, and the code cleared itself. Since PeterG had the same problem, replaced the knock sensor and still had the problem, I suspect it may be a wiring problem in the harness that connects to the sensor. My car had 36-38k miles on it when it the fault appeared. The spark plugs were installed for 5k miles. This was the first time I used the NGK plugs (provided by the BMW dealer) rather than Bosch plugs. As far as saving faults, if a fault remains, the car will continue to display it. So, if you have a bad knock sensor and O2 sensor, you will continue to see #1226 and #1221, until the faults are cleared. I think the system clears codes from memory if the fault clears and remains cleared for ten start cycles. Rumor has it that you can also clear the faults by disconnecting the battery and discharging any stored charges in capacitors by shorting the positive and negative terminals together (WITH THE BATTERY DISCONNECTED!!!). I haven't tried this, so I can't recommend it, or guarantee it'll work. In any case, if the fault is still there, it'll be recorded again. -rb >Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2001 15:33:11 -0600 >From: "Davis, Jake A" <Jake.Davis@SW.Boeing.com> >Subject: RE: 1226 Fail Code and Intermittent Check Engine Light > >Asking for experiences/advice with a 1226 fault code on a 95 M3. Code says >its #2 knock sensor. This is the one that appears impossible to even >physically reach without removing the intake manifold. > >Possibly related to this is a 'temporary' check engine light that has >started occurring. Light only comes on during the middle portion of >"warmup", i.e. it doesn't happen when the car first moves (cold) nor when >at normal operating temperature. Light will appear for 1-3 seconds, >generally appears under light/no throttle when shifting from 1st to 2nd, >sometimes 2nd to 3rd, but does not seem to appear at 3rd/4th or 4th/5th. > >Am I correct in my belief that only the most recent fault code shows via >the check engine light and that additional fault codes may be uncovered >with diagnostic equipment plugged into the diagnostic port? > >In any case, has anyone experience with potential failure modes and >replacement of the knock sensors? > >Thanks for any help. > >Jake Davis >95 M3/2 118K miles and still fun... _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
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#9. Re: [E36M3] Parking Brake Noise? - from Ron Buchalski
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Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 22:04:20 From: "Ron Buchalski" <rbuchals@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Parking Brake Noise? Jonathan, As others have already said, the parking brake system consists of a drum brake inside the center of each rear rotor. These mini-drums are cable activated, and have small shoes that engage against the inside surface of the drum. Given that you've isolated the problem to the left rear wheel, you know where to look. Most likely, something either came loose or broke inside the drum, and is grinding against the drum. I had a similar thing happen on the rear drum brake of my E30 318i. The metal piece that activates the self-adjuster broke off and would make a nasty scraping sound when it got positioned a certain way inside the drum. The mini-drum also has a self-adjusting system. You'll need to remove the rear brake disc to get to the parking brake. So, you'll need to remove the wheel, the caliper (leave it attached to it's mounting bracket and remove two bolts that hold the bracket in place), and the hex screw that holds the disc against the wheel hub. Oh....if you don't disengage your parking brake, you'll never get the disc off! If you can't get the disc off (parking brake shoes pressing against the drum), you'll need to reach into one of the lug bolt holes with a screwdriver and turn the self-adjuster to back off the brake shoes. Check Bentley (if you have it) to see where the adjuster is positioned. If I remember correctly, it should be around the 4 o'clock or 8 o'clock position. Look for the edge of a starred wheel, and don't use a real wide screwdriver. Good luck, -rb >Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2001 15:04:46 -0800 >From: "twisty M3" <twistym3@hotmail.com> >Subject: [E36M3] Parking Brake Noise? > >Ack! My car seems like it's falling apart! ;) > >After a day worth of driving after my rotors and pads were changed, I was >driving through a parking lot and heard a horrible noise. It sounded like >construction going on nearby, but it stopped when I stopped. As I drove >on, the noise continued... Hey, that's me making that noise!!! It was a >horrible metal-dragging-on-metal sound (not a brake pad/rotor squeel). It >sounded like something metallic moving against another thin piece of metal. >It was coming from the drivers side rear. > >What side does the parking brake work on, and where exactly does it >"clamp?" > The noise went away after I had engaged/disengaged the parking brake, so >I'm assuming that's what it is. The only way to explain it is that it >sounded like something rubbing around against the thin "heat shield" that >surrounds the rotors. > >Any suggestions on what to check? General braking performance doesn't seem >affected, but I don't want to take any risks. > >Thanks, >Jonathan _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
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#10. RE: [E36M3] Airbag light mystery - from Andrew E. Kalman
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Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 14:13:10 -0700 From: "Andrew E. Kalman" <aek@pumpkininc.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Airbag light mystery Matt wrote: >A resistor is one nice, clean method. There is also a simple way to kill the >seconday bulb. > >There are two connectors that plug into the instruemnt cluster. Look for a >black and blue wire, which is pin 14 (baby blue connector). Open up the >connector, remove pin 14, and put the connector back together. Now tape the >wire and pin back, remove SRS light (if you haven't already done so) and >reinstall the cluster. I'll see your method and raise you one ... :-) Disconnect and remove the airbag sensor that's underneath the rear seat. Be sure to also disconnect the ring lug on the brown wire -- the ring lug is connected to ground. Tape up the lug, and hide both the orange sensor harness connector and the ring lug under the carpet. Done. This method works with both airbags completely disconnected and removed, with the stock seats out, and with both SRS lamps still in the cluster. Two things of interest: 1) It appears that there is a "breakaway tab" on the cluster to allow you to get at the second SRS lamp. Once you break it away, it's clear that the cluster has been tampered with, and BMW NA sicks its lawyers on you. 2) I find it very surprising that the lamp(s) will go on if only the ring lug at the sensor is grounded, but not if it's disconnected along with the rest of the harness. To me, this suggests that if the wire broke, then the lamp wouldn't go on. I hope the wire is not a critical part of that circuit ... Regards, -- ______________________________________ Andrew E. Kalman, Ph.D. aek@pumpkininc.com
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#11. Re: [E36M3] toluene or Xylene - from Andrew E. Kalman
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Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 14:16:49 -0700 From: "Andrew E. Kalman" <aek@pumpkininc.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] toluene or Xylene Re: >I've been searching for a few days now for a local source of Toluene >or Xylene. I'd actually prefer Xylene as it's a bit higher octane >and less volatile and a bit less toxic. But, no one in the bay area >seems to have it and shipping it is really expensive because you >gotta pay the $25 hazardous material charge. :( > >If anyone has a source, please let me know. I've tried hardware >stores, paint stores, etc etc... Oh man, I saw it on a shelf recently (Home Depot?), here in the SF Bay Area. Wish I could remember where ... Man that stuff is wicked. I gotta stop inhaling it ... ;-) -- ______________________________________ Andrew E. Kalman, Ph.D. aek@pumpkininc.com