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#1. Re: [E36M3] Re: Dead Battery - from Matt Henson
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Date: Wed, 4 Sep 2002 19:40:16 -0700 (PDT) From: Matt Henson <hensonator@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Re: Dead Battery --- Tad Bacon <tadbacon@qis.net> wrote: > > Russel, > > I bought a '98 two years ago. The car would only > start if it sat no more > than a day or two. After that, dead battery. I > thought 2 years was a bit > of a short life for a battery. Turned out the > "maintenance free" battery > needed about 3 quarts of water. Have not had any > problems since. May be > worth a shot before you lay out for a new battery. > > Tad > Maintanenance free batteries are crap. Your M3 was fitted with a real battery at the factory. It does require that the electrolyte level is checked periodically. There's probably something about this in your owner's manual. My M3 has had the OEM battery for 8 years, 4 months and counting. You can't do that with a maintainance free unit. -Matt __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance - Get real-time stock quotes http://finance.yahoo.com
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#2. Rogue Aluminum Flywheel/Carbon Clutch Review - from Chris Teague
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Date: Wed, 4 Sep 2002 20:04:23 -0700 From: "Chris Teague" <cteague@cox.net> Subject: Rogue Aluminum Flywheel/Carbon Clutch Review I purchased the Rogue Aluminum Flywheel with thier carbon clutch disk (sprung). I had this installed locally on my 97 M3/4. This combo is supposed to eliminate the tranny rattle. The engine is still stock (no shark yet), and the shifter is stock, except I do have JT tranny rings and the ground-control reinforcement. I have put about 300 miles on the setup so far, and will be at the autox in San Diego this weekend. So far, this works great. There is a slight increase in cabin noise, but it is not bad at all. Every once and a while, I can here a slight rattle in the tranny, but not much at all. Raising the rpm by 200 makes it go away, so I assume a sharked car would be fine. Even this is hardly noticible, and is happening less often as I break the clutch in. But the shifting is very nice. I expected the engine to be easy to stall with the lightweight flywheel, but it seems better than the stock setup. The downshifts are also much smoother than stock. I haven't tried to be real aggressive yet, but I will see how it works this weekend. Another satisfied customer. Chris 97 M3/4
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#3. RE: Stereo overhaul...need comments/advice/recommendations - from Paul Smith
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Date: Wed, 4 Sep 2002 22:08:41 -0500 From: Paul Smith <pauls@ontario.com> Subject: RE: Stereo overhaul...need comments/advice/recommendations Sorry, but I need to add a few comments: I have had many E36 coupes and sedans. Rewire Everything!! If done correctly (I have learned) less noise and very easy to reinstall original stereo when reselling. I had a E36 sedan where I added a sub in the trunk (my version of a light weight) - and yes Mike, no rears! God it is great to know others do this as well!!! Great stage sound! I took the M3 wheel and turned it upside down. Cut the carrier bolt and added a fiberglass enclosure for a 10 in sub that was flush with the trunk floor. (I have images that I can scan if people are interested). This gave me the added bass without the 100 pound box. If you use a quality bass speaker (used to be the Solo Baric before they went square), it is a tight, great sound. Not the thumper, however a 12" could probably fit there as well. Paul Smith No current M3 . . . and a '69 vette with mono :( responding to: Personally, I'd keep the Stealthboxes (see above), unless you need more bass. Honestly, I hate adding weight to the car so I can't even do stealthboxes. FWIW, Mike Frank 97 M3 - w/ flaky radio display, no rears, and at least one blown front... impressive
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#4. Re: [E36M3] Rear Trailing Arm Bushing? - from Rich Beebe
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Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 00:08:16 -0400 From: Rich Beebe <rich@beebecomm.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Rear Trailing Arm Bushing? From: "Dames, Mark" <Mark.Dames@PDO.Co.Santa-Clara.CA.US> > Rich > What is a GC shim/what does it do? > Explain "better feel" the GC shims go on each side of the rear bushing, in the carrier, and help to reduce/eliminate deflection in the bushing. if you look at the photo in the link below, you'll see the shims on both sides (light colored disks) of the bushing. they have a recess on one side, that mates against the 'dimple' on the carrier. but, if that shim isn't there, the outer circumference of the bushing has a tolerance within which in can move (where the dimple angles back out). the shim takes up that area, reducing (i think almost completely) the deflection of the bushing. the "better feel" comment is referring to how the car feels very planted with new bushings and the shims. you've still got rubber, but it feels very solid. http://www.ground-control.com/e36-rear-lca1.jpg rich > -----Original Message----- > From: Rich Beebe [mailto:rich@beebecomm.com] > Sent: Wednesday, September 04, 2002 12:24 PM > To: E36M3 > Subject: Re: [E36M3] Rear Trailing Arm Bushing? > > > Date: Wed, 04 Sep 2002 15:17:56 -0400 > From: Rich Beebe <rich@beebecomm.com> > Subject: Re: [E36M3] Rear Trailing Arm Bushing? > > at 86k miles, not to mention the track time, i think it's probably > safe to say that your RTBs will be toast. i did my M3 at 75k and they > were pretty well torn. i did the LTW at 50k and they were in better > shape, but still worn. i'm sure you will feel a difference with the > new bushings. i believe the GC shims also go a long way towards the > better feel. > > rich > 2 95s with 96+ bushings and GC shims > > From: "twisty M3" <twistym3@hotmail.com> > >> Quick inquiry... I've always tried to ignore all the talk of rear > bushings, >> 'cause I'm hoping that ignorance will lead to bliss. ;) It sounds, > however, >> that the rear trailing arm bushings tend to go bad on tracked cars. I > don't >> *think* mine are too bad, but I'm having some front end suspension stuff >> taken care of this weekend while I'm out of town, so I'm wondering if this >> is some sort of preventative work I should have done. >> >> At what "age" do these tend to go bad? I've got about 86k miles on my '99 >> and I've recently upped my track dosage to 1-2 events per month. Is it >> worthwhile to ask them to replace these while they have the car on the > lift? >> (If so, I'll probably go with stock parts for now, rather than dealing >> with poly. issues) >> >> Thanks, >> Jonathan L.
