gjm

"Starc’s in-swinging yorker to castle him was just a delight." Please could someone translate? I like watching a good game even if I don't play, but I don't even understand this!

Subtitles.

I hear tell of a new program which will air on Sky, called 'Top Speed'... Anyone care to guess who the three presenters will be?

Errmm... No thanks. 420hp from a standard 4.0?

And http://www.scunthorpetelegraph.co.uk/GEAR-Guy-Martin-favourite-ahead-Chris-Evans/story-26242089-detail/story.html I said it first!

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/mar/27/should-guy-martin-take-over-from-jeremy-clarkson-at-top-gear?CMP=fb_gu I doubt it'll happen, but if it does, see my earlier post!

Simples. Will the E46 M3 springs and struts fit (our Touring)? Working on the car earlier int he week revealed that there is a bit of a lean left to right, as viewed from the rear. Nothing disastrous, and quite possibly nothing that wouldn't be expected from a 400000km+++ car running on probably original springs and struts/shocks. (I've checked the comprehensive service history, but didn't see any mention of replacement bouncy bits.) I know the M3 has much wider track courtesy of longer arms and suchlike, but I'm not after those parts. I'm also aware that the M3 strut tops are different to standard, and that using them in a non-M3 body results in some "interesting" positive camber! Swapping the strut tops side-to-side isn't an option, either - the negative camber becomes ridiculous. So... Could I retain the stock strut tops and lower arms (etc), and fit the M3 springs and struts to lower and stiffen out Touring? I understand that the struts have a different top mount (as well as strut top) but I don't know the details. I've read of someone using CSL struts and springs with 320d top mounts, but don't know if M3=CSL in the bouncy bits department.

Actually, and in all seriousness, a good replacement for Jeremy Clarkson could be... Drum roll... Guy Martin?

Jay Kay. Not only is he a faster driver than Clarkson, he could keep a couple of series going by just using his own cars. in the meantime, Mr Clarkson has found alternative work already:

Hot chips. With chicken salt.

That's quite a graceful roofline.

$50 and a bag of chips?

If I hit a fellow employee, I'd expect severe discipline at best, quite possibly sacking, and even some sort of tribunal and/or legal action taken against me. Assuming no criminal charges for assault weren't brought. I'm saddened to see the potential demise of the program, but quite frankly he got what he deserved.

Being that much wider should help make it more difficult to pass...

Interesting... And certainly different. Desirable? May be another matter! http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/ctd/4942405964.html In the US so not really a consideration for purchase and use here, but under USD 4k. I sorta like it, but can't decide if it is some sort of derangement on my part, or just fascination.

Theoretically, they fit. Minimum recommended width 17" rim for a 215/45 is 7", with a maximum of 8.5" (unless getting serious with some stretching). Personally, I feel an 8" rim is near enough ideal, but does anyone have any experience they can share? I've run into a bit of an issue, y'see... I'll share the details another time, perhaps.

Rep[laced all four wheels. Twice. Because I forgot the tyres have a rotational direction. D'oh!

Quick note here to remind me to write up some more stuff about replacing the final stage, aka 'hedgehog', resistor. Just passed 431000km.

I'm pretty sure Glenn must be smaller than me (and I don't thnk we've met!) The car has been to see Glenn at some point in its life, as indicated by a sticker on the drivers door jamb. Seeing the upper securing bolt for the stepper motor housing nigh-on defeated me. Absolutely no way on earth I could see the whole head of the bolt, and when I did see it, it was simply impossible to get a tool on to it. No space at all... None. My head was crushed against a pedal bracket, and I was holding the air vent aside with my left hand. I could just see 1/4 of the bolt head. Enough to see it was a torx bolt. With the correct Torx T-20 t-bar (length really does make a difference ), I could fiddle it into place (not easy with the steering column, stepper motor housing, flexible (springy) rubber-encased cable, and footwell air vent all seemingly in the way) then I had to hold it in position while I adjusted my position so I could hold the tool and not have it slip out of the bolt head. Having got all of that (finally) out of the way, the hedgehog (final stage) resistor can be removed... Can't it? No. There's a plastic clip that sits over the upper right side of the resistor body, holding it in place. You can get one hand in there... So, do you hold the clip out of the way, or do you pull the resistor body? I squeezed a nylon screwdriver between the clip and the resistor body so I could wriggle the body out a little, the remove the screwdriver, then go back and wriggle the body some more, then reuse the screwdriver to hold the stepper motor linkage out of the way, wriggle the resistor body some more, remove the screwdriver, and finally remove the resistor. I connected the new resistor hanging off the lead (even this isn't actually easy) and tested - fortunately the fan worked, and speed was variable. So it wasn't a lot of work in vain. Re-assembly is (unusually) easier than dis-assembly. Or maybe I understood better what was needed? I put the upper bolt through the stepper motor housing before starting anything else, and used a nylon push-fit washer to hold it in the housing. I really did not fancy trying to squeeze that screw back into a hole I couldn't see! It was a faff, but we got there. (The replacement resistor has a plastic body and had to be relieved a little to slip into the hole left by the original, metal-body resistor.) It didn't take me three hours, fortunately, but it certainly is not an easy or straightforward piece of work. Familiarity would certainly help - I could do it again in much less time, but I am very aware that this is not an easy component swap. As for size... I'm no rugby player, but I'm 6'1 have broad shoulders and a 46" chest. I doubt that helps. Of course, dark grey carpets in a footwell, with dark grey or black plastics and no lights means you can't see much at the best of times. I used a head torch but found it fouled on the steering column as often as it provided light where I needed it. Then there was the 'do I wear my glasses or leave them off' issue. And I really must sort the drivers' door check strap. This would be so much easier if the door would stay open on its own!! I have one or two more pics to show the location of various bits. That troublesome upper bolt can be photographed with a mobile phone, but cannot (in my car) be readily seen. I don't think there's anything new or different in the footwell or under-dash area. The pics really don't imho give an indication of just how difficult it is to reach things - we're talking about the top of the transmission tunnel, in the far bottom of the footwell. Not easy. But it's done, and I'm sure having a working fan in damp weather means it will have been worth it. Next up - turbo replacement. It'll be a comparative doddle.

