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#1. Looking for CD43 Radio - from Mark Greer
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Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 12:35:48 -0400 (EDT) From: "Mark Greer" <mark.greer@excite.com> Subject: Looking for CD43 Radio Does anyone have for sale an in-dash CD playing BMW radio? Any leads on one for sale outside of Ebay? Mark ------------------------------------------------
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#2. Re: Wheel Locks - from Ron Buchalski
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Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 16:42:44 +0000 From: "Ron Buchalski" <rbuchals@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: Wheel Locks >From: "Paul Elliott" <elliott.paul@worldnet.att.net> >To: "Ron Buchalski" <rbuchals@hotmail.com> >CC: <e36m3@bmw-m.net> >Subject: Re: Wheel Locks >Date: Mon, 22 Apr 2002 20:01:16 -0400 > >HI Ron, > >Question...On your locks, what color/finish is the underlying lock if you >decide NOT to use the plastic cover which you can get in Black or Silver... The lock lug is silver. It's not a shiny (chrome) finish, but it's a bright, not dull, silver. The uncapped head looks very different than a standard hex head, so it's obvious that the lock is there when the cap is missing. <snip> > >Frankly, I have the Splined BMW set, and these have worked just great....Id >love to continue using them if only they were available with a Silver or >Chrome-like cap, instead of the black plastic one. I could use them >capless, except the inside is gold in color, and, I think dirt and grit >would before long muck up the splines. My one and only experience with these locks was last year, in Germany, and I really liked them. They're much better than the BMW locks with the standard lock cylinders and keys, which would get filled with crud and become jammed on the lock bolt. I'll probably buy a set for my other car. I would imagine that someone makes a splined lock in silver, you just need to find them. -rb _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx
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#3. Overheating follow up and knock sensors - from Kris Welhart
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Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 12:57:07 -0500 From: "Kris Welhart" <kris.welhart@cyou.com> Subject: Overheating follow up and knock sensors I have posted threads about an overheating problem over the past few months and I that I would post the results. 2 Weeks ago I broke down and took the car to a local shop to diagnose and have the head gasket replaced. As soon as I pulled into the parking lot they put a compression test on the coolant system and I lost 4 pounds in about 15 minutes, proof of a possible head gasket failure. They then performed an electronic exhaust gas sniffer test and I failed. I had previously passed the blue liquid version. They replaced the head gasket and upon removal they discovered that a previous shop left off one of the head bolt washers that caused a failure between the number 4 and 5 cylinders on the exhaust side. They replaced the gasket and I participated in a event this past weekend at GIR with no problems. Problem solved. After the first run in the event it was apparent that I had the problem for a while. Before replacing the gasket, the upper and lower radiator hoses used to be very hot and impossible to squeeze from the pressure in the system. Now they are only warm to the touch and can be compressed slightly. The engine used to be very hot, even standing in front of the car you could feel the heat, now it is like I just drove to the grocery store. I had no problems with the head or the block. Hopefully all is well now for times to come. The first day that I got the car back I was changing the oil and coolant. Upon bleeding the cooling system I got a check engine light that was knock sensor #2. Went back to the mechanic and he replaced the idle control valve and found a broken clip on a vacuum hose. Problem solved. Anyone with the knock sensor may look at the vacuum hoses and see if that is causing some problems. The idle control valve was replaced due to a rough idle which was also fixed. This is the short version of the whole situation, so if you have any more questions, I will be glad to help. HTH, Kris 95 M3- back on my good side <Snipped original email> > I have a 95 M3 3.2l- OBD1. I have > overheated to the red 5 times, all at the track after 20 min of hard driving > and it is not reproducible on the street. I have not lost much coolant > either, but I have never owned a BMW that did not need to be filled > sometimes. I have called and talked to all the big shots, Turner, Korman, > local dealers, etc and I have gotten all the answers in the book. "That's > interesting!" is not the answer that you want to hear. What I have figured > out, minus everyone has different opinions, is that there are a lot of > possibilities, but some things remain constant from the guys I trust. Here > are ways I've heard to determine a blown head gasket: Leakdown/ compression > does not tell you anything. Exhaust Gas Sniffer test should tell you > something (I passed). You might be able to pull the spark plugs after a > spirited run and look for coolant residue or flow inside the cylinders (most > likely #6). I have not tried that yet, and engine must be very hot. There > may be some leaking down the backside