Golfboy666GTI

OK, so Ive had the seat unbolted, this is what I found:

Is this bit meant to be plugged into anything?

Plug going into the belt:

I havent seem any breaks in the wiring, well as far as I can see.

If you did the google search I did using the same words I'd suggested, clicked on the first link which is a PDF file explaining in detail the fault code and repair, inclusive of OEM part numbers and clear easy to follow diagrams to fix the fault (which reads practically identical to yours). Taking around 20 seconds to cut/paste/look and establish whether this document outlines the fault and whether you're prepared to tackle the work involved shouldn't cause so much nay-saying or spit 'n vinegar.

Use it, don't use it. Whatever. Seems folk are pretty quick to jump to conclusion and bandwagon.

The same procedures are detailed elsewhere too. I'd figured a PDF document is fairly standard, printable and simple to follow. It seems not though.At least not if you're not prepared to take the effort to simply look.

Good luck anyway.

I have got that thanks.

86km on the clock, sold for $6k.

Cheap, cheap, looked a lovely car.

It was a Fiji Green E36 318is Motorsport.

So they are pretty much US Spec then?

Much as I enjoy hitting my head against a brick-wall I will stop now, apparently it feels good when you stop.

OMG! No, they arent US spec, but they have the same US spec gearbox. The rest of the car is pretty much Euro spec.

So, do you want to deny that brand new E30 M3's left Germany for Japan with H pattern gearboxs?

It depends what you mean by "standard", as both types of M3 were sold in Japan as new then you can say either one is fitted as standard.

From the numbers I have seen there were more US spec cars sold in Japan than Euro, so the H pattern would be more common.

What it all boils down to is which model the car was, US or Euro.

(Disclaimer - allow for ordered options, later changes, odd balls and f&$k ups)

"Standard" Japanese New E30 M3's came with H pattern gearboxs, fact! I have seen so many of them. They are pretty much Euro spec but they have a H pattern gearbox.

Just to say it one more time...

There is NO Japan spec, only Euro and US.

Cars sold in Japan could be either model, the US Spec or the Euro Spec, depending on what model code was ordered.

Most Euro spec cars would have a Km/h speedo, only GB uses miles, rest of europe is Kms. It could have been possible to option a Euro spec car with a H-pattern box, if you really wanted to. And after all these years it could easily have been swapped out, and not necessarily what came out of the factory, H pattern box is much cheaper to get hold of second hand as it's much less desirable.

I get my information from many places, but no I don't work for a dealer.

So you are saying that it wasnt standard for a Japanese E30 M3 have an H pattern gearbox?

There is no Japanese spec, they can have either the H Pattern if a US spec was ordered, or a dog-leg if a Euro spec was ordered. Which is why people have cars from Japan which have both types of box.

The articles I have read on the 2 x RHD is that they were for Japan, which makes sense as HK would not be a big enough market for it to even be considered as a project whereas Japan would be. I think one of the cars is now in a collection in HK, or it was when the last article I read was written.

Sorry, you are wrong.

Japan has a model that is euro spec but has a H pattern gearbox - plus a km/h speedo.

US is different, they didnt have the second gas tank up behind the rear seat, they have side lights and they have different headlights.

Where do you get your information from? Do you work for a BMW dealer?

Sorry, but that is not the case. The diff and gearbox (and all major mechanical parts) are determined by the model code first and foremost, in the case of this car that is AK05 which as you point out on your list is the Euro spec with cat.

Option codes for national versions, such as 807, 812 and 814 only affect the documentation with the vehicle, labelling, BoL, handbooks, etc. The speedo option you refer to for GB is 548, this is completely seperate to any national versions.

Japan is not a model on its own, it will only ever be either a Euro spec or a US spec. as you have shown in your list. Every country that ever sold an E30 M3 new will have a national version in the same way that Japan did, but this makes no physical change to the vehicle.

Unless of course you are talking about the two factory-built prototype RHD E30 M3 built for Japan - but that is a totally different story

Japanese spec E30 M3's do have standard H pattern gearboxs.

As for the 2 RHD E30 M3's I thought they were produced for HK? Or was it that one of them ended up in HK?

where do you guys get your 'lists' from? 'cause I have seen 3 different black 1 Ms in AK alone.

I can only talk for myself, but it can be a lot of time and effort.

We may as well collate our findings via PM.

How many Fiji Green iS's do you know of? I've got 6 still on the road.

Ive only got 4

Ill send you a PM.

yep 3.0 sadly but its still alot of fun dosnt feel any slower than my friends evo coupe, just ticked over 57000kms, prob one of the lowest km's around???

Nothing to be sad about the 3.0, its a great engine.

I know of 15 in NZ, breakdown is as follows:

White 8

Orange 4

Black 3

Have the VIN's for most of them, but won't be posting those for obvious reasons.

I would say there is closer to 20 all up in NZ, the press car (on TM right now), the 14 BMW NZ initially allocated to the dealers was split fairly evenly between the Auckland 2, Coombes, Jeff Grey, and I'd say Cooke got allocated at least 1, seeing as there was one for sale in Queenstown last month. Can't remember the exact split, that memory has been lost to the sands of time.

I know of 16 NZ new 1M's also.

Though this is my break down:

White: 7

Orange: 7

Black: 2

I dont want to try and bypass it, I want to fit it.

I was wanting to know if it would be as simple as a broken wire (that I could repair) or if I need a complete new module.

I tried Supercheap (Napier), no luck, then tried Repco, they didnt have any either, but the friendly guy working looked them up on the sister company (Appco) database, they have them in stock for $3.40 each. Ill be grabbing a couple tomorrow.

Apart from BMW, where abouts can I purchase OBC light bulbs for an E36?

I have found the below part numbers:

OSRAM BX8.4

R509TMBK

Ive seached and read 6 pages on the forum (plus stuff on the web) but havent found the info I am after.

The airbag light has come on in my girlfriends NZ new (SA built) 1998 E36 318is Motorsport. We have scanned it and it came back with the below code:

Ignition circuit 1 - driver belt tensioner

Is this often a broken wire that can be repaired, or a module that needs to be repalced? I guess the seat has to be removed to inspected?

Oh, she seems to have the seat set to the lowest setting, could this have effected the wiring at all?

Thanks for your help.

Pretty sure the one on trademe is now here in Dunedin. The one that Jarred (m3dakar) has

Isnt his a 3.0 one?

Here is the Dakar Yellow South African import M3 Evo:

Rolands old car... theyre quite rare the cabs.

Have some photos I did back in 2003 of it somewhere.

Its the only E30 M3 Cab in NZ isnt it?

That is correct for US spec and the majority of Japanese ones but some M3s sold new in Japan were full euro spec.

Are you sure. Yes I know they are in Japan but I think they are imports from Europe.

If you intend installing dogleg in a E30 M3 as I understand it there is a difference between dogleg gearboxes the cast lugs on each side for rubber mounts to bolt on is where the difference lays.

I am not sure with out doing some research certain (635csi and ?) models of BMW had the dogleg with mount lug on one side only.

265-5 is what you need for M3.

262 from 635csi is what you [/size]don't want, it can be installed after new centre section is "found" and installed.

Dave.

The E30 M3 is European spec (dogleg gear box), the Japanese and US spec E30 M3's have the standard "H" pattern.

As the titles says, what BMW's other than a E30 M3 have dogleg gearboxs?

Would a mechanical warranty require a PPI? If so, if its that bad a PPI would pick up on it and insurance would deny coverage anyway

You arent going to get a mechanical warranty on an E39 M5.

Yup a chap who was not well versed in manual launching had a black 1m...

Sounds interesting, what happend?