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#1. Re: [E36M3] Barely passed CA smog - from Kent Shephard
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Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 10:18:15 -0700 From: Kent Shephard <Kents@kls-consulting.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Barely passed CA smog Actually, I take mine to the dealer for smog and leave it. Weatherford BMW in Berkeley, knows they must be hot to pass. A little more expensive than your typical corner outfit, but definitely worth the $150 to avoid a failing test. Kent Shephard kents@kshephard.com On Oct 10, 2006, at 11:36 PM, Dave DeBuhr wrote: > Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2006 23:33:54 -0700 > From: "Dave DeBuhr" <debuhr@comcast.net> > Subject: RE: [E36M3] Barely passed CA smog > > Yeah, get the motor nice and hot and let it idle while you wait for > the > test. That makes a big difference. Don't take it to a place where you > have to leave it. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Scott M [mailto:smlists@pacbell.net] > Sent: Tuesday, October 10, 2006 10:06 PM > To: E36M3 > Subject: Re: [E36M3] Barely passed CA smog > > > Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2006 21:44:35 -0700 > From: Scott M <smlists@pacbell.net> > Subject: Re: [E36M3] Barely passed CA smog > > Typically the cats. Also, M3's tend to be very dirty. I failed the > test once with a '98 with 45K miles on it. I had to drive it around > on the freeway for a while to heat up the cats, then brought it > straight in for the test w/o letting the car sit. Passed easily > then. Probably yours is in the same boat - maybe sat for awhile > before the test? Also, 95K miles and 10+ years on the original cat > probably needs to be replaced. Figure on the list sometime in the > next two years before you have to smog it again. > > Scott > > > > > > ************************************************* > 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 > Treehouse Racing http://www.treehouseracing.com > Elephant Motorsports Inc. http://www.elephantmotorsports.com > > DIGEST INFORMATION: > http://www.bmw-m.net/resources/digest_info.htm > ************************************************* > >
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#2. Re: [E36M3] Barely passed CA smog - from Dave Thomas
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Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 10:40:00 -0700 From: Dave Thomas <dave@sasdatalink.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Barely passed CA smog On Tuesday 10 October 2006 11:36 pm, Dave DeBuhr wrote: > Yeah, get the motor nice and hot and let it idle while you wait for the > test. That makes a big difference. Don't take it to a place where you > have to leave it. I have a real good 'test only' station that I use...they take appointments and actually stick to the scheduled time. Usually I can just drive right up onto the machine. The lack of sitting around really helps older BMW's, my 85 325e with about 300K on its original cats will still pass with everything really hot. Dave
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#3. It just keeps leakin' -- now aluminum thermo housing? - from Scott
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Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 12:38:59 -0700 From: "Scott" <stiles_s@hotmail.com> Subject: It just keeps leakin' -- now aluminum thermo housing? Thanks to help from this list, I completed stage 2 of my cooling system refresh a couple weeks ago. I replaced what I thought was a leaky overflow tank with much cussing and spitting (because I suck at bmws :) ). Refresher: stage1 was hoses, radiator, thermostat and aluminum housing. Well, it's still leaking. In fact, now that other exit routes for coolant are plugged, it appears that it's finding new ways to daylight. I had a bit of coolant splattered around in the engine bay, and think I've tracked it to a seeping thermostat housing. I can see caked blue coolant around the perimeter of the housing, and a little puddle where the top of the housing is indented for the top bolt. - housing was torqued to spec - I used the o-rings provided -- a new paper gasket was not provided so one wasn't installed So, I've been doing a bit o' research on bimmerforums and it seems that folks are having issues w/these alu housings leaking. My questions are: - what's the general wisdom on the list re:these aluminum housings? Junk? Recommend the factory composite unit? Based on the current state, should i: - throw away the alu one and go OEM? - remove the alu one, install a paper gasket, maybe some form-a-gasket, and try to seal the sucker up? - just let it leak :) Thanks much, as always. Scott Oh, PS. The car still has the original water pump in it at 90k miles. No signs of leak, play or noise. Since I'm in the general vicinity, do people recommend replacing this at the same time I'm screwing w/the thermostat, or should I wait for signs of failure (which I'm guessing will be about a month from the time I fix the thermostat housing :) )
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#4. Re: It just keeps leakin' -- now aluminum thermo housing? - from Steve Klein
