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#1. Re: [E36M3] Need to find parts to fix my side skirt - from Chester Wong
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Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 14:22:32 -0800 (PST) From: Chester Wong <chester_p_wong@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Need to find parts to fix my side skirt Go to the dealer. They are like 25 cents each. You'll need something like 8 for each side. Chester --- Henry Wu <hw711@hotmail.com> wrote: > My side skirt is falling off. I need to get a couple new white plastic > hooks that attach the side skirt to the car. Anybody know where I can find > those? I don't even know what they are called so I am having a hard time. =====
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#2. Re: [E36M3] Diff oil for limited slip - from LoweSeaton@aol.com
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Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 17:26:20 EST From: LoweSeaton@aol.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] Diff oil for limited slip Jon, I would not believe a word Autoscope says. Their service is criminal. I drove my M3 in for a compression test to diagnosis possible bent valves. I did not authorize any repairs. I came back the next day and the mechanic had my engine half torn apart. WTF Shop owner says he "knew I would want it repaired quickly." I asked for an estimate on the repair. I wanted to know if it was worth it for me to do the repair myself. I was not given a written estimate, only a verbal estimate. The verbal estimate was a little higher than I wanted to pay but not outrageous so I said OK to proceed. I came back a week later to pick up my M3 and I am handed a bill for double what the shop owner quoted me the week previously! Then he tells me my car won't run!! He tells me I have to pay another $1,500 for a new HFM and DME!!! He explains that it was just a coincident that both the HFM and DME failed at the same time while my car was on his lift - just my bad luck. I had no choice but to agree to replace the HFM and DME. I planned to hire an attorney and sue for damages. Well, I'm sure the shop owner got my implication. The next day, he calls me up to say my M3 is fixed. The HFM and DME were fine. The idiot mechanic had left the PCV hose unattached at the manifold causing the DME to go into "limp home" mode and throw a check engine light. To top things off, the mechanic gouged the hell out of my plastic radiator cover defacing it. Plus he intentionally spilled gasoline and/or antifreeze INSIDE my cabin! It quickly gave me a headache just sitting in the car. It still smells 2 months later. But that was not the end of the fraud. I immediately noticed driving my M3 that it has no power below 2,000 rpm. It could not even idle at stop lights unless I gave it gas. I drove the car for less than 30 miles and the check engine light comes on again. Now what?! Back to Autoscope and now they diagnosis a faulty oxygen sensor. It is premature for my O2 sensor to fail but it is at least believable. I know I would have to replace the O2 sensor eventually. Shop owner offers to replace my O2 sensor for his part cost only, no labor charge. Would you believe he paid $258 for an O2 sensor? Me neither but that is what he charged me additionally. Needless to say, Autoscope will never see my cars again. Back on topic: The differential on my M3 has made clunking noises from Day 1, over 8 years now, whenever I make slow, sharp turns. It makes noise every time I drive into my driveway. I have not noticed any more frequent or severe occurrence of noises since I put in the 75W/90NS gear oil. And I have not noticed any more lock up either. I used our recent snow storm to test it. I swept snow off half of the driveway and backed my M3 out with the right wheels on snow and the left wheels on wet concrete. Just backing the car out packed the snow into ice. When I tried to go forward, back into the garage, nothing - I couldn't move an inch. I even shifted into 2nd gear and took the speedometer up to 40 mph. I still could not move forward, all the power was going to the wheel on ice. So I don't have any lock up in my differential, even with NS formulated gear oil. Lowell Seaton '95 M3/2 Dallas, Texas ---------------------------------------- jcepale@yahoo.com writes: > Lowell mentioned he's running Redline 75W/90NS gear > oil. I accidentally used that the last time I changed > my diff oil. I was thinking "no traction control" on > my '95 when I bought it. > > Anyway, I had the car into the shop (Autoscope) a few > hundred miles later, tracking down a clunk noise in > the rear. It was unrelated to the diff, but while > searching the techs noticed a noise coming from the > diff and asked me what kind of gear oil I had in > there. When I told them it was the non-slip oil, they > were said "Get that out of there ASAP! These diffs > NEED the gear oil for the limited slip." > > They basically said the NS stuff will kill the diff. > Luckily (I hope) I'd only had the stuff in for about > 300 miles. I flushed the diff and put in the > 'regular' Redline 75W/90 gear oil that night. > > Jon >
