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#1. RE: [E36M3] Re: Battery/Alternator - from Mike Frank
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Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:38:11 -0400 From: "Mike Frank" <mfrank28@insightbb.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Re: Battery/Alternator Hi Shane, I think you've already received a lot of good feedback from others, so I'll try to be brief. My initial thought was battery, but it sounds like you're chasing a slow power draw (possibly a charging issue, but the alternator is new, right?). FWIW, my 97 M3 has been on winter vacation since I bought it new, and I've never had any dead batteries after extended periods of non-use. I'd consider your current battery to be suspect if it's been discharged twice, so this doesn't help your diagnostic cause. Having the radio cut out when you hit the high beams obviously isn't a feature, but could be a symptom of an undercharged battery (or an alternator not working properly). Is the radio aftermarket? I have a buddy who was losing hair over a similar "dead battery" problem and it turned out to be an abnormally high draw from the headunit when the car was off. Easy fix. New radio. I'd check the draw on that circuit first. Then look for the trunk light that doesn't go off. :) A little detective work goes a long way. I always ask myself what has happened/changed recently that might be causing the problem. Same as I do when people ask for PC help. If I had a dime for every time I heard, "the problem just started, I didn't do anything". A few questions later I find out it was dropped in the pool the other day. :) You didn't pull a "Risky Business" lately? HTH, Mike > -----Original Message----- > Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:11:23 -0700 (PDT) > From: Shane Kleinpeter <sak335@yahoo.com> > Subject: Re: [E36M3] Re: Battery/Alternator > > OK, I had pretty much the exact experience, including > melting the leads to one of my multimeters. I've > pretty much been convinced to buy a battery tender and > forget about it. > > There is a part of me that hates being defeated by a > stupid car, but at this point I don't have the time to > invest. > > I'm going to check grounds and the water in the > battery to make sure but otherwise I'm going to wait > for whatever is wrong to fail completely. > > Shane > > > --- loweseaton@aol.com wrote: > > > Shane, > > > > OK, then I think you are at the point I was trying > > to diagnosis a low current drain.? I don't have much > > help there, just cautions.? If your dealership > > charges $90/hr, that is cheap.? Last time I checked > > our local dealers (2 years ago), they were at > > $135/hr.? I'm sure the current rate is over $160/hr > > by now.? Even my preferred local independent was > > $95/hr three years ago so I'm sure he is way over > > $100/hr now.? My preferred independent shop warned > > me that tracking down a low current drain is not > > easy and could get expensive.? He said it might be > > an hour or it might be 20 hrs labor.? I did the math > > - 20 x $95 = $1,900.? I bought a battery trickle > > charger for $17 instead and used it for 2 years.
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#2. Re: [E36M3] OBDI/ii - from Mark D
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Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:32:49 -0400 From: Mark D <mdlkml@atari-source.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] OBDI/ii Yeah, I've seen this in photos. My car doesn't have it. There's no door or cover or anything. No port whatsoever. Thanks, Mark marty wrote: > Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:13:25 -0400 > From: marty <mfraiser@earthlink.net> > Subject: Re: [E36M3] OBDI/ii > > hi Mark, > > The round thing under the hood is the proprietary BMW diagnostic > port. Your standard OBDII connector is near the chime in the upper > driver footwell panel. There's a rectangular cover to the outside of > the chime, close to the hood release, under which the OBD connector is > hiding. The cover is helpfully marked OBD and is easily removed. At > least that's the way it is in my '96. > > marty > > Mark D wrote: >> Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:19:46 -0400 >> From: Mark D <mdlkml@atari-source.com> >> Subject: OBDI/ii >> >> Hey guys, >> >> I have a 1996 M3. Some people refer to the round engine compartment >> connector as an OBD1 port however my mechanic informed me that >> despite the strange port it is in fact an OBD2 car since it was made >> after 1996. Of course everyone everywhere notes the differences >> between 1995 and 1996 and my car is in fact an OBD2 car with the 4 o2 >> sensors, etc. >> >> There's an abundance of cool tools and things that plug into a >> standard OBD2 port that will not work on the round port. As far as I >> can find, I do not have a standard OBD2 port under my dash. I've >> taken the panel off and reached around. There's a round thing in >> there but it seems like the speaker/buzzer for the headlights. >> So does anyone know if it's possible to get diag info from in car on >> the 1996 and is it possible to adapt the round port to standard OBD2 >> port so that I can use these devices (data loggers, troubleshooters, >> etc). >> >> Thanks, >> Mark >>
