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#1. more on shaking steering wheel - from russell
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Date: Sat, 18 May 2002 19:38:50 -0700 (PDT) From: russell <driver8m3@yahoo.com> Subject: more on shaking steering wheel i asked last week about some shaking i was getting in my steering wheel. the first thing i tried was removing the front tires and inspecting them. all weights were still on. with the car jacked up i spun the wheels to look for anything unusual, they looked ok. the one thing i did notice was that the front passenger tire was pretty severely worn on the inside edge. the outside 3/4 was much less worn. the front driver side tire was evenly worn all across. at the same time, i rotated the tires front/back. the rear passenger side tire was also slightly more worn on the inside edge (but not nearly as severely as the one that was on the front). i put these tires on at about 25k miles. since then, i rotated front/back at 30k, 35k & 40k miles...but got lazy after that and didnt do it again until today (52k). after i rotated i took the car out for a test drive. i still have the skaking on the steering wheel, though it doesnt seem as bad as before rotating. in fact, it seems like sometimes the shaking actually disappears (and this was also the case before rotating the tires), which seems weird to me. does anyone know specifically what would cause the inside edge of the front tire to wear so heavily? is it just out of allignment? suspension is all stock. tires are kumho ecsta supras on atp fake contour rims-8.5", 245/40/17 all around. there isnt much tread left on the tires at this point (except the outer 3/4 of the tire that had been on the front passenger side), so i'm going to have to buy new tires sometime soon. thanks for any input.... russell ===== "the state is the great fiction by which everyone seeks to live at the expense of everyone else" --frederic bastiat __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? LAUNCH - Your Yahoo! Music Experience http://launch.yahoo.com
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#2. Re: [E36M3] Radiator overflow - from Scott Chan
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Date: Sat, 18 May 2002 22:00:49 -0700 From: Scott Chan <s_chan@pacbell.net> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Radiator overflow Overflow can... The E36 has a pressure relief built into the cap. When it blows, coolant will dump directly onto the ground. Been there, done that, ridden the tow truck back to the paddock. On the E30 M3, it was simple to add a bottle to the overflow hose. But on the E36, there's no hose and no fitting; the vapor just comes spewing from the cap. I haven't seen an overflow bottle plumbed on a stock E36 radiator. That's why glycol antifreeze isn't allowed in race cars. It's a slippery hazard on the track. --Scott
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#3. Re: [E36M3] General Maintenance - from Jay G
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Date: Sat, 18 May 2002 19:28:22 -1000 From: Jay G <jguzman@hawaii.edu> Subject: Re: [E36M3] General Maintenance hey paul...isnt it listed as an item under inspection II? Paul Elliott wrote: > Can anyone tell me why they think BMW has totally eliminated any mention of > servicing/replacing the fuel filter and any mileage whatsoever for my '99 > M3! It is not part of any service schedule put out by BMW. Are they now > expected to last the life of the car? > > Paul Elliott
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#4. Re: Spark plugs - from Michael Kelley
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Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 11:19:42 -0700 From: "Michael Kelley" <mkelley@nc.rr.com> Subject: Re: Spark plugs Kit, further roaming around on the ETK CD finds that Euro 3.2L M3's (95-98) use an NGK PKR 7A, BMW pn# 12 12 9 069 048. I don't know if it's a multi-electrode (I guess it is), not even sure how you would get any to try, but it is a 7 heat range NGK plug and might work well in a forced induction application. BTW, I can't find it on the NGK website. On your observation about NGK and Bosch heat range differences, I guess you should conclude that NGK heat range is not equal to Bosch heat range. Also, you've indirectly answered one of my orignial questions...the NGK R5671A-7 racing plug you (and others) use is an M14 so I guess E36 M3's use 14x1.25 plugs and should be torqued accordingly. One last point on spark plug torque. I received private responses that indicated 1/4 to 1/2 turn past finger tight was sufficient.....here's what I found on NGK's UK website: "Always tighten spark plugs to the engine manufacturer's tightening torque If this information is not available, screw the spark plug in finger tight and then tighten 1/2 a turn for plugs with a gasket and 1/16 of a turn for conical/taper seat plugs without a gasket. This is applicable for 10mm, 12mm and 14mm spark plugs only. Almost all cars and light commercial vehicles use 14mm spark plugs. If the plug is too loose, it will not be able to dissipate sufficient heat from the combustion chamber into the cylinder head and will overheat. If the plug is too tight, it may break during installation or during engine operation." Regards, Mike 98M3C > -------------------- 2 -------------------- > Date: Sat, 18 May 2002 00:40:30 -0700 > From: Kit Wetzler <kitwetzler@mindspring.com> > Subject: Spark plugs > > > > Anyone tried the "Longlife" BKR6EQUP in a 95 M3? On a 96-99 M3? > > The stock NGK plug is the BKR6EK for the 95. Interesting. The 8 series > heat range indicates that the 3.2l m3s went to a 2 step colder plug. > Very strange, because the Bosch plugs for the 95 are actually 1 heat > range hotter than the 95 plugs. > > > please in how idle smooths out, etc.. and mine could be better. > > I went to NGKs on my 97 M3/4. They definitely did smooth out the idle > and the cold start stumble is pretty much gone. However, the car is > quite a bit slower and is pulling timing in the upper rpms, which > indicates knock. :( (I have a supercharger) Your mileage may vary... > The plugs I bought were NGK R5671A-7. > > The single ground strap NGKs wear out quite a bit faster in forced > induction applications, though. > > -kit
