gjm

The EU4 engine was built from September 2003. I've seen suggestions that the EGR valve can be cleaned and disabled on the EU3 engine, but if going to the trouble to remove it for cleaning, surely simply not putting it back (and using a suitable pipe to replace it) is a better idea? I'm not sure what error codes this might raise, or if some sort of 'disable' configuration would still be required. The EU4 engine had much more stringent emissions controls and the EGR valve is different; it has some sort of electronic interface. It can still be deleted/removed, but obviously there is a little more to consider before starting that process. There's an option for each here. A cheaper option is to remove the vacuum pipe and stick a golf tee in it. If the engine is an EU3 it's kind of job done; if its EU4 what ever you do will raise the EML, but that can be mapped out. For me though, I'd prefer to do the job properly. Incidentally, the EU3 and EU4 injectors for the M47TUD20 are different and have to be coded; the EU3 injectors use a 6-digit code, the EU4s have a 7-digit code.

If I was driving on a billiards table, 20s might be lovely. As it is, 17s are more about looks than anything else. Filling the arches a little better, that sort of thing. Aesthetics. Cleaning 20 spokes 4 times over isn't going to be the most fun I could have... Clean them once, wax them, and it should be possible to just hose them clean for a while after that. I'll find something, somewhere, sometime... Like this...? Only 16 spokes so they'd be much easier to clean than the Alpinas... Style 127. And only available (originally) in 19s; I guess replicas may be available in other sizes. I'd obviously like to be using less fuel, but what I'm getting isn't unreasonable. If the EGR valve hasn't been cleaned, it's generally regarded as being a major contributor to reducing economy. Perhaps it'll stop raining this weekend long enough for me to have a look. One thing of minor concern is that ever since I had the gearbox fluid changed, there has been a smell of old engine oil coming through the vent in the centre of the dash, but normally only when I stop: it doesn't seem to be there while actually moving, and it is only that vent, too. At first I thought it was just some oil had got dropped on the exhaust, but 2.5 weeks later and it is still doing it. I've not been under the car to have a look for any leaks but there is no sign of anything being dropped on the ground when I've parked overnight.

In the background, with everything else that I'm considering and planning, the question of wheels rolls on. I'm pretty much settled on 17s. (I have an immediate solution, so there's no rush.) However... Style 22s? Y'know, the E36 Motorsport ones. Sunflowers. Whatever. I've not seen a pic of a E46 Touring actually wearing them, but they are a good-looking rim. There is this pic with style 22s resting against the fitted wheels: Or... 17" 20-spoke Alpinas? OK, these are (probably) 18s, but you get the idea. Opinions invited! Fuel economy isn't really changing. 10 miles per litre, 16km per litre, or a little over 6 litres per 100km. Had a quote for a hybrid turbo, but at over $2300 that will have to wait. Fingers crossed the fitted turbo isn't in too bad a condition!

Mine started life as a mid- to late-70s ex-USAF ute, and the 12-bolt rear had been... Well, 'located', properly. When I first ran it, it was still khaki green with the ID numbers painted over by brush. Later in life it was bright orange, with 'Clockwork Tangerine' signwritten across the back of the cab under the window.

I could park that on the drive and smile every time I looked out of the window.

It's good. There are many faster, and that was probably about the limit for that truck while keeping it sensibly driveable on the road. Gearing was spot-on - flat out it'd do about 135mph, and on the best run, I trapped at 129(ish). At the time, a new Porsche 911 turbo would take over 15s. :-)

There are a lot of boat anchor SBCs out there, but some good ones too. No idea which category the lump in this car falls into, but the one that was in my E28 was claimed to make 445bhp. Some of that was usable. The rest ripped road tyres to pieces. The SBC in a C10 pickup I used to drag race made more. And had nitrous. 12.97s standing-start quarter mile on road tyres.

I was going to ask the same! Still, Brent is much more likely to have a track car ready before me.

Dunno what it said earlier, but it definitely says $6500 now.

Not bad.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/535/auction-666110866.htm Pity they cut a hole in the bonnet for the air filter, in my opinion. No need for that. Wa-a-ay back I had a 5.7 V8 E28, ex-Thundersaloon race car in Martini livery. Frankly, it was hopelessly impractical (roll cages do that) and a bit of a handful, but great fun. And no holes in any of the bodywork. That's well over 20 years ago, now...

They've managed to disgrace themselves too, though. "NZ Transport Agency road safety director Ernst Zollner said the holiday safety campaign would be welcomed by most New Zealanders." OK... I can't see anyone complaining about something that will genuinely improve safety. But... "A clear majority of Kiwis supported police enforcement of speed limits to prevent crashes, he said" ^ this is complete fabrication, or at best, an abuse of statistics. Further, "The AA recommended that vehicle users should check their tyres once a month to ensure optimum safety" implies vehicle users have sufficient knowledge and technical skill to be able to tell when their tyres are unsafe. Those frequenting forums are a tiny minority, and may know what to look for, but most vehicles users will check there is enough tread on the tyre and drive off. That's hardly a comprehensive check!

