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The Locator posted:So I ran a real road course with the car for the first time today, and while it ran great and I had fun, it had some heating issues that I need to get resolved before I do it again. How is your fan clutch? If you spin the fan with your hand, does it spin freely? Can you wobble the fan back and forth? If the answer to either of these is yes, I believe you need a new fan clutch.
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May 3, 2009 02:25
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Prime candidate for a Fan Delete Mod.
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May 3, 2009 02:44
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Good god, speaking of fans...just spent the whole afternoon trying to change the belts on an 04 e60 525i... That plastic fan housing, while trick in the fact that it has an electric motor, has got to be the biggest pain in rear end in the world to get to seat properly when reinstalling. The heartbreaker is that the carquest belts simply would not fit...lesson learned. Oem belts or forget it. Also, 50 million plastic splash shields.
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May 3, 2009 04:00
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So I just purchased my first M, and if I have it my way, I will never again drive anything else. I'm upgrading from a '97 318i so needless to say, I'm wetting my pants every time I punch it. Went WOT for the first time today and it absolutely FLEW up to 120 and wanted a lot more. I LOVE THIS FREAKIN' CAR. '96 Cosmos on Black, 75k on the clock, 5 speed, 100% stock, lux package, cleaaan inside and out. Only pic I have is from my camera phone: 
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May 3, 2009 04:18
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Carbon Deity posted:
That's a pretty low mileage car for a 96. Looks nice, but be aware, that there are a lot of wear items that need addressing between 80-100k miles. Search the internet and take care of them before they bite you (especially the cooling stuff). Congrats!
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May 3, 2009 15:58
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CornHolio posted:How is your fan clutch? If you spin the fan with your hand, does it spin freely? It's turns without difficulty, but there is definite resistance, it doesn't just spin. CornHolio posted:Can you wobble the fan back and forth? If the answer to either of these is yes, I believe you need a new fan clutch. It has no wobble. I am either going to replace the clutch and fan, or I am going to get rid of it and go with a high quality electric fan instead (this was recommended by a guy at the track who runs a 99 E36). I haven't really done enough research yet to decide which way - I need to check into the STU (SCCA) rules to make sure a fan-delete type modification is legal. I am also going to pull and replace the thermostat while I'm at it. I'm also going to dump the coolant and go with pure water+water wetter, since I live in Phoenix and the car is garaged, it's never going to see freezing temps. Are there any known electrolysis issues with these engines when running no antifreeze?
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May 3, 2009 16:03
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The Locator posted:That's a pretty low mileage car for a 96. Looks nice, but be aware, that there are a lot of wear items that need addressing between 80-100k miles. Search the internet and take care of them before they bite you (especially the cooling stuff). I did my research and have a lot of wrenching experience from the 318. The first thing on my list is going to be to replace some of the cooling system components, since I don't know if they have ever been replaced. http://edgemotorworks.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=55 is proving to be a fantastic resource. I've replaced most of these components myself on my higher mileage E36.
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May 3, 2009 16:10
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The Locator posted:It's turns without difficulty, but there is definite resistance, it doesn't just spin. You're going to be taking a pretty large risk running pure water (with a small amount of additive) on a daily driver. I know Redline's reputation, but I'd still be nervous about removing so much lubrication from my cooling system. You might want to ask this question on the Bimmer forums and get some more info before you drain your coolant. The cooler thermostat may help, but tracking a car in Phoenix is pure torture on a car that already has a weak cooling system. Personally, I'd start looking for a new, higher performance radiator and I'd definitely switch to an electric fan. Also, you may have damaged your new water pump by running with a broken fan. Just keep it in mind.
