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I'm probably a wierdo, but I like the combination of big bodied and fun to drive. Probably came out of driving muscle cars in my youth. Also, anyone have any idea about my DICE iPod audio issue: quote:I bought one with the DICE iPod integration, and it does work after a bit of RTFMing, but it has serious sound issues. It is an older kit (does not support 3rd/4th gen iPods), which is ok because I had my trusty old 2nd gen mini around. But the trickier issue is that it seems that the sound comes out of the iPod way, way too hot and ends up sounding like poo poo. As in anything and everything has massive clipping at any volume in the car. I did cross check the iPod settings and made sure the EQ was off. Is there anything else I can do or should I just throw money at the problem and buy a new silverline kit?
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Aug 27, 2008 13:48
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 12:21 |
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And it's official... http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/27/report-bmw-cancels-development-of-e92-m3-csl/
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Aug 27, 2008 14:17
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maxallen posted:
That's awesome to quote since that's exactly what people were saying about BMWs 10+ years ago too. The bitching over the "lack of purity" in the E36 M3 was incessant and people were complaining about things like computers and cruise control. Feature creep happens all the time and kills a lot of good cars. Look at the progressions of the Nissan Z-cars or the RX-7, then compare to the BMW M cars. People buy an early one and love it, but want a little more in the next one... and more in the next, etc. By the time you're 3-4 generations down the road, you've added a ton of crap and priced the car out of the market that made it successful. What's probably not helping either is that BMW seems to be listening to the majority of it's customers... the ones who buy a BMW just to prove that they can afford it and that they're moving up the junior accountant ladder. Or the senior ones who buy the M-series just because it's more expensive and looks better. The danger is that the crowd that buys cars as a fashion statement are fickle, and BMW stands to lose a lot of market if something else starts to have more perceived status.
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Aug 27, 2008 16:06
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How many of the people bitching about brand dilution this and bloated feature-laden that have actually driven a newer BMW?Sigma X posted:Which would tend to indicate that the 318 is susceptible. Mad Dragon fucked around with this message at 02:06 on Aug 28, 2008 |
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Aug 28, 2008 02:03
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Mad Dragon posted:How many of the people bitching about brand dilution this and bloated feature-laden that have actually driven a newer BMW? I've owned an E36 and E39 and driven an E46, E60 and E90. The E36/E46 felt just like a 3 series ought to. It wasn't as big, heavy, powerful, or luxurious as the 5er and it filled the "3" role perfectly. The E90 is the same weight as my 540 and is about as "luxury" as it, when it's supposed to be the sub-compact car, lighter weight car. The E60 is a little more everything than the E90, but it's supposed to be a big sedan. This doesn't matter in Canada when a 550 costs 90k which is more than an M3 (75k~) so I don't know what moron is buying that when the 335i and M3 are about as luxurious as a 550 with oodles of power and they're much, much cheaper. The 7 series has always been a joke in my opinion. They've always been more of a test-bed of super unreliable tech. I wouldn't own a 7 series if I had millions of dollars to throw away. I wouldn't lease it either, and I'd rather be driven around in an S-Class/Maybach/Bentley/RR. Xenoid fucked around with this message at 02:39 on Aug 28, 2008 |
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Aug 28, 2008 02:29
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Xenoid posted:The E90 is the same weight as my 540 and is about as "luxury" as it, when it's supposed to be the sub-compact car, lighter weight car. To be fair, if you get rid of the runflats and put some decent sticky tires on, the difference is night and day. Also, I think the 1-series better encapsulates the spirit of past 3 series better than E9x's. The 135 is a monster, and is the only newer BMW I'd consider owning.
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Aug 28, 2008 03:40
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Lufiron posted:Also, I think the 1-series better encapsulates the spirit of past 3 series better than E9x's. The 135 is a monster, and is the only newer BMW I'd consider owning. There's been complaints from both Roundel and Grassroots Motorsports that the 1's handling is slightly inferior to the 3's. Does anyone have some comparative anecdotal evidence? Even if it were lighter, I wouldn't accept it as a succesor to the old line of 3s if it were dynamically inferior. And it's only 300 lbs lighter, right?
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Aug 28, 2008 07:43
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kimbo305 posted:There's been complaints from both Roundel and Grassroots Motorsports that the 1's handling is slightly inferior to the 3's. Does anyone have some comparative anecdotal evidence? Even if it were lighter, I wouldn't accept it as a succesor to the old line of 3s if it were dynamically inferior. And it's only 300 lbs lighter, right? I've seen the same criticisms in reviews too. I believe the one in Roundel recently said something along the lines of wider front tires and suspension tweaks would make the car much better balanced.
