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#1. dealer probs - from driver8 ///M3
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Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 08:10:17 -0700 (PDT) From: driver8 ///M3 <driver8m3@yahoo.com> Subject: dealer probs took my car to VOB in rockville, md for an alignment and shocks a few weeks ago. a few days ago i finally got back a rim the i had to have to straightened (was already off the car when i took the car to VOB), so i had to remove my wheels (i was also planning to rotate the tires, so i had to take them all off). getting some of the lug bolts off was tough. i actually bent the bmw lug wrench trying to get them off. now, that thing isnt the toughest thing i've ever seen, but it takes quite a bit of force to actually bend it. any thoughts on potential damage to the rotors from over-torquing the lug bolts? thanks! russell
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#2. Re: CEL, OBC, MPG, OBD, O2... - from Neil Maller
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Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 10:19:10 -0500 From: Neil Maller <neil.maller@gte.net> Subject: Re: CEL, OBC, MPG, OBD, O2... on 4/21/04 9:56 AM, "Som Naderi" <som@dimensionracing.com> wrote: > I've come across a problem that I'm hoping someone here can help me > understand/resolve quickly. I'm going to give the short of it first. If > you're interested in helping and feel more information is necessary, I'm > giving the long of it, too. > > Short: > > I've noticed a dramatic decrease in my fuel efficiency during my last fillup > (~22-24 down to 17 MPG). My CEL had come on a few weeks ago <big ass snip> Som, You're wasting your time trying to guess why the light is on. Get the code read and find out for sure. Possible causes for your decrease in mpg, given what you reported: 1) You are in fact losing fuel. If you smell it inside the car it's usually leaking from one of the pump/level sender gaskets under the rear seat base. It doesn't seem likely that you'd lose enough to affect fuel consumption measurably. 2) Oxygen sensors need to be replaced. Get the code read. Neil 96 M3
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#3. Re: [E36M3] dealer probs - from Chester Wong
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Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 08:26:28 -0700 (PDT) From: Chester Wong <chester_p_wong@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] dealer probs I don't think the rotors would have been damaged. We're talking steel vs. aluminum wheels ;) Chester --- driver8 ///M3 <driver8m3@yahoo.com> wrote: > actually bent the bmw lug wrench trying to get them off. now, that thing > isnt the toughest thing i've ever seen, but it takes quite a bit of force > to actually bend it. any thoughts on potential damage to the rotors from > over-torquing the lug bolts? =====
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#4. Report - Not much to report (but long anyhow) - from Neil Maller
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Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 10:26:50 -0500 From: Neil Maller <neil.maller@gte.net> Subject: Report - Not much to report (but long anyhow) I did several stealthy mods just before our first track event this year, which took place this past weekend at Putnam Park, near Indianapolis. We had truly spectacular weather, with clear skies and temperatures in the low 80s for all three days. Yes, yes, I know you Southerners and Californicators are snickering at my enthusiasm, but in past years we've sometimes suffered through near freezing temperatures and even snow flurries. Understand that here in the Midwest we're pathetically grateful for whatever kind of decent spring weather we can get. I say "not much to report" because by their nature the following mods are deemed successful when nothing happens. All involved substantial front end disassembly, so I did them together. Checking the Notorious Oil Pump Nut =================================== This involves dropping the front subframe to remove the oil pan, which is a major pain using jackstands and would have been much easier with a lift. Thanks to Chris for posting his procedure, even if a step or two was missing, see: http://m3.digital7.com/oilpumpnut.htm Because of the other work I was doing I completely removed the steering rack, PS pump and fluid reservoir (all together as a sealed group), the front subframe, control arms, and front swaybar. My oil pump nut turned out to be still securely in place, but I removed it, de-greased the threads with