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May 3, 2009 16:26
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I recently pulled the trigger on a 2006 325i with all the bells and whistles. It's been an absolute blast to drive. For those of you who own an e90 3, what are some mods that you have done or would do if you had 1-2k at your disposal? I've decided that performance is more important than aesthetics, but I'd really like to update the rims as well. Set of rims/tires - I currently have the 17" OEM RFTs, but I don't feel like these pop out enough. I really like some of the M-class rims, but I didn't know if it would be tacky to have M5 rims on a 325i. Sounds silly, but I don't want to look like a total idiot if that's a big no no. Any brands I should look for? What size is best? I do plan on taking the current RFTs off and replacing them with winter tires so I can bang around these rims in the winter (I live in Ohio). Performance parts - Here is where I'm fairly clueless. I have literally no experience in the garage. I love the zippiness of the 3, but I want just a little more. Are there any essential performance modifications I should make that will give me a noticable boost in power? I've heard of anything from chips to intake to exhaust, etc. What's the best bang for the buck? I have no plans on racing this car; I just want a little boost in power. Misc mods - anything fun you've done to your 3 that you would recommend?
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May 3, 2009 19:38
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I had M6 replicas on my e46 330i and I felt it looked great. Really, it's up to you, and if you're pleased with the way they look, then don't worry about what other people think. I don't believe the OEM M6 or M5 wheels will fit your car, though, so you will need to find replicas. They're all over eBay. If you go with the M6 replica, I personally prefer the silver/silver wheel over the silver/gunmetal (silver dish/windows & silver face, instead of gunmetal dish/windows & silver face). Here's an example. Silver/silver:  Silver/gunmetal:  The M5 wheels have similar color patterns although I never saw any two-toned ones for sale.
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May 3, 2009 20:13
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I'm looking at a 2001 325i sedan, manual, with 116k miles on it. Currently owned by a bmw tech, so all service has been done and is up-to-date. Has Xenon lights, other than that, mostly standard. He's said that $7500 is his bottom line, but I can probably drop another few hundred off it... 1) What should I be concerned about? 2) Is this a competitive price? I am looking for a car to do daily-driver / local family hauling duties. I've got a Volvo XC90 for long trips, so space isn't an issue. I'm looking for something that's fun to drive, instead of the toaster-appliance that is the XC90. Thanks for any input.
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May 4, 2009 00:23
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meatpimp posted:I'm looking at a 2001 325i sedan, manual, with 116k miles on it. Currently owned by a bmw tech, so all service has been done and is up-to-date. Has Xenon lights, other than that, mostly standard. He's said that $7500 is his bottom line, but I can probably drop another few hundred off it... Trade-in is about $4600 on that car and private party is $5500 in "good" condition, so I'd say the price is a bit high, even for being maintained. The 325i is as common as dirt as far as the E46 is concerned. BMW leased a ton of them. IF (big if) he's done everything, including replacing the entire cooling system (a big weak spot) AND refreshed the entire suspension recently, $7000 is as high as I would go. If he's really just following BMW's (scant) maintenance schedule to the letter and nothing more, offer the KBB $5500. That being said, I took a quick peak at Autotrader and I'm seeing 100k+ miles 325i's being offered for ~$9,000. I think the dealers are dreaming with those prices though. Concerns are the cooling system, as I mentioned above. You want proof positive that the ENTIRE thing has been replaced (radiator, hoses, waterpump, thermostat, expansion tank). If not, plan on doing it ASAP and budget accordingly. Parts are about $500-600. If the suspension has never been replaced, it's toast. Get shocks, bushings, and all control arms ($800-$1000 in parts). The M54 engine is pretty stout as long as the oil has been changed (even following BMW's 15k drain intervals). The rear coil springs on cars that have spent their lives in salty environments have been known to snap, so be on the lookout for that. Other than that, they are pretty reliable cars when maintained.
