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Hadlock posted:On the flip side, my cars last forever (200,000k miles) and nothing ever breaks on them; I just change the oil every 10K miles and tires every 30K or so. If you changed your oil every 4-5k miles, your cars would probably last you 250k miles.
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Jun 21, 2012 08:35
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 19:27 |
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discstickers posted:That's a 5-speed. Non-sport package. E39 540s with 5 speeds never existed. And all 6 speed 540s got the sport package. That example actually looks quite good and has the nice sport seats. I've never liked the BMW comfort seats in anything, especially older models with little adjustment.
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Jun 21, 2012 11:49
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discstickers posted:That's a 5-speed. Non-sport package. Yeah it's a 6-speed. At least it has a 6-speed shift knob. 
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Jun 21, 2012 17:11
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Electric Bugaloo posted:If you changed your oil every 4-5k miles, your cars would probably last you 250k miles. Depends on your use case. Probably half of my mileage is spent @ 70mph on cruise control where the engine just purrs along at 2000-2100rpm for 380 miles/5.5 hrs at a time (I have family halfway across the state of Texas), so there's very little stress on the engine/oil during that time. My commute round trip to work and back is only 6.6 miles so when I say "mostly highway miles" I can actually back it up  Also, when a car nears 200,000 miles, it's time to start shopping for the next one anyways :P
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Jun 21, 2012 18:14
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Hadlock posted:Depends on your use case. Probably half of my mileage is spent @ 70mph on cruise control where the engine just purrs along at 2000-2100rpm for 380 miles/5.5 hrs at a time (I have family halfway across the state of Texas), so there's very little stress on the engine/oil during that time. My commute round trip to work and back is only 6.6 miles so when I say "mostly highway miles" I can actually back it up Isn't keeping the engine rpm fixed for long periods actually bad as you get uneven wear patterns on internals?
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Jun 21, 2012 19:35
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My buddy sent this from his work. It's a 95 w/ 4k miles.
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Jun 21, 2012 21:03
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Jealous Cow posted:Isn't keeping the engine rpm fixed for long periods actually bad as you get uneven wear patterns on internals? No, but I'd love to hear your reasoning on that
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Jun 21, 2012 21:16
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Hadlock posted:No, but I'd love to hear your reasoning on that All the break in advice I've ever seen suggests varying engine speed. Seems like it might hold true even in later miles over long periods at a constant speed.
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Jun 21, 2012 21:20
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Jealous Cow posted:All the break in advice I've ever seen suggests varying engine speed. Seems like it might hold true even in later miles over long periods at a constant speed. Ring seating is why they ask you to vary engine speed, not that there's something delicate in the engine that can't handle revs. The best way to seat rings is to do a couple of high-RPM pulls on a warmed up motor.
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Jun 21, 2012 21:23
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revmoo posted:My buddy sent this from his work. It's a 95 w/ 4k miles. Is it one of the 15 or so Australian lightweights?
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Jun 21, 2012 22:02
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(ʍouʞ ı əʞoɾ pɐq) ɐɔıɹəɯɐ sı sıɥʇ 'ou
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Jun 21, 2012 22:16
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It'd be awesome to have an E36 lightweight, but it's unfortunate that it never gets driven.
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Jun 21, 2012 22:21
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Maybe they're all track miles! 
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Jun 21, 2012 22:23
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I'm wonderin if it's legit. The stripes on the wing spacer have me confused because I know the spacers came in the trunk and I wouldn't think they'd have stripes.
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Jun 21, 2012 22:27
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Are there any LTWs without stripes? Enthusiast auto has 2 - one with 14k miles, and one with 99(!) miles. http://enthusiastauto.com/qsearch/?id=4164&form_display=51 http://enthusiastauto.com/qsearch/?id=4167&form_display=51
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Jun 21, 2012 22:43
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Don't think so. That's kind of their trademark. My buddy said it's legit for sure. I guessed 50k he guessed 50-80k.
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Jun 21, 2012 22:45
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Does that Russian site specifically call out USB options?
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Jun 22, 2012 02:52
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http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1852310 Dude double-locked a drunk guy in his car until the cops came.
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Jun 22, 2012 03:00
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Why would you need double locking besides locking drunkards in your car?
