|
So for the folks who have had their BMW aligned: do you just go to a local independent BMW/European specialist, or do you let the Pep Boys/Firestone/Chain Store perform the alignment? The BMW shops in town charge $150 for it, but I was wondering if the process requires any special tools (beyond the alignment rack) that the local Joe mechanic won't have. Do you need to be a specialist to align a BMW? Edit: I consulted my Bentley, but it seems to indicate that the only thing that can be aligned is the front toe. WTF? Sterndotstern fucked around with this message at 19:59 on Aug 1, 2008 |
#
?
Aug 1, 2008 19:47
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 24, 2024 03:28 |
|
|
Sterndotstern posted:So for the folks who have had their BMW aligned: do you just go to a local independent BMW/European specialist, or do you let the Pep Boys/Firestone/Chain Store perform the alignment? I recently went through this. A lot of chains absolutely refused to touch my car since they didn't have the special weights that BMW requires for their alignment. I finally found one place that would do a 4 wheel alignment for $65 without the weights and it really couldn't be any better. You're better off going to a more shady locally owned place than a national chain, or at least that was my luck. That said, you can talk any shop into doing it, just tell them to put the car on the rack and check the alignment. The only adjustable parts are rear camber (kind of, it's a small adjustment, it won't correct huge errors) and front toe. The only special thing I did was make sure that the car had a full tank of gas when they aligned it, since that will make it sit lower and give the most negative camber that the car is likely to see on a day to day basis. Or you can pay $150 to BMW and mooch off the WiFi and eat their food and drink their drinks and watch their big screen and ejaculate all over the new M3 in the showroom.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2008 20:00
|
|
|
I went with the ejaculation route, but I'm sitting here having second thoughts.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2008 20:02
|
|
|
Sterndotstern posted:So for the folks who have had their BMW aligned: do you just go to a local independent BMW/European specialist, or do you let the Pep Boys/Firestone/Chain Store perform the alignment? I have a Discount Tire close to me that took care of my X5's tire and alignment needs just fine and I"m sure I'll take the 535xiT, there, too. I might just have a really good location, but any time I'm there there use usually at least one other bimmer in the bay. They do a great job and are very reasonable.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2008 21:51
|
|
|
Doctor Grape Ape posted:...A lot of chains absolutely refused to touch my car since they didn't have the special weights that BMW requires for their alignment.... Does anyone know how much these weights weigh? I heard a few places that it was 150 pounds per font seat and 150 pounds in the middle of back seats, but no one seemed to be sure. Assuming the 150 pound number is accurate, I would just put two standard 80 pound bags of cement ($3 each) in each seat. Edit: I would want to double bag them in trash bags to prevent cement dust from getting out. Swap_File fucked around with this message at 22:51 on Aug 1, 2008 |
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2008 22:40
|
|
|
OWNED BMW MOBILE TRADITION!!! http://www.madison.com/tct/entertainment/77staging/298673
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2008 22:40
|
|
|
As per the E36 Bentley: Each front seat: 150 lbs Center of rear seat: 150 lbs Trunk: 46 lbs Fuel Tank: Full
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2008 23:23
|
|
|
rope kid posted:OWNED BMW MOBILE TRADITION!!! The Article posted:Under the hood is the first-ever BMW car engine -- a four-cylinder, 15-horsepower, 743-liter piece of heaven that is as basic as engines can get. The fan has just two blades and the fan belt is leather. There is no fuel pump; instead, there is a gravity feed that drips gas to the carburetor.  Surely they mean 743cc?
