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#1. FW: Intro & question - from K.C. Boyce
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Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 10:06:40 -0500 From: "K.C. Boyce" <kcb@abcgroup-inc.com> Subject: FW: Intro & question Hello all! I'm a recent joiner to the list, and a recent ///M3 purchaser as well. I just got a '97 Arctissilber Crew Cab from an owner in Florida. The car was a CPO when he bought it, and he's taken great care of it. Pics can be seen (if he still has his web page up) at http://www.bramule.com/m3. The car now has 42k and change after driving up to Atlanta and last weekend's jaunt to the Blue Ridge Parkway. In any case, I'm glad to be a part of this group -- one of the things I love about the BMW community is the resources (technical and otherwise) that we have among our members. Now on to the question part: Between 65-70 mph I get a little "roughness" from the car. It almost feels like a driveline vibration, but I'm fairly certain it's not, as it doesn't rear its head until that speed. It's most pronounced in 5th gear, but is also present in 4th (haven't tried 3rd yet!). It's not enough for me to spend too much time worrying about, but if anyone has any suggestions for a quick fix, I'd certainly entertain them! My solution thus far has been to drive >70 mph... :-) KC Boyce '97 M3 Crew Cab
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#2. tires - from russell
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Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 07:12:26 -0800 (PST) From: russell <driver8m3@yahoo.com> Subject: tires one thing that i think is important, even with your opinion of tires, is wear. i've had tires last 8k miles, while other brands last 3-4 times longer, with similar driving style. that can turn into significant cost differences...so it's possible that a more expensive tire is the better value. russell > Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 09:20:04 -0500 > From: "Chip Mitchell" <chipm@arches.uga.edu> > Subject: Re: Tire choices > > Alex, > > I have to total opposite opinion on tires in general. For a variety of > reasons (and I won't preach to the board) I don’t go around pushing my > car to the limits down the local main street. I've had nice tires, and > I've had cheap tires. The truth is, on the street, they are all round > and black and grip the road with more than enough sticky stuff to get > you into trouble. > > Once you get into "testing the limits" of the car, that’s what > controlled environments and track tires are for - in any other situation > > (including most beginner DE use) there is not a lot of reason from my > point of view to pay twice as much for tires. > > YMMV, > ChipM ===== "democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."-ben franklin __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com
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#3. Tires - from Patrick Dargan
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Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 11:14:25 -0500 From: "Patrick Dargan" <darg01@earthlink.net> Subject: Tires Why is it that no one seems to buy Michelin Pilot Sports? They were the OE tire and still come standard on many high performance vehicles. I think that aside from some noise, they are great. Aren't they about the same price as SO3's? Also, wouldn't it make more sense to just replace the two tires that wear out first (rear?) and the other two later? What mileage life have people been getting out of the Pilots? I still have the originals on with 32,000 miles on the car. (Have gone thru mucho sets of track tires, however.) "... I wish I got 18k from a set of tires!..." "...I have had extensive experience with Bridgestone Potenza RE730 (over 40k miles on multiple sets), Potenza SO3 (10k), Continental ContiSportContact (4k wow, they sucked), AVSi (5k) and AVS ES100 (5k so far)..." Patrick.