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Jun 22, 2012 03:20
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A while back my car suffered the famous trunk harness failure while I was backing it up and locked me in. If it hadn't been for a bad lock actuator in the rear I would have been legitimately trapped since the short blew a fuse. I would have had to call someone to break a window for me or something. EDIT: What does AAA do when you lock your keys in an E36? (assuming you find a way)
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Jun 22, 2012 13:16
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How do you guys feel about replacing an individual tire with one from the same manufacturer but not necessarily the same model line? After checking the tires on my 1600, I'm going to have to replace at least the front passenger side tire as it's almost bald on the inside. A quick search online makes it seem like the specific model isn't made anymore. I've also got new springs which will go on then to (hopefully) address the camber problem.
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Jun 22, 2012 16:30
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I wouldn't. If they're not making it anymore then your good tire probably is due also.
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Jun 22, 2012 17:35
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Yeah, at the very least replace both fronts, and probably check your alignment and suspension wear. If one side is wearing significantly faster than the other it sounds like something is out of whack.
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Jun 22, 2012 17:43
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revmoo posted:A while back my car suffered the famous trunk harness failure while I was backing it up and locked me in. If it hadn't been for a bad lock actuator in the rear I would have been legitimately trapped since the short blew a fuse. I would have had to call someone to break a window for me or something. I double locked myself inside my E34 one day, don't know how I did it. The windows still worked from the inside, I think? Or maybe mine was already down. I had to crawl out the passenger window and then I remember reading something about double locking and realized I could have just reached out and used the key on the door. And saved myself the embarrassment and strange looks in the grocery story parking lot.
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Jun 22, 2012 18:15
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Guinness posted:Yeah, at the very least replace both fronts, and probably check your alignment and suspension wear. If one side is wearing significantly faster than the other it sounds like something is out of whack. Only the front passenger is worn. The rears look great and the front driver side is good as well. But I'll swap out both fronts. What else would I want to look for on the suspension aside from the springs? I'm going to have them all replaced anyways as the current ones are just a little too low and I can't get past the speed bumps with anyone else in the car. The new ones will raise the ride height by about a inch. I'll check the alignment as well. revmoo posted:I wouldn't. If they're not making it anymore then your good tire probably is due also. Do either of you guys have suggestions for a brand/model? The current ones are 185 60r 14 (Michelin XSE).
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Jun 22, 2012 18:43
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Just got done driving an X5d. Fun car. Would totally drive it to work. I tried the manual sport mode or whatever it was called and it still seemed to want to shift for me which was a bummer. I might not have done it right. Also, auto hold; amazing feature. If you come to a full stop it hols you at a stop until you touch the gas again. Best new car feature I've seen since the HUD.
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Jun 23, 2012 01:01
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Ok, I hope this isn't too dumb of a question. Is putting 93 octane fuel in a lot, a bad thing in the long run? It's amazing how few gas stations have 91, and I always go up to 93. Plus my dad uses my car for his grocery runs, and he is awesome and always fills it up for me, but the place only has 87/89/93. Is months of putting in the higher octane bad? I am having a couple odd issues, and I did meet a mechanic at a BMW shop, so I'm eventually gonna bring it in there and have them give it a look through. I don't necessarily think my main 2 issues are caused by this, but it's worth mentioning. I do have a powertrain warranty through the dealer I bought it at, so if something is wrong with the transmission, I'm hoping it's covered. This is an 04 325xi with 67k miles. -When starting the engine, it doesn't turn over immediately, and takes more spins than I'd care for. It's not the starter, I've had people tell me to flush the injection system, or change the plugs. -Putting the car into drive doesn't always work as advertised. It will take 15 seconds for it to finally engage, unless I put it into manual mode. When looking online, anyone who has this issue, it's the reverse gear doing it.
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Jun 23, 2012 07:23
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AlternateAccount posted:I double locked myself inside my E34 one day, don't know how I did it. The windows still worked from the inside, I think? Or maybe mine was already down. I had to crawl out the passenger window and then I remember reading something about double locking and realized I could have just reached out and used the key on the door. And saved myself the embarrassment and strange looks in the grocery story parking lot. I once managed to lock myself in my e36 overnight. While very drunk. Mate who I was meant to be crashing with went home early and passed out, not answering his phone or doorbell. My car had a door that didn't lock every time, so I got in and popped the button down on it. Doors wouldn't open. Electric windows wouldn't open. Key was in my mate's flat. Joy oh joy. Thank gently caress the police didn't walk past.