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2008 00:16
|
|
|
rope kid posted:OWNED BMW MOBILE TRADITION!!! I almost wish Mobile Tradition did own it, so I could see many full-color gossy pictures of it in my Roundel. Seriously, owning a car with BMWs first car engine ever is pretty awesome.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2008 00:35
|
|
|
rope kid posted:OWNED BMW MOBILE TRADITION!!! The article makes out the sale was of Elgin Marbles significance. I'm guessing the buyer has been cooking up some
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2008 01:36
|
|
|
quote:"They were also upset that an American bought it, and they would never see it. They were not happy. They were trying to get me to sell it to them before I even had it." quote:This is our car.' And they really look at it that way," Griffith said. "They say, 'You may own it, but it's our car.' I always knew BMW held America in contempt, like a necessary evil. They always had this "I'm better than you" attitude over at BMW NA headquarters in New Jersey. There is a program called Profiles In Achievement that is used to reward very productive individuals, and my boss won a trip to Germany under this program. He told me that he wasn't very welcomed. BMW made great cars, but I've never liked the way they treated their employees, especially Techs. This just conforms my suspicions.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2008 14:07
|
|
|
Lufiron posted:I always knew BMW held America in contempt, like a necessary evil. They always had this "I'm better than you" attitude over at BMW NA headquarters in New Jersey. There is a program called Profiles In Achievement that is used to reward very productive individuals, and my boss won a trip to Germany under this program. He told me that he wasn't very welcomed. BMW made great cars, but I've never liked the way they treated their employees, especially Techs. This just conforms my suspicions. Do give over. The new owner is clearly one to embellish his purchases (a variation of old "the sales guy said he'd get fired if his boss knew the discount he'd given me!" routine) and the remainder is inflammatory small town reporting of the gently caress-yeah! variety. Historic cars are sold at auction every day and to people all round the world. What concerns BMW is money and shareholders, and with income down by one third last quarter they have plenty to think about without wasting time sticking it to a collector because he's the 'wrong' nationality. I mean, come on.
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2008 00:22
|
|
|
ThwartedEfforts posted:Do give over. The new owner is clearly one to embellish his purchases (a variation of old "the sales guy said he'd get fired if his boss knew the discount he'd given me!" routine) and the remainder is inflammatory small town reporting of the gently caress-yeah! variety. Historic cars are sold at auction every day and to people all round the world. What concerns BMW is money and shareholders, and with income down by one third last quarter they have plenty to think about without wasting time sticking it to a collector because he's the 'wrong' nationality. I mean, come on. Besides, if you read the article it sounds like they helped him restore it, by helping him get rare authentic parts.
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2008 03:57
|
|
|
After putting in new control arms last weekend, my new sway bars showed up yesterday (that I installed today) and on my way home from some spirited driving to get the feel for the new handling, I pop a tierod  The nut is just barely holding on and I had no choice but to drive the 4 blocks to my house, with a nasty grinding coming from the front wheel the whole time. I have some used tie-rods that are connected to a spare steering rack that I'm going to try putting in tomorrow, at lesat to hold me over until I can get my hands on some new tie rods...gently caress
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2008 04:02
|
|
|
ThwartedEfforts posted:If you read my post, this was a small piece of someone else's experience with BMW outside of buying or leasing a new or CPO car. I just said it confirmed my suspicions about how BMW thinks of their North American market. Its okay for you to have a different opinion than me. I had personal experiences with BMW in my professional life that warrants my opinion on the matter, as well as heard from others first hand. Of course, you have not experienced this or talk to the same people I know so you would think contrary. Fact is that BMW is out to make money. They will still suck your dick to get you in a car. I know this. Of course BMW would help the guy out with his car, they still think of it as their car if you read the article. I also know a loyal customer of ours that has an OLD 328 (think non E-designation) and BMW said something similar to him in his dealings with them. This is why I don't think the article is embellishing as much as you think. This is a matter of opinion as well. You yourself have no way of proving this one way or the other, same as me. Personally, I would flare, channel, chop, and french the hell out of that body and stick a S50 in it, just to piss BMW off. But that's just me. Lufiron fucked around with this message at 05:01 on Aug 3, 2008 |
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2008 04:58
|
|
|
Lufiron posted:Personally, I would flare, channel, chop, and french the hell out of that body and stick a S50 in it, just to piss BMW off. But that's just me. Change S50 to LS1 and you'll piss them off proper.
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2008 07:51
|
|
|
I replaced the Harman Kardon amp in the wife's Mini yesterday. Basically all four speakers went out, and the only sound was a popping and hissing, and apparently the h/k amp is very prone to failure. A brand-new one is $1209 from the dealer, apparently. I found some guy on https://www.northamericanmotoring.com willing to part with his (very) used amp for $220 shipped. Installed it, it works great, but I can't seem to part with the old, broken amp since its so much money new. God Im such a packrat.