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May 4, 2009 01:56
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Brock Landers posted:Trade-in is about $4600 on that car and private party is $5500 in "good" condition, so I'd say the price is a bit high, even for being maintained. The 325i is as common as dirt as far as the E46 is concerned. BMW leased a ton of them. IF (big if) he's done everything, including replacing the entire cooling system (a big weak spot) AND refreshed the entire suspension recently, $7000 is as high as I would go. If he's really just following BMW's (scant) maintenance schedule to the letter and nothing more, offer the KBB $5500. That being said, I took a quick peak at Autotrader and I'm seeing 100k+ miles 325i's being offered for ~$9,000. I think the dealers are dreaming with those prices though. after all that, it sounds to me like it's about as reliable as getting an asthmatic pensioner to set the new world record in the triathlon
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May 4, 2009 03:29
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WISDOM!!!11 posted:after all that, it sounds to me like it's about as reliable as getting an asthmatic pensioner to set the new world record in the triathlon to be honest, any car's suspension is toast after 100k miles.
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May 4, 2009 03:36
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peterjmatt posted:You're going to be taking a pretty large risk running pure water (with a small amount of additive) on a daily driver. I know Redline's reputation, but I'd still be nervous about removing so much lubrication from my cooling system. You might want to ask this question on the Bimmer forums and get some more info before you drain your coolant. For what it's worth, it's not a daily driver, it's a dedicated autocross/track car. Since it's hot here in the summer, it won't see much movement out of the garage for several months, so I've got some time to address things. I may go ahead and replace the water pump at the same time, and I'll be doing more research on things like the water wetter before I do anything. Thanks!
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May 4, 2009 06:02
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My HVAC controls are buggered up somehow. I am suspecting the sensor on the drivers side is hosed but I have no way of knowing anything for sure. When the temperatures are set to 60f on each side with the cold on 3 bars (in the center) the passenger side will blow cold but the drivers side and the rear will blow HOT. Should I just start by replacing the sensors in the center of the car? 1997 540i btw. Those M5 wheels are pure hotness and if I still have my 540 for next summer I will be getting them 
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May 4, 2009 20:16
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I got a new engine harness for my E30 since my current one is a little butchered at this point, but I can't figure out where this plug goes, any help?
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May 5, 2009 00:03
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two_beer_bishes posted:I got a new engine harness for my E30 since my current one is a little butchered at this point, but I can't figure out where this plug goes, any help? Looks like the airflow meter connector.
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May 5, 2009 00:52
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Brock Landers posted:Looks like the airflow meter connector. I removed the entire intake up to the manifold today and there was nothing like that anywhere. It's hard to tell in the photo, but its about 2" in diameter.
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May 5, 2009 01:37
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two_beer_bishes posted:I removed the entire intake up to the manifold today and there was nothing like that anywhere. It's hard to tell in the photo, but its about 2" in diameter. I don't know much about E30 automatic trannies, but that looks like a tranny plug. You may have gotten a harness from an auto car.
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May 5, 2009 02:27
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peterjmatt posted:I don't know much about E30 automatic trannies, but that looks like a tranny plug. You may have gotten a harness from an auto car. I was thinking the same thing, but the engine I took this from has a manual trans...
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May 5, 2009 02:31
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The Locator posted:For what it's worth, it's not a daily driver, it's a dedicated autocross/track car. Do you get DQ'd if you drop any fluids on the track or something?
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May 5, 2009 02:35
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That looks to be the connector for the fuse box. If your car is an early car your fuse box connection may be a rectangular plug instead of that round one. There are pin outs posted around the web that should help you wire it up. edit: found it  Mr.Bucket fucked around with this message at 02:43 on May 5, 2009 |
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May 5, 2009 02:37
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Mr.Bucket posted:That looks to be the connector for the fuse box. Perfect, thank you! Yeah the harness is from an 87 and my car is an 85 so that makes sense.
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May 5, 2009 02:47
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The Locator posted:So I ran a real road course with the car for the first time today, and while it ran great and I had fun, it had some heating issues that I need to get resolved before I do it again. Does the E36 have the buffered temperature gauge? Are you sure the heating was abnormal? I know on the track, my E46 sees oil temperatures about 50 degrees hotter than I see on the street. I'm pretty sure the coolant gauge only reads the same in both places because of the buffering they did to shut idiots up...