Unfortunately, until I pull the turbo from the car I'll not know the extent of any work that will be required... And then the car will be off the road, something I can't afford to have happen at the moment. The best option does seem to be the one that has been discussed - get another unit, check it over and repair as necessary, before replacing the one in the car.

£800? That's about 1/3rd the purchase price of the car! I am exploring options. TD are good, but the price is likely to be prohibitive as not only is there the getting a turbo to them issue (I'm in NZ, they're in the UK) but when it is returned to me the postage is likely to be another £80+, and I'll be paying import duties and so on. Those come to nearly £200. Steve at Motorsport Engineering can do the rebuild here, if necessary. I can delete the EGR for about the same cost as reprogramming, and I'm going to have to get in there to clean it out anyway. On my car (EU3) there shouldn't be any 'extra' issues as a result of the removal.

OK - the EGR valve. It will be removed. I've done lots of research (I really am careful about what I do!) and removal seems the best way forward. For anyone considering the same, it appears simpler on the EU3-spec cars than on the EU4 ones; simply removing the EGR valve on an EU4 spec car will probably result in the check engine light coming on. Permanently. There are ways to get around this (properly) - I'll post more details once I get things sorted.

Had a chat with the ever-so-helpful Mr Murch earlier - he's not keen on the GT1749V! Oh well... We'll work with what we have as replacing it with something better is a much more involved job. He recommends the 'buy another one and fix that' approach too, so I shall be contacting some folk back in the UK. Regardless, and given the description I gave him, he's confident that some work is relevant, if not essential. In the meantime I'm looking at the EGR valve and planning either a clean, bypass or delete. Claims of fuel economy improvement of well over 10% on cars that have covered less than half the distance mine has are reason enough to spend a few hours quality time under the bonnet. (No idea if the EGR on my car has been looked after, but I doubt it.)

Took a trip to Okoroire this weekend - lovely place, by the way. The first golf course I have found where they give you a chilly bin (with trolley) to carry your beer around the course. I couldn't play golf before, and I'm not sure beer helps. Car performed well, but the spectre of a turbo rebuild is looming. Or at least, reseal, or hose work. Under hard acceleration there is a noise very similar to a 'short away' whistle (in border collie herding parlance - see here for sound bites) which is a repeated short whistle with a rising tone. Only happens under hard acceleration, which is when I anticipate I am looking for more boost. I'm also finding that the turbo seems a little sluggish to kick in. Give it some beans and the sensation of boost is apparent, but sometimes it seems to take a lot more effort to get it spooling than at others - sometimes it feels eager, but increasingly often it feels much the same as I did on Sunday morning. Could this be s simple case of not using the turbo enough? Cruising at around 2000rpm is hardly going to challenge it.

And doing twice that in the middle lane of SH1...

I used Penrite Enviro+ 5W40. (@360k kms.) Full synthetic, correct spec for diesel engines. Castrol is reckoned to be very good, and my car has original factory stickers saying that BMW recommended Castrol. Ignore the service indicator - it reckons you should get 20000kms between oil changes.

Yes. That won't suit everyone, but I don't consider it an issue (for me), and it opens up possibilities with regard to the software that can be used.

This caught my eye: http://www.trademe.co.nz/a.asp?id=668332168 Anyone have any experience of them?

http://www.bmwarchiv.de/vin/bmw-vin-decoder.html Results in German and English, and you can download a .pdf.

We all know I didn't pay much for my car, so that is inconsequential. I have spent a fair bit on it, making sure things are as they should be, but I cannot say if the related costs would be different had I bought a secondhand petrol-engined car. Current distance travelled is around 250km per day. Fuel consumption is around 16km per litre (I paid 142.9c per litre this morning). For comparison, petrol would be around 10km per litre (at - say - 204.9c per litre). If I travel 240 days per year (arbitrary number), I'll cover 60000km. That's 3750 litres, $5360 + $3180 RUC. Call it $8500 In a petrol-engined car, I would use 6000 litres of fuel, costing $12300. If I had a petrol-engined car that would return the same economy as the diesel, it would be cheaper by around $800. But I don't. In fact (and in my scenario), a petrol-engined car will have to average 14km per litre for it to be equally viable.

What a wonderful term 'wombling' is. May I suggest the use of 'bimbling' for drivers travelling at limit -20% on single carriageways, and 'wombling' for those drivers who come up a slip road, cut across traffic to the middle lane of a three-lane highway, then stay there regardless of speed of other vehicles, before carving back across a packed inside lane to the wrong exit? OK, so much of NZ doesn't have three-lane roads, but I'm sure you recognise the type.

Already happening - down Bombay every morning all you can see is a stream of bright red brake lights as people shed speed to avoid having their picture taken by the unmarked van parked at the bottom.