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2008 15:23
|
|
|
CornHolio posted:I replaced the Harman Kardon amp in the wife's Mini yesterday. Basically all four speakers went out, and the only sound was a popping and hissing, and apparently the h/k amp is very prone to failure. You may be able to find an electronics repair shop that can repair the HK amp. Then you can claim you're holding onto it as a backup, or sell it for a lot more than your new amp cost.
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2008 18:23
|
|
|
TheMadMilkman posted:You may be able to find an electronics repair shop that can repair the HK amp. Then you can claim you're holding onto it as a backup, or sell it for a lot more than your new amp cost. Or sell it and get a real amp. I can't believe BMW is still using HK for audio. In the E36, the HK system actually sounds worse than the base system, which is horrendous.
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2008 19:23
|
|
|
two_beer_bishes posted:After putting in new control arms last weekend, my new sway bars showed up yesterday (that I installed today) and on my way home from some spirited driving to get the feel for the new handling, I pop a tierod I've been thoroughly beaten After all I put into this car last weekend, I just don't have the energy to do it again now. My car is up on stands with one completely shot tie rod, and a steering rack 3/4 of the way out of the car. Thankfully I don't need this until wednesday morning for work but it still sucks. I just can't get the old tie rod off from the rack...
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2008 20:14
|
|
|
two_beer_bishes posted:I've been thoroughly beaten My sincerest condolences. I assume you don't have the magical "special tool" the Bentley calls for to remove the inner tie rod end? It looks like some sort of crow's foot tool designed and shaped to fit the inner tie rod end. Some googling suggests that the "special tool" is a 32mm crow's foot, so either a fan clutch tool or maybe a bigass crescent wrench will do the job.
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2008 23:14
|
|
|
Sterndotstern posted:My sincerest condolences. I assume you don't have the magical "special tool" the Bentley calls for to remove the inner tie rod end? It looks like some sort of crow's foot tool designed and shaped to fit the inner tie rod end. The special tool I used was the biggest pair of vice grips I had on hand. Worked like an absolute loving champ. Also, make sure you've ground that one locking plate off, or else it's not going anywhere. This is the walkthrough I used to change mine, and it was bang on. Edit: I didn't remove my brake calipers though, once I raised the entire front end I just turned the steering wheel so I had more access on whatever side I was working on. I popped the ball joints out with just a single blow from a 4lb hammer and some finagling with a pickle fork. But this was also on an E36, not an E30. Doctor Grape Ape fucked around with this message at 23:38 on Aug 3, 2008 |
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2008 23:35
|
|
|
BMW has a bunch of "special tools" needed for a clutch job on an E39. Know what I used instead? A regular tranny jack (they have some special tranny support bs) and a block of wood cut to a specific size that the engine rested on while the tranny was out. Worst part was, most local shops would tell me they needed "special BMW only tools" and I ended up doing it myself with no prior experience or special tools.
|
|
#
?
Aug 3, 2008 23:44
|
|
|
I think I have a problem. Edit: I have a 24'' by 36'' poster of my own car. How awesome is that? Lightbulb Out fucked around with this message at 02:18 on Aug 4, 2008 |
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2008 00:49
|
|
|
^^^ I love it  I just woke up from a nap and seriously the second I woke up I thought "why the gently caress don't I just use a dremel to grind off the locking plates?" Now I just need to find my dremel! Thanks for the guide Doctor, I saw the E36 swap one on that site but missed that one.
|
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2008 00:56
|
|
|
Well also over the weekend I replaced both belts on my E36. I wanted to replace the water pump / thermostat / various other cooling system thingies (all preventative) but I couldn't get the mechanical fan off. I have the big wrench but not the tool to hold the fan clutch. I tried using a 10mm wrench but the one I had wasn't long enough. Oh well, another $40, another special tool I suppose.TractionControl posted:I think I have a problem. I don't suppose you have that in wallpaper-size, do you?