brake cleaner, and used high temp (450F) Permatex threadlocker to secure it. After torquing the nut to spec I lightly peened the end of the oil pump shaft over the nut with a punch. Baffled Oil Pan =============== E36 track junkies know that the engine is subject to oil starvation, evidenced by lifter noise when you come back into the pits at the end of a session. BMW knows this too, because they produced the dual pickup oil pump supplied as part of the trunk kit for the M3 Lightweight. However this kit is rare and expensive. Overfilling by 1-2 quarts of oil helps, but doesn't eliminate, the problem. As it long has for the E30 M3, Turner also offers an E36 baffle system ($199) to be welded inside the stock oil pan: http://www.turnermotorsport.com/html/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=TMSE36OPB I was lucky enough to stumble on a surplus oil pan ($450) from Turner with the baffles already installed and have been sitting on it since last year. Having another oil pan ready to bolt in obviously makes the process much less complicated. (If anyone want to go the same route, I have my take-off oil pan available for any reasonable offer. You could have the baffles welded in at your convenience, then resell your old one.) There are three baffle plates to be installed, each with little one-way rubber flapper valves to keep the oil in the pickup area. Once everything else is out of the way, removing and installing the oil pan is simple enough, although there sure are a lot of bolts. BTW, after 80K miles of daily driver use with lots of track days, the inside of the oil pan was clean as a whistle. Gotta love Mobil 1. I could detect no lifter noise after the track sessions, so this fix seems to work as advertised. Motor Mounts and Subframe ========================= The subframe has been reported to crack at the motor mount holes. For $45 Turner sells a weld-in kit: http://www.turnermotorsport.com/html/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=RE1809/10 It came with the sketchiest of instructions, and the parts that were supposed to fit inside the cupped mount area clearly didn't and weren't ever going to. The other reinforcements, which serve to box-in the same area were fine. I ended up using large backing washers to replace the non-fitting parts. Had I known in advance I could have fabricated something better, but at that point the car was in pieces and I needed to move on. I don't recommend this kit. While I was in the area (famous last words...) I had planned to replace the motor mounts with new stock parts. Good thing too, since the exhaust side one came out in two pieces. Driveline Stabilizer ==================== This is the product announced here by Bimmerworld a few weeks ago. See: http://www.bimmerworld.com then go to Online Catalog -> New Products. The DLS consists of an adjustable-length shaft with two spherical rod-ends, like an aftermarket front swaybar link except shorter. One end attaches to a bracket bolted to the engine block on the exhaust side, the other to a second bracket which has to be welded to the frame rail. The DLS limits the engine's ability to rock around the crank axis, and the idea is to reduce chances of the money shift by preventing unwanted movement of the shift gate. Welding on the frame rail bracket isn't too hard with the subframe off, although lying on my back and welding overhead I managed to set my sweatshirt on fire! (Sniff, sniff - what's that scorching smell? Oh sh!t...) Allegedly it can be welded from in front with the bumper off. Maybe, but I sure wouldn't want to try. Figure on substantial disassembly. I found the stay shaft to be about 1/2" too long, even with the adjustment at minimum, and had to cut it. Once installed it's a very tidy and unobtrusive fit, and clearly will serve its purpose. Despite the solid mount I really didn't notice any extra vibration. However my car has coilovers with 450 lb springs in front, so it isn't the most refined at the best of times. I think this is a good product, although obviously suited only for the more hardcore track junkie due to its non-trivial installation procedure. Tie Rods ======== Oh yeah, that's another "while you're in the neighborhood" thing. My tie rods showed only a little play at the inner ball joints but quite a lot of corrosion in the threads, making adjustment harder than it should be. I installed new ones, complete with anti-seize on the threads. The job is straightforward, but you do need a thin 32mm wrench. Did I already have one? Nah, of course not. Conclusion ========== As I said, not much to report: the oil pump nut didn't fall off, my engine didn't suffer from oil starvation, the subframe isn't cracked, the engine mounts aren't broken (any more), I didn't miss a shift, and the tie rods are still tied. Lastly and most fun, the Eurosport/Conforti OBD-II Cam System put in last year still makes my car run like a raped ape! Neil 96 M3