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Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 14:52:42 -0500 From: Steve Klein <s.klein@steveklein.cc> Subject: Re: It just keeps leakin' -- now aluminum thermo housing? I would replace it while you're there. The sign's of failure on the water pump are the failure itself which could leave you stranded. Good time to upgrade to the Stewart pump offered by list sponsors and put that worry behind you. Steve (gathering parts to replace the HG after my own water pump failure.) > Subject: It just keeps leakin' -- now aluminum thermo housing? > > > Oh, PS. The car still has the original water pump in it at 90k > miles. No > signs of leak, play or noise. Since I'm in the general vicinity, do > people > recommend replacing this at the same time I'm screwing w/the > thermostat, or > should I wait for signs of failure (which I'm guessing will be > about a month > from the time I fix the thermostat housing :) ) > >
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#5. Re: [E36M3] It just keeps leakin' -- now aluminum thermo housing? - from Jim Bassett
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Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 12:59:08 -0700 (PDT) From: "Jim Bassett" <jim@jimbassett.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] It just keeps leakin' -- now aluminum thermo housing? On Wed, October 11, 2006 12:46 pm, Scott said: > My questions are: > - what's the general wisdom on the list re:these aluminum housings? Junk? > Recommend the factory composite unit? I've had good luck with the 2 alum housings I have (one in each car :-)). However, recently both showed signs of leakage/seekage, so I replaced the rubber gasket (and thermostat while I was there). The old ones were definitely less-pliable than the new ones, so I suspect is was just age that caused the gaskets to not seal as well <shrug>. (FWIW, I had a similar issue with the rubber gasket in the oil filter housing on the M3 - replaced the gasket and all is well.) I'd say just make sure you have a brand-new rubber gasket, that all the mating surfaces on the housing & head are clean, and reinstall. Both of mine have been leak-free <knock on wood> since the gasket replacement a couple of months ago. > Oh, PS. The car still has the original water pump in it at 90k miles. No > signs of leak, play or noise. Since I'm in the general vicinity, do people > recommend replacing this at the same time I'm screwing w/the thermostat, Yes! Jim Bassett 1998 M3/4 1993 325is #44 JP
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#6. RE: [E36M3] It just keeps leakin' -- now aluminum thermo housing? - from Goss, Patrick - PA
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Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 15:04:57 -0500 From: "Goss, Patrick - PA" <Patrick.Goss@GMACM.COM> Subject: RE: [E36M3] It just keeps leakin' -- now aluminum thermo housing? Where did you get the aluminum housing? Can you exchange it, perhaps some minor porosity is the problem. I might expect this of some of the ones sold on ebay and other unwarranted sources. Our list vendors will certainly stand behind their parts. If your stuck just rtv it and watch it, but that's sorta against the whole point of replacing the composite one in the first place. Generally pumps are replaced before 90K due to prevention, or failure. If you have a metal impeller in there already then feel good that it's already been replaced. You may very well have a spot welded impeller which as I understand people get much better mileage out of. BTW Stewart makes a nascar quality replacement hi flow pump now albeit more $$. Patrick Goss 97 m3/4 pulled pump and found a spot-welded impeller, after close inspection I put it back in, 98.5K orig now and no issues. -----Original Message----- From: Scott [mailto:stiles_s@hotmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2006 3:46 PM To: E36M3 Subject: [E36M3] It just keeps leakin' -- now aluminum thermo housing? Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 12:38:59 -0700 From: "Scott" <stiles_s@hotmail.com> Subject: It just keeps leakin' -- now aluminum thermo housing? Thanks to help from this list, I completed stage 2 of my cooling system refresh a couple weeks ago. I replaced what I thought was a leaky overflow tank with much cussing and spitting (because I suck at bmws :) ). Refresher: stage1 was hoses, radiator, thermostat and aluminum housing. Well, it's still leaking. In fact, now that other exit routes for coolant are plugged, it appears that it's finding new ways to daylight. I had a bit of coolant splattered around in the engine bay, and think I've tracked it to a seeping thermostat housing. I can see caked blue coolant around the perimeter of the housing, and a little puddle where the top of the housing is indented for the top bolt. - housing was torqued to spec - I used the o-rings provided -- a new paper gasket was not provided so one wasn't installed So, I've been doing a bit o' research on bimmerforums and it seems that folks are having issues w/these alu housings leaking. My questions are: - what's the general wisdom on the list re:these aluminum housings? Junk? Recommend the factory composite unit? Based on the current state, should i: - throw away the alu one and go OEM? - remove the alu one, install a paper gasket, maybe some form-a-gasket, and try to seal the sucker up? - just let it leak :) Thanks much, as always. Scott Oh, PS. The car still has the original water pump in it at 90k miles. No signs of leak, play or noise. Since I'm in the general vicinity, do people recommend replacing this at the same time I'm screwing w/the thermostat, or should I wait for signs of failure (which I'm guessing will be about a month from the time I fix the thermostat housing :) ) ************************************************* 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 Treehouse Racing http://www.treehouseracing.com Elephant Motorsports Inc. http://www.elephantmotorsports.com DIGEST INFORMATION: http://www.bmw-m.net/resources/digest_info.htm *************************************************