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#5. RE: [E36M3] Re: Climate Control Issue - from Mike Frank
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Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 00:19:53 -0500 From: Mike Frank <mfrank28@comcast.net> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Re: Climate Control Issue Bob, Sounds very possible. When mine started going it would either A) not come on when I started the car, then come on a few minutes later (full blast usually) or B) come on with A/C running at low fan speed, despite whatever the display/lights indicated (or didn't). I could detail the slow progression to completely dead, but it sounds like you may be on the way. Enjoy. :) Mike Frank 97 M3 -----Original Message----- From: Mdriver13@aol.com [mailto:Mdriver13@aol.com] Sent: Wednesday, September 04, 2002 9:13 PM To: mfrank28@comcast.net; e36m3@bmw-m.net Subject: Re: [E36M3] Re: Climate Control Issue Guys, Yesterday and today when I start the car after work, I only get a low volume of A/C out of the vents...and it was 88 degrees outside! I decreased the set temp down to 60 degrees...no change. Turned fan off, then back on to full...still no change. About 5 minutes down the road...fan kicks in at full force and then normal after I reset temp to 72 degrees. One note: microfilter needs replacing, I'm close to inspection II. Does this mean I'm next for a new CC unit :-( Bob Gill 97 ///M3 coupe Philly Region SCCA AS Champion 1997 & 2000 BSP Champion 2001
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#6. RE: [E36M3] Rogue Aluminum Flywheel/Carbon Clutch Review - from Andrew-Taylor Autosport
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Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 02:08:51 -0400 From: "Andrew-Taylor Autosport" <astaylor@taylorautosport.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Rogue Aluminum Flywheel/Carbon Clutch Review It's just a peeve of mine of semantics, but I can't resist pointing this out. All factory type clutch discs are "carbon" in that they are an organic material...usually containing asbestos. Every manufacturer: Sachs, AP, Clutchmaster, et al refer to this type disc as organic. What is generally referred to as "a carbon clutch" is in fact a multiplate race clutch where all friction is carbon on carbon...hence the term carbon/carbon clutch. Carbon clutch is shorthand for carbon/carbon In fact, in a carbon clutch, there are no steel friction surfaces! </minutiae> Andrew > I purchased the Rogue Aluminum Flywheel with thier > carbon clutch disk (sprung).