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#3. Hello chaps and chappettes - from Graeme Weston-Lewis
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Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 15:34:21 -0700 From: "Graeme Weston-Lewis" <gweston@lsil.com> Subject: Hello chaps and chappettes Proud owner of a new (to me) '97 M3. I sold my '90 E34 535i and picked up this beauty at my local BMW dealer. My 535 was a nice car, but this is another world altogether! Graeme http://gwl.rmsolo.org/M3-4
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#4. RE: [E36M3] Transmission Lubricant? - from Michael Lawrence
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Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 17:35:45 -0500 From: "Michael Lawrence" <95m3ltw@comcast.net> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Transmission Lubricant? My experience from using the following in 2 different 95 M3s Redline MTL MT-90, In the mild winters of the Southeast US, it resulted in a stiffer shift, which improved after 5-10mins. Sometimes I had a hard time getting the car into reverse in the winter months. Also, after a period of 3-5 months (3000-5000) miles, the difference between stock fluid and Redline would disappear. When the Redline fluid was new and warm, shifting was quite nice, but that worsened over time. Mobile 1 ATF. IMO, best fluid for a daily driven M3 out there. I believe it provides the best shift of the 3 I have tried. Also, Mobile 1 does not seem to lose that smoothness over time. It is as smooth the day you change it as the day going in. Redline ATF. It shifted smoothly when new, but over a period of time, transmission started to rattle and lost that smoothness. Doesn't compare to Mobile 1. Have not tried Royal Purple, have heard good things though. All of the folks that drive BMWs and have tried Mobile 1 that I know personally, stayed with Mobile 1 claiming it provided the smoothness they were looking for without the cold weather issues of Redline. YMMV Mike
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#5. RE: [E36M3] FAQ - from Dorffer, Rich
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Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 18:54:10 -0500 From: "Dorffer, Rich" <RDORFFER@CleIndians.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] FAQ Rich Dorffer wrote: > Someone really needs to pull together an E36 FAQ. Bob wrote: > I've found these useful in my learning quest: > http://bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/forums/e36/forum.php?postid=4438155 Hadn't seen this, pretty funny though. > http://eurospeed.org/e36m3faq.pdf Yes, this is a nice top line summary. > Are there any other useful E36M3 FAQ references out there? Not that I am aware of. I posted my comment in a rhetorical way since there are enough questions asked with frequency that they could all be put in one FAQ. On a related not, does anyone have some good sources for an E36 M3 pre-purchase inspection list? I have many items floating around in my head but a list is always good as a refresher. Later, Rich
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#6. RE: [E36M3] Transmission Lubricant? - from Mel Silva
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Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 18:33:18 -0600 From: "Mel Silva" <melsilva@mindspring.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Transmission Lubricant? I have and will continue to use nothing but Amsoil products. I have noticed a significant reduction in noise, vibration and temperature in all vehicles I have put it in, including the M3. If you do the research and look at all the data that's out there, it was very clear to me that and since then my choice has always been Amsoil. Some of you are now beginning to grumble, "sure, he says that because he's an Amsoil dealer". Let me defend my position by saying that I became a dealer after using the product for two years, and couldn't find any place to buy it near my new home. Someone else on this list did a very thorough write-up on oils and came to the same conclusion, but I can't seem to find the archived message. Mel Houston, TX '97 M3/4 Penny www.melsilva.net