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#3. RE: [E36M3] help me calculate the cost of "finishing" my m3 - from Scott
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Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:29:46 -0700 From: "Scott" <stiles_s@hotmail.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] help me calculate the cost of "finishing" my m3 Thanks for the reply Mark! Are you estimating 2-3k for the rear "squishy bits" replacement @ a shop? It feels like one of those that's going to be hugely labor intensive. Great candidate for DIY if one has the time (which I don't right now)... o2 sensors: done, shocks: done, air-injection pump: not yet, obc: not yet. I get your point, though. I've just scratched the surface of the list of things that *could* go wrong. Used german cars can be torture for "worriers" like myself :) I've driven lots of potential replacements recently and I agree w/you that most of them have a tough time comparing to a well sorted e36 m3. New gti: fail (fwd) 335i: fail (heavy) Mx5: fail (close, though) C6 vette: fail (also very close) New M3: I'm just not that into you -- not sure why... Boxster s: pass. Loved it. 997: pass. Ditto. I know from experience that a new Porsche can be big $$ depreciation-wise. I owned a 2003 911 for 2.5yrs (bought new) and it depreciated 20k (and blew a gearbox under warranty) during that time. That could fund a *whale* of a lot of M3 maintenance. In fact, it would be kind of fun to think about what I could do to the M3 w/$20k. Hmmm... Thanks for the thoughts, Scott Stiles. -----Original Message----- From: Mark D [mailto:mdlkml@atari-source.com] Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 12:19 PM To: E36M3 Subject: Re: [E36M3] help me calculate the cost of "finishing" my m3 Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:11:42 -0400 From: Mark D <mdlkml@atari-source.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] help me calculate the cost of "finishing" my m3 Scott wrote: > Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 10:27:43 -0700 > From: "Scott" <stiles_s@hotmail.com> > Subject: help me calculate the cost of "finishing" my m3 > > First, I think I'll head off the basic reply: it'll never be finished -- I > know. That said, there are some maintenance items I think I'm going to have > to take care of in the next 6mos or so and I'm worried about cost. I'm > trying to weigh the cost of keeping it vs buying something else. > > First, the car: '97 m3/2, 92k miles. I've done a ton of maintenance myself: > cooling system, steering res & hoses, all fluids, fuel filter, control arms, > shocks/struts, tie rods, front wheel bearings, front brakes, etc. Previous > owner did lcabs. > > Here are the things I'm worrying about, that I think are next on the list: > 1) clutch. It's sketchy on steep hills now. I think it's going to be time to > replace it soon. While I'm in there, linkage, guibo, tranny mounts, > driveshaft bearing. Etc. > 2) rear end bushings. The rear end wanders a bit -- doesn't feel solid. I'd > like to get all soft-parts replaced: ball joints, diff bushings, etc. > 3) sunroof is starting to clunk and groan quite a bit. Any preventative > maintenance I can do here? I'm lubing it. Not sure what else I can do but > pray. > > There's a different list of things that it would take to get it "right" > - front and rear bumper replacement and respray > - window rubber > - maybe a driver's seat leather refresh > - etc. > > Here's the rub. I don't' have the time to do the work myself anymore (kid, > work, etc.) so I'll need to pay an independent to do it. I have a couple > good ones locally (Seattle), but they aren't cheap. > > My questions for the group are: > 1) rough costs associated w/items 1-2 above? > 2) anything else I'm missing in terms of big $ maintenance items? > 3) I keep hearing that cars tank in value at 100k miles. Any truth to this? > Ballpark cost of me going 6-digits on the odo? > > 1. Highly depends on the area. I'd think clutch is around 4-6 hours labor + $700-$1000 parts and rear subframe bushings are a huge job. I'd save that until they're really bad and go with just rear ball joints and rear trailing arm bushings which I'd say fall into 2-3 hours + parts. Grand total estimate of $2000-$3000 but probably more if you do every ball joint, etc. 2. You're forgetting about O2 sensors (upwards of $350), air injection pump ($200+), shocks/struts ($300+), brakes ($1000+) and