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#4. Guibo Question and Testing - from Steve Klein
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Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 10:11:53 -0600 From: Steve Klein <klein@robinsonad.com> Subject: Guibo Question and Testing Hello, All- Can anyone point me to a writeup or list of additional hardware and miscellaneous bits needed when replacing the guibo? Also, as to the info below for getting a digital readout of the tach, is this an OBD II thing? When I hold the odo. reset button and turn the key to the first click on my '95, it doesn't say test, but rather cycles through tests automatically. Thanks, Steve 11/95 M3 <snip> Yes, there is. Hold in odometer button on dash while turning key to first click (before all accessories position). You will then see the words test and a number. keep pushing the button until you get to number 14. When on 14, press and hold the odometer button for 15. But when you do, you will see the words test and ON. After holding the button for about 3 seconds, it will switch to OFF. Now click back through to number 7 to which when letting go, you will see 4 zeros. NOW start the car at this point. If you misstart the car or click past number 7, you must repeat these steps. Once started correctly though, you will see your tach in exacting measurements in the odometer display. After doing this I found out my analog tach is off by about 200rpm too low. No wonder I kept hitting fuel cut early. </snap>
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#5. Re: [E36M3] Tires - from alex.fadeev@verizon.com
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Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 10:35:29 -0600 From: alex.fadeev@verizon.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] Tires "Patrick Dargan" <darg01@earthlink.net> wrote: > Why is it that no one seems to buy Michelin Pilot Sports? I have them on my wife's car right now. > They were the OE tire and still come standard on many high performance > vehicles. I think that aside from some noise, they are great. They are not noisy at all. Well, at least they weren't until they hit wear bars a month or so ago ;-) Somehow, they have been highly susceptible to punctures. Three so far, all in the tire tread. One so bad that it could not be repaired (something tore through about 2" of tread) and required a new tire. > Aren't they about the same price as SO3's? Roughly. > Also, wouldn't it make more sense to just replace the two tires that > wear out first (rear?) and the other two later? If you have same size wheels and tires you can rotate them. Than all four wear out at the same time and you can go out and buy another brand. Mostly to try something new and different. > What mileage life have people been getting out of the Pilots? About 16-7K miles, 2/3rd of them on her car. > I still have the originals on with 32,000 miles on the car. ( > Have gone thru mucho sets of track tires, however.) > "... I wish I got 18k from a set of tires!..." I almost got that many from Toyo RA1s. Mind you, not track only miles - they were my full time street/track tires for about 15 months and around 12K miles (she put a few more K's on them as well). alex f
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#6. Re: [E36M3] Tires - from Jon Phillips
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Date: Wed, 05 Feb 2003 08:40:52 -0800 From: jon@maximumpc.com (Jon Phillips) Subject: Re: [E36M3] Tires I bought my car used, with 55K miles. It came with rank-ass Falkens; never had a chance to drive on Pilot Sports. Since then, I have had a full set of SO2s, and a full set of SO3s. SO2s were wonderful; great grip, great in the wet, but my rears only lasted about 13,000 miles. I now have the SO3s -- don't like'em as much as the SO2s. They appear to be lasting longer, but I find them to be no more grippy than the SO2s, and because of their wide grooves, they follow road grooves a bit too much for my liking; the car gets a bit wandery. The upshot? When my rears are finally toast, I will be buying a full set of the Polit Sports. It seems the only knock against them is price -- but now they seem to be cheaper at Tirerack, and close enough to SO3s to warrant a purchase. I want to give'em a try, because I've heard such great things about them. Replacing: As long as you stick with the exact same brand/type of tire, it's OK to replace the rear axle, and not all four tires. 32,000 miles. Man, you must have great retraint -- and some very well-conditioned roads wherever you live. >Why is it that no one seems to buy Michelin Pilot Sports? They were the OE >tire and still come standard on many high performance vehicles. I think >that aside from some noise, they are great. Aren't they about the same >price as SO3's? Also, wouldn't it make more sense to just replace the two >tires that wear out first (rear?) and the other two later? What mileage >life have people been getting out of the Pilots? I still have the originals >on with 32,000 miles on the car. (Have gone thru mucho sets of track tires, >however.)
