Jazzbass

Just rememberised another: Are you sitting comfortably? Good. Allow me, if you will, to relate a short story - a story of stupidity, of a lesson learned and a warning of unexpectedness. I used to keep my access card for the parking area at work under the strip on the back of my driver's side sun visor in my car. One day, in my dreamstate, as I slipped the card back in, instead of sliding under the strip, it slipped through the space where the sliding mirror is, into the void beyond. For those who don't know, BMWs have a sliding cover over the mirror on the sun visors. When the cover is slipped open, two little lights come on, so the viewer can apply their lippy etc (or in my case marvel at how great I look - LOL). Naturally there is a very small space where the sliding cover slides... Now, being a resourceful chappy, I attempted to hook the card back out again, however all I accomplished was to push it further inside the visor. Never mind, thought I, I'll just go to security and get another, which I duly did, with my wallet being lighter by the $20 fee for a lost card. No worries, you might think. All sorted, you'd say. Well, being me, I was mildly annoyed at being beaten by a silly little access card and a tight slot. So I fashioned a hook wire and fished around inside the visor. Aha! Founderised it, thought I. But. It got snagged on some internal thingamebob (technical name - you need to be an engineer to understand that) and would not exit to the wide world again. No worries, I thought, I'll just turn the visor upside down and tap it until it comes free. Excellent thought. Now the unforseen part of the problem presented itself. The hinged part of the visor is made of hard plastic, moulded around the little wires which feed the lights when the cover is slid. One thing about hard plastic is that is does not enjoy being bent too far, so when it gets to that state, it snaps ~ and so it did. Thus Hookes Law of Elasticity was again demonstrated to me - I should have paid more attention in Mechanics of Solids. Bugger! Now, as you may realise, I am not one to put up with bodged repairs and sub-standard bits on my cars, so I pulled it all off and popped cheerily into the local BMW agent. Here's a challenge, says I to Sue in the parts office. After re-telling the saga, she comforts me with a cheery, best of luck, mate, don't hold your breath. Bugger! I had to settle for a used one at half the price of a new sunvisor. $200 ish So listen and learn, young friends, from the folly of the aged.. should such a problem surface in your life - remove the sunvisor from the car before attempting to force it into places it is not designed to go.

Well, all bmw stuff - key ring, pen, hat, peppermints, jelly beans, polish rag.

My brother in law imported an E34 several years back from England. He left it to a mate in UK to sort one out for him - gave him a list of suitable cars and next thing you know he's the proud owner of a ........ 518i It wasn't even on his list!! Anyway, this thing has some strange aftermarket wheel locking nuts on it and he's spent the past few years trying to find the correct tool for the job, looking in England etc. Finally he asked me. I suggested he just get 4 new BMW ones and throw the others away. You could see the penny dropping... he'd never even considered that way of doing it. Some people just can't see past the obvious.... mind you he's old...

LOL - the system works well!!! Its those bastards in the middle need to take all the responsibility!! Bloody 30-50 yo - arseholes, the lot of them. Why when I was their age... hey you! Get off my lawn! I'll set my chihuahua on to ya! Bloody kids these daze got no respect... why I oughta ... :drunk:

doh! (_8^(I) I'm old I've got an excuse

Don't feel bad, Andrew, that happened to my son's car following a service job at the local Mitsubishi agents. I was driving it home and the handling/vibration was horrendous. All four wheels - not even hand-tightened - just positioned in there. Even the so-called experts can do it.

Manual windows? In a BMW? Oh I say, how bourgeois, what...

that is one fugly mother! Can you imagine a bloke my age driving 'round in it? That'd just be SO wrong. The car should forever be restricted to 17 yo drivers.

only 39 active posters???

Geez, you blokes have some bad luck. The only slightly bad thing I've done to a car myself was when I was installing new set belts in my Fiat 124 coupe. I somehow managed to drill through the fuel line. Being a sparky, I just taped it together and nipped down to the garage and got a bit of hose from the mechanic. Cut the pipe and slipped the hose over it and as far as I know its still like that.

Well, I thought so too, but my 325 had less room inside than my 318, which made me wonder if there was indeed some small differences?

If you haven't already been to your local agents for the BMW XPO, do drop in. (all this week) I left with a nice pile of goodies. If you test drive, you go into a draw to win a place on a BMW driving course ($500). I really wanted to take a Z4 for a blat, but they didn't have a demonstrator there.

I've booked mine in and it seems all the e39 owners were identified from data supplied by LTSA, so it should encompass imports also. Apparently its part of the front suspension which 'under certain environmental and driving conditions' could fail. The letter doesn't state the ramifications of a failure, but I figure anything to do with suspension is a little too touchy to not have right. Like with all recalls, its totally free and requires about an hour and a half worth of labour, so the BMW agents like that game - guaranteed work. If you have an E39 and haven't had a recall letter, I'd suggest contacting your nearest agent.

I don't know - I'll ask when I take mine in. I know I got notified when I had a recall for a radiator cap with my first E36 - that was a Jappo import.

I got a letter from Jerry Clayton (sp?) BMW on Saturday telling me there is a general recall for E39s regarding a need for replacement front spring supports or some such thing. (haven't got the letter with me) I'll be taking my car into Jeff Gray Manawatu to get them to do it, obviously. Anyone own an E39 and NOT get a recall letter?

Are the 'R' badges as commonly misused as 'M' badges are on BMWs? How do you know its a real R, I guess is what I mean...

If I may add a 'senior' perspective? I've been using the 'net since it first became available in NZ, through the old BBS to forums such as these. Yes, people do post things which offend others. Yes people can be less than friendly etc. IMO, that just mirrors the real world. There are posts in every forum I attend which I don't like. We each have to find our own ways of dealing with those, but taking your ball and going home is the least effective methodology, since nothing is achieved by doing that - the forum just carries on without you. Surely if you like parts of a forum, you should stay and help to 'improve' it? FWIW, try this: Humour - learn to laugh at yourself and poke fun at yourself as much as the others do. Blind eye - if you don't like what someone has written, don't respond to it. It quickly fades away to be forgotten. Reality - it is rather likely that you/I will never meet most people here in person, so really, what does it matter if their opinion is different to yours? We don't all have to be firm friends to participate - everyone's opinion is as valid an anyone else's. (even though anyone who thinks differently to me is a total wanker ) Its just an internet forum........

I still cannot call any commode or falcon a "supercar"....

Have you looked here? E46

Nice driving skills.

If all other parameters (mileage, condition, know history etc) were close, I'd certainly recommend the 330 over the 325. That said, I'd be as happy as a pig in sh*t in either...

I'm still using all the BMW cleaning stuff they gave me when I bought my car. However, I find, now that I've given my baskets a decent clean, all I really need is soapy water and my magwheel cleaning brush to keep them clean. I wash my car weekly. IMO, once you have the wheels really clean, its easy as to keep them clean, but if you let the brake dust get settled in there - what a bastard of a job!

Yep, both my E36s did that. PIA! I found Mobil pumps to be the worst. No idea why... I had to sort of hold the trigger in a mid position - could never put the nozzle all the way in, 'cos it'd cut the flow off instantly. The E39 doesn't do it, thankfully.

LOL - yeah, I'm sure you do it better, mate!! PS - DNZ, I know there's there's nothing new, but these emails keep coming round - and round - and round... if I have to suffer....

Check him out - *sic