Olaf

you need to be able to compare apples with apples. you can buy a suit from around $200 up... the $200 halensteins job will be very average, buy an $800 Cambridge and have it altered, it's good, or go and get a made-to-measure (or better still, Bespoke), and you've a different experience. If the BMW batty is genuine aparrently they last a lo=oooooong time. You're paying retail, there's probably a full system test from the BMW dealer. The mid-ground might be reasonable quality, should be tested in-situ, charging system test, provided with a warranty. The cheap end will be possibly a lesser quality unit, perhaps bolted in, maybe they'll dispose of your old one. Maybe a lesser warranty, charging check if you're lucky. like the suit, you pays your money and makes yer choice. Jeez it's Auckland, you guys are always driving, yeah? Maybe the distance to JC makes the $600 option worthwhile. There's always the AA Battery Service, cheaper if you're a member. Not a forum sponsor though. HTH

Dear all My 2002 e46 325i Touring has been with me for more than 4 years now. During this time - focussing on suspension department - it has had the following: 112000kms Bog stock, non M-sport, 16 inch rims on 205/55/16. got rid of the crappy JDM tyres and went to Toyo Proxes4. 1. 125,000kms - replaced front LCR bushes, LCRs, Endlinks with Meyle HD. 2. 150,000kms replaced front and rear shocks with OEM Sachs standard, strut bearings, bushes (ARB and others), tie rods. Better. 3. Found it a bit pogo-like (trying to stay with the e38 mafia on a twisty road), did lots of research, ended up with a staggered set of Style 194's (refurbished) with 225/45/17 and 245/40/17s. Improved, but a little tilty. 4. Added MSport ARBs front and rear (24mm and 20mm). Replaced ARB bushes again. And had the rear trailing arm busges replaced with Meyle HD and some poly edge bushes to stop articulation. Ahhhh, much better. Still rides comfortably, holds line better, grip vastly improved. BUT A small clunk coming from the rear. Long story short: inspection by Page European yesterday, found broken LH rear spring. SO: Options. 1. Find the right touring spring, and replace OEM. 2. Get a set of Motorsport Touring Springs. Upside is better match to my wheels and ARBs, slightly lower, should be a little stiffer without getting crashy. Downside is that it'll cost more, and more importantly - the valving of my OEM shocks won't ideally match the MSport springs. Still prolly better than worn-out springs. 3. Get some Eibachs. Hmmm. A little low for Family touring duties I think. 4. Get some H&Rs - no, I've read they're just too hard for daily commute (80kms or thereabouts per day at the mo). 5. Coilovers? No, not interested - it's not a racecar, doesn't have to be "super low". 7. Get Konis, Bilsteins, or replace your current shocks with MSport shocks? No thanks, I don't want to take out those rear shocks again, there's a huge amoiunt of interior Lego to deal with, and hate spending twice. What do you think? Glenn - appreciate your thoughts Brent - what do you have in stock for my e46 325i Touring 325i? John - what do you think? do you still have those Eibachs? Ron - what do you think? Thanks in advance guys. It would be awesome if I could get this sorted before next weekend... Olaf.

you've got to forgive Michael, the Lexus ad on TV with the guy pressing his nose against the glass perving at the Lexus... that's him. We all love cars, it's a given. But who seriously prefers cars over getting 'executive relief'? I don't drink coffee. Damn.

it's revenge for the war! If I were you I'd call Glenn at Botany Motor Works can have him diagnose and repair, and supply and fit an appropriate battery!

excellent idea! Or perhaps an FAQ post at the front, with 1 line headers linking to the position in the FAQ thread...

it's just a license to print money. they should license this as their theme tune...

I understood Tapatalk was so full of security holes it was lighter than swiss cheese. Many forums blocked its use years ago.

awesome! there's nothing like Toyota lego, eh. Well, apart from BMW Lego and Honda Lego... but Toyota Lego is the best.

sorry mate, reference to Vanishing Point

$1200? You need this guy...

^^ That's what he said!

you need to shake it before you put it away.

are those the style 194's formerly of the artist known as Dapper? welcome to the style 194 mafia!

yeah. and this is not the place to pikachu.