probably something else I've either replaced or going to replace. How is your climate control computer? They go and need worked on (not replaced). Your ignition coils could go and take out your DME (huge cost). We're all driving potential money pits if things don't go well and some of the most affordable cars on the road if things do. 3. M3's definitely do not tank in value after 100K. Couple thousand $ max. But you already spent that on maintenance. I've not seen many if any cars that hold their resale better. From what I've seen M3 buyers care about maintenance and care. > This is my second car, FWIW. I'm toying with a whole host of other cars to > replace it with (everything from a Miata to a 997). I'm probably still money > ahead keeping the thing on the road, but I realize that the maintenance $$ > aren't going to appreciably add to the value of the car in the used market. > In other words, they're sunk costs. Kind of like depreciation on a new car > :) > > If you go ahead with the maintenance keep it or list it high citing the maintenance. If you want to sell, don't do the maintenance and lowball it (considering still that you've done quite a bit of work already). If you keep it, you're falling down a slippery slope, but at nearly 200,000 miles and over $5K spent, I can't imagine driving another car and will likely put a new engine in once it can't pass emissions. I've pondered these decisions when comparing keeping mine versus buying a newer E36 versus buying an older E46 and I decided to just keep mine... Haven't regretted it so far. Still feels newer than my girlfriend's passat with 70,000 miles as long as I keep up with bushings and suspension. I'm not sure I'd keep it if I were paying someone else's labor prices. I'd probably go buy a civic Si or something. Parts are reasonable, labor isn't. My $0.02. PS: I don't know if you're like me but if you have access to other brands of cars, try to drive them a little before you decide to sell the m3. That's what convinced me to keep the m3 honestly. BMW cars are just better, especially a well cared for m3. Thanks, Mark ************************************************* 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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#4. RE: [E36M3] Re: Battery/Alternator - from Scott
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Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:36:58 -0700 From: "Scott" <stiles_s@hotmail.com> Subject: RE: [E36M3] Re: Battery/Alternator One more thing to check. I've heard legend that the wires that pass into the trunk lid through a rubber boot (driver's side, I think) can chafe and eventually start causing some really bizarre things to happen to the electrical system. I'd do a quick visual inspection of this boot and the associated wires. Worth a quick check. Scott. -----Original Message----- From: loweseaton@aol.com [mailto:loweseaton@aol.com] Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 1:19 PM To: E36M3 Subject: [E36M3] Re: Battery/Alternator Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:13:47 -0400 From: loweseaton@aol.com Subject: Re: Battery/Alternator Oh!? That was the other thing I was going to say.? Check the ground.? My mechanic says E36 cars are notorious for having bad/poor grounds.? The bolt can come loose or corroded, etc.? I put a second industrial strength (i.e., generic battery cable) on my car to make sure the ground was not at fault.? The stock ground is located near the right front wheel.? Be sure to check it or replace it and the attachment bolts.? It is an easy fix to try before you start spending money for diagnosis. Lowell '95 M3
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#5. Performance testing with Autoenginuity Speedtracer - from Rick Cooke
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Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 20:30:52 -0400 From: "Rick Cooke" <cooke.rick@gmail.com> Subject: Performance testing with Autoenginuity Speedtracer Has anyone done performance testing with the Autoenginuity OBD II scan tool? The software included with the Scantool is called Speedtracer and reportedly (http://www.autoenginuity.com/products-speedtracer1.html ) will test for torque and HP. Before I start modifying anything under the hood, I am wondering if this might be a way to test for changes. BTW, this is a fine tool for engine diagnostics. -- Rick -- Rick
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#6. Re: [E36M3] help me calculate the cost of "finishing" my m3 - from Mark D