of the block (again #6). A head bolt > may be loose or cracked (??). You probably won't see milky oil (I don't) and > muddy coolant (no again). Could be caused by running lean (doubt it from the > black smoke puffs) and white smoke might be present (not me). I have not > heard from many people that have had head gaskets go, but one response was > that if you overheat the gasket will have to be replaced anyways. > > Here is the whole response,snipped some- "Well it idled roughly. Power was > down, gas mileage was down. It lost coolant to the point that I had to add > a little every few fillups. Finally there we a couple specs of oil in the > coolant expansion tank... It never overheated while I had it. The PO > overheated it sometime in the past." > > I definitely do not have any of those symptoms, but I would like to know if > anyone has overheated and not had to replace the gasket?? I have also heard > some very bad stories and concerns about the x50/ 52 block. Some are warping > the head, breaking head bolts, warping the block itself. Not what I like to > hear. I would like to hear from anyone else that had a head gasket go also. > > Here are some of the things that I noticed after replacing the t-stat, > waterpump, radiator, and hoses (I also have an aluminum t-stat housing): I > overheated at Road Atlanta and tried an open (gutted) t-stat, no luck. Drove > home 650 miles that way at operating temp. That did not seem right to me > because when I bought the 325i the t-stat was stuck open and never got to > operating temp (first tick, maybe). I swapped radiators last week between > the 94 325i and 95 M3 w/ open (gutted) t-stat in the same day at > approximately the same temperature and it did run cooler w/ the 325's > radiator. But not cold enough to convince me that the problem was solved. I > then swapped back and bought a new radiator, t-stat, hoses, waterpump and > overflow cap. I bought a 88deg (I think 80 is to cold) t-stat which was > superceded by the 92 deg that was in the car. It was for a 95 M3 and hard to > find. I bought a metal impeller waterpump, which has also been superceded by > the plastic impeller (Nice move BMW) which was also hard to find. Upon > removal I noticed a major difference. The impeller blades were much larger > on the new pump and the design is much cleaner. I do not know the brand of > the old pump but the new one is a Graf. The flow was also much, much, much > better. I could bleed the system at idle where before I had to raise the > RPM's to about 3000 and then hold it there. I am doing an oil analysis as we > speak. Any and all help is appreciated. This post is long because I have > been dealing w/ this for 6 months and it is getting old. My next event is in > April and I will then see if it is fixed. I also plan on running water > wetter. The story and history of the overheating would take a book to write > out so this is a summary and some things were left out, by choice and > mistake. Thanks for reading this far. > Kris W. > 95 M3 - sick > 94 325i - getting lots of seat time >
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#4. Re: Black Chrome - from Zack Steinkamp
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Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 11:11:00 -0700 (PDT) From: Zack Steinkamp <edsarkiss@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: Black Chrome --- Miles Hayes <hayesmiles@msn.com> wrote: > Where do you buy Black Chrome? A friend of mine > swears by it but has not > been able to find it anymore. Who makes it. Thanks. hi miles i usually just get it at my local Pep Boys or Kragen. i haven't bought a bottle for a few months -- i hope it's not discontinued! it's made by turtle wax. i found a place that sells it online here: http://shop.store.yahoo.com/rodi/cht-350.html it's $3.99 for an 8oz bottle - good for probably 6-8 applications to all tires and black plastic on the car. zs
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#5. LTW Interior Info Request - from Dorffer, Rich
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Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 14:12:26 -0400 From: "Dorffer, Rich" <RDORFFER@CleIndians.com> Subject: LTW Interior Info Request I am looking for more information on the interior of the M3 LTW. Specifically, I am trying to find out more information on the surface components of the seats. Every LTW I have seen was set-up for the track and had race seats so maybe some of you can help me out. Although, I have closely inspected a 1994 325is M-Technic which I believe may have had the same seating surfaces, I am not certain. I am trying to figure out what the material was that covered the seats, both on the bolsters/head rests and the center section. Was it truly suede on the bolsters or a pseudo suede and what was the name given to the material? How about the 'cloth' center areas? Any idea what the part numbers would be for the pieces or the cloth? Any pictures of interior (and explanations) or links to web site addresses which show swatches/information on the various possibilities would be greatly appreciated. On a related note, any similar information one may have on another model (E30 M3, E34 M5, etc.) that may have a very similar set-up (cloth center area and 'suede' bolster) would also be appreciated. Private responses would be appreciated as well. Thanks in advance. Best regards, Rich - Have spent a lot of time looking for this information with little success.