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#5. AST brake bleeding procedures - from Jim Musial
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Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 11:31:14 -0400 From: "Jim Musial" <jim_musial@usa.net> Subject: AST brake bleeding procedures I will be replacing the rotors on a '97 E36 M3 soon but the Bently manual states to have all bleeding done by the dealer. I've beld brakes many times before so need to know what I'll be doing that could cause damage to the AST. I would like to swap out the standard fluid for Super Blue. o First, how come? o Second, is there a high dollar tool I would need to do it myself or can I just use due caution? TIA! /jm Jim Musial '97 E36 M3
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#6. Rear Deck Removal - from Steve Burke
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Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 10:46:54 -0500 From: "Steve Burke" <sburke@directlink.net> Subject: Rear Deck Removal All: Can someone provide the procedure for removing the rear deck cover in an M3/4 along with the best wiring route and its procedure from there to the driver's side dash? I can't seem to find anything detailed on the net or in my Bentley and don't want to permanently destroy the back of the car. Thanks, Steve
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#7. sound deadening material - from Gary A. Preece
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Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 15:49:31 -0400 From: "Gary A. Preece" <gapreece@entreky.net> Subject: sound deadening material Has anyone taken the foam out under the rear tray above the trunk? What is the purpose other than the obvious sound deadening? Insulation? For those of you that have, how much louder is it? Any reason I shouldn't get rid of it? Thanks. Gary Preece
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#8. OBC Language Change - from m3bs@comcast.net
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Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 17:08:17 -0400 From: m3bs@comcast.net Subject: OBC Language Change I had the battery disconnected to change the (expletive deleted) fuel filter. Now my OBC reads in German. Anybody know how to make it display in English?
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#9. Harnesses: 5 pt vs 4 pt - from Wesley A. Nicolas
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Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 21:04:10 -0400 From: "Wesley A. Nicolas" <wes@nicolas.org> Subject: Harnesses: 5 pt vs 4 pt > I would say it's an all or nothing package. Either run 5 point > harnesses, cage (or roll bar) with padding, race seats, and seat back > brace, with the harnesses properly set up so they don't pull down on > your shoulders when you impact. NEVER run 4 point harnesses. For > those who have visited OG Racing, they have a nice picture of a fellow > who ran Schroth (sp?) 4-point harnesses and because there was no > anti-submarining belt, the windshield was in worse shape than the rest > of the car (because his noggin hit the windshield. > > This is the concerned PCA instructor in me speaking. Neil I kept the story short so as not to write a long e-mail to bore those not interested, but since you asked, here goes.. >Wes, >Your concern does you credit, but unless there >are meaningful facts to back it up, I'd have to >take this story as just one more internet anecdote. >- How does lack of a sub belt lead to head impact >with the windshield? Lack of an anti-sub belt allows the waist belt to rise up and as a result, loosens up the shoulder belts allowing the body to move forward (i.e. head) and hit the windshield. Since most 'ametuer' users don't tighten their harnesses as tight as they should be (should barely be able to breathe when you tighten.will loosen up while you drive), this extra slack compounds to the problem. >- What is known about the harness installation in >this case? Schroth 4 point harness, ask Bill Love at OG racing, he has the picture (8x10) next to his desk. >- What kind of car was involved? For instance the >top of a P-911's windshield is much closer to the >driver than that of my E36 M3. No P-Car, I believe it was an M3 or some such E36 BMW. Yes, you are correct about the 911's windshield but this is a not material here. >- Was this a 30 mph or a 130 mph impact? If the latter >and the driver wasn't killed then maybe we should conclude >that the 4 point did a wonderful job. Unsure of the speed, although some 'expert' could probably determine from the damage to the rest of the car. >- Was there an incident report and if so what does it say? Good question.I'd like to know too. >- Never run a 4 point harness? Do you believe that >a 4 point harness isn't safer than a stock lap/diagonal >seatbelt in those cases where a full rollbar/5 point harness >isn't a ereasonable option? Did I say they weren't safer than 3 point stock belts? I believe I said it's an all or nothing package. One should use either 3-point with no other safety options (cage, etc.) or 5-point with proper seats and if a roll bar or cage, seat back brace and proper harness anchor points. >What I'm seeing here is sketchy information followed by >large leaps to hasty conclusions. The above explanations should indicate logical conclusions. >Neil - concerned BMW instructor >96 M3 Wes
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#10. USED TRANNY - from Gary A. Preece
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Date: Sun, 19 May 2002 21:19:40 -0400 From: "Gary A. Preece" <gapreece@entreky.net> Subject: USED TRANNY Guys and Gals, I found a used tranny for $1,000 with about 3,000 miles on it. The PO swapped it out for a 6-speed. Is this a decent price? Should I keep looking? Maybe get a rebuilt one for more $$$? Thanks. Gary