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Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 21:24:06 -0400 From: Mark D <mdlkml@atari-source.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] help me calculate the cost of "finishing" my m3 My thought is based on just how many squishy bits there are back there. There's the rear subframe bushings which I would believe are a huge expense due to the requirement of dropping the entire rear subframe.... But even the other stuff, parts are in the hundreds, mechanics charge an awful lot for labor these days, and as I recall there's 2-4 bushings on each wheel in addition to the rear trailing arm bushings, in addition to the 2 rear differential bushings. I could see how if you got it all done at once, it could get expensive. Scott wrote: > Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:29:46 -0700 > From: "Scott" <stiles_s@hotmail.com> > Subject: RE: [E36M3] help me calculate the cost of "finishing" my m3 > > Thanks for the reply Mark! > > Are you estimating 2-3k for the rear "squishy bits" replacement @ a shop? It > feels like one of those that's going to be hugely labor intensive. Great > candidate for DIY if one has the time (which I don't right now)... > > o2 sensors: done, shocks: done, air-injection pump: not yet, obc: not yet. I > get your point, though. I've just scratched the surface of the list of > things that *could* go wrong. Used german cars can be torture for "worriers" > like myself :) > > I've driven lots of potential replacements recently and I agree w/you that > most of them have a tough time comparing to a well sorted e36 m3. > New gti: fail (fwd) > 335i: fail (heavy) > Mx5: fail (close, though) > C6 vette: fail (also very close) > New M3: I'm just not that into you -- not sure why... > Boxster s: pass. Loved it. > 997: pass. Ditto. > > I know from experience that a new Porsche can be big $$ depreciation-wise. I > owned a 2003 911 for 2.5yrs (bought new) and it depreciated 20k (and blew a > gearbox under warranty) during that time. That could fund a *whale* of a lot > of M3 maintenance. In fact, it would be kind of fun to think about what I > could do to the M3 w/$20k. Hmmm... > > Thanks for the thoughts, > Scott Stiles. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Mark D [mailto:mdlkml@atari-source.com] > Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 12:19 PM > To: E36M3 > Subject: Re: [E36M3] help me calculate the cost of "finishing" my m3 > > Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:11:42 -0400 > From: Mark D <mdlkml@atari-source.com> > Subject: Re: [E36M3] help me calculate the cost of "finishing" my m3 > > Scott wrote: > >> Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 10:27:43 -0700 >> From: "Scott" <stiles_s@hotmail.com> >> Subject: help me calculate the cost of "finishing" my m3 >> >> First, I think I'll head off the basic reply: it'll never be finished -- I >> know. That said, there are some maintenance items I think I'm going to >> > have > >> to take care of in the next 6mos or so and I'm worried about cost. I'm >> trying to weigh the cost of keeping it vs buying something else. >> >> First, the car: '97 m3/2, 92k miles. I've done a ton of maintenance >> > myself: > >> cooling system, steering res & hoses, all fluids, fuel filter, control >> > arms, > >> shocks/struts, tie rods, front wheel bearings, front brakes, etc. Previous >> owner did lcabs. >> >> Here are the things I'm worrying about, that I think are next on the list: >> 1) clutch. It's sketchy on steep hills now. I think it's going to be time >> > to > >> replace it soon. While I'm in there, linkage, guibo, tranny mounts, >> driveshaft bearing. Etc. >> 2) rear end bushings. The rear end wanders a bit -- doesn't feel solid. >> > I'd > >> like to get all soft-parts replaced: ball joints, diff bushings, etc. >> 3) sunroof is starting to clunk and groan quite a bit. Any preventative >> maintenance I can do here? I'm lubing it. Not sure what else I can do but >> pray. >> >> There's a different list of things that it would take to get it "right" >> - front and rear bumper replacement and respray >> - window rubber >> - maybe a driver's seat leather refresh >> - etc. >> >> Here's the rub. I don't' have the time to do the work myself anymore (kid, >> work, etc.) so I'll need to pay an independent to do it. I have a couple >> good ones locally (Seattle), but they aren't cheap. >> >> My questions for the group are: >> 1) rough costs associated w/items 1-2 above? >> 2) anything else I'm missing in terms of big $ maintenance items? >> 3) I keep hearing that cars tank in value at 100k miles. Any truth to >> > this? > >> Ballpark cost of me going 6-digits on the odo? >> >> >> > 1. Highly depends on the area. I'd think clutch is around 4-6 hours > labor + $700-$1000 parts and rear subframe bushings are a huge job. I'd > save that until they're really bad and go with just rear ball joints and > rear trailing arm bushings which I'd say fall into 2-3 hours + parts. > Grand total estimate of $2000-$3000 but probably more if you do every > ball joint, etc. > 2. You're forgetting about O2 sensors (upwards of $350), air injection > pump ($200+), shocks/struts ($300+), brakes ($1000+) and probably > something else I've either replaced or going to replace. How is your > climate control computer? They go and need worked on (not replaced). > Your ignition coils could go and take out your DME (huge cost). We're > all driving potential money pits if things don't go well and some of the > most affordable cars on the road if things do. > 3. M3's definitely do not tank in value after 100K. Couple thousand $ > max. But you already spent that on maintenance. I've not seen many if > any cars that hold their resale better. From what I've seen M3 buyers > care about maintenance and care. > > >> This is my second car, FWIW. I'm toying with a whole host of other cars to >> replace it with (everything from a Miata to a 997). I'm probably still >> > money > >> ahead keeping the thing on the road, but I realize that the maintenance $$ >> aren't going to appreciably add to the value of the car in the used >> > market. > >> In other words, they're sunk costs. Kind of like depreciation on a new car >> :) >> >> >> > If you go ahead with the maintenance keep it or list it high citing the > maintenance. If you want to sell, don't do the maintenance and lowball > it (considering still that you've done quite a bit of work already). If > you keep it, you're falling down a slippery slope, but at nearly 200,000 > miles and over $5K spent, I can't imagine driving another car and will > likely put a new engine in once it can't pass emissions. > > I've pondered these decisions when comparing keeping mine versus buying > a newer E36 versus buying an older E46 and I decided to just keep > mine... Haven't regretted it so far. Still feels newer than my > girlfriend's passat with 70,000 miles as long as I keep up with bushings > and suspension. > > I'm not sure I'd keep it if I were paying someone else's labor prices. > I'd probably go buy a civic Si or something. Parts are reasonable, > labor isn't. > > My $0.02. > > PS: I don't know if you're like me but if you have access to other > brands of cars, try to drive them a little before you decide to sell the > m3. That's what convinced me to keep the m3 honestly. BMW cars are > just better, especially a well cared for m3. > > Thanks, > Mark >
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#7. RE: [e36m3] Re: [E36M3] Re: Battery/Alternator - from Marco Romani
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Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:31:54 -0700 From: "Marco Romani" <marco@corsa-na.com> Subject: RE: [e36m3] Re: [E36M3] Re: Battery/Alternator Folks - please don't use a regular VM to measure currents much over 1 amp. You could hurt yourself. I've seen them explode when used improperly. Buy or borrow one of these http://www.professionalequipment.com/extech-ex830-clamp-meter-infrared-therm ometer-ex830/clamp-meters/ Marco -----Original Message----- From: Shane Kleinpeter [mailto:sak335@yahoo.com] Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 11:19 AM To: E36M3 Subject: [e36m3] Re: [E36M3] Re: Battery/Alternator Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:11:23 -0700 (PDT) From: Shane Kleinpeter <sak335@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Re: Battery/Alternator OK, I had pretty much the exact experience, including melting the leads to one of my multimeters. I've pretty much been convinced to buy a battery tender and forget about it. There is a part of me that hates being defeated by a stupid car, but at this point I don't have the time to invest. I'm going to check grounds and the water in the battery to make sure but otherwise I'm going to wait for whatever is wrong to fail completely. Shane --- loweseaton@aol.com wrote: > Shane, > > OK, then I think you are at the point I was trying > to diagnosis a low current drain.? I don't have much > help there, just cautions.? If your dealership > charges $90/hr, that is cheap.? Last time I checked > our local dealers (2 years ago), they were at > $135/hr.? I'm sure the current rate is over $160/hr > by now.? Even my preferred local independent was > $95/hr three years ago so I'm sure he is way over > $100/hr now.? My preferred independent shop warned > me that tracking down a low current drain is not > easy and could get expensive.? He said it might be > an hour or it might be 20 hrs labor.? I did the math > - 20 x $95 = $1,900.? I bought a battery trickle > charger for $17 instead and used it for 2 years. ____________________________________________________________________________ ________ Got a little couch potato? Check out fun summer activities for kids. http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=oni_on_mail&p=summer+activities+for+kids&c s=bz ************************************************* 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 ************************************************* No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.13.30/1030 - Release Date: 9/25/2007 8:02 AM