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#7. RE: [E36M3] It just keeps leakin' -- now aluminum thermo housing? - from Reed Nicholson
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Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 13:40:28 -0700 From: "Reed Nicholson" <reedthis@comcast.net> Subject: RE: [E36M3] It just keeps leakin' -- now aluminum thermo housing? My mechanic says he sees quite a few of the aluminum housings leaking. He thinks a bunch of them must have been sloppily manufactured. Reed/Seattle
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#8. RE: Subject: Need suggestions about antennae - from Grant Fairweather
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Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 20:56:10 +0000 From: Grant_f1@comcast.net (Grant Fairweather) Subject: RE: Subject: Need suggestions about antennae >My E36 has an after-market Clarion radio/CD player that has terrible reception I >think it is due to someone tearing the window tint from the rear window and >taking with it the antenna material. Is there a way to add one that WORKS? >I have purchased an after-market one that is not working well at all. I heard >that one of the other BMW's uses an antenna in the bumper? >Any help is appreciated ! >Keith. Poor reception (esp. AM) is notorious with aftermarket headunits, because full use of BMWs diversity antenna is not possible. That said, FM reception should not suffer to much, if at all. Here's a few suggestions for you: 1. Pull the C-Pillar covers and verify that the AM and FM leads still terminate into some sort of antenna in the window. If they were indeed removed along with the tint, then that's your reason for poor, or non-existent reception. 2. If antenna wiring is present and intact in the window, confirm that the antenna cables are tightly screwed onto their connections located in both rear C-Pillars. 3. If 1 and 2 are OK, verify that the antenna wire is properly seated into the back of your Clarion. 4. If 1, 2, and 3 are OK, verify that the Clarion was properly wired to the amp..you want to power the factory antenna. I have had poor experiences with in-the-car powered antennas too, so if all else fails, you might want to consider an external, fender-mounted antenna (BMW 'verts use these). Grant 98 M3/4 Mundelein, Il
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#9. Dealer codes - from Bill Sharp
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Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 15:57:33 -0500 From: Bill Sharp <M3@cueframe.us> Subject: Dealer codes I've got the printout of things that have been done to the car and have looked up all the codes that tell me what happened. What I can't find are the five digit dealer codes that would tell me where the car was serviced. Can anyone help? They are: 26840 42111 36890 Thanks, Bill
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#10. Anyone Interested in my '97 M3? - from Jay Kenty
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Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 20:43:27 -0400 From: Jay Kenty <jaykenty@cox.net> Subject: Anyone Interested in my '97 M3? I LOVE this car, but I have one extra BMW. Here's the background. My wife had a (left) knee operation, so we had to replace her '01 525i 5-speed with an automatic ('03 525i). So I put the '01 525i up for sale (http://rides.webshots.com/album/553868851mtQUQm), but so far no one seems to want a 5-series with a manual transmission. I do like the car, so I might be willing to part with my E36 M3 instead. The car is dead stock (except for replacement of the lux grill slats with basic honeycomb insert). A few details: '97 M3, 140K (approx), lux package, factory spoiler, good Pilot Sports on M-Contours, staggered wheel setup. No mods, no CD- just your basic (but with a beautiful lux interior) M3. This car is a daily driver and is not perfect- some paint chipping at the nose, usual E36 maladies such as dim radio display (who needs a radio with that engine), windows that don't always go all the way up on one-touch (but do go up if you hold the switch a couple of seconds). But it is a good solid car and of course is a blast to drive. I am the second owner- purchased in 1999 with 48K miles. No racing or even autocrossing. Good candidate for upgrades/mods. I'd take $9100 for it. (RI) Of course you can buy the 5-er for $15,100, and then I can keep my M3! Jay Kenty '01 525i (stick) (extra BMW maybe) '03 525ia (a beauty- wife's car) '97 E36M3 (extra BMW maybe) '94 E34 525iT (workhorse)