darkwolf

Write in tell them how useless that person is and that you could do the job far better. Give them an example of how a reveiw should be done. Worst case scenario you wasted some of your time, which from your post is what you were doing reading the garbage that guy wrote anyway. Best case scenario you get a job as the herald Car Reveiwer and maybe you can save the NZ public from reading that sorta crap. I can think of worse ways to spend your days than getting to drive some flash new cars that you didn't have to pay for

Not to mention the smoke like they are going outta fashion. There's just something wrong about a moderately powerful car that looks nice and then puts its foot down and sends a blue cloud out the exhaust to suffocate the spectators. TBH I've always wanted an Evo, but just been put off buy the engine reliability side of things. Back on topic. How much would an M3 3.2 I6 cost anyway? I mean the car's aren't exactly cheap. So to find a replacement engine would also run a high margin too wouldn't they? And if you are looking at turboing it anyway would it make that much of a difference?

That last one looks awesome.

IDGARA (JFGI) whether it's NZ new or otherwise (my last 3 cars were Japanese). It's the condition and general information that I have more time for. I found out 6 months after buying my first car (1989 Toyota Corona 2.0GL) That the synchro's were notoriously weak in the NZ gearboxes. The japanese imports didn't have this issue. So in that regard it is a better bet to buy an import of NZ new. Another example is my latest car. Bought at an exceptional price. And it has a full service history from BMW Japan. Though to be fair I can't read anything that was done to the car, but knowing it is there is a comfort. Yes having a manual that is in Japanese can be annoying especially when trying to work out what the hell some of the buttons do like the one by the foglights that has 0-2 on it. Japanese tells me that it changes something from 2-5 but that something could be the angle of the sunroof for all I know (though I doubt it).

And yet your sig fits your post so well.

Because I have them, I just bought them, I figure I'll use em. And the woofers won't fit in any of the factory fittings.

True. Never did like NCEA. got 96% percent of the question right but I am still teh fail.

I'm an accountant, not an engineer or mechanic. And I don't profess to have superior knowledge to anybody. I just have a strong point of view about these engines. The economy engine as you refer to it doesn't exist. It merely refers to the head design. You'll also notice as JiB pointed out that an "F" head isn't a true DOHC head. Though I wouldn't go as far as to say that specifically, it is true that it runs a master and slave set up with one cam being driven of the other rather than running a secondary cam pulley. The comparison between the 1JZ-GTE and 1UZ-FE for price is unwarranted. I reckon you could produce a higher power figure than the UZ with the JZ for the same price. Question is where would it come in and how useable would the engine be. The UZ produces power at a different place compared with the JZ. This is typical of a turbo vs NA powered comparison. The JZ already runs a turbo set-up and as such would be cheaper to produce that power as with a UZ you would need to run a new ECU to correctly tune a boost map. Unless you wanna be a hondatard and just run everything on stock internals. The cheaper option for straight power is often a turbo upgrade. But built properly (as I understand the question to be here) the UZ would win hands down on both peak power and torque as well as delivery. Stock standard engines the UZ takes out torque and power depending on which year or engine is included. As the saying goes, there is no replacement for displacement. Though this is really a conversation for another thread as the OP has stated again and again that he wants to stay the course with BMW. Fair call too. I'm not a big fan of the EJ20ET (or any boxer for that matter) from experiences close friends of mine have had they tend to be prone to failure. If the engine survives usually the drivetrain suffers. I was once told by a Winger Subaru mechanic that you put an under rated clutch in a subaru to protect the engine and other drivetrain components. It's cheaper to replace a budget clutch than rebuild a gearbox. I don't know much about the BMW engines as I've only just started looking into them. The fact is that I only know as much as I do about the Toyota engines as I have been in the past (still am) a total toyota fan boy. This excursion into the BMW is/was only to see if my fanboyness was warranted or whether every car is as good as a Toyota. So far I have decided that my 2 toyota's previously were PoS. If I had to suggest an engine it'd probably be the M62(TU)B44 that I'm running in my 540i. Reason being that stock standard you are starting with very good power/torque figures (210KW/420or440NM) a reliable compression ratio (10.0:1) and what I see as a very nice engine. Doesn't rev overly high but I'm sure if money was no object things could be done to fix this.

I can beat that. I've had her down at 1.3KM/L which works out at 75L per 100 Kilometres Gotta love google converter

Fair enough. Again I think I didn't explain my point well enough. My suggestion was why not go for the higher capacity engine (BMW). In theory it gives you a larger base to work with. And while it will inevitably be more fuel hungry, it should also theoretically give you more return for your work. What tells you that the JZ is a performance engine? The "G" in the head only tells you the valve angles which I think from memory is about 52 degrees versus the "F" rated head on the UZ that is only 26 degrees. If it was truly an economy engine why would "most" JGTC Toyotas (now Super GT) use the 1UZ and I'd be hard pressed to find a team that uses the 2JZ engine at all. There is even a team that has replaced the JZ with a 3S.