I have what I hope is the correct tool. It's still a b!tch to do - getting a T20 driver into the head of a torx bolt that you can't see is a tad tricky. I found a quote online from someone who knew what to expect, and they said it took them 3 hours to get this one screw out.

Started/tried replacing the 'hedgehog' resistor. For the uninitiated, this job falls firmly into the 'what the f*** were you thinking, BMW?' category. This resistor, more correctly known as the final stage resistor, controls your fan speed. And it fails. Sometimes it fails gradually, sometimes the fan just stops working. Sometimes you'll find your fan speed surges erratically. It is an almighty PITA to replace, especially on a RHD car. Those with LHD will find it easier as 'all' you have to do is remove the glovebox and you can get at most stuff. (We'll ignore the contortions required to get into position where you can see/work on what is required.) The rest of us have a little thing called a steering column to contend with. Rather than re-invent the wheel or write another procedure for this, I have added someone else's work to my Google Drive. It's nearly 5Mb but definitely worth it. So far, I have proved it is the resistor and not the fan which is at fault. This was achieved by accident, and accompanied by some sparks, when I shorted something, somewhere, against the steering column (via a T20 socket and extension bar) - the fan blew beautifully. At least I'm not looking to replace that. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE what is involved! Trying to line up a T20 torx bit into a bolt head, while lying half on your side and supporting your upper body weight, with your arm stretched out, in the back corner of the drivers side footwell, avoiding pedals and steering column isn't straightforward. Oh. I forgot to mention - you cannot see, feel or even touch the bolt you're looking for. It's an act of faith that it exists at all. And you can't use just any torx bit, either - the normal socket type ones are too fat to get even close to the bolt head. You really do need a T-handle set like this one from SCA. I phoned Repco and they didn't know what I was talking about. I have a T20 screwdriver, but it is too long - the steering column gets in the way. I suspect this part is fitted before the seats or steering column are installed. Price? BMW want $100+++. I got a Chinese one from eBay for a small fraction of that. I hope it works...

If you buy overseas and the seller charges tax locally on your purchase (VAT, sales tax, etc), will we be expected to pay GST on that tax? Any attempt at recovering tax from source is doomed to failure. It'll never work. Charging GST on all overseas purchases would bring NZ in line with many other countries. When we moved here and I heard I could bring in goods (with combined purchase + insurance + shipping) value of up to $400 without paying any duties or taxes, I was amazed. I think the UK threshold is something like a combined purchase+shipping value of 15 quid. $30. Buying from overseas will continue. I'm looking into a H&R Cup Touring suspension kit for the Merc. 4 shocks, 4 springs. Even taking into account currency conversion at fleece-me rates, PayPal fees, insurance, shipping, GST, handling and processing fees... It still comes out $00s cheaper than buying here. I'll be buying retail too, and not trade. This won't be affected by any changes. Brake parts for the 320d came from the UK. I couldn't find, in NZ, a caliper rebuild kit that included a piston. The full set, all four corners (including pistons, bleed nipples, seals) and shipping (etc) cost the same as 1.5 seal-only kits from BMW NZ. And that was after discount from the very friendly and helpful parts guy at CJ in Hamilton. Didn't come close to $400. It's a balance, and it's up to the buyer to decide what they want to do. There are some quite astonishing mark-ups in NZ, and some amazing apathy from some retailers. However, there is also some truly excellent service and (let's face it - NZ Post are 9 parts useless with tracking and international shipments) considerably faster delivery. I also have an idea of the grief any retailer selling anything goes through - holding stock, maintaining inventory, tracking shipments, dealing with customers (!), refunds, restocking, credit card fees, rent, business taxes... A seller is entitled to some compensation for that. Of course, the current system of charging $30-50 for handling and the like as a package comes through customs will destroy any cheap shipping. I have a couple of bits of electronics coming in from China, total value perhaps $20. I don't much fancy seeing that price potentially triple.

This is a significant and perhaps fair complaint. The undisclosed conviction would most likely have made no difference to the premium, policy or exclusions, but it does provide the insurance company with a reason (excuse?) to withhold payment.

I know a couple of guys in the UK used either a non-caustic sink and plughole unblocker, or a mild solution of drain cleaner. I do wonder where the solution that resulted went to - I can't believe they used it on the windscreen. Could even damage paintwork, perhaps? I wouldn't bother - I'd take it apart and clean it out properly. That way you know it's done.