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Aug 28, 2008 12:56
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Taymar posted:I've seen the same criticisms in reviews too. I believe the one in Roundel recently said something along the lines of wider front tires and suspension tweaks would make the car much better balanced. Tires, I can live with, but I dunno why BMW wouldn't already have tweaked the suspension already. Luxury ride feel, I guess. I've ridden in a stock 1, and it's pretty roomy for 4, to be honest. We were at a driving skills class, and the instructor made 3 of us get into one car with him. So a 6'3" dude and I were in the back. I (5'10") was barely touching knees to the front seat and other guy was worse off. But his main complaint was head room. Not too surprising. But yeah, I agree that it's a liveable replacement to the older 3-series, as far as size goes. The small size is nice for spirited driving because there's lots of walls for you to brace against.
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Aug 28, 2008 18:00
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So somehow I managed to strip the thread from the hole for the seat fastening bolt. What do I do? 
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Aug 28, 2008 18:19
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Pissingintowind posted:So somehow I managed to strip the thread from the hole for the seat fastening bolt. What do I do? Not sure what you car has but is it the one in the floor or the trunk?
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Aug 28, 2008 18:58
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two_beer_bishes posted:Not sure what you car has but is it the one in the floor or the trunk? People have seats in their trunk? It's an E36, and I stripped the driver's seat right rear bolt hole on the floor. Now the bolt won't go all the way in and the seat wobbles.
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Aug 28, 2008 19:02
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kimbo305 posted:Tires, I can live with, but I dunno why BMW wouldn't already have tweaked the suspension already. Luxury ride feel, I guess. The 1-Series has aggressive damping, or what most people would call 'a hard ride'. The M Sport variants are worse and leave both car and occupants feeling knocked about when driven over anything that ain't sandpapered down. The best riding one I've been in is a colleague's 118d SE with 16-inch rims and standard tyres, but even that feels a bit wooden. Not uncomfortable, exactly, but quite tiring round town over potholes -- particularly if you're used to lounging about in something French. I am really beginning to wonder if BMW suspension is configured to be slightly softer for North American markets...
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Aug 28, 2008 19:19
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Pissingintowind posted:People have seats in their trunk? Oops, nevermind. I read that as the seat belt bolt.
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Aug 28, 2008 19:38
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Taymar posted:I've seen the same criticisms in reviews too. I believe the one in Roundel recently said something along the lines of wider front tires and suspension tweaks would make the car much better balanced. I know TTAC has a pretty bad reputation, but they reviewed two of them and described the handling (yes they were both autos, but this is handling) as if it "had a piano on the roof". E: Also I'm becoming more accepting of the lack of the M3 CSL. Seems to me that the market above the M3 is becoming pretty saturated, and if the CSL is coming in $20-$40k more than the base M3, you're looking at GT-R and ZR1 territory. Then again, the M3 does have a better back seat. maxallen fucked around with this message at 19:59 on Aug 28, 2008 |
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Aug 28, 2008 19:56
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mungtor posted:That's awesome to quote since that's exactly what people were saying about BMWs 10+ years ago too. The bitching over the "lack of purity" in the E36 M3 was incessant and people were complaining about things like computers and cruise control. Yup. I have "The Complete Roundel" on CD which has every issue of Roundel since it began until about 1998. It's funny to read the reviews of the E21/E30/E36 cars. Every single one talks about a dilution/lack of feeling/"too much luxury"/"it's too big" compared to the previous generation. Complaining about this type of thing is becoming another "BMW-ism" for sure. The fact is, the Yuppies that bought the 2002 grew up and the cars grew with them.
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Aug 28, 2008 21:10
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Brock Landers posted:Yup. I have "The Complete Roundel" on CD which has every issue of Roundel since it began until about 1998. It's funny to read the reviews of the E21/E30/E36 cars. Every single one talks about a dilution/lack of feeling/"too much luxury"/"it's too big" compared to the previous generation. Complaining about this type of thing is becoming another "BMW-ism" for sure. The fact is, the Yuppies that bought the 2002 grew up and the cars grew with them. Where does one get this? Is it available through the CCA?
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Aug 28, 2008 21:25
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kimbo305 posted:There's been complaints from both Roundel and Grassroots Motorsports that the 1's handling is slightly inferior to the 3's. Does anyone have some comparative anecdotal evidence? Even if it were lighter, I wouldn't accept it as a succesor to the old line of 3s if it were dynamically inferior. And it's only 300 lbs lighter, right? Pissingintowind posted:People have seats in their trunk? Mad Dragon fucked around with this message at 00:47 on Aug 29, 2008 |
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Aug 29, 2008 00:45
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Mad Dragon posted:Sounds like you crossthreaded it. Better invest in a good metric tap set or beat it in with an impact gun (only if you plan on never taking it out again). Bah. How much would be a reasonable price for a shop to tap it? I don't really trust myself with extreme detail work.