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Jun 23, 2012 11:25
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Binge posted:Ok, I hope this isn't too dumb of a question. Is putting 93 octane fuel in a lot, a bad thing in the long run? It's amazing how few gas stations have 91, and I always go up to 93. Plus my dad uses my car for his grocery runs, and he is awesome and always fills it up for me, but the place only has 87/89/93. High octane gas won't do anything to your engine. A high octane rating just keeps your fuel from detonating early. Putting too low octane in your car can damage it (or if your car is smart, retards timing and makes your power worse) as the fuel detonates early which causes knocking. The only thing high octane can ruin is your wallet. Do you live in Texas? Everywhere in Texas has 93 only, not 91. Every car I've had that has high compression says "91+" to mean at the minimum, put in 91. Depending on how old your car is (I doubt you'd have this problem anyway) it might actually need 93 instead of 91. As cars get older they might need higher octane to prevent knocking. Cojawfee fucked around with this message at 13:14 on Jun 23, 2012 |
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Jun 23, 2012 13:11
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My understanding is that running too high of an octane, other than being a waste of money, can cause incomplete combustion and thus carbon buildup. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. In my personal situation, since I'm chipped WITHOUT knock sensors, is either mix 50% 93 and 50% 89 which results in 91, or just run 92/93 all day long and don't worry about it. I run the higher octane but I always buy 91 when I can find it. This applies to my car specifically which is only setup to run 91 and nothing else, of course. E: The Miata is turboed so it gets highest available at the station.
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Jun 23, 2012 14:44
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Does anyone know what the minimum octane recommended by BMW for an E34 530i is? My 1992 525i had a sticker right below the fuel gauge that said minimum 91 octane and my 1995 530i just says "premium fuel only". The fuel around here is 89 for supreme and 92 for premium so I'm going to put premium in regardless, just curious.
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Jun 23, 2012 16:29
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FIRST TIME posted:Does anyone know what the minimum octane recommended by BMW for an E34 530i is? My 1992 525i had a sticker right below the fuel gauge that said minimum 91 octane and my 1995 530i just says "premium fuel only". Most reasonably modern BMWs recommend/require 91+.
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Jun 23, 2012 17:56
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So here's how I spent my morning As expected, this resolved by blower motors rhythmic speed fluctuations, but not before I looked like a fat contortionist in my apartment parking lot, draped across the passenger seat with most of my torso jammed into the footwell. gently caress whoever designed that part
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Jun 23, 2012 19:22
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Those things are a miracle of engineering.
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Jun 23, 2012 19:34
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Guinness posted:Most reasonably modern BMWs recommend/require 91+. Fairly sure mine is 89, I seem to think that's the number on the cap and what I've been putting in it all this time.. (95 540i)
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Jun 23, 2012 20:37
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I seem to have made a purchase.     It's a 2000 BMW 540i 6-speed. About 153,000 miles, pretty detailed service history (though it has missing sections). Picked it up for six grand cash. It isn't perfect: - Small rust bubbles on trunk lid. - The driver's side seat adjustment button is broken off. - The A-pillar and C-pillar cloth is coming off. Some glue should fix that. - Stereo doesn't think there are CDs in the changer, and there are. I haven't looked into this yet. - Center taillight doesn't work (will replace bulb tomorrow) - external temperature sensor isn't working (always reads -40F which must be default) - coolant expansion tank isn't secured very well. The mount at the top is torn off. It can't go anywhere (like .25" back and it touches the intake pipe) but I should probably secure it better. I'm loving it but freaking out a bit because I don't know these cars very well. Next weekend I'll probably replace a bunch of fluids/filters and learn a bit more about the car. Mechanically it feels fine. The body is probably about an 8/10 and the interior the same. Suspension feels great, clutch feels great, engine feels more than great. The car sounds amazing. Some guy was supposed to come down from Michigan on Monday to buy the car (it was in Indianapolis). Oh snap son! The same dealer has an '00 540iT but it's an automatic. Still, I think it'd make somebody very happy.
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Jun 24, 2012 03:32
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I love that gauge cluster. Looks just like the VDO units from the E30s. Also, $6k? That's awesome! I should buy one... no, 2 BMWs is enough.
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Jun 24, 2012 03:52
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CornHolio posted:I seem to have made a purchase. Are those 16s? They look like style 32s, but that definitely isn't the 5-series offset. Nice car - 540s with the sport seats are so very nice.
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Jun 24, 2012 04:23
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The Third Man posted:So here's how I spent my morning Did you manage to get the passenger footwell air ducting out without cracking it? I sure didn't! Unrelated question: I'm losing about a quart of oil every 800 miles. It's brutal and switching to 0W-40 didn't seem to help much. Is there any chance that's just valve stem oil seal failure, or is it almost guaranteed to be piston rings too with that kind of loss?
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Jun 24, 2012 04:35
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Definitely need to lose that big sticker and dealer plate frame, but all 540's are awesome.
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Jun 24, 2012 06:33
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