M3AN

No, just to shorten the lock... although they happen to lock the tierod as well because of how they install, this is actually a PITA because you have to get them off to replace the inner rod and every time I've removed some I've had to cut them off... less than ideal if the rack is still on the car. I've never heard of a tierod undoing itself... I suppose it's possible if it's not torqued properly but many (most?) cars with the same rack and rod design don't come with the stops so we can assume they're not essential for that purpose.

Same stops fit both racks, they're just glorified discs that reduce the left/right swing by a couple of mm's each way. They do nothing other than reduce the lock to prevent the inside front of the front tyres rubbing the liners. It'll be the chassis rather than the rack that will determine if they could/should be used because it's related to the shape of the wheel well. Real OEM says (e36): ONLY APPLIES TO TIRES 225/55 which I assume is a 16" rim, all M3's came with 17's and a locking plate. I had them on the stock rack, I didn't have them with my purple rack and my fronts (225/35/18) rubbed on full lock but no drama, I don't have them on my Z3 rack and tyres don't rub (so it must have a shorter throw).

Depends what car the rack came off. If your tyres don't rub on the fender liners then you don't need the stops. I didn't use them although I have a new set if you want some.

The "right way" is to wonder why you've got hideous black bars on your video... it shouldn't need explaining, it's how our eyes actually work. ? But anyway... it sounds like you had a good day Mark, I do like hearing my car from the outside too. ?

Seriously, why can't people hold their phone the right way when they're taking video? How do they not even notice they're doing it wrong?

Well, part of me wants you to be right about the curve, it would be great for BMW and enthusiasts. I'm not confident though and it's not because I don't like them, I do. As you say, time will tell, let's hope I'm wrong about the AMG comparison.

The rear leather on Luna looks ridiculous for 22 years, almost like the back doors have never even been opened. Claudia does look like a handful!

We all know that. It's already a reality. Just look at E46 M3 vs E9x for example, E39 M5 vs E60 etc. Appeal wise, newer M's are more like AMG's, older M's are more like Porsches. I'd bet most enthusiasts would take a Porsche over an AMG.

What have any of them actually sold for in NZ recently?

Wut? ? That clock is not reading 11!

I don't find it confusing at all. No enthusiast wants to buy a Mx which is effectively obsolete in 2 years. But upgrading every 2 years does appeal to some, it's just an entirely different market. M cars of olde will be remembered forever for their class defining characteristics. New ones, they're easily forgotten and are all merely depreciating lumps of metal and silicon (edit: albeit fun for a time).

OEM mount - 82279413886 OEM extinguisher - 72600000335 But I think the mount locks you into the OEM extinguisher and, unlike the E36 version, I don't think the E46 mount comes with a strap which I think (?) is required for motorsport use. Installation on the passenger seat mount nuts is convenient but pretty useless if you can't reach it with a harness done up. Aftermarket bolted to the far side transmission tunnel is probably ideal.

Yeah, these "Competition" spec M's are pure BS and serve only to line BMW's pockets and devalue cars they've already sold. Do it properly and release the real M at the beginning of the cycle. If you need a refresh do a proper Evolution, if you want a proper special edition do a CSL, this in between "CS" BS is the absolute antithesis of what enthusiasts want. Oh, I forgot, "enthusiasts" are no longer the target market for M cars, they seem to be developed for a different market now...

Okay. It would be pretty unusual for gravity to be sufficient to cause a leak in a pressurised system if it's not leaking when it's running. Or to put it another way, if gravity is sufficient to cause it to leak I'd expect it to piss out under pressure.

Are you sure it's leaking from the sump? If the input shaft on the diff needs replacing they'll drip only when pointed nose down... the leak can drip off the driveshaft rather than the diff itself.

But an economy meter instead of an oil temp gauge? That's no way to treat an S50! Lovely car though.

Maaate!

Not sure who stole the link from your post (if it's a mod edit it's an expected courtesy to say so) but that was funny as hell!

Eww, I saw one of the new X7's in the flesh today. SMH, They're obscene in stature and look stupid to boot with the rabbit teeth kidneys but the most striking thing was just how tiny the front occupants looked. They were dwarfed by the 'shipping container' they were in and looked like little bobble-heads on the dash. Classy.

Good to meet you today Andrew and thanks for a positive trade/experience. Now, don't you forget to bring one of those beauties to our coffee meet! ?

It's highly unlikely that the DSC light is related to the airbag work, it would be a convoluted path to connect those dots. Treat them as unrelated unless you find otherwise but that doesn't mean it'll cost $1800 to fix. As a priority get your money back for the clock spring. This is not a wear item and should outlive the car. In cases where they do break it's almost always because somebody has been dicking around with the steering wheel or airbag. If you're too casual it's easy to (re)install the clock spring on the steering wheel/column so that it will tear almost immediately. Talk to the service manager, I'd be stunned if they resisted fixing this at their cost and refunding you. There's literally no other way for this to break. As for the DSC lights, you're best to get another quote from a reliable independent BMW workshop (codes read + diagnosis + cost to fix), you may find they have a different position/cost. Where you go depends largely on where in Auckland you live but @BM WORLD's offer above is probably a good place to start, I'd give Brent a call. Do keep us posted.

Spent some time with her today and made some progress... Non-start looks like it might be a general electrical problem, CPS code might just be because it's one of the more sensitive sensors. The car started again first time but I'm getting some interesting battery results so I've charged and recorded state and we'll see what it's like in the morning. I am getting ~12.5v steady and ~14.6v running but I'm still suspicious as I've also pulled a couple of dead fuses... ? She also had developed a terrible cat/exhaust rattle, like something heavy was loose inside. Turned out to be the harmonic balancer before the muffler was loose, perhaps I didn't torque it properly when I did the rear ARB bushes? ?

Wow, way more complicated DME than on the single-unit MSS50 (S50B32). Only observation/adjustment I'd make is that I'd remove the feeder tube from the expansion tank rather than bending/stressing it - I've had one crumble in my hands before.

The pleasures of a $2k car... As above I replaced the CPS, car started fine multiple times, still had a static CPS code (#65 which is apparently very common), a little while later and the car wouldn't start again. Had to wait until today to have another look... car started first time... argh. So who knows? I can't really rely on the car starting but it's impossible to diagnose anything whilst it is starting fine... ?

I used my mate's spare motorbike helmet years ago. Does the driver training co not supply helmets?