Yuen

The stupid thing - mine came up with the 'Check Coolant Level' error after I did a cooling system overhaul, using the old sensor. So I went out and bought a new one, and the error went away for about a week. Then it came back again and has been there ever since. Doesn't sound logical, but some other E36 guys apparently have experienced that as well. Stupid gremlins.

M-tech height is lower than standard height. I lowered my 320i from standard springs + Bilstein shocks to M-tech springs + Bilstein shocks. The front was significantly lower, would say 20-30mm drop. The rear was pretty much the same as before, I have no idea why (the springs were slightly shorter). If you're on M-tech and that's not low enough for you, you can go aftermarket, common combinations are Koni shocks + Eibach springs (Eibach Pro-Kit, Sportlines), or Bilstein shocks + H&R springs. There are also other brands like Sachs (a fellow member has them). IMO, M-Tech is a pretty practical height and is a good compromise between looks and practicality, any lower and you will have to really watch the bumps. If you want to read up on suspension, check out Bimmerforums (www.bimmerforums.com), there are lots of pictures of different cars on different brands of suspension.

Very nice!

Hey all, To all of you who have bought new brake pads or brake pad wear sensor, how much did you pay, which car was it for, and who did you get it from? The front pads are due for a change, I am wondering if I should go to the dealer, or Euro-Italian, or any parts place you might know of. I will probably go for BMW original or Textar (they are OEM i think). The car is an E36 323i.

Saw this one in person. Was thinking nice car, then I saw the rear and heard the sound... I guess to each his own, really. It looks like the moulding says M so it's probably an M-sport E36. At least he didn't badge it as an M3, maybe the license plate means Rotate Me?

Does it seem to get closer and closer to starting as you crank it more? We need more details. In my experience (have a 320i too) it was fuel flooding - so had to crank it many many times before it started up and ran rough for a while. It can also be that your spark plugs need to be changed.

The front of the new X5 just doesn't look as good in pics compared to the old one, maybe it's too curvy. Rear looks great though... nice to have an M-Sport X5

Looking good. Nice pic of the Porsche too... was that in Newmarket?

I have a 320i just like you... an intake would just make noise and perhaps make the engine more responsive or lively, but it's just for noise really, don't do it for power. I think the word OEM is being misused in that case.

Count me in Glenn!

Welcome! Glad to have yet another BMW enthusiast on this forum.

Alex, you can get the Simota ones for $170 IIRC, from a shop in Christchurch, a few members have bought them. www.autopassion.co.nz $175 inc GST and shipping was the price as of last year. You might have to mention that you're a Bimmersport member.

Have seen your car twice in the past week, it's definitely a nice looking car. Looked pretty mint to me! (in response to your well loved comments about the exterior)

You're welcome, I was reading the latest Total BMW yesterday and they were talking about changing an E36 320i's suspension, according to them you can get the 22mm nut off if you loosen it while the strut is still in place under the strut tower, and the weight of the car is on it. So if you are going to do it yourself, give it a shot, just get it loose but don't take it off, don't want the whole strut hat shooting off.

Rears are really easy. About a 20 min job. Fronts require spring compressors before you remove the strut hat, the nut on the strut hat is 22mm or something like that, and can be a pain to remove, you may need an impact wrench. It's possible to DIY with a few sockets, spring compressor, and a prybar (for the rears) but if you don't have those tools would just get it over with by going to a shop. I did mine on my own but I needed an impact wrench to remove the strut hat nut, it just kept spinning. Brought the whole strut with the spring still in it and the mechanic took it off in about 3 seconds, I'd spent hours trying to get it off with manual tools at home.

Sounds awesome. Thanks for sharing!

Sorry to hear Josh, hope it gets sorted... what's the total price like for all those parts to do the manual conversion?

Windows roll down slightly when you open the door so that when you close it, firstly it will prevent the surrounding rubber seals to get worn out quickly. Secondly, I've heard it's something to do with pressure inside the cabin - the door will be easier to shut because the cabin pressure = outside pressure. But, that sounds a little BS to me because Sedans can close fine without the window rolling down - unless the lack of a frame around the window on the Coupe makes it flex more hence the difference in pressure will strain the glass.

Yup, 4 cylinder engine is lighter so the front springs are different. But I've heard the rears are the same.

That's nuts. The cool thing though, it looks like the driver walked away from it.

Fully agree. To me, car enthusiasts are people who like their cars, may work on them themselves... but don't do stuff like cruise up and down Queen St on a Friday night trying to impress people.

They need to seriously crack down on these people, get rid of all the PC crap and teach them a lesson, make the laws even more stringent, chuck them in jail. Lots of idiot youngsters out there today, making it lousy for the rest of us younger people.

Congrats! Looking forward to more details.

Hey Jono, I would just look around on TradeMe for some secondhand standard wheels, they come up quite often and you can probably get a set for less than $100. Just the other day a set off an E34 (that's what yours is, correct?) went for around $70. You're likely to pay much less buying a set of standard wheels, than repairing one wheel.

Haha, thanks Andy. I'll give a broker a call next week and see...