318Touring

yes or no, reliability, is it a gas guzzling monster, maintenance cost including wear and tear, Jap import or NZ new etc.etc, All comments are welcome.

Willis, PM is private messaging which you'll use by clicking the PM button at the left frame of the messages. OK re the tyre, I'm searching high and low trying to match one tyre to the rest.

Does anyone know whether there is any transport company that can come in to pick up alloy wheels in Chch and send it to Welly? Costing etc.?

118i as a loaner car for a couple of days. Love the new car feel, and very well screwed together. Love being able to play my MP3 CD. It's way very small even for a small family like us, most of the fittings feel cheap, the boot carpet belongs in a Kia rental car. E36 318i 4 door, at that time it was too expensive for an underpowered car. Note I now have a E36 318ti which cost 1/3 of the 4 door (still underpowered). E46 318 4 door, feel vey light and not well composed compared to the E39 I was comparing it with. Bought the E39 at the end.

willis, if you are going ahead on replacing your current wheels, I'd be interested in getting the tyres of you. Assuming they are Continental? PM me. BTW I'm also in Welly

Looks excellent. I was wondering why the engine bay looks very crowded compared to my 318ti ... until I read you mod list.

Continental ContiEcoContact CP, 225/55/16, half-worn or 4-5 mm, must be warrantable and usable (of course). Shipped to Wellington.

So far I've had excellent service as well from Shelly, however that's on a maintenance plan. The Compact is goint to Shelly for WOF and belt check on Monday, I'll see the outcome. This is one wasn't bought at Shelly so be interested to see whether it'll get the same treatment as the other one (washed etc.). When booking it for the work I wasn't offered a loaner, is it because this wasn't bought there? At the moment the only negative aspect from Shelly's move is I can't stroll pass the waterfront anymore when picking the car after work. It's now either walking through Throdon's industrial area (and get run over by trucks) or catching a bus :-(

Thank you! I was looking to buy a copy couldn't find one though.

On open road driving I prefer to have my headlights on (no fogs), as it'd be easier for road users coming from the other side to spot me. I only turn on my rear fog lights when someone is too close to my rear. Did it several times, and it was an effective way of telling them to 'back off!'. Obviously I turned it off again afterwards, it was very bright!

Are after market lights not acceptable for passing WOF?

Right, here's my take on a desirable E39: On an E39 you'd preferably want: leather electrics everything incl.seats and steering wheel multi function (M/F) steering wheel FSH as many airbags as possible PDC (parking radar) steptronics (not the one with D 4 3 2 but D and + M -) and if possible TV/nav or DSP As you can see on imports there a lot of combination from the things I list above. I have seen a cloth 528 with Nav, or late model one complete everything plus headlight washer, blinds but without M/F wheel. On NZ new 528s, all of the above are standard apart from Nav. Older cars would not have M/F wheel, and tourings would not have M/F wheel until late '99. I haven't driven a 520, but the sales guys at Shelly indicated that 520s are fine around town, but get a bit breathless when required to be a bit energetic. Also equipment wise 520s will have less stuff compared to 528s. E39 should be quite reliable, and bullet proof. That's why I mention FSH is desirable so you'd know when maintenance had been carried out. Mine has 106000 kms, and still perform flawlessly and looks excellent. I am in fact don't know what to get when it's time to change mine, the E39 is a very, very good car. Perhaps an E60 535D with HUD :-), oh yeah. There is a very RARE manual here E39 specs Mine with my Compact, I need M5 grilles!!

Hah must be tiny allen keys then. I'll take a look a bit more... Thanks for the advice.

Unfortunatelt the tips only work for year 2000 above radios. What kind of tools needed to get the radio out of its housing? Mine seems to require a screw-in tool for both sides of the radio.

Any recommendation on who does a good job for undertaking paintless dent removal? Seems there isn't a big/well-known outfit that does it, all are small operators.

jochen, the method you describe above won't work for E36's Japanese radio?

Interior

It's for the missus, and school run, and track days, gymkhana etc. Have just finished waxing it, but will need a little bit more work to bring it up to standard. Details: 1996 318Ti (M42) Sunroof 8 speakers (!!) + 6 CDs stacker Black cloth 2 airbags It needs: BMW front badge Coolant change Trunk mat (see # 1 in the picture) Bumper base, NZ style (see # 3 in the pic) Haven't got the time to take proper pic yet. These are from Trademe's auction:

From an old Shelly's brochure: oil service $136 intermediate $338

Yeah, they don't strictly legal. However it's actually ever enforced is another story. That's why I have a NZ replica one instead on D plate. Unless you know what uou're looking for, the difference is hard to spot. I also bring my NZ plates with me.

Yep, at last it's sorted. Got my side from BMW, front from Repco. While at Repco the salesgirl threw my working white bulb. I said to her "That costs $10 a piece, I want it back". So she went through the rubbish bin for it. Gosh, unbelievable.

Aha, I think I did say yellow :-) Aren't they very bright and customer focused. I'll check with the other Repco, and I've already emailed Shelly Bmw to get the bulbs from them.

Yes, I've just replaced my E39's front and side lights to clears (that was hard work - another story). Unfortunately they don't come with the yellow bulbs. Tried Repco, say they never carried them (WTH?). So does anyone know who in Wellington sells them? TIA.

Hi, sorry it's not my BMW but my other car. It's a '86 Suzuki Alto automatic. And I've just noticed that these things are missing. Look at my picture and can any of you tell me what should've been there. First there's the hole which should had some cover on it? The scuff mark around the hole suggested that it used to have a cover. Second, there the hose that leads from the back of the fan to nowhere....... Should it have something attached to it? Cheers!

LOL< carl, which building were you in. Mine is the one exactly the opposit the 'bomb'. I was trying to get onlookers to chant 'blow it up, blow it up', understandably the coppers weren't too keen on that.