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#8. Re: [E36M3] Jacks - from Mdriver13@aol.com
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Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 22:35:46 EDT From: Mdriver13@aol.com Subject: Re: [E36M3] Jacks In a message dated 9/25/2007 3:25:49 PM Eastern Daylight Time, clopez98m3@gmail.com writes: I store mine open but only because the flux capacitor in my car sometimes changes the oil film thickness on the piston bearings, Yes, and let's not forget: PV=nrT Now you certainly must understand why open is best! BTW: this equation also works with the flux capacitor...in most cases. ;-)) cheers, Bob Gill 97 ///M3 coupe Philly Region SCCA 2005 / 2006 Philly Region BSP Champion Sponsored by Wheel Collision Center & Rogue Engineering ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
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#9. What acts like blown head gasket, but isn't? - from Peter Loron
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Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 23:43:19 -0700 From: "Peter Loron" <peterloron@gmail.com> Subject: What acts like blown head gasket, but isn't? I need help diagnosing a problem (or problems) with my 98 M3/4. Several months ago, the head developed a crack in the #3 plug well. I tore the engine down and had the head welded up. After putting things back together, the engine ran fine for a few weeks, except for having a rough idle. When putting the head back on, I also replaced the radiator, the main rad hoses, thermostat, and the expansion tank. After a few weeks, I had a problem with the car overheating twice. It never did it badly...I was watching the temp gauge closely, and never let it get very far above the midline. After swapping the original thermostat back in, the overheating problem went away. At roughly the same time, I began having problems. They have grown slightly worse over the last 1K miles: - Loosing coolant. Sometimes it will need an inch in the expansion tank every day. Sometimes less. - Cooling system is significantly pressurized even after sitting overnight. - A tiny amount of oil in the expansion tank. Just a light haze of oil. No big drops or emulsion. - More white exhaust when the car is cold than I recall from before the problems started. - Sometime the car is very hard to start...doesn't want to catch. I need to give it a lot of extra gas to keep it running until things clear out in a few seconds. - Some thick wet gunk on the underside of the oil filler cap. - Still have the rough idle - multiple CEL (misfire on #6). Once the car warms up, power is good. I see no evidence of serious coolant contamination in the oil when I check the dipstick. I talked with a few people, and we all came to the conclusion that either the head had failed again, or the headgasket had failed. Last weekend we pulled the motor apart again. We found: - the oil (M1 15w50, ~2500mi on it) was dark and had a distinct fuel odor, but otherwise looked fine. - the headgasket looked great - the head was inspected and pressure tested. No issues found. - the valve cover had some caked on milkshake muck (but not everywhere) as did the rigid breather hose. - the plugs and valves are whitish (see pics linked below). Burned coolant? Running lean? - the hose clamp on the boot leading into the throttle body was not tight, although the boot itself felt snug - the small coolant hose that comes off the middle of the intake side of the head was leaking a bit where it connected to the head - the small coolant hose that comes off the bottom of the throttle body (outermost) was leaking a bit where it connected to the throttle body I don't think those coolant leaks I saw were enough to account for the volume of coolant I was continuously replacing. We're stumped. What could cause the coolant system pressurization, coolant loss, hard starts, rough idle, etc, that isn't a blown head gasket or failed head? Multiple unrelated issues? Please help! http://picasaweb.google.com/peterloron/M3Head -Pete
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#10. RE: [e36m3] Re: [E36M3] Re: Battery/Alternator - from Chester Wong
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Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2007 05:25:58 -0700 (PDT) From: Chester Wong <chester_p_wong@yahoo.com> Subject: RE: [e36m3] Re: [E36M3] Re: Battery/Alternator That's what I was thinking...measuring the flux through a gaussian surface =) Chester --- Marco Romani <marco@corsa-na.com> wrote: > Folks - please don't use a regular VM to measure currents much over 1 amp. > You could hurt yourself. I've seen them explode when used improperly. > > Buy or borrow one of these > > http://www.professionalequipment.com/extech-ex830-clamp-meter-infrared-therm > ometer-ex830/clamp-meters/