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May 5, 2009 03:05
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random e30 photoshop I did for a class... vroomz!
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May 5, 2009 03:09
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Another question: Why would I have 12v at the ignition coil but no spark when I hold the coil->dist wire close to the chassis? I just want my car working again 
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May 5, 2009 03:32
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Lufiron posted:Do you get DQ'd if you drop any fluids on the track or something? You get spun typically due to loss of traction! Also, if you for some reason kept running, you'd get black flagged if you were dropping fluid. SlapActionJackson posted:Does the E36 have the buffered temperature gauge? Are you sure the heating was abnormal? I have no idea what this 'buffering' is that you speak of. Is there some way to know if my car is equipped with this 'feature'? It was indicating much hotter than I'm comfortable with, and I was able to get it to drop partially back to the normal spot by short shifting and keeping the RPM down in the straight, so it doesn't seem like I have this.
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May 5, 2009 05:40
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The Locator posted:I have no idea what this 'buffering' is that you speak of. Is there some way to know if my car is equipped with this 'feature'? The buffered temperature gauge is designed to point exactly in the middle of the movement for a range of normal temperatures, instead of having a 1:1 relationship between temperatures and needle positions. The needle only moves when the temperature is significantly above or below the normal operating temperatures. It basically reduces the functionality of the temp gauge to barely more than an idiot light. A quick googling finds mention of buffered temp gauges in E36s, so it seems you do have this "feature"
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May 5, 2009 14:17
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SlapActionJackson posted:A quick googling finds mention of buffered temp gauges in E36s, so it seems you do have this "feature" That's a pretty stupid feature for "the ultimate driving machine"! Thanks for the info, I may have to see about supplementing that gauge with a real one, that has actual temperatures on it.
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May 6, 2009 04:37
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Given the title of the thread I had to post the racecar I raced and helped to build. Team Porcubimmer It's a 24 Hours of LeMons car, a 1987 325e that's survived two races so far and shows no signs of quitting.
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May 6, 2009 04:37
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wintyfresh posted:shows no signs of quitting. Your not kidding. That's awesome. More pictures?
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May 6, 2009 05:30
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Here's my wife and I extracting a fuel pump at Altamont... And here it is done up as "Porcubimmer 2: Judgement Day" for the Thunderhill race.  Lots more pics and team updates on the Porcubimmer Blog.
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May 6, 2009 05:42
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wintyfresh posted:And here it is done up as "Porcubimmer 2: Judgement Day" for the Thunderhill race. Am I to take it that the entire left side of the car is fabricated from aluminum tape?
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May 6, 2009 05:45
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Just the front fender and hood were done in foil, But the eye lights up. 
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May 6, 2009 05:50
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Is there any reason I need to put rotor retaining screws back on my 318ti? I ended up having to weld nuts on my old ones to get them out, and would rather not deal with it again. They are just there to make it a little easier to change tires, right?
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May 6, 2009 05:53
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The Locator posted:That's a pretty stupid feature for "the ultimate driving machine"! I agree wholeheartedly, but apparently it cuts down on service appointments for cars that run "a little hot" or "a little cold" or "don't hold a constant temperature" 
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May 6, 2009 13:21
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Swap_File posted:Is there any reason I need to put rotor retaining screws back on my 318ti? I ended up having to weld nuts on my old ones to get them out, and would rather not deal with it again. Yup. The are optional. You can solve the corrosion problem by using anti-seize if you want though.
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May 6, 2009 16:19
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Norway's largest paper is reporting that BMW is suffering too under these difficult economical times.. Apparently the numbers for the first quarter of 2009 are 152 million Euros in the red. This is a pretty huge contrast to 2008's first quarter with 487 millions profit. The overall sales are down 13% so far this year.. Let's hope they figure it out and turn it around again
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May 6, 2009 16:31
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My dad just sent me an email informing me of his newest purchase: So I guess next week i'll fly down and take this thing out for a spin, and then try to convince him to let me inherit his e30.
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May 10, 2009 01:42
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