|
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2008 02:09
|
|
|
CornHolio posted:I don't suppose you have that in wallpaper-size, do you? What size do you need and what's your email?
|
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2008 02:17
|
|
|
TractionControl posted:What size do you need and what's your email? 1024 x 768 (shutup its an old monitor) and shivan000@hotmail.com you rule.
|
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2008 02:19
|
|
|
TractionControl posted:Oh god. I have a BMW problem.. About a year back I had a '97 M3. Drunk stole it and crashed it. It didn't have any special aftermarket stuff, just stock. And Manual. *cry*
|
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2008 03:06
|
|
|
TractionControl posted:I think I have a problem. This makes me happy.
|
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2008 06:44
|
|
|
TractionControl posted:What size do you need and what's your email? cubensis@gmail.com
|
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2008 07:02
|
|
|
Lufiron posted:This is why I don't think the article is embellishing as much as you think. This is a matter of opinion as well. You yourself have no way of proving this one way or the other, same as me. The car was advertised publicly in Europe for some time prior to its eventual sale, so I'd suggest BMW simply weren't interested. Their buying power dwarfs that of any private collector, so it's not as though it was beyond their means. They also have a separate Classic division and an extensive Historic Parts Catalogue, suggesting they quite like people owning their old cars. Incidentally, there are other 600s already in the United States, such as the earlier 1929 car shown in a Nashville museum, and in private collections in Japan. Google for them. I guess BMW must be trying to get those back too, eh?
|
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2008 09:47
|
|
|
I never knew about the Alpina B8 before today. Awesome.
|
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2008 14:12
|
|
|
CornHolio posted:I never knew about the Alpina B8 before today. Oh my.  For some reason, I never thought Alpina made a E36.
|
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2008 14:17
|
|
|
CornHolio posted:I never knew about the Alpina B8 before today. There's one of these engines sitting at a junkyard 10 miles away... oh god oh god oh god. And a V12.
|
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2008 14:50
|
|
|
Sterndotstern posted:This makes me happy. I am relegated to my iPod touch so I can't resize them and send them for a little bit. I have another shot of the car but you can really tell the different paint on the panels because I had about 10 minutes to clean the car before the shoot thus an old coat of wax. I also have more pictures of the EAA airshow in Oshkosh, WI. I may make a new thread about my car and the airshow. I've driven my E30 25k miles since I bought it last year.
|
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2008 15:12
|
|
|
Edit: Figured it out 
two_beer_bishes fucked around with this message at 18:34 on Aug 5, 2008 |
|
#
?
Aug 4, 2008 23:45
|
|
|
CornHolio posted:Well also over the weekend I replaced both belts on my E36. I wanted to replace the water pump / thermostat / various other cooling system thingies (all preventative) but I couldn't get the mechanical fan off. I have the big wrench but not the tool to hold the fan clutch. I tried using a 10mm wrench but the one I had wasn't long enough. Oh well, another $40, another special tool I suppose.
|
|
#
?
Aug 5, 2008 01:36
|
|
|
Mad Dragon posted:Hit the end of the wrench with a hammer (straight on, like a chisel), while turning it. Remember, the fan is reverse-threaded. Yes, I was turning it righty-tighty and it wouldnt come off. I tried a number of tricks, though not the chisel thing, wouldnt that potentially damage it?
|
|
#
?
Aug 5, 2008 02:27
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 24, 2024 03:28 |
|
|
CornHolio posted:I never knew about the Alpina B8 before today. I've always wanted an E38 B12, but brand new these V12 monsters were the same price as an F355. The Alpina wheels though gorgeous also destroy any vestiges of ride quality, which is OK on a smaller car like the B8 or B10 but is somewhat incongruous on a 7-Series. There are two B12s advertised in Auto Trader this month, which considering there were only a handful shipped to the UK ever is quite incredible, but both of them require 'cosmetic attention'. That's the problem with seriously awesome machinery that's depreciated into Ford Mondeo territory -- it gets into the wrong hands  Click here for the full 1024x768 image. To me they were M-cars with auto boxes and less chest hair.
|
|
#
?
Aug 5, 2008 08:21
|
|