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#7. RE: [E36M3] Rear Trailing Arm Bushing? - from Andrew-Taylor Autosport
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Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 02:13:17 -0400 From: "Andrew-Taylor Autosport" <astaylor@taylorautosport.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Rear Trailing Arm Bushing? > Quick inquiry... I've always tried to ignore all the talk of rear > bushings, > 'cause I'm hoping that ignorance will lead to bliss. ;) Wishful thinking ;-) > It > sounds, however, > that the rear trailing arm bushings tend to go bad on tracked > cars. They go bad on *all* cars...track or street. Track cars just chew 'em up at an extremely accelerated rate. > I don't > *think* mine are too bad, At 86k miles...change them, you'd be suprised. >but I'm having some front end suspension stuff > taken care of this weekend while I'm out of town, so I'm > wondering if this > is some sort of preventative work I should have done. More true maintainence than preventative maintenence > At what "age" do these tend to go bad? I've got about 86k miles > on my '99 > and I've recently upped my track dosage to 1-2 events per month. Is it > worthwhile to ask them to replace these while they have the car > on the lift? Yup. > (If so, I'll probably go with stock parts for now, rather than dealing > with poly. issues) Not all polyurethane bushings are created equally. Andrew http://www.taylorautosport.com/
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#8. Re: Unsteady Handling. Thoughts? - from Ahmad Lutfeali
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Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2002 13:24:35 +0000 From: "Ahmad Lutfeali" <m3_racer99@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: Unsteady Handling. Thoughts? Peter and everyone else out there wondering how long does the trailing arm bushing last. Here is my experience and the story goes. With 53K miles, this is the 4th (fourth) trailing arm bushing my car is seeing. Stock ones seems to go away fast and there are all sorts of cracks and all visible on the bushing. GC Spacers with stock bushings is what everyone seems to be happy with. Hence with 125K miles I wouldnt be surprised if they are shot. I do about 10-15 track days a year. Secondly, the shocks too can go. I drive it on the streets of Boston and my Bilsteins were shot (rears) and were replaced under warranty. Check for the shocks too. While you are at it, check for Rear shock mounts to see if they are OK. These quick and simple fix caused my car to come back to life all over again. Hope this helps. A.L. _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx
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#9. Re: Euro Headlight Trivia - from John Firestone
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Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 13:10:27 +0200 (CEST) From: John Firestone <john.firestone@nord-com.net> Subject: Re: Euro Headlight Trivia On Wed, 4 Sep 2002, Alan Taur wrote: > Your parts man is absolutely correct in stating that > the ZKW was a sedan only thing. Actually, the ZKW part > is only a OEM replacement item, not a factory > installed piece (only Bosch lights left the assembly > plant). Is was only listed as a replacement for the > sedans, however, a move that does not make any sense > whatsoever. Indeed. At the risk of contradicting a possible Bosch cult (of which I am former member, having owned a Bosch washing machine :), both Bosch and ZKW were original equipment headlight suppliers on the European 3ers, with ZKW the more important supplier judging by the German 3ers I have looked at. The 11/95 parts fiche for the 320i - M3 E36 coupes lists Bosch and ZKW part numbers for the 320i through 328i, but only Bosch for the M3 B30 and M3 B32. Since this is an M3-list, we can suppose the M3 was the only real coupe, and therefore, only coupes had Bosch headlights. I would agree except that would be disloyal to my present car. :) -John '96 318is
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#10. Re: [E36M3] Radio Code... - from Andrej Dolenc
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Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 09:55:23 -0500 From: Andrej Dolenc <adolenc@erols.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Radio Code... Juan Rico writes: > My M3 has 4 wheels again, thankfully. But no radio. > Just picked up my car today and, of course, they forgot to enter the code on > the radio. > Does anybody have the quick fix for this? I've looked in my owner's manual > and it's not there. > Is it written on the back of the radio, or is that an urban legend? Can I > call anywhere...? > Otherwise, I'll have to go to the dealer... As far as I know, the radio itself won't have the code imprinted on the back. There should be a serial number back there that the dealer can use to look up the code though. Hope that helps, Andrej '97 M3
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#11. RE: [E36M3] Radio Code... - from Michael Michalski
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Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 08:57:50 -0500 From: "Michael Michalski" <mmichalski@leaselink.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Radio Code... Juan, There is a serial number on the back of the radio. Your going to need it when you go to the dealership to get the code. As far as I know, this is the only way of obtaining it. I went through the same thing. I strongly suggest writing it down and keeping it in a safe place if you ever need it again. Good Luck. Michael Michalski 97 ///M3 Windy City Chapter -----Original Message----- From: Juan Rico [mailto:juan_rico@captionsinc.com] Sent: Wednesday, September 04, 2002 7:14 PM To: E36M3 Subject: [E36M3] Radio Code... Date: Wed, 4 Sep 2002 17:04:37 -0700 From: Juan Rico <juan_rico@captionsinc.com> Subject: Radio Code... Hi All, My M3 has 4 wheels again, thankfully. But no radio. Just picked up my car today and, of course, they forgot to enter the code on the radio. Does anybody have the quick fix for this? I've looked in my owner's manual and it's not there. Is it written on the back of the radio, or is that an urban legend? Can I call anywhere...? Otherwise, I'll have to go to the dealer... Thanks, Juan. ************************************************************* 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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#12. Re: [E36M3] Radio Code... - from Robert Chay
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Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 10:03:30 -0400 From: "Robert Chay" <rchay@mindspring.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Radio Code... You have to get the code from the dealer. If you're close with your SA, you can probably just call in if you have the serial # for your radio. If not, you have to go to the dealer to get the code. To get your s/n: turn radio off turn it on, press and hold the "m" button until you see the s/n pop up on the display. Write it down and give it to the dealer (by phone or in person) They should be able to look it up in their system. -Bobby ----- Original Message ----- From: "Juan Rico" <juan_rico@captionsinc.com> > > Just picked up my car today and, of course, they forgot to enter the code on > the radio. > > Otherwise, I'll have to go to the dealer... >