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Aug 29, 2008 01:49
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Mad Dragon posted:I don't see how the handling can be inferior, considering the E82 has the same suspension setup as the E90. The 135 and ZSP 128s have 20mm wider track in the rear, but that won't make handling worse. They said up to a point, it would understeer unpleasantly, and only after that threshold would it come around, compared to the 3 which stayed neutral throughout. Maybe something that could be tweaked with tires and some suspension component changes, but I think both those mags were disappointed with the out of the box feeling factor.
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Aug 29, 2008 03:05
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kimbo305 posted:They said up to a point, it would understeer unpleasantly, and only after that threshold would it come around, compared to the 3 which stayed neutral throughout. Maybe something that could be tweaked with tires and some suspension component changes, but I think both those mags were disappointed with the out of the box feeling factor. Modern carmakers now only allow fast cars to understeer once they're off stability control. Fat rear tires and concerns about tire wear make that happen.
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Aug 29, 2008 04:00
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Sterndotstern posted:Modern carmakers now only allow fast cars to understeer once they're off stability control. Fat rear tires and concerns about tire wear make that happen.
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Aug 29, 2008 04:03
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Sterndotstern posted:Modern carmakers now only allow fast cars to understeer once they're off stability control. Fat rear tires and concerns about tire wear make that happen. Don't you mean oversteer?
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Aug 29, 2008 04:03
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Sterndotstern posted:Modern carmakers now only cars to understeer
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Aug 29, 2008 04:05
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maxallen posted:Don't you mean oversteer? Not until provoked. kimbo305 posted:I understand, but does that explain why they liked driving the 3 of the same generation more? Because the chassis engineers were told not to embarass the 3.
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Aug 29, 2008 04:06
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maxallen posted:Don't you mean oversteer? BMW suspension systems are set up for understeer bias. It is easier for a novice to control a car that understeers versus one that oversteers. That said, you can still make it oversteer, and at limit, you can feel it bounce back and forth.
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Aug 29, 2008 04:08
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well gently caress. on my way home last night, my E36 overheated. I had to get it towed 25 miles home (not cheap). I caught it just as it was overheating though, so I dont think any damage was done. I checked the oil (and will be changing it tomorrow) and everything looked OK, and once it cooled down it drove fine (until it started to overheat again). I pulled it in my parents garage (I had a thermostat, water pump, etc already because I was going to replace it all preventatively, but I ran out of time apparently) and I start tearing into it, and even though I have the 'special tools' which consist of a big 32mm thin wrench, and something to hold the pulley in place, I cannot get the fan nut off. I tried at it for an hour, and had my ox of a brother try as well, it wouldnt budge. And yes I know it has backwards threads. righty loosey. So I drive it the mile to the dealership (didnt overheat on the way there, but I didnt have heat, and any further it probably would have). Theyre going to look at it today, and let me know how much Im going to get raped. I have all my parts in my trunk, I think they might actually use them, but well see. I dont expect this to be cheap. And now Im in a bad mood. CornHolio fucked around with this message at 13:46 on Aug 29, 2008 |
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Aug 29, 2008 13:29
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CornHolio posted:I pulled it in my parents garage (I had a thermostat, water pump, etc already because I was going to replace it all preventatively, but I ran out of time apparently) and I start tearing into it, and even though I have the 'special tools' which consist of a big 32mm thin wrench, and something to hold the pulley in place, I cannot get the fan nut off. I tried at it for an hour, and had my ox of a brother try as well, it wouldnt budge. And yes I know it has backwards threads. righty loosey. This is one reason I did the fan delete mod. It seemed every repair I did was made three or four times more difficult because I had trouble getting the drat fan off. I'll eventually buy an electric puller fan from VAC to do it "proper," but it seems to be running just fine right now. One trick I did learn was to have somebody else jam a big loving screw driver in there, and then give the wrench a few quick taps with a hammer. It seemed to work better than nothing. Putting some anti-seize on the threads probably wouldn't be too bad of an idea either.
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Aug 29, 2008 14:17
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I am replacing the struts and a few other suspension bit on my '90 535 and I have run into a little problem with the front. I can not get the cap off the strut bodies. They seem to be rusted on. Here is a picture of what I am talking about : And here is the tool I am using to try and get them off:  I have soaked them in PB Blaster. I have tried hitting the end of the monkey wrench with a sledge. I have reinstalled the strut housing on the car for more leverage and I can not get these things to break loose. I was thinking about borrowing a torch but I do not want to heat up the gas in the old strut so much that it blows up or shoots out or something like that. Has anyone run into a problem like this before? Any help would be very appreciative.