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#7. Re: [E36M3] Another update on my M - from Mdriver13@aol.com
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Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 13:02:32 EST From: Mdriver13@aol.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] Another update on my M In a message dated 2/4/03 11:19:47 PM Eastern Standard Time, josh_wyte@yahoo.com writes: > All 6 coils were replaced. Ticking and lose of power > still there. Suggestions? I'm thinking vanos... > Geez, sorry to hear that. Well, you have new coils;-)). What about camshaft sensor? There was a SB on these a long time ago. Was yours ever replaced. Bad sensors were supposed to cause loss of power, in some cases total loss of power. Keep us informed. Can't believe the Dealer released the car back to you in this state :-( Bob Gill 97 ///M3 coupe Philly Region SCCA AS Champion '97 & '00 BSP Champion '01 & '02
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#8. Re: [E36M3] Another update on my M - from DocWyte
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Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 10:09:33 -0800 (PST) From: DocWyte <josh_wyte@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Another update on my M Current word from the dealer is that the DME is going bad. Refresh my BMW terminology please. DME=ECU, correct? I just shot the service rep an email telling them to please transfer my JC chip from the old DME to the new one... Car won't run too well without it as I have a euro hfm... -josh --- Mdriver13@aol.com wrote: > In a message dated 2/4/03 11:19:47 PM Eastern > Standard Time, > josh_wyte@yahoo.com writes: > > > > All 6 coils were replaced. Ticking and lose of > power > > still there. Suggestions? I'm thinking vanos... > > > > Geez, sorry to hear that. Well, you have new > coils;-)). What about camshaft > sensor? There was a SB on these a long time ago. > Was yours ever replaced. > Bad sensors were supposed to cause loss of power, in > some cases total loss of > power. > > Keep us informed. Can't believe the Dealer released > the car back to you in > this state :-( > > Bob Gill > 97 ///M3 coupe > Philly Region SCCA > AS Champion '97 & '00 > BSP Champion '01 & '02 > ===== Josh Wyte Momentum Motorsports 508-833-3024 After 5 pm EST __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com
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#9. Re: [E36M3] Another update on my M - from DocWyte
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Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 10:30:24 -0800 (PST) From: DocWyte <josh_wyte@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Another update on my M Just spoke with the dealer. Man, what a difference between this dealer and all the Audi dealers I've been to! (where if you have an aftermarket air freshener, they'll void your warranty and refuse to work on your car) First off the service rep tells me that the DME is actually covered under the BMW emmissions warranty. Then he tells me that he got my message about the chip and it's no problem! They'll swap it over, no sweat. I tell him about the euro M3 air meter and explain that's why the chip is needed. Didn't want them to chase their tails after putting in the new DME and still have the car run poorly. He says, no problem, I just have to pay the $100 deductible and not to worry. :-) I think I like BMW dealers! Btw, this is BMW Gallery, Norwood, MA. -josh ===== Josh Wyte Momentum Motorsports 508-833-3024 After 5 pm EST __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com
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#10. Re: [E36M3] Tires - from Rex Tener
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Date: Wed, 05 Feb 2003 10:36:46 -0800 From: Rex Tener <rex_tener@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Tires At 10:46 AM 2/5/2003 -0600, Jon Phillips wrote: >I bought my car used, with 55K miles. It came with rank-ass Falkens; never >had a chance to drive on Pilot Sports. Since then, I have had a full set >of SO2s, and a full set of SO3s. SO2s were wonderful; great grip, great in >the wet, but my rears only lasted about 13,000 miles. I now have the SO3s >-- don't like'em as much as the SO2s. They appear to be lasting longer, >but I find them to be no more grippy than the SO2s, and because of their >wide grooves, they follow road grooves a bit too much for my liking; the >car gets a bit wandery. IMHO, The Bridgestone S02 Pole Position was the greatest street tire ever made. It had incredible grip in the dry or wet and had an extremely smooth break away curve. I have had four sets on our two M3's and averaged about 27K miles on each set. Incredible wear for a tire that is that soft. If I had known that they were going to completely stop production on that tire, I would have bought a few sets and stored them. We currently have two sets of Michelin Pilot Sports on our two M cars and I am extremely disappointed in their performance in the dry and rain. They also are wearing very poorly, on the '96 M3 I have 14K miles on them and hope to get another 4K miles out of them. And they are noisy. Never again! For extreme dry grip and okay wet grip, the Falken Azenis Sport is getting quite a following. It seems like all my car friends locally are buying these. The are inexpensive (a full set for $500, only $200 for a Miata!), but seem to get loud overtime. -- Rex Tener rex_tener@yahoo.com 1996 BMW M3, SCCA SFR Solo II Street-Mod #173
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#11. Re: [E36M3] Another update on my M - from NickG
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Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 13:51:38 -0500 From: "NickG" <nick@tech-nick.net> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Another update on my M > He says, no problem, I just have to pay the $100 > deductible and not to worry. :-) $100 deductible? what $100 deductible? If that was due to your aftermarket extended warranty, fine. But BMW warranty doesn't have a deductible (except for CPO, which is a $50 deductible). Nick