Old Z3???

OK.

Good.

Glad to hear.

Thanks, P

"Law Without Equity Is No Law At All. It Is A Form Of Jungle Rule."

Reply to
Puddin' Man
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Damn. I have similar/identical problem with my old '94 Thunderbird: leaks where plastic interfaces with metal on rad. I haven't had to replace it 'tho. Only leaks when extremely cold.

Glad to hear. Hate to replace junk with junk.

Thanks. Forewarned is forearmed.

Both the I4 and I6 have aluminum heads and blocks?

Did a fast search and failed to determine what drives the valve-train (belt, chain, gears). Are either of the I4 or I6 motors "interference" engines?

Danke, P

"Law Without Equity Is No Law At All. It Is A Form Of Jungle Rule."

Reply to
Puddin' Man

"RJD" a écrit dans le message de news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

One remark concerning the radiator issues: It's a very old and well known problem at BMW, I had it very early on my

1991 E30. Everytime the radiator was leaking, once or twice a year, I used to unfasten it (without dismounting the hoses) and to clamp the clips of the plastic box aluminum retainer, one by one, vith vice pliers. Repaired as such, it lasted more than 100 000 km until the outlet broke, completely rotten and cooked by the heat at 170 000 km.

On the Z3, the radiator design didn"t change. Same plastic boxes, sale aluminum retainer, same clips.

Last month a blue stain appeared on the garage ground, the box was wet and greenish. It was leaking as the E30 was doing, during the cooling in the garage, never during the heating. Differential effect between the pressure and the contraction of the expanded materials. I asked the dealer, of course, before opening the bonnet, he already diagnosed the failure and said that the radiator needed to be replaced, the pump as well, bla bla bla. "Bring your car after your work and leave it for one day". That I didn't do ! I kept the radiator clean for some days waiting every evening for the leak. Not so easy to troubleshoot because the leakage lasts for a very short period and the liquid quickly spreads everywhere. Finally I noticed that it was coming from the top, from the small hose (8mm internal dia.) returning to the expansion vase, exactly at the junction with the box. I cut 10 mm of the hose, put a new clamping ring and that did the trick. The hose was cracked on its first 5 mm. I have to replace it.

Reply to
frischmoutt

"Puddin' Man" a écrit dans le message de news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

It's a chain on the M54 (I 6). This engine is mounted on the 3.0i I don't know if the 2.8i is also equipped with it or with the M52 instead.

Regards

Reply to
frischmoutt

The 245/40 fits a wider rim than the 225/45.

As an option to buying a new set of rims, take the current rims to the chrome shop and have them done new with chrome. They (the shop) will strip the existing finish and do the rims over with chrome. This will make them shiny, which may or may not be a good lok for you, but should be cheaper than buying all new rims.

In my area, the freeways are grooved and it is common in some areas for my car to move about (side to side) as I'm driving. The tires tend to follow the grooves, and if the guy driving the groove making machine was texting on his cellphone instead of driving straight, then the grooves might waver somewhat and my car will shift a bit in the lane. I weighed the benefit of excellent handling against the discomfort of my tires following the grooves, and decided I could live with my tires following the grooves. Now, I curse the groove machine driver instead of the tires. I have to think that your car, being shorter than mine, would do this to an even greater degree. You have added width to the rear tires and a shorter wheelbase -- greater contact with a wavering road surface and less weight to throw around.

If your trouble is that the cars that have gone down the road before you have left what amounts to ruts, then I'd fully expect a finely crafted sports machine to track those ruts. A sloppy suspension system would roll around under the car and take these ruts in stride, but the tight suspension would cause the car and the tires to always go the same way at the same time, leading to the discomfort of tramlining.

My view is that tramlining is an undesireable consequence to a highly sought after performance package. You paid extra for a finely tuned suspension system and now seek ways to detune it. The problem as I see it is that you want the car to go where you point it when you point it there, and follow your every command immediately. Nothing wrong this, by the way. But the car doesn't only take direction from you, it also takes direction from the roadway -- a side effect of you feeling the road is that the car also feels it.

Whether your car follows grooves cut on purpose into the roadway, or follows depressions created by the multitudes of cars and heavy trucks that have gone before you, it is doing what you paid extra to get. Your car is doing what wide, short, light, and tight car is supposed to do. I do not think reverting to the base tire is going to fix this. You will still have all of the same variables -- wide, short, light, and tight. The only difference is that you will gain 1/2 inch of sidewall flex.

You might find that 5psi of air pressure can do more than anything else.

When tires are soft, there is a larger contact patch and the pliant tire will grip the freeway grooves and road ruts with the enthusiasm you expect expensive tires to have. When you fill the tires with a bit more air then they call for, the contact patch actually decreases and the tires do not grip the road surface quite so strongly.

By way of illustration, let me talk about offroad travel for just a minute. Jeep drivers, or Land Rover drivers, routinely remove air from the tires to get more tire grip. They do this to a far greater degree than an errant driver of the family sports car might let the air pressure drop, but the effects are the same -- if on a much different scale. Anyway, when I had my Jeep, I would routinely lower the air pressure to 5 psi while offroading, normal pressure for the road was 35 psi. At the lowered pressure, the tires would wrap around the rocks and get the most aggressive grip possible. I could be driving along and see an opportunity for offroad travel and take it without letting the air out of the tires. As I was going along and found that my tires were slipping and sliding on rocks, or not gripping the sand, I would stop and let the air out. On several occasions, I was stuck and getting stucker. I let the air out to about 5psi, and the tires would flatten out on the bottom, and this would provide the traction against the surface I was on, and the Jeep would be able to move forward without being towed.

