gjm

Yup. I lost half of a friends engine stand that way.

What's a single car battery worth these days?

We spent a lot of time considering Thames as somewhere to live, but haven't moved there (or anywhere!) Happy to try to answer questions.

Unfortunately you're over 1000km and an expensive ferry trip from me, or I'd be all over the doors.

+1 for ATF-FS.

No news. But maybe that's good news? They've not said 'no'!

USPS aren't good, but NZ Post is appalling. I've had shipments from the US tracked as in NZ, showing in NZ for more than a week, while NZ Post still says it has 'left overseas airport'. Local shipments don't even show as picked up from a Post Shop for a few days, when suddenly they are delivered; I've even had thanks for delivery before the tracking has updated to show an item has been collected. Management of packages coming into NZ is terrible. If you have the temerity to import something valued at over $400 (but less than $1000) NZ Post expect you to have a shipping agent to handle any fees and suchlike. It's almost as though they don't know what to do with it. You'll get a letter asking you to pay, then they seem to expect you'll collect the parcel. If it is to be delivered, it can take 2-3 weeks for it to arrive, after any duties have been paid.

Ethanol is a good fuel. It burns well, and cleanly, and in a car set up to use it, it is superior to unleaded fuel. You do normally use more fuel when running ethanol than you would if using 'conventional' petrol. (There's another discussion about octane levels, energy delivered and heat, but we'll skip that for now.) However, there are many different (synthetic) elastomers that are lumped into the category of "rubber" used in O-rings, seals and hoses. Two of these, most commonly used in motor vehicles, and which do not significantly deteriorate with petrol exposure, are Buna and Viton. Viton is more expensive. Buna can deteriorate with heat while Viton is more resilient. Viton also survives exposure to Ethyl Alcohol, while Buna does not. Care to guess which material was most widely used by the motor industry? Typically, the biggest issue isn't elastomer (rubber) deterioration - it is the cleaning effect of ethanol that causes problems, exacerbated by old hoses which should probably be replaced anyway. These things do have a limited lifespan, after all.

Update... First application - 64 other people also applied for the role, including 2 who proved to be an exact fit in terms of experience and industry sector. This reveals the issues with applying via an agency - they'll send through the 'best fit' but won't typically look into why the (apparent?) 'best fit' is available, or if someone else might do a better job. Ho hum. They could well be right, and they do have to start somewhere. Second role - I tried to discuss the role with the recruiter who clearly didn't understand my concerns over scope (given the information provide re scale and scope). As it turned out, my concerns described exactly what the company wanted, which was completely contrary to the description of the role. Third... "Can you program?" (I've been applying for infrastructure, not development roles.) "Yes. [I can and have.] What language would you like me to use?" "What have you used most recently?" "VB, for custom automated report creation." "Oh... We're looking for recent Visual C scripting experience..." This was for an infrastructure management role, with no mention at any point of any programming being required. I asked prior to interview, and was told it wasn't a pre-requisite. So... Back to the role in Taranaki. Phone interview yesterday morning. A half hour which really isn't long enough to even concisely get a full picture across. Still, it seemed to go well, and I should hear something more tomorrow. Next step will be a visit to HQ in New Plymouth and an in-depth interview, involving HR. They pay for the flights... Keep your fingers crossed, eh?

I second the 'use a quality hedgehog' - I tried a cheap one and it lasted about 3 months. I bought main from a BMW main dealer - faster turnaround, and the difference in price wasn't significant. The bolts/screws that secure it are torx head. I bought a set of tools from Repco (I think) - green handled ones. The correct size torx tool was exactly the right length. Once upside in the footwell with your head positioned just so, your feet somewhere else while swearing about the seat and questioning the heritage of whoever decided this was a good place to put something that fails...

Thanks Dave. Got to be worth a go!

In all seriousness, I heard t day that as of next Friday, I am no longer gainfully employed. One dream realised - I have time to do stuff, without worrying about what is waiting for me when I get back! Sadly, I can't actually afford to do anything... If anyone knows of anyone looking for IT management skills, please let me know. (Pretty please! )

It's sad (for us) that you're closing, but there comes a time... Hope you'll hang around here, and that you'll enjoy time away from the workshop.

N46, like most engines, have some issues. High oil consumption is often due to use of lower quality motor oil - BMW recommended oil must be used or valve stem seals and piston rings suffer. Vibration can be reduced or solved through Vanos overhaul and clean. Engine noise relating to timing chain tensioner or stretched timing chain - this can be disastrous. Requires attention at least every 100,000 km. Leaking valve cover gasket can need changing as often as every 50,000 km. The vacuum pump can also need changing. Check any service history you get with the car, and sort these things first.

Which engine does your car have? If the M43TU, there's not much that can be done. Even forced induction is limited in scope because of the engine design - it's intended to be economical. (To be honest, for a commuting car this is probably close to perfect.) The N42 may respond a little better; I know very little about them. However, neither has 150hp. Perhaps yours is a later model with the N46 engine? An ECU remap, cold air intake and cat-back performance exhaust could add 10Hp, but is a lot of work for not much gain. Supercharging is expensive, but could lift power output to 200-230hp.

What interior? I forgot. Nothing untoward, except my memory.

If I could afford to give it to you, I'd be happy to.

Shhh...! Balances with the incredibly-well-serviced E46 diesel Touring tax. @Ahmedsinc: not what I had planned at all, but PM sent.

Sheeesht. If anyone had told me even a couple of years ago that an E30 would list for $13k I would have laughed. And laughed and laughed. How times change.

Hydrogen has been a commercially viable fuel for vehicles for over 40 years. (Obviously not the same as hydrogen fuel cells.)

Thanks Jason - very much appreciated.

I guess ours isn't quite so bad by comparison... 10.1(ish) L/100km. That's a spot check on economy though so I'll keep an eye on it. ICVs and so on can make a difference.

What economy should we expect from a 1997 E36 318Ti automatic? I didn't expect it to be anything like as good as the 318i manual, but it is much, much worse. 66 litres used in 650km.

Do you mean the foot-operated go-faster switch?

I got a rad from Silverdale Radiators. Fast delivery - looks to be a quality product. Check the cost of shipping one from the US.