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#7. Re: [E36M3] Hello chaps and chappettes - from ChuckBrazeau@aol.com
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Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 20:08:44 -0500 From: ChuckBrazeau@aol.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] Hello chaps and chappettes Welcome Graeme! Very nice M3/4! :-) Chuck Brazeau 1995 BMW M3 - Violet on Black SCCA Solo2 - Street Modified #95 http://www.brazeauracing.com/ In a message dated 2/25/2004 5:44:54 PM Eastern Standard Time, gweston@lsil.com writes: > Proud owner of a new (to me) '97 M3. I sold my '90 E34 535i and > picked up this beauty at my local BMW dealer. My 535 was a > nice > car, but this is another world altogether! > Graeme > http://gwl.rmsolo.org/M3-4
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#8. Re: [E36M3] Transmission Lubricant? - from Kent L. Shephard
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Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 17:25:04 -0800 From: "Kent L. Shephard" <kents@kls-consulting.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Transmission Lubricant? As a side note: I've been an Amsoil Dealer for about 8 years. I don't put anything else in my cars including the anti-freeze. I was wondering about the tranny and will probably go with Amsoil gear oil and not the synthetic ATF. The gear oil like the BMW synthetic product is a lifetime fill. Yea, who believes lifetime fill? I did it on my E30 M3 8 years ago. Never a sound out of the gearbox. Kent Mel Silva wrote: >Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 18:33:18 -0600 >From: "Mel Silva" <melsilva@mindspring.com> >Subject: RE: [E36M3] Transmission Lubricant? > > >I have and will continue to use nothing but Amsoil products. I have noticed >a significant reduction in noise, vibration and temperature in all vehicles >I have put it in, including the M3. If you do the research and look at all >the data that's out there, it was very clear to me that and since then my >choice has always been Amsoil. Some of you are now beginning to grumble, >"sure, he says that because he's an Amsoil dealer". Let me defend my >position by saying that I became a dealer after using the product for two >years, and couldn't find any place to buy it near my new home. Someone else >on this list did a very thorough write-up on oils and came to the same >conclusion, but I can't seem to find the archived message. > >Mel >Houston, TX >'97 M3/4 Penny >www.melsilva.net > > > > > > >************************************************* >Please help support the E36M3 list by visiting our sponsors: >Taylor Autosport http://www.taylorautosport.com >Rogue Engineering http://www.rogueengineering.com >BMW M3 Specialties http://www.jt-designs.com >Bimmerworld http://www.bimmerworld.com >Turner Motorsport http://www.turnermotorsport.com >Eurosport High Performance http://www.eurosporthighperformance.com > >DIGEST INFORMATION: >http://www.bmw-m.net/resources/digest_info.htm >************************************************* > > > > >
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#9. Re: [E36M3] why use full synthetic oil ?? - from H26C@aol.com
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Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 20:47:47 EST From: H26C@aol.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] why use full synthetic oil ?? The main reason BMW mandates synthetic oil is that they are able to extend the service intervals. Why do they want to do that? Well, they are now paying for it! It is as simple as that. Personally, I would use synthetic, and I do, in every vehicle I own just because it has superior lubricating abilities. That however, is NOT why BMW recommends it. Leif
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#10. Re: Bridgestone RE750s? - from Kevin McLeaster
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Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 23:24:43 -0500 From: Kevin McLeaster <kmcleaster@iquest.net> Subject: Re: Bridgestone RE750s? I've had RE750's on my '95M3 since June. (Well the snow are still on right now, but will be coming off soon.) Overall, I'm pleased with the 750's. They are supposed to be quieter than the 730's and seem to handle about the same. Perhaps a little better in the wet. We'll see about the noise. So far they are quiet, but the 730's at half tread were much nosier than my older Blizzaks that I have on now. I actually thought my wheel bearings were shot until I put the snows on and the noise went away. I got about 32,000 miles out of the 730's, which is about two years for me. This mileage included about 6 autocrosses. I expect to do about the same with the 750's. Kevin D. McLeaster WB9HMI '95 M3 Arctic Silver