Put an M Power badge on each of the two tappet covers. That'll make it BMW and from what I've heard adds like 10 HP each. Depending on how much work you wanna put into the engine afterwards the majority of it may not end up being german anyway. My main point was that I can't see the point in using a 1JZ when the UZ is obviously the superior motor. Which is almost universally correct. Why use a small capacity engine if you are only going to try to make it run higher power/torque anyway. Just use a larger capacity motor and then do the same things to it to gain more power again. Or leave it stock, have the same power/torque/fuel economy and choice (remembering that some cars Caldina GT-T's for example) don't like being turbo and using less than 98 Octane. You also tend to get better sound too IMHO. Also probably requires less modifying like putting in intercoolers, getting new injectors etc. Less stress, more fun. Why wouldn't you?

This is probably a stupid question and I'd probably get any gearbox serviced regardless but: Seeing as BMW recommends that the oil is lifetime oil as in never needs replaced does that mean that you don't/shouldn't service the tranny and differentials unless they display problematic symptoms?

From a BMW 540i http://tinyurl.com/Cass52kml Don't worry it's not a dodgy link. If you're worried here's a preview.

Oops, seriously gotta learn to pay attention properly. They are actually 385/15/22.

Always keen for a road trip, but not this fortnight damn insurance. So I'll meet you at manfeild if that's sweet.

Actually the 1UZ-FE (4.0L V8 Quad Cam) has a better pwer to weight ratio. It's actually lighter than the 1JZ/2JZ or even the 3S-GTE (not the NA though). And if you want serious power just supercharge or turbo charge or twin charge it. If you get a later model UZ it actually produces (marginally) more power than the M62TUB44 in the BMW540i though it is down on torque.

If you haven't read it already: http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/05/kumho-k...15-series-tire/ Awesomely it could theoretically fit on the 540i "The 385/15ZR22 size ECSTA SPT KU31 has been developed as a conversion option for such exotic sports cars as the Ferrari F430, Dodge Viper, and Corvette Z06. "

Sorry dunno where the hell my mind was. Missed breakfast. Absolutely right mint sauce. Was totally thinking bacon this morning for breakfast at about 6.30 this morning too. Fell asleep again woke up at 8.30. Missed breakfast.

Yeah I know what they are and what they look like, would just like to see one in person just to see where everything goes. I'm not interested (anymore) in the massive subs. I've had two 12" subs in my celica for a year or so now. Great for wank factor and thats all. Just wanna put in my Brand New Infiniti Kappas that I JUST bought before I bought my BMW. Seems like a waste otherwise. So if I can find what one looks like and is installed like, I can make the box etc to mount them properly.

Apple sauce actually. Far better. Though if you get pork schnitzel and sirloin steak. Season the steak wrap the schnitzel around the steak and grill/fry that Mmmmmm. Most delicious food source ever. Then you don't even need apple sauce.

Really? A guy down the road from where we used to live owned a midnight blue (i guess) coloured one. Looked awesome. I'm trying to talk a friend into buying that exact one you just linked too. MMMMM 5.0L V12 goodness. Doesn't produce much more power and torque than the 4.4L V8 but who cares. V12!!!

It annoys me that it won't allow you to minimize to tray with programs such as trayit. When you are working constantly between two programs it's nice to be able to still keep a program open but not have it cluttering the taskbar especially when alt-tabbing between programs.

Hi all, I new around here and having owned my first BMW for just under a fortnight now. I would like to get in contact with someone around the Palmerston North area with a DSP sound system in a 540i to view how the rear subwoofers are actually installed. I want to do a similar think with my Infinity Kappa series 6.5" Components that I bought not long before I bought my new car. Obviously I can find out more information on the net but there is just something about seeing the installation in RL that can't be described by words and pictures. Any help would be appreciated.

Any chance of pics of what the WOF guy says is the problem. As the park lights on my celica are crappy and they've never been an issue when I've tried to get a WOF.

Welcome, I just bought a E39 540i and Saturday. They aren't as bad as everyone reckons they are on gas, plus who buys a V8 for gas. If you wan economy buy a cheaper car and sove the money that way. I live in Levin and one the trip down here with AC on I got 9.2KM/L according to the onboard which worked out about right may have been about 0.2% out. But I can only imagine these people in an econobox swift driving at 18.15KM/L (a firend drove one yesterday to Kaitaia at that) being so utterly uncomfortable. We 540 owners don't have that issue.