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Aug 29, 2008 14:49
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When I pulled the front struts off my E30, they were completely blown. Mine were stuck on too, I just took a torch to it and it came right out. Sure, I burned up quite a bit of fluid from the stuts, but it was fine. Just have a fire extinguisher on hand.
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Aug 29, 2008 14:56
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CornHolio posted:Where does one get this? Is it available through the CCA? It used to be available from Bentley, but it went "out of print" years ago. They pop up on Ebay every now and then and that's where I got mine. It's 7 or 8 CDs that use a lovely half web, half application interface and it seems to only work properly with Netscape Communicator 4. I setup a Windows 98 VM to look at it. It's cool because it's high-res scans of the entire magazine plus searchable article text.
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Aug 29, 2008 15:40
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CornHolio posted:well gently caress. You just have to knock it hard, maybe turn the fan the other way at the same time? I did it with a regular wrench. I just had all my major cooling components replaced in my 113k e36 (except the radiator) and it cost me $400 labor at an independent shop... so you can use that as a reference.
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Aug 29, 2008 15:49
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ynotony posted:You just have to knock it hard, maybe turn the fan the other way at the same time? I did it with a regular wrench. I just had all my major cooling components replaced in my 113k e36 (except the radiator) and it cost me $400 labor at an independent shop... so you can use that as a reference. What all did you have to remove to be able to get good leverage? I was turning the pulley counterclockwise while turning the nut clockwise, and it would not break loose. I had two people on it at a time, too. I wonder if the previous owner put loctite on it or something. edit: just called the dealer, its definitely the water pump and thermostat. To replace both those and do a flush, its $417 labor (I gave them the parts). To do the upper/lower hose and expansion tank (which I also had) the labor balloons to over $700. Why is that? I thought those were pretty easy to do once you're in there. CornHolio fucked around with this message at 16:02 on Aug 29, 2008 |
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Aug 29, 2008 15:50
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nvm
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Aug 29, 2008 16:17
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CornHolio posted:To do the upper/lower hose and expansion tank (which I also had) the labor balloons to over $700. Why is that? I thought those were pretty easy to do once you're in there. They are, it will take them an extra 5 minutes to replace the expansion tank. The hoses have to come off anyway. I would call them on that bullshit or replace those parts yourself.
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Aug 29, 2008 16:25
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CornHolio posted:To do the upper/lower hose and expansion tank (which I also had) the labor balloons to over $700. Why is that? I thought those were pretty easy to do once you're in there. The procedure for replacing the expansion tank and hoses goes something like: 1.) Undo all hose clamps 2.) Remove hoses 3.) Undo bolts for expansion tank and remove 4.) Installation is reverse of removal It will take at most 20 minutes. Unless they are including parts in that extra cost, tell them you'll pay for at most 1 hour additional labor. The issue is, since they are pulling your waterpump and t-stat, they will have to flush/refill your cooling system. If you then replace the hoses and tank, you will have to pay for more coolant and refill again.
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Aug 29, 2008 17:39
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I have a dilemma.. I can get bilsteins, eibach springs & sways, and new bushings installed for $1500 on my E30. I have $1500. I'd have $600(including savings) for two weeks until I get paid again. I can live on $600, I'm not currently paying rent. I'm being torn apart by lust for all new suspension, and financial responsibility! **edit** and I just replaced timing belt/water pump so it's not like there are any big maintenance items I need to do first..
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Aug 29, 2008 23:36
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welp... what do you guys think, was it my water pump? Really Im suprised I have a plastic impeller, I thought 97+ they had changed to metal. Also, my car went 152k miles, surely this isnt the original water pump? I have records that indicate a new thermostat around 60k, but nothing about a water pump.
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Aug 29, 2008 23:58
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^^ could have been replaced with another plastic one.CornHolio posted:To do the upper/lower hose and expansion tank (which I also had) the labor balloons to over $700. Why is that? I thought those were pretty easy to do once you're in there. Like I said, my shop did everything (pump, thermostat, thermostat housing, upper/lower hoses, expansion tank, fan + shroud... plus I tacked on new belts, tensioners, and motor since they were in there) for $400 labor. It's one of the more expensive indie shops in the area too. Premium on parts was reasonable when I compared to OEM.
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Aug 30, 2008 00:19
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ynotony posted:^^ could have been replaced with another plastic one. whatever, I know theres a metal one in there now, so all is good.
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Aug 30, 2008 00:22
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