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#5. SRS fault codes - from Chester Wong
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Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 08:29:14 -0700 (PDT) From: Chester Wong <chester_p_wong@yahoo.com> Subject: SRS fault codes Anyone know what code 02 and 04 are for a '99 M3 using the SRS reader? Those damned manuals....so easy to lose!!! ARGH! TIA, Chester =====
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#6. Re: [E36M3] dealer probs - from hcprobst@nycap.rr.com
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Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 11:29:38 -0400 From: hcprobst@nycap.rr.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] dealer probs Not sure about the rotors but a good chance the lug bolts have been overtorqued. Had the same problem with mine and now I take my torque stick with me and watch him use it. When I get home I retorque with a torque wrench since I don't entirely trust the stick but it protects the bolts. Last time I had to stand on the end of my breaker bar and several times had to kind of jump up and down. Let's see, 18" breaker bar with about 300 lbs on the end. 450 lb-ft of torque instead of the specified 80. I think I need to replace the lug bolts too now that I think about it. Carey ----- Original Message ----- From: driver8 ///M3 <driver8m3@yahoo.com> Date: Wednesday, April 21, 2004 11:16 am Subject: [E36M3] dealer probs > Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 08:10:17 -0700 (PDT) > From: driver8 ///M3 <driver8m3@yahoo.com> > Subject: dealer probs > > took my car to VOB in rockville, md for an alignment and shocks a few > weeks ago. a few days ago i finally got back a rim the i had to > have to > straightened (was already off the car when i took the car to VOB), > so i > had to remove my wheels (i was also planning to rotate the tires, > so i had > to take them all off). getting some of the lug bolts off was > tough. i > actually bent the bmw lug wrench trying to get them off. now, > that thing > isnt the toughest thing i've ever seen, but it takes quite a bit > of force > to actually bend it. any thoughts on potential damage to the > rotors from > over-torquing the lug bolts? > > thanks! > > russell > > > ************************************************* > Please help support the E36M3 list by visiting our sponsors: > > Bimmerworld http://www.bimmerworld.com > Turner Motorsport http://www.turnermotorsport.com > Eurosport High Performance http://www.eurosporthighperformance.com > Rogue Engineering http://www.rogueengineering.com > > DIGEST INFORMATION: > http://www.bmw-m.net/resources/digest_info.htm > ************************************************* > > >
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#7. Dual-Pump Install Write-up Updated w/Drawing - from Andrew Kalman
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Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 09:50:06 -0700 From: Andrew Kalman <aek@pumpkininc.com> Subject: Dual-Pump Install Write-up Updated w/Drawing Hi All. Just a quick note to mention that the popular "Avoiding Fuel Starvation in the BMW E36 M3 via the Installation of Twin Fuel Pumps" write-up at http://www.pumpkininc.com/content/doc/guide/ag-8.pdf now contains (at the very end) a fab drawing to help people make the required 8mm-to-12mm adapters. I got tired of people asking me for fab instructions ... Enjoy, -- ______________________________________ Andrew E. Kalman, Ph.D. aek@pumpkininc.com
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#8. Re: [E36M3] dealer probs - from driver8 ///M3