My point is that if I aired down to 5psi to get more grip, then you might get more grip by airing up from what you have to 5 psi more. As a general rule, passenger cars will take 30psi (give or take) in all four tires. Try

35psi, and see if this makes the tramlining less of a problem. You may find that the lateral travel is reduced, but the verticle movements are greater. The movement from side to side is fixed, but driving across the reflector dots they use to make the lane lines will be harsher.
Reply to
Jeff Strickland

"Jeff Strickland" a écrit dans le message de news: h7e70b$gao$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org...

[...]

This is another question I've to dig up with several companies in order to compare. Basically to correctly process the rims, they need to separate the two parts they are made of: the rim itself and the hub/beams part, then they've to carefully reajust the parts and balance the wheels. This is the reason why the cost is so heavy. The other option is to get them stripped, without dismantling, then painted. IMO, would result in an ugly look.

[...]
[...]

I'm already used to put 3 psi more (0.2 bars) on the rear and 1.5psi in the front tires. More than that produces a tendency to make the car floating a little bit. So, I've to carry my cross tirelessly (no pun in that !), cursing the mayor until he decides to fill-up these damned ruts and cuttings. At the evidence, the palm trees of the seaside boulvard are far more important than the streets 500 meters beyond.

Regards

Reply to
frischmoutt

You have two-part rims? Really? I do not believe those are factory rims. I am not a BMW expert by any means, but I pay pretty close attention to stuff like this, and I'm not aware of any two-part rims offered by the factory.

I agree, do not paint your rims. That will be a disaster.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

"Jeff Strickland" a écrit dans le message de news: h7u88d$stu$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org...

[...]

???? OFFERED ??? big bucks :-)

here's a picture:

formatting link
Regards

Reply to
frischmoutt

That certainly looks like a two-part rim.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

A little late here, I don't check this group often

My daily driver is a '98 Z3 1.9L I bought it about 3 years ago, just because it was cool looking, and surprisingly cheap, and it wasn't a Miata. And I needed an economical alternative to my 11 mpg F350.

It had 98K miles on it, had some paint blemishes, noisy throwout bearing. Since then it has been my daily driver. As much as I hate my morning commute, it is so much better with the top down. Summers here in North Texas limit top-down times to morning, and after dark. It's great on the open highway after dark, especially alone.

Mine will get 26 mpg in town, and up to 32 on the highway. Acceleration is adequate. It is the slowest vehicle I own, but it's still a hoot to drive.

I've had a bit of difficulty finding someone to work on it at a reasonable price. I can do most of it myself, but when I don't have the time, energy or the talent, I want to take it to someone who won't screw me or screw up my car. I may have finally find that guy, but not totally sure.

Mine needs a top. I can get a top-quality top for $400 online. A local trim shop will change it for $300. I'm about to have that done.

I think I now need a battery. the one in it appears to be the original, and it's acting a little less frisky.

Changing a flat and using the spare looks like an ordeal. So far I haven't had to, although I've had my share of flats.

I bought a factory boot cover, used it once. The other comment is right on track, wish I'd had that advice before I paid $150 for a used one.

When you put the top down, lay a bath towel in the fold of the window and it won't get scratched. My worn-out top and rotted window surround still has a nice clear plastic window.

Window lifts do get balky, but it's the channel trim that wears out, not the motors. The glass tries to c*ck in the channels. I keep mine going by spraying silicone spray in the channels

The ride is good, again the softest of any car I own. It still hangs in well on twisty roads.

Stock seats are awful. It's like sitting on a wooden chair. I eventually got used to it, but there is still no excuse for not having better seats. I understand there is a sport seat option that might be better.

I do all the grocery shoppin in our house. I sometimes forget what I'mn driving and load up a basket. I have always been able to get everything home though.

Trunks often leak around the rear stoplight. that's a gasket,easy to change. Trunk is small. I can't pack a shotgun in there unless it's a takedown model.

I'm at 125K miles now, and still doing fine.

All in all, it's a good daily driver. I get compliments on it from strangers fairly regularly.

I figure mine is worth $5500 today. If I were buying another, I might consider one with the 2.3 instead of the 4-cylinder.

Good luck

Rex

Pudd> Greetings,

Reply to
RBnDFW

You are unaware of the connection? Continous use of the boot cover extends the life of the top, significantly. Of course I mean when the top is down.

Reply to
spammers_lie

Not too late, I am still listening.

I may be following in many of your footsteps before long.

Much Appreciated, P

"Law Without Equity Is No Law At All. It Is A Form Of Jungle Rule."

Reply to
Puddin' Man

"Jeff Strickland" a écrit dans le message de news: h831ip$nfp$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org...

^^^^^^^^^ What do you mean ?

Reply to
frischmoutt

I said earlier that there are no BMW-offered two part rims. The picture you posted certainly appears to make me wrong on that point.

I was not aware of any factory rims that are two-part. I thought they were strictly an aftermarket product.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

"Jeff Strickland" a écrit dans le message de news: h9dv15$noo$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org...

It was one of the options when I bought the car. They were on the BMW accessories catalogue. To me they are genuine parts. Aftermarket spoke # 42 rims do exist but their perimeter is a little bit thicker and rounded. Note that there are some other references (few however) made of two parts on their current catalogue. Honestly, I doubt that BMW would put aftermarket parts on their catalogue.

regards

Reply to
frischmoutt

I'm not saying you got aftermarket parts on your new BMW (once upon a time), I'm saying that BMW has a two-part wheel that got past me. I'm sure that if you bought them new and they have BMW markings all over them, they are the real deal. I just did not know that BMW had such a thing. I tend to see these kinds of things, but just because I haven't seen them only means that my world is too small and I gotta get out more.

I agree with you, BMW is not going to put aftermarket stuff into their own catalogs and brochures.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

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