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#6. Re: Weekend report :) (GC coilover review, other stuff)...LONG - from KLchmn@aol.com
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Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 14:39:35 -0400 From: KLchmn@aol.com Subject: Re: Weekend report :) (GC coilover review, other stuff)...LONG Chester writes about his instructor: >he had me trying to look for the track-out cone before I was >even at the turn in area This doesn't seem all that surprising to me, but I don't know what run group you were in (beginner, intermediate, advanced, etc.). Remember that anxiety goes up as the eyes go down so looking far ahead is a good thing! Sometimes you have to try new things to improve. Sometimes these new things slow you down until you get more comfortable with them. For reference, on some corners, I'm looking out the side window for the exit mark as I enter a braking zone! In general, I want to be looking at the exit mark before turn in. This gives me more time to adjust to any changes that may have occurred since the last lap. The last thing I want to see is oil, coolant, debris, etc. on the line after I've completed my braking and turned in! You need to be ahead of you car if you are going to go fast. On a final note, if you aren't clicking with your instructor, ask the group leader for a new one for your next run session. Usually, it isn't a big problem (at least at Pacific Region schools it isn't).
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#7. fade side moldings & masking tape - from Michael Schaublin
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Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 15:19:02 -0400 From: "Michael Schaublin" <mike_schaublin@hotmail.com> Subject: fade side moldings & masking tape You want to use "painters tape", not masking tape to do any masking on body panels. It has an adhesive more like post-it notes, which leaves no residue and won't lift dried paint. My wife has gone through miles of this stuff painting the house, and I used it when painting the gray body lowers on a 325. You can buy it at any hardware or home store. The stuff I've seen has always been blue, but it may come in different colors. Mike _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com
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#8. Stuff Forsale.... - from Mark Radelow
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Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 20:56:33 +0000 From: "Mark Radelow" <radelow@hotmail.com> Subject: Stuff Forsale.... I have the following forsale: 1. Set of Double Spoke Factory (96+) Staggered M3 Rims. They are in good shape. 2. Set of Michelin Pilot MXX3s (235 size) well used but would work great for track/autocross. 3. Set of hardly used Hoosier 245/40-17 race tires (5 total plus one 225/45-17) Make me an offer.... I am selling this stuff to help buy a Spec Miata. I can provide photos if you need it. Mark Radelow radelow@hotmail.com 95 ///M3 _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp.
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#9. Re: [E36M3] Faded side moldings - from Jay G
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Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 10:57:54 -1000 From: Jay G <jguzman@hawaii.edu> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Faded side moldings it's not racers tape...just regular masking tape from the store (walmart, local drug store, etc.)...but make sure it's not "bargain" tape (like a 100' roll for $.99)...i had those leave LOTS of residue, good thing it was on minor projects, and not my car's paint...3M brand masking tape is pretty good about not leaving any residue behind...the blue colored masking tape is supposed to be better at not leaving residue behind, and if i'm not mistaken, was meant for automotive duty...again, check your local store, or a automotive parts shop...good luck... Paul Elliott wrote: > >>and use some good quality masking tape, so you wont need to rub off > adhesive residue from your paint...<< > > Is it called racers tape? If not, how do you ID it, and where do you find > it...
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#10. Re: [E36M3] Weekend report :) (GC coilover review, other stuff)...LONG - from alex.fadeev@verizon.com
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Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 17:19:36 -0500 From: alex.fadeev@verizon.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] Weekend report :) (GC coilover review, other stuff)...LONG Chester Wong <chester_p_wong@yahoo.com> wrote: > [...] > Anyway, after talking to Jay Morris of Ground Control, he confirmed that the > H&Rs are progressive rate and that really the only other springs out there that > are linear like stock are either Dinan springs or Eibach Pro-Kit springs. Go > figure! Chester, I hate to contradict Jay, but stock springs are most obviously progressive. Both in coil diameter and the winding radius (aka barrel shaped). > Well...to make a long story short...Konis (OE, Bilsteins, etc) are single-rate > dampeners. Yah...they're adjustable, but once you set it, it's single-rate > (albeit at whatever setting it was set at). H&R OE Sports and H&R Sports are > progressive rate springs. OE springs are linear rate springs. Are you > starting to get the picture? So with what some people are doing with the H&R > springs where they're setting the shock/strut to say 1 turn from full soft is > tuning the dampener to the small bumps. But when you hit a large bump and > compress the suspension a lot, you enter the progressive rate of the spring and > the spring rate goes up. What happens? The resistive force of the spring is > too strong for the weak setting of the shock and the wheel accelerates > downwards. So you turn up the rebound so you're good to go with the big bumps. > What happens on the small bumps? The dampeners are now too sluggish. Bleh. Progressive springs are not the problem. Just about every stock spring on any car is progressive. Nonetheless all of them come with tuned suspensions that do not exhibit any bounciness. H&Rs are just too stiff for Koni SAs. Your shocks are under-damped on compression and that is something you can not rectify with rebound adjustment. alex f