Friday I replaced the front and rear wipers (genuine BMW parts), and rain-x'd the windscreen. The status warning light came on while I was on the way home yesterday - sidelamp out. dropped by REPCO, in the carpark pulled the bulb; it started working again. purchased bulb, replaced it. added oil this morning. simple stuff.

no worries Graham, she's well ahead of most - she's out of doors, and learning how to use a spanner?! She'll probably recognise that - for around 50% of the time, forums demand some cogent thought; this should be similar to the essays she needs to write at school. Inject a little humility, humour, and consideration, and it's way ahead of the other social media in terms of expressing ideas. She'll do fine. A great opportunity for this community to monitor its entrenched behaviours and self-moderate!

pics, or it didn't happen!

hey Greg, got an update?

I thought this had been a bit quiet. He's been detained for questioning, the police aren't accept his explanation, in their view this story of getting a free car is just an elaborate hoax and he was in fact there to collect the drugs/cash/jewellery. allegedly.

^^ that's what she said!

rednecks in utes in provincial new zealand towns. picture, if you will, a rainy saturday in Napier. Weekend trip away. Saturday morning in-town to exercise one of the oldest tourism practices: retail tourism, allowing one's family to shop and jettison money into local economy... 30km/h zone in town, no parks to be found... pull to side of road (with indicator), put hazards on. Rural "gentleman" in silver japanese ute drives past, glaring and gesturing and honking his horn repeatedly. huh? what a welcoming presence. What, you don't get to safely pull to the side of the road in a small town, to deposit your passengers? Perhaps navigating his way around a stopped vehicle causes significant pain and discomfort, due to the chips on his shoulders. I'm sure the same guy would bitch and moan if there was a decline in tourism income in Hawkes Bay, too! Perhaps his job title is "director of first impressions". Thankfully these idiots do not get to carry sidearms in NZ. /rant

$470 is about $100 per corner, and the cost of a courtesy ride and a coffee. It covers cost of some broken trim clips in the boot, replaced... not so exhorbitant in many respects. and a bit of healthy margin. And as the OP says, he saved valuable time not taking it elsewhere. Hopefully they did the alignment with the weights on the floor as per factory spec. As for Mag and Turbo? Why would anyone go there, for anything? Would you buy food - to eat - from McDonalds? Sheesh. If you want a specialist job done, go to a specialist. If you want a hamburger, you can go to Ronnie Maccas or Booger King.... or go to Burger Wisconsin or Burger Fuel. There are good independent workshops around for suspension work, if you prefer not to go to a BMW independent.

you're absolutely right, Kelvin. Only, it's like his first real girlfriend. He's decided he wants to marry her. He had sought this unicorn for years... his mother even liked her! Only, then he found out she wasn't the virgin they said she was. He knows she can be 'made good as new by a plastic surgeon. But, it's a deal breaker for him, as to his mind, he was marrying 'the one'; to his mind, 'the one' had to be an authentic virgin.

Do you guys not remember top gear before 2002? It's been going a f#%kload longer than that, and used to be pretty dry. It's going through a slow and painful metamorphosis - just give it time. I think MLB is an excellent host. Rory is slick, though needs a bit of humility. Most particularly he is totally lost amidst Monkey's pithy barbs. Eddie Jordan - BZZZZZZT. Get Och Aye The Noo Crazy Dave Coulthard. Evans gave it a shot, but basically "whoo hoo" every week gets a bit boring. I'm sure Jezza spent a day a week writing metaphors and similes, culled them next week, and thus had a strong list from which to effortlessly draw whilst mid-corner. Evans was hamstrung by his personality, but clearly didn't do his homework. The producers f#$ked up by directing him to emulate Jezza. Never gonna work. MLB, by contrast, injects his own New York cool - and being an actor, has plenty to draw on. I enjoyed the seasons - though I'm sure few viewers would have appreciated Weird Uncle Eddie with his spoon accompaniment! If only they'd chosen "Spoonman" instead of abba.

hooray! sad days though Lewis, I think these looked ace on your e46