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Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 10:09:32 -0700 (PDT) From: driver8 ///M3 <driver8m3@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] dealer probs thanks all for the responses. i am still getting vibration on braking. its weird, sometimes its there, and its bad, other times its gone and braking is smooth. my 2 front wheels/tires were just force balanced (long story: 1 rear tire got ruined, so i bought 2 new ones, turned out that one of the rear rims was bent. got it straightened, mounted and balanced the 2 new tires, and moved them to the front). next step is to get the rears balanced. the vibration didnt change noticably after putting the newly balanced tires on the front. russell --- hcprobst@nycap.rr.com wrote: > Not sure about the rotors but a good chance the lug bolts have been > overtorqued. > > Had the same problem with mine and now I take my torque stick with me > and watch him use it. When I get home I retorque with a torque wrench > since I don't entirely trust the stick but it protects the bolts. > > Last time I had to stand on the end of my breaker bar and several times > had to kind of jump up and down. > > Let's see, 18" breaker bar with about 300 lbs on the end. 450 lb-ft of > torque instead of the specified 80. > > I think I need to replace the lug bolts too now that I think about it. > > Carey > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: driver8 ///M3 <driver8m3@yahoo.com> > Date: Wednesday, April 21, 2004 11:16 am > Subject: [E36M3] dealer probs > > > Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 08:10:17 -0700 (PDT) > > From: driver8 ///M3 <driver8m3@yahoo.com> > > Subject: dealer probs > > > > took my car to VOB in rockville, md for an alignment and shocks a few > > weeks ago. a few days ago i finally got back a rim the i had to > > have to > > straightened (was already off the car when i took the car to VOB), > > so i > > had to remove my wheels (i was also planning to rotate the tires, > > so i had > > to take them all off). getting some of the lug bolts off was > > tough. i > > actually bent the bmw lug wrench trying to get them off. now, > > that thing > > isnt the toughest thing i've ever seen, but it takes quite a bit > > of force > > to actually bend it. any thoughts on potential damage to the > > rotors from > > over-torquing the lug bolts? > > > > thanks! > > > > russell > > > > > > ************************************************* > > Please help support the E36M3 list by visiting our sponsors: > > > > Bimmerworld http://www.bimmerworld.com > > Turner Motorsport http://www.turnermotorsport.com > > Eurosport High Performance http://www.eurosporthighperformance.com > > Rogue Engineering http://www.rogueengineering.com > > > > DIGEST INFORMATION: > > http://www.bmw-m.net/resources/digest_info.htm > > ************************************************* > > > > > > >
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#9. Re: [E36M3] Dual-Pump Install Write-up Updated w/Drawing - from Andrew Kalman
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Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 11:40:48 -0700 From: Andrew Kalman <aek@pumpkininc.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Dual-Pump Install Write-up Updated w/Drawing Re: >In a message dated 4/21/2004 11:57:24 AM Central Daylight Time, >aek@pumpkininc.com writes: > >www.pumpkininc.com/content/doc/guide/ag-8.pdf > >I tried to link to the guide but it did not work. An adobe screen >popped up and then closed and I had a blank screen. > The link is correct, it works fine here (Mac and PC) and the doc is built with Acrobat 4, so there shouldn't be any compatibility issues (Acrobat is at v6 right now). I suspect it may be your computer having a hard time with the filesize (it's 1MB). Try Save File As ... and then open it locally ... -- ______________________________________ Andrew E. Kalman, Ph.D. aek@pumpkininc.com
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#10. HVAC Whistle - from JUSTIN GERRY
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Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 14:57:40 -0400 From: "JUSTIN GERRY" <JGERRY@butchers.com> Subject: HVAC Whistle Searched around for this but I've found nothing.... My HVAC makes a whistling noise, it can occur at any temp setting, and the fan only slightly changes the pitch of the noise, and its intermittent, though it seems to happen more so when the car is first started (it does not matter if the engine is warm or cold). Its not an AC issue, as it happens whether the AC system is on or off. Its not a heat issue either, it occurs on full hot or cold, though the amount and duration of the whistling does change based on the temp setting (but no real pattern can be noted). Usually the sequence is: whistle.........clunk (perhaps a flap opening or closing??)... and silence (just normal airflow).... This may repeat itself at various intervals. The noise is still there with the engine off and just running the HVAC, so I do not believe its the rear main seal leak or even anything else motor related. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know. The whistling is driving me crazy. Thanks, Justin -- '76 02 '97 m3 bmw cca checkout http://www.bmw2002.net